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DARK ENTRIES

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Peppermint Lounge

Perfect High

Dark Entries

Dark Entries Editions is proud to reissue "Perfect High" the 1983 debut 12” by Peppermint Lounge from Germany. The group consisted of Matthias Elvers (synthesizers, bass), Regina Petersen (vocals) and Jorg Burckhardt (drums, strings). They took their name from a popular 1960s discotheque in New York City. Treading the lines between Italo Disco, Electro, and New Wave, the trio crafted a unique sound difficult to classify. Regina’s powerful vocals command attention as they tell the sad tale of a boy searching for the perfect high. The lyrics are based on the poem “The Perfect High” by Shel Silverstein. Melancholic arpeggiators, a throbbing baseline, stuttering samples, vocoder and the classic Roland TR-808 drum machine run throughout the track, which builds to a majestic crescendo, ala Klaus Schulze or Jean-Michel Jarre. This reissue includes the original vocal version, backed with a shorter instrumental version.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The 12” is housed in an exact replica of the original sleeve with black and white Dali-esque drawing. Each copy also includes a 2-sided postcard lyrics and notes.

TRACK LISTING

Perfect High (Radio Version)
Perfect High (Instrumental)

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Lena Platonos

Balancers

Dark Entries

Greek electronic music legend Lena Platonos returns to Dark Entries with “Balancers”, an LP of previously unreleased material recorded between 1982-1985. Athens-based Platonos has worked with the label previously to reissue her three solo LPs – “Gallop”, “Sun Masks”, and “Lepidoptera” - as well as to release three accompanying 12” EPs featuring modern remixes of her work. She is renowned for her forays into cutting-edge electronic experimentation as well as her striking, impressionistic poetry and lyrics, always recited in Greek.

The twelve tracks on “Balancers” reveal a murkier side of Lena, one draped in tenebrous washes and oneiric utterances. Ragged analog rhythms feature on several tracks, even breaking into a brooding electro groove on “A Cat in the Corner”, but the predominant tone is sparse and somber. Mournful instrumental “Phaethon” swells to mythological proportions, while “In September” feels small enough to fit in your pocket. Lena’s poetry sits amidst lush pads and Radiophonic Workshop-esque squiggles, her voice setting an intimate tone in the shifting electronic sea. Inspiration is drawn from Greek mythology and architecture, and lyrics evoke a soft sorrow, an ambivalence towards love, life, and the passage of time. Although the material here spans 3 years and features a range of recording fidelities and synthesis techniques, the collection possesses the heft of a singular artist’s vision.

“Balancers” was remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Eloise Leigh designed the sleeve, which features a doubled Lena in washed-out burgundy hues, channeling the femininity and mystery of the album. Also included is an insert with lyrics in both Greek and English.

TRACK LISTING

Salome’s Dance
A Cat On The Corner
Wedding
In September
Now, While You Wait For Your Love
Sanctuary In Ionian Rhythm
Achilleon, Palace In Corfu
Phaethon
Henna
PLAPAL Steps
Rosalia Perfume
Russian Lament
Immortal
Friday, 9-9-1983

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Intense Molecular Activity

I.M.A

Dark Entries

IMA (Intense Molecular Activity) is the duo of Don Hunerberg (synthesizers) and Andy Blinx (drums and percussion). Based in New York City and active between 1979 and 1982. Don, a studio Sound / music engineer and musician, Andy an electronic clothing designer, drummer and sound reinforcement engineer at downtown clubs like Max's Kansas City, Mudd Club and CBGB. In between doing sessions at Radio City Music Hall Studios for groups such as Ramones, Richard Hell, Sonic Youth, Liquid Liquid, John Zorn, Glenn Branca and many others, IMA took advantage of off hours to create their own music. As far as influences go, Don's background was in electronic music and Andy's in prog rock.

To produce the songs, Don used his own method of creating patterns from 2-track tape loops and then edited them together on to a 24-track recorder adding more tracks of overdubs, In a very similar way that sequencers are used today. By 1980 the duo honed their own unique sound and version of post punk and no-wave with the tools of the trade of the early 80s. Situated above the proscenium of the Radio City Music Hall stage, the studio was outfitted with a variety of orchestral instruments (timpani, bells, xylophone, etc). They self-released a 4-song EP titled “IMA” on an 8” flexi-disc which was distributed by Ed Bahlman of 99 Records. The music bridges the wild psychedelic-rock of the 60s, the synth-punk of the late-70s and the elaborate constructions of progressive-rock. There are nods to the freak-outs of Chrome and the super neurosis of Suicide, but IMA takes a more clinical approach which also takes notice of Hawkwind and Pink Floyd's interstellar overdrive. Dark Entries have added 4 bonus tracks recorded during the same studio sessions and included them here for the first time on vinyl. DJ Hell lifted elements of IMA's song "Blurb" virtually intact and unaccredited for his electroclash club hit "Keep On Waiting" 20 years later. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley.

TRACK LISTING

Blurb
Points In Space
Just Testing, Blinxong
Beat Street
Battery Life
Rapid Ear Movements
The Look.

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Villa Abo

Magnetic Moves

Dark Entries

Villa Åbo is the alternative solo project of Swedish musician and producer Jan Svensson, who has been making electronic music for the best part of 30 years. The artist behind such aliases as Frak, Studio SS and Alvars Orkestra, Svensson also runs legendary Swedish dance and experimental music label Börft, the product of a mutual appreciation for Severed Heads and Terse Tapes. As Villa Åbo he released two records in 1997 on Börft and remained inactive for 17 years until the Dutch label Bio Rhythm coaxed him into revisiting the project and released a double 12″ in 2014. Jan has since followed with a steady stream of 12” singles for Kontra-Musik, Noise In My Head and Radio Lundberg.

“Magnetic Moves” is Villa Åbo’s debut album, originally released in an limited edition of 65 hand-numbered cassettes by Funeral Fog in 2016. Clocking in at over 46 minutes, this first-ever vinyl edition spreads the 8 ragged techno tracks across four sides for maximum loudness. Some songs are aggressively potent, with cyclical synth riffs and razor-sharp acid lines riding a heavy, funk-fuelled techno groove. Others tracks are more fluid, vintage Underground Resistance or Derrick May with killer drum machine workouts that come in handy as DJ tools. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is housed in a custom made jacket designed by Eloise Leigh, featuring a photograph of Jan’s mother’s house, the meaning behind “Villa Åbo”. Each copy includes a double-sided postcard with notes.

TRACK LISTING

Again Again
The Tiny One
Doortest
Dreams Of Italy
Assiduous Dreams
Massive Duometer (Raw Mix)
Bianco Festival
Water Galaxy (Version D)
Short Relaxing End

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Calendar Crowd

Perfect Hideaway

Dark Entries

Calendar Crowd was the duo of Alan Heaton and Terence Tiernan who met in their hometown of Widnes, Cheshire as schoolboys and played together in various bands in the ‘70s. In the ‘80s they formed a 6-piece band called Room For Humans and recorded one single “Telephone Telephone / Girlfriend”. When the band split and Alan and Terence continued as Calendar Crowd in a more experimental direction. Their influences were wide reaching: Kraftwerk, Neu, Cabaret Voltaire, Eno, PIL, and Joy Division. In 1982 they released their debut single “Perfect Hideaway / Perfect Hideaway Dub” on 7”. Guitarist David Knowles joined them as they toured the UK and recorded and released their follow up EP “Listen in to the Heart” in 1985.

A reviewer at the time called Calendar Crowd 'A Moody Merseyside trio with strong atmospheric tunes and haunting lyrics.' For this reissue Dark Entries compiled both singles on one EP featuring all four songs. "Perfect Hideway" is evocative and dreamy, the music escorts you on a tour of icy landscapes, with Terrance’s squally, vocals guiding the way through volatile synthscapes accented by bright brass stabs. Meanwhile the dub strips back the vocals, adds delayed samples and heart beat pounding drums. On the B-side “Listen in to the Heart” and “Questions Answers” are darker electronic rhythm tracks with layers of ethereal keyboards and guitar melodies. Another synth classic given a new lease of life from the good folks at Dark Entries.

TRACK LISTING

Perfect Hideaway
Perfect Hideaway Dub
Listen In To The Heart
Questions Answers

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X Ray Pop

The Dream Machine

Dark Entries

L'Eurosienne

LP

£20.99

All songs have been... [ + ]

Cat Number

DE029

Release date

5 Nov '12

Format Info

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley directly from the original master tapes. Each LP comes in a neon yellow jacket with an 8 page booklet full of unreleased photos, original artwork and lyrics.

X Ray Pop are the synth-pop duo of Doc Pilot and Zouka Dzaza from Tours, France. They got their start in the no wave art group Bocal 5 in 1981 and split off in 1984 to focus on their own brand of quirky synthesized electronics. Influenced by Erik Satie, Brigitte Bardot, Suicide and Young Marble Giants, they call their music “minimum naive new wave.” Armed with a Casio PT-20 keyboard and a rudimentary Yamaha MR10 drum machine they recorded their demo cassette and first 7″ “Eurasienne”/ “La Machine à Rêver” in 1984. Upgrading their synthesizers and adding some saxophone and guitar, they recorded the “Alcool”/ “Amazone” 7″ in 1985 and the “DS”/” El Gato” 7″ in 1986.

“The Dream Machine” collects X Ray Pop’s first three 7″ singles plus 8 songs from their demo cassette, never released on vinyl before. Their songs are short, concise and well structured; richly textured, moving at a quick speed with hardly a pause. The demos show a sense of humor, vitality and carefree playfulness. Zouka’s pouting, tongue-in-cheek vocals (sung in French) come together for a catchy, sensuous, danceable, eccentric psychedelic ride. Reminiscent of the Mo-dettes, early OMD or Algebra Suicide, X Ray Pop could be the missing link to Stereolab.

28 years later, this is the first time since the original issue that the songs of X Ray Pop are reappearing on vinyl again, but is the world ready?

TRACK LISTING

01. La Machine á Rêver
02. L´Eurosienne
03. Alcool
04. Amazone
05. DS
06. El Gato
07. Playgirl
08. Mina
09. Analphabelfe
10. Contakt
11. Louphoque
12. Madison Fraise
13. Bobby Bonbeck
14. Revers

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Reduced

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Stress

Conspiracy Theory

Dark Entries

LP

u/avbl

Each LP also includes a... [ + ]

Cat Number

DE027

Release date

5 Nov '12

*** REDUCED ***
Format Info

Each LP also includes a 16 page booklet “Stress Edition” of Adventures in Reality fanzine with photos, equipment list, press cuttings and lyrics.

Stress is the duo of Alan Rider and Phil Clarke from West Midlands, England formed in 1981. Alan was editor of Coventry fanzine "Adventures in Reality", and Phil was editor of Nuneaton fanzine "Damn Latin." Stress combined electronic rhythms and keyboards with bass guitar, vocals, percussion, and cut-up samples. They created catchy electronic pop songs that fused accessible & experimental elements with a pointed lyrical edge in the vein of Cabaret Voltaire, Depeche Mode and Joy Division.

Their first two albums were cassette releases on Alan’s own Adventures in Reality Recordings label. "Help Comes Too Late" in 1982 followed by "Restraint" in 1984. In July 1985 Stress released "The Big Wheel" album and appeared on numerous cassette and vinyl compilations worldwide. More gigs and press followed and the album took the Number 1 spot in the NME’s electronic charts. Stress split in September 1985 and reformed briefly in 1991 to record two tracks.

“Conspiracy Theory” is an 11 song ‘best of’ compilation album featuring tracks from the first two cassette albums with "The Prayer Clock" from Third Mind Records' ‘Life At The Top’ compilation LP and "Tear It Down" from the ’Compulsory Overtime’ compilation LP. Each song has been carefully remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley.

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