(April 2010) In the cold wave and minimal synth resurgence, Genetic Music was one of the first contemporary labels to start releasing the sound. Working with past and present artists Genetic quickly developed a broad catalogue and solid following. Releases by Bakterielle Infektion lay beside the likes of Guerre Froide and Twilight Ritual. By 2005 the label had truly blossomed into a focus of the new wave renaissance. But as soon as the Genetic Music bloom had unfurled its petals it seemed to curl up once again into a tight inactive bulb. Patchy releases in 2007 and a 7″ in 2009 marked the last movements of the imprint. Now, with a new decade unraveling the label is back with a compilation of forgotten synth wave artists: Genotypes.
Genotypes is a serious piece of music research, delving into the lost world of cassette tapes, compilation appearances and 7″s to hand pick some of the cream of the 80’s wave sound. There are some on here who may be known, but this is largely a collection of unheard artists. Steven Grandell and his 1984 cold wave piece “Burn My Eyes” opens the compilation. The track is minimal synth gold. The vocals are clinically recanted with analogue arches cut through by industrial beats. Cinema 90 follow with a much more post punk take on new wave, real drums mixing with bass and synth. Low Class, aka Peter Bonne aka Twilight Ritual aka Linear Movement aka A Split – Second, offer up “The Allienniation Ballade.” A slow wave piece of reverberating synth on this lost Bonne track, a true pioneer of the sound. The album shifts from vocals to instrumentals, such as Dr Numa and his “Story of the Moon” taken from a self released cassette. The tracks range from five minute plus to short two minute pieces, like Mecano’s politically steeped “Robespierre’s Re-Marx.” Real Time Music are emblematic of some the margins in the minimal synth movement. The track “Mother and Child” sounds almost like a folk song, with the instruments being the barest bones of synth and beat. Ciaran Harte and “Love is Strange” is a personal favourite, one I’ve guiltily replayed on youtube a number of times. There seems to be little to no info on Harte, despite having a seriously Irish sounding name. The track was brought out on a limited 7″ in 1980. The track has a similar sound to Graham Philip D’ancey’s ‘Sacred Heart’ on Minimal Wave, warm but with the most dead pan lyrics. Hysterica Passio follow with the joyously downbeat “Grey Over Life.” Alive She Died, maybe the quintessential cold wave band name, offer up “The First Night.” A driving, relentless, synthline runs alongside haunting vocals. The track featured on the groups only release, a self issued cassette in 1985. The compilation spans the globe of minimal synth, such as the New Zealand pair of Jessica Denton and Patrick Fitzgerald’s familial dystopia “Mr. Mrs.” The fittingly titled “Nothing Goes Right” by Lee Negin brings the collection to a close, a quirky Sparks style ending.
There can be little dispute that minimal wave, cold wave, synth wave, whatever you want to call it, is having its second coming. The sound was recently given a little piece in The Guardian newspaper online, a veritable sounding board for anything that is becoming “trendy.” But this is a side line to the music. It is not so much the artists who are bringing about this revival, it is the labels. True, the material is there; but buried deep under years and horrendously difficult to unearth. Genetic have been there since the get go, and this collection is proof of that. This CD is a labour of archaeological love, an excavation Genetic have been undertaking for more than ten years now. Hopefully Genotypes will see Genetic return to regular releasing, their new sublabel No Emb Blanc seems like a positive indicator.
Genotypes is out now on Genetic Music.
