“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
ULTRAFLEX are a new Norwegian Icelandic duo based in Berlin who describe themselves as “The new teen sensation” with an interest in Soviet disco, athleisure and weirdo boogie.
However, Kari Jahnsen and Katrín Helga Andrésdóttir are perhaps better known by their solo monikers FARAO and SPECIAL-K respectively. Perhaps unusually for a band, the pair met when Andrésdóttir’s father dated Jahnsen’s mother.
Unexpectedly given their known songwriting prowess, the debut offering from ULTRAFLEX is ‘Olympic Sweat’, an uptempo synth instrumental imagined as music to be used on TV sports montages of Olympic coverage at the end of each games. For her muse, Jahnsen had the Norwegian cross-country skier Bjørn Dæhlie in mind as he crossed the finish line to win gold at Lillehammer in 1994.
‘Olympic Sweat’ is uplifting disco lento with an organic heart, a pretty tune with an expansive sweeping resonance courtesy of its range of digital and vintage sound design. The exquisite atmospheres recall ‘Moonstruck’ by Finnish duo SIN COS TAN which in itself took its lead from PET SHOP BOYS.
The fabulously playful video filmed in Berlin is perhaps what a Valentina Tereshkova fitness video would have looked like had there been a merchandise tie-in for her historical mission on Vostok 6 as the first woman in space. From Treptow to Museeumsinsel to Treptow and back with Volkspark Friedrichshain and the Altes Museum along the way, it acts as a wonderful visual tour of the former divided city.
ULTRAFLEX’s debut album pencilled in for the Autumn of 2020 explores Cold War chic via the electronic disco soundtracks of pre-Glasnost Soviet aerobic videos. The Communist authorities did not want their citizens exercising to Western music, so commissioned domestic jazz musicians to play their own compositions on synthesizers instead.
However, the collaboration actually began as a live commission for Norway’s Insomnia Festival in 2019 to write material specifically to be premiered at the event. The combination of music, visuals and fitness choreography went down so well that Jahnsen and Andrésdóttir decided to release the material as an album.
Recording inside a remote haunted house in Iceland, the pair used a lot of software for practical reasons.
But the Soviet-built vintage analogues like the Formanta Polivoks duophonic and EMI Kvintet that Jahnsen had acquired for FARAO album ‘Pure-O’ made it into their makeshift studio, along with a Roland Juno 60, Yamaha CS15 and a Sequential DrumTraks MIDI compatable drum machine.
The duo have alluringly described their work as “an ode to exercise, loaded with sex metaphors badly disguised as sports descriptions” and confirmed that “Things are about to get real steamy….”
‘Olympic Sweat’ is released by Street Pulse Records and available on the usual online platforms
This history of Mute Records and its esteemed founder Daniel Miller is more than well documented.
The lavish book ‘Mute: A Visual Document From 1978 – Tomorrow’ published in 2017 captured the iconic label’s visual aesthetic. Already a fan of German kosmische scene, Daniel Miller began taking an interest in synthesizers for making pop music after hearing KRAFTWERK’s ‘Autobahn’.
The advent of affordable synthesizers from Japan manufactured by the likes of Korg and Roland made it possible for him to adopt punk’s DIY ethic by buying a Korg 700s for the price of a guitar. That enabled him to make music using just one finger, instead of having to learn three chords.
Conceiving a punk single with electronics, he wrote and recorded ‘Warm Leatherette’ b/w ‘TVOD’ for a one-off independent single release in 1978. Miller’s sense of experimentation within a structured albeit avant pop context led to kindred spirits sending him tapes, thanks to him including his mother’s address “16 Decoy Avenue London NW 11 England” on the back of the MUTE 001 sleeve.
Mute Records’ first signing was a former art student Frank Tovey who released the macabre ‘Back To Nature’ as FAD GADGET in 1979 as MUTE 002 with Miller co-producing. It began establishing a good reputation for experimental electronic pop music. As well as running the label and working in the studio with his own roster of acts, Miller also produced and remixed other artists, although this became less frequent as Mute Records achieved more and more success.
If Daniel Miller had a characteristic sound during the pioneering years of Synth Britannia, then it was his use of the ARP 2600 driven by an ARP 1601 analogue sequencer, particularly for unique rhythmic templates obtained from the percussive capabilities of this versatile American synth.
Always keen to keep up-to-date with the latest technology, Miller’s later acquisitions included a Synclavier, PPG Wave 2, Emulator, Roland System 100M and Roland MC4 Micro-Composer. Many years later, Miller even bought the customised vocoder used on ‘Autobahn’ from the late Florian Schneider even though it was not in fully working order.
While Miller’s production work with DEPECHE MODE over five albums naturally led American new wave acts like BOOK OF LOVE to seek his knowhow, indie band THE HOUSE OF LOVE were surprisingly curious enough to secure his services on their track ‘Safe’. Meanwhile, post-punk art rock combo WIRE saw him as a kindred spirit keen to explore new interesting ways of recording and worked with Miller in various guises.
While Daniel Miller stepped back from producing DEPECHE MODE in 1987 to concentrate on Mute Records, it was his mix with Phil Legg of the Flood produced ‘Enjoy The Silence’ that became the international hit single; Miller had felt the version that François Kevorkian had presented was too electronic.
While work had been going well with the French-born DJ’s mixes for the ‘Violator’ album, Miller’s instincts told him ‘Enjoy The Silence’ needed to be brought back slightly with a more organic vision. The song had already been transformed in the studio from a funereal ballad to an electronic disco number with house influences!
Although Mute Records was bought by EMI in 2002, Miller reached an agreement in 2010 to establish a second independently run record label under the name Mute Artists while the Mute Records name and rights to the label’s archive recordings remained under the control of EMI’s present owners Universal.
More recently, Daniel Miller has been happily DJ-ing around the world playing largely techno sets for Berghain in Berlin, Sónar in Barcelona and IMS in Ibiza among others. Meanwhile he has also occasionally given talks at events such as MoogFest. Red Bull Music Academy, LEAF and the Electri_City_Conference.
With a vast and varied portfolio to investigate, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK looks back at the creative career of Daniel Miller in music via 18 of his productions and remixes, with a restriction of one track per artist moniker, presented in yearly, then alphabetical order.
THE NORMAL Warm Leatherette (1978)
Daniel Miller’s sense of experimentation and vision of the synth being the ultimate punk instrument requiring the use of just one finger led to him making his first record. Lyrically inspired by JG Ballard’s ‘Crash’ with its story around car collision symphorophilia, the dystopian ‘Warm Leatherette’ was based around two noisy notes and a twitchy rhythmic backbone that was menacing yet enthralling at the same time. It turned out to be something of a game changer.
Following THE NORMAL, Daniel Miller decided to undertake a new project where rock ’n’ roll standards like ‘Just Like Eddie’ and ‘Memphis Tennessee’ were reinterpreted in a synthpop style, using a fictitious group called SILICON TEENS as a front. While Miller sang like he had a clothes peg attached to his nose and produced the recordings as Larry Least, several actors hired to appear in videos and do press interviews, although lead vocalist ‘Darryl’ was played by Frank Tovey.
Following the success of singles ‘Back To Nature’ and ‘Ricky’s Hand’, a FAD GADGET album was eagerly anticipated and it came with ‘Fireside Favourites’ which brought in a Korg Rhythm 55 drum machine, conventional instruments and various found objects alongside the synths. A four way production effort between Frank Tovey, Daniel Miller, Eric Radcliffe and John Fryer, the superb ‘Coitus Interruptus’ was a deeply cynical commentary on casual relationships.
Larry Least was a production pseudonym inspired by the producer Mickey Most. This infectious solo single by Alex Fergusson featured Daniel Miller’s distinctive electronic footprint and his involvement helped the ALTERNATIVE TV guitarist transform from post-punk to more synthesized song experiments. With Fergusson forming PSYCHIC TV with Genesis P-Orridge, it wasn’t until 1992 that a white label only self-titled solo album was released.
For a one-off single on Cherry Red Records, the dystopian minimal synth of ‘Music To Save The World By’ from the little known and somewhat reclusive Alan Burnham was produced by Daniel Miller at Blackwing Studios. He also worked on its B-side ‘Science Fiction’ which was just as haunting as the main act. Perhaps more organic thanks to the use of live drums by Cam Findlay, it took a leaf out of the quirky cult Wirral duo DALEK I LOVE YOU and their song ‘The World’ in particular.
The original ‘Metro MRX’ came from the SOFT CELL debut EP ‘Mutant Moments’ released in October 1980, but the sub-two minute Daniel Miller take of ‘Metro MRX’ for ‘Flexipop’ magazine borrowed the same synthetic rhythm track as DEPECHE MODE’s ‘New Life’ to accompany Almond’s snarls of “he’s a mutant!”. Miller also produced ‘A Man Can Get Lost’, ‘Persuasion’ and perhaps most significantly, the proto-house of ‘Memorabilia’ at those same Stage One recording sessions.
While Eric Radcliffe was working on the first YAZOO album at Blackwing Studios on the night shift, during the day Daniel Miller was with DEPECHE MODE for their second. With punchy Simmons Drum modules and a catchy melodic theme, ‘Nothing To Fear’ was a glorious instrumental statement from an important long player that made the most of Miller’s expertise to ensure an optimistic future for Messrs Gahan, Gore and Fletcher.
Available on the DEPECHE MODE album ‘A Broken Frame’ via Mute Records
When recording ‘Radio Silence’ for singular consumption, Thomas Morgan Dolby Robertson sought the assistance of Daniel Miller thanks to his track record with DEPECHE MODE. Bringing in his PPG Wave 2 and helping with the final mix, it was released as a single in early 1982 with an alternative rockier guitar driven version on the B-side which was favoured in the US. Both takes also featured the voice of Akiko Yano, who was married to Ryuichi Sakamoto at the time.
WIRE refugees, Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis had been working as DOME, so when a collaboration with Miller was suggested, an anagram of that moniker and Mute resulted in DUET EMMO. Recorded at Blackwing Studios, ‘Or So It Seems’ was their debut offering, a slice of experimental pop shaped with grumbling synthesized bass, captivating electronics and textural harmonic guitar while Lewis’ haunting vocals provided the emotional centre, spooked by sombre bursts of brass.
Available on the DUET EMMO album ‘Or So It Seems’ via Mute Records
The B-side to ‘Only You’, ‘Situation’ was one of only three writing collaborations between Alison Moyet and Vince Clarke, as well as only being one of five YAZOO tracks that Daniel Miller co-produced with Eric Radcliffe. Clocking in at barely two minutes in its original form, it made its impact with some rousing blues based sequenced dance pop; it became a US club favourite when it was remixed by Francois Kevorkian who later worked with KRAFTWERK and DEPECHE MODE.
Available on the YAZOO boxed set ‘The Collection’ via Mute Records
Following DAF’s Virgin album trilogy produced by Conny Plank, the duo broke up in a haze of sex, drugs and sequencer. Drummer and synthesist Robert Görl signed to Mute as a solo artist and began his account with the standalone single ‘Mit Dir’. Dark, brooding and magnificent, the song was co-produced by Daniel Miller and went on to become a favourite among the cognoscenti, reinterpreted for Prada commercials and covered by DJ HELL with STEREO MCs.
Polydor A&R man Malcolm Dunbar managed to gain Daniel Miller’s interest to help out on a HARD CORPS track that Martin Rushent had started. “It was an offer we could not refuse and ‘Respirer’ duly ended up being completed with Daniel producing” said the band’s Clive Pierce, “So now we had two of the best ‘electronic’ music producers in the UK both helping on our track”. Exquisitely Gallic, Polydor however released ‘Respirer’ in English as ‘To Breathe’ but it was not the hit that they were seeking.
Available as ‘Respirer’ on the HARD CORPS album ‘Metal & Flesh’ via Sub Culture Records
Chelmsford’s NITZER EBB were founded by school friends Douglas McCarthy and Bon Harris. Originally produced by Pete Waterman associate Phil Harding, the ambiguous chants of “muscle and late, lies, lies, gold, gold” in ‘Join In The Chant’ encouraged exactly as the title suggested in the manner of a DAF body sculpture. Daniel Miller and Flood’s Gold! restructure took out the Balearic beats and pushed forward a more Teutonic industrial thrust complete with metallic tools to boot.
Available on the NITZER EBB album ‘Body Of Work’ via Mute Records
ERASURE Supernature – Daniel Miller & Phil Legg Remix (1990)
ERASURE were not shy about doing cover versions with ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ and ‘River Deep Mountain High’ having already been reinterpreted by this point. Andy Bell and Vince Clarke’s take on Marc Cerrone’s electronic disco landmark saw Daniel Miller and Phil Legg present this tight electro-dance remix extended to over seven minutes. Miller and Legg got together again for DEPECHE MODE’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’.
Available on the ERASURE deluxe album ‘Wild!’ via Mute Records
CHRIS & COSEY Synaesthesia – Daniel Miller Mix (1991)
After leaving THROBBING GRISTLE, Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti became a popular cult duo with their experimental pop utilising electronics, sampling, rhythms and even cornet alongside Cosey’s distinctive nonchalant vocals. Superbly sinister but beautiful metallic synthpop, ‘Synaesthesia’ exuded hints of PET SHOP BOYS ‘Euroboy’ but a good year before it. Daniel Miller’s brilliant rework took on a different groove to the harder bleepy house laden original.
Available on the CHRIS & COSEY single ‘Synaesthesia’ via Conspiracy International
SUNROOF is Daniel Miller’s project with Gareth Jones who he first worked with on DEPECHE MODE. Exploring their love of Kosmische, it was perhaps no surprise that they covered the symbolic NEU! track ‘Hero’. Given a pulsing electronic treatment, the alluringly detached vocals came from Alison Conway who has part of the Mute family as a member of AC MARIAS, a project which also featured Bruce Gilbert and Barry Adamson.
POPPY & THE JEZEBELS Sign In, Dream On, Drop Out! – Richard X Meets Larry Least Mix (2012)
POPPY & THE JEZEBELS were a school band based in Birmingham signed to Mute Song. ‘Sign In, Dream On, Drop Out!’ was superbly playful girly synthpop with the ‘Isolation’ bassline borrowed from JOY DIVISION bouncing around in electronic form while sinister Maggie Thatcher voice samples echoed. Originally produced by Richard X, Larry Least came out of retirement when the girls persuaded Miller to remix the track using his trusty Korg 700s synth.
WRANGLER Theme From Wrangler – Daniel Miller rework (2016)
The brief from WRANGLER to remixers of tracks from their album ‘LA Spark’ was simple: “We provide some basic stems from a track selected by you from our debut album ‘LA Spark’ and you add whatever sounds you like – the only rule being that you use just one analogue modular synthesiser system of your choice.” Sweetened by flanged string machine, Daniel Miller provided a gliding rumbling bassline over a metronomic kick on his rework of ‘Theme from Wrangler’.
LIGHT OF DAY is the new musical vehicle of one-time JAPAN member Rob Dean in partnership with Costa Rican singer / songwriter Isaac Moraga.
With his skilled fretwork, Rob Dean featured prominently on JAPAN’s first four albums ‘Adolescent Sex’, ‘Obscure Alternatives’, ‘Quiet Life’ and ‘Gentlemen Take Polaroids’ as well as the standalone Giorgio Moroder produced single ‘Life In Tokyo’.
After stints working with Gary Numan, Sinéad O’Connor and ABC while moving between the US, the UK, and Australia, he eventually settled for a more idyllic life in Costa Rica, becoming a respected ornithologist and illustrator.
The debut LIGHT OF DAY album is the eclectic ‘Dimensions’ and marks Rob Dean’s return to music after more than 20 years. The self-produced record was conceived over a two year period and features ambient guitar-based soundscapes, deep expansive song structures, melodic rock and perhaps not surprisingly, the rhythmic flavours of the Central American surroundings it was made in.
Having given one of the site’s most popular interviews in its history reminiscing about his time in JAPAN, Rob Dean kindly chatted about LIGHT OF DAY and the making of ‘Dimensions’…
What was the catalyst for LIGHT OF DAY and how did its style emerge?
Originally Isaac came to me, (I knew him through a friend), and asked me to produce an album for him.
I agreed, without really knowing what I was letting myself in for and from the start, I approached it with a good deal of trepidation as it had been so long since I had done any work of any degree of intensity in a recording studio. But the idea nonetheless intrigued me enough to stick with it and after a couple of false starts, we entered the studio.
As preparation, Isaac played some vague themes on guitar for me one afternoon at my house. It wasn’t very developed at all, little more than a series of musical themes but I liked his ideas and it made me more animated about the project. I also didn’t want to have very much planned before starting the recordings. I always did work best with more or less a clean slate.
Anyway, once in the studio it soon became clear that it was going to be a project for the both of us and ideas came flooding out. Straight away concepts were formed and the old comfort I gained from being in the recording studio environment came flooding back. We wanted a series of tracks that evolved, some circular, others arriving at an entirely different end. We wouldn’t concentrate on standard song structures either. Ultimately, we wanted it to be a positive journey for the listener.
How would you describe the creative dynamic with Isaac Moraga and how it compares with the other combos that you have been part of?
Working alongside Isaac is probably the easiest partnership I’ve ever had. Our ideas, although ostensibly coming from different places really had the same aims and whichever ideas we came up with, the other understood and went along with. It was quite uncanny, considering we really didn’t know each other that well. The majority of my past experiences in the studio, with a few exceptions, were either working with strong-minded people who had their own agenda (which I was required to comply with, of course), or equally strong egos that lacked direction (yes, you know who you are!). I’m happy to say that this in comparison was a walk in the park.
The album seems infused with the feel of bands like TOY MATINEE and JELLYFISH with an almost pop/prog approach to the arrangements. Were there any particular influences that you brought to the project? And how did these differ from Isaac’s?
I’m not familiar with the first band you mention, but I loved the first JELLYFISH album. There are certainly pop elements and prog elements. Personally there’s 50-odd years of influences swimming about in my brain and some inevitably surfaced at some point during these recordings.
THE BEATLES have been and always will be a strong influence for me as they are I know for Isaac too. Fripp and Eno soundscapes are a clear influence for me personally and the fact that TALK TALK are constantly on my home playlist, I would have to mention them too.
Over time I have ‘educated’ Isaac to a fair selection of stuff he wasn’t too aware of before. His own influences range from THE CURE and BJÖRK to 90s punk bands, the Argentinian band SODA STEREO and their leader Gustavo Cerati and Frank Zappa, which is where we meet some more common ground. So either way, you have two adventurous souls, both with strong pop sensibilities.
‘Dimensions’ is recorded using a band with live drums and percussion on most tracks, how did you find the process in the studio? Was the production quite straightforward?
As I said before, we really started with not much more than the bare bones of an idea for each track. The album was recorded in two blocks, over 6 months apart. There was an ‘organic’ feel to the entire project. Keyboards for instance, although we knew they would be quite an integral part of the album were the last to be added without a clear idea as to what they would be.
Most of the electric guitar parts were made up on the spot. So it was pretty much the same with the drums and bass, but everything came together remarkably quickly. I would say bass parts took longest mostly because we both had a pretty clear idea what we wanted and sometimes that was harder to explain.
The track ‘Find the Light’ started with live drums and bass guitar but later we opted to eschew these for a drum loop and synth bass.
Conversely ‘The Vastness’ revolves around a recorded drum loop which fades in and out which Isaac felt really strongly about from the beginning and I understood his vision.
There is, as to be expected, a Latin feel to a number of the grooves. How does playing with that rhythmic feel differ to the Asian and African drumming of Steve Jansen?
The only track that we consciously saw as having a Latin feel was ‘Still Time’ which we knew we wanted to evolve from a simple Peruvian Charrango motif into a full blown rock epic. The basic rhythm is a cumbia, a very popular Costa Rican dance rhythm. We really just wanted to turn that tradition upside down and on its head!
The track ‘Harlequin’s Carnival’ had been lying around since the 80s-something I’d recorded on 4-track with Roger Mason of MODELS and Numan fame (we were both in the short-lived ILLUSTRATED MAN). We decided to rework that, and the carnival aspect seemed to work with a somewhat Latin rhythm. It wasn’t really a conscious effort to make it this way.
As for difference in drumming styles, you just adapt to what the drummer and / or percussionist has to offer, I think. I would say invariably you find they deliver something you hadn’t really thought about. Whichever drummer I have worked with in the past or the present has brought something of themselves to the track and we were always open to try any of the musicians’ ideas.
Was there improvisation, especially the interlude pieces?
Apart from the aforementioned ‘Harlequin’s Carnival’, everything was for the most part improvised from the germ of an original idea or two, arrangement-wise. We liked the idea of having fairly short instrumental ‘breathing spaces’ within the context of the album.
These would basically start with a simple guitar motif which we would improvise around. They would be pieces that really didn’t require vocal embellishments but would be strong on atmosphere and in their own way would be just as integral a part of the whole.
How did you come to work with Ed Buller on the remix of ‘Suddenly’?
I first met Ed when I was based in LA and he played keyboards for THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS. We became friends and later, in London we lived in the same Hackney neighbourhood and so we hung out socially a lot. I always liked his productions with SUEDE, so I asked him to mix for us. Originally we’d hoped he could mix several tracks but he was just too busy working with Hans Zimmer at the time. We’re just glad we got him to do the one. Perhaps on later projects we can find the time for him to do more – I certainly hope so.
‘Doll’ appears to have elements of THE BLUE NILE despite its quite lively percussive backdrop?
Yes, it does, somehow. Purely coincidental. I think it comes from respect. Again, all made up on the spot. Of all the tracks, this came together the quickest. The bass again, took the longest. In hindsight I would love to have recorded live strings on it but it was beyond our budget. It was incredible how Marco, the keyboard player and Pachi, the drummer instinctively knew what to play on this track. Even the mix just fell into place….
Much of the guitar work is textural, using E-Bow and loops?
Yes on most of the tracks there is an element of atmospheric guitar somewhere or the occasional loop. This, I think is one of the key factors which holds the album together and it’s also a strong part of me as a guitarist and arranger, I realise now. But, I think I should state that in no way do I see this as a ‘guitar album’. Yes, there are plenty of guitars, (since both Isaac and I play), but mostly as you say it’s textures rather than guitar solos and riffing. I want to make that clear!
How have you found attempts to develop the trusty six string technologically over the years from guitar synths, the SynthAxe and the keytar? What had been your experience of these?
In the early JAPAN days, I tried using a SynthAxe on one or two tracks of the debut album ’Adolescent Sex’. I also tried to work with the Roland G303 at a later point. In those days, the triggering was less than great and I was not that happy with the results of either. I used a remote keyboard with Gary Numan in the US too – but under duress and as minimally as possible, I managed to limit it to just one performance of ‘Cars’ on the Merv Griffin show – don’t bother trying to find it, it’s not available, honest!
Over time, the concept of a guitar triggering synth sounds never really appealed. Now, with the advancement of effects technology, I honestly don’t see the need to use one. I think above all, it’s important for the guitar to retain its own voice, however heavily treated, which can thankfully be more varied than ever now.
What happened to the cover of ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ that had been previewed? Why did you choose this one out of all of THE BEATLES catalogue?
Originally we were happy enough with our version of the song to include it on the album but with time restrictions, we couldn’t allow 13 tracks on the vinyl disc so we decided to take it off. It is available as a digital download at the moment, though. It’s possible we may release it in some other format in the future.
As a lifetime fan of THE BEATLES, it always seems natural for me to revisit their catalogue. I saw this as one of theirs that is most open to reinterpretation and I could envision it working within our album’s structure. I had a fair idea in my head what I wanted it to sound like. Above all, I have always maintained that with any recording of a cover version, you must do something else with it. I don’t see the point of doing a cover that sounds like the original and I think ours is different enough to meet that criteria. At least I hope so!
What are your own personal highlights from ‘Dimensions’?
The most successful tracks for me are ‘Dimensions, ’Doll’, ’Harlequin’s Carnival’, ’Naive’ and ‘Escape’ but I am genuinely proud of all of it. I figured after being away from ‘the scene’ for so long, I had something to prove. Hopefully the music bears this out.
‘Dimensions’ is being stocked by Burning Shed, the retail platform of Tim Bowness from NO-MAN, do you see him as a kindred spirit?
I don’t know Tim personally, but I’m very happy that he and Burning Shed agreed to handle our album. Yes I suppose in a way, he could be regarded as a kindred spirit. To a certain extent I do see similarities between our approach and his various projects, musically. I just see it as an ideal platform for us.
Does your day job influence your music in any ways?
Well, there are no tropical bird song recordings on it if that’s what you mean….! I don’t think it does other than a heightened consciousness about our environment due to where we both live, the air we breathe and how we interpret that through our music. ’Dimensions’, without getting deeply into it, is really about searching for answers and exploring possibilities. It’s definitely a journey, above all else. The natural world does play its part in some way, I suppose.
What are the long term plans for the project? Any live work, current situation depending?
It all depends how the album is received, certainly as far as the possibilities of live work are concerned. But right now, live work is a big question mark for all of us anyway, isn’t it?
All going well, I would only consider it in some form if the demand warrants it. Someone suggested we video a live show and post it online – that’s a reasonable option I suppose.
We did play one gig at an open air festival here in my home town last year which was an eye-opener in many ways. Like the album itself, it was something of an experiment. Other than that, we will consider more recording when the time seems right.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to Rob Dean
Jennifer Touch, the Dresden-born / Berlin-based producer and DJ makes her long-awaited album debut with ‘Behind The Wall’, having presented her first recordings in 2014.
Wearing a coat of many colours, Jennifer Touch is a developing talent who as happy with techno and industrial as she is with synthpop. It has been over 30 years since the fall of The Berlin Wall and it is not surprising that she has looked back to her time growing up in Communist East Germany as the catalyst for this long player released on the Brighton independent label Fatcat Records.
The daughter of DDR flower-power children, she was introduced to synthpop and new wave via her father’s extensive record collection which included THE HUMAN LEAGUE and DURAN DURAN. The joyful image of ‘Deutschland 83’ agent hero Kolibri hearing ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’ for the first time on a Sony Walkman is perhaps symbolic of how many young East Germans like her became enthralled and curious about life and culture on the other side of The Iron Curtain.
Taking in DAF, THE KLF and PJ Harvey along the way on the route to adulthood, this melting pot of tastes inspired her early music productions. The excellent ‘Chemistry’ was the track that launched it all to a wider listenership outside of club circles and it appears on ‘Behind The Wall’ in remixed form. Cleaner and tighter but still retaining the essence of the original, Touch conceived her baby while in a state of depression. “I knew I had the music inside me” she explained, “but it felt like I was stuck,”
But ‘Behind The Wall’ begins in a more abstract manner with ‘Imaginary Boys’, an art piece that acts as a building soundtrack to Touch’s commute through Berlin to the studio each day. While much of the city has been rebuilt, many aspects of its distinctive architecture remain and loom with a dark and powerful resonance.
The album’s emotional centre point is ‘Attic’, where stark electronics and metronomic beats echo EMIKA but built around a rigid if much colder foundation. A fight against a system of restricted surroundings, its feelings are relevant in the lockdown of today as they were more than three decades ago in Eastern Europe.
With a hypnotic DAF-like sequencer hook and a brooding metronomic mood, ‘Daria’ is sombre electro-punk, while the depressed aural symbolism of ‘The Wall’ sees Touch expressing her pain of confinement both physically or mentally.
The unsettling adrenaline rush ‘Teflon’ is a non-stick statement of resilience but also an adventure in industrial techno cabaret, with Touch’s role as a chanteuse veering between deadpan and distress also sharpening the Götterdämmerung austere.
The rhythmically dominant ‘I Love You, Let’s Go’ harbours thoughts of escape as the electronics throb and veer towards psychedelia, but ‘Iggy’s Slight’ does what it says on the tin and pays electro homage to Iggy Pop, in particular ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ via the retention in spirit of its iconic bassline.
Meanwhile, ‘Flatlands’ beautifully takes a leaf from the songbook of fellow Berlin resident ZANIAS aka Alison Lewis of LINEA ASPERA both vocally and musically with its immersive minimal darkwave to provide an album highlight. With a gritty gothic resonance, ‘Supersize’ is the least electronic number of the collection although this is offset by radio signal swoops and a percussive noise rattle.
However, the mantric ‘Your Dawn’ takes the record down ohne schlagzeug with drones encapsulating a stark subterranean atmosphere which Touch says is “A rescue boat I wrote for a very close friend who was experiencing some dark and sad times. It’s an invitation to dance with me, a lullaby, a consolation”.
While there are stand-out tracks, overall ‘Behind The Wall’ does not quite reach the heights of more recent releases by EMIKA and ZANIAS, enough promise is revealed to indicate that Jennifer Touch could join their ranks in a few years. Whether she decides to expand on her song-based vision or ventures back to the purer techno-oriented productions of 2019’s ‘Seven’ EP remains to be seen.
German born NINA took the synthpop world by storm, releasing her debut ‘Sleepwalking’ in 2018.
She lent one of her early songs ‘My Mistake’ to a Mercedes-Benz advert, alongside landing support slots with DE/VISION, ERASURE and others. Clubbing together with Canada’s PARALLELS, she toured America, creating a wild audience eager to hear more from the gifted Berliner.
And so comes ‘Synthian’, not only superbly titled but also delivering a more mature, darker tone to NINA’s repertoire. The songstress shares the achievement with her collaborator, Laura Fares aka LAU and producers of note such as Oscillian, Richard X, Till Wild and Ricky Wilde. As described by NINA, “‘Synthian’ is the bigger and bolder sister of ‘Sleepwalking’. It’s more mature and daring”.
Indeed the title track is very deep and brooding, with catchy poppy synth line, eloquently dispersed with acute guitar and a longing vocal, preparing the listener to be taken onto a retro journey with a difference. The following ‘Automatic Call’ picks up the tempo quite stunningly, arpeggiating away while carrying the wonderfully produced vocals, to achieve a perfect synth gem.
‘Runaway’ glides over the scales, entering the retro world with ease, showcasing that NINA at her best with some gentle help from Ricky Wilde. A big fan of Wilde’s sister, NINA loved collaborating with her talented brother: “Ricky comes up with the most beautiful melodies and harmonies. I loved working with him. He’s humble and patient”. ‘Unnoticed’ is a romantic cry for love from a lost soul, wrapped in a cosy electronic blanket of greatness, showcasing the German synthpop queen as the owner of the most incredible voice as well as one that can write mesmerising tunes.
‘The Calm Before The Storm’ continues the serene tempo, while ‘The Wire’ brings out those darker, harsher tones; it’s deliciously deep and expresses deeper thoughts. “It’s about feeling disconnected from the world” she said, “Losing a sense of being human and having a deep desire for the human touch”. One may say the track was written to describe the world of today, where that loss of connection has become more apparent than ever; the synthy pandemic anthem, you could say.
The cute ‘Love Is Blind’ meanders around the retro musicality and layered vocals, while ‘Never Enough’ ushers further nostalgia leading into ‘Gave Up On Us’, whose mesmerising arpeggios are deliciously uplifting; it’s like going back in time, roller-skating along the promenade with a Walkman and pink bubble gum.
The closing and very apt ‘The Distance’, delves into NINA’s personal life, describing her experiences with a long distance relationship. “‘The Distance’ is about a long distance relationship and how true love can span miles and beyond. It has a more cinematic approach; heavily inspired by the likes of M83 and WOODKID. It’s a very personal song. A lot of people are being apart from their loved ones right now and can probably relate”.
Indeed the later than anticipated release of the opus, couldn’t have landed at a better time. More placed than it ever would be, NINA wishes to bring some light and hope into the uncertainty of current situation, so difficult for many.
And if your wish was to “make people feel better through music and offer some kind of hope”, then you certainly did just that. A superb album.
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published in 2017 captured the iconic label’s visual aesthetic. Already a fan of German kosmische scene, Daniel Miller began taking an interest in synthesizers for making pop music after hearing KRAFTWERK’s ‘Autobahn’.
via Mute Records
via Mute Records
via Mute Records
(V/A) via Cherry Red Records
via Universal Music
via Mute Records
via EMI Records
via Mute Records
via Mute Records
via Mute Records
via Mute Records
via Mute Records
via Conspiracy International
(V/A) via Cleopatra
via Gunball Machine
via MemeTune Records
in remixed form. Cleaner and tighter but still retaining the essence of the original, Touch conceived her baby while in a state of depression. “I knew I had the music inside me” she explained, “but it felt like I was stuck,”
EP remains to be seen.
, not only superbly titled but also delivering a more mature, darker tone to NINA’s repertoire. The songstress shares the achievement with her collaborator, Laura Fares aka LAU and producers of note such as Oscillian, Richard X, Till Wild and Ricky Wilde. As described by NINA, “‘Synthian’ is the bigger and bolder sister of ‘Sleepwalking’. It’s more mature and daring”.
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