Category Archives: Nostalgia

Electronic, New Wave, Nostalgia, Pop, Reissues

Vor all den Jahren – Stahlnetz im Netz

In times where many thoughts lead back to what once was normal for each of us there is a little catchy ironic nostalgia as performed by Stahlnetz showing this is not really new in phases of change a pleasure to rediscover. I loved the single when it came out and was lucky enought to find the 12″ pretty soon afterwards in the bin’s when the NDW came to an bitter end and German sung pop music went English again or straight into oblivion.

Single (1981/82) aus dem Album Stahlnetz – “Wir sind glücklich” (BMG Ariola).
Produziert von Conny Plank. Musik & Text: Jochen Rausch.

Unavailable since 38 years, except as expensive 2nd hand copy LP, now a digital reissue is available carefully transferred and remastered from the original Masters via various sources. Artwork and tracklisting was altered on this occasion so hold your breath if you paid a lot for the orginal album.

Besides – an unreleased track from the Conny Plank sessions was released a few years ago via Jochen’s Soundcloud.

In December 2020 they actually released a new album (!)

“Music For Smartphones” is (of course) digital only and accompanied with an (extended) single too. But most thrilling – 51 tracks, just arround 1 Minute in length and each accompanied by a video to be found on youtube….

See their YouTube Channel for all uploads.

In an interview posted on their homepage they go into the details –
Jochen Rausch and Det Cremer from Wuppertal use a the digital voice software they called Marta and their idea to work with the restrictions following the obversation of people scrolling through their timelines with a short affection span endlessly. Of course you can find them now on Instagram, FB alike with your smarthphone (…)

New Wave, Nostalgia, RIP

Quick Change World : Ric Ocasek (1944 – 2019)

Sad Song.

So, this is it. The final single by Ric Ocasek was by the reformed Cars’ from 2011. Richard Otcasek died now, aged 75 this September after a long and varied career from early psych-soft rock to The Cars, Producer of Suicide, Bad Brains, Alan Vega, Romeo Void involving mega-stardom at the height of the 80’s with a.o. “Drive”, co-starring on Live Aid 1985, working as A & R Man a few years besides releasing his own solo records.
He was a father to 6 sons (!), a genuine wordsmith and a songwriter par excellence. He lived a live between underground and stardom, 80’s fame including marriage with a model he met during music video shootings.. Paulina Porizkova. He was a guitarist, keyboardist and singer with a own voice. A typical American in the best way who enjoyed his personal freedom and individuality. Always interested in art, photography and life.
In 2012 he published his collected lyrics and prose in bookform, paired with some b/w photographs, had some exhibitions of his pop art influenced paintings over the years.
In 2018 The Cars where inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018 – 40 years after their debut and without Benjamin Orr who passed away in October 2000.
The Cars and Ric Ocasek always held a special place in my heart even if they where perhaps the most conventional ‘Rockers’ amongst the American New Wave – DEVO, The B-52’s, Talking Heads, Blondie.

The noise electric never stops…

DIY, Experimental, Lo Fi Pop, New Wave, Nostalgia, Post Punk

Music & Elsewhere Twenty Five Years.02

Mick Did It Again !

After the 25 Years celebration compilation monster “The United World Underground” issued in 2017, he digged even deeper in his glorious tape label / DIY past to present you (as promised) digitized and mastered works of the dark past where nearly nothing was instantly available nor free nor digital.
This is meant to be the final collection celebrating the past before Mick Magic might make his words true and explore further territories in outer and inner space with a new album by his own Magic Moments At Twilight Time…

See The Magic Net for more downloads and take the chance to get hold of the lovingly remastered reissue of M & E’s top selling CD Album ‘Creavolution’ (read all and more about it here) and get a decent hardcopy at TMR Records.

Click to go to the official info site. Official Release : 06/09/2019. Expect a Bang.

As expected this promises to be another wild sonic ride – from psychedelic, experimental, goth, electro to somewhere else with loads of shades in between. As a first glimpse a bonus virtual C90 is already out with some introducing words by Lord Litter (another survivor) over at the Electronic Cottage.

Electronic, Experimental, New Wave, Nostalgia, Post Punk

Novostj DsorDNE 1983-1988

ACC / A Colder Consciousness started as Radio Show via. Resonance FM by Fiona Pitrolo, all shows are archived on mixcloud. Basic themes are cold wave, extraordinary underground and eastern European alternative scenes as far as I can tell – all with a melancholy hint.
Last year they expanded their activities and started publishing music too. The first (re-)release was Jugoslavian’s Bastion debut LP / DL from 1984.

In due course of their label specials they interviewed Marco Pustianaz about HAX Materiali Per La Communicazanione and the Italian underground and experimental post-punk scene (still online here), got in touch with Marco Milanesio, one of the other driving forces behind the label collective and wow (now) here is actually an old / new release by DsorDNE and it’s preceeding incarnation Novostj:

(Limited Vinyl) LP & DL, remastered by Marco Milanesio himself from his old masters. Gracie !!!

A new video for DsorDNE’s signature song in it’s live version featuring New Noveta is here too.

Listen / buy / enjoy & find more details and lyrics at ACC’s bandcamp.

Additionally, released in February via Triple Void Records, Turin was a great electronic EP with two remixes by DsorDNE from the Italian postpunk darkwave electronic project Ginevra‘s latest album.

Findings, In The Mix, Nostalgia

2018 – Through The Looking Glass

As it seems it’s about time for a short review what really mattered to me in 2018.
Of course this can only be a glimpse on the amount of music released, re-released & unearthed from my small point of view, further narrowed down due money + time at hand but anyway here are my personal highlights of the year:


Albums

    Simon Crab : Demand Full Automation (CD, Klanggalerie)
    Marco Milanesio : L’ultimo Viaggio Del Conte Rosso (CD, Swiss Dark Nights)
    Kallabris : Red Square (LP, Inselkind)
    Shriekback : Why Anything? Why This? (CD/LP, Shriekback)
    KatzKab : Le Syndrome De Diogené (Digital, KatzKab)
    Duende with David J : Oracle Of The Horizontal (CD/LP, Glass Modern)
    Cousin Silas and The Glove Of Bones : Spirit Of Afrodubism (Digital/MC, Submarine Broadcasting)


Singles / EP’s

    Drew McDowell x Hiro Kone : The Ghost Of George Bataille (12″EP/Digital, Bank Records)
    Gary Clail Soundsystem : Electric Skies (10″/Digital, Sugar Shack)
    Heavensbee : Gonna Dub Now (Digital, Heavensbee)
    Ben Coda : Silk Road (Digital, Lowering The Tone)
    DsorDNE : Grafio Ricerca 010 (Digital/MC, Asbestos Digit)
    Soft Cell : Northern Lights (CD/7″/Digital, Universal/Mercury)


Reissues / Rediscoveries / Remixes

    Coil : Scatalogy Sessions, Hidden Hydrology, Contaminated Apples, Wormsongs (Digital, Live Coil Archive)
    Coil, Zos Kia, Marc Almond : How To Destroy Angels (CD/LP, Cold Spring)
    Black Light District : A Thousand Lights In A Darkened Room (CD/LP, Dais)
    Soft Cell : Keychaines & Snowstorms (9CD & DVD Set, Universal/Mercury), Club Remixes EP (12″, A Big Frock)
    Magic Moments At Twilight Time : Creavolution Reborn (CD/Digital, TMR)
    Robert Rental : Different Voices For You, Different Colours For Me – Demos 1980 (LP/Digital, Optimo)
    Bauhaus : The Bela Session (CD/12″EP/Digital, Leaving Records)
    Officine Schwartz : L’Opificio (CD, Again Records)


Podcasts / Mixes

& of course the Klappstuhl Records releases……..;

    M. Nomized : Sample 4 – Director’s Cut (Digital, SP 019)
    Kallabris : Kettenwindel Bingo (Digital/CDR, SP 020)
    Glove Of Bones : X OST (Digital, SP 021)
    V/A : Klappstuhl ‘To Go’ (Digital, SP 022)

R.I.P. and Thankyou Pete Shelley, you’ve been an inspiration !!!

DIY, Klappstuhl Records, Nostalgia, Space

Magic Moments In Twilight Time – Creavolution Remastered, Reborn, Reissued > 23 Years After

Ok, hold on tight. Finally here comes the up to now final Magic Moments Album back in print. The remastered CD version will be published on August 24th (Congrats) on Marc Bell’s (not the guy from LFO but the original Engineer back in time) TMR Records, in true independent spirit it is also available as free download already but hey what is a dl when you can get hold of some unfashionable physical relict to support the talented and the brave ?

Some in depth info’s and small talk from M.M.A.T.T. can be found directly over at MickMagicNet and besides there is a special fb group & event for this…

If this is not enough yet there is also the Klappstuhl ‘Best Of Tapes’ remastered Compilation which is kept in print / in digital all the time.

UPDATE September :

The new CD Edition is available per e-mail order now for only 5 £ – full details and contact here:

“The album is totally free for download in HD Audio & MP3. CD version only £5 inc: P&P (with free CD for initial copies!). Payable in Sterling (£). Full details & to order: mail me @ marcbell386@btinternet.com”

New Wave, Nostalgia

Summer Of Song (Faraway In Time) – martha and the muffins

“2017 marks the 40th year since Martha and the Muffins was founded in Toronto by Ontario College of Art students David Millar and Mark Gane, along with Martha Johnson, Carl Finkle and Tim Gane. Several months later, the band was augmented by two more members, Andy Haas and Martha Ladly. ‘Summer of Song’ is a remembrance of the early days of the band, when we were young and everything seemed possible.”

A very dreamy and thoughtful ballad, well i guess only a few miss getting calmer while travelling through the decades.

On another note Echo Beach released a second Compilation of M&M Remixes in July, called ‘Where Blue Meets Green (balearic edits)’, Martha and the Muffins tracks re-edited, re-sampled and “focused” by DJ’s Sir Billy, TC Sunshine and Martin “ez” Fekl. See and hear the promo video to get an impression of the sunny spirit here:

Andhere’s a bonus remix of their brandmark single “Echo Beach” which is semi-surprisingly not included in the above mentioned Ibiza inspired DJ mixes and only available currently as a free promo download.
Semi-surprisingly indeed if you consider Echo Beach already released a limited CD full of remixes of this one song in 2010 at the 30th anniversary of the original Single release.

Of course not only Nicolai Beverungen (the label head) was caught by this catchy melancholic danceable working class lines, “Echo Beach” was rightfully a Canadian, Australian and British Top 10 Hit and is still remembered as one of the classic New Wave / Post Punk tunes of the 1980’s.

Finally their debut Album Metro Music will receive the deluxe treatment from Universal Music Canada and be reissued as CD / 2LP with bonus tracks unknown yet.

Hard to believe but this will be just the second CD issue of this classic Album at all (…).

New Wave, Nostalgia, Post Punk

Fay Ray Waiting For The Heatwave…

Aside

For me this is an classic since I heard it first and with raising temperatures outside it came to mind once again.

Fay Ray came from Bangor, Wales, U.K., evolved out of Hot Water and Dick Dick & the Dicks published one Single ‘Family Affairs’ on Nigel Gray (Most famous for Production and Recording work on eaarly Police stuff) before signing to WEA.
The single and the sole Album Contact You never took off for reasons beyond my understanding. A second fully recorded Album was not even issued by WEA (and remains unreleased) due to the commercial failure.
Well perhaps it would’ve helped if the invested a little more effort in the rather pointless sleeve design. This 1982 Video to their sole Single on WEA was uploaded by Tony Travis, the original bassist.
As a bonus for the curious – Where are they today ? How do they look today ? What happened ? – here is a rare re-union take from an instore gig 2010. ‘Family Affairs’ live at Cob Records, Bangor. Recorded on Saturday 17th April at 1:45pm. The Event was part of Independent Record Store Day.