Tag: Kalipo

2025 END OF YEAR REVIEW

14 December 2025 /

50 years from KRAFTWERK appearing on the BBC’s ‘Tomorrow’s World’ to perform ‘Autobahn’ and demonstrate the future of music, as Ralf Hütter remarked at the start of the 21st Century, “electro is everywhere” and can now be made on your mobile phone!

And while the KRAFTWERK brand continues to be fronted by the 79 year old Hütter with an extensive UK tour pencilled in next year, 2025 saw the sad passing of Synth Britannia heroes Dave Ball and Stephen Luscombe, while there was also the loss of COVENANT associate Andreas Catjar-Danielsson, NITZER EBB frontman Douglas J McCarthy and Gary Numan’s brother / former live band member John Webb. Outside of the genre, cult film director David Lynch, BLONDIE drummer Clem Burke, veteran diva Marianne Faithfull, The Prince Of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne and Head Beach Boy Brian Wilson were among those who left this mortal coil.

Musically in 2025, Mari Kattman became the alluring gothic club queen she always had the potential to be on her best album yet ‘Year Of The Katt’. She headed a strong feast of feisty releases from Ela Minus, Marie Davidson, Zanias, Jennifer Touch, Charly Haze, Ani Glass, Emmon, Minuit Machine and Compute alongside those by the female fronted DLINA VOLNY, CAUSEWAY, DINA SUMMER, AUSTRA, NNHMN and PARADOX OBSCUR.

Among the new talent making a good impression were Spike, Shears and Hannah Hu who is currently working on her first album with Dean Honer of I MONSTER. Having already released a couple of albums, on the ascendancy was self-styled Californian “retro electro artist” Sophie Grey who was joined by Trevor Horn during her live cover of ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ while supporting Sting at the London Forum.

On the gentler side of electronics, Patricia Wolf and Loula Yorke came up with their fabulous respective instrumental offerings ‘Hrafnamynd’ and ‘Time Is A Succession Of Such Shapes’. There was also the return of LADYTRON as well as Alison Goldfrapp, Claudia Brücken and Kim Wilde. Going back to glitzy electropop on her new record ‘Mayhem’, Lady Gaga did an impression of Taylor Swift doing YAZOO on one of its highlights ‘How Bad Do U Want Me?’; meanwhile Taylor herself appeared to have turned into Los Angeles trio CANNONS on ‘The Fate Of Ophelia’, the synthy opening song of her 12th album ‘The Life Of A Showgirl’.

Photo by Oliver Blair

Swedish producer Johan Agebjörn proved to have one of the most prolific years in his music career with not only collaborations with R.MISSING on ‘Fakesnow’ and NINA on ‘Hush Hush Baby’ but also a new SALLY SHAPIRO album ‘Ready To Live A Lie’ and a solo long player ‘Southern Forest’; all this while holding down his day job as a psychotherapist! Another releasing two albums in 2025 was Paul Statham although one was a collection of archive recordings for what could have been the intended 1982 debut album by B-MOVIE entitled ‘Lost Treasures’; the other was a second record from his dark country project THE DARK FLOWERS featuring Jim Kerr of SIMPLE MINDS whose most recent single ‘Your Name In Lights’ had been co-written by Statham.

Impressively, SPARKS got ‘MAD!’ and then ‘MADDER!’ while undertaking a huge world tour with Ron Mael still tap dancing at 80 years of age during the drum solo of ‘No1 Song In Heaven’ and Russell Mael able to hit many of those high notes at 77. As ERASURE made a tentative return with a series of special UK fan club shows to celebrate their 40th anniversary, Andy Bell toured his solo album ‘Ten Crowns’ with KNIGHT$ not doing himself any harm being the opening act on the German leg ahead of a new album ‘Supernatural Lover’ out in early 2026.

After a few years of recorded absence, former TANGERINE DREAM members released long awaited albums with Peter Baumann from the classic line-up issuing the esoteric ‘Nightfall’ while Jerome Froese, son of co-founder Edgar, came up with the guitartronica of ‘Sunsets In Stereo’. Playing with the atonal atmospheres of early TANGERINE DREAM in places, the dark cerebral concept of ‘The Ray Bradbury Chronicles’ by Levente was worthy of investigation.

With their keyboard player Christian Berg now something of a modern day Rick Wakeman, KITE established themselves as a major world force with a spectacular show on ice at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena which saw special guest Nina Persson of THE CARDIGANS skating with the Helsinki Rockettes while singing their mighty collaboration ‘Heartless Places’.

Tom Shear released one of his most impressive and on-point albums as ASSEMBLAGE 23 in ‘Null’ while UNIFY SEPARATE didn’t mince their words on their ‘Heavy Meta’ EP. While Tobias Bernstrup kept the dark Italo flame alive with ‘Shadow Dancer’, Berlin continued to remain a force in underground club culture with two of its leading exponents Franz Scala and Kalipo presenting well-received long players that worked on the home hi-fi as well as on dancefloors. On the more poptronica front, Eddie Bengtsson finally stopped trying to “Numanise” his sound and came up with ‘Inget Motstånd’, a record in the more classic PAGE vein.

While synthwave appeared to be dead (as the controversial blog Iron Skullet declared in 2019), the influx of generic darkwave was a major blight on electronic music in 2025. The major label supported Mareux and his second album ‘Nonstop Romance’ had any potential painfully ruined by overused deliberate distortion to make it sound like it was recorded down a drainpipe.

Meanwhile PORCELAIN DANCER seemed to be the Rob Newman parody of Robert Smith as seen on ‘The Mary Whitehouse Experience’ resurrected only several octaves lower; his live performance provoked unintentional laughter from those who arrived early to see KORINE in London!

DEPECHE MODE released 4 songs that were originally deemed not good enough to put on their 2023 album ‘Memento Bori’ to append the live album accompanying their Mexico City concert film ‘M’. But 2025 was notable for a number of figures in the British DM fan community who were coming out with particularly repugnant far right views, seemingly oblivious to the decades of lyrical messages from the two remaining mixed race band members!

But there was hope in the darker side of synth with A THOUSAND MAD THINGS; with his haunted demeanour while navigating young manhood as a tortured outsider, William Barradale’s doomed romantic delivery reminiscent of Billy MacKenzie and Trevor Herion made him undoubtedly the most promising UK act since MIRRORS; his debut 5 song EP ‘Cry & Dance’ was one of 2025’s best bodies of work. This more than made up for ‘Dance Called Memory’, the extremely dull fourth album from NATION OF LANGUAGE which was anything but memorable…

After looking back at 1981, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK were pleased to be return to the variously compiled podcast ‘Back To NOW’ to discuss the ‘NOW 1982 Yearbook’ with genial host Iain McDermott and Ian Wade, author of ‘1984: The Year Pop Went Queer’. While general music and culture podcasts such as ‘Back To NOW’, ‘Word In Your Ear’, ‘The Rest Is Entertainment’, ‘The Rockonteurs’, ‘SoundPower’ and Miranda Sawyer’s new offering ‘Talk 90s To Me’ were highly engaging listens, specific broadcasts focussed on synth and electronic music were usually weak, suffering from poor hosting and ham-fisted background research. But when a professional presenter was involved, synth-oriented chats could be enlightening as the appearance of John Foxx on ‘The Adam Buxton Podcast’ proved, despite the annoying jingles that accompanied it.

Featuring commentary from PET SHOP BOYS’ Neil Tennant, the BBC’s retrospective look at the collapse of EMI called ‘Music Money & Mayhem’ showed once again that when those who know nothing about music get involved in the music business, it will end in tears. Looking at the story of the history of Beggars Banquet label in its first series and featuring Gary Numan in its opening episode, ‘States Of Independence’ documented how creative enthusiasm from the heart can actually thrive.

So where are the audiences for live electronic music these days? Certainly, if the full houses for Marie Davidson, Geneva Jacuzzi, Loscil and KITE in London’s club-sized venues were anything to go by, the crowds are out there. This was not the case for some other acts on the circuit at new, cult and one-hit wonder level who were struggling to get above half capacity or had downsized considerably since their perceived highest profile. However, new music night Release Me managed to get very good attendances for their evenings in 2025 with the premise that all acts must perform previously unreleased material; this focus on their events being about the music with announced requests to not talk during sets was a fresh and very welcome approach.

Photo by Tom Casey

Elsewhere, the retro business did prosper with reunions, exhibitions, summer hits shows, classic album tours, deluxe reissues of albums that were never that good in the first place and notable records re-released in yet another expanded set for the 5th or 6th time! There were those trying to exploit the fading nostalgia of those heady romantic times, writing memoirs that left out so many important facts omitted that there were grounds for inclusion in the “fiction” section.

Then there were others releasing overlong collections with an average track length of between 6-8 minutes that no-one asked for nor desired… filtering and editing is such an important aspect to producing music so there was no excuse for these veterans! Some even sent out unmastered music files to review outlets, blissfully unaware that the sound quality might actually be mentioned, only to get stupidly angry about it when highlighted due to their own numbskull promotional abilities; it’s a funny old entitled world…

The positive and negative of modern day music consumption is growth CAN happen organically in its own internet powered niche. But with the fragmentation of promotion with social media actually being a choice despite wider protestations, even the AXS newsletter listing the acts soon to be playing the 20,000 capacity O2 arena in London provoked cries of “WHO?”; but that is how it is now and it needs to be accepted. Why should a Boomer or Gen X-er know about the bright young thing headlining Glastonbury?

However, you CAN create your own musical universe today, not listen to radio, create your own playlists and exclude as appropriate. After all, as Nick Rhodes from DURAN DURAN once remarked: “Good taste is exclusive” –  nobody should have to like what you like and neither should what somebody else likes appeal to you… niche interests are fine.

There is no doubt fandom has become more tribal and is now akin to away game support for football teams. But as a result, it has therefore got more toxic, with some fans getting ridiculously angry on socials about old less-than-positive reviews that David Hepworth, Mark Ellen, Ian Cranna, Dave Rimmer, Tom Hibbert or Neil Tennant might have written for Smash Hits 43 YEARS AGO!! “Bet he regrets that…” someone will quip smugly but the reality is, if there is a review that a writer will regret, from the experience of ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK, it will usually be the one that is too gushing with praise!

The gist of Smash Hits during its imperial phase that coincided with Neil Tennant’s tenure as Assistant Editor was it was a magazine which treated “pop” as the most “important” thing in the world while simultaneously highlighting how “ridiculous” it was too, with references to “the dumper”, “summer colds” and the “tongue sarnie”… often dismissed as a “teen mag”, a good number of teenagers could see through the up-itself pretentions of the NME so relished the more amusing and knowing “scribblings” of the Smash Hits team!

The wider public forgets that it might likely have the benefit of 4 decades of hindsight as well as weekly if not daily plays of a record in the first few years of its possession. While it has always been associated with “free speech”, “opinion” or “freedom of expression”, one of the problems with social media is the narcissistic self-seeking of validation as part of the main character syndrome that afflicts many in this modern world…

With tours in 2026 for KRAFTWERK, OMD, PET SHOP BOYS, CHINA CRISIS, HEAVEN 17, THOMPSON TWINS’ Tom Bailey, BLANCMANGE and Midge Ure among many, there is certainly plenty to keep people busy. Just don’t think everyone else will necessarily share in your passion; as time goes on, there will be a lot more of those who won’t have a clue what you are going on about…

U2 once asked “how long must we sing this song?”; so to end a divisive year where evil men with racist views have been casually normalised, the message outlined in 1981 by a trio of philosophers from South Yorkshire must continue to be repeated loud and clear: WE DON’T NEED THIS FASCIST GROOVE THANG! #FuckFarage #FuckReformUK #FuckTommyRobinson #FuckFlagshaggers #FuckTrump

A Time Called Then: ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s Oh 2025 Playlist is at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1xXptdmcHAvXnXni6hjVnA

Text by Chi Ming Lai
14th December 2025

KALIPO Interview

17 September 2025 /

Jakob Häglsperger is one very busy man…

In 2025, the Berlin-based musician and producer has not only released an album ‘Girls Gang’ as part of DINA SUMMER but there has also been a record ‘Tyrannosaurus Rave’ with his elektropunk outfit FRITTENBUDE which he founded in 2006. And now comes his fifth long player ‘Alles’ under his frozen dessert inspired solo moniker KALIPO.

With driving electronic beats and stirring melodies, ‘Alles’ is just as the title suggests, a melting pot of punk, goth, psychedelia, dark disco, synthpop, electroclash and Italo styles that point to all his work over the last 20 years via his three musical outlets.

This is an energetic rhythmic album with a disco punk spirit that is swathed in melody which despite some of the heavy sonic resonances also point towards light to show the way out. If you like deep electronic basslines, sparkling synth sequences and big beats, it is all here. ‘Alles’ tells of departures and new beginnings, alongside inner conflict, depression, desire and love.

Jakob Häglsperger spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about his musical ethos, juggling the thoughts in his creative brain while straddling the seemingly incongruous but ultimately compatible notions of club and indie on ‘Alles’.

From a concept and approach point of view, in what ways does ‘Alles’ differ from your previous KALIPO record ‘WUT’ for you?

‘WUT’ was more of a transitional EP, paving the way for what became ‘Alles’; a track like ‘Seeking Angels’ for example, could easily have landed on the new album. The bigger contrast is with my previous full-length ‘Happy Little Accidents’, which was conceived as something warm and immersive, almost like a refuge. With ‘Alles’, I wanted to live things out more fully, to fuse melodic depth and emotional warmth with a harder edge in the beats, even a certain laid-back coolness or emotional coldness. It sounds almost impossible, but that tension, finding something warm within the cold, is what defines my sound.

You wear many hats, how do you decide it is time for FRITTENBUDE, DINA SUMMER or KALIPO?

It depends. Sometimes things happen almost simultaneously. This year, all three projects released new work. Usually though, they balance each other out. When I run dry on ideas in one, I can throw myself into another and find new inspiration. The projects feed off each other, which keeps me constantly inspired.

You have described ‘Alles’ as “genre-fluid” and “indulgent”, what particular influences did you put in the pot? Was there any new direction that you particularly wanted to pursue?

I hear many genres in it. I often describe it as “psychedelic disco punk”, but there are also traces of electroclash, EBM, goth and indie. More than anything though, it reflects myself, how music shaped me and how I’ve forged my own handwriting through it. On this album, you can hear more of FRITTENBUDE and DINA SUMMER bleeding through, though that wasn’t intentional. My real aim was to return to a rawer, more direct sound that shaped me early on, and to reimagine it with today’s knowledge.

In terms of production set-up, what are your preferred tools to work with?

It varies. Most ideas start at home on my laptop. I’ll sketch the MIDI notes and save them. Later in the studio, I’ll hunt for the right textures with analog synths. I love working with the Moog One, Voyager, Prophet 6, or MS20. I also enjoy pushing things out of the box with re-amping or distortion to make the sound feel more alive.

What is it about Berlin that continues to be the ideal location for creatives of all types?

The network, for sure, the fact that everyone I work with is close by. But also the cultural scene; before writing this album, I deliberately went back to clubs as a guest, just to re-experience what it feels like to be on the dancefloor. That definitely inspired my own shows and edits. Berlin remains an inexhaustible city, even after all these years, I keep discovering new things.

‘Alles’ starts with the doomy goth disco title song, what about it made you decide this should be the album’s opening salvo?

Because it contains almost everything the album has to offer, like a teaser. It starts out dark and restrained, then drops into this emotional break that still catches me every time. For me, it was the perfect way to open the record.

What makes you decide to sing in German or English?

It depends on how the song arrives. ‘Geister’ or ‘All Things Must Come to an End’ both started with specific phrases that couldn’t really be translated without losing their essence. ‘Geister’ felt too personal not to sing in my mother tongue, while ‘All Things Must Come to an End’ came naturally in English. Writing in English makes sense for a wider audience, but sometimes it just doesn’t fit.

The dreamy ‘L’Hiver Éternel’ though is in French but not sung by you?

It is my voice. I wanted a female timbre, so I used AI to transform my vocals.

Is ‘All Things Must Come to an End’ a personal or wider existential statement?

The phrase came to me after playing at the closing parties of Mensch Meier and Watergate in quick succession. At the same time, my personal life was shifting, which brought a wave of melancholy. But I didn’t want it to feel resigned, so in the verses I focused on frustrations that will also eventually end. That gave the whole thing a bittersweet optimism. It was also important that the instrumental wasn’t too melodramatic but carried a certain lightness.

‘Sparkling Tears’ takes a harder approach to the dancefloor but it maintains a hypnotic groove and features your characteristic low end percussive hits, how has your rhythmic approach developed over the years?

I’ve always been more of a melody-first, songwriting-driven producer. That’s why my “field trips” to Berlin clubs were important, to remind myself that on the dancefloor, sometimes a single note and the right groove are enough. With ‘Sparkling Tears’, I wanted to capture that raw live energy. It’s become one of the highlights of my sets.

Similarly, there’s a real throb and thrust to ‘Deine Worte’ while there appears some anger in your vocal delivery too?

Not really. The shouting style might come across as angry, but that wasn’t my intention. Still, I understand why it feels that way. The instrumental is dark and energetic, with techno influences that place it firmly in the dark disco realm.

‘Vantablack’ features Nina Nails, how did the collaboration come about?

Nina is my partner. She’d already helped me with vocals on the ‘Hildegard Kalipo Edit’ for FRITTENBUDE; ‘Vantablack’ was a track I struggled to finish, but she loved it. So I asked her to contribute vocals again and in the end, she saved the track.

With its dark post-punk influences, ‘Any Compromises’ appears to be a narrative on the world political climate?

That’s the beauty of lyrics. They allow multiple interpretations. I actually wrote it as a love song, about two people who know exactly what they want and throw themselves into it without compromise, overcoming everything together.

Which are your own favourite tracks on the ‘Alles’ album that might not have been mentioned yet?

‘Crimson Rain’ deserves a mention. It’s very lyric-driven, about being drawn to long nights of excess while also feeling their toll. It touches on depression too, but in vivid, metaphorical imagery, carried by an 80s-inspired beat and vocal. After finishing it, I realized the melody echoed an iconic 80s song that must be deeply rooted in me. I debated whether to keep it, but ultimately found it exciting to leave such references in, as if I reinvented them for myself.

What is next for you and in which guise?

First, I’ll head out on a short KALIPO tour. After that, there will be more from FRITTENBUDE and DINA SUMMER.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its grateful thanks to Jakob Häglsperger

Special thanks to Carina Cheung at Eclectica

‘Alles’ is released by Iptamenos Discos on 19th September 2025 in white vinyl LP and digital formats, buy and pre-save link at https://bfan.link/kalipo-alles

KALPPO 2025 tour dates:

Katowice Sixa (4 October), Cologne Yuca (17 October), Vienna Flucc Deck (23 October), Prague Café V Lese (24 October), Zürich Exil (25 October), Munich Live Evil (26 October), Hamburg Turmzimmer (31 October), Lübeck Treibsand (28 November)

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Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Bastian Bochinski
17th September 2025

DINA SUMMER Girls Gang

23 January 2025 /

A Berlin union between LOCAL SUICIDE, the Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi with Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, better known by his stage moniker KALIPO, DINA SUMMER follow up 2024’s ‘Hide & Seek’ EP with a new album ‘Girls Gang’ to welcome in 2025.

‘Hide & Seek’ was a fine blend of new wave, synthpop, dark disco, techno and Italo with a cutting Mittel Europa edge and ‘Girls Gang’ is a natural progression, playing on its darker but still club friendly aesthetics compared with the Italo flavoured debut album ‘Rimini’ from 2022.

Setting the scene, the ‘Girls Gang’ title song adopts the hypnotic pulse of BOY HARSHER in a seductive celebration of “girls in black”, of dancing to BAUHAUS and DEAD CAN DANCE in a dedication to female icons such as Morticia, Wednesday, Vampira, Elvira and Siouxsie. A German phrase meaning “sound and smoke”, the equally uptempo ‘Schall & Rauch’ plays with female and male vocals in the second half for some haunted post-punk disco.

Much more intense, the sonic cathedral of ‘Nothing To Hide’ paces down with textural guitar interventions sitting alongside synthetic choirs and a rattling percussive backdrop. Upping the momentum and embracing the outsider, ‘Alien’ throbs gloriously in a manner calling Miss Kittin & The Hacker as DINA SUMMER make demands to “take me to your leader” as “we are aliens!”

Named after the popular holidaying destination in Northern Greece known for its sandy beaches, the comparatively lighter ‘Halkidiki’ is an infectious electronic club tune made for sultry summery nights and shines with bliss before the darker climes that come with ‘Promise Me’; this sees Berlin-based New Yorker Luca Venezia of CURSES guest with his anguished lead accompanied by Joshua Murphy’s six string for a burst of melodic goth rock embroiled in longing.

The gothic theme continues on ‘Hypnotized’ which musically borrows from BAUHAUS and THE CURE as stabbing synths offset the doom-laden bass guitar while ‘Zombie’ continues on a not too dissimilar footing fully in keeping the song’s theme.

‘Disco Goth’ gets back to clubland as frantic throbbing electronics with commentary on how to get that look while the tense ‘FOMO’ continues the action under strobe lights and plays on that “fear of missing out”. The closer ‘No More Tears’ falls under the spell of THE SISTERS OF MERCY and goes for the full Doktor Avalanche blow out although the bursts of synth are the dead giveaway that this is not actually Andrew Eldritch and Co.

Despite its title, ‘Girls Gang’ does actually feature more male vocals than its predecessors while there also are more of the guitar-driven elements associated with goth creeping in which is quite timely given the recorded return of THE CURE. In much as the same was as NEW ORDER have done in the past, the album manages to straddle the worlds of electronic disco and alternative rock. As with acts like DIE SEXUAL, despite the apparent darkness, there’s an energetic thrill that comes from the decadent dance and the willingness to be one of the gang.

‘Girls Gang’ is released by Iptamenos Discos on 24 January 2025 as a vinyl LP, vinyl LP with bonus 12” with remixes, CD and download, available from https://dinasummer.bandcamp.com/album/girls-gang-idi021

DINA SUMMER 2025 Live Dates include:

Berlin Rough Trade (27 January), Berlin Lido (13 March), Zürich KAUZ (14 March), Mainz Schon Schön (20 March), Munich Rote Sonne (22 March), Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli (27 March), Leipzig Conne Island (29 March), Wroclaw Transformator (5 April)

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Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Katja Ruge
23rd January 2025

DINA SUMMER Interview

13 March 2024 /

Photo by Petra Ruehle

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook, well it’s alive and well in Berlin in the form of the recent ‘Hide & Seek’ EP from DINA SUMMER.

A collaborative project comprising of LOCAL SUICIDE, the Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi and KALIPO, the moniker of Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, DINA SUMMER opened their account with the excellent single pairing of ‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ in 2021. The Italo flavoured debut album ‘Rimini’ followed a year after.

Before they departed on their next set of travels, DINA SUMMER spoke collectively to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about their past, present and future…

You produce music in your own right as LOCAL SUICIDE and KALIPO, so how did the idea of working together come about?

We’ve been friends for years before starting collaborating. But the idea of a collaboration started when Jakob (KALIPO) and Dina and Max (LOCAL SUICIDE) were all playing at the same festival. While hanging out at the backstage, Jakob floated the idea of Dina contributing vocals to some of his edgier darker tracks. A few weeks later Dina and Max popped over to Jakob’s studio to lay down some vocals, and things just clicked from there. The creative energy sparked instantly, and before we knew it, ideas were flowing freely, blurring the lines between our individual projects. The musical and personal chemistry was undeniable, and from that moment on, the idea of creating a new live project took root and flourished.

Photo by Alex Gotter

What is the creative chemistry in DINA SUMMER, do you have designated roles?

Our creative process flows with flexibility. While we embrace a collaborative approach without strict roles, each member contributes their unique strengths. Jakob’s background as a sound engineer, a live performer and multi-instrumentalist, cultivated through his involvement with German band FRITTENBUDE and his solo project KALIPO, enhances our sonic landscape. Max and Dina, in addition to their production roles, are experienced DJs too, ensuring our tracks translate seamlessly to the dancefloor. Max’s extensive experience in label management brings valuable industry insight to our projects. Meanwhile, Dina leads lyric writing and takes care of our social media also lending a hand with PR efforts.

‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ was an excellent first single pairing, were these tracks built up from scratch or ideas originally for LOCAL SUICIDE or KALIPO?

Both tracks were actually created after we had finished producing our debut album. However, we made the decision to release them as our first EP under the name DINA SUMMER to introduce our new project. Our goal was to craft a fresh and distinctive sound by blending elements from our individual projects while venturing into new sonic landscapes.

What do you get from a satisfaction point of view in DINA SUMMER that might not occur otherwise?

DINA SUMMER is our playground for experimenting with diverse styles and pushing creative boundaries. It’s a collaboration that provides a unique sonic space, allowing us to explore new territories and find satisfaction in merging our individual approaches. Currently, we’re in the studio producing a variety of tracks, from dark wave and synthpop to electronic tunes made for the dancefloor.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

How do you look back on the making of the ‘Rimini’ album? Was the sunny Italian flavour intentional from the start?

Looking back on the making of the ‘Rimini’ album, it was a thrilling adventure. From the outset, we intentionally infused it with the sunny Italian flavor, aiming to encapsulate the vibrant and energetic atmosphere of the region. Our shared love for Italy and its music, especially Italo disco, served as a driving force, motivating us to pay homage to its essence. Given Rimini’s significance as a hub for Italo disco enthusiasts, it felt natural to center our album around it.

With ‘Rimini’ you released not one but two remix albums… are remixes a strategy due to modern streaming algorithms or is it something you wholeheartedly embrace… but can it be too much on occasions?

After releasing ‘Rimini,’ we realized that some tracks weren’t exactly geared for the dancefloor, but held serious potential. Thus, we cooked up a ‘Versioni Discoteca’, or Club Versions album, featuring our own club edits of selected tracks. Additionally, we already had some killer remixes for a few singles released upfront, and we loved them so much that we sought out a few more, aiming for a diverse sound. It’s always intriguing to witness other artists’ reinterpretations of your music. Furthermore, we were eager to involve some Italo legends and were delighted to receive remixes by Alexander Robotnick and Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi.

Around the time of ‘Rimini’ although not featuring on the album, you covered THE FLIRTS’ Bobby O produced disco classic ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s EBM favourite ‘Headhunter’ as free downloads, what was the thinking behind this as they are at quite opposite ends of the electronic dance spectrum?

We chose to cover tracks like THE FLIRTS’ ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s ‘Headhunter’ because they’re both songs we absolutely adore and we wanted to give them a dance floor makeover. Jakob suggested ‘Passion’, while ‘Headhunter’ was Dina’s idea, but we all agreed instantly that we should give them a shot. It was a fun way to pay homage to influential tunes from different corners of the electronic dance scene while showcasing our versatility and passion for diverse musical styles… and with fewer purists around these days and the current wave of Italo Body Music blending EBM, Italo, and new beat vibes, it felt like the perfect time to explore these classics and put our own spin on them.

Photo by Alex Gotter

Do you have any favourite go-to synths for your productions?

Our go-to synths for our productions often include the Moog One, Korg MS20, Sequential Prophet 6, and Moog Voyager, which you can hear in nearly all of our songs.

On the ‘Hide & Seek’ EP, the title song comes in two different versions, had it been a challenge to realise your visions, was there any creative tensions as to where to take it?

Originally, we crafted the original version of the title track for the ‘Hide & Seek’ EP. But with its faster synth-pop vibe, we realized it might not seamlessly fit into our solo live and DJ sets, as well as those of other DJs. So, we decided to create a club version to give it an electronic twist, making it more dancefloor-friendly for a wider audience. This allowed us to tailor the song to fit the needs of club DJ sets while preserving its energy.

As can be heard on ‘Unter Strom’ and other tracks, drums fills are a characteristic of the DINA SUMMER sound which is quite unusual in club music, how did this enter the party?

Since we’ve used drum fills in our solo productions, it just made sense to bring them into the DINA SUMMER sound too. We love how they add a unique twist to our music and have always been about breaking away from the usual club music norms by throwing in some dynamic and unexpected elements.

Anglo-German vocals are another constituent to DINA SUMMER, do you view the voice as just another sound texture or is the lyrical content important as well?

While the voice certainly contributes as another sound texture, we also value the importance of lyrical content. Our lyrics can range from humorous, as seen in tracks like ‘Zig Zag’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ to empowering in songs like ‘Who Am I’, ‘Dominator’, ‘All or Nothing’ and ‘Echoes of the Past’. We also delve into fictional storytelling, as seen in ‘Revenge’, which tells a horror sci-fi tale or we explore specific characters, such as the story of Rimini’s Romeo La Zanza Maurizio in the track ‘Rimini’. Our lyrics typically revolve around topics that we find interesting, important or amusing.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

‘All Or Nothing’ is very energetic and stark at the same time, but doesn’t use hi-hats in its rhythm, how did you arrive at this feel?

This distinctive feel is achieved through a combination of elements: a 16th arpeggio Moog bassline, infectious vocals, and numerous breaks featuring screaming opening filters and a deep sub bass.

‘Excess’ does what it says on the tin and is quite sweaty and sexually charged, is the viewpoint expressed autobiographical or observational?

We were captivated by the tales and visual material of Studio 54, prompting us to create a track that embodies the spirit of this legendary club. Renowned for its hedonistic vibe and lavish gatherings, Studio 54 inspired the birth of ‘Excess’. This track dives deep into the sweaty, sexually charged atmosphere synonymous with the club culture of that era, evoking feelings of unrestrained indulgence and opulence.

The Berlin music scene appears to have a lot of camaraderie, which artists have impressed you recently who are based in or around the city?

In the vibrant Berlin music scene, camaraderie runs deep, and we’re constantly inspired by the talents surrounding us. One artist who stands out for us right now is CURSES; his production prowess, DJ sets, and guest vocals truly resonate with us. So we’re very happy to have a guest appearance by him on our next album too. We also love the work of SKELESYS, FRANZ SCALA, ITALO BRUTALO, MODERNA, RADONDO, NEU-ROMANCER, ZANIAS, KRIS BAHA, and PHASE FATALE, some of whom we’ve also had the pleasure of collaborating with. On the DJ front, we’re particularly drawn to the sounds of Paty Vapor, Caillou, Ludmila Houben, Melanie Havens and Philip Strobel.

Will there be another DINA SUMMER album, does the long playing format have a place in this modern world of music consumption or is another EP more likely?

We are currently working on our album, although we’re not certain when it will be completed. It’s possible that we may release an EP before the album. However, rest assured, a DINA SUMMER album is on the horizon, and we anticipate it will be released either by the end of this year or the beginning of the next.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

What is next for you as DINA SUMMER but also individually?

Right now, we’re deeply focused on crafting our second album as DINA SUMMER, while also preparing for upcoming gigs in Switzerland and Sicily. Furthermore, we’re excited to announce our confirmed appearances at several festivals in Germany and France for the summer season with more to be announced soon.

KALIPO has some exciting releases in the works, starting with an EP set to drop on Ki Records, along with a series of performances at various venues and festivals.

Meanwhile, LOCAL SUICIDE have an impressive line-up of releases coming up. This includes a collaboration with PANKO on U’re Guay Records, an EP with VELAX featuring remixes by Arnaud Rebotini and Andre VII for Record Store Day on Iptamenos Discos, and another EP with SKELESYS later in the year again on Iptamenos. Additionally, they’ve been hard at work on several remixes scheduled for release in the coming months. While their DJ schedule is packed for the next few months, they’re also planning to take some time off this summer in Greece, Dina’s homeland, to recharge their batteries.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to DINA SUMMER

Additional thanks to Mirren Thomson at Eclectica

‘Hide & Seek’ is released by Iptamenos Discos, available as a 12” EP or download via https://iptamenosdiscos.com/dina-summer-hide-seek-idi018/

https://dinasummer.berlin/

https://www.facebook.com/dinasummermusic

https://www.instagram.com/dinasummermusic

https://soundcloud.com/dinasummer

https://dinasummer.bandcamp.com

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0s4dIi02iAv3SiJfBrNhHo

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
13 March 2024

DINA SUMMER Hide & Seek EP

21 February 2024 /

A product of Berlin, DINA SUMMER is the collaborative project comprising of Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi aka LOCAL SUICIDE and Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, better known by his frozen dessert flavoured alias of KALIPO.

Blending new wave, synthpop, dark disco and techno, DINA SUMMER opened their account with the excellent single pairing of ‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’. Their new EP ‘Hide & Seek’ embraces synth with a cutting Mittel Europa edge following their more Italo flavoured 2022 long player ‘Rimini’. But around this time, although not featuring on the album, they covered THE FLIRTS’ Booby O produced disco classic ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s EBM favourite ‘Headhunter’ as free downloads to show how across the spectrum their musical tastes lay.

With an epic gothic intro, “the clock is ticking” with live sounding drum fills and frenetic blips as ‘Unter Strom’ comes shaped with stabbing synth interventions and a feminine Anglo-Germanic vocal presence for an ecstatic opening. The uptempo rhythmic thrust of ‘Hide & Seek’ offers tension and excitement using real bass guitar and a much more snarly vocal delivery in amongst all the throbbing electronics although its sparkles in a manner that puts all the synthwavers to shame with its elicit spirit. Meanwhile its ‘Club Edit’ matts the shine and takes things deeper and darker at a more steadfast past, drawing sonic parallels to another Berlin-based act NNHMN.

Photo by Petra Ruehle

Even faster but interestingly sans hi-hats is ‘All Or Nothing’; using a high energy formula with deep synthetic choirs and pitch swoops for the required burst of gloom, it is punctuated by feisty and assertive spoken words declaring “I won’t be caged”. Then with the minimal structure of a solid propulsive beat and spacious layers of electronics before a big bang of hypnotically repeating basslines, ‘Excess’ is sexy and sweaty with talk of “high leather boots”, its nonchalant narration providing an alluring incentive to dance and be corrupted.

This is an excellent EP that combines light and shade in a manner that is perfect for the dancefloor or a home soundbar. If you’ve ever wondered what happened to good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook, well it’s alive and well, and it’s right here…

‘Hide & Seek’ is released by Iptamenos Discos on 23 February 2024, available as a 12” vinyl EP or download via https://iptamenosdiscos.com/dina-summer-hide-seek-idi018/

https://dinasummer.berlin/

https://www.facebook.com/dinasummermusic/

https://www.instagram.com/dinasummermusic/

https://soundcloud.com/dinasummer

https://dinasummer.bandcamp.com

Text by Chi Ming Lai
21st February 2024

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