5 New 12″s for Dark Entries Editions Series Out Today

OUT TODAY are 5 dance 12″s for the Dark Entries Editions Series:

SIDE A
Dance It Down
Dance In Dub
Dance It Down (European Remix)

SIDE B
Jamaica Running
Jamaica Resting
Jamaica Running (European Remix)

Patrick Keel is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and performer. The Pool was his solo project, the sum of fifteen years of experience in live bands, studios, and home recording. Patrick was heavily influenced by the radio of the early and mid 1960’s in Dallas. The British bands and Black soul of the era gave him a distinct style, and shaped his musical attitude. The New Wave/Punk/D.I.Y. attitudes of the late 1970s inspired him to express himself in a new way. 1980 saw the release of “Pool One,” a sixty minute home-produced cassette. “Pool Two” followed in 1981, which received much praise and little distribution. In 1982 he released a 5-song self-titled vinyl EP of tight, skeletal, synthetic dance music.

In 1983, “Dance It Down/Jamaica Running” 12” EP was released on Moment Productions. Based on response from D.J.’s in New York and the Bronx, Patrick went back in the studio and remixed two songs from the self-titled EP for rapping, scratching and break dancing. “Jamaica Resting” was sped-up, extended, and reconfigured as “Jamaica Running”. The whirlpool synth-strut of “Dance It Down” came out of the studio as “Dance In Dub”, with a heavier kick and extended dub outro. These spacious versions were optimal for DJ play, slotting regularly in sets at hip clubs like Danceteria. For this reissue we’ve added two bonus European remixes from the 1984 12” of “Dance It Down/Jamaica Running”, released on Nunk records from Belgium. Both songs employ the use of a Boss DR-55, Korg MS-20, Korg PolySix, and a Prophet 5, and were mixed on a 16- track Ampex recorder. The Pool’s spartan, self-assured songs are experiments you can dance to.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes housed in a newly designed jacket by Eloise Leigh, updating the magenta and blue grid and Pool logo of the Moment Productions release. Each copy includes a 12-page booklet with a never seen before photos, press clippings and notes.

SIDE A
Life With You …. (Vocal Version)

SIDE B
Life With You …. (Instrumental Version)

Gianluigi “Gigi” Farina and Francesco Rago are to be counted among Italo disco’s true originators. Operating as a duo under many monikers, they brought us masterpieces such as Wanexa’s “The Man From Colours”, ‘Lectric Workers’ “Robot Is Systematic”, and Decadance’s “On And On”. Their sound is propulsive and ethereal in equal measure – dense, psychedelic, and tinged with melancholy. Their first composition was under the name Expansives.

“Life With You” was recorded in Milan in 1981 and released on Leader Records in 1982, and features then 16-year old Xenia Monneret on lyric-writing duties. They wanted to incorporate a more electronic sound to break the classic disco mold, and in the process, they created an early, raw example of what would come to be known as Italo Disco. A thumping bass synth and processed drums set the groove, while Francesco sings of his loneliness. Tension is released when he later breaks into a Bee Gees-esque falsetto, but in the context of such an unusual song, the uncanny becomes familiar, the familiar becomes uncanny. Unfortunately they were not able to afford a professional recording studio and had to re-record each take over the same reel of tape. This caused a subtle surface noise buzz that adds to the warm analog feel of the song. On the B-side is the instrumental version with extended breaks, drum claps and dubbed out bass lines.

Both songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes housed in a newly designed die-cut jacket by Eloise Leigh, updating the orange and green color scheme of the original. Each copy includes a double-side postcard insert with lyrics, notes, and a never seen before photo from a fashion show.

SIDE A
The Man From Colours

SIDE B
The Man From Colours (Instrumental Version)

Gianluigi “Gigi” Farina and Francesco Rago are to be counted among Italo disco’s true originators. Operating as a duo under many monikers, they brought us masterpieces such as Wanexa’s “The Man From Colours”, ‘Lectric Workers’ “Robot Is Systematic”, and Decadance’s “On And On”. Their sound is propulsive and ethereal in equal measure – dense, psychedelic, and tinged with melancholy.

“The Man From Colours” was recorded in Milan in 1982 and released on Discomagic Records the same year. The song’s music was composed by Rago and Farina, with lyrics written by Xenia Monneret, who was only 16 at the time. Mournful synth pads are buoyed by an 808 groove, while Lyana Galis provides haunting vocals, singing of a man who will bring color to this grey world. “The Man From Colours” was influential on early House and Techno music thanks to support from WBMX in Chicago and and WJLB in Detroit. It was later a cornerstone in the 90’s Hague electro scene, frequently appearing in DJ sets by I-F and Intergalactic Gary. On the B-side is the instrumental version with extended breaks, drum claps and additional vocoder verses. There is a slight warble in the beginning of each version that was due to the band re-recording multiple takes on the same reel of tape.

Both songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes housed in a newly designed die-cut jacket by Eloise Leigh, updating the pink and green color scheme of the original Discomagic Records label. Each copy includes a double-sided postcard insert with lyrics, notes, and a never seen before photo from a fashion show.

SIDE A
I’m Going To Go
I’m Going To Go (Instrumental)

SIDE B
I’m Going To Go (Plant Mix by Frankye Knuckles)

Jago was the studio project of Michele Violante created in Milan, Italy in 1983. The line-up also included Luciana Cirrillo aka Kynsha, who wrote lyrics and sang back up vocals. The name Jago comes from Iago,
the main antagonist in Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’. In those years, Michele produced a lot of songs and published material for Full Time Records.

“I’m Going To Go” was recorded at Forum Studio in Rome in 1983 and released on Full Time the same year. He made an electro-funk demo with a Gibson Les Paul, but during practice the song became soulful funk but arranged with new wave electronics. The song revolves around a slick atmospheric bassline, driving electronic percussion, and tight rhythm guitar and synths. The setup for the recording was a Casiotone MT-40 keyboard, Boss DR-55 and Sequential Circuits Drumtraks drum machines, an Akai cassette recorder, and a Revox A77 for multi-tracking. Lead vocals were done by session musician Bruno Kassar, delivering Kynsha’s playful lyrics along to the lead melody. Also on the A-side is the Instrumental Version which became a hit in New York after Larry Levan played it repeatedly at the Paradise Garage. Full Time asked Levan’s long time friend Frankie Knuckles to make a remix. It was released in 1985 as the “Plant Mix”, and is included here on the B-side. This was Frankie’s first released remix, although the record label misspelled his name as ’Frankye’. The remix clocks in at over 8 minutes, and is a dub edit made using the stereo master of the instrumental track.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes housed in a newly designed die-cut jacket by Eloise Leigh, updating the purple and blue color scheme of the original Full Time label. Each copy includes a double-sided postcard insert with lyrics, notes, and a never seen before photo of Kynsha from 1982.

SIDE A
Sandy Eyes
Polar Magazine

SIDE B
Flucht ’84
Sacred Time

Zwischenfall formed in Belgium in 1982 with Michael Sass (synths), Martin Urban (bass/vocals) and Stephan Kraemer (guitar/drums). They were united by their interest in combining electronic and traditional instruments, which developed the basis for 1982 demo recordings. By chance Patrick Codenys of the Belgian electro pioneers Front 242, heard two songs and decided to record a 4-song EP. The “Heute” EP was released in 1983 after a week of recording in Front 242’s private studio under the direction of sound-whiz Daniel B.

In 1984 Martin Urban left the band and was replaced by vocalist Iben Larssen and bassist Thomas Kürsten. They recorded their second 12” single, “Sandy Eyes”, which contained a remake of their song “Fluct”, sung in the English this time. Some fairly revolutionary techniques were used, including the introduction of sampling (with an Emulator I and Ensoniq Mirage), and ‘gated reverb’, in which the sound of a large reverb room was processed through a Yamaha CS15’s envelope follower. This record was originally released in 1984 on both Les Disques du Crépuscule and Fuzz Dance, packaged in three different covers. Our reissue EP features two bonus tracks from the 1984 recording sessions previously unreleased on vinyl: the saxophone drenched instrumental “Polar Magazine” and street beat dance track “Sacred Time”.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record comes housed in a newly designed die-cut jacket by Eloise Leigh, updating the magenta and yellow color scheme of the Fuzz Dance release. Each copy includes a double-sided insert with lyrics, notes, and never seen before photos.

Buy all 4 August Dark Entries Editions 12″s and get a discount:

PLUS WE RE-PRESSED ZWISCHENFALL DEBUT EP

1. Atemlos
2. Heimatlose
3. Millionen
4. Flucht
5. Tausend Jahre
6. Katastrophe

Zwischenfall formed in Belgium with Michael Sass (synths), Martin Urban (bass/vocals) and Stephan Kraemer (guitar/drums) in 1982. They were united by musical sensibilities that combined electronic and traditional instruments developing the basis for their 1982 demo recordings. By chance Patrick Codenys of the Belgian electro pioneers Front 242< heard two songs and decided to record a 4-song EP for the electro band's newly formed label Mask. The “Heute” EP was released in 1983 after a week of recording in Front's private studio under the direction of sound-whiz Daniel B. Bearing in mind MIDI had not been invented at the time, the recording involved some extensive sound sculpting including the use of individual synths (PPG Wave, Syrinx, Roland System 100, etc.) for separate drum sounds. To create an organic feel to the combination of acoustic and electric guitar, a trumpet and a bass were incorporated into the electronic arrangements. Sonically way ahead of their time, Zwischenfall have a distinct sound with hard rhythms and melancholic melodies that blend minimal yet catchy electronics to create a very danceable production. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The EP features two bonus tracks from the “Heute” sessions never before released on vinyl: the uptempo "Tausend Jahre" and "Katastrophe" the demo version of “Flucht”. Each copy includes an 6-page press kit booklet with lyrics and photos and is housed in an exact replica of the original jacket. Buy both Zwischenfall reissues and get a discount: [product id="" sku="DE-004-134"] Buy all 4 Italo Disco 12" from Milanese composers for a discount: [product id="" sku="Milan-Italo-Combo-DE-116-117-118-119"]