Author: electricityclub (Page 15 of 416)

“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

DIE SEXUAL Interview

8 April 2024 /

From out of the shadows to under the strobe lights, DIE SEXUAL are the erotically charged Los Angeles-based duo of Anton Floriano and his wife Ros.

While Ros is comparatively new to the music scene having been more involved in visual art, Anton is best known as a member of production duo BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY whose impressive remix portfolio includes YAZOO, ERASURE, IAMX, NITZER EBB, OMD and most notably DEPECHE MODE with a powerful take on ‘Oh Well’, one of their few decent tracks in the last 15 years!

Operating in not dissimilar territory to BOY HARSHER, NIGHT CLUB and NNHMN, DIE SEXUAL’s dark electronic template is exemplified by the seductive ‘Bound, I Rise’ from their debut EP ‘Bound’ which sees the bottom switch to the top in a hypnotic EBM friendly stomper. Followed-up swiftly with a standalone interim single ‘Tremble For Me’, the recently released EP ‘Inservio’ develops on the themes of desire and despair, domination and submission, as well as their penetrating club-friendly sound crafted using vintage and modular synthesizers.

Steamy and seductive, DIE SEXUAL trigger dark passions and conjugal exploration through their intoxicating elektro body musique. With lights down low, Ros and Anton Floriano spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about their motivations and realisations…

How did the idea of making music together as DIE SEXUAL come about?

Ros: We instantly knew we wanted to make music together from the moment we met. I connected with Anton through Instagram where he was promoting BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY believe it or not. We hit it off rather quickly so I shared some solo tracks I’d done. Anton loved my voice and I think the rest came very natural. It was obvious from that point what we needed to do.

What are your shared music likes that help shape the sound of DIE SEXUAL?

Ros: We have mad love for all things analog, BPMs of 125, and industrial banging sounds. PORTISHEAD, LED ZEPPELIN, HARD CORPS, NITZER EBB, SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES, DEPECHE MODE and ZOOT WOMAN are probably some of my top influential artists. Definitely keeping these musical pioneers as somewhat of a foundation.

Anton: DEPECHE MODE, KRAFTWERK, CABARET VOLTAIRE, NITZER EBB and FRONT 242 would be my top influential artists. We also listen to a lot of newer techno and electronic acts and have a shared love of different artists that in some way play into the music we create.

Were there some things that one liked that perhaps the other wasn’t very keen on? 😉

Ros: Not really! Honestly, we enjoy the same music styles and that’s what makes doing DIE SEXUAL very comfortable for us… we are like one another’s mirror. You truly never know when or how inspiration will find you. Keeping an open mind is key with almost anything art-related and we may just stumble across something. Having a closed-mind only guarantees missing out on important talent and lack of growth. Our personal playlists are pretty eclectic for this reason.

Is there any style or approach that you have experimented with in DIE SEXUAL that you wouldn’t normally go with in BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY?

Anton: As BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY was an instrumental project and not having a vocalist. I had to build tracks around samples and themes, but even then I always tried to retain a more traditional song-like approach, not just doing straight club type arrangements. Now working with Ros, it’s a bit more natural being able to work in that verse / chorus structure but at the same time keeping it very DJ friendly. Ultimately, we like to create music for the dancefloor but it’s important it’s just as interesting to listen to in any environment.

DIE SEXUAL have opened their account with two EPs, has this release strategy been dictated by today’s streaming services or is this the best way to start?

Anton: Sure it stems from the current streaming environment and seemingly shorter and shorter attention spans to releases. Also, getting a whole album’s worth of tracks together seems a bit more daunting process and can take someone like us quite a long time to have enough completed in order to release a full album. Working on smaller batches of tracks allows us to get them out there sooner, then kind of move on to the next thing. Someday, we would probably like the challenge of doing that but just getting our feet off the ground feels better to be able to release material more frequently.

While there is a dark S&M club vibe to DIE SEXUAL, the songs are very catchy and energetic but dark without being depressing, how do you get the balance right?

Ros: The balance is truly right – when you mix tantalizing intimacy and a bit of dark essence, you find yourself at crossroads with the perfect concoction. We want to break that stigma that everything dark needs to be depressing or everything that is sexual can’t be done tastefully. It’s easy to express yourself when something comes naturally and is done from experience. So, really we are just speaking from our own perspective.

Anton: I’m really drawn to music that has some element of something sinister or menacing and the energy it creates isn’t depressing but enticing, you want to find out where it takes you.

‘Bound I Rise’ is not necessarily about S&M is it?

Ros: It is, and it isn’t. It came from a place of taking what’s yours and not holding back. It’s really about the subject and their uprising. You can assume they’ve gone through an experience where now, see themselves in a different light… as a force that cannot be reckoned with. Ultimately, they find their “someone” that they can be the version never thought possible and allowing themselves to give into those ways, restoring power and control with the “hunted” through a heavy, sexual powerplay. Thus having a passionate belief that through all of this; they’ll both become freed together, if accepted.

With ‘On This Night’, this showcases the gothic allure of your sound, there is this romance like with the classic goth bands, any thoughts about this as goth can often be dismissed now as being just about depression and hate?

Anton: The main riff / musical motif of ‘On This Night’ is actually based on a classic 80s Chicago House track and it’s showed up in various House, Techno and New Beat tracks over the years. We wanted to create this dark seductive vibe and can see how it resonates across genres. Lyrically, I’m inspired by that early DURAN DURAN, mid 80s DEPECHE MODE where the songs are largely about desire, passion and lust. I don’t come from a place of depression and hate, so I don’t really identify with those kind of lyrics.

Ros: That’s such a huge misconception and I feel proud to be a part of a community that embraces so many different branches that stem from one sole objectivity – wanting to feel welcomed… heard… supported to have a place to lay down our burdens, secrets, or angers; no matter how it may be presented. We give newcomers different outlooks that they no longer have the choice to be close-minded. There is something for everyone here and we know you’ll find it outside of stigmatisms / misconceptions if you just look.

Was there a reason that ‘Tremble For Me’ came out as a standalone single rather than included on ‘Bound’ or ‘Inservio’?

Anton: Following the release of ‘Bound’, we were a bit surprised how quickly it caught on and the attention it was receiving. We wanted to get another 3 track EP out by end of the year and ‘Tremble For Me’ was the first track we worked on along with starting on ‘House of God’. As we were nearing the holiday season and busy December plans, we knew it would not be possible to complete something by year’s end so we went ahead and just put out the one track we had completed and as we both really love the track, we were excited to get it out there and for people to hear it. Once January rolled around, we got back to work on writing and completing the tracks that make up ‘Inservio’.

How does ‘Inservio’ differ from ‘Bound’ or are they all part of the same family and parts of something bigger?

Ros: ‘Bound’ was a reflection of what was to come. The EPs aren’t one in the same but essentially are of chapters of DIE SEXUAL as we go into depth with our musical endeavors. There is always a repeated main theme (or emphasis) and we expect that to continue in following releases. In that case, I suppose you can say they are in fact a part of something larger!

What is your ‘Need To Sin’?

Anton: This track was conceived as a tantalizing roleplay of our seemingly innocent subject submitting to her ultimate desires and hedonistic fantasies, knowing any hesitation of guilt should be discarded as forgiveness will always be granted. Many of us, for a variety of reasons, tend to associate guilt with pleasure and as long as it’s consensual with our trusted partner, we need to learn to let go of that guilt and it’s ok to give in to what feels right.

What hardware, software and effects are you using in DIE SEXUAL, has there been anything that has been a particular revelation to achieve your aesthetic?

Anton: The majority of the synths on our tracks are the Roland System 100M, Oberheim Xpander and Sequential Circuits Pro-One. We have quite a lot more gear and with BLACK LIGHT ODYSSEY, I was always trying to use a little bit of everything but we seem to quickly kinda lock down tracks mainly working with those three units. Other synths that may show up here and there are the ARP 2600, Roland Jupiter 4, SH-1 and MKS-70, RSF Kobol, Korg MonoPoly, Waldorf Microwave, Sequential Pro 2 and Pro 3, Ensoniq SQ-80, E-mu Emax and several more pieces. For drums, we use boxes from Jomox and Elektron, a Toraiz sampler and Native Instruments Maschine.

We also have a moderate sized Eurorack system with a complete Roland System 500 set along with various other modules and we use Eurorack sequencers for a lot of the programming of the synth parts. As far as effects, we use hardware Eventide boxes, Elektron Analog Heat, an old Ensoniq DP2 and the Erica Synths Zen Delay. We mainly use Universal Audio plug-ins in the DAW.

What has been your favourite DIE SEXUAL song so far and your favourite that has not been released yet?

Ros: ‘On This Night’ will always hold a special place for me. I’m a highly-emotional, nostalgic ridden being and this takes me back to times that I shared and still do share with my partner. Not only that, but I know other people feel the same way about their muse or significant other when they come across this track. That makes me feel good inside. I can’t give away a favorite of an unreleased track but for you, Chi – we might give you a sneak peek!

Anton: ‘Fate Awaits’ was the first song Ros sent me when we first met so it was really rewarding to develop that into what it became, although I’m really loving the way ‘Need To Sin’ came out.

Have you considered making full length song videos or are short reels the way to go with how social media works now?

Ros: Full-length videos have been talked about for sure. It’s only a matter of time so you’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled for something soon. Coming from a professional photography and cinematography background, having any type of content is super vital. People like to what see you’re working on or doing but it’s said our attention spans timeout after a while and so sweet and short is where it’s at.

With the erotic charge of DIE SEXUAL, how far do you think you can push boundaries on social media?

Ros: We’re pushing the limits until we find a way to break them. There are other means of platforms that aren’t so restrictive, perhaps we might explore those. How’s that saying go? “Things weren’t like they used to be back then”.

Anton: Catch our early Sunday morning IG Stories, LOL! We believe in freedom of expression and that’s gotten us flagged a few times already, but we will continue to flirt with those boundaries and look at alternative platforms.

What is next for DIE SEXUAL? Is an album on the way? What about live shows?

Anton: We just played our first live show and have a string of shows coming up. We will likely start working on new material after this first round of shows and will probably release something early summer and just get out there and play a lot of shows over the summer. We shall see where things take us from there!

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to DIE SEXUAL

The ‘Bound’ and ‘Inservio’ EPs, along with the ‘Tremble For Me’ single and ‘Remixes Vol1’ mini-album are available direct from https://diesexual.bandcamp.com/music

https://www.facebook.com/diesex/

https://www.instagram.com/die_sexual/

https://www.tiktok.com/@diesexual

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6G8LVRZv0VxPuLwSQfVkEb

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
8 April 2024

ELEGANT MACHINERY Interview

4 April 2024 /

Photo by Petter Duvander

Now with just Robert Enforsen remaining from the original line-up, ELEGANT MACHINERY began as a trio in 1989. They were named after the third album by DATA, the cult synthpop project of SAILOR’s Georg Kajanus released in 1985.

Alongside other acts such as PAGE, S.P.O.C.K and SISTA MANNEN PÅ JORDEN, ELEGANT MACHINERY were part of a movement of Swedish synth trailblazers dedicated to making a purer form of melodic electronic pop in the vein of early DEPECHE MODE, OMD, THE HUMAN LEAGUE and YAZOO.

In their first phase, ELEGANT MACHINERY would release three albums ‘Degraded Faces’ (1991), ‘Shattered Grounds’ (1993) and ‘Yesterday Man’ (1996). They disbanded in 1999 after the release of a “best of” compilation ‘A Decade of Thoughts’ which featured re-recorded material and rare songs.

Although there was a reunion in 2001, a full return did not begin in earnest until 2004 and the subsequent album ‘A Soft Exchange’ in 2008. However, there was another split but in 2016, Robert Enforsen revived ELEGANT MACHINERY for the much darker ‘I’ EP.

Since then, there have been no new releases but most recently Robert Enforsen has been performing as ELEGANT MACHINERY with Johan Malmgren who had been in the band since 1992 and a revolving live line-up that has included current S.P.O.C.K member Val Solo.

With the release for the first time of ‘A Soft Exchange’ in vinyl formats, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK had a career spanning conversation with Robert Enforsen…

How has the ELEGANT MACHINERY brand managed to keep going for over three decades?

I’ve got to be upfront here and tell that I actually have been the only one of the other members that kept on going. After years of disagreements, me and Johan Malmgren eventually decided that life is here and now. I suppose that the soft start of this was when we were forced to meet at our mutual friend’s funeral. Johan afterwards gave me a hug and said the very wise words of that “who knows when this will happen to us, it could have been you or me in that funeral coffin”. Later on we two simply agreed on to start fresh, with our original intentions of EM; to make the best available synthpop the world has ever seen. So far I believe we’ve done quite good, despite some drawbacks.

Although ‘101’ and ‘Violator’ had happened, by the time of ELEGANT MACHINERY’s debut album ‘Degraded Faces’ in 1991, Grunge was about to take over the world… in hindsight, it perhaps wasn’t a great time to be a new synthpop band? 🎹🎤🎹😉

I get what you’re trying to go for here, which is rather funny. We were surely not blind for the music trends going on in the world, but we didn’t bother. Our only reason to make music was to make it as we’d love to hear it. ‘Violator’ was probably the best album ever coming out of DM, but we didn’t aim for that sound anyhow. We decided to stick to our unwritten rules of our work; basically to make music that sounded as weird and wonderful as the early/mid 80s in its top class.

What attracted you to making pop music by electronic means? Had the Synth Britannia movement been influential?

Synth Britannia, as such, never really came into my hemisphere as it obviously did in the UK. It was never the thing, so to say. Then again, all these bands, as mentioned before, have had a major influence on us, without a doubt. What the Brits refer to labelling it like this is basically what we would refer to as the synthpop movement. But yes that affected us all in a multitude of ways.

In 1995, ELEGANT MACHINERY’s recorded the title song for the ‘To Cut A Long Story Short’ electronic pop pioneers tribute compilation, what was the appeal of that SPANDAU BALLET song for the band?

The original song made it all clear for us; this song could also sound like ELEGANT MACHINERY. This was, as I can recall it, the trigger that made us plan our next steps. Then, one shouldn’t forget that SPANDAU BALLET by then were kind of an electronic band, unlike what they became. We simply made the song “ours”; more synthpop.

You also paid tribute to DEPECHE MODE with a cover of ‘My Secret Garden’ on the ‘I Sometimes Wish I Was Famous’ compilation, ELEGANT MACHINERY were often compared to early DM, did that help or hinder the band?

Oh gosh, hahaha, that is still the issue when talking about us today with people who are really not into the scene. For the outsiders, we probably always sound like DEPECHE MODE. Yes, we’ve got similarities to the early DM, but clearly also to bands such as SOFT CELL, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, OMD and so on. We truly, from the start tried to create our own identity, and I think we did.

’Process’ from ‘Degraded Faces’ was a wonderful lively pop tune… is it true that was popular in Spain, was that a surprise?

Thanks! The whole story goes like this; We released the album ‘Degraded Faces’ in 1991. We were already planning for the follow-up, when a Spanish label got in touch, wanting to release ‘Process’ as a CDM. They wanted it to be club friendly and we were suddenly stepping into territories we probably didn’t want to dive into. However, we made a compromise with ourselves and went into the studio trying to deliver a club sound as we could possibly interpret it.

During a recording procedure, that was more adventurous than one might think, and what truly can’t be told just in a few sentences, we managed to transform our song to what it became. Sadly, we didn’t get to see a single coin from the sales, despite reaching number 5, kicking down Madonna to number 6, in the official Spanish charts. On this matter I can go on forever, because the consequences didn’t stop with us, but also made our record label to chatter a bit or two.

‘Forget What I Had In Mind’ on the 1993 second album ‘Shattered Grounds’ recalled CAMOUFLAGE, do you think that successful German wave of bands which included DE/VISION and WOLFSHEIM helped keep the door open for electronic acts such as yourselves within North West Europe?

Without a doubt, even though DE/VISION started in 1988 just like ELEGANT MACHINERY and WOLFSHEIM just the year before. I tend to believe we all made this scene to stay alive.

Did you feel an affinity with other Swedish electronic acts of the period such as PAGE, S.P.O.C.K and COVENANT?

Yes, absolutely! PAGE started as one of the first electronic bands in Sweden. One must note, PAGE started when most of us were still pre-teens! However, we all kind of grew together. Not to forget that a pre-version of COVENANT actually had a gig at the party where I was asked to join what would become ELEGANT MACHINERY. Alexander Hofman designed the cover of ‘I Sometimes Wish I Was Famous’. I sold merch for the other bands of Energy Rekords, like POUPPÉE FABRIKK. I can continue forever here, hahaha! We all were part of what it all would become.

1996’s ‘Yesterday Man’ album maintained the melodic positivity despite the melancholic theme in the lyrics of songs like ‘Save Me’, ‘Say Goodbye’ and ‘Feel The Violence’? Was the ‘Yesterday Man’ album the one where the band felt most confident about in its abilities?

The mentioned songs in themselves are for sure rather melancholic, all being mainly in a minor key. Me personally can’t recall that this was a calling for us to make them like that; we all always had a penchant for the darker sides of life, while totally also being in love with the bleepy synthpop. The whole album just happened as it is from our hearts.

ELEGANT MACHINERY didn’t go drifting off into live drums and guitars like CAMOUFLAGE did on their third album ‘Meanwhile’ and DEPECHE MODE with their narcotic fuelled pseudo rock on ‘Songs Of Faith & Devotion’? Please discuss 😉

Hahaha, there’s nothing to discuss here. We started off with a passion for the drum machine sound, with synth sounds and such; no drummer or guitarist in the world could ever replicate this. We longed and still are longing for that programmed sound, with dynamic vocals on top.

Eskil Simonsson of COVENANT co-produced a number of the new songs and re-recordings on the 1998 compilation ‘A Decade Of Thoughts’. What was the idea behind doing re-recordings rather than using the familiar versions and how was the experience of being in the studio with him?

Our record label in the past, Energy Rekords, urged to make a “best of album” – we refused. To make such a foolish thing after just three albums simply seemed to be a bit over the top. ‘A Decade of Thoughts’ is the result of our refusal. We felt that it would be better to present ourselves in updated versions of our songs, while also getting the songs that’ve been laying there for a while a chance. I dare to say that we all felt we did the proper choice here. One fun fact is that while looking for a producer, Eskil Simonsson, an old friend of ours said that he HAS to be the one since he’s the biggest fan of ELEGANT MACHINERY ever. The search was over! 😀

The booklet of ‘A Decade Of Thoughts’ stated ELEGANT MACHINERY “use Novation synthesizers from Music Mania, Malmö”, what equipment did you use before then and what are you using now?

Without sounding snobbish, what didn’t we use back then in the 90s?! We’ve been blessed with getting hold of the finest analogue synths while they didn’t cost more than a low-price car. These synths got sold way back in time, while a few already then broke down, even during live performances. Nowadays we are using quite some synths from Arturia, some Behringer stuff, the old E-mu…

ELEGANT MACHINERY disbanded in 1999, it was a difficult period for synthpop bands as opposed to dance / DJ acts, what happened to cause the split?

This is a tough one for me personally, since I truly got taken by surprise of the split-up and that I, on top of this, got told about it on the very New Years Eve 1998. Pretty nasty indeed, since we on that very evening had a show in Germany on a mini festival with WELLE: ERDBALL, S.P.O.C.K and CAT RAPES DOG – I was in shock. However, I afterwards can understand my band mates; I was partying too much. To cut the words short, I eventually became more decent, but then it was for the moment too late.

What prompted the return of ELEGANT MACHINERY in 2001? How was the experience for you?

Back then, we got two great offers for shows in Hollywood USA and Mexico City that were too good to reject. However, Johan Malmgren was then already about to go on tour with S.P.O.C.K in Germany and the surrounding countries, so we had to find another solution with someone who both could play, sing backing vocals and perform. In came our old dear friend Jarmo Ollila from DAILY PLANET (in these days singing in the band TELESKOP that he’s got with his brother Jouni Ollila). These two shows and the surrounding free days will always remain as fantastic memories for me.

There was a new ELEGANT MACHINERY album ‘A Soft Exchange’ in 2008 but there has not been a long playing record since, but how do you look back on the making of this record?

The shows in USA and Mexico lead to even more shows in like for instance Moscow, Russia and Tallin, Estonia (where we had the honor to sign the wall behind the bar in the famous DM pub in the latter city). We started to seriously talking about a new album. Since I was already dug deep down in the work of my other band HYPE’s forthcoming album ‘Desperately Yours’ that got released in 2006, the new album with ELEGANT MACHINERY, ‘A Soft Exchange’ had to wait.

After the release of the HYPE album, a year later I was expecting my first son, while we were recording all the pre-production of the new songs. We were by now, once again, living spread out in different cities and towns over Sweden. I had to travel a lot to enter one of the most used studios for my vocals, while I could sit in my home studio and work on different hooks for the production. The Moog Voyager Rack was for a while essential for me to create a lot of the drops and risers to use. ELEGANT MACHINERY were once again back – for a while.

The most recent ELEGANT MACHINERY release was an EP called ‘I’ in 2016, how do you find producing new music now, is it more enjoyable than back then or is it much more challenging?

Back in 2016, I befriended a talented musician named Jonas Kröjtz, living in Gothenburg, Sweden, where he also had his studio. We started to talk about if we, without the other past members, could create a new album with ELEGANT MACHINERY and at the same time try to make it more fresh. The EP ‘I’ became our child; a strong four song EP that was meant to be followed up with two more EPs. However, the way the record label worked with doing no real promotion made me to quit the collaboration with them.

At around the same time, I moved from Sweden to Germany. Eventually me and Johan Malmgren got back to each other, starting to talk about making a new album, despite living rather far away from one another. Then, thanks to the current technology, we could move ahead with our plans. We can collaborate in multiple ways online. Then… here comes the difference from the days of our youth and around nowadays; we spend more time with family and ordinary day-jobs than with producing music.

Already 20 years ago, the downloads of mp3 killed our incomes and now it would almost be an absurd thought living from what the music brings in financially. The sum of it all; we have more fun these days to create our next darling, but it takes more time. Actually, it has to take more time due to the lack of the very same; time.

Songs like ‘I Say’ and ‘Wheels In Motion’ from ‘I’ both brought in some aggression when compared with early ELEGANT MACHINERY and even the songs on ‘A Soft Exchange’, was this the midlife angst creeping in?

Hahaha, this is a funny reflection, but unfortunately not true whatsoever. With the EP ‘I’ and the circumstances it was created from, I could start to express myself in new ways. There was life events that were rather unpleasant happening the years before there and I needed to get it out in the songs in a proper way. I also thought it was time to develop the sound of ELEGANT MACHINERY.

Had the lyrics of ‘Future Breakup’ been motivated by anything in particular?

Indeed! This song is directed directly to my then pre-teen son and how he could get my advice later on in the future, being grown up.

Your vocal style, past and present has always had a passionate and honest style of delivery, how do you feel about the use of voice correcting software in recording today?

There has, since the early days of multi-track recording, been ways to manipulate certain takes from both musicians and vocalists. There’s nothing wrong with that. I mean, sequencers for electronic bands have always corrected the timing for instance. Then, of course, vocals need to have a certain degree of humanity when producing rather static synth music. I am no fan of too much editing there. Then, when it comes to the music production after Cher’s song ‘Believe’, most current song productions went downhill. I think like this; if you can’t sing, learn to sing or shut up. It’s as easy as that. Today’s younger people have been growing up with more corrected vocals than non-corrected ones. Isn’t that sad?!

What have been your ELEGANT MACHINERY career highlights? Do you have a favourite memory or amusing story?

Oh gosh, this is impossible to tell in less than a book, but one funny highlight that I always come back to is when I and another guy from our team separated from the rest of the group going out at Reeperbahn in Hamburg. This is way before Google Maps. I tried to be clever, so I wrote down the station street we got off and were to head back to in the dim night. I knew “Strasse” meant street, so I wrote down the name “Einbahnstrasse” and we carried on. Later on, me and my mate hopped into a taxi cab whereby I proudly announced our destination. The driver leaned back to me, asking “Are you a tourist?” Hahaha, little did I know that “Einbahnstrasse” means “One Way Road”!

Are there any of the 21st Century wave of Nordic electronic pop acts who you enjoy and rate?

Well, TELESKOP, TRAIN FROM SPAIN and KENT is some of the acts I can enjoy a bit. To rate them is not my cup of tea; that’s not fair. I prefer to see the good stuff only.

Finally, what is next for you and ELEGANT MACHINERY?

Me and Johan Malmgren, who has written the foundation for most of ELEGANT MACHINERY’s ultimate well-known songs like ‘Save Me’, are working together again since a couple of years. As mentioned before, we take it bit by bit as our time’s allowing us to do. Eventually there will be a new album out, with songs stronger than ever before. Also with some sprinkles of anger in the vocals on some songs can be expected, hahaha!

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Robert Enforsen

Special thanks to Steffi Enforsen

‘A Soft Exchange’ has been reissued by Out Of Line Music as a red vinyl LP, available from https://elegantmachineryse.bandcamp.com/album/a-soft-exchange

https://www.facebook.com/elegantmachinery.band

https://www.facebook.com/robert.enforsen

https://www.instagram.com/robert.enforsen/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/56z66XGKLpTcREF5iPitMU

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Simon Helm except where credited
4 April 2024

CHRIS CROSS 1952 – 2024

2 April 2024 /

Chrisopher Thomas Allen, better known to the music world as Chris Cross, bass engine of ULTRAVOX has passed away aged 71. Bandmate Midge Ure announced the sad news via his social media.

Born in Tottenham, he studied Art and Psychology in London and while he was there, he answered an advert to form a new band by fellow student Dennis Leigh. The band was TIGER LILY and guitarist Stevie Shears, drummer Warren Cann and violinist / keyboardist Billy Currie would complete the line-up.

Influenced by NEW YORK DOLLS and ROXY MUSIC, TIGER LILY released just one single, a cover of Fats Wallers’ ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ in 1975 recorded for an X-rated arthouse movie of the same name. While David Bowie also loomed large in their sound, music from Germany such as KRAFTWERK and NEU! began to be absorbed into the band.

This led to a name change to ULTRAVOX! complete with exclamation mark in tribute to the later. Dennis Leigh changed his name to John Foxx and Allen who had used the surname St John on ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ became Chris Cross.

ULTRAVOX! got their big break when they were signed to Island Records and able to secure the services of Brian Eno working alongside a young Steve Lillywhite to produce their eponymous debut album released in 1977. With the emergence of punk, while the follow-up ‘Ha! Ha! Ha!’ had a particularly fierce sound, it saw the introduction of Billy Currie’s ARP Odyssey, notably on ‘The Man Who Dies Everyday’.

Cross also became interested synthesizers and purchased an EMS Synthi AKS, a portable version of the VCS3 built into a suitcase with a touch sensitive blue and black keyboard. This coincided with an opportunity to work Conny Plank whose credits included KRAFTWERK and NEU! as well a change of line-up with Shears replaced by Robin Simon. Relocating to Conny Plank’s farmhouse studio outside of Cologne, Cross used his AKS to write the lead line to ‘Slow Motion’.

Despite the resultant 1978 album ‘Systems Of Romance’ being the most accomplished ULTRAVOX (now without the exclamation mark!) record to date, all was not well in the camp and after a 1979 US club tour, John Foxx and Robin Simon departed. It left the band without a vocalist or guitarist and to add to their woes, Island Records had dropped ULTRAVOX from their roster.

While ULTRAVOX was on hiatus, Billy Currie worked on VISAGE with Midge Ure, Rusty Egan, Dave Formula, John McGeoch, Barry Adamson and Steve Strange. Although at that time in 1979, the project became stillborn, he brought Ure with him to join ULTRAVOX to fulfil the dual role of singer and guitarist. Cross and Ure hit it off immediately and would become close friends.

Around this time, Chris Cross had acquired a Minimoog and began pulsing it from Warren Cann’s drum machines to produce a characteristic repeating synthbass sound on tracks such as ‘Vienna’, ‘All Stood Still’, ‘The Thin Wall’ and ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’. He never forgot his first instrument and songs such as ‘The Voice’ and ‘Reap The Wild Wind’ benefitted from his bass guitar runs.

Signed to Chrysalis Records, over a period of four years, ULTRAVOX conquered Europe with their brand of symphonic synthesized rock with classic albums such as ‘Vienna’, ‘Rage in Eden’, ‘Quartet’ and ‘Lament’. One indirect and amusing consequence of his new found fame was that he would be mistakenly sent royalty cheques for the Grammy award winning American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross.

Cross was versatile and while his role in ULTRAVOX was bass, he deputised for an absent Midge Ure on ‘The Voice’ B-side ‘Paths & Angles’, playing guitar and singing lead on its chorus and closing refrain. Together with Ure, they produced the music for the iconic Levi’s advert ‘Rivets’ which also led to the jeans manufacturer perhaps incongruously sponsoring ULTRAVOX on their 1984 ‘Set Movements’ tour.

With ULTRAVOX very much trailblazing the cinematic video age, Chris Cross and Midge Ure began self-directing ULTRAVOX’s promos and became in-demand separately from the band, working on visual presentations for VISAGE, BANANARAMA and FUN BOY THREE.

The visual aspects of ULTRAVOX were very important to Cross and it was he, through his love of the Factory Records aesthetic, who suggested employing Peter Saville Associates to design their artwork and stage sets including the notable gothic architecture captured on the ‘Monument’ live document.

By 1987, ULTRAVOX had split up and Cross retired from the music industry to become a psychotherapist; he would later jokingly remark that the two fields were not that dissimilar from his point of view.

In 2009, the classic ULTRAVOX line-up of Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie and Midge Ure unexpectedly reunited for three headlining tours and a new album ‘Brilliant’ issued in 2012. During ‘Astradyne’, Cross would coolly play bass and synth simultaneously! However, following a UK tour opening for SIMPLE MINDS in 2013, the band were back in hiatus and Cross returned to being a psychotherapist.

Midge Ure paid tribute to Chris Cross saying: “You were the glue that held the band together. You were the logic in the madness and the madness in our lives. It was great to know and grow with you. You are loved and missed old friend”.

Text by Chi Ming Lai
2 April 2024

A Beginner’s Guide To GARETH JONES

1 April 2024 /

Gareth Jones was born in Lancashire and while he played a number of instruments as a youngster, his interest soon turned to music technology with the purchase of a tape recorder.

He gained his formal training at the BBC and began working as an engineer in various recording spaces including Pathway, a small 8 track studio in North London which was frequently used by Stiff Records and where THE DAMNED recorded ‘New Rose’ in 1976. It was there that he worked on MADNESS’ debut single ‘The Prince’ in 1979. But it was his work with former ULTRAVOX front man John Foxx and his 1980 long playing debut ‘Metamatic’ that was to be his breakthrough.

This led to work producing esoteric acts such as TUXEDOMOON and TAUCHEN-PROKOPETZ; it was while working with the latter on the 1983 ‘DÖF’ record in Vienna that it was suggested that Jones mix the album at Hansa Tonstudio in West Berlin. At the time, it was the most high-tech complex he had ever worked in and prompted to his relocation to die Mauerstadt.

Many British bands began recording and mixing in Berlin as the exchange rate made things highly cost effective. It was while Jones was engineering the recording of the third DEPECHE MODE album ‘Construction Time Again’ at John Foxx’s own studio The Garden in Shoreditch that he proposed mixing the record in Berlin. He had been initially reluctant to work with DEPECHE MODE who he considered lightweight but was eventually persuaded by Foxx to become their Tonmeister.

Gareth Jones was a pioneer in the use of state of art digital equipment including the NED Synclavier and AMS digital delays; among his techniques was using the big ballroom at Hansa to capture atmospheres created by sounds being played through large amplifiers which were then recorded with microphones, creating a huge cavernous sound.

Although chiefly known for his work with synths and sampling, Jones also worked with more guitar driven bands such as WIRE, THE HOUSE OF LOVE, INSPIRAL CARPETS and MOGWAI as well as dark lord Nick Cave. After the fall of The Iron Curtain, Jones later returned to London where he remains today at his current base theArtLab within The Strongroom complex in London.

Having fought cancer in 2008, he continues to produce, mix and compose with a third SUNROOF album with Daniel Miller currently in progress. Meanwhile Jones had also provided his expertise and guidance to emerging studio personnel via the Red Bull Academy.

With a restriction of one track per album project and in chronological order, here are 20 tracks which form ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s Beginner’s Guide to the innovative career of Gareth Jones.

JOHN FOXX Plaza (1980)

Having departed ULTRAVOX, when John Foxx recorded his debut solo record, Gareth Jones was the engineer at Pathway, a studio known for its reggae sessions. While the aim was a starker vision of electronic music, both Foxx and Jones absorbed dub influences where things would be stripped back but one sound given all the power. As well as the surprise hit single ‘Underpass’, this aesthetic suited the dystopian ‘Metamatic’ opener ‘Plaza’.

Available on the JOHN FOXX album ‘Metamatic’ via Metamatic Records

http://www.metamatic.com/

TUXEDOMOON Incubus (1981)

Impressed with the sound of ‘Metamatic’, TUXEDOMOON had originally sought John Foxx to produce their next album ‘Desire’ but unavailable, he put the American art rockers in touch with Gareth Jones. “Gareth was brilliant, fabulous” said the band’s Blaine L Reininger, “He was able to teach us; kind of organise us”. On one of the highlights was  ‘Incubus’ which used the same Roland CR-78 Compurhythm used as on ‘Metamatic’.

Available on the TUXEDOMOON album ‘Desire’ via Crammed Discs

https://www.tuxedomoon.co/

JOHN FOXX Dancing Like A Gun (1981)

With a second album and studio both named ‘The Garden’, Gareth Jones was again working with John Foxx to realise both. After the colder overtures of ‘Metamatic’, Foxx had thawed out considerably after a holiday in Italy and as a result, traditional instrumentation returned. ‘Dancing Like A Gun’ contradicted its “Oppenheimer waltzing” line but blended synth with art rock to recall ‘Quiet Men’ from his ULTRAVOX days.

Available on the JOHN FOXX album ‘The Garden’ via Metamatic Records

https://www.facebook.com/johnfoxxmetamatic

DEPECHE MODE Two Minute Warning (1983)

Working alongside Daniel Miller who continued as producer, Gareth Jones had DEPECHE MODE sampling found sounds around the-then derelict surroundings of Shroreditch to create a new sonic template in pop. Songs like ‘Everything Counts’, ‘Pipeline’ and ‘More Than A Party had socio-political themes while the Alan Wilder composed ditty ‘Two Minute Warning’ reflected the heightened Cold War angst of the time.

Available on the DEPECHE MODE album ‘Construction Time Again’ via Sony Music

https://www.depechemode.com/

FAD GADGET Collapsing New People (1984)

Frank Tovey had been intrigued by the sound of German industrial band EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN whose name translated into English as “collapsing new buildings” and their use of industrial equipment and found objects. So while recording at Hansa, he got Gareth Jones to record a large printing press nearby as the basis for a loop rhythm that became ‘Collapsing New People’, one of the best FAD GADGET singles.

Available on the FAD GADGET album ‘Gag’ via Mute Records

https://www.instagram.com/fadgadgetofficial/

BLAINE L REININGER Mystery & Confusion (1984)

For his first second solo album, Blaine L Reininger was reunited with Gareth Jones at the production helm. Using Roland’s portable pre-MIDI holy trinity of the TB-303 Bassline, the SH-101 monosynth and the TR-808 Rhythm Composer synced via a customised cable, its highlight was the cinematic synthpop of ‘Mystery & Confusion’ which saw the TUXEDOMOON leader exude a distinct Eurocentric spirit.

Available on the BLAINE L REININGER album ‘Night Air’ via Les Disques du Crépuscule

https://lesdisquesducrepuscule.com/blaine_l_reininger.html

PALAIS SCHAUMBURG Beat Of 2 (1984)

An influential Neue Deutsche Welle band from Hamburg, PALAIS SCHAUMBURG were on the bill with DEPECHE MODE at the 1981 Mute Night at the London Lyceum. Their members included Thomas Fehlmann who went on to join THE ORB as well as produce ERASURE and experimental producer Holger Hiller. The percussive ‘Beat Of 2’ turned out to be their final single and was produced by Gareth Jones alongside Inga Humpe.

Available on the PALAIS SCHAUMBURG album ‘Parlez-Vous Schaumburg?’ via Mercury Records

http://palaisschaumburg.com/

HUMPE HUMPE Yama-ha (1985)

A slice of quirky Neue Deutsche Welle from sisters Annette and Inga Humpe, ‘Yama-ha’ was produced by Roma Baran who had worked on Laurie Anderson’s ‘O Superman’. The “shopping list” synth and sample number listing a number of Japanese tech and vehicle manufacturers was remixed by Gareth Jones. Incidentally the B-side ‘Memories’ was produced by Conny Plank. In the UK, the duo was known as SWIMMING WITH SHARKS.

Available on the HUMPE HUMPE album ‘The Platinum Collection’ via Warner Music Group Germany

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063561587623

EINSTURZEN NEUBAUTEN Yü-Gung (1985)

With their early albums characterised by harsh shouting and screaming, when Gareth Jones was brought in to work with EINSTURZEN NEUBAUTEN, it was to provide a sense of order to the West Berlin group’s experimental metal-bashing. Using sampling technology to provide an avant-dance palette to accompany Blixa Bargeld’s fierce chant of “FÜTTER MEIN EGO”, the sinister rhythm was inspired by the sound of chopping up speed!

Available on the EINSTURZEN NEUBAUTEN album ‘Halber Mensch’ via Potomak

https://neubauten.org/

BRONSKI BEAT Hit That Perfect Beat (1985)

Featuring new BRONSKI BEAT singer John Jøn Foster following the departure of Jimmy Somerville, ‘Hit That Perfect Beat’ was a frantically paced HI-NRG track helmed by Adam Williams of THE SELECTER who had been co-producer on EURYTHMICS’ singles ‘The Walk’ and ‘Love Is A Stranger’. Impressed by his work for DEPECHE MODE, Gareth Jones did the final mix which replicated the pumping presence of ‘Master & Servant’.

Available on the BRONSKI BEAT album ‘Truthdare Doubledare’ via London Records

https://www.facebook.com/bronskibeatband

DEPECHE MODE Stripped (1986)

Rising from Tonmeister to co-producer during ‘Some Great Reward’, Jones continued in the role for ‘Black Celebration’. By now, Martin Gore’s songs had got bleaker and Bleaker. Inspired by German film director Werner Herzog, Daniel Miller wanted a dystopian intensity and the album to be lived, a feeling which ramped up when the band finished the album in Berlin. ‘Stripped’ was the “remarkable” single that heralded this darker direction.

Available on the DEPECHE MODE album ‘Black Celebration’ via Sony Music

https://www.facebook.com/depechemode

MINISTRY Just Like You (1986)

Having debuted with the synth-oriented ‘With Sympathy’ album in 1983, by 1986 MINISTRY had become more abrasive with industrial elements creeping into their sound. Engineered by Gareth Jones but produced by Adrian Sherwood of On-U Sound, the beat driven ‘Just Like You’ featured a Fairlight CMI which mainman Al Jourgensen had been able to acquire as a part of the deal with Sire Records.

Available on the MINISTRY album ‘Twitch’ via Rhino Records

https://ministryband.com/

NITZER EBB Let Your Body Learn (1987)

Founded by Bon, Douglas McCarthy and David Gooday, with their musical premise of “muscle and hate”, NITZER EBB took the seed of DAF to develop a danceable industrial finesse. While Phil Harding of PWL fame produced and mixed most of their debut long player released by Mute, Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller teamed up to remix their energetic single ‘Let Your Body Learn’ which had bee originally independently issued in 1986.

Available on the NITZER EBB album ‘That Total Age’ via Mute Records

https://www.nitzerebbprodukt.com/

ERASURE Blue Savannah (1989)

After his DEPECHE MODE Berlin trilogy, Gareth Jones remained in the Mute family and began a long-standing working relationship with ERASURE. The concept of ‘Blue Savannah’ was Roy Orbison doing electronic pop. As co-producer with Mark Saunders, he provided an uncluttered backdrop to showcase the soaring optimism of what was to become one of the most universally loved songs by Andy Bell and Vince Clarke.

Available on the ERASURE album ‘Wild!’ via Mute Records

https://www.erasureinfo.com/

IRMIN SCHMIDT Gormenghast Drift (1991)

When Mute Records licensed the CAN back catalogue in 1990 via their manager Hildegard Schmidt’s Spoon imprint, there came the opportunity to work on new solo recordings with their keyboard virtuoso Irmin Schmidt. With Gareth Jones as co-producer, while there were vocals and contributions from bandmates Jaki Liebezeit and Michael Karoli, the closing instrumental ‘Gormenghast Drift’ was an atmospheric delight.

Available on the IRMIN SCHMIDT album ‘Impossible Holidays’ via Spoon Records

https://mutebank.co.uk/collections/irmin-schmidt

ERASURE Grace (1995)

An attempt at prog synth which Andy Bell referred to as ‘Bright Side Of The Sun’, the seventh ERASURE album saw Gareth Jones and Thomas Fehlmann work together as producers on the ambitious if flawed self-titled opus. While there was the brilliant under rated single ‘Fingers and Thumbs (Cold Summer’s Day)’, there were also beautiful emotive neo-classical moments such as ‘Grace’ among the highlights.

Available on the ERASURE album ‘Erasure’ via Mute Records

https://www.facebook.com/erasureinfo

BOYTRONIC Living Without You (2002)

The 21st Century incarnation of BOYTRONIC saw the return of original frontman Holger Wobker. The anthemic ‘Living Without You’, which was one of two songs produced by Gareth Jones for the parent album ‘Autotunes’, utilised an impressive array of instrumentation including electronics, filmic orchestrations and rock guitars as well as Wobker’s impassioned vocals.

Available on the BOYTRONIC album ‘Autotunes’ via Strange Ways Records

https://www.facebook.com/BoytronicOriginal/

MESH No Place Like Home (2006)

When it suggested that MESH work with Gareth Jones, the band were initially reluctant because of the inevitable DEPECHE MODE comparisons. But Rich Silverthorn remembered “He was a really nice guy. We spent about 10 days locked in eating Chinese food, laughing and mixing ‘We Collide’”. Of the six tracks Jones mixed, ‘No Place Like Home’ proved to be one of the most poignant songs of MESH’s career.

Available on the MESH album ‘We Collide’ via Dependent Records

http://www.mesh.co.uk/

GARETH JONES Safe Travels (2020)

On the milestone of his 65th birthday, Gareth Jones’ released ‘ELECTROGENETIC‘, his first album under his own name. Most of the tracks began as improvisations around a modular patch, then crafted in a blend of humanity and electronics. While in Detroit, he developed the subtle rhythmic pulse and absorbing keyboard overtures of ‘Safe Travels’, one of several poignant tracks commemorating his recently passed mother and mother-in-law.

Available on the GARETH JONES album ‘ELECTROGENETIC‘ via Calm + Collect

https://www.instagram.com/garethgeniusjones/

SUNROOF 1.8 – 2.3.19 (2021)

A studio collaboration between Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller, while this project mostly produced covers such as ‘Hero’ for ‘A Homage to NEU!’ in 1998 and assorted remixes, SUNROOF started playing live shows and finally released a debut long player ‘Electronic Music Improvisations Vol1’. It featured a collection of improvised modular experiments recorded in 2019, of which the energetic ‘1.8 – 2.3.19’ was the most immediate.

Available on the SUNROOF album ‘Electronic Music Improvisations Vol1’ via Mute Artists

https://mute.com/artists/sunroof

Text by Chi Ming Lai
1 April 2024

KALEIDA Live at Hackney Oslo

28 March 2024 /

Coinciding with the release of their third album ‘In Arms’, KALEIDA gave a superb performance at Hackney Oslo in London ahead of a European and North American tour.

Fans attended from Scotland, Norway and Eastern European and it was vindication for KALEIDA of their artistic perseverance having considered disbanding under the pressures of parenting and the shifting patterns of both Christina Wood and Cicely Goulder as they made their long distance creative partnership work again as KALEIDA.

To that end, this run of live dates features only Wood augmented by drummer Verona Rose, with Goulder on maternity leave having only recently given birth to a new son. Opening with the glorious ‘Stranger’, this highlight from ‘In Arms’ sprung a surprise with its electro dance rhythms. In live form, the drums were not overbearing or ill-fitting as with some electronic based acts, complimenting as percussive colours with power when required.

But what was striking was Christina Wood’s great impassioned vocals and willingness to move around the stage in elegant mime gestures, as if compensating for the absence of her creative partner. However Goulder was there in spirit through her productions on the backing tracks and observing from afar in support of her band mate.

KALEIDA’s new album is their most varied yet as the house-inflected ‘Hollow’ and folky ‘Don´t Turn Me Out’ showcased, although it must be pointed out though that many of the audience were hearing this new material for the first time at this show and credit must be paid to them for embracing these songs so enthusiastically. ‘Seagull Nun’ was the first song that Wood and Cicely Goulder wrote as KALEIDA back before 2015’s debut ‘Think’ EP was released and its gothic drama mesmerised under a sea of haunting vocals and mantric rumbles.

Despite the haunting disposition of the majority of KALEIDA’s material, Christina Wood’s sense of enjoyment and openness to interact saw her announce to the audience that she would like a shot of tequila with several obliging a song or two later.

Christina Wood displayed KALEIDA’s Hollywood pedigree first with a stark heartfelt rendition of ‘99 Luftballons’ from the 2017 Charlize Theron spy drama ‘Atomic Blonde’ which put the ant-war lyrics centre stage in an all-too relevant world situation. Towards the show’s climax came ‘Think’ from the 2014 Keanu Reeves action thriller ‘John Wick’ which grabbed the biggest cheers but also sounded as fresh as it did a decade ago and even prompted a chorus singalong.

Another that had a chorus singalong was an “android soul” cover of Al Green’s ‘Take Me To The River’ from the ‘Think’ EP while Wood felt so flattered by all the positive vibes from all those present that she jumped off the stage and danced with several members of the audience.

With the deep overtones of ‘Tropea’ forming the encore, it was the culmination of which was possibly the friendliest gig ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has ever been to in 44 years of gig going. The audience were all looking out for each other, letting people return to their spots after comfort breaks etc and helping take each other take photos when Christina Wood and Cicely Goulder were obliging with a friendly aftershow meet-and-greet at the merch stall.

“This project is truly a labor of love. But in the end making music means more to us, and so we got back to it. We’ll never stop” said KALEIDA to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK in their recent interview and every single person in Hackney Oslo was certainly very happy about that.

With thanks to Alix Wenmouth at Wasted Youth Music

‘In Arms’ is released by Embassy One in blue vinyl LP, black vinyl LP, CD and digital formats via https://lnk.to/KaleidaInArms

KALEIDA 2024 live dates include:

Berlin LARK (28 March), Hamburg Hääkken (29 March), Warsaw Chmury (30 March), Seattle High Dive (11 April), Los Angeles The Echo (12 April), San Francisco Brick & Mortar Music Hall (13 April), Brooklyn Elsewhere (20 April), Montreal Bar Le Ritz PDB (21 April), Lörrach Stimmen Festival (12 July), Tallinn Vonge Festival (13 July)

https://www.kaleidamusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KALEIDAMUSIC/

https://twitter.com/kaleidamusik

https://www.instagram.com/kaleidamusic/

https://kaleida.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zyPKJ4ePhYLsBEy4A6BVX

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
28 March 2024

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2017 ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK | Email: [email protected]
Privacy Policy

Up ↑