JYL- "JYL" LP

In the booklet accompanying this Minimal Wave masterpiece, Jyl Porch (known here as JYL) says of her time studying Modern Dance at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, "I loved the discipline and creativity" Those few words nicely sum up the circuitry of this album; emotions and feelings rushing through the transistors and resistors of the then modern age.

This LP is very much a capsule, created at a time which existed on the brink (not so hard to imagine). Technology was advancing in a strange way at a rapid pace, creatives types were finding their way out of the hangover and haze of the hippie era. Reagan was about to do his worst to reinstate the imagined golden age of the West (while other "leaders" of the West weren't necessarily much better), and people at large were as confused and excited as one might expect.

The deceptively charming lyrics contained within this 12" time-machine are actually brilliantly penned, dealing with the human condition and intellect meeting automation & computing in that glorious, peculiar, imaginative retro-futuristic style (before it was realised that we'd largely just be losing jobs and staring at dumb and colourful bullshit on our computer phones).

The accompanying music is just as much of a collect call from a prior time. Producer Klaus Schulze (maestro of Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, and a whole stack of 90s trance classix later on down the way) alongside fellow Berlin scanners playing with their then-shiny, strict drum machines and experimenting with new synthesizing toys. Clearly having some kind of morose fun and betraying a smirking humour every step of the way... how very German it is!

Sometimes it drives forward in a way that is unexpectedly punk, other times it meanders into melodies that I could only describe as the musical interpretation of the mind.exe of a young robot.

Music for technophiles and modern lovers everywhere. Plug in and turn <ON>.

"Destined for my velvet kiss
Embracing in the dark
They programmed all your fantasies
Within my plastic heart
Ready made to touch you
Maniplate our beat
I've got you in the system
And will reproduce the heat."

Yeow.

MINIMAL WAVE:

Minimal Wave is honored to present a reissue of Jyl‘s self-titled full-length album from 1984, originally released on Klaus Schulze’s Inteam label. Born and raised in California, Jyl travelled to Europe in her twenties to dance and met several talented and like-minded collaborators along the way. She ended up in Germany, and worked with Ingo Werner, Angela Werner, and Klaus Schulze, on what would become one of the most important and forward thinking electronic albums of the time. Shortly after its release, the song “Computer Love” became a mini-hit along with the album’s opening track “Mechanic Ballerina”. The lyrics of “Silicon Valley” and “Computer Generation” are reflective of the times and have become even more relevant now, 36 years later. The production and song arrangement on the album is immaculate. The synthesizers, drum programming and vocal contributions complement Jyl’s voice perfectly. The album contains an incredible depth beyond a regular dance album likely due to the spirit of the people behind it – the list of contributors add to its significance and near-mythological mystery.

After years of searching to no avail, the master tapes were finally located and we were able to remaster them for the best possible audio result. The record is pressed on black 180 gram vinyl and comes housed in a glossy heavyweight sleeve. The sleeve features an updated version of the original artwork, and is accompanied by a 12 page LP sized booklet, featuring large scale portraits of Jyl from the time, an interview (thank you, Anders Larsson), and all of Jyl’s previously unpublished lyrics. Release date: September 8th, 2020.