4 New Releases Out Today

OUT NOW:

TRACKLIST
SIDE A
Zuerst Ich
Ich Bin Nicht Die
Mata Hari
Mörderinnen Küsst Man Nicht
Das Ende Vom Traum

SIDE B
Sauf Und Stirb
Stammtisch
Wintergarten
Sex Im Aquarium

Silvia is the name of a Neue Deutsche Welle (NDW “New German Wave”) project created Tommi Stumpff and Silvia Nemanic. The pair met in Düsseldorf in the late 1970s and started dating when Tommi was the singer of punk band Der KFC. Silvia was absolutely inexperienced in musical things, she said, “I’ve played the recorder.” Tommi rented Klangwerkstatt studio for a few days in January 1982 to record his an album with his bandmate Ferdinand Mackenthun aka Käpt’n Nuss of Der KFC, but finished earlier than expected. With one extra day that was already paid for, they quickly wrote some more songs and recorded them. All they needed was a singer, so they asked Silvia.

Simply titled “Silvia”, the record was released in mid-1982 on cult label Schallmauer Records, which had released many German punk, NDW, and New Wave records in the 80’s. Tommi and Käpt’n Nuss played all instruments and wrote the lyrics. Since Silvia had a very deep voice, Tommi slightly pitched up her vocals to sound higher on the recordings. The album displays Tommi’s transition from punk rock to cold electronics, EBM and eventually Techno. Tommi’s instrument set up was a Sequential Circuits Pro One and Moog Prodigy controlled by a Fricke sequencer and a Korg SQ-10 Analog Sequencer. Silvia urges the listener to save themselves and says “No miracle will happen You die tomorrow, young and guilty” evoking the urban Zeitgeist of the Cold War.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in the original jacket featuring a full color of Silvia on the front with hand drawn magenta type. Each copy includes a replica insert of the original lyrics sheet in German and a postcard featuring a black and white photo of Tommi and Silvia. Sadly Silvia passed away in 2003 and this reissue is dedicated to her.

TRACKLIST
SIDE A
Transdance (New York Disco Mix)
Transdance (GC1 Version)

SIDE B
Transdance (Robot Rock) (U.K. Club Mix)
Transdance (U.K. Disco Mix)

Dark Entries is proud to present all four mixes of “Transdance” by Night Moves as a tribute dedicated to the lives lost in the Oakland Ghost Ship fire on December 2, 2016. Night Moves was the brainchild of Michael Guihen, from Pimlico, south London. Inspired by seeing Tubeway Army perform on Top of the Pops in 1979 he placed an ad to form a synth-based band in the NME. In November 1980 he was introduced to Denis Haines, formerly Gary Numan’s keyboardist on the ‘Telekon’ album. Michael played Denis some demo tracks and one track, “Transdance” stood out. Denis and Michael worked closely together and they wrote a number of backing tracks. One of these was the farewell song from Gary Numan to his band Tubeway Army, “Love Needs No Disguise”. In return for this backing track Denis gave Michael studio time to develop “Transdance”.

The first version of “Transdance” was recorded in late Spring 1981 at Ridge Farm Studio in Surrey and within the week Michael had a recording deal with GC Recordings. This mix of “Transdance” was pressed onto a white label GC1 and was sent to clubs around Britain and Europe. In Summer 1981 he met John Davis aka John Darc also part West London’s New Romantic scene. They recorded the second mix of “Transdance” at Matrix Studios in London early 1982 and John added the new bass line. This was titled “U.K. Disco Mix” and released by GC Records. On this mix the backing vocals were sung by Eve Goddard, Adam Ant’s ex-wife. In March 1983 Michael and John turned to New York’s budding Electro & Hip Hop scenes to have Jay Burnett remix the “New York Disco Mix”. Back in London, the duo disappeared into the cutting rooms at Utopia studios with Francis Usmar and emerged with the final dub edit “Robot Rock”. All three later mixes were programmed with a Roland TR-808, some live drums, and one homemade handclap machine. “Transdance” was embraced by Chicago’s WBMX, Hot Mix 5 and Ron Hardy as well in New York at Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage and Tony Humphries’ Club Zanzibar in New Jersey. Considered a blueprint song that connects the dots from UK Synthpop to Italo Disco, Chicago House and Detroit Techno.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in the original jacket featuring a black and white photograph of two mannequins dancing set against a melon hue. Each copy includes a 2-sided 11” square insert with lyrics and drawings of all 36 victims of the Oakland Ghost Ship fire. Each copy also included a 6 page press kit with liner notes, clippings and photographs from the band’s archive. 100% of all profits will be donated to the Oakland Fire Immediate Relief Fund.

TRACKLIST
SIDE A
St. Catherine
The Fisherman
Song For Krista
With Louise
The Turning

SIDE B
Seven Days From Now
Karen Said
Rainbows
Susan Slept Here
A Turner Sky

The Arms of Someone New was formed in 1983 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois by Mel Eberle and Steve Jones. Steve managed and helped record Mel’s band The First Things; while in the studio to demo some of Mel’s songs, they started collaborating. Both grew up around their families’ pianos and got into psychedelic rock drawing inspiration from Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles, taking their name “The Arms of Someone New” from a line on a Beatle’s X-Mas Fan Club Single. They modeled their sound after the melancholic side of Factory Records, The Cure’s “Faith” period and The Teardrop Explodes. Between 1983 and 1985 they released four cassettes, one 7”, and one 12” EP.

In September 1985, the duo self-released their debut full length ‘Susan Sleepwalking’ on Office Records. To They drafted locals for the album’s recordings, including Lynn Canfield, Henry Frayne, Brenden Gamble and Joe Strell (all of the group Ack-Ack!) as well as Nick Rudd. Equipped with Casio keyboards, drum machines, and jangly guitars, The Arms Of Someone New provided an American take on English folk, ambient, and industrial music. Over the album’s ten tracks they paint pictures of stillness with sparse instrumentation and simple chord change. Psychedelic vocals add a dream-like veneer. The Arms of Someone New fearlessly mix genres without sacrificing the unity of their vision. “’Susan Sleepwalking’ could as well be retitled ‘Music for Interiors’ – both architectural and of the mind” – The Michigan Daily 1985.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in the original jacket featuring a blood red-tinted photograph with ghostly textures. Each copy includes a 2-sided 11” square insert with lyrics and press clippings from the band’s archive.

TRACK LIST
SIDE A
Sound Of Danger
Pictures And Paintings
Crystal Dream
How Could We Simply Die
Search

SIDE B
So Many Things
Doorway
A Prisoner In A Silent Way
Can’t Go To Sleep

Espen Beranek Holm is a Norwegian musician and comedian, born 1960 and began his music career as a clarinetist. Inspired by early
synthesizer bands Kraftwerk and The Residents, he began making experimental pop music. His debut single “Dra te’ hælvete” was released in 1981 and was immediately banned by national TV/radio channel NRK due to explicit lyrics. This gave the young artist tons of publicity, helping the single spend almost 6 months on the national charts.

Beranek returned to the Starholm Studios in Oslo from June – September 1981 to record nine new compositions. His debut album, “Sound of
Danger”, was released on Mind Expanding Records in November 1981. Nowhere near as accessible as the previous single, the album fared
poorly commercially. Withdrawing from the single’s fun, kitsch pop, the album is cool and static, driven by thin rhythm boxes, cold synths,
and glacial guitars. Taking heavy cues from David Bowie, all of the songs are sung in a nasally English accent, a rare occurrence in Norway at the time. The lyrics are melancholic, but tinged with paranoia. There are also upbeat tracks that evoke a prog or glam sensibility a la King Crimson, Alan Parsons, or Roxy Music.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Housed in the original jacket featuring red,
black, and white lines that evoke a visualized Richter Scale designed by Monica Moltzau. Each copy includes a 2-sided 8×11” insert with lyrics and an autographed press photo of Beranek.