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Reviews for Axxess
Aquarius Records Review of Axxess
We've been meaning to list more releases on Medical Records, one of the coolest reissue labels going these days. The label describes themselves as "Purveyors of classic synth, cosmic disco, wave (cold/new), and future music", and in the past have brought us killer reissues from Der Plan, Deutsche Wertarbeit, and Alexander Robotnick, with tons more we've yet to review (but hopefully will soon!). But we can't think of a better way to start our Medical Records review campaign than this amazing record, 1983's Novels For The Moon, by the awesomely named Axxess, aka French multimedia artist Patrick Mimran, a record whose genesis is nearly as interesting as the record itself. But before we get to that, just know that ANYone into the current crop of psych-space-synth retro-futurists, a la Zombi, Majeure, Umberto, Gatekeeper, Dylan Ettinger, Nightsatan, Blizaro, Xander Harris, Roll The Dice and all the rest, should grab one of these right now!
So, the story goes, that Mimran was working as a top executive at Lamborghini Motors (the exotic sports car / race car company), when he made this record, and originally released it on, believe it or not, Lamborghini's own record label (which had us wondering what other Lamborghini Records releases might be lurking out there?!). His music was heavily influenced by the German krautrock of the time (Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, etc.), and he even commissioned a German engineer to build him a custom synthesizer, a much more complex version of one that the same engineer had earlier designed for Tangerine Dream! And in a further connection to Tangerine Dream, Novels For The Moons was recorded with help from TD member Christopher Franke (who was also in Agitation Free). Needless to say, sonically, this Axxess album has much in common with Tangerine Dream, but also with the creepy synth soundtracks of Goblin and John Carpenter, the sounds on the record ranging from pulsing space disco, to haunting ominous synth soundtrackery, to blissed out kosmische new age, often all of those combined.
On first listen, you'll be shocked at how much the current crop of synth wranglers sound like Axxess, an artist probably most of them have never heard, but who no doubt will be immediately obsessed with, how could they not be? The tracks mesmerizing and hypnotic, sequenced melodies, pulsing rhythms, the Kraftwerk vibe HUGE in places, thick swaths of kosmische drift, swirls of new agey shimmer, much of this sounds like mysterious B-movie soundtracks, chase scenes, credit sequences, others sound like background music from some seriously tripped out seventies nature program, all of it sounds druggy and cosmic, soaring and epic and impossibly catchy, driving and pulsating, pulsing and mesmerizing, beyond the classic synth sounds, there's plenty of other craziness going on as well, strange processed vocals, intense stereo panning, even wild monkey screeches on one track, but it's all somehow woven into the whole, which most definitely works as an album proper, but whose sound slip seamlessly from dark and ominous, to playful and goofy, to intense and driving, krautrocky and blissed out one minute, groovy and darkly psychedelic the next. So totally recommended.
LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES! Each one hand numbered. Pressed on 180 gram yellow vinyl, housed in a reproduction of the original jacket, with a 12"x12" printed insert with liner notes including pictures of the synth used to make the record, a history of the record and its creation, and an interview with Patrick Mimran!
Other Music Review of Axxess
Speed, money, questions of one's manhood: these are common associations attached to luxury sports cars. Possibly the very last thing on that list would be progressive analog electronic music, and that's perhaps what makes Axxess' Novels for the Moons such an odd artifact. Created by French multimedia artist and businessman Patrick Mimran in 1983, he was then the co-director of Lamborghini Motors and his sole LP was released on the company's short-lived Lamborghini Records (who knew!?). Even stranger is just how totally far-out this record is considering the company's probable target audience. Drawing on German electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream and (early) Kraftwerk, Mimran constructed a trippy soundscape of dark, kaleidoscopic synths on a custom analog synthesizer (a smaller version was apparently also used by TD's Peter Baumann). The kosmische influence is here in full force with Mimran's fluttering synths and spacey tones battling it out, yet his sparse beat patterns lend an almost washed-out disco feel to many of the tracks here. Though Axxess ultimately gets lumped into the minimal synth genre, the intricate synthesizer work and almost-medieval flair of Novels for the Moons feels far more psychedelic and reminiscent of European prog of the '70s, albeit filtered though the d.i.y. approach of punk and early industrial. Fans of zonked-out progressive electronics, Italian horror soundtracks, John Carpenter, Klaus Schulze and his Innovative Communications label, or the more adventurous strains of cosmic disco will find Axxess to be a missing piece of the puzzle. Those enamored with the current crop of neon-addled gearheads like Gatekeeper, Com Truise, Umberto, Zombi, and the like will also find much to love here. Pressed on 180g yellow vinyl and limited to 1000 copies, you can file Axxess under music to crank when speeding down the Autobahn. Nice! [CPa] (Reissued 2012)
RAD Vinyl Review of Axxess Medical Records has quickly become one of my favorite labels around today. Even though I am always hesitant to buy reissues, Medical Records easily erases my hesitancy with killer packaging, high quality vinyl and limited pressings of rare records. Medical Records focuses on the crazy world of synthesizer music back in the heyday of analog equipment. The newest release is Axxess Novels for the Moons. Axxess is the brainchild of French multimedia artist Patrick Mimran. Mr. Mimran was co-director of Lamborghini Motors (along with his brother) at the time and fittingly released the album on the imprint Lamborghini Records. Mimran commissioned the German engineer Andreas Bahrdt to build a custom complex synthesizer which eventually materialized into a sixteen voice analog synthesizer. Mimran then used the synth to record 15 sequenced instrumentals that are absolutely essential for fans of analog music, Kraut and Cosmic Disco alike. It's hard to explain how amazing this record really is, the upbeat driving pulse, the circular rhythms, and the sick synth tones will leave you entranced. Think the offspring of Kraftwerk and John Carpenter and you're starting to get the idea. Tracks like "Kissing the Desert Ghost" and "Slower Combing Eggs" blew my mind while the nature channel sounds of "Owls" had my two year old running around the house making monkey sounds. In reality there isn't a bad track on here. Novels for the Moons is fun and unique and comes on a gorgeous 180g yellow vinyl in a limited pressing of 1000. Medical Records, like the original records they repress, tend to sell out so don't sleep on this record.
PsycheMusic.org Review of Axxess
The early 80s knew an increased use of sequenced repetitions in pop music, especially in Germany, where it had a heavier bass foundation, especially after the introduction of Kraftwerk of a new world of pop music with the use of synthesizers-only or eventually even computers (just check the albums "Computerworld" and "Electric Café"). This new pop format in Germany was called the "Neue Welle" (New Wave), which had risen simultaneously with the birth of electro-pop in England, where they used more simplified synthesisers mostly, with simple leading melodies, at times with responding-rhythms and a few sequenced melodies. Patrick Mimran who was co-director of Lamborgini Motors found the synthesisers area of Schulze/Tangerine Dream/Kraftwerk very interesting and commissioned the German engineer Andreas Bahrdt (who had build synthesizers for Tangerine Dream before) to build his own customized synthesiser, which became a perfect 16 voice analogue synthesizer called "le Bart", which has been used to compose the 15 tracks for this LP.
When I first heard this album it gave me the impression it had something inbetween this already mentioned electro-pop area of England (because of the use of simple leading melodies, with its responses) and the German scene which used much more sequenced patterns, this album has instrumental tracks only. The result became in fact one of the most perfect voice-of-the-machine albums I have heard so far, one could even say there is involved a language or sound of its own. The tracks are multilayered with sequenced arrangements, have also a few simple accents of additional beats, drums or drumbox (I am not sure), there are always several interacting and responding sequences involved, sometimes only like an echoing second voice. Somewhere there's an element of simplicity with clarity leading, while at the same time there's a complexity of workout variations involved or arranged with it at the same time. The tunes often have this danceable and almost happy lightness too, which makes this so successful, succeeding in its formula for every track and in every moment as a perfectly balanced voice of its own, as if it almost gives a programmed feeling with the dancing melodies involved (and that's what they were indeed).
Involved in the recording was Tangerine Dream/Agitation Free percussionist Christopher Franke who possibly added just the right accents here and there.
As an album that fits with the electro-wave period well, this is perhaps one of the most perfect ones of its kind, therefore comes highly recommended. THis reissue is strictly limited to 1000 numbered copies.
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Reviews for Dalek I
Igloo Magazine review of Dalek I: 1/26/12
It’s no news that Liverpool is a music town. But within Merseyside’s sonorous history lie some obscure nuggets. Enter Dalek I Love You. In the late 70′s this duo began to experiment with new analogue machines, the result being a fledgling synth wave sound. Compass Kum’pas was first released in 1980, getting a few re-issues in the latter years of the decade. Seattle’s Medical Records has come to blow the dust off this forgotten album, prime the needle and lead you into the world of Dalek I Love You.
The album opens with “The World.” It’s obvious from the start what you’re in store for, early new wave escapades. The opener is a dense and impulsive outing, catchy lyrics working through the abstraction. Dalek I Love You are quintessential new wave, dripping with D.I.Y. sounds and a chirpy British disposition. “Destiny (Dalek I Love You)” combines synth, string and beats in an indie wave piece. As in many wave tracks, social commentary is woven through the LP. “Freedom Fighters” being an upbeat piece of analogue pop with some extra substance. There is a airy tone across the LP, as in the almost weightless “The Kiss.”A whimsical playfulness similar to some Guyer’s Connection material peppers the LP. But everything is not new day sunshine, with darker elements adding an extra depth to the Korg cheer. Most tracks are brief bursts, ephemeral shorts of red cheeked charm and clouded sobriety. Dalek I Love You’s sound echoes that of The Metronomes, likewise early OMD or Sudeten Creche. There is something of Transparent Illusion to their music too, the concentrated tracks flexing against tightened vinyl grooves. The album throws up a smorgasbord of sounds, even a cover of “You Really Got Me” is on here for good measure.
Scathes of labels are prospecting for lost treasures, staking their claim on forgotten quality. Medical first set out to reissue hidden rarities in 2010. For two years the Seattle imprint has been digging up some decent hunks of gold. Dalek I Love You are no exception. Compass Kum’pas is a relic from the new wave days of yore. The beauty about those days being they still sound as clever and fresh as ever. Dalek I Love You pursue the New Wave agenda of societal discussion and analogue experimentation. But, these Liverpudlians bring an element of fun to the often serious sound of Korg and Linn Drum. Solemnity sits next to silliness in this trailblazing piece of synth pop.
Dalek I’s Compass Kum’pas vs. Madonna’s Like a Virgin from CuttingTheSpiral.com
Though released in 1980, it's not surprising that I had never heard of Dalek I until a couple of months ago. The album was released only in the UK, and I was only five. It did not, however, exist in a vacuum, and it's probably something I should have discovered long ago.
The name "Dalek I" comes from a shortened version of "Dalek I Love You," (the band's first name) which references the clunky Dr. Who robot villains (Exterminate! Exterminate!). Dalek I Love You was a full band, with Alan Gill and Dave Hughes being the constant members.
Like every UK musician in 1977, Gill and Hughes were in a punk band together. And like every UK musician in 1978, they stopped that and became a synth band. Thus, Dalek I Love You was born. Another member, David Balfe, was also involved, but he left to join the band Teardrop Explodes. In the early days, the band was like a revolving door. A fellow named Andy McCluskey sang and played bass for a spell, until he left to co-found Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.
Also, a saxophonist named Martin Cooper was involved, but he too left to join OMD. Cooper stayed with OMD though 1989 (with a brief stint in 1981 in a Dalek I spin-off band with Hughes). Interestingly enough, in 1984, Cooper and Hughes wrote the score for the movie C.H.U.D., written by a guy named Shepard Abbott who later ran The Artspace in Gloucester, Massachusetts were I saw G.G. Allen's back up band play a year or so after he died. Small(ish) world. Anyway…
By the end of 1978, only Gill and Hughes were left, but they recorded a couple of singles with OMD's manager the next year. Over the winter of 79-80, they recorded a full album (this one, Compass kum'pəs) for Phonogram Records. For some reason, the label demanded they shorten their name to Dalek I and change the chords to the song "Freedom Fighters," one of the singles.
The album was released in May of 1980, but not before Dave Hughes left to join OMD. So by the time this album was released, the band was effectively dead. Since Hughes was in OMD, Gill decided to join Teardrop Explodes. Why not, right?
Hughes was only with OMD a short time, but toured with them and recorded a Peel Session. He also inspired the song "Souvenir," but by the time that was released, he had left the band and formed Godot with Martin Cooper (who would replace him in OMD) and Keith Hartley, yet another Dalek I alum. Along the way, Hartley was nicked by Gill who was reforming Dalek I without Hughes, after introducing Julian Cope to LSD before leaving Teardrop Explodes. Ronnie Stone (who would later go on to start China Crisis) was brought into Godot to replace Hartley.
Dalek I Love you (as the band was now called) continued on through another two albums (which I haven't yet heard). But all of that isn't important here.
What's important is that thanks to Seattle's own Medical Records, anyone can now get Dalek I's Compass kum'pəs on 180g hot pink vinyl. There are only 1000 pressed, so you might want to hurry. It also comes with a clear flexi-disc with two b-sides on it. Seriously, you need this.
Of all the records I've received in the past year or so, I've probably listened to Compass kum'pəs the most, giving it a spin at least every other day.
So what does this sound like? Well, if you haven't played the several clips, you should. It's definitely got an early OMD feel, but much less serious. Musically, it's pretty solid and consistent, even though it jumps from melancholy synth dirges to upbeat ska/reggae influenced dance songs (in a good way). If you like your post-punk infused with humor and synths, then you're going to like Dalek I's Compass kum'pəs.
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R.A.D. Vinyl label profile on Medical Records December 19, 2011
Why start a label?
- This has been a dream of mine for years. Since I am not a musician or artist, I wanted to be able to contribute as well. This was my outlet for getting involved. I wanted to evolve from fan to producer. I also have tended to be a strong music evangelist to my friends and anyone who will listen my whole life. What better way to take that to the next level than by creating a label to showcase records that I feel others may enjoy?
When and how did it start?
- This has been bouncing in my head (and some of my close friends) for about 7 years or so. The biggest obstacle is of course funding. I finally reached a point in my life about 3 years ago where I had the means to realize this dream (from a monetary standpoint). That was the point where I made a serious attempt to contact artists for consideration of reissues on Medical Records. I basically had a list of about 5 records that I started with. I worked like mad to contact the artists who made those masterpieces. I scoured Myspace.com (pre-Facebook days) and the web looking for contact info or anyone who might know someone who knows someone, etc etc. Along the way, other opportunities popped out during my search which led to my first 2 releases (Deutsche Wertarbeit and Alexander Robotnick). From there, it became much easier to strike up a deal with the artists after I had established 2 solid releases.
- What labels inspire you?
— For many years now, I have been in awe of the breadth of the Vinyl On Demand catalog (Germany). I have been a subscribing member of the wave subscription for several years. Frank from VOD has been a huge help in getting my label started as far as available to answer all my startup questions along with the way. I am grateful for that help. It would be impossible not be inspired by Minimal Wave (NY). Very impressive roster and output. Dark Entries in San Francisco is a great label, and I also owe Josh a huge nod of thanks for his friendship and help with supplying me loads of label-related info and other sorts. I also love what Anna Logue (Germany) is doing as well as Mannequin (Italy). Top-notch releases and impeccable packaging!
What is the goal and purpose of your label?
— The prime directive is to make available difficult-to-find classic synth, wave, disco, and other interesting records that I personally love and feel others would appreciate. It is aimed at fans of this particular niche who want these amazingly under-appreciated gems in vinyl format with fun and collectable attributes (180gm, colored, hand-numbered, etc). Originally, I was only able to print 500 copies at a time (except for the Chrisma LPs which I was able to re-press once). Now, as I have grown and expanded, I am able to press 1000 copies which make these records widely available for everyone to enjoy who is interested in hearing them.
How do you find new artists?
— At this stage of the game, I am still on the hunt to reissue records that are out of print or otherwise unavailable (but are records that I cherish). I haven’t started releasing “new artists” as of yet, but that may be in the future. No definite plans at this time, however.
Why vinyl?
— This is a discussion that one hears a lot these days with the vinyl resurgence (but did it every truly go away?). My personal preference is for the tangible aesthetic that is only truly enjoyed by holding and playing a vinyl record. There really is nothing else like it in my book. I won’t start a debate, but I do feel vinyl simply sounds better. The tones, frequencies, and other waveforms seem to touch my ears in a special place.
How important is packaging to you?
— Packaging is always icing on the cake. I hope to continue to expand on packaging with more inserts, freebie 7”s or flexi discs, etc. I love nice thick jackets (sturdy is always good). Crisp artwork and text is very important to me. I am blessed to have my close friend, Tyler Jacobsen create (or re-create) the fine details on the artwork. His attention to detail is apparent and much appreciated!
What are your future plans?
— My next release (MR-010) is the famous Dalek I “Compass Kum’pas” LP (band AKA Dalek I Love You). This was one of those original 5 records I mentioned above that I dreamed of reissuing. For those who know it, it is widely obsessed over. For those who have not heard this… well let’s just say they are in for a treat. It is essential. It includes an insert with liner notes and a bonus flexi disc with 2 b-sides. I am VERY excited for this.
— Following Dalek I will be the underground yet equally essential Axxess LP “Novels For The Moons” (MR-011). This instrumential work is the brainchild of French multimedia artist Patrick Mimran (former owner of Lamborghini car company in the 80s). He commissioned a German electronics whiz to build a custom synthesizer on which Mr. Mimran crafted some of the most complex and inventive sequenced patterns. This will definitely take a lot of people by surprise and dazzle those following the Medical Records output.
— One more sneak peak will be the MR-012 Gay Cat Park “Synthetic Woman” LP. This is a very interesting turn for the label. Gay Cat Park is well known for the Italo disco hit “I’m a Vocoder” but the rest of their music from the 80s was UNRELEASED. In their teenage years at the time, this Italian duo wrote some of the most synthesized magical tracks that we have heard. Sure to be well received by fans of Italo disco and synthpop…
Do you collective vinyl?
— Absolutely. It is one of my favorite pastimes. You can find me frequenting the local Seattle record conventions and record stores. I hit the shops about once a week actually!
How big is your collection?
— It would be hard to calculate this at this stage. I have not consistently collected vinyl (have had waxing and waning periods), but I have been going strong for about 6 years now!)
What are some of your go to records over the years?
—— WAVE = Human League “Travelogue”, IKO “83”, Robert Gorl “Mit Dir 12”“, Polyphonic Size (VOD box), Chrisma “Chinese Restaurant + Hibernation”, Drinking Electricity “Overload + singles”, OGI “s/t”, Dalek I “Compass Kum’pas”, OMD “Dazzle Ships”, too many more to list
— SHOEGAZE = My Bloody Valentine “ANY”, Seefeel “Quique”, Silvania “En Cielo De Oceano”, Slowdive “ANY”, Insides “Euphoria”, Locust “ANY”
— ELECTRONIC = Global Communication, Aphex Twin “Selected Ambient Works Vol 1,2”, Kraftwerk “ANY”, Cluster “Zuckerzeit”, Deutsche Wertarbeit “s/t”
— OTHER = Brian Eno almost ANY but esp “Another Green World”, Steve Reich “Music For 18 Musicians”, Swans (ANY)
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Sqwelsch feature on Medical Records “What The Doctor Ordered” November, 2011
If you have been following the cold/minimal wave retro-virus of recent years, its likely you have run across Medical Records. This label has been responsible for re-issuing classics like Deutsche Wertarbeit s/t (originally on SKY), seminal Italian new wave Chrisma, prime Neue Deutsche Welle act Der Plan and many more. The label always delivers excellent packaging and solid 180 gram vinyl – sometimes colored!
[sqwelsch] got in contact with Dr. Troy who operates Medical Records. What follows is a brief interview, full discography and a special one of a kind Medical Records music mix…
[sqwelsch]: What is Medical Records?
Dr. Troy of Medical Records: Medical Records is a label concept that is the realization of Dr. Troy as an outlet to make available lost and unavailable synth/wave/minimal/italo classics.
[sqwelsch]: How did you get started?
Dr. Troy: The idea came about about 6-7 years ago. I was becoming frustrated by the unavailability of many of my favorite synth and new wave records of the late 70s/early 80s. At that time, it seemed very expensive (and is ridiculously worse now) to buy out of print LPs on Ebay and on the collector’s market. I was frankly tired of owning only poorly encoded digital files of most of these classics. As I realized that other similar labels were successfully reissuing these records, I realized that I could participate and work on reissuing my personal favorites.
My goal with this label is and always will be to present music that has touched me in some way. I hope that I will be able to accomplish two (2) goals. 1) I want to make available amazing out of print synth records and present them in a high quality, tasteful, and exciting format (180 gram, colored vinyl) with interesting artwork to accompany them. 2) I hope fans like myself who are constantly hungry for new (old) music will have a trusted label they can turn to. I want to have a consistently interesting catalog that will urge people to check out the always upcoming releases sometimes without having any knowledge of the artist. I hope people will recognize the sound and vision of Medical Records. There is nothing more exciting that buying a record without ever having heard it and falling in love with the music within!
[sqwelsch]: Tell me more about the Medical Records “sound”?
Dr. Troy: The Medical Sound is both narrow and wide. It encompasses stripped down new wave, krautrock synth odysseys, quirky kosmische, and cosmic/italo dancefloor burners.
[sqwelsch]: We here at [sqwelsch] love talking about our favorite music. Please tell us about a few artists/records that have inspired you and your Medical Records imprint.
Dr. Troy: My favorite bands and records of all time were created by Brian Eno (70s/80s) and Kraftwerk (ALL). Specifically, my favorite New Wave record is Human League “Travelogue”. That record is a revelation. Completely perfect in all of its unusual and uncomfortable glory. From a disco standpoint, my personal favorites are Sun La Shan “Catch” (dub version) and Charlie “Spacer Woman”.
[sqwelsch]: What does Medical Records have planned for the future? Is the prognosis good?
Dr. Troy: You can expect more long sought after reissues. The palette continues to evolve. The latest release is Lou Champagne System “No Visible Means”. Records on the horizon include the criminally unavailable “Dalek I” record. Next after those amazing discoveries will be the Axxess record and many more.
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Reviews for Lou Champagne System
Weirdcanada.com 10/18/11
From the mind resistors of Brandon Hocura:
The only way to survive living in the yuppie void of Oakville, Ontario is by burying your head deep in the intoxicating sands of imagination. For Lou Champagne this meant filling his nose with the sting of solder, his eyes with a labyrinth of circuits, his mind with resistors and his ears with a virtual synthtopia of Cabaret Voltaire, The Human League, Chrisma and their analog ilk. Lou’s ‘Champagne System’ is a self-invented device that allows him to control his synths with his guitar so that he can perform as a modern day (pre-MIDI) one-man-band. The beast born of his engineering explorations, No Visible Means, sounds at times like a gristleized Swell Maps, at others like despondent Transparent Illusion produced by Rago & Farina. Although Lou’s vision is viewed through singular Chrome & Cristal glasses there is something in these songs that is familiar to anyone who turned to art, music and dreaming to escape the boredom of growing up surrounded by numb suburban slump. Lou’s words are just as true now as they were in 1981, “I’m like a man in a fantasy, and maybe I should just get stoned”. Throw your glass in the fireplace and gulp Lou’s brew straight from the bottle; legit reissue available from Medical Records.
http://weirdcanada.com/2011/10/departures-lou-champagne-system-no-visible-means/
Igloo Magazine review of Lou Champagne System: 10/7/11
In the recent lean towards nostalgia obscurity has become the mainstream. Across a spread of labels dusty and rare records are being dug out of sealed vaults and being resurrected to vinyl. The stock of that strange record shop of 1984 is finally getting the attention deserved, a quarter of a decade later. Medical Records latest outing has been to Canada to hook up with Lou Champagne System.
Lou Champagne was part of the Ontario music scene, combining guitars, synths and machine drums. His unique style culminated in the self released LP, No Visible Means. Nearly thirty years later Medical Records bring Mr. Champagne back into the hands of its fans.
The strange world of Lou Champagne System is entered through “Don’t Say I’m Here.” The track rages with an industrial energy, strings and powerful vocals scratch over machinery and pedals. “Broken Hearts” is much more rock centered, LCS puling off some noteworthy solos in the process. The synth wave taps are opened for “Propaganda Frustration.” A warbling backdrop judders with a strong melody tying the track together nicely. The album is a D.I.Y. affair, tracks having a rough and cobbled feel. “Another Dimension” is a grainy piece of punk, guitars and guttural vocals coming from Mr. Champagne. The variety of styles Lou Champagne explores is impressive. The B-Side opens with the punk petrol of “Do Something,” further charged by “Invisible Prison.” “Machine Muzik” brings together strings, synths and a sense of experimentation. The vocals are coarse with a raw and primal edge surging through the track. Arguably the best is saved for last. The energy and rawness of previous tracks is consumed in an ultimate piece of melancholic minimalism. “Walking Silently,” which I first came across on an aratkiLo mix, is a work of absolute isolation. A vulnerable piece of electronics steeped in the self absorbed and self pitying sound of synth wave estrangement.
No Visible Means maps a number of styles, exploring some of the aggression of the post-punk scene and the social insecurities at the birth of synth wave. There are moments of Somnambulist in LCS’s sound, also echoes of Throbbing Gristle and Neon Judgement come through. No Visible Means has two sides, gritty punk tones alongside some sleeker synth sounds. Another pioneering piece of New Wave coming from the West Coast based Medical Records.
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Reviews for Guyer’s Connection and OGI
Igloo Magazine review of Guyer’s Connection and OGI: 8/11/11
Seattle based Medical Records has continued down the route of double releases. Der Plan were given the dual treatment last time, and for this twosome the label has remained in Europe. First up are the Swiss duo of Guyer’s Connection with their Self-Titled LP, followed by Hungarian outfit OGI and OGI.
Guyer’s Connection are a curious group. The twosome of Tibor Csebits and Philippe Alioth released Portrait in 1983. The duo were fourteen and fifteen years old. Despite their age, the pair created some superb synth wave, taking on the colder side of minimal pop with tracks such as “Dallas” popularised by the likes of Veronica Vasicka. Guyer’s Connection are not strangers to contemporary releasing, being picked up by Kernkrach in 2005 for theirUntitled LP. It is this LP that is the blueprint for this Self-Titled album on Medical Records, with tracks from Untitled being married with other unheard material. The plinky fast paced “Disco Queen II” gets the show on the road, super catchy analogue piece with vocoders and distant lyrics. The tracks have a distilled synth sound, simple in their construction but with fantastic pop melodies. Guyer’s Connection are much more synth pop than minimal, but there is some out and out silliness on here too; as in “Macky Messer” or “Hop Hop Hop.” Not everything is lightness, with depth arriving with the emotive tones of “Flow.” A lot of the tracks have a DJ friendly construct to them, as in the measured beats of “Gorilla’s Dance.” “He Sabine” is pure synth pop gold. Ridiculously catchy and full to the brim with analogue goodness. One of the true gems of the album. The LP gives up nuggets of synth pop throughout, as with the gorgeous vocoders of “Red Light.” The EBM undertones of “Les Loups”sees out Guyer’s Connection return to releasing form.
Over the Summer in Budapest I couldn’t think for the life of me of a Hungarian electronic artist. My mind didn’t jump to Medical’s latest, OGI (Hungarian born Peter Ogi) and the OGI LP. The record came to light in 1980, and has since languished in obscurity. The album is a take on the beginnings of electronic pop. OGI, through a lens of abstract quirkiness, starts out with the fluctuating tones of “King Kong’s Fear” before the comic synth pop of “Resist Dance” arrives. OGI has as much a post punk feel as a new wave one. He melts influences and blurs the lines of genre definition, as in “Test Pilot.” “She, Wolf, Woof!” races on a simmering melody before the brakes are applied for “O.G.I.” This release truly is new wave in its infancy, leaping from one style to another and incorporating anything that comes to hand; “Bella” has harmonicas in it! The ground under this LP is never steady, with OGI taking cues from synth soundtracks for “Nukeclear Time” and “Red Submarine.” The rock ‘n’ roll synth driven “Pet Rock (Rock’s Tar)” leads this album’s ending.
These two releases mark the divergent styles that Medical Records have been exploring. OGI fits in with the experimental and abstract sounds of Der Plan whilst Guyer’s Connection have much more in common with Deutsche Wertarbeit. Depending on your preference you’re in store for a treat.
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Other Music, July 28, 2011 Update
Medical Records has reissued some stellar, early-’80s synth and wave records over the last year, and it’s great to see the label delving even deeper into the genre to unearth the material of Swiss band Guyer’s Connection. Fronted by teenagers Philippe Alioth and Tibor Csebits, Guyer’s Connection released their lone (and very excellent) Portrait LP in 1983 before fading into obscurity. While I’m slightly confused as to why Medical didn’t choose to release that rarer and more sought after LP, they’ve kindly repressed the lost Guyer’s Connection tapes recorded between 1982 and ’84, material originally issued by the German Kernkrach imprint in 2005 and now long out of print.
Like its geographical position between France and Germany, Swiss electronic music of the early ’80s often straddled the dominant sounds of both its neighbors, with one foot in the heavy synth-pop of France (see the recently reissued LP from Swiss group Starter) and the other in the strange and darker world of classic German Neue Deutsche Welle. While many groups tended to veer towards one sound over the other, Guyer’s Connection situated themselves nicely between the two, keeping things upbeat while also the exploring more oddball minimal electronics championed by German groups like DAF, Aloa, Matthias Schuster, Pyrolator, Andreas Dorau, and the best stuff on the ZickZack label — all artists whose approach to electronic music sought to mutate and expand the mainstream synth-pop sound of the time. For their young age (both members were around 15 when they recorded these tracks) and the basic set up of two synths and a drum machine used here, Guyer’s Connection got everything right; ranging from arty, rhythmic electro-pop to quirky, DIY minimal synth, this is quickly becoming one of my favorite synth releases of the year, and it gets my highest recommendation for those into the genre. Also, for the first time I can say that Medical’s choice to change the cover artwork for this LP was a good idea (the original Kernkrach issue was pretty atrocious). On green vinyl and limited to 600 copies, don’t sleep on this one! [CPa] (Reissued 2011)
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Stranger.com Feature on Medical Records, July 5, 2011
This Will Cure You Medical Records Is an Actual Doctor’s Synth-Music Label
by Dave Segal
DR. TROY WADSWORTH Prescribing a heavy dose of synth.
Dr. Troy Wadsworth is a 37-year-old doctor from Wichita Falls, Texas, who works by day for MultiCare at Tacoma General Hospital as a hematologist and oncologist. Besides analyzing blood samples and treating malignant tumors, Wadsworth runs one of the world’s preeminent record companies specializing in reissues of long-lost obscure gems in the shadowy realm of synthesizer music mostly created in the late ’70s and early ’80s. A cherubic dude who doesn’t look like your typical synth-music nerd, Wadsworth radiates the cheerfulness of a man who spends most of his time doing exactly what he wants, absorbed in the fascinating worlds of circuit boards and cancer treatment.
Medical’s official slogan is “Purveyors of classic synth, cosmic disco, wave (cold/new), and future music.” Wadsworth and his scattered network of golden-eared allies—including Philadelphia’s Thom Fischer and New York’s Tyler Jacobsen (Medical’s art director)—scan the blogosphere, record-store bins, and their own cherished memories for potential rereleases of works that occupy a quirkily decadent niche in music history.
It’s rare for a medical doctor to helm such an idiosyncratic endeavor, but Wadsworth is no mere dilettante: He’s had to dig extremely deep to uncover the artists and records that thus far have come out under his imprint—Deutsche Wertarbeit (Dorothea Raukes), Alexander Robotnick, Chrisma, Der Plan, and Guyer’s Connection. Given his demanding profession, Wadsworth has to be viewed as more than a hobbyist; he’s something of an evangelist on a mission.
“I think ‘evangelical mission’ is a good description,” he says in the lavishly appointed stereo room (VPI turntable, Vandersteen speakers, VTL Pure Tube pre-amp, etc.) of his large Madison Valley house, which he shares with his wife, Heidi, who handles Medical’s finances. “A lot of my friends are like this: We’re sort of music pushers. I’m the type of person who goes to someone’s house and brings music and says, ‘Listen to this.’ I’m not gonna give you a chance to play your own music. I have a bad habit of doing that.
“As I’ve met people who are into this kind of music,” continues Wadsworth, who’s wearing a covetable black-and-red NEU! T-shirt, “I’m always amazed how they don’t know a lot of the stuff that I’ve just spent months unearthing. There’s a big community of people who do follow this music. But I feel like there’s a lot of people who don’t know about it and who would love it—and often do—when they hear it.
“A lot of these records are so important to me on an emotional level, or they just have a lot of nostalgia and life experiences associated with them. Now it seems like there are a lot of labels doing this, but I’ve wanted to do this for about six, seven years. I’ve been formulating a plan. At that time there weren’t that many labels doing it, so it seemed like it was really important then. Every year that I’m into this, I learn how many more amazing gems there are that nobody knows about.”
Wadsworth started Medical in 2010 after two arduous, frustrating years of trying to contact artists and receiving numerous rejections. The label debuted with Deutsche Wertarbeit’s self-titled LP, which originally came out in 1981 on Germany’s revered Sky label. Medical immediately established itself as a major force in the underground electronic-music scene with this beautifully packaged (it’s pressed on 180-gram red wax; all Medical reissues come out in vinyl-only editions of 500 to 650) version of Raukes’s compositions, which rival Tangerine Dream and Cluster for expansive, emotive power and grace.
Soon after came Alexander Robotnick’s Ce N’est Q’un Début, which contains the best-known track to appear on a Medical release—the international club hit and proto-electro-house classic “Problèmes d’Amour.” Subsequent releases have elevated Medical to the ranks of synth-music reissue heavies like Vinyl on Demand, Minimal Wave, and Dark Entries. The element of surprise remains key to Medical’s ethos, and despite the roster’s relative obscurity, its output has sold well.
Wadsworth augments his Medical brand with Pop Surgery, a monthly DJ night held upstairs at the Rendezvous every first Thursday, with aid from Jason Polastri (aka Nary Guman). The duo have spread the cold- and new-wave gospel with deep, danceable cuts that transport you to a decadent European disco circa 1981, where Yello are about the most mainstream artist you’ll hear all night.
Local producer/DJ Ian Scot Price, who recently spun at Pop Surgery, observes, “A generation or so back, for at least a decade, it seemed that electronic music was the new folk music of the future… Medical Records [is] keeping up the battle against the programmers, marketers, and graphic designers who are doing their damnedest to keep out the sort of wild soul and humanity that was so integral to that time in electronic-music history. All those people who complain about electronic music being soulless and nonemotive have been blindsided by the modern, ultra-polished turds thrown at them from all angles. I really believe that Troy is part of a small army attempting to keep electronic music from becoming the monster that modern forces have tried to create.”
It must be odd to immerse oneself so profoundly in old music that strived to be futuristic. How much does nostalgia factor into Medical?
“There is some nostalgia linked to being a little kid and listening to the radio and hearing Human League and stuff like that,” admits Wadsworth, who credits hearing Kraftwerk’s Autobahn in college with setting him on a relentless quest for synth-music holy grails. “I loved that music then. There’s some element of that. Once I discovered synth-based music, I just became obsessed with it. Every year it gets more obsessive. Luckily, this is the outlet.
“I’m not a musician, but it’s really fun playing around with synthesizers. I have a modular synthesizer, but I don’t see myself as ever having the time to develop that. So this is my way of contributing. To me, it’s just as good. I don’t want to be famous, but I do want to be part of this music scene.”
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Stranger.com LineOut blog by Dave Segal
Speaking of Medical Records, as we were yesterday, the Seattle-based reissue label just announced its next four releases: OGI‘s OGI, Guyer’s Connection‘s collection of 4-track demos from 1982 to 1984, Lou Champagne System‘s No Visible Means, and Dalek I‘s Compass Kumpas. MR boss Dr. Troy Wadsworthruns you through the agenda after the cut. Brace yourselves for some hot cold-wave action.
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Reviews for Der Plan
Peek-A-Boo Magazine, Belgium
Der Plan emerged in 1979 and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of the Neue Deutsche Welle. Originally, this band consisted of Moritz Reichelt (aka Moritz R), Kai Horn and Frank Fenstermacher, but before the first single was released Kai left the group.
These first recordings ran pretty parallel with the early days of DAF, not only Robert Görl participated in the first recordings, but later also Kurt Dahlke (better known as Pyrolator) would join the group. It is in this setup the first album “Geri Reig” was released.
Although in those days they were considered quite small, few imagined their cult status was growing every day to become one of the most groundbreaking bands in the history of electronic music. The group appeared back on stage in countless different setups, but the primordial sound, as they say, you can only find on this debut album. Later they became more and more accessible, while this is arguably the most experimental album Der Plan has ever released.
“Geri Reig” contains fifteen tracks in about 40 minutes. All short songs wherein they experiment a lot and the spirit of the Dadaist-movement can be found resulting in hilarious songtitles like “San Jose Car muzak” or “Gefaerliche Clowns”. Silly titles that are nothing but an excuse to experiment with analog sounds.
This reissue is now available in 180 grams olive green colored vinyl, limited edition of 550 copies.
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Didier BECU
13/05/2011
Der Plan likes everything as long as it’s not normal, and of course you can say they were quite ahead of their time.
“Normalette Surprise” is seen as one of the milestones in electronic music and of course it is the kind of record that will cost you some money, even if Der Plan is only known among music freaks.
Luckily enough there’s some guy named Troy Wadsworth from Seattle who decided to re-release this album, just like the previous one “Geri Reig”.
This album has earlier been reviewed by us and described as experimental but “Normalette Superette” is something totally different.
This record has been released at the time Der Neue Deutsche Welle made its entrance and that’s something you can hear as this record contains lots of electro-schlagers.
Everything is possible and with such an attitude you’re having song titles like “Generäle Essen Erdbeereis” or “Ich Bin Ein Komputer”. Analogue synthpop pearls that make clear to which bands Welle:Erdball have listened.
This is an essential release where experiment and pop meet each other in an excellent way.
Those who still want to obtain a copy better hurry as this is limited to 550 copies, and you can still find some at your Wool-E-Shop.
Didier BECU
16/05/2011
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Igloo Magazine review of Der Plan: 3/26/2011
Medical Records seem to like to do releases in pairs. After the recent re-issue oftwo Chrisma albums comes one of the founding groups of the Neu Deutsches Welle movement, Der Plan. This Düsseldorf group have had quite a bumpy career from the get go, but they did manage to create some pioneering sounds. Medical Records have once again reached into the dusty record crates of the past and plucked out Der Plan’s first two album offerings; Geri Reig and Normalette Surprise.
One things obvious on first looking at these records, Der Plan are not afraid of short tracks. Across the two LPs is some thirty pieces, most pushing around the three minute mark. As soon as the needle drops you’re on the Der Plan odyssey. To start the pot brewing is the frenetic pace of “Adrenalin Lässt Das Blut Kochen” with absurdity eclipsing next with the title track. This is short burst synth-pop, doused with a serious experimental edge. The listener is not on steady ground here, being lead around Der Plan’s carnival of sounds and styles. From cinematic slices into lands of abstraction there is no telling where things will go. “Gefährliche Clowns” is a terse piece of electro, with vocals merging into minimalist pangs. “Hans Und Gabi ” ends the A-Side. The track is a peculiar staccato work of lilting vocals with even a bit of a synth solo. The flipside offers the weaving and clever sounds of “Commerce Extérieur Mondial Sentimental” but eyes soon glaze over and experimentation returns. There’s a feeling on some of the tracks that Der Plan just turned on their machines and began noodling around with them, twisting nobs and recording the outcome. Some of the material reminds me of my misspent youth listening to the likes of V/Vm, silly organ sounds and even sillier vocals. In parts its hard to tell if Geri Reig is being serious or not, the LP plays with sounds like a child at a xylophone.
Normalette Surprise marks a progression in Der Plans sound. The levels of experimentation are still pretty high, but have been parred back a bit. “Leb Doch” has a recognisable beat pattern and the vocals are pretty decipherable, though there is a bit of abstraction thrown in for good measure. Melody is deconstructed by this group, turned upside down for “Meine Freunde.” The groups began to toy more with samples for this ’81 album, as in the sexual tones of “Kleine Schlager-Revue.” Der Plan turn their hand to Kraftwerk with “Ich bin ein Komputer.” The tracks are remarkably short, never broaching the three minute mark. As the record progresses the levels of distraction increase, with the group thumbing through instruments and styles. “Generäle Essen Erdbeereis” is a nice piece of minimal pop and stands out on the a-side. “Da Vorne Steht Ne Ampel” opens the flip and was a hit for Der Plan, a quirky upbeat piece of sparse electronics. But experimentation is never far around the corner, as in the isolated notes of “Rot-Grün-Tot.” The record is a dense and complex audio forest, one even less familiar now than when it was released some thirty years ago.
If Der Plan had a plan for these albums it is cleverly concealed. The structure is pretty higgledy piggledy, skipping across a variety of sounds and ideas. These are not as much LPs but compilations of material that sound like they were recorded at different times of the group’s development. Smart synth pop sits next to almost inaccessible abstraction. Guitars, synths, drums and a decent amount of distortion and interference are pulled and teased into an array of shapes. Think new wave, no wave, pop, punk and electronic experimentation rolled into one and then smoked. These LPs are not easy after dinner listening, but difficult works that helped spark the NDW movement. Welcome to a strange history lesson that makes DAF seem perfectly reasonable.
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Other Music, March 15th 2011 Update
At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Der Plan were one of the most important German bands of all time. While they did not have the far-reaching impact on artists around the world as did the so-called Krautrock groups of the late-’60s and ’70s including Can, Faust, Neu!, Kraftwerk and many on the Sky Records roster, Der Plan were one of the first bands in post-war Germany who created a strictly German sound for Germany. This sound, eventually known as Neue Deutsche Welle (“German New Wave” or NDW), defined a whole new crop of artists in the early 1980s interested in pushing the boundaries of music as the Krautrock legends had done a decade earlier. Though the genre eventually succumbed to complete commercialization by the mid ’80s (see Trio, Nena, and Peter Schilling), at the outset NDW bands were making some really adventurous stuff, and Der Plan were at the forefront — paving the way for other German artists and musicians to explore the potential of electronic music and find new ways to make sound.
Hailing from Düsseldorf and counting future members of DAF and Liaisons Dangereuses as early contributors, Der Plan used Dadaist art practice as a guide to pull from, recycle, and then regurgitate and mutate the sounds of pop music into an oddball artistic vision, while also maintaining a clear interest in experimental music. Though sometimes pegged as the “German Residents,” Der Plan’s Dada-meets-experimental-pop aesthetic feels much less bleak than the Residents’ 1970s output. Colorful, bizarre, futuristic, and undeniably DIY, Der Plan is ultimately supposed to be both funny and disconcerting; their music is the soundtrack to a dark, twisted cartoon that makes you laugh or want to run screaming, or sometimes both. It’s really, really weird, and that’s what’s so damn good about it.
Available for the first time on LP since their original release in 1980 and 1981, Der Plan’s first two albums, Geri Reig and Normalette Surprise, are two of the best and most quintessential NDW releases. While Geri Reig tends to be more experimental and Normalette Surprise slightly more “pop,” both albums display Der Plan’s eccentric mishmash of minimal electronics, tape collage, odd vocal manipulation, studio fuckery, and discordant pop ditties (most tracks run under the two-minute mark and often end mid-track to mess with you). These are absolutely essential records for fans of art-damaged post-punk and minimal synth; two of my favorite records of the ’80s, and thanks to Seattle’s Medical Records for making them available again. Highest recommendation! [CPa]
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Aquarius Records, SF California, March 11th, 2011
 DER PLAN Geri Reig (Medical Records) lp
Search back into the Aquarius archives, and you’ll come across reviews of records that we loved with just a phrase or a sentence, giving a few choice references and adjectives. Oh, how the times have changed. Way back when, we summed up Der Plan’s classic weirdo kraut new wave record with the following pithy statement: “A head on collision between the Residents and Conny Plank.” Still very true to this day, although an expansion of that description is most definitely in order. Der Plan hailed from Dusseldorf, and Geri Reig was their first record, emerging in 1980 as a particularly bizarre version of the Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) sound. It seemed that every single German punk and NDW band would twist and mutate some sickly sweet ballad into something monstrous and perverse. Even Neubauten did a cover of Serge Gainsbourg’s “Je T’Aime” on their first record; but polkas, waltzes, and cabaret numbers seemed to the prime target for the venom, bile, and ill-thoughts of the youth from back in the day, and Der Plan had authored a good number of these cheeky tunes, with atonal blooping electronics, plinkety-plonk melodies, and disjointed scratchy vocalizations. As a result, the Residents are still an apt reference for most of Geri Reig, although perhaps the equally bizarre, although less known Die Todliche Doris should also be referenced as well. For all of Der Plan’s weird disposition, they would also craft a percolatingly brilliant minimal wave track here and there, as heard in the man-machine sequencing on “Commerce Exterieur Mondial Sentimentale” and the future-shock arpeggiations of “Adrenalin Lasst Das Blut Kochen.” A classic record from the NDW period, now available once again thanks to the fine folks at Medical Records!
 DER PLAN Normalette Surprise (Medical Records) lp
Album number two by Der Plan came out originally in 1981, and it follows the art-pop quirkiness of the band’s Geri Reig album with a slightly more conventional approach to their Neue Deutsche Welle songs. Just slightly, though. For the most part, the overt references to the vernacular of Germanic pop music (waltzes, polka, cabaret, etc.) are dropped for more of a primitive electro sound, with plenty of clipped rhythms, flanging electronic sequences, mutant funk anti-grooviness, and occasional vocoder-treated vocals. Der Plan takes delight in rendering each and every sound in a deliberate staccato choppiness, with electronic and vocal melodies often in naked opposition to each other, while the rhythms are loose skeletons that hardly anybody could dance to. The album features 17 tracks, and many more ideas running through all of those cuts, mucking up the streamlined new wave surfaces within disjointed, Residents inspired asynchronicity, and there’s even a couple of early plunderphonic experiments popping up, such as “Kleine Schlager Revue” which mashes up saccharine German pop ditties with a smutty sex-recording lifted from some porno flexi-disc, and the grimmer “Wat’s Dat?” snipping bits of commercials and breathy exhortations and melding them onto teletype synth modulations. Like Geri Reig, Normalette Surprise is back in print on vinyl… but probably not for long, as Medical Records only released 550 of these!
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Stranger.com LineOut blog by Dave Segal
Going to the Neue Deutsche Welle: Medical Records Preps Der Plan Reissues
Seattle label Medical Records is planning to reissue two albums by German Neue Deutsche Welle band Der Plan in March: 1980′s Geri Reig and 1981′sNormalette Surprise, both of which abound with quirky noise pop and minimal-synth Dadaism.
You can email label boss Troy Wadsworth [troy@medical-records.org] to pre-order these long-out-of-print gems; cost is $20 plus shipping. Wadsworth also is one of the DJs behind the Pop Surgery night at Rendezvous, which happens next Thurs. March 3.
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Boomkat.com
MR-005 Der Plan “Geri Reig” – *Limited Edition green vinyl pressing – 550 individually numbered copies for the world* Medical Records turn their attentions to legendary NDW band, Der Plan, following lovingly presented reissues of Chrisma and Alexander Robotnick classics. Der Plan are essentially the pioneers of Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave), heralding the intrepid electronic pop of the ’80s with a blend of minimal synth music and avant-garde ideology on their debut album ‘Geri Reig’. They certainly weren’t alone in Dusseldorf’s late ’70s/early ’80s electronics scene, with Kraftwerk honing their man-machine and E.M.A.K. making pristine proggy experiments, but Der Plan stood out by a mile, coming from noisier industrial roots courtesy of sometime DAF members Kurt Dahlke and Robert Görl. In the very early days circa this album, the group are caught in transition between the rawer industrial pop style, and more refined influences from Kraftwerk and The Residents, resulting in a fascinating, extraordinary milestone of German music and electronic music in the widest sense. Highly recommended!
MR-006 Der Plan “Normalette Surprise” – *Limited Edition Dark Blue vinyl pressing – 550 individually numbered copies* Digging into the roots of NDW (Neue Deutsches Welle), Medical Records pluck out Der Plan’s seminal and influential 2nd album ‘Normalette Surprise’. Following the raw experimentalism of their debut album only a year prior, and a surprise hit single with ‘Da Vorne Steht Ne Ampel’ (included on the flipside here with B-side tracks as bonus), Der Plan arrived at an often surreal style of electronic schlager or “hit songs”, slyly crossbreeding their art-pop with archaic German pop to give birth to the NDW sound, which in turn would spawn groups such as Thomas Fehlmann and Moritz Von Oswald’s Palais Schaumberg, and to a certain degree, decades on, V/Vm. The sound on ‘Normalette Surprise’ was so pop sharp and relatively accessible that even major labels were knocking on their door by this point, but aside from licensing the single to Teldec, the group remained independent on their own Ata Tak label. Inside there’s the irresistible ditty ‘Leb Doch’, and more sinister electro-pop like ‘Gerenäle Essen Gerne Erdbeereis’ next to straight-up Schlager collages like ‘Kleine Schlager-Revue’ and the more warped varieties of ‘Wenn Der Sonne Ist Verbluht’. Fans of twisted pop music from V/Vm to Rinus and far beyond should consider this an essential.
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Reviews for Chrisma
Igloo Magazine review of Chrisma: 1/21/2011
I remember as a bright eyed secondary school student, high school that would be in most countries, being told a few pearls of wisdom from my then history teacher. The stubby fifty year old pedagogue from the heart of Ireland said that a learner can only know when they are being educated when they realise what they do not know. This reflective statement is as true to any walk of life as it is to music. As the years have past I’ve tried to listen to a variety of styles, not all to my palate. Yet, there is still an untapped wealth of music I have never come across. The latest two releases from Seattle’s Medical Records is testament to that.
After the first duet of releases come two more, this time both by Italian new wave duo Chrisma. Chrisma are husband and wife Maurizio Arcieri and Christina Moser. Medical have brought back to life the 1977 album Chinese Restaurant and the 1979 LP Hibernation.
The new wave grandiose orchestral “Thank You“ gives birth to the Chinese Restaurant. Distortion, strings and beats are built into a crescendo of early Italian wave. “Black Silk Stocking” is a sex fueled back alley affair. Moser pants out the suggestive vocals as Arcieri fingers out a few synthlines and strings. A track along the lines of “Hot on the Heels of Love,” but with more of a bar polished façade. The slow Spanish guitar style “Lola” follows and sits like a David Lynch leer on the album. “C Rock” is a wonderful hybrid of early synth sounds and post punk bravado. The guitar stings are broad and backed up by analogue reverberations and a drum beat. The lyrics are dead pan and clear with the overall resulting being upbeat track. This is experimentation, but not really as we now know it. The listener is never too sure what is going to appear next with this album, from the angst filled post rock “What For” to the speedy shoegaze of “Wanderlust.” Chrisma spin through styles, like a passenger casually browsing through an in-flight magazine. Quiet grandeur and abstract discord are blitzed in the evocative and wrenching “Lycee.” “Mandoia” is a more upbeat piece, but the Chrisma desire to toy with structure is definitely present. “Thank You” ends, just as it began. For the outro those artists who have been loved and influenced Chrisma are listed by Arcieri in a understated end to the LP.
Synth and strings bring this 1979 LP to life, with “Calling.” “Aurora B” follows, a piano and synth heavy piece. The track echoes of Poeme Electronique, with its reverberated and lightly distorted female vocals. The track is lost love and confusion saturation, with the uncertainty being brought to a full with the soaring notes and anguish layered lyrics. Just as in Chinese Restaurant, you’re never sure where Chrisma are going to turn next. The slow even tempo of “Rush 79,” coupled with an incredible subtle synthline, is served up beside the quirky WWII inspired “Hibernated Nazi.” Not enough tracks out there about the reviving of cyborg Axis forces. Post punk sounds return on the flip with “Gott Gott Electron.” Think a sort of surfs up piece of minimal synth wave and your some way there. The LP is a pick and mix of sounds and styles. From heart tweaking to downright playful. “So You Don’t ” flicks up the collar and creates the new wave greaser. Brash chords push in through post punk, with a dab of analogue thrown in for good measure. The synthesizers are out to bring the album to a close. “Vera Platz ” puts forward some ground-breaking synthlines whilst managing to retain a traditional lilt.
It’s amazing to hear what this married couple were making over thirty years ago. The range explored by Chrisma is pretty incredible. The album doesn’t smack of a group trying to cover as many styles as possible for the sake of it. Instead, there is an organic progression in the duo’s experimenting. Chinese Restaurant and Hibernationwere way ahead of their time. In the late ’70s Chrisma’s music must have seemed like it had arrived from nowhere. The first press of these LPs sold out in two weeks. Looks like the ears of 2011 are ready for Chrisma.
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Other Music, December 2nd 2010 Update
From out of the blogosphere (where else?) comes these two totally unique ’70s artifacts, and it’s safe to say that the first two albums by Chrisma are wholly different than just about anything in your collection. The group was a duo of husband and wife Maurizio Arcieri and Christine Moser. Arcieri was the frontman for New Dada, a successful beat group in his native Italy that toured with the Beatles in 1965, and then enjoyed a solo career. What could have possessed him to predict the future? From the sound of things, a combination of Eno’s solo albums, exposure to Krautrock, and Italy’s vibrant progressive rock scene pushed the duo to form Chrisma, one of the first wavo offerings in the country. Picked up by producer Niko Papathanassiou (Vangelis’ brother, and a staff producer at Polydor), Chrisma cut two albums in late-’70s London, falling in line with the new guard of Italian punk and new wave alongside groups like Rancid X and the Confusional Quartet, but more technologically savvy and forward-thinking than their compatriots.
Chinese Restaurant was recorded in 1977, but given the range of sounds and influences within (cited on closing track “Thank You,” which lists everyone from Lonnie Donegan to Neu!, Iggy Pop to Brian Jones, Roxy Music to Sha Na Na), it could have more reasonably have been a product of the past decade, a forward-thinking blend of gloomy cabaret and synth treatments, ice-cold rock, motorik rhythms, and breathless erotica. 1979′s Hibernation is more polished, less experimental, but just as winning as it is all over the place, displaying more of an integrated sound of the times (there’s a pronounced Blondie feel to “Aurora B,” crossed up with national pop sensibilities that would help the song gain airplay), nods towards dance music (the irresistible “Gott Gott Electron” and “We R” were tailor-made for today’s minimal synth frost queens), the sort of abrasive drum-machine punk (“So You Don’t” might pass as a Big Black demo), and many of the other variants that made their debut so great. These are totally crazy records and will appeal to a very wide cross-section of all you out there looking for an adventurous, yet familiar listen. Both LPs are pressed on colored vinyl in a numbered edition of 500 copies, so don’t hesitate on either. [DM] (Reissued 2010)
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Pitchfork News in Brief, Monday July 12th
Medical Records is a new Seattle-based record label that specializes in reissues of rare new wave and synth music. Their releases come on limited-edition colored, hand-numbered 180-gram vinyl. The first two Medical joints are a reissue of the 1981 self-titled album fromDeutsche Wertarbeit, the solo project of singer Dorothea Raukes from the German prog band Streetmark and Ce N’est Qu’un Début, the 1984 record from Italo-disco cult hero AlexanderRobotnick.
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Reviews for Deutsche Wertarbeit and Alexander Robotnick
Other Music Review, July 14th Update
DEUTSCHE WERTARBEIT “…Full of movement and successfully captivating sound experiments….before ending with one final wayfaring synth odyssey. Fantastic record.” [full review]
Pamela Garavano-Coolbaugh, Other Music.com
ROBOTNICK, ALEXANDER ”Hell yes! Absolutely ESSENTIAL reissue on powder blue, 180 gram vinyl of one of the most important and solid albums that kick-started the entire minimal wave/Italo disco movement..”[full review]
Mikey IQ Jones, Other Music.com |
Igloo Magazine
Deutsche Wertarbeit is the alias of Dorothea Raukes, a frontrunner of German electronics and krautrock. Raukes is of an exclusive group, a female electronic enthusiast from the mid late 70′s; a group that could probably be counted on one hand. The self titled LP was first released on the infamous Sky Records in 1981 and has since been on the want-list of many a synthesizer zealot. Deutsche Wertarbeit have laid in relative obscurity for many years, but due to a stroke of luck the LP has been brought back to vinyl. Medical Records boss Troy Wadsworth came across Raukes’ son on a forum discussing the record, managed to get in touch with the artist and a serendipitous reissue was secured. The album is a blend of krautrock, electro and cosmic disco. Raukes’ sound is heavily influenced by the new wave movement across Europe and the UK, linked with the instrumental electronics of Tangerine Dream and Vangelis. The record opens with distorted vocoders dished on top of a lush base of spacey synth dabs. “Deutsche Walder” follows, a beautifully warm synthesizer piece that sounds like a lost soundtrack piece from a Bladerunner love scene. Raukes experiments with her sounds, staying in the synthesizer remit but sending the flows and movements in different directions. The flipside sees the arrival of the epic “Auf Engelsflügeln.” The album has an unmistakable sountrack quality, with “Auf Engelsflügeln” having a lonesome automobile motif embedded in the analogue reverberations. “Intercity Rheingold” follows in similar suit with “Der Grosse Atem” taking the listener on a final epic synthesizer odyssey.
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Alexander Robotnick seems like a strange follow up to relative obscurity of Deutsche Wertarbeit. Robotnick, aka Maurizio Dami, gained music acclaim after his 1983 hit “Problèmes D’amour.” The track found a new audience with I-F’s inspirational mix All Mixed Up in The Hague, a mix that I first came across as a University student and one which accompanied me on many a back road journey in the West of Ireland. Robotnick has been back on the electronic scene since 2000, but has released a mix bag of records since his return. Medical Records are looking back to what made Dami such a hit in the first place, focusing the album’s sound on his early 80′s pieces. The LP, originally released in 1984, opens with “Problèmes D’amour,” a rolling analogue track of clever catchiness. Robotnick’s diversity soon starts to lift its head on the LP, his abilities escaping some of the eclipsing effects of “Problèmes D’amour.” “Dance Boy Dance” is a wonderfully dark piece of italo, slipping in and out of new wave influences whilst maintaining an electro disco feel. The B-side sees this electro disco sound turned up a notch and pushed into regions of greater experimentation and obscurity with the absurd peaks and troughs of “Hola Macci Kola.” The title track, “Ce N’est Qu’un Début,” follows in a similar vein with vibrant synthesizer bars running alongside lyrical angst. The LP finishes on a lighter note, with the instrumental electro soundscapes of “Afrikan Kola.”
Medical Records have started out strong; the Alexander Robotnick release might have been a bit of a risk, but it contains tracks that are real classics and others that show what Dami is capable of. The Deutsche Wertarbeit can only be described as a triumph and a real achievement in audio archaeology. There’s a reason why labels are looking back at the pages of electronic music history for inspiration, because these records are truly inspiring. Alexander Robotnick lead the way in Italo, his sound making its way into electro, techno and house records to come. Deutsche Wertarbeit may be less known, due to obscurity and lack of output. Nevertheless the Deutsche Wertarbeit LP is one of these most stunning examples of synthesizer music this reviewer has heard in recent times, brimming over with a unique warmth and style. Let’s hope Medical Records can keep this level of quality up, as the archives of electronic music are packed up dusty gems and forgotten talent.
Robbie Geoghegan, Igloo Magazine
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Aquarius Records, SF California album
 DEUTSCHE WERTARBEIT s/t
We can probably count the major female figures of Krautrock on one hand. Most of them like Rosi Mueller of Ash Ra Tempel, Renate Knaup from Amon Duul II, Djong Yun from Popol Vuh, or Sabine Merbach from Gila were either singers or muses for their male-led bands. And don’t even mention Clara Mondshine, which was a pseudonym for Walter Bachauer, a very real actual man. But even among those women, you don’t find too many female krautrock composers. Actually, we really couldn’t think of any, offhand. Can you? If so, please enlighten!
Thankfully, the brand new reissue label, Medical Records, who has bolted out the gate running with not only one but two amazing (and amazingly limited!) vinyl-only reissues, sets the record straight! The other reissue, Alexander Robotnick, reviewed elsewhere on this list, is a weirdo Italo-disco / French electro classic we’ve known about for awhile and we’re super psyched to see finally reissued. But this one, Deutsche Wertarbeit , the solo project of Dorothea Raukes, is altogether completely new to us and what a fantastic discovery it is! Released on Sky Records in 1981, Deutsche Wertarbeit was Raukes’ first solo effort after years of being the singer for a German Progressive band we’re not familiar with called Streetmark, who started in 1968, and released 4 lps between 1976 and 1981. Two of those were also released on Sky Records and one of them was even recorded in collaboration with Wolfgang Riechmann, the same year he was murdered. What? Really? Why didn’t we know of this already? Just goes to show, there are still many treasures to be unearthed.
And if you dug Wolfgang Riechmann’s Wunderbar reissue, that we raved about awhile back, or Klaus Schultze, Tangerine Dream, Cluster, Peter Baumann, or even some of the later Manuel Gottsching recordings such as New Age of Earth, then add Deutsche Wertarbeit to the essential kosmiche synthscape canon. But while she definitely fits in with those artists, she carves out her own defining sound of warm minimal hypnotic rhythms and vocoder voicings that display a joyous exhuberance you don’t see as much in artists like Schultze or Baumann. In fact this would fit in well with the stuff on that Dirty Space Disco comp, as it sounds like a mystical combination of Vangelis and Popol Vuh, expansive and cosmic, upliftingly propulsive while keeping it all beautifully reigned in.
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, each 180 gram colored vinyl and hand-numbered. We’re not sure how long we’ll have these, so don’t wait too long. Highest Recommendation!!!!!!
ROBOTNICK, ALEXANDER Ce N’est Q’un Debut
One of two amazing vinyl-only reissues on the brand new Medical Records label (the other is Record Of The Week Deutsche Wertarbeit). This one, a holy grail of sorts for all the cult disco seekers, a sexy, exuberant and at times wonderfully sleazy hybrid of Italo-disco, French electro, and Minimal Wave weirdness by the one and only Alexander Robotnick (aka Maurizio Dami).
Ce N’est Q’un Debut was released in 1984 after his first single, “Problemes D’amour” became a mega-cult hit in New York underground dance club circles a year earlier. The extended version of that track was prominently featured on the Strut label’s Disco Not Disco 2 a few years back, and it fits right in with Giorgio Moroder, Bernard Fevre, Arthur Russell and other Mutant Disco aficionados as a defining dance staple of the era. This mini-lp features 6 killer tracks including the Moroderesque, “Dance Boy Dance”, another popular cult single that was probably heard more in gay bathhouses than in mainstream discos due to its lurid minimal rhythms and suggestive whispered singing. Sooo good! Sweaty summer dancing begins here! Don’t let this one slip away!
LIMITED TO 500 COPIES, each 180 gram colored vinyl and hand-numbered. We’re not sure how long we’ll have these, so don’t wait too long. Highest Recommendation!
Published on June 25, 2010 10:04 am.
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