EL AVIADOR DRO

I will save you the historical context today. EL AVIADOR DRO is a hugely influential Spanish new wave band, and more information about their legacy, history and discography is readily available on the internet. The internet has a lot of things on it. In fact, you are on the internet right now....

My 2003 European Odyssey was full of discoveries. Five months on the continent, countless new friends and acquaintances, some of whom I still call friends today - two tours, nine weeks each, with a Scandinavian vacation in between...it was epic and excellent. Saw tons of good bands, thankfully have forgotten most of the bad ones (if I played with you on those tours and you are reading this now, I am certain that you were in one of the good bands), saw some castles...I mean, it was Europe. They have castles there, so you go see them. ARTIMUS PYLE played a chunk of shows in Germany, France and Spain with THE NOW DENIAL (good ass band) at the start of the whole thing, and we hung out with some really sweet folks in Valencia (the story is long and involved and ultimately not very interesting unless you are generally curious about Tour Odysseys, but it involves a delicious meal, inadequate plumbing, mosaic tile and unusual street parking, feel free to ask me in person someday)...and that's where I heard about Paco. Paco was from Valencia and had moved to London, where we met him a short time later...conveniently, he had organized our gig at The Swan. NATION OF FINKS and HUMAN BOMB played, wild ass weed soaked reggae DJs crushed the front bar...the poster still rests on my wall, the show was killer and we retired to Paco's apartment afterwards. The three of us sat up with him until the wee hours talking about music, learning about new bands (and old bands new to us), I decided to start storing my EP dust sleeves outside the picture sleeves that night (true nerd shit here, but truth is truth, and I try to not be scared of truth). We listened to records. We bought records (like any good salesman, Paco ran a distro and managed to ply plenty of Euros/Pounds Sterling from us that evening....money well spent of course), and Paco played EL AVIADOR DRO. He talked about how they were one of his favorite bands, about how this group of independent and DIY anarchists played insanely popular new wave/dance music....or maybe it was about how this crazy popular new wave/dance band were actually DIY anarchists and pressed and distributed their own records despite offers to enter The Mainstream. I don't remember exactly...I just remember that I loved the tunes and kept thinking how much more I would have loved them if I had heard EL AVIADOR DRO in the '80s when this shit was my fukkn jam without exception. So I was like having this weird time warp flashback, but for music that I had never heard....weird, right? And Paco, because he is smart and perceptive - and a good friend - sensed all of this and made me this tape. So here you go: 90 minutes of EL AVIADOR DRO. There is so much more available to visitors who want more...and that's how the internet is supposed to work. Consider me your shovel....now go dig a hole. 

EL AVIADOR DRO

TONNE

Melancholic, but calm and reserved. Not depressed....but perhaps resigned. 

CHOICE

OBJETO AMARELO

A hypnotic offering from long running São Paulo outfit OBJETO AMARELO...eight pieces of patient and deliberate electronics with soft, spoken vocals. Tracks like the opener "Dia Vermelho" could have easily stepped directly out of the experimental '80s brushes with the then-burgeoning new wave scene. Elements of early HUMAN LEAGUE (I'm talking "Being Boiled" era) creep in and out, while "Crepsucular" is a simple and perfect electronic/synth chill out (this is my favorite track here, if only because it breaks up the vibe ever so slightly and sets the listener up nicely for the driving and comparatively heavy "Propostas Solares" and "Amigo Nuclear" to close the tape). If you aren't careful, Dia Vermelho will play on repeat all day....but I would suggest resisting neither the sounds nor the urge to let them sink all the way into you. 

DIA VERMELHO

OBJETO AMARELO is the product of Carlos Issa, responsible for several noteworthy projects and collaborations, and a part of the TEST BIG BAND (a thing I am fucking dying to see in the flesh). Released and distributed by São Paulo's Dama Da Noite Discos. 

PURE GROUND

Rarely does modern synth driven music completely capture the warmth of The Originators. PURE GROUND does. I feel like I am stepping into the comforting arms of CABARET VOLTAIRE circa Voice Of America and it never feels contrived. 2013's Protection is a dark force, simplicity as intensity and a constant underlying buzzsaw of distorted electronics...it occurs to me with almost alarming frequency that Chondritic Sound does not seem capable of slipping up...

PROTECTION

The recent "Giftgarten" and last year's "Standard Of Living" are obviously essential once you are up to speed...but whenever possible, I like to make sure all of your bases are covered. 

THE PINK BOLTS

Full on, flesh out Valley Girl-era new wave creamers from 2016? Fukkn sign me up, you monkeys. I have no idea what the agenda is here, but holy shit do these two tracks (yeah, it's a cassingle) hit the mark. Synth punks get ready to wring out your panties, and retro geeks start taking notes, because this shit is about two steps short of Game Over. I'm almost glad there are just two, because perfection is a tough thing to fukk with. 

SEX GYM b/w I JUST CALLED TO SAY I LOVE ME

KLAM

Sometimes when people dive into '80s dark indie tunes, it just sounds like a poor attempt at a recreation of a thing that was really cool. But sometimes modern beings dive in headfirst....and it works. I could have heard KLAM in 1987, and it would have been awesome....just like it is in 2016. Melancholic down tempo ethereal magic, that's what this shit is. Elizabeth Fraser caliber vocals, deconstructed Robert Smith guitars...I know it's lazy to make comparisons like this, but I could easily file KLAM alongside artists of that caliber, and these sounds would have been worthy of mainstream independent recognition in those years (Maybe they are now, too? I dunno, I mostly listen to mindless DBeat, atonal grindcore and country. Seriously). A feeling, a genre, and a moment in time, all perfectly captured on tape....good job. 

THE CONCRETE VAGINA

This cassette includes The Concrete Vagina and Canciones de Otras Bandas, a covers collection with tracks by RAMONES, WILL OLDHAM, RIDE, VANDALS and BOB DYLAND given the treatment. Well played, my Italian friends....

JAPANESE UNDERGROUND: NEW WAVE 1983-'85

You think you go deep? Shit man, sometimes I think I go deep, and then I stumble across something like this and realize exactly how completely clueless I really am. The title tells you most of what you need to know, but I'll finish the story simply: Get ready to go deeper. From the same Washington state genius responsible for the Natty Chariot and Behind The Iron Curtain mix tapes, Japanese Underground is 60+ minutes of new wave and pop that I had never (ever) heard of. Highlights include (but are certainly not limited to): D DAY, SH, IKARI (this hard wave/dance track might be the best on the tape), STANDARDS (perfect power pop), THE LOODS, MASANORI KASAKI (bizarro art/synth), and REVER...but there's not a single thing I want to skip past. The mix starts mellow with quirky, almost commercial, new wave but gets progressively weirder throughout, and the ventures into power pop (or maybe it's just sift punk?) are a welcome respite amongst the more indulgent tracks. Much respect to the compiler here...total success once again. 

JAPANESE UNDERGROUND: NEW WAVE 1983-'85

BRITISH AIRWAVES

I think that my vinyl copy of this release was the product of an expedition to Tulsa in the late '80s (teenage Wizard was neither adventurous nor mobile) and resulted in my discovery of 18 then-new-to-me bands (which is precisely what a comp is supposed to do). That said, the 1000 MEXICANS track gets stuck in my head at least once a month (it's that damn bass line), THE RENEES are killer, THE THREE JOHNS track is mediocre but resulted in several of their records in my arsenal, and this JAZAWHAKI tune is as infectious as anything I can imagine.In addition, you get burners from THE GLOBAL INFANTALISTS, HAGAR THE WOMB (my first introduction was this track), THE MOODISTS, NIKKI SUDDEN, and THE RENEES ("Drink Problem" seemed so racy as a 16 year old...) among many others. I think the motivation for this comp was financial, as British Airwaves seems to have been compiled and released by a label hoping to break UK post punk/new wave acts into the US market, but I can't really see anything here that we Americans ever gave a shit about aside from NEW MODEL ARMY....though this is still my favorite NEW MODEL ARMY jam. But seriously, "Last Pop Song" is beyond devastating....turn and face the lights.

BRITISH AIRWAVES

Turn up the music, one last time // This is the last pop song, come on and sing // This is the last pop song, it didn't mean a thing...

LITOVSK

While I feel like the formidable '80s goth/new wave rehashed by punks might soon be cast aside for the next regurgitation du jour, releases like this one give me pause. France's LITOVSK just fukkn nail it on their 2014 demo, and I have every hope that the upcoming vinyl release will be even better. It's as close to perfect as any brooding punk could ask for - driving, forceful, catchy, engaging...all of the right adjectives apply. Five tracks that have been passed around the internet for some time already, but I like to be thorough and make sure your needs are met.

LITOVSK

Чëрная Речка

Sometimes something is so well done, so on point, so....perfect, that you just listen with your mouth half open and wonder how simple human persons could have possibly done something exactly as things are supposed to be done. That's what happened when I started the Черная Речка (BLACK RIVER) tape. You can file it alongside your goth/dark/new wave/80s rock reincarnated as new millennium punk bands, and you won't be wrong, but I'm telling you that this band is doing something special. Two demos, both from 2014, are contained on my cassette, so you get ten songs....and every fukkn one of them is perfect. Listen to "Снег," and then listen to "Пропасть" and you will know that I am right. This band just turned my world on end, and I can't thank them enough.

A & Б

Find the band and even more brilliant sounds here.

DECADES/FAILURES

This one knocked my fukkn socks off the minute I pressed play. Captivating retro synth/cold wave, these kids totally nail it on the tape, and their new LP on Dead Tank promises to be even better. Shades of '80s Belgium in the presentation (and the vocals) even though DECADES/FAILURES concentrate on the vibe more than the beat, this is solitary listening more than a dance floor banger. 002 hits every nerve with me, as close to perfection as I could ask for. Obviously, these tracks are highly recommended listening.

002

FEASTS OF BLAZE vol. 1

A slightly different vibe that what you found on last week's Feasts Of Blaze vol. 2, this mix focuses more on driving dancefloor friendly goth and dark punk jammers. RED LORRY YELLOW LORRY is an under recognized band from these worlds, and it was a good initial introduction for me to acts like ONE MILLION BULGARIANS and AURORA (whose track is excellent dreary '80s with anguished vocals that seem like they would be more comfortable fronting a hardcore band). Great combination of underground standards and unknown bangers, and the level of quality is just as high as the later installment...I can only hope that the two volumes indicate a budding series?

FEASTS OF BLAZE

FEASTS OF BLAZE vol. 2

I could just list the bands on this mix tape and you would knock over your coffee lurching for the download...or I could just tell you that some punks from LA are about to take all you retro goth mutants to fucking school. Deep cuts galore, no proto-punk pretense, and the closest Feasts Of Blaze gets to mainstream is THIS MORTAL COIL. I hadn't heard of more than half of the bands included, and this is the shit that got me through my adolescence before I found out what DIY punk was...suffice to say that my ears were pretty juiced to hear this tape. You get Volume 2 first because I like it better than Volume 1, but you'll get that one soon. Don't worry.

FEASTS OF BLAZE vol. 2

INTERNAL AUTONOMY

INTERNAL AUTONOMY seems ripe for rediscovery. Simultaneously insistent and dreamy, their vaguely goth/new wave by way of anarcho punk should be perfectly suited for legions of '00s punks struggling to embrace '80s roots that they never actually had. Also, INTERNAL AUTONOMY are really fukkn good. Vocals take center stage, a howling caterwaul that relaxes into a lilting monotone when the music requires it. Decidedly more melodic and subdued than earlier demos, this mysterious 5th Demo ventures into what might have been college radio fodder in an alternate universe, but then there are certified UK punk bangers (like the third track) to remind you where these folks are really coming from. The final seven songs that make up the second side of this tape are are demo gold - drum machine rehearsals, blown out and way more "out there" than the studio efforts. Genuine gems, interesting oddities...the final three tracks might be the result of one dude in a bedroom with hallucinogens and a 4-track, but the result is mesmerizing and well worthy of release on its own. But today it is presented to you the same way it was presented to me, because that's the way it should be.

5th DEMO

FWY!

I cannot imagine how many times I have listened to 2012's San Clemente, and last year's Any Exit was a welcome follow up. Unspeakably perfect driving music (unspeakably perfect living music), when FWY! plays, whether in mind or in body, you just....you just go. A band whose output is themed around metropolitan Los Angeles roadways is novel beyond description, but these instrumental tracks brilliantly manifest the feeling of seeing those motorways in the dead of night with nothing in your hands but the wheel and nothing clouding your mind except thoughts of life itself. Rarely has a band or artist so effectively captured and presented a time, a place, an emotion...this is it. Parts of Any Exit approach new territory - there's the NEW ORDER-esque vibe of "710 Again" and the primitive synth outro "Pink Dust," but the mood set here is wholly familiar. Comfortable. Real. And dare I say...perfect.

ANY EXIT

Once again, Moon Glyph is responsible...

THE GENERICS

Fred pulled this out of the free bin at Thrillhouse, rescuing it from the depths of the unknown. If you think that you don't need any more unknown mid-'80s new wave/pop jams in your life then you can move might along...and the rest of you? You are my real friends. And you can now add "Love's A Hit" to your next crucial jams mix tape.

THE GENERICS

radio's been telling me that love...ooooh, love is in

MUTANT VIDEO // HOUNDED WOUNDS

You should all be familiar with MUTANT VIDEO by now, either from this fine blog or your own impeccable taste in sound, and the two tracks on their side of this cassette will certainly not disappoint you. The synths in "Different Universe" assault with painstaking simplicity while beats methodically lure you towards the mournful pounds of a lone stringed instrument...a space age death march you can witness only with your ears. "Less Future" follows with a terrifyingly subdued drone interrupted by desperate clicks and minute swells from keyboards that have already resigned. All MUTANT VIDEO works are excellent, but they have absolutely outdone themselves on this release. Not to be outdone, the HOUNDED WOUNDS track on the flip is superb. A nine minute crescendo that starts with distant CLOCK DVA styled electronic sounds, enters into sinister late '80s industrial/dance for a few minutes and then spends the final three minutes pummeling the listener with hideous white noise flowing in waves and leaving me as helpless as the terrified electronic screams that soar over the top of the madness. It's hard to decide whether this leaves me hungry or just simply dumbfounded.

HOUNDED WOUNDS // MUTANT VIDEO

MOMENTFORM

I got Four Days in a package from Modern Tapes several months back (these are the folks responsible for STARING PROBLEM, UNUR and loads more brilliance not yet shared here), and I am ashamed that it has taken me this long to post it. Absolutely mesmerizing cold synth from Paris, MOMENTFORM incorporate elements of dark new wave that give otherwise bleak sounds something that can almost be called a hook (take the bass line in "Depletion," for example) even though the only thing you might catch from these sounds is a severe case of the lonelies. This is bitter and bleak and beautiful.

FOUR DAYS

CYANIDE SCENARIO

Consider this vinyl release one of my top wants, even though I know essentially nothing of its actual existence. CYANIDE SCENARIO perhaps featured future members of INTERNAL AUTONOMY, and the lead track here, "Awayday To Auschwitz," appeared on 1990's Inquiry LP...but the rest of these tracks are a mystery. The sounds are gloriously brooding anarcho tinged goth with female vocals that envelop you like a slow moving mist. I have listened to these songs a thousand times.

CYANIDE SCENARIO

DREAM AFFAIR

This is the modern incarnation of the dancefloor jams that ran through my veins as a teenager. Sure, I had SMITHS records, and I had DEAD KENNEDYS records too, but this was the sound that really got me through a small minded small town existence. Synth drenched dreary new wave sounds retooled brilliantly for the new millennium...

ABORTED STATE