Author: electricityclub (Page 8 of 418)

“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

A Short Conversation with CZARINA

7 November 2024 /

Following up her acclaimed 2022 sophomore album ‘Arcana’, progressive darkwave artist and producer CZARINA returns with the interstellar ‘Empire’ released by the Franco-German goth-oriented label, darkTunes.

The Spanish-based New Yorker ventures further into the cosmos as well as embracing a range of visceral and cerebral themes such as death and rebirth, transhumanism, esoteric mysticism, spacetime and quantum mechanics. Co-produced again by Von Hertzog, ‘Empire’ sees CZARINA move from the earthy organic overtures of ‘Arcana’ to back into electronic and synth undercurrents while utilising more layered orchestral and gothic choir arrangements which have been made possible thanks to today’s virtual technologies.

From the transhumanist-themed drama of ‘Rebirth’, the timpani-laden intensity of ‘Dark Star’ and the frenzied darkness of ‘Ghost Machine’ to the Sci-Fi futurepop of ‘Exoskeleto’ and the title track’s epic orchestrated pop, with diversions into a synthed up baroque cover of A PERFECT CIRCLE’s ‘The Outsider’ and the wistful rhythmic stutter of ‘Metatronica’, this third CZARINA long player is not lacking in spirit, adventure or imagination.

CZARINA spoke from her seaside home in Galicia to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about the process of writing and producing ‘Empire’.

With your previous album ‘Arcana’, you appear to have found your tribe? Can you pin down where your audience has come from?

For the most part, I think my audience comes from lovers of dark music genres. I think that the dark genres tend to offer a greater variety of sounds and expressions- whether its darkwave, dark electro, synth pop, industrial, goth, post-punk, metal, pagan rock, dark alternative rock, prog metal. I am finding that the ones who particularly have developed fondness for this project usually are the type of music lovers who might have spent some time reveling in the dark clubs yet also have grown to transcend – having a deeper appreciation for musicality, and looking for catharsis and introspection. I think this project has created a bridge for that.

How was it to play Castle Party in Poland during the summer?

Castle Party was a magical and an incredibly beautiful festival. I don’t think I’ve experienced anything quite like it. The audience, the team behind Castle Party, their logistics and the whole vibe and aesthetic were superb. Bolkow is quite a gorgeous, storybook kind of town that seemed to have popped out of a fairy tale. Also, I had the best pierogies ever. It was truly an honor to have been invited to perform.

How does ‘Empire’ differ from ‘Arcana’ in approach and formulation?

‘Arcana’ is very earthbound, hopeful and grounded with themes of renewal and oneness with nature and the cosmos, and is imbued with gnosis and mysticism. It is also the record where I introduced a new sound and ambitious compositions that had a particular epic grandeur yet still mostly organic in sound. The song ‘Atomic: Ad Initivm’ in ‘Arcana’ carries some futuristic Sci-Fi themes and vibe which I felt I needed to expand on further. This is how the new record ‘Empire’ was developed.

As a follow up to ‘Arcana,’ I wanted to give the songs in ‘Empire’ a more futuristic, Sci-Fi and cinematic quality to them, and for the record to play like a film or an outer space journey. I took inspiration from Sci-Fi films and animes I grew up watching. There are metallic, machine-like and dystopian qualities and lush outer space atmosphere in the composition and production, while the introspective songwriting and lyrics dove deeper inwards into dark liminal spaces. The writing process was similar to shadow work and looking deep into your own personal primordial abyss that could feel absolutely terrifying at times – embracing themes of death, rebirth, and transformation.

‘Rebirth’, the opening song of ‘Empire’ is quite an appropriate title…

When I wrote and produced ‘Rebirth’, I already knew I had to open the record with this track. It was inspired by the intro sequence of the anime film ‘Ghost In The Shell.’ I’ve always wanted to write about what goes on in the human mind in the process of being brought back to life and then awakening into a simulation and a new body – a cyborg. At the end, all we carry that is of value are our memories, and how grand would it be to be preserved and be given another chance at life.

‘Ghost Machine’ is very energetic and epic, what was its inspiration?

‘Ghost Machine’ was meant to follow ‘Rebirth’ and this time we see the cyborg in action and the reasons why she was created. It’s meant to play like an action-packed, fight sequence just like in the music video, and I had to pull from an amalgam of several influences from prog rock, Electro-D’n’B bands like THE PRODIGY, OSTs of Sci-Fi films like what Hans Zimmer did for ‘Dune’ and video game soundtracks like what Nobuo Uematsu did for the ‘Final Fantasy’ series.

How was the dynamic between yourself and co-producer Von Hertzog this time round, what lessons had you learnt since ‘Arcana’ in the making of ‘Empire’?

Von has been such a fantastic partner in engineering the development of the sound for this project. If I’m the creative and artistic freak, he’s the mad scientist, and I think that’s why it works. My writing and production are ambitious, often huge and multi-layered with large dynamics, and I know they could be daunting to tackle when it comes to mixing. ‘Arcana’ was a beast and a hairy monster. It was like bootcamp and a science project, requiring a lot of experimentation in spectral mixing in analog to get all the layers and instruments to sit well.

It’s in this technical end of production where Von has been extremely instrumental, adding to the production’s uniqueness and flavor. He gives respect and enhances the original production without sacrificing any of it, while adding further depth and dimension to the sound and layers to get to that multi-faceted spectral mix. And ever since ‘Arcana’, we have locked in a particular work flow that made the production for ‘Empire’ run a lot faster as we now know what to expect.

Speaking of Von Hertzog, how did he contribute as a featuring artist to ‘Metatronica’ which appears to show more restraint compared with some of the other material on ‘Empire’?

A collaboration featuring Von was long overdue as we’ve been working together over the last few years. Von utilizes a specific sound and textural palette for his own projects like VH x RR, and I’ve always wanted to see how our respective sound palettes and arrangements collide. Since he and I talk about science and math topics a lot, I thought that for this feature collaboration, it would be a cool challenge to produce a song that employs certain fundamentals of mathematics such as The Golden Ratio, while still carrying a perceptive meaning and message related to it.

I drafted the initial production of ‘Metatronica’ using the Fibonacci sequence (topline 1/16th notes starting at 2:00). (This draft ended up being called the “Kitsuné Demo” and is included as a bonus track on the Deluxe Extended Edition of ‘Empire’). Knowing Von was going to add his own arrangements and production, I purposely left the draft open, minimal and restraint to give him free rein. He gave ‘Metatronica’ a particular color and more electricity, created a different vibe to the beats, and added a mirroring (ascending / descending scale) topline melodies to portray the topic of symmetry noted in the lyrics. ‘Metatronica’ literally became the most ‘meta’ of all songs for this project so far where the production literally mirrored the theme and expression of the lyrics.

‘The Outsider’ appears to have a slight melodic reference to ‘Lullaby’ by THE CURE, was this intentional or totally coincidental?

It was purely coincidental – and a jolly one! My head was in orchestral and string section mode, and it didn’t dawn on me as I was writing the section descending to complete the scale. But I was channeling ‘Burn’ by THE CURE when I was working on the drums and percussion sequences for ‘The Outsider’. THE CURE is a huge influence.

Would you say you are making use of more orchestrated elements this time round, like on the ‘Empire’ title song, ‘Dark Star’ and the closer ‘Beyond The Veil’? Were there any particular classical or soundtrack influences?

I felt like I’ve completely found my stride and sound with the mix of orchestral work, and I immensely enjoy writing them. I buried myself in orchestral, cinematic, Sci-Fi and video game soundtracks the past couple of years. I tend to take refuge in them because these kinds works are primarily concerned with retaining musicality and conveying emotional depth and range. They’re not trying to be hip, trendy or cool – a trait which I feel has grown malignant amongst many wave genres, resulting in a lot of music sounding the same and linear. I listen to a lot of Hans Zimmer (‘Dune’ and ‘Dune 2’), Clint Mansell and THE KRONOS QUARTET (my favorites are ‘The Fountain’ and ‘Requiem for a Dream’ OST), Nobuo Uematsu (‘Final Fantasy’ 7 and 8), Joe Hisashi’s works for Ghibli Studio, and Junkie XLs work in ‘Rebel Moon’.

What virtual sound packs were involved as these sound pretty authentic or is this a trade secret?

My favorites have been the strings and orchestral library on Native Instruments’ Kontakt 7. I find them more nuanced in the performance and the textures to be more authentic. Surprisingly, sometimes the standard studio library on Logic has given some fabulous results. I find with strings and orchestral work, the performance of the actual writing matters a lot, especially the velocity and timing. Every delicate nuance in the movement does its job.

Now you have had a small bit of distance since signing off ‘Empire’ for release, are there any key tracks for you?

This is a hard question, because I look at the record as a whole and each track plays a role ‘til the very end. My favorite tracks are ‘Rebirth’, ‘Dark Star’, and the title track ‘Empire’ as they carry a certain transportive liminality to them, and they’re very fun to perform. But ‘Beyond The Veil’ is also a powerful closer, and that the production incorporates the sounds of Saturn’s rings, captured by sound artist China Blue for NASA, makes the song authentic. The message of the song itself is something that I want to leave listeners with, especially those who really need to hear it in this current timeline.

What is next for CZARINA? Will there be any live shows supporting this?

I am performing at the Subversonica Festival here in A Coruña in Galicia on November 9th which is the first performance to support ‘Empire’. Shows for 2025 are currently being scheduled. Aside from that, I am working on more music videos and visual narratives for the tracks in ‘Empire’.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to CZARINA

‘Empire’ is released by darkTunes Music Group in vinyl LP, deluxe extended edition CD and digital formats, available from https://czarinaofficial.bandcamp.com/

https://www.czarinaofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/czarinanyc

https://twitter.com/CZARINAnyc

https://www.instagram.com/czarinaofficial/

https://open.spotify.com/album/1ositTcJKzO2IldX1PhEAn

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
7th November 2024

Vintage Synth Trumps with JOHN FOXX

4 November 2024 /

Photo by Benge

While Gary Numan is often seen as the synthesizer’s first major pop star, his biggest influence was the first incarnation of ULTRAVOX! lead by John Foxx.

Following that self-titled 1977 debut with tracks co-produced by Brian Eno like ‘My Sex’, ULTRAVOX! gradually increased their use of synthesizers as part of a sound that stood out at the height of punk. The leadlines and soloing on ‘The Man Who Dies Every Day’ from their second album ‘Ha! Ha! Ha!’ demonstrated how powerful and fierce synths could be.

After the third album ‘Systems Of Romance’ in 1978 produced by Conny Plank which spawned standout moment such as ‘Slow Motion’, ‘Quiet Men’ and ‘Just For A Moment’, the technology had become so affordable and straightforward to use that Foxx saw he could realise his future musical vision without a band. Using just synths and drum machines with occasional bass guitar, the end result was the seminal 1980 debut solo album ‘Metamatic’ engineered by Gareth Jones. “It was minimal, primitive technopunk” said Foxx, “Car crash music tailored by Burtons”

For a short period with singles like ‘Underpass’, ‘No-One Driving’ and ‘Burning Car’, John Foxx became an unlikely pop star in his grey suit with Top40 hits, appearances on ‘Top Of The Pops’ with a band all equipped with Yamaha battleship keyboards and a previously unreleased track from the ‘Metamatic’ sessions ‘My Face’ given away free on a flexidisc attached to the front cover of ‘Smash Hits’ magazine.

Despite what appeared to be a long hiatus between 1986 to 1990 which can now be seen as nothing by today’s standards, John Foxx has been extremely prolific in his solo work and collaborations with the likes of Tim Simenon, Louis Gordon, Jori Hulkkonen, Jim Jupp, Robin Guthrie, Theo Travis, Steve D’Agostino, Steve Jansen, the late Harold Budd and his main partner-in-crime during the 21st Century Ben ‘Benge’ Edwards aka THE MATHS.

John Foxx is not just known for his music but he is also an esteemed visual artist. He recently published a 224 page book ‘Electricity & Ghosts’ collecting reproductions of the varied artistic media he has worked in, including drawing, photography, painting, graphic art, sculpture and collage. Created in collaboration with Grammy award winning graphic designer Jonathan Barnbrook, it includes a unique first-person narrative of his early college artworks and the creation of ULTRAVOX! which was initially conceived as an art project.

With ‘Metamatic’ soon to celebrate its 45th Anniversary, this was the perfect time for ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK to chat to John Foxx about his close encounters with synthesizers through the years over a game of Vintage Synth Trumps in Düsseldorf, the spiritual home of modern electronic pop.

Photo by Chi Ming Lai

OK John, the first card is a Sequential Circuits Pro-One… had you ever used much equipment from them before?

Not personally no, but Duncan Bridgeman who played on ‘The Garden’ album did. There were some very fine sounds he came out with.

On ‘The Garden’, there was a lot more of a band sound like on ‘Dancing Like A Gun’ and ‘Walk Away’, so were they shaped by jamming together?

I’d bring the song in and play it, then Duncan and Jo Dworniak who is a great bass player,  together with Robin Simon from ULTRAVOX! So we’d get together and go through the song a couple of times and then record it.

Duncan Bridgeman and Jo Dworniak were from this Britfunk band I-LEVEL, so how did you come across them?

It was in the studio, I’d heard them recording and thought “these guys are good” so I had a chat with them and it turned out they knew about my music and particularly liked the song ‘Metal Beat’ because it wasn’t regular time, it wasn’t “funky” but it had a broken up rhythm and they enjoyed that. So we got together to try out a few songs and it worked really well.

Next card and it’s a Korg 770…

I liked Korg stuff, a lot of people used it. I had some Korg keyboards although I preferred Roland. THE HUMAN LEAGUE had quite a bit of Korg and profited greatly from it. I remember having a conversation with Martyn Ware about the early synths they got, his first one was a Korg I understand…

The affordability of Korg made things more accessible so could you see a wave of creativity coming with these cheaper synths?

Yes! Because much earlier, the first people I knew who got a synthesizer were GLORIA MUNDI from which Eddie and Sunshine came. Sunshine bought a synthesizer and she put that through an amplifier, it was a knockout sound, so I thought “I’ve got to get one of those!”. It was that which started my interest in actually buying one. This was before ULTRAVOX! had recorded anything.

Did the rest of ULTRAVOX! need much persuading at the time to get into synths and technology?

Not really, Chris Cross particularly was great at getting hold of synths, Billy Currie did it slightly later because we needed to spend more money and we didn’t have any. I remember suggesting to Warren Cann about getting involved is using a drum machine and when he got to grips with it, he really enjoyed it, this was when we were recording ‘Hiroshima Mon Amour’. I asked him to switch in rhythms live which he did really well as I played guitar and sang it. That was the beginning of it.

You mentioned Eddie and Sunshine earlier and they did your first ‘Top Of The Pops’ appearance with you… this was visually significant because they all had big Yamaha CS80s. Although they weren’t actually on ‘Underpass’, did you have to hire those in?

No, I couldn’t afford to! The BBC kindly did it for us, they didn’t actually ask us, they planted these things there because they looked good. I use one now because Benge has one, I don’t know how much he paid for it, something like £5 I think but it’s worth a fortune now because it’s one of the most complex synths ever made!

Next is a Roland SH101, did you ever own one?

I have used a 101 but triggered with a rhythm to make bass parts. It was very useful for that but I never used it for anything else… I sold it after I used it which was foolish! I did that quite often!

They’re worth quite a bit now!

I know! Everything I sold is worth quite a bit now! *laughs*

Obviously working with Benge, he has massive synth armoury but when you owned The Garden studio, did you have a stash of synths for artists who hired it used?

They usually brought their own stuff although I did have quite a collection by that time. I particularly loved the Jupiter 8 and I didn’t want anybody to touch it! But when Matt Johnson of THE THE came in, he surreptitiously took it out of the store room and started using it. He had a really great time with it apparently but I didn’t mind, it’s what happens in studios! *laughs*

Ah, the next card is a Korg Poly 6, I seem to recall when you started working with Benge that you quite liked the Korg Mono/Poly?

Yes, although it’s not that I favour one synth over another, some are appropriate for what you are doing. Benge is usually the one who says “let’s try this one” and I’ll try a few synths out and one will sound right. There’s no particular favouritism going on, far from it, you just want the right sound.

You have the 45th anniversary of ‘Metamatic’ coming out and there’s a new vinyl remaster??

Yes, we’re trying to digitise the old tapes but we might have re-digitise it because digitisation changes in quality over the years, so it’s better now than it has been.

A lot of the stuff that was in the ‘Metamatic’ vaults is out now but is there anymore left?

Well, there are lots of bits because Gareth Jones and I used to put things down at the end of tapes to see if we got a good sound, you could never get the same sound back again. So we put things down like drum machine and processing though flangers and phasers and all that, sounds on the ARP or whatever sounded interesting to remind ourselves what we were doing because quite often when you’re making sounds, you don’t get to the sound you want but halfway there, something interesting happens so you want to keep it, but you still need to go on get to the sound you want. So there are lots of moments like that which we recorded.

Another card and it’s the EMS VCS3… as a youngster, did that fascinate you seeing it being used on the telly?

Oh yeah, Brian Eno had one when we were in the studio with him and Chris Cross enjoyed playing with that, I think he used it on ‘My Sex’ for one of the parts. So he later bought the compact AKS suitcase version, that was the first synth we got so that’s the memory of that one. Eno used it extensively on all his records like ‘Another Green World’, it was a great record, I thought it was like a new kind of jazz, it was non-conventional jazz, it was kind of freeform music. There were pieces on that record like ‘Sky Saw’ which even now sounds tremendous. And ‘Becalmed’ is a lovely track so it was the beginning of Eno finding his feet properly in the studio, moving away from rock ‘n’ roll into something else.

Now ‘Another Green World’ was notable for being half vocal – half instrumental and paved the way for similarly structured albums like David Bowie’s ‘Low’, is that something you would ever consider in your future works?

No, I don’t like mixing the two. I think they should be separate because I don’t think albums should be like a variety show. I think they should set a mood or a world that you go into, and I don’t want any disturbance in that.

That’s an interesting answer…ok, final card and it’s an EDP Wasp…

Ah yeah, Wasps, great fun! I used to borrow one because lots of people had them. I knew where to borrow things from. You can get some beautiful sounds from them.

Photo by Chi Ming Lai

You have this book ‘Electricity & Ghosts’ out compiling your graphic designs, what was the idea behind this?

Like all these things, when I pop my clogs, it’ll all get shuffled into the dustbin if I don’t do anything with it! And it’s as simple as that really!

Your visual art uses a lot of collage like the artwork for the ULTRAVOX! singles ’Slow Motion’ and ‘Quiet Men’. Leading up to your third solo album ‘The Golden Section’, the preceding singles ‘Endlessy’ and ‘Your Dress’ had collage art but for the album cover, you opted for a striking portrait photo taken by the late Brian Griffin, what was your thinking behind that?

It was just me trying to look my best, I was trying to look good! *laughs*

Was the photo intended for the cover or was it you had the photo taken for some other purpose and you liked it?

No, I wanted it to be like that and I already had the name ‘The Golden Section’. I thought “what can I do visually for that?” and then I realised I could do it with Brian Griffin because he used tungsten lighting in his photography and I’d used a lot of it, so it gave you that very rich “golden” effect. I felt it would be right so I had a word with Brian and he said yes.

Photo by Chi Ming Lai

Finally, your favourite synth of all time and why?

Oh, the ARP Odyssey… it’s the best noise making little brute you can ever come across. I still haven’t exhausted it, I’ve been using it for 50 years now and it still surprises me.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to John Foxx

Special thanks to Steve Malins at Random Management

‘Metamatic’ is released as a 45th anniversary a grey vinyl edition on 17 January 2025, pre-orders through the Official Store will include a limited edition signed print of the album artwork at https://johnfoxx.tmstor.es/product/152300

‘Electricity & Ghosts’ is published as a hardback book available from https://eu.rocket88books.com/products/electricity-and-ghosts-classic-edition

Vintage Synth Trumps is a card game by GForce that features 52 classic synthesizers, available from https://www.juno.co.uk/products/gforce-software-vintage-synth-trumps-2-playing/637937-01/

http://www.metamatic.com

https://www.facebook.com/johnfoxxmetamatic

https://twitter.com/foxxmetamedia

https://www.instagram.com/johnfoxxofficial/

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
4th November 2024

CAMOUFLAGE Live at Oberhausen Turbinenhalle

31 October 2024 /

After a postponement of a year, CAMOUFLAGE finally took their ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ tour on the German road.

This was a show to look back on four decades of CAMOUFLAGE – “Let’s remember 1983, the year we were founded” the band said on their socials, “KRAFTWERK, John Foxx, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, DEPECHE MODE and DAF! The electronic music of many new bands at the time electrified us and we thought: why not just try it ourselves? …”

Forming in 1983 as LICENSED TECHNOLOGY in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Marcus Meyn, Heiko Maile and Oli Kreyssig began creating tapes using a Moog Source, Korg MS20, Roland Juno 60, Roland JX3P, Roland TR808 and Simmons drums. The trio eventually settled on the name CAMOUFLAGE after the 1981 YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA track from the album ‘BGM’.

Still learning their craft as songwriters, when their demo ‘Fade In Memory’ was aired on the local radio show ‘Sounds From The Synthesizer’ in 1986, interest came from Westside Music who saw potential in the trio in much the same way as Beggars Banquet did with Gary Numan; The independent label were able to broker a deal with the European multi-national Metronome, leading to the release of the mighty debut single ‘The Great Commandment’ which became a No14 hit in West Germany and later a Billboard dance club No1 in the US.

While the ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ title may have indicted a farewell tour, this was anything but for CAMOUFLAGE as this was a reference to the show opener, a brand new autobiographical new song which captured all their best elements. Performed by Meyn and Maile alone, this was their statement of intent to continue despite their self-confessed ups and downs.

Joined on stage by Jochen Schmalbach (drums + electronic percussion) and Volker Hinkel (guitars + keyboards), CAMOUFLAGE ventured back to their ‘Voices & Images’ era and that 1998 album’s wistful opening song ‘That Smiling Face’. But then came a surprise with a rendition of their breakthrough unreleased demo ‘Fade in Memory’; a joyous slice of synthpop in the vein of ‘Speak & Spell’, this was a welcome and fun inclusion to the set. In comparison, it’s hard to imagine today’s incarnation of DEPECHE MODE performing ‘Television Set’!

One person was missing was CAMOUFLAGE co-founder Oli Kreyssig who opted not to tour for personal reasons. However, he appeared on screen and on the backing track for his lead vocal on ‘You Turn’ which formed part of the ‘Sensor’ era of the show. Having left the band in 1989 after the ‘Methods Of Silence’ tour, this album saw Kreyssig’s return which has since included a further two long players in ‘Relocated’ and ‘Greyscale’. The reunion began with the comeback single ‘Thief’ in 1999 which introduced the suite, but it was the Gary Numan meets Depeche magnificence of ‘Me & You’ and the moody groove of ‘Perfect’ which stole this particular section of the show.

With Meyn enthusiastically waving his arms aloft and Maile studiously looking at his synths, the wonderful ‘Suspicious Love’ represented the “Think Electronic” album ‘Bodega Bohemia’ from 1993 while there was an airing for another new song ‘Everything’. The oompa energy of ‘We Are Lovers’ from ‘Relocated’ was rather appropriately segued into a faithful cover of ‘Blue Monday’ before venturing into the ‘Greyscale’ era with ‘I’ll Follow Behind’, ‘Leave Your Room Behind’ and the catchy ‘Shine’. But it was ‘The Great Commandment’ that the enthused audience were waiting for and today still stands up as perfection in its development of the ‘Some Great Reward’ industrial electronic pop sound that DEPECHE MODE all but abandoned by ‘Black Celebration’.

For the first encore, CAMOUFLAGE revisited their AREU AREU side project of 1992 with a fairly identikit version of THE CURE’s ‘Cold’ from ‘Pornography’. However, the morose gloom was immediately offset with the joyous peace anthem ‘Strangers’ Thoughts’ with all present joining the male voice choir refrain. Continuing the theme, the anti-war song ‘Neighbours’ completed the ‘Voices & Images’ era with thoughts to those affected by the world’s current conflicts.

The final encore saw a token visit into 1991’s Colin Thruston produced ‘Meanwhile’ album with one of its more electronic based songs ‘Handsome’; an experiment in a more band-orientated sound with guitars, drums, violin and sax, the record confused fans and ultimately saw CAMOUFLAGE “think electronic” again to settle into becoming the respected veterans they are now. That said, tonight Volker Hinkel made six string contributions where appropriate, adding texture to the darker tracks, while sticksman Jochen Schmalbach is a far better and more respectful drummer when augmenting sequenced songs than Christian Eigner will ever be for DEPECHE MODE.

This fine evening concluded with ‘Love Is A Shield’, another international hit which affirmed back in 1989 that CAMOUFLAGE were more than one hit wonders and had a chance at longevity. As it happened, there really were ups and downs after but here were Meyn and Maile at the front of the stage singing the final chorus with acoustic accompaniment from Hinkel together with the assembled Oberhausen crowd.

This was an assured performance and Marcus Meyn would later remark that this was the first show of the tour which was free of technical hitches. It saw the band much more relaxed than they had been in Hamburg the night before, with the singer’s vocals more confident. With eight albums to their name, the indicators were that while CAMOUFLAGE’s past was being celebrated, there is more to come.

CAMOUFLAGE will next be touring Eastern Europe and on 19 July 2025 play Cologne’s prestigious Amphi Festival. But until then, there will be a new fan curated compilation also called ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ containing 40 songs from 40 years of the band’s history. While 2014’s ‘The Singles’ containing liner notes by ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK is a good bite size entry point into CAMOUFLAGE for the more cautious listener, those who wish to dive head first into a collection of glorious singles, album standouts and B-side experiments know what to ask for this Christmas 😉

‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ is released on 13 December 2024 as a 3CD or 4LP set on by Universal Music, pre-order from https://camouflage.bravado.de/

CAMOUFLAGE 2024 – 2025 Eastern European live dates include:

Tallinn Alexela Kontserdimaja (22 November), Riga Palladium (23 November), Vilnius Compensa Concert Hall (24 November), Warsaw Palladium (26 March), Ostrava Barrák Music Club (28 March), Bratislava Rafinery Gallery (29 March), Prague Roxy (30 March)

http://www.camouflage-music.com/

https://www.facebook.com/camouflagemusic

https://x.com/camouflagemusic

https://www.instagram.com/camouflagemusic/

Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
31st October 2024

808 DOT POP vs LECTREAU Interview

28 October 2024 /

With six albums to their name, Belgian electronic duo METROLAND have been bringing synthetic sounds from the underground since their release of their debut album ‘Mind The Gap’ in 2012.

While Passenger S and Passenger A released their most recent album ‘Forum’ earlier in 2024, the pair have been maintaining parallel solo projects. First off the mark was Passenger S with 808 DOT POP in 2020 with ‘The Colour Temperature’ in a smoother refinement of METROLAND’s conceptual adventures before following up with the triple opus ‘Pop Radio’ in 2023.

Meanwhile, Passenger A launched LECTREAU in 2023, a far more techno-based proposition with the influence of ORBITAL looming heavily that so far has come in the form of an EP ‘Elated’ and a series of digital singles, the latest of which has been ‘Monochrome’.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK are a mischievous bunch and thought it would be interesting and fun to ask Passenger S and Passenger A to answer same set of questions about 808 DOT POP and LECTREAU independently and without prior collective discussion; this is the end result…

After several albums as METROLAND, why did you feel the need to undertake solo projects?

Passenger A: Well, we have been doing METROLAND since 2012 and we have touched a million sounds and areas. METROLAND is a perfect common ground of two souls where pop, electronica and synths meet. It is that input of two people that is the strength of the METROLAND trajectory, but at times you feel that one is pushing the other in a way (or trying to) to meet his needs. LECTREAU was born out of an itch I simply could not scratch as I tend to move into a more danceable and techno-ish direction. It is not a need, but more a humble attempt to make something else that METROLAND does not have place for.

Passenger S: Personally, I found myself at a stage where the workload in METROLAND was not tipping in my favour at all. I was managing far too many tasks on my own, and when I finally realized that almost everything was resting on my shoulders, I decided that if I had to put in so much effort into something that wasn’t fully mine, I could just as easily focus that effort on something that was. From a musical perspective, after the challenging recording of ‘Men In A Frame’, I felt a certain limitation regarding the warmer aspects of METROLAND’s sound. There were numerous elements I longed to incorporate that simply didn’t make it through.

When working solo, what might you miss about the other?

Passenger A: Input, crystal clear. My partner in musical crime is a complete audio freak when it comes to endmix where I tend to go more for the sphere and the organic feel of the songs. So, that is not what I miss now and then; it is more a sound of layer of that extra crazy idea to move a song further into a next stage.

Passenger S: It’s quite simple, really… nothing. With 808 DOT POP, I’m fully self-sufficient in my own world: I develop my own concepts, enjoy every research step I take (I can watch YouTube documentaries for days and days), next create the music, produce, and mix all on my own. I get to decide on every sound and detail, which felt liberating at the beginning, that is why I am still going. It may sound a bit harsh, but it’s really not! 😉 METROLAND now simply has a new competitor to keep in mind.

What would you do solo that you would never do in METROLAND?

Passenger S: I had plenty of ideas I wanted to dive into without needing consent. Since I mix both the METROLAND and 808 DOT POP albums myself, I’m always walking a fine line. However, with 808 DOT POP, I tend to push the boundaries a bit more when tweaking the knobs, bringing in 808 elements that you wouldn’t typically hear in METROLAND.

Passenger A: Go totally techno or trance. That is an unspoken no-go in METROLAND. It grew like that.

808 DOT POP took the traditional album route straight away while LECTREAU has gone with the modern singles streaming method? What are the pros and cons of your approaches? Have they worked?

Passenger S: I take great pleasure in working with a solid, well-defined concept because that cannot be compromised by the release of single songs. Songs without a cohesive link don’t resonate with me. When things are connected, it really enhances creativity and brings out the best ideas. I also love to read and immerse myself in the setting of such a concept. I make it a point to learn as much as I can by buying books, watching DVDs or YouTube and thoroughly exploring the subject. Always one goal in my mind: How to turn a subject into a vivid aural world, accompanied by matching art and info.

Passenger A: I guess the fact that 808 DOT POP was able to make music within the label’s vision where METROLAND is signed made that a logical step. LECTREAU had only one option, apart from writing or trying to contact a label that would be interested in what he is doing. Here I must admit that my inspirations are so wide and vast that it is very hard to find a label that would host all the genres that I touch. It is always electronic, never techno like ANNA or Charlotte De Witte, but still if you go through the musical portfolio, you will notice that some songs are miles apart from each other. I don’t set out to make it like that, it is again that organic flow.

I follow my musical heart and ears. That one particular sound triggers me into a direction and I don’t fight it. It is in a way, very liberating. Does it work, you ask? It just feels natural. A pro is that I don’t need to link songs to each other in terms of sphere or sounds, I just make one and on to the next. Same for art work; I just make a cover and move on. This gives me more time to make more songs instead of the turmoil of finding those links.

What is the favourite solo track that the other has done so far?

Passenger A: I think that would be ‘Ultraviolet’ from the first 808 DOT POP album. I love the nervousness and “electro” feel of the track.

Passenger S: I don’t really track Passenger A’s activities closely. I have to say, when he shares his demos, I catch some lovely and interesting features. The problem is, I often approach them with a METROLAND mindset, which isn’t quite right, causing me to overlook his tracks. My former answer on individual songs plays a big role in that, I lack something overarching, single songs are not enough for my appetite. But, it’s Passenger A, his solo endeavour, and I’m not involved in that. However, it’s important to understand that there’s really no rivalry about who excels on his own. When we unite as METROLAND, we make ‘our’ music, have fun, and enjoy a beer together. Our shared passion for music is what matters, and METROLAND is a reflection of both of us.

‘Elated’ came with an 808 Dot Mix, doesn’t that now make it METROLAND?

Passenger S: This statement is somewhat accurate. Almost all the remixes released by METROLAND were created by me, with Passenger A participating in just a handful of them. Yet, there’s always some level of constraint. 808 DOT POP has its own distinct flavour and sound, which makes it easy for me to differentiate between a METROLAND mix and an 808 DOT POP mix. METROLAND offers a grittier sound with deeper and darker palette of tones, in contrast to 808 DOT POP, which sounds like a sweet candy store filled with layered sequences. The remix I created of ‘Elated’ is packed with plenty of 808 flavours and treats from that candy shop. It might be more accurately referred to as Passenger S’s 808 DOT POP mix.

Passenger A: Absolutely not, as it would have turned out tooooootally different. There were sounds and percussion that would not make it into the METROLAND studio.

What about the Eclipse series of mixes of the 808 DOT POP and Lis van den Akker single ‘Catching The Sun’? How was this approached?

Passenger A: That was a surprising thing. I sent the audio tracks of my version over in order to have the endmix better. It came back with an additional edit and dub where the other one went nuts. He did ask for my approval, but how could I say no to creativity?

Passenger S: At that point, Passenger A was just kicking off his project, and I thought it would be nice to give him a little boost. The foundation of the original mix was completely his, and I handled the final mix down, along with the creation of the edit and the dub. I found the idea really appealing, and the sweetest detail is that the little boy in the artwork is none other than Passenger A himself 😊

What about your own favourite solo tracks?

Passenger A: For LECTREAU that would be ‘Apricity’ (hence the naming of the label that I created for me and one other artist who shall remain nameless). As some might know, for me ORBITAL has been a huge inspiration since I first heard them in the 90s. Even in METROLAND here and there you will find some parts that could have been delivered by the Hartnoll brothers. ‘Ikone Der Moderne’ from the ‘Triadic Ballet’ album is a good example. The intro of that song is pure ORBITAL for me. It is even more present in the live version of ‘Ikone Der Moderne’.

‘Apricity’ is for me an ode to ORBITAL. The melody, the build-up, the sampled vocal (it is my niece, living in Canada by the way) and the sound all breathe ORBITAL. The single ‘Monochrome’, released recently, has evolved in that same fashion; ORBITAL. To make sure, I don’t set out when starting up my machines, it just organically moves like that.

Passenger S: Each song you share with the world is one that you cared about deeply while writing, whether it took you 5 minutes or 5 months, it was approached with the dedication of a monk. For this reason, I never criticize the creations of fellow artists, as I truly understand and respect their viewpoints.

The process of making music can be quite lengthy and demanding, especially during the mixing phase. I often find myself spending weeks fine-tuning a sound until every little detail is just right. Once my music is out in the world, I am so fed up with these songs I seldom revisit them; it’s all about moving forward to the next creations. I couldn’t even recall the songs from ‘The Colour Temperature’, let alone the ones we produced for ‘Mind The Gap’ back in 2012.

During the making of ‘The Colour Temperature’, I distinctly remember a track called ‘Radiation Laws’ (I really had to look up that song title again), that song came to life during a challenging period for me, yet the intro had a sequence that felt so uplifting, and I recall that it was linked to one very positive moment. When I listen to it, I’m transported back to that moment. It’s fascinating how electronic music can stir up such cherished memories; it’s definitely more than just cold and mechanical sounds.

While all this has been going on, METROLAND continues in parallel with the new EP ‘Cooperation’, a track from the ‘Forum’ album, why did you pick this to rework?

Passenger A: ‘Forum’ started out from an idea to remix ‘Industry’, but we felt it was not enough, so the idea of a linked album to ‘0’ followed. Due to the short time we had, not all tracks are ripe for remixing or making it a single. ‘Cooperation’ felt a like a logical choice.

Passenger S: ‘Cooperation’ hasn’t been completely reworked, I just trimmed it down for a radio edit and created an extended version. It’s a favourite among many who played ‘Forum’, but I have to admit, I’m not a fan. It was one of my biggest struggles to get the mix right. I even re-recorded it after the initial mastering because I just couldn’t get it to sound how I wanted. This really shows how much effort I put into tweaking a track. Even now, I don’t feel satisfied with the mix, but it seems most fans have a different opinion. The extended version highlights all the layers in the song, serving as a way for me to express, “Guys, this was the toughest song I’ve ever mixed.”

Overall, are you happy with how the last two METROLAND albums ‘0’ and ‘Forum’ have been received with their future economics themes?

Passenger S: I must say, the entire idea was absolutely fantastic, a delightful futuristic theme that kept progressing, clearly showing in both ‘0’ and ‘Forum’. I remember a few years ago while on vacation, I did read Klaus Schwab’s book, ‘The Fourth Industrial Revolution’ which was quite overwhelming at the time.

As always, every release and every little detail was meticulously planned. From the launch of ‘4’ (the 12-inch single) to the countdown leading to ‘0,’ culminating in ‘4.0’. The album title ‘0’ echoed The Fourth Industrial Revolution, a title that could be pronounced by listeners in any language.

Passenger A: Personally, I adore ‘0’. The length of some songs was crazy while we were doing our best to keep it interesting for the listener with filters and layers and a million moments where things happened before they know it. As we work in themed approaches, we focus on the music itself and the concept in a whole. This does not mean that we agree with the economic or political view on it. Still we have gotten some weird questions in interviews at the time about this. I guess that some people cannot see through the METROLAND vision.

‘0’ is darker than ‘Forum’ in sense of songs and art, and some fans prefer one or the other, so reception has been good for both. Someone once wrote “finally METROLAND have moved into their own sound, away from KRAFTWERK”. I agree wholeheartedly, but we feel that at times some fans expect it and even if a song has this Krafty flavour, it is not something we strive for.

Talking of the future, how do you think AI might influence your music?

Passenger S: At this moment, I’m not quite sure what lies ahead, so let’s wait and see what unfolds. I’m all for embracing new technology if it leads to something better. It could be fun to put out a song with AI-generated vocals, why not explore that (just want to point out, not “copying” existing singers and their voice)? When I use a synth module today to create a random sequence, it could just as easily be produced by AI, right? It’s too soon to make any definitive decisions, the future is something that some people fear, exciting for others, while some choose to remain in a comfortable middle ground.

Passenger A: It already does; 90% of my art work is built on AI art. I am also exploring some ways to include AI vocals, as we speak. It will not influence it, it will just be an ingredient or not.

What is next for 808 DOT POP and LECTREAU?

Passenger S: Regarding 808 DOT POP, I’m currently working on an exciting new trilogy. Yes, three albums that are intertwined within one concept. It’s going to be a true ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’, leading the listener back on a journey to a not-so-distant past. There was a lot, and truly a lot to investigate and I’m just about done mixing all 24 tracks, along with writing the accompanying material…I will stick to that information… keep a close eye on my Facebook or webpage.

Passenger A: For LECTREAU, more singles coming up and I am working on two remixes for one band. Again, it was very organic how that came about. I had an idea for a sound, but that would not fit in the remix I was doing. So I decided to make two because that sound was amazing. I don’t think the band will oppose to it 😉

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Passenger S and Passenger A

808 DOT POP ‘The Colour Temperature’ and ‘Pop Radio’ are released by by Alfa Matrix, available from https://www.808dotpop.com/shop.html

https://808dotpop.com/

https://www.facebook.com/808dotpop/

https://www.instagram.com/808dotpop/

LECTREAU ‘Monochrome’, ‘Just Wonder’, ‘Petrichor’ and previous singles are available from https://lectreau1.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075981708943

https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KaMVzSwev7CXLCXG1rOyk

METROLAND ‘Cooperation’ and Forum’ are released by Alfa Matrix, available from https://store.alfa-matrix-store.com/

https://www.metrolandmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/metrolandmusic

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
28th October 2024

CURSES Another Heaven

25 October 2024 /

Berlin-based New Yorker Luca Venezia, better known as CURSES, has joined the Italians Do It Better family.

The musician and DJ has signed with the label run by Johnny Jewel and Megan Louise that became known for being home to CHROMATICS but has since also provided a release outlet lately to MOTHERMARY, DLINA VOLNY, CAUSEWAY, KID MOXIE & NINA, SALLY SHAPIRO, BARK BARK DISCO and LOVE OBJECT.

For many reasons, the Italians Do It Better union is fitting; known for blending goth rock, new wave, dark disco and synth as exemplified by Venezia’s acclaimed ‘Next Wave Acid Punx’ series of compilations, ‘Another Heaven’ is the third full length CURSES album. Benefitting from Johnny Jewel’s co-production input, it develops on the gloomy vision cemented on the debut ‘Romantic Fiction’.

Informed by Venezia’s love of alternative club music, one of the highlights of ‘Another Heaven’ comes with its title song; this takes its lead from NEW ORDER and ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’, but presents it more as an influence rather than the blatant but very good rip off that NATION OF LANGUAGE’s ‘On Joy Division Street’ was. Expressing his lovestruck joy across seven wonderful minutes, Venezia said “This is a love song dedicated to the lost ones, a ballad for the lost ones to belong. We are always searching for that immortal love, divine romance, a truth to our mystery, and when we find it, we can only assume, this creature so perfect so made for you must be from an ethereal unknown place”

A second highlight comes with the superb ‘Vanish’; featuring the guitar of fellow Berlin resident SKELESYS who has been a regular collaborator of the Berlin-based duo LOCAL SUICIDE, this is CURSES’ own ‘Your Silent Face’ with its brightly bubbling sequencers and solemn demeanour. There is even a subtle ‘Heroes’ like quality about it as our hero declares to his love that he wants to ”vanish with you”.

There are other good tracks with ‘Heart & Cane’ pounding with tension in a manner that would give ACTORS a run for their money in the post-post-punk stakes. ‘Elegant Death’ is a slice of anguished melodic goth, as is ‘Like Porcelain’ where “not everyone falls in love”, but with synth motifs and textural guitar sitting together in harmony, ‘HS2G’ has a comforting nostalgic bent despite the emotional torment.

‘Caviar’ crosses THE SMITHS with THE CURE while ‘Helium’ features Marie Davidson of ESSAIE-PAS sounding serene and alternating with stark spoken word. Not everything hits the spot though with ‘Echoes’ possessing a shadier intensity with a touch of distress that won’t be to everyone’s taste…

While not as ominous as MOLCHAT DOMA with their recent album ‘Belaya Polosa’ but sharing some of its brighter electronic elements, ‘Another Heaven’ is an accomplishment that sees Venezia focus as CURSES to develop his songwriting away from the more blurry aesthetics of the previous album ‘Incarnadine’. By adding more of his own haunting vocals to the backdrop of ghostly six string signatures, icy string machines and infectious rhythm construction, the end result is some guarded optimism to venture out in these gloomy times.

‘Another Heaven’ is released by Italians Do It Better via the usual platforms including https://cursesforever.bandcamp.com/album/another-heaven

CURSES 2024 live dates include:

Palermo Creatures (25 October), Messina Retronoveau (26 October), Caserta Lizard Club (31 October), Bologna Locomotiv (1 November), Milano Arci Bellezza (2 November), Marseille Molotov (3 November), Barcelona Sala Upload (4 November), Bordeaux I-Boat (6 November), Lyon Sonic (7 November), Paris La Marberie (8 November), Brighton Alphabet (9 November), Liverpool District (10 November), London The Lexington (11 November), Brussels Witloof Bar (12 November), Frankfurt Tanzhaus West (13 November), Utrecht EKKO (14 November), Rotterdam Worm (15 November), Bochum Die Trompete (16 November), Hamburg U&G Turmzimmer (17 November), Dresden Chemiefabrik (19 November), Wien Replugged Music Club (21 November), Berlin Berghain Main Hall (27 November)

https://www.cursesforever.com/

https://www.facebook.com/cursesforever/

https://www.instagram.com/cursesforever/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
25th October 2024

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