Minimal Wave Records

So.

Long story short. we keep coming across “limited edition reissues” of the most expensive minimal wave items; sometimes they’re advertised as reissue, sometimes as white label promos, surprisingly they are generally NOT advertised as originals - also, they are generally not made to look like originals - as will be seen below.

I want a list of the rarities which have been subjected to this kind of unofficial reissue. I also want to know if there’s any way of telling the original from the repress.

The debate on whether this should be abhorred or what colour the insides of people who make reissues without the consent of the licence-holders may continue elsewhere, here I just want to know what exists as more than one (official/ original) pressing.

Stuff I know of:

-League Of Nations: “Music for the new depression” MLP; this has different back cover to the original and starts with a bonus track “Thin Ice Door”
-Paul Nova: “Trees Without Leaves” LP; issued with one less track than the original; new press has 7 tracks, original has 8.
-Short Wave Mystery - Pilots MLP; IIRC this was listed in eBay as “white label promo” with the front and back cover reprinted as two separate boards.
-Transparent Illusion “Still Human” LP; issued in a different, black cover. I think the music is the same as the original - can anyone confirm?
-Van Kaye & Ignit: “A Slight Delay” LP; Originally on cassette, there are at least two vinyl versions of this and I think neither were made with the consent of the band? At least one is listed as unofficial in discogs.

I also remember one French guy making vinyl issues of some obscure cassette tracks; generally in an edition of 10 copies with white labels and priced at €100-130 per. I’m pretty certain that these were not artist-endorsed “official” product, but as I don’t remember exactly what artists he reissued like this, I’m not listing them for now.

And there’s a couple of unofficial compilation series; Strange Sounds and Kassettentäter are the ones I remember right now, but these do not rival any official releases so maybe this kind of release should not be listed here?`

Well it’s a start… Anyone else?

B*gger.
Forgot the Twilight Ritual LP, didn’t I? Forget me own head next.

-Twilight Ritual: “Rituals” LP; this one is a tad cleverer, obviously done to make it look like the original. The differences are described in detail here:

http://www.minimal-wave.org/site/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=441

There is also the David Sinfield 7”, issued as split with Solid Space. Doubt they ever heard of each other… Came from France it did, like many others earlier mentioned.

i once got offered the force de frappe 7” but it wasnt really clear whether it was the original and i didnt bother to ask:

i have now in my hands the 5 copies of FORCE DE FRAPPE Ere nucleaire
Just have to work a little the sleeve and then you can have one for 125EURO

have to “work a little on the sleeve”?

a suggestion btw oy: could you manage the first post to contain all “consensus” bootlegs? This keeps the list clear and useful. After all, with a popular resource for forgeries possibilities for fraud will hopefully diminish.

For sure:
night moves - transdance GC2 promo. forgery has two songs, original has nightdrive as extra track on the b-side. Original says transdance, forgery says trans dance. The picture of the GC2 on discogs is of the bootleg. that Reminds me to make a note of it there.

Ah-Ha! This is were stuff gets tricky.

The ‘reissue’ GC2 clearly has been made to look like the original, iow to trick people into buying this, thinking they are buying the original. Since many people would know they need the disc, but not necessarily the particulars on what tracks are on it etc, this actually might work, and then the differences would be something for the seller to hide behind (“what? you thought it was the original? get real, that has three tracks, i clearly stated this has two!”).

Same thing with Samen’s Sinfield/ Solid Space 7”; although not a 1-to-1 pirate record, it may fool the listener into thinking this is where those elusive rare tracks were originally released.

Spart: what’s a “consensus” bootleg? If it’s the licence holder’s consensus, it isn’t a bootleg but a repress, yes? Not that those official represses aren’t interesting enough per se…

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And what about John Bender ?

[quote author=“reactorlgtn”]Ah-Ha! This is were stuff gets tricky.

The ‘reissue’ GC2 clearly has been made to look like the original, iow to trick people into buying this, thinking they are buying the original. Since many people would know they need the disc, but not necessarily the particulars on what tracks are on it etc, this actually might work, and then the differences would be something for the seller to hide behind (“what? you thought it was the original? get real, that has three tracks, i clearly stated this has two!”).

hmmm i begin to see a pattern there, might be the reason indeed!

[quote author=“reactorlgtn”]
Spart: what’s a “consensus” bootleg? If it’s the licence holder’s consensus, it isn’t a bootleg but a repress, yes? Not that those official represses aren’t interesting enough per se…

well i actually meant with consensus that most people participating in this thread would agree on a release being a bootleg or confirming it actually exists, but as the OPer you’re the one behind the steering wheel