Tag: Twins Natalia (Page 2 of 2)

Introducing QUIETER THAN SPIDERS

12 March 2014 /

Little is known about the mysterious combo QUIETER THAN SPIDERS, other than they are to have their debut album released by Anna Logue Records, home to the Anglo-German collective TWINS NATALIA, and that VILE ELECTRODES have done a remix of a forthcoming single release.

Further investigation has uncovered that QUIETER THAN SPIDERS appears to be the project of Leon Robinson-Zhang.

Piloting a brand of “Shanghai Synthpop… using home-made electronic sounds played by hand”, the first track unveiled back in 2013 was ‘Shanghai Metro’.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK reader Si Wooldridge remarked “You could put this on the last OMD album and no one would notice it was by QTS…”, but while the obvious melodic elements recall Messrs Humphreys and McCluskey’s recent return to form, the beautiful electronics certainly come with a fresh, dynamic slant on the station announcer sample laden tune.

The dreamscape of ‘Hibakusha’ merges the sounds of FOTONOVELA, SOLVENT and MICHAEL ROTHER while a modern, processed masculine twist is proof that male vocals on electronic songs do not have to be off-key monotone whines and snarls. Another positive that sets QUIETER THAN SPIDERS apart in male fronted electro is that Dave Gahan impersonations, both vocally and physically, are absent.

The simply wonderful ‘The Land Of The Lost Content’ just glides with a glacial beauty that not only is appealing to the ear, but can be danced to as well. ‘No Illusion’ keeps up the standard but has a harsher, robotic tone that is at times, reminiscent of Jyoti Mishra’s WHITETOWN.

QUIETER THAN SPIDERS are a prime example of how to get things right when starting out… compose a body of work, record the songs as well as possible, edit together some accompanying videos and let the music do the talking without spamming Facebook with some grandiose manifesto and poorly designed artwork.

A few bands could learn from this process… how can you be taken seriously if you shout like you are the best thing since sliced bread after just one song and have never played live? Funnily enough, the title ‘The Land Of The Lost Content’ seems to sums things up 😉

With thanks to Marc Schaffer at Anna Logue Records

https://www.facebook.com/QTSpiders

https://soundcloud.com/quieterthanspiders

https://www.facebook.com/annaloguerecords

Text by Chi Ming Lai
12th March 2014, updated 5th August 2015

TWINS NATALIA The Destiny Room

26 February 2014 /

Following the debut single ‘When We Were Young’ b/w ‘Kleiner Satellit’ in 2008, TWINS NATALIA finally release their first album ‘The Destiny Room’.

The Anglo-German ensemble comprises Anna Logue Records supremo Marc Schaffer, graphic designer Steve Lippert, synth wizard Dave Hewson and vocalists Sharon Abbott and Julie Ruler, the latter three from cult combo POEME ELECTRONIQUE. Using vintage synths and “working together in order to create some beautiful, catchy yet melancholic and substantial electropop”, TWINS NATALIA have captured a pristine technostalgic journey through Europe of real life and postcard views.

Touchingly melancholic with classic Weimar Cabaret melodies and vibrant Kling Klang interplay, the soundtrack conjures memories of holiday romances with pretty German Frauleins and flirty French mademoiselles. With classic Roland drum machines, the metronomic structures of TWINS NATALIA’s songs are the backbone to a wonderfully emotive soundtrack of elegance and decadence.

Like with other dual female fronted combos such as PROPAGANDA, LADYTRON and MARSHEAUX, the combination of sweet wispy countenance together with the occasionally half spoken intonation makes things rather appealing. Sharon Abbott’s deeper, Dietrich-like vocals and Julie Ruler’s more ABBA-esque demeanour are complimented further by a two way counterpoint courtesy of Dave Hewson and vocoderizations by Marc Schaffer.

Previewed on ‘The Anna Logue Years 5th Anniversary Compilation’ in 2010, the gorgeously arpegiated opener ‘Destiny’ is beautifully melodic and simply outstanding. Rich, vibrant soloing from Dave Hewson on a Roland Jupiter 6 acts as a wonderful dressing, as it does throughout the album. Second song ‘Into My Arms Again’ features the type of octave pulse familiar to lovers of ‘Rent’ and ‘Blue Savannah’ which will provide a pretty entry point into the classic style of synthpop on display.

‘I Avoid Strangers’ ups the tempo with a frantic HI-NRG romp. Featuring Dave Hewson on lead vocals and lyrics by Steve Lippert, you could be forgiven that this might be the CHVRCHES blokey moment of the album. But Herr Hewson possesses a voice that suits the song perfectly and the end result is not at all out of context. Meanwhile ‘Scary Monster’ and its vocodered robots add a more mechanised outlook to proceedings.

On ‘Don’t Fade Away’, the pace steadies before the glorious ‘Bear Me Up’. This one is not unlike GINA X PERFORMANCE reconstructed with a romantische Eurovisionary chorus… but don’t let that put you off; after all, the Belgian synth pioneers TELEX did Eurovision in their time. The United Europe theme continues with ‘C’est Le Weekend’ and would be what Grace Jones would sound like if she represented Luxembourg. This is what being in the EU is all about… so stick that up your Nigel Farage!

‘My Little Battery Boy’ features some wonderful bouncy highs and electro-metallics coupled with some saucy innuendo; Abbott announces she has been having “so much pleasure, so much joy!”… mais oui! Chugging sequences permeate ‘Freedom In Your Hand’ where another marvellous polyphonic solo run by Hewson adds to the fun before the PET SHOP BOYS styled neo-orchestrated statement of ‘Set Love Free’. It climaxes like a pomped up ‘Rent’ and is a wonderful slice of joie de vivre to end ‘The Destiny Room’.

Now while the debut single is not featured on the vinyl LP, both sides come as welcome bonus tracks on the CD version. The appeal of ‘When We Were Young’ and ‘Kleiner Satellit’ are that they are endearingly familiar yet equally futuristic at the same time. TWINS NATALIA’s fiercer cover of MARSHEAUX’s ‘Radial Emotion’ is also included along with a Special Extended Night Version of ‘I Avoid Strangers’. Overall as a CD package, ‘The Destiny Room’ and its rich textures will satisfy electronic music enthusiasts of a time when people actually played synths and explored the capabilities of their drum machines. It’s been a long time coming but the wait in ‘The Destiny Room’ has been worth it.

‘The Destiny Room’ is released by Anna Logue Records on 1st March 2014. For information, please visit: http://annaloguerecords.blogspot.de/p/releases.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Twins-Natalia/207356979275587

https://soundcloud.com/twins-natalia

Text by Chi Ming Lai
26th February 2014

Introducing TWINS NATALIA

9 August 2012 /

TWINS NATALIA are an Anglo-German collective of creative minds from various artistic fields “working together in order to create some beautiful, catchy yet melancholic and substantial electropop”.

The brainchild of Steve Lippert, they also feature Marc Schaffer, Dave Hewson, Julie Ruler, Sharon Abbott and Marc Schaffer. Incidentally, the latter three are also part of the cult synth act POEME ELECTRONIQUE who released a single ‘The Echoes Fade’ in 1982 which found a champion in the late John Peel.

Speaking about TWINS NATALIA, Dave Hewson told Burning Flame: “it’s a kind of electronic co-operative. Marc sends me a demo of a track – and I then transform this into a finished song with lyrics from Sharon, Sharon sings lead vocals and Julie sings backing, although this is never set in stone.”

In 2008, this ensemble issued a fabulous single ‘When We Were Young’ b/w ‘Kleiner Satellit’. Rich in vintage machinery and deep resigned female vocals with glorious Weimar overtones a la GINA X, the two tracks were weirdly technostalgic but mysteriously futuristic at the same time. Indeed, there were even echoes of TECHNO TWINS’ lost 1982 electro cover of ‘Falling In Love Again’ which was made famous by MARLENE DIETRICH. But then this was not wholly unsurprising as TECHNO TWINS’ instrumentalist and unpictured third member was Dave Hewson!

Composed using drum machines such as the Boss Doctor Rhythm, Roland TR-606 and TR-808 alongside synths like the wonderfully ‘swimmy’ Crumar Performer, Korg MS-20, Korg Poly-61 and Roland SH-2, the metronomic structures of TWINS NATALIA’s songs are the backbone to a strangely humanic sound brimming with neu romance.

Releasing their work on Marc Schaffer’s own Anna Logue Records who issued the lost POEME ELECTRONIQUE material as a collection entitled ‘The Echoes Fade’, TWINS NATALIA’s only other recording so far has been the gorgeously sequenced ‘Destiny’ on ‘The Anna Logue Years – Fifth Anniversary Compilation’ from 2010 which celebrated the label’s back catalogue and included cult acts such as CAMERA OBSCURA (the Minimal Wave duo, NOT the hipster Glaswegians!)

But all that is about to change thanks to a union with Greek synth maidens MARSHEAUX. Marianthi and Sophie declared ‘When We Were Young’ their favourite song of 2008 and have sweetly covered it for a special split ‘AA’ sided 7 inch single.

In reciprocation, TWINS NATALIA have recorded ‘Radial Emotion’ from ‘Lumineux Noir’ in their own inimitable style, adding a more Teutonic demeanour and fiercer euro-rhythmics. Incidentally, another split ‘AA’ release ‘I Avoid Strangers’ on 12 inch is due for release in mid-August with (you’ve guessed it!) POEME ELECTRONIQUE who contribute  ‘I Wouldn’t Change Me For Anyone’.

TWINS NATALIA’s debut album, which provisionally features songs such as ‘C’est La Weekend’, ‘Freedom’, ‘In My Arms Again’ and ‘Scary Monster’, is expected to be completed later in the year. Based on what previews there have been so far, it’s all sounding very good!

TWINS NATALIA / MARSHEAUX ‘Radial Emotion’ / ‘When We Were Young’ is released as a 7 inch vinyl limited edition of 500 copies on 7th June 2012 by Anna Logue/Undo Records. It features a full colour outer sleeve with a printed embossed inner.

http://twinsnatalia.blogspot.de/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Twins-Natalia/207356979275587

http://soundcloud.com/twins-natalia

Meanwhile, POEME ELECTRONIQUE themselves have a new version of ‘She’s An Image’ available at: http://davehewson.bandcamp.com/album/shes-an-image

http://www.poeme-electronique.com/

http://soundcloud.com/davepoemeelectronique

To purchase physical releases from the TWINS NATALIA and POEME ELECTRONIQUE catalogue, please visit: http://annaloguerecords.blogspot.co.uk/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
9th August 2012

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