“Electronic music has a family, a legacy and a future…”: JEAN-MICHEL JARRE

“From all our work comes inspiration. We have been very lucky because the music we envisioned, the ideas we had of The Man-Machine and electro music, have become reality and technology has developed in our direction… and electro is everywhere!”: RALF HÜTTER

“Synthesizers can be explored and explored, and the music that can be made with electronic instruments is infinite in its breadth. KRAFTWERK may have said ‘we are the robots’, but anyone need only listen to Trans-Europe Express and compare it to most of the turgid, boring guitar-based rock that has been produced over the last 30 years to realise that electronic music can be deeply emotional. And anyone who says electronic music is not real music is just too simple-minded for our patience I’m afraid!”: MIRRORS

“It becomes legacy and history when you make a good record; it becomes baggage when you don’t”: DANIEL MILLER

“I don’t like country & western, I don’t like rock music… I don’t like rockabilly! I don’t like much really do I? But what I do like, I love passionately!!”: CHRIS LOWE

“Good taste is exclusive”: NICK RHODES

“Today’s luxuries are tomorrow’s norm”: WALTER GROPIUS

“My problem was that I always thought most things were sh*t”: TREVOR HORN

“These bastards, they steal your synthesizers!”: SYNTHESIZER PATEL

“I insist that I am never credited as a keyboardist on records. A keyboard player is some kind of all-round entertainer, sat at his keyboard using various presets. I insist on synthesizer”: KURT DAHLKE

“The synth is not dead… it’s up to you and me to keep the legacy alive”: JOHAN BAECKSTRÖM

“A lot of people who bang on about the 80s don’t actually know what they’re talking about”: PHILIP OAKEY

“Sooner or later, one has to take sides to remain human”: CLAUDIA BRÜCKEN

Founded on 15th March 2010, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK aims to feature the best in new and classic electronic pop music. It doesn’t promote bands or support scenes, it just writes about the music it likes, and occasionally some music it doesn’t like…

With informed opinion and trivia, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK embraces synthpop, ie pop music that uses synthesizers, while aiming to avoid lazy terms such as analogue, 80s and contemporary. It’s like acid house never happened… AND WE’RE PROUD OF IT!

And if the music featured somehow reflects the roots of the past, then so what? As the highly respected Factory Records biographer and historian James Nice put it: “I have no problem at all with something new being imitative, as long as it’s good”. Indeed, there are no illegal connections.

Those who are unable to tell their tape recorders from their drum machines need not apply…

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s Present Contributing Team

CHI MING LAI

Chi is a keen observer of the electronic pop genre whose work has gained respect and recognition over the last few years. His knowledge of the Synth Britannia era is almost encyclopaedic and he often gets text requests from friends needing help at pub music quizzes! The legends he has interviewed for ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK reads like a ‘Who’s Who?’ of the electronic pop.

As well as writing for a number of music publications, he has also chaired live discussions at the Electri_City_Conference in Düsseldorf and contributed the booklet notes to ‘The Singles’ CD by German band CAMOUFLAGE released by Polydor Records. His first album was ‘The Pleasure Principle’ by GARY NUMAN while his first concert was OMD at Hammersmith Odeon.

IAN FERGUSON

Glaswegian musician Ian fronts the synth duo RAINLAND. His tastes vary from the classic Synth Britannia stalwarts like ULTRAVOX, HEAVEN 17, THOMAS DOLBY and OMD to rock icons such as RUSH, MARILLION and GENESIS. Indeed, it is a great surprise to learn that Ian’s favourite keyboard player of all time is Tony Banks.

His other favourite artists include ASSEMBLAGE 23, IMOGEN HEAP, VILE ELECTRODES, WITCH OF THE VALE and ADVANCE. A big presence on the domestic music scene, Ian combines frank and forthright views with a sharp sense of humour.

RICHARD PRICE

Richard first started taking live photos during THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s concerts in the noughties and his work has featured on some of their official merchandise. More recently, one of his images was used on an official T-Shirt sold through Urban Outfitters. His portfolio has also been used in the tour programmes of OMD and THE HUMAN LEAGUE.

His first album purchase was  GARY NUMAN’s ‘The Pleasure Principle’ while his live initiation was ULTRAVOX at Hammersmith Odeon in 1981 where he bought a ticket off a tout for the then extortionate sum of £7!!

SIMON HELM

Simon officiates over the Nordic friendly music blog Cold War Night Life, named after the debut album by RATIONAL YOUTH. He recently released ‘Heresy’, a tribute compilation to the Canadian synthpop trailblazers.  His portfolio also includes two well received live music events ‘An Evening With The Swedish Synth’ and ‘A Secret Wish’.

He developed his love of the Scandinavian electronic scene while studying in Stockholm. His favourite acts include PAGE, SISTA MANNEN PÅ JORDEN, TUXEDOMOON, TEST DEPARTMENT, PSYCHE and S.P.O.C.K. while he also helped put together the event programme booklet for Electronic Summer 2015 in Gothenburg.

Disclaimer: ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK is a non-commercial web publication with no official affiliations to any recording acts, record labels or organisations. All content is the sole opinion of ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK and is not intended to malign any organisation, group or company. No infringement of copyright is intended with use of images and any can be removed immediately upon request.

Email:  [email protected]