Cold Wave

September 2, 2010 7:59 PM

So where would you go looking if you wanted to find the deepest and sickest cold wave synth-beats of all? Then I think we would have to look all the way back to John Bender, avant-garde synth pioneer, who released three seminal albums in the early '80s and then just disappeared, forever. What else sounds this fantastic, and has that addictive, computerized, lo-fi ice beat? Maybe Ultravox, and the frosty, hollow majesty of Hiroshima Mon Amour. Or Soviet with Candy Girl, or Lori and the Chameleons and Touch
posted by puny human (12 comments total)

"John Bender, avant-garde synth pioneer, who released three seminal albums in the early '80s and then just disappeared, forever"

He messed with the bull and got the horns.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 8:05 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]

The echo effects in '39A5 Something' are very reminiscent of Skinny Puppy. Nice find, thanks.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 8:21 PM on September 2, 2010

Any genre with "wave" in it gets my stamp of approval.

My current radio show description is "chill/no/new/cold/dark/crimson/bro/slutwave"
posted by azarbayejani at 9:00 PM on September 2, 2010

Oh, my. I'm going to have to listen to all of this in the morning. Thanks for posting.
posted by immlass at 9:02 PM on September 2, 2010

I haven't even clicked any of the links yet but I just wanted to say I am incredibly excited about this.
posted by dunkadunc at 9:22 PM on September 2, 2010 [2 favorites]

Early Human League is similar, ie the first two albums, before the geekiest two left. They didn't use drum machines early on, just an analog sequencer triggering synth noises, which makes things sound particularly interesting.
I'm amused that the YouTube "suggestions" on the 39A5 page includes a song of mine that I recorded in a garden shed in the 1980s.
posted by w0mbat at 9:22 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Cool post. Thanks
posted by BogusPomp at 9:23 PM on September 2, 2010

I guess I'll have to ask - which song is it, w0mbat?
posted by item at 10:56 PM on September 2, 2010

I favorited this on principal, and look forward to digging come tomorrow morning. Thanks!
posted by davejay at 11:02 PM on September 2, 2010

So where would you go looking if you wanted to find the deepest and sickest cold wave synth-beats of all? Me! Bender!

Who released three seminal albums in the early '80s and then just disappeared, forever? Me! Bender!

What else sounds this fantastic, and has that addictive, computerized, lo-fi ice beat? Me! Bender!
posted by Sutekh at 3:21 AM on September 3, 2010

Early Human League is similar, ie the first two albums, before the geekiest two left. They didn't use drum machines early on, just an analog sequencer triggering synth noises, which makes things sound particularly interesting.

Too funny. I'm listening to Travelogue right now. It's been a long time since I've heard it and it's still a fantastic listen.
posted by NoMich at 7:21 AM on September 3, 2010

Item - my friend Dan and I had a realy obscure band called Solid Space.
posted by w0mbat at 11:50 PM on September 6, 2010