Tuxedomoon - divine (1982)

Tuxedomoon's soundtrack to Maurice Bejart's ballet Divine is even more ambitious and austere than previous releases. Basically herein Tuxedomoon invented a new form of futurism, one that worships the machine but also draws heavily on past classicism. Or to put it another way, the numerous classical and traditional references in Divine almost hang in suspended animation, ready to be manipulated by these industrial new-wave elitists.

Check how "Grand Hotel" is a European traditional string-dance based on an electronic vocal loop, or "Ninotchka"'s constant movement between the strings/ vocals (borrowing from Russian folklore) and electronics, the romantic psychological soundscapes of "Queen Christina" and "Camille", the slow-motion tension of "Mata Hari", and the feverish hallucinations of "Anna Christie" and "Freudlose Gasse".

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Bush Tetras - rituals (1981)

Bush Tetras concocted one of the most groovy sounds of the new-wave era, and Rituals is probably their peak. Theoretically originating from the no-wave movement (Pat Place was a guitarist in the Contortions), Bush Tetras have actually more to do with punk-funksters Α Certain Ratio and Gang Οf Four.

The hyperactive bass and airy percussion/ guitar in "You Can't be Funky" underlines a superb groove and tight melody; the remix "Funky" displays brass and synthesizers; "Cowboys in Africa" is an excellent fusion of punk, blues and funk, while "Rituals" adds psychedelia and dark-punk to the recipe.

It's just a shame that the Bush Tetras never got to release a full album back then. Get it here.

Prolapse - backsaturday (1995)

Backsaturday was another impressive entry in the Prolapse discography. "Mein Minefield, Mine Landmine" introduced their angular kraut/ post-punk, which was enhanced with a glittering pop sheen and tempo-changes in "TCR". The eight-minute bass/ drums/ atmospherics cylinder-engine "Framen Fr. Cesar" hinted at a more subtle menace, but went into overdrive in "Every Night I'm Mentally Crucified", only for "Zen Nun Deb" to rise like a ghostly entity. The frenzied ethnic-folk dance "Irritating Radiator" reverted to a frenetic groove, but Linda Steelyard and Mick Derrick saved their most impressive vocal partnership for the fifteen-minute tour-de-force of "Flex": Steelyard's dream-pop lushness crossed spectacularly with Derrick's obsessive drunken rant, in a roller-coaster ride of a song.

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Kommunity FK - the vision and the voice (1983)

Kommunity FK presented a magma of death-rock, punk, garage and heavy-metal in The Vision And The Voice, as typified in "Restrictions". The recipe was able to establish several chemical bonds, like the claustrophobic, droning dark-punk buzz of "Bullets", or the suffocating environment created by the frenetic beat and ambient-effects in "Incompatible Disposition". At times their sound is even flirting with the intensity of hardcore ("Fuck The Kommunity"), achieving an almost symphonic, anthemic quality in "To Blame", or a cold-wave paralysis in "No Fear", and finally a call-to-arms in the gurgling gothic-garage "We Will Not Fall".

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Nits - work (1981)

The Nits' existential synth-pop sounds magnificent on Work. Benefiting from baroque arrangements (verging on chamber) and indulging on suspenseful paranoid atmospheres ("Lodger", "Hobbyland", "Umbrella Army", "Hands Οn Τhe Watch"), extruding a charming playfulness ("Footprint", "S­­lip Οf Τhe Tongue", "Tables & Chairs", "Buildings"), or even an epic flair ("Empty Room", "Red Tape", "Man Friday").

This belongs more to theatre than music, their deformed pantomime being able to conjure a wide array of emotions.

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Ui - answers (2003)

Ui remained in the post-rock atlas convincingly with Answers.

"Back Up" blended the neurotic funk practice with the convoluted structures of progressive-rock and the suave edge of post-rock, and while "Get Hot You Bum" was less abrasive, it was just as brainy and groovy, while "Mrs. Lady Lady" featured their most elastic basslines yet.

The contrasting micro-funk patterns and elegant jazz display of "Sunny Nights" showed how A Certain Ratio would have adapted to the post-rock age, while the minimal, feedback-ridden funk "Answers" used it's complex structure to emphasize a suspenseful mood (echoes of King Crimson circa Starless And Bible Black). Ditto for the Slint-ian mini-thriller "The Headache Boat", which was in contrast with the relatively lightweight "Boxer-Painter" (despite the ever present progressive structure).

The diversity just underlined Ui's capabilities.

The rest of the tracks, while not offering anything groundbreaking, were sleek presentations of their musical language (funk, jazz-rock, math-rock, electro), and "John Fitch Way" in particular was one of the most substantial progressive-rock workouts of recent years.

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Astronauts - peter pan hits the suburbs (1981)

The Astronauts, one of the more eclectic bands of the punk/ post-puk era, debuted with Peter Pan Hits the Suburbs in 1981.

The album's range is gigantic: from dissonant punk a la Fall ("Everything Stops for Baby"), to epic progressive folk ("Protest Song", "Baby Sings Folk Songs"), ditties ("Sod us"), hard-rock ("the Traveller"), pop ("How Green was my Valley"), garage/ surf ("Still Talking"), industrial ("How Long is a Piece of String"), and set to arrangements that employ synthesizers, flute, saxophone, and stray into progressive or even free-form/ psychedelic sections.

The icing on the cake is the mature statement of the lyrics, a cynical and bitter exploration of the lives of simple men, miles away from the generic horror/ punk overtones that permeated most of alternative albums at the time.

Get it here.