Tag: Richard X (Page 3 of 4)

NINA Sleepwalking

16 March 2018 /

‘Sleepwalking’ is the long-awaited debut album from the classically trained German songstress NINA.

With a musical palette shaped by a love of QUEEN, DEPECHE MODE, DAVID BOWIE, ALPHAVILLE, KRAFTWERK, NENA, CHROMATICS and LADYHAWKE, it contains some of her most personal work yet; “I think it’s important to keep your work personal and evolve as an artist” she told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK.

Since her second single ‘We Are The Wild Ones’ in 2013, Berlin-born songstress NINA has grown in profile and stature. Support slots with ERASURE and DE/VISION followed in 2014 but it was her third single ‘My Mistake’ that became her breakthrough song. Beginning the long player, nocturnal warmth exudes from ‘Beyond Memory’, demonstrating how NINA’s own brand of pulsating electronic pop acts as a bridge between synthwave and synthpop.

With her vocals deliciously slicing the moonlit atmosphere with a superbly breathy chorus, ‘Beyond Memory’ is about past relationships. A close relative of the Mercedes-Benz endorsing ‘My Mistake’, ‘Beyond Memory’ more than makes up for its absence on the album.

Meanwhile, ‘Born To Live’ is embroiled in confidence with a soaring chorus recalling AVEC SANS, sweetened with a highly alluring almost spoken middle eight à la KID MOXIE, while the synth line recalls the rather obscure ‘There Goes the Cure’ by ONE DOVE.

Full of arpeggiators and pulsating synths, ‘Sleepwalking’ is a vibrant number that paces the mood to a gallop, with a delightful keyboard cascade finish. Bubbling electronics over a sparse intro lead into the nocturnal synth AOR of ‘It Kills Me’. With piano also entering the fray, it’s not unlike Toronto’s very own electronic pop combo PARALLELS.

The previously issued B-side ‘Purple Sun’ does what it says on the tin, is it a love letter to PRINCE or something else entirely? The layers of backing vocals might provide a clue…

The drive-friendly ‘Empire Of Love’ lifts the tempo again with a glorious whirring ULTRAVOX-styled synth solo to buoy up proceedings, but at the opposite end of the album’s colourful spectrum, ‘Diamonds In The Rough’ is a perfect Brat Pack movie ballad, while also emulating some of the best in Scandinavian pop overtures and allowing NINA’s soprano to shine. And although “everybody’s here, they’re having fun”, a forlorn NINA reflects on not fitting in… cut from a similar cloth, the cinematic Nordic pop of One Of Us’ is heartfelt, Fraulein Boldt’s musical catharsis about school bullying.

And when she is ‘Counting Stars’, the song utilises vintage synth sounds to the max, both rich and retro-futuristic with “a mission on our own” like classic PET SHOP BOYS. ‘Your Truth’ is more compelling neon-lit synth AOR, with another rousing chorus and some guitar inflections combining with those vintage love theme Emulator voices as she confirms “I’ll be there for you”.

For a fabulously optimistic conclusion to the album, ‘80s Girl’ comes beaming over like the missing theme song from the film ‘Mannequin’. With big Simmons drums, sampled orchestra stabs and driving synthbass triplets, it is however delivered with subtlety and restraint so that it doesn’t turn into a HEART or STARSHIP pastiche.

Dedicated to her mother, it’s great song that sums up the best in NINA. And in a telling message to everyone, she declares “don’t let the past hold you back”. Yes, it all does sound like a John Hughes film soundtrack but that’s not a bad thing.

A highly enjoyable musical journey that’s strong on melody, Richard X, Oscillian and Sunglasses Kid have each done a very good job working with NINA to produce a cohesive body of work.

A positive album for outsiders and individuals, NINA is a songstress who speaks for the lonely and disenchanted without going all Emo. It’s been many years in the making, but NINA’s ‘Sleepwalking’ has been well worth the wait.

Special thanks to Laura Fares at Aztec Records

‘Sleepwalking’ is released by Aztec Records, available as a download from https://ninasounduk.bandcamp.com/album/sleepwalking-album

https://www.iloveninamusic.com/

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Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Joakim Reimer
16th March 2018

NINA Interview

5 March 2018 /

In modern electronic music terms, London-based Berliner NINA is the crucial link between synthpop and synthwave.

With a musical palette shaped by a love of QUEEN, DEPECHE MODE, DAVID BOWIE, ALPHAVILLE, KRAFTWERK, NENA, CHROMATICS and LADYHAWKE, she released her first single ‘Take Me Away’ in September 2011 on Aztec Records.

After a second single ‘We Are The Wild Ones’, NINA achieved her breakthrough with ‘My Mistake’ in 2014; the song was picked up by Mercedes-Benz the following year for a worldwide TV and radio advertisement campaign. Meanwhile, opening slots on tours for acts like DE/VISION and ERASURE gained her further momentum.

After a long gestation period, with the singles ‘Beyond Memory’ and ‘One Of Us’ acting as tantalising teasers, NINA’s debut long player ‘Sleepwalking’ is finally about to be unleashed. Trailed by the album’s title track, it is a wonderfully moonlit pop number with a Eurocentric sensibility that will also act as perfect to soundtrack a West Coast night drive.

NINA kindly spoke about the making of her ‘Sleepwalking’ album and how she has applied various life experiences into her evolving artistic expression.

Your debut album has been a long journey, but you’re there at last…

I know it’s been a long time coming but I’m a perfectionist and I didn’t want to release something that was only halfway there. The whole songwriting / recording process takes time. And Oscillian, who is our main producer, is based in Sweden, so it does slow things down a little. But we’re all very proud of the finished product.

Previously released songs ‘Beyond Memory’, ‘One Of Us’ and ‘Counting Stars’ are on the album while ‘My Mistake’ and ‘We Are The Wild Ones’ are not; was it a difficult process to decide which of the older songs to include to provide a familiarity point for those who are curious, while keeping it fresh for your loyal following which you’ve gained over the years?

Absolutely, some tracks are quite old now and I feel like I’ve matured and moved on since then. Those singles are still available in digital stores worldwide. But our team has changed, so we tried to focus on the newer tracks we wrote, which fans love just as much.

It’s a very melodic album, both vocally and instrumentally…

Yes, it’s all about the melodies for me. We like strong harmonies for most sections of the songs. Lots of dynamics, and interesting arrangements too, and it needs to be something you can sing along to and remember. I guess this is where my love for pop comes into the equation!

The album features four different producers but you’ve managed to get a continuity running throughout…

We were very adamant about the sounds and the vibe we wanted for this album. It had to all sound coherent and I’m glad we achieved that. All producers involved have that strong 80s synth influence that I was after.

How would you describe each of the creative dynamics when working with Oscillian, Richard X and Sunglasses Kid?

For this album, we mainly worked with Oscillian. He’s based in Sweden, so he flew to London and I went to Sweden to record vocals over the years, but a lot of it was done over the distance, on long skype calls! It’s a very organic process with him, and we inspire each other a lot. We’re already working on my second album.

Richard X is a legend and really understands how to make a great song, he’s had so many commercial worldwide hits, and the quality of his production is world-class.

Sunglasses Kid used to be my neighbour in North London and we’re both signed to the same label / publisher, so we met a few times. We also tend to play a lot of the same synthwave festivals. A collaboration seemed like the natural thing to do! Two great songs came out of that, ‘Beyond Memory’ and ‘80’s Girl’.

The atmosphere is very filmic, how much have you been influenced by film soundtracks, in particular by say Giorgio Moroder and Vangelis?

Yes, I think that’s because of the dynamics in my songs. In some way I think both Moroder and Vangelis influenced my music, as they were pioneers in this genre. We’re looking at releasing the album instrumentals as a deluxe digital version, as a lot of fans have been asking for them.

Did you have any particular go to synths to get the colours and textures you desired for this?

Oscillian mainly used soft synths like the Oberheim OB-X and Korg PolySix for the album. And I used my Roland Gaia.

I’m also a big fan of detuned analogue synth sounds, so we included some of those sounds too.

You’ve described the album as being more personal than your past work?

It certainly is. ‘One Of Us’ is about me being bullied in High school, ‘80s Girl’ is about my mum and her struggle of being a single mum in Berlin in the 80s and ‘Beyond Memory’ is about one of my past relationships and how I got my heart broken. I think it’s important to keep your work personal and evolve as an artist. I do love writing narratives too but it always comes back to something I can relate and connect to.

The ‘Sleepwalking’ title track is vibrantly neon lit but there’s real emotion in there.

Yes, the beat is pretty uplifting but when we wrote the lyrics, we were thinking about how we subconsciously become protectors of the ones we love and care about, almost as if we were a hunter in a trance, or sleepwalking. It also talks about how people can dramatically change throughout a relationship.

The serene ballad ‘Diamonds In The Rough’ is very heartfelt, that could have come from a Brat Pack movie, in fact you can visualise Rob Lowe and Demi Moore 😉

It’s my favourite track of the album. A very good friend of mine wrote most of the lyrics. It’s about falling in love for the first time. I actually played this track at my mum’s wedding in Las Vegas a couple of years ago. Those were a very emotional few days, as we’re very close and this song represents the true essence of happiness you can find with someone.

Which were your favourite Brat Pack movies and was there a particular actor or actress you could relate to the most?

My favourites are ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Mannequin’. I’m a huge Andrew McCarthy fan. I can mostly relate to Molly Ringwald in ‘Sixteen Candles’. I get all shy and awkward when I like someone. That movie is hilarious.

What’s next for you?

I have a few shows lined up this year to promote the album, which I’m very excited about. We’ve also started to work on my second album, which we’re hoping to release early next year. I won’t take 5 years this time! Promise 🙂

ELECTRICITY CLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to NINA

Special thanks to Laura Fares at Aztec Records

‘Sleepwalking’ is released by Aztec Records on 16th March 2018, pre-order the CD or pink vinyl LP from http://www.ninasounduk.com/store/

NINA plays Zigfrid von Underbelly in London with PARALLELS on SATURDAY 31ST MARCH 2018, tickets available from https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parallels-nina-live-dj-sets-by-futurecop-she-ra-tickets-42901658014

She also appears at Retro Future Fest II on SATURDAY 28TH JULY 2018 at 229 in London alongside VINCENZO SALVIA, VHS DREAMS, WAVESHAPER, PLAYER ONE, THE DEPARTMENT and many more, tickets available from http://www.wegottickets.com/f/11337

https://www.iloveninamusic.com/

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Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Katie Knight-Adams
5th March 2018

SAY LOU LOU Lucid Dreaming

7 April 2015 /

After first getting international acclaim in 2012 for their second single ‘Julian’, highly photogenic Scandipodean twins SAY LOU LOU have finally released their debut album ‘Lucid Dreaming’.

Elektra and Miranda Kilbey were shortlisted in the BBC Sound of 2014, but the album has undergone all sorts of delays.

The question is after all that time and with contributions from noted pop scribes Richard X, Hannah Robinson and Liam Howe, have SAY LOU LOU been able to deliver on their brand of shimmering  escapism?

‘Lucid Dreaming’ is largely a brooding midtempo affair. That may not appeal to all, but with modern pop being either full-on EDM blow-outs or tedious wailing piano ballads these days, this approach could be seen as refreshing. SAY LOU LOU have been labelled a female HURTS having supported them during their 2013 European tour. But like HURTS, their music could do with a kick occasionally but with numbers such as the opener ‘Everything We Touch’, they are driven by a togetherness that can only come from two siblings.

The wonderful ‘Glitter’ ups the ante a little with a great synth melody and disco rhythms not unlike THE GOLDEN FILTER. But ‘Games For Girls’, the twin’s collaboration with dance producer LINDSTRØM sticks out like a sore thumb, as fun as it is, with Elektra and Miranda hitting some very high notes. The rousing single not included on the album ‘Better In The Dark’ may have been a more suitable alternative.

‘Julian’ though is possibly still the most outstanding song in their armoury at present. Untouched from the original 2012 version, SAY LOU LOU’s darkness and light duality showcases itself here. “I’ll get us through the checkpoint; I know we’ll be alright!” It is full of tension and intrigue like a Nordic Noir mini-series, compressed into a three minute pop song.

‘Angels (Above Me)’ takes the tempo down while the string laden ‘Peppermint’ takes things down further. Co-written with Hannah Robinson and Liam Howe, ‘Beloved’ is a striking ballad full of warmth with its pretty Yé-Yé girl styled vocals.

The percussive ‘Hard For A Man’ with its rich vocal intonation adds further colours to the palette but one can’t help wanting the template to alter slightly, even if it is only a slight increase in tempo as on ‘Glitter’. Now much had been made in the long build up to this album about Richard X’s involvement, but alas, his presence is only heard on ‘Wilder Than The Wind’, another ballad. Considering the impressive work he did on ERASURE’s ‘The Violet Flame’, this number is disappointing.

Midtempo or not, ‘Nothing But A Heartbeat’ is up there with ‘Julian’ as an album highlight. Dreamy and dynamic, it’s like those semi-sprightly cinematic numbers that HURTS used to do before they turned into SIMPLE MINDS.

The epic closer ‘Skylights’ is basically how MARSHEAUX would sound if Marianthi and Sophie attempted an AOR ballad with weeping keyboards and strings filling the void instead of guitars. The vocals from the Kilbey sisters are top notch, as they are throughout the collection.

Overall, ‘Lucid Dreaming’ does come over like a LANA DEL REY album, but without the swearing. SAY LOU LOU’s moody Nordic Noir Pop will not be for everyone, but there are enough great songs to make this album worthy of investigation

‘Lucid Dreaming’ is released by A Deux / Columbia Records

http://www.sayloulou.com/

http://www.facebook.com/SayLouLoumusic

Text by Chi Ming Lai
7th April 2014

ERASURE The Violet Flame

22 September 2014 /

And here it is! Another digital marvel from Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, celebrating nearly 30 years of songwriting and having sold 25 million albums, the eagerly awaited 16th studio album, ‘The Violet Flame’.

A rather different approach was adopted for preparing this one, which follows the success of 2013 Christmas album ‘Snow Globe’. The collaborative writing process took place in Miami, with Vince’s pre-recorded dance grooves, which Andy Bell found “very inspiring”.

The album was recorded in London and New York and produced by Richard X. Andy Bell himself admits that ERASURE “definitely found (their) mojo again with this record”. The songs were written on synthesisers, rather than, traditionally on the guitar, which made them more immediate and free flowing. ‘The Violet Flame is a bold celebration of vintage ERASURE-sque sounds, filled with tuneful, orotund songs, made up of robust melodies and empowering lyrics.

Photo by Joe Bilworth

The first single ‘Elevation’, which sees no less then nine versions of the track on the CD single format, is a joyous celebration of life and love that only ERASURE can portray in such a hedonistic manner and with such euphoria. From the start, the track hits the listener with amazing amount of energy. Starting with a vocal intro by Andy, it beautifully transcends into a sheer “elevation” of emotions.

As one would expect from the duo, the song does not disappoint as a cheerful dance track, perfect for letting your hair down and doing the campest of dances to some interesting synth combos.

Musically it is a mixture of mainly modern digital sounds, interspersed with analogue gems. All in all, it is a great, representative choice for a single. The video accompanying it, has neither Andy nor Vince in it, but, instead, a happy bunch of free-spirited young people, perfectly painting the mood of this anthem.

The opening track of the album however is ‘Dead Of Night’, which hits the listener with a heavy synth sound and exquisite vocals from Andy that are more ‘Wonderland’ than ‘Tomorrow’s World’; it’s a very different style to the same titled DEPECHE MODE song from 2001’s ‘Exciter’, mixing both digital and analogue sounds.

‘Elevation’ proudly follows, before the vibrant ‘Reason’ with its piano intro over a complicated synth section and Andy’s vocal, creating an exhilarating, full-bodied dance track. The song offers elements of vintage ERASURE sounds intertwined with newer, digitally enhanced melodies. ‘Promises’ is yet another up tempo, rhythmic, and sonorous gem, filled with layered synth sounds, followed by ‘Be The One’, seemingly a ballad at first, yet evolving into a beautiful tune, reminiscent of the tracks from ‘I Say I Say I Say’.

‘Sacred’ is yet another vintage ERASURE tune, true synthpop at its best and this song, too, shares its title with DEPECHE MODE’s ‘Music For The Masses’ track. The soothing melody of ‘Under The Wave’ makes you imagine an intimate, yet epic ocean journey of life, with skilfully written lyrics embedded in electronic sounds.

‘Smoke and Mirrors’ offers a hypnotising opening, creating an atmosphere of suspense continuing throughout a track which is slower than the other songs on the album. Andy Bell’s beloved Eurotrance sound shines through on ‘Paradise’ which has been compared by Brian Mansfield of USA Today to Giorgio Moroder. The album closes with ‘Stayed A Little Late Tonight’, a classic tune depicting a complicated love story over a synth background and simple piano elements.

In spite of lacking powerful gay anthems like ‘Love To Hate You’, ‘The Violet Flame’ is a solid record, providing pleasure to the ear for synthpop and electronica fanatics, as well as any easy listening or dance music fan. The Violet Flame is a must have for any self-respecting synth pop fan, it truly is amazing!

‘The Violet Flame’ is released by Mute Artists on a variety of formats. Please visit http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/erasure for more information

ERASURE’s 2014 European tour includes:

Belfast Ulster Hall (8 Nov), Dublin Olympia (9 Nov), Dublin Olympia (10 Nov), Reading Hexagon (12 Nov), Southampton Guildhall (13 Nov), Reading Hexagon (14 Nov), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (15 Nov), Guildford G Live (16 Nov), Bristol Colston Hall (17 Nov), Aberdeen Music Hall (19 Nov), Edinburgh Corn Exchange (20 Nov), Glasgow O2 Academy (21 Nov), Brighton Dome (23 Nov), Cardiff St. David’s Hall (24 Nov), Preston Guildhall (25 Nov), Newcastle O2 Academy (28 Nov), Wolverhampton Civic (29 Nov), Manchester Apollo (30 Nov), Cologne Palladium (4 Dec), Dresden Schlachthof (5 Dec), Hamburg CCH1 (7 Dec), Berlin Columbiahalle (9 Dec); Aarhus Musikhus (10 Dec), Copenhagen TAP (11 Dec), London Forum (14 Dec), London Forum (15 Dec)

http://www.erasureinfo.com/

https://www.facebook.com/erasureinfo

Text by Monika Izabela Goss
22nd September 2014

Introducing THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS

3 June 2012 /

Hailing from Brooklyn, THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS are Eleanore Everdell and Jason Friedman, a girl-boy duo who combine the electronic and the organic into a sultry new wave fusion.

Following their debut single ‘Dressed In Dresden’ on Pure Groove in 2009, they signed to the ultra-hip Warp Records and released their first EP ‘This Desert’.

Both showcased their sensibility for occasional gothic overtones a la JOY DIVISION and SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES.

Their self-titled debut came in late 2010 and on it, the fantastic opener ‘Young Aren’t Young’, produced by Richard X, was a dreamy Italo disco number layered with the type of chordial guitar that would have made Bernard Sumner proud, although on this live version for KEXP, it is rather cranked up to the max!

Also produced by Richard X, ‘Commotion’ possessed a brilliant dynamic energy which sounded like THE CURE at Studio 54 fronted by THE MOTELS, all very New York while simultaneously London or even Berlin.

Speaking of whom, while she doesn’t belt her voice in the way BERLIN’s Terri Nunn did in the manner of HEART fronting ULTRAVOX, Everdell’s more resigned tone complimented the spikey textures, pulsing sequences and the dance-friendly beats. The first single from the album entitled ‘Pigeons’ was another Richard X production which continued this enigmatic but accessible pop formation.

For their forthcoming new album ‘Red Night’, Everdell and Friedman have handled production themselves. From it, ‘Keep It Low’ is a development of their avant pop style with a steadier groove and heavier loom while ‘Faded’ is quite sparse, shaped by synth drones and dressed with Friedman’s harmonics while Everdell is cocooned in reverb valley.

It appears THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS are venturing into territory once occupied by Warp label mates BROADCAST who were fronted by the late Trish Keenan. The duo themselves have said ‘Red Night’ is centred around “all heartbreak and fear of losing something special”

‘Red Night’ is released through Warp Records on 12th June 2012, while ‘The Desert’ and ‘The Hundred In The Hands’ are still available via the usual outlets.

http://thehundredinthehands.com

https://www.facebook.com/thehundredinthehands

https://twitter.com/TheHundredInThe

https://www.instagram.com/thehundredinthehands/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
3rd June 2012, updated 4th June 2012

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