review: Poeme Electronique - The Echoes Fade

German label Anna Logue is mostly a re-issue label focussing on synthesizer music from the 1980's and mostly releasing synth pop and electro pop music from that era. Their catalogue features releases by Camera Obscura, Sudeten Creche, Design and Monuments to name a few.
Some the releases I liked best so far are the Carmody and Monuments cd's with some great synth pop music. A little but off center maybe for the label were the releases by The Hands Of Cain (batcave music) and Stranger Station (synth music but less pop).
Next to these 1980's releases with some obscure material the label also released a few contemporary bands like Sleep Museum (also known as After The Snow on my label), Sonnenbrandt (Neue Deutsche Welle / electro pop) and The Silicon Scientist (solo project of Sonnenbrandt member).
Also Anna Logue has released a few records by 1980's bands with remixes and new versions of old songs. In that way a 7 inch has appeared by UK based Poeme Electronique on which the band presented a new version of their classic cult single 'The Echoes Fade'/'Voice'.
Now there is this massive 2LP with no less then 16 tracks by Poeme Electronique. All original tracks so no remix/remaster/re-do whatever. The real thing. It is funny that this band never reached more people back then. The original 7 inch from 1982 was quite good and many of the songs on this 2LP are simply great.
Here is a band with real musical skills and singing talent. You cannot say that of many of the 1980's bands that are currently being re-issued. On this record Anna Logue shows us a band with all onboard to have made it. Strange they never became bigger...
Just listen to tracks like 'Rendezvous', 'Fragile' and 'Dilemma'. These would have been great A sides for singles and great tracks for some extended 12 inch versions. What you hear is a new wave synthesizer band that sounds in a way like a more poppy version of Kirlian Camera. Never as gothic, never as Italo disco but equally good and with a similar moody sound.
At times the tempo goes a bit more down and you get served some excellent dreamy pop tunes like on 'A Mourner's Lament' for example.
This 2LP is a fantastic document with all these tracks collected, the deluxe packaging and in this hand numbered limited edition of 500 copies. Still this could have been a simply fantasic LP by leaving some tracks away. Now it is more of a document then a real album. Besided this no complains here!
You can get this 2LP and some of the other Anna Logue releases at my webshop here... look under the 80's section...