These two releases mark the divergent styles that Medical Records have been exploring. OGI fits in with the experimental and abstract sounds of Der Plan whilst Guyer’s Connection have much more in common with Deutsche Wertarbeit. Depending on your preference you’re in store for a treat.
[Release page] Seattle based Medical Records has continued down the route of double releases. Der Plan were given the dual treatment last time, and for this twosome the label has remained in Europe. First up are the Swiss duo of Guyer’s Connection with their Self-Titled LP, followed by Hungarian outfit OGI and OGI.
Guyer’s Connection are a curious group. The twosome of Tibor Csebits and Philippe Alioth released Portrait in 1983. The duo were fourteen and fifteen years old. Despite their age, the pair created some superb synth wave, taking on the colder side of minimal pop with tracks such as “Dallas” popularised by the likes of Veronica Vasicka. Guyer’s Connection are not strangers to contemporary releasing, being picked up by Kernkrach in 2005 for their Untitled LP. It is this LP that is the blueprint for this Self-Titled album on Medical Records, with tracks from Untitled being married with other unheard material. The plinky fast paced “Disco Queen II” gets the show on the road, super catchy analogue piece with vocoders and distant lyrics. The tracks have a distilled synth sound, simple in their construction but with fantastic pop melodies. Guyer’s Connection are much more synth pop than minimal, but there is some out and out silliness on here too; as in “Macky Messer” or “Hop Hop Hop.” Not everything is lightness, with depth arriving with the emotive tones of “Flow.” A lot of the tracks have a DJ friendly construct to them, as in the measured beats of “Gorilla’s Dance.” “He Sabine” is pure synth pop gold. Ridiculously catchy and full to the brim with analogue goodness. One of the true gems of the album. The LP gives up nuggets of synth pop throughout, as with the gorgeous vocoders of “Red Light.” The EBM undertones of “Les Loups”sees out Guyer’s Connection return to releasing form.
Over the Summer in Budapest I couldn’t think for the life of me of a Hungarian electronic artist. My mind didn’t jump to Medical’s latest, OGI (Hungarian born Peter Ogi) and the OGI LP. The record came to light in 1980, and has since languished in obscurity. The album is a take on the beginnings of electronic pop. OGI, through a lens of abstract quirkiness, starts out with the fluctuating tones of “King Kong’s Fear” before the comic synth pop of “Resist Dance” arrives. OGI has as much a post punk feel as a new wave one. He melts influences and blurs the lines of genre definition, as in “Test Pilot.” “She, Wolf, Woof!” races on a simmering melody before the brakes are applied for “O.G.I.” This release truly is new wave in its infancy, leaping from one style to another and incorporating anything that comes to hand; “Bella” has harmonicas in it! The ground under this LP is never steady, with OGI taking cues from synth soundtracks for “Nukeclear Time” and “Red Submarine.” The rock ‘n’ roll synth driven “Pet Rock (Rock’s Tar)” leads this album’s ending.
These two releases mark the divergent styles that Medical Records have been exploring. OGI fits in with the experimental and abstract sounds of Der Plan whilst Guyer’s Connection have much more in common with Deutsche Wertarbeit. Depending on your preference you’re in store for a treat.
Both releases are out now on Medical. [Release page]
