(June 2010) Belgium has an affinity for minimal synth music. There doesn’t really appear to be a reason why. Maybe it was the availability of cheaper second hand synths on the continent, or it could be the Belgians are a more melancholic lot. There probably isn’t any reason for the colder side of synthesizer music taking off in Belgium, but the small state managed to produce some of the most accomplished artists of the sound. The likes of Front 242 and the pioneering Peter Bonne (Linear Movement, Autumn, Split Second) are but a scratch in the surface of Belgium’s wave scene. It can be difficult to find a way into this fascinating sound, with many artists laying in the shadows of the past. A new Antwerp label, Walhalla Records, is looking resuscitate this sound, focusing on Belgian wave previously only released on tape cassette. Underground Belgian Wave Volume 1 is the label’s first attempt at turning magnetic tape into vinyl.
If anyone reading this has come across these artists before, fair dues as this really is obscurity. None of the tracks on this LP have been on vinyl before, all trapped in the plastic casing of cassettes. The LP is opened by Asmodaeus and the wonderfully dense EBM “Radiation Dance.” The track is dark, broody and addictive, with vocals, synths and snares melting together into a new wave composition. It soon becomes apparent that this is going to be quite a varied outing into the world of minimal synth. M.Bryo, who some may remember from Minimal Wave, and the sample filled “Shift” change direction with a stripped back piece of aural isolation. Two pieces by Ratbau close the A-side. First up is the drum machine heavy “Show Me How” followed by industrial EBM tones of “Moscow ist Frei.” The flipside starts out with the rich synth tones of Danton’s Voice, meshing desperate vocals with analogue tones in the ironically titled “Easy Life.” The tempo rises with Emotional Violence, a typical minimal synth band name, and “Feeling the Cold.” Fast paced beats and movements leave a track a track full of angst and energy. Vita Noctis and “Hade” lower the bpm, juxtaposing xylophonic chords next to deep snares and heart-wrenching lyrics to round off the compilation.
The tracks across the album have a tactile D.I.Y. aspect to them, pieces cobbled together on loaned synthesizers, hand played drums with vocals sung over an eight track. It’s a real treat to see these forgotten artists being unearthed. The majority of the LP is taken from a 1985 tape compilation entitled Climax on Climax Productions, the rest are taken from a variety of sources; all nearly impossible to hear. Walhalla Records are set to continue down this road of audio excavation, with two more previously tape only releases set for the vinyl plant. A label focusing on the past to definitely bookmark for the future.
Underground Belgian Wave Volume 1 is out now on Walhalla.
