Category: Live Reports (Page 29 of 38)

PAGE, MACHINISTA + TRAIN TO SPAIN Live In London

15 March 2014 /


An Evening with The Swedish Synth…

Nordic friendly blog Cold War Night Life realised a long time ambition at London’s 93 Feet East by bringing over some of the best acts from the Swedish independent music scene to the UK for ‘An Evening with The Swedish Synth’.

Headlining were synthpop veterans PAGE, a duo with over seven albums to their name since their self titled debut in 1992.

While their final first phase release ‘Helt Nära’ came out in 1998, they reunited in 2010 for their comeback album ‘Nu’. Last year, PAGE released the acclaimed long player  ‘Hemma’. Also on the bill were highly rated electro rockers MACHINISTA and the promising TRAIN TO SPAIN.

Since LUSTANS LAKEJER had their third album ‘En Plats I Solen’ by JAPAN’s Richard Barbieri in 1982, there has been a spiritual connection between the British and Norse post-new wave music worlds.

Sweden in particular has become a haven for electronically driven talent over the last few decades from the industrialised tension of COVENANT and the contemporary pop of Robyn, right to the uncompromising experimental adventures of THE KNIFE and the enigmatic oddness of IAMAMIWHOAMI.

More recently, the statuesque androgyny of Karin Park and the Nordic Noir pop of twin sisters SAY LOU LOU have been the next bunch of Swedes knocking on the door.

Is it the long winter nights, the melancholic nature of the Svenske psyche or the hopeful sense of melody in the Nordic region’s traditional musical heritage Whatever, all these elements have combined to develop into an esoteric and mostly accessible art form.

Although ‘An Evening with The Swedish Synth’ was primarily aimed at a British audience, a fair number of Swedes and Norwegians were in attendance alongside the locals, with some especially venturing over for the occasion, such is the regard with which PAGE are held back home.

With the added cocktail of that Scandinavian sense of enjoyment and their insatiable appetite for liquid refreshment, it was a fun, good natured evening that captured the spirit of how great music can unite people.

Opening the evening were TRAIN TO SPAIN, a girl / boy pairing of Helena Wigeborg on vocals and Jonas Rasmussen on synths. Named after a lyric from THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s ‘The Things That Dreams Are Made Of’, appropriately they showcased an uptempo style of energetic pop with a metronomic rhythm structure akin to the ‘Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder’ album on songs like the crashing ‘BlipBop’.

Their best song so far ‘Passion’ stood out like it was a number YAZOO might have done if they were fronted by Lana Del Rey while their set closer ‘All About’ provided a suitable variation on the theme.

Occasionally Helena’s nerves got the better of her as she missed a few cues but otherwise, she warmed the audience with a coy but lively stage presence. And with the confirmation that a deal had been struck with UK label Juggernaut Music Group at the end of the evening, it all turned out rather nicely for TRAIN TO SPAIN.

With leather bomber jackets in abundance, new label mates MACHINISTA followed with their self-confessed take on synthpop with a rock ‘n’ roll edge. Like THE CURE gone fully electronic, some of the material from their debut EP ‘Arizona Lights’ came over like a harder edged ALPHAVILLE as with the excellent title track.

Visually, lead vocalist Jon Lindqwister and instrumental partner Richard Flow had the manner of SUICIDE, if Messrs Vega and Rev had been brought up in Malmӧ instead of New York.

Their cover of David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ got the crowd singing along while the swagger of ‘Pushing the Angels Astray’ propelled the set along with a healthy schaffel edge.

Towards the close on ‘Salvation’ and ‘Molecules & Carbon’, a number of the Scandinavians present even opted for some mild euphoric moshing. With great new material such as ‘Summersault’ also in their set, MACHINISTA’s debut full length album promises to be a good one.

For PAGE, ‘An Evening with The Swedish Synth’ was their first live sojourn outside of their own country and they delivered on the evening’s title. Not only was there synths with Eddie Bengtsson on a DS Mopho and Marina Schiptjenko on a MicroKorg, but there was Swedish too.

With his frank and sometime snarling vocal in his mother tongue, Bengtsson’s vocals crossed borders as he vented his spleen with thoughts on love, lust and midlife matters such as music and motorcycles!

While Marina happily smiled handling her synth duties, Eddie remained animated and intense. Indeed, it was a perfect combination and a Google translator was not really required from the opening song and ‘Nu’ highlight ‘Kom Så Andas Vi (Come as We Breathe)’ to the final number, 1983 debut single ‘Dansande Man (Dancing Man)’.

The duo even threw in a Swedish translation of Gary Numan’s ‘Tracks’ into the mix as glamourous young ladies new to electro and stocky males of hairstyle vintages ranging from Mohicans to Phil Oakey lopsides mingled with luminaries from the UK’s domestic synth scene such as VILE ELECTRODES, SPEAK & SPELL and DJs from London club nights such as Electric Dreams.

Highlights of PAGE’s set included classic synthpop like ‘Inget Mer Att Se (Nothing More To See)’ and the more glam laden ‘Ett SOS’. But it was the penultimate number ‘Lyssnade På Min Radio’ (Listening To My Radio)’ sung specially in English that stole the show.

Focussing on the awfulness of modern radio shows, Eddie exclaimed “they don’t play good songs on the radio anymore… like Depeche Mode!”; it was all highly fitting with the Clarkean spirit deep inside the song’s genetic make-up!

Pre-show, Eddie Bengtsson had told to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK that synthpop was slowly becoming a dying art so bands and blogs such as ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK and Cold War Night Life needed to “stick together”. In fact, Bengtsson revealed he already had much in common with the site in his interview when he said: “The best group emerged in the 21st century is MIRRORS, a wonderful act, a group that has now sadly split. What they did was perfect”… see, it’s not just us!

With the ensuing cultural exchange, ‘An Evening With The Swedish Synth’ certainly highlighted to the discerning British synthpop fan that there are indeed further electronic worlds worth exploring and embracing.

With its warm, party atmosphere where distant musical cousins mixed, ‘An Evening with The Swedish Synth’ was like a united international conglomerate with egos left at the door; everyone was aware of their standing to ensure a fully integrated homogenous bill.

Some might say that philosophy is particularly Swedish. No, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK just calls that an extremely well organised and thought out event. Especially as the event’s curator is Canadian 😉

With thanks to Simon Helm at Cold War Night Life

PAGE  ‘Hemma’ is released by Wonderland Records on CD. It can also be downloaded from http://whorehero.bandcamp.com/

MACHINISTA ‘Arizona Lights’is released as a CD and download by Juggernaut Music Group

A free download compilation ‘swedish electro vol 2′ featuring songs by MACHINISTA and TRAIN TO SPAIN is available at: http://swedishelectroscene.bandcamp.com/album/swedish-electro-vol-2

https://www.facebook.com/PageElektroniskPop

https://www.facebook.com/machinistamusic

http://www.traintospain.se/

http://www.coldwarnightlife.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Richard Price
16th March 2014

SAY LOU LOU Live at XOYO

2 March 2014 /


Flitting between Sydney and Stockholm in their younger years, Scandipodean twins SAY LOU LOU have been impressing since their debut single ‘Maybe You’ came out in 2012 on the prestigious Kitsuné label.

Their brilliant second single ‘Julian’ led to them being signed by Sony while none other than Richard X has been working with them on their debut album.

Icy blonde Elektra and smouldering brunette Miranda have showbiz in their blood; they are the daughters of Steve Kilbey, lead singer of Oz rockers THE CHURCH who had a huge US hit with ‘Under The Milky Way’ back in 1988.

With their steady tempos, art house cinematics and stylish presentation, SAY LOU LOU have been described as a female HURTS and even supported them during their 2013 European tour. A recent sojourn with the trendy LONDON GRAMMAR helped their cause further and resulted in this sold out show at London’s XOYO.

Starting with forthcoming single ‘Everything We Touch’, this came over like a sophisticated Scandipop take on HEART driven by a togetherness that could only have come from two siblings.

The rousing single ‘Better In The Dark’ followed with its companion B-side ‘Beloved’ not long after. Constructed around a mid tempo heartbeat spiced with some dream laden electronics, the two songs are an ideal pairing.

‘Beloved’ was particularly striking with its pretty Yé-Yé girl styled vocals, not entirely surprising having been co-written with Hannah Robinson and Liam Howe. Meanwhile, ‘Peppermint’ took things down further but the set wasn’t entirely mid-paced. There then came ‘Nothing But A Heartbeat’ which sounded like one of those semi-sprightly cinematic numbers HURTS used to do before they turned into SIMPLE MINDS. It was a welcome change in mood for the show.

SAY LOU LOU have a duality concept of one dark twin / one light twin which revealed itself on stage… as did Elektra’s slight wardrobe malfunction, much to Miranda’s amusement. Although Miranda has the dark hair, it was she who was the more animated of the pair, all arms aloft and swaying her hair along with the music while occasionally playing synth. Elektra was much more intense and cooler, holding together the responsibility of primary lead singer.

Despite these roles, collectively the girls were thoroughly enjoying the occasion. Their warmth really exuded when they even took time out to throw stickers into the audience and hand vinyl copies of their second single ‘Julian’ to those in the front row. And it was ‘Julian’ was that was the show’s standout, even prompting a dash of singalong from the eager crowd. Full of tension and intrigue like a Nordic Noir mini-series compressed into a three minute pop song, don’t be surprised if ‘Julian’ reappears again in single format as part of the new album’s promotional campaign.

To close the main section, there was the epic ‘Skylights’, basically how MARSHEAUX would sound if Marianthi and Sophie attempted an AOR ballad. Thankfully, clichés such as guitar solos were avoided and sweeping keyboards filled the void instead. It rounded things up nicely before an encore with their debut single ‘Maybe You’. About a relationship on the edge of failure, with SAY LOU LOU’s teenage angst all bottled into their music, the twins really should be performing in black and white like an Ingmar Bergman film.

With Swedish pop nous crossed with a sweaty Aussie pub rock aesthetic, SAY LOU LOU are delivering on their brand of shimmering but accessible escapism.

The steady momentum of their music could do with a kick occasionally but the potential is there. With major label support on their side, whether they will become mega like Lana Del Rey or lost like SUNDAY GIRL remains to be seen.

‘Everything We Touch’ is released on 21st April 2014 with the album due sometime in September

http://www.sayloulou.com/

http://www.facebook.com/SayLouLoumusic

https://soundcloud.com/sayloulou

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Richard Price
2nd March 2014

HANNAH PEEL Fabricstate EP Live Launch

28 February 2014 /

Multi-instrumentalist singer  / songwriter Hannah Peel launched her new ‘Fabricstate’ EP with a special intimate gig at MemeTune Studio, home of chief Mathematician Benge and his renowned collection of vintage synthesizers.

It also happened to be where her second album is currently being recorded. In the complex, which was the venue for interviews with Gary Numan and John Foxx as part of BBC4’s Synth Britannia documentary, were various items of vintage equipment dotted around the room such as the Polymoog and Korg Polyphonic Ensemble; it was a perfect setting to showcase Hannah Peel’s newly developing sound that has mutated to more experimental climes since her traditionally structured debut album ‘The Broken Wave’.

Since playing with the JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS live band, her own music has used more electronics alongside her beloved violin, piano and trombone. Her last EP ‘Nailhouse’ featured a beautiful synth friendly song called ‘Harbour’. Of course, Hannah Peel’s own sweet contemplative voice has also suited these melancholic synthetic soundscapes.

‘Fabricstate’ itself has been influenced by Hannah’s love of classic cinema and Italo Calvino’s 1972 book ‘Invisible Cities’ with the imagined travels of Kublai Khan, through to the loneliness felt by living in big cities, the failure and building of new relationships and to dreams of a better future.

So it was apt that the performance opened with ‘Chloe’, the theme tune to ’Dates’, a drama series highlighting the darker but very real side of internet dating… it deservedly won a 2013 Royal Television Society award for Best Original Title Music and its eerie dynamic suitably reflected the tension of the programme.

The haunting ‘Silk Road’ with its Middle Eastern afflicted vocal was ideal for the hushed environment of an intimate setting. Clavia Nord ivories rang gently while arpeggios blipped over subtle rhythmical samples that provided the heartbeat.

Upping the tempo and rumble, ‘Desolation Row’ and its beautifully haunting tones saw brass and strings of both the real and synthetic variety combining for a wonderful uplifting quality despite the inherent melancholy.

There was then a surprise when Hannah announced she was going to perform a music box assisted cover of THE BLUE NILE’s Paul Buchanan from his recent ‘Mid Air’ solo opus. But tied to her synth duties, she invited a member of the audience to join her. Together, they produced a rather lovely electro acoustic take of an already beautiful song. It is slated to be included on her next album. ‘Baucis’ from the ‘Nailhouse’ EP stirred proceedings slightly after the sedate atmospheres of ‘Cars In The Garden’ with its expletive laden first verse but the best was yet to come.

So with its thoughtful use of synths and loop pedals, ‘Fabricstate’ the song went and stole the show. A subtle understated number in its first half, the song was bolstered by an unexpected but amazing whirring solo on a DS Mopho x4 as things built to a percussive climax with clusters of accompaniment from the various loops. It was a suitably climatic ending to a fine, captivating performance.

The ‘Fabricstate’ collection is without doubt, Hannah Peel’s best solo work yet. A fine example of what happens when the warmth of the synthesizer is exploited and coupled with a classically trained background, the hybrid style has resulted in a quietly subversive organic and technological fusion. Based on the evidence of tonight’s showcase, her second album is going to be a fascinating listen.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to Hannah Peel

The ‘Fabricstate’ EP is available as a 10” vinyl and download via My Own Pleasure

http://www.hannahpeel.com

http://www.facebook.com/hanpeel

http://hannahpeel.bigcartel.com/

http://memetune.net/

Text and photos by Chi Ming Lai
28th February 2014

WRANGLER Live at Proof Positive

21 February 2014 /

With their debut mini-album ‘LA Spark’ now set for release in May, WRANGLER previewed material at a special live showcase for Proof Positive, an experimental improvisation evening curated by musician Tom Rogerson of THREE TRAPPED TIGERS who has also collaborated with the trio.

The trio themselves are Stephen Mallinder ex-CABARET VOLTAIRE, TUNNG’s Phil Winter and synth collector extraordinaire Benge, best known for his work in JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS whose aims for the project are to harness “lost technology to make new themes for the modern world”.

The intimate location was the ultra-hip Servants Jazz Quarters in Dalston, a bar with an open basement for live acts to play in.

Eschewing the vast arrays of analogue kit for which is particularly Benge is known for, WRANGLER use a more practically workable softsynth arrangement augmented by live electronic drums, a variety of touch pad controllers’ and in the latter half of the set, Tom Rogerson on his trusty Juno 60.

The key WRANGLER track has to be ‘Lava Land’, a superb cross between CABARET VOLTAIRE and prime ‘Metamatic’ era JOHN FOXX but with a modern twist. Mallinder’s voice manipulations up and down the scale are a particularly now statement, ranging from demonic gargoyle to stern drowning robot. The frantic pace is strangely danceable but the mood is distinctly unsettling, especially when the screeching string machine kicks in. Another highlight is the dystopian electro funk of ‘Harder’ with its cacophony of phased percussive effects. Meanwhile the leftfield but club friendly ‘LA Spark’ title track will meet the approval of Cabs fans circa 1983-85.

At the close of a short set to which Mallinder amusingly quipped “what do expect for a fiver?”, there was an unexpected rework of CABARET VOLTAIRE’s ‘Crackdown’. With the audience shouting for more, Mallinder appreciated the response but told everyone that he had to catch the last train back home to Brighton. With vintage synths and drum machines given space to create a soundtrack for a dissident future landscape, WRANGLER’s ‘LA Spark’ promises to be one of most eagerly anticipated electronic releases of 2014.

‘LA Spark’ is released by Memetune on vinyl, CD and digital formats on 5th May 2014

https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Are-Wrangler/1389558817973207

http://memetune.net

http://proofpositivegig.com/

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
21st February 2014

POLLY SCATTERGOOD Live At The Workshop

9 February 2014 /

The intimate surroundings of The Workshop in London was the venue for emerging Mute artist Polly Scattergood.

Polly Scattergood released her debut self-titled debut album in 2009 to great critical acclaim. Her guest spot on BEF’s 2012 covers LP ‘Music Of Quality & Distinction – Dark’ singing the Bacharach and David classic ‘The Look Of Love’ also exhibited her versatility as a interpreter as well as a songwriter.

With influences such as Bjork and COCTEAU TWINS, her promising sound has undergone a natural progression for its grower of a follow-up ‘Arrows’. Taking on more synthetic textures but retaining her kooky, affected vocals, the brilliant ‘Cocoon’ and ‘Falling’ initiated proceedings. With her charming banter and enigmatic oddness, Scattergood came over like a cross between Sarah Brightman and Sally Thomsett from ‘Man About The House’. Swigging from her brandy bottle for ‘medicinal purposes’, she very much endeared herself to everyone present.

‘Subsequently Lost’ almost stole the show with its accessible NEW ORDER drive and an air of fragility. A vocodered double track provided a chilling schizophrenic feel. ‘Disco Damaged Kid’ was another enticing casualty ditty that successfully merged Norfolk with Berlin!

With the horrendous rainy winter the UK was having as the backdrop, the ‘Arrows’ material now made total sense. However, when Scattergood opted for her starker, more esoteric compositions like ‘Colours Colliding’ and ‘Machines’, it did appear to bemuse the club inclined regulars in attendance while the crowd who were there for her were totally mesmerised.

On the passionate and stripped bared ‘Miss You’, the totally bonkers Polly’s stage persona really let rip. Despite her traumas in Polly World, everyone is rooting for her and this is her trump card!

When the set concluded with the deliciously wired avant pop of ‘Wanderlust’, live keyboardist Glenn Kerrigan joined Scattergood at her Moog Little Phatty for a magnificent sweeping and swirly climax. Scattergood gave a wonderfully passionate performance that exposed a captivating vulnerability.

As an artist marked out the vein of Elizabeth Frasier and Alison Goldfrapp, luckily she is on a label that will let her persue artistic aspirations rather than sales. Her career trajectory can only ascend; it should be a cracking third or fourth album…

‘Arrows’ is released by Mute Artists

http://www.pollyscattergood.com/

https://www.facebook.com/polly.scattergood

https://twitter.com/pollyworld

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Richard Price
9th February 2014

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