The best "minimal synth" singles/EPs

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

1. Human League - "Being Boiled"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 26 March 2006 19:48 (twenty years ago)

2. The Normal - TVOD

― sleeve (sleeve), Sunday, 26 March 2006 19:52 (twenty years ago)

3. Take It - "Taking Sides" & "How It Is" (don't know which was a- and b-side - both tracks were on Messthetics vol. 2)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 26 March 2006 19:57 (twenty years ago)

4. The Better Beatles - "I'm Down" & "Penny Lane"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Sunday, 26 March 2006 20:02 (twenty years ago)

laid back - white horse

― maarten maes (dice collective), Sunday, 26 March 2006 20:04 (twenty years ago)

squarepusher - tommib

― maarten maes (dice collective), Sunday, 26 March 2006 20:05 (twenty years ago)

crazy frog

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 26 March 2006 20:14 (twenty years ago)

Naked Lunch - Slipping Again

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Sunday, 26 March 2006 20:31 (twenty years ago)

Here it is: http://s28.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1YI17AQ0ZBD6S1OBGVKRH12MK1

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Sunday, 26 March 2006 20:35 (twenty years ago)

Memorabilia - Soft Cell

― Palomino (Palomino), Sunday, 26 March 2006 21:13 (twenty years ago)

rockit

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 26 March 2006 21:15 (twenty years ago)

The Units - "High Pressure Days"

― nickn (nickn), Sunday, 26 March 2006 21:22 (twenty years ago)

5. The Pool - Dance it down ("We gotta dance it down in Austin town! Dance it down!")
6. The Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women

― Herr Fahrstuhl (Herr Fahrstuhl), Sunday, 26 March 2006 21:23 (twenty years ago)

minimal synth as in "the genre known as minimal synth" or minimal synth used loosely to describe records that use well, synth in a minimal manner?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 26 March 2006 22:00 (twenty years ago)

I would include something by Drinking Electricity in there, I guess, but as Dan suggests, they tend to use synth in a minimal manner (they sound like a slightly more sinister Young Marble Giants to my ears at times, and their use of synth stabs and the occasional flourish is one sonic distinction).

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Sunday, 26 March 2006 22:07 (twenty years ago)

they're more Minimal Synth then most the suggestions on this thread! Good Times and Breakout seem to be the favorites, but I've always been partial to Subliminal.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Sunday, 26 March 2006 22:38 (twenty years ago)

7. The Normal - Warm Leatherette

― John Fredland (jfredland), Sunday, 26 March 2006 23:43 (twenty years ago)

I would go with John Bender's "I Don't Want To Talk About It" on Record Sluts. I like that ALU "Autismenschen" reissue that Blake did on C.I.P. Also, the Seesleberg "Synthetik-1" LP/CD reissue is fine.

― pieter christophssen. (djhekla), Monday, 27 March 2006 00:26 (twenty years ago)

Surely one of the early Depeche Mode singles?

― Mitya (mitya), Monday, 27 March 2006 01:23 (twenty years ago)

Not one mention of Suicide yet?

Shame on you people,

― Jeff K (jeff k), Monday, 27 March 2006 01:27 (twenty years ago)

Along with Tommib, which if you ask me, is fucking incredible, I would add Tommib Help Buss by Squarepusher.

― Tokyo Ghost Stories (Tokyo Ghost Stories), Monday, 27 March 2006 01:34 (twenty years ago)

Rickey's Hand & Back to Nature - Fad Gadget

― Jeff K (jeff k), Monday, 27 March 2006 01:37 (twenty years ago)

[Whatever the hell number we're on now] Thick Pigeon - Subway/Sudan 7"(Disques du Crepuscule)

― Myke. (Myke Weiskopf), Monday, 27 March 2006 01:53 (twenty years ago)

Depeche Mode - Sometimes I Wish I Were Dead: http://s26.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2OVLO18F3X3YX306Y5SL1UDSAU (ripped from a crispy flexi, so pardon the noise)

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Monday, 27 March 2006 01:57 (twenty years ago)

Also, plenty of Neue Deutsche Welle is great for this. Check Andreas Dorau, for example. But also: Stephan - Wir Wollen Tanzen Gehen, is a nice one: http://s26.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1WLW4OHCZ7AAB160GZ9M26GC5Q

― Guymauve (Guymauve), Monday, 27 March 2006 02:00 (twenty years ago)

14. Dark Day - "Hands in the Dark" b/w "Invisible Man"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 27 March 2006 05:36 (twenty years ago)

15. Band T Plus Instruments - "Words"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 27 March 2006 05:56 (twenty years ago)

16. Billy Synth - Music Is Forever EP

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Monday, 27 March 2006 05:56 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

Ruth - Polaroid/Roman/Photo

http://www.ilitchmusic.com/05sons/ruth/polaroid.mp3

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=020&item=300033690740&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1

― MC (mayrock), Sunday, 1 October 2006 12:56 (nineteen years ago)

Thomas Leer's Private Plane

― nerve pylon (flat_of_angles), Sunday, 1 October 2006 13:50 (nineteen years ago)

"Stay With Me Tonight" - Alex Fergusson

― Oliver C (...Oliver), Sunday, 1 October 2006 14:37 (nineteen years ago)

pel mel - no word from china

― electric sound of jim [and why not] (electricsound), Sunday, 1 October 2006 22:19 (nineteen years ago)

anyone who has ever contemplated dropping $200 on a minimal synth rarity (me, no way) should pick this up:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/38332/Ike_Yard_198082_Collected

― chakra khan chakra khan (sanskrit), Sunday, 1 October 2006 22:36 (nineteen years ago)

What is "minimal synth"? Music with a minimal use of synths?

In which case, all pre-1967 popular music to thread. :)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 1 October 2006 22:53 (nineteen years ago)

No. Minimal Synth is a name given to a style of music from the late 70s/early 80s, though some still practice, which is a like New Wave but more low-budget, simple, electronic, minimal, sometimes dancey but not particularly funky. The typical reference point/influence is John Foxx's Metamatic LP. It's become wildly collectable, even though most of it's, as mentioned, just really bad new wave. You have to ask the question, is this raw and lo-fi because that's their aesthethic, or could they not afford better or know how to use the equipment? You can ask the same thing of garage rock, early house music and many other questions.

Some music associated with the "minimal synth" genre can be very interesting, experimental, intense etc, mixing krautrock influence with UK new wave styles, Ike Yard, John Bender, Ruth are 3 that stand out for me, though the first two I wouldn't use the term "minimal synth" to describe, they have been grouped with that genre.

Some people use the term to describe certain aspects of the Neue Deutsche Welle, like DAF and Liasons Dangerous.

But mostly it's forgotten stuff like what's listed here:
http://members.shaw.ca/ecorpse/Tribute%20to%20&%20Return%20of%20Flexipop.htm

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 2 October 2006 01:01 (nineteen years ago)

Sounds a bit like what some others would describe as Cold Wave.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 October 2006 01:08 (nineteen years ago)

minimal man "she was a visitor"

― disappointing goth fest line-up (orion), Monday, 2 October 2006 01:23 (nineteen years ago)

Kosmonautentraum's Liebesmühn 7" and first LP and Palais Schaumburg's das Single Kabinett EP on Zick Zack are tops for me.

I'd also recommend Ilitch's 10 Suicides for a French take on this this style.

Yeah a lot of the less weird stuff just sounds like Depeche Mode, Wire or generic 80's dance party slop.

― Ben Dover (jonbenetsbody), Monday, 2 October 2006 01:23 (nineteen years ago)

I've always seen Minimal Synth and Cold Wave used interchangeably. I'd never go so far as to try to define the differences, as it'd take a lot to be bothered. I mean really, it's a pretty fascinating area of interest, with a few amazing treasures, and just really, tons and tons of really mediocre stuff. Not that that's different from any other genre, but, whatever.

Here's a good resource, still kicking it...

http://www.minimal-wave.org/

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 2 October 2006 03:17 (nineteen years ago)

some less obscure choices that i love are (correct me if they don't fit) Throbbing Gristle's "Still Walking" from 24 jazz funk greats and Siouxsie and the Banshee's "Lunar Camel" & "Red Light" from Kaleidoscope

― jaxon (jaxon), Monday, 2 October 2006 05:50 (nineteen years ago)

This is a decent comp I recently found. So much of this stuff is so horribly lo-fi that I can barely listen to it more than once though.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 2 October 2006 09:00 (nineteen years ago)

check out stirmonster's electrobeat mix in the 'goodies' section of optimo.co.uk - still up, and some classic minimal synth trax thereincluded.

― lexurian (lexurian), Monday, 2 October 2006 09:15 (nineteen years ago)

I was always under the impression that Cold Wave was more closely related (sonically) to goth & certain downer post-punk acts, whereas minimal synth still retained the potential for happy pop song action.

Don't ask me, though.

― disappointing goth fest line-up (orion), Monday, 2 October 2006 14:24 (nineteen years ago)

and here's another that contains a couple of minimal synth hits. i'm still in the process of writing the blurbs but here you go -

cold war mix

Jeff & Jane Hudson - Catscan (1981)
Antena - Achilles (1982)
P1/E - Up and Above Dub (1981)
Sprung Aus Den Wolken - Ackam La (1982)
Minimal Man - High Why (1981)
Ike Yard - N.C.R. (1982)
Fad Gadget - Back To Nature (1979)
Conrad Schnitzler - Fabrik (1981)
Crash Course In Science - Flying Turns (1981)
Liaisons Dangereuses - Peut Etre Pas (1981)
The Klinik - Moving Hands (1988)
P1/E - 49 Second Romance (1981)

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Monday, 2 October 2006 17:29 (nineteen years ago)

and here's the 'electrobeat' mix lex mentions.

― stirmonster (stirmonster), Monday, 2 October 2006 17:40 (nineteen years ago)

Coboloid Race - Rational Youth

― Palomino (Palomino), Monday, 2 October 2006 18:17 (nineteen years ago)

GARRY GNEWMAN

― a naked Kraken annoying Times Square tourists with an acoustic guitar (nickalici, Monday, 2 October 2006 18:27 (nineteen years ago)

JD, bless you. That Electrobeat mix is flawless.

― Pookas (Pookas), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 00:15 (nineteen years ago)

i had no idea i knew that Ruth band. the So Young But So Cold french new wave comp it's on is soooooo great.

also, dan, the Ike Yard cd you just put out is fucking fab. totally digging it. (i also politely asked some guy to take it down from his site)

― jaxon (jaxon), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 04:34 (nineteen years ago)

Thanks. I don't mind someone sharing a song or two, but the entire CD, that's just wrong.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 12:07 (nineteen years ago)

an while discussing Acute Records...lots of people slept on the Metal Boys CD. I wouldn't say it's for everybody, but minimal synth/synth-pop/industrial etc types shoulda got more excited about it, I think. Another amazing failure of marketing?

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 13:42 (nineteen years ago)

"Electricity" by OMD would apply here. OMD were minimal synth only for their first album, including their first two singles (the single re-recorded version of "Messages" was more pure synthpop), and since "White Frame White Light" was basically a pile of crap, "Electricity" remains their only great minimal synth single.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 13 October 2006 10:04 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

anybody pick up either of the 'Lost Tapes' or 'Found Tapes' comps that Minimal Wave put out?

― WoW... An Online RPG Funeral Gets Ambushed (gnarly sceptre), Monday, 24 November 2008 14:28 (seventeen years ago)

i would really like to hear those, the samples at the minimal wave site are fucking great

― psychgawsple, Monday, 24 November 2008 23:06 (seventeen years ago)

machinations - arabia EP and 'average inadequacy' 7"

― thereminimum chips (electricsound), Monday, 24 November 2008 23:09 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.minimalwave.com/site/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=7

― i am truley sorry for your lots (PappaWheelie V), Monday, 24 November 2008 23:27 (seventeen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.