Bal Paré – Early Recordings [Medical Records]
Medical Records presents a hand-picked selection of the early recordings of Germany’s Bal Paré. Members were Kirsten Klemm (vocals), Jan T. Krahn (Synthesizer), Matthias Schuster (Synthesizer, Beatbox). and drummer Jurgen Weiss. The first Bal Pare LP “Hamburg-Paris-Catania” was released in 1982 on Konkurrenz Records. Since they had a large fanbase in Sweden, the second release (“Metamorphose”) came out in Stockholm on the Krautrock label. Around this time, a new member, Manfred Asmus , joined on keyboards and programming and Jan T. Krahn and Jergen Weiss had left the band. Much of the material from this selection of tracks were culled from unreleased sessions from the 80s with Manfred Asmus. The opening track “Rien” is a perfect display of what synth pop is modeled after. Rich lead synth textures, male/female interplayed vocals, and electronic percussion. Though the entire record flows with ease and captivates the listener from beginning to end, other standout tracks include “Palais d’Amour”, “Die Idioten”, and “Meilleur Du Monde”.