Author: electricityclub (Page 167 of 420)

“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

RAMMSTEIN Live at Stadium MK

13 July 2019 /


If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to see German Industrial rockers RAMMSTEIN tour in the past, the main question you will end up asking yourself is “will they be able to top their previous show?”.

The answer to that question after ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK witnessed their only UK date this year was a resounding “ja!”, but more about that later…

An early arrival at the Stadium MK was greeted with the sight of an enormous part ‘Mad Max’, part Fritz Lang inspired stage set which immediately reassured the gig goer that this band WOULD be able to fill and deliver to a 20,000+ venue.

The warm-up was by pianist duo DUO JATEKOK who (set up on a podium midway in the standing area) treated the crowd to an eight song set from RAMMSTEIN’s ‘Klavier’ album for two pianos and four hands. The piano versions that the duo delivered showcased RAMMSTEIN’s songs in a different light and revealed unheard layers which aren’t always immediately apparent in their bombastic guitar-driven incarnations. After a crowd sing-along to ‘Sonne’, DUO JATEKOK disappeared from their podium and the sense of expectation in the crowd for the headliners was palpable…

The strains of Handel’s ‘Music for the Royal Fireworks’ was accompanied by the raising of a digital RAMMSTEIN flag on the central structure within the stage design. Drummer Christophe Schneider took to the stage first, raised both arms, hit his drums and an earthshaking barrage of fireworks exploded across the stage.

Entering one by one, the band started their set with the downtempo ‘Was Ich Liebe’ from their eponymous new album; keyboardist Christian ‘Flake’ Lorenz dressed in a fetching shiny gold outfit (which from a distance made him look like C3PO) and bassist Oliver Riedel in a red cat gimp suit. This was a very different set starter than previous UK shows and for RAMMSTEIN could even be classified as ‘understated’(!).

Normal service was resumed when the marching sample of ‘Links 2-3-4’ filtered through the PA system and the band’s signature twin guitar attack was back with a vengeance. For a band well known for their pyrotechnic usage, RAMMSTEIN held back the fire and flames until later on in the set, but for the MK crowd this didn’t matter one iota when most of the songs had their own stunning individual theatrical set-pieces.

From ‘Puppe’, which saw vocalist Till Lindemann wheeling out a huge metal pram replete with a disfigured animatronic baby (which he duly set on fire), through to ‘Mein Teil’ with a giant cooking pot which revealed ‘Flake’ who is well known as the band’s ‘whipping boy’. At the song’s climax, Lindemann brought out progressively larger flame-throwers until he was left with what could only be described as a giant artillery fire cannon which left the poor synth player (now wearing a full fire-retardant suit) waving the white flag of defeat.

So what was new? The single ‘Deutschland’ provided an epic highlight of the midpoint of the set; starting with Richard Z. Kruspe’s dance remix being played from a DJ booth which was raised like a flag in the middle section of the set. The remaining members of the band then donned black bodysuits with hoodies which subsequently lit up as stick men and delivered a comical dance routine through the remainder of the song. The usual band version of ‘Deutschland’ was delivered afterwards, showing that the band was willing to take risks and not just stick with their tried and tested stage dramatics.

Their new album is arguably their most synth / sequencer-oriented since the band’s first two hybrid electronic metal albums ‘Herzeleid’ and ‘Sehnsucht’. The recent single ‘Radio’ is a case in point, which as well as being very synth dominated, is also one of the band’s catchiest earworm singles for many a year.

The band’s main signature synth / guitar track ‘Du Hast’ was the first in the set to fully feature a blitzkrieg of fire effects with keyboardist Flake delivering his Nord keyboard parts whilst on a moving treadmill which was introduced on the band’s last world tour. Structures set further back in the arena also set off pyrotechnics in case you didn’t feel the full force of those set off on stage; this truly was a mind-blowing immersive experience which was continued with the next track ‘Sonne’.

After a full band version of ‘Ohne Dich’, the five members of the band then re-appeared on the podium / pilot stage with DUO JATEKOK to play an acoustic ‘Engel’, the lyrics running Karaoke-style on the stage that they’d just left. The next part of the show was a moment of pure theatre with the band (minus Lindemann) jumping into three rubber dinghies and ‘boat-surfing’ across the MK crowd and back to the stage. Lindemann then re-appeared there to greet them with a “Willkommen” sign, providing one of the few moments of political commentary within the show.

Appropriately the next track to be delivered was ‘Ausländer’ (‘Stranger’); this song has provoked some frenzied Reddit debate as to its meaning and depending on your viewpoint, it’s either a commentary on the refugee crisis or sex tourism. But as usual with RAMMSTEIN lyrics, they are deliberately left open to (mis)interpretation! In terms of song omissions in the set, only two were missed, ‘Feuer Frei!’ and ‘Keine Lust’, both previously long-term set favourites, but probably maneuvered out to make room for some of the RAMMSTEIN’s newer material.

Sadly, all good things must come to a (fiery) end and the band climaxed their MK show with versions of ‘Du Riechst So Good’, ‘Pussy’ (with Lindemann shooting a massive foam cannon into the crowd), ‘Rammstein’ and ‘Ich Will’. Truly no other band can compete with RAMMSTEIN for a show of this scale and although it would be easy to stereotype them as ‘just a Metal act’, the diversity of the crowd at Milton Keynes disproved this, with ages from 8 up to 60 somethings present.

It is a cliché, but this is a bucket list band to see before you die and one that you should beg, steal or borrow to get a ticket for; don’t quibble on ticket prices, you will NOT be disappointed and you will get a stadium-sized show in a stadium. At this point in time, RAMMSTEIN unquestionably provide the greatest live show on the planet…

‘Rammstein’ is released by Universal Music Group and available in various formats

https://www.rammstein.de/en/

https://www.facebook.com/Rammstein/

https://twitter.com/RSprachrohr

https://www.instagram.com/rammsteinofficial/

Text and Photos by Paul Boddy
13th July 2019

FEMMEPOP London EP

12 July 2019 /


FEMMEPOP aka Margaret O’Sullivan carries the baton of Irish electronic music rather proudly, alongside other Emerald Isle acts like CIRCUIT3, TINY MAGNETIC PETS, iEUROPEAN or EMBRACE THE CRISIS.

Having two albums under her belt as well as a poignant EP ‘CYM’, on which FEMMEPOP proved she can do non-nonsense synth music thanks to her sophisticated style and production precision, it is only expected for the following EP to be heading in the direction of further greatness.

O’Sullivan doesn’t like her music described as “synthwave”, not meaning the description to be derogatory, but her style is far too eclectic to be pigeon holed. While the previous offerings were utilising her main instrument, the voice, ‘London’ is devoid of any vocals.

“I wanted to create a body of work without using my voice. I realise this is taking a gamble with my listeners but artistically I must do what feels right at the time. I wanted to experiment and branch out as I feel I can do so much more than sticking to the one sound or genre.” she said.

‘London’ reflects FEMMEPOP’s continuing love affair with the city she’s living in, its sounds, tastes, looks and enormous diversity, which makes it the amazing place it is, saying: “I have always seen the beauty and felt the charm of this city and in the most mundane and ordinary occurrences. I have always loved its noisy and dirty underground, its tower blocks, green parks, Camden, its music, culture, people and accents. Its abundance of energy, its fire. The raw, the gritty, the polite, the angry, the urbanity – the general ebb and flow of the city.” Those notions are depicted on all three tracks on the EP, mostly with the pulsating ‘Gnarly’, which feels like a melting pot of cultures, cuisine and religions.

‘Vice’ is über cool and urban, filled with delicious arpeggios and boundary bending sounds, while the closing ‘Night Procession’ is a demure, nostalgic walk alongside the meandering Thames with gritty textures and hidden energy awaiting to burst free.

FEMMEPOP took a risk with going “words free” but that move has certainly worked in her favour. Having the tracks laid bare with their cinematic qualities, the soundtrack to London’s life practically wrote itself and the result is meaningful and dear to O’Sullivan, and it certainly marks her progression to upper echelons of synth society.

‘London’ is available as a download direct from https://femmepop.bandcamp.com/

https://www.femmepop.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Femmepop

https://twitter.com/Femmepop_

https://www.instagram.com/femmepop/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
12th July 2019

TYCHO Weather

10 July 2019 /


The progression of San Francisco based TYCHO aka Scott Hansen through the years is nothing  short of admirable.

The artist, who is also an internationally well-known graphic designer under the name of ISO50, started small with a side solo project, which has finally developed into ‘Weather’.

Accompanied by long term collaborators, Zac Brown (bass + guitar) and Rory O’Connor (drums), Hansen’s musical story bears all the markings of a true artist.

“With each TYCHO album, my goal is to evolve and broaden the sound” he said, “After ‘The Science of Patterns’ and ‘Past is Prologue’ – two primarily electronic solo efforts, I began incorporating more organic sounds and instrumentation. ‘Dive’ saw the addition of guitar and bass guitar while ‘Awake’ took it a step further with guitars pushed to the forefront and the use of live drum performances for the first time. ‘Epoch’ honed that sound further balancing the electronic and organic components that defined TYCHO.”

It was indeed ‘Epoch’ that topped the Billboard charts and gained the artist his first Grammy nomination. ‘Weather’ introduces vocals for the first time and to achieve the desired effect, Hansen brought Hannah Cottrell aka SAINT SINNER on board, who eagerly took the reins of vocal sorcery to elevate the tracks to another level.

On ‘Pink & Blue’, the velvety voice describes a deeply personal affair: “It originally stemmed from when I was romantically involved with a man and a woman simultaneously, for the first time in my life” muses Cottrell, “It was a defining moment for me. I went from being a young religious kid who thought she would marry a man to a young woman who realised her love for women. ‘Pink & Blue’ is a love song to no one, to everyone, and to myself. It’s a sweet reminder to all lovers to hold onto their love with open arms; to be fearless about any type of love and to be fearless about losing their love. Love is never lost.” The song is lusciously easy listening with strong underlining synth lines and plenty of percussion.

SAINT SINNER’s vocal inclusion stretches well beyond ‘Pink & Blue’; on the relaxed album opener ‘Easy’, she merely hums and produces various other sounds, bringing a tropical jungle feel to the track. ‘Japan’ sustains the modern pop patterns, both with Cottrell’s endeavours and Hansen’s musicality, where an eclectic classic has been created.

The mollifying guitar riffs on ‘Into The Woods’ create a kaleidoscopic effect with the inclusion of synth and percussion. Full of various samples and punctuated vocal inserts, this number is a bossa nova for the modern age. Birds, nature, sounds of the jungle and gentle melody all together release an effect of a relaxing holiday break.

‘Skate’ along the winding sidewalks running along the coastal California in the setting sun, is what SAINT SINNER portrays with her gentle rendition of the ballad-like gem.

Keeping in with the forlorn mood, ‘For How Long’ meanders through a number of feelings and experiences into ‘No Stress’.

Vocally practically indistinguishable from Dua Lipa’s style, this chilled out lullaby strokes the senses with gentile emotions and luxurious melodies, leading onto the opus’ eponymous track.

Here, all the freshest elements that TYCHO introduced throughout ‘Weather’ are laid bare, all with a newly found intensity. Keeping it low key and on the ambient side, Hansen broadens his distinctive expansive soundscapes into a burst of humanity experienced from up above.

‘Weather’ certainly is a culmination of Scott Hansen’s musical career as a whole. His landing on the new and exciting creative grounds has been a success and the inclusion of a singer and lyricist surely broadens the spectrum further.

SAINT SINNER brings a modern feel to the music and delivers what TYCHO set out to achieve: “When setting out to record ‘Weather’, I wanted to finally fulfil what had been a vision of mine since the beginning: to incorporate the most organic instrument of all, the human voice. Her vision folded effortlessly into mine and her voice integrated seamlessly into the sonic landscape, opening new spaces for me as a songwriter and producer.”

And a great thing has certainly been achieved…

‘Weather’ is released on 12th July 2019 by Ninja Tune in vinyl LP and digital formats, pre-order direct from https://tycho.bandcamp.com/

https://tychomusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tychomusic/

https://twitter.com/ISO50

https://www.instagram.com/tychomusic

http://blog.iso50.com/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
10th July 2019

THE GOLDEN FILTER Autonomy

8 July 2019 /


Who does mysterious Scandinavian flavoured electronica well, having swapped their respective countries for the gloominess of London’s Peckham? THE GOLDEN FILTER…

Vocalist Penelope Trappes, originally from Australia, joined Ohio-born synth programmer Stephen Hindman in New York before relocating to London.

Their first album ‘Voluspa’ showed some integral songwriting knowledge, with well-placed singles such as ‘Solid Gold’, ‘Thunderbird’ and ‘Hide Me’.

The second long player proper ‘Still // Alone’ showed further potential with its undiluted grown up timeless synthscapes and this summer celebrates ten years of the couple’s musical endeavours with ‘Autonomy’.

Fiercely independent; with writing, producing, mixing, video shooting and self-releasing, THE GOLDEN FILTER certainly need no-one to tell them what direction to take. They do it in their own time, their own way with no outside interactions.

Dismayed, as is most of the UK population, with the politics, the seemingly never ending Brexit saga, people’s apparent disconnection from reality and the growing socio-economic gap, the duo draw strength from their relationship and wish to impart some positivity into the otherwise darkening landscape.

‘Autonomy’ bears a resemblance to their previous works with the metallic eponymous title track, which is raw and tribal, minimalistically sparse and containing only a pinch of vocal. Meanwhile ‘Infinity’ bears all the characteristics of the duo’s well known sound, with a nod to THE PRODIGY laced throughout. ‘U OK’ though explores nature sounds and positive vibes, before being rudely interrupted and cut short.

The very retro feel of ‘Electric Light’ brings to mind the early works by THE HUMAN LEAGUE or NEW ORDER with Siouxie-esque vocals and old school sounds. The question of “are you ok?” seems to prevail throughout the album, with a calling to be open minded and kind hearted to the fellow human beings.

‘Downturn’ is dark and cinematic, very David Lynch style; weird on the surface, but meaningful deep beneath. But a new kind of diluted pop manifests itself on ‘Coercion’, which brings the works of Toyah and co to mind. Here is where Trappes sings her sorrow away and Hindman showcases his capable musicality, painting a backdrop to the mournful lyrical content. ‘We Are The Prey’ returns to the minimalistic interplay, with experimental escapades à la Björk meeting MOLOKO.

Further ‘Wisdom’ is imparted via the medium of arpeggiated sounds, systematically enhanced by sampled elements, leading into a messy plethora of sound waves, pulsating in and out of reality leading to the force of ‘New Politik’. Even more minimalistic if that can be imagined, the number is pretty much lead by the vocal and scantily added pulses, which become more and more flowering into a semi-conscious, independently floating wall of sound.

The closing ‘All The Queens’ imagine a brand new world, led by divine femininity, yearning for a change in perceptions and shift in mindsets. Musically, this is one of the more approachable tracks on the long player, perfectly enticing with ethereal vocal and the rise and fall of the delicate melody.

Undoubtedly, one of the more ambitious and well-adjusted projects from THE GOLDEN FILTER, ‘Autonomy’ is an eclectic mix of genres, defying the pigeon holes and bending the genres to achieve a diverse and unparalleled soundtrack of the duo’s lives.

“Penelope and Stephen set about on a mission of self-searching and solipsism drawing influence from their love and unity that sternly defies the damage caused by the ever-growing daily trauma of capitalism and politics”... something they certainly managed to achieve.

‘Autonomy’ is released by 4GN3S on 19th July 2019 in red vinyl LP and download formats, pre-order from https://thegoldenfilter.bandcamp.com/album/autonomy

http://www.thegoldenfilter.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thegoldenfilter/

https://twitter.com/thegoldenfilter

https://www.instagram.com/thegoldenfilter/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
Photo by Chloe Trappes
8th July 2019

MAPS Live at The Southbank Centre

7 July 2019 /

MAPS gigs are as rare as hen’s teeth (especially in the capital) and tonight’s gig at The Southbank Centre attracted a bit of a Mute Records “who’s who” with DEPECHE MODE producer / engineer Gareth Jones and Polly Scattergood both in the audience.

The man behind MAPS, James Chapman recently released his fourth album ‘Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss’ which saw a massive direction change from the electronics-based ‘Vicissitude’; the new work seeing the synths and drum machines being mainly replaced by live drums, strings and brass.

There was an expectation that tonight’s sound would be dictated by the new MAPS aesthetic. But from the off, it was apparent that this was going to be a ‘rock’ gig with the orchestral instrumentation being absent, Chapman’s live synth / Korg Electribe / guitar set-up was augmented by drums, bass and ably flanked by Cecilia Fage (vocals + percussion) and Rachel Kenedy (vocals + synth).

The Southbank set spanned three of MAPS’ four albums with ‘Turning the Mind’ being the only work to be overlooked. Kicking off with ‘Surveil’ and ‘Both Sides’ from ‘Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss.’, Chapman created a carefully controlled wall of sound with the newer tracks arguably sounding even stronger than their recorded versions.

The show’s psychedelic visuals were worthy of a mention with microphone stand mounted mini-camera feeds being warped in real-time and projected onto the screen behind. MAPS debut Mercury Prize nominated album was well represented with ‘So Low, So High’ getting an early airing; listening to this track now, it still sounds like a Glastonbury anthem waiting to happen and it would be a criminal shame if Chapman doesn’t get some festival appearances as a result of his performance here.

Midway through the main set saw two tracks back-to-back from ‘Vicissitude’, ‘I Heard Them Say’ and ‘You Will Find a Way’. Both tracks translated incredibly well to the live stage with Fage and Kenedy’s providing some quite beautiful harmonies to back up Chapman’s lead vocals which at times evoked those of THE STONE ROSES’ Ian Brown.

The looping shuffle of ‘It Will Find You’ climaxed what felt like an all-too short set and the band disappeared literally for a couple of minutes before returning for a two song encore. ‘Liquid Sugar’ and ‘In Chemistry’ drew the evening to a close and the Purcell Room crowd were left wanting more. Chapman appeared visibly moved by the reception and spent time after the show mingling with the audience and signing albums.

Even after thirteen years, MAPS still remain Mute Records best kept secret; criminally overlooked and deserving of a much wider audience. Hopefully the success of this show will see Chapman and his band taking to the stage far more frequently as he now has a band that is tailor-made to interpret his tracks live.

If you get a chance to catch MAPS in future, don’t pass up the opportunity to catch this consistently innovative and brilliant musician / performer.

Special thanks to Sarah Pearson at Wasted Youth PR

‘Colours. Reflect. Time. Loss.’ is released by Mute Artists in CD, white vinyl LP and digital formats

https://thisismaps.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MapsMusic

https://twitter.com/thisismaps

https://www.instagram.com/thisismaps/

http://mute.com/features/maps-colours-reflect-time-loss

Text and Photos by Paul Boddy
7th July 2019

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