a✓: - Good Together
https://social.vivaldi.net/@DanielDeur/110786559698750700

(I really like that abbreviation!)

#NowPlaying: #AdamandtheAnts - Kings of the Wild Frontier
1980 European pressing.

Very beaten up and weirdly sticky cover, but the record is great! When listening to it the first time, I was anything but impressed but later on I started to appreciate it. (Nothing compared to the a✓: album above, which I currently am obsessed with...) It feels aggressive and tribal, but it's got some catchy bits which stuck around with me.

#80s #80sMusic #NewWave #PostPunk #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #NyamNyam - Hope of Heaven
1984 UK pressing.

I was baffled to find this in a local record shop, as it's quite obscure - I am the first to use the band's # - and it was (and is) one of my all-time favourites. Unfortunately the vinyl sound quality is not that good anymore. The album is quite varied, has some funk, some punk, some synth, some acoustic, and all that with a raspy voice. Shame this album doesn't get the attention it deserves.

#80s #80sMusic #NewWave #PostPunk #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #TheRumour - Frogs Sprouts Clogs and Krauts
1978 Dutch pressing

Always saw this cover in the €1 section and there were three in another unsorted budget section and I always wondered why, as the cover is absolutely beautiful and intriguing. For just €1 I was willing to take the gamble (I should more often) and I am glad I did, because it sounds great. This record shows an intermedial point between pub rock and new wave.

#70s #70sMusic #pubrock #NewWave #PostPunk? #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #OrchestralManoeuvresintheDark - Organisation
2018 reissue.

This is the record that I referred to in my post above about #OMD, on which they tamed the beast that is the synth. Apart from the opening and well-known Enola Gay, the album is very atmospheric. It's got one of my favourite tracks of all time - VCL XI, a jumbled mess but pleasantly upbeat - but also a terrible one, breaking the album for me, Motion and Heart. The Clap vibes...

#80s #80sMusic #synthpop #NewWave #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #ultravox - Three Into One
1980 German pressing.

When I put this on the first time I was met with some heavy sounding punk rock, which is not what I expected. I hadn't listened to Ultravox before, but I know I expected refined synth pop. Granted: this is a compilation album from their very early, punkier, years. I quite like the sound of this, and certainly will be looking into more Ultravox later on.

#70s #70sMusic #PunkRock #PostPunk #synthpop #NewWave #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #OrchestralManoeuvresintheDark - Architecture & Morality
1981 UK pressing. Cover seems to be German.

I seem to be going through #OMD's albums chronologically, not my initial intention but I'll get on with it. This album perfects the synth work compared to Organisation and puts even more emotion and nuance in the synths, coupled with choir sounds and waltzy beats. Probably their musical peak, but not their experimental one!

#80s #80sMusic #synthpop #NewWave #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #VanderGraafGenerator - World Record
1976 NL pressing.

I venture into prog rock every now and then and I am particularly fond of #vdgg. This record has got some funkyness which I quite like. Unfortunate that the brilliant Meurglys III ends in a fade-out though... I got this for very cheap, normally a VdGG #vinyl would cost you €25, but this only cost me €9. I did have to make a Discogs page for it, though. Bonus: me posing with the record and making scans.

#70s #70sMusic #ProgRock

#NowPlaying: Ph.D. (Hashtag won't work here, I reckon... 😆)
1982 Dutch pressing.

#Progrock meets #synthpop! Some very heavy sounding music with a matching raspy voice. Little Suzi's on the Up is a brilliant track, and I Won't Let You down was a massive hit. Rest of the album is hit and miss, I personally also like Oh Maria and Up Down. There's only one CD pressing of it and it's quite rare, but I got my hands on it! 🥳 (Cost me a fair bit...)

#80s #80sMusic #NewWave #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #TheCure - The Head on the Door
1985 Dutch pressing.

This one's not mine but I bought it for my brother. Until I hand it over, I might give it a little spin. I never really listened to The Cure, but I know some songs. The first song sounds a lot like #TheSmiths, I know that these bands' fans feud with each other. I like the sound of this record and definitely will look into more of them.

#80s #80sMusic #NewWave #PostPunk #synthpop? #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #RoughTrade - For Those Who Think Young
1982 US pressing? It's not on Discogs so I'll have to make a release.

I knew of Rough Trade (actually only Pope) before through her collab with #ThePayolas, from a reggae compilation vinyl from my mother. They make funky synth pop/new wave with some edgy lyrics. I am a fan already, this is my first listen to this album! (I already have Shaking the Foundations.) (And ~ Live! but that's way different!)

#80s #80sMusic #NewWave #synthpop #vinyl

#NowPlaying: M (#RobinScott) - New York, London, Paris, Munich
1980 Dutch pressing.

Only ever heard Pop Muzik, learnt of that song through U2's Pop tour when they made a (great) cover of that song. I have it as a double grooved single, which is interesting. This album seems to have a fair bit of brass and orchestral arrangements and they sound great!

#80sMusic #80s #NewWave #sythpop #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #RoughTrade - Shaking the Foundations
1982 Canadian pressing.

Lovely synth pop with smutty lyrics. I saw this in the record shop once, back when I didn't know about them. I liked the cover and found it coincidental that there also was a Rough Trade Records. Turns out the record company was named after this band! I used to listen to this record a lot a while ago but decided to whip it out again since I found other RT #vinyl in the store yesterday.

#80s #80sMusic #synthpop #newwave

#NowPlaying: #PearlHarborAndTheExplosions
1980 Dutch pressing.

Apparently the only album released by this #SanFrancisco band with an incredible name. Sounds solid and has a driving rhythm, with some funk to it, especially the third track.

#80sMusic #80s #NewWave #PostPunk #dancerock #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #Yes - Close to the Edge
1973 Dutch pressing.

To commemorate the fact that I'll see #JonAnderson live this weekend. Not my favourite album by Yes, overshadowed by Tales and Relayer for me personally. The cover is horrid, the bad kind of minimalism, but the inside of the gatefold is quite nice. The music is iconic though and the title track is brilliant, I really like the bass!

#70s #70sMusic #ProgRock #progressiverock #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #Videosex - Lacrimae Christi
2023 Slovene pressing on gold #vinyl.

I was in Ljubljana for one day and took that opportunity to find something local. I was introduced to this record by a kind shopkeeper. It's some very clean and upbeat #synthpop & #newwave from #80s #yugoslavia, unfortunately not picked up anywhere else it seems. This is only my first listen but I'm already very impressed! (I wonder if this hashtag is actually about the band though... EDIT: no.)

#NowPlaying: #ACertainRatio - acr:mcr
2018 European reissue on 2×45" clear #vinyl.

2 discs because better sound quality? It definitely did sound good though, this is what I expected to hear from late #80s a✓:, namely #acidhouse with thumping bass and driving rhythms. It's got the a✓:-ness though, there's some squeaky brass sections here and there and the funk's all over. Guest vocals of Sumner of #neworder (I don't hear those really) and Denise Johnson (later on #electronic).

#NowPlaying: #Electronic
2020 European reissue.

This was my favourite album for a while back in late 2021/early 2022 and for a good reason: it's a brilliant crossover event between #NewOrder, #TheSmiths, and #PetShopBoys. With so much musical experience, the jangly guitar sound of Marr and the danceable synths of Sumner it's no wonder that they wrote one of the most brilliant #90s albums. I was looking for it on #vinyl for a long time and finally found a copy!

#synthpop #alternativedance

#NowPlaying: #SimpleMinds - New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)
1985 European pressing.

One of my all-time favourite albums. This record sounds like sitting in front of the fireplace in an old house on a cold winter evening, despite the first track talking about summertime. The bass playing is excellent on this record as well. I found this yesterday on an unexpected outdoor #vinyl market and it was a pleasant surprise.

#80s #synthpop #newwave

#NowPlaying: #Ultravox - Vienna
1980 Dutch pressing.

The cover promised me a more pensive, calm album than what I'm hearing now. I do quite like it: it seems clean, powerful, and dark. The cover is a thing of beauty, that font looks brilliant as well! I heard a lot about this album so it's great to finally give it a go.

#80s #NewWave #SynthPop #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #VanderGraafGenerator - Pawn Hearts
1971(?) Dutch pressing.

You rarely find #vdGG #vinyl releases priced lower than 20 (maybe even 25) here so it was incredible luck that I found one in absolute pristine condition for 15 quid! As for the album, I don't really quite understand side 2 (A Plague etc.) yet, but Man-Erg is really good, especially when the song breaks down with saxes sounding like seagulls coming in. Proper chilling!

#70s #70sMusic #ProgRock #progressiverock

#NowPlaying: #U2 - The Unforgettable Fire (Single)
1985 UK pressing.

Well, is it a single really? It clocks in at 22 minutes and holds 5 tracks. It may be an EP or mini album in my eyes. It doesn't even start with the titular track. That song is brilliant, but I also love A Sort Of Homecoming and The Three Sunrises. I used Bass Trap as my alarm clock for the longest time! This period is probably my favourite in U2's timeline, the music is very atmospheric and vast.

#vinyl #80s #80sMusic

#NowPlaying: #Genesis - ...And Then There Were Three...
1978 Dutch pressing.

I listened extensively to this album a couple of years ago and I don't think I fully understood Genesis back then, but it did something with me that made me come back. The album has a vast sound that I can't properly describe, it makes me nostalgic. This album has its highs and its lows, but it certainly ended at its highest with Follow You Follow Me, which is a beautiful song.

#70s #ProgRock #progressiverock #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #ThePolice - Zenyatta Mondatta
1980 Dutch pressing.

This album is amazingly consistent with Stewart Copeland's immaculate drumming on the foreground. That's all there is to say really, nothing ground-breaking here, just some insanely catchy music.

#80s #80sMusic #NewWave #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #CabaretVoltaire - The Crackdown
1983 German pressing.

Very repetitive rhythms that require you to listen. (Although it gets way better a couple of albums later.) The album feels dark and grainy but does have some pop sensibilities. This was only my first time really listening to this album though and I really enjoyed the two after this so I expect also this to get a whole lot better soon!

#80s #80sMusic #industrialmusic #PostPunk #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #Ultravox - ha!-ha!-ha!
1979 Italian pressing.

I really liked ROckwrok and the Three Into One compilation so I knew that I wanted to find some of those early albums, and I was lucky this week that I found it at a #vinyl market. (I did get ripped off at this stall where I bought the Police album too. Expensive but bad quality media and sleeve.) I really like this upbeat punky music, drums are in your face, guitars are soaring. The songs are really catchy too!

#70sMusic #PostPunk

#NowPlaying: #NewOrder - Movement
2019 reissue from the box set.

So it's time that I played again, I tooted about this album and how seminal it is earlier today. I got the box set and I think I never really touched it since I explored it when I received it. A shame really. The cover is brilliant as well: the lines aren't just there for fun, they also represent the catalogue number! Another brilliant Peter Saville design.

#80s #80sMusic #PostPunk #NewWave #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #NewOrder - 1981-1982
1982 US pressing on "translucent" #vinyl.

It's only translucent if you hold it against the light. This apparently is the first pressing, so it's quite cool that I found it today. While I love Movement, I think the singles from this time period really show the development from #PostPunk to #SynthPop: whereas Movement is more post-punk, this record is clearly synth-pop. Incredible find!

#80s #80sMusic #NewWave

#NowPlaying: #ToontjeLager - Stiekem Dansen
1983 Dutch pressing.

I am always looking for Dutch language #NewWave or #SynthPop and hope it's something that sticks, and I don't think I found something yet. This is no real difference. It's not bad at all, it's got #ska vibes and feels a lot like #DoeMaar (from what I remember). #TheMo was absolutely perfect, but not Dutch language unfortunately. This record is still a pleasant listen though!

#80s #80sMusic #nederpop #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #CabaretVoltaire - The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord
1985 German pressing.

Also the name of a far right organisation... 😬 This album is my absolute favourite of the moment, but when I first listened to it it freaked me out completely. (I also was completely knackered after a night shift.) The transition from L21ST to I Want You is heavenly, and the latter song is an absolute banger. 5/5, what a brilliant album!

#80s #80sMusic #industrial #ebm #ebmindustrial #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #vanderGraafGenerator - The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome
1977 German pressing.

My favourite #vdGG album, the addition of the violin and its ethereal feel combined with its relatively accessible songwriting make this an excellent listen. I especially love the violin solo on The Siren Song, that might be my favourite track. The album came with a booklet of lyrics made with a typewriter by a previous owner, how cool is that!

#70s #70sMusic #progressiverock #ProgRock #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #ChinaCrisis - What Price Paradise
1986 Canadian pressing.

The last album I needed to complete my China Crisis collection, except their 2015 effort. This makes me think: what band can I summarise 2023 with for me? 2022 was #OMD, 2021 #NewOrder, and 2020 #U2. Will it be China Crisis or #ACertainRatio? Not the right post to ponder this in, but perhaps these hashtags will help you find something new in this thread to listen to!

#80sMusic #80s #NewWave #SynthPop #vinyl

#NowPlaying: #TheVapors - New Clear Days
1980 German pressing.

One of my absolute favourite albums of all time. Such upbeat #PowerPop blended with #NewWave and #PostPunk with some really good and deep lyrics. Every song on this album is a hit in my eyes.

#80s #80sMusic #vinyl