Category: Introducing (Page 20 of 26)

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

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

Introducing EVOKATEUR

1 September 2012 /


EVOKATEUR are Sarah and Hector Villaraus, a duo who blend electro gothic cinematics and mechanised beats with emotive melodies.

Even in “a dark world of ashes”, one needs hope in moments of despair. Melancholic they maybe but doom merchants they are most certainly not… Sarah’s vocals provide a dreamy contrast to the occasionally post-apocalyptic soundtrack. Time Out have called them: “Sinister mecha-pop”.

Their first single ‘Wolf Girl’ released in March 2011 launched their stark but accessible sound. But the single’s B-sides also showed an appreciation of the darker side of the Moog with a sinister remix of ‘Wolf Girl’ by Gary Numan and Ade Fenton plus a beautifully resigned cover version of TEARS FOR FEARS ‘Mad World’.

From their first EP ‘Crow’s Wedding’, the lovely ‘Wildflowers’ was glittery but tinged with sadness, while there was also the slightly more dance laden ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’. The duo’s accompanying grainy self-made video certainly added a gone to earth aura. Meanwhile, ‘Same As You’ was pretty modulating synthpop, up there with the Nordic influenced crystalline demeanour of QUEEN OF HEARTS. ‘Undone’ though adopted a more unsettling shade but despite the drones and distorted noise, it was carried off without being dour or resorting to witchery.

Their new six-track release ‘Chime Hours’ is the second in series of three EP releases which will gradually form an album’s worth of material. From it, ‘White Horses’ is laced with Eurocentric grandeur and angelic beauty. It is perhaps has hints of SCHILLER’s ‘Playing With Madness’ but with grittier overtones.

‘1684’ ups the tempo and is almost like MEDIAEVAL BAEBES meets DEPECHE MODE, while the moodier ‘Post’ adds operatics and swirling neo-theremin. Continuing their downtempo excursions, ‘How Long’ is held together by a sparse framework with minimal percussive elements that build for some chilling breathy atmospherics.

EVOKATEUR do dark but they do pop as well, although the spectre of LAMB’s ‘Gorecki’ does loom. It sounds very promising so their development will be observed with interest.

The ‘Crow’s Wedding’ and ‘Chime Hours’ EPs are available as downloads via iTunes and Amazon

http://www.evokateur.co.uk

http://soundcloud.com/weareevokateur

Text by Chi Ming Lai
1st September 2012

Introducing CHVRCHES

24 August 2012 /


CHVRCHES’ brilliant first single ‘Lies’ is like ‘The Whole Of The Moon’ re-imagined by Gary Numan but fronted by Robyn.

It’s all driving electronic drums, meaty piercing synths, powerful vocals and a forlorn gothic demeanour but most importantly, ‘Lies’ has a tune!!

A bunch of influences such as Laurie Anderson, DEPECHE MODE and danceable pop music form part of CHVRCHES’ artistic vision. The enigmatic Glaswegian trio of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook and Martin Doherty have been very coy about overexposing themselves on the ether.

But a source who has seen CHVRCHES’ live show has confirmed that they are worthy of the excitement that appears to have centred around them via the various buzz blogs who like to be first and up-to-the minute.

Few bands manage to produce a song as good as ‘Lies’ in their lifetime, let alone as their debut so while ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK reserves judgement until a larger body of work has been heard, the signs are that even at this early stage, CHVRCHES should be taken seriously. They have a manager, invested in quality equipment such as the Minimoog Voyager and Prophet 08, made their signature song sound as dynamic as possible with high production values and like HURTS, have realised that a stylised video representation of the band is an important calling card.

They also did two days of dress rehearsal ahead of their first proper show at the Glasgow Art School… one might laugh but only a few years ago, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK witnessed the performance of one synthpop duo, much highly vaunted by the evening’s hosting blog, who had not bothered to rehearse before their debut gig…not surprisingly, they were rather appalling! Aspiring acts, please take note!

So CHVRCHES… can they “make a true believer of anyone”?

‘Lies’ is available as a free download via Neon Gold

https://chvrch.es/

www.facebook.com/CHVRCHES

https://twitter.com/CHVRCHES

Text by Chi Ming Lai
24th August 2012, Updated 5th January 2013

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