synthpop Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft “Für immer”

sfilzen — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:34:12 +0000

Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft “Für immer” 1982. The album cover reminds me of that trend “tell me you’re 80’s euro-synthpop without saying you’re 80’s euro-synthpop” ie it’s dripping in electronic beep-boops, sparse drums (machine + real thing), though there is a mix of bright 80’s neon energy and dark industrial goth. We picked up Für immer last week in Berlin, I think at the weird 33rpm store. It was D.A.F.’s (translates as “German-American Friendship”) fifth LP; they formed in Düsseldorf in ’78, no doubt influenced by Kraftwerk. Their specific genre is described as Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave) which feels a bit more industrial than most British or American new wave and artists in the NDW genre were big influences on the EBM movement. D.A.F. are also lumped in with the electropunk and art punk descriptions but this LP is, to me, synthpop/industrial; overall it’s not hypnotic enough to be EBM. Anyway, it’s great! The opener “Im Dschungel der Liebe” (“Jungle of Love”) is straight-up new wave/synthpop with delightful plink plunks to accent the bleep bloops. “Ein bisschen Krieg” (“A Little War”), the second track, does a sharp turn into industrial territory (this one does veer to EBM). One of my top tracks, “Verlieb dich in mich” (“Fall in Love with Me”) is 1000% Devo inspired, as is “Kebabträume” (“Kebab Dreams” – which is hilarious based on our continuous dreams of the Doner kebab we consumed in Berlin). “Prinzessin” (“Princess”) takes another dark turn, though this a bit more Cure-esque in its swirly late -night atmosphere.

I couldn’t find any live performances or videos from Für immer so here’s a contemporary video of “Liebe auf den ersten Blick” off their 1981 LP Gold und Liebe featuring most excellent 80’s style dancing.

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Arcadia “The Promise”

sfilzen — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:24:31 +0000

Arcadia “The Promise” 1986. Today is Simon LeBon’s birthday (b. 1958)! “The Promise” was the third single from the Duran side project Arcadia’s 1985 album So Red the Rose. It went to #37 in the UK – I don’t think it charted in the US (though I loved it, and the entire record which I bought pretty much on its release date, November 18th 1985). “The Promise” features guitar work from Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and uncredited, but obvious, backing vocals by Sting. From wiki: “Sometime during the band’s stay in Paris to record So Red the Rose, they went to see a Sting concert there, and decided it would be interesting to have him come over and sing on the album, mainly because they liked the combination of Sting’s and lead singer Simon Le Bon’s voices on the “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” single by Band Aid, and wanted to see what would result from putting them together again. Sting was very amicable about the whole idea, and it turned out to be one of the band’s favourite moments on the record.” The b-side to the single is the gothic instrumental “Rose Arcana.”

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Soft Cell “Non-Stop Extended Cabaret”

sfilzen — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 17:30:21 +0000

Soft Cell “Non-Stop Extended Cabaret” 2024, limited edition Record Store Day release which I’m spinning today in honor of David Ball who died on Wednesday (b. 1959 d. October 22 2025). Non-Stop Extended Cabaret is a modern look back at their classic debut Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981) which went to #22 in the US and to #5 in the UK. The lead single from the LP, “Tainted Love” (originally performed by Gloria Jones, 1964) went to #1 in the UK and to #8 in the US. I feel somewhat responsible for part of its success: as a 10 year old me and my friend pestered the local radio dj’s on the request line relentlessly to spin the track. The version on this RSD release is a 2021 10″ extended version by Dave Ball. From the RSD website about the record: “This release was created by Dave Ball using only the original studio parts – they’re not remixes, they’re extended versions! Also included are a new reworking of their first single for Phonogram, “A Man Can Get Lost,” and the new, previously unreleased remixes of its flipside, “Memorabilia,” by The Hacker and Daniel Miller.” Soft Cell released two other singles from their debut which get an extended mix as well: “Bedsitter” which went to #4 in the UK (from Wiki: it is “a song that explored the underbelly of the London club scene of the time, it has been described by critic Jon Savage as one of the greatest songs of the 1980s”) and “Say Hello Wave Goodbye” (#3 in the UK and ranked no. 65 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 100 Best Songs of 1982). I also like the dark wave vibe of “Youth (Dave Ball’s 2018 ‘Wasted On The Young’ Mix)” and dark, super-seedy “Sex Dwarf (2023 Extended Version).”

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The Quilz “Are You Still Out Tonight?”

sfilzen — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 19:29:31 +0000

The Quilz “Are You Still Out Tonight?” split 7″ with Xposed 4Heads “Ultra Cloud” 2020. Milwaukee synthpop /new wave retro 80’s mash up: each band performs their original track along with a remix/redo of the other’s song. We caught The Quilz last weekend at our neighborhood park’s annual Pumpkin Pavilion, where they performed an electric selection of spooky – but danceable! – Halloween-adjacent songs.

The Quilz’s “Are You Still Out Tonight?” is electro-dream pop, shimmery bright with a few dark-edged touches and nods to the early 80’s Euro-synthpop sound. The Xposed 4Heads version of the track has a driving beat and bass background, making it way less dreamy and much more urgent, but keeps the synthpop vibe. Xposed 4Heads are heavily influenced by Devo so their “Ultra Cloud” absolutely has that keyboard/guitar 80’s dancey space geek mood. The Quliz’s remix sounds pretty similar to the original, with maybe a bit more emphasis on the bleep-bloop synths plus an intro that maybe had some Duran nods (always a good thing). Both bands are fun to see live – I don’t remember if they’ve done a joint show but it would be a good one.

While neither of these songs is on this video, here’s a bit of The Quilz performance from last week filmed by man-about-Milwaukee Juan:

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Duran Duran “Thanks Again”

sfilzen — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:55:41 +0000

Duran Duran “Thanks Again” 2025, bootleg double LP. Today, June 20th, is John Taylor’s 65th birthday (b. 1960). Thanks Again is a collection of alternative takes/live versions of cover songs that originally appeared on their 1995 LP Thank You. I’m sure a bunch of this stuff has been available on other releases or bootlegs; a possibly different version of Thanks Again was released on CD in 2023 that collected recording sessions from 1992-1995 (I don’t have that CD so cannot confirm). I do have a CD of Thank You and I think that some of the alternative versions on Thanks Again are even better than what appears on that album. “White Lines (Version 2)” has the same ass-shakey-funky beat with a different vocal sound from Simon that I quite like. Their take on Zeppelin’s “Thank You” is pretty epic. The acoustic version of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” is lovely. Some aren’t as good: Both the regular and acoustic covers of The Doors’ “Crystal Ship” are pretty muddy and “Success” (written by Bowie, originally performed by Iggy Pop) is messy. I’m totally weirded out by their cover of Public Enemy’s “911 is a Joke” – it’s a cover viewed through the lens of The Rolling Stones in their Sticky Fingers era, complete with harmonica and twangy blues guitar. There are some Duran originals on Thanks Again, though alternative takes from the originals: two versions of “Electric Barbarella” – acoustic and “plastic kiss acoustic mix.” This album is also the only place I have “Dreamboy” which was written by Simon LeBon that is on the 1998 soundtrack for Love Kills starring Mario Van Peebles and Lesley Ann Warren (I haven’t seen that movie), as well as “Plastic Girl,” an unreleased song recorded during demo sessions for the album Medazzaland between 1995and 1997. I’m happy to have this in my rather impressive Duran collection but it’s really only for nerds like me with the uneven sound quality and questionable release background.

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Duran Duran “Danse Macabre De Luxe Zoetrope”

sfilzen — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 17:41:30 +0000

Duran Duran “Danse Macabre De Luxe Zoetrope” 2025, picture disc EP, limited edition Record Store Day release. Yesterday, June 8th, was Nick Rhodes’ birthday (b. 1962) so I’m taking this new acquisition to my extensive D2 collection for a spin. The seven-song EP is a collection of remixes (or re-remixes) of tracks from their 2023 Halloween-themed Danse Macabre LP, which itself had remixes (and covers) of some of their older songs, plus some “new” material, all of which appeared in the 2023 Danse box set edition. The cover songs include “Evil Woman” by ELO” and “Spooky” made popular by Classics IV in 1967 and sung on Duran’s version by The Brides of Dracula (Rachel O’Connor and Anna Ross). New(ish) D2 originals include the instrumentals “The Visitor” and “Mask of the Pink Death” (D2 original from ’23), “Dialogues Of The Dead,” and the instructional (and extra creepy) spoken word “Instructions for a Séance.” Best of the bunch is “New Moon (Dark Phase),” which is a particularly spooky rendition of “New Moon on Monday” (1983). It’s supposed to be an interactive picture disk experience, with instructions on the liner notes to “view under a strobe light set to 30Hz in a dark room.” I do not have a strobe light so tried it with a bright light and phone (other options listed)…I couldn’t get the lighting right, apparently, because you’re supposed to see this.

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Duran Duran “The Wedding Album”

sfilzen — Thu, 22 May 2025 18:19:50 +0000

Duran Duran “The Wedding Album” 1993. Today, May 22nd, is my and Joe’s anniversary – 26 years! And it’s World Goth Day..while Duran’s seventh studio LP (actually named Duran Duran but everyone knows it as The Wedding Album) is not at all gothy, the record is still perfect today. This is a reissue on gold vinyl – I think the vinyl release was pretty limited back in ’93. It went to #4 in the UK and to #7 in the US. I really wasn’t listening to much D2 in ’93 and certainly not any new material so I’m mostly familiar with this record in retrospect. But it does have what is now one of my favorite all-time Duran songs, “Ordinary World.” Live, it’s magic and I think they’ve performed it at every concert I’ve been to. It was the first single released from the LP and hit the top 10 virtually everywhere in the world. It’s a near perfect song: sad and sophisticated, glorious and anthemic. The second single released, “Come Undone,” is sexy as hell; it also was a hit going to #7 in the US and #13 in the UK. I’m actually not too familiar with a couple of the other singles they released from The Wedding Album: the rocker “Too Much Information” (#35 UK, #45 US), “Drowning Man” (only released as a single in the US) and “None of the Above” (Japan-only). However, the cover of Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale” I clearly am familiar with – it was only released as a single in France. That track, and its video, do happen to be quite gothy.

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Information Society “Information Society”

sfilzen — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 20:56:12 +0000

Information Society “Information Society” 1988. Tommy Boy Records. Dancey synthpop, the Minneapolis-based band’s debut album. It went to #25 on the US charts, mostly on the strength of their first single, the massive hit “What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy).” I loved this song so much when it came out the spring of ’88. It’s high (pure) energy electronic dance music; it went to #3 on the US single chart and to #1 on the dance charts. It also samples Leonard Nimoy’s Spock from the Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy” (1967). The rest of the LP is mostly OK! especially when InSoc sticks to the dancey synth pop stuff. The single “Walking Away” is one I vaguely remember from ’88 – it went to #9 in the US and also samples Stark Trek (William Shatner: “It is useless to resist us” and Scotty saying “Let’s go see!.” I’m fairly certain the song “Over the Sea” (another upbeat synthpop ass-shaker) has Star Trek samples but I’m no Trekkie so can’t say who/what episode; same with the funky “Something in the Air” (probably Spock) which hilariously includes a sneaky sample of KC and the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It).” When they stray from their formula, like on the electro-ballady stuff (like the single “Repetition” which charted at #76), the record drags and feels very dated.

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Diamond Life “Neon Dreams”

sfilzen — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 17:36:33 +0000

Diamond Life “Neon Dreams” 2024. Triple Eye Industries, limited edition “Rosa Purple” vinyl. Milwaukee electronica/synthpop, Diamond Life is a collaboration by Martin Defatte (Tron Jovi, Guerrilla Ghost) on synths/drums and Bonnie Drinkard (Drinkard Sisters, Craig Brown Band). The debut LP purports to “transport you back to the neon-lit dance floors of the ’80s, where Italo Disco and HI-NRG reigned supreme,” though I find it to be more dream-poppy than Hi-NRG (but my baseline for that is Nitzer Ebb so my perspective could be a bit skewed). The synths are swirly and hypnotic; Drinkard’s vocals match that vibe perfectly with a sno-cone delivery (sweet n’icy). My top tracks are “Back 2 U” and “Love Light.”

I think there’s a hidden track on the album – though I couldn’t actually find it (or it’s only on the CD version): “Self Control” by Raf (1984), a song that “started the explosion and dominance of Italo disco-style recordings in continental European charts during the 1980s.” (Wiki). Weirdly the playlist I chose for this morning’s class was Reflex v. Control which has the Laura Branigan cover of “Self Control” (also 1984, #4 US, #5 UK) – I did not know that it would appear on today’s vinyl pull, especially because it is not listed on the record except for in the liner notes for writing credits. (Speaking of credits, I love that two neighborhood dudes are thanked: Dillon from RushMor Records and Chris from Vanguard/Wiggle Room). Next time I run into Martin I’ll have to ask him about “Self Control” – I can’t find a link anywhere for Diamond Life’s version.

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Duran Duran “Danse Macabre”

sfilzen — Thu, 20 Jun 2024 22:12:09 +0000

Duran Duran “Danse Macabre” 2023. “Smog” variant. Today, June 20th, is bassist John Taylor’s birthday (b. 1960); D2’s 16th studio LP was released on Simon’s birthday (October 27th) but my special fan club pre-order got lost in the mail last year so I didn’t get a copy until mid-November (the fan club version finally arrived, about 2 months late) so I saved it for John’s. Danse Macabre went to #57 in the US and to #4 in the UK; besides being notable for a Duran Duran release (!), it’s also notable that it’s the first record since 2004 to feature Andy Taylor on guitar (not on all tracks).

As the title suggests, Danse Macabre is dark and a bit spooky (it’s a Halloween party-themed record), with remakes of two very old Duran songs: “Nightboat” (from their first album Duran Duran, 1981) and “Secret Oktober 31st” (originally just “Secret October,” b-side to “Union of the Snake,” 1983), vaguely Harry Potter’d up, plus a remake the 1993 The Wedding Album track: “Love Voudou.” The majority of the LP are covers, most of which are terrific picks: “Paint It Black” (Rolling Stones), “Spellbound” (Siouxsie and the Banshees), “Supernature” (an electro-disco number from ’77 by Cerrone), an extra-funky “Psycho Killer” (Talking Heads)” and “Ghost Town” (The Specials). The best cover, though, combines the Duran original “Lonely in Your Nightmare” (an absolutely gorgeous song from Rio) with Rick James’ “Superfreak” which equals “Super Lonely Freak.” The cover I’m not familiar with (and less crazy about) is “Bury a Friend” (Billy Eilish) but I do appreciate the band’s drive to always look forward even while glancing back.

There are a couple of new compositions on the album: “Black Moonlight” is fantastic and features long time collaborator Nile Rodgers, the title track – also great – “Danse Macabre,” and the LP closer “Confession in the Afterlife.”

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