Tag: China Crisis (Page 7 of 9)

Lost Albums: FIAT LUX Hired History + Ark Of Embers

17 April 2019 / electricityclub

FIAT LUX only officially released thirteen songs in their original recorded career and none were ever released in CD format, save two of their early tracks for the 1989 ‘Cocteau Signature Tunes’ compilation issued in North America.

But after many years, that has now been put to rights with the Cherry Red collection ‘Hired History Plus’ which brings together the criminally underrated trio’s entire recorded output for Polydor Records and their unreleased debut album ‘Ark Of Embers’ which had been slated for public consumption in 1985.

FIAT LUX were one of the most promising of the new synthesizer based acts that emerged following the success of DEPECHE MODE and SOFT CELL. Hailing from Wakefield, founder members Steve Wright and David Crickmore were later joined by Ian Nelson, brother of Bill who had independently produced FIAT LUX’s early works for his Cocteau Records.

Signing to Polydor Records, in 1984 the label issued a six track EP ‘Hired History’ containing their three singles to date plus their corresponding B-sides. Produced by Hugh Jones, who had worked with SIMPLE MINDS, THE TEARDROP EXPLODES and ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN, ’Hired History’ was intended as a stop-gap before FIAT LUX’s debut album was completed, but it turned out to be the only thing close to a long form release by the band until 2019. But thirty five years after the event, the tracks which comprised ‘Hired History’ still stand up.

Beginning with the singles, ‘Secrets’ was a beautifully haunting ballad was bolstered by what appeared to be a violin solo but was actually a Yamaha CS80 played by Mike Timoney. Initially released earlier, ‘Photography’ was less immediate, but the vocal interplay between Wright’s croon and Crickmore’s repeat staccato harmony was a dreamboat delight while the climax was aided by a bursting lift from Nelson’s sax.

The magnificent ‘Blue Emotion’ was an observation on the disturbing militarism that had risen in the wake of the Falklands war and the embracement of Thatcherism. Shaped by fabulous sweeping ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ derived MemoryMoog theme from Ian Nelson along with a wonderful Vox Matrimonium by Wright and Crickmore, the political sentiment however limited radio play and the song failed to be a Top40 hit.

The B-sides reflected FIAT LUX’s more theatrical side; ‘Sleepless Nightmare’ in particular sounded like Bertolt Brecht gone electro. Meanwhile the funky ‘Aqua Vitae’ sounded like something from GARY NUMAN’s ‘Warriors’ album.

Of course, ‘Hired History’ only had six tracks so its release has been bolstered by a selection of bonus tracks, most notably ‘Feels Like Winter Again’ and ‘This Illness’ which were produced by Bill Nelson.

‘Feels Like Winter Again’ was and still is a musical triumph, driven by a resonant drum machine, with a chilling mix of synth and treated guitar over an electronic pulse, Wright’s sombre and ambiguous tale of broken love affairs made a resigned emotive statement. ‘This Illness’ was more moody and featured Bill Nelson’s distinctive E-bowed infinite guitar alongside some sparkling synth work.

Also included on ‘Hired History Plus’ is the disappointing ‘House Of Thorns’ originally released in 1984 which saw FIAT LUX losing momentum. But with still no hit singles, the debut album that was being worked on was shelved by Polydor. Disillusioned, Crickmore departed FIAT LUX before Wright and Nelson quietly disbanded altogether.

Ian Nelson sadly passed away in 2006 but a few years later with the accessibility of the internet, a number of music bloggers were offering a FIAT LUX compilation entitled ‘Fact Ut Vivas’ for free download… this turned out to largely be what had been intended to be the trio’s debut album for Polydor.

Now titled ‘Ark Of Embers’ thanks to the remaining duo of Wright and Crickmore uncovering paperwork confirming this had been the long player’s intended title, the fully restored and properly mastered collection is impressive, even without including the three Polydor singles ‘Photography’, ‘Secrets’ and ‘Blue Emotion’.

Quite what Polydor was thinking in not even taking a chance with the release of a FIAT LUX album when Colin Verncombe’s BLACK were making waves with the original independently released version of ‘Wonderful Life’ is something of a mystery.

Interestingly, the opening song on ‘Ark Of Embers’, ‘The Moment’ possesses the atmospheric air of BLACK. It is then followed by the brooding uptempo North European melancholy of ‘Breaking The Boundary’, a song easily as good as BLACK’s ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’. Always keen to combine electronics with real instruments such as sax, marimbas, drums, bass and guitars, ‘Embers’ is something of a distant cousin of PINK FLOYD’s ‘Wish You Were Here’.

But ‘Ark Of Embers’ isn’t just about moods, as the groovy Roxy flavoured artrock of ‘No More Proud’ showed, while ‘Splurge’ offered a bizarre textural mix of chattering tablas over screeching guitar and a gothic disco backbone. Led by dreamy sax, ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ is a marvellous slice of emotive pop reminiscent of CHINA CRISIS, with additional clarinet providing atmospheric resonance to the sonic balance.

Closing with the brilliantly filmic synthpop of ‘Solitary Lovers’, ‘Ark Of Embers’ would have been an impressive debut long player demonstrating FIAT LUX’s instrumental versatility and diversity. Although also reprising the imperial Polydor singles trilogy in its tracklist, this is a new album to most, and damn fine it is too.

Among the other extras on the ‘Hired History Plus’ package are various 12 inch extended mixes, the original Bill Nelson version of ‘Photography’ which had been rejected by Polydor and a cover of the traditional South West English folk standard ‘Sally Free & Easy’ written by Cyril Tawney.

Arranged with a cacophony of voice samples like Philip Glass, it was a track which had only previously been available in Germany that Wright usually sang in the studio for Jones to set up levels and EQ.

‘Hired History Plus’ with its accompanying bonus of ‘Ark Of Embers’ is a belated but very welcome vindication of the talents of Steve Wright, David P Crickmore and Ian Nelson. A definitive collection with expansive booklet notes featuring commentary by Wright and Crickmore, the package represents exactly what was and is still brilliant about FIAT LUX.

Dedicated to the memory of Ian Nelson 1956-2006

‘Hired History Plus’ is released by Cherry Red Records on 19th April 2019 as a double CD featuring ‘Ark Of Embers’, available from https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/fiat-lux-hired-history-plus-2cd-expanded-edition/

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
17th April 2019

FIAT LUX Saved Symmetry

27 February 2019 / electricityclub

37 years is a long time to wait for a debut album, but with Wakefield’s FIAT LUX, it has been worth it.

Singer Steve Wright and multi-instrumentalist David P Crickmore released their magnificent first single ‘Feels Like Winter Again’ in 1982. Produced by Bill Nelson and released on his Cocteau Records, his brother Ian joined FIAT LUX and the trio became one of the most promising of the post-Synth Britannia wave of electronic pop acts.

Despite brilliant singles like ‘Photography’, ‘Secrets’ and ‘Blue Emotion’ with their distinctive vocal counterpoints and melancholic melodies, FIAT LUX were unable to secure a significant UK chart hit and despite having recorded a full-length album, Polydor Records dropped FIAT LUX and the debut long player shelved.

Ian Nelson sadly passed away in 2006, but with acts such as OMD, BLANCMANGE and ULTRAVOX returning and recording new material, there was renewed interest some of the lesser known acts of the same era like CHINA CRISIS, B-MOVIE and FIAT LUX.

In total control of their destiny, Wright and Crickmore relaunched FIAT LUX in 2017 with a re-recording of ‘Secrets’, before setting about producing an album of all-new material, now unveiled with the wonderfully alliterate title of ‘Saved Symmetry’.

Recorded at Crickmore’s Splid Studios and produced by the multi-instrumentalist with vintage synths like a Minimoog and Roland Jupiter 8, along with modern hardware like a Novation MiniNova and Roland Jupiter 50 to hand, the pair have been joined by Will Howard on sax and clarinet plus live drummer Andy Peacock.

For ‘Saved Symmetry’, Crickmore even tracked down a relative of an old accomplice to help make the overall FIAT LUX sound as authentic as possible in the 21st Century; “The bass guitar is the same model Yamaha BB1000S that I used on the Polydor sessions” he said, “but I had to track another early 80s edition down as my original bass went astray in the mid-80s.”

Beginning perhaps unexpectedly with acoustic guitar and some scratchy background interference, the desolate filmic drama of ‘Tuesday’ sees Wright’s vocal holding off until two and a half minutes in. Countered by a haunting synth lead, the combination provides tension and anticipation of what is ahead.

The steadfast ‘Hold Me While You Can’ builds from piano and woodwinds before taking an enjoyably odd turn when a Numan-esque synth riff that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on ‘We Have A Technical’ kicks in alongside a burst of sax.

Then with hints of the song side of ‘Low’ era Bowie, ‘Everyday In Heaven’ offers a fine avant pop tune with rousing up-for-life lyrics about embracing second chances and encouragement to “go where your garden grows”. Utilising offbeats and marimbas, ‘Grey Unpainted Rooms’ takes things in amore solemn direction… well, real life isn’t always cheery is it?

Expanding the mood, ‘We Can Change The World’ provides a call to action in these turbulent times. With a great bit of sax and an uptempo setting dressed with bubbling synths and rousing vocals, it recalls ‘Everything Is Coming Up Roses’ by BLACK, the vehicle of the late Colin Verncombe who ultimately proved that despite the short-sightedness of Polydor Records back in the day, the FIAT LUX template was indeed a viable commodity.

The semi-acoustic ballad ‘Wasted (On Baby Tears)’ acts as a pleasant musical interlude before another burst of sax and marimba for ‘Long Lost Love’, a lively slice of classic orchestrated pop with a great chorus and a dash of CHINA CRISIS.

‘It’s You’, the magnificent single which relaunched FIAT LUX as a modern creative force in 2018 continues to delight by its very existence, the classic emotive mix of dual vocals, synths and sax brimming with positivity and in the reflective couplet “I’m living in a room at a stranger’s house, I never thought I’d be here again”, touchingly conveying the joys of finding love again in midlife.

Heading towards the home straight, the elegiac ‘Calling On Angels’ is based around piano and a striking synthetic orchestra arrangement with some more superb sax work. The ‘Saved Symmetry’ title track with its drum machine pulse and stark backing is reminiscent of THE BLUE NILE, an instrumental with gentle ivories and bass to allow the album’s organic flow to proceed to its conclusion.

2019 is turning out to be a great year for FIAT LUX fans as not only do they finally have an album, but those lovely people at Cherry Red Records will be issuing ‘Hired History Plus’, an expanded CD of their 1984 six song compilation EP as well.

Very much a grower with a mix of emotions in many colours, ‘Saved Symmetry’ is a worthy belated long playing debut with depth and musicality. FIAT LUX have always deserved recognition and now might well be their time in the sun… so let there be light.

‘Saved Symmetry’ is released by Splid Records through Proper Music Distribution on 8th March 2019 in CD and digital formats, pre-order from https://www.propermusic.com/splidcd21-saved-symmetry.html

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th February 2019

This Occupation: The Legacy of CHINA CRISIS

4 August 2017 / electricityclub

Merseyside duo CHINA CRISIS are probably the most under rated band of their generation.

Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon formed the band in 1981 after leaving school. While Daly played bass and Lundon the guitar, their interest in Brian Eno, particularly his ‘Before & After Science’ album and collaborations with David Bowie and Jon Hassell, led to their first synth purchase, a Yamaha CS10 before later adding an Octave Cat and Roland SH2 to their armoury.

Continuing their fascination with Eno, the pair became influenced by TALKING HEADS which resulted in the first magnificent single ‘African & White’. Beginning with a stutter from a Boss Dr Rhythm, tribal rhythms played by Dave Reilly formed the backbone as an infectious bassline and haunting synth complimented an insightful political observation.

Released in 1981 by the local independent Inevitable Records, who had issued early recordings by WAH! and DEAD OR ALIVE, ‘African & White’ gained CHINA CRISIS critical acclaim and a deal with Virgin Records; the label’s advance underwrote the acquisition of further equipment including a Korg PolySix.

Caroline International reissue the first three Virgin era albums ‘Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun To Entertain’, ‘Working With Fire & Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume 2’ and ‘Flaunt The Imperfection’ as expanded deluxe CD editions including band’s superb B-sides and previously unreleased BBC Radio sessions.

This early period of CHINA CRISIS saw them compared with their label mates JAPAN and OMD, but while the synthesizer was an important aspect to their sound, they also utilised a variety of traditional instrumentation with lots of melody and a subtle rhythmic backbone.

While CHINA CRISIS are best remembered for their soulful art pop, it’s quite strange to think now that when they first emerged, they were quite uptempo and percussive with post-punk influences such as MAGAZINE and SIMPLE MINDS, who they were to open for on the ‘New Gold Dream’ tour.

And with the success of SOFT CELL and DEPECHE MODE, they were also flirting with pure mechanical synthpop, as the heavily drum machine driven John Peel session recording of ‘This Occupation’ from April 1982 included in the fabulous extras for this batch of reissues shows. Their second single ‘Scream Down At Me’ saw a band still trying find to their feet and it displayed a frantic funk tension that was never to be repeated by the band.

As a result, it was not included on the first CHINA CRISIS album ‘Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun To Entertain’ but now appears on its 2CD reissue. So it was the pretty ‘No More Blue Horizons’ with its memorable trumpet theme that launched CHINA CRISIS’ debut long player in Autumn 1982.

Split into Difficult and Entertainment sides, the latter comprised of sweetened up demos that the duo had recorded in an eight track studio with Gil Norton, later to produce THE PIXIES! ‘Red Sails’ and ‘Temptation’s Big Blue Eyes’ were highlights that made the most of Daly’s afflicted but passionate vocal style, while the closing ‘Jean Walks In Fresh Fields’ showcased CHINA CRISIS’ prowess in ambient instrumental forms.

Meanwhile, the Difficult first side was produced by Steve Levine and Peter Walsh; it saw the band experimenting with Linn Drum Computers, Simmons Drums and bass sequencers as well as fretless bass played by Andy Pask of LANDSCAPE. The latter was to prove crucial to the haunting ‘Christian’, a song about the fate of soldiers in the trenches during World War One.

‘Christian’ was as unlikely a hit single as ‘Ghosts’ by JAPAN was, but in a far more open-minded and diverse period in pop music than today, acts with a less obvious rock ‘n’ roll bent were generally in with a chance; it reached No12 in the UK singles charts.

It was a promising debut, but ‘Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun To Entertain’ was a something of a mish-mash, with its eleven tracks involving no less than four different producers.

The second album ‘Working With Fire & Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume 2’ released in Autumn 1983 was to be more cohesive and produced under the auspices of Mike Howlett, fresh from working with OMD, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS and BLANCMANGE.

Featuring Daly’s newly acquired Roland Jupiter 8 as well as bass guitar by Gazza Johnson and new sticksman Kevin Wilkinson, the long player was a maturer pop statement with a distinct English resonance, thanks to the addition of woodwinds from Snowy Levy.

The template was still synth friendly, as affirmed by the politically driven title track and the propulsive ‘Animals In Jungles’, but songs such as ‘Tragedy & Mystery’, ‘The Gates Of Door To Door’ and ‘When the Piper Calls’ exuded an almost folky feel despite the surrounding technology.

However, it was the album’s brilliant Emulator laced third single ‘Wishful Thinking’ that was to become CHINA CRISIS’ major breakthrough as their only UK Top10 hit in early 1984; the pair later joked that it was a “housewives’ favourite”. The success had been unexpected as the song featured Lundon on lead vocals while on the John Peel session recorded the year before, it appeared nothing more than a possible album track at the time.

Indeed, the stand-outs from that particular Peel session had been ‘A Golden Handshake For Every Daughter’ which ended up as a B-side and ‘Here Come A Raincloud’, which displayed more rhythmic tension than the disappointing album cut that eventually appeared.

With ‘Soul Awakening’, the atmospheric synth textures and ethereal piano made a perfect closer to ‘Working With Fire & Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume 2’, but the tune had previously appeared on a Kid Jensen radio session in a quality instrumental arrangement.

From an earlier Jensen session, a sparkling wordless wonder called ‘Reflections’ makes its first formally sanctioned appearance, while two further instrumentals from the period come with this lavish 3CD edition of the album that both rank among some of CHINA CRISIS’ best work.

Daly and Lundon often recorded a variety of instrumental sketches to relax prior to formal writing sessions for albums and ‘Dockland’ was a sublime slice of nautical transience inspired by Liverpool’s once vibrant docks lying wasted in a period of high unemployment. It was captivating and emotive, as was more the more guitar focussed ‘Forever I & I’, recorded by Daly alone on a Portastudio in Lundon’s bedroom!

One song that was recorded with Mike Howlett but never made it onto ‘Working With Fire & Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume 2’ was ‘It’s Never Too Late’. Probably dropped from the album on account of it sounding like a more steadfast ‘Wishful Thinking’, it finally emerged, tucked away on the limited edition 12 inch of ‘Black Man Ray’. And this lost jewel is one of the bonuses on the expanded 2CD edition of ‘Flaunt The Imperfection’, the band’s biggest seller which even cracked the US Top200.

It would be fair to say that if ‘Working With Fire & Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume 2’ was CHINA CRISIS’ English album, then ‘Flaunt The Imperfection’ was their American one. The material was recorded with much more of a live soulful feel as on ‘Gift Of Freedom’ and ‘Bigger The Punch I’m Feeling’, while reggae inflections appeared on songs such as ‘Strength Of Character’ and the outtake ‘Animalistic’.

Produced by Walter Becker of STEELY DAN, the influence of his band on ‘Flaunt The Imperfection’ was more than obvious on ‘You Did Cut Me’. Shades of ABBA could also be heard on ‘Wall Of God’ with the bridge taking an obvious lift from the verse of ‘As Good As New’, a track from the Super Swedes’ disco flavoured album ‘Voulez-Vous’.

But it was the more classic CHINA CRISIS songs augmented by synths and drum machines like ‘Black Man Ray’ and ‘King In A Catholic Style’ that secured another two UK Top20 hits. Sadly though, they were to be Daly and Lundon’s last.

While improving as musicians and songwriters, they were perhaps becoming less artful and interesting, as indicated by album’s overall FM friendly vibe, use of noted session musicians like PINK FLOYD live guitarist Tim Renwick and the live recordings included as extras with the ‘Flaunt The Imperfection’ set. With the world now turning a bit SIMPLE MINDS in the wake of Live Aid, the next CHINA CRISIS albums were to be more conventional and Trans-Atlantic friendly.

The fourth album ‘What Price Paradise’ produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley was a disappointment despite the wonderful singles ‘Arizona Sky’ and ‘Best Kept Secret’, while the band parted with Virgin Records after poor sales for the largely Walter Becker steered fifth album ‘Diary Of A Hollow Horse’ in 1989.

1994’s ‘Warped By Success’ and 2015’s ‘Autumn In The Neighbourhood’ may be new additions to the tradition, but it is the melodic inventiveness of the first three albums that mark CHINA CRISIS as an important band of the Synth Britannia era. CHINA CRISIS have been surprisingly influential in modern synthpop where elements of their sound have re-emerged in acts such as MIRRORS and VILLA NAH; just listen to ‘Visions Of You’ by the former and ‘Love Chance’ by the latter for some conclusive documentary evidence.

Today, CHINA CRISIS continue to play live, touring the world and it is testament to this highly enjoyable period in their history that they are still able to do this.

‘Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It’s Fun To Entertain’, ‘Working With Fire & Steel – Possible Pop Songs Volume 2’ and ‘Flaunt The Imperfection’ are released as expanded deluxe CD sets by Caroline International on 15th September 2017

CHINA CRISIS 2017 live dates include:

St Albans The Horn (5th October), Worcester Huntingdon Hall (6th October), Middlesbrough Longlands Club (7th October), Sheffield Greystones (14th October), Dundee Clarks (19th October), Stirling Tolbooth (20th October), Kincross Backstage (21st October), Glasgow Wood End Bowling Club (22nd October), Hilversum Podium De Vorstin (26th October), Zoetermeer De Boerderji (27th October), Bedford Esquires (9th November), St Helens Citadel Arts Centre (10th November), Bishops Cleeve Tithe Barn (12th November), Shrewsbury Henry Tudor House (13th November), Huddersfield The Keys (17th November), Nottingham Rescue Rooms (18th November), Bury The Met (24th November), Coventry Catch 22 Lounge (25th November), Wolverhampton Robin 2 (26th November), London Putney Half Moon (30th November), Hertford Corn Exchange (1st December), Hornchurch Fairkytes Arts Centre (2nd December), Liverpool The Cavern (14th-15th December), Glasgow Oran Mor (16th December)

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
4th August 2017

A Short Conversation with VILLA NAH

10 October 2016 / electricityclub

Finnish duo VILLA NAH have returned after a five year hiatus.

With their recently released second album ‘Ultima’, Juho Paalosmaa and Tomi Hyyppä have reminded the general public as to why they wowed audiences who saw them open for OMD in 2010. However, despite the acclaim, the childhood friends faded from view after that tour.

During the break, Paalosmaa formed SIN COS TAN with ‘Origin’ co-producer Jori Hulkkonen and excellent songs such as ‘Trust’, ‘Calendar’, ‘Avant Garde’, ‘Moonstruck’ and ‘Love Sees No Colour’ filled the void left by VILLA NAH.

While their debut album ‘Origin’ was prime crystalline synthpop, ‘Ultima’ undoubtedly comes over as a more varied and mature musical statement. There are fewer club friendly tempos but this has been offset by a comparatively sunny disposition on songs like ‘Love Chance’ and ‘Life Is Short’, as well as an abundance of dreamier atmospheres like on the beautiful grown-up lullaby ‘Proxima’.

Despite their new found optimism, VILLA NAH’s inherent melancholy remains while their technical prowess is as sharp as ever. Juho Paalosmaa and Tomi Hyyppä chatted about the genesis of ‘Ultima’ and its influences, both musical and technical.

How does it feel to have recorded together again after a gap of 5-6 years?

Juho: Feels good! We had met on numerous occasions over the years, but became active again in our studio in 2015 when the majority of ‘Ultima’ was recorded. It helps a lot that we’ve been friends since kids, as there’s always that connection. Five or six years can feel like a long time for many, but after a 30 year long friendship, it’s not that bad.

What was the impetus to renew the partnership?

Juho: A number of reasons. We never really buried the idea of recording again – it was always likely to happen. It just had to feel spontaneous, natural. I think it also helped that no-one was really expecting us to release anything anymore. Working under the radar made things fun again, it gave us a free creative space with no rush to anything. On a more personal level, there are also some songs on this record that had haunted me for a very long time; songs like ‘Mistakes’ and ‘Heaven’. I simply needed to get them out, and they played a big part in forming what would become the overall feel of ‘Ultima’.

Jori Hulkkonen is again involved on the production side. But he is also involved in SIN COS TAN… so for the uninitiated, how would you explain the musical and compositional differences of VILLA NAH?

Juho: For the uninitiated, I’d describe the differences of VILLA NAH and SIN COS TAN with one word: atmosphere. VILLA NAH has more of a romantic, softer, at times naivistic quality to it. SIN COS TAN on the other hand is colder, more cynical, and the songs have a harder, more modern edge to them.

As far as songwriting process goes, in SIN COS TAN, me and Jori write songs either collaboratively, separately, or just jam them out together in the studio. So the songwriting is pretty much a 50/50 job in SIN COS TAN, but Jori stays in charge of production and especially mixing. I usually just lie on the couch at that point and complain about the lack of reverb…

With VILLA NAH, the songwriting is fully my responsibility, while Tomi handles the engineering and often the percussive side of things. A key difference between ‘Ultima’ and our debut ‘Origin’ was the mixing. This time Tomi had all the mixing duties, which gave ‘Ultima’ a very distinct, warm sound. I think it sounds lovely.

‘Ultima’ sees a more atmospheric, filmic side to VILLA NAH compared perhaps to ‘Origin’ with?

Juho: Well, I find that ‘filmic’ sensibilities have always been present in our music, it’s pretty much inescapable. I’m a big cinephile and think of melodies in very visual terms, usually even describing them as scenes in an imaginary film or a play. But with ‘Ultima’, I specifically wanted to make my own interpretation of a dream-pop record.

Dreams have been a constant inspiration with VILLA NAH, the worlds they inhabit and how they’re fuelled by our memories and experiences. So yeah, that certain atmosphere was very important to get across on ‘Ultima’. And I’m happy if it did.

The dance influenced rhythms that were a characteristic of ‘Origin’ are less prominent on this album, is that just a part of getting older?

Juho: There’s a few reasons for it. First off, I had worked on several records with Jori in SIN COS TAN where there were a lot of dance tracks. In fact, our latest EP ‘Smile. Tomorrow Will be Worse’ was comprised only of more club orientated stuff. Also, some earlier songs I had done as demos for VILLA NAH – tracks like ‘Trust’ and ‘Limbo’ – went to SIN COS TAN, as they felt more in tune with what we were doing with Jori at that time.

So when it came to ‘Ultima’, I wanted to explore a softer and calmer atmosphere. Getting older certainly plays a part in it too, but also the world we inhabit: things feel pretty insane in 2016 in a lot of ways… and I personally like the idea of having a relatively gentle, unabrasive pop record in the middle of it. It’s almost like a quiet manifest against all the glowstick parties and warmongering out there.

‘Stranger’ was a perfect song to return with. How did that emerge and what is it about?

Juho: I was heavily into JOHN MAUS when we made that, I think we both were. The off-kilter vibe of his music was definitely an influence – even though the end result sounds nothing like him. ‘Stranger’ is a play on words; how somebody you’ve known can turn stranger over the span of time… and end up as a complete stranger in the process. I don’t think it’s a track I would’ve written as a 20 year old. It requires some years of age and experience to really understand how time can change people, including yourself.

What’s the story behind the composition of ‘Spy’ and the ‘Spy vs. Spy’ computer game?

Juho: Bit of a long story this one… when we were little kids, me and Tomi had a mutual bond with the characters of ‘Spy vs. Spy’. Tomi subscribed to a comic magazine called ‘MAD’ which featured the amazing cold war influenced cartoons of Antonio Prohías called ‘Spy vs. Spy’. And I had a Commodore 64 computer at home with a game called ‘Spy vs. Spy’ – based on the very same cartoon by Prohías.

This game had a 20 second loop of music which played throughout nonstop. You’d think it’d be infuriating to listen to, but instead it was just really hypnotic. So hypnotic that it stayed in my brain ever since. Fast forward to 2008, and I wrote a VN track based around the game’s lead melody.

In the process of picking out tracks for our debut ‘Origin’, ‘Spy’ was one contender. I don’t remember why it didn’t get picked, but I do recall Jori loving it… so on ‘Ultima’, we really didn’t want to leave it out again. Before we could proceed, however, we needed to track down Mr. Nicholas Scarim, the man behind the theme music’s ingenious composition. Soon enough, we found ourselves corresponding with Mr. Scarim. We humbly presented him our interpretation and were happy to hear that Nick really loved the track and gave us his approval!

The rhythm programming on ‘Mistakes’ is unusual in many respects for an electronic pop record, what was it inspired by?

Juho: ‘Mistakes’ was a track that had existed for many years, in various forms, most of them ringing in my head like an obsession. The rhythm track also changed a lot in the process – it was initially much more straightforward, too much so. Jori introduced the idea to make it more contemporary, which gave the song a more compelling twist.

Tomi: Got to give credit to Jori Hulkkonen for saving that song. It was one those songs that was completely lost in the endless swamp different versions and styles, so it definitely needed outside intervention to become finished.

‘Love Chance’ and ‘Life Is Short’ might remind some UK audiences of CHINA CRISIS. Is that a coincidence or do you have an appreciation for them?

Juho: True story… the first time I heard of CHINA CRISIS was from Andy McCluskey when we supported OMD back in 2010. Andy mentioned to me that our sound reminded him of CHINA CRISIS, and I was genuinely like “Wow, really?” (and simultaneously thought “Who? Gotta write that down!”). I didn’t know the band, so it must’ve been a happy coincidence…

Subsequently I did find the music of CHINA CRISIS later on. And fortunately liked what I heard. Some of their stuff had a similar vibe to things I adore, like the poppiest work of YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA and their solo efforts; chorus vocals sung in laid-back unison, where the emphasis being on the song’s instrumentation contra to the leading vocal melody. This is something I wanted to explore as well, with ‘Life Is Short’ and ‘Love Chance’ being precisely the songs on ‘Ultima’ where you can hear that. So yeah, I really don’t object to this comparison – even if really, it is more of a coincidence.

The album sees more prominent use of guitar, are there any particular guitarists or styles that influenced how the instrument would work for VILLA NAH?

Juho: Way before we started doing music with synths, we played with more traditional instruments. I still write music with either keys or a guitar. But I don’t regard myself as a proper guitarist by any means.

Guitars can help a song with its groove – in the stuff we make it’s not always necessary, but with the right song it can work nicely and give it another dimension.

Tomi: Guitar is actually an annoyingly difficult instrument to blend in properly with synths, the way you play guitar versus synths is so different, so guitar melodies clash easily with synth melodies in a bad way. Then again, it is a matter of skill, haha! I’d like to mention John Frusciante here, he’s been my favourite guitarist for a long time and in recent years, he has been going nuts with synths.

Have you changed any of your technological approaches with ‘Ultima’, like with hardware synths versus softsynths, vintage analogues versus modern ones?

Tomi: I have to admit that I’ve pretty much grown out of the analogue synth hype. Actually I’ve always just wanted instruments that sound good, the technology itself has not been the reason for example to buy analogue synth classics. They’re classics because players have found the good sounding, simple and straightforward instruments. So on the hardware side, we did use quite a lot of digital synths and it was also a bit of an exploration of a new tech-territory.

My favourites at the moment are older wavetable synths, they are honestly digital rather than being “virtual”-something. I have to admit that I’m not really a fan of modern analogues, they lack the murkiness or mud of the old ones. I like mud, though the new Prophet-6 is pretty amazing sounding.

And when it comes to soft synths, I did use them mostly for layering and supporting uses etc. The problem for me with the soft synths is that I like to record things in a pretty old fashioned way and that is something I cannot do with the software. For example overdubbing, using hardware effects / running signals through guitar amps is hard or boring to do with softsynths, since you lack the proper interaction with the instrument and other hardware.

Your favourite songs on ‘Ultima’?

Juho: It’s funny, I don’t really have one particular favourite. I tend to view the record as a whole, and I think the songs emphasise that: there’s less immediate tracks – they’re all meant to complement one another and sort of slowly creep in over time. Perhaps the tranquillity of ‘Proxima’ is something that I really like, but again that’s probably because it’s right after the intense crescendo of ‘Stranger’.

Tomi: ‘Clockwork’, ‘Proxima’ and ‘Heaven’ are my favourites. I think they are the most atmospheric pieces on the record. I’m hoping that ‘Heaven’ finds its audience, it’s a beautiful song. ‘Clockwork’ and ‘Proxima’ are both quite minimalistic yet deep and full of feelings, these were also my favourite tracks to mix / produce.

Who do you think ‘Ultima’ will appeal to?

Juho: Hopefully to anyone who still has the capacity to listen to a full LP of what I regard as traditional pop. It’s not a party album really, so I think it demands a little more time and individual attention. It’s a combination of quite dreamy and melodic synth tracks with a lot of romantic themes. If those as a concept sound at all appealing, then please proceed to ‘Ultima’ territory.

What’s next for VILLA NAH? Will you tour ‘Ultima’?

Juho: We’ve been playing some record release shows here in Finland and try to stay active in our studio in the meantime. Plenty of tracks are still unreleased, plenty more get born all the time. We’re having fun. At the end of the day, that’s really what matters.

Tomi: Yeah, aside from the ‘Ultima’ related gigs, we’ll be spending time in the studio as it also works as a safe haven from the real world, keeps us sane.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to VILLA NAH

Special thanks to Tom Riski at Solina Records

‘Ultima’ is released by Solina Records in vinyl and digital formats

https://www.facebook.com/villanah/

https://twitter.com/villanah

http://solinarecords.com/villa-nah-ultima/

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Kimmo Virtanen
10th October 2016

VILLA NAH Ultima

13 September 2016 / electricityclub

Having released one of the best electronic pop albums of 2010 in their debut ‘Origin’, Helsinki’s VILLA NAH went quiet after a well-received UK tour supporting OMD.

But childhood friends Juho Paalosmaa and Tomi Hyyppä are now back after a five-year hiatus. During that break, Paalosmaa formed SIN COS TAN with ‘Origin’ co-producer Jori Hulkkonen and their three albums to date filled the void left by VILLA NAH. ‘Ultima’ sees the duo and Hulkkonen present an escapist soundtrack for a Nordic summer, swathed in dreamy synthesizers.

While Paalosmaa’s vocals are as forlorn as ever, there is a cautious air of optimism too. Beginning the album in earnest, the ‘Ultima’ title instrumental is a gently atmospheric waltz that would make a fine theme to a romantic art movie.

A sweet pizzicato movement shapes ‘Vortex’ with its marvellous synthscape retaining the filmic characteristics of the album’s intro before the beat kicks in. ‘Mistakes’ takes things more uptempo as gorgeous synth vibrato and some harp-like runs sit over an inventive rhythm construction. It all proves that modern electronica doesn’t have to be set to the retarded 4/4 monotony of most generic club music; the song’s uplifting choral qualities and soaring chorus make this an early album highlight.

While VILLA NAH’s debut showcased an affinity with OMD, both ‘Life is Short’ and ‘Love Chance’ echo another Merseyside act CHINA CRISIS; the former is punctuated with synthetic brass tones while the latter exudes a distinctly exotic flavour with plenty of wistful melodies in keeping with the song’s title. The wonderful “new romance” of ‘Love Chance’ also sees prominent but subtle use of rhythmic guitar in the vein of Messrs Daly and Lundon.

A gentle piano motif introduces ‘Heaven’ before more downcast overtones and guitar textures make their presence felt. Meanwhile things get darker on ‘Clockwork’, a mood piece that is possibly the most sombre offering on the album.

‘Spy’ takes on a nostalgic feel by borrowing the theme music for the vintage computer game ‘Spy Vs. Spy’ with the blessing of its composer Nicholas Scarim. This clever interpolation for the song’s lead melody is a perfect fit for VILLA NAH’s template, harking back to ‘Ways To Be’ from ‘Origin’. As the layers build, Paalosmaa even starts to sound like Robert Smith of THE CURE guesting on a fantasy track for JEAN-MICHEL JARRE’s ‘Electronica 3’!

The magnificent ‘Stranger’ can be held up as an example as to why Paalosmaa’s melancholic songwriting prowess and Hyyppä’s technical knowhow gained VILLA NAH so many new fans when they opened for OMD in 2010; the detuned synths provide drama and tension while still retaining a vital sense of melody.

To finish ‘Ultima’, the serene ‘Proxima’ canters along and beautifully rings like a grown-up lullaby.

‘Ultima’ is a welcome return for VILLA NAH as a mature successor to ‘Origin’. While there are fewer uptempo, dance friendly songs compared to its predecessor, the passing years have naturally provoked a more sophisticated outlook that will appeal to all generations of classic synthpop aficionados.

Hienoa että olette palanneet…

With thanks to Tom Riski at Solina Records and Tapio Normall

‘Ultima’ is released by Solina Records in vinyl LP and digital formats

https://www.facebook.com/villanah/

https://twitter.com/villanah

http://solinarecords.com/villa-nah-ultima/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photo by Kimmo Virtanen
13th September 2016