It’s fair to say that this year “cold wave” is finally getting its due. The plethora of obscure US and European synth-pop that emerged in the 1980s has never got much recognition out of the close-knit tape-swapping circles that nurtured it; but that’s all changed of late.

Hot on the heels of Stones Throw’s excellent Minimal Wave Tapes compilation comes Cold Waves & Minimal Electronics Vol.1, a similarly essential and slightly more dancefloor-oriented collection from Angular Recordings (home to These New Puritans, Wetdog et al). Compiled over the course of two years by Angular’s Joe Daniel and Pieter Schoolwerth (founder of New York’s Wierd Records), it’s out this week and features blazing tracks from the likes of Absolute Body Control and Linear Movement. More info and tracklisting here.

We’ve got a delicious vinyl copy of Cold Waves & Minimal Electronics Vol.1 to give away to one lucky FACT reader; if you reckon that might be you, simply e-mail your name and the words ‘cold wave’ to competitions@vinylfactory.co.uk. The winner will be notified by 6pm on Friday.