“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
Independent London promoter Baba Yaga’s Hut put on a special treat at Shoreditch’s Rich Mix with a line-up featuring two of the best exponents of modern ambient from North America.
Using a pseudonym taken from the “looping oscillator” function in the Csound music computing system, Scott Morgan launched the project in 1998 and released ‘Triple Point’ , his first record as Loscil in 2011. A graduate of Vancouver University’s School for the Contemporary Arts, his exquisite 2019 long player ‘Lifelike’ was a subtle melodic triumph with its soothing tender tones. A prolific artist with music issued on an annual basis, his new album ‘Lake Fire’ is a darker and gloomier affair with a denser resonance.
Embracing the ambient form comparatively more recently, Patricia Wolf was the front woman of synthpop duo SOFT METALS and released her debut solo instrumental work ‘I’ll Look For You In Others’ in 2022 which captured her feelings of bereavement and heartbreak. Immersing herself in nature and field recordings, the wonderful follow-up ‘See-Through’ brought in some joyous radiance. Although 2024’s ‘The Secret Lives of Birds’ had its darker moments of angst and sadness driven by concern, her most recent avian themed work ‘Hrafnamynd’ (Icelandic for “raven film”) provided the splendid windswept soundtrack to a feature-length documentary by experimental filmmaker Edward Pack Davee.
For her opening set, Patricia Wolf opted to roadtest new material; while many of the pieces were at one both aurally and visually with nature and wildlife, enhanced by avian field recordings and exquisite sound design, one was grander than previously with an unexpected soundbite in her own reversed and glitched spoken word. Closing with uplifting ‘Springtime in Croatia’, the fresh breezy escapism of her live presentation was appreciated by those present.
For his headline set, Loscil explored the brooding territory as showcased on ‘Lake Fire’ with the sinister atmospheres complimented by his visual views on the natural world which were particularly impressionistic to suit the mood. Occasionally there would be deep rumbles acting as backbeats to vibed the mind while drones would provide moments of transcendental and occasionally tense listening.
Ambient material can be a challenge for some to consume live as the talkative disruption at the Vince Clarke’s ‘Songs of Silence’ show at the end of 2023 proved. But either standing, sat on the floor or remaining seated, the almost full house at Rich Mix understood, so were respectful and attentive as they enjoyed a fine evening of an often underrated music form.
In 2025, the Berlin-based musician and producer has not only released an album ‘Girls Gang’ as part of DINA SUMMER but there has also been a record ‘Tyrannosaurus Rave’ with his elektropunk outfit FRITTENBUDE which he founded in 2006. And now comes his fifth long player ‘Alles’ under his frozen dessert inspired solo moniker KALIPO.
With driving electronic beats and stirring melodies, ‘Alles’ is just as the title suggests, a melting pot of punk, goth, psychedelia, dark disco, synthpop, electroclash and Italo styles that point to all his work over the last 20 years via his three musical outlets.
This is an energetic rhythmic album with a disco punk spirit that is swathed in melody which despite some of the heavy sonic resonances also point towards light to show the way out. If you like deep electronic basslines, sparkling synth sequences and big beats, it is all here. ‘Alles’ tells of departures and new beginnings, alongside inner conflict, depression, desire and love.
Jakob Häglsperger spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about his musical ethos, juggling the thoughts in his creative brain while straddling the seemingly incongruous but ultimately compatible notions of club and indie on ‘Alles’.
From a concept and approach point of view, in what ways does ‘Alles’ differ from your previous KALIPO record ‘WUT’ for you?
‘WUT’ was more of a transitional EP, paving the way for what became ‘Alles’; a track like ‘Seeking Angels’ for example, could easily have landed on the new album. The bigger contrast is with my previous full-length ‘Happy Little Accidents’, which was conceived as something warm and immersive, almost like a refuge. With ‘Alles’, I wanted to live things out more fully, to fuse melodic depth and emotional warmth with a harder edge in the beats, even a certain laid-back coolness or emotional coldness. It sounds almost impossible, but that tension, finding something warm within the cold, is what defines my sound.
You wear many hats, how do you decide it is time for FRITTENBUDE, DINA SUMMER or KALIPO?
It depends. Sometimes things happen almost simultaneously. This year, all three projects released new work. Usually though, they balance each other out. When I run dry on ideas in one, I can throw myself into another and find new inspiration. The projects feed off each other, which keeps me constantly inspired.
You have described ‘Alles’ as “genre-fluid” and “indulgent”, what particular influences did you put in the pot? Was there any new direction that you particularly wanted to pursue?
I hear many genres in it. I often describe it as “psychedelic disco punk”, but there are also traces of electroclash, EBM, goth and indie. More than anything though, it reflects myself, how music shaped me and how I’ve forged my own handwriting through it. On this album, you can hear more of FRITTENBUDE and DINA SUMMER bleeding through, though that wasn’t intentional. My real aim was to return to a rawer, more direct sound that shaped me early on, and to reimagine it with today’s knowledge.
In terms of production set-up, what are your preferred tools to work with?
It varies. Most ideas start at home on my laptop. I’ll sketch the MIDI notes and save them. Later in the studio, I’ll hunt for the right textures with analog synths. I love working with the Moog One, Voyager, Prophet 6, or MS20. I also enjoy pushing things out of the box with re-amping or distortion to make the sound feel more alive.
What is it about Berlin that continues to be the ideal location for creatives of all types?
The network, for sure, the fact that everyone I work with is close by. But also the cultural scene; before writing this album, I deliberately went back to clubs as a guest, just to re-experience what it feels like to be on the dancefloor. That definitely inspired my own shows and edits. Berlin remains an inexhaustible city, even after all these years, I keep discovering new things.
‘Alles’ starts with the doomy goth disco title song, what about it made you decide this should be the album’s opening salvo?
Because it contains almost everything the album has to offer, like a teaser. It starts out dark and restrained, then drops into this emotional break that still catches me every time. For me, it was the perfect way to open the record.
What makes you decide to sing in German or English?
It depends on how the song arrives. ‘Geister’ or ‘All Things Must Come to an End’ both started with specific phrases that couldn’t really be translated without losing their essence. ‘Geister’ felt too personal not to sing in my mother tongue, while ‘All Things Must Come to an End’ came naturally in English. Writing in English makes sense for a wider audience, but sometimes it just doesn’t fit.
The dreamy ‘L’Hiver Éternel’ though is in French but not sung by you?
It is my voice. I wanted a female timbre, so I used AI to transform my vocals.
Is ‘All Things Must Come to an End’ a personal or wider existential statement?
The phrase came to me after playing at the closing parties of Mensch Meier and Watergate in quick succession. At the same time, my personal life was shifting, which brought a wave of melancholy. But I didn’t want it to feel resigned, so in the verses I focused on frustrations that will also eventually end. That gave the whole thing a bittersweet optimism. It was also important that the instrumental wasn’t too melodramatic but carried a certain lightness.
‘Sparkling Tears’ takes a harder approach to the dancefloor but it maintains a hypnotic groove and features your characteristic low end percussive hits, how has your rhythmic approach developed over the years?
I’ve always been more of a melody-first, songwriting-driven producer. That’s why my “field trips” to Berlin clubs were important, to remind myself that on the dancefloor, sometimes a single note and the right groove are enough. With ‘Sparkling Tears’, I wanted to capture that raw live energy. It’s become one of the highlights of my sets.
Similarly, there’s a real throb and thrust to ‘Deine Worte’ while there appears some anger in your vocal delivery too?
Not really. The shouting style might come across as angry, but that wasn’t my intention. Still, I understand why it feels that way. The instrumental is dark and energetic, with techno influences that place it firmly in the dark disco realm.
‘Vantablack’ features Nina Nails, how did the collaboration come about?
Nina is my partner. She’d already helped me with vocals on the ‘Hildegard Kalipo Edit’ for FRITTENBUDE; ‘Vantablack’ was a track I struggled to finish, but she loved it. So I asked her to contribute vocals again and in the end, she saved the track.
With its dark post-punk influences, ‘Any Compromises’ appears to be a narrative on the world political climate?
That’s the beauty of lyrics. They allow multiple interpretations. I actually wrote it as a love song, about two people who know exactly what they want and throw themselves into it without compromise, overcoming everything together.
Which are your own favourite tracks on the ‘Alles’ album that might not have been mentioned yet?
‘Crimson Rain’ deserves a mention. It’s very lyric-driven, about being drawn to long nights of excess while also feeling their toll. It touches on depression too, but in vivid, metaphorical imagery, carried by an 80s-inspired beat and vocal. After finishing it, I realized the melody echoed an iconic 80s song that must be deeply rooted in me. I debated whether to keep it, but ultimately found it exciting to leave such references in, as if I reinvented them for myself.
What is next for you and in which guise?
First, I’ll head out on a short KALIPO tour. After that, there will be more from FRITTENBUDE and DINA SUMMER.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its grateful thanks to Jakob Häglsperger
Special thanks to Carina Cheung at Eclectica
‘Alles’ is released by Iptamenos Discos on 19th September 2025 in white vinyl LP and digital formats, buy and pre-save link at https://bfan.link/kalipo-alles
BLANCMANGE co-founder Stephen Luscombe has passed away after a long illness; he was 70.
Born in Hillington, Luscombe grew up in Southall, an area of London with a significant population of immigrant heritage from the Indian sub-continent, the music of which would prove to be a significant influence in the sound of BLANCMANGE.
Developing an interest in the violin, Luscombe became a member of the PORTSMOUTH SINFONIA, an orchestral combo who were noted for not actually having had formal training to play their instruments. One of its former members was Brian Eno who invited them to play on the lovely ‘Put A Straw Under Baby’ from his second solo album ‘Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)’.
Taking to keyboards, Luscombe met Lancastrian Neil Arthur at Harrow College where the pair had played in various bands separately. Luscombe had even self-released a solo cassette ‘Do The Plastic Bag’ in 1978. Developing a mutual admiration for each other’s artistic sensibilities including a shared love of KRAFTWERK, they decided to work together.
The first track Luscombe and Arthur wrote was the instrumental ‘Sad Day’ but their debut release as BLANCMANGE was the ‘Irene & Mavis’ EP in April 1980; cramming six tracks onto a 33RPM 7” record and respectively adopting the pseudonyms of Irene ‘Disco’ Sinden and Mavis Secostas, Luscombe and Arthur came to the attention of Futurist DJ Stevo Pearce who included ‘Sad Day’ on his influential ‘Some Bizzare Album’ in January 1981 which also showcased DEPECHE MODE, SOFT CELL, THE THE and B-MOVIE.
Also becoming aware of the duo was Mute supremo Daniel Miller who would invite them to open for DEPECHE MODE and later affectionately refer to BLANCMANGE as “The Maiden Aunts of Techno”. Support slots with JAPAN and Grace Jones would follow with the statuesque songstress inviting the pair after the show to take turns sitting on her knee and to go clubbing.
Signing to London Records which allowed Luscombe to make his first synth purchase, a Roland Jupiter 8, BLANCMANGE hit paydirt with their third single ‘Living On The Ceiling’. With an authentic Eastern flavour provided by Indian musicians Pandit Dinesh on tablas and Deepak Khazauchi on sitar, ‘Living On The Ceiling’ would reach No7 in the UK singles chart in Autumn 1982 and give BLANCMANGE’s impressive debut album ‘Happy Families’ a well-deserved leg up.
A more disco-approach under the auspices of New York producer John Luongo dominated the cleverly titled second album ‘Mange Tout’ but while the first single from it ‘Blind Vision’ would hit the UK Top10, it would be ‘Don’t Tell Me’ again featuring Deepak Khazanchi and Pandit Dinesh that would provide BLANCMANGE with an even bigger hit in March 1984, reaching No8.
BLANCMANGE’s final Top30 hit would come with a cover of ABBA’s ‘The Day Before You Came’ in July 1984; the idea come while Luscombe and Arthur were holidaying in Tenerife with Vince Clarke. Immersing themselves in a cassette of ABBA’s ‘The Singles – The First Ten Years’, all present hit upon the idea of covering the Super Swedes with Clarke following suit in 1986 when ERASURE covered ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’. But while BLANCMANGE’s take on ‘The Day Before You Came’ largely followed the original arrangement, it was the sound of the Indian sub-continent that Luscombe brought in which provided some spice with Deepak Khazanchi and Pandit Dinesh again contributing.
The third album ‘Believe You Me’ in 1985 saw BLANCMANGE’s fortunes wane with the lead single ‘What’s Your Problem?’ only just denting the Top40; Luscombe and Arthur mutually decided to call it a day to save their friendship after a concert at the Royal Albert Hall 1986. In 1989, Luscombe released the album ‘From New Demons’ under the name THE WEST INDIA COMPANY, a project collaborating with a variety of guest musicians including Pandit Dinesh and Vince Clarke who had been involved as early as 1984 with the first single ‘Ave Maria (Om Ganesha)’ featuring Asha Bhosle who would later be celebrated by CORNERSHOP with the No1 single ‘Brimful Of Asha’.
Continuing to work on film and TV soundtracks, with the back catalogue reissued on CD for the first time in 2008, Stephen Luscombe and Neil Arthur quietly reconvened as BLANCMANGE. Retaining their quirkily poetic eccentricity, the end result ‘Blanc Burn’ was released in March 2011 but with Luscombe having been diagnosed with a spinal aneurysm, he was unable to take part in the subsequent live tour.
When he was able to, Luscombe would attend BLANCMANGE concerts in London, watching Arthur keep the BLANCMANGE name alive from the proximity of the balcony and after the shows, he would often be seen chatting to fans who celebrated him as a stoic keyboardist in the tradition of Ron Mael, Dave Ball, Vince Clarke and Chris Lowe.
Moby has described BLANCMANGE as “probably the most under-rated electronic act of all time” and while Stephen Luscombe leaves behind some great music, his legacy in these now-horribly divisive and racist times is his embracement of multi-culturalism and as a champion of music from the Indian sub-continent.
She is a classical music graduate of the Prague State Conservatory with no influences, just experiences while he is the synth and drum machine enthusiast who loves making electronic music the old-school way; together Kriistal Ann and Toxic Razor are PARADOX OBSCUR.
Combining minimal-electro, darkwave and post-punk with the ethos of recording their music in real-time, the Greek duo began releasing music in 2014 and now have 5 albums and numerous EPs to their name. ‘IKONA’ is their sixth album and their second on Metropolis Records, home to ASSEMBLAGE 23, FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, DELERIUM and VNV NATION among others.
With an immersive energy, PARADOX OBSCUR have merged a variety of underground electronic styles with hazy references to both past and present. The opening salvo ‘Switch To Love’ is a catchy dance number that is characterised by solid electronic bass pulses and impassioned vocals.
‘Rodeo’ allows some space between the stabbing spacey actions on this electronically treated duet while taking things down to a steadier pace, ‘Impulse’ imagines if a Greek Eartha Kitt had made buzzy bleepy breakbeat. Meanwhile ‘Vulgar Sequence’ is sinister mutant disco that “f*cks your brains”, exploring emotional control and the phenomenon of gaslighting while fighting for freedom.
The short gritty deep shifted romp ‘Like A Freak’ does as it says on the tin as the strobe lit ‘Iconic B’ plays for the dark dancefloor while the rousing trance instrumental ‘Luminous’ in a reflection of its title wouldn’t have gone amiss with the glow stick waving crowds that gathered at Gatecrasher; speaking of which, ‘Lose This Feeling’ is an appealing Europop-oriented cover of the 2023 dance anthem by Dutch DJ Armin Van Buuren who made several appearances at the height of the superclub brand’s heyday.
‘IKONA’ ends with stark darkwave cabaret of ‘Personal’ to conclude what may be PARADOX OBSCUR’s most expressionistic work to date in its subjective emotions and experiences while pushing a distinct clubby stance.
Authentic yet mysterious, a combination of affected Demotic articulation, driving machines rhythms and widescreen electronic atmospheres gives PARADOX OBSCUR their own sound while sharing aesthetics with dark disco exponents like DINA SUMMER and ULTRA SUNN. With its synth and dance blend of different varieties, there is a wide range of crossover potential with ‘IKONA’, regardless of genre preference.
Not a cover of the TALK TALK song, LADYTRON signal a new phase with ‘I Believe In You’.
Founded in Liverpool, LADYTRON were among the first acts at the start of the 21st Century to readopt what had become unfashionable but also cheap synthesizers into their own DIY indie punk style of electronic music. From their debut album ‘604’ in 2001 to their most recent long form release ‘Time’s Arrow’ in 2023, their sound has evolved and has led to their sound being variously described as synthpop, electroclash, electronic shoegaze and industrial goth over the years.
It is as if LADYTRON are still being discovered and their 2005 single ‘Destroy Everything You Touch’ from their third album ‘The Witching Hour’ was included on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack of the 2023 cult black comedy thriller ‘Saltburn’ alongside hits from the likes of THE KILLERS, MGMT, BABYBIRD, GIRLS ALOUD and Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Now slimmed down to a trio of Helen Marnie, Daniel Hunt and Mira Aroyo following the departure of co-founder member Reuben Wu, the great new first single from the reconfigured line-up has been described as “high-priestess disco”. ‘I Believe In You’ certainly possesses an infectious house groove previously not heard from LADYTRON while still recognisable as them.
Swathed in a sinister deep red, the video for ‘I Believe In You’ directed by Daniel Hunt sees a blindfolded religious cult in choreographed formation expressing the title’s conformist sentiment. They eventually ascend into ecstatic mania like ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ meeting ‘Strictly Come Dancing’! There’s even a false ending as Helen Marnie moves from a kaleidoscopic vision to being one among them…
This refreshed LADYTRON activity is a taster for Spring 2026 where it is assumed that their as-yet-untitled eighth long player will be released to coincide with a short series of live dates in Liverpool, Newcastle and Manchester.
‘I Believe In You’ is released by Nettwerk on the usual online platforms
LADYTRON 2026 live dates include: Liverpool Arts Club Theatre (19th March), Newcastle Digital (20th March), Manchester Gorilla (21st March)
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