Der Plan Reissues

The first two albums by the German pioneers of the 'Neue Deutsche Welle', der Plan will be reissued in March on Medical Records. This will be the first vinyl release for "Geri Reig" and "Normalette Surprise" since the original release dates in 1980/81. Both albums feature catchy songs and undefinable sound collages geared towards minimal synthetic pop and they are available as a limited edition of 550 hand-numbered copies. Check out Medical Records site for additional information.

Adam Ant on BBC 6 Music

BBC 6 Music is to broadcast an interview with Adam Ant this coming Sunday February 27, 2011 at 12 Noon. 6 Music's Matt Everitt is in conversation with Adam Ant about the seminal first moments in his career. Matt Everitt speaks frankly to the man once known simply as Stuart Goddard, about the birth of punk, his emergence to become probably one of the most recognizable and successful major solo pop star of the early 80s.

http://www.bbc.co.uk

Cold Cave- Cherish The Light Years

Cold Cave will release a new album in April. Their second album is entitled 'Cherish The Light Years' and it will be released on Matador Records. The albums was recorded with Chris Coady in New York City and it is reported that the record is a tour de force of pounding synths and soaring romantic melody. The first track from the forthcoming album "The Great Pan is Dead" is available as a free download. The band will also be touring extensively throughout the spring.

http://coldcave.tumblr.com
Tour Dates

Autumn- Synthesize LP

Autumn, the legendary minimal wave project of Peter Bonne and Geert Coppens will release a full length LP this February. 'Synthesize' the LP reissue will feature a selection of Autumn’s best material including the a "modest summer hit" "Synthesize" from 1982. (via Minimal Wave)

More info...

Nileism- The Strange Course of the Blue Nile

This year sees the 30th anniversary of The Blue Nile's first work together. Four albums - containing a total of just 33 songs - have followed since. For the first time Allan Brown, a fan from the time of the band's first album in 1983 and friend of the band's composer Paul Buchanan, gets behind the veil to analyse the band's agonisingly slow progress through personal memoir, critical study, access to unreleased recordings and encounters with those who have been central to the strange and elusive mythology of The Blue Nile.

Blancmange Interview

Blancmange have announced the first single from the new Blancmange album 'Blanc Burn'. "Drive Me" is available now on iTunes and will soon be available from all other good download stores. The track features the Indian percussionist Pandit Dinesh. Find out more about Blancmange and the upcoming album in the interview by John Doran for Quietus Magazine. Also be sure to catch the guys on BBC 6 Music.

Blancmange Interview

Next Wave: Petroleum By-Product

Petroleum By-Product is a trio from Vancouver, BC formed in 2006 by Sally Jorgensen and Vanessa Turner. The band has a penchant for garbage and glamour and their band concept expresses the dramatically altered world since the invention of plastic. Their music is lush and lavish new wave/post-punk and it echoes this view of society as artificial, superficial, excessive and decadent. Their self released debut album Superficial Artificial was released in 2009 and the band has plenty more to offer! We hope their new material will find a way to be released soon.

http://petroleumbyproduct.com
www.myspace.com/petroleumbyproduct

February's Singles Round-Up

The Round up of February single releases includes: Cut Copy- "Need You Now", a pick of the month, Alphaville's second single "Song for No One", from the album 'Catching Rays on Giant' which was released last year. Lykke Li is back with  much anticipated new single "I Follow Rivers" which also announces a new album in March. Papercuts are also up for a new album release in March. Their fourth album is entitled 'Fading Parade' and "Do What You Will" is the first single to be taken from it. Yeasayer will release the fourth single from the album 'Odd Blood' called "I Remember" and Hurts are back with "Sunday" an iTunes Bundle released on February 26, 2011.And last but not least, our band of the month is releasing their first single "Drive Me" from the upcoming album 'Blanc Burn'.  

The Dears- Degeneration Street

The long awaited fifth studio album from Montreal based group the Dears is out tomorrow, February 15, 2010. 'Degeneration Street' marks the return of several band members who were absent from the band's previous album 'Missiles', including Patrick Krief, Rob Benvie and Roberto Arquila. The album features a sweeping collection of orchestral pop / rock that is at once enlightening, angst-ridden and mesmerizing. "Omega Dog" is currently the only single from the album which was released in October 2010.

http://www.thedears.org

80's Duets: Bananarama & Fun Boy Three- "Really Saying Something"

During the 1982, early Bananarama and Fun Boy Three recorded two duets. The three women provided credited chorus vocals on the hit "T'ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" and the Fun Boy Three later sang on the Bananarama song "Really Saying Something". Both songs were released as singles during the same year and also appeared on both bands' albums.

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Instant Hit: The Naughtiest Girl was a Monitor- Front

Thirty years ago the Sheffield minimal synth pop group The Naughtiest Girl was a Monitor released their first EP on the Imaginating Music label. They released one more single before disbanding in 1982. Back then, there were rumours about an official album release which never happened. In 2007 the band released a self titled LP compilation with all the singles, b-sides and six previously unreleased tracks.

Ladytron's Decade in Review

'The Best of Ladytron: 00-10' will be released on March 29, 2011 in the US through Nettwerk Records (March 28 in UK). The collection reflects on a decade highlighted by '604', 'Light & Magic', 'Witching Hour' and 'Velocifero' plus two new tracks; "Ace Of Hz" and "Little Black Angel." A two-disc deluxe version, featuring an additional 16 tracks & 80-page photo booklet, will also be available on March 29, 2011.

www.ladytron.com/

Hookey And Barney- The Good Old Times

Cut/Copy- Zonoscope

The Third album by the Australian electro pop group Cut Copy is in the shops. It was released on February 8, 2011 on the Modular Recordings label. Two singles were already released from the album, "Take Me Over" and "Need You Now". Zonoscope cover artwork features New York City engulfed in a waterfall, created by the late Japanese photo montage artist Tsunehisa Kimura.

Retrovision: Blancmange- God's Kitchen

"God's Kitchen" performed by Blancmange on the Tube show in December 1982. The song was released in the same year as a double a-side single with the songs "I've Seen the Word"

Martial Canterel- You Today

Wierd Records have announced the release of Martial Canterel's new album entitled 'You Today'. The album features nine songs with bright, urgent melodies that snake and and swagger between major and minor keys. The songs emanate a subtle melancholic darkness and a rhythmic, militant propulsion keeping things moving against all odds. You can preview few clips from the album via Wierd Records official page.

Kate Bush- Reissues

Four Kate Bush albums are expected to be re-issued this year after the singer won back control of them from EMI, but there is no confirmation yet about any new material coming from her in 2011. The Dreaming, Hounds Of Love, The Sensual World and The Red Shoes, which EMI originally released between 1982 and 1993, are all lined up to be re-issued with former EMI and PolyGram executive David Munns now acting as a consultant to her.

http://www.katebushnews.com/index.php

Pet Shop Boys- The Ballet Score

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe will release the music for their first ever full-length ballet, 'The Most Incredible Thing', on March 14 through Parlophone Records. The ballet is a collaboration with choreographer Javier De Frutos and Britain’s leading contemporary dance theatre, Sadler’s Wells. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story of the same title, it runs at Sadler’s Wells in London from 17-26 March 2011.

www.petshopboys.co.uk/news

Blancmange

Blancmange was formed in Harrow, Middlesex in 1979 by singer Neil Arthur and instrumentalist Stephen Luscombe. The duo released one EP, three albums and several singles during early-mid eighties. They were among the synth-pop pioneers of that time a long with Human League, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode who made edgy but accessible synth-pop for wider audience. Almost 25 years after their last record release, they are back with a new album.

During the late 70's, Neil and Stephen were in a variety of alternative rock bands. In 1978 they decided to join forces with Neil on lugubrious vocals and guitar and Stephen on keyboards. Their motto was “anything goes” and it showed, what with their use of Tupperware and tin foil for percussion, tape loops and borrowed synth equipment. Following a mad moment during which they toyed with the idea of calling themselves A Pint of Curry, Blancmange were born.

They became "official" in 1980 with the release of their debut EP, "Irene and Mavis", a 1000-copy affair with the image of the nattering old dears on the cover that led Daniel Miller of Mute Records to christen Blancmange the “maiden aunts of techno”. Further exposure came over the next 12 months when they toured as support to eccentric performance artist and multi-instrumentalist Nash the Slash and appeared alongside Depeche Mode, Soft Cell and The The on the celebrated ‘Some Bizzare’ compilation album of new electronic pop acts with their track “Sad Day”. This would attract the attention of London Records and, in 1982, secure the pair a major label deal.

By the following April, they were heading for the charts: the Talking Heads-influenced "God’s Kitchen", the follow-up single "Feel Me" and the supremely infectious “Living on the Ceiling” with its blend of Indian textures and World Music flavors with primitive but powerful electronics which reached number 7 and remained on the charts for 14 weeks. There followed tours with Depeche Mode and Japan and further hits featuring "Waves", "Blind Vision", "That’s Love, That Is", "Don’t Tell Me".

In July ’84, Blancmange made the last of their many appearances on Top of the Pops when they charted at number 22 with an unexpected cover of Abba’s “The Day before You Came”. In September ’85 they had their last top 40 entry with "What’s Your Problem?" and in May ’86 they grazed the top 75 for the final time with "I Can See It". They had released three albums of dark, compulsive electronic pop – 1982’s 'Happy Families', 1984’s 'Mange Tout' and 1985’s 'Believe You Me' – and they realized they had probably taken things as far as they could. Blancmange formally split up in 1987.

They didn’t exactly retire from the music industry after the split. Neil worked on a project called Saturn 5 with Malcolm Ross and David McClymont of Josef K and Orange Juice and reggae producer Dennis Bovell. He began composing music for TV back in the UK and also released solo album entitled ‘Suitcase’. Meanwhile, Stephen collaborated with longtime Blancmange associate Pandit Dinesh as West India Company. He did soundtrack work for film and TV, music for the Channel 4 series Lonely Planet, a score for BBC film The Legend of Leigh Bowery.

Throughout it all, Neil and Stephen resisted offers to reform, although they did communicate regularly and even tentatively worked on new material. Finally, in 2010, perhaps encouraged by the use of Living On The Ceiling on the Berocca TV advert, the Faithless remix of "Feel Me" or the regular citing of Blancmange as an influence by the new wave of electro acts, from Hot Chip to La Roux, they began working on their first album for a quarter century.

The result is 'Blanc Burn', an album of creeping atmospherics, crunching electronics, chart-friendly melodies and lyrics that explore the darker recesses of the human condition. There may have been a 25-year gap between it and the third, but Blancmange’s fourth album is worth the wait in gold.

Source: http://www.blancmange.co.uk  edited version

Editors- Unedited

Editors will release a deluxe edition collectors box set entitled 'Unedited' this February. Tom Smith from Editors has announced that they've been picking through the archive recently, looking back at their 3 records, many b-sides and some material that has never seen the light of day and decided to compile it into this wonderful box set. 'Unedited' box set contains all three studio albums plus four CD's b-side collection, 7  heavy weight vinyl LP's, an photo-art book and much much more.

For additional information visit this page.

The Human League's 'Credo' on pre-order

The new Human League album 'Credo' is scheduled to be released on March 28, 2011. The album which features the single "Night People" is available to pre-order now. Check out the New Human league Facebook official fan-page for more info about where you can buy it as well as the most recent Human League press shots.

www.facebook.com/thehumanleague

Next Wave: Silk Flowers

Silk Flowers are a synth-driven music trio based in New York. Their songs balance parts of pop and noise with melodies that evoke emotion from the listener. Countering typical notions of electronic music as a purely recorded listening experience, Silk Flowers write their songs for live performance, creating a visceral dynamic event that fluctuates between gleeful dance music and rough-edged dissonance. New album 'Ltd. Form' will be released February 8, 2011 on PPM. Produced by Amanda Warner.

Band info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Silk-Flowers/
Silk- "Band of Colour" from the new album!

Instant Hit: Mick Karn- Sensitive

"Sensitive" is the first ever single release by Mick Karn who sadly passed away earlier this month. He will certainly be remembered as a great multi-instrumentalist, musician and songwriter. Rare Noise Records has arranged a very special tribute to Mick Karn called 'A Show of Love, Respect and Grace'. More info here.

Claudia Brücken's Combined

Zang Tuum Tumb will release Claudia Brücken's retrospective album, the story so far of Claudia Brücken’s life in pop. This compilation album is entitled 'Combined' and it presents eight of of Claudia's classic recordings including Propaganda's "Dr Mabuse" and "p:Machinery", as well as the best collaborations with Martin L. Gore, Thomas Leer, Paul Humphreys her 2005 duet with Andy Bell and many more.

The album also includes four brand new works: "Night School" and "Thank You" –two brand new solo tracks co-written with and produced by Stephen Hague and "This is Not America" – dueting the David Bowie classic with Paul Rutherford and "In Dreams", Roy Orbison's Blue Velvet soundtrack gem in collaboration with Andrew Poppy.

The album is set to be released on February 7, 2011. Check out the gorgeous new video for "Thank You", click to the catalogue section for the full track list, and to the Zang Tuum Shop to pre-order.

http://www.ztt.com

Haircut One Hundred- Pelican West Live

Haircut One Hundred, one of Britain’s leading iconic 1980s funk/pop bands will reform for a special one-off concert when they will perform their debut album 'Pelican West' in its entirety for the very first time at the prestigious London IndigO2. BBC 6 Music DJ Mark Jones of 'Back to the Phuture' will spin all the 80s’ pop classics. Support comes from “The Quotes” who take to the stage at 19:45, followed by Haircut One Hundred at 21:00.

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster on 0844 844 0002 or can be booked online from www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.ticketline.co.uk.

R.E.M.- Überlin Premiere

R.E.M. willl have their brand new song "Überlin" premiered on Monday, January 24th, on BBC Radio 2's Ken Bruce Show. This song also announces the release of their fifteenth studio album which is due to be released in March.

http://remhq.com/news_story.php?id=1277

80's Duets: Barbara Gaskin & Dave Stewart- "It's My Party"

After the successful 'Nude Wave' series which was featured last year we will serve you the best duets from the 80's decade during this year. Every month will feature one special video and we will start things of with with Barbara Gaskin & Dave Stewart and their 30 years anniversary cover "It's My Party".

 

John Foxx and the Maths- Interplay

Interplay is the hotly anticipated new album from John Foxx and The Maths. This is a collaboration between John Foxx and electronic composer and synthesizer collector, Benge (Ben Edwards) who's best known for his 2008 album "Twenty Systems" which was described by Brian Eno as 'a brilliant contribution to the archaeology of electronic music'.

Moody and atmospheric, but also full of songs that are actually more 'pop' than avant-garde, 'Interplay' pulls various strands of electronic music together - from early electro to 70s Krautrock. One of the tracks, "Watching A Building On Fire", features Mira Aroyo from Ladytron who also came up with the original synth riff.

blog.thequietman.co.uk

New Ultravox Album Confirmed

After the successful return to the music scene in 2009 with the Return to Eden tour, Ultravox have signed a recording deal with Universal Records and have been working on a new album since late 2010 which is nearing completion. The band has also announced the release of the brand new EP, 'Moments from Eden', due to be released by 'Eden Recording Ltd' on February 21,2010. The 4 track CD is also comes out as a Limited Edition 10" vinyl disc and features "New Europeans", "White China", "Love's Great Adventure" and "Herr X" - a special version of "Mr X", with Warren Cann vocalizing in German.

http://www.ultravox.org.uk/

New Musik- New Reissues

All three albums by New Musik which is the featured band of January have been reissued. This is the second/third time that the New Musik material is getting a new release. It is reported that the new Cherry Red 2011 re-master will likely sound clearer and more dynamic than the previous ones and the new thing is the the first two albums come as a 2CD set. The third album 'Wrap' sees the second reissue with the same bonus tracks which were included on the Japanese release in 2001.

www.cherryred.co.uk/newreleases

WAW: Mirrors- Into the Heart

The upcoming Mirrors single "Into the Heart" has a new video directed by US design. The song will be released on February 14, 2011. This song also announces the release of Mirrors debut album which is due to be released on February 28, 2010.

The Rewind Festival- 80's Supernova

Rewind – The 80s Music Festival is to launch a new weekend event at Scone Palace in Perthshire, Scotland from 29th-31st July 2011. The festival will boast the biggest live outdoor line-up of 80s recording artists and performers ever! Tickets go on sale to the general public at 9am on Friday January 21st. For further ticket outlet info and prices visit: www.rewindfestival.com.The all-star 80s line-up will perform at the historic setting of Scone Palace in Perthshire; the home of The Earls of Mansfield and the crowning palace of the Kings of Scotland. 

More info:
http://www.noblepr.co.uk
Ticket Info

Retrovision: New Musik- This World of Water

White Lies- Ritual

White Lies have released their second studio album and a follow up to their debut 'To Lose My Life'. The album is out through Fiction Records and it was produced by Alan Moulder and Max Dingel. The first single from the album, "Bigger Than Us", was released on January 3, 2011. The band is currently on tour supported by Active child and Crocodiles.

Tour Dates

The Blitz Club 2011

Tomorrow night will see the reopening of one of the most famous nightclubs in UK history. The Blitz Club was the focal point of the art, fashion and music scene that would go onto become known as New Romantic. It attracted some of the biggest stars of the day alongside The Blitz kids - young club-goers whose radical fashion was key in shaping look of the late 70s and early 80s.

Find out more here
http://www.theblitzclub.com/index.php

'Kraftwerk: Music Non Stop'

'Kraftwerk: Music Non Stop' is the new book about one of the most influential bands in the history of electronic music. This book is a collection of original essays looks at Kraftwerk - their legacy and influence - from a variety of angles. It was written and edited by Sean Albiez and David Pattie and published by Continuum Books. 'Kraftwerk: Music Non Stop' is also available via amazon.com

http://www.continuumbooks.com

Casey Spooner- Adult Contemporary

A former Fischerspooner member Casey Spooner is back with his debut solo album 'Adult Contemporary' which takes Spooner to new musical directions. The first single to be taken from the album is "Spanish Teenager" co-written with Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears and produced by Jeff Saltzman. The single will be released on January 24th in the UK while the album is available here.

Official Video for the song "Spanish Teenager"

Back to Phuture with Blancmange and Mirrors

The new edition of Back to Phuture on BBC 6 Music will feature Blancmange who will release a new album in March after a 25 year break. The duo join Mark to talk about the music which inspired them to pick up electronic instruments, why they've decided to reunite after a quarter of a century apart and what they've been up to in the intervening years. In the last half hour of the show, there's a guest mix from new Brighton-based electro band Mirrors. Having toured Europe with OMD at the tail end of last year, the band play a mix of the 'synthfluences' which have informed their debut album 'Broken By Silence', due out in February. Don't miss it, Sunday, 20:00 on BBC 6 Music.

http://www.bbc.co.uk

Gang of Four Deluxe Can

The long awaited new album by Gang Of Four is set to be released on January 24th 2011. The album will be available in three standard formats as well as a limited edition special package. The standard formats are a CD release, gatefold vinyl, as well as a digital format. It will also be available in a limited edition 'Ultimate Content Can' which contains six booklets, the new album booklet and the second featuring an art piece Jon and Andy have created to depict the last 40 years of world history. There is also a free MP3 from the new album available via Gang of four official.

Get the album here
Gang of Four- You'll Never Pay for The Farm (Music Video)

Instant Hit: Obscure By Degrees- I'm Dying

"I'm Dying" is the only release by a rather unknown band called Obscure by Degrees. They released this fantastic single with "A Woman Like You" as a B-side. The single was released in 1981 for the KA records and it was produced by Phil Towner.

Blondie- Panic of Girls

The new album by Blondie is expected to be released soon after the original release date was delayed for some, as they say political reasons. Their ninth album will be entitled 'Panic of Girls' and it was recorded in late 2009 and 2010. The albums includes cover songs as well few songs in French and Spanish, while all the songs in English were written by Debbie Harry. No singles were yet announced, but there is one song available for a free download via .Blondie official.

Welcome to 1981!!

Snowy Red- The Ultimate Edition

'Onderstroom Records' will release a compilation 'Snowy Red 1980-84, The Ultimate Edition'. The five disc box set (vinyl or cd) contains the three first, demos, alternate takes, b-sides and a couple of unreleased tracks. Cover design by Michaël Thiel, based on a photography bty Stéphane Sergeant.

Check out this site for more information.

New Musik

New Musik was a synth pop group from England, formed in 1978. The original line up of the band consisted of Tony Mansfield, Clive Gates, Tony Hibbert and Phil Towner. Their music developed from consumable pop records to doomy and complex sounds. They released three great albums and several singles before disbanding in 1982.

New Musik was formed as a result of long standing friendships and chance meetings during the seventies growing out of a casual band of South London school friends in 1978. The group was having several sessions at TMC which would later result as their debut album. Their first single was released in August 1979. 'Straight Lines' amply demonstrated their intentions. that they were aiming for radio music. Despite being very radio friendly tune, it failed to make a major dent in the charts, but New Muisk made their appearance on Top of the Pops and their debut album reached the top 40 in the UK.

Several singles from the album followed including “Living by Numbers” which was later adapted for a Casio advert on national TV. The third single “This World of Water” did well enough in the charts to prove that the album would not remain a one hit wonder. “This World of Water” also revealed a more complex and deeper approach to their music. To coincide with the album release, the band embarked on their first UK tour, as well as playing some dates in Europe.

In 1981, the band announced the release of their second album ‘Anywhere’. Armed with the desire to experiment, they recorded a far more complex album and released it in March 1981. It was released both on vinyl and as a cassette. To many fans it was their best album, but it failed to impress wider audience and gain the success of the debut album. Their label GTO started to fold leaving New Musik to the mercy of the parent company CBS.

The group went through a period of turmoil with a result of Tony Hibbert and Phil Towner quitting the band. Mansfield and Gates hired a new drummer and went to record the third album as a trio. The final album ‘Warp’ was released in 1982 and it was even more experimental than the previous release. It was entirely electronic and recorded with digital samplers and emulators. New Musik disbanded shortly after this release in the same year.

All three albums will be reissued by the Cherry Red Record label on January 17, 2011. Stay tuned for more info.

Source:
http://www.new-musik.co.uk/gallery-band.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Musik



(All media is copyrighted by their respective copyright owners)

Mick Karn- 1958-2011

Japan bassist Mick Karn has died in the age of 52. Born Andonis Michaelides in Nicosia, Cyprus, Karn played with Japan from their formation in 1974 until their split in 1982. He also worked with Gary Numan, Kate Bush, Midge Ure and Bauhaus founder member Peter Murphy, with whom he formed Dalis Car in 1984.

Official Statemant

It's with profound sadness that we have to inform you that Mick finally lost his battle with cancer and passed away peacefully at 4.30pm today, 4th January 2011 at home in Chelsea, London. He was surrounded by his family and friends and will be deeply missed by all.

http://www.mickkarn.net/

RIP Mick