Fall Releases Out Today

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Tranceonic is the duo of Carlos Perón and Boris Blank of Yello who met in 1971 in their hometown of Zürich, Switzerland. At this time Carlos studied Free Jazz while Boris listened to bands like Pink Floyd and Queen. The two bonded over a conversation about The Mahavishnu Orchestra album ‘The Inner Mounting Flame’ and became musical friends. From 1973 to 1976 they played in the New Wave group Urland. After the split of the group Perón founded the Tranceonic studio with his equipment in his private flat. Carlos invited Boris over to his studio and a concentrated work began. The idea was to make experimental new music with the hopes of having a hit in the United States. Everybody at this time was into punk, but Tranceonic loved industrial and electronic sounds. Their foresight and innovation created new ideas. Perón and Blank made electronic avant-garde music informed by the Berlin and Cologne schools. By 1978 the two had enough material to record an album and made a trip to San Francisco to visit Ralph Records. The Residents promised to release the music if the duo removed all the tape hiss, which never materialized.

‘New Crime’ is the first ever vinyl compilation of material produced, recorded, performed and mixed at Tranceonic Studio between 1976-1979. The equipment set up at the studio included a Farfisa Synth Orchestra, WERSI string ensemble, ARP Odyssey with Sequencer, ARP Quadra, Roland SH 3A, CR-78, Space Echo and Korg Minipops 120P and many effect boxes normally used for guitars. Samples were self-recorded using a Revox cassette deck and turntables. Blank and Perón experimented with manipulated tape loops, echo effects and snippets of found sounds. Blank also explored foreign near-equator exotics playing Arabesque percussion and a homemade bamboo flute. Perón experimented with CV triggering and dubbing super 8 film effects from vinyl. Both members took turns singing Carlos’ lyrics. Stylistically the songs anticipate the feeling of Yello’s ‘Solid Pleasure’ album and included here is the first instrumental mix of “Bostich”. All songs have been remastered by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Cover artwork features a photo of Carlos in Los Angeles taken by Boris in 1978 and design by Maycec. Each copy includes an insert featuring photos and liner notes by Carlos Perón.

Tom Ware is a Grammy nominated engineer, producer and musician from Omaha Nebraska. Throughout the 70s and 80s Tom was the drummer for many bands, including Norman & The Rockwells, Toy boat Toy boat Toy boat, and Hit N Run. Because of his love for electronics, mechanics, and machines of any kind, he was always the only one who truly knew how pa systems worked. Tom got an entry level job at a Rainbow Studios and would work at the recording studio during the day, play evening gigs till 2 in the morning, then go back to the studio and work on new ideas all night. During these teeth cutting sessions, Tom worked by himself, following his instincts and creating sounds he loved to listen to.

His reckless abandon approach and thrill to learn was a high octane fuel that resulted in his first solo self-titled album. The album’s 10 songs were recorded and mixed between August & December of 1983 and self-released in early 1984. The album would be re-released in 1985 by independent Krautrock/Kosmische Musik label Sky Records in Germany and re-titled ‘The Fourth Circle’. Some of the instruments used on the LP were a Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, & Pro One, Simmons SDSV electronic drums, Roland TR-606 drum machine, & Hammond B3 organ. While recording this album Tom was influenced by new wave sounds of Yellow Magic Orchestra, the Berlin and Düsseldorf schools of pulsing synth music and the celestial realms of Jean Michel Jarre. All songs have been mastered and lacquer cut by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each LP is housed in a replica cover with computer graphics by Lars Erickson and photos by Ken Mayer and includes a postcard with liner notes by Tom Ware.
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Alésia Cosmos was a collective of musicians led by Bruno de Chénerilles formed in the early 1980s in Strasbourg, France. The group consisted of Pascal Holtzer (guitar, synthesizer, tapes, drum machine, vocals), Pierre Clavreux (vocals, gong), Marie-Berthe Servier (vocals), Bruno (guitar, tapes, synthesizer, drum machine, vocals) and Tunisian percussionist Lotfi Ben Ayed (darbukas, bendir). In 1981 Bruno composed and wrote some sci-fi radio plays for French state radio channel France Culture. Under the influences of William Burroughs, John Cage, Pierre Henry and others, he developed tape music studio work. By 1982 he appeared for the first time under the name Alésia Cosmos Furi Show. It was a solo performance on guitar, voice, analog synth and tapes. This experimental show lead to a music project based on Bruno and Pascal’s compositions to be performed and recorded with other musicians in the beginning of 1983.

Exclusivo! was the group’s debut album recorded and self-released in 1983 on Planetarium. Pascal and Bruno would compose tunes in their personal home studios. Then they would bring the tapes, electronics, guitar lines and lyrics to experiment and rehearse with the other members of the group. Improvisations and adaptations brought more ideas and the album was recorded in a few days. The result was a musical mixing of electronic music, field recordings, North African and Asian percussion, electric guitars and voices, compositions and free improvisations. All four musicians take turns singing onomatopoeic phrases and backing vocals, even sometimes in an unknown language, a sort of mixed bag between Breton and Japanese. All songs have been remastered cut by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Each LP is housed in a replica of the 1983 cover and includes a 6-page insert with photos, lyrics, reviews and liner notes by Bruno de Chénerilles.

Dark Entries and Emotional Response team up to further explore Psychic TV’s Acid House years. Psychic TV was formed by Genesis P-Orridge and Peter Christopherson of Throbbing Gristle with Alex Fergusson of Alternative TV in 1981. After various line up changes, the band shifted direction to dance oriented songs influenced by the House and Techno scenes of Detroit and Chicago. By 1988 the group included Dave Ball of Soft Cell, Fred Giannelli of Turning Shrines and Matthew Best of Carcrash International. During the summer of 1988 the group recorded a batch of songs at Time Square Studios in London that would appear under the guise of various artists compilations Jack The Tab’ and ‘Tekno Acid Beat’. The idea behind these ‘compilations’ of imaginary artists was creating a sense that a healthy acid house scene existed in the UK.

Virginia was the studio project of Dave “Mista Luv” Ball and then-wife Virginia “Gini” Ball, a classical violinist who toured and recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees and Marc Almond. The duo had previous collaborated on Dave’s solo album ‘In Strict Tempo’ in 1983 and with the group Other People in 1984. The name “Blue Pyramid” was inspired by a photograph from Pink Floyd’s album ‘Dark Side of The Moon’. Also at the time Dave was taking quite a lot of acid and came across some stuff ironically called “Blue Pyramid”. Gini’s violin has an arabic feel, adding to the already bright and hypnotic dance rhythms. For this reissue we’ve backed the A-side with a remix from Bucharest DJ and producer duo Khidja who add more acoustic instrumentation for a world-beat psych-out. On the flip is San Francisco analog wizard Bézier who ups the tempo for some late-night peak NRG. The final remix comes from San Francisco producer and engineer Mark Pistel of Consolidated, Hercules & Love Affair, and Meat Beat Manifesto, who offers a slice of non-stop ecstatic dancing. All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The 12” is housed in a trippy, majorelle blue and purple die-cut sleeve with classic yellow Psychic TV skull label, all designed by Eloise Leigh. Each copy also includes a 2-sided 6×6” square insert with a photograph by Fred Giannelli of the Emax disc for Blue Pyramid, and liner notes by Dave and Gini Ball.

Dark Entries Editions is proud to reissue “Perfect High” the 1983 debut 12” by Peppermint Lounge from Germany. The group consisted of Matthias Elvers (synthesizers, bass), Regina Petersen (vocals) and Jorg Burckhardt (drums, strings). They took their name from a popular 1960s discotheque in New York City. Treading the lines between Italo Disco, Electro, and New Wave, the trio crafted a unique sound difficult to classify. Regina’s powerful vocals command attention as they tell the sad tale of a boy searching for the perfect high. The lyrics are based on the poem “The Perfect High” by Shel Silverstein. Melancholic arpeggiators, a throbbing baseline, stuttering samples, vocoder and the classic Roland TR-808 drum machine run throughout the track, which builds to a majestic crescendo, ala Klaus Schulze or Jean-Michel Jarre. This reissue includes the original vocal version, backed with a shorter instrumental version.

All songs have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The 12” is housed in an exact replica of the original sleeve with black and white Dali-esque drawing. Each copy also includes a 2-sided postcard lyrics and notes.

Dark Entries returns to the New Jersey basement studio of Smersh to unearth an 18-minute jam session from 1989, backed with two contemporary remixes. Smersh was the duo of Mike Mangino and Chris Shepard from Piscataway, NJ who began making music together in 1978. They were uninterested in traditional notions of songwriting or live performance. Between 1981 and 1993 they released over 40 cassette albums on their own Atlas King imprint. As these tapes traded their way across continents, Smersh developed a devoted following in places far beyond New Jersey, leading to releases on dozens of other labels from around the globe.

“Sideways” was taken from a cassette titled ‘100’, which refers to a 100-minute jam session the band recorded to tape on June 12, 1989 in Piscataway. The track was composed and performed by Mike, utilizing a Roland TB-303, TR-606, SH-09 and an ARP 2600. A frenetic hybrid of techno and acid with driving EBM style beats, “Sideways” weaves intricate industrial noises with synth melodies that drift in and out of phase. On the flip are two fresh remixes by different aliases of prolific Ann Arbor producer Tadd Mullinix. As JTC, he expands the sound palette, adding organ stabs and lush pads, drawing on Detroit deep house and UK garage.The Charles Manier remix features chanted vocals on top of an array of pulsating synths, stark percussion, and post-punky guitar effects. Each song has been carefully remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The record is sleeved in a replica of the ‘100’ artwork, which designer Eloise Leigh modified using motifs and textures sourced from the original cassette. Also included is an oversized postcard with notes.

OUT NOVEMBER 15TH

We are honored to announce the latest album from Michel Amato aka The Hacker, ‘Le Théâtre des Opérations’. Michel began making music in 1989 a the age of 17 in Grenoble, France. He grew up listening to New Wave bands like Duran Duran, The Cure and Depeche Mode as well as the darker side of electro Kraftwerk, Cabaret Voltaire and D.A.F. In 1990s he released a series of 12” singles and an album of cold, calculating and relentless techno. In 1997 he teamed up with Caroline Herve aka Miss Kittin and to release landmark singles and albums that effortlessly channeled the carefree spirit of 80s electro pop (of which we released an EP of lost demos back in 2015). Michel’s new live project sees the enigmatic artist go back to his roots, performing a 100% analogue set directly inspired by his first true loves of New Wave and dark, powerful techno.

‘Le Théâtre des Opérations’ features 8 new tracks spread evenly across 2×12”s cut at 45rpm for maximum sound quality and DJ utility. The title comes from a metaphysical journal by French-born Canadian science fiction writer Maurice G Dantec. Passionate about avant-garde techno, The Hacker has taken his influences and crafted a potent homage to the power of the synthesizer. Songs veer from gritty, raw EBM to dark, subterranean electro, effortlessly channeling the strains of the Michel’s musical DNA: Front 242, Jeff Mills, Dopplereffekt, Drexciya. The only vocal track features an appearance by longtime friend and collaborator Miss Kittin, named “Time X” after the French science fiction television series Temps X. All songs have been mastered and lacquer cut by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. Cover artwork features a collage by London-based artist Anthony Gerace, and each copy includes a postcard featuring a photo of a young Michel from 1989.

THIS Thursday November 9th 7-11pm
CounterPulse
80 Turk St, San Francisco, California 94102
Goin’ Home: The Gay Porn Soundtracks of Patrick Cowley
This will be an evening event celebrating the life of Patrick Cowley. Alongside screenings of the Fox Studio gay porn films matched with newly re-mastered Cowley soundtracks, director John Coletti will be interviewed by the owners of San Francisco’s legendary The Magazine. We will also be joined by Michael Zodorozny of Crash Course In Science who will sing two covers of Patrick Cowley songs. Theresa McGinley, one of the Four Beauties and close friend of Cowley, will be joined by Juanita More! and Brontez Purnell to read never before heard passages from Patrick’s diaries (yes, you heard that right). Bobby McCole, owner of Pyramid Records will be creating a pop-up shop and exhibition space selling music and with never before seen Cowley ephemera downstairs. A limited run of two-sided hand screen-printed posters made specifically for the night by Berlin based artist Gwenael Rattke will be on sale at this event only.
BUY TICKETS

NEW SHIRTS!

Freshly silk-screened Executive Slacks shirts using the Screaming Hand illustration from their early days in Philadelphia. Printed by BAD SKULLS in Oakland, CA.

OUT THIS WINTER
DE-188 Robert Rental & Glenn Wallis LP
DE-189 E Meyers – Love/Hate 12″
DE-190 Solid Space – Space Museum LP
DE-191 Red Axes – Nyx Tape EP
DE-192 Trisomie 21 – Le Repos Des Enfants Heureux
DE-193 Trisomie 21 – Passions Divisées
DE-194 Trisomie 21 – Wait & Dance
DE-195 Trisomie 21 – Chapter IV 2xLP
DE-T21 – Trisomie 21 – Chapters I-IV Box Set (5xLP)