Tag: Blancmange (Page 2 of 16)

2024 END OF YEAR REVIEW

27 December 2024 /

Image by Simon Helm

Me? Definitely Won’t Be! Join the #SynthResistance

When ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK came into being in March 2010, synth was still on a recovery path and it seemed PET SHOP BOYS were the only act continuing to fly the flag successfully having been awarded the BRIT Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution To Music’ the previous year.

While DEPECHE MODE and SIMPLE MINDS had released albums in 2009, their latest material showed few signs of their imperial phases. BLANCMANGE, NEW ORDER and SOFT CELL had not yet returned, ULTRAVOX were still to release ‘Brilliant’ despite a well-received live return and while THE HUMAN LEAGUE were regulars on the live circuit, they had not issued a new album for 9 years. Meanwhile OMD and DURAN DURAN were in a state of creative flux having released disappointing albums in ‘History Of Modern’ and ‘Red Carpet Massacre’ respectively.

However in 2024, most of these acts are performing to sizeable audiences and while ULTRAVOX may have called it a day in 2013, Midge Ure continues to tour with songs from ‘Vienna’, ‘Rage In Eden’, ‘Quartet’ and ‘Lament’. For these heritage acts, the concert circuit is now very lucrative and a testament to their music still standing up after several decades and most importantly for longevity, appealing to new and younger audiences.

Photo by Chi Ming Lai

But for new synth music generally, particularly in Britain, it appeared to be in decline although these signs had been very apparent over the past few years. One thing that has been significant about ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 30 SONGS OF 2024 was that on only 4 occasions was there full or part representation from the nation that seeded Synth Britannia… how the mighty have fallen! And when Taylor Swift is doing better electronic pop songs than most, then there’s a real problem!

First time around during 1994 to 1997, Britpop had as good as killed off the synth and with the news of the OASIS live reunion in 2025 grabbing all the headlines, it looks as though history is repeating itself. But everything is cyclical and there was a backlash against guitar bands after the new millennium began. There is hope yet but while a MIRRORS reunion is unlikely any time soon, it takes darkness to appreciate the light so anything is possible 😉

2024 was a year fraught with uncertainty and this was reflected musically. With ongoing political tensions in their homeland and having spoken out against the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, MOLCHAT DOMA relocated from Belarus to Los Angeles. Their excellent fourth album ‘Belaya Polosa’ channelled the anxiety and fear of that journey into exile and literally saw the trio change from sounding like JOY DIVISION to sounding like NEW ORDER. But have they walked from the frying pan into the fryer?

Released back in March before the US Elections, one of the best albums of 2024, ‘Masochist’ by NIGHT CLUB became a dystopian prophecy come true. Emotions were summed up by the inclusion of ‘The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)’, a cover of the song by FUN BOY THREE. Written as a metaphor to the dangerous posturing games played by “The Cowboy” Ronald Reagan in 1981 during The Cold War, today the even crazier orange face is back followed by his flock of mindless MAGA sheep…

‘If You Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next’ sang MANIC STREET PREACHERS and more than ever in the UK, it is important to stand against the retarded racist scum getting behind the neo-fascist posturings of that pompous grifter Nigel Farage to cover up for their own life failings. Add in a crackpot billionaire who inherited blood money made during the vile South African Apartheid regime, playing a real life Dr Evil by throwing his cash into the far right and supporting the new Nazis in Germany of the AfD, and the world is in a very precarious position right now. Quoting Midge Ure who recently gave new live renditions of the ironically monikered RICH KIDS’ sadly relevant 1978 anti-Nazi anthem: “NEVER AGAIN DO I WANT TO HEAR THE SOUND OF MARCHING MEN!”

Anglo-German duo KALEIDA experienced an existential crisis due to the pressures of parenting and the shifting patterns of life. But Christina Wood and Cicely Goulder managed to make their long distance creative partnership work again and their reward was their third album ‘In Arms’. As the title suggested, it has been an impassioned battle capturing 3 years of artistic perseverance and reinforced their sense of purpose.

On a more personal level, Anglo-French artist Julia-Sophie delved deeper into the complexities of relationships by exploring themes of self-destruction, tenderness, love and emotional struggles. This is what happens when people ‘forgive too slow’ but swathed in an intriguing electronic sound, her understated fulfilment combined emotional unease with an airy beauty for some satisfying thoughtful listening for another of the best albums of 2024.

Photo by Chi Ming Lai

With the onset of climate change but still those in denial despite the scientific proof, Patricia Wolf conceived ‘The Secret Lives of Birds’. Having recorded various bird songs and calls, curiosity led her to become a conservationist and while her music was very beautiful at times, there were darker moments of angst and sadness driven by concern. Birds and their behaviour have been a creative haven for artists of a more ambient persuasion and Masayoshi Fujita continued his avian fascination on his new work ‘Migratory’.

Loula Yorke presented her new ‘Volta’ and the wonderful opener ‘It’s been decided that if you lay down no-one will die’ acted as a bittersweet meditation on overwhelm, an emotion many were feeling. For Finlay Shakespeare, his creative journey appeared to have taken its emotional toll and ‘Directions Out Of Town’ reflected turbulent times and was touted as possibly his last album. Meanwhile Polish producer ZAMILSKA summed feelings up with the impassioned ‘United Kingdom Of Anxiety’ as another exile from Belarus CHIKISS captured this moment ‘Between Time & Laziness’.

Photo by Thomas Stelzmann

While a new PET SHOP BOYS album was always on the cards and they duly delivered with their fifteenth ‘Nonetheless’, Michael Mertens and Ralf Dörper starting a new chapter of PROPAGANDA was perhaps on not on anyone’s bingo card at the start of 2024. Featuring the sultry vocals of Thunder Bae, PROPAGANDA presented an eponymous long player to signify a fresh start with the closing cover ‘Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte’ being a key highlight.

There were several key esoteric releases in 2024; Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller released their third volume of ‘Electronic Music Improvisations’ as SUNROOF while Heiko Maile and Julian DeMarre offered ‘Neostalgia’, leaving Jori Hulkkonen with some ‘Hurt Humour’. And like a greeting from wherever he is now in the universe, Klaus Schulze had ‘101, Milky Way’ posthumously released in a continuation of his vast electronic legacy.

In 2024, there were albums released where 90 to 100% of the content comprised of previously released singles; one of those was the debut album by LEATHERS, the side-project of ACTORS keyboardist Shannon Hemmett which explored her love of dark electronic pop. Another was the appropriately titled ‘VII’ by Swedish duo KITE which was their seventh body of work containing music from their seven most recent singles released over the past seven years, gathering the power and the glory of their ambition.

Using a similar strategy,  R. MISSING finally released an album ‘Knife Shook Your Hand’ after years of embracing a scattergun standalone song approach which at times was frustrating to follow, especially with today’s now widely embraced Netflix-led home and mobile entertainment methodology of “binge watching” TV series.

Photo by Volker Maass

CAMOUFLAGE finally took their ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ tour on the German road with a show look backing on four decades. Meanwhile celebrating 45 years of BLANCMANGE, ‘Everything Is Connected’ was a new career-spanning collection supported by a tour where Neil Arthur supported himself with his collaborative side project THE REMAINDER. Celebrating 25 years of the multi-million selling ‘Play’, Moby delivered a mighty greatest hits set in front of a packed house at London’s O2 Arena as well as highlights from that album.

Midge Ure aired his catalogue of his greatest hits and with so many ULTRAVOX songs part of the set, it was difficult not to think of his departed bandmate Chris Cross who passed away this year. Another sad loss in 2024 who had connections to ULTRAVOX and their former leader John Foxx was the iconic photographer Brian Griffin; his other subjects included DEPECHE MODE, OMD, SPANDAU BALLET and TALK TALK.

With 16 tracks speeding through its restless 40 minutes, ‘Powder Dry’ saw Tim Bowness revisiting his passion for the post-punk and electronic pop acts of his teens, having opened for the solo Billy Currie version of ULTRAVOX and worked with members of JAPAN while in his first band NO-MAN with Steven Wilson; of course the latter has been behind the spate of new remixes of ULTRAVOX for their series of lavish boxed sets.

A number of veterans returned after long new release absences. Michel Moers, best known as the front man of Belgian electronic trailblazers TELEX released what was only his second solo studio album ‘As Is’ and had Claudia Brücken guest on its lead single ‘Microwaves. Meanwhile after several years in the making, Harald Grosskopf presented ‘Strom’, translated from German as “electricity”.

Across the Atlantic, Los Angeles-based multimedia artist Geneva Jacuzzi gave a detached Eurocentric poise reminiscent of Gina X and her third album ‘Triple Fire’ was an enjoyably delightful mix of accessible electronic pop and energetic art chaos. Comprising of North America’s alternative music power couple Tom Shear and Mari Kattman, HELIX took their fans to an ‘Unimaginable Place’ as another US based couple XENO & OAKLANDER further refined their precise yet spirited productions for their eight album ‘Via Negativa (in the doorway light)’.

Newer North American acts making a splash were IMMORTAL GIRLFRIEND and Canada’s MINDREADER while Los Angeles-based duo DIE SEXUAL finally brought their erotic charge to the stage opening for the likes of IAMX and LEÆTHER STRIP. But the most promising act emerging stateside were Haute & Freddy.

Photo by Tim Darin

For the past few years, Alison Lewis has focussed on her ZANIAS solo venture but she was back playing live with Ryan Ambridge as LINEA ASPERA in the summer with the pair having been quietly writing and recording new material together. Having found TikTok fame performing synthwave styled covers, DREAMKID released his second album ‘Daggers’ to capitalise on his social media traction while both exploring much darker climes, CURSES and CZARINA released their third full length albums.

In Europe, Belgian duo METROLAND released their sixth album ‘Forum’ as well as simultaneously maintaining their solo projects 808 DOT POP and LECTREAU. In Sweden, Johan Agebjörn was a very busy man releasing EPs with Yota and Mikael Ögren while also announcing he has a work-in-progress with NINA; the Queen of Synthwave’s own musical partnership with RADIO WOLF was developing nicely, with a European tour opening for CANNONS giving the couple a chance to showcase their darker sound.

As the summer ended, IONNALEE ambitiously issued her new album simultaneously in English and Swedish while Norwegian neighbours PISTON DAMP declared there were “No Points For Trying” as they launched the more pessimistic instalment of their twin volume ‘Mastermind’ album venture.

Photo by Joanna Wzorek

Presenting the second volume of their ‘Midnight Confessions’ series, ITALOCONNECTION were back with their vintage but modern style of Italo disco while Greco-German trio DINA SUMMER showed that good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook was alive and well in Berlin. Also based in the former divided city, Polish DJ and producer CHARLIE emerged as one of the promising new stars on the Italo-Proto scene.

Retrospective sets can often compile another time, another place as exemplified by releases this year from Bryan Ferry, Peter Baumann and NO-MAN proved. But the best one came from FRANK CHICKENS whose ‘Ninja Legends 1983-1989’ captured them in their quirky prime, especially on the collection of BBC radio  sessions which made it an essential purchase. On the book front, ‘1984: The Year Pop Went Queer’ was among the best.

The desire to revisit the past became a major thing in 2024, as exemplified by the frenzy surrounding the sale of tickets for the OASIS reunion shows which were among the first in the UK to employ the dreaded but perfectly legal scam of dynamic pricing. But the need to see any band years past their commercial peak with the likelihood of a less accomplished performance than before, be it vocally, musically or energetically, was a head scratching prospect. The music world has been trying to make up for lost time and money since 2021 but the post-covid gig bubble may have now burst.

With ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK having seen many bands back in the day at their best, the shows now available with a hint of nostalgia may not have been universally appealing as they were to those who were too young or not even born to have attended first time around. But paradoxically thanks to the dearth of new quality music, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK found itself listening to podcasts of old people talking about old music! So it was an honour to be invited by host Iain McDermott to chat about our favourite year in music 1981 for his wonderful ‘Back To NOW’ podcast centred around the noted compilation album series.

‘The Album Years’ hosted by Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness remarked that “talking about music IS the new music” and on the most knowledgeable, passionate and humorous podcasts, hosts were able to express their opinion and say a record or an artist was “sh*t” without immediate fear of social media retorts while also praising where praise was deserved!

But during a recent edition of ‘The Small Town Boys’, Clark Datchler of JOHNNY HATES JAZZ remarked that while music critics back in the day could be “cynical” and “nasty”, today they are at the other extreme and “sycophants now” with “hardly any criticism of records released” – this everything is brilliant mentality has undoubtedly led to an acceptance of mediocrity and a lack of perspective in a monoculture of medium pleasure.

With those forthright and articulate expressions key to their success, live presentations of these podcasts in theatres and arenas are becoming increasingly popular and profitable thanks to lower overheads, especially when compared to concerts.

Among ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s favourite music podcasts in 2024 were ‘Word In Your Ear’ presented by former Smash Hits and Q editors David Hepworth and Mark Ellen, ‘Electronically Yours With Martyn Ware’ and ‘The Giddy Carousel of Pop’ discussing the history of Smash Hits. But best of all was the more general podcast ‘The Rest Is Entertainment’ hosted by Richard Osman and Marina Hyde which is part of Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcast empire also behind ‘The Rest Is Politics’, ‘The Rest Is History’, ‘The Rest Is Money’, ‘The Rest Is Classified’ and ‘The Rest Is Football’; one suspects the popular socially conscious former footballer will not miss the BBC the way it will miss him 😉

If 2023 was something of a strange year, 2024 might have actually been stranger. There is a glimmer of hope for the future, but the signs are already there that things may get worse, be it socially, politically, environmentally or culturally… sometimes, people really do deserve what they get!

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 2024 playlist ‘The Great Bleep Forward’ containing over 235 tracks from the year can be listened to on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4xMrAkCbeWvUmTfrN6i6Gu

Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th December 2024

A Beginners Guide To KOMPUTER – FORTRAN 5 – I START COUNTING & Friends

22 October 2024 /

“We are the perfect pop band” said KOMPUTER in 1998 on their debut album ‘The World Of Tomorrow’.

Comprising of Simon Leonard and Dave Baker, KOMPUTER emerged in 1996 as a response to OASIS ripping off THE BEATLES; “We decided that someone should rip off KRAFTWERK, so we did, and the name we chose was KOMPUTER”  said Baker, “Subsequent releases were less obviously KRAFTWERK influenced and still do!”

But some were not into the concept with one observation being remembered by Baker written in a review of a 1996 show at The Garage in London: “My memory of that Garage gig is a very animated and upset young man in an ill-fitting jumper, spilling Tuborg about the place, screaming at the top of his voice, ‘WHAT IS THE FACKING POINT?!’”

Simon Leonard had released experimental music in 1979 as FILE UNDER POP with the Rough Trade single ‘Heathrow’ and as AK PROCESS with the self-explanatory ‘Electronic’ on Output Records. Meanwhile Dave Baker played keyboards in a band called SONS OF CAIN; “I had no creative input except for keyboard parts” he recollected, “I got increasingly fed up and walked off stage one night in the middle of a gig and left the band!”

Baker and Leonard had met at Middlesex Polytechnic in 1982 and bonded over a love of pop. With Baker’s own first experiences of synth sounds coming from ‘Switched On Bach’, then Tomita’s ‘Snowflakes Are Dancing’ and ‘Autobahn’ coupled with Leonard’s experience of having already released electronic music, it was only natural that they would become a synth duo.

Named after the coming-of-age drama thriller starring Jenny Agutter, they became I START COUNTING, signing to Mute Records in 1984. “Some of the synths we started with are still in use” Baker told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK, “Roland 100M modular system, Roland VP330, Korg MS20. A little later the Roland SH101 twins arrived, then the Yamaha CS30. When we started as I START COUNTING we used a Roland MC 4 sequencer, then an MC500, followed by Atari based sequencing. We started using Ableton Live as KOMPUTER.”.

Despite I START COUNTING opening for ERASURE on their 1987 European tour, the musical landscape was changing. The new music that Leonard and Baker were making fell under the spell of techno as the dance music revolution took hold. So in 1990, “for a fresh, initially anonymous start and a new dancey direction”, the duo became FORTRAN 5.

FORTRAN 5 was of a more collaborative umbrella, working with a variety of artists including Thrash from THE ORB, DJ Colin Faver, Neil Arthur, Jocelyn West, Katharine Blake, Larry Graham, Rod Slater of THE BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND and Derek Nimmo. Samplers became the order of the day. Baker remembered “the original Mute studio above Rough Trade in Kings Cross had an Akai S612, then we got our own Greengate DS3 sampler, followed by the Akai S900 and S1000, followed by an Emu E5000 which is still in use”.

Despite their first live appearance in a while at London’s Electrowerkz in 2019, currently “KOMPUTER is resting but may revive any time” said Baker, “Meanwhile I continue to release material as LONELYKLOWN. I have also just re-released my OOO EEE OOO album ‘Burning Through Time’ on CD and digital. All my solo music is available from my Bandcamp at https://davethekeys.bandcamp.com/ “

Material from their three main incarnations was combined in 2011 for the release of ‘Konnecting…’ and while all these different monikers and side projects could be a challenge to follow, they served a purpose; “Because we refreshed our musical identity once in a while” said Baker, “we re-evaluated our working methods and priorities regularly”

So with commentary from Dave Baker himself, here is ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 20 track Beginners Guide to the KOMPUTER axis and its many konnections…

AK-47 Stop! Dance! (1981)

Named after the assault rifle by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov, AK-47 was another solo moniker of Simon Leonard. A lively slice of minimal synth with the vocodered phrases that referenced the weapon, ‘Stop! Dance!’ was released a year before Leonard met David Baker – “Simon was working with other people when I joined but they gradually stopped contributing, leaving the two of us. We were friends, DJ-ed and discussed music before we started working together.”

Available on the compilation boxed set ‘Musik Music Musique 2.0 1981 – The Rise Of Synth Pop’ (V/A) via Cherry Red Records

I START COUNTING Letters To A Friend (1984)

The first I START COUNTING single was produced by Daniel Miller. ‘Letters To A Friend’ was “Our first release on Mute” reminisced Baker of the charmingly deadpan English pop tune with a bright glassy backdrop that sounded like it was recorded in a church. It was “demoed on a Portastudio at Simon’s stepmum’s in Hampstead. Programmed on Daniel’s Synclavier at his mum’s in Decoy Avenue. Musically inspired by a CULTURE CLUB song, lyrically autobiographical”.

Available on the I START COUNTING / FORTRAN 5 / KOMPUTER compilation ‘Konnecting…’ via Mute Records

I START COUNTING Still Smiling (1985)

Also produced by Daniel Miller and with the metallic resonances of ‘Some Great Reward’ era DEPECHE MODE, the bouncy ‘Still Smiling’ was “Almost a sequel to ‘Letters To A Friend’” recalled Baker, “The B-side was ‘There Is Always The Unexpected’ which foretold our future experimentation! Simon and I have both always loved and admired the Daniel Miller and Flood’s extended remix of this. Adrian Sherwood did an amazing one too”.

Available on the I START COUNTING / FORTRAN 5 / KOMPUTER compilation ‘Konnecting…’ via Mute Records

I START COUNTING Ra! Ra! Rawhide (Rasputin) (1988)

Using an edited JFK quote “Communism is the wave of the future” on the artwork while turning Frankie Laine and BONEY M into a musical Frankenstein’s Monster, Dave Baker recalled this early example of a mash-up (before the term existed) as: “A biting piece of political satire bookending the American cowboy classic ‘Rawhide’ and the classic Russian anthem ‘Rasputin’, which so inspired LADY GAGA. There was a scathing review by Mark E. Smith somewhere”.

Originally released on the I START COUNTING single ‘Ra! Ra! Rawhide (Rasputin)’ via Mute Records, currently unavailable

FORTRAN 5 Heart On The Line (1991)

‘Heart On The Line’ was an airy part spoken-part sung folky number with a blissful electronic dance backdrop number was that deserved to be hit when the UK charts was full of rave-driven novelty material that was far inferior. “The original demo sampled the intro from the BLONDIE song ‘X Offender’” said Baker, “Vocals by two of MIRANDA SEX GARDEN (we helped produce their first single in return). Remixes by Vince Clarke, Moby and Justin Robertson!”.

Available on the album via the I START COUNTING / FORTRAN 5 / KOMPUTER compilation ‘Konnecting…’ via Mute Records

FORTRAN 5 featuring DEREK NIMMO Layla (1993)

A superb eccentric upper class reading of ‘Layla’ that saw “Derek doing Derek”, Eric Clapton’s worldwide hit (which incidentally he DID NOT play the signature riff for, that was actually Duane Allman!) was turned into classic English poetry over bouncy electronic backing – “Derek Nimmo was a famous 70s comedy actor” Baker remembered, ”We actually got him in the Mute studio to record this. He was very entertaining and humble!”

Available on the album via the I START COUNTING / FORTRAN 5 / KOMPUTER compilation ‘Konnecting…’ via Mute Records

FORTRAN 5 VP330 (1995)

Named after the Roland Vocoder Plus VP330, Baker said “That VP330 has been through a lot but it still works perfectly. Bought new 1979/80, toured around UK and Europe, on loan to Studio Mute for a few years, now part of my home studio set up. A few of the keys have melted patches where Simon rested cigars”. Using the VP330’s distinctive if less realistic synthetic choirs, the track had an eerie KRAFTWERK resonance in a sign of things to come.

Available on the FORTRAN 5 album ‘Avocado Suite’ via Mute Records

JOHN CAME Ink Tank (1995)

Rumoured to have been ERASURE in disguise, John Came was actually a Leonard and Baker side project where a singular persona was adopted to create the illusion of a lone frontman. Baker remembered that the sinister robotised ‘In Tank’ was “The only track on the album ‘Rhythmicon’ with vocals. These were produced by a custom made talking box, which required painstaking and time consuming programming. We made a brilliant video on Super 8 film”.

Available on the JOHN CAME album ‘Rhythmicon’ via Mute Records

KOMPUTER Valentina Tereshkova (1996)

Embracing the “K” word and mining ‘The Model’ while speeding it up, this was a tribute to the first female Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova. But Baker recalled how the song could have come out quite differently: “An original demo was made with Claudia Brücken, with completely different melody and lyrics. The eventual lyrics were inspired by BONEY M’s sometimes biographical style. An anonymous, instrumental 12” was also released”.

Available on the KOMPUTER album ‘The World Of Tomorrow’ via Mute Records

KOMPUTER Terminus – Memory Man (1998)

The highlight of the debut KOMPUTER album as ‘Terminus Interminus’ with its strong ‘Trans-Europe Express’ in outer space vibe, ‘Terminus’ came in a number of variants without the original’s transport narration. A remix by German DJ COSMIC BABY was chosen to be the single but Baker preferred “An excellent mix by the very talented Mr Daniel Miller” as Memory Man which provided a frantic electro tension not present on the other versions.

Available on the I START COUNTING / FORTRAN 5 / KOMPUTER Digital Deluxe album ‘Konnecting… (B-Sides And Rarities)’ via Mute Records

KOMPUTER Kompaktor (2002)

Taking a far more abstract experimental approach on the second KOMPUTER long player, ‘Kompaktor’ was “Inspired by the sounds of a large rubbish crushing machine on Old Spitalfields Market, where Simon and myself worked for many years. It made very loud creaking, wailing sounds like some gigantic elephant or something. From the album ‘Market Led’ which used many samples from both the market and discarded records we reused”.

Available on the KOMPUTER album ‘Market Led’ via Mute Records

KOMPUTER My Private Train (2003)

Compiled by Wayne Clements of Essex duo MACONDO, ‘Robopop Volume 1’ was possibly the closest thing to the ‘Some Bizzare Album’ in the 21st Century. ‘My Private Train’ dated from ‘The World Of Tomorrow’ sessions and was “Never given a standalone release” as Baker recalled, “it was included on a synthpop compilation. I still really like this song. A video was made on a train journey we made between London and Scotland to play at a festival”.

Available on the compilation album ‘Robopop Volume 1’ (V/A) via Lucky Pierre Recordings

KOMPUTER Headphones & Ringtones (2007)

After the pure KRAFTWERK homage of their debut and the experimental sampling of its follow-up, the third KOMPUTER album ‘Synthetik’ explored the brave new world of virtual synths. ‘Headphones & Ringtones’ was an impassive but witty observation on how music consumption had changed in the 21st Century. “The title came from a line from another song, ‘Night Bus’, which was demoed but never released” said Baker.

Available on the album via ‘Synthetik’ via Mute Records

ERASURE Victim Of Love – KOMPUTER Mix (2009)

Having already remixed ERASURE previously as FORTRAN 5 with their ‘Lay All Your Love On Me (No Panties Mix)’, Leonard and Baker were back again with a new take on ‘Victim Of Love’ for the companion piece of the expanded ‘Total Pop! The First 40 Hits’ collection: “I just listened to it for probably the first time since making it and thought it sounded very good” said Baker, “I think the idea was to make it sound more ERASURE than ERASURE”.

Available on the ERASURE compilation album ‘Pop Remixed’ via Mute Records

OMD The Right Side? (2010)

‘The Right Side?’ was the closer of the ‘History Of Modern’ album featuring new vocals, lyrics and melody from Andy McCluskey who had an idea based on ‘Looking Down From London (Metroland)’ after hearing the KOMPUTER remix; “Andy from OMD rang me to ask permission to use our track. Of course we agreed. We were very surprised and pleased with the resulting song, which basically kept our original intact as the basis”.

Available on the OMD album ‘History Of Modern’ via Blue Noise

BLANCMANGE God’s Kitchen – KOMPUTER Remix (2014)

With ‘Happy Families Too’, Neil Arthur wanted to approach BLANCMANGE’s classic debut album using modern technology with updated references like “I’ve just been shopping… online!” on ‘Kind’. The bonus tracks were remixes by Vince Clarke who reworked ‘Living On The Ceiling’ and KOMPUTER who did ‘Cruel’ and ‘God’s Kitchen’; “This is really very good” said Baker of the latter, “I don’t remember anything about making it at all!”

Available on the album BLANCMANGE album ‘Happy Families Too’ via Blank Check

DAVE THE KEYS The Lights Of The Pub (2020)

“My first solo release for the first Lockdown Christmas of 2020”, Baker had envisaged ‘The Lights Of The Pub’ “as a ‘Fairytale Of North London’, it was a tribute to all the pubs standing empty at this time, remembering festive seasons of the past and looking forward (hopefully) at future ones. It specifically referenced The Lamb on London’s Holloway Road, where I play piano every Thursday and raised funds for a Crowdfunder in aid of the pub”.

Available on the single ‘The Lights Of The Pub’ via https://davethekeys.bandcamp.com/track/the-lights-of-the-pub

KOMPUTER Spacer (2020)

From a charity collection comprising of 22 cover versions, it featured an enjoyable Komputerised take on the 1979 Sheila B Devotion disco classic complete with dreamy vocoder. Baker said ‘Spacer’ was “One of very few cover versions we have ever done, released on a compilation in aid of a Crowdfunder for The Lamb pub. The original is one of my favourite ever 12 inch singles, with genius production from Nile Rogers and Bernard Edwards of CHIC”.

Available on the compilation album ‘Hatful Of Holloway’ (V/A) via Lamb Ade at https://smarturl.it/hatful-of-holloway

OOO EEE OOO Summer 20 (2021)

Taken from the OOO EEE OOO album ‘Burning Through Time’ released on limited edition cassette only in 2021 and re-released on CD and digital in July 2024, Baker added “This is my favourite track on the album, including snatches of radio noise and speech as well as field recordings from local walks in Queens Wood, Highgate. I like to think it conjures up an atmosphere of being suspended in time in an endless summer”.

Available on the OOO EEE OOO album ‘Burning Through Time’ via https://davethekeys.bandcamp.com/album/burning-through-time

LONELYKLOWN Everything I Try To Do Is Wrong (2022)

Waste not – want not, ‘Everything I Try To Do Is Wrong’ was “actually a rejected KOMPUTER song. During Lockdown I would walk to Simon’s flat in Crouch End every Friday and exchange ideas. I would give him a USB stick with audio on and he would give me handwritten lyric ideas. This was a combination of verses Simon wrote and a chorus idea I’d had a while ago. Simon didn’t think the resulting song was really KOMPUTER so I asked if I could have it”.

Available on the LONELYKLOWN EP ‘Wrong X4’ via https://davethekeys.bandcamp.com/album/wrong-x4

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Dave Baker

https://komp46.wixsite.com/komputer

https://www.facebook.com/KomputerOfficial

https://www.instagram.com/komputerdave/

https://twitter.com/komputerdave

https://linktr.ee/lonelyklown

https://open.spotify.com/artist/1gEqsqT3mT13pTcUhEyzzs

Text by Chi Ming Lai with thanks to Simon Helm
22nd October 2024

FINLAY SHAKESPEARE Directions Out Of Town

12 June 2024 /

‘Directions Out Of Town’ is being touted as possibly the last album by Finlay Shakespeare.

The Bristolian synth builder and producer already has several long playing releases to his name, the best of which so far have been ‘Solemnities’ from 2020 and 2023’s ‘Illusion + Memory’. With his overwrought vocal delivery and fierce electronic backing like THROBBING GRISTLE and THE NORMAL meeting Warp Records, Finlay Shakespeare has an engaging post-punk energy to his DIY sensibilities.

Neil Arthur is a Finlay Shakespeare fan and has not only invited him to open for BLANCMANGE but be part of the live set-up and join in the collaborative project THE REMAINDER who released their debut album ‘Evensong’ last year. But this creative journey does appear to have taken its emotional toll and ‘Directions Out Of Town’ reflects turbulent times. Embroiled in anguish, it sees our hero dealing with personal, geographical, political and cultural loss.

At over 8 minutes, opener ‘Away’ sees the frantic rhythmic tension of past creations transferred into embittered vocals over a sparse anxious backdrop. But that archetypal Finlay Shakespeare template returns on ‘Get’; a boisterous barrage of blipping synths, snappy drum machine and fraught story telling that is “hoping for a future now!”, as it turns out, it’s something of an album outlier.

Returning to the minimalism set by ‘Away’, ‘Direction’ adopts reversed textures before a sequence drops in halfway through. Using industrialised rhythms and distortion at a funereal pace, ‘I Go For A Walk’ is full-on distress and not a comfortable listen. More abstract and drone-laden, ‘Face Value (Trio Mandala)’ sits over a cacophony of seemingly random bleeps.

The sharp ‘International’ picks up the pace but retains an intensity with ominous bass tones that continue on the elegiac ‘Go Back’; this though takes the minimalism to its zenith, capturing a solemn mood where a steady build towards a delightful music box ring adds contrast and makes proceedings even more haunting. With sirens calling, there’s a fatalistic aura about ‘Poli’ where “I’m ready to fall” and “tired of running in circles”. And as a sea of noise signals the end, Shakespeare declares he’s “lucky to be on my feet and still alive…”

A more challenging listen as “a deeply effective journey through machines of the human experience” than his two previous works, ‘Directions Out Of Town’ brings out the complex character of Finlay Shakespeare. “I essentially don’t know where I belong any more” he said, “This record is the precursor to that.”

With other domestic acts continually being overrated and testing the patience of the more discerning music enthusiast who wants intelligent musicality and not just a voice, it shows once again what a strange place the UK is and has been for quite a while. As he considers relocating personally, geographically, politically and culturally, it is a shame he is not a more widely acknowledged artist when he is one of the few younger British synthesists offering something musically, melodically and lyrically compelling in modern electronic pop.

‘Directions Out Of Town’ is released by Editions Mego in black vinyl LP and digital formats on 14 June 2024, pre-order direct from https://finlayshakespeare.bandcamp.com/album/directions-out-of-town

http://finlayshakespeare.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FinShakespeare/

https://twitter.com/FinShakespeare

https://www.instagram.com/finlayshakespeare/

https://www.futuresoundsystems.co.uk/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
12th June 2024

BLANCMANGE + THE REMAINDER Live at Islington Assembly Hall

4 June 2024 /

BLANCMANGE were originally a duo comprising of Arthur and Stephen Luscombe with a brace of hit singles and three albums before disbanding in 1986. On their 2011 return, Luscombe sadly had to withdraw for health reasons so since then, Arthur has carried the BLANCMANGE torch.

‘Everything Is Connected’ and celebrating four decades of BLANCMANGE, Neil Arthur had a novel idea for this Very Best Of tour… he would support himself!

Augmented for both sets by percussionist Liam Hutton and synthesist Finlay Shakespeare, THE REMAINDER featuring Neil Arthur opened to a packed Islington Assembly Hall. All clothed in turquoise T-shirts emblazoned with a “Re” logo, how THE REMAINDER differ from BLANCMANGE is that the music is a three way collaboration between Arthur, Hutton and Shakespeare.

After the LCD SOUNDSYSTEM resonances and talk of “calcium build-up” of ‘Broken Manhole Cover’, ‘Hoarfrost’ entered more spacey midtempo territory and saw Arthur ironically quip “I don’t do nostalgia”. The ‘Evensong’ title song of their album released last year threw in some hypnotic motorik while to close an engaging set, ‘Dead Farmer’s Field’ offered angst in the vein of THE CURE; “the lot after us are a right rabble” amusingly announced Arthur beforehand, “their singer’s a diva!”

With the same trio on stage but wearing different hats, BLANCMANGE began their set with the proto-synth punk of ‘Again, I Wait for the World’; a song which was written in 1979 by Arthur’s art-school band L360, despite the 45 years since, it more than fitted in with the aural aesthetics of 21st Century BLANCMANGE.

With ‘Reduced Voltage’ representing BLANCMANGE in the present day via its groovy CAN precision, the first oldie of the evening came with ‘I’ve Seen The Word’, swiftly followed by ‘Feel Me’ where Arthur gave the enthused audience an invitation to dance to the tense TALKING HEADS meets JOY DIVISION amalgam.

What was most impressive was the sound in the venue and how well suited it was to rhythmic electronic music while adding an impressive new dimension with his waveshaping synth trickery was Finlay Shakespeare on his Nord Modular G2X based set-up. Meanwhile, Liam Hutton recreated the familiarity of the machine derived percussive mantras but gave proceedings a tidy looseness.

There was the welcome return of the first BLANCMANGE single ‘God’s Kitchen’ while ‘The Western’ and ‘Drive Me’ were recalled to represent the 2011 comeback long player ‘Blanc Burn’ and the beginning of this now highly prolific second phase. Also welcome was ‘Distant Storm’, possibly the best BLANCMANGE song of this era which despite being dream-like in its trance disposition revealed its spiritual kinship with ‘Feel Me’.

A “Heroes”-like stomp came on ‘Some Times These’ before the main set ended with BLANCMANGE’s two classic bangers ‘Living On The Ceiling’ and ‘Blind Vision’, the former’s exotic sitar hook now replaced by a massed football terrace chant. After some gentle persuasion, the encore presented a minimal cover of ABBA’s ‘The Day Before You Came’ using pizzicato-emulating patches before concluding with the final of BLANCMANGE’s three Top10 hits ‘Don’t Tell Me’

At the end, a humble Neil Arthur expressed his gratitude and namechecked his circle but saved his biggest thanks for the audience. As he surmised, the initial success and continued longevity of BLANCMANGE could not have happened without them.

In fine voice throughout while occasionally stoic in demeanour, this double dose of Neil Arthur including BLANCMANGE evergreens, new material and a recent side project was a fine evening’s entertainment that was appreciated by all.

Special thanks to Steve Malins at Random Management

‘Everything Is Connected’ is released by London Records as a 38 track double CD, 38 track download + 10 track coke bottle green vinyl LP

http://www.blancmange.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/BlancmangeMusic

https://twitter.com/_blancmange_

https://www.instagram.com/neilarthur/

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
4th June 2024

BLANCMANGE Everything Is Connected

7 May 2024 /

Celebrating 45 years of BLANCMANGE, ‘Everything Is Connected’ is a new career-spanning “best of” collection curated by co-founder and front man Neil Arthur covering between 1979 to 2024.

With Neil Arthur being one of the most prolific artists in the UK and BLANCMANGE having now released more albums since 2011 than in their hit heyday, it is appropriate that this compilation is a double and split into two distinct chapters.

The first half gathers tracks from when BLANCMANGE were originally a duo comprising of Arthur and Stephen Luscombe. They self-released their first EP ‘Irene & Mavis’ in 1980 where the duo took on the personas of the pensioners pictured on the artwork. Experimental in nature and very lo-fi, it is appropriate than a Eno-esque instrumental ‘Just Another Spectre’ ends this section.

But starting is Chapter One is their breakthrough ‘Sad Day’; a solemn instrumental with an almost-countrified guitar line and a bassline borrowed from Brian Eno’s ‘The Fat Lady Of Limbourg’, it was far more hook-laden than anything on ‘Irene & Mavis’. Pointing to how BLANCMANGE were developing, it was chosen for inclusion on the now-seminal ‘Some Bizzare Album’ which also showcased other then-unknown acts such as SOFT CELL, THE THE, B-MOVIE and DEPECHE MODE. It was support tours with the latter and JAPAN that led to BLANCMANGE signing to London Records in 1982.

The London Records phase is more than well documented, leading to three albums ‘Happy Families’, ‘Mange Tout’ and ‘Believe You Me’ as well as a string of hit singles. ‘Living On The Ceiling’ and ‘Don’t Tell Me’ brought in exotic Eastern flavours thanks to Luscombe’s love of music from the Indian sub-continent having lived in the London’s Southall.

‘Feel Me’ and ‘Blind Vision’ crossed TALKING HEADS with disco, the former remixed in 12 inch form by American dancefloor specialist John Luongo and the latter produced by him. Famously ‘Waves’ allowed Neil Arthur to indulge in his Scott Walker fantasies complete with string backing and drove Julian Cope round the bend in the process!

Meanwhile having immersed themselves in a cassette of ABBA’s ‘The Singles – The First Ten Years’ that Vince Clarke’s girlfriend had brought along while they were all holidaying in Tenerife, Arthur and Luscombe hit on the idea of covering the penultimate track; achieving a higher UK chart position than the original ABBA single, ‘The Day Before You Came’ is included on ‘Everything Is Connected’ in its superior 7inch single version produced by Peter Collins.

To put things into context, ABBA were considered passé at the time and not treated with the reverence they are today. BLANCMANGE’s take had more of a groove and added some cheeky Northern English melodrama. In some ways, this 1984 can be seen as the seed of the upturn in ABBA’s credibility and Clarke himself was to cover ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’ with his new project ERASURE in 1985.

Arthur and Luscombe decided to amicably disband BLANCMANGE in 1986 and while both continued in music, it wasn’t until 2011 that a new album they had quietly made together ‘Blanc Burn’ was released; from it ‘Drive Me’ and ‘The Western’ showed the duo had not lost their touch. But almost immediately, Stephen Luscombe had to leave due to health reasons, unable to tour or work. It was mutually agreed that Arthur would continue with BLANCMANGE solo and so began Chapter Two.

The main selling point for fans here is the inclusion of ‘Again, I Wait For The World’, a song written in 1979 by Arthur’s art-school band L360; a vibrant slice of synth punk, it is a worthy addition to the BLANCMANGE tradition. Another treat is the previously unreleased ‘Wish’. The highlight though is 2018’s ‘Distant Storm’, an unusual but brilliant tune with its incessant dance beat, reverberant Moog bassline and dreamy processed vocoder aesthetic presenting an almost spiritual quality.

This solo phase of BLANCMANGE actually began with 2015’s ‘Semi Detached’ album, Neil Arthur’s first new material recorded without Stephen Luscombe and from this technostalgic offering is ‘The Fall’ which actually references Mark E Smith’s cult combo. Coming off 2020’s ‘Mindset’, ‘This Is Bliss’ provides a variety of percolating patterns and a deeper trance bass resonance with a repeated ranting chorus.

In 2022, BLANCMANGE returned home to London Records with 15th long player ‘Private View’ and this occasion is best represented by ‘Reduced Voltage’; echoing CAN in its groovy kosmische precision, although sequencer driven, the guitars get turned up during the second half.

Since the hiatus between 1986 to 2011, Neil Arthur has issued 12 albums as BLANCMANGE, while also undertaking side projects such as NEAR FUTURE, FADER and THE REMAINDER; ‘Everything Is Connected’ provides a chance for those who liked BLANCMANGE’s hits back in the day to catch up with those 21st Century songs, while it also acts as an entry point into the highlights of the back catalogue for younger listeners. That this compilation is able to be a packed double CD is a wonderful achievement.

‘Everything Is Connected’ is released by London Records on 10 May 2024 as a 38 track double CD, 38 track download + 10 track coke bottle green vinyl LP, available from https://blancmange.tmstor.es/products

BLANCMANGE 2024 UK tour with support from THE REMAINDER:

Newcastle-upon-Tyne Wylam Brewery (16 May), Glasgow Saint Luke’s (17 May), Birmingham O2 Institute (18 May), Nottingham Rescue Rooms (23 May), Leeds Brudenell Social Club (24 May), Manchester Academy 2 (25 May), Colchester Arts Centre, (26 May), Bristol Trinity Arts Centre (31 May), London Islington Assembly Hall (1 June), Hove Old Market (2 June), Southampton 1865 (3 June)

http://www.blancmange.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/BlancmangeMusic

https://twitter.com/_blancmange_

https://www.instagram.com/neilarthur/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
7th May 2024

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