Category: Reviews (Page 160 of 206)

BEYOND THE WIZARDS SLEEVE Diagram Girl

10 April 2016 /

BEYOND THE WIZZARD’S SLEEVE Diagram Girl

It’s only April, but could ‘Diagram Girl’ by BEYOND THE WIZARDS SLEEVE be one of the songs of 2016?

The psychedelically monikered sonic brotherhood of DJ Erol Alkan and Richard Norris, who is best known for his partnership with Dave Ball in THE GRID, BEYOND THE WIZARDS SLEEVE are set to release their debut album proper ‘The Soft Bounce’ on 1st July 2016, following establishing their reputation as remixers with their series of ‘Re-Animations’. ‘Diagram Girl’ is the gorgeously enticing lead track from the album and comes over as a blissfully sequenced electronic take on M83 or MAPS, but with the twist of unisex vocals by HANNAH PEEL.

Directed by BAFTA winner Kieran Evans, the wonderful monochromatic video for ‘Diagram Girl’ is a wonderful surreal homage to Nouvelle Vague cinema, capturing a forlorn woman surreally trapped in a derelict house stalked by a ghost and assorted crow-like beings; meanwhile the delightful Miss Peel also makes a cameo appearance.

Released as a single, the bundle also contains a Re-Animation which takes off the male lead vocal and leaves just Peel’s natural dreamily breathy tones over the extended electronic workout.

The Craigavon-born songstress and composer herself has been very busy of late. As well as  juggling projects such as THE MAGNETIC NORTH and MARY CASIO, there will also be the live debut of a collaborative work called ‘In The Shadows Of Steam’, celebrating the lost railways of Donegal at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival on Thursday 5th May 2016.

And this is without Peel’s own upcoming second solo album ‘Awake But Always Dreaming’, contributing her vocals to a new JOHN FOXX & THE MATHS song ‘A Man & A Woman’ which will feature on a new compilation ‘21st Century: A Man, A Woman And A City’ and a South Coast tour of eight record shops in support of her ‘Rebox 2’ mini-album release on gold vinyl for RSD2016 on Saturday 16th April.

Hannah Peel - Diagram Girl

Meanwhile, promising an album of “pleasure and pain, doubt and transcendence” with other guest such as Blaine Harrison of indie rockers MYSTERY JETS, Euros Childs from GORKY’S ZYGOTIC MYNCI, Jane Weaver and Holly Miranda, BEYOND THE WIZARDS SLEEVE launch ‘The Soft Bounce’ with a 4 hour DJ set at The Moth Club in London on the evening of its release.

‘Diagram Girl’ is available now on 12 inch turquoise vinyl with a download key via https://shop.phantasysound.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/beyondthewizardssleeve/

https://soundcloud.com/beyond-the-wizards-sleeve

http://www.hannahpeel.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
10th April 2016

SPRAY Enforced Fun

7 April 2016 /

SPRAY ENFORCED FUNartwork

Jenny McLaren and Ricardo Autobahn (aka John Matthews) jokingly describe themselves as “Synth folk straight outa Lancashire”.

Having been members of THE CUBAN BOYS, with whom they topped the singles charts in the UK, the twosome took on an off-shot project, SPRAY. Autobahn has also been involved in a venture called BARNDANCE BOYS with Daz Simpson aka Darren Sampson, infamous for their exaggerated papier-mâché heads. Two albums have been released since, followed by further EPs. And now, the good mates of Nathan Cooper aka KID KASIO, have returned with a lengthy production mischievously entitled ‘Enforced Fun’.

The hilarious ‘Prologue’ by Jane Badler introduces the light hearted approach of this record, which is a happy and bright amalgamation of cheerful dance tracks, such as ‘Hit The Applause Light’, ‘Overdramatic’ (with vocals sounding like Sarah Blackwood’s), ‘Rotating The Square’ and ‘The Magic 8 Ball Lies’ (loaded with Eurovision worthy qualities and varying vocals).

‘You Show Me The Way’ slows the tempo somewhat, resembling DUBSTAR or CLIENT, thanks to the clear, competent vocals and pleasant melody.

KID KASIO features on ‘It’s Not Enough’; an über electric come back to the synthier years. A refreshing approach to the old style electronica is what’s expected of Nathan Cooper and this track certainly provides that in bunches.

‘Diabolical Mastermind’ provides political connotations interwoven within an efficient synthravaganza, while ‘It’s The Night Of The Long Knives, Charlie Brown’ musically turns into a more folk and reggae inspired number, laced with clubland rhythms. ‘Into A Tunnel’ drifts away from the discotheque into a dream land and ‘The 80s Never Died’ is ERASURE in a can, followed by ‘Fake Controversy Coincidentally Moves Product’ and ‘The Biggest Pool In LA’ (a sarcastic answer to any problem).

HYPERBUBBLE feature on ‘The Very Nerve Centre of Art Video Cliché’, a song laced with ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ synth line and scarce guitar elements. The production closes with ‘The Final Song’, a measured ballad, peacefully wrapping this eclectic collection of “perfect songs for every mood”.

SPRAY are well regarded and part of many collaborations, some of them including Autobahn’s co-writing and production of ‘Teenage Life’ with Daz Sampson, which was UK’s 2006 Eurovision entry; others have McLaren performing guest vocals on club records. KID KASIO, as well as many others, like LOLLY POP, POP INC and HELEN LOVE pride themselves with having worked alongside the duo.

‘Enforced Fun’ is a masterful dance gem, but without the sugary beats and need of overbearing vocal enhancement. What you hear is what you get, get it?!

‘Enforced Fun’ is released as a CD and download on 29th April 2016 via
http://spray.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/spraynet/

https://twitter.com/spraypopmusic

Text by Monika Izabela Goss
7th April 2016

PET SHOP BOYS Super

1 April 2016 /

It is debatable whether number thirteen will be lucky or not so much for PET SHOP BOYS, but after the album number twelve, ‘Electric’ in 2013, with its return to the good old, if ever so slightly camp (of course!) electronica, one expects perfection.

The predecessor to ‘Electric’, ‘Elysium’, nearly put the group alongside the likes of DEPECHE MODE, with their dwindling reputation and the general feeling that one cannot expect a decent long player anymore. ‘Elysium’ was stripped of the energy and the vitality, one has grown to expect from the London duo.

‘Electric’ raised the bar, mainly thanks to the superb production by Stuart Price, restoring the belief that PSB still had it. And now comes ‘Super’. Also produced by Price, well known for his collaborations with Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Gwen Stefani amongst many others, together with ‘Electric’, ‘Super’ is another comeback to the inherent PET SHOP BOYS that has been around since their first outing ‘Please’. Price, who was the musical director on PSB’s ‘Pandemonium Tour’, and toured with the duo during showcasing ‘Electric’, has added a fresh approach to the established act that Tennant and Lowe are.

‘Happiness’ kicks off the club tracks collection with the ever optimistic lyric “it’s a long way to happiness, it’s a long way to go, but I’m gonna get there, boy, the only way I know”; against all odds they’re trying to keep good old pop alive. Excellently mixed, layered sounds burst into a comatose of euphoria, marking a great start to something worth pursuing.

‘The Pop Kids’ descends, being a quintessential PET SHOP BOYS track; carefree, but complicated, resembling the story of ‘Being Boring’ – the youth who never missed an opportunity for classy fun. Tennant and Lowe have never changed, they remain “the pop kids”. ‘Twenty-something’ tells a further tale which the duo are celebrated for. Their story telling tracks have become a kind of delicacy and this time, it’s about Londoners in their prime of life, “twenty-something hard to beat… feel the heat” within a slower paced beat.

‘Groovy’ picks up the tempo once again, leading onto ‘Dictator Decides’, which marks another of the politically laced numbers that the PSB boys do so well. Like their previous gems such as ‘Don Juan’ or ‘I Get Along’, this one hits the truth, that any politician is just a regular person underneath, sometimes wanting to live a normal life; a life without having to make decisions influencing nations. The plea to end his life to stop the tyranny clearly rings in “if you get rid of me we can all be free”.

Photo by Pelle Crepin

The instrumental ‘Pazzo’ introduces the next track, ‘Inner Sanctum’ which reacts to German techno pop scene based in Berlin’s Berghain, the ultimate night club with its cavernous main room. The track is heavy, punchy and dizzy, perfect for a pounds, shillings and pence induced rave. ‘Undertow’, ‘Burn’ and ‘Say It To Me’ hold onto the disco idea once more, with the latter being somewhat of an excellently executed ‘Domino Dancing’ style dance piece.

In the realm of fast paced tracks, ‘Sad Robot World’ is the ballad this album needs as a slow coma, and it is actually about robots! The final credit, ‘Into Thin Air’ calls for a collective disappearance to escape the mundanity, to “create new identities and fly into the unknown, we’ll vanish no one would know where”. Being different isn’t always easy; it creates misunderstandings and unnecessary pain, therefore the idea of avoidance and escapism sounds inviting.

The kings of pop, having turned out the biggest synth anthems over the last thirty years, have proven again that given the correct production, their mission can be accomplished. No fillers, no ballads (which according to Lowe are to be featured on the next Price produced album), no nonsense… it’s a notion many of their contemporaries should adhere to.

Pop isn’t dead yet. With albums like ‘Super’ it never will be. Never mind their age, PET SHOP BOYS are the eternal “pop kids” and their music reinvents itself in the best possible way. ‘Super’ is SUPER!

‘Super’ is released by in CD, vinyl and digital formats

http://www.petshopboys.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/petshopboys/

https://twitter.com/petshopboys

Text by Monika Izabela Goss
1st April 2016

LIEBE Revolution Of Love

29 March 2016 /

LIEBE are the Greek electro disco duo comprising of George Begas and Dimos Zachariadis.

Hailing from Thessaloniki, they released their 2010 debut album ‘Club Royal’ on Planetworks; their second long player ‘Somewhere In Time’ came out on Undo Records in 2012.

Sitting on that difficult bridge between pastiche and post-modern, their romantic disco friendly sound mines Italo and synthpop. But whatever retrospective tendencies LIEBE may have, they do it with panache and style.

The sexy video for ‘I Believe In You’ from LIEBE’s third album ‘Airport’ is a good example of this and gained traction on MTV Europe in 2014.Their fourth album ‘Revolution Of Love’ develops on the sunny, synth assisted holiday vibe of ‘Airport’.

While it generally has a dance friendly momentum, it opens steadily with a very authentic, Jarvis Cocker afflicted droll from Begas on ‘Meet The Stars’. The groovy dance template of ‘Reasons’ ups the tempo and comes over like a collaboration between PET SHOP BOYS and PULP, while things head slightly Trans-Atlantic with the Moroder-esque rock disco of the title track; it’s a path that ’This Way’ also follows.

The more house laden ‘Sound of The Moments’ amusingly and enjoyably imagines Jarvis Cocker guesting for THE GRID and even adds a trumpet solo from Kostas Katsaros to authentic things further. The classic European synth melodies on ‘Vienna’s Dreams’ give the song some widescreen drama while unsurprisingly, ‘Riviera’ conjures up images open top cars along the Mediterranean coast.

’Orlando’ brings some soppiness and flautist textures to proceedings, but this comparative lull is countered by the magnificent JEAN-MICHEL JARRE goes Italo disco of ’The Box’. Then there’s a total surprise with ’Skyline’, an incongruous but fun clashing of CHINA CRISIS with SOUL II SOUL, before the electric Latin bounce of instrumental ’Date3’.

With the presence of a deep Italiano voice sample, it acts as a Hellenic answer to NEW ORDER’s ‘Tutti Frutti’ to close proceedings.

A good and optimistic pop album, ‘Revolution Of Love’ is wonderfully escapist, something everyone needs at this moment in our turbulent times. LIEBE may not have strayed from their sound too much, but why should they? They are very good at what they do… ΥΓΕΙΑ!

‘Revolution Of Love’ is released by Emerald & Doreen Recordings, available from the usual digital retailers

http://www.liebe.gr

https://www.facebook.com/pages/LIEBE-official-page/257440579094

http://emerald-and-doreen.com/2016/03/20/what-we-need-revolution-of-love/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
29th March 2016

VILLA NAH Stranger

28 March 2016 /

One of the best electronic pop albums of 2010 was ‘Origin’ by VILLA NAH.

The East Helsinki pairing of Juho Paalosmaa and Tomi Hyyppä consolidated their position by supporting OMD on their UK Autumn tour. However, the two childhood friends went quiet afterwards and Paalosmaa formed SIN COS TAN with ‘Origin’ co-producer Jori Hulkkonen; SIN COS TAN’s three acclaimed albums to date, ‘Sin Cos Tan’, ‘Afterlife’ and ‘Blown Away’, plus their most recent EP ‘Smile Tomorrow Will Be Worse’, filled the void left by VILLA NAH. But the Finnish duo are now back, back, BACK!

VILLA NAH have just unleashed ‘Stranger’, a welcome return after six years that attaches Paalosmaa’s melancholic songwriting prowess with Hyyppä’s technical knowhow. Produced by the duo again with Jori Hulkkonen, ‘Stranger’ is a fine juxtaposition of swirling arpeggios and melodic tension.

Describing his outlook on life as “mostly cloudy with an occasional ray of sunshine coming through”, Paalosmaa’s magical but haunted voice compliments the track’s fat detuned synths and hypnotic, but intelligent dance structures. It was this combination of dusty synthesizers and classic pop sensibilities that gained VILLA NAH many new fans when they opened for OMD.

Answering a question as to why the Nordic region was a hub for great electronic music, Paalosmaa said back in 2010: “most of the time it’s so dark and cold outside, you might as well just turn the synths on and stay inside…”

Live dates are planned for this summer, while the new as-yet-untitled album is set to feature songs such as ‘Love Chance’ and ‘Lights Out’ which were premiered on the OMD tour. Now, if only MIRRORS could make some kind of return too…

‘Origin’ is still available on CD, vinyl and download via Keys Of Life

https://www.facebook.com/villanah/

https://twitter.com/villanah

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photo by Kimmo Virtanen
28th March 2016

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