“In the haze of the 80s, as rock finished strangling itself in the long agony that in ten years had delivered only bourgeois music, whilst punk, with it’s 77′ generation tried to survive in the avant-gardist fringe of the post-punk adventure, there was born this dark and despaired trend that remains in the memories of French, Belgians and English alike by the name of Cold Wave; refrigerated music, a grievance of neurotic brains, screams of distress from grey souls, this cold wave that takes you by the throat and nails you to the wall of your post-modern anguish, far away from the gothic carnival and supermarket melancholies, for this trend is not dead!”
Brouillard Définitif is dedicated to the darkest of the darker musical genre Cold Wave. It’s aim is to ensure the re-release of sold out and unreleased works , to offer you rare pearls and hidden jewels asleep upon old tapes that destiny had conspired would never see any light by giving fans of Cold Wave the opportunity to own via CD’s and highly luxurious and uniquely exquisite designed pieces of art in the form of coloured and limited edition edition vinyl which in some cases totally eclipse what was released in the 80’s.
Diseased – A KIND OF GHOST
The debut release from France’s A Kind Of Ghost comes in a lovely red vinyl, Ltd edition of 300 copies. A very nice 80’s touch to the sleeve artwork. An insert is included and even the label on the vinyl has a sinister Skeletal artistic touch. The opening track A Kind Of Ghost captures perfectly the esscence of 80’s post punk cold wave! Everything Is Cold is sublime cold wave perfection. Love it! Dumbness sounds like it was released in the 80’s and wouldn’t look out of place next Iggy Pop’s Blah Blah Blah and Asylum Party. Ghost March is only just over a minute long but just like the rest of the album will have you tapping your foot or yearning to hear the tracks played in a club environment. Nethertheless a punked spike emersed in a vat of cold wave. Great! The Time Has Come reminds me of Mary Goes Round and equally is as good as their extensive back catalogue! The World Has Ended see’s a slight drop in the frantic pace another drug for Cold Wave music addict! Wow! Paranoia cranks the tempo up. Go To The Devil brings the album to a close far too soon, so you will find yourself playing this album again and again as it just gets better and better. Already a contender for one of the best new albums I will listen to in 2014.
Recommended strongly for fans of Asylum Party, Mary Goes Round, Antiworld, 80’s Iggy Pop, Skelton Hands, Black Cab etc. A must buy!
In A Somnolence 7″ – ODESSA
Odessa are one of the cults of French Cold Wave. This 7″ features 2 tracks released for the first time in 30 years but still sounding like a breath of fresh air. The A-side is the track In A Somnolence which will be a big hit for fans of the classic cold wave. The B-side is There Will Be is great and reminds me a lot of the colder sounding tracks by Joy Division. Great band which puts a lot so called modern post punk bands to shame! Epic!
Figé Dans Le Marbre... – CONGRES DE VIENNE / SAISON FROIDE
Comes again in a nice retro 80’s designed sleeve, ltd edition of 300 copies in a beautitul grey marble effect vinyl. This album is a split between Congres De Vienne & Saison Froide. Congres De Vienne open the album and perform 8 of the 12 tracks. This is the first time they have appeared on vinyl after releasing a series of sort after cult tapes 20 years ago. The album opens with Orphee – a radio being tuned submerges into classic cold wave drums and synths. De Profundis continues the sliced vein of cold wave oozing more synth, bass and drum machine juices to submerge the brain in a sea of grey. Premice 93 has a gloom of Opera Multi Steel hanging over it. Simple but perfect! Je Suis d’Allieurs is stripped down to the musical bone. If it was any more Cold Wave it would be frozen! La Funambule – continues the minimalistic musical landscape. Reminiscence 94 wouldn’t be out of place accompanying one of Jan Svankmajer dark short animation clips! Perfect! Le Cantique De Penitents is almost a Cold Wave dirge which makes it an almost unique aural sculpture. La Dernier Rempart see’s the tempo increased from atmospheric to the dancefloor in places reminds me of very early Kirlian Camera. Nos Heures Mortes is the first track from Saison Froide a French Cold Wave band who formed in 2001. A great dancefloor track reminds of some classic 80’s new wave music from Italy. D’Hiver En Hiver continues in the same vein. Great! Sombre Et Froid the title is perfect for the composition. La Procession Lavres brings the album to a close with a very nice Cold pop Wavesong. Recommended for fans of Neva, Leitmotiv, Vita Noctis, Brigade Inetrnationale, Odessa, Opera Multi Steel, 80’s Italian New wave, Litfiba, etc.
Untitled – NEVA
A very nice 12″ picture disc vinyl from one of France’s famous cult acts. The band was regarded as being the French “Virgin Prunes”. a mix of Cold Wave & Glam punk. The 12″ features two tracks from each of the bands early tape releases. Sacrilege opens the EP extreme 80’s sound. Lovely! Pyschodrame could be the immaculate conceived child of John Carpenter & The Virgin Prunes and deserves to played on every dark music party its that good! Louchald possibly their most popular track is included which makes this the perfect introduction to Neva. Irradie brings the EP to a close. Great track that deserves to be heard and played by Dj’s more often! Recommended for fans of Cold Wave, New Wave, Glam Punk, etc.
Everything Fades – ELYZIUM FOR THE SLEEPLESS SOULS
For the first time on vinyl after releasing a tape in 1995, here we have Luxembourg’s Elyzium For the Sleepless Souls. The album again is in a classic 80’s retro style, ltd edition of 300 copies and comes on snow white vinyl. The album opens with Black Hit Of Space which has a strong 80’s wave sound due to it being a Human League cover. Slipping Into Darkness has a strong dancefloor feel very nice sounding apocalyptic 80’s synth! No One Ever Leaves is almost like a Cold Wave verion of 80’s legend Japan and was originally by The Permanent Confusion. Very nice! The Flight – has a very cold unique feel about it. Great synths again! Instinct Of Self Preservation – continues in the descent into the cold abyss. In Town – Vocals remind me quite a bit of early Phil Oakey! and the darker earlier releases from the Human League! Disintigrating Circles– has a hint of terminator meets classic Cold Wave. Wow! Exit – sounds a bit like the Human League but 10 times darker and 20 times more colder. Natures Revenge is the last track complete with end of the world storm intro and alienesque vocals, a great track to end the album with. A band you will be glad you discovered. Recommended for fans of early Japan, Human League, Ultravox, New Wave , 80’s synth sounds, etc.
Für Immer – LIGNE D’HIVER
Very nice sleeve artwork. This is a remastered release of tracks recorded in 1987. Another forgotten jewel of french Cold Wave. The album opens with an exploding bomb of Cold Wave briliance with the track Black Monday – The feverish flamed synths will set any dancefloor ablaze! Trouble ( Crime Passionel 1986) – a deeply dark depressive downtempo song which has hints of classic Ultravox synths pure 80’s Cold Wave delight! Porquoi – sees the introduction of clsssic 80’s wave bass and guitars which will have you thinking about early Simple Minds, INXS, Sideway Look, and 80’s new wave. Walls & Bridges – reminds me of classic 80’s synths of Visage, Yazoo, John Foxx with a colder edge and would again be a great song for the dancefloor. Titihoya – is more experimental and an avantgarde listening pleasure. Deauville – is the musical equivalent of watching the sun set for the final time on a sparse grey landscape. Stone Cold Wave! Again another release you find you will want to keep playing. Love It!
Echoes Of Silence – EXCES NOCTURNE
This four track EP was released in 2008 and the band was born in Lens 1984. The EP opens with Moi Dans Le Silence– a fusion of Cold Wave, and early 80’s Goth Rock/post punk, will appeal to fans of Xmal Deutschland, Lene Lovich, Gentle Ihors Devotion etc. A great song which should be played often in clubs. Memoire – Another great song which musically reminds me of classic Loud colliding with 80’s McGeogh guitars and sparks of electronic avant garde. A pure aural pleasure! Le Soleil S’Est Noye – continues a fusion between Cold Wave, The Banshees guitar sound 80’s new wave. Love it ! La Vie Peut Etre Cruelle – brings the Ep to a close with a song which is must hear song for any fan of John McGeogh‘s guitar sound. This EP deserves to played as often as Siouxsie & The Banshees are played on parties not because it’s the same but it some ways it’s better! Wow!
Arbrutir Les Masses – GUERRE FROIDE
The album comes in heavy black vinyl, with insert in a classic 80’s retro designed sleeve. Guerre Froide this French band formed in the early 80’s and enjoyed some club success with early tracks before splitting up and reforming in 2006. This is the second album release since reforming and heralds a new renaissance for Cold Wave. Hypnose – opens the album a subtle slow intro and then bang classic Cold Wave guitars and pumping drums wash through your ears. Great! Indentite Variable – Has an outer space like intro which leads into more pumping drums and waves of synth which are occassionally pierced with a guitar. Another dancefloor smash! Nom is more guitar laden but the layering of synths is also increased to produce a mesmerising cold dancefloor orientated soundscape. Love it! Des Illusions has a bouncing beat which reminds me of the excellent new music from Opera Multi Steel whilst maintaining a beautiful cold aura. Wow! Entre Nous – I love the way the songs builds from a deft piano loop into a dancefloor smash. Epic Cold Wave. Sauvages – again another powerful yet restrained original masterpiece of Cold Wave music. Le Fil – just when you think it can’t get any more darker and colder it does, stripped down to synths and solid drums we have yet another cold embrace for the dancefloor. Abrutir – This song in places reminds me of classic Poesie Noire which again will turn the dancefloor to ash! L’experience – shows the diversity of Guerre Froid with a more 80’s new wave pop sounding song which would definately appeal to Cure fans. Canal Historique is a fitting opus to bring the album to a close. This is possibly the best release from Guerre Froide so far. Buy it! Play it and keep playing it!
30 – Eine Anthologie – FRAKTURE/SERGEI PAPAIL
Founded in the late 1970’s in Rennes by Sergei Papail, Frakture made Kamikaze punk-rock, mainly sung in german, expressionnist aesthetics, cubist and angular tones… inspired by Bertold Brecht, Otto Dix caricatures and Egon Schiele dislocated silhouettes. The band split in 1983 and reformed around 2004. This collection captures the best tracks of Frakture.
The album opens with Schliesst Die Wände – a punk/new wave track which easily stands shoulder to shoulder with more well known bands of the time. Nagaskind – reminds me of The Stranglers but with Dave Greenfield playing his keyboards on a guitar. Love It! Wasserstoff Bäby – Manic new wave. Die Sackgasse (Epic 1981) – has a hint of Skids Epic! Eis Und Nebel – downtempo new wave ballad. Auskinder – punk guitars and what sounds like a flute fused perfectly reminds me of The 3 Johns. Inventive! Zusamen – has a hint of Spear Of Destiny’s You’ll Never take Me Alive. Burning Rain (10 000 Soleils)– see’s the punk fury left behind and for a change this one is sung in English with almost a hint of Virgin Prunes . Silent World – very experimental. Misshandlungen – is a live recording which reminds me of the excellent band The Opposition. Spaziergang – is new wave song with a sax which has sound which is familiar but hard place from where it was heard before! Fraülein Erika is another live track. Damen Und Chamagner – another live track with sax. Kinheit – a live track. Schwarze Und Licht is again live and has a wide new wave appeal. Vierte Weltkrieg live track which again has the feeling of The Opposition about it. Scarlet Fashion sounds like an 80’s chart hit. Du reminds me of The Teardrop Explodes. In Der Kasernen – is live and the final track on the album and is a deutsche cabaret type ballard.
John Peel would definately have been a big fan of this band! Recommended for fans of punk/new wave, The Stranglers, The Skids, The Opposition, The Teardrop Explodes etc.
The Holy Sides (1991-92) – A SORDID PUPPY
The band formed in the early 90’s and took their name from Siouxsie’s «Poppy Days» and Babel 17 «A Sordid Waste». The CD consists of forgotten demo tapes which now sound like a breath of fresh air! The album opens with Holy Side – vocally reminds me a bit of PIL and very dancefloor friendly. The Old Face – is very Cure like. A great dancefloor track! Les Restes – features a church organ mixed through frenzied new wave guitars. Love it ! Walking Across – again reminds me of The Cure or The Essence and maybe a splash of Joy Division’s Shadowplay. Epic! Silent Stairs – sees the tempo cranked up to 11 what a great track to incinerate any dancefloor. The Square is again Curesque. Nice. From Asylum With Love – starts as a new wave ballard which gets into a Cure vein. Great. The Older Face – Curesque again. Nice. Dive is a 11 minutes long and continues in a Cure fashion but perhaps even better. A great up tempo track that captures the glory of a great 12″ release. Wow! Eros & Agapé – perhaps a hint of Also The Trees. La Chambre – definately a hint of Neva. Dehors Il Y A – has a psychobilly, Les Porte Manteaux, early Noir Desir feel. Great. Inside The Line recommended for fans of Lucie cries. Epic. Un Peu Trop De Gloire – a great song. Love it! Farewell – reminds me of Mary Goes Around. She Falls At The Edge of The Time brings the album to a close with a hint of Bauhaus. An essential album for any fan of Cold Wave, 80’s New Wave, The Cure etc.
Before & After Party – POPOI SDIOH
Born in the 1990’s as Goth Rock band Land Of Passion and then re-emrging in 2003 as Popoï Sdioh. Here is their second release. The album opens with Confusion the perfect for this industrial swamp sound. So– has a hint of classic Land Of Passion mixed with bits of Cop Shoot Cop, Virgin Prunes and La Muerte. Great! Sweet Monsters – sounds like the band Black Atmosphere in a collision with Cop Shoot Cop. Bonobo’s Party – reminds me a bit of The Last Days Of Jesus. Perla Said – has a hint of Jaquay Bitch.Great track! Absolute Iniation – features a deliberate fracturing of the beat which will catch the unfamiliar out on the dancefloor. Very clever track. Nu Flesh – has a very tribalistic Killing Joke feel. Great track. Cafaad – La Muerte with 10.000 volts running through it. Nice. Leftlegcrashtest interesting title for a song, with perhaps a hint of Red Lorry yellow Lorry. My W – The musical rollercoaster ride continues with yet another change of frantic musical direction. Nice. Back To Wawa – sounds like the Virgin Prunes but far more disturbing. Great! S Drag Down – a Gothic Rock tribal fusion with electrodes attached. Bonobo’s Afterparty – a different version with a hint of circus. Bckstg – starts like the usually electro industrial project but turns into a noisey frenzied affair. Musique Pour Bagarre En Ascenseur 1 – more avantgarde and experimental. Quite Bizarre.
If you want something a bit different then this is for you.
Odessa – ODESSA
For the first time on CD, tracks have been gathered from far and wide to bring the definitive collection of this 80’s Cold Wave / Post Punk band to life. Dark Inside – a classic Cold Wave track. Attente – has a Joy Division sparseness without sounding like a clone. Comrad – Great bass hook. Trouble – has a hint of Magazine. Lowly Ceremony -minimalistic wave. Theatre Bolshoi – Cold Wave. In War Time – classic Cold Wave. Africa Korps – a great cold wave track. Les Jeux De La Metamorphose – sees the tempo drop again into minimalistic melancholy. Dark Inside (demo)– sounds a lot more lively than the studio version a great club track. Lights (live) reminds me very much of Siglo XX.
A great introduction to a forgotten band and if you are person who gets excitement from discovering old forgotten bands as much as a great new band you are going to love this release.
A great bunch of releases that even surprised me by the quality and variation of styles. It’s possibly the first time have received such a large number of releases from one label and been able to say I love them all.
In the course of time I am sure Brouillard Définitif will be looked back on with the same fondness as labels like Stiff,2 Tone, 4AD, etc for gathering a varied mixture of artists and trying to be a unique refuge against the storm of (dark) music mediocrity.
Brouillard Définitif is definately an independent label worth getting excited about and completly blows the dust off the sometimes forgotten and the often neglected dark music elegant cadavre which is Cold Wave! I am sure they have even greater releases coming in 2014.
Black Veil 30 Brouillard Définitif label mix
Le Funambule – CONGRES DE VIENNE
D’Hiver En Hiver – SAISON FROIDE
Abrutir – GUERRE FROIDE
In A Somnolence – ODESSA
Auskinder – FRAKTURE
Le Soleil S’est Noye – EXCES NOCTURNE
Walls & Bridges – LIGNE D’HIVER
Sacrilege – NEVA
Nos Heures Mortes – SAISON FROIDE
Everything Is cold – A KIND OF GHOST
Un Peu Trop De Gloire – A SORDID PUPPY
Je Susis D’Alleurs – CONGRES DE VIENNE
Instinct Of Self Preservation – ELYZIUM FOR THE SLEEPLESS SOULS
Nu Flesh – POPOI SDOH
Black Hit Of Space – ELYZIUM FOR THE SLEEPLESS SOULS
La Chambre – A SORDID PUPPY
Nom – GUERRE FROIDE
A Kind Of Ghost – A KIND OF GHOST
Irradie – NEVA
Black Monday – LIGNE D’HIVER
So – POPOI SDOH
Go To The Devil – A KIND OF GHOST
Dark Inside (demo) – ODESSA
Moi Dans Le Silence – EXCES NOCTURNE
Die Sackgasse – FRAKTURE
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