Les Cassettes 1980-1983 CD

You'd be forgiven for not knowing much about Fondation, a husband-and-wife duo that released a trio of obscure, hard-to-find cassettes between 1980 and '83. Fortunately, Bureau B is here to help. The Hamburg imprint has put together this excellent retrospective, which showcases best of all three sought-after tapes. What shines through from start to finish is the pairs distinctive style, which casually joined the dots between experimental ambient, kosmiche, avant-garde synth-rock, American minimalism (think Pat Metheny's performance of Steve Reich's Electric Counterpoint run through distortion pedals) and drowsy, beat-less psychedelia. It's an arresting and hugely enjoyable collection, all told, and one that should appeal to anyone with an appetite for DIY ambient and lo-fi exotica.