Greetings! I wish everyone a wonderful new year and I would like to present you some of my recent record acquisitions of the electronic variety... spanning from ambient and new age to future techno, retro 80s Japanese minimal synth wave and even going back to the German Roots of electronic rock!
Pauline Anna Strom
"Echoes Spaces Lines"
2023
Here is a four record box set collection of four albums from new age/avant garde artist, Pauline Anna Strom, who was active in the 1980s making great records and cassettes, some of which are presented here. What made this artist and healer even more special was the fact that she didn't start recording music until well into her adulthood, and the fact that she was blind! I recently stumbled upon her first album from 1982, Trans-Millenia Consort, which led me to discover and buy this box set, put out on the RVNG label last year. This album definitely has an outsider feel to it, and I even hear some 808 drum machine in this track! Sadly, we lost Mrs. Strom a few years back, but her music will live on!
Kid 606
"Sugarcoated"
2004
Here is a rather subdued, almost laid back ten inch single from Kid 606, who is known for his frantic and in-your-face glitchy and distorted beats. It is noted on the back that he plays a borrowed Korg MS-20 synthesizer And that it was recorded in Athens, Greece at Bios Café. I normally think of computer compositions when it comes to this artist, so maybe it was the hardware that softened the mood, going for a "G Funk" kinda west coast synth riff. bonus points for the optical illusion cover art!
Various Artists
"Somewhere Between"
2021
Now here is something a little more off the beaten path. Something I really don't know that much about-obscure 80s electronic Japanese music! While I did very much enjoy this two record set put out by Light In The Attic, I had never even heard of any of the artists on it! The tagline is "Mutant pop, electronic minimalism & shadow sounds of Japan 1980-1988. Here is a song from 1983, that isn't quite an 80s chase scene, but maybe an underwater disco, perhaps the bizarre alternate world soundtrack to UNDER THE SEA from "the little mermaid?" Or something.
Kraftwerk
"1"
1970
Now we go back to 1970, when "electronic music" was just a novelty(and still Volkswagen priced) and these young lads from West Germany had yet to embrace the electronic with the pop sound that would later immortalize them in both the techno and hip hop music circles. At this on point, Kraftwerk was more of an experimental art rock band in line with many of the other German pioneers of kosmiche music. This particular song may lack the drums and intensity of the other songs on the record, but shows a variety of sounds, from musique concrete to ambient to haunting movie soundtracks. I am partial to the early Kraftwerk records, but I guess the band rules them "not canon."
😢😭 I actually got a chance to see the band a few years ago, I believe I posted a video of it around here...so I will leave you with that!
Thanks for reading, I hope you liked my post!
