B9: Belgian Cold Wave 1979-1983 CD

LTM boss James Nice spent four years in Belgium in the early '80s, during which time he ran Factory Records' short-lived Factory Benelux offshoot. He's perhaps the perfect man, then, to curate this fascinating insight into the Belgian cold wave scene. There are certainly some parallels between early Factory material and the moody post-punk, miserablist cold wave rock of acts like Rel Rex and Digtal Dance (whose "Human Zoo" is a highlight here). Nice also doffs his cap to future EBM stars Front 242 and all-round oddballs Allez Allez, at the same time turning attention to thrilling musical curiosities from the likes of Satin Wall, Polyphonic Size (whose "Kyoto" is arguably the compilation's stand-out track) and Marine.