Outlook: It Doesn't Matter/She's a Star 7"

Well... I'd like to give some sort of background to this record, but I can find no information anywhere. And since it didn't come in a picture sleeve, I only have the record labels to go from... What I do know is that this was an minimal electro/synthpop group called Outlook. This record was released on BowZar Records in 1986. There were presumably three members in the band: Bowen, Rans, and Zartoshty. And a guy named Ed Perry is credited with Eng. (English? Engineered? Engelbert Humperdinck?). Anyway, this is comparable to groups like Kirlian Camera, the Carol/Snowy red 7", and Gary Numan. Great minimal electro pop that borders on Italo. If you know any more information, please let me know; I'm very interested!

The tracklist is:
It Doesn't Matter
She's a Star

Click here to download the record.

Bisca: SDS 1984 LP

Bisca is a long-running band from Italy, who have been around since 1980. Their first record was an EP that was very ska and reggae influenced post punk, similar to UK groups like The Slits. Their more current releases are more electronic pop. This record is probably their best (in my opinion), as it sounds almost identical at times to Essential Logic or Maximum Joy. Mid and fast-paced post punk with horns blaring! They also dip into dub, notably on the excellent "English Way of Life", Fire Engines-style jagged guitars on songs like Happiness/Violence and Prendi Quella Gente and acapella weirdness on Pianterreno. This record was released in 1984 on their Bausongs label. In true DIY fashion, the front sleeve was a piece of corrugated cardboard with "SDS 1984 BISCA" written in permanent marker. I thought it would be interesting to share this album, as I've come to enjoy it a lot recently.

01 Pianterreno
02 Dott. Jekyll
03 Chi è stato
04 Wolfman
05 Prendi quella gente
06 Semiotic Destroy Sistem
lato B
01 Collezione primavera/estate
02 Happiness/violence
03 English way
04 Mix
05 Buster Keaton
06 Monk
07 ABC
(A note of apology: I failed to write the track numbers before each song when I named them all. Oops!)

You can find out more information on their website:
http://www.bisca.info/

Click here to download the album!

Desert Corbusier: Walked Up and Down the Stairs, Searched the Building All Over 12" EP

Desert Corbusier was a short-lived Dutch group from around 1980-1981 that self-released a few cassettes and one vinyl EP. They played a dark, avant garde, and minimalist post punk, with deep vocals by a young Richard Cameron, who would later find fame in the duo Arling-Cameron. They found moderate success in Berlin, Germany and Zagreb, Croatia, where they would play for up to 3000 people. All their releases were put out and produced themselves. I only have the 12" EP to share. I'd like to hear their cassette(s) if anyone has them...? Due to a pressing error, many copies of the 12" have a weird "haze" to them, as if all the glossiness of the vinyl has been removed.

To the best of my knowledge, their discography is:

1980 Cassette: Take the children (Self-released)
1980 Cassette: A lot, Soon Again Oedipus (Self-released)
1980 Cassette: A Cake of Your Own Dough (Self-released)
Note: I may be wrong about this; they may have only released one cassette and these were the songs on it. Again, if anyone knows for sure, please let me know!

1981 12" EP: Walked Up and Down the Stairs, Searched the Building All Over (self-released; catalogue# DC 456)

Tracklist:
Teach Yourself
The Room
Can't Stay Too Long in This House
Safely Secure

Click here to download it!

Eleven Pond - Bas Relief LP

I think this one is going to make a lot of people happy. The band Eleven Pond was from New York, and they released this LP in 1986. I just love the ultra lo-fi, DIY feel of the entire thing: It was self-released (no label, even!) in one pressing of 500 copies and hand-numbered on the front. Both the front and back have silkscreened artwork. It was recorded live to a 2-track (hence the lo-fi nature) and self-produced.
Almost every song is killer dark post-punk or electronic wave. They seemed to take cues from Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division/early New Order, Fad Gadget, and Depeche Mode.
As far as I know, this was the only record they ever released (does anyone know for sure?). Songs like Watching Trees, Tears and Cinnamon, Portugal, Ignorant Father, and Temporal deserve to be heard. I can guarantee that nobody will be disappointed in this one.

Tracklist:
1. Tears and Cinnamon
2. Watching Trees
3. Days Hence
4. Tightrope
5. Portugal
6. Asterisk
7. Moving Nowhere
8. Changing Face
9. Temporal
10. Ignorant Father
11. Ask

Get it here:
Link removed because the record has been reissued!
1986, self-released, New York

Zoo-Z: Skyline/On & On 7"

Here's one of those records that I just lucked into one day, and simply cannot get enough of. From Hayward, CA, USA, this was a trio that played pure minimal electronic music. I've searched for info on these guys for a year or so, to absolutely no avail. The electronics (especially on "On & On") are brilliant, bringing to mind Eurpoean bands like Neural Circus, Vice Versa, or a more restrained Transparent Illusion. The only part that's a bit rough are the vocals - a bit too loud and Devo-quirky for the type of music they're playing. But aside from that, this is a solid release. I don't think they released anything else (does anyone know?).

The songs are:
1. Skylines
2. On and On

Get it here:
Zoo-Z: Skylines/On & On 7"
1982, Tri-Z Records, Hayward, CA