The ‘New Beat’ genre, which emerged out of the EBM and New Wave scene in the mid- to late-80s is arguably one of the most important, yet under-appreciated, in the history of electronic music.
While Chicago and Detroit clearly played an important role in shaping the future of dance music, New Beat was a distinctly darker, slower tempo hybrid of industrial beats and pulsing synth lines, mainly produced between 1986 and 1989, which earned a new legion of fans with the emergence of electroclash a decade later.
A few months ago, Belgian producer Olivier Abbeloos, of T99 and Quadrophonia fame, produced a series of six hour-long mixes, exploring this genre in more detail, which are getting repeated airplay at 909originals HQ.
As Abbeloos explains on his Soundcloud page, New Beat “started with rare instrumental B-sides and album tracks of electro, EBM and new wave in the 80’s . Because of the attention it got in some famous Belgian clubs producers started to transform it. They created instrumental tracks based around hypnotic jams with less vocals.”
These productions would then get airings on less popular nights, such as Sundays, or early in the morning.
“There was no theory involved,” Abbeloos says. “All was created around jams with the atmospheres for those clubs. Mostly [built around a] minor or diminished scale: ‘the dark factor’. The press gave it the tittle ‘New Beat’ when the commercial acts came at the end of this scene.”
Once you start listening, like us, you’ll be hooked.
A Brief History Of The New Beat Culture Part 01 (87 – 89)
Yello – Live At The Roxy N.Y. Dec 83 (1984)
Arbeid Adelt! – Death Disco (Todd Terje Edit) (1983)
Dirty Harry – D’Bop (1988)
Shakti – The Awakening (1988)
Spiritual Sky – Sky My House Band (1989)
La Rolls – Sure Is (24 Tracks Mix) (1988)
Neon – Voices (1988)
Erotic Dissidents – Move Your Ass And Feel The Beat (1988)
The Maxx – Cocaine (1988)
Fad Gadget – Lady Shave (1981)
A Split Second – Rigor Mortis (1987)
Space Opera – Mandate My Ass (1988)
In-D – Virgin In D-Sky’s (1988)
Acts Of Madmen – The Dream (1987)
16 Bit – Where Are You (1986)
Major Problem – Acid Queen (1988)
Taste Of Sugar – Hmm, Hmm (1988)
HNo3 – Doughnut Dollies (1988)
N.0.i.A. – Stranger In A Strange Land (1983)
Public Relations – Eighty Eight (1988)
A Split Second – The Colosseum Crash (1989)
Snowy Red – Euroshima (War Dance) (1982)
Moments Of Ecstasy – You And Me (1988)
Spectrum – Total Recall (1988)
A Brief History Of The New Beat Culture Part 02 (87 – 89)
Fred Brown – Roman Days (1987)
Spectrum – Total Recall (1988)
Real Man – Fashion Victims (1988)
Rhythm Kings – A La Recherche Du Temps Perdue (1989)
Westbam – Back To The Future (1989)
Sister Movie – Hold Me (1989)
Reject 707 – Brainkiller (1988)
Signal Aout 42 – Carnaval (Plastic Acid Mix) (1988)
Miss Nicky Trax – Acid In The House (1988)
Shriekback – Mistah Linn He Dead (1984)
Front 242 – Commando Mix (1984)
Zsa Zsa La Boum – Something Scary (1988)
Boy Toy – Touch My Body (1989)
The Caravan – The World Beat (1987)
B.A.D. – In Full Effect (1989)
101 – Saigon Nightmare (1988)
Klangwerk – Klangwerk (1989)
Bazz – The Drop Deal (1988)
Major Problem – I Stll Have A Dream (1989)
Traxx – Malfunction (1989)
808 State – Narcossa (1988)
A Brief History Of The New Beat Culture Part 03 (87 – 89)
Apocalypse Now – Even The Jungle Wanted Him Dead
Body Count – Trax (1987)
Public Relations – Wakhif (1988)
La Strada – L.S. Beat (1988)
JC Project – Andromedia (1989)
Nasty Thoughts – Acid Sex (Acid Version) (1988)
BX 8017 – Take An Acid (1988)
Liaisons Dangereuses – Los Ninos Del Parque (1981)
Signal Aout 42 – Pleasure And Crime (Instr.) (1988)
Zerocks – You Too (1988)
Pericles – Fly Woman (1989)
Blind Vision – Bestialic Beat (1989)
Depeche Mode – Shout (Rio Edit) (1981)
Chico Crew – Acid Pages (Church Mix) (1988)
Off – Electrica Salsa (Dub) (1986)
Ac Fax – Eventide (1989)
Edwards & Armani – Up Your Bum (1988)
Bozz – Hot Traxx (Master Mix) (1988)
Robotiko Rejekto – Rejekto (Perfekto Mix) (1987)
Double I.D. – Communicate (New Beat Night Mix) (1989)
Phantasia – Welcome To My Acid House (1988)
Sound Squad – Access Denied (1988)
A Brief History Of The New Beat Culture Part 04 (87 – 89)
Edwards & Armani – Acid Drill (1989)
In-D – Bastion In-D Stress (1988)
Zsa Zsa La Boum – Tu Veux Ou Tu Veux Pas (1989)
Front 242 – Welcome To Paradise (1988)
The Beat Club – Security (1988)
White House White – Ouverture (1988)
Laibach – Panorama (1984)
Micro X – Red Velvet (1989)
Klangwerk – Wollt Ihr (1989)
Bazz – Rrrock It ! (1988)
Frankie Bones – Call It Techno (1989)
Liaisons D – Future FJP (1989)
Pulse 8 – Radio Morocco (Youth Remix) (1989)
Mohamed – Ham Safar (808 state Remix) (1988)
Two D.J.’s – The Creation (1989)
Lhasa – Acetatechno V 2.3 (1989)
The Concrete Beat – It’s Not The Way To Do It (1989)
An Early History Of The New Beat Culture Part 05
Fadela – N’sel Fik (1987)
The Caravan – Somewhere In Arabia (1987)
Zazou Bikaye – Dju Ya Feza (Simon Boswell Remix) (1984)
Explorers Of The Nile – We Are All Egyptians (1988)
Chairmen Of The Board – Life & Death (1974)
T.O.D. – Badabou (1987)
Ei Mori – Vetettem Violat (Razormaid Mix) (1988)
Chayell – Beach (1987)
Logic System – Unit (1981)
Neon Judgement – Please, Release Me, Let Me Go-Go (1985)
Takenoko – Trans Amor Express (Dub Mix) (1988)
Will Powers – Adventures In Success (Dub Mix) (1983)
Chris & Cosey – He’s An Arabian (1985)
Brian Eno & David Byrne – Regiment (1981)
Shriekback – Into Method (Planet Mix) (1983)
KMFDM – Zip (1986)
Simple Minds – This Fear of Gods (1980)
The Smiths – How Soon Is Now (1985)
The Normal – Warm Leatherette (1978)
Liaisons Dangereuses – Etre Assis Ou Danser (1981)
Saga – Take A Chance (Dub Mix) (1985)
An Early History Of The New Beat Culture Part 06
Code 61 – Drop The Deal (1988)
Alan Rankine – Rumours Of War (1986)
Severed Heads – The Ant Can See Legs (1985)
Vicious pink – The Spaceship is Over There (1986)
Escape from New York – Fire in My Heart (Instrumental Dub) (1984)
Telex – The Voice (1988)
Max Berlin – Elle Et Moi (1978)
Stereo Crew – She’s A Skag (instr.) (1986)
Sly Fox – Let’s Go All The Way (Diamond Dub Mix) (1986)
Nitzer Ebb – Let Your Body Learn (1987)
Boytronic – Brilliant (1986)
Rhythm From Zaire – Afrikan Dream (1987)
Renegade Soundwave – cocaine sex (sub aqua overdrive dub) (1987)
Flesh & Fell – The Wind (1985)
The Human League – being boiled (fast version) (1978)
Sly & Robbie – Boops (Here To Go) (1987)
Carlos Peron – Nothing Is True, Everything Is Permitted (1984)
Fad Gadget – Back To Nature (1979)
Material – Don’t Lose Control (1982)
Serge Gainsbourg – Requiem Pour Un Con (1968)
Devo – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1977)
