The Other f

Ask anyone about the significance of the year 1492, and you're almost certain to hear something about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of the New World. But there is also a perspective on 1492 far different than the one most of us know - one that is more complete and complex. A 1492 when there was no country called Spain and no language called Spanish. A 1492 whose biggest event - in the region that would eventually become Spain - was the surrender of the last Muslim stronghold, Granada, with the subsequent Edict of Expulsion that gave Jews three months to either convert to Christianity or leave the Kingdom of Castile and the Crown of Aragon.

One of the great cycles. Of the hundred or so available recorded cycles (out of about one hundred and fifteen or so), this rates as one of the best. In better sound than either the DG stereo cycle and the live King International cycle, Kempff's style is more poetic and less intense and fiery than others. Whatever Kempff may give away in terms of speed, power, and precision, he makes up for in other ways

D.A.F. - Verschwende Deine Jugend (Delkom Remix)
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 121 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Virgin # 662 077-211 | Country/Year: Germany 1989
Genre: Electronica, Pop | Style: EBM, Synth Pop, Neue Deutsche Welle

"…Though their impact on the emergent forms of house and techno was huge, D.A.F. has never achieved the recognition they so richly deserve. Nevertheless, for the longest time even Kraftwerk weren't recognized for their contribution to hip-hop, and perhaps ultimately D.A.F. will get their due: they represent one of a very few direct links between avant-garde punk and techno, and flung their lance into the future farther even than Throbbing Gristle."

Saint Vitus had successfully returned in 2003 after an 8 year absence, touring around the world, but had yet to release any new material until, finally, after a 17 year gap, the band released Lillie: F-65. Named after a drug, the record is as doomy and dark as Saint Vitus can get. A great return to the music scene, each song on the record is heavier, more pessimist and bleaker than the previous, making this a must have for 2012.

D.A.F. - Für Immer
EAC+LOG+CUE | FLAC: 204 MB | Artwork | 5% Recovery Info
Label/Cat#: Virgin # CDV 2239 | Country/Year: UK 1992, 1982
Genre: Electronica, Pop | Style: EBM, Synth Pop, Neue Deutsche Welle

"…Despite their innovations, solid technical ability and raves from the critics, D.A.F. were certainly never ready for prime time. When other artists in the club genre were dancing around the issue of alternative sexuality, D.A.F. was fairly "out" about it – their album covers were blatantly homoerotic and lyrics often dealt with sadomasochism. While D.A.F.'s big, industrial-inspired dance sound certainly had some measure of commercial potential, the group didn't, and they were way ahead of their time – too far ahead. Gold und Liebe followed, much in the vein of Alles Ist Gut, though offering some further refinements in terms of sound and style. Some critics argue that Gold und Liebe represents D.A.F.'s "personal best," though Alles Ist Gut is such a defining statement in retrospect it would seem hard to top. With 1982s Gold und Liebe, D.A.F. decided to disband amicably, as the sequencer they used proved too limited to sustain them artistically beyond what they had already done."