Various Artists- Strange Sounds Vol. 1 & 2 LP

Here's a curious treat to kick off the month of March. Contained within this post are both volumes of the Strange Sounds compilations, two unofficial releases containing some ultra rare minimal synth music. Expect a few familiar classics, rare gems, and as the title implies, some strange sounds indeed.

These two compilations hail from Germany, compiled by a studious collector. The second collection was released in 2006, but not sure about the first. Here's the rundown:



Strange Sounds Vol. 1
1. Modern Art- Still Life
2. Solid Space- 10th Planet
3. Burlesque- Collision Of Sex
4. Minny Pops- Island
5. Transparent Illusion- Demented
6. Portion Control- Across The Fence
7. Ian Elms- The Street Enters The House
8. Cinema 90- In Ultra-Violet
9. Stephen Spera- Sound Of The Crowd
10. Absolute Body Control- Is There An Exit?
11. PSY 231- Rockin Rollin' Rhythm
12. Exhibit A- Platform 6
13. The Metronomes- A Circuit Like Me



Strange Sounds Vol. 2
1. Bene Gesserit- Mickey Please
2. League Of Nations- Thin Ice Door
3. Dicky Design- Echofields
4. Erste Weibliche Fleischergesellin Nach 1945- Ich Fress Dir Aus Der Hand
5. Sudeten Creche- Are Kisses Out Of Fashion
6. Transparent Illusion- Is There Hope
7. Nocturnal Emissions- Don't Believe It's Over
8. Vita Noctis- Hade
9. Kabelbrandt- Endsieg
10. Vorgruppe- Mensch Im Eis
11. Telegraph- Telegraphic
12. Kein Mensch- Kein Mensch

*download both here*

Absolute Body Control- S/T cassette

Ok kids, as promised, here's another Absolute Body Control release to usher in my week-long hiatus. This one seems to be their first cassette release, a 1981 self-titled effort. Without any further ado, let's hop right in:



Absolute Body Control- Absolute Body Control cassette
1. Weaving Hands
2. Touch Your Skin
3. Baby's On Fire (Brian Eno cover)
4. So Obvious
5. Total Control
6. A Broken Dream
7. Do You Feel It Inside
8. Game For A Laugh
9. Shake

*download it here*

In case you missed it, the previous Absolute Body Control post can be found here. Otherwise, stay tuned until next week, and feel free to drop any requests in the meanwhile.

Absolute Body Control- Numbers Cass.

Here's some classic cream-of-the-crop minimal wave to wrap up this week, especially relevant as this band has just reactivated and is playing in the US this very moment.

I've uploaded a rare cassette release by Belgian act Absolute Body Control, whose origins date back to early 1980. The band featured a slightly rotating lineup throughout their early years, driven by Dirk Ivans. Pairing down from a three piece, the main contributors are Dirk and Eric van Wonterghem, a fan who joined shortly after the band released its first single. Absolute Body Control were among the first wave of Belgian electronic acts, and they developed a substantial cult following both on record and on stage.

In 1984, Dirk formed the Klinik, yet Absolute Body Control continued releasing cassettes until 1993, which saw the release of their lone compact disc, Eat This. The band was mostly inactive even before that and officially folded just after its release. However, demand in the new millennium led to several reissues of the band's back catalog as well as several live festival appearances. Just recently A.B.C. took to the studio to re-record 13 of their best tracks, released as the Wind(re)Wind LP. An EP of new material was also released this year, and both will be available to purchase through iTunes and Amazon by June, though CD copies are now for sale through various outlets.

This featured release dates back to a 1982 cassette issue. Unlike the majority of their output, Numbers is exclusively instrumental, and each track is simply titled in numeric order (though original tracklistings are simply labeled "part one" and "part two" respectively). On that note, pardon the obvious lack of tracklisting. Without any further ado:



Absolute Body Control- Numbers Cassette

*download it here*

I'm ashamed to admit that I'll be missing tonight's NYC gig, as I'll be playing one of my own, but if you're hip to it, drop on by the Music Hall of Williamsburg, if you aren't coming to see us, that is. Otherwise, The band will be playing Saturday, April 5th in Los Angeles before flying back to Europe for some appearances. For all relevant information, click below:

Absolute Body Control on Myspace

and finally, a quick heads up: starting late next week, Systems of Romance will be offline for a spell while I'll be kicking around New Orleans. However, this coming Wednesday, I will make it a point to upload another A.B.C. release with vocals to sweetly make up for the inactivity...