New Music Showcase- Rainbow Body Records/Night Gallery

I know you folks are probably still digesting this week's onslaught of music, but I'd like to bring your attention to a fresh new record label on the horizon. I know I don't really touch on a lot of new music here, but I'm definitely an advocate of new and interesting sounds building upon a lot of the material posted. That said, Rainbow Body Records, based out of Chicago, has dropped only a handful of releases since their inception, but have quite an impressive roster under their belt. Acts associated with the label include the quirky and playful Konnichiwa, the darkly intense White Car, the lush Golden Birthday, and the hypnotic Robert A.A. Low (whose 2009 release should feel right at home for fans of Tangerine Dream and Conrad Schnitzler).



The label's latest release is a 8 track LP from Night Gallery, a italo-inspired act from Chicago, feautirng members of Gatekeeper and Golden Birthday. Recorded over the span of two years, these tracks combine warm synths, catchy hooks, and dark, yet soulful vocals. Definitely for fans of the Sequins and Spandex compilations as well as the Pet Shop Boys and Boytronic. You can nab a few tracks here:



---> Constant Struggle
---> Too Many Men

For those in the NYC area, Rainbow Body Records is putting on a showcase tomorrow (Saturday) night at Secret Project Robot, in Williamsburg/Brooklyn. Featured on the bill are all five of the aforementioned artists, playing one after another, with DJs Vernoica Vasicka (Minimal Wave/2vm), Beau Wanzer, and DJ Harrison dropping sets in between. The night is being put together by Todd Pendu, of Pendu Disco, who is also stirring up quite a string of local shows, not to mention the killer NY Eye and Ear Festivals, which I've had both the honor of playing and DJing for. Going to be a pretty killer night, so hope all you local peeps can make it! Otherwise, be sure to keep an eye out on Rainbow Body Records!

Various Artists- Systems of Romance Vol. 1

I've just finished whipping up few discs of obscure rarities for my DJ books, and partially inspired by Crispy Nuggets and his unstoppable series of loose tracks, I've decided to share these two with you. I'll post one of these now and follow with the second sometime next week.

Here's the tracklisting for this particular batch:



VA- Systems of Romance Vol. 1
1. Dream- Bino
2. You're Always Guilty- Vellum Stairs
3. Ein Traum- Dammerattacke
4. Seg Og Hor Jenten Fra- Knut Skodvin
5. Paradox- Thierry Meyer
6. First Impressions- VHF
7. Tanz Ins Gluck- Die Neue Weltmacht
8. Bronson- Eirin Peryglus
9. All That Place- Excentrique Noiz
10. Secret Affair- Industrie
11. The Cops Are Coming- Karnage
12. Interferon- Phillipe Laurent
13. Mole At The Circus- Slim Bridge & the Wildflowers
14. The Time of Your Life- This Perfect Day
15. Trading in Guilt- Vital Signs
16. Ond Mae’r Dawns Yn Mynd Ymlaen- Y Gwas Gwyr
17. Tell Me When Your Heart Beats- New Scientists

*download it here!*



Quick disclaimer: These are all exclusive/donated rips in piecemeal form, though on second glance, there's a little touch of overlap here. The entire Vital Signs and New Scientists records have been uploaded by none other than Crispy himself (different rips), while you can find out more about Eirin Peryglus by clicking here, and here respectively. Otherwise, hope there's enough new faces to keep you kids occupied. Stay tuned for Vol. 2 to follow next week!

Calculated X- Some Change/No Change 12''

Last but not least, we have the second 12'' by Calculated X- released in 1983. Taking over where their first 12'' (uploaded here, for those who missed it) left off, there's more of the same infectious new wave/post-punk grooves present here, with a slightly poppier edge. Let's dive right into this one, shall we?



Calculated X- Some Change/No Change 12''
1. Some Change No Change
2. Cool The Water
3. You Will Know Us
4. Don't Look At You

*download it here*

Don't forget- there is a CD-reissue of all these tracks available on X-Tracked records. You can grab a copy here, which I highly recommend if you enjoy these two 12'' records as much as I do! There's a few bonus tracks and live cuts as an extra incentive, so be sure to nab it while the getting is good!

Aaah...!- Input:Output 7''

Next up, thanks to a generous donation, we have the highly coveted second 7'' by UK minimal synth project Aaah...!, released in 1984. Many may be familiar with the band via their debut 7'', posted over at Crispy Nuggets. You can also hear the band's material at various DJ nights and clubs, especially those that focus on minimal/post-punk obscurities.

Here's the info for this highly coveted gem:



Aaah...!- Input:Output 7''
1. Input:Output
2. Neon Nylon

*download it here*

Black Sea- An Early Fall LP

THREE new posts to kick off this new week, so bear with me, folks! The first hails from Black Sea, a US-based four piece post-punk band who releaed just one (appropriately titled) LP in 1990. The band formed in New Jersey and had a sound comparable with early Cure, The Church, etc. with a slightly harder edge. The LP was released on a small label, the local No. 6 Records, but distributed by Rough Trade, which no doubt earned the band a small cult following.

Various sources allude to another released track, on a C'est La Morte compilation, but I can't seem to confirm it for sure. Feel free to drop a line if anyone has any further information on these guys. That said, here's the info for the LP:



Black Sea- An Early Fall LP
1. Washed Away
2. Immigrant Song
3. Hope
4. Mix
5. Killing Time
6. Darkest Days
7. Empty Fields
8. River Runs Red

*download it here*

Track 2 is indeed a cover of the infamous Led Zeppelin track, but with a fresh new take! Enjoy, and stay tuned for more goodies! I have a bunch of new stuff in this vein (more guitar-driven) so coldwave/post-punk fans, rejoice!

Fatidic Seconde- Le Drakkar (Sidonie) 7''

Been dying to hear this one for quite some time, so a million thanks to bx59cppw for finally tracking it down. Killer French new wave hear, one of the best singles of the era, hailing from 1985. Both tracks are unstoppable, though the b-side has a more romantic edge.

The band released three more singles before disbanding in 1988. You can get the equally captivating Métropolis 7'' over at Dreams and Voices. Without any further ado, here's the info for this one:



Fatidic Seconde- Le Drakkar (Sidonie) 7''
1. Le Drakkar (Sidonie)
2. Le Chemin D'Un Rêve

*download it here*

Still have tons of goodies coming up, so expect a flurry of posts over the next few days!

Figures on a Beach- Swimming 12''

Here's the debut 12'' by new wave/new romantic band Figures on a Beach, released in 1983. A little more poppy than I usually go for, but there's tons of great hooks and melodies here, especially in the title track.

The band formed in Michigan (relocating to Boston) and released three LPs and a handful of singles before splitting in 1991. Their tracks are generally cult staples of the era, and can still be heard in some clubs to date. After splitting, Chris Ewen went on to play with Stephin Merrit in the Future Bible Heroes project, a more new wave offshoot of The Magnetic Fields. Ewan provided the new wave/disco backdrop for the band.

Though I do enjoy the majority of the band's discography (including the Don Was-produced track- "Breathless"), this 12'' is my favorite. Here's the information:



Figures on a Beach- Swimming 12''
1. Swimming
2. Feel Like Glass
3. Decay
4. Everything But Heaven

*download it here*

Candidate- Side By Side LP

Here's the lone LP by French synthpop act Candidate, released in 1987. There's very little to be found about this two piece, but there are a few other releases of theirs kicking around, including a split K7 and a split 7'' with Gangrène. Would love to hear them, should anyone out there have a copy kicking around!

Otherwise, you can expect some killer minimal synth grooves, with a little bit of edgy guitar thrown in for good measure. a nice mix of tension and melody here. Sticking with today's theme, you can also find Strange Girl on one of the Tribute to Some Bizarre compilations... Here's the info:



Candidate- Side By Side LP
1. Strange Girl
2. Starway
3. On The Ice
4. Subterrateen
5. On//Off
6. Last Day
7. The Wound

*download it here*


EDIT: Turns out a different rip of this LP was already uploaded by bx59cppw, with extra information and links to the band's other material! Feel free to visit his blog and send some love!

Vibø- One To Many 12''

Here's something I've seen kicking around a few wantlists, and rightfully so. Killer minimal synth meets dark post-punk guitarwave tracks here from this Belgian band. This is their only release, though I'm sure most have heard of this band via the Tribute to Some Bizarre series. They remind me quite a bit of bands like Siglo XX and the previously uploaded Bildenzone LP.

Not much more to be said about this one, so if anyone else has any information to share, please do! P.S.- the grammatical error in the title seems to be intentional.



Vibø- One To Many 12''
1. Clinical Death
2. The Game
3. Clinical Death (Proloog)
4. Machine
5. World Is Ours
6. Grandma

*download it here*

X-Quadrat- X-Quadrat 12''

Almost forgot I had this one kicking around. Thanks to bx59cppw for the nudge! This is a classic German 12'', released in 1982. Four tracks of synth weirdness here. Post-punk rhythms, fast minimal synth arpeggiations, and a very NDW approach to things, all wrapped up in four short, but incredibly sweet tracks. The Tonträger 58 Hagen label also released the Kein Mensch 7'', a similarly great release.

Not much more to be said about this one, so let's get to the good stuff:



X-Quadrat- X-Quadrat 12''
1. Kauf Dir Die Freiheit
2. Immer Und Ewig
3. Der Digitaltanz
4. Information

*download it here*