Tag: The Soft Moon (Page 2 of 2)

THE SOFT MOON Live at The Dome

With fourth album ‘Criminal’ now doing the rounds, The Dome in Tufnell Park was filled to the brim as Oakland’s THE SOFT MOON performed the only UK date on their current tour.

Essentially the one-man project of Luis Vasquez, their live line-up is expanded with the addition of Luigi Pianezzola on bass / synths and Matteo Vallicelli on live / electronic drums including a nifty four pad retro Simmons combo. Vasquez started the show solo with a rendition of the dark title track from his new album before being joined by his two sidemen.

What initially hits home most about THE SOFT MOON live experience is the clarity of their sound; on record they have (at times) an impenetrable and murky aesthetic.

But here in the live arena, there is a much more muscular delivery with the superb PA system at The Dome proving transformational sound-wise for the band. On stage, Vasquez showcases himself as a really accomplished musician, effortlessly flipping from guitar to a Moog Sub 37 synth and then to live percussion; he is an artist that holds the audience transfixed, combined with a low down (head bowed) signature synth playing posture.

Special mention must also be given to percussionist Vallicelli; combining the tom-driven style of NEW ORDER’s Stephen Morris and the motorik beat of Krautrock, there was never any unnecessary overplaying and when a song needed electronic drums, he switched to his stand-up Simmons set-up instead.

With a set combining an even balance of tracks from THE SOFT MOON’s four albums, there was plenty here to please both old and new fans alike, with the newer material from ‘Criminal’ slotting in effortlessly with cuts from ‘Deeper’, ‘Zeros’ and their eponymous debut long player. Standout track ‘Give Something’ from ‘Criminal’ proved a mid-set highlight and showed off Vasquez’s wide vocal range, whilst from the same album the EBM bass-driven ‘Father’ got The Dome crowd moving.

‘Wrong’ from ‘Deeper’ gave Vasquez a chance to showcase his percussive skills with an improvised trash can drum played almost Batucada-style plus additional hi-Q synth drums overlayed by Pianezzola on a Roland trigger pad. ‘Tiny Spiders’ was one of many songs in the set to feature the classic Post-Punk flanged guitar sound much beloved of SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES’ John McGeoch and PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED’s Keith Levine and in places, the spirit of Crawley’s finest THE CURE was also summoned.

After a set which seemed to cruise by, the band came back for two encores of ‘Black’ and ‘Want’ (with one word titles being a signature thing for the band). With ‘Criminal’ picking up some really stellar reviews and the band selling out venues effortlessly, it is surely only a matter of time before THE SOFT MOON shift up to a higher level of exposure and popularity.

In the wrong hands, this kind of material has the potential to fail live, but Vasquez and co show how nihilistic anthems of despair and alienation can be truly engaging when performed. At the risk of being overtly pun-tastic, it really would be criminal to miss this band live… highly recommended.


Special thanks to Frankie Davison at Stereo Sanctity

‘Criminal’ is released by Sacred Bones Records in CD, vinyl LP and digital formats

THE SOFT MOON 2018 European Tour dates include:

Yverdon Les Bains L’Amalgame (20th February), Milan Magnolia (21st February), Rome Monk (22nd February), Napoli Lanificio (23rd February), Bologna Covo (24th February), Munich Kranhalle (7th March), Leipzig UT Connewitz (8th March), Hamburg Hafenklang (9th March), Cologne Gebäude 9 (10th March), Saarbrucken Garage Club (11th March), Nijmegen Doomroosje (13th March), Lille Les Paradis Artificiels (14th March), Nantes Stereolux (15th March), Lyon Epicerie Moderne (16th March)

http://www.thesoftmoon.com

https://www.facebook.com/thesoftmoon/

https://twitter.com/thesoftmoon

https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com


Text and Photos by Paul Boddy
19th February 2018

THE SOFT MOON Criminal

THE SOFT MOON is essentially a one-man project comprising of multi-instrumentalist and producer Luis Vasquez.

Hailing from Oakland in the USA, THE SOFT MOON gained wider exposure when they supported DEPECHE MODE on the EU leg of their ‘Delta Machine’ tour.

With a sound that distills both synth-heavy Krautrock and dark Post-Punk guitars+bass, ‘Criminal’ is the outfit’s fourth album following their emergence in 2010 with their eponymous debut.

Opening track ‘Burn’ is a take no prisoners kind of track, combining a lo-fi electronic kick with a flanged guitar sound favoured by John McGeoch from SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES; the guitar riff itself helps differentiate the track from your typical angsty NINE INCH NAILS fare and ‘Burn’ provides a strong opener to ‘Criminal’.

‘Choke’ slows the tempo with a vocal buried in a fuzz of what could be synths or guitars, the mixed up wall of sound obscuring the detail in the individual elements. Dirty, but hypnotic, the three minute track doesn’t outstay its welcome and signals to the listener that ‘Criminal’ isn’t going to be an easy ride…

’Give Something’ is a reverb drenched piece with the first real slivers of a more melodic vocal line from Vasquez; showcasing a bass part which recalls Simon Raymonde from COCTEAU TWINS, the song features a nifty gliding synth solo. The dark and twisted chorus hook “Give, give me something, when I give nothing” is wonderfully catchy and pinpoints ‘Give Something’ as a real highlight here and a certainty to be a candidate for a future single.

‘Like A Father’ initially revolves around a filthy EBM bass synth sequencer part, live / electronic drums and another densely textured vocal / guitar wall. The main elements which save the track from being one chord repetitive filler is the mix of time signatures which keeps the listener on their toes and a middle eight breakdown which takes ‘Like A Father’ on a welcome diversion with a driving live bassline entering the mix.

‘The Pain’ takes you on a cathartic journey with another bass heavy delivery, a self-doubting Vasquez intones “How can you love someone like me?” and climaxes the piece with a drum-less MY BLOODY VALENTINE-inspired ending.

‘It Kills’ is a dense tom-driven piece with another Banshee-inspired guitar line and a fuzzed-up chorus which recalls mid-period NINE INCH NAILS, the synth-based finish to the piece provides a welcome respite from the full-on assault of distortion.

‘ILL’, ‘Young’ and ‘Born Into This’ all mine a similar sound to their predecessors, before the title track ‘Criminal’ shares some welcome musical DNA with the direction that GARY NUMAN is currently following. The usage of a Roland CR78 loop and bolt-like shots of distorted noise help to reinforce this and a more melodic vocal from Vasquez brings the album to an epic close.

Ultimately it’s the live guitar and bass sound here which saves ‘Criminal’ from sounding overtly like a NINE INCH NAILS pastiche; but this aside, if you are a fan of the UK Post-Punk scene and favour flanged / reverbed guitars, then there is plenty to lap up here.

Another couple of tracks along the lines of ‘Give Something’ would have been welcome, but for fans of the darker side of electronica combined with live instrumentation, ‘Criminal’ would be a welcome addition to their musical collection.


With thanks to Frankie Davison at Stereo Sanctity

‘Criminal’ is released by Sacred Bones Records in CD, vinyl LP and digital formats on 2nd February 2018

THE SOFT MOON 2018 European Tour dates include:

Baden One of a Million Festival (2nd February), Marghera CS Rivolta (3rd February), Copenhagen Pumpehuset (6th February), Gothenburg Pustervik (7th February), Stockholm Slaktkyrkan (8th February), Oslo Bla (9th February), Berlin Urban Spree (11th-12th February), Paris Le Trabendo (14th February), Amsterdam, Paradiso Noord (15th February), London The Dome (16th February), Brussels Orangerie Botanique (17th February), Luxembourg, LU – De Gudde Wëllen (18th February), Yverdon Les Bains L’Amalgame (20th February), Milan Magnolia (21st February), Rome Monk (22nd February), Napoli Lanificio (23rd February), Bologna Covo (24th February), Munich Kranhalle (7th March), Leipzig UT Connewitz (8th March), Hamburg Hafenklang (9th March), Cologne Gebäude 9 (10th March), Saarbrucken Garage Club (11th March), Nijmegen Doomroosje (13th March), Lille Les Paradis Artificiels (14th March), Nantes Stereolux (15th March), Lyon Epicerie Moderne (16th March)

http://www.thesoftmoon.com

https://www.facebook.com/thesoftmoon/

https://twitter.com/thesoftmoon

https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com


Text by Paul Boddy
17th January 2018

JOHN FOXX 21st Century: A Man, A Woman & A City

“I always seem to write about a man, a woman and a city. It’s because I am an urban creature most of the time”: John Foxx

’21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City’ is a new compilation that gathers John Foxx’s song based work from since the turn of the millennium. After a hiatus between 1986 to 1995, Foxx has since been extremely prolific, dividing his time between a number of pop-oriented, ambient and soundtrack projects. The first section of this collection is laid out chronologically, beginning with Foxx’s material recorded with Louis Gordon, his main collaborator on his comeback.

‘A Funny Thing’ from 2001’s ‘The Pleasures Of Electricity’ sounds particularly interesting in today’s context, with the jazzier, deep house inflections being quite different from how Foxx is now. But songs like 2005’s beautifully treated ‘Never Let Me Go’ confirmed that Foxx still had that inventive spark.

But it was when Foxx teamed up with synth collector extraordinaire Benge to form JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS that he became fully re-engaged in the electronic pop realm which he helped to pioneer. Using an array of vintage synthesizers, the feisty growl of ‘Catwalk’, the serenity of ‘Interplay’ and the electro-folk of ‘Evergreen’ all possessed a mechanised charm while simultaneously providing some vital correlative warmth. The parent album ‘Interplay’ was possibly Foxx’s most complete and accessible body of work since ‘Metamatic’.

Continuing with the mathematical solution, from the swift follow-up ‘The Shape Of Things’, the fantastically motorik ‘Tides’ came over like an electronic NEU! Meanwhile from the third Maths album ‘Evidence’, the title track in collaboration with THE SOFT MOON was a surreal slice of post-punk psychedelia, like Numan meeting Syd Barrett! But the most complete track Foxx produced in this period turned out to be the grainy, pastoral elegance of ‘Evangeline’ with Finnish producer Jori Hulkkonen.

The main act of ‘21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City’ concludes with two previously unreleased songs by JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS; both are highly worthy inclusions. ‘A Many Splendoured Thing’ features pristine pulsing sonics with crisp percussive taps a la ‘The Man Machine’; it’s Foxx goes to Kling Klang.

But ‘A Man And A Woman’ throws in a less rigid formula with some loose, hand played electronic percussion and the enchanting voice of Hannah Peel. It’s an interesting departure that even features some subtle acoustic guitar flourishes by Isobel Malins. Continuing on the six string theme, ‘Estrellita’ from the ‘Mirrorball’ album with COCTEAU TWINS’ Robin Guthrie appropriately provides an esoteric musical interlude, before the compilation’s appendix of assorted collaborations and remixes.

Although not a song written by Foxx, his and Benge’s serene reinterpretation of GAZELLE TWIN’s ‘Changelings’ highlighted not only the synthesized magic of the partnership, but also how the influence of Foxx was interwoven seamlessly into the Brighton-based songstress’ art.

Following JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS’ rework of ‘Dresden’, the reciprocal arrangement delivers a previously unreleased OMD remix of ‘The Good Shadow’. Working around its shimmering arpeggio, Paul Humphreys adds more of the beautiful Synth-Werk that made OMD’s last album ‘English Electric’ such a return to form. Meanwhile, the ADULT. Remix of ‘The Shadow Of His Former Self’ naturally takes on a more punky, techno stance.

Originally a solo track from ‘The Shape Of Things’, ‘Talk’ has now become a collaborative platform for Foxx to explore different approaches from a singular idea with other kindred spirits; on ‘21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City’, two of these are included.

The first is the previously released ‘Talk (Beneath My Dreams)’ version with Matthew Dear; Foxx provides the cascading bass laden intro before Dear adds a steadfast four-to-the floor beat and a deep sinister voiceover, which could be mistaken for a pitch-shifted Foxx.

But the second version is a brand new, long-awaited collaboration with Gary Numan. Numan’s take on the track is meaty. Retitled ‘Talk (Are You Listening To Me?)’, it predictably screams alienation and fully exploits his haunting trademark overtures, courtesy of some blistering Polymoog from Benge.

The end result is like a wonderful audio mutual appreciation society: “John Foxx has been a hero of mine for my entire adult life” said Numan, “It was a real honour to finally have the chance to contribute to one of his tracks… it was every bit as creative, unusual, demanding, and rewarding, as I always expected it to be”.

Foxx is currently in the studio working on new music. Like SPARKS, John Foxx has been so prolific over the years that it can be challenging to keep up with all his releases. But as much as some of his hardcore following have expressed dismay at countless reissues and compilations, Foxx’s work is still under-appreciated, even within the more general circles of electronic pop music.

So for many, ‘21st Century: A Man, A Woman & A City’ will be an opportunity to catch up with the more accessible side of his work from the last 16 years. For those still not entirely convinced of Foxx’s contribution to the synthesized music world, it acts an ideal entry point into some of his best electronically focused work since ‘Metamatic’.


’21st Century: A Man, A Woman & A City’ is released by Metamatic Records as a CD and download on 27th May 2016. A limited deluxe CD+DVD edition is also available and features 11 videos filmed in Tokyo by Macoto Tezka, featuring music by JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS

http://www.metamatic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/johnfoxxmetamatic/

https://twitter.com/foxxmetamedia


Text by Chi Ming Lai
4th May 2016

JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS Evidence

JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS have released their third album in 18 months entitled ‘Evidence’.

The 15 tracks include collaborations with Matthew Dear on a version of ‘Talk’ which previously appeared on ‘The Shape Of Things’, US duo XENO & OAKLANDER on ‘That Sudden Switch’ and TARA BUSCH with her own ‘I Speak Machine’ mix of ‘Talk’.

Dubwisely surreal, the title track’s collaboration with North American post-apocalyptic trio THE SOFT MOON sees many of the starker, dystopian flavours that Foxx is best known for.

Following the enjoyable flirtation with synthpop on JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS’ debut album ‘Interplay’, this is much more post-punk psychedelia like Gary Numan meeting Syd Barrett!

The album sees available for the first time in physical format, Foxx and Benge’s brilliant minimal electro cover of PINK FLOYD’s ‘Have A Cigar’ (where the infamous “which one’s Pink?” line is changed to “which one’s Maths?”) while also included are Brighton songstress GAZELLE TWIN’s chilling remix of ‘A Falling Star’ and JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS’ reworking of her wonderfully emotive but unsettling single ‘Changelings’.

Regular live band member Hannah Peel adds eerie violin to instrumental ‘Neon Vertigo’ and the more angrily percussive ‘My Town’ although overall, the album takes on an atmospheric pace around more downtempo rhythmic constructions smothered in echoes.


‘Evidence’ is released by Metamatic Records

The ‘Analogue Circuit: Live At The Roundhouse’ DVD + CD set recorded at 2010’s Short Circuit Festival is also out now

http://blog.johnfoxxandthemaths.com/

http://www.thesoftmoon.com


Text by Chi Ming Lai
22nd November 2012

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