Medical Records need little introduction on Igloo, but their latest duo of artists might.
Body 11 is Tim Stickelbrucks, a German artist who was inspired by the electronic experimenters of the 70s and enthralled by the New Wave movement of Thatcherite Britain. In 1987 Stickelbrucks selected four tracks and self released the Mini EP. This humble 7” was the only physical evidence of Stickelbrucks’ musical career. As with so much good music it got picked up by fans in the 90s and since then the EP has become one of the holy grails of EBM and Synth Wave. Medical have tracked down Stickelbrucks and revived the Mini EP alongside some unheard treats. Body 11’s style blends mechanical cleanness with guttural vocals. Beats are sleek and fast, “Under My Command” racing with Devo energy. “Fire” combines catchy hooks with Stickelbrucks’ distanced lyrics echoing through the wires, for an engaging yet estranging piece. EBM influences become ever more evident as the LP develops, “Satisfy” drives with crunching beats and lost lyrics whereas “Attack” comes straight from the traditions of Front 242. “Hearts” moves to much softer ground, warm melodies lilting with wrenched words for an emotion-filled piece. Later elements of the New Wave sound enter the LP, tracks like “Fascination” and “You Better Leave Now” sway with mascaraed eyes and late night cocktail bars.
Alongside Body 11 come Die Gesunden, a very different creature. Experimentation characterizes this Berlin group. Whirring electrical pulses, strained strings and a desire for abstraction are at the group’s core. A burgeoning NDW sound is the product.“Die Gesunden Kommen” blends a quirky brew of sounds, the track rushing forth with a pure energy and speed rinsed smirk. “Der Weg Zum Erfolg” takes catchy video game style chords and grinds them with clipped beats and post punk vocals. Nothing is stable, with ever turn the album shifts. “Sometimes / Manchmal” is a soulful work of New Wave reduction whereas “Baby Love” is a warped piece of asylum Pop. Traditional compositions are parodied, turned into farce in tracks like “Galaxy” or the warbling reactive take on Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting For My Man.” “Atmen” sees industrial currents enter, the clouds begin to blacken and turn further charcoal for the relentless closer, the reverberating brutality of “Film Musik.”
Is there such a thing as a good stereotype? I’m going to chance one. Germany and Synth Wave have always gone well together. From the outset of the synthesizer sound in the late 1970s until today, with labels like Kernkrach and Plastic Frog, the central European nation has consistently dished up top-notch Synth Wave. Medical have resurrected two of the founders of the analogue sound in Deutschland, two names who inspired others to pick up the machine, two stalwarts from different sides of synthesizer music.
Both releases are available on Medical.
