Direct Action - The Album LP (1985, Second Coming Productions)

Strange private press (1,000 copies) from a band that appears to have been based out of London. The LP comes with an extensive booklet containing a lot of political and philosophical rants... by glancing through it, I would think I just purchased an anarcho punk album! Discogs has this one listed as Second Coming for the band name, I don't think this is the case...
 
Couple cool dark/gothy tracks on here (my favorites), "Antipop" reminds me of Depeche Mode, some standard new wave tunes, few synthy ones, and others bordering on indie. I liked the LP better after a few listens... not perfect... but certainly pretty decent overall minus a few tracks. The track "Smiling Backwards" ends very abruptly, it is like this on the LP... not an error on my part. "Consequences" contains a skip or two on my copy, but one of the less memorable songs.

Preview some samples here:




Direct Action - The Album LP (1985, Second Coming Productions)

01. Insect Control
02. Louise
03. Kevin & The Constitution
04. Antipop
05. Partytime
06. Auschwitz
07. In All Honesty
08. Lust
09. Consequences
10. Smiling Backwards
11. The Haunted
12. Red

http://netkups.com/?d=fca658605fc11
pass: kentuckyfriedwave

VA: Rock Azur LP (1987, Logos Disques)

Rare, obscure French compilation... By glancing at the cover, you'd probably think this one is total shit, and there are some shitty bands on here... but you'd probably never guess there are some cold wave hits too. U-Bahn has an excellent track with some Siouxsie-vibes, Ultima Dance are great too --> a bit like Parallèles De Montségur, and Dimension Libre are decent. Body Body go for a dancy sound, Point De Chute are new wave/guitar alternative rock, Anne Vivien and Masculin-Pluriel are pop/new wave, and Willie & The Lightnings play shitty rock'n'roll.

Preview some songs here:



VA: Rock Azur LP (1987, Logos Disques)

01. Anne Vivien - Les Belles Manières
02. Body Body - Body-Body
03. Dimension Libre - Trotteuse Perverse
04. Masculin-Pluriel - Nuit Blanche
05. Point De Chute - Voyageur
06. U-Bahn - Can You Hear Me
07. Ultima Dance - Esmeralda
08. Willie & The Lightnings - Don't Feel Ashamed To Rock'N Roll Tonight

http://netkups.com/?d=9cd118150a62f
pass: kentuckyfriedwave

White Russia - Valentine 7" (1980, Trivia Records)

Rare UK minimal synth gem... not to be confused with the German band with the same name from the same era.

Sample both tracks here:



White Russia - Valentine 7" (1980, Trivia Records)

01. Valentine
02. Clothes

http://netkups.com/?d=91d2f061e1245
pass: kentuckyfriedwave

Baraka - Baraka 12'' (1986, Self-Released)

Here is the sole release by Baraka, a rare French band crossing coldwave, new wave, touching pop, and synth. I would put them in the same category as bands like Smirnov and Fatidic Seconde. For a private press, quite polished and well-produced... so I would imagine they could have easily been radio pop if in the hands of a major label/producer... though like most bands they never made it to the big league and left us only with this gem. My copy is missing the insert, so I don't have much information... but this one was limited to 1,000 copies. "C'est Pour Ton Bien" is a great coldwave pop track!

To preview some samples:



Baraka - Baraka 12'' (1986, Self-Released)

01. Des Jours Meilleurs
02. C'est Pour Ton Bien
03. Le Chant Des Sirènes
04. Les Enfants Du Paradis


http://netkups.com/?d=8751461850722
pass: kentuckyfriedwave

Idle Lovéll - Surge Et Illuminare MLP (1984, Blonde Vinyl Records)

Idle Lovéll were a gothic / dark wave band from the Los Angeles region that only released this record. They included Michael Knott on vocals, who I had never heard of before, though he has quite a massive discography beginning with the early 80's punk band The Lifesavors... and is apparently a well-known figurehead in alternative Christian music. This is the first and probably last "Christian" record I'll ever post on here... hehe, normally not the stuff I seek out! However, I wouldn't let that discourage anyone from checking it out since it contains many excellent tracks. The better tracks remind me of some songs by bands such as South of No North, Art Boulevard, Necropolis of Love, or tracks such as "Out of The Window" by Aerial FX, etc... "Shallow" and "Only" are very good dark wave tracks, "Drone" is gothy, "I Can't Wait" is dreamy, "One-Sided Love Affair" has a jangle-pop vibe, and "Touch Me In The Wind" is my least favorite since it has a lame "radio-friendly" sing-a-long chorus. Overall, very good stuff if the religious overtones don't pester you.

Idle Lovéll - Surge Et Illuminare MLP (1984, Blonde Vinyl Records)

01. Touch Me In The Wind
02. Shallow
03. I Can't Wait
04. Only
05. One-Sided Love Affair
06. Drone

http://netkups.com/?d=32c17b0bf08f5
pass: kentuckyfriedwave

Crises En Themes - Aquarelle Mission K7 (1990, Self-Released)

This is a tape I took a gamble on several years back since it was fairly cheap, the seller had some other cool items, and in this case I did get lucky (and not fall victim to sales puffery) since it 1) contains some good coldwave songs, 2) never have seen it since (it hasn't been off the radar either), 3) nor heard their name spoken/typed/written from anyone else besides a few personal friends after I have sent tracks to over the years, or the individual I purchased it off. I thought I got lucky once again few years ago when "googling" this band and finding a contact, but after talking to the guy -- turned out that there was another late 80s French band with the exact same name who just happened to be influenced by Xymox, Christian Death, and (I believe he wrote) buddies with a member(s) of Opera Multi Steel... but there was no connection or awareness!

Oh well... this band were a two-piece out of Lyon, who sound like a poor man's Opera Multi Steel with some stronger Cure influences. Super-duper rare French coldwave tape.

Crises En Themes - Aquarelle Mission K7 (1990, Self-Released)

01. Untitled
02. Digital Scream
03. Octobre Rouge
04. Escalier
05. Mery's Hollogram
06. Gothique
07. L'horizon Des Prisons
08. Hot Girl
09. Fenêtre Sur Cour
10. Et Angélique Rêve
11. Dr Muller

http://netkups.com/?d=c95440befd952
pass: kentuckyfriedwave

Shadowplay - Another Autumn Day K7 (1988, Individual Pop)

 
Shadowplay was the solo project of Michael Scholz, nowadays best known as the singer of cult 80s goths Taste of Decay. However, quite a few years before I ever heard or read about Taste of Decay... there was Shadowplay (not to be confused with the US band I posted last week, the Finnish band, or others sharing the name). Naturally there are some very similar Taste of Decay sounds, but perhaps a bit more introspective at times (it is a solo project after all). Michael mentions influences by Joy Division, Bauhaus, Sad Lovers & Giants, and Danse Society... though the Bauhaus influences comes out heavily on the vocals at times, and there is certainly some big-time Cure influences here-and-there. This is nothing groundbreaking, but certainly good quality DIY underground goth music, especially for being a debut cassette-only release. The title track is probably my favorite on here, though know I had this tape for a couple years before the song I ever grabbed my attention, "Come Inside" is a dark analogue synth track, and there are quite a few other decent tunes as well.

Michael also sang for Garden of Pleasures (best known for their track "Pandora's Box" off the New Alternatives LP) from '87-91, and has been involved in a few other bands (even pre-Taste of Decay). For more information on some of his projects, check out his way out-of-date website: http://home.foni.net/~michel/shadowplay.html

Myspace here for some more info and random tracks including a newly recorded version of "Out of Control" off this tape: http://www.myspace.com/shadowplaygermany

Here is the Shadowplay discography (ignoring compilations)

Another Autumn Day K7 (1988, Individual Pop)
An Ideal World K7 (1990, Self-Released)
Tears K7 (1992, Self-Released)
A History of Shadowplay 1988-1992 K7 (1993, Beton Tapes)
A Perfect Frame (A Compilation of Previously Unreleased Songs) K7 (199x, Self-Released) <- Think Promo-only, have only seen it one time


Shadowplay - Another Autumn Day K7 (1988, Individual Pop)

01. Out of Control
02. The Spell
03. Could Be Me
04. Eyes Like Hell
05. Two Sides
06. Another Autumn Day
07. Destiny
08. Come Inside
09. Seduction

http://netkups.com/?d=7314c1f302f59
pass: kentuckyfriedwave