Synthesize

Autumn

Synthesize

 

2011

Micrart Group

Discogs

  • 1.
    I Say You Hello
  • 2.
    The Third Autumn
  • 3.
    Night In June
  • 4.
    Viginaigre
  • 5.
    Synthesize
  • 6.
    Laughter Of A Madman
  • 7.
    Not Afraid To Die
  • 8.
    Aparell I Ma
  • 9.
    Behind You
  • MW027

The twenty-seventh release on Minimal Wave is Autumn‘s ‘Synthesize’ LP, selections from the bands best material. Autumn was the legendary project of Peter Bonne and Geert Coppens, two Belgian teenagers who started experimenting with the potentials of analog synthesizers during the late 70s and formed a band together soon after in 1980, quickly becoming one of the most truly visionary groups to emerge from the synth scene in Europe. The album is titled after their Synthesize single which was recorded along with its b-side ‘The Third Autumn’ in 1981 in a professional 24 track studio in only 7 hours. Both songs became modest summer hits in Belgian dance clubs in 1982, and the release been highly sought after ever since. This album features ‘Synthesize’ and ‘The Third Autumn’, along with other cassette only favorites like ‘I Say You Hello’, ‘Not Afraid To Die’, and ‘Night In June’ (featured on Angular’s Cold Wave & Minimal Electronics compilation in 2010). Considering how young Autumn were when they recorded these songs, the production is very impressive. These multi-layered synthpop gems are catchy, danceable and definitely ahead of their time. ‘I Say You Hello’ has been described as an “amazing” piece of synth music with “insanely catchy vocals, an incredible bass line and some mind-melting analog patterns”.

Autumn was previously featured on V/A The Lost Tapes LP with their ‘Time Is On Our Side’, a magical piece of dark synth wave music. Due to heavy interest in the band and our general love for all Micrart Group projects, we decided a full LP needed to be released. Thus we present it to you: a hand-numbered, limited edition pressing on 180 gram clear green vinyl housed in a heavy printed gloss jacket.

Back in stock! Records will ship in early February.

* Denotes bonus track(s) available only on a CD / Digital version of this release, if a CD / Digital version of this release is available

 

All sample clips are 30-90 seconds in length

Reviews

     

    The Minimal Wave imprint continues its investigation of the Belgian synth auteur Peter Bonne’s early-‘80s output with this compilation of tracks from Autumn, the band he started with Geert Coppens before forming Linear Movement, Twilight Ritual and A Split-Second. Compiling Autumn’s sole single from 1981 and songs from cassette compilations released on Bonne and Coppens’ label Micrart Group, Synthesize is a fantastic collection of icy minimal synth, synth pop, and spaced-out, dark-as-hell electronic pseudo disco. Those who have been following the minimal synth reissue craze over the last several years will likely be familiar with “Synthesize” from Autumn’s first single; however, the rare cassette tracks really make this LP shine. Falling somewhere between the straight-up synth pop of Linear Movement and the dark, industrial sound of Twilight Ritual (while managing to incorporate elements of both), Autumn’s songs are dynamic and wholly engaging, featuring some expert analog synth work, great deadpan vocal delivery, and a spacey production aesthetic that feels almost reminiscent of certain Sky Records releases. From the bouncy electronic pop of “Night in June” (a track cut from the same cloth as Depeche Mode’s Speak & Spell), the dancefloor-ready “Laughter of a Madman,” to the stark, classic Belgian minimal synth sound on “I Say You Hello” and “Behind You,” Synthesize is another excellent release from Minimal Wave. [CPa]

     
    - http://www.othermusic.com/2011april07update.html - April 7, 2011

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