We've Got A Special Visit With The Spirit Black And White

Hailing from British Columbia, this Canadian Post-Punk duo released just one 7" single, and two songs on the Undergrowth Vancouver 84 sampler. But what an amazing four songs! Here you will find the compilation tracks as well as full scans of the 7" sleeve and vinyl. Such a beautiful monochomatic design, I had to share all of it. Check out the Return to the East posting for the band's 7" single.

Grab the VA tracks and scans here.

This is another one of those "Goth" recordings that show a great upbeat sound. Yet another band that should have influenced a stale world Goth scene that sadly limps along. More people need to hear this, and with luck, Der Mittelgang will come out of the woods and present some missing sounds to a more appreciative audience.

Singer Gord Martin is now a chef par excellence who owns a couple of establishments in Vancouver, Bin 941 and Bin 942. I have tried unsuccessfully to reach him.

Take Away The Love

Charade

D.MG:

Gord Martin: Bass, Voices

Paul Garrison: Guitars

"Drums were by Roger Grais"

I have also included a Gord Martin solo track and Pepperlip track from the Undergrowth Vancouver 84 sampler. Pepperlip were supposed to be post-Der Mittelgang but perhaps just a side project?

Crawl Alone Into This Magic House

Another album by The Grinning Plowman for you listening pleasure. Their 1989 release, I Play Jupiter was my first look into these Nashville, Tennessee Post-Punk legends. Ripped from CD, grab this here.

This second album also features the two tracks of their 12", Radiator/Magic House. Previously I posted their 1987 release, Days of Deformity. Sit back and listen, or jerk and swing to the beat. Hope you dig it.

Michael Ake:Vocals, Guitar, Various Instruments
Keith Spike:Guitar
Janet:Bass
Derek:Drums

I Play Jupiter (1989):

01. Radiator
02. Alone At Last
03. Magic House
04. Skyscraper
05. No More Love
06. Pretas Opera
07. Chinese Box
08. Smoke
09. Esmeralda
10. Koo-Ka

Mystery Plane : Curse Of The Body Snatcher

The meticulous Matze scored this rip, requested long ago by Oldskool. I know very little of the band It appears they could be German, though it would not surprise me if this band is from the UK.

Share your comments and stories if you've got 'em! Members listed for this are Marc Harvey and Nigel Lackey. Lackey, according to Discogs.com, appears to have been involved in the band Soho, which had that song Hippychick back in 1990 which sampled The Smiths...

This 1986 EP was released on Modell Records.

01. Curse Of The Bodysnatcher
02. Night
03. Vampires
04. Road Movie

Probing The Gash In Her Head

Today I have some more dark, atmospheric music for you lot. This time from the sunny West Coast of the USA. Geko were a female duo formed in Los Angeles in the late 80's. They released a nifty 7" EP on red vinyl in 1991. It's tough to find pertinent info online info, but a Last.FM comment states: Reviewers have called the music “fluid, dark, beautiful, ethereal, erotic, hypnotic… tough sounds that combine to create an introspective experience.”

I bought their CD about ten years ago. Listen, and go track down a copy of it and the 7" for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

Members:

Sarah Folkman: vocalist, bassist & drum machine programmer.

Carrie McNinch: guitarist & drum machine programmer.

Carrie also did some artwork for the Open IV compilation 7" EP which contains "A Toxic Life" by Geko. Their 1992 CD "Join My Pretty World" comprises the "Probing The Gash In Her Head" EP from 1991, as well as a track from the sampler. I have scanned the 7" sleeve, insert, and even the 1" button that came with the red vinyl single and included those in the download..

"Probing the Gash in Her Head" EP (1991)

Tracks:

1. Mary Loves the War Zone

2. I Never Knew Any of This

3. Nameless

4. When We Were Very Young

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I could really go for a full listen to the 1990 LP by Marilyn's Army, "Golden Paradise." Anyone have a rip to contribute to the blog?

What Could Be Much Nicer Than To Listen To The Band?

A while back I read about Outer Himalayan Records artist Soft Drinks. Featuring Rudimentary Peni drummer, Jon, these four minimal tunes are something I hope you enjoy as much as I.

Some leads thru online searches reveal a compilation tape that may yield other tunes by Watford UK's Soft Drinks. The Watford Compilation Tape is listed in Aftermath #6 a London 'zine from 1981.

Soft Drinks were:

Drooper: Vocals

Lee Greville: Synths

Jon Greville: Drums

7" single includes a booklet with info about the band. The cover features art by RP's Nick Blinko.

Tracklisting

A. Popstars In Their Pyjamas

B. Cinzano Wet Dream

Two bonus tracks included from the VA sampler The Thing from the Crypt (1981)

Squash

Pepsi Cola

Sinner Comes To Bits

For the lovely T. who has followed her heart to Germany, the demo cassettes of French Goth act Brotherhood of Pagans. Flower Of Oblivion is a 1992 demo tape. Inquisition Day is from 1994. Get both here.

The band released a CD of their 1995 album, Tales of Vampires, which you can grab from the Nightmares on Wax blog. BOP released a new album in 2009; Only Once.

Vocals, Rhythm Guitar: Alien

Bass: Elrik

Drums: Sailor

LeadGuitar: Vox Populi

Keyboards: Coccs

Flower Of Oblivion:

01. Warshow

02. Halloween

03. Flower Of Oblivion

04. All Over The World

Inquisition Day:

01. Dead Can Dance

02. Don't Fall

03. Rooms

04. Goddamn My Soul

05. Sinner Comes To Bits

Schwarze Raben

I can tell you more about German punk band Aus-98 than I credited myself capable. They reformed and became Circle of Sig-Tiu in the mid 1980's. This 1983 7" was their sole release as Aus-98, though two tracks (Wendzeit and Pause Probe) appear on a Sig-Tiu archive collection I have yet to track down. The B side would be reworked later with a little more "Gothic" production, though I prefer this version. The A side, Alles Fällt, is much more punk.

Circle of Sig-Tiu managed to blend Punk and Darkwave for their sound. I doubt I'd post any Sig-Tiu outside the samplers I've already posted, though they should not be hard to track down for those interested in hearing more.

Members:
Jay Kay: vocals
Dennis Plummer.: rhythm guitar
Ralf: guitar

Dirk Mäder: bass

Oli Zapf: bass

Styk: drums

Tracklist:

A. Alles Fällt

B. Schwarze Raben

Jay Kay is the brainchild behind the Godfathers of German Gothic and Ghostriders of German Gothic sampler collections.

Der Biß Soundtrack (Du Gibst Mir Kalte Liebe!)

O.K. So I mentioned a soundtrack featuring Unlimited Systems. It is only fair I share it here. The movie sounds pretty bad, and all the more reason to track it down and watch it. I did not realise Marianne Enzenberger, singer of Unlimited Systems, is the director.

Marianne Rosenberg has a couple of interesting dark tracks here. I first heard Rhapsody in Blut on the Godfathers of German Gothic sampler, and found it cheesy and fun. As I mentioned before, despite the obvious, er, poseurism to the fact, I am intrigued by the sound of these songs. I had been told she did an album of such songs. Having hunted and asked about so many of these bands for the better part of two decades, I somewhat doubt it exists. If anyone has more information, please speak up.

Die Gesunden, whom I adore, do a great minimal track about "cold love." New York artist David Peel, Unlimited Systems guitarist Gerd Pasemann, and Tecnoville contribute some good music to this.

Tracklist:

01 Unlimited Systems - Farewell Stranger

02 Marianne Rosenberg - Nägel Aus Eis

03 Die Gesunden - Kalte Liebe

04 David Peel - Up Against The Wall

05 Marianne Rosenberg - Rhapsodie In Blut

06 Tecnoville - Small Piece Of Silicon

07 Gerd Pasemann - Sermon Im Bunker

08 Unlimited Systems - Ich Beiß Mich Selbst

Plot: Der Biß (1985)

This Berlin Underground spoof of a vampire movie begins with a few original ideas that are difficult to sustain through to the ending. Sylvana (Marianne Enzenberger, also the director) has arrived for a stay in New York City but after becoming exhausted wandering around somewhat lost, she is taken to a mysterious brownstone walk-up and is bitten by a vampire before she knows what is going on. Now with a slightly different perspective on life, she flies back to Berlin, anxious to sink her teeth into just about anyone she can find. But as she tries to entrap people -- ranging from commune dwellers to the staid middle classes -- no one is interested in being bitten, and they get a little irritated with Sylvana. This hardly bodes well for her future as a bat woman. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Es Wird Nicht Besser

Martina and Gisela from Östro 430 had this really neat little side project called II. Invasion. This band churned out a mini LP on Sneaky Pete Records in 1987. Great catchy Wave-Goth along the lines of Grauzone's poppier tunes. This is something that puts a smile on my face whenever I listen. A sixth song appears on the Christmas sampler "How Much More Black Can It Be?" Grab it all here.

The Band:

Vocals, Saxophone: Martina Weith

Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals: Martin Keil

Drums, Keyboards, Vocals: Stefan Dötsch

Guitar [Backing], Vocals, Keyboards: Gisela Hottenroth

Keyboards: Pyrolator (Graue Katzen)

Tracklisting:

1. Es Wird Nicht Besser

2. Bleib Hier

3. Lager

4. Urwald

5. Graue Katzen

Bonus:

Kommet All Ihr Kinderlein