Category: Introducing (Page 19 of 25)

Introducing GIRL ONE & THE GREASE GUNS

24 August 2013 /


New in 2013 are mysterious combo GIRL ONE & THE GREASE GUNS.

Who are they? Nobody really knows for sure but the band members’ names Sissy Space Echo, Warren Betamax, Charles Bronson Burner and Bruce LeeFax are probably a good indicator of their collective mindset.

Their manifesto is “to thrive on causing confusion with a mixture of pure synth pop and more experimental electronic sounds”.

GIRL ONE & THE GREASE GUNS came to the attention of small UK indie label Squirrel Records by placing a cassette under the windscreen wiper of a car outside the label’s HQ! Containing the dysfunctional indie synthpop of ‘Driving Without Headlights (Once Again)’ and the noisefest of ‘(I’m A) Willing Receiver’, this pair of paranoid dystopian ditties were released as a 7 inch single in April of this year. Recorded in The Glass Factory, “a freezing cold structure in the middle of a timber yard”, their latest single ‘Jessica 6’ is a tribute to the cult Sci-Fi favourite ‘Logan’s Run’.

Using footage of the lovely Jenny Agutter from the film in the promo video, the eerie post-punk cacophony laced with icy Yamaha string machine makes ‘Jessica 6’ the perfect belated choice for the theme tune. Add in a frantic reverbed backbeat and it all comes over like THE PIPETTES fronting an OMD assisted JOY DIVISION.

Despite these winter of discontent overtones, the B-side brings things up-to-date with the brilliantly titled ‘Bring On The Dancing Horse Meat’. With sexily nonchalant vocals from Sissy plus a barrage of low-fi guitars, Farfisa and battered Casio, it is an enjoyable slice of progressive mechanical desolation.

The band have declared themselves essential listening for fans of THE NORMAL, CABARET VOLTAIRE, FAD GADGET, DEPECHE MODE, OMD and YAZOO! Their third single ‘(Here Come) The Catastrophe Machines’ which has been described as ‘Nag Nag Nag’ but more violent is out in October!

‘Jessica 6’ and ‘Driving Without Headlights (Once Again)’ are released by Squirrel Records as 7 inch vinyl singles and downloads

http://www.squirrelrecords.co.uk/girl-one-and-the-grease-guns/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Girl-One-And-The-Grease-Guns/440754999339179

Text by Chi Ming Lai
24th August 2013

Introducing SAY LOU LOU

17 May 2013 /

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK loves dream laden electronic sophistication

Recent offerings from HANNAH PEEL and KID MOXIE have been fine examples of that template.

Cut from that same cloth is ‘Julian’, the beautiful new single from SAY LOU LOU, who comprise of the highly photogenic Scandipodean twins Elektra and Miranda Kilbey.

The track features subtle elements of ROBYN, LANA DEL REY, KARIN PARK, MARSHEAUX and THE SOUND OF ARROWS. Meanwhile, the lavish video directed by Philippe Tempelman chronicles what turns out to be a mysterious bizarre love triangle.

It is full of tension and intrigue like a Nordic Noir mini-series compressed into a three minute pop song that fuses both darkness and light as the lyrics suggest:“I’ll get us through the checkpoint, I know we’ll be alright!”

Flitting between Sydney and Stockholm, the Kilbey sisters have been impressing since their more organic first single ‘Maybe You’. None other than Richard X is rumoured to be working with them on songs for their debut album. Perhaps not surprisingly with their steady tempos and art house cinematics, SAY LOU LOU are also being thought of as a female HURTS, having recently supported Messrs Hutchcraft and Anderson on tour in Europe.

The B-side of ‘Julian’ entitled ‘Fool Of Me’ which features Australian singer Chet Faker is a highly tasteful compliment to the main feature.

While it is difficult to fully judge the potential of any new act with such as small catalogue, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK did get it right with CHVRCHES and VILE ELECTRODES. So here’s to SAY LOU LOU delivering further on their brand of shimmering escapism.

‘Julian’ b/w ‘Fool Of Me’ is available now as a download or 7 inch vinyl

http://www.sayloulou.com/

http://www.facebook.com/SayLouLoumusic

https://soundcloud.com/sayloulou

Text by Chi Ming Lai
18th May 2013

Introducing TR/ST

10 March 2013 /

With AUSTRA returning following their acclaimed 2011 debut album ‘Feel It Break’, a side project during their hiatus originally featuring their drummer Maya Postepski has almost passed under radar but deserves recognition.

TR/ST started as a synth duo comprising of Postepski and Robert Alfons who released their debut album ‘TRST’ back in early 2012 on the Arts & Crafts label.

Formed in 2010 in Toronto, they released their debut EP ‘Candy Walls’ in 2011 on Brooklyn imprint Sacred Bones Records. Like AUSTRA, the music is swathed in electro-gothic grandeur but differs in that it features predominately male vocals. The hypnotically sombre ‘Bulbform’ has been their calling card and features a grainy retro-futuristic video cut from archive fashion footage…

Meanwhile the album ‘TRST’ features a number of impressive tracks including the minimal ‘F.T.F.’ which features Postepski duetting with Alfons, her voice possessing the sinister spectre of LADYTRON’s Mira Aroyo.

There’s also the trancier synthscapes of ‘Sulk’ and the alternate Euro-disco of ‘Dressed For Space’ which comes over like a doom laden version of CAMOUFLAGE’s ‘Love Is A Shield’ with Alfons’ unsettling larynx dominating like Eeyore gone goth…

However, with AUSTRA releasing a new album ‘Olympia’ in June, Postepski has returned to the band while Alfons is currently completing a North American tour and working solo on a second TR/ST album.

‘TRST’ is available via Amazon, iTunes and the usual digital outlets

http://ttrustt.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dressedforspace/

https://twitter.com/trstmusic

Text by Chi Ming Lai
10th March 2013

Introducing JULIAN & MARINA

16 October 2012 /


JULIAN & MARINA is a new Swedish pop collaboration between Marina Schiptjenko and Julian Brandt.

Marina – a famous Swedish art gallerist and style icon – is perhaps best known internationally as a member of the electropop band BODIES WITHOUT ORGANS (BWO), who had great success in both Swedish and European charts with hits such as ‘Sunshine In The Rain’ and ‘Lay Your Love On Me’. BWO once played in front of some quarter of a million people during a single event in the Ukraine.

However, Marina was also an electronic music pioneer in one of the first Swedish synthpop bands ever; PAGE. They formed in 1980 and are still active. She was also later part of electronic band VACUUM.

Meanwhile, Julian has been involved in several indie pop bands like BOBBY and was a member of the classic Swedish new wave / new romantic band LUSTANS LAKEJER who had their third album ‘En Plats I Solen’, produced by JAPAN’s Richard Barbieri.

It all started when Julian asked Marina if she would like to work on a song called ‘Moon & The Stars’. The end result was enjoyably dreamy and reminiscent of ALPHAVILLE’s ‘Summer Rain’. Soon realising that they shared the same views on music and complemented each other well, they quickly decided to form a band together.

‘Absence’ is JULIAN & MARINA’s debut EP, consisting of five tracks, with ‘The Knight’ as lead single. Inspired by classic French pop, great 20th century singers like Frank Sinatra and a love for electronic music, they have created their own sound – “electro crooner”. This tag suits the distinct sound of JULIAN & MARINA very well. The music is quite laid back, soft and very elegant with Julian’s very special soothing voice on top of it all.

Of the five songs on this EP, the more upbeat synthpop of ‘Blocking The Line’ and ’The Knight’ are the highlights. The EP also features an atmospheric electro lounge cover of a virtually unknown ELVIS PRESLEY ballad called ‘A House That Has Everything’ which featured in his film ‘Clambake’.

‘Absence’ is released by Pop On The Moon as a download EP and available now via Amazon and iTunes

http://julianbrandt.com

https://www.facebook.com/JulianandMarina/

Text by Johan Wejedal
Additional Material by Chi Ming Lai
16th October 2012

Introducing TITANS

9 September 2012 /


Imagine if RAMMSTEIN were reincarnated as DEPECHE MODE but without the flame throwers?

TITANS’ vocalist Dan Von Hoyel sounds like a lower register Dave Gahan in SOULSAVERS mode crossed with a less Teutonic Till Lindemann and his larynx has a rich body which is unusual for a sub-genre known for its shouting.

Despite ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s editorial not being big on industrial or futurepop, love is being belatedly thrown on one particular track ‘It’s Dark’ which first sprung in March of this year with a wonderfully creepy video directed by Fredrik Karlsson and starring Hasse Blomkvist.

Menacing like MECHANICAL CABARET’s excellent ‘Meat Closet’ but with broader textural palettes and accessible melodic counterpoints, it lifts enormously in the chorus showcasing the trio’s ability to play with dynamics.

The parent album ‘For The Long Gone’ is an enjoyable listen and fans of DE/VISION, COVENANT and VNV NATION will like TITANS. The vibrant electronic backing from Fredrik Mattsson and Jimmy Svensson is well produced, energetic without being bombastic and tuneful without being twee.

The foreboding synth atmospheres of ‘All There Is’ are reminiscent CAMOUFLAGE while the Olympian effort of ‘For The Long Gone’ could be ULTRAVOX meeting RAMMSTEIN for an electronic collaboration. ‘Dried Out’ is more EBM and is NITZER EBB without the blaring, trancelike in its hypnotism.

The trick TITANS pull off compared to their contemporaries is perhaps their willingness to be multi-dimensional in their sound. The Swedish trio’s self-confessed doompop is very promising and a pleasant surprise to these ears.

‘For The Long Gone’ is released by Progress Productions

The album can be heard on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/07sHZknDCQFfMv5KqnrN7w

http://www.facebook.com/TitansOfficial

Text by Chi Ming Lai
9th September 2012

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