Differing Trees

 

A Blaze Colour - Against The Dark Trees Beyond [OS46 BEL 2022 24-Bit 176.4kHz FLAC]

Back in 1981/1982, Belgian synth-duo A Blaze Colour (from Leuven) released a cassette album, a twelve inch single and a seven inch single - all titled Against The Dark Trees Beyond, however all with differing track listings. These days, if you want to acquire these releases, you will have to part with well in excess of three figures as A Blaze Colour original product is high in demand and very difficult to find.

Ludo Camberlin & Bam Saelemaekers should be considered as pioneers of both early-eighties minimal synthpop, the coldwave sound of Benelux and cassette tape culture. Using a Korg Delta and MS20, a Roland SH-2 and a Jupiter IV plus of course the essential Casio VL-1, their stripped back compositions were driven along with a very basic Boss DR55 drum machine.

Their experimentation with rhythm and simple melody produced very familiar results, especially if you are familiar with some of those early British synthpop bands - at times you could be listening to early demos from New Order, Depeche Mode or even more experimental acts like Portion Control. 

Just listen to the catchier hooks on Nowhere Else, Cold As Ever, The Ultimate Fight and Follow The Signs and you will hear what I mean - any of these could be a synthpop classic in the making.

Occasional Belgian reissue label OnderStroom Records resurfaced again towards the end of 2022, having acquired the original recordings for this vinyl archive of A Blaze Colour releases, all that seems to be missing here is Fisk from their self-distributed 1981 cassette album.

A1 An Addict Of Time

A2 Dark Trees Beyond

A3 The New Ones

A4 Nowhere Else

A5 Through With Life

A6 Altitude

B1 Cold As Ever

B2 Means To An End

B3 The Ultimate Fight

B4 Follow The Signs

B5 Or Lie Again

B6 Only Tape