Category: Reviews (Page 157 of 200)

TWICE A MAN High In The Clouds

26 January 2016 /

Released at the back end of 2015, ‘Presence’ by Swedish veterans TWICE A MAN is the follow-up album to 2010’s ‘Icicles’.

The band, founded by Dan Söderqvist and Karl Gasleben, released their debut long player ‘Music For Girls’ in 1982.

TWICE A MAN have maintained a steady presence over the years, using an primarily electronic template to construct their theatrical and atmospheric soundscapes.

They even composed an easy listening styled soundtrack for the PlayStation video game ‘Kula World’ in 1998. For ‘Presence’, the pair were joined by their long-time collaborator Jocke Söderqvist. The album’s highlight ‘High In The Clouds’ is a marvellous epic journey in pyschedelic synthesized melancholy.

Featuring the eerie backing vocals of Karin My, Dan Söderqvist’s broodingly dark lead vocals dominate a gliding backing track of sweeps, bells and textural guitar. Coupled with a subtle beat and a poignant environmental message, ‘High In The Clouds’ sits up there with great songs like OMD’s ‘Electricity’ and THE OSMONDS’ ‘Crazy Horses’ about the spectre of man made pollution.

With hints of classic COVENANT, ‘Presence’ also features more aggressive sounding numbers like ‘Here Comes The Rain’ and ‘Black’, while the moodier trance of ‘Lines’ at times sounds like a futuristic spy theme. The album’s steadfast title track even has echoes of SPARKS in their ‘Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins’ phase.

The overall production of ‘Presence’ comes over as very cinematic with haunting chromatic overtones also permeating through. It proves once again why Sweden has it nailed as far as modern electronic pop music is concerned.

‘High In The Clouds’ is from the album ‘Presence’, released on CD and vinyl LP by Ad Inexplorata

http://www.twiceaman.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Twice-a-Man-140698385994037/

http://www.explorata.net/twiceaman

Text by Chi Ming Lai
26th January 2016

ELECTRO SPECTRE Beautiful Lies

18 January 2016 /

While the most decent electronic music is being turned out in Sweden these days, the Norwegians do their best to keep up.

ELECTRO SPECTRE came into existence in 2009 in the Norwegian capital, Oslo with Isak Rypdal, in the role of producer and writer, and Alexander Björneboe, as co-writer and vocalist.

A few albums went by since, and many a fan of electronica started recognising the Norwegians alongside the likes of CAMOUFLAGE, DE/VISION, BEBORN BETON or MESH.

‘Beautiful Lies’ is their fifth release, recorded in Prague and promising an intoxicating experience of synthpop at its best. ‘The River’ opens the production, luring with luscious vocals over CAMOUFLAGE-esque combinations of grandiose synth. DEPECHE MODE influences are palpable all over the flow of the track, with its gentleness and fragility.

The voice resembles BRYAN FERRY’s off-centre pitch, which really transpires in the track number two, ‘The Human Stain’. Exquisite drum rolls added onto a stacked synth, at times sounding very ‘Songs Of Faith & Devotion’, which indeed, is being quoted as one of the band’s favourite records.

‘Never Let Go’, vocally a mix of Ferry and Bowie, interspersed with magnificent strings and digital synthesisers is a larger than life production that makes a fabulous calling card. ‘She Runs Again’ slows the tempo somewhat, turning into a Marcus Meyn song once more; it’s a pleasing ballad with excellent guitar, leading into ‘With A Devil At The Start’. A multi-layered track, with structured elements congealing heavy and soft textures over a strong, deep vocal of Björneboe’s, it’s harsh, trashy, subtle and velvety all at the same time.

‘Faith’ continues the theme of luscious extravaganza of synth, ending in a very familiar way to any hardcore fan of DEPECHE MODE, while ‘A Kingdom Alone’ magnificently changes direction, at times bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Texan duo IRIS’ production on their second album ‘Awakening’. The ‘Beautiful Lies’ title track transports into an ambient, atmospheric world, veiled with mystery and suspense of being “under the spell of you and me”, while the closing ‘Strangesuit’ ushers the era of a heavy synth to sustain the feeling of gloom and nostalgia interwoven with anguish and pain.

ELECTRO SPECTRE certainly did their homework; proficient sounding tracks, excellently produced and mastered, and this unusual vocal, making the finished pieces sound interestingly noteworthy, are all features of a decent synth album. To some, the fact that sometimes the tracks sound uncannily like DEPECHE MODE or CAMOUFLAGE may be a turn off, but, overall, this is a very desirable production and its easy listening element means that it can be enjoyed by fans across all genres.

‘Beautiful Lies’ is available via the usual digital platforms, while the limited deluxe edition CD is available from Razgrom Music at http://www.razgrom.com/releases/group/532/24/

http://www.electrospectre.net/

https://www.facebook.com/ElectroSpectreBand

Text by Monika Izabela Goss
18th January 2016

PURITY RING Heartsigh

14 January 2016 /

Formed in 2010 and hailing from Alberta, Canada, PURITY RING are Megan James and Corin Roddick.

The duo released their first track ‘Ungirthed’ in 2011, setting a musical template for the band combining blippy monosynths, 808 drums, sampled vocals and Dubstep-inflected wub-wub bass. Within a year PURITY RING had been signed to the legendary 4AD record company, and debuted their album ‘Shrines’ in 2012.

Unusually for a complete album project, the songs were crafted by the two band members in completely separate studios a thousand miles apart, one in Halifax, the other in Vancouver; but despite this, were still able to achieve a cohesive sound thanks to the wonders of the internet.

It’s easy to imagine that if this technology was available back in Synth Britannia heyday, producers such as Vince Clarke would have readily adopted it as a way of working. With musical ideas and vocals being sent via file-sharing sites such as Dropbox and Googledrive, this working practice avoids having to share a studio space, but obviously can have positives and drawbacks in equal measure.

The band throw in a variety of styles into their musical melting pot, one that is entirely electronic, but with the added non 4/4 broken beats of R ‘n’ B and Hip Hop acting as a rhythmic foundation. Vocally Megan James treads a fine line, staying just the right side of being overtly saccharine, whilst song titles ‘Belispeak’, ‘Obedear’ and ‘Amenamy’ read like they could be COCTEAU TWINS tracks in waiting.

Second album ‘Another Eternity’ has seen a refinement in the sound of the band, the vocal production is immaculate, every production trick under the sun is deployed on Megan James’ vocals to enhance the purity of their sound.

This time the two members shared the same studio space and some of the signature sounds of Trap have infiltrated their songs with the trademark low-pitched 808 bass sound replacing the earlier Dubstep elements. Lyrically intriguing, the band are in turn both visceral and sexual, for example “Baby why don’t you see my sea – Get inside and build your castle into me” from ‘Sea Castle’ is definitely not describing a fun day at Bognor beach…

Live, the band employ a retina-searing light show, clothing designed by synth player Corin and a striking custom-built illuminated drum trigger system which features in the newly released video for single ‘Heartsigh’. The song itself is almost a COCTEAU TWINS song reimagined for the 21st Century with added Reese synth bass and Roland Alpha Juno Hoover sounds. Beautifully and clinically produced, ‘Heartsigh’ is an ideal entry point for the band.

The huge success of CHVRCHES has arguably been part curse / part blessing for PURITY RING. On one hand, the Canadian band could feel aggrieved that their sound has been appropriated and commercialised by another act, yet conversely they undoubtedly would have picked up a larger fanbase as a result of the two parties co-existing; the band played The Roundhouse late last year, quite a feat for what could be seen by many as an ‘underground’ band.

A mark of an innovator is that many people often don’t get them first time around and that is certainly the case with PURITY RING. Other acts have now caught up with them and their sound is now almost a norm in some circles, even artists like Katy Perry and Taylor Swift don’t sound too far removed from some of the tracks on ‘Another Eternity’.

Fans of CHVRCHES will find much to love in PURITY RING, especially as the second album is far more commercially minded. However, dig a little deeper and you will start to appreciate the differences between the two acts and who knows, may even prefer the originators of this sound…

‘Heartsigh’ is from the album ‘Another Eternity’ released on CD, vinyl and download by 4AD Records

http://purityringthing.com/

https://www.facebook.com/purityringmusic/

Text by Paul Boddy
14th January 2016

SARAH P. Free

14 December 2015 /

Sarah Anna Psalti aka SARAH P. started her music career in 2010 as the frontwoman of KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS.

Working with the mysterious producer / musician RΠЯ, the pair actually did hail from the Greek capital, but sounded like they’d emerged from a frozen Fjord in Narvik. With hints of MARSHEAUX crossed with Polly Scattergood, their best track was possibly the dream laden chillwave of ‘Oostende’; it was what COCTEAU TWINS might have actually sounded like had they been a synth duo.

Called an “Electro pop Goddess” by Sound Injections, after she parted company with KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS in early 2014, she relocated to Berlin to explore a pop / R’n’B hybrid direction while collaborating with artists including THE NEW DIVISION, THE BILINDA BUTCHERS and SUN GLITTERS.

Her debut eight song mini-album ‘Free’ is an artistic diary chronicling “a couple of years that have been rough and weird”, where she was “shyly and slowly moving from the ultimate darkness towards the light”. Fully utilising her gorgeously spooky voice, the end result is somewhat more direct than her previous work, maintaining a stark beauty while remaining eerie and sinister.

Opening song ‘Dirty Sunday’ gathers together a cacophony of abstract half beats and ethereal atmospheres like Polly Scattergood collaborating with Fifi Rong. There are hints of a sparser GOLDFRAPP too with ‘You’ll Never Know’ being an obvious reference point. The following ‘Let It Go’ has haunting Bush-like mannerisms over the inflected sub-bass, while the passionate, piano marked ‘Little Soul’ is almost a declaration of anger.

The immediate but avant statement of ‘I’d Go’ is wonderful slice of modern pop with a great chorus. With an afflicted demeanour of optimism, she announces “I’m not afraid, why should I be? Now I’m free…”

The kooky ‘Dishes’ is delightfully odd and uptempo, a brilliantly buzzy vintage synth solo making its presence felt towards the climax. ‘Moving On’ is even more driven and dramatic, possibly a comment from SARAH P. on leaving KEEP SHELLY IN ATHENS or even the economic-political situation in Greece. An incessant arpeggio dominates and with sweeping layers also joining proceedings, ‘Moving On’ is quite a captivating listen.

More subtle GOLDFRAPP references adorn ‘Golden Deer’ which is also great slice of dreamy electronic disco, before ‘Free’ closes with the off-kilter, leftfield electronica of ‘You Wouldn’t Understand’.

Varied and enticing, ‘Free’ is a vivid commentary on relationships and politics. As SARAH P. herself put it: “FREE is for all the lost souls out there. FREE is for my broken generation. FREE is for everyone who ever wished to start over. FREE is for everyone who ever felt lost. You’re not alone. We’re not alone. We have each other. And we’ll always have music!”

‘Free’ is released by EraseRestart as a download via the usual digital outlets, 12 inch vinyl available from http://eraserestart.bigcartel.com/product/sarah-p-free-vinyl

http://sarahpofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sarahpofficial/

https://soundcloud.com/sarahpofficial

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photo by Bertrand Bosrédon
14th December 2015

CIRCUIT3 siliconchipsuperstar

12 December 2015 /

CIRCUIT3 is the synth laden project of Irish musician Peter Fitzpatrick.

The Dubliner was recently spotted confessing his love for all things electronic in the BLANCMANGE documentary ‘You Keep Me Round & Round’.

‘siliconchipsuperstar’, the debut album from CIRCUIT3 is unashamedly synthpop in that classic 1978-1982 vein. The calling card ‘New Man’ is a statement of intent, ERASURE’s ‘You Surround Me’ reimagined with the assistance of 21st Century technology alongside vintage bleeps and beats.

With a vintage rhythm machine as its backbone, second track ‘Ghost Machine’ interestingly features lyrics by LA based Irishman Brian McCloskey who hosts the blog ‘Like Punk Never Happened’ which features back issues of the magazine ‘Smash Hits’. Layered in string machine, its treated vocal styling does slightly hint at Midge Ure, as does the vox on ‘Those Who Were Dancing’ with it distinctive DX7 bass sounds dominating proceedings. Meanwhile, ULTRAVOX musically lingers over ‘Reverberate’, thanks to a great Odyssey solo and pads of sweeping vibrato.

‘Darkroom’ adopts some atmospheric detuned pentatonics but parradoxically, ‘One Night In Tokyo’ drives along like a more aggressive ERASURE. The beautiful ‘Blue Diary’ brings together synthetic claps and crisp bell-like counter melodies sourced from a JX8P while on the rich ballad ‘In Your Shoes’, HOWARD JONES makes his influence felt.

Ironically ‘Running Out Of Time’ goes on for far too long and makes an irritating filler but thankfully, the percussive closer ‘Hundred Hands’ is much better. With the sort of mighty Linn Drum engine room that would make Martyn Ware proud and punctuated with some rugged lead synth, there are even some hints of KRAFTWERK’s ‘Showroom Dummies’ dropped in as a musical tribute.

‘siliconchipsuperstar’ is classic styled synthpop made by someone weaned on classic synthpop. This well-produced album is undoubtedly a labour of love and while there are echoes of the past like Clarke, Foxx, Jones, Numan or Dolby, the album is full of futuristic sounds that warble off and on.

Alongside KID KASIO and SUDDEN CREATION, CIRCUIT3 is another modern day disciple of the one man and his synth template made possible back in the day with MIDI and digital sequencing. And long may that continue; after all, who wants a drummer taking up all that room in the tour van?

CIRCUIT3 ‘siliconchipsuperstar’ uses the following synthesizers: Roland Juno 106, Roland D50, Korg Poly800, Roland JX-8P, Roland JP-8000, Yamaha DX7, Arturia MiniBrute SE, Arturia Spark Vintage Drum Machine, Arturia Mini V

‘siliconchipsuperstar’ is available now as a download or CD from
https://circuit3.bandcamp.com/album/siliconchipsuperstar

http://www.circuit3.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Circuit3music

https://twitter.com/Circuit3Music

https://soundcloud.com/circuit3/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
12th December 2015, updated 1st May 2020

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