Author: electricityclub (Page 1 of 418)

“I don’t like country & western, I don’t like rock music… I don’t like rockabilly! I don’t like much really do I? But what I do like, I love passionately!!”: CHRIS LOWE

“Good taste is exclusive”: NICK RHODES

A Short Conversation with CAUSEWAY

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

American noir synth duo CAUSEWAY return in 2025 with their own brand of sophisticated downbeat melodrama on their second album ‘Anywhere’.

Comprising of Allison Rae and Marshall Watson, their first full length album ‘We Were Never Lost’ was released on Italians Do It Better in 2022 to immediate acclaim, with syncs on Netflix TV shows ‘Never Have I Ever’, and ‘Riverdale’ to reinforce that praise. The album’s excellent lead single ‘Dancing With Shadows’ heralds a new relationship with Manchester independent label Sprechen Music as well as an update to their dreamy cinematic sound.

With the dark and light narratives of ‘Anywhere’ due to be made public soon, CAUSEWAY chatted to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about its making…

It’s been over 2 and a half years since ‘We Were Never Lost’ was released and even longer since the first CAUSEWAY song was late 2020, have you changed as people in the that time?

Marshall: I think we’ve evolved as a collaborative team. Back then we were two disparate people who happened to make a decent song and fell backwards into a label relationship without even trying. I think now we are much more cohesive as creatives and songwriters. We still have our roles, but the dialogue is different, the world is different, our energy is different and we express ourselves better.

Allison: I think we’ve really streamlined our writing process. For the first album, it was a blend of different approaches—some songs were written entirely remotely, others were created together in the same room, and some were a mix of both. Through that experience, we discovered that we work best when writing remotely, passing songs back and forth. For the second album, we embraced this method fully, and I believe it allowed us to be more vulnerable and true to what we were feeling. It gave us the space to reflect and express ourselves in a way that felt authentic and deeply personal.

As a person, I feel like I’ve changed quite a bit. Working through the frustrations and disappointment of my divorce was a significant journey. It was a challenging time, but it also offered a lot of growth and self-discovery. I think a few of our new songs really capture those emotions. Writing during that period was incredibly cathartic and eye-opening – it became a way to process everything I was feeling.

What was the approach this time round for ‘Anywhere’, it appears to be subtle development rather than say what AIR did from ‘Moon Safari’ to ’20,000Hz’ which was to cut off any sonic lineage?

Marshall: For me, I definitely didn’t want to cut off any lineage, in fact I think we were always trying to still ‘sound like us’, but we did want to explore some different sonic territory. Honestly I think we just took it one song at a time and really focussed on trying to make something special that we resonated with and hoped others would as well. The sound of this album, I think, still keeps a synth-centric feel, which we’ve always leaned toward.

Allison: I can’t speak much to the sonic qualities of the album – that’s all Marshall’s expertise. Lyrically, though, I feel like it carries a similar thread to our first album. Love and grief seem to be recurring themes for us, and they’ve naturally continued into the second album. That said, I do think our second album has a darker sonic quality, which I absolutely love. It adds a depth and intensity that feels like an evolution of our sound.

What synths were your main tools in the production of ‘Anywhere’?

Marshall: Lots of Prophet 8, ASM Hydrasynth Deluxe, and the Moog Grandmother. I have the same drums I use for nearly every track. I built the kick, snare and toms specifically for CAUSEWAY and I use them in just about every song. The Moog handles bass almost exclusively. I also have a Novation Summit which has an incredible sound… it can be really rough, distorted and powerful, and also super delicate. Many of the high end arpeggios come from the Summit. Every time the music seems to ‘soar’, that’s the Prophet though. That thing cuts through any mix.

The first single off the new album ‘Dancing With Shadows’ retains the shady mystery of the previous album, was it important not to shake things up too much for this preview of ‘Anywhere’?

Marshall: I like the word “mystery” when used with us. ‘Dancing With Shadows’ was written in a fever dream last year. I had the flu and was rocking a 102F fever and woke up one night and had nearly the entire song in my head. I got up and wrote it down and sung it into my phone. The next day I hit up Allie and we knocked it out in about 3 days. Call that what you will… mysterious, maybe just the universe guiding us a little bit. It just seemed to fit for the first single. It’s a little darker maybe, but I think it is a good lead in for ‘Anywhere’.

Allison: I absolutely love the song ‘Dancing with Shadows’. It was entirely written by Marshall. It’s heavy, dark, and powerful. It’s one of those songs that can completely transform the vibe of a room the moment it plays. This track was a no-brainer as our first single off Sprechen Recordings, especially with the brilliant remixes accompanying it. After two years without releasing anything, I think this song makes a bold statement: We’re still here making killer tracks. Get ready for more.

Creatively, has the process altered from previously, what had you decided you could do a bit better this time around?

Marshall: The process was pretty much the same. We bounce ideas off each other and eventually something sticks. Sometimes it’s as simple as a phrase. Allie had this amazing line in ‘Love Me Like Your Last Time’, where she basically sang those words in a demo. It stuck and the rest of the song was built off that. I started thinking about last time, first time, all time… etc. The rest of the song evolved really fast. We weren’t really trying to do anything better, we just communicated a little easier maybe. Sometimes it’s a musical motif that gets the flow going, and sometimes it’s a lyrical theme. We try to be open to the evolution. I read Rick Ruben’s book ‘The Creative Act’ last year and that really opened my eyes in terms of how to let things happen. In his book, he makes a distinction between a craftsman and an artist, which rang true to me. TLDR… you can’t control everything all the time.

Allison: The second album seemed to develop quicker than the first. I think it’s because we just figured out what process worked best for us.

The ‘Anywhere’ title song is different to what CAUSEWAY have done before as it is more Motorik and minimal, how did this track come about?

Marshall: I wanted to break out of the slow mo thing for a bit. . I’m a fan of NEU! and other ‘Kraut’ rock styles… COLD BEAT do that sound really well too, see also WAR ON DRUGS. I’ve been experimenting with that style of production for a while, but nothing really took hold. With ‘Anywhere’, we’d tried a few different angles on it, and then I got a really sweet Cherry Audio plugin of the CR78 drum machine… that sort of sealed the deal for the sound. We were already working on the lyrics, the rest of the song developed naturally. I asked Dale from ENDLESS ATLAS if he’d do some guitar work for us and he nailed it. To me it feels very ‘out of the box’ for CAUSEWAY but it fits in our universe.

Allison: Anywhere is definitely different from the songs we usually produce. It’s lighter with a softness that shines through its harmonies but it works. It serves as a beautiful contrast to the darker tones of the other tracks and gives the album a moment to breathe.

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

One of the album highlights ‘Lightyears’ refers to someone who “doesn’t want to change”, is this song autobiographical?

Marshall: There is a really honest story in this song but I’m not going to tell it. All of our tracks have an element of our own experiences in them, but rarely are they outright ‘autobiographical’ … this song is like that. Maybe some of it is, lots of it isn’t, but it’s a good story. To me I feel like we try to get to the universal… the thing that many people can relate to. “I’m trying really hard not to cry, when I do it just ends in a fight” isn’t about us, it’s about anyone who’s ever gone to bed sad.

Allison: “Maybe we will be alright, in another life” is such an emotional line to me. I can’t remember if that was a line that Marshall wrote or me. I remember I did edits on the lyrics and he wrote the majority of this track. It’s just so emotional because I feel everything I’m singing. Having to leave someone that I loved was the hardest thing I have ever done.

There’s a lot of paranoia on ‘Put Up A Fight’ which musically appears to fall under the spell of THE CURE? As a side, what did you think of their new album ‘Songs Of A Lost World’?

Marshall: I’ve only scanned through the new CURE album. Some of it I like and some of it might take a minute to connect with. The older CURE tracks definitely surface in ‘Put Up A Fight’. Definitely in the guitar work. Maybe ‘Kiss Me’ era?

Allison: ‘Songs of a Lost World’ is a masterpiece. It does not disappoint.

‘Ruin Me’ has great lyrics and great synth sounds, is this a fine example of your partnership dynamic firing on all cylinders?

Marshall: Is it? Of course it is… I think we’re firing on all cylinders all the time 🙂

Allison: I wrote the lyrics to ‘Ruin Me’ a few weeks after I filed for divorce. ‘Ruin Me’ is a very sexual song at face value, but its shadow side reveals anger and the willingness to take the fall, to endure the pain. It’s a plea that says, “go ahead and destroy me – I never want to feel this way again.” It’s intense, vulnerable, and captures the complexity of surrendering to something that hurts and also wanting it to hurt.

So “what does it feel to be human?”

Marshall: Ah. Maybe our only political track. This year and last, with Israel and Palestine, as well as Ukraine… it’s just so sad, no matter what your views are. There is just so much suffering going on. I was working on words that spoke to that, and was having trouble sorting it all out. I connected with Hannah Lew of COLD BEAT, and she helped finesse the writing and took on lead vocals. She and I finished out the track, trying not to be overtly “U2” political, but still have a message. Just…. stop. Everyone just try and be nice to each other.

Allison: Sometimes irritatingly vulnerable and not safe. I hope this track breaks through that heavy feeling and offers humanity a sense of hope. Hannah Lew’s delivery was absolutely incredible – she brought so much depth and emotion to the song. She re-crafted a few of the lyrics, including my absolute favorite line: “I lost my hope in the ruin, until I heard you say it’s alright”. That line captures a universal vulnerability, one that resonates deeply in the contexts of not only war, but love and loss. It’s a powerful reminder of human resilience.

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

You have been performing a cover of ‘Nobody’s Diary’ by YAZOO live and have committed it to vinyl as the album’s closer, was there much tweaking to do in the final arrangement you settled on?

Marshall: This one has been cooking for a while now. I think we took the same approach as we did for the Madonna cover of ‘Crazy For You’… reduce it, extend it, destroy it, and rebuild it, all the while remaining, or at least trying to remain, reverent to the original. I’m a huge YAZ(OO) fan, and ‘Nobody’s Diary’ is probably my favorite track. Alison Moyet has such a soulful delivery, and we took a more defiant angle – I can hear the anger in Allie’s delivery, and I love it. I intentionally delayed the lead off synths so we could work our way into the song… kinda hide the magic so to speak.

This version is pretty close to the way it was a couple years ago when we were playing it out, but we had it mixed (as well as everything else) by Jesse Beuker, who mixes all of R. MISSING’s work. I think that he took it to the place it needed to be sonically. Actually, speaking of Jesse, he really created a wonderful space with all the mixes, I can’t recommend him enough. We really put him through the ringer with revisions and ultimately we landed in a place that everyone was super happy with. He’s as patient as he is skilled.

How did the new label relationship with Sprechen music in Manchester come about, what made them attractive to CAUSEWAY?

Marshall: I got connected with Chris through another DJ friend Alice Palace (UK/Ibiza), he and I hit it off musically right away as he’s part of the ALFOS community, a direct legacy DJ crew of Andrew Weatherall. Initially he wanted to work with Allie on track for his THIEF OF TIME project, and that sort of opened doors for a release and the conversations about the album.

Manchester holds this kind of magical place in my musical history for me… that’s where some of my favorite music and many of my musical influences come from… NEW ORDER, OMD, JOY DIVISION, most of the Factory Records catalogue–it seemed like a great fit for us. Our relationship was immediately organic and honest – he says what he means and means what he says. Additionally, Chris is a super nice guy, incredibly talented, and he’s involved with some of the best music coming out of the UK right now. I feel like he kinda went out on a limb with us, and it’s an honor to be working with him.

Allison: I love working with Chris. He’s been very supportive from the beginning and just all around a nice guy. I hope to maintain relationships with him and IDIB. Looking forward to more opportunities in 2025.

Do you have a favourite song for the new album, one that holds the best memories during recording?

Marshall: Personally I like ‘Anywhere’ and ‘Lightyears’. We just played a packed show opening for NEW CONSTELLATIONS here in Boise, and there was a great moment where we were playing ‘Anywhere’. When Allie sang the words “I had my reason, you had your lines, it’s taken years but I’m just fine…”, the crowd went bonkers. It’s such a quiet part of the song, it was amazing to me how they were really connected to what she was singing in a live setting… and no one had even heard that track before. It’s the one and only time we’ve played it out. I really felt connected to the audience at that moment. Honestly I like all the songs for different reasons.

Allison: Hands down, ‘Love Me Like Your Last Time’. This track was the last track we wrote for the album. Before we wrote it, I kept harassing Marshall telling him we needed one last banger. I think I might have annoyed him a little, but he came around and sent the audio file to me and I immediately was like THIS IS IT! Then we worked together on the lyrics and here we are!

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

Do you think you’ve achieved the “Mean dirty break up album” that you said you hoped to make when we last spoke?

Marshall: I dunno. I don’t think this album is mean, in some ways I think it’s actually kinda hopeful. I think it’s better than our last one, both in songwriting and production. I like where we’ve gone with music, and I like this freedom to do what we want. I also feel like we connected with more universal themes this time around. Maybe??

Allison: Haha! I think that might have been something that I said. I think we’ve created something darker and more mysterious. It carries the weight of heartbreak but also hope. It captures the complexity of moving through pain toward something brighter.

What are CAUSEWAY’s plans for the rest of 2025 and beyond?

Marshall: Keep making music. I have a lot going on with music, some new collaborative work with Cole Odin, and a new single of my own with Alona Esposito on Sprechen slated for next year. There are some life changes coming, but Allie and I have always been a kind of ‘file sharing’ sort of project, so I doubt anything changes with CAUSEWAY. I’m super excited for the new album, and I hope people connect with it. This time around we’ve worked with some amazing people – the Sprechen team, Jesse, Hannah, Dale … ‘Anywhere’ took all of us operating at our best. I hope you liked it, and I hope other people will too.

Allison: Continue to write music that inspires people and makes them want to dance! I never want to stop making music. It’s the best kind of drug.


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its grateful thanks to CAUSEWAY

‘Dancing With Shadows’ is avaible now as a download bundle with 4 remixes

‘Anywhere’ is released on 14 February 2025 via Sprechen Music in vinyl LP and digital formats from https://sprechen.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/wearecauseway

https://www.instagram.com/weare_causeway/

https://wearecauseway.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3V6PIgndeEbvQu6ThnLQ5i


Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
5 February 2025

LEVENTE The Ray Bradbury Chronicles

The writings of Ray Bradbury encapsulated “the art of the possible” while never shying away from mankind’s penchant for self-destruction.

On ‘The Ray Bradbury Chronicles’, Transylvanian Hungarian musician Levente Toth has attempted to capture the American author’s surrealist and visionary spirit. Back in the days when Romania was under communist rule and led by the notorious dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu, Levente main escapism was electronic music. After the Iron Curtain fell, he settled in the UK and built a home studio, releasing his first album ‘Places’ in 2000.

Using synthesizers and technology as its tools of expression, ‘The Ray Bradbury Chronicles’ is quite classical in its approach with assigned sounds representing its characters. Featuring 10 compositions inspired by 10 Ray Bradbury works, ‘The Ray Bradbury Chronicles’ indulges in some deep musical storytelling in the vein of Vangelis in particular.

Levente describes Bradbury as “A master of writing, who often used sci-fi and fantasy settings to tell us something deeply human about ordinary people like us”. The ultimate Cold War angst opener, ‘There Will Come Soft Rains’ is understandably unsettling as it captures an automated house outliving its inhabitants following a nuclear holocaust until fire breaks out and the house itself dies with a last message from its failing computer vox humana.

‘The Lake’ is fittingly ghostly and mournful as the building of sandcastles leads to a drowning but ‘The Golden Kite, The Silver Wind (War / Realization)’ offers rousing hope in the face of war as peaceful collaboration benefits all. ‘The Messiah (Apparition / Exaltation / Sorrow)’ encapsulates freedom away from specific religions to focus on true values as ‘A Miracle Of Rare Device (Vision / Sceptic / Child)’ brings in gentle pulses and a sweeping optimistic grandeur to celebrate this parable about imagination and open mindedness.

‘Fahrenheit 451 (City / Escape / Exile)’ could only be represented by a dystopian soundscape as the books are burned in an eerie parallel to what is happening around the world today; so it is down those with a memory of previously documented knowledge, lessons and mistakes who need to stand up to fight the inept ignorance that abounds. With more supernatural exploration, ‘On The Orient, North (Romance / Death / Together)’ captures a gothic romanticism as sombre virtual cellos cross the paths of harps and pipes while on ‘The Scythe (Lives / Cuts / Madness)’, the atonal atmospheres of early TANGERINE DREAM creep in.

‘The Drummer Boy Of Shiloh’ has something of a folk quality as it captures the tension of upcoming battle before closing proceedings, ‘Kaleidoscope (Scattered / Last Emotions / Earth)’ soundtracks the spectre of imminent death as astronauts get ejected into space after their craft explodes and drift to face their fate with a fading heartbeat…

The relaxing ambience of ‘ASHRA’s New Age Of Earth’ or the excited cultural discovery of Vangelis’ ‘China’ this is not, but if you enjoy cerebral instrumental concept albums lingering in darkness, then ‘The Ray Bradbury Chronicles’ is worthy of investigation.


‘The Ray Bradbury Chronicles’ is available digitally from https://levente.bandcamp.com/album/the-ray-bradbury-chronicles

https://www.talesoffrozentime.com/

https://bsky.app/profile/leventezone.bsky.social

https://linktr.ee/leventezone


Text by Chi Ming Lai
3 February 2025

SLEEP FOREVER Alter Ego

SLEEP FOREVER is the solo venture of Zurich-based musician Markus Weber who is a member of post-punk electro duo VEIL OF LIGHT with Michael Hofstetter and have opening for THE SOFT MOON in Switzerland on their curriculum vitae.

However with VEIL OF LIGHT set to release a new album ‘Hymns Of Faith & Trust’ in the middle of February, as occasionally with Sweden’s DAILY PLANET and their instrumentalist Johan Baeckström, the musical and productions lines do blur.

Following up 2022’s full length debut ‘Boyhood’, Weber continues to fuse classic synthpop sounds with house-influences, with the appropriately titled ‘Alter Ego’ all drenched in a reverbed introspection. The words “wistful” and “escapist” are obvious descriptions for SLEEP FOREVER but with lyrics relating to personal experience, the songs are immediately accessible and THROBBING GRISTLE this is not…

It’s with this wholehearted sincerity that the album’s opening song ‘Shine A Light’ offers a slice of bouncy and breezy synthpop that recalls PET SHOP BOYS, complete with glissando string effects although SLEEP FOREVER achieves this with a dreamier disposition. ‘Pacific Wild’ follows a not dissimilar path for that melancholic but ultimately joyous feeling filled with the sorts of melodies and counter-melodies that wouldn’t have been out of place on the MTV European Top 20 in 1988.

The ‘Alter Ego’ title song perhaps doesn’t soar to such heights but is pleasant enough with its layered tuning while ‘Indifference’ plays with a moodier metallic dressing. ‘Head Over Heels’ though is not a TEARS FOR FEARS cover but a rhythmic sophistipop number recalling WHITE DOOR. Sung in Deutsch, ‘Augen Zu’ takes the sophistipop direction further and actually sounds like JOHNNY HATES JAZZ in the 21st Century.

With an intro sounding as if it is about to burst into ‘Dreamland’ by PET SHOP BOYS, ‘Pillar To Post’ chugs along with digital slap bass in an accessible Italo disco fashion and sparkles in the instrumental break while ‘Undertow’ is uptempo without being disco and although reminiscent of A-HA, it comes over as slightly less accomplished than the Norwegian trio.

‘Keep On Pretending’ is another slice of synthy sophistipop but the vocal stylings grate over 12 songs and this album is perhaps a bit too long, losing steam in its second half. However the opening two numbers ‘Shine A Light’ and ‘Pacific Wild’ highlight the capabilities Markus Weber and are certainly worthy of playlisting.


‘Alter Ego’ is available as a digital release and a limited-edition cassette from https://sleep4evr.bandcamp.com/album/alter-ego

https://www.facebook.com/sleep4evr/

https://www.instagram.com/sleep4evr/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
31 January 2025

KIM WILDE Closer

Kim Wilde needs no introduction and has been a celebrated pop artist since her debut single ‘Kids In America’ reached No2 in 1981. Other hits such as ‘Chequered Love’, ‘Cambodia’, ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’, ‘You Came’ and ‘Four Letter Word’ followed.

Part of a British rock ‘n’ roll dynasty, her father Marty was a highly respected star in his own right while her brother Ricky had his own flirtation with teen pop stardom before settling to become a record producer with the late Mickey Most acting as his mentor.

The new album ‘Closer’ is Kim Wilde’s first studio album since 2018’s ‘Here Come The Aliens’ but perhaps more important conceptually, it is Intended as a companion record to her 1988 album ‘Close’ from which came ‘You Came’ and ‘Four Letter Word’.

Produced as usual by Ricky Wilde and featuring several songwriting contributions from his daughter and her niece Scarlett, ‘Closer’ is another family affair with regular live band members Paul Cooper (bass) and Neil Jones (guitar) also on board. With Kim, Ricky and Scarlett writing lyrics across the record, the introspective themes are both personal and universal.

The enjoyable first single ‘Trail Of Destruction’ highlights parental concerns about the environment and political discourse, acting a throbbing synth-laden anthem with Euro-rock vibes seeping in to makes a powerful fist-pumping statement.

But ‘Closer’ begins proper with ‘Midnight Train’, a vibrant slice of cutting synthesizer-driven rock in the vein of ULTRAVOX complete with wailing solos and as a result, recalls imperial phase BERLIN. And as if by magic in response, Midge Ure appears and duets on the orchestrated filmic drama of ‘Sorrow Replaced’.

A quick calendar check confirms it is not 1981 but composed by Ricky and Scarlett, ‘Scorpio’ sounds as if could be from that year’s self-titled Kim Wilde debut and is a highly enjoyable new wave throwback to when she was ready to take on Debbie Harry, Chrissie Hynde and Hazel O’Connor. A Kim and Ricky co-write, the mightily heartfelt ‘Lighthouse’ sees our heroine proving she is still in fine voice after 44 years in music, recalling the up-and-coming German popwave songstress NINA who Ricky Wilde recorded an excellent album with in 2023 called ‘Scala Hearts’.

Bristling with a soaring fervour, ‘Love Is Love’ can be best described as a sizzling dance stomper which hits the highs and would make a fitting entry for Eurovision. Meanwhile ‘Rocket To The Moon’ hits the energetic Schaffel button to take on Alison Goldfrapp at her own game and even adds a bit of Suzi Quatro along the way.

With layered synthetic hooks and a smothering of chunky six string interventions, ‘Hourglass Human’ sees Kim in a spirited duet with Scarlett while the electronically pumped ‘Stones & Bones’ provides a further rousing character to the album as it heads into the home straight. Closing ‘Closer’, the gorgeous ‘Savasana’ intros as a moody ballad before a percolating bass acts as the hypnotic engine room to a cinematic backdrop of synths, piano, guitars and layered vocals.

Kim has said of this album: “’Closer’ has truly been an absolute joy to make… it feels like the natural companion to ‘Close’ from 1988, and I believe it serves as a perfect reflection of where I find myself today, musically speaking.”

There is something of a heartwarming nostalgia to ‘Closer’ while it is also fresh and uplifting despite the sadness in some of its lyrical gists. Immediate but never sounding tiresome in the way some albums by artists of past eras can and have sounded, this is an album that will make long standing fans very happy. But with its classic blend of new wave, synth, pop, rock and dance, it may also see the return of those who bought Kim Wilde records in the past but may not have done so for over 30 years 😉🎶


‘Closer’ is released by Cherry Red Records on 31 January 2025 as a CD, black vinyl LP, limited edition white vinyl LP and download

Kim Wilde 2025 UK Tour:

Birmingham Symphony Hall (14 March), Manchester Academy (15 March), Bristol Beacon (16 March), Cambridge Corn Exchange (18 March), London IndigO2 (19 March), Liverpool Philharmonic Hall (21 March), Sheffield City Hall (22 March), York Barbican (23 March), Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (25 March)

For more information on European tour dates and how to purchase tickets, visit https://www.kimwilde.com/tour-dates

https://www.facebook.com/officialkimwilde

https://www.instagram.com/kimwildeofficial/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
29 January 2025

R. MISSING Interview

New York-based duo R. MISSING finally issued their first full-length album ‘Knife Shook The Hand’ at the end of 2024 having debuted in 2017 with the mini-album ‘Unsummering’.

Comprising of the enigmatic Sharon Shy and the even more elusive Toppy Frost, the pair originally bonded over their shared dislikes. With a shadowy brand of understated electronic pop noir characterised by Sharon Shy’s sad forlorn vocals and Toppy Frost’s ethereal synthesized backdrops, R. MISSING have focussed on standalone songs with ‘Crimeless’, ‘New Present City’, ‘All Alone With Seas’ and ‘Verónica Pass’ among the fine examples of their portfolio.

However, while releasing singles to streaming platforms has been very much the norm these last few years, the low profile presence of R. MISSING has meant they have passed many listeners by despite the quality of their work. However, ‘Knife Shook The Hand’ has now provided the long playing focal point that their music deserves; among the collection’s highlights were Party Fade Into Air’, Make It Starry Most’, ‘The Down That Creeps’ and ‘Sleep Will Darken It’.

Never sitting still for long, R. MISSING’s start to 2025 has been heralded by a wonderful new song ‘Fakesnow’ in collaboration with Johan Agebjörn; and it was via an introduction by the Swedish producer that ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK was able have a virtual chat across the Atlantic with Sharon Shy…

R. MISSING have finally released a full length long player ‘Knife Shook The Hand’, this might sound a silly question but does it now feel “proper”, like things have got “real” as a band? How has the audience response been?

The aim was just to create a fast way to locate all of our most recent releases. We feel no more or less “real” than before. The audience response has been nice.

‘Knife Shook The Hand’ is a striking title but I can’t help but notice that its cover artwork looking at you from behind staring at greenery is like the photos which THE KNIFE used around the time of ‘Shaking The Habitual’, was this a homage to the sibling duo?

No – but that sounds very interesting. I should have a look…

‘All Alone With Seas’ was a fine track but ultimately didn’t end up on the album, so how did you go about selecting which songs would form ‘Knife Shook Your Hand’?

‘Knife Shook Your Hand’ is a collection of songs released in 2024. ‘All Alone With Seas’ came out the year prior.

How would you describe your creative dynamic with Toppy Frost in R. MISSING, is it working in a room together or much more remote? Do you have specific roles?

We typically work remotely, although there are exceptions. I usually start with concepts and Henry then makes things come to fruition.

CHROMATICS are often cited in reviews of R. MISSING, but which artists have been key in influencing the sonic palette of R. MISSING?

It changes day after day, week after week. One day it might be French yé-yé, the next, Eurodance or Virna Lindt, then THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON or something else entirely. I’m generally more inspired by books than by other music, too.

Since the debut mini-album ‘Unsummering’ in 2017, R.MISSING had been following a “singles only” strategy, what was the thinking behind this? Was this to maximise the streaming algorithms or was it more down to practicality?

We change very quickly and often feel almost disconnected to a song soon after its completion. Releasing quickly sends out the message when it’s still very new and pertinent. I wait every evening for a world that’s fast, quiet and calm.

Would you say that ‘Crimeless’ released in 2021 helped R.MISSING achieve a wider profile breakthrough? What was it about the song do you think that made it so appealing?

That I don’t know. I can’t say for certain that it appeals to anyone. All I can say is that it’s a moment in time.

With ‘New Present City’, you went as far as commissioning a video to accompany it, did you work with the video director on the storyline or did you allow them total artistic freedom to interpret the music as they saw fit?

The director had a vision for the concept of the video that he made come to life all by himself. We cannot take any credit for that.

For ‘Sleep Will Darken It’ with its brilliant synth solo, you self-produced a very effective DIY video for it; with R. MISSING having projected an enigmatic image, how was it to perform in front of the camera?

Fast and unstudied. Just another starless night in the underpass parking somewhere.

So what is ‘The Down That Creeps’?

It’s the disquiet you might feel at Club Altair when the music stopping times up with the windows jamming.

With songs like ‘Jane Four’, ‘Get Careful Darker’, ‘Maryhead’, ‘Cry Quicker’ and ‘Imagination To Be Sad’, R. MISSING don’t mess about and all clock in under three minutes? Was it intentional to keep these songs short?

Not intentional. Concision is just my automatic feeling.

Do you have any favourite songs on the album and if so, why those particular ones?

No. The truth is I never really think about anything once it’s alive.

Since the album ‘Knife Shook The Hand’ came out, there has been a new single ‘Fakesnow’ with Johan Agebjörn, how did this come about and what was the writing process between you like?

Johan created an elegant dark Italo disco instrumental that luckily worked extremely well with a concept and lyrics we had floating in our brains for a while.

There was the 2023 collaboration ‘ Wear The Night Out’ with CAUSEWAY which was very fitting and they also made a ‘My Time As A Ghostly Someone Else’ remix. Are there anymore collaborations planned for the future with other producers and artists?

Quite possibly. Although I’m not the best at guessing the future, I’ve always wanted to be a sci-fi side character.

R. MISSING like to do the occasional cover version and these have ranged from new wave numbers like ‘I Could Be Happy’ and ‘Spellbound’ to soul classics such as ‘Superstition’, so how do you choose a song that will suit the R. MISSING aesthetic? Are there any more particular songs you would like to do?

A record label asked us to do several covers that suited several themes they had in mind. I’m not sure we’ll be doing any other covers.

What is next for R. MISSING? You don’t play live very often, is that something that might change in the future?

More releases. And yes, more live shows.


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Sharon Shy

Special thanks to Johan Agebjörn

The album ‘Knife Shook Your Hand’ and the most recent single ‘Telepolartears’ are available digitally from https://rmissing.bandcamp.com/music

‘Fakesnow’, the collaboration with Johan Agebjörn is available from https://agebjorn.bandcamp.com/album/fakesnow

https://rmissing.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rmissingmusic

https://www.instagram.com/r.missing/

https://www.threads.net/@r.missing


Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
27 January 2025

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