Category: Reviews (Page 173 of 206)

MURICIDAE Away

11 May 2015 /

muricidae3“Oceanic auralgasms” is how ethereal dream pop duo MURICIDAE describe their sound.

Yet another project from studio legend John Fryer, best known for his work with COCTEAU TWINS, NINE INCH NAILS, DEPECHE MODE and most recently SILVER GHOST SHIMMER, the musical template of MURICIDAE perhaps harks back to his work with THIS MOTRAL COIL, the 4AD art collective which at various times included DEAD CAN DANCE’s Lisa Gerrard and COCTEAU TWINS’ Elizabeth Fraser on vocals.

MURICIDAE though features the exquisite, angelic vocals of LA based song siren Louise Fraser, who incidentally is no relation to Elizabeth. She and Fryer apparently “met on the beach searching for mermaids”… the sea is very much the visual theme for their music, with Fryer cultivating “sonic sculptures to musically embody the exquisite Muricidae Shell itself”.

The pair released their first EP ‘Tales From A Silent Ocean’ in April and a video for the five track collection’s gorgeous lead track ‘Away’ has just been completed. The film features actress Sandy Akins as well as Louise Fraser and was filmed by Martin Curland and Kevin Bosl with John Fryer himself as editor and executive Director. It captures the tranquil piano laden soundscape with double vision oceanic imagery complimenting the echoes of Fraser’s plaintive lament. As floating synths drift in, the images become more cerebral as her various memories intertwine.

With the other tracks from ‘Tales From A Silent Ocean’, ‘Real Slow’ is the spikiest and where “the jukebox is grinding”. At times, it even sounds like JULEE CRUISE fronting ‘Delta Machine’ era DEPECHE MODE with its bluesy overtones and rugged guitar. ‘Should I Stay’ is gently driven by a scratchy electronic rhythm with Fraser’s vocals beautifully layered on top. When the rhythm takes a breather for the middle eight, Fraser is left accompanied by some haunting ivories that further reveal an angelic fragility in her voice.

With synth strings, rolling percussion and halfway through, subtle arpeggios and deep squelches, ‘Falling’ is an epic cinematic number with Fraser sitting nicely within the orchestrated backing.

Together with John Fryer, they conspire to form an aesthetic that is greater than its sum of parts to produce a wonderful brooding cacophony of sound.

The EP is bookended by an ‘S Version’ of ‘Away’. The ‘S’ probably means the lush strings which adorn this alternate version and it acts as a worthy, aurally pleasing companion to the sparser original.

If you have ever imagined how THIS MORTAL COIL might have handled curating the soundtrack to ‘Twin Peaks’, then look no further than MURICIDAE and this elegant body of work.

‘Away’ is from the ‘Tales From A Silent Ocean’ EP available now from the usual digital outlets including iTunes and Amazon

https://www.facebook.com/muricidaemusic/

https://www.facebook.com/John.Fryer.Official

http://www.louisefraser.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
11th May 2015

GHOST HARMONIC Codex

9 May 2015 /

It’s interesting that the GHOST HARMONIC release ‘Codex’ is not the first instrumental album recorded by JOHN FOXX either as a solo or collective effort.

Yet still it had divided opinion amongst fans, many of whom are disappointed that the (almost) tandem releases of ‘Codex’ and ‘London Overgrown’ are not traditional song based albums.

These now seem to be the preserve of THE MATHS project and for many, this will be a useful differentiator. It’s interesting too in that a large percentage of his body of work is not only instrumental but also borders on the ambient / experimental in its tone.

Given that Foxx is an artist, both in the musical and wider sense as a painter, photographer and film maker, it makes sense he covers a number of musical bases. Using THE MATHS as a mechanism to release songs means listeners can, if they wish, avoid the more challenging work in the Foxx canon, but with ‘Codex’ this is their loss.

GHOST HARMONIC consists of Foxx and long term collaborator Benge alongside violinist Diana Yukawa. Recorded at Benge’s MemeTune studios in London’s Shoreditch, the album evolved over the space of a couple of years. As Foxx says himself: “the underlying intention was we all wanted to see what might happen when a classically trained musician engaged with some of the possibilities a modern recording studio can offer…” What happened is a record that delivers a startling dynamic between Yukawa’s heavily treated violin and the electronics usually associated with her two recording partners.

Presented as one continuous piece in five parts, ‘Codex’ explores not only musical forms but the space between the notes which are in places, enhanced due to the use of looping and heavy reverb. It was these spaces that inspired the collective’s name. As Benge states: “The spaces in between the musical notes are often overlooked…It was these ideas we wanted to capture on this record. The ‘ghosts’ in the studio that we were listening to for inspiration. The name came out of that”.

Foxx continues “I noticed an interesting effect when multi-tracking into long or complex reverbs – certain harmonics would be suppressed or enhanced and previously unheard ones would emerge from the miasma. This can be really beautiful and it’s now what I most listen for – I know a piece is going somewhere new when this sort of thing begins to occur”.

The pieces themselves are in turn dark and beautiful, and in places, dream like. Opener ‘A Green Thought In A Green Place’ evokes the feeling of sunlight through trees on a warm summer’s day and asks the listener to drift along with the long tailed reverbs on the violin before the electronics come in.

‘The Pleasure of Ruins continues the cycle with layered violin and bass drones carrying the listener through an empty city on a 13 minute plus journey. Across the album, Yukawa was encouraged to improvise and this is most apparent on the other long form piece ‘When We Came To This Shore’. The treatments used in places give her playing an almost vocal quality as layers and loops rise and fall in the mix. This was an aspect that Foxx was keen to explore: “Bach wouldn’t take any student who couldn’t improvise over a given theme but things seem to have gone in reverse since then. Diana was a welcome revelation after all that. She picked up themes immediately and took them off in all directions. Very exhilarating”.

Sandwiched between these two parts, ‘Dispersed Memory’ is the most atmospheric track on the album again with some quite beautifully fragile motifs rising through the mix especially in the last half. Closing track ‘Codex’ evokes some of the soundtrack work of Hans Zimmer around the release of ‘Gladiator’ in its tone and points the way to how the project may develop. It leaves the listener satisfied with the musical trip taken and wanting more. This may just happen, as Foxx says: “… there’s still lots of territory to explore”.

Many musicians look at releasing an instrumental album to in some way affirm their musical credentials when the results tend to sound like unformed demos of them just mucking about in the studio… yes Mr. Gore, pointing the finger at you!

In comparison, GHOST HARMONIC is a project on which you can hear the amount of work that has gone into crafting the end results into a whole.

John Foxx should be applauded for daring to make music like this in an increasingly challenging market and his fans should embrace the fact that after some almost 40 years in the business, he is still pushing himself and them.

GHOST HARMONIC ‘Codex’ is released on 25th May 2015 by Metamatic Records as a limited edition CD + hardback book package with artwork by Jonathan Barnbrook. It can be pre-ordered at http://johnfoxx.tmstor.es/cart/product.php?id=24689

http://www.ghostharmonic.com/

http://www.dianayukawa.co.uk/

http://www.metamatic.com/

http://myblogitsfullofstars.blogspot.co.uk/

Text by Ian Ferguson
9th May 2015

FFS Johnny Delusional

6 May 2015 /

Entitlement is a funny character trait…

Some persist on their inflated self-assessment and demand recognition, despite their actual league standing. And these characters are the subject of ‘Johnny Delusional’, the lead single from the self-titled album by FFS, a new project comprising of Glasgow based art school quartet FRANZ FERDINAND and everyone’s favourite quirky pop siblings SPARKS.

While ‘Johnny Delusional’ starts like the intro of FRANZ FERDINAND’s ‘Walk Away’, it then launches into a stomping indie rocker with Russell Mael’s trademark falsetto and Ron Mael’s piano interplay augmented by stabs of octave bass synth. With the lyrical couplet of “I want you, I know I haven’t a chance”, ‘Johnny Delusional’ could be about a girl, fame or acknowledgement…

As a possible reply to ‘Johnny Delusional’, the ‘FFS’ album closer ‘P*ss Off’ has also been publically aired. With the vibrancy of ‘Kimono My House’ and ‘Propaganda’ era SPARKS, it is riddled with jaunty ivories and camp vocal theatrics in the vein of classics such as ‘Something For The Girl With Everything’ and ‘BC’.

Each combo’s own eccentric pop sensibilities have been successfully merged and mutated, with no one act dominating the other. “I think each band unconsciously relinquished a little of who they were in order to enter new territory” said Ron Mael.

“Most collaborations stink!” said FRANZ FERDINAND’s Alex Kapranos and observers would have every reason to be cynical following SPARKS’ less than successful adventures with FAITH NO MORE, ERASURE and JIMMY SOMMERVILLE on the 1997 project ‘Plagiarism’.

But FFS is different… whereas ‘Plagiarism’ was a well-intentioned, if ultimately flawed, revisiting of the Mael brothers’ past glories, the union between SPARKS and FRANZ FERDINAND is centred around working as a six piece band on fresh new material. And this is reflected on ‘Collaborations Don’t Work’, a seven minute journey that takes in acoustic balladry, synthesized orchestrations, layered operatics and classical piano!

Like the sorcerer working with the apprentice to double the magical power, over a period of just over two weeks in late 2014, ‘FFS’ was recorded “all together, in a room” according to Kapranos, “So no hanging around or fannying about”. Based on the evidence of the three songs premiered in full so far, FFS are presenting some fine idiosyncratic but accessible pop.

‘FFS’ is released by Domino Records on 8th June 2015

FFS play the following UK dates: Glasgow Art School (16th June), London Troxy (26th June), Manchester Albert Hall (29th August)

http://www.ffsmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FFSMUSICOFFICIAL

http://www.franzferdinand.com/

http://allsparks.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
6th May 2015

HYPERBUBBLE Dee Dee Rocks The Galaxy

2 May 2015 /

HYPERBUBBLE’s award winning soundtrack to the independent Sci-Fi mini-movie ‘Dee Dee Rocks The Galaxy’ is now out as a CD. For anyone who has ever followed the quirky Texan duo’s work, it maintains the bionic bubblepunk standards of their previous albums and projects.

Under the influence of the great soundtrack innovators like John Carpenter, Wendy Carlos, Delia Derbyshire, Jerry Goldsmith and Suzanne Ciani, ‘Dee Dee Rocks The Galaxy’ is a wacky twenty five minute rocket ride where there is no time to take in the scenery!

With salvos of synths, stylophones, theremins, vocoders and electronic drums, there is even the unexpected appearance of guitars on the penultimate track ‘Showdown In Space’! HYPERBUBBLE told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK in Autumn 2014 that “guitars are retro”, but have blamed this particular invasion on Guitar Ninjas!

The film itself traces the story of Dee Dee and her adventures on the Planet Theremin, before a musical battle between our heroine and Emperor Korg’s Guitar Ninjas. A synth rock opera described by Jeff and Jess DeCuir of HYPERBUBBLE as “Flash Gordon meets The Wizard Of Oz”, there are songs, snatches of dialogue and incidental music.

The album begins proper with ‘Dee Dee’s Theme’ and can be best described as MÖTORHEAD’s ‘Ace Of Spades’ reimagined on Moog sequencers. The spacey bleep fest of ‘Galaxy A Go-Go’ reinforces the Sci-Fi vibe, while the frantic pace of the vocodered ‘Instruments of Doom’ only adds to the fun. ‘Moog Maneuvers’ is aural madness, with pulses and percussion appearing from all angles. ‘Runaway Love Slave’ takes it even further and comprises of programmed drums only.

‘The Kill Zone Kid’ revisits the synth MÖTORHEAD concept of ‘Dee Dee’s Theme’ before the film’s cast members join in on the marvellous ‘Showdown In Space’. The futuristic synth lead line even has echoes ROCKWELL’s ‘Somebody’s Watching Me’, which incidentally aped THOMAS DOLBY vocally!

Ending with the jaunty ‘Queen Of The Universe’, if you enjoyed QUEEN’s soundtrack experiments like ‘Football Fight’ from ‘Flash Gordon’, then ‘Dee Dee Rocks The Galaxy’ is an album for you. And like that film, it is all futuristic escapist fun, a quality that HYPERBUBBLE have been happily able to maintain after seven releases.

‘Dee Dee Rocks The Galaxy’ is released by Pure Pop For Now People Records as a download via the usual digital outlets. The autographed CD edition is available from http://hyperbubble.net/shop.html

queen of the universe EPA free EP sampler featuring ‘Queen Of The Universe, ‘Kill Zone Kid’ and a Synthetik FM Remix of ‘Queen Of The Universe’ can be downloaded at http://fellowshipwreck.com/audio#f061

http://www.hyperbubble.net/

https://www.facebook.com/hyperbubble

Text by Chi Ming Lai
2nd May 2015

SILVER GHOST SHIMMER Soft Landing

1 May 2015 /

Having produced, engineered and worked with the likes of FAD GADGET, YAZOO, COCTEAU TWINS, NINE INCH NAILS, and of course, DEPECHE MODE, the renowned John Fryer is back with another exciting project SILVER GHOST SHIMMER.

John Fryer was previously involved with THIS MORTAL COIL and DARKDRIVECLINIC, and this time he embarks on another musical journey, accompanied by Pinky Turzo, an American executive producer and co-owner of Noiselab Music. Pinky lends her vocals on this eclectic collection with a perfect dose of filmic glamour and class.

Fryer, who recently appeared at ‘A Secret Wish’, hosted by Cold War Night Life in London, is rather proud of his latest production “inspired by the vocal groups of the 60s”. The ten tracks on ‘Soft Landing’ form a rather eccentric album, which is bound to find popularity in various musical circles, as well as Fryer’s electronica background.

The title track, which opens the album, is a homage to the 1962 hit by JAY & THE AMERICANS ‘She Cried’. The sound resembles a mixture between Dave Gahan’s solo projects and GOLDFRAPP’s ‘Head First’, with added excellent synthesis and irregular beat patterns. It is glam electronica gathered in one sexy tune and an excellent opening to this fantastic album.

‘Suffocated’ follows with the continuation of the GOLDFRAPP sounding vocals, reminiscent of the classic 1960s tunes, when a song was an actual work of art. A gentle melody, emotional weightlessness and sorrowful tonality round the track perfectly. ‘Inside My Loneliness’ continues with similar qualities, but introduces metallic sounds and trembling synth over the ethereal and cinematic vocal.

‘Happy In Your Tears’ in its singing style resembles Gwen Stefani or early Madonna, the dainty synth line is interspersed with a heavier sounding guitar, the production is superior and reminiscent of Alan Wilder’s. The song is so unique, it could easily appeal to the grunge fans of SONIC YOUTH, HOLE or BABES IN TOYLAND. The feeling of unlikeness continues with ‘Not Even Fire’, with its engaging modulation and captivating resonance. Elements of vintage DEPECHE MODE can be established in the excellent sounds of this gem, prompting the question whether this album may just be the most splendid concoction of tunes we will hear this year.

‘Scattered Pearls’ musically resembles an amalgamation of poignant synthpop and classic song orchestrations, while ‘Questions That Cry’ sounds fresher and contemporary at first, just for it to emerge into a guitar dominated track which SHAKESPEARS SISTER wouldn’t be ashamed of. The vocals soft and calming are almost Sheryl Crow-like.

‘She Keeps Me Hoping’ opens with a catchy guitar riff over a super synth line and brazen lyrical content. Glistening with a shine of thousand diamonds, this glamorous track shimmers in the glitzy sparkle of those enchanting vocals by Pinky. The glamour beats of ‘Glittering Eyes & Apple Rays’ are astounding. The lustrous voices and sophisticated melody unite to form this intensive track are as original, as they are resonant of the glitzy tunes crafted by Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw and the like.

The album closes with ‘This Mortal Shimmer’, and its title clearly with reference to John Fryer’s THIS MORTAL COIL. Floating water sounds add to the buoyant texture of this track at the onset, which swiftly continues into a heavier, elaborately “shimmer”-coated extravaganza of synth.

A baby-like voice hovers over the production with unique mixture of shyness and powerfulness alike. Tropical forest noises and church choirs may be the strangest mixture known to be used in one track, but Fryer closes the production with exactly those, which add to the eclectic nature of this record and prove his production abilities are second to none.

Could this be the album of 2015? It may possibly be. The vocals by Pinky Turzo, resembling many acclaimed songstresses, are sublime; full of soul and evoke an array of emotions. As for John Fryer himself, there is a palpable feeling that himself and the Alan Wilders of this world, are magic-makers, when it comes to the production and finishing of an album. The eloquent use of synths adds to the project, making it very desirable to any fan of electronica, yet a gem like that will have a much wider appeal. Any pop, glamour rock or even soft grunge fanatic will positively respond to this album. Hardly surprising, when we are dealing with the genius that produced such an array of artists, including ASHBURY HEIGHTS, LUSH, CLAN OF XYMOX, HE SAID or WIRE.

Owning this album is a must, satisfaction is fully guaranteed with this one.

‘Soft Landing’ is self-released and available now via the usual digital outlets

https://www.facebook.com/silverghostshimmer.official

https://www.facebook.com/John.Fryer.Official

https://silverghostshimmer.bandcamp.com/

Text by Monika Izabela Goss
1st May 2015

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