Various ‎Artists – "Mad In Belgium 1" (Mad Tapes & Records) 1985

They're all mad in Belgium y'know?
And to prove it,here's the compilation cassette of the same name that came free with the magazine of the same name....in Belgium. Featuring,of course, a load of Belgian bands from 1985.
This copy has its chewed up moments, but most of it is perfectly playable;in fact the chewed up bits add to its undoubtable mystique.

DOWNLOAD this madness HERE!

Various ‎Artists – "B9" (Sandwich Records ‎– SR07) 1981

Yes, here's another Belgian Cold Wave compilation from the height of said wave, from 1981. The year after Ian Curtis hung himself for our sins.The ripples that catalysed in the black oceans of despair spread far and wide, but nowhere tapped into that wave energy more than Belgium. Triggering a tsunami of dreary emotionally bankrupt misery.I'd slash my wrists but the doom-laden self-pity makes me feel so gaddamn alive!As Cold Wave christ,IC said, as he breathed his last during his asphyxiation: "Forgive me father for I didn't know what I started"..

Tracklisting:

A1 –Kid Montana - Cabs Ambush 3:31
A2 –Tristes Tropiques - Untitled 1 1:40
A3 –Prothese - Tumeurs 6:05
A4 –Rel Rex - Program 5:54
A5 –Digital Dance - Human Zoo 5:00
B1 –Polyphonic Size - Kyoto 4:57
B2 –Satin Wall - Dans Les Profondeurs 4:01
B3 –Tristes Tropiques - Untitled 2 1:33
B4 –Pseudo Code - Around Midnight 8:51
B5 –Slim Jack & H.F.C. - So Sah Gelleck Tissah 5:33
C1 –The Names - Spectators Of Life 2:57
C2 –Siglo XX - Individuality 4:33
C3 –Marine - Life In Reverse 2:44
C4 –The Neon Judgement - Factory Walk 3:55
C5 –Nausea - Vocal Expression 3:27
D1 –Isolation Ward - Lamina Christus 2:52
D2 –Front 242 - Principles (Instrumental) 3:33
D3 –Allez Allez - Allez Allez 5:34
D4 –Berntholer - Emotions 2:23
D5 –Jung - The Real Thing 4:02

DOWNLOAD this benign beauty HERE!

Various ‎Artists – "Close Circuit Connection" (Minimal Maximal ‎– MM004) 2011

That should be the end of all the Belgian posts you would think?
No,no, nooooo....there's more, lots more!??
If you can stand it, here's some more Belgian New Beat compilations. This one spans the years 1982-86, and is choc-a-bloc with lots of hard electronics from the pre-EBM era, by quite a few of the guilty parties who invented said medium.

Tracklisting:

A1 –Insekt - Subway89
A2 –Parade Ground - Entertain Me
A3 –à;GRUMH... - S-B
A4 –Vita Noctis - My Favorite Waste Of Time
A5 –Suicide Commando - Batman's Crime
A6 –A Split-Second - Hunger V2
B1 –The Klinik - Belfast
B2 –The Arch - Do It On Friday
B3 –Luc Van Acker - When The Good Turns To Bad
B4 –Liquid G. - Regression
B5 –The Neon Judgement - Sweet Revenge (Live)

DOWNLOAD by internet connection HERE!

Neon Judgement ‎– "TV Treated" (Kleo) 1982

Dirk Da Davo and TB Frank were,and probably still are, Belgian proto-EBM duo The Neon Judgement....if you're interested?

Never really been curious as to who were in the groups I liked, just between me and you.

The individuals in a group,unless the group is an individual (eg Lydon/SexPistols),are rarely bigger than the team;and if they are bigger than the team you end up with an ego-driven prick like Lydon in The Pistols,or, Ronaldo at Real Madrid;and who wants to watch Real Ma-fucking-drid?
The Residents tick all the boxes in these areas, both in their rejection of the cult of personality, and in their sublimely abstrct lyrics.All this has been ruined by the internet ruthlessly outing the Identity of anyone slightly anonymous,including,unfortunately, The Residents.

Also, one never really investigated the lyrics either, especially those lyrics that were projected clearly as if the projector thought they had something important or clever to say to the projectee,in other words us ordinary folk.There are obvious exceptions to this of course, but The Neon Judgement aren't one of them.The voice is important only as an instrument, that can add emotion and that essential 'Human error' element to music, especially to electronic music.

TV Treated, is actually the first classic 'Judgement' track,surfing comfortably on the hiss on this early cassette EP. I suspect that  after this they started singing more clearly,printing lyrics, and recording in Hi-Fidelity;lots of pop star nonsense like that.It happens to the best of us.

I wouldn't really know, because I've never really been one to buy an artists records after the first couple of releases either!

...and yes...there are exceptions to that too!

I could download some later Judgement works for free from the same evil internet that has destroyed the myths and career paths of music forever!....but....Nahhhhh.

Leave me with my fantasy.

Tracklisting:

A1 TV Treated
A2 Stay Mad
B1 Sister Sue
B2 On My Own

DOWNLOAD a tv treat HERE!

Neon Judgement ‎– "Suffering" (Kleo) 1981

Early proto-EBM-style outing by The Neon Judgement.

The combination of aggressive electronics and mechanical drum box rhythms, which defined Belgian Minimal Wave, laid the foundations of the Electronic Body Music movement of the mid-80's. Of which The Neon Judgement and Absolute Body Control were among the earliest exponents.They would get 'better', but this cassette exposes their roots as almost fully formed.

Tracklisting:

A1 Factory Walk
A2 Sweet Revenge
A3 Harem
B1 The Machine
B2 Army Green (WO III)
B3 Schyzophrenic Freddy

DOWNLOAD without suffering HERE!