Post Punk in Italy

My offering for you today is a series of fantastic comps compiled by a very good friend of mine for us here at Nightmares on Wax, where their prime focus is mostly on many key elemental bands of the Italian punk, post punk, dark wave and goth scenes. The first part of this series showcase some of the more cult bands of the Italian Post punk scene and of coarse some delightful obscurities thrown in for good measure

Without getting too much into various historical facts and other tediums, the Italian post punk scene mostly started making a bigger headway around 1979, with many of the first eminent bands appearing in Bologna and Pordenone. When finally the musical scene came into full force, Florence then became  the capital of the Italian post punk and wave movement and produced cult bands such as Diaframma and Litfiba in which I'll explain a little bit more about these two bands below.

                                                                   
Diaframma

Is probably one of the most notable and famous Italian bands of this era. With an initial start in '79 under the strong and constant direction of Federico Fiumani, the one constant member of Diaframma. They had various vocalist changes over their career as a band but first started out with Nicola Vannini as frontman. Which during this time drew in a bit of a cult following becoming known as something of an 'Italian Joy Division'. Then switched over to Nick Vannini as the new frontman, giving Diaframma even more of a darker sound and presence. In 1984 for the album Siberia yet another new front man (Miro Sassolini) would take over changing yet again the entire presence of the band, but this time around changing from being a bi-lingual lyrical band to just their pure Italian roots...thus beginning the real era of Diaframma. Siberia is probably considered one of the best Italian post punk albums and a fundamental for the whole Italian rock movement because from this particular album  numerous Italian bands would state as a key inspiration.

                                                                          
 Litfiba

Starting out in the earlier part of the 80's, Litfiba was equally important and responsible for bringing the Italian language to post punk music just as Diaframma was. They also are considered one of the most famous Italian bands in Europe and toured quite frequently throughout various parts of the continent. Their style is a very traditional type of post-punk with synthpop elements which is probably presented best in their 'Luna La Preda' 7''. They also would occasionally explore more experimental realms with such songs as 'Eneide di Krypton'. Nearing the end of the 80's though they still were together producing music but changed to more of an alternative rock and pop rock band.

                                                               
  Underground Life

During the latter part of the 70's various other cult bands were beginning to form in Italy, especially one worth mentioning from Monza, a city which was not too far from Milan called Underground Life. In '79 they released their first 7"  'Noncurance / Black Out' which managed to make it's way into the Rough Trade store front, being displayed and sold as 'Italian punk rock '. 

Their style and sound changed quite often during their time together as a band,  in which they experimented quite often with different elements of post punk, synthpop, minimal wave and new wave and incorporated each bit together into very stark and bleak ballads
....' punk rock ' indeed.

                                                                     
 Dirty Actions  

One of the first post punk bands from Genova that like so many other great bands, only lasted a very short period.Their sound is utterly infectious and does get you moving, especially on such tracks as 'Bandana Boys'... filled with moveable dub beats, twangy guitars and chaotic synth melodies.

                                                                       
 Gaznevada

Originally from Bologna, they formed sometime in '77making them probably one of the first real post punk bands in Italy. Don't quote me on that one though. Their sound was a mix of elementary post punk and no wave weirdness, which resulted in a frenetic and dirty sounding post punk. 

Later on they would become more of an Italo Disco group and just broke the initial band name to Gaz Nevada.

So enjoy the comp below and let us know what you think ..

Italian Post Punk Compilation vol 1.

Dark Tales - 1984
Dirty Actions - Bandana Boys
Gaznevada - Blue Tv Set
Dissolutio Humani Generis - Psico
Definitive Gaze - The Wire Blaze
Diskanto - Trafficanti
Vox Rei - Fear
Litfiba - La preda
Neurox - Raving Night
Pale Tv - Night Toys
Polaroid - Vita Immaginaria
After Budapest - In The Firedance
Marte in Ariete - Ultimi fuochi
Underground Life -Glass House
Spleen - Searchin' For Love
Diaframma - Siberia
Viridanse - Justine
Mickeranno - Da un'altra parte
Panjandrum - A Grey Landing On a Country

Matador (Germany) 1982-1991

Matador was a female fronted German band founded in 1982 by Gudrun Gut, Manon P. Duursma of the cult band Malaria! and Beate Bartel of Liaisons Dangereuses. They spent the early years mostly focused on live performances and contributing to avante-garde films since all were still involved with their respective bands. In '87 they finally managed to put down some tracks and release A Touch Beyond Canned Love which is an intensive debut with just the right amount of experimentation and by far the darkest of their three albums. Songs like 'Komm' and 'Abortion' are ladened with sexy and icy vocals, booming thundering drums, bleak sampling and sequences and a haunted blaring Trumpet looped in the mix. You hear more of an influence from their previous bands in this first album which I think is far from a bad thing. Their second release Sun is steeped more so in a goth rock atmosphere with the use of more guitar and bass but still managing to use dark pop elements especially in their dooming but catchy version of 'Stop! in The Name of Love'. Then you have songs like 'Sun' that is just pure sexual black magic. Over all you can tell in this album the three stepped more out of their familiar elements they were use to in their previous bands and started to create more of a cohesive and specialized sound that is Matador. Their last and final release Écoute even though it was released in the 90's still managed to have that 80's feel with back to back tracks of gloomy and chilly synth pop which is most deliciously presented in the songs 'Memory' and 'Mother'. Matador was something that stood apart from the rest of the Trash Pop that was coming out in droves during this time in Europe. Their dark and unorthodox approach to pop and wave music kept them just under the radar, and sometimes that is not always a bad thing, music like this just doesn't burn and sizzle out it stays branded on the hearer and is easily not forgotten.

A Touch Beyond Canned Love (1987)

Komm

On The Boat

Abortion

Low

Release

Angel

Nite Time

You Made Me

Searose

 

Sun (1989)

Dancetrance

3 Coins

Hold Me

Smoke & Fire

Sun

Stop! In The Name Of Love

Red Light

The Man

Missing

Paradise

Écoute (1991) 

Pushing

Gumbo

Words

Frucht

Nobody Knows

Going Home

Tore Stadt

Schreiender Tag

Memory

Promise

Mother

Nan

Navastrau - Vergess Mir Nit 7" (1980) US

Navastrau were a duo from Chicago consisting of Rick Gallo(former member of The Cunts) and vocalist Gretchen Witte; who were also part of the Disturbing Records crew, one of the first punk labels in Chicago. The band was known for their post punk minimal sound and their reluctance to perform live. On August 4th, 1981 they finally decided to do a show at Exit, they billed it as "their first and only" before playing New York, the gig at the Exit sold out.
J. von Damen, one of the writers for The Coolest Retard liked their debut single so much he sent a copy of it to Ralf Hutter of Kraftwerk. Who was impressed by the single, but when seeing them was 'underwhelmed' by their live performance. Navastrau also came out with 1 more single in 1981 where a relatively unknown at the time Al Jourgensen would play bass for a few of the tracks.
The thing I really like about this single is that each song slightly differs in style, varying from minimal synth wave to NDW to erratic post punk funk with a blaring sax. While all accompanied by male and female vocals both in German and in English, but what stood out the most was the track 'Looking from an Airplane'. Thanks again to Jason Hall for providing the rip and the artwork.

Navastrau - Vergess Mir Nit 7" (1980)

A1. Vergess Mir Nit
A2. Navastrau Theme
B1. Looking From An Airplane
B2. Continental Welcome