VARIOUS ARTISTS - SOWAS VON EGAL 3 (GERMAN SYNTH WAVE UNDERGROUND 19)

Format: LP
Catalogue No.: BB507LP
Barcode: 4015698827569
Release Date: 03 Jul 2026
Genre: Independent

With „Sowas von Egal 3”, the Hamburg-based Damaged Goods DJ team continues  its compilation series on Bureau B, once again turning its attention to the  underground scenes of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the early 1980s. The  selected tracks originate from a period in which, alongside the commercial Neue  Deutsche Welle (NDW), a number of innovative and often more abrasive bands and artists operated outside the mainstream. They combined influences from new wave,  synthwave, post-punk, and the avant-garde with German lyrics – and occasionally  other languages – releasing their music in very small editions on indie labels or entirely DIY. As a result, many of these records are now rare and highly sought after. The tracks emerged in a cultural climate strongly shaped by the rupture brought about by  punk. The rejection of the overproduced, bombastic rock music of the 1970s opened up new spaces for radically reduced and experimental approaches. What followed were  diverse musical forms – whether labeled post-punk, avant-garde, synth-pop, new wave, or  power pop. At the same time, the songs reflect a social atmosphere oscillating between uncertainty, protest culture, and a nihilistic “no future” attitude, shaped by fears of  militarization, environmental destruction, and global conflict. These tensions gave rise to an  aesthetic of cool, dark sounds, minimalist and angular arrangements, and a clear DIY ethos. Five years after the second installment, the search for hard-to-find artists and rights holders  began again for “Sowas von Egal 3.” Thanks to the cohesion and supportive network within  the scene, it has once more been possible to assemble a carefully curated and lovingly  compiled selection. As with the first two volumes, part three follows an approach closely aligned with the DJ  repertoire of the Damaged Goods nights. The focus is on captivating, danceable, and  catchy tracks. Songs that often reveal their full impact on first listen in a club setting. The aim is to make forgotten or hard-to-access pieces audible and available again. The artwork is once again by Biljana Tomic, drawing on an industrial-apocalyptic sensibility  and referencing the iconic facades of Horten department stores, evoking a visual aesthetic of the 1980s. The sound has once again been carefully remastered by Tom Morgenstern. “Sowas von Egal 3” seamlessly continues the series and presents itself as a lovingly  curated snapshot of a highly productive yet often overlooked phase in German, Austrian, and Swiss pop history.

TRACKLIST A1 Guyer's Connection - He Sabine A2 Starter - Night By Night (7" Version) A3 Bergtraum – Almenrausch A4 Die Shadocks - Disco-Liebe A5 Isolierband – Kontrolle A6 Bizarre Leidenschaft – Geheimnis A7 Ziggy & Eno – Geduld B1 André Szigethy - Liebe Banal B2 Zero Zero – Irrenanstalt B3 JaJaJa - Hab nicht mehr Angst B4 Ti-Tho – Traumtänzer B5 Vorgruppe - Mensch im Eis B6 X-Beliebig – Morgen B7 Trick 17 - City Nacht B8 Die Egozentrischen 2 – Kunststoff B9 Tommi Stumpff - Contergan Pun