Virginia Astley – Promise Nothing [LP] (1983, Les Disques Du Crépuscule)

 

Astley is more widely known for the people she's played with than her own records. A classically trained British pianist and flutist who also happens to be Pete Townshend's sister-in-law, she contributed piano to Townshend's "Slit Skirts," and has played sessions for Siouxsie & the Banshees. Her late-'70s band, The Ravishing Beauties, also included future Dream Academy singer Kate St. John and Nicky Holland, who would work with Tears for Fears and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Astley's sparse body of work combines ambient, even experimental textures and song structures with her pretty soprano vocals. Producing three albums, her records are recommended to listeners looking for intriguing ambient British pop who find the Cocteau Twins and the 4AD stable too wimpy and pretentious. 'Promise Nothing' collects two EPs: 'A Bao A Qu' (1982) on the side 1 and 'Love's A Lonely Place To Be' (1983) on the side 2, plus the track "Futility" originally released on the New Musical Express' 'Mighty Reel' cassette tape compilation from 1982. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]

 

 

Label: Les Disques Du Crépuscule – TWI 194 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Stereo 

Country: Belgium 

Released: Sep 1983 

Style: Minimal, Ambient, Experimental, Ethereal, Dream Pop, Ethereal Wave, Art Pop, Chamber Pop

 

Tracklist: 

A1 We Will Meet Them Again 4:00 

A2 Arctic Death 3:02 

A3 Angel Crying 3:46 

A4 Sanctus 2:08 

B1 Love's A Lonely Place To Be 3:27 

B2 Soaring 3:25 

B3 Futility 3:25 

B4 A Summer Long Since Passed 4:40 

B5 It's Too Hot To Sleep 5:40 

 

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Emerald Vein ‎– Existence [LP] (1988, Sub Rosa)

Emerald Vein is a completely unique sound that is difficult to compare with anyone. With elements from both progressive rock and the avante-garde scene, the band almost defies genres. At times minimalistic and at times dense, Emerald Vein has a sound which you will immediately love and never forget. 

 

Before Emerald Vein, band founder Bob Young was in the band Uzi which opened for groups like Sonic Youth. After that Young formed a band with the bass player and another singer called A Scanner Darkly which signed to Sub Rosa Records in Belgium. The group did one LP called 'This Is the Way'. Shortly after that Bob Young was born again and quit the band. He began Emerald Vein as a recording project and did all the instruments and sequences.There were a few people playing different things like Terry Donahue on drums and Mimi Thiel on vocals. Emerald Vein released two albums on the Sub Rosa label from Belgium. They received limited exposure in America as Sub Rosa concentrated on European distribution.  [SOURCE: LAST.FM]

Label: Sub Rosa ‎– SUB 33013-18, Sub Rosa ‎– Sub 33013-18 

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album 

Country: Belgium 

Released: 1988 

Style: New Age, Ambient, Darkwave, Post-Punk, Ethereal Wave, Minimal Wave, Dream Pop, Coldwave

 

Tracklist:

A1 Worship 3:35 

A2 Existence 3:15 

A3 Completely Nothing 4:10 

A4 The Messiah 4:50 

B1 Promise 4:30 

B2 Out Of My Head 5:20 

B3 Take Hold 3:35 

B4 In His World 4:10 

 

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