Various Artists: Untitled LP

Courtesy of Riegler, the beautiful and discerning San Francisco minimal synth/post punk/darkwave DJ-at-large, comes this virtually unknown compilation that she was kind enough to mail to me to rip and play at a party or two. I've shared a couple of Club de Rome records, and here is a compilation that has an exclusive song from them, during their formative coldwave years.

This compilation was released in 1986 on the tiny Post Tenebras label out of Switzerland. Aside from probably being pressed in a small run of a few hundred copies or so, this record is completely untitled, making searching for it (or even referring to it by name) a futile exercise. The record features eight tracks from four Swiss bands. Club de Rome have two songs here, one of which was the B-side to the Hypnotised 7" I shared a couple weeks ago, the other of which is exclusive. The exclusive song, Murder, finds the band veering close to deathrock territory, with sheets of metallic guitars, a solid bassline backbone, and lyrics at the end that, oddly enough, they would rerecord later ("Why don't you recognize/That my life/is not a dream" would later become the refrain of A L'Est & A L'Ouest Du Crépuscule).

Smirnov, whose EP was shared a while ago on the Capa Nostra Syndicate blog was a coldwave band in the tradition of Norma Loy, Charles de Goal, Asylum Party, and others; both their songs are extremely solid and may be my two favorites on this album.

Smog (not to be confused with the current indie band) was a female-fronted deathrock/dark punk band in the vein of early Christian Death, The Sears, and Blitz. Their song Dream of sand is a particularly excellent track, with aggressive vocals and guitars tuned to attack.

Nova Express are the synth band on this record - both their songs make heavy use of programmed drums, electronics, and cold vocals. Their song on the A side, La Fille Aux Yeux Telescopiques, may be one of the weaker songs on the album, but they more than make up for it on the second side with A 2000 a l'Heure, a definite coldwave gem.

Overall, this comp is quite excellent, and really is more than deserving of a name. Perhaps not giving the record a title helps the record label remain neutral in true Swiss tradition.

Various Artists: Untitled LP

1986, Post Tenebras Records

A1 Club De Rome: Occhio Blu

A2 Smirnov: Cliches

A3 Smog: Dream of Sand

A4 Nova Express: La Fille Aux Yeux Telescopiques

B1 Nova Express: A 2000 a l'Heure

B2 Smog: Better Than I Do

B3 Smirnov: Save

B4 Club De Rome: Murder

Click here to download the record!

Club De Rome: Hypnotised 7"

By now, most of you have probably heard the excellent Club De Rome mini LP I uploaded some time back. The Swiss band's mix of coldwave, synthpop, and industrial was perfect, and gems like The Painting on Her Skin never seem to get old. The band actually had a few releases before that Lively Art Records mini LP, though, including this privatelyreleased 7". Songs from this record were reissued on the Club De Rome CD on Lively Art, but I don't believe they have been widely shared. I recently picked up a copy of the 7" and figured I would rectify that.

There are two songs on the 7". The B side, Occhio Blu, kind of meanders and does not really go anywhere, but the A side, Hypnotised, finds the band in solid coldwave territory, sounding more like their future Lively Art labelmates (Little Nemo, Babel 17, Asylum party, etc) than they themselves would sound when they finally put out their record on the label. With warm synthesizers, tinny guitar riffs hidden beneath pounding drums and melancholy vocals, this song is a must-have for coldwave and post-punk fanatics.

Club De Rome: Hypnotised 7"

1987, CPA Disques

A1 Hypnotised

B1 Occhio Blu

Click here to download this record

Club De Rome: Selftitled mLP

I can't believe this one has not been shared yet. This is the only album (a mini-LP, really) from French synthpop/coldwave/industrial band Club De Rome. I think they also had a 7", but I've neither seen nor heard it. The more I listen to this record, the more I love it. From the melodic, minimalist A L'Est & A L'Ouest Du Crépuscule to the synthpop smash Painting On Your Skin to the thumping dark thumping bass of Brisure De Symétrie, this album is just one excellent song after another. As far as I know, the two members, Renato Bortolotti (voice,guitar,programming) and Maurice Moschini (drums, programming, sampling) were never in any other groups besides Club De Rome. The mini-LP was released on the venerable Lively Art label, home of Asylum Party, Data Bank A, And Also the Trees, Little Nemo, Museum of Devotion, and (my favorite), Collection d'Arnell Andrea. For a great sampler of what this label has to offer (including an exclusive track by Club de Rome), check out the "13" compilation on the Crispy Nuggets blog here. This Club De Rome mLP was also released on CD with a few bonus tracks (I don't have this, unfortunately). I think it is truly deserving of a reissue one of these days. Perhaps with some unreleased bonus tracks if they exist! If any band members see this... Do you have any other recorded material?

Club De Rome: Selftitled mLP
1989, Lively Art
A1 Viva La Vita
A2 Sex, Fun, CDR
A3 A L'Est & A L'Ouest Du Crépuscule
B1 Painting On Your Skin
B2 TV Deus Rodeo
B3 Brisure De Symétrie
B4 Gringhita

Download the album here!