V/A End Of The Corridor / A Compilation Of Belgian Cold Wave And Post Punk 78-84 (Album – Walhalla Records)
Genre/Influences: Punk, Post-Punk, Cold-Wave.
Format: Digital, Vinyl.
Background/Info: Belgian Walhalla Records used to release the great “Underground Wave”-compilation series, mainly devoted to Belgian Electro bands from the 80s. This new compilation, which is again compiled by Lieven De Ridder, features eleven Belgian bands from the past involved with Punk, Post-Punk and Cold-Wave.
Artists: De Brassers, The Cultural Decay, Camera Obscura, Struggler, Siglo XX, Suspects, De Kommeniste, De Scheuren, Protection +, Vibø, Day After.
Content: The title of the compilation speaks for itself: this is pure nostalgia, but also an opportunity to get back to the early years of Cold-Wave and Post-Punk. Several bands were set up in the late 70s and got influenced by legendary UK Punk bands.
Siglo XX is for sure the most famous –and internationally renowned, band from the album. De Brassers became an established Punk band in Belgium, but the other formations received local success and recognition. Belgian fans will maybe know Struggler (who remained active) and The Cultural Decay.
+ + + : This compilation brings us back in time, (re)discovering the early years of Belgian Punk and Cold-Wave music, but it also is a way to discover lost and forgotten treasures from the Belgian Punk scene. Next to several live songs you’ll get the opportunity to discover some unknown bands like Suspects –which is featuring a more Electro-driven cut, Protection + and Vibø, which both are featuring cool Cold-Wave driven songs. If you’re more into the typical Punk music you also gone like De Brassers and De Kommeniste. Last, but not least you also will hear a live track of Siglo XX (cf. “Answer”). The inside info sheet is also interesting to get more info about the featured bands.
– – – : This is nostalgia so a few tracks are definitely suffering from the weight of time. You have to replace this work in the right context and time.
Conclusion: Just as for the “Underground Wave”-series, this compilation is a kind of sonic documentary and legacy…
Best bands: Suspects, Siglo XX, Vibø, Protection +.
Rate: 8.
Label: www.walhallarecords.be / www.facebook.com/WalhallaRecords
About Walhalla Records
Walhalla Records is an independent Belgian label founded in 2010 by Lieven De Ridder, who also DJs as Aimé Le Chevalier and once ran a record shop of the same name. The label works largely with Belgian new wave, minimal synth and cold wave material, much of it previously released only on cassette.
Its catalogue opened with “Underground Belgian Wave Volume 1” and “Volume 2” in 2010, continued with “Underground Wave Volume 3” in 2012, “Volume 4” in 2014, the singles collection “The Underground Wave 7″s” in 2015 and “Volume 5” in 2016. Artist releases include Somnambulist “Withered Land” and Secret Life “Nineteen Eighty Four” in 2011, Kloot Per W “Playback With A Switch – A Cassette Anthology 1978-1982” in 2012, Asmodaeus “Lies And Logic” in 2014 and Enzo Kreft “Dark Matter” in 2016, alongside the compilation “The Whispering Trees”.
“End Of The Corridor” was released on 22 July 2021 with eleven tracks. Side-Line reported on the ‘End of Corridor’ vinyl compilation of Belgian cold wave and post punk from 1978-84 on 5 August 2021.
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