Minimal Synth

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

http://www.darkentriesrecords.com/

Hands

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)

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-21st-august-2025

DARK ENTRIES w/ Josh Cheon 210825

BUY VINYL: evelynemasao.bandcamp.com

Evelyne/Masao bring Testpattern to Dark Entries for the label’s first foray into vintage Japanese electronics. Masao Hiruma and Fumio Ichimura’s project Testpattern is known for their release Apres-Midi, a cult slab of synthpop perfection released by Yukihiro Takahashi and Haruomi Hosono’s legendary Yen Records in 1982. While Hiruma and Ichimura parted ways following Apres-Midi, Hiruma’s musical endeavors would continue after meeting French/American model and vocalist Evelyne Bennu in 1984 at a café bar where she would sit and write poetry. Their collaborative efforts as Evelyne/Masao were fruitful, and the duo first performed together in June 1984 on a television program called TOKYO ROCK TV. The album Testpattern comprises seventeen songs recorded in Hiruma’s home studio, which have never been released previously. The Evelyne/Masao duo continues building on the soundworld of Apres-Midi: lush, sophisticated electronics with intricate yet minimalist production. Tracks like “Sakuramochi” and “Bird Island” bear influence from Hosono most clearly, their soaring melodies revealing a subtly ironic redeployment of East Asian musical tropes. But Testpattern is more than homage to Yellow Magic Orchestra. “Tabac” and “Le Soleil Se Leve” display oddball sensibilities closer to Sky Records icons Asmus Tietchens or Cluster. Elsewhere, the project shows affinity for the punkier ethos of continental DIY electronics, like on the quirky “Alien Go Home” and a positively skewed cover of “Singin’ in the Rain.” Bennu’s vocals provide a common thread through these explorations, as she alternates deftly between New Wave deadpan and unhinged chanson singer—check her waxing maximally Francophone on “Au Clair de Lune,” based on an 18th century French song. Testpattern will be available on both double LP as well as CD, and includes a fold-out poster with liner notes with lyrics. This album is dedicated to Masao Hiruma, who passed away in 2011. 

Evelyne / Masao - Testpattern SOUNDCLIPS

BUY VINYL: brown-angel.bandcamp.com

Brown Angel descends upon Dark Entries with Pure Brown Energy, an EP featuring 6 tracks of gloom-laced electro-funk and retro house. Pure Brown Energy was born when San Francisco-based producer and Hard French collective member Brown Angel was faced with a gift and a loss: an original Roland TR-808 was given to them around the same time that their father passed away. To process their grief, they set about making an album that showcased the many facets of their being, in their words:  “my gay tío side, my Latin goth side, my cruising down the boulevard side, and most of all my soft vulnerable side.” From slamming vogue/ballroom house to cumbia-inflected freestyle, Pure Brown Energy channels club sounds both contemporary and timeless, while centering the most eternal electronic instrument of all: the TR-808. Opener “Miel” grooves with the effortlessness of peak-era Masters at Work or vintage Kevin Saunderson, while “Dame Más” dials up the energy even further. The influences of Miami bass and West Coast electro shine through on “Maya” and “Love Me Right,” which pair razor-sharp beats with a flurry of samples culled from Brown Angel’s record collection. “PBE” and “En Movimiento” take the Planet Rock vibes to another level, combining influences from contemporary cumbia and reggaeton sounds with Brown Angel’s Latin goth flair. Each copy comes in a sleeve designed by Ricardo Diseño featuring illustrations inspired by Teen Angels, a popular 1980’s Chicano magazine. Pure Brown Energy brings a sense of urgency to the dancefloor, unreluctantly examining the crossover between creation and loss, between celebration and sorrow. But don’t forget: these cuts also slap.

Brown Angel - Pure Brown Energy SNIPS

Residency show broadcasted live at Radio Tempo Não Pára (20.09.2025)

Artist: @blodheinie

From the way knak w/ Blöd Heinie @ Radio TNP 20.09.2025

Nagamatzu - Lift Off
Tom Carruthers - Cold World
Art Academy - Energie
Anne Clark - Sleeper in Metropolis
Visage - Pleasure Boys (Razormaid Remix)
Mark Grusane - Klub Nacht
Marcel Dettmann - DMT
Tobias Bernstrup - Hitman
Innershades - Tactics
Boytronic - Tonight (Alternate Mix)
Juan Ramos - Hard Bois ft. Kris Baha
Soft Cell - Martin (The Hacker Remix)

====================

BIO

Josh Cheon grew up in northern New Jersey, just outside New York City where he spent his weekends dancing at goth clubs and digging for records. He moved to San Francisco in 2006 and joined gay DJ collective Honey Soundsystem from 2007 to 2017. His love of underground ‘80s music pushed him to start Dark Entries in 2009, a record label specializing in reissuing lost music from that era as well as contemporary bands referencing those analog sounds. 

Website: http://www.darkentriesrecords.com/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/darkentriesrecords/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkEntriesRecords/
RA: https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/joshcheon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkentriesrecords/

@darkentriesrecords
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Listen to Mechanical Breakdown on KEXP, hosted by Sharlese, every Saturday AM (Friday night) from 1-3 AM PST // 10 AM - 12 PM CET || www.kexp.org/shows/mechanical-breakdown/

Josh Cheon of Dark Entries Guest Mix for Mechanical Breakdown on KEXP

Renée van Trier - Synthesizer (Legowelt Masterclassssss)

Bézier - Decompose SOUND CLIPS

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.

From host: _"Tribute to Keith McIvor"_ 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/dark-entries-record/episodes/dark-entries-record-16th-october-2025

DARK ENTRIES w/ Josh Cheon 161025

Du ser saker som inte finns

Kremlyn - Rutinas

I'm going to upload a series of 'mixes' over the coming weeks of music that I find particularly calming. I will try to make these one hour sessions filled with beautiful music that is helpful and calming to listen to while we get through this extraordinarily hard time. The music here definitely helps me feel less anxious. I have just segued it together so the credit is really all due to the wonderful souls who made the tracks I used. It is also available as a 320 download. Tracklisting -

Takashi Kokubo - A Dream Sails Out To Sea part 1
Mkwaju Ensemble - Lemore
Hiroshi Yoshimura - 小川にそって
Yumiko Morioko - Rainbow Gate 
Haruomi Hosono - Fujitsubo
Inoyoama Land - Glass Chaim
Inoyama Land - Pokala (remix)
Popol Vuh - Ah!
Justus Köhncke and Fred Heimermann - Albatros
Nuno Canavarro - Blu Terra
Erik Satie - Gnossienne No. 1
World Standard - Rozo, Du Pecoj
Testpattern - Souvenir Glacé

JD Twitch - Tranquility Mix 1

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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