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So Young But So Cold - 2004 June 29, 2008

Posted by pixiecurtis in Electronic, Experimental Rock, French, POP, essencial, french new wave, french singer.
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So Young But So Cold

This well-constructed compilation, is significant not only for opening up these sounds to a larger audience but also for putting a definite perspective on a music scene that was all too short.

It is the late Seventies in Europe. The political tensions of the Sixties are now manifest in the extremes of hedonism and direct action. Youth feels alienated once again, this time its worse with constant violence on the television and industrial upheavals at home.

Urban decimation and Postmodernism at its height, further isolating people from their surroundings. European identity has been eradicated in shame and frustration. But something is happening. Punk Rock in the United Kingdom has shown kids all over the world that its easy for them to release music on independent labels. Current technological trends make access to new electronic instruments (ARP and MS10 among others) easy. In France a new youth culture is born. So Young But So Cold illustrates that trend brilliantly.

It begins with the most poppy tunes and gradually goes back in time, as more instruments are added to each song and the experts (mostly influenced by and creating progressive rock) take over. The first half of the disc the instrumentation is sparse, consisting of drum machine or keyboard and vocals primarily. By the end of the disc the tracks get more (analog) synthesizer oriented and denser in construction.

  1. Suis-Je Normale - Nini Raviolette 00:04:03
  2. Euroman - J.J. Burnel 00:03:29
  3. Roman Photo - Ruth 00:05:02
  4. Disco Rough (Ivan Smagghe Edit) - Mathematiques Modernes 00:04:00
  5. Carnival - Metal Boys 00:01:45
  6. Person To Person - The (Hypothetical) Prophets 00:06:09
  7. Wallenberg - The (Hypothetical) Prophets 00:06:18
  8. So Young But So Cold - Kas Product 00:03:00
  9. Synchro - Charles De Goal 00:04:00
  10. MAE - Artefact 00:03:18
  11. Switch On Bach - Moderne 00:03:08
  12. Triangle - Jacno 00:03:29
  13. Lighthouse - Tim Blake 00:06:47
  14. The Force (Part I) - Droids 00:03:26
  15. Welcome (To Death Row) - Bernard Szajner 00:06:14
  16. Iceland - Richard Pinhas 00:09:38

Muito Bom!

The Hypothetical Prophets - Around The World With The (Hypothetical) Prophets - 1982 June 27, 2008

Posted by pixiecurtis in Experimental Rock, french new wave, synth-pop.
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The Hypothetical Prophets

I like Lead

Person to Person

Fast food

The fisherman’s friend

Around the world with

The White Zone

On the edge

Wallenberg

Back to the Burner

The (Hypothetical) Prophets were an ephemeral French coldwave band consisting of duo Bernard Szajner and Karel Beer. The band formed in 1980 and released a series of 12” singles and one full length record before their quick demise.

Despite a short discography, the band’s craft was unique. Singing in both their native tongue as well as English and alternating between male and female vocals, the the dozen or so songs recorded under this name are haunting minimal wave at its finest, a mixture of harsh electronic experimentation and catchy pulses of synth. more: Systems of Romance.blogspot