Category: Reviews (Page 168 of 200)

KARIN PARK Apocalypse Pop

13 April 2015 /


Let’s face it, 2012’s ‘Highwire Poetry’ was always going to be a pretty damn hard act to follow.

Arguably one of the best electronic pop albums from the last five years, it managed to maintain a balance of quirky, original songs, wrapped up in a production template that kept synth fans happy, but with also nods to contemporary sonics too.

Tracks such as ‘Thousand Loaded Guns’ and ‘Fryngies’ even brought KARIN PARK to the attention of Gary Numan who chose her as support on one of his UK tours. There must be an element of frustration in the Park camp that she hasn’t broken on a wider scale by now, on paper she has everything, astonishing model looks, a fantastic and charismatic live show (with her brother David accompanying her on drums) and with ‘Highwire Poetry’, an album that easily held its own against her contemporaries such as ROBYN, THE KNIFE and BJÖRK (comparisons which she’s probably getting tired of by now!).

This brings us to Park’s fifth album and second for Portsmouth-based label State of the Eye: ‘Apocalypse Pop’. The temptation would have probably been to stick with the format that worked so well on album four, but Park’s new set of songs has a distinctly different sound and vibe to them.

The overall tone and production on ‘Apocalypse Pop’ is much more edgy both from a sonic point of view (distortion and rock dynamics are more prevalent here) and with some of the lyrical content (more on that later). If anything, the overall sound of this album is more homogenized and cohesive than the last, but this is not necessarily a good thing, with many of the tracks taking several listens to hit home, the stylistic mish-mash of immediate songs which filled ‘Highwire Poetry’ is to a large degree missing here.

Opening track and single ‘Look What You’ve Done’ sets the tone, each sound has been overdriven including Park’s vocals and the track bounces along to the familiar 6/8 Schaffel beat which has been used by everybody from DEPECHE MODE to Rachel Stevens. Another previously released single ‘Shine’ follows next, its understated feel adding to the rollercoaster feel of the album (one moment you’re up, the next you’re down).

‘Stick To The Lie’ follows a more traditional electronic format with its driving sequencers and arpeggiators and is far better for it, lyrically it also connects far more successfully, with Park injecting its “truth… hurts like a sharp knife” hook with real emotion. ‘Daemons’ is the real Marmite track on the album, Park bearing her soul with the “I know I’ve been a c***” lyric, whereas musically and vocally, the chorus takes the track into decidedly unwelcome R’n’B territory. Final track ‘Hurricane’ lifts things tempo-wise and has a wonderful elastic / portamento bass sound and finishes proceedings in a more hypnotic/dance manner, Park sharing lead vocals with Thomas Knights from UK act PANDORA DRIVE.

The darker and more understated feel throughout has undoubtedly been informed by the illness of Park’s partner last year. This is not a bad album, but in places, it treads water rather than taking the standards previously set to a higher level. ‘Stick To The Lie’ is easily the most immediate track here and should act as the in point for fans of Park’s previous work. Meanwhile, the use of explicit language misfires badly, nobody really wants to hear the ‘C’ word in an electronic pop record and in many ways it seems to suggest that Park and her collaborators are trying a little too hard here to get themselves noticed.

For maybe a little too long now, Karin Park has been electronic pop’s best kept secret, and she certainly warrants a much larger demographic than what’s she’s achieved so far. Hopefully ‘Apocalypse Pop’ will help maintain the momentum she has generated and she will get a wider degree of success that she so richly deserves.

‘Apocalypse Pop’ is released by State Of The Eye Recordings on CD, download and vinyl.

http://www.karinpark.com/

http://www.facebook.com/karinpark

Text by Paul Boddy
13th April 2015

SAY LOU LOU Lucid Dreaming

7 April 2015 /

After first getting international acclaim in 2012 for their second single ‘Julian’, highly photogenic Scandipodean twins SAY LOU LOU have finally released their debut album ‘Lucid Dreaming’.

Elektra and Miranda Kilbey were shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2014, but the album has undergone all sorts of delays.

The question is after all that time and with contributions from noted pop scribes Richard X, Hannah Robinson and Liam Howe, have SAY LOU LOU been able to deliver on their brand of shimmering  escapism?

‘Lucid Dreaming’ is largely a brooding midtempo affair. That may not appeal to all, but with modern pop being either full-on EDM blow-outs or tedious wailing piano ballads these days, this approach could be seen as refreshing. SAY LOU LOU have been labelled a female HURTS having supported them during their 2013 European tour. But like HURTS, their music could do with a kick occasionally but with numbers such as the opener ‘Everything We Touch’, they are driven by a togetherness that can only come from two siblings.

The wonderful ‘Glitter’ ups the ante a little with a great synth melody and disco rhythms not unlike THE GOLDEN FILTER. But ‘Games For Girls’, the twin’s collaboration with dance producer LINDSTRØM sticks out like a sore thumb, as fun as it is, with Elektra and Miranda hitting some very high notes. The rousing single not included on the album ‘Better In The Dark’ may have been a more suitable alternative.

‘Julian’ though is possibly still the most outstanding song in their armoury at present. Untouched from the original 2012 version, SAY LOU LOU’s darkness and light duality showcases itself here. “I’ll get us through the checkpoint; I know we’ll be alright!” It is full of tension and intrigue like a Nordic Noir mini-series, compressed into a three minute pop song.

‘Angels (Above Me)’ takes the tempo down while the string laden ‘Peppermint’ takes things down further. Co-written with Hannah Robinson and Liam Howe, ‘Beloved’ is a striking ballad full of warmth with its pretty Yé-Yé girl styled vocals.

The percussive ‘Hard For A Man’ with its rich vocal intonation adds further colours to the palette but one can’t help wanting the template to alter slightly, even if it is only a slight increase in tempo as on ‘Glitter’. Now much had been made in the long build up to this album about Richard X’s involvement, but alas, his presence is only heard on ‘Wilder Than The Wind’, another ballad. Considering the impressive work he did on ERASURE’s ‘The Violet Flame’, this number is disappointing.

Midtempo or not, ‘Nothing But A Heartbeat’ is up there with ‘Julian’ as an album highlight. Dreamy and dynamic, it’s like those semi-sprightly cinematic numbers that HURTS used to do before they turned into SIMPLE MINDS.

The epic closer ‘Skylights’ is basically how MARSHEAUX would sound if Marianthi and Sophie attempted an AOR ballad with weeping keyboards and strings filling the void instead of guitars. The vocals from the Kilbey sisters are top notch, as they are throughout the collection.

Overall, ‘Lucid Dreaming’ does come over like a LANA DEL REY album, but without the swearing. SAY LOU LOU’s moody Nordic Noir Pop will not be for everyone, but there are enough great songs to make this album worthy of investigation

‘Lucid Dreaming’ is released by A Deux / Columbia Records

http://www.sayloulou.com/

http://www.facebook.com/SayLouLoumusic

Text by Chi Ming Lai
7th April 2014

PAUL HARTNOLL 8:58

6 April 2015 /

8:58 is the newly christened name for the side project of ORBITAL’s Paul Hartnoll.

There are definitive threads running through this album which inevitably hark back to ORBITAL, the chronological theme of the title track and ‘The Clock’ recall the ‘Planet of Shapes’ from ‘The Brown Album’ which featured the “Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day” sample from ‘Withnail and I’.

The album opener and title track features ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ and ‘Peaky Blinders’ star Cillian Murphy intoning about how throughout our lives, we are slaves to the unstoppable ticking of time and the clock.

Murphy linked up with Hartnoll when the latter was commissioned to create the soundtrack for the BBC Gangland-based TV series along with PJ Harvey and the legendary Flood (who handles mixing duties here too). Murphy also appears in the accompanying promo video which features a ‘Mr. Benn’ shopkeeper-style cameo from Paul Hartnoll himself.

‘8:58’ itself starts off in pretty slow-burning and down-tempo fashion with vocal and bell textured synths, before the track ramps up significantly towards the end with bitcrushed drums bringing the piece to a more dramatic and heightened conclusion.

Up next is ‘Please’ which features more guests in the form of Robert Smith from THE CURE and Lianne Hall – in case you are getting a sense of de ja vu here, then you would be right, as the track originally appeared on Paul Hartnoll’s solo offering ‘The Ideal Condition’.

This time around though, the original version’s ‘Satellite Of Love’ chord progression has been given a supercharged dance-oriented / square wave bass production, featuring a stabbed synth break and portamento lead riff which couldn’t be more ORBITAL-esque if they tried… interestingly, the original 2007 mix of this song is conspicuously absent from YouTube, but a few remixes exist should you wish to make a comparison, or head over to Spotify to have a listen!

‘The Past Now’ is a far more original sounding proposition, guest folk vocalist Lisa Knapp’s heavily reverbed vocals sounding gorgeous against an initially ambient wash before the track builds over a FAD GADGET style rhythm track. The song builds dynamically throughout with more contemporary sounding eight beat stabbed chords – the lush sound of this track is a definite highlight here, the vocal textures recalling the wonderful Liz Fraser in places.

unthanksHartnoll is a self-confessed folk fanatic and again dips into vocalists from this genre by featuring THE UNTHANKS on a version of THE CURE’s classic ‘A Forest’. But he resists the temptation to up its tempo, going for a more funereal and understated feel instead.

The familiar intro and outro guitars are re-imagined on synths and the whole approach even outdoes the original atmosphere of the track to take it to a far darker place altogether.

The left and right panning on Rachel and Becky Unthanks’ vocals help to give the interpretation of the song a more claustrophobic / intimate feel throughout, yet complementing the electronic sheen of the production.

Purely instrumental tracks ‘Broken Up’ and ‘Nearly There’ help bring the album towards a close, the latter being the most up tempo and 4/4 oriented track on the album, a frenetic almost early psy-trance feel to the sequencing.

Final track on ‘8:58’ is the haunting ‘Cemetery’, again another vocal-led piece with lyrics from the 18 year old Holly AKA ‘Fable’. Vocal cut-ups and a mix of 4/4 and breakbeat drums recall ORBITAL again without being an out-and-out pastiche. Staccato percussive KRAFTWERK synths echo around the stereo field and another heavily reverbed vocal leads into a melancholic but euphoric chord progression as the track rounds off the album perfectly. The main vocal hook on the song is “We are made of symmetry”, but a play on words gives the song its conclusive final title.

Overall, the clean synthetic production and sound of ‘8:58’ is superb with Flood being the perfect choice to handle the mixdown.

The album certainly holds its own against the last ORBITAL product ‘Wonky’, but with the cancellation of the recently scheduled 8:58 tour, there surely must have been have been a few regrets that this didn’t become a full-on collaboration with brother Phil – this certainly would have guaranteed a higher profile and potentially higher tickets sales.

On the flipside, Paul Hartnoll should still be given credit for putting his all into this work, one which shares a perfect sonic space and parallels with the recent SUSANNE SUNDFØR release, which in places has a similar sound. Will the eventual outcome of this album lead to another ORBITAL reformation? Only time will tell…

‘8:58’ is released by ACP Recordings and available now in CD, 2CD, download, deluxe download and double vinyl formats via the usual retailers

http://www.eightfiftyeight.com/

https://www.facebook.com/eightfiftyeightmusic

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/eightfiftyeight

Text by Paul Boddy
6th April 2015

METROLAND Triadic Ballet

30 March 2015 /

When KRAFTWERK’s ‘Trans-Europe Express’ was released in 1977, it was a landmark album that showcased European Modernism and synthesizer technology at its highest level.

With futuristic sounds produced using instruments by Moog, ARP, Vako and Matten+Wiechers, these machines however were beyond the pockets of most aspiring young electronic musicians.

But as Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus art school said: “Today’s luxuries are tomorrow’s norm” and those aspiring young electronic musicians subsequently took advantage of the affordable synthesizers that had emerged from Japan, made by the likes of Roland and Korg. Today in 2015, Gropius’ vision is total reality, with the sounds and timbres of KRAFTWERK now able to be purchased for less than £100 via the Synth-Werk VST and controlled from a home workstation.

Gropius’ theories about uniting art and technology in his 1932 lecture ‘Kunst Und Technik – Eine Neue Einheit’ are celebrated by METROLAND on their ambitious new concept album ‘Triadic Ballet’. “Art begets art” so the saying goes; Passenger A and Passenger S have developed on the Gesammtkunstwerk of their debut long player ‘Mind The Gap’.

But now inspired by the basic principles of design; unity, hierarchy and variety, the duo have recorded their musical tribute to the German movement led by Walter Gropius, Hannes Meyer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

The epic three part opener ‘Design’ salutes those principles with an impressive barrage of blips and blops in an impressive 11 minute musical journey. It starts sedately with ‘Unity’ before a sonic blast into ‘Hierarchy’ before it sweeps into a widescreen dance experience for ‘Variety’ without entering into four-to-the-floor monotony.

In another triadic approach (geddit?), Gropius, Meyer and van der Rohe are honoured in ‘3 Directors’ with a track that changes mood throughout its 5 minutes. It is wonderfully stern, propulsive stuff that captures the internal political tensions affecting the Bauhaus movement.

While voice and dialogue samples are prevalent throughout the album, there are no vocal toplines as such to speak of, even vocodered ones. All the tuneage comes from synthesizers and rhythmical passages, so this is effectively, an instrumental record in all but name.

‘Ikone Der Moderne’ borrows from ORBITAL and displays the urgency that ‘Triadic Ballet’ possesses compared with some of the steadier soundscapes of ‘Mind The Gap’. That dreamier approach though does make a return for the single ‘Zeppelin’ but it’s a red herring… following on, a harder, more industrial stance becomes embroiled in the template of ‘Machines Gone Mad’ and the Gothic laden title piece.

A METROLAND album cannot get reviewed with a mention of the ‘K’ word so the spectre of Düsseldorf, Deutschland’s art capital, looms most heavy on ‘Art + Technology’ and the more frantic ‘Struktur’. The mood continues with ‘Les Trois Couleurs’ but the pulsating kinetic energy of ‘The Manifesto’ is less Kling Klang and acts as a sound sculpture to articulate the values of Bauhaus.

Some pretty Synthanorma Sequenzer effects on ‘Utopia’ provide the backbone for a progressive soundscape that nicely encompasses the Bauhaus vision of a utopian world as one true man machine. It is a fitting, conclusion to a geometrically sharp meisterwerk that the house of construction would truly be proud of.

For those that wish to extend their viewing, ‘Triadic Ballet’ adventures into remix territory over two further albums with reinterpretations by the likes of FOTONOVELA, DEUTSCHE BANK, NATTEFROST and many more. These work as enlightening variations on the theme, like all good artworks.

THRESHOLD’s take on ‘3 Directors’, although not radically different, is turned into an express train ride while OBERKAMPF’s version plays rather a lot with the portamento setting. The rework of ‘The Manifesto’ by FRANCK KARTELL though is barer, yet driven by some fat white noise whips.

But for those happy with a purer art form where less is more, the main act from Belgium’s favourite fulfils the role quite nicely. They may have the spectre of KRAFTWERK looming over them (doesn’t everyone?) but with ‘Triadic Ballet’, METROLAND have proved they are now a credible, sustainable electronic entity on their own.

‘Triadic Ballet’ uses the following synthesizers and drum machines…

Novation Supernova, Novation Bass Station, E-MU Proteus, Kawai K1, Oberheim Matrix 1000, Roland JP8000, Waldorf Microwave, Quadrasynth, Yamaha CS6X, Casio SK5, Nord Lead 4, Roland Juno 60, Korg MS10, Korg MS20, Roland D50, Akai XR10, Boss DR Rhythm 55, Boss DR Rhythm 110, Roland CR78, Roland TR808, Roland TR909

‘Triadic Ballet’ is released on 16th April 2015 by Alfa Matrix as a 3CD deluxe boxset and digital download which can be pre-ordered from http://alfa-matrix-store.com/metroland-triadic-ballet-3CD

http://www.metrolandmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/metrolandmusic

https://twitter.com/MetrolandMusic

http://soundcloud.com/metroland

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Boekentoren Photos by Kristel Nijskens BE
29th March 2015

CAMOUFLAGE Greyscale

25 March 2015 /

Dreaming of a perfect electronic album this year?

Dream no more, brace yourself, build that excitement, then rush out and get yourself a copy of this masterpiece by the German veterans of electronica, CAMOUFLAGE. ‘Greyscale’ is the eighth studio album by the trio of Heiko Maile, Marcus Meyn and Oliver Kreyssig from Bietigheim-Bissingen. Yet again, it is well appointed, loaded with architectural sounds and skillfully hitting the spot, even for the more discerning listeners of the genre.

No two CAMOUFLAGE songs have been same sounding, repetitive or laboured; this being true since ‘Voices & Images’, through to ‘Methods Of Silence’, ‘Meanwhile’, ‘Bodega Bohemia’, ‘Spice Crackers’ and the newer ‘Sensor’, ‘Relocated’ and now 2015’s ‘Greyscale’. The album will have you ‘Spellbound’ for days on end, with its full bodied, yet easy listening tones, exquisitely selected to complete this one of a kind jewel.

‘Shine’, the first single from ‘Greyscale’, opens the record with its uptempo sounds and invigorating lyrics. A refreshingly stimulating track, it has all the elements of a good introduction tune. It is gripping and dynamic enough to make the listener compelled into wanting more, and more certainly comes with ‘Laughing’.

The second song on the album uncannily resembles Dave Gahan’s ‘Dirty Sticky Floors’ from his acclaimed solo project ‘Paper Monsters’. This intense and resonant anthem empowers and lifts the spirits with swirling synth motif and intriguing tonality, giving background to the earthy sound of Marcus’ voice. The mood changes swiftly on ‘In The Cloud’. From the quirky, bright and vibrant, we descend into melancholic, reflective and nostalgic. What a superb song it is, with its inspired, ominous and

This leads us perfectly into the next number, which is ‘Count On Me’. To say that the listener is onto a rare treat is an understatement in itself. Marcus opens with his mellow and warm rendition of the first verse, just to be replaced momentarily by the vocal genius himself, Peter Heppner of WOLFSHEIM, the God of atmospheric and lush voices, whose tone can be easily recognised from far and wide.

Heppner gives the song the uniqueness of his own material, especially reminiscent of his own project outside of WOLFSHEIM, ‘Solo’. The serenity of each sound on this track is simply superior, and the element of interest grows with such diversity only into the song number four of this genius-like formation.

The title track ‘Greyscale’ lacks vocals, but it is by no means inferior or disjointed. Sophisticated synth sounds interspersed with quirky rhythms are reminiscent of the magnificent instrumentals DEPECHE MODE used to produce at their best. The track paints a picture of mysterious, hushed situations, with uncertain, eerie and supernatural elements, very much like ‘The Great Outdoors’ or ‘Oberkorn’, the classic DM “no voice” gems. What comes next, is ‘Still’; another delicate and tranquil tune, gracefully embellishing this amazing album, with its rich, almost AND ONE’s ‘Virgin Superstar’ quality. Beautiful strings and French horns soothe the recipient, gently caring for the listener in a carefree manner.

A different sound is introduced with ‘Misery’, a fast, up-tempo track; again, evocative of those brilliant tunes of AND ONE. Danceable and full of melody, this exceptional song leads one nicely onto the more mellow, yet wonderfully rich ‘Leave Your Room Behind’. THE BELOVED ‘Sweet Harmony’ reincarnated in one modern, uplifting form. Bright, rounded vocals by Marcus sit perfectly on the backdrop of the reborn melody.

The second instrumental track from ‘Greyscale’ is cleverly named ‘Light Grey’. A short, yet wholesome tune, rich with suspense and apprehension introduces the listener into ‘End Of Words’. Sublime vocals on this song, resembling tracks of ‘Six Feet Underground’ from DE/VISION, fall against sensational melodies, leading to the third and last instrumental tune ‘Dark Grey’. A bit longer lasting than its light predecessor, yet similarly full of tension and uncertainty.

‘I’ll Find’ closes the album, with clear Leonard Cohen and Peter Heppner influences. Wholesome, yet with a large dose of insecurity and need of reassurance, just like the old WOLFSHEIM tracks we all learnt to love. Superb production, but as this is CAMOUFLAGE; one wouldn’t expect anything less.

Although the immediacy of ‘The Great Commandment’ or ‘Suspicious Love’ is missing, the album does not disappoint; it grips the listener with amazing dose of perfect electronica and leaves one with wanting more. That is why with over thirty years of experience within the music machine, CAMOUFLAGE’s varied concepts have proven popular on both sides of the Atlantic, with audiences in Asia, South America, Stateside and Europe alike. It is, after all, German electronic music at its best.

‘Greyscale’ is released by Bureau B on 27th March 2015 in CD, vinyl and download formats

CAMOUFLAGE’s 2015 European Tour includes:

Erfurt Stadtgarden (26th March), Dresden Reithalle Strasse E (27th March), Berlin Kesselhaus & Maschinenhaus (28th March), Hamburg Docks (29th March), Factory Magdeburg (31st March), Warsaw Progesja Music Zone (17th April), Bratislava Ateliér Babylon (18th April), Roxy Prague (19th April)

http://www.camouflage-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/camouflagemusic

Text by Monika Izabela Goss
Photos by Klaus Mellenthin
25th March 2015

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