The Faint- Blank-Wave Arcade (Deluxe Edition)

Label: Saddle Creek

Reissued 3/14/2025, Originally released 1999

Before Electroclash and the wave of 00's Dance-rock there was The Faint, emerging in the late 1990s in Omaha, Nebraska—a place known more for stoic practicality than synth-punk. In that unlikely setting of beige restraint, they pioneered a sound that combined the melodic essence of new wave, the raw edge of post-punk, and the robotic futurism of Detroit electro. Breaking free from indie rock’s humble comfort, they arrived armed with synths, dark eyeliner, and a raw, frenetic energy that dared audiences to actually feel something real, something primal. The late ’90s and early 2000s indie scene was primed for a shock, and The Faint delivered—not just as a band, but as an invitation to cast off coolness, to sweat, to move, and to live fully in the moment. The distinctive, synth-driven sound that brought The Faint to wide acclaim first surfaced on 1999's Blank-Wave Arcade. The album was raw and daring, striking its own chord between early synth-pop pioneers (The Human League, New Order) and more recent heroes like Fugazi and Sonic Youth. Twenty-five years removed from its release, The Faint are returning to announce a reissue of Blank-Wave Arcade. The reissue includes the original release - meticulously remastered for vinyl from the original tapes by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound - a new remix from the band, remixes from the era, live tracks, and a rarity previously only available on an out of print 7”. With new music and a 2025 tour on the horizon, The Faint’s spirit remains fierce, their music offering a much needed respite from the soulless information age. And while the world has changed, The Faint’s invitation remains the same: sweat, move, and live fully in the moment.

Track listing:

1. Sex Is Personal
2. Call Call
3. Worked Up So Sexual
4. Cars Pass in Cold Blood
5. Casual Sex
6. Victim Convenience
7. Sealed Human
8. In Concert
9. The Passives
10. Cars Pass in Cold Blood (Recordist Remix)
11. Worked Up So Sexual (The Laces Remix)
12. The Passives (AJ/DJ Remix)
13. In Concert (The New Gender Remix)
14. Call Call (Transistor3 Remix)
15. Sealed Human (]['m Remix)
16. Sex is Personal (The Faint 2024 Remix)
17. Brokers, Priests, and Analysts
18. Cars Pass in Cold Blood (Live)
19. In Concert (The New Gender Remix [Live])
20. Call Call (Live)