Various ‎Artists – "Tape Concerto" (The Cassette Factory) 1986

Another classic Belgian Cold Wave/Minimal Synth compilation from 1986,that's even got some well known acts on it? For example Linear Movement and the Klinik.
There may well be some foreign interlopers on this C-60, but it mostly contains Belgians singing and strumming, but mostly playing a gorgeous range of analogue synthesizers,and programming Drum machines.
I suppose there should be a warning on the cover, like the ones  those sandwiches with secret peanuts in don't have...."Warning:May Contain Belgians".....well it does, so those of you with any ongoing psychosomatic disorder involving dropping dead upon the slightest contact with a Belgian, should proceed with extreme caution.

Tracklisting:

National Side

A1 –Paul K. - Loverblade Cha-Cha
A2 –Trefoil - Tata
A3 –Syndrome - Night Talk
A4 –Pascal Massün - Interludium
A5 –Robert Van Camp - Just For Fun
A6 –Guy De Simpele - Kruipen
A7 –Split Second - Resignation
A8 –Linear Movement - Five Faces 

International Side

B1 –Albert Et Guido - Calculs Au Reia...
B2 –Het Psigotroop - Modern Man
B3 –Gerhard Abrahamsson - Clouds In The Way
B4 –Denis Mpunga + Paul K. - Untitled
B5 –Bryan Ruryk - Walking On Wooden Floors
B6 –Bremheks - Can I Ever Break Away
B7 –A.D. Eker - Sensoria Has Got Me
B8 –The Klinik - Rozenberg-Burning Inside (Live)
B9 –Unovidual + Tara Cross - Discovering Dishes

DOWNLOAD a belgian concerto HERE!

The Die or DIY? Christmas Mixtape 2015 - "Have You Been Naughty Or Nice? Or Will You Have To DIE Or DIY?"(30 Electronic Misses From The Pre-Midi Era)" (a Die or DIY? Mixtape No.8)

As the technology era progresses to the point where we all carry around our brains, now renamed as 'Smart hand Held devices' or 'Phones'. Tech took over pop Music's Brain, if it ever had one, years ago. Dancing to a machine was a rather intriguing Avant garde concept in the late seventies, but that is now music for the masses, thumping its hypnotic beat in every hideous meat market disco around our dying planet. Before MIDI,or Musical Instrument Digital Interface was standardised, so machines could talk to each other, we had the rather unstable Controlled Voltage and gate method of sequencing a synthesiser, or play it by hand. The result of which preserved the much missed human factor that is glaringly missing from today's disco tunes.Even the singer gets 'auto-tuned' on what seems like every record.
So, as you unwrap your new brain replacement device and government tracking and data collection system.....ie your new smart phone. Slip this years Xmas mixtape on your iPhone and marvel at the wobbly, unsyncopated  beats and melodies of these 30 ditties from a time when not being a primordial cyborg was normal.

Tracklisting:

1.Ausgang Verboten - "Consumer"
2.Unovidual & Tara Cross - "Comme Je Suis"
3.Les Yeux Interdit - "Prison"
4.Ptose - "Boule(Viens Ici!)
5.Etat des Stocks - "She's Got Big Tits"
6.Dark Day - "Nudes In The Forest"
7.Danton's Voice - "Magic Mushroom"
8.Andi Arroganti - "Hom-O-Hetero"
9.Das Kabinette - "Fudge It"
10.Deux - "Ministry Of Love"
11.Duotronic Synterror - "Liebe Auf Den Ersten Blick"
12.MAP - "You've Lost That Loving Feeling"
13.Years On Earth - "And I Dream"
14.Sympathy Nervous - "Khaki Cloud"
15.Nine Circles - "The Rose"
16. Das Ding - "Reassurance Ritual"
17.John Bender - "57-1/Dance"
18.Robert Lawrence - "Japanese Brain warning"
19.Sentimentale Jugend - "Tote Kammer"
20.AD - "Conspiracy"
21.Synthefall - "Abzahlreim"
22.Zirkel Junger Musiker - "Hochwasser"
23.Treibeis - "Vinylbabies"
24.The Klingons - "Temptation"
25.Machines At Last - "The Colony"
26.High Bias - "The Killing Of The Cats"
27.Gen Ken Montgomery - "When I'm walking"
28.Another View - "Power Station"
29.Suisse - "Live At Longbourn"
30.Modern Art - "Hello-Goodbye"

DOWNLOAD something naughty but nice HERE!

Tara Cross ‎– "Tempus Fugit" (Permis De Construire ‎– PER 012) 1988

It's 1988 and horrible digital synthesis is everywhere,the cheap secondhand analogue stuff is being snapped up by the financially challenged classes who would invent Acid House.
Tara Cross seems to have been largely by-passed by both electronic avenues,and stuck faithfully to the minimal synth stylee,with a touch of guitar,Only a small upgrade in the drum machine department,with what sounds like a secondhand TR808,or maybe a 909,listening to those digital toms on "Rain Sprouts". Again released on a European label,she appears to have been totally ignored in her homeland;if its not funky or rocky yer average american starts to become confused.
Having said that,this isn't as good as 'Limelight',but still has its moments.

Tracklist:

A1	Rain Sprouts
A2	PK-15
A3	Shade Of Blue
A4	Tempus Fugit
A5	Days Fade
A6	Pulse Purgative
B1	Hush
B2	Babe
B3	That Boy
B4	627
B5	Aalter Image

DOWNLOAD before time passes too quick HERE!

Tara Cross ‎– "Limelight" (Vita Nova ‎– VN 006) 1985

Another who collaborated with a former Port Said member(Stefan Tischler) was Tara Cross.
On her own she produced some of the tinniest, lo-budget cheapo minimal synth pop ever made. No production values flaunting themselves,no reliance on effects,and a cheapo drum box that sounds like a collection of biscuit tins in various states of emptiness.

Tracklist:

A1	When Will You?
A2	Flight * 1
A3	Tori's Dream
A4	I Won't Cut It Away
A5	Limelight
A6	Flight * 2
A7	Long Distance
B1	Hotel Midnite
B2	Flight * 3
B3	Hot Wax
B4	Hear Me
B5	Desperate
B6	Alphabetical Numbers

DOWNLOAD tara cross who was never in the limelight HERE!

Tara Cross & Stefan Tischler ‎– "Searchlight & Torch" (Home Produkt ‎– GT 020) 1984

A Minimal Synth collaboration,between Tara Cross and Stephan Tischler(of Port said) with large emphasis on the 'minimal' part of the genre label.
Tara, who is responsible for one of the genre's greatest tracks, "Comme Je Suis" (Check it out on Cabbage 4 here), has appeared in nigh on 20 plus collaborations over the years,and likes to keep it simple,with the minimum of equipment;and this is evident on this release.One or two weedy mono synths and a cheap and nasty drum machine,played through the minimum of effects,with the essential deadened carpet shop ambiance the icing on a very small cake.In the world of Pop,if you have Bruce Springsteen and His horrible East Street Band at one end of the spectrum, this would be at the other; a part of the pop rainbow where there are no assholes,and the music and the listener can rest easy without some attention seeker shouting in their ear'ole the ever popular phrase,"LOOK AT ME MOM, I'M DANCIN'!".

Tracklist:

Checkpoint
Alpine Connection
Clandestine Locale
Alien Code
The March
Arcadia
Beyond The Corridor
Porto Rico
Silkworm
Searchlight & Torch

DOWNLOAD without the need for a searchlight HERE!

Various Artists ‎– "Cabbage 4" (Cauchy Productions) 1986

Another from the Cabbage series of compilations, containing the usual mixture of Minimal Synth,Industrial,post-punk hybrids and sub genres. Starting off with a bona-fide classic of Minimal Wave from Unovidual and Tara Cross which you can do a robot dance to and imagine you're 'Hip'. There's a couple of enjoyable Fall-alike facsimiles, a muffled bedroom poet called L.d.50,and some decent US Industrial from Smersh. All this among much more anything goes experimental pop forms,framed by the odd bit of New York sub-glass inspired minimalism from Roberta Eklund and high brow chums. Not a bad track on it,and should appeal to vegetarians and meat eaters alike; full of essential experimental music fatty acids,and the stuff vegetarians don't get in their diets.Eat your cabbage.

Tracklist:

A1	–Unovidual & Tara Cross	Like I Am / Comme Je Suis
A2	–Psychological Warfare Branch, The	Six Pack Musak
A3	–Bondage Boys & The Beast	Plastic
A4	–Friendly And The Southern Comfort Style	She Was So Pretty
A5	–L. D. 50	Sten Guns In Aldershot
A6	–Luca Miti	Plouton (Prologos-Parados)
A7	–Twilight Ritual	Tears On The Wall
A8	–Smersh	Hollow Promises
A9	–Man's Hate	President Botha Kills Children As Well
A10	–Temporal Pain	Waves Hit
B1	–Dissolutio Humani Generis	Spettri
B2	–Sekte Der Schlammfische	Schicksal Der Ironie
B3	–Psychological Warfare Branch, The	Arbeit Macht Frei
B4	–Tara Cross	No More Drugs
B5	–Roberta Eklund & Jane Arfinson & Todd Kennedy	And Again
B6	–Bogart	Sound Of Thrown Scum 1
B7	–Temporal Pain	Baptist Girls
B8	–Swinebolt 45	The Ever Developing Ordeal

DOWNLOAD a musically healthy vegetable rich diet HERE!