((PRESSURES)) & Roladex - Split

Medical Records in close collaboration with Disko Obscura Records presents a special split 7” showcasing 1 new track each by ((PRESSURES)) and Roladex.

((PRESSURES)) hails from New Orleans, LA. They craft their unique futuristic icy tracks on a museum’s worth of analog synths and drum machines. This release follows their first LP on Disko Obscura entitled “Casting Shadows”. Their contribution “The Voices” is a propulsive and dripping with synth textures track featuring vocoded vocals.

Roladex (a veteran of Medical Records already with their “Anthems For the Micro-Age” LP) hails from Seattle by way of Texas. Blending girl/boy vocals with catchy pop hooks drenched in a seductive melancholy, Roladex also uses a plethora of vintage gear. “Glass Statuette” is their new track for this 7” and features their signature sound with a bit of an evolution into Moroder-esque cascading arpeggios. Fans of both artists will surely want this in their collection. Features original artwork for the “double A side” on foldover insert style by both artwork that nicely complements the music contained therein. Pressed on high quality transparent yellow vinyl. Mastered by Martin Bowes at the Cage, UK.

Limited edition of 500 thick transparent yellow 7″ record.

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Posted on November 15th, 2015 under Releases, , ,

Synesthesia - The First Five Years

Medical Records is celebrating it’s 5 year anniversary as well as 50th release! Medical Records was founded sometime in 2007/2008 but released it’s first double header of reissues in May 2010 with the (at the time) little known Deutsche Wertarbeit (MR-001) and the first album by famed Italo/synthpop guru Alexander Robotnick (MR-002). Since the beginning, Medical has pledged to bring back long out of print and lost new wave, synth, and disco LPs from the 70s and 80s. With an emphasis on high quality heavy vinyl (with a dizzying array of colored wax), these essential records have been made available again at a reasonable price for collectors and new fans to cherish once again. Over time, we expanded our palette to include new artists with a similar aesthetic to our vision as well as crucial 90s reissues in the shoegaze and other unclassifiable genres.

With collaborations with Crispy Nuggets, Light In The Attic, and Portland’s 2010 Records, the back catalog of releases have spanned much ground. For this 50th release (MR-050), we have chosen to release our first retrospective with a twist. This double LP features a hand-picked selection of tracks intended to highlight our past reissues on the first 3 sides. Featuring such standouts as Lou Champagne System, Tony Carey, Gay Cat Park, and many more, it is a very nice representative collection. The 4th side of the double LP is a unique collection of our new (contemporary) artists performing specially selected cover versions of tracks featured on our past reissues. Examples include the sultry “We R” performed by Roladex (originally by Chrisma on “Hibernation”) and “Click” performed by Kline Coma Xero (originally by Disco Volante).

This collection will surely be a treat for the fans who have been following our evolution over time and will especially prove to be a staple in anyone’s collection who would like some of our reissued hits on one concise compilation. All reissue tracks and new tracks have received additional remastering and mastering (the new tracks) by Martin Bowes at the Cage Studios, UK. This collection will appeal to aforementioned lovers/collectors of rare new wave, private press synth, cosmic/italo disco, vinyl djs, and many more!

This double LP is housed in a specially designed gatefold heavy sleeve featuring the Medical logo in a “color blindness test” on the front with the gatefold filled with thumbnails of all 50 past releases. Presented on high-quality 160gram colored vinyl.

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Posted on July 23rd, 2015 under Releases,

U/V Light - Cenotaph

Medical Records is very pleased to present the debut album by U/V Light. U/V Light sounds more than a bit like Cloudland Canyon at times. This is because it is the first “solo,” effort from Kip Uhlhorn of CC. Kip played, sang on, engineered, mixed, and collaborated with Gabby Weiss on this new recording. Eschewing standard German comparisons that CC usually receives, U/V LIGHT often sounds like either early electro or dance-pop but without the typical blueprint so commonly replicated these days. Kip’s rockist tendencies make this recording more interesting and fresher than those usual reference points. However, after Gabby’s vocals kick in, some of the band’s influences can be discerned such as Desire, or Uffie fuzed with Sylvester, Bobby O, Jonzun Crew, Space “Magic Fly”, etc. One could also draw some comparisons to Primal Scream’s “Screamadelica”, Seefeel, or Craig Leon at times. Despite hints at motorik tempos and/or beats., U/V Light is more of a pop affair. It is also not a simple continuation of Cloudland Canyon. Dance-pop seems the clearest reference point here, but Cenotaph does not have a standard dance beat feel.

Recorded quickly, the record has a consistent sonic approach that makes individual tracks sound like a suite of songs. God no, it is not a rock opera, but it has a singular sonic identity which makes it differ from previous Cloudland outings. Enough comparisons already, U/V Light’s Cenotaph mostly equates to a Kip Uhlhorn solo recording. Influences are felt, but they don’t dominate here. Sometimes a hybrid like this one is not easily categorized. If you like Cloudland Canyon then you will most likely enjoy Cenotaph. Or even if you do not prefer them (or have never even heard of them for that matter), this recording stands on its own. Six propulsive tracks ebb and flow with a continuous feel that takes the listener down a hypnotic wormhole.

This album was recorded using impressive arsenal of vintage analog synths as well as modern modular equipment. For fans of aforementioned influences as well as others (Grosskopf, Schultze, Slowdive) and especially those who enjoyed the most recent of the Cloudland Canyon 12” series. Mastered by Martin Bowes at the Cage Studios, UK. Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight colored vinyl.

Listen and order here.

Posted on July 21st, 2015 under Releases, ,

Peine Perdue - Disparitions

Medical Records returns to France (by way of Berlin) to present the first full length vinyl LP by contemporary artist Peine Perdue. Peine Perdue was born in 2010 from the meeting of Berlin-based artist and musician Stephane Argillet and Coco Gallo.

Peine Perdue finds its inspiration in a certain geometry, poetry and clearness in music and art such displayed by the cold abstractions of XVIIIth century harpsichordists (Couperin, Pancrace Royer etc) to the graceful minimalism of Erik Satie, the sugar uncluttered pop of the 60′s yéyé and finally to the arithmetic synthpop of the early 80′s. Among the artists and personalities that emulate their creativity are, among others, Delphine Seyrig, ESG, Elli & Jacno, Anna Akhmatova, William Onyeabor, Luisa Casati, André Cadere, Rainer Fassbinder or Robert Bresson. Construction, vertigo and symmetry with sensitivity but without sentimentality. Integrating the above references into a delicate mix with very personal and cinematic sensibility led by the obsessive sensuality of Coco’s voice.

Previous releases have included a cassette on Vocoder Tapes in 2012 followed by a 6 track vinyl EP on Kernkrach Records (Germany). Their first full length was a CDR in 2014 on Cold Beats Records. They have toured extensively as well in Europe in between recording sessions. The material on this LP is comprised of all new material written in late 2014. Despite it’s articulate minimalism, the tracks are very compulsive and lend themselves seamlessly to the dance floor as well as to the soundtrack to a dark late night rendezvous. Coco’s vocals synergistically complements the fragile and perfect synth lines and beats. Standout tracks include “Surprise Partie”, “Noyes”, and “Cerceaux” though the entire record flows beautifully from track to track. This record will appeal to fans of the aforementioned legendary French synth pop acts and the like. Mastered by Martin Bowes at the Cage Studios, UK.

Presented on high-quality 180 grams heavyweight blue vinyl. Limited edition.

Listen and order here.

Posted on April 27th, 2015 under Releases, ,

Kline Coma Xero

Medical Records presents the debut full length release of Kline Coma Xero. A self-titled LP influenced largely by the sterile and isolated iconography of authors such as Philip K. Dick, William Gibson and JG Ballard (from whence the bands name is derived).

Formed in 2012, Kline Coma Xero is a group whose work embraces elements of early minimal synth wave with distinctively thoughtful lyrics and evocative melodies. Kline Coma Xero’s Tony Williams has had his roots planted in various projects in the past, spanning a realm of styles from experimental noise, tape loops and early industrial. Using a writing style that employs the use of hardware sequencers driving analog instruments rather than computers, Kline Coma Xero produces a uniquely oblique interpretation of past-meets-present in modern electronic music. Previously Kline Coma Xero debuted in 2013 with the track “Left Behind” which was included on the Circuit D’Actes 3 – La Forme Lente label compilation which is the opening track on this LP. The 2nd track “Rewind” is amazingly catchy and reminiscent of the best hybrid of analog synth pop overlaid with Front 242 style vocals. Other standout tracks are the 2nd side opener “Mannequins” with it’s razor sharp lead synths as well as the dark and brooding “Casualty Ward”. Kline Coma Xero will certainly appeal to fans of analog minimal synth, EBM, and the more melodic side of industrial as well as specific acts such as Fad Gadget, Suicide, John Foxx, or Martial Canterel.

Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight colored splatter on opaque white vinyl and features a bonus LP insert. Mastered by Martin Bowes at the Cage, UK. Limited Edition.

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Posted on July 30th, 2014 under Releases, ,