January 2003 sees the first ever CD releases by cult Dutch electro pioneers Minny Pops, who released four albums and a string of singles on Factory and Plurex between 1979 and 1985. Formed by mainman Wally van Middendorp... more » in 1978, the band released several left-field singles and an album on Dutch label Plurex before joining Factory Records in 1980. After acclaimed singles such as Dolphin's Spurt, Secret Story and Time, and becoming the first Dutch group to record a Peel Session, the group released the superb album Sparks in a Dark Room in 1982. The tracks were digitally remastered by the band in 2002 and the set runs for a full 74 minutes, while the booklet includes a detailed history of the band and rare photographs. LTM.« less
January 2003 sees the first ever CD releases by cult Dutch electro pioneers Minny Pops, who released four albums and a string of singles on Factory and Plurex between 1979 and 1985. Formed by mainman Wally van Middendorp in 1978, the band released several left-field singles and an album on Dutch label Plurex before joining Factory Records in 1980. After acclaimed singles such as Dolphin's Spurt, Secret Story and Time, and becoming the first Dutch group to record a Peel Session, the group released the superb album Sparks in a Dark Room in 1982. The tracks were digitally remastered by the band in 2002 and the set runs for a full 74 minutes, while the booklet includes a detailed history of the band and rare photographs. LTM.
CD Reviews
Simply Painful
Lypo Suck | Hades, United States | 07/02/2003
(1 out of 5 stars)
""Sparks in a Dark Room" sounds like a deliberate parody of how critics perceive that "Factory sound". Whereas bands like Section 25, the Names, and the Wake create alluring, colorful atmospheres and compelling hooks, Minny Pops merely grates with their buzzing, repetitive, completely non-melodic synths, making each song indistinguishable from the next. Some of it's a bit like Tuxedomoon, but without any of that band's playfulness or character. Vocalist Wally exudes about as much personality as the grey walls of a temp's cubicle. He doesn't even really sing, per se, it's just low, monotone chanting, while his occasional attempts at melody reveal a possible case of tone-deafness. His lyrics, when decipherable, sound silly. And 20+ songs of this stuff is mind-numbing.
As an avid fan of LTM's valiant Factory/Benelux/Crepuscule reissues, I was reluctant to write this review. But I'm wondering if they're finally scraping the bottom of the barrel, and if what's left in the dank corners of the Factory et al. vaults should stay there. I'd love it if LTM focused on some other obscure, 80s post-punk artists in desperate need of their loving reissues. They've already done the Passage (yay!). Pink Industry, anyone? John Cooper Clarke??"
Music for Mannequins
Thomas Horan | Chapel Hill, NC | 02/07/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The Minny Pops, a Dutch group on the legendary Factory label, play brittle, minimalistic, electronic, dance music that reminds me of Suicide, Fad Gadget, and some of Kraftwerk's darker moments. The deep, monotone vocals are spoken, not sung, and give the songs a distant, postmodern feel. I imagine this kind of thing gets played at post-expressionistic art galleries in Berlin. Even though it smacks of pretense, I like this album and the generous amount of bonus material that accompanies it."
Finally, they're back!
Michael C. Tellison | 02/05/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When I became a HUGE fan of Minny Pops, I was a teenager. Now I have grown-up children, I'm, well, not I teenager anymore. But, when I listen to the music that once stir my hormones, I feel young again!
That is the power of (good!) music!!!!!"
It's about time!
Michael C. Tellison | Chicago, IL USA | 03/04/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Truthfully, I've been waiting for years for this album to be released onto a cd. It's moody, funky, a little off, but those clever Dutch boys knew how to work it! Minny Pops are very VERY underrrated and extremely interesting to listen to. It does take an acquired taste however...my wife still makes me shut it off when I crank it! he he he From Night Visit and Trance to the extra material included this disc is a keeper. They had their fingers on the pulse of Factory Benelux for a short period of time. Mix these gems into some CD's and surprise your friends - they might actually dig this stuff, it's deep, it's gutteral, it's very funky and it moves like nothing else. It's reasonably priced and I recommend you BUY THIS!..."
Track Listings (23) - Disc #1