Category: Introducing (Page 23 of 25)

Introducing NIGHTLIFE

27 February 2011 /

Darin Rajabian and Caroline Myrick met at a party in Ann Arbor, Michigan sometime in early 2010.

Sharing a love for dreaming, dancing and melodic pop, they began work on a project to incorporate Caroline’s soft angelic vocals with Darin’s classic electronic backing. As the music evolved, they became NIGHTLIFE. As with New York based THE GOLDEN FILTER, NIGHTLIFE look to more Nordic climes for their inspiration.

With acclaimed Swedish songstress SALLY SHAPIRO being the most obvious musical influence, this was proof that the recent aural legacy of Scandinavia isn’t just about ‘witch house’ or the worshipping of Karin Dreijer Andersson. NIGHTLIFE’s self-titled debut EP features six crystalline gems starting with ‘Our Love’ which buzzes away discordantly, but has melodic stabs and rhythmical triplets keep it immediately accessible.

The uplifting ‘Fever’ mixes the sound of the Orient with a Eurodisco snap while syncopated rhythms punctuate the gorgeous ‘Lightspeed’. ‘Dancing Without Me’ is thrillingly driven by a precise beat and detuned leadline before the sexily pulsating ‘Goodbye’ lifts with a sweet but fragile high end chorus in the vein of Annie.

Simmons sounding drums thunder through the EP’s closing track ‘Wait’ and it’s a fine example how good Ellie Goulding could sound if she wasn’t such a folkie and totally embraced an electro based sound.

Throughout all the compositions, Darin’s clean, uncluttered arrangements and textures add grandeur where appropriate but allowing space to accentuate Caroline’s whispery vocal charms. Currently finishing their debut album, NIGHTLIFE are definitely ones to watch. How refreshing it is to see another Stateside duo who actually know the difference between synths and keyboards!

NIGHTLIFE’s self titled EP is available now via their website.

http://nightlifepop.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nightlifepop/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th February 2011

Introducing BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT

21 February 2011 /

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT is the talented Welsh singer/songwriter Rod Thomas whose self-confessed guilty pleasure is ACE OF BASE.

His debut single ‘A New Word To Say’ recalled the melodic electronic funk of ‘Desire’, a great lost single from 1983 by ENDGAMES. Meanwhile the brilliant follow-up ‘Love Part II’ took NEW ORDER’s disco music for lager louts back to its more profound Italo roots.

Its B-side ‘Cry at Films’ was a soaring slice of reflective pop and a good indicator of the BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT sound. Combining the compositional aesthetic of PET SHOP BOYS with the stylistic enigma of ‘Twin Peaks’, Rod has even recorded a cover of the latter’s main theme ‘Falling’.

Latest offering ‘How To Make A Heart’ is a superbly sensitive but optimistic number driven by backing that helps it come over like a techno enhanced version of HURTS. The superb CGI video which shows that even robots have feelings was directed by Gavin Leisfield.

Having supported Ellie Goulding and THE SOUND OF ARROWS, Rod has been in demand and has recently collaborated with SUNDAY GIRL and QUEEN OF HEARTS.

With an impressive collection of songs already and working with Andy Chatterley whose credits have included Kylie Minogue, all looks promising for the forthcoming BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT album ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’.

‘A New Word To Say’, ‘Love Part II’ and ‘How To Make A Heart’ are released by Aztec Records

http://www.brightlightx2.com

https://www.facebook.com/brightlightx2/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
21st February 2011

Introducing QUEEN OF HEARTS

17 February 2011 /


QUEEN OF HEARTS is an enigmatic young lady who likes impossibly high shoes, cocktails, cats and French accents.

Her song ‘Freestyle’ offers some of the whispery chill of GOLDFRAPP and attaches it to a dream laden synthetic backing track of mesmeric proportions, taking its leaf from the Giorgio Moroder-influenced KYLIE album closer ‘Light Years’,

It pleasingly thrusts itself to a galaxy far, far away as QUEEN OF HEARTS gravitates towards being modern electropop’s own Queen Amidala. Produced by the equally mysterious DREAMTRAK, it’s time for the revenge of the synth!

Brought up to the sound of the synthesizer and learning to dance to the beat of electronic drums, QUEEN OF HEARTS grew up on a strict diet of A-HA, DEPECHE MODE, YAZOO and THE HUMAN LEAGUE thanks to her dear Queen Mother.

Following in the footsteps of LITTLE BOOTS and SUNDAY GIRL, she writes songs that have one foot in the future and one in the past. Among her other studio collaborators on this exciting new adventure are DIAMOND CUT, FEAR OF TIGERS, BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT and JOHAN AGEBJORN who has previously worked with SALLY SHAPIRO.

QUEEN OF HEARTS writes songs about the important things in life – love, loss, heartbreak, betrayal – and thinks that the best pop songs should make you dance and shed a tear or two. Pleasures remain…

www.iamqueenofhearts.com

https://www.facebook.com/QOHofficial

https://twitter.com/iamqueenofheart

Text by Chi Ming Lai
17th February 2011

Introducing MAISON VAGUE

12 February 2011 /


It’s 2011 and the MAISON VAGUE battlecry is “Synthpop’s alive!”!

MAISON VAGUE’s debut long player of the same name harks back to an earlier stage of Synth Britannia when the mighty Moog was king. Consisting of lone American-born German-domiciled keyboardist / programmer Clark Stiefel, the title track of MAISON VAGUE’s album was initially a reaction to a YouTube video entitled ‘Synthpop Is Dead’.

Totally disagreeing with its creator, Clark responded but instead of speaking his protest, he sang it in a classic synthpop style. The opening salvo of “Everyone’s entitled to opinion… you have yours and well I have mine. And though it seems that our opinions differ… you’ll agree in time!” could be the sound of PLACEBO gone electro.

Featuring lots of organic synth sounds and rich vintage soloing, some clever programming helps to provide a fluid as opposed to mechanical rhythm section to give it heart and soul.

With a template of Gary Numan meeting DEVO, among the other tracks from the album, the brilliant ‘Give Them Away’ takes its lead from ‘The Pleasure Principle’ and in particular ‘Observer’, but is developed into a far more complete composition. It also finishes with a simulated violin solo that recalls ULTRAVOX’s Billy Currie who incidentally played on that very Numan album. Its second cousin ‘Buried In Sandstone’ is also decidedly Numan-esque while ‘My Situation’ takes its inspiration from THE HUMAN LEAGUE.

Changing the tempo slightly, the reggae stabbed electro of ‘Tunnel Vision’ recalls late 90s cult combo BAXENDALE and lifts in the chorus via some lovely layers of string machine. As a whole, ‘Synthpop’s Alive’ combines aggression with eccentricity although a sly tongue-in-cheek irony allows the listener to have fun and not take it all too seriously!

‘Synthpop’s Alive’ is available now as a download album from Amazon

http://www.maisonvague.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Maison-Vague-43000159265/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
12th February 2011

Introducing THE HORN THE HUNT

1 February 2011 /


THE HORN THE HUNT are enigmatic Leeds based pop duo Clare Carter and Joseph Osborne.

They have an intriguing Nordic tinged sound which has added authenticity following a three-month spell writing on location in Greenland and spending half the time in perpetual darkness.

They released their self-titled debut album ndependently in 2009 but in early 2010 were signed by Ann Shenton of ADD N TO X’s White Label Music.

The grandiose ‘Raptor’ is the first single to be taken from their forthcoming second album ‘Depressur Jolie’. The vintage synths whirr like sirens, while the brooding bass compliments the multi-timbre vocals as they hit several octaves. Aurally disconcerting, the spectre of THE KNIFE runs throughout although the sinister edge of dark Teutonic industrialists RAMMSTEIN also lingers.

Of THE HORN THE HUNT’s other recent material, ‘Henry’s Out’ is percussively spooky with echoes of NEW ORDER fronted by Karin Dreijer Andersson while ‘Old Town Cow’ adds a Far Eastern flavour to some chattering cowbells. With additional inspiration from artists such as KATE BUSH, BJORK and ANGELO BADALAMENTI, Clare Carter says: “The darkness of the human mind and our difficult relationship with nature, these are the things that became apparent, and the most therapeutic way to deal with them, in all cultures, is through art.”

THE HORN THE HUNT’s music is mysterious but accessible. Sourced from futuristic sounds, stark beats and Pagan mythology, their sonic chill provides challenging but rewarding listening.

‘Depressur Jolie’ is scheduled to be released by White Label Music in May 2011

http://thehornthehunt.com/

https://www.facebook.com/thehornthehunt

Text by Chi Ming Lai
2nd February 2011, updated 12th October 2013

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