Cindytalk, the ever-shifting sonic vessel helmed by the enigmatic Scottish artist Cinder, just cracked open a time capsule—and it still howls. It’s time for the official reissue of ‘Camouflage Heart,’ her searing 1984 debut, through Dais Records. Long out of print and even longer ahead of its time, this post-punk landmark finally sees daylight again—digitally and on vinyl (including a cheeky Barbie-pink limited edition).
If you’ve never dipped into ‘Camouflage Heart,’ imagine a soundscape where the ghosts of punk swirl with industrial decay, poetry shivers in dark corners, and catharsis comes cloaked in static and distortion. It’s no exaggeration to say this record wasn’t just ahead of the curve—it was the curve.
The Sound of Becoming
Cindytalk began life as an evolution from Cinder’s early punk band, The Freeze, after she moved from Edinburgh to London in the early ’80s. Inspired by the boundary-smashing post-punk and industrial scenes taking root around her, she leaned into raw experimentation—abandoning genre in favor of visceral expression.
What emerged was something singular. ‘Camouflage Heart’ blends tape loops, fractured guitars, haunted vocals, and a poetic sense of unease. It features drummer Mick Harvey (The Birthday Party, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) on tracks like Under Glass, the hypnotic standout of this reissue, which cuts like glass in soft light.
A Heart Unmasked
More than just a sonic shift, ‘Camouflage Heart’ represented a personal and spiritual metamorphosis. As Cinder explored her gender identity in an era that lacked the language or understanding we have now, the music became a vessel—a voice when words felt insufficient.
“We were trying to find our own space,” Cinder recalls of the time, a period marked by movement, both literal (from Edinburgh to London) and internal. “Cindytalk” was a name born from transformation—part homage to Sindy dolls, part reclamation of femininity, and all attitude.
This new edition marks the first time the album has been remastered, now shimmering with restored packaging, full lyrics, and liner notes. It’s an artifact finally getting the care and framing it deserves. The reissue includes pink, clear, and black vinyl pressings, with audio lovingly remastered by Josh Bonati.
The Voice in the Noise
‘Camouflage Heart’ doesn’t just play songs—it enacts emotional exorcisms. The percussion ranges from militaristic thuds to barely-there pulses. Guitars twitch and explode. And Cinder’s voice? It runs feral—sometimes a whisper, sometimes a storm, always rooted in something real.
Lines like “make the snake in your eye, pierce the camouflage heart” from The Spirit Behind the Circus Dream aren’t just lyrics—they’re transmissions from the subconscious. The album feels like a diary scribbled in static and distortion, written by someone staring deep into themselves and daring others to do the same.
Despite its heaviness, Cinder insists the record isn’t about despair. It’s about transformation. “These songs seek not to destroy but to provoke, to find cracks of light in a crumbling world,” she explains. That spirit is echoed in the closing lyric of the album opener: Don’t look down. To Cinder, falling eventually became flying.
Essential Listening
Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer to Cindytalk’s haunting world, this reissue of ‘Camouflage Heart’ is more than nostalgia—it’s a necessary reintroduction to a voice that never lost its urgency. It’s a reminder that music can be messy, bold, unafraid—and still full of heart.
So throw on Under Glass, fall into the layers, and don’t look down.
‘Camouflage Heart’ track list
- It’s Luxury
- Instinct (Backtosense)
- Under Glass
- Memories Of Skin And Snow
- The Spirit Behind The Circus Dream
- The Ghost Never Smiles
- A Second Breath
- Everybody Is Christ
- Disintegrate
Available now via Dais Records on vinyl and all digital platforms – here
Search Cindytalk on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you dive into the deep end of sound.
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