Category: Reviews (Page 2 of 204)

ASSEMBLAGE 23 Null

6 November 2025 /

‘Null’ is the tenth album by ASSEMBLAGE 23 and with it, their mainman Tom Shear shows no signs of waning in his creative muse.

Titled around the concept of “zero” or “nothing” being either positive or negative depending on the context, while Shear’s deeply personal and relatable lyrical gists remain, ‘Null’ provides more wider social commentary than in the past and reflecting on the fact that the world has gone crazy!

The fine trancey opener ‘Believe’ accepts that the world is cold, indifferent and cruel with pain delegated yet there is still the will to believe in hope. The resigned but powerfully vibrant ‘Lunatics’ reflects that they really have taken over the asylum. With a sonic affinity to DIE KRUPPS’ electro alter-egos DIE ROBO SAPIENS, this is a rallying call against those in power and the oligarchs funding them. The media are complicit in spreading the messages of the monster raving loony far right but the fact is Nazis are bad and Charlie Kirk was a vile racist. So the fight begins now to get the world back before it is too late…

With a stark Mittel Europa chill, ‘Gone’ laments on loss despite the energetic stomp, reflecting on how as you age, one of the unfortunate things about that is the list of people who you know and who die grows. ‘Fuel’ adds something of an Italo bounce to the pessimism as the contrasts make a rousing pairing but Shear continues to know how to do a chorus.

The spikier speedier drive of ‘Tolerate’ highlights why ASSEMBLAGE 23 filled underground dancefloors at start of the 21st Century. Inspired by The Paradox Of Tolerance, Shear said in an interview with ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK: “If you tolerate intolerance, then tolerance will cease to exist because the intolerance will wipe it out. So the point is, somebody who considers themselves tolerant has a limit… that line, once it’s crossed”

‘Normal’ takes things down to a less frantic pace but while possessing a machine groove, Shear expresses his desire for more certainty and normality his life as the synths ring out. The punchy cut and thrust of ‘Last’ stuns the mind, displaying an affinity with MESH in its piercing drama. Galloping mightily to ‘The Line’ with hints of DEPECHE MODE’s ‘Halo’, this blend of dark electronic pop influences provides another standout full of resigned drama when “it doesn’t matter anyway…”

The call to ‘Overthrow’ is strong with jagged backing to match in this electro-rock romp that parties like it’s 2002 again while the closer ‘Waited’ is classic ASSEMBLAGE 23 and what Shear’s fans love him for, with equal measures of heartfelt soul-bearing, synth hooks galore and driving club-friendly beats.

The future might be bleak but the resistance starts now. With its on-point social commentary, ‘Null’ ranks among the best of ASSEMBLAGE 23’s albums and provides a soundtrack to help navigate around and against the ensuing chaos.

‘Null’ is released by Metropolis Records on 7th November 2025 as a CD, vinyl LP + download via https://assemblage23.bandcamp.com/album/null

https://www.assemblage23.com/

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
6th November 2025

HILARY WOODS Night Criú

31 October 2025 /

After two instrumental albums, the new Hilary Woods record ‘Night CRIÚ’ sees her return to songs and singing.

Written and produced by Hilary Woods, ‘Night Criú’ was mixed by Dean Hurley, best known for his work with the late David Lynch and a number of artists on the Italians Do It Better label. It features an international cast too with contributions from The Hangleton brass band and children’s choir from Brighton, violinist Oliver Turvey, Portugese percussionist Gabriel Ferrandini and Slovak flautist Ajo Gonsenica.

As the title suggests, this is an emotive nocturnal work, but while its predecessor ‘Acts of Light’ was drenched in monochrome, ‘Night Criú’ sees bursts of colour emerge from the shadows. While sparse in structure, the 7 songs have a breathy expansive depth of feeling and sonic artistry, the lyrics are themed around what it means to be human in the face of tyranny and oppression. There are also influences from Czech and Italian cinema, the revival of indigenous language and Hilary Woods’ own growing up in Ireland with its history of processions and parades.

The haunting ‘Voce’ combines scratchy cello, solemn drones and funereal beats while the minimal ‘Faults’ is also drone laden with a gentle backbone, Woods sounding fragile yet beautiful with the surprise of a distant brass band punctuating the frozen air.

On the eerie ‘Endgames’, there are hints of sparkles within its foreboding drama. Although initially stripped down to the bone of a deep acoustic guitar, ‘Brightly’ builds its mood as bowed orchestrations tear at the heartstrings, recalling GOLDFRAPP’s ‘Deer Stop’. Circling around a percussive loop of what appears to be pots and pans, ‘Taper’ is the sound of Nancy Sinatra if she had been born in Eastern Europe and when the children’s choir comes in, the moment is simply spine tingling!

A collection of choirs set to a drone, ‘Offerings’ is more an experimental montage acting as an interlude before the closer ‘Shelter’; this is Hilary Woods’ own ‘Mysteries Of Love’ and an exquisite conclusion to ‘Night Criú’.

Hilary Woods said: “Each record is a life buoy, a raft, a snapshot, a marker in the sand, a date that requires me to meet it. Making records is a way of being”. Immersed in artistic integrity, this is a wonderfully grainy filmic record that mourns and reclaims a lost innocence all at the same time. A gentle aural ceremony of light and shade, ‘Night Criú’ is something to savour.

‘Night Criú’ is released by Sacred Bones Records, available in pink vinyl LP, CD and digital formats via https://lnk.to/NightCRIU

Hilary Woods plays London Cafe OTO on 8th January and Dublin Kirkos on 9th + 10th January 2026

https://www.hilarywoods.com/

https://www.instagram.com/_hilary_woods/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
31st October 2025

JEROME FROESE Sunsets in Stereo

28 October 2025 /

Jerome Froese, the sound architect who fuses electronics, guitar and emotion is back with his fourth solo album ‘Sunsets in Stereo’.

Formally a member of TANGERINE DREAM alongside his father Edgar, he has also made music as LOOM with another former TD member Johannes Schmoelling as well as collaborating with Claudia Brücken with whom he released an album ‘Beginn’ in 2018.

Embellishing his trademark guitartronica sound, Jerome Froese has brought in additional influences from post-rock and dreampop for ‘Sunsets in Stereo’ which sees him explore themes of resilience, reflection, and hope.

Photo by Anja Kathmann

To a sunset strum, ‘Hope’ develops into a burst of guitar layered chill out with female voices to start before ‘Lemonade Clouds’ adds more prominent drums and rocks out in a livelier concoction. But ‘The Clock That Forgot Time’ explores more electronic climes with cascading synths and shimmers over a strident drama for an early album highlight.

The ivory dressed ‘Where We Belong’ is gentler with sparing guitar textures recalling Robin Guthrie’s ambient work initially although these six string interventions get louder alongside the progressive trapped percussion. ‘Flowers and Skywriters’ is a piece that grooves in its rhythmic shuffle and develops into a rock jam with plenty of soloing but with something of an electronic bounce, ‘A Game of Hearts, Played with Fire’ sees the female voice return but in a more cooing fashion which might surprise some, although the kerrang makes its presence felt.

After that, the ‘Sunsets in Stereo’ title track is more laid back before ‘Blow the Fuse, Ignore the Galaxy’ does exactly just that in its explosive tension. ‘Feel Your Ghosts’ does the full metal racket after a sedate start although as if the best is saved until last, ‘Endless Sympathy’ is wonderfully floaty and spacey but as it reaches the middle phase, the space gets rocky but as waves of flute drift into the mood, there’s a canter before the full stop.

“It’s about overcoming the noise – both inside and out – and rediscovering beauty in chaos” says Jerome Froese as he reaffirms his place bridging the past and the future with this cinematic and deeply personal album. ‘Sunsets in Stereo’ provides a combination of noisier guitar-derived textures and brighter electronic soundscapes in a manner that will be appreciated by those who prefer their ambient on the rockier spectrum.

‘Sunsets in Stereo’ is released by Moonpop on 31st October 2025 in CD and digital formats

https://jeromefroese.com/

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https://tangerinedreamarchive.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
28th October 2025

WHEN THE 2000s CLASHED: Machine Music For A New Millennium

22 October 2025 /

With an aim to “destroy authenticity in pop” and “embrace the superficial”, when FISCHERSPOONER were launched at a lavish art space event in London, Casey Spooner turned to his musical partner Warren Fischer and said “Warren, press play…”

Some would call it performance art while others thought the mimed escapade was an affront to real music and reacted angrily… despite much press hype, the single ‘Emerge’ stalled at No25 in 2002 and Ministry Of Sound who had signed FISCHERSPOONER internationally were left with egg on their faces. Q magazine would later place the parent album ‘#1’ in their 2006 list of “The 50 Worst Albums Ever!”

What came to be called electroclash was not considered cool by a wider public that was still drunk after the hangover that was Britpop! Like New Romantic before it, electroclash seen as self-indulgence by elitist poseurs but despite being ridiculed, longevity is nothing to be scared of. Today, the music of 1977-1983 has proved its worth as KRAFTWERK, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, NEW ORDER, DURAN DURAN and their like continue to fill arenas and festival fields around the world.

So now is the time for a re-evaluation of ‘When The 2000s Clashed’ and presented ”Machine Music For A New Millennium”; comprising of 5 themed CDs, the set has been compiled by Jonny Slut, founder of London club nite Nag Nag Nag and Mark Wood of READERS WIFES who DJed at the SOFT CELL reunion shows with superb sets that focussed on the songs, doing away with the self-important mixing and beat matching that afflicts many egocentric deckmeisters…

Just as New Romantic had a range of names which didn’t stick like Blitz Kids, peacock punks, futurists and the dreaded Cult With No Name, designations like synthcore, tech-pop and Romo were banded about before electroclash stuck. It became the all-encompassing term for this glittery yet gritty variant of electronic dance pop where klanky drum machines did battle with analog arpeggios, throbbing basslines on the oompah radar and often, snarly or spoken rather than sung vocals!

CD1 comprises of “Fundamentals” and here, superb trailblazing tracks such as ADD N TO (X)’s ‘Plug Me In’, JEANS TEAM’s ‘Keine Melodien…1, 2, 3, 4’, ZOMBIE NATION’s ‘Kernkraft 400’, ‘Hand To Phone’ by ADULT. and ‘Rippin’ Kittin’ featuring Miss Kittin take their place alongside PET SHOP BOYS’ Orange Alert Mix of ATOMIZER’s ‘Hooked On Radiation’ and LEGOWELT’s sinister ‘Disco Rout’. But it’s Peaches who steals the show with the feisty buzzy lo-fi romp of ‘F*ck The Pain Away’!

FISCHERSPOONER lead CD2’s “Essentials” summary with ‘Emerge’ and offering fine support are THE KNIFE with ‘We Share Our Mother’s Health’ and Richard Norris’ THE DROYDS with the reworded DURAN DURAN cover ‘Girls On Pills’. Although ‘Seventeen’ from LADYTRON is the undoubted classic of this set, other highlights include ‘What Was Her Name?’ from Dave Clarke featuring CHICKS ON SPEED and ‘Take A Walk’ by Andreas Bolz while DETROIT GRAND PUBAS offer the enjoyably bizarre ‘Sandwiches’!

CD3’s “Developments” documents the crossover of what many perceived as the electroclash sound into the mainstream charts with HOT CHIP, GOLDFRAPP, MGMT, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM and YEAH YEAH YEAHS as well as Annie and Róisín Murphy all present if not necessarily correct with THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS remix of ‘Slow’ chosen rather than ‘Come Into My World’, Kylie Minogue’s collaboration with FISCHERSPOONER.

Meanwhile it’s the Princess Superstar voiced take on ‘Exceeder’ as ‘Perfect’ rather than Mason’s superior original instrumental that is included. That aside, Khia’s ‘My Neck My Back’ can now be seen as a forerunner of Marie Davidson.

The “Evolutions” themed CD4 opens with the still outstanding ‘We Are Your Friends’ from JUSTICE VS SIMIAN but while also including DIGITALISM, SOULWAX, CSS and NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB, this particular part of the collection proves to be the most hit and miss of the entire box, but it’s all just a matter of taste…

CD5 looks back at the “Origins” of electroclash with the usual suspects like KRAFTWERK, SPARKS, THE NORMAL, CABARET VOLTAIRE, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, GINA X PERFORMANCE, NEW ORDER, HEAVEN 17, FAD GADGET, VISAGE and SOFT CELL all included. But while is it wonderful that a track other than ‘Homosapien’ in the brilliant ‘Telephone Operator’ is included from the Pete Shelley back catalogue alongside the Germanic quirkiness of ‘Fred Vom Jupiter’ by DIE DORAUS UND DIE MARINAS and ‘Zauberstab’ by ZaZa, this could almost be any other alternative collection of influential electro works.

Instead, this fifth disc could have gathered tracks from the period by THE HACKER, THE FAINT, FC KAHUNA, GREEN VELVET, NORTHERN LITE, SYNTAX or TECHNOVA next to DJ Hell, Felix Da Housecat, Anthony Rother, Tiga or Ferry Corsten, with the latter’s ‘Whatever!’ nonchalantly voiced by Esmee Bor Stotijn from 2006 being a slice of prime cut electroclash.

The way it was in the past 25 years ago, this boxed set shows that the back-to-basics approach of many of these tracks provided an excitement that led to an albeit short-lived reinvigoration of electronic pop by acts whose names began with an “L” like Little Boots, La Roux, Lady Gaga and Ladyhawke.

Gathering a diverse selection of artists, producers and remixers ranging from the biggest starlets and synthpop duos to cult bands and underground DJs, ‘When The 2000s Clashed: Machine Music For A New Millennium’ highlights that the passing of time has finally been kind to electroclash and in selecting from the best of its kind, what is left is great electronic pop music. So when synthwave is reassessed in 10 years time and gets the boxed set treatment, will it too have evergreens that have stood the test of time? It will but it probably won’t have as many as ‘When The 2000s Clashed: Machine Music For A New Millennium’.

‘When The 2000s Clashed: Machine Music For A New Millennium’ is released on 31st October 2025 by Demon Music Group as a 5CD boxed set, 3LP vinyl highlights edition also available.

https://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/catalogue/releases/when-the-2000s-clashed-machine-music-for-a-new-millennium-5cd/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
22nd October 2025

ZANIAS Cataclysm

18 October 2025 /

Photo by Apostolos Zanias

First known as the front woman of acclaimed London-based synth duo LINEA ASPERA, Australian-born Alison Lewis relocated to Berlin and launched her solo project ZANIAS in 2016.

Lewis has been particularly prolific in recent years as ZANIAS, as well as reuniting with Ryan Ambridge in LINEA ASPERA and running Fleisch Records. 2023’s ‘Chrysalis’ as the album title suggested was something of a rebirth while the glossolalia swathed ‘Ecdysis’ a year later saw the musical shedding of an outer cuticular layer into a new self.

While delivering a potent political message with assertive fervour and playful sincerity, the new ZANIAS album ‘Cataclysm’ fuses a variety of genres in pursuit of pure artistry but with a sense of light after the heavier if ethereal moods of its predecessors. Written and produced by Alison Lewis, on board shaping the final mix is Trey Frye of American darkwave duo KORINE.

The determined premise is a refusal to give in to despair despite civilisation and the ecosystem on the brink of total collapse. In that respect, the fight instead of flight kicks in and for ‘Cataclysm’, Alison Lewis adopts a striking sword wielding oceanic warrior persona reminiscent of fellow independent female artist CZARINA.

The opening ‘Cataclysm’ title track captures anxious upheaval in the battle for survival but the tempo changes in almost an instant with ‘Naiad’ where the incessant rhythms punch and shuffle in honour of water nymphs in Greek mythology. The hymn-like ‘Whiteout’ takes the mood down to something almost spiritual. But utilising the science fiction horror novel ‘Annihilation’ by Jeff VanderMeer in the verses of ‘Ghostbird’, pointy rave stabs compliment the unusual abstract backdrop with an array of voices in the headspace.

The breezy acoustic strum of ‘Ashes’ throws off the scent, but the cultured cacophony of icy atmospheres and absorbent beats return on the rapturous ‘Dawn’ while the multi-rhythmic spectre of ‘The Spire’ is reverberant with cutting bass and sharp arpeggios. Offset by deep drones, snappy drum ‘n’ bass rhythms propel the frantic pace of ‘Serpentsmile’ to 190 BPM.

Photo by Apostolos Zanias

The thumping ‘Human’ goes full on melancholic techno and is maybe the most accessible ZANIAS statement yet, reflecting on life and the universe. To finish, the “Gatecrasher meets Berghain” exhilaration of ‘Happy Endings’, while sombre in tone, offers the title not as irony but as a hopeful possibility in the face of adversity!

With her known deep attachment to humanity and the environment, Alison Lewis has her very own signature within her post-industrial ethereal wave. After the storm comes fresher air and put simply, ‘Cataclysm’ is the best ZANIAS album to date.

‘Cataclysm’ is released by Fleisch Records on 23rd October 2025, available in various formats via https://zanias.bandcamp.com/

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
18th October 2025

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