minny pops

• MINNY POPS - WAITING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN / GLISTERING (OGEN19) - 7” vinyl

Recorded Summer 2012 Eve Studio Stockport, England.

Released at Tim Burgess’ O Genesis label

• MINNY POPS - SPARKS IN A DARK ROOM (FBN15 / BP068) - 2LP blue & orange vinyl (25 tracks)

Factory Benelux presents a new Deluxe 2CD and a 2LP vinyl edition of Sparks In A Dark Room, the second studio album by Dutch electronic group Minny Pops, originally released by Factory Benelux in May 1982.

Formed in Amsterdam in 1978 by vocalist Wally Van Middendorp, MINNY POPS took their name from the primitive Korg drum machine which propelled their austere, post-punk rhythms and provocative live performances. An early association with Factory Records in Manchester saw the band work with producer Martin Hannett, share stages with Joy Division and New Order, and become the first Dutch band to record a BBC radio session for John Peel.

Sparks In A Dark Room is their second studio album, self-produced by the group, recorded without a guitarist and as a result sounded unusually polished and layered, its smooth sequencers and motorik rhythms often redolent of Moroder, Kraftwerk and Cabaret Voltaire. Bonus tracks include the non-album singles Time and Een Kus, as well as demo tracks and an EP by instrumental splinter project Smalts. (FBN15CD only).

Both 2CD and 2LP adds a bonus disc featuring an entire live performance (13 tracks), recorded at Amsterdam Melkweg on 7 April 2012 on their 30th anniversary tour, with original members Wally Van Middendorp, Wim Dekker and Pieter Mulder joined by new guitarist Mark Ritsema.

Listen to Monica from Disc 2 of FBN13CD here: MinnyPops – Monica (live suite performance 2012)

• MINNY POPS - 4th FLOOR (BP048) - album, remastered / download

• MINNY POPS - POSTE RESTANTE (BP047) album, remastered / download

• MINNY POPS - DRASTIC MEASURES, DRASTIC MOVEMENT (FBN13CD)

Minny Pops' debut album, originally released in 1979 on Plurex, will be re-released as a double CD set on 20 October 2014 by Factory Benelux.

Disc one includes nine bonus tracks in addition to the digitally restored and remastered album. This material includes the band's three-track debut EP Kojak; a 2003 remix by Zip and DJ Smacker of Dolphin's Spurt; and 12 minutes of video footage comprising 5 live tracks, recorded at the Amsterdam Filmakademie in 1979.

The band lineup for the original studio recording of Drastic Measures, Drastic Movement was: Wally van Middendorp (vocals, drum machine); Stef Emmer (guitar); Dennis Duchhart (guitar); Frans Hagenaars (bass). Produced by Minny Pops.

Disc two features 2 features a complete live performance of the album recorded at Dansmakers in Amsterdam on 11 March 2012, with band members Wally van Middendorp, Pieter Mulder, Dennis Duchhart, Thomas Myrmel, Bart de Vrees, Jeroen Kimman and Wilbert Bulsink.

Disc one: Springtime I \ Minny Pops \ Hologram \ Total Confusion \ Dolphin's Spurt \ Motor City \ Springtime II \ Monica \ Flash Goes The Eye \ MD Mania \ R.U. 21 \ Mono \ Muzak \ Kojak \ Footsteps \ Nervous \ Dolphin's Spurt (remix)

Disc two: live recordings of Springtime I \ Minny Pops \ Hologram \ Total Confusion \ Dolphin's Spurt \ Motor City \ Springtime II \ Monica \ Flash Goes The Eye \ MD Mania \ R.U. 21 \ Mono \ Muzak

"One of those enjoyable albums that is at once of its time and just slightly out of it. Minny Pops here slot into more of an early Human League / Cabaret Voltaire approach of minimal melodies and murky, crumbling noises shot through with murmuring keyboards" (All Music Guide, 10/04)

‘Your Music is All About Angst’ - Giorgio Gomelsky, New York 1981

• MINNY POPS - STANDSTILL TO MOTION (BP067) - LP / 180 gr audiophile vinyl)

• MINNY POPS - OUTERNATIONALE REMIX (BP134) - DL

Dutch electro pioneers, Minny Pops have resurfaced and released a brand new three track EP on the Blowpipe label on the 23rd of September 2019.

The ‘Outernationale Remix’ EP features exclusive new versions of ‘Vital’, ‘A Feeling’ and lead single ‘Waiting For This to Happen’ by renowned producer and musician Derek Miller. Available digitally at all the usual major outlets, the EP is the first in a series of ongoing releases and mixes by Minny Pops over the next year.

artwork: Luuk Wilmering - www.luukwilmering.nl

typography: Alfred Boland - www.redbol.nl

Formed in 1978 by vocalist Wally van Middendorp, Minny Pops took their name from the primitive Korg drum machine that propelled their stark, confrontational post-punk rhythms. Their association with Factory Records saw them produced by Martin Hannett, tour with Joy Division, New Order and A Certain Ratio and gain press plaudits in the UK for their ‘Sparks in A Dark Room’ album and a string of ground-breaking singles. In 1980 they became the first Dutch band to record a John Peel session.

They returned in early 2012 to play UK and European shows in support of the album ‘Standstill To Motion’ (LTM Recordings), a live CD/DVD package featuring a 1981 performance in Amsterdam. They also recorded their first new material for thirty years at the invitation of long time fan Tim Burgess and released a seven inch single on The Charlatans front man’s O Genesis label, this was followed by the re-release of their acclaimed album 'Sparks in a Dark Room’ on Factory Benelux.

With Minny Pops now based in the UK, there were further erratic, irresponsible and unexpected live engagements (a personal invitation from Slash to support the former Guns N' Roses guitarist at the Hammersmith Apollo) as well as some secret recording sessions which will be now released over the coming months and beyond.

• MINNY POPS - SLOW CAR FAST CAR (BP136) - DL

It’s 1978. Wally Van Middendorp forms experimental act Minny Pops in Amsterdam and releases

the ‘Kojak’ single on the Plurex label.

In 1980 Minny Pops are signed to Factory Records, playing with Suicide in New York, touring with

Joy Division and later New Order in the UK.

By 1982 it’s over, van Middendorp does a backflip, also called a back tuck, somi or salto and becomes a record label man.

Summer 1991. David Bason is cleaning up a bar in rural Saskatchewan the morning after the night shift before. An idea struck. What if he recorded himself and his friends playing music, but not as a band… Rather, each in total isolation with no reference as to what the others are playing. Then he’d take it all and mix it. That would be pure. Purity is hard to find. Fuck jazz, this would be actual purity. But would it be musical? He added the idea to his to-do list.

It is now 2003. Wally and David meet in the elevator at 902 Broadway, New York. They hit it off, kindred musical spirits. They maintain their friendship for years to come without sustaining any injuries.

2015 - David finally feels motivated to giving his idea a try. Partly to clear up some brain space, partly out of curiosity, partly as a social experiment to do with friends. Van Middendorp happens to be in Los Angeles. What better experimentalist to do this with than Wally Van Middendorp, king of weird shit?

2019 – Like a good wine, the track needed to ‘age’ and is now decanted.

Recorded with very capable friends Bruce Driscoll (Blondfire, Freedom Fry), producer songwriter Steve Singh, drummer Will Noon (Fun!, Straylight Run, Breaking Pangea): We think it’s musical.

artwork: Arthur Kempenaar - www.arthurkempenaar.nl

typography: Alfred Boland - www.redbol.nl

•MINNY POPS - PATTY <single edit> (BP195) - DL

Edit from a track of the new upcoming album STOCKHOLM_1974 (BP194)

First new recording since 2012

Feat. John Barrett, Lee McFadden, Thomas David Frost, Mark Ritsema, Iona Tanguay,

Louise Woodcock, Terry Edwards & Zamilska

• MINNY POPS - DAT DEAD DAD DOG (BP143) - DL

New track written by Matt Turner, Scott Telles, Melissa Johanningsmeier, Erwin Blom

artwork: Peter Stufkens - www.peterstufkens.nl

• MINNY POPS - DAT DEAD DOG DAD (BP144) - DL

New track written by Matt Turner, Scott Telles, Melissa Johanningsmeier, Erwin Blom

artwork: Peter Stufkens - www.peterstufkens.nl

• MINNY POPS - PIANO VERSIONS (BP182) - DL

Experience & Crack

Piano Versions done by Pihka Is My Name

to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the SPARKS IN A DARK ROOM album (BP068)

artwork: The Fall (2018) - 100 x 140 cm, Oil on canvas - inflicted by Hugo Loning