The Invitation of the Dead
Minimal Wave proudly presents an exquisite double LP release by obscure Japanese artist Tomo Akikawabaya. As long time admirers of Akikawabaya’s 1980s releases on his own label Castle Records, we had attempted to reach him for many years without any luck. Finally at some point in 2014, a conversation was struck and one thing lead to the next. It was through Nao Katafuchi that we finally made contact with the legend himself, and began speaking about the proposed release idea. It turned out that t…
Earlier / Later
**Red vinyl** Minimal Wave proudly presents an LP of selections from the prolific Belgian synthpop band Polyphonic Size. Headed by Roger-Marc Vande Voorde, Polyphonic Size formed in 1979. In December of that year, they released their first record, the Algorhythmic EP on Sandwich Records, an independent label founded by Michel Lambot. After a second EP (Pragmatic Songs), Roger-Marc got in touch with Jean-Jacques Burnel, who offered to produce the next single, Nagasaki Mon Amour. This first musica…
Decadence
Minimal Wave is proud to present a full length LP by French duo Deux. Gérard Pelletier and Cati Tete formed Deux after meeting in Lyon in 1981. Their music can be described as minimal synth with stripped down rhythm compositions and suitably cold duets. Their influences are a perfect blend of Kraftwerk and French synthpop. Between 1983 and 1992, they released a cassette and several rare singles : Felicita / Game & Performance and Europe / Paris / Orly. They also appeared on the V/A BIPP LP (2006…
Freedom of Choice
Finally, after all that waiting, The Future arrived in 1980. Ohio art-rockers Devo had plainly prepared with their 1979 second LP Duty Now for the Future, and now it was go time. Propelled by the new decade's high-tech, free-market, pre-AIDS promise, 1980's Freedom of Choice would rocket what Devo co-founder Gerald Casale calls his "alternate universe, hermetically sealed, alien band" both into the arms of the Earthlings and back to their home planet in one scenic trip.Before an artistic and com…
The Early Days
Early Days maps out Nine Circles interpretation of Cold Wave and Minimal Synth. Unbelievably the tracks are mostly from a brief time period, ’80—’82. Alienation and uncertainty course through the 2LP with heavy Yamaha chords, metallic machine beats and brittle vocals.Nine circles was formed in the early '80s by Peter Van Garderen and Lidia Fiala. In 1980 there was a band called Genetic Factor. This band split up when their three members got girlfriends and they started to make music together wit…
Berlin Super 80
2011 repress, originally released in 2005. This double LP compilation presents insights into the outstanding artistic means of expression of late '70s/ early '80s Berlin, which left their mark on subsequent generations of artists and bands alike, bringing the walled-in city's special attitude back to life. 16 groundbreaking tracks that speak across the Germanic spectrum, from performance art / noise to post-punk / new wave, post-industrial, post-prog electronic, etc., from artists such as: Mona …
The Signal To Noise Set
Trading Places present a reissue of The Signal To Noise Set, originally released in small numbers in 1984 on London's short-lived Only A Revolution label. The ultra-rare various artists release showcased the Australian variant of minimalist wave AND analog synth-pop. The eleven exclusives featured on the compilation are all prime examples of Australia's synth band underground, and although each group was totally unknown outside of their sphere of influence, some have gone on to attain legendary …
Don't Believe It's Over
Mannequin Records is elated to present a rare lost demo tape recording of Caroline K - real name Caroline Kaye Walters - founder member of Nocturnal Emissions, one of the best UK experimental / industrial music groups in the 1980s. When we asked Nigel Ayers about the possibility to press a small batch of the edit made by Mannequin Records's head Alessandro Adriani, we would never expect to find more material from her solo productions. The only production of Caroline available is in fact her LP N…
The 1978-1983
Chen Yi aimed for a collective approach of art. As an isolated group of humans/numbers operating directly from a secret place in Chelmsford (UK), they developped a personnal and "bizarre" utilisation of guitars, machines, voices, distortion, giving as result an unconventional regroupment of compositions amongst a lot of lost or unreleased recordings. This is likely what got John Peel interested which brought to an inexplicable contract with CBS. Due to their raw and alternative 'self-made' music…
Selected Works
**250 copies** Selected Works is a 2xLP compilation highlighting the definitive material of the cassette releases of Juma, a project led by hyper-prolific Hiroshima artist K. Yoshimatsu that existed from 1981-1982. Yoshimatsu released six cassettes with his Juma project (as well as 20+ under his own name) on the legendary cult industrial/experimental label DD. Records run by prophetic artist T. Kamada. While attending Yamaguchi University in 1978, Yoshimatsu was introduced by classmate and futur…
Effenaar
* A masterpiece of DIY and the countercultural Dutch scene. Includes tracks by Rabbit Fun, Vovo Kai, Tubifex and Viva La Muerte, all remastered from the original tapes.* Discos Transgénero present the first ever vinyl reissue of the essential DIY Dutch compilation from Effenaar, a music venue located in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. It was founded in 1971 and has hosted many national and international concerts throughout its existence. Bands like Joy Division, Sex Pistols or Cabaret Voltaire have …
Antipodean Anomalies
For musicians inhabiting the Antipodean countries of Australia and New Zealand during the 70’s and 80’s, it was a geographically and culturally isolating environment. Boutique shops, community radio and mail order exchanges championed independent and contemporary music from across the globe. It was, however, this isolation that caused a number of small community-focused scenes to evolve, creating their own unique interpretation and reappropriation of outside influences. Through both these scenes…
Ata Tak - The Collection, Box 5: The Single Collection
** 400 copies** The fifth and final installment in the "Ata Tak - The Collection" series focuses on the early singles released by the label. Once again, this box set was designed by Moritz R. and it includes three 7" records in replica sleeves and 1 CD with many tracks finally entering the digital domain for the first time and two completely unreleased numbers. What is nowadays classified as modern electronic music (Elektro, Techno..) has enjoyed a long tradition at Ata Tak (the label exsist sin…
Ata Tak - The Collection, Box 4: Ripening
** 300 copies** The fourth set in the glorious "Ata Tak - The Collection" series is another impressing 5CD box designed by Moritz R. that also includes a 16 pages full colour Ata Tak photo book which is exclusive to this release. What is nowadays classified as modern electronic music (Elektro, Techno..) has enjoyed a long tradition at Ata Tak (the label exsist since 1979) Those who have made their debut on the Ata Tak/Das Büro label include DAF, Der Plan, Pyrolator, Wirtschaftswunder, Holger Hil…
Ata Tak - The Collection, Box 3: Pop/Lovely
** 400 copies** The third installment in the "Ata Tak - The Collection" series is another stunning 5CD box set designed by Moritz R. that also includes a bonus MiniCD with exclusive live tracks by Die Doraus & Die Marinas. What is nowadays classified as modern electronic music (Elektro, Techno..) has enjoyed a long tradition at Ata Tak (the label exsist since 1979) Those who have made their debut on the Ata Tak/Das Büro label include DAF, Der Plan, Pyrolator, Wirtschaftswunder, Holger Hiller, An…
Ata Tak - The Collection, Box 2: Experimental
** 400 copies** The second installment in the "Ata Tak - The Collection" series is a lavish 5CD box set designed by Moritz R. that also includes a bonus 7" in replica sleeve. What is nowadays classified as modern electronic music (Elektro, Techno..) has enjoyed a long tradition at Ata Tak (the label exsist since 1979) Those who have made their debut on the Ata Tak/Das Büro label include DAF, Der Plan, Pyrolator, Wirtschaftswunder, Holger Hiller, Andreas Dorau, Element Of Crime, Lost Gringos, Pic…
Next One's Called
Next One's Called could be seen as the missing link between Slaughter in a Tiny Place (SR 298CD/LP, 2010) and 1982's Europa (SR 372LP) -- the third and final LP report from Pseudocode. All songs here are previously unreleased; Recorded and mixed between 1980 and 1981. Pseudocode were a Belgian electronic improvised music band, active from 1980 to 1982. Featuring Xavier Ess (Thrills), Guy-Marc Hinant, and Alain Neffe (Insane Music, Bene Geserit), the material on Next One's Called sees Pseudocode …
Festival Genialer Dilletanten - Berlin 1981
This boxset is a complete documentation of the legendary festival of the "Geniale Dilletanten" movement, which took place on September 4th, 1981 in the Tempodrom in Berlin. This edition consists of a CD + DVD and a T-Shirt, and the reverse of the box shows it to be an edition of 999. The CD and the DVD are fixed in a 32-page 12" sized booklet which includes information about the festival. Some copies also include an empty LP sleeve.The DVD contains an unreleased video with recordings from the fe…
Not To
Colin Newman’s 3 classic early 80’s solo albums originally released on Beggars Banquet / 4AD re-released on his own new imprint Sentient Sonics. "These albums were recorded and released between 1980 & 1982 in a “post 154” rush of activity. While all the albums bear the name Colin Newman they differ in that A-Z & Not To were recorded as “band” albums with Colin being joined by Wire’s Robert Grey, Mike Thorne (who also produced, as he had the first 3 Wire albums) & Desmond Simmons on A-Z and Rober…
New Mexico
"Minimal Wave proudly presents a newly remastered deluxe double album of archival material by pioneering '80s minimal electronic duo Oppenheimer Analysis. Oppenheimer Analysis was formed in London, England, in 1982 by Andy Oppenheimer and Martin Lloyd. Their first meeting though was at the 1979 World Science Fiction Convention in Brighton. They quickly became good friends, sharing an interest in the work of David Bowie, electronic music, and early synthesizer bands such as the Human League and S…