Category: Introducing (Page 19 of 25)

Introducing NIGHT CLUB

19 September 2013 /

Californian-based NIGHT CLUB formed in 2011 when vocalist Emily Kavanaugh and producer Mark Brooks began writing songs that combined the pure pop of PINK and Britney Spears with the much heavier spectre of SLAYER into a danceable, electronic underworld.

Their respective life experiences led them into this darker territory as Kavanaugh dealt with her father’s untimely death while Brooks faced his own demons.

NIGHT CLUB are best represented by their most immediate number, the Britney gone Emo of ‘Poisonous’ and the friskily minimal ‘Give Yourself Up To Me’. Positively feline but dysfunctionally dark, ‘Poisonous’ bases itself, like STEFY’s lost 2007 single ‘Chelsea’, around the riff of ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)’.

This superb slice of catchy electronic pop from the LA combo of Emily Kavanaugh and Mark Brooks rouses with a huge crossover potential while possessing a cutely subversive and sinister edge. Kavanaugh recently described their musical DNA as: “If Depeche Mode f*cked Britney Spears and had a baby who hung out in dark corners of seedy clubs, then that baby would be us.”

By way of a connection, NIGHT CLUB open for cult new wavers BOOK OF LOVE who supported DEPECHE MODE on the ‘Black Celebration’ tour on 8th October 2013 at Los Globos in Los Angeles.

‘Night Club’ and ‘Love Casualty’ are released by Gato Blanco and available as downloads from Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon

http://nightclubband.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nightclubband

https://soundcloud.com/nightclubband

Text by Chi Ming Lai
19th September 2013, updated 25th May 2016

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 TORUL

7 June 2013 /

Native to the wonderfully named Ljubljana in Slovenia, Torul Torulsson, a talented songwriter and producer met guitarist and live synth player Borut Dolenec at a party.

A friendship was forged when they both went to see psychedelic experimentalists BELGRADE NOISE SOCIETY.

Torulsson had already established himself within the music industry having recorded a number of successful club tracks since 1995 under several aliases. The debut album by TORUL, appropriately named ‘Dark Matters’, was released in 2010 and portrayed the demons that Torulsson himself must have overcome to be able to write so eloquently about them.

Torulsson and lead vocalist Jan Jenko came together through a mutual producer friend while Jenko was recording with his other band WORLD::WITHIN. As in the case of so many inspiring collaborations, the pair experienced an instant connection and so work began on recording a new album ‘In Whole’ in 2011. Single ‘Try’ was the first to be released and due to the adroit video, it was successfully featured on regional MTV stations.

TORUL’s current album – the highly contagious ‘Tonight We Dream Fiercely’ – was released in Europe in April this year and reached a top three spot on the Deutsche Alternative Charts just behind OMD and DEPECHE MODE no less! Launch single ‘Glow’ sets the benchmark for a collection of magnificent electronic tracks, each easily a single in their own right. ‘I’m Still Here’ delights with more than a nod towards electronic stalwarts BLANCMANGE while the dark and menacing ‘Wake Up’ conjures visions of FAD GADGET although neither of these great acts are quoted by the band themselves as influences.

TORUL have certainly impressed during their very successful 14 date European tour supporting MESH recently with the statuesque Jenko displaying more than his fair share of stage presence. With the band heavily involved in the conception and production of their own videos, they are a steadily growing force in the alternative electro field and deservedly so…

‘Tonight We Dream Fiercely’ is available now on CD and download via Infacted Recordings

http://www.torul-recordings.net/

http://www.facebook.com/torul

Text by Deb Danahay
7th June 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 with thanks to Deb Danahay
10th March 2013

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