B.E.F. (post-HUMAN LEAGUE / pre-HEAVEN 17) - 'Music For Stowaways'- out 21 April 23
LP Yellow £20 | LP Black £20 | CD £10

   

The first reissue of seminal early 1980's electronic recordings from the British Electric Foundation (B.E.F.), aka HEAVEN 17 / ex-THE HUMAN LEAGUE's Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, with Adi Newton (CLOCK DVA / THE FUTURE), and John Wilson (HEAVEN 17), originally a cassette-only release (1981).

• Ltd x 500 copies on 180g Yellow vinyl (via Cold Spring only)
• 180g Black vinyl
• CD in digipak

Following two groundbreaking albums ('Reproduction' and 'Travelogue'), the original line-up of Sheffield-based The Human League split in half in late 1980. The two primary musicians in the group, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, formed a new production company - the British Electric Foundation (B.E.F.) - and signed a deal with Virgin Records to write and produce up to six albums a year. The artists they were to produce would include Heaven 17, their own new band formed with vocalist Glenn Gregory.

B.E.F. would also release their own material, commencing with the music on this collection, which was issued in various permutations in 1981-82. Its initial release in March 1981 was a limited edition numbered eight song cassette entitled 'Music for Stowaways', with 'Stowaways' being a reference to the original name for the then-new Sony portable cassette player - later renamed the Walkman - of which B.E.F. were great fans. 'Music for Stowaways' was intended to be listened to on such a device. The cassette was followed by a seven song LP, 'Music For Listening To', which had a slightly different tracklisting, while other B.E.F. music was utilised for B-sides of early singles by Heaven 17.

This music was among the first recorded by Martyn and Ian directly after their departure from The Human League. Some tracks had evolved from other recordings they were working on at the time, such as 'Groove Thang' - an instrumental version of the debut single by Heaven 17 - and 'The Old At Rest', which derived from a version of 'Wichita Lineman' by Jimmy Webb, their very first recording with Glenn that would subsequently appear on B.E.F.'s 'Music of Quality and Distinction, Volume One' covers album in 1982.

Supporting musicians on 'Music For Stowaways' included Adi Newton of Clock DVA (who had been a member of The Future with Martyn and Ian pre-Human League) on the track 'Uptown Apocalyse', with John Wilson (who provided incredible guitar and bass for Heaven 17) appearing on 'Groove Thang'.

The innovative sounds heard on 'Music For Stowaways' were an inspiration to many aspiring electronic artists. In 2015, Uncut magazine included it in a list of the '50 Greatest Lost Albums of All Time'.

SLEEP RESEARCH FACILITY / LLYN Y CWN - 'Sargo / Posidonia' - out 7 April 23
Ltd LP £17 | CD £9

        

The ultimate deep listening experience from two masters of dark ambient. A slow descent into the blackened watery abyss, where light cannot reach.

The first release from Sleep Research Facility since 2012's "Stealth" (Cold Spring) is inspired by the deep sea ocean floor. The Canadian-based composer explores notions of awareness and perception in the sub/unconscious listener. Focusing primarily on sound bereft of rhythm based energies, SRF provides an environments wherein the music adds texture to the silence. Using form without structure and concentrating on space as opposed to narrative, SRF entertains the idea that music can reside in the very fabric of sound itself. The brand new material here was created specifically for this split release.

Taking inspiration from the beautiful, but often harsh landscapes and environments of his home on Anglesey, North Wales, Llyn Y Cwn has built on the nautical theme of "Du Y Moroedd" (Cold Spring). These tracks are based on field recordings relating to the ocean, and could be seen as a companion piece to the album. 'Dale Dawn' features a recording of the dawn chorus made from the floating pontoon at Dale, Pembrokeshire. 'Pebble' includes the sound of waves crashing on a Dorset cobble beach, thousands of rocks colliding in chorus. 'Doppler Current Profiler' is based on the sound of an ADCP, an acoustic sonar instrument used to measure water currents - a 600Khz ping slowed to a heartbeat.

Limited Edition LP on audiophile black vinyl for best sound presentation. CD in mini-LP sleeve, replicating the vinyl design. The artwork features a separate front cover design with individual art for each side, making this a true split release.

PSYCHIC TV - 'Those Who Do Not' - out 23 February 23
CD £10.50 | 2LP Red £30 | 2LP Black £26

     

Double 180gm vinyl in glossy gatefold sleeve:

• Ltd x 230 copies on red vinyl - via Cold Spring only. LAST COPIES!!
• Ltd x 230 copies on white vinyl - via independent record stores only.
• Standard black vinyl edition.

CD in glossy digipak with 12-page booklet.

All orders direct from Cold Spring come with an exclusive artcard.

The sound of the classic period of Psychic TV - featuring Peter Christopherson and Geff Rushton (John Balance) of COIL, this full show is interspersed with recordings of the Pagan marriage between Genesis and Paula P-Orridge conducted by Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Allsherjargodi.

Psychic TV at their most esoteric, their most ritual, and often most extreme, a perfect accompaniment to the legendary 'Dreams Less Sweet' album of the same year.

"Thee First Will To And Testament Ov Psychick TV. All our works remain interconnected, interfaced, and intentional. Thee Process is thee Product".

These recordings ov a live disconcert by Psychic TV in Reykjavik, Iceland that took place November 1983 organised by HÖH and GRAMM Records, to whom, eternal and infernal thanks all ways.

Out of print for 23 years, this is the ultimate edition for Psychick Youth - meticulously remastered, with the track order finally arranged into what was the original show.

DAWN & DUSK ENTWINED - 'When I Die Burn Me In The Clothes Of My Youth' CD (Dark Vinyl) - £12

The new studio album from Dawn & Dusk Entwined features special guest appearances by Patrick Leagas (Sixth Comm) and Hélène Carpentier. Since their 1999 debut on World Serpent, Dawn & Dusk Entwined have become something of heroes for fans of dark folk and darkwave sounds. Musically, the morbid mood here remains predominant, but alternates with analogue / electronic passages, creating an 80's soundtrack that feels dark folk and dark ambient, but at the same time, thanks to the voices of Patrick and Hélène, has a touch of Post-Punk reminiscent of 80's Darkwave. In the end, however, David's familiar voice assures us that this is indeed a Dawn & Dusk Entwined album. A must for fans of Dernière Volonté, King Dude, Sixth Comm, Sol Invictus, Current 93, Death In June. Ltd x 500 copies in a 6-panel digisleeve.

DØDSMASKIN - 'Herremoral | Slavemoral' 2 x LP (Malignant Records / Ant-Zen) - £30

Norwegian Death Industrialists Dødsmaskin present their sixth full-length album - a 10-track behemoth divided into two thematic parts based around Friedrich Nietzsche's thinking on master-slave morality. Having relied heavily on industrial aesthetics as a consistent keystone in the past, this element is now more pronounced than ever, resulting in a recording that embodies what is arguably the duo's most extreme and overall ambitious effort to date. Furthermore, in order to visually connect the album concept with their core creative process - the immersion of analogue and digital audio sources into specific phases of sonic colouring - experimental photographer Raina Vlaskovska was commissioned for the artwork, utilising a specialised technique to create imagery known as chemigrams and provide "Herremoral | Slavemoral" with nothing short of a stunningly perfect armature. Ltd x 200 copies in a glossy full colour gatefold sleeve with digital download-code.

HIJOKAIDAN - 'Zouroku No Kibyou' LP (Urashima) - £24

"Zouroku No Kibyo" was the first album by Hijokaidan, released in April 1982. It's a compilation of live recordings from 1981, when the extreme performances of Hijokaidan first attracted attention. It was first released on Osaka's Unbalance Records and came to be regarded as a historical masterpiece of independent recordings in Japan, later being reissued onto CD by Alchemy Records. "Zouroku No Kibyo" sits at a fascinating juncture between space-harsh progressive, improv and noise, years ahead of its time when it first appeared, now one of the great holy grails of Japan noise. Creatively thrilling - filled with emotive highs and lows - it's a crucial piece in the puzzle of Japan's wild and wonderful history of noise music. A truly stunning, visionary expanse of texture and tonality - pushing noise practice and the very notions of language into uncharted realms, improvising with ferocity and erupting chaos. Superbly pressed with full remastering for this 40th anniversary vinyl edition by Nobuki Nishiyama, that brings as close as possible on analogue format the stunning original audio master. The release also features the original iconic cover art with drawing by Hideshi Hino, plus all the inserts that were on the original 1982 LP: a live photo book (two A3 double-sided, folded), one Japanese sheet and a lucky triangle card exclusive to this edition, plus extensive liner notes by JOJO in Japanese and English, and a 40th anniversary sticker. It's hard to call anything to mind quite that sounds quite like this. Truly brilliant and an inevitable revelation for anyone yet to encounter this body of work, "Zouroku no Kibyo" is a mind-blowing archival release. Ltd x 299 copies. Needless to say, very few copies in stock!

IKON - 'On The Edge Of Forever - 20th Anniversary Edition' 2 x CD (Dark Vinyl) - £16

Ikon are one of the oldest members of the Gothic / New Wave scene; inspired by bands like Joy Division and New Order. Founded in 1993 in Melbourne from the ashes of Death In The Dark, their mixture of Goth Rock, Post-Punk, Darkwave and Neofolk is as versatile as it is consistent. This special edition release celebrates the 20th anniversary of their 4th album "On The Edge Of Forever". It contains the studio album in a newly remixed and remastered version, plus a massive bonus CD, featuring a lot of unreleased material and rare B-sides. Lineup: Chris McCarter, Dino Molinaro (Chiron), Anthony Griffiths and David Burns. Ltd x 400 copies in a 6-panel digisleeve.

INANIS YOAKE - 'How Things Seem' CD (Dark Vinyl) - £12

Formed in 2020, Inanis Yoake (Simone Skeleton + Risa Hara) is a London-based Darkwave / Dark Folk / Post-Punk band. Their debut album "Summer Silence" (Hau Ruck! SPQR, 2021) was characterized by a unique melancholic and atmospheric sound with ethereal and dark folk influences. "How Things Seem" is their second, more explosive album and features collaborations with established musicians such as Matt Howden (Sieben), Tony Wakeford (Sol Invictus), Toshi JC (The Professionals), Emiko Ota (Oxz), Vivienne Cure, and others. Ltd x 400 copies in a 6-panel digisleeve.

INCAPACITANTS - 'Feedback Of N.M.S.' 2 x LP (Urashima) - £32

One of the best noise bands to ever come out of Japan, Incapacitants was formed in 1981 in Osaka as the solo project of Toshiji Mikawa (Hijokaidan). He later moved to Tokyo, where he joined with Fumio Kosakai (Hijokaidan, C.C.C.C.) to make Incapacitants a duo. They released their first album "Feedback Of N.M.S." on CD on Alchemy Records (1991). Comprising three tracks of visionary expression - incorporating elements of junk metal, modular synthesis, hand-made noisy objects, and real-time instrumental and vocal improvisation - it encounters each artist entering a new stage of their career, harnessing the challenges posed by the other as a means to drive toward new creative unknowns. Central to this is the pair's unique approach to structure and form, in addition to their chosen instruments and electronics. The incredible tracks vary from expansive textures and tones, constrained electronics, site specific resonance, and complex harmonic interplay, that consistently rethink the terms of noise, infusing it with tension, dissonance, and a deeply emotive, human touch. "Feedback Of N.M.S." is an absolutely masterful piece of work, threaded with risk, ambition, raw immediacy, and precision. Ltd x 299 copies, with six cards reproducing Takuya Sakaguchi's original drawings and adding an unreleased drawing and extensive notes in Japanese and English.

KALLABRIS - 'Red Circle' LP (Auf Abwegen) - £19

Though severely cut, "Red Circle" doesn't exactly sweep along. It has a deliberate pace as Kallabris sets up the score of thirteen chance acquaintances who plan and carry out the sacking of our acoustic consciousness... Understatement is the method of these compositions for a small modular synthesizer. "All these chance acquaintances are reduced and minimal(istic): you hear a creaking, in between you can hear both whimpering and water-like sounds... Perhaps one could imagine an alternate universe where one track here is a soundtrack for an early 70's sci-fi movie in which robots communicate with each other. Towards the end of the album you think you hear dark strings creating an eerie atmosphere. These tracks illustrate quite well what is apparently possible with concentration on just one instrument" (African Paper). Ltd x 200 copies in a hand-stamped silk-screened natural card cover. Comes with download card.

STRAFE F.R. - 'Octagon Sphere' LP (Auf Abwegen) - £19

The new album by Strafe F.R. (Strafe Für Rebellion), the avant-garde veterans hailing from Düsseldorf. "Octagon Sphere" is comprised of four pieces recorded 2020-2021 at the group's own studio. The work features heavily-treated female vocals and includes rhythmic patterns and electronic sounds contributed by Detlef Klepsch (Keit). The overall atmosphere is tense and moody, both dark and uplifting at the same time. "Octagon Sphere" is the sister release to last year's "Soundless Sphere" - both albums are tied together by rhythmic alchemy and sound manipulation in highest detail. Mastered by Kai Blankenberg at Skyline Tonfabrik. Ltd x 300 copies in a full colour sleeve designed by Jon Wozencroft (Touch). Comes with download card.

TERRY FOX - 'Labyrinth Of The Inner Ear' CD (Auf Abwegen) - £14

"Labyrinth Of The Inner Ear" is an audio produced for the exhibition "Sonambiente". It was recorded in Berlin, April 2006 with the CD produced directly after the recording process and presented during Sonambiente, in the former Polish Embassy. This "drone" work consists of the repetitive tapping of a sightless person (artist Siegfried Saerberg) navigating his way through an urban environment. The sound of the cane, tapping or sweeping back and forth, is a constant in the composition; it ceases only when Siegfried stops, e.g. at an interesting acoustical space, for a ride in a public transport. Location interpretations can be ascertained by the sounds surrounding the steady central position of the cane; an alley, a busy shopping district, the relative quietness of a back street, a park etc. Terry Fox (1943-2008) was one of the leading pioneers of American Body Art and Conceptual art. He became famous in the 70's with performances in which he used his own body as a medium for exploring often extreme physical and psychological experiences. With his lifelong, innovative exploration of sound and space he was also one of the seminal figures in contemporary Sound Art. In his later years quiet sounds at the limit of audibility and silence became more and more prominent, using the elemental forms of human existence to explore the possibilities of sculpture and extend its limits. Ltd x 300 copies in a Braille-embossed, 6-panel DVD-size digipak, with liner notes and photographs documenting the piece.

MAURIZIO BIANCHI - 'M.I. Nheem Alysm' CD (Silentes) - £8

A decompositive triad for reverberating piano and osmosized keyboards by Italian Industrial pioneer M.B., idealized and carried out between autumn 2003 and spring 2004. This work is dedicated to all the people they proclaim the liberation of the modest minimalistic sound. A true manifesto. Over 70 minutes of music in a 6-panel card sleeve with artwork by Akifumi Nakajima (Aube). Comes with insert in Italian and English.

NIMH - 'The Unkept Secrets' CD (Silentes) - £8

NIMH (Giuseppe Verticchio of Twist of Fate, Hall of Mirrors, Maribor, We Promise To Betray) sets aside the ethnic-lysergic visions that have characterised previous albums and continues along the distance of sonorous search and fascinating electronic experimentations. Expanding the range of sounds and instruments, Nimh reveals "secrets" through a dark but stylistically unclassifiable album, in which he arranges with extraordinary originality unique elements of drone music, dark ambient, electronics, ritual, ethnic, field recordings, and enriching in particular every track with the recurrent presence of evocative sounds of electric guitar in an elaborate way. The search goes on...

QUINTO SOL - 'Ollintonatiuh' CD (Silentes) - £8

Quinto Sol was the brainchild of FAITH & DISEASE keyboardist, the late Joaquin Tavares. Joaquin and co-founder Alfredo Feregrino sculpted a very brilliant "pre-Hispanic" ritual project that incorporated complex Mayan and Ancient symbolism woven into a percussive, dirge-like soundscapes. Tracks are culled from the studio and the "Day Of The Dead" live performance at the Seattle Art Museum. "Ollintonatiuh" also includes performances from F&D's Dara Rosenwasser, Eric Cooley and Joshua Furman while members of Quinto Sol. Bonus tracks include an alternate mix of the Tavares composition 'Wallow' from Faith & Disease's CD "Fortune His Sleep".

TASADAY - 'Implosione Tra Le Pieghe Dell'Anima' CD (Silentes) - £8

The CD release of an outstanding tape (originally published by Multiple Configuration) that includes live tracks recorded between 1983-84, completely remastered. Tasaday are a cult band active since the early 80's. Born from the merging of two Italian acts - DIE FORM and NULLA IPERREALE - they are probably the most eclectic and groundbreaking representative of an Italian experimental scene that blended elements of rock, noise, experimental and industrial music with great courage and originality. An audio document of exceptional value, this long-awaited reprint of live material is also the most direct and remarkable evidence of the work of this unforgettable band.

TEMPLEBEAT - 'The Grey Space' CD (Silentes) - £8

Recovered from early 90's tape releases, Templebeat present eleven unmissable tracks, now collected and remastered on CD for the first time. Eleven gems among which emerge timeless, fascinating tracks like 'Human', 'Drugs' and 'Refuse It'. A due rescue for this band from Treviso that conceived electro-industrial music of a unique and unrepeatable nature, contaminated with incredible post-modern suggestions, pioneering the style in Italy. The CD contains eight tracks originally published on the "Interzone" cassette, two tracks taken from the "Treviso Underground Vol. 3" compilation and a cover of DAF's "Der Mussolini", originally released on the "V.I.T.R.I.O.L. #3" split-cassette.

SEKTION B - 'Live Action 30' CD (999 Cuts) - £12

Killer Power Electronics / Industrial / Noise from the legendary German act! Sektion B are now split-up but only a few years ago they were still very much kicking. This album was recorded live in Berlin in 2016 and features the original line-up, before the group decided to end things. The material featured on this CD is the entire set from that night, with great sound (engineered / mastered by Andreas Herzig / L-White boss).

DEVIATION SOCIAL - 'At Hotel Utah San Francisco 31 July 1982' Tin Boxset (Impulsy Stetoskopu) - £12

A true gem of early 80's industrial. A solid performance, and some of the best live sounds from the American act are on display here. Monte Cazazza is credited as having assisted in the performance, submixing of effects, and for the general recording of the tracks. A 46-minute, non-stop masterpiece show in which collages and harsh noise fragments are mercilessly dropped amidst the lively atmosphere of the audience. Deviation Social were a multi-media Industrial / Experimental 'group' that was active from 1981-1986. Ltd x 200 hand-numbered copies in a hinged tin boxset.

ZENTA SUSTAINED - 'Serpent Track Patterns' 12" (Absurd Exposition) - £17

Brand new material from the cult collaborative project between Canadian noisers Ryan Bloomer (Black To Comm, Flatline Construct, Intensive Care) and Sam McKinlay (The Rita, Black To Comm, BT.HN., Cackle Car, Vice Wears Black Hose etc). Minimal, throttling harsh noise for deconstructed study patterns. 28 mins. Ltd x 221 copies.

SISSY SPACEK / SMEGMA - 'Ballast' LP (Gilgongo Records) - £23

The source material of junk-scrape collage roller coaster "Ballast" features six people making rackets in Portland, with John Wiese then molding and forging them into the maddening, impossibly precise work that it is today. The title refers to a weight on a ship which improves its stability, but it is also a term for an electrical component that regulates electricity so as to not destroy the other components. Its double meaning fits between the cover art and the collage process which is constantly partitioning and interrupting the elements of sound. In the span of a few seconds you'll hear an avant-garde jazz excursion, a harsh noise tape, and a dub record crashing headlong into one another inside Wiese's super collider. Smegma is Ace Farren Ford, Dennis Duck, and Ju Suk Reet Meate (three original members), joined by Rock 'N' Roll Jackie (35 years in the band), John Wiese (approximately 10 years in the band), and a cast of others form their current third phase. For this album Sissy Spacek consists of the above line-up plus Charlie Mumma, a member of the band since 2008. Gatefold jacket. Sold out from the label!

VOND (MORTIIS) - 'The Dark River' LP (Funeral Industries) - £18

Vond is the darker side of Norwegian dungeon synth wizard Mortiis. Recorded in 1996, Vond's second album, "The Dark River", was originally released through Mortiis' own Dark Dungeon Music label that year. This is classic 90's dark dungeon synth / dark ambient with a somewhat more expansive, atmospheric approach than the debut album "Selvmord". The hypnotic tracks, using samples and different melody structures from other Mortiis works, make this the perfect bridge between the gut-wrenching melancholy of "Selvmord", and the third and final offering, "Green Eyed Demon".

IN SEARCH OF DEATH - 'II' CD (Steinklang) - £11.50

Recorded in 2001-02, the darkly atmospheric, sonically abrasive music on In Search Of Death's "II" is timeless in the way good, classic, old-school harsh industrial is. An album of pulsating and throbbing dark synths, powerful percussion and electronic distortion, balanced by the occasional passage of bright, harmonious synths - which never entirely manage to wash away the sense of deep unease and lingering dread that permeates the album. Staying on the atmospheric side of harsh industrial music, In Search Of Death's sound combines elements from death industrial, dark ambient and occasional passages of more belligerent, martial atmospheres. Deeply entrenched in the world of vicious old-school industrial electronics, this is certainly music for fans of Brighter Death Now, Sütcliffe Jugend etc. Mastered by Peter Andersson (Raison d’Etre etc.). Ltd x 100 hand-numbered copies in a 6-panel glossy digipak.

K2 - 'Pandemix Coronalis' CD (999 Cuts) - £12

Recorded in 2020, during the most ominous days of covid - when panic, terror and isolation were widespread and the future seemed grim. Excellent harsh and complex sounds from Japanese Noise master K2. This album was made with modular and semi-modular synths, delays and MTR. Active since 1983, K2 is the personal noise project of Kimihide Kusafuka, who has been making numerous noise works in distinct phases. The current "Phase 3" (2005-present) is focused on mixer feedback noises and electro-core / modular synth work. Comes in 3 doses lasting just over one hour.

PARANOIA INDUCTA - 'Into Eternal Darkness' CD (Heerwegen Tod Production) - £12

"Into Eternal Darkness" is the most mature and polished album in Paranoia Inducta's discography, yet also one of their darkest, keeping the listener in total isolation, only with his own thoughts and fears. A study of loneliness, missunderstanding and silent despair, accepting fate and the lack of any hope. The album is a perfect reference to the atmosphere of Evil Angel. Emptiness and darkness - that is all that is left. 64 minutes of overwhelming musical blackness. "In the darkness you could hear the crying of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men. Some prayed for help. Others wished for death. But still more imagined that there were no Gods left, and that the universe was plunged into eternal darkness" (Pliny The Younger, A.D. 79). Presented in an A5 digipak.

PROFANE GRACE - 'Shredding Stars With Holes Of Black' CD (Heidens Hart) - £11.50

U.S. Dark Ambient project Profane Grace return after 12 years of bleak silence. Active since 1990, founding member Ixithra (Demoncy, ex-Profanatica) is now accompanied by Drathrul (Anu, Hour Of 13). Together they have summoned "Shredding Stars With Holes Of Black", their eighth full-length and the darkest Profance Grace album to date. Pure dark ritual ambient filled with brooding synthesizers, occult invocations pulsating like clouds, and various vocals including the trademark obscure whispers from Ixithra. The album is a true lurking beast of total despair, haunting you from the total claustrophobic and oppressive darkness. The soundtrack to dismal haunts and cosmic nightmares, highly recommended to fanatics of Aghast, Raison D'etre, Lustmord, Sekt, or Emit. Ltd x 200 copies.