Mike Vamp

Mike Vamp grew up in Frankfurt, played guitar in the early punk scene, then moved to West Berlin in 1980 and began experimenting with electronic music and synthesizers as the city's famous wall-era underground was at its most electrically charged. West Berlin in the early 1980s was defined by the painters of the Geniale Dilletanten movement and the music of Einstürzende Neubauten, Malaria!, Die Tödliche Doris, Sprung aus den Wolken, and Die Haut: a scene that celebrated difficulty and abrasion, and in which the idea of warmly melodic pop was either irrelevant or actively despised. Vamp was one of the few artists working in that environment who simply did not care. He performed at the Quartier Latin and the legendary Loft, recorded on his own Takt Records label, and later released a tape on Ralf Rexin's 007-Tapes and a 12" on Tiara Records. He subsequently worked with David Harrow (known for work with Anne Clark) and Gabi Delgado of DAF.

This LP (VOD131.1) draws on his Desperado demo and Omni-Potens tape, with additional demo recordings, presenting the full arc of his 1980 to 1984 work. The instruments were a Roland TB-303, TR-606, guitar, kettle drums, and a 4-track recorder: a simple setup producing music that Soundohm described as "always melodic, warm but still angry." Mastered by Thomas Heckmann. Limited to 500 numbered copies, also part of the VOD Minimal Synth Wave Vol.2 box.