Eleven Pond - Bas Relief

Eleven Pond's Bas Relief (1986) is consistently praised as a lost gem of American minimal/dark wave, celebrated for its infectious, driving synths, haunting basslines reminiscent of Joy Division/The Cure, and DIY aesthetic, creating a warm, melancholic, yet danceable sound that echoes early New Order and Depeche Mode, standing out as a unique blend of European post-punk and American college rock. Reissues by Dark Entries have introduced it to new audiences, though some early reissues had pitch/mastering issues, ultimately cementing its status as a classic for fans of 80s underground electronic music. 

“What a total gem! An amazing unearthed, ultra obscure album from way back in 1986. Hailing from Rochester, NY, Eleven Pond crafted super infectious dark pop with wonderful synth moments and song writing that has really held up over the years. Some of the production, and much of the overall sound reminds us a bit of Seventeen Seconds era Cure, where basslines lead the tracks and the guitars and synths add such a nice mood and texture. We’re also reminded a lot of another obscure mid ’80s band, For Against, who had the same ability to take Factory/4AD elements and influences and meld them so nicely with classic eighties American college rock, they kind of sounded like this amazing hybrid of Joy Division and R.E.M.

With new romantic vocals that totally tap into vintage Depeche Mode and New Order territory, we also hear echoes of other lesser known yet great bands of this era like Soul Merchants and Jet Black Factory. With so many new bands lately referencing that era and looking to similarly vintage sounds for inspiration, it’s so refreshing to hear an actual relic from that period, too bad it sadly somehow slipped through the cracks, but now we can finally enjoy this set of songs, so worthy of much wider appreciation.

Limited to a pressing of 500, each copy has been silk screened and contains two Eleven Pond postcards as well as a sticker from Dark Entries, the label who mark this as their first release and who we have a pretty good feeling we’re going to be hearing a lot more from in the future. Grab one while you can, as this is highly recommended!”

Eleven Pond hail from the US, releasing Bas Relief in 1986. The curiously named “Tear and Cinnamon” opens the LP in a haze of guitars and drumbeats. The solos have a lonesome quality to them, with post punk notes coming through in the arches of distortion. “Watching Trees” (Soundcloud stream below) is an absolute gem. It runs along the lines of catchy new wave perfection. It is the kind of track you find yourself humming on the bus and singing around the house. The lyrics, “I want to be, in a tree, watching you watching trees” do not lend themselves to an addictiveness on reading; but blended with some superb synthwork and unrequited love then everything falls into place. “Days Hence” is a slow autumnal piece that folds in the notes of “Tightrope.” “Portugal” has an edge of lost romance to it. The tempo rises, but is kept in check by the synth, string and bass. The vocals have a subtle doubling to them, adding a sombre slant to upbeat nature of the instrumentals.

The light draining “Asterisk” opens the B-Side. 1980s unhappiness drips from the speakers, with powerful vocals being at the apex of the track. The uncertainty seems to be vanquished with the cheery chords of “Moving Nowhere.” Warmth enters into the strings, with synths taking a sideline. Yet, this “Nowhere” is not exactly a positive place; one more of “buildings burning” and “blood flows.” “Changing Faces” sees the return of synthesizers, with the vocals being cleaned up for the return of the analogue heavies. Strings are employed beautifully to create a crisp piece of clever synthwave. Things are slowed down for “Temporeal” before guitars display disgust in the powerful “Ignorant Father.” The brief “Ask” brings down the curtain on Bas Relief.

Ripped to MP3

1.Tear and Cinnamon

2.Watching Trees

3.Days Hence

4.Tightrope

5.Portugal

6.Asterisk

7.Moving Nowhere

8.Changing Face

9.Temporeal

10.Ignorant Father

11.Ask