Back catalogue: Coldwave/Synth

Review: A veteran of the Berlin electronic music scene, Sascha Funke is no stranger to local expatriates Multi Culti, debuting for them back in 2016 with the terrific In Relationen EP. For his latest outing, he paris up with multi-instrumentalist Niklas Wandt, one half of Gehoelzpflege, for some trippy and low slung sonic shenanigans on the Kreidekreis EP. From the slo-mo tribal trance of opening cut 'Kometenschweif' which will propel you into the cosmos in vertically locomotive fashion, followed by the funky sundown nu-disco of the title track which receives a wicked rework by Alexander Arpeggio up next - taking the track into psyched-out lounge territory. Also on the remix is Neapolitan Whodammanny, channelling '80s Neue Deutsche Welle sounds, German vocals to boot, on a rendition of 'Kometenschweif'.

Review: If you've not seen Gabrielle Provaas' innovative and heartfelt documentary Onzinchtbaar we implore you to do so. The film hones in on 'invisible heroes' responsible for keeping a country clean on a day-to-day basis. From hospitals to streets, schools to offices, this is the workforce that ensures the cogs can move and many more people can get stuff done. So what exactly does that sound like when Fatima Yamaha is drafted for the score? Opening on 'Het Begrijpt Je' might suggest the kind of patient music that accentuates attention to detail. That's certainly true at times, like the staggeringly beautiful piano number 'Hooikoorts' or the drones and twinkles of 'Hotel Haast'. But then we also have more hyperactive moments, and noises to accompany those - 'Veeg Life' and its bouncy, club-ready elec-tech, 'Kissey's leftfield deep house, 'Schiet Zo In Je Rug' and its strange, fidgety epic-ness.

Review: Film De Geurre aka Fred Laser, Max Whiteshoe, Victor Chon and Xenia dropped their self titled dark wave, post punk and minimal synth masterpiece back in 1981. It has become a cult classic ever since and is their one and only ever album. It now comes reissued with a 24"x24" poster & original insert with lyrics courtesy of Mental Groove. The rhythms throughout are stark but compelling, with jangling guitars layered up over the chilly synths and dark, deadpan vocals delivered up top in a matter of fact style. It has a steady pulse that keeps you locked in as the guitar strings ping about and the mood changes from curious and beguiling to more moody and direct

Review: Filmmaker is a multidimensional producer known for genre-bending creations rooted in film culture. With acclaimed releases like The Love Market and Fictional Portrayals already under his belt, he reaches new heights with his latest offering, Hollywood Cult. Across 13 tracks, he crafts a haunting journey that blends synth-driven races, infectious body music, and slow-burning nostalgia. Tracks like 'Secrecy,' 'Western Malice,' and 'Shocking Therapy' evoke cinematic tension and energy and as the album progresses, 'Vessels Wine,' 'Peacekeeper Ripper,' and 'Criminal Rite' delve into intense emotions, while 'Elite Dungeons' and 'Hanging Finale' bring a lo-fi, trance-inducing finale. Hollywood Cult, then, serves as a dark, captivating soundtrack for a new world, inviting repeated listens and immersive exploration.

Review: Wolfgang Flur is of course the former electronic percussionist of Kraftwerk during their classic era from 1974 to 1986. He's now set to release a new studio album featuring collaborations with several synth-pop and dance music icons. They include German techno duo U96, Yello's Boris Blank, Thomas Vangarde - better known as former Daft Punk mainman Thomas Bangalter - Juan Atkins, Antony Rother, Emil Schult and New Order legend Peter Hook. Flur has since become a celebrated solo artist whose music blends retro-futurism, melody and narrative while always maintaining an optimistic vision for humanity.

Review: Next up on Dusseldorf's Themes For Great Cities is the debut LP from local trio Folie 2, comprised of vocalist Marlene Kollender, Gregor Darman (aka Rasputin) and Sebastian Welicki (LSW/Trashlagoon). Anyone who caught their great podcast on LYL Radio full of slow, trancey music knows what to expect on this one. There's a strong nod to '80s pop for the most part, but also taking in chugging dark disco slow burners ('Confrontation') neon-lit boogie down numbers ('Night Times') and taking influence from sounds of their homeland circa the '70s ('Fullness Of My Heart').

Review: 
For the first time ever since the mid-80s, Robert Fripp's God Save The Queen is now avaialble on fresh vinyl once more. It was the second solo album from Fripp and is made up almost entirely of so-called 'Frippertronics,' which means much of the record was performed by improvisation. Under each track are solid drums and bass to get the grooves going and guitar loops for the five tracks were recorded live in concert during 1979. It's a real left turn of an album and one that can be as mesmerising as it can wild.

Review: Robert Fripp's pioneering work in electronic music reached its influential peak with the so-called Frippertronics tour of 1979. Creating compelling soundscapes out of tape loops might not seem revolutionary now, but it certainly was at the time, and out of the tour came this limited and highly prized album, perhaps the most sincere recorded document of Fripp's creative breakthrough. Now Let The Power Fall is being pressed on vinyl for the first time since its initial release on Editions EG in the 80s, and it comes with additional versions of '1984' never heard before.

Review: F.M. (Francois Marche) and Fa_Fane (Stephane Bodin) say they "perform live with an acid-tinged electro-dub set, a danceable balance between the organic and the digital, the hot and the cold." When it comes to the studio, the fine line they tread between machine and human, accessible and experimental is equally evident, making them sure fire winners in the world of movie soundtracks. Not least when the film is on the avant garde side of things, as Fotogenico is. Directed by Marcia Romano and Benoit Sabatier, the movie is a visually arresting, high tempo collage of a chase-mystery in which a father attempts to piece his dead daughter's story together using only the music she recorded. Glitchy, digi-dub and synthesised post punk ensues, among other stuff.

Review: Legends of EBM, Canadian electro-industrialists Front Line Assembly should need no introductions, given their work stretches back to the mid-1980s. Nevertheless, they occupy a relatively obscure space - made for dance floors, but twisted, dark cornered, writhing, distorted dance floors where many fear to tread. With that in mind there will be some newcomers, and The Initial Command is a great starting point because it's the starting point of the band's back catalogue.

Originally released in 1987, this is the first album from an impressive 17-LP-strong body of work. And it's also the most definitive of their sonic style, setting a benchmark for all that would follow. Fiercely original, not least for 'it's time', from the glittering synths and harsh metallic percussion of the unarguably cinematic 'Casualties' and the abrasive white noise on 'Ausgang Zum Himmel', to the punchy breaks and dramatic strings of 'No Control', re-releasing Command is an essential act of unearthing.