The Venezuelan Delia Derbyshire, anyone? That’s the buzz, but this collection of joyous 1980s recordings has more in common with the work of melodic Moog-ticklers like Wendy Carlos or Isao Tomita. Born in Caracas to a Ukrainian family, Linde gave up her day job in 1981 and devoted herself to electronic composition with a borrowed Polymoog and a reel-to-reel recorder. And blimey, she made some great stuff. ‘Viaje Hacia La Luz’ is a monolithic slab of anthemic devotions. ’Playa Caribe’ is a lesson in gentle grooviness, a carefree evocation of sun-baked island paradise.
Only one track here has enjoyed any kind of previous release – ‘Mariposas Acuáticas’, a playful homage to Latin butterflies, appeared on a long-lost 1985 French compilation. This is the first-ever commercial collection of her recordings, and – at the age of 74 – she deserves heartfelt appreciation for music that positively teems with ebullience. Pour a glass of pop, skip straight to ‘Psicocatálisis’ and crack a bloody smile. It’s nearly summer.
