Category: Reviews (Page 142 of 206)

ANNA ÖBERG Härsknar

3 April 2017 /

Since a good percentage of great synth music comes from Scandinavia, with Sweden notably leading the field of good electronica, it’s not a surprise that another act surfaces from the ashes of LADOMIR.

Having described their sound as “synth and string”, the band had enjoyed a brief period of popularity, but Helsingborg born Anna Öberg has long been a self-sufficient composer, lyricist and artist.

Citing the influences such as KRAFTWERK, THE CURE and John Carpenter, Anna admits that pop is constantly at the centre of her own songwriting. ‘Härsknar’ is her first solo long player, produced by Charles Storm, known for his collaborations with Håkan Hellström.

Promising a good dose of “pretty noise”, alongside flute, glockenspiel and voices, all added to synthesizers and drum machines circa 1972-1986, ‘Härsknar’ invites the listener to immerse themselves into a Swedish extravaganza of new wave, industrial and punk.

Performed in Swedish from top to bottom, Anna’s solo enterprise sure is a step into the unknown for many listeners used to their favourite genre being performed exclusively in English. The songs are about “people’s anxieties, capitalism and homelessness, but also of hope and perseverance”.

Musically, the album is truly an eclectic mix of instrumentation, voices and effects. From the delicately ethereal ‘Var Inte Rädd’, put together with the help of a Jupiter 4, JX8P, DSS-1 and MODular with a twist of a flute, through to the beat loaded ‘5 Minuter’, which features no less than an SP12, TR-606, Synsonic, Pro-One, Prophet 5, Jupiter 4 and DX7 to the gritty ‘Sin Mamma’, Anna certainly showcases her wide musical tastes.

Supported by Kire Nilsson and a host of synthesisers on ‘Se Mig’, Anna doesn’t rest there. What follows is a harsher sounding ‘I Morgon’, with the addition of glockenspiel to round up the host of hardware used here.

‘Ett Rop På Hjälp’ sounds like a dirty collaboration between PET SHOP BOYS on steroids and AND ONE, while the closing ‘DNA Är Gratis’ is more of a poppy synth sweetie, being a cross of early DEPECHE MODE or YAZOO, with Love Parade sounding beats and the further use of glockenspiel.

While to many, singing in Swedish may be an obstacle, some will appreciate the plethora of fantastic synthware used on this long player. Anna Öberg isn’t a stranger to those instruments and certainly knows what she’s doing. This is a perfect alternative to those seeking something different this Spring.

‘Härsknar’ is released in vinyl LP and digital formats, available from
https://annaberg.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/Anna5Oberg/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
3rd April 2017

SOULWAX From Deewee

2 April 2017 /

‘From Deewee’ is the first studio album from Belgium’s SOULWAX in twelve years, the core of the act are brothers Stephen and David Dewaele and their return has seen a shift towards using more real drums, employing JAMIE T’s Victoria Smith, TURBO WOLF’s Blake Davies and SEPULTURA’s Igor Cavelera (all percussionists) to help achieve this vision.

The usage of live / acoustic drums with electronic music has often been a contentious issue amongst the synthpop fraternity.

By its very nature, synthesizer-based tracks should sound rigid, robotic and missing the dynamic that an acoustic instrument can bring. There have however been bands that have carried it off: DAF, NEW ORDER, VISAGE to name a few… but with that Basildon band now back in the limelight, it’s hard to wipe the mental image of a certain insensitive drummer beating the life out of a band’s back catalogue on stage…

The band obviously had a clear concept in mind before sitting down and making ‘From Deewee’; that being the successful melding of up to three live drummers with a primarily electronic musical backbone. But before you go running to your nearest copy of ‘Dare’, this has really worked incredibly well and if you’ve seen the band’s ‘Part of the Weekend Never Dies’ live set, you’ll know that this will translate incredibly well into their live experience too.

The instrumental overture ‘Preset Tense’ has an arpeggiated TOMITA feel to it with warm Moog textures before hitting an electronic crescendo and seamlessly mixing into the 303 driven ‘Masterplanned’. What sets SOULWAX apart from some of their contemporaries is that in amongst their collection of cool analogue electronic sounds, they still retain an ear for melody and adherence to writing actual songs rather than coasting along on a few semi-decent synth patches. At the musical heart of ‘Masterplanned’ you can also hear the ghost of the kind of chords that Martin Gore is a huge fan of…

Photo by Alex Salinas

‘Missing Wires’ starts off with a ludicrously over the top drum roll before a rising/flanged segue into a mid-range reverbed synth bass.

It’s hard not to smile and appreciate the attention to detail when the phrase “missing wires” is first featured in the lyric and a synthetic hand clap is deliberately dropped out of the mix. A loping sequenced part which recalls ULTRAMARINE joins the mix and the final two minutes features a cheeky re-work of the ‘White Lines’ bassline.

With melodies that could have been fleeced from the debut YMO album and the GARY NUMAN trademark of following the vocal line with a synth melody, ‘Missing Wires’ is a definite highlight here. ‘Conditions Of A Shared Belief’ is a modular synth lover’s wet dream, featuring the style of detuned blippy sounds favoured by Daniel Miller on the early Mute releases.

It’s not just live drums that get their chance to shine here, ‘Conditions’ features a brilliant homage to the white noise percussion synth break from ‘Being Boiled’ and drum pattern from ‘The Black Hit Of Space’ too.

‘Is It Always Binary’ features a Burundi styled ADAM & THE ANTS live drum mantra before breaking into a DAF-style sequencer pattern which perfectly matches the snares beat for beat. A drop into a vocal section (which sounds like the band have sampled their own track ‘Krack’) leads back into the driving rhythmic section again. Probably the nearest to a filler track on the album, ‘Is It Always Binary’ works, but it’s not the strongest track here.

‘Do You Want To Get Into Trouble’ starts with a GLITTER BAND double drummer stomp and live guitar and bass. After vocalist Stephen Dewaele’s menacing intoning of the song’s hook, a wonderful Mellotron string break shows that it’s not all monosynth action here and the outro of the song again owes a big debt to Germany’s DAF.

Photo by Younes Klouche

‘Here Come the Men in Suits’ pinches a lyric from THOMAS DOLBY’s ‘Commercial Breakup’ and starts like an out-take from the ‘Stranger Things’ TV show before heading into a funky modular synth break down.

Solina strings flesh out the song towards the end before closing with the down-tempo ‘Goodnight Transmission’.

One thing that cannot be denied is that SOULWAX have immaculate taste, they are the synthpop equivalent of a fine dining experience, each track has a superb provenance of sounds and influences featuring an enviable range of vintage analogue equipment.

Elsewhere, this album has been compared to a “batshit crazy sci-fi disco concept album” which sort of hits the nail on the head, although it does stick within certain conventions and could be accused of being a little two-dimensional in places.

‘From Deewee’ does what it does extremely well and will translate superbly into the band’s live shows, especially as the band’s new trio of drummers will be taking to the road too. The album was apparently recorded ‘live’ in one take, but this is hard believe considering some of the vocal overdubbing present, especially on closing track ‘Goodnight Transmission’.

If you are a synthpop fan that is put off by the words “features live drums”, don’t let it deter you; this is a superbly produced piece of work that although does take risks, ultimately succeeds and adds another fine set of songs to the SOULWAX back catalogue.

‘From Deewee’ is released by PIAS

SOULWAX play London’s Electric Ballroom on 8th April and Manchester O2 Ritz on 9th April before a two night stint at Brussels Ancienne Belgique on 11th-12th April 2017

http://www.soulwax.com/

https://www.facebook.com/soulwax/

Text by Paul Boddy
2nd April 2017

GOLDFRAPP Silver Eye

31 March 2017 /

GOLDFRAPP certainly do little else but invite the listener to dive in “head first” into each and every one their releases, which to date, are unique and storytelling, delving into variations of synth like no other.

Starting with the debut ‘Felt Mountain’ which was elegantly cinematic, through to the full glam of ‘Black Cherry’ and ‘Supernature’, the folksy ‘Seventh Tree’, the deliciously wired synthpop ‘Head First’ (who said Italo disco was dead?), onto ‘Tales Of Us’, which dazzled with a plethora of private emotion, the duo consisting of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory promise to continue to surprise on ‘Silver Eye’.

With GOLDFRAPP, it’s like playing chess against a rather skilled opponent, “We’re going to keep you guessing on what our next move is” say the twosome, borrowing the sentiment from David Bowie. Alison admits that “We’ve never liked repeating ourselves. Often we react to things we’ve just done. We like the spontaneity of not knowing. It’s only through the process that we start to figure out what it is. The fans who have stuck with us are the ones who embrace that idea and are excited by the thought that they don’t know quite what to expect next”.

Indeed ‘Silver Eye’ has been well appointed with eclectic collaborations. The band spent 10 days in Dallas with Grammy-winning producer John Congleton. Bobby Krlic, aka THE HAXAN CLOAK caught up with them in London and Leo Abrahams, who’s known for being a Brian Eno collaborator, added abstract guitar textures.

The first single and album opener ‘Anymore’ marks a return to their electronic sound with that harsh, pulsating synth line and a sensuous vocal, wanting a reaction to the pleas of yearning (“I can’t wait, I can’t wait anymore…”). It’s different, yet still very GOLDFRAPP. A similar emotion continues to be captured on ‘Systemagic’; an uptempo gem reminiscent of the material from ‘Black Cherry’, it begs the question as to whether Alison is always found in the kitchen at parties?

‘Moon In Your Mouth’ must be the definitive slice of electronic poetry. Magical, ethereal and loaded with such engaging synth, one wants to drift away on the waves of Alison’s vocal which recalls Dido. If only more modern synthpop was written with such a captivating sentiment, it’s definitely one of the best tracks on ‘Silver Eye’.

‘Tigerman’ also finds itself in a dreamlike state of animal-like consciousness, similarly to ‘Beast That Never Was’, while ‘Everything Is Never Enough’ goes back to the faster tempo and poignant lyrics, describing the wasteful society of today. To slow things down, the delicate ‘Faux Suede Drifter’ and exquisitely opulent ‘Zodiac Black’ punctuate the centre of the long player. Both downtempo masterpieces are dreamy and unparalleled in their simplicity.

‘Become The One’, nods to the inspiration Alison Goldfrapp took from a documentary about transgender children, and the opus is concluded with the striking ‘Ocean’. The vocal evolves here over some gritty, emancipated electronica loaded with heavy emotion à la the productions of John Fryer, injecting feelings that can do nothing else but move and force to yearn for more. But there’s no more, ‘Silver Eye’ ends abruptly here, begging for further listening pleasures. Let’s rewind…

As Will Gregory observed: “I think writing an album is like being lost in a wood. You’re trying to figure out an interesting path. You don’t know whether it’s going to be a dead end or somewhere interesting and you never know when to stop because around the corner some beautiful vista might open up.”

GOLDFRAPP don’t repeat, they don’t pretend, they just consistently deliver. It proves there’s plenty of new life to be brought into releases of an established act. A definitive challenge for their contemporaries, it’s a strong contender for the ‘Album of 2017’ title, even this early in the annum.

‘Silver Eye’ is released in clear vinyl LP, CD and digital formats by Mute Artists

http://goldfrapp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Goldfrapp

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
31st March 2017

RAINLAND Touch EP

29 March 2017 /


From the ashes of ANALOG ANGEL come forth RAINLAND and their debut EP ‘Touch’.

The Weegie duo of Ian Ferguson and Derek MacDonald were the musical lynchpin of their previous band and now free of the industrial shackles that occasionally held them back, their self-titled number ‘Rainland’ is a stomping synthpop statement, embroiled in a musicality that provides an almost joyous journey through the Grampian Mountains. Ferguson had already proved himself a worthy vocalist on ANALOG ANGEL songs such as ‘No Goodbye’, ‘I Am Me’ and ‘Another Rainy Day’ with a tone not dissimilar to a certain Midge Ure.

This is allowed to rein free on ‘Rainland’, while the ivories of MacDonald stylistically ape the symphonic overtones of ULTRAVOX’s Billy Currie. Synthpop is pop music using synthesizers, not a by-word for fluff. As the cultural commentator Simon Reynolds put it in The Guardian as part of his ‘Synth Britannia’ assessment on the legacy of synthpop in 2009: “Oddly, what’s made this music last are the same things that made The Beatles and Motown immortal: melody and emotion” – ‘Rainland’ possesses both those qualities and this eponymous calling card shows exactly what RAINLAND are capable of.

Meanwhile the neo-ballad ‘Suddenly Winter’ conveys a snow-capped atmosphere that does exactly what it says on the tin while the uptempo ‘The Light Of The Sun’ showcases more of the engaging synthpop songcraft that perhaps hadn’t been able to attain its full potential within ANALOG ANGEL.

‘Touch’ with its digital slapped bass and HI-NRG flavour in a nod to BRONSKI BEAT will surprise ANALOG ANGEL fans, while ‘Silverlight’ featuring lyrics by poet and novelist Ange Chan sonically punches, as sweeps and sequences make their presence felt on this rousing number.

Tom Shear has already recognised RAINLAND’s capabilities and invited Messrs Ferguson and MacDonald for ASSEMBLAGE 23 on their 2017 UK tour. What happens next is now up to them, but expect the pair to allow the music to speak for itself. There certainly won’t be any misguided sojourns into reality television or remixes by eminently, the worst music act in the world today… 😉

The ‘Touch’ EP is available for download via https://rainland.bandcamp.com/album/touch

RAINLAND play the following 2017 live dates with ASSEMBLAGE 23: Glasgow Ivory Blacks (30th March), Manchester Zoo (31st March), London Electrowerkz (1st April)

https://www.rainland.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/RainlandtheBand/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photos and artwork by Mark Walker @ MNW Visual Communications
29th March 2017

The Best TECHNOMANCER & ANGST POP Remixes

21 March 2017 /

Sub Culture Records is a Norwegian label founded by Per Aksel Lundgreen, whose motto goes “what you call culture, we call crap”…

Their artists have included MARTYN BAILEY, TRAIN TO SPAIN, former YELLO member CARLOS PERÓN, iEUROPEAN, DELAYSCAPE, SLEEP MUSEUM, MACHINISTA and TECHNOMANCER, to name but a few.

The label is no stranger to compilations, having just unveiled their latest, ‘The Best TECHNOMANCER & ANGST POP Remixes’ featuring a plethora of artists reworked in a Per Aksel Lundgreen approved manner.

The man himself has a long history within electronica genre, having co-founded YAZOO inspired covers act CHINESE DETECTIVES and played with APOPTYGMA BERZERK, while promoting many synth related acts and running his own project CRONOS TITAN.

ANGST POP is his own moniker too, and many remixes on the compilation have been mastered by Lundgreen as well. Indeed, a multitude of known and adored synth acts have been featured here. ROBERT MARLOW’s ‘Smile’ opens the collection, followed by excellent take on DIE KRUPPS’ ‘Robo Sapien’, with metallic, EBM loaded beats perfect for feet stomping and head bobbing. NITZER EBB had to be present here as well, with a superb version of ‘Once You Say’.

Lundgreen’s brother from a different mother, Stephan Groth aka APOPTYGMA BERZERK, finds his place here with ‘Major Tom’; a cover of PETER SCHILLING’s nod towards Bowie, it’s here wrapped up in a melodic candy.

‘Darkest Hour’ by ANNE CLARK is a true highlight, strong, arty and full of attitude.

SHATOO, an act in which Per is also involved are featured here a few times with ‘Dangertown’, ‘Floodlights’, ‘Nothing That I Wouldn’t Do’ and ‘One Night Love’, the latter undoubtedly fit for Eurovision.

Meanwhile, ‘Som Ett Skal’ from PAGE is very ethereal and ear pleasing, while TOUCHING THE VOID dazzle with ‘Obsession’. TECHNOMANCER’s own ‘Electronic Warfare’ clashes with ANGST POP’s ‘Ødipus Rex 2012’ and SPEKTRALISED continue to ‘Learn & Teach’. CARLOS PERÓN closes this remix album with a bang on his ‘Der Komtur’.

While Lundgreen muses about releasing a single with TECHNOMANCER, he has been heavily concentrating on the production and remix work for other artists. He’d love to take CRONUS TITAN to Germany and his dream is to write a movie soundtrack under the same moniker. Until then, we have this extensive remix album to fall back on.

‘The Best TECHNOMANCER & ANGST POP Remixes’ is available from Sub Culture Records at https://subculturerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-best-technomancer-angst-pop-remixes

http://www.subculture.no/

https://www.facebook.com/norwegiansubculture/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
21st March 2017

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