“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
Steadily taking their notion of anguish to larger and larger audiences, the upward trajectory of Brooklyn based NATION OF LANGUAGE has been astounding in less than two years.
On the back of their second LP ‘A Way Forward’, they went from London’s modest Lafayette to the XOYO while in support their new album ‘Strange Disciple’, they will rise up to Heaven. It was in Spring 2020 that NATION OF LANGUAGE’s debut album ‘Introduction, Presence’ arrived in a Covid stricken world. But despite that and the anxiety captured within the music influenced to varying degrees, sometimes blatantly, by German kosmiche and British post-punk synth such as OMD’s ‘Electricity’ and NEW ORDER’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’, there were feelings of hope and honesty that rang home to those listening.
By the time of the second NATION OF LANGUAGE long player came along in Autumn 2021, songs with infectious synth hooks like the lead single ‘This Fractured Mind’ became instantly relatable as people re-emerged post-pandemic. Meanwhile, NATION OF LANGUAGE had developed into a compelling live act, Ian Devaney the anxious energetic front man with his wife Aidan Noell playing the sexy synth minx while their then- bassist Michael Sui-Poi played solidly as if he was in an alternative rock band at another gig.
Since then, Alex MacKay has taken over four string duties and continuing the momentum for this third record, Nick Millhiser of the acclaimed duo HOLY GHOST! and live band member of LCD SOUNDSYSTEM has been brought in as producer to steer the recording process into as many analogue techniques as possible.
Themed around “toxic infatuation”, the new album has been fittingly titled ‘Strange Disciple’ to explore the dark side of love and romance. Taking a sedate start despite the KRAFTWERK ‘Autobahn’ influence, Devaney reminds himself he’s in love and ‘Weak In Your Light’. But then it’s back to business with a more sophisticated sequencer sound than before on ‘Sole Obsession’, a song about “an overzealous devotee” augmented by live melodic bass, sparkling synths and electronic percussion in that chugging NEW ORDER fashion.
Over a subtle machine beat, ‘Surely I Can’t Wait’ captures a bewilderment over paradoxically sparkling keyboard patterns and synth sweeps that could be “just another love song” but Devaney seeks help to “show me I can live for another”. ‘Swimming In The Shallow Sea’ enters shoegaze territory as the most guitar-oriented track on the album although bursts of detuned synths make their presence felt.
With a lead synth line that recalls ULTRAVOX’s ‘Slow Motion’, ‘Too Much, Enough’ is hook laden with many layers while its hypnotic drum machine backbone is a delight. ‘Spare Me The Decision’ is rousing new wave pop, accessible yet eerie with howling sirens, a great bubbling synth solo and white noise percussion while ‘Sightseer’ takes a breather into the realm of THE CURE with a “come on kill me please” highlighting the despair and resignation.
‘Stumbling Still’ enters JOY DIVISION territory and ‘Isolation’ in particular in its crashing rhythmic construction but the process is given that characteristic NATION OF LANGUAGE spin. But starting simplistically and with restraint, ‘A New Goodbye’ then snaps into something much blippier and funkier in its final third and even throws in falsetto refrains to add a new dimension.
Photo by Dominik Friess
On the home stretch, ‘I Will Never Learn’ sums up life’s trials and tribulations in a wonderful example of why NATION OF LANGUAGE appeal so much in their glorious mix of synths, live bass, sequencers and electronic percussion while a girly falsetto howl is a haunting but beautiful touch.
For those who enjoyed ‘Introduction, Presence’ and ‘A Way Forward’, ‘Strange Disciple’ is more of the same if delivered at a less frantic, more thoughtful pace. This is a record that capitalises on past achievements, both of their own an others, with equal doses of heartbreak and hope. Those who are seeking a band who can be seen as spiritual successors to the much missed MIRRORS need look no further.
‘Strange Disciple’ is released on 15 September 2023 by PIAS in black or clear vinyl LP, CD + digital formats
NATION OF LANGUAGE UK 2022 tour includes:
London Heaven (27 September), Brighton Concorde 2 (28 September), Bristol Marble Factory (29 September), Nottingham Rescue Rooms (30 September), Manchester New Century Hall (4 October), Leeds University Stylus (5 October), Sheffield Foundry (6 October), Newcastle Boiler Shop (7 October),
Since their first single ‘Dansande Man’ in 1983, Sweden’s PAGE have stuck rigidly to their “Keyboardbaserad Retroromantisk Popmusik” manifesto, never feeling the need to use live drums or a brass section.
Ironically, Eddie Bengtsson traded in his drum kit for two synthesizers to form PAGE with Marina Schiptjenko. Inspired by TUBEWAY ARMY, ULTRAVOX and SILICON TEENS, the duo have nurtured their own brand of poptronica. When PAGE went on hiatus in 2000, Bengtsson continued with his solo project SISTA MANNEN PÅ JORDEN while Schiptjenko found mainstream European success as a member of BWO.
But the special chemistry that was within PAGE could not be resisted so in 2010, Bengtsson and Schiptjenko reunited to release a new album appropriately titled ‘Nu’. New is the theme of the new PAGE album ‘En Ny Våg’ which translated into English means “A New Wave”. As on the previous albums ‘Det Är Ingen Vacker Värld Men Det Råkar Vara Så Det Ser Ut’ and ‘Fakta För Alla’, ‘En Ny Våg’ uses Gary Numan as a catalyst and even brings Chris Payne and RRussell Bell from his imperial live band of 1979-1981 on board to aid the Numanisation process.
Eddie Bengtsson and Marina Schiptjenko spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about the continuing PAGE story and the making of ‘En Ny Våg’.
Photo by Jonas Karlsson
What keeps the PAGE partnership going strong?
Eddie: I think that it is because we live so far from each other. We don’t get tired of each other. Also, we have so many other things that we have done and do in our lives. Finally, we are still very good friends and like very much what we are doing and how our music sounds.
Marina: I also would like to add: our history. We kind of grew up together and were both huge fans of the same kind of music. We have so many memories tied to that defining time in our lives.
The concept to “Numanise” PAGE in 2017 began on a few tracks from ‘Det Är Ingen Vacker Värld Men Det Råkar Vara Så Det Ser Ut’, how do you think the adventure has gone since then?
Eddie: When I write the songs, I don’t go in with the mission to copy either early Numan or ULTRAVOX (“NumanVox”). It’s more that those artists work like a catalyst to get me in the mood. Of course, I love the sound of those old songs, and I try to emulate it and let it go through a “PAGE-filter”. If someone tells me, “That sounds a bit like early Numan” or ULTRAVOX, I give them a high-five – because that means that they have understood what I’m trying to do.
Photo by Simon Helm
Have you grasped the world of social media and streaming?
Eddie: No, not yet, I suppose.
Marina: It’s boring to do, but I very much like the possibility to share (and to see!) old PAGE live stuff. I have a lousy memory, so it’s so much fun to see old concerts online.
It’s been a while since the most recent PAGE album ‘Fakta För Alla’ in 2019, but there have been two EPs ‘Under Mitt Skinn’ and ‘Aska’. What was the reason for going down this route first?
Eddie: Both of those EPs started as singles. I didn’t have the inspiration for a full album, but I could manage an EP. When those two EPs were done, we just thought, “Let’s put them together and make an album for those who want that”.
Did you impose any rules or restrictions on ‘En Ny Våg’ such as the synths, sounds and software used?
Eddie: I have had the same rules and restrictions for years and years. Once, I was a collector of synths. In other words, I bought lots of synthesizers just to own them; not really to use them. I have always had this idea, this mantra: “You only need ONE synth – force it to sound the way you want it to sound”. So I realised that I didn’t need that load of synths and sold them off. I sold my vintage stuff and bought ONE fat synth instead. I went for a Moog.
To tell you the truth, I don’t only own ONE Moog, I have a couple. Mostly because they look so nice. The last four albums are 80% Moog Voyager XL only. My Moog Little Phatty, I use as a mother keyboard. The Moog Minitaur is for all basses – the same sound on every song. And, finally, the Moog Sub Phatty is only for live. So, yeah, I want to work with restrictions and rules. Force the synth!
Are you still partying like it is 1980 – has any recent pop music been inspiring?
Eddie: I’m not very much for partying – never was. I keep my sources of inspirations very limited. It’s like 3-4 artists, all from the same era of early New Wave / Post Punk electronica. I have come to the conclusion that it was the time when the sounds were perfect. Earlier, I did look into to other styles, new and old; but, looking back, I think that made my own songs be influenced by too many things, and the red thread got kinda lost. So, I like the way I do work now. I have a road to walk down, and it’s very straight, and I love the walk.
Photo by Simon Helm
On the ‘En Ny Våg’ opening title song, you invited Chris Payne from the first Gary Numan live band to perform on it, how was the experience?
Eddie: THAT was a really huge thing for me. To have both Chris Payne and RRussell Bell from the Numan band and DRAMATIS playing on the new PAGE album was fantastic. They are such amazingly talented musicians. Chris plays the violin on the song and his parts really lift the song, I think so, at least. We had contact, and I instructed him to play the parts that I wanted. Then I told him that he could have a free hand to add whatever he could come up with. The part in the middle, where his viola leads, is goose-bumps beautiful.
RRussell Bell also contributes to the album, what did he add?
Eddie: RRussell plays the guitar on ‘Frusen’ (‘Frozen’). He added great atmosphere to the piece. It was so cool to have RRussell, as well as Chris, because he is such an important part of Numan and DRAMATIS story.
At the end of the album, there is an atmospheric track called ‘Korridoren’ that would make OMD proud, how did that develop?
Eddie: That was a quickie. Actually, I wrote it when the album was done and ready to be pressed. There was this day when I had just bought a new microphone, and I wanted to test it. I connected it and tried it out. The sound of that mic was unbelievable, compared to the mics I have been using before. So, I sang a line that sounded good – very close and kind of intimate – and then I put the instruments on that. It took me an hour or so. The result was a very cool song. I like it. Maybe OMD can make a cover of it? 😉
Photo by Jonas Karlsson
One of the highlights is ‘Det Här Är Mitt Sätt’ with its catchy riffs and soloing, what was the idea behind this?
Eddie: The idea was to use that synth sound that leads the song. I did this sound, and it was very much the sound as heard on ‘Fade To Grey’. So, I guess my goal was to make something that would sound a bit like ‘Fade To Grey’; I failed with that, but it became something else. I suppose it sounds very much like classic PAGE.
On ‘Genomskinlig’, you get to do the Billy Currie synth hero thing again, but have you considered getting the Korg ARP Odyssey reissue or does what you have already do the job as you require?
Eddie: No I haven’t. I have no need for it, because I force my synth (the Moog Voyager XL) to sound like a Billy Currie Odyssey solo. The result isn’t perfect but almost – and definitely good enough for me.
What are your favourite songs on the album?
Eddie: My favourite songs are ’En Ny Våg’ (‘A New Wave’), ‘För Du Är Rädd Nu’ (‘Because You’re Scared Now’) and ‘Stop-Vänta-Nu’ (‘Stop-Wait-Now’). All of them are very good songs that I’m very proud of. I totally love everything about those songs: the way they are built, the sounds, the arrangements, the melodies, the beat, the harmonies, the vocals, and the words. They really represent what I’m trying to do.
Marina: ‘En Ny Våg’ and “För Du Är Rädd Nu”, those are two magical PAGE songs.
Photo by Simon Helm
This present phase of PAGE started in 2010, it is more enjoyable than back in the day?
Eddie: Maybe. I haven’t thought about that. I guess it’s more mellow these days. It feels nicer now, when I really, really love the sound. PAGE has always been special, in the sense that there was never anyone that sounded like us. And that is still a fact.
Marina: I am so happy and grateful that Eddie doesn’t force me to play too many live gigs *laughs*
PAGE, in the early days, was a lot about live performance. I truly enjoyed it back then, but now it’s more pressure.
What is next for PAGE?
Eddie: Now we have to kind of sit back and see how the audience will receive the album. I hope they like it as much as we do. When it comes to playing live, we haven’t decided yet if we are going to perform the album or not. If the right opportunity arises, then we might. But it would have to be something that means something special. When it comes to composing, I’m at the moment taking a rest. Maybe, someday, I will start all over again with filling myself with inspiration and ideas.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to PAGE
‘En Ny Våg’ is released on 29 September 2023 by Energy Rekords as a CD and vinyl LP, pre-order from https://hotstuff.se/page/x-7640
Finnish psych-pop voyager Jaakko Eino Kalevi has been on a creative roll and will release his brand new double opus ‘Chaos Magic’ this Autumn. It is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘Dissolution’ mini-album.
Inspired by his new home of Athens and the Greek word “kháos”, meaning “an abyss or void that was created when Earth and Heaven were separated”, Jaakko Eino Kalevi sought to find beauty in the chaotic nature of the everyday.
Written and recorded primarily in Greece but also in Germany, Estonia and Switzerland, ‘Chaos Magic’ is an eclectic collection of music covering sunny art pop, synthy new wave, cosmic jazz, electronic disco, space rock and darker baroque song experiments. Guests include Jimi Tenor, John Moods, Alma Jodorowsky, ‘Dissolution’ collaborator Yu-Ching Huang and on the album’s first single ‘I Forget’, Sigurlaug Gísladóttir aka Mr Silla.
Jaakko Eino Kalevi chatted to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about this wondrous garden of earthly delights that shaped the sound of ‘Chaos Magic’.
It’s been 4 years since the ‘Dissoluton’ mini-album and 5 years since the last album proper ‘Out Of Touch’, how did you decide to make ‘Chaos Magic’ a double opus?
I was not planning to make a double album but somehow that is what it grew up to be. I was just working on my song ideas and in the end didn´t want to drop anything out. I tried but it didn´t make sense to me.
How has living in Athens inspired you, it’s obviously quite different from Finland?
It is very different that is true. It´s much more lively place than Finland and people spend more time hanging outdoors which is nice. I used to live in Berlin after Finland and one thing I like in Athens is having a better routine of working with music, compared to Berlin. One reason for that is our studio that I share with a few friends.
‘Drifting Away’ does as the title suggests, it’s suitably sunny and breezy, is this the Greek environment helping?
Hehe, yes definitely! There is so much sea it´s amazing! Although I don´t know anyone with a boat, yet. When I was working on the lyrics of that song, I had many different versions of it and I think my experiences by the Greek seaside pushed me into using the ‘Drifting Away’ version.
‘Dino’s Deo’ appears to recall the Belgian electronic trio TELEX, were they an inspiration for you at all?
Interesting comparison. I love TELEX, but I was not connecting them to this song. At least not consciously.
What is ‘Hell & Heaven’ for you?
This song was made together with Elliot and Virgile from the band FAUX REAL. It was musically so dramatic so I had to go biblical in the lyrics. I got this idea on the island of Hydra in a pretty heavenly situation, but sometimes even to the most heavenly places you bring your own hell and vice versa. Life is full of Hell and Heaven, and everything in between.
Photo by Frank Holbein
‘Night Walk’ has haunting synthetic overtones, how did that song come together?
It´s based on one old jam and I wanted to make a new version of it. I spent quite a lot of time tweaking the synth sounds on this album. In the demo version of this song, I used a plugin synth bass sound that was kind of perfect, but I wanted to replace it with a hardware sound which was not easy at all. Finally I got it done by layering bass sounds on top of each other. I think hardware often sounds better and it’s inspiring to touch the machines. The song is about some relationship moods from the past and of course the synth bass.
French actress and singer Alma Jodorowsky who starred in the electronic music film ‘Le Choc Du Futur’ adds some exquisite vocals on several tracks… what did you think of the film and how did she come to be involved in recording with you?
Oh I haven´t see that movie unfortunately! Have to correct the situation immediately! Last summer Alma was in Athens for a movie premiere (might actually have been ’Le Choc Du Futur’) and my friend was hosting her. They came to a bar where I was DJing and we met and hung out. I was working on the album at that time and needed some female vocals to it. She was up for it and ended up doing much more for the songs that I had in mind.
‘Palace In My Head’ is quite different with darker claustrophobic overtones offset by a polar opposite chorus, was this a lockdown song?
Yeah, the chorus is pretty different from the rest of the song. The bassline is pretty evil and then it always brightens up for the chorus. I would say there are two characters in the song having sort of a conversation and the chorus is the reply for the verses. This song was written before lockdown, at least the music part.
‘I Forget’ touches all the spectrums in its delivery, but what did you forget? 😉
Well this song has inspiration from one trip when we were playing a show in a festival in the coast of Egypt. After the show I fell asleep in a beach chair and when I woke up, I could not remember where I was and why. Also I had a dream of some other place so it confused me even more. I called my sister and I was on the map again. I had this kind of experience as a kid in some sleepovers as well. It´s strange…
‘The Chamber Of Love’ appears to have a passing resemblance to ‘Everything She Wants’ by WHAM! Was this conscious or coincidence?
I wrote the song before I ever heard ‘Everything She Wants’ but the arrangement was different. I love ‘Everything She Wants’ so I arranged this song sounding more like that. It is more electronic now and yes with a big inspiration from WHAM!
You worked with Jimi Tenor on this album, do you see him very much as a kindred spirit musically?
Yes definitely. When I started to do my music, he was a big influence for me. He is a great musician and I very much look up to him. It’s been great to have a chance to work with him.
Photo by Isotta Giulia Acquati
‘L’Horizon’ explores a full electronic funk workout, how did that come together?
I thought the song was already finished but then when I listened it more, it seemed to lack something. So I came up with the funky slap bass riff which is pretty prominent in the song now. I also added the white noise phaser hi-hat to make it more upbeat and now it’s perfect! There is always something on the horizon.
The Far Eastern favoured ‘Galactic Romance’ is an intriguing and hypnotic piece of music which you don’t sing on, how was this constructed?
I had the song pretty much ready with the melody and all, but I felt like my voice was not fitting to it. So I asked my friend Yu-Ching to sing on it. The song has a pretty spacey atmosphere so Taiwanese Mandarin suits to that purpose perfectly. The song is a romantic space song.
Do you have any favourite production tools?
Yes many. A new thing for this album is this one tube preamp that is inspired by the Abbey Road Console from the 60s. I recorded almost everything through it. Also synth-wise, I like to use Korg PolySix and Korg 700s. Especially the 700s has a very special aggressively juicy sound.
You close the album with a 13 minute epic ‘Let’s See How Things Go’, what seeded such a long musical excursion?
That was a collaboration with another Finnish legend, Vilunki 3000. The song was originally even longer but I edited it a little shorter. I like epic last song endings and this is one of those. The length is needed to create the right suspension.
ITALOCONNECTION recently covered your 2010 song ‘Flexible Heart’ on their album ‘Nordisko’, what did you think of what they did?
I felt like it was about time! It is such a perfect song to be Italonized so I think that justice was served.
You released your first album ‘Dragon Quest’ in 2007, how do you see the artist from back then compared to where you are now?
Kind of different but pretty much the same. Of course a lot of time has passed and I have explored music and life to another level, but I feel I still have pretty much the same approach to making music. Actually we are planning to reissue ‘Dragon Quest’ in the near future.
What are your hopes and fears for this record? How do you hope it will be received?
Of course I hope people will find it and enjoy it. It is a very diverse album but still I think there is a golden thread to be found. It is my strongest album so far in my opinion and I hope the audience will agree.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Jaakko Eino Kalevi
Additional thanks to Stasi Roe at Domino Recording Co
Gemma Cullingford is the acclaimed musician, songwriter and producer with two solo albums ‘Let Me Speak’ and ‘Tongue Tied’ to her name. Luke Wright is the dynamic performance poet with a stark but witty take on 21st century British life. Together they have a “fear of missing out”.
‘FOMO’ is the 4 track extended play release by Gemma Cullingford and Luke Wright. The pair have known each other for around 20 years within the Suffolk arts scene with Luke’s then poetry collective AISLE 16 often compering for bands which Gemma was part of, the 2021 lockdown sparked an idea for an electro-poetic collaboration.
With shades of renowned punk-poet John Cooper Clarke and East Midlands duo SLEAFORD MODS, ‘FOMO’ is an enjoyable but abrasive dance friendly commentary that covers toxic masculinity, dance aversion, inner demons and the fashion for self-improvement.
ELECTRICITTYCLUB.CO.UK spoked to Gemma Cullingford and Luke Wright about their fear of missing out and much more.
How did you come together to do some electronic disco poetry?
Gemma: Luke and I have known each other since the early 00s when Luke’s poetry collective AISLE 16 who were based in Norwich used to compere shows at Norwich Arts Centre and I was often one of the bands in those shows back then. I had dabbled with a similar concept in the mid-00s with another of AISLE 16 – our mutual friend Yanny Mac – when I first purchased an eMac (remember those?!) and started teaching myself Garage Band. We formed a kinda fake band called DED DOG briefly and wrote a few tunes where I’d cut up Yanny’s poems and put them to a backing track. I’d always fancied trying that again.
Fast forward to 2021 when my first solo single came out and Luke took a shine to my instrumental tune ‘104’. He dropped me a line to say how much he liked it and I asked him if he fancied trying a collaboration with his poems over my music. He was game and a week later we had these 4 songs! We’ve only just got round to releasing them though as we’ve both been super busy with our own projects (Luke is still mega busy and successful!)
Luke: I really wanted to collaborate with Gemma but I was too nervous to ask, so it was very nice that she did. I remember walking along the coast with ‘104’ on repeat just improvising lyrics over the top, it was such fun in that was a very bleak period.
Had John Cooper Clarke’s albums with Martin Hannett like ‘Disguise In Love’, ‘Zip Style Method’ and ‘Snap, Crackle & Bop’ been an influence?
Gemma: I’d never actually heard them, so no!
Luke: I’ve been JCC’s regular tour support for about 12 years, and been gigging with him regularly for years before that. He was a huge influence on me when I was starting out, but less so for the albums, more as a live poet. I do know those albums, and I love tracks like ‘Valley of the Long Lost Women’ but on the whole, I prefer the poems without that music.
Was featuring both your voices a conscious move in the concept of this EP?
Gemma: As always with me there are no conscious moves or concepts, it’s just what feels right. I like the contrast in our voices and I think they balance each other out a bit. The track ‘FOMO’ was a song I’d had sitting around for a good few years which only had part vocals. When Luke put his poem to it, it fitted magically!
Luke: The other tracks were made from scratch and come together quite organically. ‘Therapist’ was a poem Gemma cut up and put over music. ‘Ballroom’ was a track I wrote lyrics to. ‘Beast’ was a track I cut up and made into a more traditional pop song shape then wrote lyrics to. But ‘FOMO’ was a little different in is much as Gemma had done all her bits and was already quite attached to the song as it was and sent it to me with the caveat not to be offended if she didn’t use anything I added to it! In the end, I used a poem that already existed called ‘William Hague in a Baseball Cap’, about male insecurity in a time of female empowerment. By far the most lyrics of any of the songs and it just sort of worked.
Where has the world’s “fear of missing out” come from? Why does it appear to be a bigger issue now than it was before and has social media amplified it?
Luke: I used to get FOMO really badly and then I got married and had kids and missed out on absolutely everything, the point where it was pointless to care about it. But then I got divorced and entered into a long distance relationship. My girlfriend was often going out with her mates while I was stuck at home with the kids hundreds of miles away, which left me feeling like a teenager. Only I was a lot fatter.
Countering that “fear of missing out” is ‘Ballroom’ which recalls Gary Clail, is this a fight for the right NOT to party? It’s a fascinating paradox…
Gemma: I love Luke’s lyrics to this as an introvert! I often feel awkward on stage and I don’t move around much so I could totally get behind these lyrics. I do love a dance after a good few drinks though, but I mean a REAL good few! Plus I love writing danceable music yet I don’t like clubbing or raves etc. I’m full of contradictions, me!
Luke: I’m really glad you like this one, Gemma, because I was a bit meh about it. I was writing a poem for the Kennedy Foundation For Human Rights. There were 30 poets, each writing about a different article of the UN Convention For Human Rights. Mine was article 20: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.” I had a metaphor in my poem about a dance floor that didn’t really fit, so I developed it here. This is about social media to an extent, about trying to remain above the fray, not to get involved in group think. And it’s about dancing!
The ‘FOMO’ tracks and its lines about being “pale male and stale and not all men” and “I am the sh*t Morrissey says in interviews” are all part of a starker observation about toxic masculinity?
Luke: I wrote this in 2018 when there was a lot of discussion around toxic masculinity in the wake of #MeToo. As a left-wing liberal person, the media I consume, and the people I follow, are very progressive, so my online life seemed to a succession of posts saying “UGH MEN!” This piece isn’t complaining about that, I think most of this discourse was sorely needed. It’s just feeling it a bit and also trying to be funny about it as well. Sending up the woundedness, lampooning myself.
Are things improving since #MeToo or is the continued adulation of high profile misogynists like Andrew Tate and Donald Trump proof that there is a long way to go?
Gemma: Women being heard and taken more seriously and the general awareness of misogyny are improving perhaps, but unfortunately I don’t think it’ll stop certain types of folk from needing to feel powerful and belittling (and worse) women in order to do so. Through talking about it and forming social movements, it equips women with knowledge and awareness. I’m only just waking up to certain things. I’m realising that behaviour – both from and aimed at all genders and walks of life – can be oppressive and it’s things that I might have just accepted as being normal before, but actually it’s not right at all. It’s all so very subtle and how we’ve all been conditioned in society. This country is a lot better than some but as a world, I think we’ve all a looooong way to go.
Luke: I’m not surprised that figures like Andrew Tate have come to prominence. It’s a backlash against stuff like #MeToo. But those of us on the side of progress just need to keep pushing back. I am the father of teenage sons who are appalled by Andrew Tate, so it’s not a lost cause. It’s about education and bringing people with you. I can understand the howls of anger from women about male behaviour but if you want to take a new generation of boys and men with you, the discussion needs to feel inclusive so figures like Andrew Tate can’t get a look in.
‘You Are Making Progress With Your Therapist’ is a typical Gemma backing track, but how much of the monologue was already part of something already written, how did things develop to completion?
Gemma: ‘Therapist’ was the first track that came out of this collaboration and I wrote the music the very night that we decided to collaborate. Luke recorded and sent over the poem and I popped it over the top of the music and repeated the line to make a kinda chorus out of it. At the exact same time, I sent Luke an instrumental track and he wrote a poem to go over it, which ended up as ‘Ballroom’. So both tunes happened pretty simultaneously and very quickly. Which then spurred us to create two more…
Luke: It was poem I’d just finished. It worked being split in two. It’s my favourite of our tracks.
There’s some great Moroder-esque programming and keys work on the backing track of ‘The Beast’ which really adds to the narrative tension but who is that beast that is angrily being referred to?
Gemma: Thanks! That was another song I’d had kicking about for a couple of years which needed vocals. I sent that to Luke and he chopped it up a bit and put a snarly John Lydon-meets-Shaun Ryder-esque vocal to it.
Luke: F*ck knows that this is about. I used all the lines I liked best in my notebook. But… it is kind of about an old rockstar shuffling around the town years after fame and riches have passed him by. I do actually know someone like this. “The Beast” is rock n roll, I think.
What is next for you, would you like to do more collaborations?
Gemma: I’m taking a bit of a break from performing to recharge my batteries. Performing, promoting and touring really takes it out of me and I’m a bit of a home bird, I get overwhelmed quite easily. So I’m gonna take a break from performing and writing until the urge to do more comes – which I’m sure it will! In the meantime at the moment I’m enjoying my DJ venture with my partner – we play vinyl only singles and I get immense enjoyment from playing other people’s songs that I love and that have shaped me and my musical tastes!
I do have a Christmas song to come out but I’ll not be performing it live anywhere. However, knowing me, I could be eating my words in a few weeks – but right now, this is my current plan. I would totally be up for more collaborations with Luke in future but he’s an extremely busy guy. Make sure to check out his shows. Seriously good stuff!!
Luke: I think we should do another song! Saying I’m busy makes it sound like I’m working on a series of glamorous projects, in reality I’m just driving from town to town playing small theatres. I’m a long distance driver who does a bit of poetry on the side.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to Gemma Cullingford and Luke Wright
The ‘FOMO’ EP Launch takes place at Karma Café in Norwich on Friday 1st September 2023
To celebrate the release of ‘FOMO’, Gemma Cullingford and Luke Wright have teamed up with brewery Iron Pier and artist Duncan Grant to create a limited edition tropical hazy pale ale, available online direct from https://ironpier.beer/collections/cans/products/fomo-5-3-440ml-can
Producer, keyboardist and composer Andy Richards may not be as widely known as his mentor Trevor Horn, but listeners have certainly heard his work as a significant number his contributions appear on singles that reached No1.
Born in 1952, Richards studied piano, classical organ piano and composition at The Royal College Of Music and The Royal Academy Of Music. After graduating, he taught music at South Cheshire College and began playing in various local bands before in 1977, he joined the folk-rockers THE STRAWBS who were best known for their hit ‘Part Of The Union’.
After THE STRAWBS split up in 1980, Richards became a session musician and in 1983 played keyboards for the heavy metal band DEMON who were signed to Clay Records, a Stoke-based independent record label. It had been established by Mike ‘Clay’ Stone who had been a champion of punk, taking early photographs of Gary Numan which appeared on the first TUBEWAY ARMY releases before later signing DISCHARGE and THE LURKERS to Clay.
It was via Clay Records that Andy Richards was to get his big break. Stone invited Richards to produce the debut of local synthpop trio WHITE DOOR who had morphed out of the prog band GRACE. Mixed at Sarm East Studios, the engineer was Julian Mendelsohn who was also working with Trevor Horn on the YES album ‘90125’.
With recommendations from Mendelsohn, Richards was then contacted by both. Although he auditioned for YES, he chose to work with Trevor Horn in October 1983; his first job was to play keyboards on the FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD cover of ‘Ferry ‘Cross the Mersey’ and subsequently the eventual single version of ‘Relax’ which featured Richards’ European sounding Roland Jupiter 8 chords while another key element he provided was the huge orgasmic sound at the song’s climax!
Working as part Trevor Horn’s dream team that included engineer Stephen Lipson and Fairlight programmer JJ Jeczalik, the world became Richards’ oyster with significant roles on the notable ZTT albums ‘Welcome to the Pleasure Dome’, ‘A Secret Wish’ and ‘Slave to the Rhythm’.
A master of the Roland Jupiter 8, Roland MC4 Micro-composer, PPG and Oberheim DMX, Richards became in demand as musician, programmer and producer, thanks to his astute investment in the Fairlight Series III in 1984; this was a particularly useful production tool as the artists he worked with could easily understand its concept easily as all its 16 tracks and their relationship in real time could be seen on screen at once.
Having dipped his toe into the world of cinema in 1986 with ‘Biggles: Adventures in Time’, the bulk of Richards’ more recent work has been in mixing film scores from his own Out of Eden digital complex, including ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’, ‘Ali G Indahouse’, ‘Johnny English’, ‘Shaun of the Dead’, ‘The Last King of Scotland’, ‘Hannibal Rising’, ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Frankenweenie’. He has more recently been working on his first solo project entitled ‘This Time… An Imaginary Soundtrack’
Perhaps something of an unsung hero in music, here are 18 tracks that ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has selected from the vast career of Andy Richards with a restriction of one track per artist moniker, assembled in chronological order…
WHITE DOOR Jerusalem (1983)
With shades of ALPHAVILLE who Andy Richards would later work with, the beautiful choir boy synthpop of ‘Jerusalem’ was one of the highlights of the ‘Windows’ album. “We would turn up at Andy’s house with very basic demos and spend long days with him on his mini grand piano working out the arrangements and programming…” said WHITE DOOR singer Mac Austin about the relationship with their producer.
Available on the WHITE DOOR album ‘Windows’ via Cherry Red Records
‘Dr Mabuse’ was the impressionistic masterpiece that was the debut single and second ZTT release by PROPAGANDA, at the time a Düsseldorf-based five piece. Produced by Trevor Horn in the days before MIDI, Richards’ work involved spending days in the studio connecting up two Roland Jupiter 8s, two Roland MC4 Micro-composers, three Oberheim DMXs and a Roland TR808 to JJ Jeczalik’s Fairlight Series II.
As FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD’s eagerly awaited follow-up to ‘Relax, ‘Two Tribes’ sent the Cold War paranoia of the times into overdrive. Richards’ blistering bassline sequence was programmed multiple times with differing feels, eventually settling on a hard PPG bass sample doubled with a slightly softer sequence from a Synclavier. The end result acted as a leadline and tribal powerhouse.
Available on the FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD album ‘Bang!’ via Salvo
GEORGE MICHAEL Careless Whisper – Full length version (1984)
Premiered live on the 1983 ‘Club Fantastic’ tour, although George Michael’s debut solo single was characterised by a fluid sax solo by Steve Gregory, when the WHAM! singer opted to produce ‘Careless Whisper’ himself after an abortive session with Jerry Wexler, he invited to Richards to overdub a chilling string synth intro and voice samples using a PPG Waveterm A. It would become the third No1 of 1984 on which Richards performed.
Available on the WHAM! album ‘Make In Big’ via Sony Music
THE ADVENTURES Send My Heart – Extended remix (1984)
Belfast’s THE ADVENTURES were one of the first bands managed by pop Svengali Simon Fuller, opening for the likes of TEARS FOR FEARS and FLEETWOOD MAC. On the back of FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD’s success came remix and session work for Richards. His extended remix of the sprightly ‘Send My Heart’ included additional keyboard flourishes, a new voice sample solo section and drum breakdowns while keeping the song intact.
‘Kiss Me’ had been originally released by Stephen Duffy’s band TIN TIN in 1982. Reissued in several incarnations, the Fairlight heavy hit version was produced by Nicholas Froome and JJ Jeczalik who brought Richards in along with Danny Schogger to provide musicality to the various sample derived gimmicks used. Duffy would later become the writing partner of Robbie Williams and ‘Kiss Me’ would be covered in 2006.
Available on the STEPHEN DUFFY album ‘The Ups & Downs’ via Cherry Red Records
Germany’s TRIO became known worldwide for their novelty song ‘Da Da Da’. Much more aggressive than their big hit and with the invitation “If you want some lovin, come and get it”, the expletive laden sexually charged ‘Ready For You’ was a co-production by Richards and JJ Jeczalik alongside Klaus Voormann, the noted musician who worked on all the TRIO albums as well as with Lou Reed and was the graphic designer of THE BEATLES ‘Revolver’.
Not the familiar groovy Go-Go hit single version that became Grace Jones’ signature tune, but a more aggressive take with big beats, rumbles and swoops actually designated “5. SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM” on the same titled album, Andy Richards’ distinct chord interventions can be heard in the brassy synth stabs. The song had been originally demoed by FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD in an uptempo fashion.
Although effectively a solo Terri Nunn track produced by Giorgio Moroder, ‘Take My Breath Away’ was issued as a BERLIN single and became a worldwide hit. While the parent album ‘Count Three & Pray’ was helmed by Bob Ezrin, the sultry art rock follow-up ‘You Don’t Know’ was primarily produced by Richards. But the band were unhappy with their sojourn in London for their new album and scrapped the recordings, bar this.
Credited with “Keyboards, Computers” for the first song of Nik Kershaw’s self-produced third album, the percolating title track saw Richards’ Fairlight Series III programming take a central role emulating LEVEL 42’s Mark King style of bass playing. A cautionary warning about mass-produced run-of-the-mill pop music, ‘Radio Musicola’ also featured a brass section including Peter Thoms of LANDSCAPE and Iva Davies of ICEHOUSE on backing vocals.
Available on the NIK KERSHAW album ‘Essential’ via Universal Music
Originally recorded with Shep Pettibone and written with Madonna in mind, having programmed the Fairlight on ‘Always On My Mind’, ‘It’s A Sin’ and ‘Rent’, Andy Richards was called on to produce a new version of ‘Heart’ in a classic disco vein for the ’Actually’ album. A re-edit mixed by Julian Mendelsohn featuring classic syndrums and extra wah-wah guitar by JJ Belle gave PET SHOP BOYS another UK No1 single.
Having achieved their breakthrough with the Thomas Dolby produced ‘Steve McQueen’, the East Anglian electronics boffin was unable to work on the entire of PREFAB SPROUT’s follow-up album ‘From Langley Park to Memphis’ so other producers were sought. Richards did ‘Hey Manhattan’ but band leader Paddy McAloon later remarked “I’m dissatisfied with the way we realised it. It’s pretty but it’s a failure”.
Co-produced by Andy Richards and Steve Lovell with Dan Hartman, ‘Americanos’ was a catchy Latin tinged number complete with Mariachi horns that saw Holly Johnson achieve a second succesive solo hit peaking at No4. Despite being aspirational in tone, the former FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD singer provided an ironic observation of the widespread discrimination against the Hispanic community in the USA.
Available on the HOLLY JOHNSON album ‘Blast’ via Cherry Red Records
Outrageously catchy, ‘Pink Sunshine’ was the best single from the alternative rock band once known as WE’VE GOT A FUZZBOX & WE’RE GONNA USE IT!! Reinventing themselves as a sexy pop vocal group for their second album ‘Big Bang!’ produced by Andy Richards, their first hit came with the ‘Thunderbirds’ inspired ‘International Rescue’ while ‘Self’ featuring QUEEN’s Brian May provided a third.
Available on the FUZZBOX album ‘Big Bang!’ via Cherry Red Records
MALCOLM McLAREN & THE BOOTZILLA ORCHESTRA House Of The Blue Danube (1989)
In tribute to New York’s voguing scene, ‘Waltz Darling’ was Malcolm McLaren’s fourth album, fusing Johann Strauss with funk and house. It spawned the hit ‘Something’s Jumpin’ in Your Shirt’ but opening it was the mad if joyous instrumental ‘House of the Blue Danube’. Produced by Andy Richards, it featured the seemingly incongruous combination of Bootsy Collins and Jeff Beck within a pumping “Frankie Say Strauss” backdrop.
Available on the MALCOLM McLAREN & THE BOOTZILLA ORCHESTRA album ‘Waltz Darling’ via Epic Records
Having played keyboards on Liza Minnelli’s ‘Results’ album with PET SHOP BOYS, for a similar project this time with Dusty Springfield, while Messrs Tennant and Lowe produced half the ‘Reputation’ album, Richards was assigned the title song written by Brian Spence. Although overshadowed by the hits ‘Nothing Has Been Proved’ and ‘In Private’, the end result was a production of equal quality that recalled FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD.
Available on the DUSTY SPRINGFIELD album ‘Reputation’ via Cherry Red Records
By 1988, advances in computer technology and software had made the Fairlight redundant. But Richards was sticking with his warhorse, causing tensions when working with Andy McCluskey on his new solo OMD by recreating what was on the demos formulated on a MIDI-compatible Atari. But the elegiac ‘Sugar Tax’ album closer ‘All That Glitters’ managed to capture the beautiful melancholic OMD magic of old.
Available on the OMD album ‘Sugar Tax’ via Virgin Records
Produced by Andy Richards, ALPHAVILLE’s fifth album ‘Salvation’ came as the trio fragmented, leaving Marian Gold and Bernhard Lloyd to helm the ship. Energetic gothic dance music, ‘Wishful Thinking’ had a dramatic presence reminiscent of ‘Forever Young’, aided by a string arrangement by Anne Dudley which provided plenty of pomp and circumstance.
Available on the ALPHAVILLE album ‘Salvation’ via WEA Records
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
To celebrate the release of ‘FOMO’, Gemma Cullingford and Luke Wright have teamed up with brewery Iron Pier and artist Duncan Grant to create a limited edition tropical hazy pale ale, available online direct from 
Follow Us!