Strange Music from the 80s

It must have been around 1986 when I discovered "alternative" music, which my favorite record store hid in a bin in the back. It contained albums of bands I never heard of. The radio didn't play any of them, so buying them was the only way to find out how they sounded.

I found some great records just by looking at the cover and the liner notes. I was keen on electronic music, so I searched for bands who used synthesizers and did programming – which sounded cool, even though I did not know exactly what that meant.

Other bands I found through recommendations by a bunch of cool black-clad kids that seemed to be in the know. I also stumbled over compilations that led me to explore more of an artist I liked.

Here are four bands I was obsessed with in the 80s. Back then, there were few details  about them available beyond what was printed on the liner notes. However, now you can lift much of the mystery by simply searching the internet.

All the records below are strange and push boundaries, so listeners, beware!

SPK

A band could not be more mysterious and fascinating than the Australian industrial act SPK. Their work defied everything that one knew about music: the band changed their name for every album, its members seemed different every time, and the music ranged from pure noise, over electronic/industrial to ambient and even synth-pop. It was impossible to make sense of SPK with the tidbits of information available. Today, you can check out Wikipedia and see an artistic arc over the entire project. It is also worth pointing out that founding member Graeme Revell moved to Hollywood and scored major feature films there. If you want to jump right into it, check out the 1982 album Leichenschrei.

Hula

I discovered Hula on a compilation I bought because SPK was on it. This Sheffield band around Ron Wright and Jon Avery rose from the scene around Cabaret Voltaire, which was named one of the most influential electronic bands of that time, and even rose to major label fame. On the other side, Hula does not even have a Wikipedia entry, even though they released a series of quite accessible and danceable singles in addition to more ambient and industrial music. Check out the singles compilation Threshold to get an idea.

Yello

The Swiss duo Yello did receive radio play and had international hit singles since their third album, You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, in 1983. But all their albums are deliciously strange because of producer Boris Blank's innovative sample-based production style and Dieter Meier's overly expressive singing style. Their first two albums were challenging to obtain\ in the late 80s: I found them in a big record store in Berlin, and Claro Que Si (1981) was my favorite album for a long time.

Die Form

Die Form is the project of French artist Philipe Fichot. I don't remember when I heard of them for the first time, but at some point, I found his 1989 album Photogrammes, which walks the line between experimental electronics and more melodic accessible tracks just perfectly.

What are your favorite strange albums? Records you’re very fond of, but hardly any of your friends understand what makes you love them so much? Let us know.

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Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the 50 latest Song Picks of the Day. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

“Forevermore” by LA artist Laura von Mari is an upbeat pop song about bouncing back after being mistreated. The production goes for a dose of 90s nostalgia, and nothing speaks against adding this track to your summer playlist.

The same applies to the next song, “Candy Eyes (Orange Lemonade),” which is meant as an “ode to summer.” The singer/songwriter Celine Love was in a fantastic mood when she worked on the song with producer Ian Barter: “I was also freshly in love, so the lyrics just spilled out of me!” She says.

And we have even more love and summer for you: “Summer Lovin’ With You” - the title speaks for itself. It is the debut single of Canadian artist Keira Gray, who has loved singing since childhood.

“Always” is somewhat of a palate cleanser, following a love story until its end. Nashville musician, Amanda Collins, aka Songs Of Llore, creates a powerful sonic narrative while she copes with her heartbreak.

“butterflies turn into stomach bugs” – that metaphor says it all. Still, eliora from Philadelphia keeps it lighthearted even though she deals with “a self-sabotaging crush and a childlike yearning for their attention.”

The German singer-songwriter Laura Carbone follows the four seasons with her album The Cycle. The second single, “Horses,” takes us to summer, “when fields become gold, and heatwaves and wildfires turn them black.”

The delicate guitar play in “Spider Silk” creates a dramatic and suspenseful vibe. The London-based musician Sky Ainsbury aka Sky_A, uses the titular substance as a metaphor for a flexible and durable bond: “The song is about learning to trust and be vulnerable in love and the power that comes from that,” he says.

Also Happening

Elamin Abdelmahmoud writes about a new concert experience in his opinion piece for the New York Times. He describes the communal experience at the big shows of the usual suspects with glowing appreciation. The article kind of makes me want to shell out $200 plus to be part of such a community, even only for one night. On the other hand, I still believe you can have a more intense and direct experience at smaller shows.

This week, I want to highlight one album by Chloe Drallos, aka Zilched. Earthly Delights is somewhere between pop and indie rock and is an overall good album to have in your library.

9 Photos of Strange Objects

…or people looking at strange things.