Bureau B

V/A - Sowas Von Egal 2: German Synth Wave Underground 1981-1984

"Two years have passed since Bureau B released the first Sowas Von Egal compilation (BB 310CD/LP, 2018). With the musical movement or genre known as NDW celebrating its 40th anniversary, what better time than now to launch an ambitious successor to the first sampler. The beating heart of this endeavor is once again invigorated by the synchronous passions of bespoke Hamburg label Bureau B and the label's Damaged Goods nights where they present rare, obscure synth and wave discs from the early 1980s. It was clear from the outset that Sowas Von Egal 2 would need to scale similar heights of excellence as its predecessor, featuring carefully selected, sought-after, danceable tunes. Bureau B began by compiling a pool of potential tracks, a creative process of lively discussion in the spirit of "open-mindedness" which culminated in a list of priority targets. After research and rich encounters with input from musicians, friends, and acquaintances, Bureau B revised their target list several times over -- some artists simply could not be found, a few had actually passed away. There were also some who were determined not to revisit their own musical history and asked the label to leave out their songs. Some tracks are so rare that they do not even appear on YouTube. Bureau B have picked up the rights to release them. In contrast to the first volume, most of the acts on Sowas Von Egal 2 were only active in the early 1980s and have not released any records since then. The tape artists were particularly invested in the DIY ethic -- as is often apparent in their sound aesthetics and the unbridled energy which has lost none of its intensity today. Their art was seldom -- if ever -- tempered by commercial considerations or sales strategies. The photograph on the cover beautifully captures the paradoxical tensions which pervaded the atmosphere of the early Eighties: new beginnings, renewal, protest and self-empowerment on one side, frustration, hedonism, future anxiety, and destructive rage on the other. The DIY spirit ingrained in the music and attitude of the bands and artists gathered here is also brought into focus, whilst simultaneously establishing a connection to Hamburg. Mastering by Tom Morgenstern. Artwork by Biljana Tomic. Features Die Neue Weltmacht, Christian Kneisel, Silberstreif, Lieferschein, 4712, Plastiktanz, Rolf Jungklaus, Vono, Kleenex Aktiv, Conrad + Gregor Schnitzler, Partner Eins, Mark Montan, "In" Seit, Mittageisen, Die Synthetische Republik, and Casino Mariteam." - Bureau B .
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After nearly a decade of false starts, multiple game plans veering off the rails, and a handful of shattered hopes and/or dreams, the odyssey is finally complete—the new Fusetron site is here.

This is the first phase of a multipart rollout that will span the next few months: the currently browsable stock includes miscellaneous new releases from the past 8+ months (we have a lot of catching up to do), plus approximately a third of our backstock. Note that we’ve reduced/slashed prices on many titles and will continue to do so in order to make room for new stock. We’ll also be expanding / tweaking / improving / debugging the site itself (for example, we still have work to do on the automated international postage system, not to mention the inevitable inventory discrepancies that come with transferring an ancient and massive database to a new system).

Over the next few months, as we take inventory, clean house, and delve into our storage, we will be uploading thousands of additional items, gradually, on a near-daily basis. This will include the majority of the LPs, as well as many titles, in all formats, once thought long-gone. Many currently “sold out” items are likely to resurface.

Finally, once our general backstock is up (probably in the next two or three months) we’ll begin making our extensive stockpile of rarities available online for the first time: tons of random out-of-print titles, "deadstock," warehouse finds, secondhand collectibles, etc., accumulated over the past few decades.

Frequent/returning customers will be getting early access to these items. Details to follow on how this will work (a priority mailing list? a 'frequent flyer'-like program?), but it will not be based on dollars spent. We want to reward those who consistently support us, especially in the discogs marketplace era (to those who show up trying to poach five copies of a one-off rarity, and nothing else, ever… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ).

So—we suggest you take some time to dig through the site—even we’ve been surprised by what’s been turning up, and there’s much more to come.
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