Some Detergents... – Moderne Problem [7''] (1982, Clean Records)

Somewhere in the tangle of early-’80s British underground music sits Some Detergents, a band that never quite broke out of the shadows but still managed to bottle a very specific moment in post-punk evolution. They’re one of those groups that feel more like a rumor than a mainstream act -circulating through word of mouth, indie record shops, and the kind of late-night radio slots where the strangest tracks tended to thrive. 

 
Their 1982 single 'Moderne Problem' came out on Clean Records, a label that specialized in giving space to artists operating far from the commercial center. The song itself sits right on that fault line between punk’s leftover urgency and the cooler, more stylized edge of new wave. It’s got that tight, twitchy rhythm section, scratchy guitars, and vocals that feel intentionally detached -like they’re observing the chaos rather than getting swept up in it. 

 
There’s a roughness to 'Moderne Problem' that feels completely deliberate. The production is stripped back, almost skeletal, letting every awkward pause and jagged transition show through. Instead of polishing things out, the band leans into that unease, creating something that feels restless and slightly off-balance in a way that’s very true to the era. 

 
What really sticks is how much this single reflects the wider DIY culture of the time. Bands like Some Detergents weren’t aiming for mass appeal -they were documenting a mood, pressing it onto vinyl in small batches, and sending it out into the world to find whoever was tuned into that frequency. That’s probably why 'Moderne Problem' still resonates today: it doesn’t just sound like the early ’80s underground -it is the early ’80s underground, preserved in miniature. 

 

 

Label: Clean Records – WIPE 1 

Format: Vinyl, 7", Single 

Country: UK 

Released: 1982 

Style: New Wave, Minimal Wave, Post-Punk 

 

Tracklist: 

A Colours 

B1 Moderne Problem 

B2 Wake Up 

 

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