Minimal Synth

Out mid October as part of a vinyl full length on Dark Entries Records.

http://www.darkentriesrecords.com/

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PRE-ORDER HERE: http://www.darkentriesrecords.com/store/dark-entries/patrick-cowley-school-daze-2xlp/

"Nightcrawler" is taken from "School Daze", a retrospective double LP of disco pioneer Patrick Cowley.

This very special LP features a compilation of restored Cowley productions unearthed in the garage of vintage gay porn company Fox Studio. Spanning nearly 90 minutes, the 11 tracks (originally recorded between 1973 and 1981), epitomize Cowley's forward thinking and his affinity for mixing elements of varying styles of music. 
 
Simply put, Cowley was a musical trailblazer ahead of his time. His approach to making music was an experiment of sound and with his since exploration he forged a new electronic sound and style, cementing his position as a key player in the creation of hi-NRG dance music and the San Francisco Sound. 

His credits as a producer include Sylvester's "Do You Wanna Funk", Paul Parker's "Right on Target" and collaborations with Jorge Socarras of Indoor Life - this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

An early victim of AIDS, Cowley passed away at the age of 32; these recordings shine a new light on the experimental side of a disco legend who was taken too soon from us. 

School Daze will be released on what would be his 63rd birthday, October 19th. All proceeds from the release will go to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

Perhaps one of the most revolutionary and influential people in the cannon of disco music, Cowley created his own brand of Hi-NRG dance music coined "The San Francisco Sound." Born in Buffalo, NY on October 19, 1950, Patrick moved to San Francisco at the age of 21. He studied at the City College of San Francisco where he founded the Electronic Music Lab. During this time Patrick createe radio jingles and electronic pieces using the school's equipment, first a Putney, then an E-MU System and finally a Serge synthesizer. He made experimental instrumental songs by blending various types of music and adapting them to the synthesizer.

By the mid-70's, Patrick's synthesizer skills landed him a job composing and producing songs for disco superstar Sylvester such as “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)”, “Dance Disco Heat” and "Stars." This helped Patrick obtain more work as a remixer and producer. Of particular note was his 18-minute long remix of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love” and production work with edgy New Wave band Indoor Life. By 1981 Patrick released a string of dance 12" singles, like “Menergy” and “Megatron Man”, creating the soundtrack for a generation. Also that year, he founded Megatone Records and released his debut album. Around this time Patrick was hospitalized and diagnosed with a then-unknown illness: that would later be called AIDS. Prior to his passing on November 12, 1982, he recorded two more Hi-NRG hits, “Do You Wanna Funk” for Sylvester and "Right On Target" for Paul Parker.

In 1981 Patrick was contacted by John Coletti, the owner of famed gay porn company Fox Studio in Los Angeles. John had heard about Patrick's music from the legendary Sylvester and proposed he write music for his films. Patrick jumped on this offer and sent reels of his college compositions from the 70s to John in LA. Coletti then used a variable speed oscillator to adjust the pitch and speed of Patrick's songs in-sync with the film scene. "School Daze" is a collection of Cowley's instrumental songs recorded between 1973 and 1981 found in the Fox Studio vaults. Influenced by Tomita, Wendy Carlos and Giorgio Moroder, Patrick forged an electronic sound from his collection of synthesizers, modified guitars and self-constructed equipment. The listener enters a world of dark forbidden vices, introspective and reflective of Patrick's time spent in the bathhouses of San Francisco. The songs on "School Daze" range from sparse proto- techno to high octane funk to somber post-punk to musique concrete, revealing the depth of Cowley's unique talent.

Featuring over 80 minutes of music, this compilation contains soundtrack music from two Fox Studio films, "Muscle Up" and "School Daze", never before released on vinyl. The tapes were restored and transferred using the same speed and pitch settings, then remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. The vinyl comes housed in a glossy dual pocket gatefold featuring classic gay porn imagery from the Fox Studio vaults plus an essay from Indoor Life vocalist, Jorge Soccarras. For Patrick's 63rd birthday, Dark Entries and Honey Soundsystem present a glimpse into the instrumental world of a young genius. These recordings shine a new light on the experimental side of a disco legend who was taken too soon. All proceeds from "School Daze" will be donated to Project Open Hand and the AIDS Housing Alliance.

Patrick Cowley - Nightcrawler

MR-007 Guyer’s Connection
Guyer’s Connection were a Swiss duo that started making electronic music in 1982.  Tibor Csebits and Philippe Alioth were merely 14 and 15 years old and were armed with simply 2 synths, a drum machine, and a 4-track tape recorder.  They are best known for their highly-sought after self-produced and released album “Portrait” in 1983.  It is now considered a classic minimal synth pop masterpiece.  Several other members joined the band in 1984 and worked together for some time.  Philippe Alioth has been very active in the music business writing, producing, and running a Swiss studio as well as running a Swiss label (Sonic Content).  This extraordinary collection of tracks was discovered in a dark recess of Philippe’s achives of 4-track tapes in his studio.  The tapes were recorded from 1982 to 1984 but were rediscovered in 2005.  A portion of the songs were restored/remixed/remastered.  The German record label Kernkrach released the tracks in 2005 in a limited viny-only pressing of 330 copies.  This sought-after release has long been out of print.  Medical Records in collaboration with Philippe Alioth is proud to present another presentation of these glorious tracks.  Featuring 13 tracks (including several never before released and a few reworked versions of tracks released in 2005), this will appeal to all lovers of minimal synth, electro-pop, flexi-pop, and the like.  Standout tracks include the vocoder tinged “Discoqueen II”, the hyper-catchy “Ar Isch Schon”, and a slightly modified version of “He Sabine!”.  New tracks include an interpretation of a German children’s song and “Macky Messer” featuring words by Kurt Weill.  The LP features newly created front and back artwork.  Presented on 180gm green vinyl in a limited edition of 600 hand-numbered copies. Released: July, 2011 - LP Sold Out, Digital Available.

Guyer’s Connection - He Sabine! (MR-007)

A retrospective compilation of the last 12 months of Katabatik releases. Curated by Identity Theft. 

KTBTK 021 : July 2023
KTBTK 022 : August 2023
KTBTK 023 : September 2023
KTBTK 024 : October 2023
KTBTK 025 : November 2023
KTBTK 026 : December 2023
KTBTK 027 : January 2024
KTBTK 028 : February 2024
KTBTK 029 : March 2024
KTBTK 030 : April 2024
KTBTK 031 : May 2024
KTBTK 032 : June 2024

KTBTK 029 : Sqwyrm - Taken

KTBTK 021 : Ceremonial Abyss - Moonlight

Futr Temple

Dark Entries reissues archival and contemporary gems that prove to be crucial to our modern idea of bodily music that exists out of time. Electro, italo, cold wave, new beat, house, techno from a one-of-a-kind digger who visits dusty basements to rescue lost tapes. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/dark-entries-record/episodes/dark-entries-record-24th-july-2025

DARK ENTRIES w/ Josh Cheon 240725

Let's have a party! HI NRG just celebrated one year of serving coffee full time, and we could think of no better way to celebrate than to have San Francisco's own prince of sleaze, Josh Cheon, lend his talents behind the decks. Recorded live from our one year anniversary party, enjoy nearly two full hours of funky disco, italian boogie, and Dark Entries rarities. Enjoy!

HI NRG RADIO VOL. 4 - Josh Cheon

RA.1000 launches with Theo Parrish, live at fabric: a vanishingly rare club mix from the king of deep crates and impossible transitions.

There are DJ sets and then there are Theo sets. No matter how many times you've caught him in action, every time still feels like the first. Running hot, levels smoking, isolator working over time. You think you know dance music? Think again.

Parrish's long-awaited debut on the RA Podcast is a milestone for the series, one we've sought for over 15 years. So it was only right that Theo led off our 1000th celebrations, the first of ten mixes this week. Recorded live at fabric last December as part of RA's collaborative party with the London club for their 25th anniversary, this three-hour segment documents the crescendo of his eight-hour marathon. 

The Detroit legend doesn't release mixes often, and when he does, they're usually studio recordings: think NTS shows, his 100% Detroit edition of DJ-Kicks or classic tapes Body (1997) and Methods of Movement (2020). A capture of the Sound Signature boss on the dancefloor is hard to come back. On RA.1000, you'll hear Theo in his element.

Sure, there's galvanising build-ups and crowd-pleasers, but laced throughout a Parrish beatdown are rarities designed to shock the system. In a business dominated by image-driven marketing, the vinyl master towers above thanks to a relentless hunger for lustrous melodies, moods and textures of all stripes, which he and he alone can fold into an inspiring and exhilarating joyride.

On RA.1000, blissful reggae precedes new wave disco; '80s R&B morphs into synthy techno; bleepy Chicago jack makes way for a poignant vocal ballad. Theo, once again, proves that anything and everything is possible with the right records.

@theoparrish @fabric @soundsignaturedetroit @crownruler

Listen to all RA.1000 mixes, as well as the complete history of the RA Podcast, at https://1000.ra.co

RA.1000 Theo Parrish

For RA.1000, DJ Sprinkles' first mix in over a decade is a powerful meditation on the genocide in Gaza.

Dance music often relies on simple narratives: release, escape, unity. But those narratives can often feel inadequate, and even at times, hollow. Or, as Terre Thaemlitz might bluntly put it, just "shitty."

For her first mix in around 15 years, Terre Thaemlitz AKA DJ Sprinkles, challenges us to think differently. "I felt this 1000th podcast should reflect the moment in which it was made," she told us in her Q&A.

And what is this moment? Every day since Israel's 2023 assault on Gaza began, an average of 28 children have been killed. That's an entire classroom, every day, for over 600 days (at the time of writing). It's a staggering figure that only captures a fragment of the listless cruelty imposed on the strip.

Faced with such a genocide, what can music really do? How political can it truly be?  For their RA.1000, Thaemlitz gives us an unflinching rebuke to the idea that music should provide escapism. The mix weaves ambient fragments and jazz passages, woven around samples from Israeli media and the voices of outspoken Jewish critics like Gabor Maté and Norman Finkelstein. 

The result is not just a protest, but a document of our time. For Terre Thaemlitz, music is never just music. Her RA.1000 serves as a reminder that in an age of relentless suffering, the most political act is to reject the illusion of escape, and search for something greater.

Read the interview and find the tracklist at ra.co/podcast/1013. Listen to all RA.1000 mixes, as well as the complete history of the RA Podcast, at https://1000.ra.co

RA.1000 Terre Thaemlitz (AKA DJ Sprinkles)

One of the enduring powerhouses of our era returns for RA.1000 with a riotous mix.

When Helena Hauff made her first RA Podcast appearance back in 2013, she was on the eve of releasing her debut production on Actress' Werkdiscs imprint. In the 12 years that have elapsed, she's become not just a household name within electronic music, but the kind of rare talent that lives in seclusion from industry tumultt.

(Hauff, enviously, has never even owned a smartphone.)

Her calling card continues to be her penchant for rough and ready EBM, electro and new wave. Her unique ability is creating a singular listening experience from disparate or out-of-favour tracks, with a raw immediacy that functions as a redress to over-choreographed modern DJing.

Her outsider approach is on show once again for RA.1000. Threaded together by strobe-lit DIY electronica, old-school acid house and corrosive machine funk that chews up the ear, the nearly two-hour set raises the bar once again.

In the sci-fi themed first half, Hauff drops two Cybotron tracks, nodding to Juan Atkins' blueprint for electro. You'll also hear "Riot" by Underground Resistance, the definitive mission statement for a world ablaze. This is musical anarchism, executed to the highest degree.

Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1017. Listen to all RA.1000 mixes, as well as the complete history of the RA Podcast, at https://1000.ra.co

RA.1000 Helena Hauff

Du ser saker som inte finns

Kremlyn - Rutinas

http://www.discogs.com/Intolerance-Intolerance/release/4289830

INTOLERANCE s/t LP
Synthetic Shadows 2013
SS04

Originally released in 1985 on nearly-impossibile to find demo-tape. Now finally available on vinyl thanks to Synthetic Shadows label.


Gli Intolerance nascono nel settembre 1983, da un´idea di Luca Musso (Cuneo), Marco Marongiu (Busca) e Paolo Chiotasso (Torino), musicisti orbitanti intorno ai vari conservatori del Piemonte (Cuneo e Torino), alla Facoltà di Architettura di Torino e, soprattutto, allo SMET (Studio di Musica Elettronica di Torino) fondato da Enore Zaffiri nel 1964. Obiettivo (e scommessa) fu quello di partecipare al primo concerto per suoni emergenti della provincia di Cuneo (a Sant´Albano Stura) dove, tra partecipanti e pubblico, saranni presenti alcuni tra i futuri protagonisti della futura scena cuneese e nazionale (Cristiano Godano per esempio). Questo primo concerto fu eseguito integralmente in playback, data l´impossibilità di eseguire LIVE i 2 pezzi presentati, per il gran numero di sovraincisioni e mixaggi su Revox A77 e la mancanza vera e propria di sintetizzatori polifonici (in quel momento avevamo a disposizione unicamente un piano elettrico Rhodes, la drumatix 606, un ARP Odissey monofonico e una Stratocaster). Dopo un discreto successo e curiosità suscitati da questa apparizione live, si trattò di decidere se dare seguito al progetto e dare vita ad un gruppo vero e proprio. Quindi scegliere una nuova strumentazione, trovare una voce solista etc....per dare una precisa connotazione alla musica e al gruppo. Punti di riferimento culturali/musicali sono stati i Suicide, i Daf, i Throbbing Gristle, i Joy Division, la nuova scena internazionale postunk/new wave, la scena musicale elettronica tedesca degli anni 60/70 e, in generale, tutto il panorama contemporaneo d´avanguardia del ´900, non solo musicale, ma architettonico ed artistico nel suo complesso. Si decide di mantenere la formazione a 3 elementi, formazione totalmente elettronica (nessun basso, chitarra o batteria) e di scegliere Raffaella Risso come nuova voce solista e front man (?) del gruppo. Da subito si è dimostrato impossibile avere come membro stabile Paolo, dato i suoi interessi artistici/musicali legati ad altri settori ed espressioni. La strumentazione usata nei 2 primi anni (che è quella usata nell´audiocassetta della SPN) è la seguente: Roland JX-3P, Roland Juno-106, Roland Sh-101 e l´immancabile Drumatrix TR-606. Fra la fine dell´83 e la fine dell´84 vengono composti alcuni tra i pricipali pezzi della produzione degli Intolerance, che rimarranno sempre presenti nei live del gruppo. In questo periodo si inizia a dare interviste a radio locali, suonare dal vivo (pochi concerti in zona; ad Ottobre 1984 addirittura a Pisa, nello storico Victor Charlie, in un´inedita formazione a 2 per l´occasione, il sottoscritto e la cantante). Avvengono in questo periodo 2 incontri fondamentali per gli Intolerance: con Ivan Rosso e Leonardo Borghese. Ivan sarà per i prossimi anni, pur non musicista, un membro di fatto della formazione. Grande amico e assoluto primo fan degli Intolerance, si è occupato, oltre che dei live set durante i concerti e delle foto, di procurarci contatti con le radio, gli organizzatori di concerti a con le riviste. Mi ricordo ancora adesso il viaggio fino a Cairo Montenotte, presso la redazione di Rockerilla (probabilmente 84) per consegnare il demo della nostra musica a Mario Rivera, che ci frutterà la prima recensione del gruppo. E la prima intervista a Radio Fossano, di cui Cristiano Godano era uno dei Dj. Leonardo Borghese è stato il "padre", il “deus ex machina”, il principale animatore della cosiddetta "scena cuneese". Iniziando a lavorare nelle radio locali, ha iniziato a far conoscere a Cuneo e provincia le nuove realtà musicali italiane e internazionali. In seguito, con la suo etichetta indipendente “Suoni dal Profondo Nord”, ha prodotto i primi lavori di tutti i principali gruppi della zona, e ha creato di fatto il background ottimale per far conoscere questi gruppi in Italia. Infaticabile promoter ed organizzatore, insieme ad Alberto Castoldi, dei 2 principali concerti/eventi musicali di quegli anni a Cuneo: Movimenti 86 e Movimenti 87, il primo con i migliori gruppi della scena locale, il secondo, vero e proprio festival, con i corrispettivi nazionali allora più blasonati: CCCP, Litfiba, Not Moving etc...
Intanto, parallelamente agli Intolerance, siamo impegnati anche con lo SMET, con concerti, partecipazioni a concorsi e seminari (in particolare il seminario, della durata di una settimana, che si tiene tenuto a Villa Amoretti (Parco Rignon. Torino) nell´autunno dell´84. Questo primo periodo degli Intolerance trova compimento nell´85 con il primo concerto al Macabre (storico locale di Bra, dove negli anni hanno suonato i Marlene Kuntz, Vinicio Capossela, i Denovo, White Zombies, Nico, Diaframma etc...), la registratione e l´uscita dell´audiocassetta prodotta dalla SPN e la fuoriuscita di Antonella dal gruppo (estate 85). Il materiale è stato registrato a Saluzzo da Lorenzo Balangero, chitarrista dei Dottor Sax, su un otto piste nello scantinato di casa. La registrazione è avvenuta nell'inverno dell´85, ed ha permesso di fissare su nastro queste sonorità fredde, minimali e più sperimentali, tipiche del periodo. Non sono presenti remissaggi, arrangiamenti diversi o particolari sovraincisioni, per cercare di essere più fedeli possibile all´idea di partenza. Con l´uscita di Antonella dalla formazione (per ragioni che mi sono sfuggite allora e che contituano a sfuggirmi ancora adesso, a distanza di 30 anni) si chiude il periodo sperimentale e creativo del gruppo, precocemente ed in maniera inaspettata. Il periodo che segue sarà quello di maggior "visibilità" e, forse, "successo" degli Intolerance, quello del vinile per VM Cinque per intenderci, ma si tratterà quasi sempre di nuovi arrangiamenti del materiale dell´ 83/85, senza particolari novità. Di seguito, velocemente, i dati relativi ai successivi 2 anni di attività del gruppo. IIª metà dell´85: la nuova formazione include Andrea Borsalino (basso e seconda voce, ex Diplay) e Peter Soro (chitarra). Registrazione di Noradreanalin per la compilation "A Place To Survive" della SPN. Concerti.
1986: concerti al Macabre di Bra, a Erba e a Torino. Intervista per VM di Milano. In Marzo entriamo in studio di registrazione (Emanuele Ruffinego, REM Studio) a Bra per il master dei 4 pezzi che saranno pubblicati da VM di Milano. Aprile: uscita di VM Cinque (Box Set, 2 Lp, Ltd 600 copie) dove sono pubblicati i 4 pezzi precedentemente registrati. Partecipazione a Movimenti ´86 a Cuneo (altra iniziativa di Leonardo Borghese, concerto con i migliori gruppi piemontesi). (Importante) Incontro con Fabrizio della Porta di Radio Torino Popolare, di cui saremo spesso ospiti nella sua trasmissione il lunedì sera.
1987: Di fatto anno di chiusura dell´attività degli Intolerance. Qualche concerto ed intervista radiofonica. Sei pezzi vengono pubblicati sull´audio cassetta allegata alla fanzine Amen - THX 1138 di Milano (Amen This is Religgion N° 6, 2000 copie). Partecipazione a Movimenti ´87 (11, 12 e 13 settembre, Parco della Gioventù di Cuneo), con la presenza di "tutto" il rock indipendente italiano (CCCP, Litfiba, Denovo, Not Moving etc...)
Per l´occasione gli Intolerance presentano una nuova line-up, nuovamente un trio, con un terzo tastierista, X Giraudo, ex Display.
Luca Musso viene a mancare il 4 giugno 1992 e la partita si chiude definitivamente. 

Marco Marongiu

INTOLERANCE - Noradrenaline [1985 ITALY MINIMAL-SYNTH]

A mixture of 50%  Brotman and Short and 97% Group Rhoda.

Max is based in Oakland and has been a part of various projects most notably Brotman and Short and his current solo work as Business Etiquette.  Mara is based in San Francisco and is known for her solo work as Group Rhoda.  The collaboration between us has revealed itself to be symbiotic in its nature and will continue indefinitely.

We love drum machines, waves, echo and space.  Who doesn't?   We attempt to maintain an awareness towards our physiology, our desires and our relation to animals, plants and minerals.   To create a space where our outwardly interests and interaction deeply inform and inspire our sonic explorations.

Le Cliché · Limerick (Ireland) Barcelona (Catalunya)

Hands

Max and Mara

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