Category: Introducing (Page 21 of 25)

Introducing SIN COS TAN

20 August 2012 /

SIN COS TAN is the new mathematically charged project of ace producer Jori Hulkkonen and VILLA NAH’s Juho Paalosmaa.

Having worked together previously on VILLA NAH’s superb debut album ‘Origin’ and on the track ‘Re: Last Year’ from Hulkkonen’s own ‘Man From Earth’ solo record, a further artistic union was almost inevitable. The duo made their live debut at Helsinki’s Flow Festival this summer.

Their first offering ‘In Binary’ will not be a complete surprise to anyone who has loved either VILLA NAH or PROCESSORY, Hulkkonen’s project with Jerry Valuri. With a stylish video by Pyry Lepistö, Juho Norokytö, and Matti Ranki, the track is an atmospheric amalgam of the two although probably biased more towards the futurist space ballads of the latter’s ‘Change Is Gradual’ album.

The superbly pulsating ‘Trust’ though is perhaps more VILLA NAH, and showcases the pair’s manifesto to be “a synthesized duo of great promise, broken dreams, and long nights”.

Add in sweeping drifts, sharp widescreen cimbalom, danceable but subtle beats and emotive vocals tinged with sadness from Paalosmaa, what more could you want? Haunted by the ghost of the late Billy MacKenzie, ‘Trust’ could possibly be the song of 2012…

So while VILLA NAH take a sabbatical and Hulkkonen wears yet another hat (other monikers have included ZYNTHERIUS, ACID SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, KEBACID, DRUMMAN, STOP MODERNISTS and THE TANIA & JORI CONTINENTS!), SIN COS TAN are finishing an album for forthcoming release.

A 12 inch white label featuring the songs ‘Not Over’ and ‘Sooner Than Now’ has been issued as a limited edition of 300 and is available from Stupido Records

http://www.facebook.com/homeofsincostan

http://www.jorihulkkonen.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/villa-nah/8854069998

Text by Chi Ming Lai
20th August 2012

Introducing …of DIAMONDS

4 August 2012 /


“Les filles, ces trois filles. Ils avaient l’air si doux, si vulnérable, mais ils avaient acier à l’intérieur entre eux, la dureté de la terre elle-même. C’était comme si elles étaient faites …de diamants.”

From Norwich, it’s the band of the week! …of DIAMONDS are possibly the English countryside’s answer to AU REVOIR SIMONE and compriseof three Norfolk girls Vikki Diamond, Natalie Diamond and Kimberley Diamond.

They differ from the Brooklyn threesome in their use of organic instrumentation alongside the synthesized experiments. Augmented by Boy on Drums, they deliver hybrid electronica with three-part harmonies that can be bittersweet but not without some wry humour and fun. Band interests include tea and cake… so they’re the real life East Anglian version of HO-KAGO TEA TIME!

Working with producers Sankt & Neudorf, the end result sounds like a kooky musical workshop from a Girl Guide camping weekend… there’s tradition but there’s also adventure! With a love of KRAFTWERK and BLONDIE, the varied mix of influences which also include STEREOLAB, SUGARCUBES, THE KNIFE, STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE and BANANARAMA make for some intriguing music.

Their debut single ‘…of Diamonds Theme’ was an enjoyably bizarre three movement mash-up of KRAFTWERK, JANE BIRKIN, NINE INCH NAILS and AIR. For that alone, the girls deserve an award or a straitjacket or something! Described in their press release as “rural electronic girl-pop weirdos”, that may be so but as their previous B-side ‘Weirdo’ testifies: “If I am a weirdo, then you are much weirder…”

Their new EP ‘Two Songs About Love’ is their second release and from it, the catchy ‘Friends’ features a promo video of the girls singing in front of some mock Twitter subtext to illustrate the standpoint of virtual relationships. As the girls themselves say: “Breaking up on Twitter is so hard to do…”Also on the EP, ‘Go Far’ is a quirky buzz ‘n’ bleep laden Magical Mystery Tour via THE CURE’s ‘In Between Days’. And in a twist to ‘Are Friends Electric? and its story of failing robot lovers, ‘Buddy’ gives a quaint alternate take on the matter…funnily enough, it sounds like a less gothic ROBOTS IN DISGUISE!

“We formed from carbon atoms that came from stars” say Vikki, Natalie and Kimberley; …of DIAMONDS are distinct from many other acts using synths who might prefer industrialised or minimal strains. Delectably charming to the nth degree, having played a handful of gigs in their hometown, the girls hope to bring their live show to the rest of the UK in the Autumn.

‘Two Songs About Love’ EP is released by Norfolk Mining Company on 20th August 2012. It can be purchased via iTunes and Amazon, other digital retailers are available…

http://www.ofdiamonds.co.uk

http://www.facebook.com/ofdiamonds

Text by Chi Ming Lai
4th August 2012

Introducing ELEVEN:ELEVEN

2 July 2012 /


One act flaunting their potential right now Stateside are Texan duo ELEVEN:ELEVEN.

Comprising the celestial voice of Sicca with the instrumentation of Jake Childs, their electronic sound recalls a variety of influences including Italo Disco, Hi-NRG, Electroclash and BERLIN…no, not the one-time divided city with the Brandenburg Gate as its focal point but the LA combo led by Terri Nunn who had a worldwide smash with ‘Take My Breath Away’.

Prior to selling their souls to the F-14, BERLIN were the flagwavers for Eurocentric synthpop in the US with brilliant songs such as ‘The Metro’, ‘Masquerade’, ‘Pleasure Victim’ and ‘Now It’s My Turn’. While their song titles like ‘Electric Sex’, ‘Little White Lies’ and ‘No Words’ are very BERLIN-esque, what ELEVEN:ELEVEN do differently is Sicca avoids Terri Nunn’s rock histrionics which occasionally made BERLIN sound like ULTRAVOX fronted by HEART!

Sicca is much more feline and restrained while Childs provides a sparse, futuristic soundtrack sans guitars. ‘Little White Lies’ in a case in point, driven by an arpeggiated bassline and dressed with portmento synth stabs while Sicca sounds rather seductively detached.

From their debut EP of the same name, ‘Infection’ is more Studio54 with hypnotic hints of BOBBY O and GIORGIO MORODER while ‘Pawn’ is precise mechanical electro disco with a poker faced stare. Crucially, Childs gives the songs dynamics with syncopated high and lows which are free of the disease in current mainstream pop where four-to-the-floor thuds are just thrusted into oblivion.

‘No Words’ recalls MISS KITTEN & THE HACKER, capturing a tense nightlife seediness. Short but sweet with a swirling middle section, who needs an extended dance mix when the point is made in two and a half minutes? In keeping with the modern trend for a series of EPs and singles eventually leading to a long player, ELEVEN:ELEVEN are currently working on a concept entitled ‘Through The Veil’. This will steadily see the release of a track one-at-a-time, culminating in a finished album. So far, only ‘Little White Lies’ and No Words’ have seen the light of day. But based on these two numbers, the other eight tracks are now anticipated with great interest…

The music of ELEVEN:ELEVEN can be heard at https://soundcloud.com/weare1111

http://www.facebook.com/the.eleveneleven

Text by Chi Ming Lai
2nd July 2012

Introducing THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS

3 June 2012 /


Hailing from Brooklyn, THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS are Eleanore Everdell and Jason Friedman, a girl-boy duo who combine the electronic and the organic into a sultry new wave fusion.

Following their debut single ‘Dressed In Dresden’ on Pure Groove in 2009, they signed to the ultra-hip Warp Records and released their first EP ‘This Desert’.

Both showcased their sensibility for occasional gothic overtones a la JOY DIVISION and SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES.

Their self-titled debut came in late 2010 and on it, the fantastic opener ‘Young Aren’t Young’, produced by Richard X, was a dreamy Italo disco number layered with the type of chordial guitar that would have made Bernard Sumner proud, although on this live version for KEXP, it is rather cranked up to the max!

Also produced by Richard X, ‘Commotion’ possessed a brilliant dynamic energy which sounded like THE CURE at Studio 54 fronted by THE MOTELS, all very New York while simultaneously London or even Berlin.

Speaking of whom, while she doesn’t belt her voice in the way BERLIN’s Terri Nunn did in the manner of HEART fronting ULTRAVOX, Everdell’s more resigned tone complimented the spikey textures, pulsing sequences and the dance-friendly beats. The first single from the album entitled ‘Pigeons’ was another Richard X production which continued this enigmatic but accessible pop formation.

For their forthcoming new album ‘Red Night’, Everdell and Friedman have handled production themselves. From it, ‘Keep It Low’ is a development of their avant pop style with a steadier groove and heavier loom while ‘Faded’ is quite sparse, shaped by synth drones and dressed with Friedman’s harmonics while Everdell is cocooned in reverb valley.

It appears THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS are venturing into territory once occupied by Warp label mates BROADCAST who were fronted by the late Trish Keenan. The duo themselves have said ‘Red Night’ is centred around “all heartbreak and fear of losing something special”

‘Red Night’ is released through Warp Records on 12th June 2012, while ‘The Desert’ and ‘The Hundred In The Hands’ are still available via the usual outlets.

http://thehundredinthehands.com

https://www.facebook.com/thehundredinthehands

https://twitter.com/TheHundredInThe

https://www.instagram.com/thehundredinthehands/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
3rd June 2012, updated 4th June 2012

Introducing SOCIAL AMBITIONS

19 May 2012 /


Swedish duo SOCIAL AMBITIONS have been around a while but having been making sine waves lately with their inclusion on one of Rusty Egan’s DJ mixes.

Featuring the magnificent track ‘Paris’, the B-side of their previous single ‘Commandments’, this was hardly surprising as its solid pulsating bass, sparkling arpeggios, thundering percussion and robotic vocoders probably reminded The Blitz Club legend of his own seminal disco stomper ‘R.E.R.B.’ SOCIAL AMBITIONS formed in 2005. Based in Stockholm, Anders Karlsson (lead vocals, synthesizers) and Mikael Arborelius (synthesizers, backing vocals) released their debut album ‘Almost Gone’ in 2010.

The duo have a blend of influences ranging from modern electro and classic synthpop but add an attitude from the rockier end of the new wave spectrum. Most importantly though, their music does possess that Scandinavian knack for melody which has been notably apparent in worldwide selling acts such as ABBA and A-HA.

Their most recent release has been the ‘Anticpations’ EP. On it, ‘Rockers In My Head’ is one of these new wave synth tunes, all squelch games and string pads accompanying a catchy chorus like a Eurocentric version of THE STROKES backed by A-HA!

‘Angel’ with its rousing energy and synthesized declarations of love is possibly the most instantly accessible track of the bunch while ‘A Man’ also follows along a similar path. But it’s not all a HI-NRG styled romp as hints of CAMOUFLAGE sit on the more steadfast ‘Rain’ which adds some subtle industrialised textures to a Klingklang palette. In conclusion, it’s all very European and very electronic!

As the duo themselves have put it: “Analogue synths and stuff”…

The ‘Anticipation’ EP is released by Electric Fantastic Sound Records

www.socialambitions.com

www.facebook.com/socialambitions

Text by Chi Ming Lai
19th May 2012

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