Category: News

SOFTWAVE To Open For OMD on 2020 Scandinavian Dates

Fresh from the acclaim for their debut album ‘Game On’ released this year, Danish synthpop couple SOFTWAVE will be opening for OMD on the Scandinavian leg of their 2020 ‘Souvenir’ tour.

Catrine Christensen and Jerry Olsen first met Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys on a cruise ship which OMD were playing and contacts were exchanged.

Catrine Christensen told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK: “An email popped in my inbox; ‘The band have agreed’, I couldn’t believe it and showed it to Jerry before I really took it in. We both danced on the floor of happiness! This was the biggest thing ever!”

SOFTWAVE join an elite list of acts which includes VILLA NAH, MIRRORS, METROLAND, VILE ELECTRODES and TINY MAGNETIC PETS who have been championed by ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK and later secured the coveted support slot for OMD.

Since their debut EP ‘Together Alone’ in 2016, SOFTWAVE have been gaining notable endorsements from one-time members of THE HUMAN LEAGUE Jo Callis and Ian Burden, as well as former Numan sideman Chris Payne. So for the duo and their upward trajectory, it has certainly been ‘Game On’.

In November, SOFTWAVE performed live with a special designed lasershow to their biggest audience so far of more than 600 people at the Bremen Teater in central Copenhagen, with a live clip recently hitting the net sphere of the song ‘Something Is Missing’.

Buzzingly sub-ERASURE, it is an alluringly catchy and assured synthpop statement which Christensen revealed was inspired by her dog Nero: “The life before my dad got ill, I was spoiled. Apart from games, movies and toys, I always wanted a dog so badly, so he gave one to me. After 15 years with a lovely time with my dog Nero, he passed away. Therefore I named the song ‘Something Is Missing’.”

But she added: “it was important for other people without a dog-relationship to relate to it as well. Basically this song is dedicated to everybody who lost something or someone valuable in their lives.”

Meanwhile, the ‘Something Is Missing – Longdrink Reloaded’ extended version is now exclusively available on the label ZYX Music compilation ‘New Generation 15’ while a remix compilation ‘Game On 1Up’ is now available as a downaload via Bandcamp.


‘Game On’ and ‘Game On 1Up’ are released as download albums, available direct from https://softwave.bandcamp.com/

SOFTWAVE open for OMD on the Scandinavian leg of their 2020 ‘Souvenir’ 40 Years – Greatest Hits tour at the following dates:

Oslo Rockefeller Musichall (7th February), Stockholm Berns (9th February), Malmo KB (10th February), Copenhagen Store Vega (12th February)

http://www.softwavemusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SoftWaveMusic/

https://twitter.com/SoftWaveMusic

https://www.instagram.com/softwave_music/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
20th December 2019

VILE ELECTRODES Announced as Support Act for OMD in Germany

VILE ELECTRODES have been confirmed as OMD’s support for the German leg of the ‘English Electric’ tour.

The striking duo of Anais Neon and Martin Swan could be described as sounding like THE SMITHS reincarnated as CLIENT, a template best heard on ‘Play With Fire’, the lead track of their self titled EP. Just recently, they released the electro-waltz drama of ‘The Last Time’.

But one of their finest moments is the still to be formally issued ‘Deep Red’, a gorgeous seven and a half minute synth ballad that recalls the sweeping emotive overtones of OMD standards such as ‘Statues’, ‘Stanlow’ and ‘The Romance Of The Telescope’.

The band are currently in the process of finishing their debut album but announced via their Facebook: “We’ve just been confirmed as the support band for OMD’s tour of Germany in May. I don’t really have the right words to describe how overwhelmed we are”. Synthesist Martin Swan added: “It’s so beyond exciting. There was once a teenage boy whose first ever gig was watching OMD playing at the Hammersmith Odeon on ‘The Pacific Age’ tour – His life changed that day, and it changed for this moment…”

By pure coincidence, OMD’s Andy McCluskey spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK a few days ago and said: “I enjoy your website and I’ve discovered some very interesting bands actually… one of them is going to support us in Germany!”.

Vocalist Anais Neon herself was still in shock at the news and said: “I’m flabbergasted. We basically had an email last Thursday from their tour management team asking us to do it. I almost fainted”! Without the lovely folk that champion us, I doubt we’d be in this position, so thank you for all you do spreading the Vile word”.

VILE ELECTRODES continue a tradition of acts championed by ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK such as MARSHEAUX, VILLA NAH and MIRRORS who have all now opened for OMD.

Anais had one more thing to say to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK though before getting dressed up to see KRAFTWERK at Tate Modern: “Just off to have a little cry now… I might be drunk later x”. It was quite a day!


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its congratulations and best wishes to VILE ELECTRODES

OMD’s 2013 German tour with special guests VILE ELECTRODES includes:

Hamburg Docks (21 May), Bielefeld Ringlokschuppen (22 May), Berlin Tempodrom (24 May), Leipzig Haus Auensee (25 May), Kӧln E-Werk (27 May) – please visit www.omd.uk.com for further details

http://www.facebook.com/vileelectrodes/

http://vileelectrodes.blogspot.co.uk/

https://soundcloud.com/vile-electrodes


Text by Chi Ming Lai
6th February 2013

CAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE 4’33”

Silent Night

On Monday 6th December 2010, a number of assorted musical luminaries including HEAVEN 17, AEROPLANE, ORBITAL, COLDCUT, PENDULUM, UNKLE and John Foxx gathered with producer Paul Epworth at Dean Street Studios in London’s Soho to re-record the late JOHN CAGE’s celebrated piece 4′ 33″ which comprises of four minutes and thirty three seconds of silence.

Others who could not be present made concerted efforts to take part; Imogen Heap recorded her contribution earlier in the day while Billy Bragg was recorded by speaker phone from his tour bus.

4′ 33″ is a properly scored composition with precise instructions for the musician not to play their instrument throughout its three movements. In 2004, the BBC Symphony Orchestra gave a performance of it at The Barbican which was broadcast on Radio 3. The emergency power system, that would have normally cut in when apparent silence was detected, had to be switched off to accommodate this live event!

In a more bizarre incident, former WOMBLE Mike Batt had legal action taken against him by the Cage Estate for plagiarism with the track ‘A One Minute Silence’ which featured on the 2002 album ‘Classical Graffiti’ by his classical rock band THE PLANETS. Batt claimed that his piece was qualitatively different because his recorded silence consisted of the absence of noise, rather than the presence of ambient silence which was the concept of JOHN CAGE’s original idea.

“I certainly wasn’t quoting his silence. I claim my silence is original silence… ours is better silence” said Batt, “it’s digital, theirs is only analogue!” – even though the track was credited to Batt / Cage, the matter was settled out of court with a charitable payment of an undisclosed six-figure sum being paid by Batt to the John Cage Trust.

Other noteworthy John Cage compositions have included ‘Suite For A Toy Piano’ and ‘Organ2 / ASLSP’, the longest ever composed piece of music at 639 years. Intended to be played “as slow as possible”, it is currently being performed on an organ at the Church of St Burchardi in Halberstadt, Germany where so far, it has reached its sixth note having been started in 2000.

CAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE’s 4′ 33″ was begun in earnest by London-based artist Dave Hilliard in the summer of 2010 with a Facebook campaign to get John Cage to No.1 this Christmas. The idea soon reached thousands of people and attracted media attention from all around the world.

The campaign stepped up a gear in October 2010 with the help of XFM’s Eddy Temple Morris, Wall Of Sound’s Mark Jones and OU EST LE SWIMMING POOL’s Joe Hutchinson. They joined forces to gather as many influential artists and musicians as possible to make Hilliard’s vision a reality.

This time last year, a similar Facebook campaign made RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE’s noisey Killing In The Name’ the UK Christmas No.1. One of its original instigators Jon Morter has came out in support of CAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE by saying: “If ANY Christmas No1 campaign is going to work, it’ll be the John Cage 4′ 33″ one. Now the community has reached over 72,000 people committed to buying this single and making a stand against bland, vacuous pop music; the clarion call is Cage Against The Machine for Christmas No1!”


The 4′ 33″ single and its various remixes by ALEX METRIC, HERVE, ADAM F, MR SCRUFF and HOT CHIP are released by Wall of Sound Records on 13th December 2010.

www.facebook.com/cageagainstthemachine

All the proceeds from sales will go to five charities:

British Tinnitus Association (BTA) www.tinnitus.org.uk

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) www.thecalmzone.net

Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy www.nordoff-robbins.org.uk

Youth Music www.youthmusic.org.uk

Sound And Music http://soundandmusic.org/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
14th December 2010