1. A Blaze Colour, "An Addict of Time"
The B-side from the "Against the Dark Trees Beyond" 7-inch (one of their three releases), from this legendary Belgian synth act. Simple, yet stark, effective synth lines flow throughout this track, underneath Ludo Camberlin's spoken word lyrics. Ludo is also known for producing Lords of Acid and having written and produced many techno/house records later in his career.
2. Brotman & Short, "White Gloves"
Off 2013's Distance Unknown LP. Brotman & Short are, in my opinion, one of the most impressive contemporary minimal electronic acts. The biting nihilism of the vocals over the cold analog synth stabs are the closet thing I've ever heard match the perfection of Geography-era Front 242. Singer Jesse Short is also in the equally impressive EBM group Pure Ground, and co-runs the Maldoror parties in Los Angeles.
3. Ceramic Hello, "Climatic Nouveaux"
Ceramic Hello were one of the most intriguing Canadian minimal electronic/wave outfits, somewhere between the foggy cabaret waltz of Tuxedomoon and the dark electronic pop of Soft Cell. Highly eccentric, intimate, and perfectly cold. Their highly sought after LP Absence of a Canary was reissued in 2012 on Canadian electronic label Suction Records.
4. Ende Shneafliet, "Session Zeitgeist"
Easily my favorite Dutch minimal-synth act. Ende Shneafliet were part of the legendary Trumpett label (also home of the Actor and Doxa Sinistra) scene in the Netherlands who put out some seriously impressive, dark, twisted electronic music. "Session Zeitgeist" builds up to one of the most surreal and dramatic atmospheres you could ever wish to subject a dance floor to!
5. Martial Canterel, "Ascent"
Sean McBride (also one-half of Xeno & Oaklander) has been making the most well-crafted coldsynth/wave since 2002 and is widely considered the king of modern, cold analog electronics. This is off his 2005 release Confusing Outsides on the important German label Genetic. While the rest of America was obsessing over ironic, glitzy, retro-obsessed electroclash, Sean was crafting electronic music that was melancholic yet affirmatively aggressive.
6. Minny Pops, "Time"
Minny Pops were part of the Factory Benelux scene, a side faction of Manchester's Factory Records. Menacing, dark, pulsing electronics, not unlike early Cabaret Voltaire, DAF, or Chris & Cosey. This 7-inch was released just a month before their excellent Sparks in a Dark Room LP.
7. Television Set, "The City"
Television Set's Roger Semsroth must be one of the busiest guys in electronic music. Be it his IDM-infused electropop project Skanfrom, the hard-edged electro/EBM of Bakterielle Infektion, the Tresor techno pulse of Sleeparchive, or the noise of Civil Defence Programme, Roger has made quite the name for himself over the years, with each project's own perfectly crafted identity. "The City" is a dance-floor favorite, and one of the many Remsroth hits to repeat themselves on our playlists again and again.
8. Twilight Ritual, "I Never Called You a Dream"
A mesmerizing, dark, nearly seven-minute long track. Twilight Ritual was started by Peter Bonne and Geert Coppens, who'd already been playing for a few years in other projects such as Autumn and Linear Movement (Bonne later went work with EBM giants, A Split Second). I would never miss out on hearing this track for a bathroom break!
9. Victrola, "Maritime Tatami"
Arguably my favorite 12-inch single of all time and the only ever release from this Italian duo (aside from a few compilation tracks). They spent most of their time in Florence, sharing the scene with Italian greats like Alexander Robotnick and Neon. This song engulfs the listener with trance-inducing synth lines and melancholic vocals over its epic eight minutes. The song is hypnotically somber, yet mesmerizingly upbeat at the same time.
10. Xymox, "Call It Weird"
See also: Clan of Xymox. This is off their Subsequent Pleasures EP from 1984. It was a precursor to the dark wave sounds of their self-titled debut LP on 4AD Records, from the following year. "Call It Weird" is an absolute stand-out, with its icy synth lines and desperate vocals. It all just sound so good echoing through the foggy air at Something Cold.
