Category: Lists & Beginner’s Guides (Page 13 of 22)

A Beginner’s Guide To ZEUS B HELD

8 April 2017 / electricityclub

Zeus B Held may be not as well-known as Giorgio Moroder, Conny Plank, Martin Rushent, Mike Howlett and Colin Thurston, but the German producer has been a key presence in the development of electronic pop music.

Making his name as a keyboard player in the German rock band BIRTH CONTROL, the experience allowed Zeus B Held to progress as a session musician and producer. The NME later described him as being able to combine “electronic Teutonic sounds with a soulful sensibility for melodic expression”. Often considered an artier counterpart to Giorgio Moroder, following the his debut solo album release ‘Zeus’ Amusement’ on Brain Records, home to kosmische acts like NEU! and CLUSTER, Held settled into using the studio as his main creative outlet.

Zeus B Held’s production breakthrough came from working with GINA X PERFORMANCE in 1979 when the single ‘No GDM’ became a club favourite within the New Romantic movement. This led to a move to London to further his career. He was teamed with Birmingham’s FASHION whose moody funk laden songs such as ‘Love Shadow’ and ‘Move On’ showed promise. But the departure of frontman Dee Harris after the release of their debut album ‘Fabrique’ era and a number line-up changes ensured momentum would be lost trying to regain the dynamic chemistry of the group.

At the height of the synth assisted pop boom in Europe, Held was producing the likes of John Foxx, DEAD OR ALIVE and DIE KRUPPS while also remixing ALPHAVILLE, SIMPLE MINDS and Gary Numan.

In 1995, Held wrote and recorded the music for a worldwide advertising campaign for Swatch while in more recent times, he has tended to work in more jazz inclined fields involving big band orchestras and a World Music collective who released an album entitled ‘Digital Dreaming’. But then in 2014, he teamed up with former TANGERINE DREAM member Steve Schroyder in a new electronic project appropriately named DREAM CONTROL.

Without doubt deserving greater recognition for his adventures in modern recording, here is a look back at eighteen of his works in chronological order, with a restriction of one track per artist moniker…

ZEUS Fool On The Hill (1978)

Having spent six years as a keyboard player BIRTH CONTROL, Zeus B Held ventured solo and delivered this spacey vocodered cover of THE BEATLES favourite for his debut solo album ‘Zeus’ Amusement’. Released as a single, ‘Fool On The Hill’ showcased his interest in new technologies while maintaining a traditional and widely recognisable musical aesthetic.

Available on the album ‘Voice Versa’ via LTM Recordings

http://zeusbheld.com/

GINA X PERFORMANCE No GDM (1979)

Teaming up with the androgynous art history student Gina Kikoine, ‘No GDM’ was written in honour of the “great dark man” Quentin Crisp and featured an array of ARP and Moog synths to signal the birth of a new European Underground. The nonchalant, detached vocal influence of GINA X PERFORMANCE went on to be heard in the music of LADYTRON, CLIENT and MISS KITTIN.

Available on the album ‘Nice Mover’ via LTM Recordings

http://www.ltmrecordings.com/gina_x.html

JOHN FOXX My Wild Love (1983)

When Lord Foxx of Chorley briefly went pop, he teamed up with Zeus B Held for one of the most accessible albums of his career in ‘The Golden Section’, with its emphasis on a band feel and Foxx playing more electric guitar. ‘My Wild Love’ was the powerful, in-yer-face opening to the long player. Foxx himself later remarked the album was a mistake as he tried to “fit too many favourite things together”.

Available on the album ‘The Golden Section’ via Edsel Records

http://www.metamatic.com/

DEAD OR ALIVE That’s The Way (1984)

At the height of his fame, Pete Burns came over looking like a later period Gina Kikoine, so when DEAD OR ALIVE pursued a more electronic dance direction, Zeus B Held would be their willing conspirator. This KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND cover was the breakthrough, combining precise programming and a brass section with live bass and percussion, plus the vocal colossus that was Burns.

Available on the album ‘Sophisticated Boom Boom’ via Cherry Pop

http://www.deadoralive.net/

FASHION Twilight Of Idols (1984)

FASHION were at one time in their home city of Birmingham considered more likely to break than DURAN DURAN, but after Dee Harris left, after some uncertainty, the new line-up fronted by Alan Darby soldiered on with a second album. A beautiful long instrumental reminiscent of Vangelis, there were some Spanish and progressive guitar inflections thrown into Held’s electronic mix for the closing title track.

Available on the album ‘Twilight Of Idols’ via Cherry Red

https://www.discogs.com/artist/47966-Fashion

GINA X Harley Davidson (1984)

A HI-NRG disco take on the provocative tune penned by Serge Gainsbourg and made famous by Brigitte Bardot, Gina Kikoine returned in 1984 with a less ambiguous image for her solo album debut ‘Yinglish’, although Held was still holding the production reins. While Held and Kikoine wrote most of the album together, it was also noted for featuring another cover in THE BEATLES ‘Drive My Car’.

Available on the album ‘Yinglish’ via LTM Recordings

https://www.discogs.com/artist/52866-Gina-X

THIS ISLAND EARTH See That Glow (1984)

THIS ISLAND EARTH were led by songwriter John Hawkins and secured a deal with Magnet Records. They were teamed with Zeus B Held to record two singles, the first of which ‘See That Glow’ was catchy enough to secure BBC radio airplay. Alas the single stalled in the UK chart at No47 and after another Held produced song ‘Take Me To The Fire’ failed to chart, that was it from the band…

Originally released by Magnet Records, currently unavailable

https://www.discogs.com/artist/81415-This-Island-Earth

ALPHAVILLE Big In Japan – Extended remix (1984)

Zeus B Held’s treatment of ALPHAVILLE’s catchy breakthrough tune put the mighty Linn Drum centre stage. Reversed tape elements, random blips and Held’s trademark breakdown were added to the extension, along with a fretless bass preset off a Roland D50 not heard on the original, no doubt in a cheeky reference to the band JAPAN. Although uncredited, he did the single mix as well.

Available on the deluxe album ‘Forever Young’ via WEA

http://www.alphaville.info/

DIE KRUPPS Risk (1985)

Despite the dramatic intro, ‘Risk’ was a comparatively pop-oriented offering from the Düsseldorf industrialists with brassy synth tones and orchestral samples coming over like DAF fronting DEAD OR ALIVE. In a bizarre twist, it even featured Mel Gaynor from SIMPLE MINDS on drums! The parent album ‘Entering The Arena’ was also produced by Held.

Available on the album ‘Entering The Arena’ via Energy Rekords

http://www.diekrupps.de/

SIMPLE MINDS Ghostdancing – Special Extended 12″ Remix (1986)

With Zeus B Held’s remixes, he often cleaned up the sound and sharpened the percussive elements. On the extended version of ‘Ghostdancing’, the thumping song’s roots in the more Eurocentric ‘I Travel’ were highlighted as sequencers and reverb were added, along with a building middle eight breakdown. This first ever CD single issued on Virgin Records was in support of Amnesty International.

Available on the boxed set ‘Once Upon A Time’ via Universal Music

https://www.simpleminds.com/

PETE WYLIE & THE OEDIPUS WRECKS Sinful! (1986)

In his WAH! days, Wylie proved he could spring an anthemic chorus on songs like ‘The Story Of The Blues’. His debut solo single ‘Sinful!’ was an epic widescreen cacophony of grand throbbing electronics, massed synthetic chorals and Wylie’s own urgent vocal delivery. While it was produced by Ian Ritchie, Zeus B Held gave the track a vital remix and produced three further songs on the eventual album.

Available on the album ‘Sinful!’ via Siren Records

http://www.petewylie.co.uk/

CLARE GROGAN Love Bomb (1987)

The synth propelled new wave of ‘Love Bomb’ was the former ALTERED IMAGES singer’s debut single. Unfortunately, it indeed did bomb and the album ‘Trash Mad’ recorded with Held was never released. While Miss Grogan did not have the feisty aggression to pull off a tune aimed squarely at the American market, Zeus B Held’s production on ‘Love Bomb’ now sounds like a blueprint for TRANSVISION VAMP.

Originally released by London Records, currently unavailable

https://www.facebook.com/ClareGrogansAlteredImages/

MEN WITHOUT HATS Pop Goes The World (1987)

A commentary from the Doroschuk brothers on the ups and downs of fame, while more organic than ‘The Safety Dance’, ‘Pop Goes the World’ produced by Zeus B Held featured a fair smattering of synths and reached No1 in Austria. The song itself achieved an enhancement to its longevity when it later appeared in a TV advert for Tide detergent pods in 2012.

Available on the MEN WITHOUT HATS album ‘Pop Goes The World’ via Mercury Records

http://www.menwithouthats.com/

GARY NUMAN Cars – Extended E Reg Model (1987)

Coinciding with the new E registration car number plates of that year, Zeus B Held added some digital clangs, pitched swirls and guitars to Numan’s signature synth classic which undoubtedly boosted its longevity. Meanwhile the extended version maximised Ced Sharpley’s drums by isolating them at the start of an impressively arranged mid-song breakdown.

Radio edit available on the GARY NUMAN album ‘Premier Hits’ via Beggars Banquet

https://garynuman.com/

SPEAR OF DESTINY Never Take Me Alive (1987)

Kirk Brandon was never the happiest fellow in the world and ‘Never Take Me Alive’ produced by Held was possibly SPEAR OF DESTINY’s angry zenith. A mix of acoustic guitar, fretless bass, programmed percussion, synthetic goth choir and modern production values gave SPEAR OF DESTINY their biggest hit in a period when the sombre spectre of goth shone brightly in the UK singles chart for a time.

Available on the SPEAR OF DESTINY album ‘Outland’ via 10 Records

https://www.kirkbrandon.com/

TRANSVISION VAMP I Want Your Love (1988)

Just as Mutt Lange used state-of-the-art technology to make DEF LEPPARD’s ‘Hysteria’ sound heavy metal, Zeus B Held made his heavily synthesized productions for TRANSVISION VAMP sound punk. A catchy tune arranged by Duncan Bridgeman who had worked with John Foxx on ‘The Garden’, ‘I Want Your Love’ thrust singer Wendy James into the limelight for her 15 minutes of fame.

Available on the album ‘Pop Art’ via Universal Music

http://www.thewendyjames.com/

NINA HAGEN Hold Me (1989)

The East Berlin born singer and actress released her first album with the NINA HAGEN BAND in 1978. Maintaining her cult popularity as a punk icon, ‘Hold Me’ was from her solo 1989 album debut proper, produced by Held. An outlandish cover of a traditional gospel song, this would have upset purists with its synthetic backing, rock guitars and Hagen’s own theatrical vocal histrionics.

Available on the NINA HAGEN album ‘Nina Hagen’ via Mercury Records

http://ninahagendas.beepworld.de/

ZEUS B HELD Kant Can Dance – Dream Control Mix (2015)

‘Logic Of Coincidence’ was Held’s most recent solo record and largely a cinematic, almost ambient imaginary film soundtrack. His artier Moroder template notably appeared on ‘Kant Can’t Dance’. While seeming a bit out of place on the album, its electronic disco friendly template delighted fans of his remix work during his production heyday, especially in its bonus DREAM CONTROL incarnation.

Available on the album ‘Logic Of Coincidence’ via Les Disques du Crépuscule

http://dream-control.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
8th April 2017

25 FAVOURITE DIGITAL SYNTHS

4 March 2017 / electricityclub

The switch to digital technology in the production of synthesizers caused a seismic shift not just in the way that music was produced, but also how analogue devices were perceived.

The advent of the Yamaha DX7 was the catalyst which caused many musicians to throw out/sell their old Moogs and Korgs with the viewpoint that these new devices could do everything sonically that they could plus more besides. The newly pioneered Frequency Modulation and Phase Distortion forms of synthesis meant that harmonically complex sounds such as bells and pianos could now be simulated and the warm, analogue sounds of synths such as the Roland Jupiter range began to sound immediately dated in comparison.

The trend was continued when both Korg and Roland introduced their PCM/sample-based M1 and D50 synths which added in new layers of complexity in sound creation which again would have been impossible to create using a voltage controlled oscillator-based device.

One only has to listen retrospectively to songs like ‘Human’ by THE HUMAN LEAGUE or albums such as ‘Provision’ by SCRITTI POLITTI to hear how the sawtooth-based electronic sounds of the past had almost overnight become replaced by shiny bell-like tones and THAT omnipresent rubbery ‘Lately’ DX bass sound.

However, hindsight is a wonderful thing and many producers/musicians were left with major egg on their faces when it eventually became apparent that digital synths weren’t the be all and end all, lacking the warmth and ease of programmability that their earlier analogue counterparts were able to provide.

Tales of vintage synths being sold for relative peanuts are now legendary and most keyboard players who experienced this era will have an appropriate sob story to tell relating to this!

The next wave of technology to have a significant impact was the birth of the digital sampler – now musicians were able to grab any sound and trigger it from a keyboard and again this had a huge effect on the sound of music production.

Ironically in 2016, everything has now come full circle; manufacturers are now frantically reissuing remakes of earlier analogue and digital products, while with the birth of the virtual synthesizer, packages such as the Arturia Collection V offer up software versions of the Prophet 5, Oberheim SEM and Minimoog at an affordable price.

The choice of digital synthesizers here is a fairly personal one and it isn’t intended to endorse a particular product. Some of the chosen synthesizers weren’t necessarily the highest specified ones either, but were adopted because a producer/musician managed to use it in such a way that belied their lower price point. The synths chosen are also from the first wave of digital synths and as such doesn’t include any of the current wave of digital-based products.

FAIRLIGHT CMI (1979)

The Rolls Royce of samplers and a fully integrated workstation that included a digital synth, sequencer and rhythm programmer, the Australian Fairlight CMI and its 28mb of memory (!) indelibly left its mark on music production. Costing as much as a decent sized house, the CMI helped transform the sound of artists such as JEAN-MICHEL JARRE who used it extensively on ‘Magnetic Fields’ and ‘Zoolook’. Its omnipresent ‘Orchestra 5’ “Whooomph!” patch was used and abused by everybody from PET SHOP BOYS, KLAUS SCHULZE and KATE BUSH to U2 and prog rockers YES…

Iconic example of use: PET SHOP BOYS ‘It’s A Sin’

NED SYNCLAVIER (1979)

The Synclavier was an all singing, all dancing sampling mega-workstation that was favoured by DEPECHE MODE, MICHAEL JACKSON and THE CURE. The cost of some of the versions of the Synclavier made the Fairlight seem affordable in comparison, with a top-spec system going for the outrageous price of $200,000 dollars! Like the CMI, the Synclavier was way ahead of its time and brought a higher quality of sampling and sequencing into a few privileged high end studios.

Iconic example of use: SOFT CELL ‘Tainted Love’

CON BRIO ADS200 (1980)

With only two units being produced, once seen, the Con Brio ADS200 can never be forgotten. Looking like something out of ‘Space 1999’, with a built-in display monitor and clad wall-to-wall in veneer, the ADS200 is probably the nearest the synth world came to an outlandish concept car; it looked incredible, but ultimately was doomed to remain a pipe dream. One belonged to BECK’s father David Campbell who reportedly paid £17,000 for it. The ADS200’s implementation of FM synthesis raised a few legal eyebrows at Yamaha although no action was taken.

Iconic example of use: Fittingly the Con Brio ADS100 got used for sound effects on the movie reboot of ‘Star Trek’

PPG WAVE 2 (1981)

The striking and very blue-looking PPG (Palm Products GmbH) Wave 2 synth became another popular digital synth. Its bell-like quality can be heard on DEPECHE MODE’s ‘A Broken Frame’. TANGERINE DREAM also toured with one extensively after assisting the company with the development many of their other products. Martin Gore had a Casio MT30 sat on his PPG Wave 2 with a ‘Fairlite’ name stuck on the back in what could be seen as a side swipe at Vince Clarke who had ploughed a large percentage of his royalties into a Fairlight purchase.

Iconic example of use: DEPECHE MODE ‘The Sun & The Rainfall’

YAMAHA GS1 (1981)

Despite its 19th Century appearance and looking for all intents and purposes like a grand piano, the GS1 was the first keyboard produced by Yamaha to feature the patented Frequency Modulation (FM) technology. Like the Fairlight, the GS1’s prohibitive price tag of $25,000 meant that it was out of reach for most musicians. The size and weight of the machine at nearly 90kg meant that it was never intended to be a touring machine; only a 100 units were manufactured too, but it still deserves its place in synthesizer history for kick-starting the FM revolution.

Iconic example of use: TOTO ‘Africa’

DIGITAL KEYBOARDS SYNERGY (1982)

The Synergy used additive synthesis to generate its sounds and its 74 note keyboard made it attractive to keyboard players like WENDY CARLOS who used the Synergy on ‘Digital Moonscapes’ and ‘Beauty In The Beast’. It was unusual in that it allowed the layering of four sounds and also possessed a four track in-built sequencer, but unfortunately lost its memory once the machine was powered down. Sadly, the DX7 signalled the death knell for the Synergy, costing three times less and being fully programmable…

Iconic example of use: WENDY CARLOS ‘Tron’ soundtrack

YAMAHA DX7 (1983)

Taking the technology first used in the GS1, the DX7 brought FM Synthesis to the masses and along the way transformed the sound of the charts between 1983-1989. The DX’s distinctive rubbery bass sound started to appear everywhere from A-HA’s ‘Take On Me’, HOWARD JONES’ ‘What is Love?’ through to LEVEL 42’s ‘Hot Water’. But unless you were a musical brainiac like BRIAN ENO, the DX7 was notoriously difficult to program and legend has it that most units which were returned back to Yamaha for any maintenance still had their preset sound banks left untouched!

Iconic example of use: BERLIN ‘Take My Breath Away’

YAMAHA DX1 (1983)

The DX1 could be considered as a connoisseur version of the DX7, every part of it is THAT more expensive looking from its fully weighted keyboard, deeper control panel through to its wooden end cheeks. The sound of the DX1 was much thicker than the often thin sounding DX7 because the user was able to layer two sounds together. If however you intend buying one of these, the secondary market is extremely limited as only 140 models were produced. Users included PET SHOP BOYS and DIRE STRAITS.

Iconic example of use: DIRE STRAITS ‘Money for Nothing’

CASIO CZ101 (1984)

The CASIO CZ101 and YAMAHA DX100 were almost like distantly related cousins; both had mini keys, utilised digital sound generating techniques and had guitar strap pegs which allowed them to be played in a keytar style. The 101 was adopted by Vince Clarke and was used extensively on the debut ERASURE album ‘Wonderland’. Despite being digital, the CZ range was still capable of some pretty rich analogue style sounds and patches like the Organ preset soon found themselves appearing on many a house track.

Iconic examples of use: BLANCMANGE ‘Believe You Me’ album

EMU EMULATOR II (1984)

Much beloved of DEPECHE MODE and NEW ORDER, the follow-up to the original Emulator was an 8 bit machine that had analogue filters. In contrast to the rack-mounted Akai range, the keyboard-based Emulator became a much more popular live machine, with sample storage being held on 5.5 inch floppy disks. The addition of MIDI compatibility, in-built sequencer and separate audio outputs made it a highly sought after sampler. PET SHOP BOYS’ Neil Tennant played one in the infamous Old Grey Whistle Test performance where he fluffs the string part in ‘Opportunities’.

Iconic example of use: DEPECHE MODE ‘Christmas Island’

ENSONIQ MIRAGE (1984)

The Mirage was a good value for money sampler/synthesizer, although the specifications these days look laughable with 8 bit, 333 note sequencing memory and 128kb of RAM. It featured analogue filters, a velocity sensitive keyboard and 8 note polyphony. Even now, players swear by the warmth that the filter can give to a sample, but the inscrutable programming method it utilised via hexadecimal-code manipulation meant that editing samples was only for the faint-hearted! Users included SKINNY PUPPY and JANET JACKSON on the ‘Control’ album.

Iconic example of use: SKINNY PUPPY ‘Jackhammer’

KORG DW8000 (1985)

The heart of the KORG DW8000’s sound was digitally generated from its DWGS (Digital Waveform Generator System). The DW8000 was a bit of a hybrid, half-way between a DX7 and an analogue synthesizer in that its waveforms were digital and its filter analogue. The synth gained a lot of fans because of its in-built arpeggiator and FX and although not as successful as the M1, it was still used by artists such as DEPECHE MODE and KEITH EMERSON.

Iconic example of use: EMERSON, LAKE & POWELL ‘Love Blind’

YAMAHA DX100 (1985)

The DX100 along with the FB01 sound module were the entry level points for those wishing to explore FM synthesis. Whilst not possessing the same amount of operators as its bigger DX brothers, the DX100 became popular with Detroit Techno producers like Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May and Juan Atkins because of its distinctive bass sound. If you also check out an equipment list from the ‘Electric Café’ era of KRAFTWERK, you will see that one surprisingly also found its way into the German electronic maestros synth armoury too.

Iconic example of use: RHYTHIM IS RHYTHIM ‘Nude Photo’

SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS PROPHET VS (1986)

After their success with the Prophet 5, Prophet 10 and Pro One, the Prophet VS was a departure for Sequential Circuits and featured an innovative joystick which allowed the user to mix/program sounds. The VS was used on the soundtrack to ‘Tron’ and John Carpenter’s ‘Big Trouble in Little China’ with synthesist Alan Howarth using some of the synth’s more ‘eastern’ sounding presets to evoke the atmosphere needed for the film. This was another favourite synth for Vince Clarke and featured extensively on both ‘The Circus’ and ‘The Innocents’ albums.

Iconic example of use: ERASURE ‘It Doesn’t Have to Be’

BUCHLA 700 (1987)

Although generally known as Robert Moog’s competitor in the analogue modular synth stakes, Don Buchla actually produced a digital synth in the shape of the 700. Used by Alessandro Cortini of NINE INCH NAILS fame, it used a mixture of synthesis techniques (FM/Wavetable/Subtractive/Additive) and in true esoteric Buchla fashion, let the user create their own tunings with as many or as little notes per octave as wanted. Only six were made, but BENGE went on to create a mini-album using the 700 called ‘Chimeror’ produced as a result an hour’s improvisation with the machine.

Iconic example of use: BENGE ‘Chimeror’

ROLAND D50 (1987)

Utilising a combination of Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) and Linear Arithmetic (LA) synthesis, the D50 was another omnipresent synth. Its many famous users included ENYA, VANGELIS, JEAN-MICHEL JARRE and Nick Rhodes from DURAN DURAN. For some reason there was a bitter rivalry between M1 and D50 owners as to who had the ‘best’ synth, and to this day, debates still rage on in synth forums! Arguments aside, the D50 was certainly one of the ‘big three’ digital synths that transformed the sound libraries of most synth players in the period.

Iconic example of use: JEAN-MICHEL JARRE ‘Computer Weekend’

AKAI S1000 (1988)

Despite being a royal pain in the ar*e to program due to its small LED screen, the S1000 was THE digital sampler which found its way into the equipment list of every decent studio of the period. Bringing sampling to the masses it also featured a timestretch function which let samples be warped and became the de rigueur vocal effect on tracks such as JOSH WINK’s seminal acid track ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ and DOUBLE 99’s Speed Garage anthem ‘Ripgroove’.

Iconic example of use: PORTISHEAD ‘Dummy’ album

KORG M1 (1988)

Alongside the D50 and the DX7, the M1 was THE synth that was most likely to appear on ‘Top Of The Pops’ when a band featured a keyboard player. With a range of sounds from arguably the first decent ‘real’ piano sound through to some complex/atmospheric patches, the M1 was adopted by everybody from house producers using the organ bass like on ‘Show Me Love’ by ROBIN S through to your typical functions band of the day. OMD’s 1991 ‘Sugar Tax’ album is almost entirely Korg M1!

Iconic example of use: GARY NUMAN ‘Sacrifice’ album

ROLAND W30 (1989)

The W30 deserves its place if only for the way that Liam Howlett from THE PRODIGY was so devoted to it for nigh on 20 years. Despite being Roland’s 1st workstation synthesizer and featuring sampling technology, Howlett used the W30 primarily as a sequencer to drive sounds/loops from his Akai Sampler and would go onto use up until 2008. Howlett’s live use of the W30 was so extensive that he bought up the remaining keys from Roland Japan as he used to break them every other show…

Iconic example of use: THE PRODIGY ‘Everybody In The Place’

ROLAND JD800 (1991)

The JD800 signalled a return to the analogue-style design philosophy of its older machines with plenty of real-time control and sliders, but at the time wasn’t a terribly successful selling machine. The machine featured a keyboard with aftertouch which allowed extra control of its sounds, but if you manage to find a JD800 on the s/h market now, this was one of the things to fail on the machine as the glue used had a habit of melting. Famous users of the JD800 include: FAITHLESS, UNDERWORLD and DEPECHE MODE.

Iconic example of use: JEAN-MICHEL JARRE ‘Chronologie 4’

WALDORF WAVE (1993)

Although a digital synth (it was Wavetable based), the Wave had analogue filters which helped give it its warmth. Its users included HANS ZIMMER, LEFTFIELD, ANTHONY ROTHER, KLAUS SCHULZE and ULRICH SCHNAUSS who still has an orange model – it was also unusual in being expandable from 16 voices up to 48 voices. With only roughly 200 sold, the Wave pretty much put Waldorf out of business, losing money on each unit shipped. Due to its scarcity, the Wave is highly collectable with a price tag close to $10,000 for one.

Iconic example of use: BJÖRK ‘Violently Happy (Live Version)’

CLAVIA NORD LEAD (1994)

The original Clavia Nord Lead helped coin the term “virtual analog synthesis”. It was followed by a series of other machines all in a distinctive red livery and was adopted by many artists including NINE INCH NAILS, UNDERWORLD and FLUKE. The addition of several real-time controls plus the ability to mimic several retro analogue synths meant that the Lead became an extremely popular synth with a range that still endures today.

Iconic example of use: THE PRODIGY ‘Funky Sh*t’

KORG PROPHECY (1995)

The Prophecy was unusual in that it was a monophonic synth that used virtual modelling to emulate everything from blown and plucked sounds, through to thicker, more analogue textures. Probably most famous for providing one of the lead sounds on THE PRODIGY’s ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, the Prophecy was also blessed with aftertouch and ribbon control on what was often affectionately referred to as a ‘sausage roll’ on the left hand edge of the synthesizer.

Iconic example of use: THE PRODIGY ‘Smack My Bitch Up’

KURZWEIL K2500 (1996)

The K2500 in its keyboard and rack version was popular as a workstation synth, featuring a synth engine, sequencer and sampling with the additional ability to load in Akai samples. It found favour as live machine for several years with PINK FLOYD and in the studio with NINE INCH NAILS. The rack version wasn’t the most user friendly machine to use due its over-reliance on its editing screen, but the machine had a lush warm sound to them and many users continue to swear by them.

Iconic example of use: PLASTIKMAN ‘Plasticine’

WALDORF MICROWAVE XT (1998)

With the rise of melodic trance, synths like the brightly coloured (or some might say ‘lairy’) Microwave XT from the Waldorf range help artists such as FERRY CORSTEN re-introduce some welcome digital-based analogue sounds back into the musical marketplace. The Microwave XT, although a baby brother to the HUGE Wave synth, was still an extremely fat sounding synth and coloured its most prominent control (the filter cut-off) in a fetching shade of red to differentiate it from the other controls on its orange front panel. NINE INCH NAILS also count amongst one its famous users.

Iconic example of use: THE ART OF NOISE ‘The Seduction of Claude Debussy’ album

Text by Paul Boddy
4th March 2017

A Beginner’s Guide To DURAN DURAN

22 February 2017 / electricityclub

Photo by Michael Putland / Getty Images

DURAN DURAN were described by The Guardian in 2015 as “an electronic band with a heavy rock guitarist bolted on”.

Meanwhile, Greek duo MARSHEAUX added that “Synthpop is a lot of other things, not just a synthesizer. Apart from the music, there is also the attitude in a band. Υou can tell DURAN DURAN’s debut is synthpop, even if there are real drums, bass and guitar on all tracks”.

DURAN DURAN were founded by Birmingham boys John Taylor and Nick Rhodes; influences like ROXY MUSIC, KRAFTWERK, JAPAN and THE HUMAN LEAGUE alongside David Bowie and Girogio Moroder helped them gain the support of synth aficionados.

In his book ‘In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran’, Taylor remembered: “Seeing THE HUMAN LEAGUE for the first time was a turning point. Nick and I saw them supporting SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES at the Mayfair Ballroom in the Bullring shopping centre and watched in amazed silence. They had no drummer. No guitars. They had three synthesisers and a drum machine instead. So Nick’s mum, Sylvia, made a £200 investment: the first Wasp synthesizer to arrive in Birmingham…”

While the classic line-up of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, Roger Taylor and Andy Taylor took the arty poise of JAPAN and toned down their androgynous outré to make it more accessible, the bottom line of DURAN DURAN’s enduring appeal is great timeless pop songs. However, as with all great bands, there were creative tensions, particularly when Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes’ artier aspirations conflicted with Andy and John Taylor’s more straightforward musical approach.

But legend has it that Andy Taylor would deliberately write songs in a key that the limited but passionate voice of Le Bon would struggle with; this came to a head with ‘The Wild Boys’, a song that the Northumberland guitarist wrote “in E” and apparently insisted was “staying in f***ing E”! Later, Le Bon retaliated in kind with the line “who really gives a damn for a flaky bandit?” in ‘Notorious’.

Now just about everyone knows DURAN DURAN’s massive hit singles like ’Planet Earth’, ‘Girls On Film’, ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’, ‘Save A Prayer’, ‘Rio’, ‘The Reflex’, ‘The Wild Boys’, ‘A View To A Kill’, ‘Notorious’, ‘Ordinary World’ and ‘Come Undone’ even if they don’t like them. But what of the lost jewels tucked away on albums or B-sides and artistic diversions that might also deserve a mention?

With a restriction of one song per album project, this is not a best of list or a history of the band. Friends of mine, this is ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s own Beginner’s Guide to the work of DURAN DURAN…

DURAN DURAN Late Bar (1981)

When TELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK asked John Taylor when he knew DURAN DURAN would trump SPANDAU BALLET, he replied “To Cut A Long Story Short”! Although ‘Planet Earth’, produced by Colin Thurston, was the debut hit that launched DURAN DURAN to the world, it was the B-side ‘Late Bar’ that affirmed their songwriting chops and potential for longevity while Andy Taylor showed his worth as a guitarist. Clocking in at less than three minutes, this celebration of night life was vibrant, energetic and confident.

Available on the DURAN DURAN boxed set ‘The Singles 81-85’ via EMI Records

DURAN DURAN The Chauffeur (1982)

Although written acoustically, the arrangement of ‘The Chauffeur’ began with Nick Rhodes programming a Roland TR808 and layering up with his synths, particularly those from the Jupiter family. The lyrics came from a poem written in 1978 by Simon Le Bon who also provided some windy ocarina, while the barely audible closing monologue was sourced from a natural history documentary on insects. In 1995, a bizarre update was recorded as ‘Drive By’ for their best forgotten covers album ‘Thank You’.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Rio’ via EMI Records

DURAN DURAN Secret Oktober (1983)

Third album ‘Seven & The Ragged Tiger’ yielded a No1 single in a Nile Rodgers remix of ‘The Reflex’ but overall, it was an over produced disappointment in the shadow of Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’. Tucked away on the B-side of ‘Union Of The Snake’, this atmospheric ballad from the sessions turned out to be the most synth led recording under the DURAN DURAN name and showcased more esoteric influences. In hindsight, ‘Secret Oktober’ now sounds like the start of the ARCADIA project…

Available on the DURAN DURAN boxed set ‘The Singles 81-85’ via EMI Records

THE POWER STATION Some Like It Hot (1985)

John and Andy Taylor became disillusioned with the growing reliance on technology within DURAN DURAN and wanted to venture more into rock with THE POWER STATION. With CHIC’s Bernard Edwards and Tony Thompson coming on board respectively as producer and drummer, the sound developed a rhythmic funk edge. The idea had been to use guest vocalists but after Robert Palmer recorded ‘Communication’, he wanted to do more. ‘Some Like It Hot’ with its stabbing horn section was the combo’s dynamic debut single.

Available on THE POWER STATION album ‘The Power Station’ via EMI Records

DURAN DURAN A View To A Kill (1985)

DURAN DURAN had more or less split up, but the two factions reconvened to record the theme to ‘A View To A Kill’, the fourteenth film in the James Bond franchise. Co-written with John Barry and produced by Bernard Edwards, Roger Taylor’s heavy percussive template owed more to THE POWER STATION while the staccato influence of THE ART OF NOISE was also lurking. The song was a triumph but following a strained performance at Live Aid, Roger and Andy Taylor exited the band…

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Greatest’ via EMI Records

ARCADIA Goodbye Is Forever (1985)

In response to THE POWER STATION, ARCADIA was Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor’s attempt to be JAPAN, although the songs were smothered in an esoteric pond of self-indulgence. However, one of the songs that did show promise was ‘Goodbye Is Forever’, a steadfast art funk number that pointed to where DURAN DURAN would eventually head with the ‘Notorious’ album. It is possibly one of the more under rated tracks in DURAN DURAN history.

Available on the ARCADIA album ‘So Red The Rose’ via EMI Records

JOHN TAYLOR Do What I Do (1986)

When Robert Palmer declined to tour with THE POWER STATION, his place was taken by Michael Des Barres who afterwards, was offered a soundtrack opportunity for a new risqué film called ‘9½ Weeks’. ‘I Do What I Do’ was written by Des Barres with John Taylor and producer by Jonathan Elias but was originally intended to be sung by Canadian singer Lisa Dalbello. After she declined, Taylor took the lead vocal, adding his own Bowie-esque tones to proceedings.

Available on the soundtrack album ‘9½ Weeks’ (V/A) via Capitol Records

DURAN DURAN Winter Marches On (1986)

The remaining trio attempted to get Andy Taylor back into DURAN DURAN, but the matter ended up in litigation. The guitarist did end up contributing to ‘A Matter Of Feeling’ and ‘American Science’ while the album’s remaining six string duties fell to MISSING PERSONS’ Warren Cuccurullo and producer Nile Rodgers. Although the album is noted for the funkier vibes of the title song and ‘Skin Trade’, as the title suggests, ‘Winter Marches On’ was a solemn synth laden art piece reminiscent of ARCADIA, only much better.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Notorious’ via EMI Records

DURAN DURAN All She Wants Is (1988)

With new producers Jonathan Elias and Daniel Abraham on board, the ‘Big Thing’ album saw a more programmed electronic approach for the three piece, with a drum machine being used for writing purposes and John Taylor putting aside his bass guitar. One of the results was ‘All She Wants Is’, possibly the closest DURAN DURAN have come to replicating the robotic overtures of KRAFTWERK. It gained the band a surprise UK Top 10 hit in early 1989, but their fortunes were beginning to wane…

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Big Thing’ via EMI Records

DURAN DURAN None Of The Above (1993)

After the lame plod rock of the underwhelming ‘Liberty’ album in 1990, live guitarist Warren Cuccurullo joined DURAN DURAN as a full member and was inspirational in revitalising the remaining trio. Setting up a home studio in Cuccurullo’s Battersea home and pushing for back-to-basics songwriting, the huge hits ‘Ordinary World’ and ‘Come Undone’ were birthed. The beat-laden jam of ‘None Of The Album’ was another of the highlights from ‘The Wedding Album’ and even earned its own single release in Japan.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘The Wedding Album’ via EMI Records

DURAN DURAN Electric Barbarella (1997)

By 1997, DURAN DURAN were in trouble; John Taylor had left halfway through recording the ‘Medazzaland’ album while end product was only released in the US, resulting in the end of the band’s tenure with EMI. Touted as the first song available for digital purchase on the internet, with Rhodes penned lyrics about falling in love with a robot, the deviant ‘Electric Barbarella’ was a close relative to ‘Hold Back The Rain’, with screeching guitars alongside the processed electronics.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Greatest’ via EMI Records

THE DEVILS Big Store (2002)

Stephen Duffy had been the original DURAN DURAN vocalist but left in 1979. 20 years on, Duffy found a recording of a concert from his days in the band and following a chance meeting with Nick Rhodes, suggested re-recording some of those pre-Le Bon songs using vintage instruments and the original lyrics. Entitled ‘Dark Circles’, an album highlight was the superb ‘Big Store’ which came over like a camp Iggy Pop over synth backing that exuded a hint of Giorgio Moroder.

Available on THE DEVILS album ‘Dark Circles’ via Tape Modern

TV MANIA Euphoria (2003)

TV MANIA was Nick Rhodes and Warren Cuccurullo’s on/off side project formed in 1995. Rhodes described it as a “social junk culture triptych opera”, but despite its more experimental nature using TV sound samples, some of the tracks ended up on ‘Medazzaland’. The project was abandoned after Cuccurullo left DURAN DURAN following the reunion of the classic-up and ‘Euphoria’ was made a free download by the guitarist. But after the DAT masters were found by Rhodes, an album was finally released in 2013.

Available on the TV MANIA album ‘Bored with Prozac & the Internet?’ via Tape Modern

DURAN DURAN Want You More! (2005)

After the classic line-up reunited for a highly successful world tour in 2004, they entered the studio for their first album together since ‘Seven & The Ragged Tiger’. However, the long awaited long player ‘Astronaut’ did not meet expectations, with far too many producers like Nile Rodgers, Dallas Austin and Don Gilmore involved. But the album’s lead single ‘Sunrise’ and second song ‘Want You More!’ managed to recapture some of that bouncy old DURAN DURAN magic.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Astronaut’ via Sony Music

FERRY CORSTEN featuring SIMON LE BON Fire (2005)

Ferry Corsten’s association with DURAN DURAN began when he reworked ‘Sunrise’ into a banging largely instrumenatal club track! Having worked with Marc Almond and Howard Jones, the Dutch producer’s work, which first came to wider attention as SYSTEM F, often highlighted the spiritual connection between trance and Synth Britannia. ‘Fire’ was based around ‘Serious’, one of the few reasonable tracks from the ‘Liberty’ album, although the vocals were re-recorded by Le Bon.

Available on the FERRY CORSTEN album ‘L.E.F.’ via Flashover Recordings

DURAN DURAN The Valley (2007)

An album entitled ‘Reportage’ was shelved by Sony, leading to Andy Taylor leaving for the second time. At the suggestion of the label, the involvement of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake in ‘Red Carpet Massacre’ confused fans and critics alike. According to Roger Taylor, Sony wanted to make something “a bit pop” and forced them to collaborate with Timbaland. While the album was another mixed bag, the synth heavy pulse of ‘The Valley’ was a terrific standout and even featured an unexpected bass solo from John Taylor.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Red Carpet Massacre’ via Sony Music

MARK RONSON & THE BUSINESS INTL featuring SIMON LE BON Record Collection (2010)

Producer Mark Ronson had been mining classic horn filled soul arrangements to achieve fame for himself, despite being reliant on guest vocalists. For ‘Record Collection’, he dumped the brass and took an interest in vintage synths. With Ronson himself taking the deadpan lead vocal, Simon Le Bon sang almost ironically in the chorus, “I only want to be in your record collection and I’d do anything it takes just to get there!” – this collaboration was to prove to be key for both parties…

Available on the MARK RONSON & THE BUSINESS INTL album ‘Record Collection’ via Sony Music

DURAN DURAN The Man Who Stole A Leopard (2011)

Produced by Mark Ronson, the New York based Londoner was keen to see DURAN DURAN reclaim their quintessential sound. Recalling the wonderful ambience of ‘Tel Aviv’ from the first album and the haunting spectre of ‘The Chauffeur’, the moody ‘The Man Who Stole A Leopard’, aided dreamily by songstress Kelis and with string arrangements by Owen Pallett, was just one of the songs which affirmed Nick Rhodes’ assertion that the album ‘All You Need Is Now’ was “undoubtedly one of the strongest of our career”.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘All You Need Is Now’ via Tape Modern

KOISHII & HUSH featuring JOHN TAYLOR C’est Tout Est Noir – Black Night Remix (2013)

‘C’est Tout Est Noir’ by dance duo KOISHII & HUSH featured John Taylor on lead vocals, but its best incarnation came courtesy of Berlin based remixer Mark Reeder who recalled: “At first, I thought he would be playing bass guitar on the track, but then to my surprise he was the vocalist. He has a great voice and I really liked the track. The original is quite trancey and so I wanted to make it more cinematic and add some guitar and extra bass. John loved it…”

Available on the MARK REEDER album ‘Collaborator’ (V/A) via Factory Benelux

DURAN DURAN Face For Today (2015)

As in 1995 with the release of the covers turkey ‘Thank You’ to follow-up ‘The Wedding Album’, DURAN DURAN stole defeat from the jaws of victory with the gloriously under par ‘Paper Gods’. In an attempt to get down with Da Kidz, the excruciatingly painful dance anthem ‘Last Night In The City’ was a particular low point. However, at least they proved they still had it with ‘Face For Today’, a catchy synth laden number in the vein of the classic DURAN DURAN people knew and loved.

Available on the DURAN DURAN album ‘Paper Gods’ via Warner Bros Records

DURAN DURAN 2017 live dates include:

Rancho Mirage Agua Caliente Resort (17th-18th March), Dallas Music Hall at Fair Park (21st March), Houston Smart Financial Center at Sugar Land (22nd March), Sao Paulo Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace (25th-26th March), Belo Horizonte BH Hall (29th March), Buenos Aires Hippodrome de San Isidro (1st April), Santiago Parque O’ Higgins (2nd April), Florida Hard Rock Live (5th April), Atlanta Chastain Park Amphitheatre (8th April)

http://www.duranduran.com/

https://www.facebook.com/duranduran/

https://twitter.com/duranduran

Text by Chi Ming Lai
22nd February 2017

25 SVENSKA SYNTH SONGS

18 February 2017 / electricityclub

Like Germany and the UK, Sweden has an established history in electronic music.

With a melodic tradition rooted in traditional Nordic folk music and the region’s long dark nights causing bouts of melancholy, the Swedes are more than well suited to stay indoors and further the art of synthpop.

In addition, Clavia Digital Musical Instruments, founded in 1983 and based in Stockholm, have emerged as a world leader in modern virtual analogue subtractive synthesizers with its distinctive red Nord Lead series as well as its digital stage pianos.

The iconic Energy Rekords provided a platform for modern electronic music in the country while today, labels such as Progress Productions, Labrador and Wonderland have maintained their support for domestic talent. Meanwhile, COVENANT maintain an audience across the Atlantic for their resonant futurepop and ROBYN has become so much part of the mainstream that her songs are regularly murdered by reality TV talent show wannabes.

Probably the most influential act to come out of Sweden are THE KNIFE. Their influence internationally on countless acts such as GAZELLE TWIN, GRIMES, AUSTRA, THE HORN THE HUNT and BECKY BECKY to adopt darker colours and mess with the very fabric of sound, has held a flag for inventive artful experimentation.

As KITE lead the way with their upcoming second tour of the US, Swedish synthpop continues to impress with acts like TRAIN TO SPAIN, 047, PRESENCE OF MIND, SILENT WAVE, THE SOUND OF ARROWS and COMPUTE among those with the potential to breakout of their domestic scenes.

So what’s so special about Sweden then? Listed chronologically and then alphabetically from its UK perspective with a restriction of one song per moniker, here are 25 SVENSKA SYNTH SONGS…

LUSTANS LAKEJER Diamanter (1982)

With a shortened title, ‘Diamanter’ was a more synth driven re-recording of their second single. LUSTANS LAKEJER were labelled Sweden’s answer to DURAN DURAN and like the Birmingham combo, Johan Kinde and Co were heavily influenced by JAPAN. Their third album ‘En Plats I Solen’ was produced by Richard Barbieri with Mick Karn popping up with his sax on three of its tracks.

Available on the album ‘En Plats I Solen’ via Universal Music

https://www.facebook.com/LustansLakejer/

PAGE Dansande Man (1983)

Founded in 1980 by Eddie Bengtsson and Marina Schiptjenko, PAGE are often credited with bringing the more purer form of synthpop as pioneered by Vince Clarke to Sweden. Their debut single ‘Dansande Man’ was a frantically percussive excursion suitable for dancing to as the title suggested. Bengtsson and Schiptjenko were to become key figures on the Swedish music scene in many guises, as we shall see…

Originally released as a single via Eskimo, currently unavailable

https://www.facebook.com/PageElektroniskPop/

THE MOBILE HOMES Feeling Better (1989)

With their name inspired by a JAPAN song, THE MOBILE HOMES were another Swedish band adopting purer synthpop colours . For their second single ‘Feeling Better’, they signed to Sonet, a Scandinavian independent who coincidentally handled the early publishing of Martin Gore and Vince Clarke. Eschewing the quirkiness of PAGE, THE MOBILE HOMES reflected the more pessimistic side of life often associated with Sweden.

Available on download bundle ‘Feeling Better’ via Universal Music

http://www.themobilehomes.se/

ARMY OF LOVERS Obsession (1991)

An almost cartoonish trio originally comprising of Alexander Bard, Jean-Pierre Barda and La Camilla, ARMY OF LOVERS countered their outlandish visual presence with catchy electronic dance tunes influenced by the hippy musical ‘Hair’. While the epic ‘Crucify’ was the huge worldwide hit, the musically more subtle ‘Obsession’ offered a softer side while still maintaining the cinematic drama.

Available on the album ‘Massive Luxury Overdose’ via China Records

https://www.facebook.com/armyofloversofficial/

S.P.O.C.K Never Trust A Klingon (1992)

In parallel with PAGE, Eddie Bengtsson joined vocalist Alexander Hofman to write and perform some ‘Star Trek’ themed songs for a friend’s Trekkie themed birthday party. . Originally called MR SPOCK, the band name was changed to an acronym for ‘Star Pilot On Channel K’ after threats of legal action from Paramount Studios. ‘Never Trust A Klingon’ is still their crowning moment, a genius combination of deadpan vocals, bubbling synthpop and samples from Captain James T Kirk.

Available on the album ‘Five Year Mission’ via Energy Rekords

http://www.subspace.se/spock/

ELEGANT MACHINERY Hard To Handle (1993)

Founded in 1988, ELEGANT MACHINERY were another act who preferred a purer synthpop stance; they even covered SPANDAU BALLET’s ‘To Cut A Long Story Short’ in the style of Vince Clarke for an excellent 1995 Energy Rekords tribute collection of the same name. Many consider ‘Hard To Handle’ their finest song, an excellent blend of dance friendly beats and blippy melodies.

Available on the album ‘Shattered Grounds’ via Energy Rekords

http://elegantmachinery.se/

COVENANT Bullet (2002)

Formed in 1986 in Helsingborg, the Eskil Simonsson fronted COVENANT managed to gain a footing in both synthpop and EBM camps, achieving great success in North America from touring the alternative electronic club network established following the stateside success of DEPECHE MODE. Still going strong, 2016 saw the release of their ninth long player ‘Blinding Dark’.

Available on the album ‘Northern Light’ via Metroplis Records

http://www.covenant.se/

THE KNIFE Pass This On (2003)

Sibling duo THE KNIFE are probably the acclaimed electronic act to emerge from Sweden. Their uncompromising approach has won them many plaudits. But there was a time when with their experimentation came a tune too. The wonderful ‘Pass This On’ took Karin Dreijer’s unsettling pitch shifted vocals and placed them over brother Olaf’s soundtrack of primitive string machine and uplifting steel drums. Things got much darker after this…

Available on the album ‘Deep Cuts’ via Braille Records

http://theknife.net/

ROBYN Who’s That Girl? (2005)

Tired of her label BMG trying to turn her into the Swedish CHRISTINA AGUILERA, ROBYN took began taking an interest in the electronic movement closer to home. Inspired by THE KNIF, she collaborated with them to produce what is now possibly the key song which transformed Robin Miriam Carlsson into the successful independently minded artist she is today.

Available on the album ‘Robyn’ via Konichiwa Records

http://robyn.com/

EMMON Rock D’Amour (2007)

Best known as a member of the cult Swedish indie band PARIS, singer and keyboardist Emma Nylén had aspirations to produce something that was more decisively electronic. Her first recordings immediately showcased a catchy dance friendly sound as exemplified by ‘Rock D’Amour’. Subsequent albums ‘Closet Wanderings’ and ‘Nomme’ have maintained the standard, although EMMON is currently on a career break to raise a family.

Available on the album ‘The Art & The Evil’ via Wonderland Records

https://www.facebook.com/Emmon-240551649322636/

SISTA MANNEN PÅ JORDEN Allt Är Klart (2007)

Eddie Bengstsson’s solo project, also referred to as SMPJ, saw him unafraid to mine his Synth Britannia influences. ‘Allt Är Klart’ was an ULTRAVOX tribute and effectively a Swedish vocal version of the instrumental B-side ‘Alles Klar’. The hard, staccato synth bassline was borrowed from the original, but the track was bolstered by some superb whirring synths in the tradition of Billy Currie’s adventures with the ARP Odyssey.

Available on the album ‘Tredje Våningen’ via Energy Rekords

http://www.moonbasealpha.space/

ASHBURY HEIGHTS Spiders (2008)

Combining dual male / female vocals with a danceable electro goth backdrop, Anders Hagström and Yasmine Uhlin achieved success in Germany as well as Sweden with ‘Spiders’. ASHBURY HEIGHTS came out of hiatus in 2015 with a new female vocalist Tea F Thimé and a new album ‘The Looking Glass Society’ after a settling a despite with their label Out Of Line.

Available on the EP ‘Morningstar In A Black Car’ via Out Of Line Records

https://www.facebook.com/ashbury.heights/

BWO Lay Your Love On Me (2008)

BODIES WITHOUT ORGANS or BWO saw PAGE’s Marina Schiptjenko teaming up Alexander Bard from ARMY OF LOVERS in a project that has probably come closest to exploiting the musicality of ABBA for the 21st Century. Fronted by the extremely handsome Martin Rolinski, the classic pop tradition of the original Super Swedes was more than obvious on the mightily bonkers ‘Lay Your Love On Me’ which they entered for Eurovision.

Available on the album ‘Pandemonium’ via Capitol Records

https://www.facebook.com/bodieswithoutorgans/

KLEERUP Longing For Lullabies (2008)

Producer Andreas Kleerup hit paydirt with ‘With Every Heartbeat’, a collaboration with ROBYN. A marvellous self-titled album followed with ‘Longing For Lullabies’ featuring Neneh Cherry’s sister Titiyo being the tearful highlight. Despite being driven with raw mechanical beats, the simple vocal melody was simple, almost keyboard-like going up and down the ivory scale in the best tradition of OMD while Titiyo’s vocal range made it a bit Agnetha and Annifrid too!

Available on the album ‘Kleerup’ via EMI Records

https://www.facebook.com/kleerupmusic/

KARIN PARK Ashes (2009)

One established artist who made a volte face in the wake of THE KNIFE was KARIN PARK. It was on more her ROBYN-esque third album ‘Ashes To Gold’ that she sowed the seeds of her current electronic template. The synthpop disco of ‘Ashes’ fused electronic counterpoints and a live bass guitar with an incessant groove while Miss Park provided her enticing vocal presence.

Available on the album ‘Ashes To Gold’ via Young Aspiring Professionals

https://www.facebook.com/karinpark/

NIKI & THE DOVE DJ, Ease My Mind (2010)

Another act formed under the spectre of THE KNIFE, Stockholm duo Malin Dahlström and Gustaf Karlöf released ‘Mother Protect’ as a free download to launch NIKI & THE DOVE. Then came ‘DJ, Ease My Mind’; shaped by a ritualistic percussive mantra and whirring sub-bass, Dahlström’s witchy mannerisms provided the surreal scenario of what the Dreijers might have sounded like if they had decided to enter Eurovision.

Available on the album ‘Instinct’ via Mercury Records

http://www.nikiandthedove.com/

DAYBEHAVIOR Silent Dawn (2011)

Having issued their first album ‘:Adored’ in 1996 and their second ‘Have You Ever Touched A Dream?’ in 2004, ‘Silent Dawn’ was a single released as part of DAYBEHAVIOR‘s much vaunted comeback. The song was an exploration in laid back filmic pop and breathy continental vocals that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in Italian art movie. Indeed their most recent single ‘Change’ was also released in an alternative Italian language version, naturally titled ‘Cambiare’.

Available on the album ‘Follow That Car!’ via Graplur

https://www.facebook.com/DayBehavior/

KITE Step Forward (2011)

KITE have been called “Sweden’s best kept pop-secret”; Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Berg have undoubtedly been producing some of the best electronic pop of the last few years. Only releasing EPs, things started to truly come together on their fourth release ‘IV’. From it, ‘Step Forward’ with its sharp percussive drama and pentatonic overtones was the undoubted highlight. More recently, the duo have been commissioned to provide a song for a new Steven Segal film.

Available on the EP ‘IV’ via Progress Productions

https://www.facebook.com/KiteHQ/

CLUB 8 Stop Taking My Time (2013)

With Karolina Komstedt’s dramatically assertive vocal and a bursting bassline from Johan Angergård, CLUB 8 showed in a crisp 180 seconds with ‘Stop Taking Time’ that a danceable electronic tune didn’t have to be a journey into death by four-to-the-floor. Formed in 1995 as a more conventional pop act, CLUB 8’s most recent album ‘Pleasure’ celebrated 20 years for the duo.

Available on the album ‘Above The City’ via Labrador Records

http://www.club-8.org/

MACHINISTA Molecules & Carbon (2014)

MACHINISTA are seasoned hands, John Lindqwister was part of CAT RAPES DOG while Richard Flow was in VISION TALK with the late Krister Petersson. Their mantra is produce synthpop with a rock’n’roll edge. Like THE CURE gone electronic, or ALPHAVILLE crossed with SUICIDE, ‘Molecules & Carbon’ is both catchy and danceable with some suitably rousing elements too.

Available on the album ‘Xenoglossy’ via Analogue Trash

http://www.machinistamusic.com/

IAMAMIWHOAMI Chasing Kites (2014)

First launched via a set of mysterious viral videos with alphanumeric code titles, IAMAMIWHOAMI helmed by vocalist Jonna Lee and producer Claes Björklund premiered a delightfully odd cinematic electronic sound. From the second album ‘Blue’, the rich Scandipop of ‘Chasing Kites’ sees Jonna Lee hitting those ABBA-esque high notes with ablomb before adopting a huskier register for the second half.

Available on the album ‘Blue’ via To Whom It May Concern

http://towhomitmayconcern.cc/creators/iamamiwhoami

JOHAN BAECKSTROM Synth Is Not Dead (2015)

A touching tribute to Messrs Clarke, Gore, Hütter and Schneider, JOHAN BAECKSTROM said “I guess I just wanted to reflect on the fact that there still IS a synthpop scene with some really great bands, both old and new. In another way, the song is sort of my ‘thank you’ to some of the artists that inspired me for several decades – some of them are mentioned in the lyrics, but far from all of course”.

Available on the EP ‘Come With Me’ via Progress Productions

https://www.facebook.com/bstrommusic/

TWICE A MAN High In The Clouds (2015)

Founded by Dan Söderqvist and Karl Gasleben, TWICE A MAN were the opposite to many Swedish acts in that they used synths and electronic effects for more sombre atmospheric soundscapes rather than performing outright pop. Still operating as a unit, their 2015 album ‘Presence’ featuring epic environmental message songs like ‘High In The Clouds’ showed their talents have not waned over the years and indeed have become more accessible.

Available on the album ‘Presence’ via Ad Inexplorata

http://www.twiceaman.com/

VANBOT Trooper (2015)

After her inconclusive self-titled debut album in 2011, VANBOT aka Ester Ideskog had a rethink and started venturing into artier climes with the dreamy and enigmatic ‘Trooper’. With layers of vocals and rushes of lush synth, it started a journey towards the otherworldly template of IAMAMIWHOAMI. Her icy journey continues on her next album ‘Siberia’ which was written and recorded on a 17 day trip aboard the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Available on the album ‘Perfect Storm’ via Lisch Recordings

http://www.vanbotmusic.com/

REIN I Don’t Get Anything But Sh*t From You (2016)

Feisty, ambitious and not to be messed with, REIN has certainly caused a stir with Europe’s male dominated EBM scene. A true Rebel Girl as suggested by one of the highlights from her self-titled debut 2016 EP, even within the inherent shouty nature of the genre and Joanna Reinikainen’s debut song ‘Can’t Handle Me’ effectively being a mission statement, things are ramped up to 11 on ‘I Don’t Get Anything But Sh*t From You’. She’s an artist to watch for sure…

Available on the single ‘I Don’t Get Anything but Shit from You’ via Playground

https://www.facebook.com/reinelectronic/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
18th February 2017, updated 3rd November 2018

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 30 SONGS OF 2016

8 December 2016 / electricityclub

Overall, 2016 was not a vintage year…

But there were plenty of quality songs on offer throughout the year and a number were significantly outstanding.

Rounding down to a final 30 songs is always difficult and among the acts in the initial shortlist were ADAM IS A GIRL, DELERIUM, EMIKA, KALEIDA, LADYHAWKE, METROLAND, PRESENCE OF MIND, REIN, FIFI RONG, SPRAY, WHITE LIES and the now disbanded ANALOG ANGEL.

After much deliberation and with a restriction of one song per artist moniker, here are ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 30 Songs of 2016 in alphabetical order…

APOPTYGMA BERZERK Rhein Klang

Futurepop veteran Stephan Groth certainly put his head on the line releasing an instrumental Sci-Fi concept album as an APOPTYGMA BERZERK long player. But with influences like KRAFTWERK, TANGERINE DREAM and Jean-Michel Jarre, ‘Exit Popularity Contest’ was an artistic success. Full of Groth’s electronic lifeblood, ‘Rhein Klang’ was a wonderful oscillating slice of synth motorik in tribute to NEU!

Available on the album ‘Exit Popularity Contest’ via Hard: Drive

http://www.theapboffice.com/

JOHAN BAECKSTROM Like Before

Johan Baeckström first gained recognition as part of DAILY PLANET with vocalist Jarmo Ollila. His first album ‘Like Before’ drew favourable comparisons to Vince Clarke. A competent vocalist himself, the long player’s title song instantly recalled the glory days of ERASURE with its precise, yet emotive synthpop with a message to “swim the oceans like before”.

Available on the album ‘Like Before’ via Progress Productions

https://www.facebook.com/bstrommusic/

BEYOND THE WIZARD’S SLEEVE Diagram Girl

BEYOND THE WIZARDS SLEEVE’s ‘Diagram Girl’ was the work of Erol Alkan and Richard Norris, formally of THE GRID. Featuring the unisex vocals of Hannah Peel, a deeper pitch shift provided a psychedelic out-of-this-world feel which bizarrely fitted in alongside the songstress’ dreamily breathy tones. Meanwhile the pulsing electronic soundtrack had surreal echoes of OMD.

Available on the album ‘The Soft Bounce’ via Phantasy Sound

https://www.facebook.com/beyondthewizardssleeve/

BLACK NEEDLE NOISE featuring KENDRA FROST Warning Sign

It can be tricky keeping up with the prolific studio legend John Fryer. His BLACK NEEDLE NOISE project employed a flexible lead vocal policy and focussed on just single songs. Magically breathy, ‘Warning Sign’ employed the soaring vocals of Kendra Frost from KITE BASE against a spacious backdrop of synths, beats and guitars for a brooding sonic amalgam.

Available as a download single via https://blackneedlenoise.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/BlackNeedleNoise/

https://www.facebook.com/kitebasemusic/

CIRCUIT3 Hundred Hands

With a mighty Linn Drum engine room that would make Martyn Ware proud and some rugged lead synth, ‘Hundred Hands’ was the best track on CIRCUIT3’s debut album. The work of Dublin-based Peter Fitzpatrick, he even dropped in hints of KRAFTWERK’s ‘Showroom Dummies’. The parent album ‘siliconchipsuperstar’ was classic styled synthpop made by someone weaned on classic synthpop.

Available on the album ‘siliconchipsuperstar’ via https://circuit3.bandcamp.com/

http://www.circuit3.com/

RUSTY EGAN PRESENTS Thank You

The elegiac ‘Thank You’ utilised some ‘Endless Endless’ vocodered stylings over layers of sweeping synthetic strings and a gentle metronomic pulse. A list of Rusty Egan’s musical heroes, this tone poem was a touching acknowledgement of electronic music’s marvellous history. A simple yet highly effective idea, the beauty is in its realisation. Appropriately, it ends with a touchingly poignant “VISAGE… thank you”.

Available on the album ‘Welcome To The Dancefloor’ via Black Mosaic from
http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/rusty-egan-welcome-to-the-dancefloor

http://rustyegan.net/

JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS A Man & A Woman

‘A Man & A Woman’ was a surprise in that it was less rigid than previous JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS recordings. Featuring some enchanting whispers from the seemingly ubiquitous Hannah Peel, it was an interesting departure that even featured some subtle acoustic guitar flourishes. Foxx’s work is still under-appreciated so ‘21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City’ provided a chance to catch up.

Available on the album ’21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City’ via Metamatic Records

http://www.metamatic.com/

ANI GLASS Y Ddawns

Welsh songstress Ani Glass served her apprenticeship with girl groups GENIE QUEEN and THE PIPETTES and worked with Andy McCluskey and Martin Rushent respectively along the way. ‘Y Ddawns’ (‘The Dance’) was a wonderfully exhilarating pop art adventure. Swathed in synths and driven by a metronomic beat, it was a declaration of hope, deeply voiced in the verse with a gorgeous soaring resonance in the chorus, about “finding solace and meaning in music, dance, art and culture”.

‘Y Ddawns’ is available as a download single from https://aniglass.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/aniglasscymru/

THE HEARING Kabeldon

Helsinki-based Ringa Manner has been making crystalline sine waves as THE HEARING. Her second album ‘Adrian’ boasted the sub-eight minute epic ‘Kabeldon’. A outstanding electronic work with an affinity to Norwegian songstress Susanne Sundfør, there were also bows to DAVID BOWIE’s ‘I’m Deranged’ when the mad cascading piano kicked in alongside the frantic drum ‘n’ bass and steadily building cacophony of noise. Then, when it appeared all over, the song mutated into an eloquent Nordic dubstep ballad!

Available on the album ‘Adrian’ via Solina Records

https://www.facebook.com/Ringasofi/

I AM SNOW ANGEL Losing Face

The project of Julie Kathryn, the haunting tension of ‘Losing Face’ accentuates a variety of electronic and organic colours. A muted chop’ n’ chuck provides the percussive backbone while an eerie soundscape is steadily configured as Kathryn succumbs to lust. “You’re different when you’re on top of me… how I hate the state I’m in” she paradoxically reflects, as bubbling detuned synth swirls and acoustic guitar penetrate the foreboding atmosphere in the vein of ‘Felt Mountain’ era GOLDFRAPP.

Available on the EP ‘Desert’ via I Am Snow Angel

http://iamsnowangel.com/

JEAN-MICHEL JARRE & CYNDI LAUPER Swipe To The Right

After decades of composing lengthy synth symphonies, there must have been times when the French maestro must have just wanted to do a four minute pop tune. This Jean-Michel Jarre managed in a quirky collaboration with Cyndi Lauper. No stranger to electronic forms, particularly with her under rated ‘Bring Ya To The Brink’ album of 2007, ‘Swipe To The Right’ had big bass riffs galore for a great poptastic exploration, while reflecting on the use of Tinder in modern relationships.

Available on the album ‘Electronica 2: The Heart Of Noise’ via Columbia / Sony Music

http://jeanmicheljarre.com/

http://www.cyndilauper.com/

KID MOXIE Still High

KID MOXIE is Elena Charbila, the Greek born singer and actress who likes to make music with friends. Working best in collaboration, her well-received album ‘1888’ showed she had blossomed and displayed an inventive maturity following the gutter pop of her early releases. From her best body of work yet in ‘Perfect Shadow’, the seductive ‘Still High’ was gloriously cinematic synthpop with a touch of maiden iciness that affirmed this artistic progression.

Available on the mini-album ‘Perfect Shadow’ is via West One Music Group

http://www.facebook.com/kidmoxie

LIEBE The Box

One-time label mates of MARSHEAUX, LIEBE are the electro disco duo comprising of George Begas and Dimos Zachariadis who could be considered the Greek PET SHOP BOYS. Sitting on that difficult bridge between pastiche and post-modern, their romantic disco friendly sound mines Europop while adding the vocal drawl of Jarvis Cocker. The magnificent Jean-Michel Jarre goes Italo disco of ’The Box’ was the highlight of their wonderfully escapist pop album ‘Revolution Of Love’.

Available on the album ‘Revolution Of Love’ via Emerald & Doreen Recordings

http://www.liebe.gr

MARSHEAUX Burning

Recorded in London and Athens, a new approach saw MARSHEAUX’s trademark wispiness blended in with a subtle tone of aggression. The opening song on ‘Ath.Lon’, the album title of which was derived from the cities of Athens and London, ‘Burning’ was a harsh but sexy slice of synth expressionism. While clearly referencing darker electronica forms with its hypnotising percussive motif, it crucially maintained the essence of a good tune.

Available on the album ‘Ath.Lon’ via Undo Records

http://www.marsheaux.com/

MESH The Fixer

With their new album ‘Looking Skyward’, MESH alleviated any fears that they might not be able to sustain the artistic momentum seeded by 2013’s ‘Automation Baby’. Despite the lyrically negative nature of ‘The Fixer’, a driving bass triplet attached to a solid four-to-the-floor beat and an anthemic topline shed a light of optimism amongst the gloom. MESH have firmly carved their own niche and any disillusioned DEPECHE MODE fans should consider joining the fold immediately…

Available on the album ‘Looking Skyward’ via Dependent Records

http://www.mesh.co.uk/

METROLAND Man / Machine

In August 2015, METROLAND’s sound engineer and close friend Louis Zachert, aka Passenger L, passed away. The Brussels based duo recorded ‘Things Will Never Sound The Same Again’, a musical eulogy created from scratch as their way of paying homage to their fellow passenger. The uplifting ’Music / Machine’ with its Jarre-esque melodies started as a METROLAND remix of MUSICOCOON, a project involving Louis and his friend Philippe Malemprée. Kindly donated, its presence is in honour of Louis as the last piece of music he ever worked on.

Available on the album on the album ‘Things Will Never Sound The Same Again’ via Alfa Matrix

http://www.metrolandmusic.com/

NIGHT CLUB Pray

Buoyed by the acclaim of their EP trilogy and their power as a live act, NIGHT CLUB experimented with a more aggressive synth rock disco sound for their debut long player ‘Requiem For Romance’. Playing around with a range of unsettling vocal pitch shifts and religious imagery for the sinister overtones of ‘Pray’, Emily Kavanaugh and Mark Brooks have more than substantiated their position as one of North America’s best independent electronic pop duos.

Available on the album ‘Requiem For Romance’ via Gato Blanco from http://nightclubband.com/album/requiem-for-romance

http://nightclubband.com/

HANNAH PEEL All That Matters

It’s been a busy year for Hannah Peel; layered with staccato voice samples and uplifting bursts of symphonic strings, the driving arpeggio laden ‘All That Matters’ was her calling card, not just as her most synthpop offering yet but also as a mantra to live in the moment. The opening track of her second album ‘Awake But Always Dreaming’, her very personal musical journey themed around memory and the effects of dementia was a startling artistic triumph.

Available on the album ‘Awake But Always Dreaming’ My Own Pleasure

http://www.hannahpeel.com

PET SHOP BOYS The Dictator Decides

Never mind their age, PET SHOP BOYS are still ‘The Pop Kids’ and ‘Twenty-something’ ones at that. But on the moodier ‘The Dictator Decides’, there comes one of those politically laced introspective numbers in the vein of ‘My October Symphony’ and ‘Don Juan’ that Tennant and Lowe always do so well. As Tennant deadpans “if you get rid of me, we can all be free”, the song provides an amusing surreal narrative of a tyrannical politician bored of his outright power and wanting to live a normal life.

Available on the album ‘Super’ via x2

http://www.petshopboys.co.uk/

PSYCHE Ring The Bells

From the Cold War Night Life curated ‘Heresy: A Tribute To Rational Youth’, one of the highlights from the collection is PSYCHE’s take on ‘Ring The Bells’ from appropriately, RATIONAL YOUTH’s ‘Cold War Night Life’ debut. The clattering 808 beat and elegantly haunting sweeps combined with Darrin Huss’ mournful vocal provide an atmospheric reworking that betters the original and reflects the decades long kinship between RATIONAL YOUTH and PSYCHE.

Available on the album ‘Heresy: A Tribute To Rational Youth’ (V/A) via Cold War Night Life from http://www.stormingthebase.com/various-heresy-a-tribute-to-rational-youth-3lp-vinyl-2cd/

http://www.psyche-hq.de/

SARAH P. I’d Go

Greek electropop goddess Sarah P. started her music career as the frontwoman of KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS. With ‘I’d Go’ she said: “Most of the people do not get that this song is not as happy as it sounds at a first listen”. In her own words she confesses: “I’m a childish woman and nobody can stop me from being one” and adds “If there’s anything I stand for with all my heart is the ‘Go be you’ motto!” – her full length debut long player ‘Who Am I?’ is eagerly awaited.

Available on the mini-album ‘Free’ via EraseRestart

http://sarahpofficial.com/

SILENT WAVE War

Enigmatic Gothenburg electronic trio SILENT WAVE possess the hauntronica hallmarks of fellow Swedes THE KNIFE. ‘War’ is a reminder of how that sibling duo once combined tunes with their experimentation. With a suitably dark Nordic vibe, it could easily have come off ‘Silent Shout’ and while the template is undoubtedly derivative, ‘War’ is extremely well executed.

Available on the download single ‘War’ via Silence Records

https://www.facebook.com/silentwaveofficial/

STARCLUSTER & MARC ALMOND To Have & Have Not

With his career spanning 10 CD box set ‘Trials Of Eyeliner: Anthology 1979-2016’, the last thing anyone expected from Marc Almond this year was an electronic pop album. Almond first recorded with Anglo German production duo STARCLUSTER in 2008. A great cover version, ‘To Have & Have Not’ was originally recorded by RONNY and retains the stern manner of the former Parisian model, while giving this slice of modern Weimar Cabaret a new lease of life.

Available on the album ‘Silver City Ride’ via Closing the Circle / Private Records

http://www.marcalmond.co.uk/

TINY MAGNETIC PETS Not Giving In

An appearance at the 2015 ELECTRI_CITY_CONFERENCE in Düsseldorf reinforced TINY MAGNETIC PETS’ reputation as an intriguing live act by winning over figures such as Rusty Egan and Andy McCluskey. The soulful ‘Not Giving In’ makes the most of Paula Gilmer’s enticingly wispy voice. With detuned pulses contrasting the digital chimes and staccato voice samples, an unusual stuttering reggae inflected beat enhances the atmosphere.

Available on the EP ‘The NATO Alphabet’ via https://tinymagneticpets.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Tiny-Magnetic-Pets-69597715797/

TRAIN TO SPAIN Believe In Love

Highly exuberant and featuring a poptastic four chord progression, ‘Believe In Love’ was TRAIN TO SPAIN’s first recording to feature producer Lars Netzel aka NOT LARS as a full-time member. It developed on the promise of songs like ‘Passion’ from their debut album ‘What it’s All About’ released in 2015 and significantly gave more space within Jonas Rasmusson’s classic synthpop framework for lead singer Helena Wigeborn to exude her charm in. But it seems TRAIN TO SPAIN are back to a duo again…

Available on the download single ‘Believe In Love’ via Subculture Records

http://www.traintospain.se/

TRENTEMØLLER River In Me

‘River In Me’ was an unusual TRENTEMØLLER recording in that Jehnny Beth from SAVAGES actually came to his home studio in Copenhagen to lay down her vocals. The end result possessed a Gothic intensity, yet was vibrant and melodic with Beth’s Siouxsie-like tones complimenting the hybrid synth laced soundscape. While some complained that ‘River In Me’ was not as dark as the Dane’s previous work, it was his most immediate offering yet with a fine balance of accessibility and mood.

Available on the album ‘Fixion’ via In My Room

http://www.anderstrentemoller.com/

VILE ELECTRODES The Vanished Past

It’s the avant pop approach reminiscent of early OMD that sets VILE ELECTRODES apart from and makes them so captivating. ‘The Vanished Past’ is a potent successor to the drama of ‘Deep Red’, complete with a mighty drum cacophony à la OMD’s ‘Navigation’. Bleak and wonderful, “not everything is as it seems” as a forlorn stranger joins in. As the seven minute adventure unfolds like a lost OMD epic, that stranger begins to sound like a certain George Andrew McCluskey!

Available on the album ‘In The Shadows Of Monuments’ via http://vileelectrodes.bigcartel.com/

http://www.vileelectrodes.com/

VILLA NAH Stranger

From their superb second album ‘Ultima’, ‘Stranger’ was a brilliant return for VILLA NAH after a five year absence. Front man Juho Paalosmaa said: “‘Stranger’ is a play on words; how somebody you’ve known can turn stranger over the span of time… and end up as a complete stranger in the process. I don’t think it’s a track I would’ve written as a 20 year old. It requires some years of age and experience to really understand how time can change people, including yourself.”

Available on the album ‘Ultima’ via Solina Records

https://www.facebook.com/villanah/

WRANGLER Stupid

If CABARET VOLTAIRE had hijacked Compass Point Studios in The Bahamas while TALKING HEADS were recording ‘Speaking In Tongues’, the end result might have ended up sounding a bit like this. ‘Stupid’ sees Stephen Mallinder in warped falsetto mode over a hypnotic sequence of menacing synths from Benge and Phil Winter. The track’s rhythmic heart creates an almost robotic, yet electro-funk feel for one of the undoubted highlights on WRANGLER‘s ‘White Glue’ album.

Available on the album ‘White Glue’ via MemeTune

https://www.facebook.com/mallinderbengewinter/

YELLO Electrified II

Despite 37 years of making music together, the distinctive sound of YELLO remains intriguing and distinctly European and the new album ‘Toy’ delighted fans. On the superb ‘Electrified II’ (the original version appeared on Boris Blank’s boxed set of the same name), Dieter Meier has his mind blown by the velvet voice of Malia. As she exclaims “Life’s a bitch and I’m no witch”, this could be Shirley Bassey indulging in some seductive energetic electro-cabaret.

Available on the album ‘Toy’ via Polydor / Universal Music

http://yello.com

Text by Chi Ming Lai
8th December 2016

Category: Lists & Beginner’s Guides (Page 13 of 22)

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