Frigidaire Tango -

Frigidaire Tango was an Italian new wave band that released the album The Cock in 1982 on small-press Young Records. In 1983, the band released a self-titled EP on their own namesake label.

Members: Charlie Cazale [Carlo Casale] (vocals), Steve Dal Col [Stefano Dal Col] (guitar, vocals), Mark Brenda (keyboards), JM le Baptiste (drums), Dave Nigger (bass), Frank Tourak (keyboards), Paul Plumber (saxophone)

Background

Frigidaire Tango emerged from the Veneto underground in 1981, founded by vocalist Carlo Casale and guitarist Stefano Dal Col, who formed their first band Outkids after a 1977 trip to London sparked their immersion in UK punk. Joined by keyboardist Marco Breda, they gradually incorporated elements of glam, krautrock, and symphonic textures into their punk foundation.

After a brief stint as Trash, the group solidified as Frigidaire Tango, named in part after the avant-garde magazine Frigidaire. Though they played fewer than forty shows, mostly in theaters and small halls, Frigidaire Tango earned a cult following for their sonics, live presence, and early DIY ethos. In late 1981, they recorded an album for the Vicenza-based Young Records.

The Cock

Frigidaire Tango released their singular album, The Cock, in 1982 on Young Records.

The album captures their hybridized sound at full intensity, blending post-punk urgency with angular phrasing, processed electronics, and dramatic tonal contrasts.

Influences trace to UK pioneers (Ultravox, Magazine, Joy Division) with similarities to acts in Norway (De Press), France (Orchestre Rouge), and the Neue Deutsche Welle. Tracks vary from terse rhythmic fragments to brooding songforms with clipped cadences and sharp instrumental turns.

Singer Charlie Out fronts the band, composed of guitarist/bassist Steve Hill, drummer J.M. Le Baptiste, keyboardist Mark Brenda, and saxophonist Alex Strax.

A1. “Dangerous Echo” (3:14)
A2. “Any Time You Dress So Fine” (2:59)
A3. “Blue & Pink” (5:31)
A4. “Push” (1:50)
A5. “Frigidaire Tango” (4:39)

B1. “I Am Faster” (4:55)
B2. “Black Curtains” (4:29)
B3. “Tell Me Sometimes” (2:15)
B4. ” Nothing More” (1:52)
B5. “Brain Rock” (2:51)
B6. “A Citizen Came” (3:30)

Sessions took place in in late 1981 with engineer George Button. Young Records handled initial distribution. The 2006 Freezer Box set reissued the album with bonus archival material from the same period.

Frigidaire Tango

In 1983, Frigidaire Tango self-released an EP of three songs.

The record marked their final studio release of the decade and introduced Franco Turesso on second keyboards. It features the tracks “Recall” and “Vanity Fair,” both accompanied by promotional videos produced by regional television. Frigidaire supported the release with a short national tour, including select dates opening for UK post-punk group The Sound.

Frigidaire Tango features four-fifths of the Cock lineup (Charlie Out, Steve Hill, Mark Brenda, J.M. Le Baptiste) with second keyboardist Franco Turesso.

A1. “Recall” (7:15)
A2. “Vanity Fair” (4:05)
B1. “Russian Dolls – Part Two” (10:00)

The EP was recorded and self-produced by the band. Independent distribution limited its reach, though it later became a sought-after item among collectors of Italian new wave. All three tracks were reissued in the 2006 Freezer Box set.

Postlude

In 1984, Frigidaire Tango appeared in L’ultimo Concerto, a RAI television documentary directed by Piergiorgio Gay that chronicled the economic and personal struggles of independent musicians in 1980s Italy. The band disbanded in mid-1986 after performing at the Barcelona Biennial and appearing on an Amnesty International compilation.

From 1988 to 1991, core members formed The Vindicators, a side project rooted in vintage rock’n’roll and rhythm & blues. In 2007, the band issued The Freezer Box, a three-CD anthology containing The Cock, unreleased studio material, and a 1985 concert recording. They reconvened in 2008 to record L’Illusione del Volo, released the following year with contributions from Le Orme frontman Aldo Tagliapietra.

Discography: