'Angular Sky / Fade Away' is a two-track release that leans heavily into Kinetic Ideal's signature blend of shimmering synths, moody atmospheres, and emotionally distant vocals -the kind of sound that sits somewhere between nostalgia and late-night introspection.
“Angular Sky” opens things up with a crisp, driving rhythm and icy melodies that immediately pull you into that classic minimal wave headspace. It’s sleek but not cold, with just enough warmth in the production to keep it from feeling sterile. There’s a hypnotic quality to it, like watching city lights blur past a car window at night. The vocals drift rather than dominate, adding to the track’s detached, almost cinematic feel.
On the flip side, “Fade Away” slows things down and sinks deeper into a more melancholic mood. It trades momentum for atmosphere, wrapping you in lush pads and a sense of quiet longing. The track feels more inward-looking, like the comedown after the rush of the first song. It’s subtle, but that’s exactly where it hits hardest -nothing is overdone, and the restraint works in its favor.
The 'Broken Paws' cassette from 1986 is one of those fascinating artifacts from Canada’s underground home-taping era that seems to hover just outside mainstream documentation. Released as a self-titled tape, Broken Paws emerged from Calgary, Alberta at a time when independent musicians were embracing cassette culture as an affordable and creatively liberating format. Rather than pursuing traditional label routes, artists in this scene often recorded, duplicated, and distributed their music themselves, resulting in small runs that have since become rare collector’s pieces.
Behind the project was Richard Reynols, who used Broken Paws as a personal outlet for experimentation. The cassette captures the spirit of mid-1980s DIY electronic music: minimal synth textures, drum machine rhythms, and analog synth explorations woven together with a distinctly homemade aesthetic. There’s a rawness to the production that reflects both the limitations and the charm of home recording technology at the time. Unconventional touches -such as the inclusion of clarinet or even music box sounds- add a layer of unpredictability that makes the tape feel exploratory rather than polished.
Clocking in at over an hour, the cassette follows the generous runtime typical of the format. Tracks such as “It’s All Made Sound,” “Slander,” “Closed Eyes,” and “Street Life” suggest a mixture of introspective mood pieces and rhythm-driven synth sketches. Like many releases from the cassette underground, official documentation is scarce.
This 7″ single, Wasted Lives / Big Black Puppets – “Divorce” / “False Hopes,” is a split release from the very early Vancouver punk scene. It came out in 1979 on Spoken Records and is a classic example of the DIY, small-run singles that were popping up around Canada at the tail end of the ’70s punk explosion. Copies are scarce today, which has helped give it a bit of cult status among collectors of early Canadian punk.
On one side is Wasted Lives with the track “Divorce.” The band was short-lived but packed with people who would go on to play important roles in the Vancouver scene. Members were connected to bands like D.O.A., Modernettes, UJ3RK5, Corsage, and Private School, making Wasted Lives something of a brief but intense crossover project. “Divorce” is raw, fast, and straight to the point -very much in line with late-’70s punk energy.
The flip side features Big Black Puppets with “False Hopes.” They were also part of the same Vancouver punk and new wave ecosystem, contributing to a scene that was energetic but not always well documented outside the region. Their track balances aggression with a slightly more angular, art-punk feel, fitting right in with what was happening locally at the time.
Overall, the single is a snapshot of Vancouver punk in its formative years, before many of these musicians became better known in other bands. It’s historically interesting, musically rough around the edges in the best way, and now considered a pretty desirable piece of Canadian punk history.
'Quincy' is the self-titled debut album by Quincy, a New Jersey–based new wave and power pop band, released in 1980 on Columbia Records. It’s one of those albums that didn’t make a huge splash at the time but has slowly built a reputation as a hidden gem among fans of early-’80s power pop.
The band came together in the late 1970s and was centered around two sets of brothers, Stephen and Brian Butler and Gerald and Alex Takach, with keyboards and drums filling out the lineup. They were part of the wider New York and New Jersey club scene, drawing energy from places like CBGB, but their music leaned more toward melody and smart songwriting than punk aggression.
The album was produced by Tim Friese-Greene, who later became well known for his work with Talk Talk. Sonically, Quincy sits comfortably alongside records by The Cars, Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, and The Knack. It’s tight, catchy, and polished, built on jangly guitars, strong harmonies, and punchy rhythms that feel very much of the era without sounding dated.
Songwise, the record is consistent from start to finish. Tracks like “Critics’ Choice,” “Grow Up,” “Always in the News,” and “Can’t Live in a Dream” show off the band’s knack for memorable hooks and slightly sarcastic, everyday-life lyrics. There isn’t much filler here, just a run of concise, radio-friendly songs that deserved more attention than they got.
Not long after the album came out, the band ran into trouble over their name. Quincy Jones objected to them using “Quincy,” and Columbia Records chose not to fight the issue. As a result, the band was forced to change their name to Lulu Temple, which effectively killed the momentum they had built. They released a small EP under the new name a few years later before breaking up.
At the time, Quincy passed by with little commercial impact, but over the years it’s become a cult favorite. For power pop and new wave fans, it’s a snapshot of that brief moment around 1980 when major labels were signing hook-heavy bands with big pop potential, and Quincy had the songs to justify the gamble. After the band ended, some members went on to form Smash Palace, which found more success in the 1980s power pop scene.
Label:
Columbia – NJC 36471
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
US
Released:
1980
Style:
New Wave, Power Pop
Tracklist:
A1 Turn The Other Way Around 3:15
A2 Critics' Choice 3:47
A3 Don't Knock On My Door 3:38
A4 Always In The News 3:09
A5 Dime Store Lies 3:34
A6 Can't Live In The Dream 2:59
B1 Just A Tragedy 3:32
B2 Stop Now 3:12
B3 Grow Up 2:44
B4 Roamin' Catholic 3:49
B5 Stuck On You 3:49
B6 Ordinary Town 3:11
Other Versions:
'Quincy' LP, Album, Stereo
CBS [S CBS 84451] (UK, 1980)
'Quincy' LP, Album, Stereo
Columbia [NJC 36471] (Canada, 1980)
'Quincy' LP, Album
Columbia [NJC 36471] (Spain, 1980)
'Quincy' Cassette, Album, Stereo, Dolby System
Columbia [NCT 36471] (US, 1980)
I, Braineater is basically the creative universe of Jim Cummins, a Vancouver artist who never really separated music from painting, comics, performance, or general chaos. The project started in the late ’70s, originally under the name Braineater, and it slowly evolved into the more personal “I, Braineater” identity as Cummins’s whole artistic persona took center stage. Over the years the sound shifted a lot -early stuff leaned into raw punk, but by the mid-’80s the music had morphed into an odd blend of new wave, art-rock, electronics, and post-punk attitudes. Nothing about the project was ever straightforward; it was as much about the overall aesthetic as it was about the songs.
The album 'Artist, Poet, Thief' came out in 1985, pressed privately as an LP. Compared to the earlier, scrappier records, this one feels more like a “band” album -tighter rhythms, more structured songs, and a clearer sense of direction. Even so, it still sounds like an art project that just happens to be a rock record. The music pulls from a bunch of places: post-punk moods, a bit of gothic atmosphere, flashes of punk energy, occasional psychedelic touches, and some catchy new-wave-style hooks. Side one leans into the more melodic material, while side two gets a bit rougher and more energetic.
The record’s tracklist includes songs like “Edge,” “Canada,” “Wrong World,” and “1980 More” on the first side, and “Funtime,” “Comeon,” “Sacred Cow,” “I Am,” and “7Teen” on the second. It’s the kind of album where each track feels like it was created inside its own peculiar headspace, but the whole thing hangs together because of Cummins’s distinct voice and art-punk instincts.
Culturally, 'Artist, Poet, Thief' sits in a really interesting spot. Vancouver’s underground scene in the early and mid ’80s was full of crossover between punk bands, artists, weirdos, filmmakers, and people who didn’t fit neatly anywhere, and I, Braineater embodied that mix perfectly. This record captures the moment when the project was moving beyond pure punk but still holding onto its DIY strangeness. Because of that -and because the releases were small and the band never aimed for mainstream exposure-the album ended up becoming a cult collectible over the years.
It’s one of those records that feels like a snapshot of a particular corner of the underground: experimental, theatrical, messy, charming, and totally unconcerned with commercial expectations. If you’re into oddball art-rock or punk-adjacent music that lives in its own world, it’s a fascinating listen.
Label:
More – none
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
Canada
Released:
1985
Style:
New Wave, Abstract, Industrial, Experimental
Null Set recorded their only EP under the auspices of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design between October and November, 1980. The four (Chris Cooper, Ron Dickie, Allan Scarth and Heather Ferguson) no doubt helped to kick start a nascent post-punk scene way out in the far-flung, though student-heavy, Halifax area. Much of the record treads those by now well-worn paths of quivering vocals, scratchy guitars and stop-start rhythms so common at the time. But for those looking for something a little farther out, the opener "Stripe", a mostly wacked-out drum and synth workout by Ferguson and Dickie, packs decades of fun into its brief (1:17) existence. That one is still amazing after all these years! And for those crate-diggers who are adding this to their lists, 'New Job' was pressed up in a relatively healthy run of 1000 copies. [SOURCE: CITIZEN FREAK]
Label:
Null Records – PAR 12-128
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, EP
Country:
Canada
Released:
1980
Style:
Art Rock, New Wave, Experimental, Post-Punk, Art Punk, Experimental Rock
UJ3RK5 (pronounced "you jerk," -the five is silent) was a Vancouver-based band from the late 1970s. Their style was post punk/new wave, but was more art rock than synth pop. UJ3RK5's short-lived local success was influenced by the music industry's infatuation with Martha and the Muffins-styled male-female bands. The band included local artist celebrities Ian Wallace, Jeff Wall and Rodney Graham, as well as Kitty Byrne, Colin Griffiths, Danice McLeod, Frank Ramirez and CBC Radio host David Wisdom. Their eponymous debut album, portraying the pioneers of Vancouver's school of so-called 'photoconceptualism' or 'post-conceptual photography' in a rare moment of unison, sported an unlikely hit single titled "Eisenhower and the Hippies" -a song inspired by a work of American conceptual art proponent Dan Graham. The band was a rather short-lived affair, allowing the members to concentrate on their art careers instead.
Label:
Quintessence Records – QEP 1207
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, EP
Country:
Canada
Released:
1980
Style:
New Wave, Synth Punk, Post-Punk, Art Punk, Zolo
Monty Cantsin is a multiple-use name that anyone can adopt, but has close ties to Neoism. Monty Cantsin was originally conceived as an "open pop star." In a philosophy anticipating that of free software and open source, anyone should perform in his name and thus contribute to and participate in his fame and achievements. In reality the name is most commonly linked nowadays to the activities of artist and musician Istvan Kantor.
“I Am Monty Cantsin” is the unwritten anthem of the Neoists, it's a song even made to go to the barricades with it on your lips. Also in musical terms, much more accessible than what Monte Cazazza presented. After all, Monty Cantsin is intended to be an “open POP star” -so despite being colored by industrial terroir, the melody is catchy. But for a pop song, there are far too many threads here, lacking an expressive chorus, which is hardly a complaint, after all “I Am Monty Cantsin” captivates with its tangled structure, wealth of ideas and arrangements. The song even lived to see a duly artistic music video.
It's a pity that the whole album doesn't hold up to this level, because we would have a true, forgotten gem of the eighties avant-garde, capable of attracting new generations to neoism today. And so we only have an uncut diamond -which is not to say that there is nothing interesting on 'Ahora Neoismus' anymore. Immediately catching the ear are the pop culture-targeted “Every 6 Minutes” or the sample-enhanced “Love and Joy,” and even the dramatic “Headquarters,” which is perhaps the most critical of the set about the life of postmodern man. The lyrics can even be associated with the anti-consumerist ideas of “Fight Club” like “fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect.” [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Breeding Ground was formed in Toronto in 1981 and subscribed to the cold wave mould of acts like New Order's school of rhythm. Their first release was an untitled 4 song 12" EP in 1982 on Mannequin Records and featured original drummer Ken Jones.
They would receive notoriety with the independent 12" single "Reunion"/"Slaughter" in 1983 on Fringe. It was quite successful at college radio stations and ended up selling out three pressings.
The follow-up LP, 1986's 'Tales Of Adventure', was produced by ex-Blue Peter guitarist Chris Wardman (who later joined the band for a short period) enlisting the help of Alta Moda singer Molly Johnson and Jason Sniderman on keyboards. The record made it to No.1 on the campus charts and No.60 on CFNY's "Best 86 of '86" based on the success of the single and video for "Happy Now I Know" and spawned the hit "This Time Tomorrow", a nicely gothic but light tune, brisk jangle pop with a dark atmosphere.
Label:
Fringe Product – FPL3022
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
Canada
Released:
1986
Style:
Alternative Rock, New Wave, Goth Rock, Darkwave, Post-Punk
Kinetic Ideals was a Canadian new wave band from Mississauga, Ontario. They released one single and three EPs on the Mannequin record label, formed by Paul Abrahams, manager of the new romantic group Spoons.
In 1981 they issued the five-track EP, 'Reason', that established the sound they became known for, a moodier post-Joy Division groove that fit with other locals like Sheep Look Up and Breeding Ground. Brett Wickens was by now working for Peter Saville Associates in England, and designed an angular modernist cover in the mold of early New Order releases.
This combination of compelling music, improved production and visual design garnered the band critical acclaim. Mike Rullman (vocals), Jean-Claude Chambers (guitars), Alan Murrell (bass) and Jon Davies (drums) found themselves opening for visiting bands including Teardrop Explodes, The Stranglers and Gang of Four. The song "Animalistic" topped the dance-club charts in Toronto in 1981, and was a live favourite.
[SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
This four song EP was released on the Noetix label. Recorded in the Autumn of 1981 in Vancouver and Kelowna, it was Moev's very first record. The title track is certainly the weakest of the four. Lyrically, full of teenaged angst, one feels like they've been sneaking a peek into a girl's diary. Musically, it doesn't veer too far from Depeche Mode's "Dreaming of Me". The next tune; "2.3" is the strongest of the four and the only one that really moves. Side two starts off with another weak track; "Obituary Column" then picks up a bit with; "M.T.M.T.N.M.E.". Only 200 of these were pressed and half of them were given out to DJs as promos, so they are pretty hard to come by. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label: Noetix – none
Format:
Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, EP
Country: Canada
Released: Oct 1981
Style: Synth-pop, New Wave, Post-Punk
Tracklist:
A1 Cracked Mirror
A2 2.3
B1 Obituary Column
B2 M.T.M.T.N.M.E.
Notes:
No catalogue number on cover or vinyl.
Only distributed on the west coast of Canada in very limited quantities.
The versions of "Cracked Mirror" and "M.T.M.T.N.M.E." differ from those released on 'Rotting Geraniums' and 'Zimmerkampf'
True Confessions were a femme rock band that became quite popular on Toronto's Queen Street circuit. Features future Jane Siberry/Drastic Measures bassist Bryant Didier and former Diodes drummer John Hamilton.They released a single on Bomb Records in 1979, and after several line-up changes they managed a self-titled album which was produced by Greg Warren.
Choir Invisible tried to revive '60s psychedelia before bands such as R.E.M. and The Church made it fashionable and marketable. Choir Invisible was considered a part of the Paisley Underground, a short-lived movement resurrecting '60s psychedelic rock that included The Dream Syndicate and The Rain Parade. Featuring Thomas Sinclair (guitar, vocals), Scott Laskin (bass, vocals), Danny Benair (drums), Eric Carter (synthesizers, piano), and John Curry (vocals), Choir Invisible released one album, 1981's 'Choir Invisible', and one EP, 1984's 'Sea to Shining Sea', both of which were dominated by ethereal guitars, lush synths, vague lyrics, and British-style vocals. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
London (Ontario)'s reputation as a sort of stolid, whitebread wasteland was never really fair musically -hell, any city giving birth to and then actually managing to keep the likes of the Nihilist Spasm Band would always have an undercurrent of creative cool. Similarly, for its size that burg spawned a thriving late-seventies/early-eighties punk and post-punk scene with bands like The Demics, Mettle, The Zealots and Sheep Look Up keeping the hipsters entertained.
Sheep Look Up of course took their name from John Brunner's 1972 dystopian novel. Though the band trace their origins to 1982, their line-up really started to crystalize a year later, when new guitarist Gilbert Smith entered the fold. He would be joined by singer Will Power (ne Matt Owen), drummer Greg Moore, bassist Mark Deroux, pianist/saxophonist John Francom and (sometimes) Lisa Patterson on sax and keyboards.
In 1986, with a U-Know award for Best Non-Recording Artist under their belts and songs on the 'Animals Fight Back' (1984) and 'CHRW - London Underground' comps, Sheep Look Up released this self-titled 12" EP, which charted on numerous college stations, as well as drawing attention from as far away as Bath (UK) and Milan. Sheep Look Up is fairly typical of the time, melding gothic gloom, pained vocals, and cavernous production, an effect which dredges up the ghosts of early Joy Division or pre-MTV Modern English. "Falasha" features some rather intense sax, an underrated feat for such an abused instrument, while the twangy guitar licks on "Spaghetti Western" -the finest track here- are curiously more John Barry than Ennio Morricone. [SOURCE: CANUCKISTAN MUSIC]
The Chesterfield Kings still stun with their talent for writing catchy garage pop reminiscent of the '60s, despite the facts that by 1987, the widespread underground garage-rock revival had already passed its climax, and that this album has a higher production level than previous efforts. Some of the originals aren't as exciting as those on 'stop!', and some are great songs, but the band sounds restless in its current position as garage-rock gurus, wanting to make something different but unsure of how to go about it. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
Label:
Mirror Records Inc. – MIRROR 12
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
US, France, Canada
Released:
1987
Style:
Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, New Wave, Garage Rock Revival
It should be pointed out that it was Denver outfit The Fluid that seemed to fire the first shot in the stakes which would later be deemed grunge rock not Seattle (although it came via Sub Pop). Previously there existed a taboo in the underground not to mix 70’s riffs with 80’s hardcore, yet as the 80’s progressed Black Flag seemed to almost lobby to have their name Flag changed Sabbath. The Fluid showed that punk could progress only so far before you had to seek outside influences. Tracks such as "Cold Outside", "It’s My Time", "Left Unsaid" and "Try Try Try" were powering and indicated that The Fluid were an act with enormous potential. Later efforts such as ‘Glue’ and ‘Roadmouth’ gleamed acclaim for The Fluid’s yet their golden moment clearly remained ‘Clear Black Paper’. [SOURCE: RATE YOUR MUSIC]
Label:
Sub Pop – SP 16
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album
Country:
US, Canada, Germany
Released:
May 1988
Style:
Alternative Rock, Garage Rock, Garage Punk, Grunge
Glamorcult was formed in the early 1980’s by Canadian singer/song writer Eric Simpson as the next step of evolution from his previous experimental electronic group Drama. Several band members joined the project, in order to be able to perform live at different times. Other musicians performed on a number of the studio recordings. The bass guitar playing was performed by Robin Girard, while vocals and all other instruments were played by Eric Simpson (drums were a Roland TR-808). [SOURCE: DISCOGS]
Kinetic Ideals was a Canadian new wave band from Mississauga, Ontario. They released one single and three EPs on the Mannequin record label, formed by Paul Abrahams, manager of the new romantic group Spoons. Their combination of compelling music, improved production and visual design garnered the band critical acclaim. Mike Rullman (vocals), Jean-Claude Chambers (guitars), Alan Murrell (bass) and Jon Davies (drums) found themselves opening for visiting bands including Teardrop Explodes, The Stranglers and Gang of Four.
Their final release was the EP 'A Personal View' in 1983. Pressed on white vinyl this included "Me And The Sky", "Together" and "In A Second", songs that were more contemplative and less angry than earlier exercises in tension. The band's use of the Oberheim DMX drum machine is distinctive.
This recording was produced by Brett Wickens and engineered by Greg Roberts at Grant Avenue Studios, home of Daniel Lanois and various Brian Eno recordings. [SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA]
This is the most "punk"-like recording the 'Printz ever made, and its rough-hewn charm is immediately engaging. The songs, however, are not all light and happy pop songs, and that gives the record an extra edge. O'Neill and Burns's guitars are aggressive and intrusive (that's a compliment), and this record was one of the great left-field (and now long-forgotten) surprises of the late '70s. [SOURCE: ALLMUSIC]
