Mentioning Pseudo Code instantly feels like stepping back in time. Alain Neffe’s band was mainly active during the 80s, and this album transports us straight into the heyday of Electro and the spirit of experimentation that defined the era.

It gathers the well-known tracks from “Light”—originally recorded in 1980–1981 and reissued on vinyl in 2006. Now remastered by Len Lemaire (Implant), these pieces remain more than worthy of (re)discovery. This is pure Electro/Wave minimalism: vintage analog synth textures with rare saxophone parts topped with sparse vocals. The sound is cold and detached, yet that very absence of emotion is what makes it so compelling. The B-side presents five tracks the band performed at the legendary AB venue in Brussels in 1981. Entirely Experimental in nature, this set must have felt revolutionary in its time.

Today, it stands as a historical document, one that may appeal most strongly to a select but appreciative audience. (Rating:6½).

Listen to “Could It Be A Hit?”:

Read the news on ‘Light/Live’.

About Pseudo Code

Pseudo Code was a Belgian electronic and experimental band active from 1979 to 1982, comprising Alain Neffe, Xavier Stenmans, and Guy-Marc Hinant. Alain Neffe is also the head of the Insane Music label. The project described itself as ‘potlatch music’, focusing on expression and improvisation, fluctuating between minimal wave, industrial, experimental, and other styles. The “Light/Live” LP compiles the “Light” material recorded in 1980 and 1981 alongside a previously unreleased 1981 live recording from the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Out via the Belgian label je m’en fish on January 24th is “Light / Live“, a compilation of early material from the minimal wave act Pseudo Code. The LP comes in a limited edition of 100 copies on heavy 180 g vinyl in two versions, a white marbled with red splatters one, and a white marbled and red center blob one.

“Light” as side A is a re-release of the EP titled as such, recorded and mixed in 1980 and 1981. The “Live” B-side is an unreleased recording of the live set Pseudo Code performed at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels on the 10th of June 1981, next to Zev’, Blurt and Tuxedomoon.

About Pseudo Code

Pseudo Code was a Belgian electronic and experimental band active from 1979 to 1982, comprising Alain Neffe, Xavier Stenmans, and Guy-Marc Hinant. Alain Neffe is also the head of the Insane Music label. The project described itself as ‘potlatch music’, focusing on expression and improvisation, fluctuating between minimal wave, industrial, experimental, and other styles.

Below are some videos from the band. Read the review of ‘Light/Live’.

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Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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