Greek electropop goddess SARAH P. releases one of the first songs she ever wrote as a single.
Of ‘LoveStory’, she said to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK this year: “I struggled for many years to find a love that’s pure and not one-sided. I suffered multiple heartbreaks – they’re countless, really, and I was so defeated that when real love came to me, I was incapable of even realizing it. For a long time, I was trying to destroy it, before it destroyed me. That being said, my partner (who would later become my husband) was extremely patient with me. He was able to tear down my defence walls and ‘fix my wounds’”.
Although the passionately afflicted song from the debut album ‘Who Am I’ is about how hearts can be broken into pieces by love interests, there is also a sense of airy optimism and that is reflected in the serene visual accompaniment. Filmed by award-winning director Eftychia Iosifidou and featuring SARAH P. with dancer Clio Arvaniti, friendship and sisterhood are two of the video’s key themes.
The beautifully hazy imagery captured of the bond between the two girls in ‘LoveStory’ recalls moments from the acclaimed British independent movie ‘My Summer of Love’, which featured a soundtrack by GOLDFRAPP. It also starred BAFTA winner Natalie Press and included the theatrical film debut of Emily Blunt, now a Hollywood star.
SARAH P. concludes: “It’s a love song that can be sung to a mom, dad, child, sibling, friend, pet, lover; whomever / whatever’s cheering you up needs to receive this love letter”
OUTERNATIONALE is Scottish musician Derek Miller and while ‘ON’ is his debut EP release, he has already worked with several key names from the post punk era.
Miller boldly recorded a cover version of JOY DIVISION’s ‘Atmosphere’ featuring the vocals of Paul Haig which met with the approval of Peter Hook himself and was released on Haçienda Records in 2011. Meanwhile, he mixed and co-produced ‘Dark Light’, the most recent album by cult Factory band SECTION 25.
The ‘ON’ EP boasts four tracks, three of which feature the dreamy voice of Jenny Electrik from electro rock duo DYNASTY ELECTRIK.
The pairing of her with Miller really comes into its own with the magnificent ‘The Moments Before’. With hints of MADONNA during her William Orbit phase, the driving syncopated rhythms act as the backbone to a combination of seductive vocals and hypnotic electronics.
‘World’s End’ is less frantic and gives Electrik plenty of space for self-expression amongst Miller’s synths, while the complex rhythm construction of ‘Careless’ provides structure without being overbearing with a suitably breathy performance
To close ‘ON’, Miller is left to run free on his own with the excellent instrumental ‘Path’; reminiscent of Gary Numan, it is however attached to much more rigid electro rhythmic pattern than perhaps the former Gary Webb would usually indulge in.
In all, ‘ON’ is an impressive debut offering from OUTERNATIONALE that acts as a fine shop window for Derek Miller’s talents as a producer and collaborator.
‘ON’ is released as a download EP by 5 Pin Din Recordings
What could possibly beat ‘Metanoia’ or its Addendum? What could further elevate Chris Corner aka IAMX to higher heights? ‘Unfall’ can…
The once retiring SNEAKER PIMPS brain, reinvented himself into the innovative, inspiring, unusual, unforgettable and adventurous and he’s done it over and over, since the debut ‘Kiss & Swallow’. With every subsequent release, the now LA based, sound magician, proved that electronic music can wear many outfits and parade all colours; not just the black.
Instrumental albums have been flowing in nicely as of late within the genre, with many of Corner’s colleagues excelling with their messages conveyed over “no words, just music” provisions, notably Norway’s finest APOPTYGMA BERZERK, UK veterans BLANCMANGE or the artier GAZELLE TWIN to name a few.
Of course, voice free releases can be tricky and may come across as self-indulgent, difficult to grasp expressions, but with so many artists now deciding to air their political views over endless crises, US presidential elections or Brexit, it’s actually quite refreshing to seek your own inspirations deduced from rawer forms.
Still, ‘Unfall’ isn’t totally stripped of vocal. It’s not bare of emotion; it’s IAMX at his finest, basking in the LA sun, with an occasional shadow and thoughtful moods, particularly showcased in the quite beautiful ‘Polar I’. Gentle piano, analogue synth, iridescent samples and glittering melody droplets, create an unforgettable experience of electronic calm.
As the opener, ‘Little Deaths’ proceeds to set the mood to minimal techno analogue style, or at least that’s what one is to think to expect. ‘Teddy Lion’ invites to a drug induced dance, with its haunting rhythms and the club feel, dropping suddenly onto the demure ‘11.11’. Corner has certainly studied Alan Wilder’s style of production here; here go the fulfilling noises, gratifying voices, haunting expressions and meaningful pitch changes.
Corner opens his ‘The Noise Cabinet’ in a gritty, rough manner, exposing the possibilities to experience your own paradigms and create your individual ‘Hysteria’. This could have been a ‘Metanoia’ track, had it had an adequate lyrical content. ‘Trust The Machine’ translates itself into the mechanical, machine style paraphrase of reality, inspired by the early DEPECHE MODE instrumentals. The Machine brings the noise, the noise brings feelings, the feelings are plentiful, the journey is complete. Sounding a bit like the raw works of THROBBING GRISTLE or EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN, ‘TickTickTick’ awakens the primal electronic machine once more: how necessary, how very now.
One cannot “shake the disease” that is ‘The Disease To Please’; Corner’s disease is to please, particularly in the closing ‘Windschatten’. Like droplets of lead over liquid surface, like steam roller over the clouded sky, like a butterfly trapped in tartar; who can deduce the meanings? What’s the answer?
Yes, experimental albums are very difficult to embrace. Are they “the rub rub” on the artist’s ego? Are they a mish-mash of noises that are to mean nothing? Maybe with some they are. Not with IAMX. Corner inspires, transpires, transfixes and leads forward; evolves. Go ahead, build your own ‘Unfall’, create your own image, make it yours… the all the necessary tools are there, grab them!
Cult electronic duo MIKADO have a new expanded version of their anthology ‘Forever’ released by Les Disques du Crépuscule, the Belgian label who issued their first single ‘Par Hasard’ in 1982.
Comprising of chanteuse Pascale Borel and instrumentalist Grégori Czerkinsky, the pair joined forces in 1982 to create a bittersweet chi-chi sound.
Czerkinsky used a Wilson Condor T organ with its rhythm box, a Jen Pianotone J-600 and later a Micromoog to complement Borel’s wispy vocal tones.
They exuded a Gallic sophistication which was enhanced by a retro-kitsch visual presentation directed by Pierre et Gilles. Taking their name from the popular Japanese stick game which was also the title given to the Emperor of Japan, MIKADO accquired a local following there after a short Crépuscule package tour of the country in 1984.
One notable fan was Haruomi Hosono of YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA who became the executive producer of their self-titled debut album and released it through his Non-Standard label in 1985. Although Borel and Czerkinsky started recording demos in 1988 for a second album, they split up in 1991.
This collection features all of MIKADO’s singles, B-sides, jingles like ‘La Sardine’ and ‘La Tour Eiffel’ plus demos from that unfinished second album.
‘Forever’ begins with ‘Par Hasard’, their wonderful first single and signature tune. Czerkinsky’s pretty keyboards and Borel’s eloquent air reminiscent of Françoise Hardy, France Gall and Brigitte Bardot made this a cult classic; the English version ‘Romance’ is also included as a bonus track and while cute, the tune works far better en Français. ‘Ce Garçon Là’ and ‘Au Jeu du Mikado’, the two B-sides from ‘Par Hasard’ affirmed MIKADO’s musical intentions.
Meanwhile, the breathy ‘Les Enfants du Piree’ is a charming cover of the Greek song ‘The Children of Piraeus’. Written by Manos Hadjidakis, the song won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1960 after being featured in the film ‘Never On Sunday’ and was a No1 hit in France by Dalida, which is likely to be how MIKADO first heard it.
Their 1984 single ‘Un Naufrage en Hiver’ was their first studio liaison with Haruomi Hosono and signalled MIKADO’s move towards a more punchier pop sound while still retaining their inherent elegance. It laid the path for their debut album in 1985.
On self-titled long player, songs like the cover of Serge Gainsbourg’s ‘Attends Ou Vas-t’en’ saw live drums and marimbas join the expanded instrumental palette, while the sophisticated synthpop of ‘Anita’ indicated how MIKADO were maturing.
Indeed, the unearthed cover of the haunting theme to the Robert Mitchum film ‘Night Of The Hunter’ showed MIKADO could do dark and introspective too, coming over like a blueprint of ‘Felt Mountain’ era GOLDFRAPP. Following up the album, the bouncy single ‘Carnaval’ threw in some driving digital claps a la PRINCE and guitar to the synthy mix.
‘La Fille Du Soleil’ released in 1987 by Epic France secured a domestic hit single with an enjoyable boy / girl duet, although the big club friendly production was the antithesis of ‘Par Hasard’
Something had to give and ‘Emma et Vienna’, the B-side of ‘La Fille Du Soleil’, sprung a surprise with a Mediterranean flavoured acoustic six string ballad. And as the pair prepared demos for the second album, songs like ‘L’Arc En Ciel’ and ‘L’Amour Est Un Peu Fragile’ indicated that a more conventional direction was being pursued, with the former exuding some Country & Western influences.
But further MIKADO music was not to be forthcoming. The estranged pair later had successful solo careers and both are still making music; in 2015, Pascale Borel returned with a synthetic pop album entitled ‘Par Ailleurs’ while Grégori Czerkinsky released the more traditionally inclined ‘Confusion!’ in 2016.
While not massive selling, the cocktail electro template of MIKADO no doubt inspired NOUVELLE VAGUE, the French bossa nova combo who found success in 2004 using sweet female vocals to cover classics such as ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’ and ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.
‘Forever’ is an interesting snapshot of French new wave pop and provides MIKADO’s brand of updated Yé-yé some belated but well-deserved recognition.
‘Forever’ is released by Les Disques du Crépuscule as a 28 track 2CD set housed in a 6 panel digipack with a 12 page booklet; a 20 track double vinyl edition is also available
Following the collaborative project with Benge as FADER, this relationship is perpetuated with the John Foxx sideman tackling production duties on the new BLANCMANGE album ‘Unfurnished Rooms’.
The eponymous album opener is an intriguing mixture of guitar textures, interlocking monosynths and Linn Drum programming. Neil Arthur’s vocals convey a real sense of loss and a brilliant chanting “search, search!” helps tie the whole piece together. Always one for incorporating ‘kitchen sink’ drama lyrics into his songs, Arthur’s killer line here is “…no amount of online shopping will cover the loss”.
‘We Are The Chemicals’ is an understated, but ultimately catchy track, with a lyric which sounds part news report and part early HUMAN LEAGUE with a “…chemical spillage on a trading estate in Altrincham” forming the centrepiece for the song. Arthur himself provides guitar on the track and a simplistic square wave synth and early Roland JP-style arpeggiator fills in the mid-range on the piece. The track’s beauty lies in that it doesn’t try too hard and in its concluding 50 seconds hits a wonderful, but still low-key climax with some additional soaring keyboard parts.
‘Share it Out’ starts out like a sped-up long distance cousin of MARTHA & THE MUFFINS New Wave classic ‘Echo Beach’ before Arthur’s flanged psychedelic vocals are joined by an early Roland drum machine combo and heads off in an entirely different direction altogether. Very hypnotic and almost ambient in places, ‘Share It Out’ utilises the kind of Eastern melodic scale that made ‘Living On The Ceiling’ such a successful culture-splicing track.
The downtempo ‘Wiping the Chair’ utilises a combination of NEW ORDER-style guitars and OMD-influenced synth textures and is a highlight here; low-key in its delivery, Arthur delivers an emotional song about reuniting with a long-lost friend asking them to “Come back soon”. ‘Anna Dine’ has a wickedly catchy chord progression and features the kind of interlocking monosynth work that made the early DEPECHE MODE and YAZOO albums sound so effective, it also has another classic brutalist Arthur line in “I’ve taken the earth wires from most of your plugs”. ‘In December’ is another atmospheric slow tempo track and another highlight here; with an ambient soundscape aesthetic which drifts over the listener effortlessly.
With its combo of squealing guitar riff-age and discordant modular electronics ‘Gratitude’ takes its cues from NINE INCH NAILS to the point where one could imagine Trent Reznor taking the lead vocal on this track. An angry-sounding Arthur really lets loose here and it provides a welcome rise in tempo on the album.
The song which is most highly anticipated here is the collaboration with John Grant; the closing 8 minute piece features Grant on backing vocals and piano. ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’ winds the tempo back down again and despite a hooky chorus line, doesn’t quite match some of the earlier highlights on ‘Unfurnished Rooms’.
With the current OMD album setting an extremely high bar for how an electronic record should sound sonically both mix and mastering-wise, the only drawback with ‘Unfurnished Rooms’ is the imagining of how it would sound with a bigger and more expansive production job. Some of the elements of the album feel like they would benefit from more layers (especially Arthur’s vocals) and a finer attention to detail.
For many listeners though, ‘Unfurnished Rooms’ will be fine addition to the BLANCMANGE canon and Arthur’s wonderfully personal songwriting skills show no sign of diminishing anytime soon.
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EP boasts four tracks, three of which feature the dreamy voice of Jenny Electrik from electro rock duo DYNASTY ELECTRIK.
isn’t totally stripped of vocal. It’s not bare of emotion; it’s 
is released by Les Disques du Crépuscule as a 28 track 2CD set housed in a 6 panel digipack with a 12 page booklet; a 20 track double vinyl edition is also available
is released by Blanc Check on 22nd September 2017 in a CD, vinyl LP and digital, available from
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