“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
As CIRCUIT3, Dubliner Peter Fitzpatrick mined the classic era of synthpop for his first two long players ‘siliconchipsuperstar’ and ‘The Price Of Nothing & The Value Of Everything’.
But channelling his hopes and dreams through a childhood fascination with space travel as well as Sci-Fi TV shows such as ‘Star Trek’, ‘Space 1999’ and ‘Blakes 7’, Fitzpatrick takes his CIRCUIT3 vehicle on its most ambitious musical mission yet.
‘Technology For The Youth’ is a retro-futuristic narrative on the world before the space shuttle.
While there are past references, these were triggered by a range of extreme events from the last 3 years; the political swipe to the far right, disbelief in the science and denial of the pandemic are the disturbing topics of fear and ignorance that counter the fearless aims to explore space and unite the world.
Recorded over a 2 year period during the pandemic in a home studio that could be compared to sitting in Major Tom’s tin can far above the world, ‘Technology For The Youth’ is a conceptual work that was inspired by Hannah Peel and her space themed musical adventure ‘Mary Casio: Journey To Cassiopeia’. But it could also be compared to ‘Radio-Activity’ by KRAFTWERK or ‘Dazzle Ships’ by OMD which both conjured nostalgia for black-and-white television and short wave radio.
Named after long-running Soviet-era magazine, ‘Technology For The Youth’ is an album where every track has been carefully thought out with a story behind each, whether pop song or instrumental. Capturing a light breeze, opener ‘Ветерок’ gently sweeps and builds for launch, before ‘50 Years Ago’ kicks into action in honour on the first human space travellers Yuri Gagarin, Gherman Titov, Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom and John Glenn with a triumphant middle eight synth solo.
‘Спутник’ offers a drifting orbital interlude before accents on the thirds shape the lively ‘Star City’. The vocodered tone poem ‘Weightless Part 1’ booms but the floating minimal backdrop of ‘Blinded By The Sun’ provides the setting for an observation on the Trump-era of “alternative facts”.
It’s all a sad indictment of how the human race will die out eventually through its own stupidity, akin to Greek God Icarus who was given wings fastened with candle wax by his father Daedalus and told warned him not to fly too close to the sun; but excessive pride saw Icarus ignore him. He floated up until the sun’s heat melted wax and left him falling into the earth, killing him…
‘Луна’ provides a pulsing Luna ambience but the mysterious ‘Transmissions’ speculates at the alleged “Lost Cosmonaut” crews abandoned by The Kremlin as a metaphor for today’s political cover ups. In 1959, a high-ranking Czechoslovakian Communist leaked information about unofficial missions with Alexei Ledovsky, Andrei Mitkov, Sergei Shiborin and Maria Gromova among those said to have perished in service to the Soviet Union. While no evidence came to light, two Italian amateur radio enthusiasts had made audio recordings of a transmission to support the conspiracy theory that these cosmonaut deaths were indeed covered up.
But one very public mission was that of Valentina Tereshkova whose 1963 adventure in Vostok 6 made her the first woman in space. On ‘Valentina Fly’, the minimal structure and string machines of the wonderful piece evoke OMD.
Featuring Fitzpatrick’s Roland Jupiter 4 which was loaned to Martyn Ware for the HEAVEN 17 live presentations of ‘Travelogue’ and ‘Reproduction’ in 2021, the fittingly titled ‘Jupiter City’ makes use of the presets Ware had saved for those shows; with recurring pulses and motifs, it is a delightful homage to those first two seminal albums by THE HUMAN LEAGUE. There are other instrumentals too, such as ‘Laika’ in honour of the first space dog.
With a moody Howard Jones versus Karl Bartos meets ‘Twins Peaks’ vibe, ‘Spacewalking’ tells the story of Ed Dwight, set to be the first African American astronaut but who was failed by the institutional racism within NASA despite having reached Phase II of the Aerospace Research Pilot School.
Not all the material on ‘Technology For The Youth’ is space themed; originally conceived as a homage to THE BUGGLES, ‘Future Radio’ is the bridge to CIRCUIT3’s past synthpop offerings, expressing the joy of the new “here on the radio, receiving in stereo”. Featuring the vocals of Italian singer Alessia Turcato, ‘Overview Effect’ stargazes on two fronts about the life imitating art scenario of William Shatner who played Captain Kirk on ‘Star Trek’ while also becoming the oldest person in space at 90 on board Blue Origin’s New Shepard sub-orbital space rocket.
Fittingly the tranquil ‘In The End (We All Become Closer)’ offers hope as “love is all we need” while using actual communications from the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission of 1975. Reflecting on this handshake in space as a symbol of détente, it is a reminder the world how it has lost its way in recent times and will be set on a disaster course, either through armed conflict or environmental catastrophe unless a united selfless front is actioned… so please LOOK UP!
While not as immediate as ‘siliconchipsuperstar’ and ‘The Price Of Nothing & The Value Of Everything’, ‘Technology For The Youth’ is an intelligent artistic statement on the trials and tribulations of mankind in the context of space travel. Like a musical research paper that draws parallels to today, it prompts a thoughtful mode of listening that encourages further reading.
Just as OMD sang about ‘Tesla Girls’ in 1984 and inadvertently exposed ignorant journalists who thought Messrs McCluskey and Humphreys were making up words, ‘Technology For The Youth’ is a record for the smarter-than-average music enthusiast, not your usual ‘Let’s Rock’ festival frequenter.
‘Technology For The Youth’ is released by AnalogueTrash on 15th July 2022 on digital and vinyl LP formats, pre-order from https://circuit3.bandcamp.com/
MOOD TAEG are the enigmatic multi-continental / multi-cultural kosmische trio with TDK and K’ko based in Düsseldorf while Lowell Freeman resides in Shanghai.
With two remotely constructed albums ‘Exophora’ and ‘Anaphora’ released on Happy Robots Records to their name, MOOD TAEG are unsurprisingly influenced by NEU! and HARMONIA; from their debut long player, ‘2MR’ was a tribute to Michael Rother.
Their next release journeys down the well-trodden German Road of variations on a theme as KRAFTWERK did with ‘Kometenmelodie’ and NEU! offshoot LA DÜSSELDORF did with ‘Menschen’. Doing as the title suggests, ‘Anaphora Versions’ features in-house and external re-imaginings of tracks from the second MOOD TAEG album.
While the Electric Boogaloo version of ‘Pilomotor Reflex’ sees Lowell Freeman dust off a vintage Roland TR-808 in a homage to Morgan Khan’s pioneering ‘Street Sounds Electro’ compilations of yesteryear, first out of the gate is a DanKe version of ‘Happiness Fragment’ with the ‘Anaphora’ closer now shaped into a comparatively poppier template.
From Germany and China, TDK and Lowell Freeman respectively came together for a quick chat with ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about their Dundeedorf ethos and five decades of NEU!
What was the idea behind ‘Happiness Fragment’, were there any particular influences behind its concept?
TDK: I’m not sure there was a concept as such but seeing as we don’t have conventional songs with lyrics, we often like to include spoken word samples that reflect our political or social views.
I remember reading Guy DeBord’s ‘Society of the Spectacle’ at university and it seemed to provide a good contrast to the more upbeat, even poppier, reworked version, along with feeling very apt in the social media saturated world we currently live in.
I included the Jimmy Reid (a famous Scottish trade unionist) sample for a couple of reasons. One was that it made a Scottish connection. The other reason was that it referenced a time when political discourse and political education among the working class was the norm and serious political discourse could be seen on mainstream media instead of the media-trained ghouls that exist today.
Lowell: One important concept for me was to try to progress from the first LP in ways that still follow that repetitiveness that we love from bands such as HARMONIA, but also make the tracks subtly evolve and never stay with one element for too long. ‘Happiness Fragment’ is probably the best example of that on ‘Anaphora’. I was also conscious of going for a more upbeat feel, at least in terms of sound. The LP track is also a clear nod to ‘Computerwelt’ in the last section with the pad sounds, chords and voice collage.
This neu DanKe version of ‘Happiness Fragment’ has been reworked to be more accessible?
TDK: As the DanKe suffix suggests, this was reworked by K’ko and myself and it was an attempt to take the longer album version and turn it into a track that would work well in a gig situation, especially considering that as a live band we only have two members compared to the three of the recording band.
Lowell: This DanKE version is mostly a Düsseldorf production, whereas the original has more of a Shanghai sound, so for me it feels fresh and is my favourite track on this ‘Versions’ CD. The added Jimmy Reid spoken word element is important to us and is also rather timely considering what’s happening in the UK with the rail workers and the treatment of all workers really. It will be no surprise to anyone who has heard our stuff that we are 100% behind Trade Unionism and workers having more say in their workplaces.
It’s NEU! 50, so will you be celebrating by going to any of the gigs? If you could choose a track to rework as MOOD TAEG, what would it be?
TDK: As far as we know, the only gig in Germany so far seems to be in Berlin but certainly, if they came to Düsseldorf, we would be there. In terms of choosing a track to rework, some people may say that we already did that with ‘2MR’ which bears more than a passing resemblance to ‘Hallogallo’ (haha!) I guess we would probably choose ‘Isi’ from ‘Neu! 75’ – it’s a very concise distillation of all the great NEU! elements and one of the great album openers.
Lowell: Yeah, anyone who’s listened to our first LP ‘Exophora’ knows ‘2MR’ pays homage to ‘Hallogallo’ so I think we’ve got a rework covered. If I was to do a track live, then yeah ‘Isi’ on ‘Neu! 75’ is a nice wee upbeat number.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its cosmic thanks to MOOD TAEG
The DanKe version of ‘Happiness Fragment’ is available on the usual online platforms from 8th July 2022
The EV of Athens-born Elena Charbila, KID MOXIE already has two albums, a soundtrack, numerous EPs and a games commission to her name.
The new album ‘Better Than Electric’ sees KID MOXIE veer to the dark side to explore her love of DEPECHE MODE and THE CURE while also maintaining the dreamier atmospheres showcased on previous releases ‘1888’ and ‘Perfect Shadow’.
Featuring collaborations with FADERHEAD, MAPS and LOST IN STARS, ‘Better Than Electric’ signals a new attitude but retains light within the darkness.
Elena Charbila spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK from her home in Los Angeles about her latest KID MOXIE adventures, the romanticism of goth and an exciting new project that will be sure to turn heads…
You have said that the phrase ‘Better Than Electric’ has been key to conceiving this work, what do you mean by that?
The first song I did for it, ‘Better Than Electric’ with MAPS was done a couple of years ago. We started bouncing files back and forth. When I put the first synth lines on his melody, it was a pun on being struck by lightning in a way, that it feels “better than electric”. But I didn’t understand what it meant, I just knew the feeling was beautiful, loving and connected, but the phrase kept haunting me. Even after I’d completed the song, I was so in love with the concept, that I wanted it to be what the album was about, where every track has a certain sort of feeling but it doesn’t need to 100% make sense. Everything fell into that folder.
So there isn’t a concept?
I didn’t have a specific sound in mind, the album is like a mix tape that I’ve made for a night drive rather than a cohesive work with the same sonic landscape. Somehow, I felt it didn’t matter as they were all night time songs about love and sex, about Los Angeles and that was the common denominator, it’s not like I used a CS80 for everything, it’s not what I cared about.
The title song with MAPS is not a perhaps an indicator of the sound of the album overall and points to something more Lynchian crossed with Roy Orbison, it’s a like a bridge from your previous work to the darker material on this new album?
I guess so although it’s never been in a conscious way, I didn’t think about it that way.
Although your breathy continental style is still present on the album, there is a harder attitude as evidenced on ‘Shine’ and ‘Unbroken’?
That’s when the Germans came in and they made it harder, ‘Shine’ and ‘Unbroken’ are not my regular dreampop. But I was in Hamburg with FADERHEAD who is known for hard hitting electro and I was like “take me by the hand and take me there”, so collaborating with different people brought different colours. With MAPS, we were so dreamy, it was like we were floating on a cloud but with FADERHEAD and his bass, it just grounded me like… I wasn’t even on earth, it was like in the basement with him.
‘Lost In Time’ is another track with a heavier industrial resonance?
Yeah, I did it for the ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ game, that was one of the songs that was on the cutting board and eventually they decided not to use it. I liked the song so much and it didn’t sound like anything else on the album and so different that I decided to put it on there to see how it lives. It’s definitely the hardest hitting techno one!
How do you think the fans of your dreamier material will take to these harder songs?
I don’t know and I can’t control it, but they sound good to me… for anything we do, if we think about how people are going to react to it, it’s just not a good recipe. I never really think how it’s going to be received, I used to but I don’t think that led me down a good path either personally or professionally. I just know that if it makes me happy and I’m proud of it, that’s all really I can control.
So have you turned into ‘Miss Robot’?
Well, there is some android layers in the album, on ‘Shine’ in particular where there’s a fine line between a female sex robot and grooming somebody *laughs*
If we take ‘Miss Robot’ just as a track, it was me bridging the 80s and the 90s sonically, but if you’re asking about the theme of robots, I am fascinated by it because it’s retro-futuristic. Robots at this point are both retro and futuristic. Their depiction in media is super fun… ‘All Is Full Of Love’ by Björk has an iconic video directed by Chris Cunningham where two female robots are making out the whole entire time… that is fascinating to me, it’s all mechanical and precise yet there’s sensuality in it. So as long as there is sensuality to this robot, yeah, I’m down.
You’ve always shown an appreciation for goth bands and you get to go out to play with the appropriately titled ‘At The End Of The Night’?
Originally, I was thinking of doing a darkwave album, ‘At The End Of The Night’ and ‘Black Flower’ were from that; the album was even going to be called ‘Black Flower’ because I’m obsessed with that dark romanticism which is what I think goth is about in my head. They ended up on the album because I felt it was so 80s as well. During the lockdown, although I’m a horrible guitar player, I was playing it more, studying the sound of THE CURE and implementing it on my songs. That’s how ‘At The End Of The Night’ came about, I wanted to copy THE CURE and BAUHAUS and see what it sounded like with my voice.
You don’t have “dreamgoth”, so I thought, let’s do that! So having elements like the starker guitar and the driving bass with a voice like mine which is more ethereal and sweet would create an interesting sonic sandwich.
I was listening to that imperial era of goth during lockdown as well, what’s intriguing about that period of THE CURE, SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES, THE SISTERS OF MERCY and THE MISSION, compared with what people might call modern goth rock, is how melodic it was despite the doom…
I 100% agree, if you think about it, you are not lured into a cave by somebody scary, you’re going to be lured into a cave by somebody attractive… it’s so alluring, the melodies are a vehicle to get you into the darkness and all those bands were genius in doing it that way.
Even BAUHAUS who are not the most melodic out of all of them, I think there is a romance to them that pulls you in, because if it’s all “undead – crucify – let me see you die”, that’s another genre to me… it’s not goth to me, goth is romantic and vampiric, vampires are some of the most romantic figures in literature and cinema. So live and love forever is how I think about goth, or else we are into heavy metal territory and human sacrifices, I’m not into that and I don’t think you are! *laughs*
Talking of heavy metal, what led you to do a cinematic psychedelic synth cover of AC/DC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ with LOST IN STARS? What was your thinking behind the arrangement?
I love covers and I was thinking what one I could do that’s closely associated with male machismo and guitars so that I could strip out all of it and go the other way. ‘Thunderstruck’ to me sounds like teen boy angst like none other, it’s so male and the vocals are so rocking. I wanted a pure antithesis, ‘Thunderstruck’ just felt right. I like that he’s talking about female strippers, so I thought “how f*cking cool would it be for a soft female voice to sing about that? I’d like to hear that so why don’t I do it?”
I get the impression there a lot of liberation and positivity that has come into your life recently, so it’s interesting that you have channelled some more foreboding aesthetics?
It’s doesn’t feel like a conflict to me, because I feel that the darkness which you are perceiving in the videos and music just lives very happily with the sunny side of me, it feels like they are feeding each other. For example, if I don’t feel happy and sunny and free and all that stuff, I cannot really create that dark romantic stuff. My aesthetic is very much in that world and in order for me to pull from that, I need to be feeling great. I’m not one of those artists that work out of their darkness. If I’m feeling depressed, I am handicapped. You’re feeling this darkness and romanticism because I am able to go there without dropping anger in it.
Was ‘Odyssey’ inspired by your Greek heritage at all, it’s also perhaps the song that’s closest to the material on your most recent album proper ‘1888’?
Yes, I never thought about it with regards ‘1888’ because the whole project just felt like a departure without it being a different genre altogether, it’s more of a continuation as ‘1888’ was also a “mixtape” in its way. The title was definitely a reference to my heritage but also to the journey of having to be travelling so far away from home. I was thinking the wonders of that travel that has lasted over 15 years now and the sirens along the way, with people or situations that have taught me and lured me in, some that spat me out and some that put their arms around me.
I’ve never had to talk about it before this but yes, it’s all those things and when a concept like that happens, it definitely feels like word association, a stream of consciousness. So ‘Odyssey’, yes, travel, Odysseus, the siren and that’s how the song happens and freely associating it with more words, more imagery and something concrete to say about it.
‘On A Sunday Night’ is perhaps the most synthwave friendly offering on the album, having been on the fringes of that ‘Drive’ influenced scene, how do you see that musical form progressing?
Synthwave has a special place in my heart in terms of the feelings I have when I hear warm synths. ‘On A Sunday Night’ is one of my 2 or 3 favourite tracks on the album because it does feel very pure and emotive in its theme and sound, it’s very naïve which to me is what I think the 80s and synthwave kind of should be, synthwave is not a sinister genre, it has a nostalgia or retro-futurism… I was around in the 90s and although I was in the 80s for a big chunk, I didn’t actually live it. But I’ve seen images and enough stuff to know that it feels like a magical period.
A friend of mine said about ‘On A Sunday Night’ that it sounded like the 80s but none of the tracks that were written then and I was thinking “that’s exactly what this is”. I wanted to pull from that era which I love so much but filter it through my current sensibilities and aesthetic.
Hip-Hop and Country moves them here in the US but in Europe, synthwave feels way bigger and acts like THE WEEKND and DUA LIPA are bringing in so much synth goodness with their productions that it’s dripping into the mainstream without people really noticing. People respond to synth lines, ‘Blinding Lights’ to me is ‘Take On Me’ by A-HA from the first moment and it feels good, it’s sweet, romantic and jolly, there’s so many layers to it. I don’t know is America is as far ahead as Europe is with synth but it’s being brought in by the big guns, soundtracks and ‘Stranger Things’.
Talking about ‘Stranger Things’, Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ is No1 in the UK and doing very well in the US singles charts…
Kate Bush is one of my all-time favourites, she’s an icon and up there with Roy Orbison who is one of my big influences. The fact that mainstream America and young America is now getting into Kate Bush is so incredible.
What’s interesting is that ‘Running Up That Hill’ is quite arty, it’s not out-and-out pop…
Yeah, it’s not like they’re bringing back ‘Take On Me’, this is an angsty woman-in-chains type of song, so for kids now to love that because it’s on ‘Stranger Things’, I love that!
How do you feel the reception for the ‘Better Than Electric’ album has been?
I’m very happy as a whole, there’s been some good press and the videos have been well received, people seem to get what this is, no-one has said “what the f*ck is this?” although I’m sure someone is saying it somewhere, although I haven’t heard it or read it *laughs*
Basically, I feel pretty good so far but I’m very ambitious and always want more… the more people watch the videos and hear the songs, that makes me happy. Some artists say they don’t care, but I f*cking do, I want this to be big and moving. I want people to be talking about it and listening to it, I didn’t do it to be listening to it with my friends in my living room…
What’s next in the pipeline for you?
I have an album with NINA out later in the year and it’s called ‘Lust Is A Crime’…
The late German electronic music legend Klaus Schulze sadly passed away on 26th April 2022 at the age of 74 after a long illness.
Literally never one to sit still, he left behind a vast portfolio of work. Among his most lauded albums were ‘Timewind’, ‘Moondawn’, ‘Mirage’, ‘X’ and ‘Dune’. The Berlin School veteran was set to release his new album ‘Deus Arrakis’ in Summer 2022 with another musical salute to ‘Dune’ author Frank Herbert.
Featuring three tracks with a combined playing time of more than 77 minutes, ‘Deus Arrakis’ was inspired by his Hans Zimmer collaboration ‘Grains of Sand’ aka ‘Herbert’ for the end credits of the 2021 ‘Dune’ film adaptation.
Photo c 1978, Klaus D Mueller, Berlin
Poignantly, Klaus Schulze had said in an interview with Albrecht Plitz for the booklets of his 2004 back catalogue reissues when asked about retirement: “…not until they carry me out of this studio in a box!” – the closing piece on ‘Deus Arrakis’ is called ‘Der Hauch des Lebens’ or as translated into English, “The Breath of Life”.
A one-time member of TANGERINE DEAM and ASH RA TEMPEL before embarking on a solo career in 1972, the advent of synthesizers and sequencers freed him from the constraints of a conventional band.
Taking him on a creative journey into the unknown, Schulze saw synthesizers as an opportunity to develop original tone colours with his improvised compositions often lasting for almost half an hour at a time and rarely less than a quarter. Adopting a playful physical approach that encompassed a minimalist groove whether using analogue modulars, digital samplers or the latest computers, one of his favourite phrases was “It’s not about me, it’s about the music” and this was the case until the very end.
In one of his last ever interviews, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK was granted a rare audience with Klaus Schulze to talk about his career and the ‘Deus Arrakis’ album. The conversation transcript from 22nd April 2022 has been published in full with the blessing of his management and publicist as a tribute to the great man and his cosmic legacy.
How did ‘Grains of Sand’ with Hans Zimmer come about, was it like a rejuvenation for you?
Photo from kdm archives
Our mutual friend Lisa Gerrard brought Hans and me together – she was working with him at that time from which I had no idea. One day Hans called me and we talked a little bit about Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ – we both are huge fans of the books – and the film remake by Denis Villeneuve. Hans was inspired by my music, he liked my albums ‘Dune’ and ‘X’, especially the track ‘Frank Herbert’.
Based on that, he asked me for a co-operation and out came that new Hans Zimmer / Klaus Schulze track ‘Grains Of Sand’ – or ‘Herbert’ as it was titled earlier in the end credits of the film. It was a pleasure to work with Hans – he is not only a great artist and one of the best addresses for film music in the world but also just a very nice guy! And yes, the whole ‘Dune’ thing inspired me – once again 40 years after my first ‘Dune’ album – to plunge into Frank Herbert’s universe and the beautiful pureness of Arrakis’ deserts. I just started playing…
So what concepts did you have in your mind for ‘Deus Arrakis’ to inspire you in composition?
To be correct, when I started playing I did not think of anything to achieve or of a certain direction. I don’t play concept albums – I am way too instinctive and improvising for that! The inspiration for ‘Deus Arrakis’ was a general one; it is always the same, when I start playing I got lost in the soundscapes and chords I love so much.
Before that there had been a longer phase where I was too sick and couldn’t work for months. I certainly took my time with it and it was towards the end of the recording stages that I realized the results were pretty ‘Dune’-ish. That was when I searched my archives and picked the recordings I had left of Wolfgang Tiepold’s cello, which clearly was the perfect match. So even though Hans and Lisa and Denis (Villeneuve) may have kickstarted it, in the end it became clear this was in fact another tribute to Frank Herbert the brilliant creator of the ‘Dune’ universe…
‘Osiris’ from ‘Deus Arrakis’ has a beautiful minimal ambience that evokes the best of your past work, did you return to any of your old equipment for the album?
Oh, the old Moogs and ARPs, my Mellotron and even the Korg PS – they are all long gone. What I actually used from the old days was my trusty EMS Synth A – a great instrument to create pure electronic landscapes with. It does not play concrete notes as it does not even have a keyboard – it is not necessary. But everything else I used is the more modern instruments. And also a lot of my favourite virtual synths from the studio computer.
Would you say it is best to combine vintage analogue instrumentation with computer controllability to plant the seed of that sound without the practical challenges?
Photo c 1998, Klaus D Mueller, Berlin
For me, absolutely yes! I have spent many years fighting the various technical aspects from so many different machines that I absolutely enjoy turning on everything – and Boom, it’s all there. I certainly would not want to go back to having to tune everything… or patch my way through every single part of an analogue synth.
I can understand if you are a collector and love the old machines, that’s great, but if I want to work, I want to work… and I am not very patient anymore regarding having to wait for a piece of equipment until it’s ready to be played.
Your followers will be pleased that you are still producing half hour pieces of music, was there any temptation to edit more drastically? Or does “movement, depth and randomness” still apply?
The tracks flow as they flow. Just as it should be… that hasn’t changed. Don’t be fooled by the new “single” as the record company calls it. That is not a single. I never do singles… by the time a single is over I haven’t even gone half way through my first intro phase alone… it is just the beginning of a much longer track. Oh yes, there were quite a few discussions with my record company as they wanted a single to promote the album. The shortest track I did still is about 20 minutes or so. So no single.
It is clear that longer tracks have to be cut anyway in order to fit on one vinyl record side – and that already hurts every time. I do not like that at all, that really is why I still love my CDs. The editing down into split parts is up to my engineer… I couldn’t do that. With today’s streaming requirements they have gone to even splitting up all the tracks for streaming because a lot of money is lost if they don’t do that. That is so very annoying… and clearly it does not serve the music at all… which it should in the first place.
What is your current equipment set-up?
Hardware: Mini and Memorymoogs, 3 x SE 1, EMS Synthi A, PPG Wave. EMU samplers (for all the older libraries), Roland keyboards and expanders (almost all ages), Alesis analogue synths, Access synths, Quasimidi synths. Kawai and Korg expanders. One or two of the more recent synths to try out.
The software synth collection centres around Arturia, Spectrasonics, Steinberg, U-HE and also a lot of smaller and more obscure synth models. All of that goes into my half digital, half analogue Tascam console which uses RME AD/DA hardware to connect to my Mac. Logic Pro still is my favourite DAW – I have lots of MIDI to administer!
Photo c 1976, Klaus D. Mueller, Berlin
Which would you say are your most favourite synthesizers of all time?
Oh… not as easy as it may sound… I guess the good old modular Moog is one of them, as well as the Mini. And the CS80! I still love my EMS Synth and ah, the original Mellotron… well was that a synthesizer after all? Roland’s JD 800 also still is a favourite.
How did you get on with using the first digital era of equipment like the Crumar GDS, PPG Wave 2.2 and Fairlight computer instruments or the Yamaha DX7?
That DX7… never was for me… but the beginning of the digital synth age was very exciting. I remember dragging the GDS and Wave with us on tour was a bit nasty, but I wanted them on stage back then. Always a pleasure when you could load your favourite programmed sound again safely from a floppy disk… and those synths finally never went out of tune again when they got warm! That was a very welcome first!
Fairlight and Wave were first tested in the studio and we got along very well. There were quite a few hiccups in the beginning, especially with the Wave which had its platines upright on end, so we had to take them out and refit them after every transport… but the digital revolution was the start of a new era soundwise and I was keen to try the latest new instruments and the sounds they could create. It sounded totally fresh and new.
Harald Grosskopf has said working with you on ‘Moondawn’ was the highlight of his career, how do you look back on that album?
It was one of those ‘one-night-wonders’ and we really had a good flow together and of course a lot of fun with the Big Moog!
What would be your favourite works from your career and why?
Every album I do is my best – everyone has its time and its own history and circumstances, though there are some albums that are more in my mind than others are! Really, when you work on something it is the latest and best you’ve ever done and so it always is my favourite record. It’s as simple as that. However once a record is finally completed and I hold a CD or vinyl copy in my hands it looks great … but my interest vanishes pretty quickly. It’s always been like that.
In memory of KLAUS SCHULZE 1947 – 2022
With thanks to Matt Benton at Hold Tight and Klaus D Mueller
The 450 page hardback book ’Violins Don’t Grow On Trees – The Life & Work of Klaus Schulze’ by Olaf Lux is available in English and German language editions from https://olaflux.bandcamp.com/
If you had Yoko Ono’s ‘Walking On Thin Ice’ reconfigured as a Balearic friendly electronic disco number, then that in a nutshell encapsulates ‘Tongue Tied’, the latest single by Gemma Cullingford.
From the upcoming long player of the same name, to be released by Elmo Recordings in Autumn 2022, the Norwich-based Cullingford made her debut as a solo artist with ‘Let Me Speak’, one of the singles from which ‘Wide Boys’ got the remix treatment from A CERTAIN RATIO. Also from that 2021 album, ‘I Like You’ was an adventure in art funk that wouldn’t have sounded out of place as a single on Factory Records.
Utilising a minimal programmed backdrop, a stark spoken word reading of Bobby Gentry’s ‘Ode To Billie Joe’ proved to be a highlight alongside the mutant harmonic menace of ‘The Lizard’ and the groovily hypnotic ‘Queen Bee’ which contained a closing instrumental synth passage that came over like Gary Numan gone glitterball.
With a nonchalant but sensual vocal style reminiscent of Sarah Nixey of BLACK BOX RECORDER, ‘Tongue Tied’ exudes a positive if nervous energy in a purer metronomic adoption of electronics. The parent sophomore album promises explorations on “relationships and the different emotions they can bring, from paranoia, yearning and helplessness to lust, shyness and just downright wanting to dance.”
Already a four album veteran before going solo as a member of SINK YA TEETH and earlier in KAITO with Nik Colk Void of FACTORY FLOOR, now that LONELADY has reopened the door to female fronted electronically sequenced post-punk funk in the past year, Gemma Cullingford could be next in line to be embraced by a wider audience.
The album ‘Tongue Tied’ is released on 2nd September 2022 by Elmo Recordings as a CD and vinyl LP
Brighton Residents Records (2nd September), Norwich Arts Centre (8th September)*, Ipswich Smokehouse (9th September)*, London Dalston Shacklewell Arms (10th September)*, Manchester Talleyrand (17th September)+, Bristol Crofter’s Rights (29th October)+
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