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"Cold Waves & Minimal Electronics Vol 1" chronicles the secret underground cult genres of cold wave and minimal wave, which originated in continental Europe between the years 1981-1985.

Active largely in small towns and isolated, non-metropolitan areas of France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and The Netherlands, the first wave of minimal electronic groups successfully combined the sounds of the German electronic bands of the 60s and 70s (Amon Duul, Neu, Faust, Can) with the seminal early industrial bands largely active in the UK (Throbbing Gristle, SPK, Cabaret Voltaire) to produce a new form of electro-pop that went on to be crucially influential on European and American pop and dance music of the late 80s and early 90s (Italo, new beat, EBM).

Angular have made it their mission to search high and low to unearth the greatest gems of this synth sound in order to make a definitive retrospective artefact of the lost genre of music known as cold wave. And so between two people, two years of solid research and love of an exceptional, underground scene, this unique collection was born. The compilation contains songs that have only been available up to now on ultra rare 7”s, lost radio sessions and cassette tapes, and is finally here to teach us all a thing or two about the history of electronic music the world over.