Dark Entries Release Comp Of 80s Post Punk & Synth Rarities

The constantly excellent Dark Entries label have announced the release of a second compilation of post punk, cold wave and synth rarities from San Francisco, recorded between 1978 – 1988. Now the label has confirmed that this release – Bay Area Retrograde Volume 2 – will also be made available with B.A.R.T Volume 1 on a single CD – making a compilation of pretty amazing rarities.

Towards the end of the 70s, San Francisco’s experimental music scene clashed with the aftermath of punk and gave birth to a vibrant underground, similar to New York’s No Wave scene and Berlin’s Neue Deutsche Welle. The compilation charts the musical experiments of 11 largely forgotten bands  – here's what the label are saying:

"BART Volume 1 features a Korg-heavy assault from Danville’s utterly obscure Nominal State; two little-known left-field electronic dance gems from Batang Frisco and Quiet Room; Berkeley’s answer to darkwave, Necropolis of Love; a synth-driven drama fest from drag performance troupe Wasp Women; quirky lo-fi gothic pop from one man band Distant Thunder; a gay Hi-NRG anthem delivered by Danny Boy and the Serious Party Gods; two lesser know gems from SF synth legends Voice Farm and Los Microwaves; and the futuristic pulsing synth-punk of Standard of Living and the Units."

"BART Volume 2 features slow, dystopian horror from pioneering industrial group Factrix; crushing, motorik noise from acid punks Chrome; amphetamine-driven synth punk from Red Asphalt; an early demo, never released on vinyl, from legendary post punk band Tuxedoomon; chilling atmospheric drone from Ki Di Me; leftfield new wave from Indoor Life featuring Patrick Cowley on synths;  Los Microwaves more sinister side project Baby Buddha; gay drag icon Timmy Spence delivering an unknown camp classic, a pure instrumental electro-pop workout from Human Being Men; TR-808 fueled synth pop from Menlo Park duo Wonders of Science, and a poetic yet somber and haunting song from the mysterious Zru Vogue."

You can order either volumes of the compilation, and listen to streams over on the Captured Tracks website here