Minimal Wave Records

OUT FEBRUARY 2011!





Listen to full album mix SOUND SAMPLES

“Take a ticket on the railway STATIONs”…

“Stations/Absorptions” is a comprehensive LP+CD set by PAUL CHAMBERS hailing from the UK and being known for his contribution of the two stunning tracks “Steering Solo” and “Take A Ticket” to the “The Apprentices Dance” LP compilation from 1981 (on US label Sounds Interesting Records, SILP 007). These two tracks, full of Roland CR-78 action and analogue synths, made Anna want to find Paul so hard, thus in-house detective Jochen Lange was once again called into action and dear Paul couldn’t hide in obscurity for much longer. PAUL CHAMBERS was truly a pioneer of dark minimal electronic music, starting to record already in 1978! He used a Boss DR-55, Roland SH-1, Korg MS-20 and EDP Wasp, just to name a few, and it’s nothing but pure analogue synthesizer bliss with lots of emotional undertones and the pure honesty of an independent do-it-yourself artist. The LP “Stations” comprises 12 tracks including the majority of his rare vocal tracks (thus also including “Steering Solo” and “Take A Ticket”), recorded between 1979 and 1983, which mark milestones of the minimal electro wave genre while not knowing any boundaries: there is incredible lead synths on “In Tune With The Infinite” or “Mood Two”, noisy guitar accompaniment on “The Appointment With Fear” or a distant distorted lead guitar in “Mood Three”, a certain softness in “You Are Time” and “Crazy Lazy”, a sequencer madness in “J2”, a rather mystic atmosphere in “Never Is Just A Word” and an icy thrill in “Title Name”. The CD “Absorptions” comprises instrumental and more experimental tracks recorded between 1978 and 1981, which can easily be lined up with the recordings especially by Chris Carter/Throbbing Gristle and The Human League from around the same time, while Paul also acknowledges the influence of Fad Gadget, John Foxx/Ultravox, early Roxy Music, Brian Eno, Gary Numan/Tubeway Army, The Normal, Genocide, Cabaret Voltaire, Suicide, Chrome, Cluster, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Thomas Leer and Robert Rental. The really incredible restoring of very old and very noisy audio tapes and the mastering (or as we called it later on … ‘the magic’) was done by Ton Willekes, to who we owe a deep debt of gratitude. Also, Ton got Anna in contact with the talented artist Jen Clark whose works formed the basis of all artworks in this production, which was – as always – patiently and accurately designed by Steve Lippert. This is a rare merging of individual creativity to one almost perfect whole. Music-wise, finding Paul and unleashing his archives was truly a revelation, so that a total of 28 raw minimal experimental electronic wave tracks from the very early days of home-recorded synthesiser music are now finally seeing the light of day after 30 years time! Paul, this is for you!

ANNA LOGUE RECORDS

Marc,

You might want to change this in your description.

“made Anna want to find Paul so hard”

Otherwise Beavis and Butthead might have something to say about it. 

You can remove the “so hard”, and say.

“made Anna want to locate Paul”

I can send Ton my address for him to send me the:

“very old and very noisy audio tapes”

Thanks,
Stephen

obscure - 29 January 2011 08:50 PM

I can send Ton my address for him to send me the:

“very old and very noisy audio tapes”

Thanks,
Stephen

I think if you send Ton your address he’ll send you something different or he’ll pay you a personal visit.

Stephen,
thank you for the suggestion, I was taking in into account.

Even though I find Stephen’s and Nogah’s comments entertaining, I ask you to understand that this thread is about discussing the ANNA 030 - Paul Chambers - Stations/Absorptions - LP+CD release. It is neither about me nor about Stephen, neither about Ton nor about Nogah. I personally prefer this thread getting views due to the release itself and not due to personal attacks between forum members. As for Stephen, I left you alone since I said I’d do so and I will. So, if you people want to discuss anything else than the release, please start a new thread.

Apart from “hard” jokes,

I’ve really looked forward to this, and the other new Annas as well. Huzzah!

Nogah - 31 January 2011 08:11 AM

obscure - 29 January 2011 08:50 PM

I can send Ton my address for him to send me the:

“very old and very noisy audio tapes”

Thanks,
Stephen

I think if you send Ton your address he’ll send you something different or he’ll pay you a personal visit.

Marc,

Yes, thanks for leaving me alone.  Just so you know this is the best Annalogue release to date.

I will never own it, but the music is great. 

I can’t wait to hang out with Ton!  We are going to cruise sunny southern california, and he will tell me all his great stories about how it was back in the early dutch punk days.  Then we are going to get in a fist fight over his remastering of minimal synth masterpieces. Then we are going to get completely wasted, and he will teach me how to use a drum machine, and then we will be friends again. It will be so awesome.

Stephen

I just listened to the previews on youtube and they are really great - also the instrumentals on the CD!!!!

THE ALBUM IS NOW AVAILABLE - IT SOUNDS AND LOOKS AWESOME - DEFINITELY ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RELEASES ON ANNA LOGUE RECORDS TO DATE.

I got my copy yesterday, and i must say that it is an awesome collection. It is essential listening, hopefully it will get all the praise it deserves.

Having being lucky to hear the unmastered versions I will say Ton has done a top class job with the remaster.

This will be a great release.All of the new ones will be. When funds allow, I will send for them. ~Stephen you are still an arrogant little smugg.Have fun justifying yourself in life.

BioKlastik,

Wow, a dumb hateful insult out of nowhere.  And you have fun justifying whatever you do for a living
when you cannot even come up with the funds to purchase a $20 release that you think is great.

Stephen

excuse me but, what part of my 31 January 2011 post did you people not understand?

@Marc~ Sorry.
@Obskure~Good one.You have bested me.Iam defeated ....cough…cough….

Got my copy a couple of weeks ago, it’s amazing how much undiscovered music there is in it ... i’m absolutely in love with the LP and the instrumentals are also growing slowly.
I agree this is one of the best releases (actually i love almost all of them), the best for me is the other one that came out with this one… Chromagain! I was soo waiting for that release, one of my all-times favourites.
Next weekend i’ll have also my copy of Intelligence Dept. and i just can’t wait.

Marc - props to you!  Absolutely stunning release!
Medical Records has a thing or two to learn from you…

sinewave93 - 04 April 2011 06:15 PM

Marc - props to you!  Absolutely stunning release!
Medical Records has a thing or two to learn from you…

Many labels ought to go through Anna’s catalogue and take notes. Paul Chambers is just one of a multitude of great releases. Anna Logue Records is one of those very few labels that you can collect, not a duffer among them - the music, the sound quality, the cover design, the extras.

(Yes there are other labels too, but they can go ahead and start their own thread, right?)