Category: Reviews (Page 34 of 200)

KID MOXIE Shine

27 February 2022 / electricityclub

After the longing Roy Orbison meets ‘Twin Peaks’ noir atmospherics of ‘Better Than Electric’ in collaboration with MAPS, Los Angeles based KID MOXIE does something of a complete 180.

The follow-up ‘Shine’ features a much darker and harder sound thanks to German producer FADERHEAD. Taking both musical and lyrical inspiration from DEPECHE MODE’s ‘Never Let Me Down Again’, front woman Elena Charbila assertively declares on this superb number that “I’m taking the lead in the back seat”.

Reflecting that attitude, things are taken further with the raunchy visual accompaniment featuring a confirmed bachelorette party with lots of lipstick and black PVC in abundance. It was directed by Joe Rubinstein who also worked on the video for the KID MOXIE cover of the ALPHAVILLE hit ‘Big In Japan’.

With ‘Shine’ featuring on the brand new KID MOXIE album entitled ‘Better Than Electric’ out later in 2022, Elena Charbila had a quick chat with ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK to offer some insights into both song and video…

‘Shine’ is both gritty and catchy, plus you’ve absorbed some DEPECHE MODE influences?

We definitely channelled some DM vibes, it was even a running joke while we were in studio recording it with FADERHEAD. At some point I even suggested we should first give this to Dave Gahan to sing (!) but then I got too impatient and excited about so I sang it myself.

The striking video is quite sexually charged and sends up a number of fetishes, what was the thinking?

The song was inspired by a visual scene of two girls making out in the back seat of a car, so the video was a continuation of that sexual energy that had fuelled the actual song. We didn’t plan for the fetishes but the mood of the song kinda called for them to be featured *laughs*

There are beautiful ladies present like in a Robert Palmer or Duran video but the message appears to be female empowerment?

Yes. It definitely is a message about female empowerment and women owning their sexuality without shame. The role play that goes on suggests that both the ones in the dominant roles and the submissive roles are equally powerful as they are performing those roles by choice.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to KID MOXIE

‘Shine’ is available via the usual digital platforms including https://kidmoxie.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/kidmoxie

https://twitter.com/KIDMOXIEMUSIC

https://www.instagram.com/kid.moxie/

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
27th February 2022

ALINA VALENTINA Life Is Like A Fairytale

25 February 2022 / electricityclub

Dutch producer Alina Valentina began her career in 2020 with ‘L’Ascenseur’, a split release with Dim Garden which contained four of her instrumental tracks.

Although song based, the first full length Alina Valentina album ‘Works & Days’ was more Cosey Fanni Tutti than comfy synth, with a darkwave air akin to reverberant French duo MINUIT MACHINE.

But after the heavy disposition of ‘Works & Days’ with it fatalistic disposition, the swift follow-up ‘Life Is Like A Fairytale’ allows some light in but the occasional lyrical misanthropy still looms.

Self-produced in her home studio with a MicroKorg and Moog Grandmother on stand-by, it is the machinery of yesteryear like the Korg MS20, Korg Poly 800 and Roland TR808 that take their place on ‘Life Is Like A Fairytale’, while literally tattooed on her right hand, the Roland Juno 60 appears prominently.

Like a strident Europop anthem, ‘Once Upon A Timeline’ acts as the opening statement of a more optimistic if bittersweet album compared to ‘Work & Days’ with synths and vocoder flourishes to accompany Alina’s authentic vocoder delivery as she loses track of time.

With a percussive lilt and fuzzy vintage keys, ‘Lost Fellowship’ could be LADYTRON circa ‘604’ with the confession that “we are drifting apart” while shaped by an octave round and bubbling arpeggios, the NEW ORDER inspired ‘Queen Of The Darkness’ presents a resigned ice maiden declaration to counter misconceptions.

Doing away with any brightness, ‘Mystery’ is more sombre and acts as a bridge from ‘Work & Days’, as does ‘Fairytale’ where Alina declares “I wish I knew the spell…” while ‘Forgotten Land’ sees the F-expletives that coloured her solo debut reappear!

But the semi-joyous approach returns on ‘Magic’, a superb Italo-flavoured number that playfully parties away and morphs into Jean-Michel Jarre towards its climax.

Now is there a ‘Happily Ever After’? This album closer provides some downbeat reflection on the good times and bad times with wonderfully raw synth interventions and minimal guitar to compliment the mood. Providing a more open entry point to Alina Valentina’s detached electro noir universe, ‘Life Is Like A Fairytale’ improves on its predecessor.

As the world opens up again, will she head towards a full Italo blow-out next time? Watch this space!

‘Life Is Like A Fairytale’ is available from https://alinavalentina.bandcamp.com/album/life-is-like-a-fairytale

Alina Valentina opens for HEAVEN 17 at Poppodium Boerderij in Zoetermeer on 30th March 2022

http://alinavalentina.com/

https://twitter.com/AlinaValentina_

https://www.instagram.com/alinavalentinaja/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Janice Renee
25th February 2022

ADULT. Becoming Undone

23 February 2022 / electricityclub

Having made an impression in 2001 with ‘Hand To Phone’, Nicola Kuperus and Adam Lee Miller are back as ADULT. and 2022 sees the duo ‘Becoming Undone’. It captures in their own words “something that’s falling apart”.

Album number nine sees vocal loop pedals and percussion pads added to the ADULT. synth armoury to present a stark response to their surroundings.

Whereas 2017’s ‘Detroit House Guests’ saw ADULT. open their doors to collaborators such as Douglas J McCarthy from NITZER EBB, Michael Gira from SWANS and Shannon Funchess from LIGHT ASYLUM, this new body of work is more personal, with the state of the world and personal bereavement among the themes.

Opener ‘Undoing / Undone’ presents an electro-punk Siouxsie snarl over a metronomic setting that is not without threat. Energetic, aggressive and unsettling, ‘Our Bodies Weren’t Wrong’ comes with a suitably EBM backdrop.

‘Fools (We Are…)’ is a snuff movie in 5 minutes, screeching and stabbing with a more of a shout than a snarl, recalling ‘THROBBING GRISTLE’s ‘Persuasion’ but with beats. Continuing with the looming rumble of THROBBING GRISTLE, ‘Normative Sludge’ examines the delusional nature of the Instagram / Tik Tok generation with fits of white noise. The ironic ‘She’s Nice Looking’ covers a similar topic with its building rhythmic claustrophobia and schizoid delivery.

The thumping techno of ‘I Am Nothing’ is classic ADULT. with a penetrating sharpness and a fierce attacking crescendo while ‘I, Obedient’ is absorbing industrial S&M with Kuperus acting as a fitting dominatrix. Closing with ‘Teeth Out Pt. II’, this is a doomy aural collage of drones and voice… “what are we waiting for?” Kuperus asks in a symbol of desolate decay.

Despite having released music since 1998, ADULT. have shown that their dystopian demeanour remains as vital as ever and has not waned over the years as their living art project continues to evolve.

With a considered sonic cohesion that remains true to the spirit of the duo, ‘Becoming Undone’ does not disappoint and will keep the ADULT. faithful more than satisfied.

‘Becoming Undone’ is released on 25th February 2022 by Dais Records as a vinyl LP, CD and download, pre-order via https://smarturl.it/becoming-undone

ADULT. UK 2022 live dates include:

Bristol Thekla (7th March), Glasgow Slay (8th March), Manchester White Hotel (9th March), London Electrowerkz (10th March)

http://adultperiod.com

https://www.facebook.com/adultperiod/

https://twitter.com/adultperiod

https://www.instagram.com/adultperiod/

https://adultmusic.bandcamp.com

https://www.daisrecords.com

Text by Chi Ming Lai
23rd February 2022

NIGHT CLUB Die In The Disco

19 February 2022 / electricityclub

Although NIGHT CLUB’s third album ‘Die Die Lullaby’ was released in 2020, with events making the world stand still, Emily Kavanaugh and Mark Brooks finally get to tour their opus in Spring 2022.

‘Die Die Lullaby’ was mixed by Brooks with Dave “Rave” Ogilvie, a former member of SKINNY PUPPY known for his work with NINE INCH NAILS and Marilyn Manson.

But crucially, he also mixed Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2011 worldwide smash hit ‘Call Me Maybe’ to provide a typically NIGHT CLUB twist and develop their Britney Spears fronting NINE INCH NAILS template even further.

To launch the tour, with its Giorgio Moroder and Bobby Orlando influences, album opener ‘Die In The Disco’ has been given a superb animated video treatment; the throbbing HI-NRG disco is offset by the imagery that accompanies the unsettling ghostly pitch-shifted voice which announces: ”This is my party and I will die if I want to!”

Of the visualisation for this macabre statement, Mark Brooks told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK: “Last summer we talked about wanting to make a video for ‘Die In The Disco’ before our tour starts this Spring. Because of the way we wanted it to look, animation was clearly a cheaper route than live action (since I work in animation). It did take a while; EIGHT MONTHS!”

With so many animated styles available such as anime and even Disney, Brooks opted for the Patrick Nagel inspired aesthetic used on ‘Moonbeam City’ which NIGHT CLUB did the soundtrack for: “Yeah, I wanted to make a hybrid of ‘Metalocalypse’ and ‘Moonbeam City’. These are two shows that I directed and are my personal favs. Also we thought it would be more unique to do it this way than producing another anime, which is getting oversaturated”.

NIGHT CLUB are pumped for going out live again and have no fears of stage rustiness at all: “We are excited to go back on tour! Luckily last year we did some warm-up shows in SF, Denver and Vegas so we don’t feel as rusty now. It’s been really fun to play the new material live, which we didn’t get to do when we released the album in late 2020 and obviously everything was shut down.”

As far as what’s next for NIGHT CLUB, the duo said “We’re currently about to go on our US tour and we’re booking a UK tour for the Fall. In between playing all these shows, we’re writing and recording our next LP, which will hopefully be out next year.”

‘Die In The Disco’ is from the album ‘Die Die Lullaby’ released by Gato Blanco in CD and download formats, available from http://nightclubband.com/

NIGHT CLUB tour North America in Spring 2022

https://www.facebook.com/nightclubband

https://twitter.com/nightclubband

https://www.instagram.com/nightclubband/

https://soundcloud.com/nightclubband

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Francis George
19th February 2022

SOFTWAVE Thank You For Breaking My Heart

17 February 2022 / electricityclub

Having reflected tense times with ’System Failure’ in Summer 2021, Danish synthpop duo SOFTWAVE are back with a bittersweet superpop number ‘Thank You For Breaking My Heart’.

With glistening shades of ERASURE, Catrine Christensen and Jerry Olsen reflect on the positives of a toxic relationship ending, with shackles unlocked and new opportunities beckoning. As a result, this solo Christensen composition declares “Without you there’s no dark”.

The worldwide pandemic has forced many to re-evaluate their life, career and choices.

‘Thank You For Breaking My Heart’ will work on many levels as light is able to shine again. The video reflects this through mash-up of images including forlorn individuals staring at cityscapes, couples arguing, youngsters enjoying the nightlife, live footage of SOFTWAVE, dance troupes and a veiled figure walking in the desert.

‘Game On’ released in 2020 fulfilled the promise that had been evident since ‘On & On & On’ was issued as a remix by Jerry Olsen in 2017. As a result, the duo came to the attention of OMD who invited them to be the opening act for their Scandinavian tour in early 2020; SOFTWAVE thanked the Wirral electronic pioneers with a cover of ‘Souvenir’ by way of a tribute a few months later.

While a full length follow-up to their debut album is not yet on the cards, SOFTWAVE are preparing an EP for a release later this year with the next single being ‘Supernova’; Catrine Christensen promises “It has a great message and story…”

‘Thank You for Breaking My Heart’ is available digitally on assorted platforms via https://frontl.ink/zbmpxmq

Other SOFTWAVE releases are available from https://softwave.bandcamp.com/

http://www.softwavemusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SoftWaveMusic/

https://twitter.com/SoftWaveMusic

https://www.instagram.com/softwave_music/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
17th February 2022