Category: Interviews (Page 1 of 112)

POEME ELECTRONIQUE Interview

5 April 2025 /

Named after the 1958 electro acoustic composition by Edgard Varèse, London quartet POEME ELECTRONIQUE are best known for releasing just one single ‘The Echoes Fade’ on Carrere Records back in 1982.

Comprising of Julie Ruler (vocals), Sharon Abbott (vocals), Dave Hewson (synthesizers) and Les Hewson (bass), the sub-7 minute single was championed by John Peel and became a much sought after collector’s item when there came retrospective demand for what was now being called “minimal synth” and “coldwave”.

This interest prompted Marc Schaffer of Anna Logue Records to track down and contact Dave Hewson in 2007 who by now has disbanded POEME ELECTRONIQUE and quietly having as a successful career as a composer, arranger and producer for television and film; one of his best known productions was ‘Anyone Can Fall In Love’, the vocal version of the ‘Eastenders’ theme by Anita Dobson.

The end result of the link up with Anna Logue Records was a 7” reissue of ‘The Echoes Fade’ in gently remixed form and more significantly in 2009, a double album set of previously unreleased POEME ELECTRONIQUE material recorded back in the day. The union also led to the formation of TWINS NATALIA and the album ‘The Destiny Room’ which reunited Hewson in the studio with Julie Ruler and Sharon Abbott to music that has been co-written with Schaffer.

Dave Hewson spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about synths, POEME ELECTRONIQUE, TWINS NATALIA and much more…

You studied at Trinity College of Music, how did you becoming interested in using synthesizers?

I was given an amazing opportunity as a teenager while still studying at school, to be given a scholarship to be able to go to the Royal College of Music’s electronic music studio once a week, where I was given tuition in electronic music composition with Lawrence, Cassidy and Tristan Carey. Prior to this, I had to started to experiment with Musique Concrete techniques, as I had been gifted a small Phillips tape machine.

The early compositions that I created in the early late 60s and early 70s were made using tape editing and loop techniques. To the credit of our local education authority, they maybe could foresee a future for me in the world of electronic music creation.

I also experimented with various tape speeds, reversed, sounds, all the kinds of things you would expect from the Radiophonic Workshop, which was a source of fascination and inspiration for me. I had written and a lot of classical compositions that I never saw being able to being performed, so I worked out, that if I had a machine to produce my music, I could create record and make my own compositions from scratch. It didn’t stop me writing a great deal of piano and orchestral music, but I loved the experimentation involved with tapes combined with the electronics.

I was also very inspired as a teenager when I heard ‘Visage’ by Luciano Berio for the first time, and some of the concrete compositions by Pierre Schaffer, listening to some of the early music I created in the early 70s, l can now I can see how strong that influence was. My interest was also enhanced after discovering the amazing work by Wendy Carlos and Tomita.

What sorts of synths became available to you to use there and was there a college hierarchy as to their use?

They had several EMS VCS3s, and some external EMS modules filters and sequences etc. I was encouraged to learn how to use the VCS and it proved to be invaluable. Once you’ve got used to the matrix system, it seems very simple. It is a fantastic synthesizer and I’m so pleased to see that it is being reborn by some manufacturers in various forms.

What was the first synth you got?

My parents gifted me an EMS AKS in 1970, this opened up a whole new sonic world for me, and this was the very start of my personal electronic journey.

Electronic pop was becoming the future of music by 1980 so how did POEME ELECTRONIQUE come into being and who were your role models as far as that musical direction?

In the late 70s, my brother Les asked me if I would be interested in playing keyboards with his band, a lively and very active punk rock band called STAGESTRUCK. They were very influenced by bands like THE TUBES and SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES. It soon became a seven piece line-up and we played regularly in South London. It had a very large fan base and following, I soon started to write material for the band.

We had a single on Trident Records called ‘Smoke’ and it was recorded at Trident Studios in London. It did not do very well. In fact it was banned by the BBC; it was an anti-smoking song, so I don’t really think they got the message or understood. The band split and I decided to form POEME ELECTRONIQUE with my two cousins Sharon and Julie, and with my brother. The girls had been the backing vocalists in STAGESTRUCK, but now Sharon and Julie were to form the very core part In this new venture.

My brother played bass guitar on many of the tracks that we created. We then started to produce songs in a very small 4 track recording studio, just in a tiny room in our home in South London. I guess our main influence then would’ve come from SOFT CELL, EURYTHMICS, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, YAZOO and Nina Hagen.

What was the creative dynamic between the four of you?

We had a very set way of producing our material. Sharon would constantly supply me with lyrics and I would use these as the inspiration for my electronic songs. This was never difficult, as she was brilliant at painting an immediate picture of how the track should form itself, so the title and the lyrics would often give the direction.

I would arrange the whole track produce and create the vocal line to fit Sharon’s lyrics, adjusting where I would need to, and Julie would sing the backing vocals. Sharon would sing the lead, and on some tracks my brother Les would play bass guitar. I tend to work very much on my own being a producer and creator at all levels, singing a guide for the lead line, and for the backing vocals. Occasionally, if the song felt right, I would also add some backing vocals myself, and also some vocoder additions, as in the Poeme song ‘Theories’.

The portastudios that came on the market at the time were a revelation, but which was your tape machine of choice and how was it to use?

We used a TEAC 4 track reel-to-reel machine, the A3340S. It had simul-sync, so we were able to bounce tracks to form layers. I would make a stereo mix, and then leave two tracks just for the vocals.

How did you choose ‘The Echoes Fade’ to be your debut single?

I think we chose ‘The Echoes Fade’ because it seemed to sum up completely what POEME ELECTRONIQUE was about – lyrics by Sharon that were very poetic in nature, and the addition of my electronic synthesises and drum machines. “poeme electronique” – “electronic poem”

How did the deal with Carrere Records to release ‘The Echoes Fade’ come about because at the time, they were mostly known for Euro disco pop like Sheila B Devotion, Amii Stewart and Patrick Hernandez?

To our amazement ‘The Echoes Fade’ was championed by the record company executive Freddie Canon who was the chief of A&R at Carrere Records in London at that time. Our then-manager Barry Dunning (he managed the group MUD in the 60s) played our 4 track version of the song to Freddie, he wanted to release it just as it was, completely unaltered, so that’s exactly what happened, we were totally amazed. Freddie had a great ability to spot the unusual and different.

The length of the song worked against us from the start, as most radio stations did not play it, because it did not fit into the required timeslot of a three minute pop record, and I guess that was always going to be a problem. The only person who liked our record and played it on his show, was the late great John Peel. This meant so much to us of course. We had created several songs ready to go, but because of the lack of interest in POEME ELECTRONIQUE poem, it was all buried amongst all of the many tracks that we had started to produce.

Freddie Cannon did not lose interest in us and really believed in the track, and so he sought a more commercial approach, which for us would be to create an album that later became known as ‘Danse Electronique’ by ELECTRO PHONIQUE. It was an album of electronic covers of hits from the period so on that disc is SOFT CELL – THE HUMAN LEAGUE – KRAFTWERK etc, a few copies still turn up on eBay.

As for ‘The Echoes Fade’, to our amazement, it will often sell for many pounds – crazy, so l guess at that time, Poeme was not to be. It did not stop me writing songs however and in the period after the single, we must’ve created over 50 tracks, they were tucked away for years.

Was it a disappointment that ‘The Echoes Fade’ b/w ‘Voice’ came out in a plain black sleeve and not a picture bag as had become the norm at the time, or was it intentional to allow the music to stand out on its own?

It’s a great shame that it came out with just a plain black sleeve and I’m sure a picture bag would’ve made it even more collectible. I guess it’s because we were so naive at that time, it did not occur to us that it would matter, I think we were just so grateful and thrilled to have a song released. Now that we have the brilliant Steve Lippert to design our sleeves – it’s made up for that I guess.

How was the public reaction to ‘The Echoes Fade’, was there excitement in the band?

Public reaction was difficult to judge, I think we were all very enthusiastic and made a couple of home-made videos to try and promote the single. Sharon is an extraordinary performer, a pure natural in every sense. Julie also bought magic to her backing vocals with her life performances.

After that, POEME ELECTRONIQUE went silent but then Anna Logue Records got in contact to reissue ‘The Echoes Fade’ b/w ‘Voice’ in 2007, this time with a picture bag… you opted to remix the two tracks, but what rules did you impose on yourself for that process?

I was so excited and thrilled when Anna Logue records got in touch with us, and was amazed that there was an interest in our music. The track is based on a version that I had created just after the original, this version being tucked away for many years. It was created on 16 track tape, so I took 90% of those elements and then just added a few updates, vocals from Sharon and Julie are the originals from that time.

Why had POEME ELECTRONIQUE been put into hiatus?

After I gave up teaching full-time, music composing was the only source of my income. I guess any projects that I couldn’t see being able to sustain me financially were very much put on hold. I was determined to create as much music as I could, and that I hoped that would pay.

I have Marc Schaffer to thank for the renewed interest, and that l might be able to work on Poeme again. I had become able to support myself financially through my television music etc, so this gave me more time to work on Poeme and other projects.

How did the TV soundtrack work come about?

My composition teacher, Richard Arnell introduced me to students at the London International Film School, where I would compose music for free for the students’ films. This was really helpful, and a great teaching tool for me. I learnt a great deal about writing to picture. Gradually I started to be involved in more commercial projects, one of the students at the school called Laurence Posner produced a film on ‘The Prisoner’ TV series and asked me if I would write the music.

Things developed from there and I was also asked as a keyboard player to perform on a number of artists’ productions, including Amii Stewart’s remixes of ‘Knock On Wood’ which I also produced.

You worked on TECHNO TWINS’ 1982 album ‘Technostalgia’, what was that like for you?

I was at college with Bev Sage, one half of TECHNO TWINS, and met her again several years later when we recorded ‘Smoke’ at Trident Studios, she was in a band called FAMOUS NAMES. They were there, recording their single at the same time as us.

She asked me if I would be interested in writing some songs for her, and so the majority of the material that they released as TECHNO TWINS was created in my little 4 track studio in South London. I enjoyed the work on ‘Technostalgia’, I created the cover version of the only successful single they released ‘Falling In Love Again’ with my MS-20 synthesizer, my little Boss DR55 drum machine, and my 4 track.

When ‘The Echoes Fade’ double album collection came out on Anna Logue Records in late 2009, it included 14 previously unreleased tracks from 1980-1983; had there been any interest from other labels back then? Had you considered self-releasing the material or was that impossible at the time?

I think that our material at that time was considered to be too off the wall, and releasing ourselves was beyond us I guess.

What was your approach to the final sound for this 2009 release? How far could you take the mix?

We wanted to keep the material as close to the original as possible, and many of the tracks are just stereo mixes of the four track masters. The most important thing for me was to capture Sharon’s original vocals and Julie’s backing vocals, I did use some noise reduction to clean up the analog tapes, and replace some of the drum sounds with a like-for-like. There was a lot of post-production and editing.

Unlike a lot of “minimal synth” or “coldwave” of that period, POEME ELECTRONIQUE were very song based and had tunes, where did this classic songwriting influence come from?

I think it was Sharon’s lyrics that inspired a much more song-based approach to the writing. A good example is ‘It’s In The Atmosphere’ which has a cinematic feel, I think the melodic influences must’ve come from my classical training.

What are your favourite POEME ELECTRONIQUE tracks from this period?

I find it difficult to choose, I love all of the songs that we created, each song had a particular story to tell, ‘Dilemma’ is a good example, and also ‘Atoman’ maybe predicting the future that we are now all living in.

The union with Anna Logue Records led to new POEME ELECTRONIQUE tracks and the formation of a sister band TWINS NATALIA, what has it been like to compose and construct synthpop songs again in the modern era?

This was very inspiring, and also gave us an opportunity to explore a new outlet. Marc Schaffer providing the original track ideas, which I would take forward into full blown productions, creating and the lead melody, and backing vocals which Sharon and Julie sang, Sharon would provide the lyrics. I would perform all of the synth and drum machine parts, we did not involve any other musicians. The production was computer based, using virtual synths.

Are there any differences with how you approach TWINS NATALIA compared with POEME ELECTRONIQUE, is there something you would do with one that you maybe wouldn’t do with the other?

I suppose we could regard TWINS NATALIA as the new POEME ELECTRONIQUE, but I think the TWINS NATALIA concept is much grander and more developed from a production point of view, but the essence of Poeme is very clear to hear l feel.

How did you end up doing the lead vocal on ‘I Avoid Strangers’?

I have never really considered myself to be a good singer in any way, but somehow, when I listen to the track, my voice seem to work, so I gave it a try and I think it’s not half bad.

How do you now look back on ‘The Destiny Room’ album?

I am very proud of what we achieved on that album. Some of the songs are epic in nature, ‘Set Love Free’ is a good example, it gave me a chance to explore so many areas of production, Sharon and Julie performed amazing vocals.

Your synth soloing style appears to have a very prog influence, please discuss?

I never plan my synth solos, they come straight off the top of my head, and I improvise and play in the way that reflects just how I’m feeling, allowing the track to inspire the twists and turns of the solo. Having worked on the track for a long time, the chord sequences are embedded in my head, so I kind of know what’s coming next, in every bar. I think as far as the prog influences concerned, if I were a guitarist, it would be very similar.

What would you say has been your favourite synth of all time?

I guess it would have to be the VCS3, not ideal in for solos or chords, but just in terms of an absolute “sound house” of inspiration I don’t think you could get better. The other since synth that was an enormous influence on me was my CS80, just so expressive, it features very heavily on the Poeme album, particularly on ‘It’s In The Atmosphere’. My CS80 kept breaking down so very sadly, I had to let it go. I wish I’d kept it.

Did you keep your original synths or are they long gone? Where do you stand on the VST versus hardware debate?

When I sold my house in Sussex, the studio had to go, alongside racks and racks of synthesizers, my Emulator 2, my Jupiter 6, my CS80 etc. They have all now been replaced by virtual versions. For me, it’s just a means to an end and in the back of my head, I don’t feel as if I’ve lost my beloved analog synths. Now l have a collection of virtual synths far greater than I had. In the analog world, I wouldn’t have the room from those keyboard instruments now, that’s for sure.

You’ve kept the music of POEME ELECTRONIQUE and TWINS NATALIA largely off streaming services and more or less exclusively on Bandcamp, has this been a deliberate strategy or will that change in the future with any possible reissues?

I want to try and make all the material available. Getting vinyl prepared and ready can take a while, but I have so much material in the pipeline. I am keen to get that out to the people who want to listen to my music. Bandcamp is an immediate and speedy vehicle for just that.

What about the necessary evil of social media, how do find navigating that?

We live in a world now where Pandora’s Box is well and truly open, and we can’t avoid social media. I tend to play it fairly low-key, but will always respond to people who are interested to see what I’m trying to achieve with my music.

So will there be any new POEME ELECTRONIQUE and TWINS NATALIA albums, what are you up to at the moment?

My plan is to make available a large number of POEME ELECTRONIQUE tracks that never ever saw the light of day. Some of these were recorded, but a large number never ever made it onto tape, so it would be an exciting project to remake those with new technology. I think these will be initially on Bandcamp, but I’m sure that they will also come up as a vinyl release, as the second Poeme album called ‘Fashion For All Sexes’.

There are also new and exciting tracks in the pipeline from TWINS NATALIA, most recently a collaboration with the wonderful performer and singer Kriistal Ann. I am also exploring the use of AI for lead vocal lines, using my vocal as a guide. I am also planning a solo synth album of dark minimal tracks.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Dave Hewson

Special thanks to Marc Schaffer at Anna Logue Records

The albums ‘The Echoes Fade’ by POEME ELECTRONIQUE and ‘The Destiny Room’ by TWINS NATALIA are available digitally from https://davehewson.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100029145923592

https://www.facebook.com/twinsnatalia

https://soundcloud.com/davehewson/sets/electrophonique

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
5th April 2025

HEAVEN 17: The Sound With Vision Interview

31 March 2025 /

HEAVEN 17 are making a documentary and their audience will feature as its stars.

Celebrating 45 years of HEAVEN 17, this upcoming film will be directed by the BAFTA-nominated James Strong and go behind-the-scenes with Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware on their ‘Sound With Vision’ tour while also interviewing fans from around the world.

Formed after the split of THE HUMAN LEAGUE Mk1 in 1980, Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh recruited their friend Glenn Gregory to front a new pop project HEAVEN 17 named after a fictional band mentioned in the dystopian novel and film ‘A Clockwork Orange’. Their 1981 debut long player ‘Penthouse & Pavement’ gained much acclaim. After a few near Top40 misses with the singles ‘(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang’, ‘Play To Win’ and ‘Let Me Go’, HEAVEN 17 finally had two Top5 hits ‘Temptation’ and ‘Come Live With Me’ in 1983.

Despite this success and with the parent album ‘The Luxury Gap’ certified platinum, HEAVEN 17 remained a studio only concern. The following albums ‘How Men Are’, ‘Pleasure One’ and ‘Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho’ were unable to replicate their sales impact. However after a hiatus of several years, Messrs Gregory, Marsh and Ware released a comeback album ‘Bigger Than America’ and sprang an even bigger surprise by opening for ERASURE on their ‘Cowboy’ UK arena tour in 1997.

Beginning a new phase, there  was even a live album ‘How Live Is’ but following the album ‘Before/After’ in 2005, Marsh bid farewell leaving  Gregory and Ware to develop HEAVEN 17 as a performing entity over the past 25 years with engaging shows that have brought the remaining duo closer to their loyal followers.

In his eighth interview with ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK, Martyn Ware chatted about the concept of ‘Sound With Vision’ and the ever changing notion of fandom.

What is the idea behind this ‘Sound With Vision’ tour?

Essentially, a friend of ours James Strong runs a production company called Strong Pictures and is also a successful writer/director/producer who has won Emmys, he did ‘Mr Bates vs. The Post Office’, and ‘Broadchurch’, he worked with Glenn who did the soundtracks for his series ‘Liar’ and ‘Vigil’ with Berenice Scott.

He saw us perform at Shepherd’s Bush Empire and was struck by the unusual connection between the stage and the audience and between Glenn, myself and the band. It’s a warm experience, you’ve been, you’ve seen it, we make an effort to communicate and empathise that a lot of this audience are coming out as a relief from the existential nightmare that we’re all in, to understand that people want you to break that fourth wall. It gives them the sense that every gig they come to is a unique experience.

So James has seen us play loads but he was struck by how it had grown over time and how we have got loads of diehard fans… it is really nice to come onto stage and see lots of people who you are familiar with because it gives you a sense of confidence, it’s like having a home crowd at a football game.

In the background, James and Glenn had been mulling over the idea of doing some kind of documentary film about HEAVEN 17. For ages we thought it was a good idea but to be honest, does the world need another documentary backstage with the band and the great and good, lots of concert footage and a few jeopardy moments?

Then Glenn rang me with an idea… why don’t we make the hook of the next tour about a documentary celebrating that connection with the audience and our fans.  When we were doing VIP meet ‘n’ greets before the shows on the last tour, there were all these people who came up to us going “I’ve been to see you 30 times” and  we didn’t know who these people were, we didn’t recognise them from the audience or anything. We knew there were an obsessive hardcore following us like a football team, but this was new revelation for us and much more widespread than we thought.

We started thinking about our friends in this 80s and electronic scene, how there is a kind of zeitgeist at the moment for people of a certain age and their offspring who have no interest as to “when” the music was made. We started moving into a situation where 10-20% of the audience are new. So we thought we’d celebrate this by making a documentary that is as much about the fans as it is about the band, a little bit like Louis Theroux… so whatever, even if you are looking at it from the outside wondering what the hell is going on, it’s still going to be entertaining.

So how will your fans take part in the documentary, will there be a filming booth at each show which people can queue up for to volunteer their comments?

 We haven’t figured that out yet, but that’s one way of looking at it. I think it will be quite nice to see them in their homes…

SPARKS did that for an MTV featurette…

Anyone who has an interest will get on it, we want as many people from as many different countries. Like there’s an 80s nostalgia thing going on in America… incidentally next year, we are doing an 80s cruise with Gary Numan in the Caribbean.

Photo by Richard Price

I was wondering if this fan relationship is a relatively recent phenomenon because of social media but also because HEAVEN 17 didn’t tour back in the day, so you were sort of detached from your fanbase until the 1997 ERASURE tour which even then, it is likely people were almost treating you as a new act?

That’s absolutely quite perceptive of you may I say Chi; I think it’s true and we weren’t confident that it wasn’t just a bunch of weirdos out there… one fan Sumo who has been to 250 shows now, when I first met him, he brought this scrapbook and rather than keeping it as a memento, he gave it to me… this was like a different level of fandom that I wasn’t particular familiar with. I mean, I’ve never seen an act more than a dozen times at most.

But it was something we always wanted to happen, we always liked to build some kind of artistic conceit, a cinematic universe if you will, where everything is connected artistically and there is a deeper meaning to most of the stuff we do. The thought that there were people out there then (it’s all weird kind of time travel stuff this!), the fact that we only started performing live in 1997, so this is 28 years ago! This was 17 years after we formed ironically, so we have had an unusual career in that respect. So people didn’t get a chance to thank us I suppose.

One thing I noticed researching old CDs and all that, HEAVEN 17 were one of the first acts to have an email contact address in the booklet, so how did people respond to you?

We’ve always tried to allow contact, we’re in a fortunate position where we are not Taylor Swift and don’t get half a million emails! There’s a definite intention from both Glenn and myself , and Ian when he was in the band, that we wanted to be an open as possible with the fans and have as much contact. In fact, it was even more important when we didn’t perform live so we had the HEAVEN 17 Plan fan club which Lindsay, Glenn’s wife used to run.

We’ve tried to encourage as much contact as possible with the fans. But it was a bit of a dichotomy because we liked the idea of people on videos, you’re almost like an actor and a fantasy thing, then one day Robert De Niro says “you can email me if you want”… of course, I’m exaggerating it to make a point but you know what I mean?

An interesting flip of this contact, and this is something Neil Arthur of BLANCMANGE said to me, is that you are more accessible so people start approaching you about weird stuff, telling you their record is scratched and asking what you’re going to do about it… how have you dealt with the more intrusive side of being more open to your fanbase on social media?

 I have to say it’s only a tiny amount, maybe 5% or less. But if we have a tour or a record coming, the most common annoying things are messages like “what time are you coming onstage?”, I sometimes respond and sometimes I don’t.

Then there’s people having issues with Ticketmaster or the venues themselves. But because I’m a point of contact and Glenn is in the background not having to deal with it, if something goes wrong and there’s a mistake in the publicity, Muggins here has to deal with it, they don’t contact the venue or the promoter… so I’ve had to back off on all that stuff. But it’s a rare thing.

Another thing about this approachability on social media, it means the artist has to regularly do postings but now there’s this trend for reels… CHINA CRISIS used to be quite mousey and quiet on socials but have taken to these filmed promo reels quite well but poor TEARS FOR FEARS look like they’re in one of those hostage videos! How do you feel about doing this kind of shortform in-person publicity?

We have PR for this ‘Sound With Vision’ tour which the promoter is paying for, they’re doing it properly and have got us on TV. This is no small thing getting on BBC1 at peak time but I have to say their research is sh*t because it’s always “WHAT AN AMAZING COMEBACK” when we we’ve been doing it for more than 27 years! But the great thing is they go “Oooh! ‘Temptation’”, “Ooooh ‘(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang’, you should put that out again”, like that’s an original thought, I don’t get one of those emails every day! *laughs*

We do make an effort, it’s building and building ad building until hopefully this tour will sell out, it takes a long time this to do that stuff.  But I do think it’s good to be out of the public eye for a while so that you don’t bore people to death, so my view is to keep it until when you need it.

I know what you mean about researchers who are getting younger, did not grow up with this music and not getting things right… but do you make allowances for this?

No, I’m very unforgiving, I think it’s easier to research than ever before, I think it’s laziness… it’s not the game it used to be, I was talking to someone the other day that the notion of journalism is going to sh*t basically!

Yes I agree, but I suppose a young BBC intern isn’t going to know who HEAVEN 17 are, but what annoys me much more are these so-called electronic music media outlets who see it as their specialism but don’t have a clue or do the research…

Well, they can’t all be you Chi but I’m harsher on the BBC and the major radio stations who literally can’t be arsed!

HEAVEN 17 have done the VIP package thing and everyone does that now, but the notion of it has been flipped by Ticketmaster who have been selling tickets as “VIP” which get nothing more than a lanyard, a poster and a bar nearer the seat… I know of people who bought these packages who really did think they were going to meet Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift… so this rise in concert elitism through VIP, what do you think?

Well, we thought about the VIP thing for a while before we started doing it but we regard it as a valuable tool to help support the costs of the tour. Fundamentally, there’s me and Glenn, then everybody else on the stage, all the staff, the drivers, front of house engineer and lighting etc all have to be paid. We only get paid at the end on the bottom line after. Fortunately the last few tours have done really well. But when we did the tours with the full band in 2010-2013, we looked at the figures after the tours, me and Glenn made zero money, we barely broke even. We were mugs for quite a while and I know we are not stupid business wise, but things are expensive and things have got more expensive now.

We were approached to tour America a long time ago and asked our manager to do an illustration of what it would earn us and it was like peanuts, but everyone else would have got paid. So that went back and forth every 3-4 years, the offer went up a little bit more each time and eventually we did it. When we got there, it ended up being more expensive than what our management had projected and we ended up losing money. Then we were asked again so we started asking ABC, THOMPSON TWINS, OMD and almost to a man, they said “Oh, we’re not doing it for the money, we’re doing it because we want to do it!” but me and Glenn aren’t really in that situation, we’re not poverty stricken but…

The whole live thing is getting more polarised all the time, we did the support for CULTURE CLUB with Tony Hadley on a UK arena tour last year, we had a great time, the O2 was sold out at £100 a ticket or more. Very nicely, the promoters SJM gave us a nice bonus at the end which wasn’t part of the contract, so they must have made an absolute killing! But in the mid-range, there’s not much killing going on and at the bottom, it’s almost like pay-to-play a lot of the time.

I don’t think fans really understand the economics and this is one thing that really p*sses me off about social media, we announce a big tour and put an effort into it and you just get a load of people going “why aren’t you coming to Stourbridge?” or “why aren’t you going to Skegness?”. We go where the promoters tell us to go, the tours are designed by them, not us! So the routines, the places available of a particular size that are hard to find now these days and the areas of the country that are covered are determined by the promoters, NOT by the band!

Of course, if you are a huge band, you can go “I don’t want to play in Tucson, I don’t want to play in Springfield”, you have more power to determine that but as a mid-range act, it’s difficult… it’s a point some people don’t get.

What do you hope the ‘Sound With Vision’ tour and documentary will achieve for you ultimately?

Firstly I think it’s an interesting idea and I can’t recollect anybody else doing it, the closest was probably the SPARKS one which was a little bit of an inspiration although that was still super focussed on the band. I really liked the KING CRIMSON one, that made me laugh a lot. The premise that the band is this all powerful entity that must be worshipped is the exact opposite of how we feel about the world. If people come to the gigs, there will be a good chance people will get filmed if they want to get filmed and there will be specific people that we talk to who we will visit in their world.

It will hopefully be a feature length documentary that will be shown on Sky Arts or Netflix or whatever, who knows? It’s really about fandom, that’s the larger issue. Boomers I suppose, are the fans of that kind of 80s music largely all over the world and a lot of people think it’s the happiest time they’ve ever had, not just because they were young but because it was an extraordinary decade in music. So that audience has grown older, a lot of them have got a bit more affluent and they want to relive their youth, which is perfectly reasonable and I suppose we are in a certain respect. But they don’t want it to be patronising and feel like a nostalgia trip, they want to feel like they are living in the present when they experience that stuff.

So this is a new phenomenon, it’s not just us. It’s all the 80s acts that we love who I’m sure have similar fanbases. The rise of this kind of VIP thing is important element to it as well because when I was growing up and seeing loads of gigs, I was an obsessive music fan and the thought back then that you could actually meet these demi-gods who were on stage would have been amazing!

Were there any artists you would have paid VIP for had it been available?

Oh yeah! Bowie and Roxy, but you were never going to get to people of that ilk! There are people who take that properly seriously, Thomas Dolby, Martin Fry and Howard Jones for example and it helps support the band, it’s money going into the general tour pot. The mid-range of tours are not making a lot of money but it does provide employment and gives enjoyment for a lot of people. It’s only when you get to the £100 ticket level and beyond that serious money is made.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to Martyn Ware

HEAVEN 17 ‘Sound With Vision’ tour includes:

London O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (6th November), Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion (7th November), Norwich Waterfront (8th November), Oxford O2 Academy 1 (10th November), Leeds O2 Academy (12th November), Glasgow Barrowland (13th November), Sheffield Octagon (14th November), Liverpool O2 Academy 1 (15th November), Newcastle Boiler Shop (17th November), Birmingham O2 Institute 1 (19th November), Bristol O2 Academy 1 (20th November), Bournemouth O2 Academy (21st November), Manchester O2 Ritz (22nd November)

Tickets available via https://www.heaven17.com/

https://www.facebook.com/heaven17official/

https://www.instagram.com/heaven17official/

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
31st March 2025

JOHN FOXX: The Piano Interview

26 March 2025 /

No5 in ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s ALBUMS OF 2023, John Foxx’s ‘The Arcades Project’ was a beautiful instrumental suite based around the piano.

In the aural lineage of ‘Transluscence’, ‘Drift Music’ and ‘Nighthawks’, ‘The Arcades Project’ can be seen as a John Foxx’s tribute to his late collaborator Harold Budd. It was inspired by Walter Benjamin’s ‘The Arcades Project’ which gathered new ideas emerging from Paris in the 19th and early 20th century,

However, the new John Foxx solo piano album ‘Wherever You Are’ is a much more reflective personal work about the “mostly good, generous, bright people” he has met through his life. It was recorded at home in the weeks following a rare live performance in October 2023 as part of BBC’s Radio 3 ’Night Tracks’ event presented by Hannah Peel in London.

An album that says “simply, thanks. Wherever you are”, John Foxx spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about the inspirations behind his wonderful ivory adventures…

Moody tracks with piano have been part of your music since ULTRAVOX! as with ‘My Sex’ and ‘Just For A Moment’, so which works with a piano aesthetic first attracted your ears?

Well, hearing a friend play a piece by Satie on the old lecture theatre piano, at art school. That was the turning point. I immediately felt I’d encountered a true, pure beauty. This was in the mid 1960s and Satie wasn’t at all well-known or well regarded then. Before that, I’d been impressed by a late-night TV series in the early 1960’s – ‘Play Bach’, by the Jacques Loussier Trio. They had a regular spot on late night TV.

From that and a few other pieces, I felt there must be something further, and I needed to hear it – a purer, less complicated sort of solo piano. It was so tantalising. A few more hints of this came from unexpected places – on the popular music front, there was ‘Cast Your Fate to the Wind’ by Vince Guaraldi, for instance. But hearing Satie made everything else fall away. That was really it.

Around the same time, my aunt gave me her old upright piano, which happened to be a reasonably good one. I was around sixteen years old. That’s when I began trying to make pieces of my own. A year or so later, at Manchester art school, my girlfriend had a copy of Satie pieces by Aldo Ciccolini – the album with the Picasso drawing of Satie on the cover. So I was able to hear more of his work. I began to wonder what form something like that might take in a modern context. A few years later, Brian Eno originated the idea of ambient music, which created a suitable context then along came ‘The Pearl’ – such a unique combination of talents – Harold Budd, quiet piano visionary, Dan Lanois, the Capability Brown of sonic landscaping, and Brian Eno, avant conceptualist. That record was really revolutionary for me – it brought Satie into the next century.

Who are your favourite piano composers?

Erik Satie, Harold Budd, some sections of Keith Jarrett’s solo concerts. After that, a few individual pieces – some Chopin Nocturnes and Debussy pieces – ‘Clair de Lune’, etc, a few slower solo pieces such as Beethoven’s ‘Fur Elise’. I also some of Arvo Part’s compositions – ‘Spiegel Im Spiegel’, ‘Fur Alina’ etc.

After ‘Metamatic’, piano made a notable return on ‘The Garden’ with ‘Europe After The Rain’ and ‘Walk Away’ but then kind of disappeared?

I had a grand piano in The Garden studio, so that was very convenient. After that, electronics took over again – there was also a period when I didn’t have an acoustic piano at home. That’s really the key – you need to be able to play whenever the mood strikes.

You did three albums with the late Harold Budd, the first pair ‘Translucence / Drift Music’ in 2003, so why have your own solo piano works taken longer to be forthcoming?

I was so completely focussed on making the work with Harold as good as possible that it took me some time to realise I hadn’t actually done a piano record of my own.

When working with Harold Budd, how would you describe your role? Did you contribute piano parts or did you leave that aspect entirely to him?

Well, I was default producer, organised the studio in a friend’s house, brought the piano over and set up recording equipment. When Harold arrived, we discussed his music – where we might take it, etc. I also recorded everything. I played around half of the piano pieces on those albums – sometimes Harold and I would swap piano chords then I’d improvise, other times I’d invent a piano piece from scratch. Other tracks were entirely his composition and playing.

Harold had the first and last word. The basic approach originated from him, a philosophy of simplicity, directness, finding the most beautiful notes, giving them space to develop, making use of the reverb and harmonic fields. We’d record as soon as it felt right. It all went very quickly and easily. The entire album was a delight to work on. Harold never played anything more than twice and mostly just once. He was so unassuming – simply came in and played, then we’d listen back and get on with the next piece.

Afterwards, I compiled what I felt were the most representative tracks and sent them off to him. He was fine with it all, so we ended up with two records, ‘Translucence’ – the piano, and ‘Drift Music’ – the more radically treated pieces. The idea of ‘Drift Music’ was complete abstraction – take reverb, echo and all sonic treatments as far as we possibly could.

By the way – It’s interesting how this has been taken even further now, by some characters on YouTube slowing those tracks down radically. I like that, and I’m absolutely sure Harold would, too. But all that’s just the technical side. The more central thing is the reason we do all this in the first place.

For my part, (and I feel this may also have some relevance to the way Harold works), it’s an attempt to capture a few small but valuable things from our passing lives. A glimpse of someone, a fleeting thought when you’re sitting on a bus looking out of the window at the city passing by, a moment of stillness and wonder, that sensation of imagining we recognise someone who vanishes in a crowd, the brief, long light at the end of a day. Nothing grand, significant or dramatic – just the opposite – and not resolved in any way, yet so recognisable when evoked musically. These small things are easily lost or overlooked, but they form a sort of undercurrent in our lives. They’re part of its fabric.

As I grow older, I begin to realise the so-called important times can often leave us unmoved, while a few odd, unexpected things will get through the defences. Some moments last forever. Music is such a great trigger, it’s capable of evoking something of the way these small things can affect us. Also, recording itself is such a strange and mysterious activity. You take a moment that would otherwise be lost forever and enable it to live forever. Isn’t that downright weird? Not to say magical?

And this can give a recorded moment vast significance. Something like using a microscope to see all the complexity inside a drop of water, or realising that a face in Cinema close-up is twenty feet high and transmitting fleeting expressions as subtle as changing weather. These recorded moments can be closely examined and re-experienced an infinite number of times, and through being captured in this way, they’ve become something quite new.

‘The Arcades Project’ was billed as your first solo piano album, how would you describe your approach? How was it different from your instrumental ambient works like the ‘Cathedral Oceans’ trilogy or ‘London Overgrown’?

‘Arcades’ is a lot simpler and absolutely direct. One instrument. All improvised. Occasionally, a discreet synth part. ‘London Overgrown’ and ‘Cathedral Oceans’ involved improvising over long delays then building multiple tracks. ‘Cathedral Oceans’ was intended as a technological continuity of ancient chant, through singing into huge, notional electronic spaces and harmonising with returning, reflected voices. Both had an entirely different premise from ‘Arcades’.

You have said that “Around dawn is the best time to play piano”, were most of the pieces improvised or was there some degree of notation beforehand, even if it was just to sketch a basic structure?

Very little was ever written down – the only time I ever saw Harold use any sort of notation was on ‘Spoken Roses’ – he referred to some brief notes he’d made, then he did two takes, one after the other, both good, before choosing one as the master. It was a revelation to hear that piece unfolding live. Truly gorgeous. Everything else sprang from a basic chord or two, then a note or two over that, then you were off – take it any way you feel. A few very basic, but vital rules – maximum beauty, minimal notes. Brevity, simplicity, joy.

In what ways does your new piano album ‘Wherever You Are’ differ in concept from ‘The Arcades Project’, it appears more personal?

Yes, I think it is.

I see Harold Budd and Conny Plank among the many photos on the front cover artwork of ‘Wherever You Are’?

Well, they’re both significant. Satie’s there too, on the inside cover. It all goes back to him.

How important is the visual presentation of these piano works to the music it contains?

I guess the imagery acts as a sort of entry point. Indicates the kind of emotional tone you can expect to encounter.

What types of piano have you been using?

A Yamaha grand, 6ft 2inches. Great fun getting it through the front door a few years ago, when I swapped it for the previous one, which was a few inches shorter. Occasionally I get access to other pianos. A Steinway or a Kawaii, and I can sometimes use a combination of sustain from an acoustic piano and play over that using Pianoteq.

In terms of recording, piano is known not to be easy to lay down and there was a time particularly when there was a lot of Roland CP70 electric baby grand piano direct input and then treated afterwards, what set-up did you use to record your pieces at home?

Simple as possible. A couple of decent mics placed inside the lid, an old Alesis mixer and an antique reverb unit. I’d begun to use some newer software reverbs, but the overall sound of the antique thing is richer, more interesting. Occasionally I’ve just used one mic, and that can be more solid an image, letting the reverbs do the stereo. You always have to move the mics around very patiently until it all feels cohesive. That’s the most important bit, really. You simply have to listen.

Photo by Brian Griffin

Although ‘The Arcades Project’ and ‘Wherever You Are’ are piano-based works, there are a lot of effects and occasional synthesizer, had you considered producing more something much barer and more minimal?

By the way, there’s no synth on ‘Wherever You Are’. It’s all piano and reverbs. I think the way I record is already fairly simple and minimal – single takes of an improvised piano piece, made mostly by reacting to the piano’s open string harmonics. You see, my basic premise is – there’s an aspect of the piano that has been completely overlooked, yet it’s what makes the piano completely unique. This is the harmonic field produced by the sympathetic vibration of all its strings.

By simply holding down the sustain pedal, you allow all the strings to make this wonderful, moving, harmonic field. No other instrument can produce an effect like that – perhaps the nearest might be a sitar – but that doesn’t have anywhere near the number of strings. A piano has over two hundred, so they produces an incredibly rich and complex sound, and I think this is the unique signature of the modern piano.

Yet no-one seems to have noticed it. No music I know of has ever been composed or recorded with this in mind – it’s simply never been investigated properly – so that’s what I’ve been doing with these recordings. The reverbs I use are designed to extend those harmonics, that combination creates a changing bed of sound for me to improvise over.

The origins of this go way back to 1977, recording the first minute and a half or so of the intro to ‘A Distant Smile’, with ULTRAVOX! I got Billy to play a few piano chords, having had the idea of getting him to hold down the sustain pedal in order to allow all the piano strings to vibrate sympathetically, then recording these until they died away, some time later. Then I asked Steve Lillywhite to take off the initial impact of the notes being hit, by fading in just the sustained sound afterwards.

In this way, we quickly built up several layers that make a beautiful bed of moving, sympathetic harmonics from the two hundred or so strings. You can hear these under the track’s beginning. I was tremendously excited by the beauty and potential of the sound this produced. It was obvious there was so much more to explore here, but also frustrating, because I couldn’t do that – we were in the middle of making a rock album to a strict deadline. So I had to stow the idea away for later use.

Have you any favourite pieces from ‘Wherever You Are’?

The first track, ‘When She Walked In With The Dawn’, because that’s when I got the sound just right, which triggered me to write and record all the other tracks.

With the piano, have you found your forte, as it were, at this stage of your creativity or is there something else you would like to try, say with artificial intelligence for example?

I do feel I’ve got a unique territory I can explore now – and that’s always a great feeling – your own territory, another adventure opens up. I like the simplicity and the entirely hands-on nature of it.

You set up the sound, than simply sit down and record – and that’s it, no overdubs or other complications, an entirely human response to what a piano and an old reverb unit gives you. It acts as a great release from all the other stuff I’m involved in. It’s the opposite of AI – and even of synths or multitrack recording. Much as I love all that, it’s just wonderful to take a step sideways.

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

Additional thanks to Steve Malins at Random Management

‘Wherever You Are’ is released on 28th March 2025 by Metamatic Records as a vinyl LP and CD, available from https://johnfoxx.tmstor.es/

Digital download available from https://johnfoxx.bandcamp.com/

http://www.metamatic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/johnfoxxmetamatic

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
26th March 2025

25 FAVOURITE INTERVIEWS ON ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK

15 March 2025 /

Established on 15th March 2010, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK celebrates 15 years online.

Aiming to feature the best in new and classic electronic pop music, during that time it has conducted over 550 interviews from fledgling independent acts and veteran cult artists to established international stars.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK prides itself in asking interesting questions that are a bit different and seeded by knowledge of the subject. As a result, these interviews have been appreciated by those music enthusiasts who know their tape recorders from their drum machines.

As for the interviewees, the vast majority have been a joy to work with and luckily, boring or difficult interviews have been rare. However, the most disappointing situations arise when someone agrees to an interview and continues communications for several weeks but doesn’t come clean to say they are not actually interested in participating… it is the interviewing equivalent of being ghosted 😆

Photo by Rob Harris

While sending questions via email for an artist to answer in their own time is the modern way of conducting an interview and is convenient with artists who have day jobs, don’t speak English as a first language or are in a different time zone, it is not particularly interactive and lacks a conversational flow. A true interview is a two way live conversation conducted face-to-face, by phone or a conferencing platform where opinions, thoughts and recollections can be obtained through reactive questioning.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK lists its 25 favourite interviews from over the years. Reading like a ‘Who’s Who?’ of electronic pop, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK all the interviews were conducted in-person or via a live call, except those with Alan Wilder, Karl Bartos and Rob Dean which were done by email.

PAUL HUMPHREYS (2010)

This Paul Humphreys interview put ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK on the map. At his studio complex in London, he chatted about the past, present and future of OMD, hinting at the contents of the upcoming album ‘History Of Modern’. The interview proved popular and was later quoted by The Guardian in a feature about OMD. This was the first of five interviews, the most recent of which was for OMD’s 40th Anniversary in 2019.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/interview-paul-humphreys/

SARAH BLACKWOOD (2010)

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK bumped into Sarah Blackwood after a HEAVEN 17 concert in Cologne and so began a long lasting friendship. Conducted at a café in St Pancras, this interview captured an interesting interregnum with our heroine between the end of CLIENT and the start of the DUBSTAR reunion. This was to be the first of two Sarah solo chats while she would be interviewed with Chris Wilkie twice as DUBSTAR.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/sarah-blackwood-interview/

CLAUDIA BRÜCKEN (2010)

Conducted in London to coincide with the reissue of her debut solo album ‘Love: And A Million Other Things’, Claudia Brücken talked about her time in PROPAGANDA, ACT and ONETWO while she also talked about plans for a compilation called ‘ComBined’ collecting highlights from throughout her career. Her most recent ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK interview was together with Susanne Freytag as xPROPAGANDA.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/claudia-brucken-interview/

ANDY McCLUSKEY (2011)

The majority of interviews are cordial affairs but this one with Andy McCluskey following the release of OMD’s comeback album ‘History Of Modern’ was a bit ‘Frost/Nixon’. ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK echoed some of the fan disappointments about the record and to his credit, he was unrepentant and batted away criticisms with aplomb. A less confrontational interview followed in 2013 for ‘English Electric’.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/andy-mccluskey-interview/

STEPHEN MORRIS (2011)

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK were surprised when a request to interview Stephen Morris was accepted, especially as NEW ORDER had seemingly disbanded. The conversion had The Human Drum Machine at his best with stories about JOY DIVISION as well. But why was this interview taking place, why was he doing a fashion shoot for ‘Arena Homme+’? It was all subtle profile rebuilding as NEW ORDER was relaunched months later!

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/stephen-morris-interview/

BLANCMANGE (2011)

With many discussion points covered, a thoroughly entertaining hour was spent chatting to Neil Arthur in his studio during a break from rehearsals for the first BLANCMANGE live shows since 1986 in support of a new album ‘Blanc Burn’. The artist who has been interviewed the most times by ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK, he has since been featured a further nine times including with his side projects FADER and NEAR FUTURE.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/blancmange-interview/

MIRRORS (2011)

The intelligent aesthetics of MIRRORS made them ideal for ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s first interview using the Vintage Synth Trumps format. Conducted in the dressing room of Cologne’s Gebaude9 prior to the first show of their headlining German tour, James New and Ally Young chatted about the synths used on their ’Lights & Offerings’ album. But tension was evident between the pair and it ultimately led to the sad end of the band.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/vintage-synth-trumps-with-mirrors/

ALAN WILDER (2011)

While often reluctant to talk about DEPECHE MODE, when Alan Wilder auctioned off a large collection of his studio equipment, vinyl and memorabilia, he was ready to talk about the band he left in 1995 again as well his own musical venture RECOIL. For the 25th Anniversary of the release of the ‘101’ live album and documentary film in 2014 , ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK was the only platform he granted an interview to.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/the-alan-wilder-interview/

HOWARD JONES (2011)

One of the nicest guys in the music business, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK had the pleasure of chatting to Howard Jones about his then-upcoming tour performing his first two albums ‘Human’s Lib’ and ‘Dream Into Action’. Focussing on the period between 1983 to 85 when he became a household name and was many people’s entry point into the world of synthpop, the interview included lots of analogue and digital synth talk.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/howard-jones/

KARL BARTOS (2013)

A short conversation conducted remotely, Karl Bartos talked about his new album ‘Off The Record’ and recalled his collaborations with Andy McCluskey, Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr. When he performed at Cologne’s Live Music Hall on the same night that KRAFTWERK received a Lifetime Achievement Grammyin January 2014, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK were granted an audience with the man himself.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/a-short-conversation-with-karl-bartos/

ALISON MOYET (2013)

The album ‘the minutes’ saw the return of Alison Moyet to electronica and this inevitably led to reminiscences about YAZOO in this delightful and sweary interview conducted face-to-face in Islington. She was frank and open about all aspects of her career, the misconception of her being a “jazz singer” and which two songs from the YAZOO portfolio she particularly hated! Can you guess without look at the transcript which ones they are?

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/alison-moyet-interview-2/

VILE ELECTRODES (2013)

VILE ELECTRODES remain the act that ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has been proudest of featuring. Invited to support OMD on the German leg of their ‘English Electric’ tour following Andy McCluskey spotting the band while perusing ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK, this informative interview was conducted in Anais Neon and Martin Swan’s synth-filled apartment and completed online to update it after the news was announced.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/vile-electrodes-re-emerge/

GARY NUMAN (2013)

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK were literally given a few days notice that is was to interview Gary Numan at his home in Los Angeles by phone. Coinciding with the release of the ‘Splinter (Songs From A Broken Mind)’ album which had taken 7 years to complete, he was in buoyant mood after an artistic rejuvenation. Refreshingly honest, he admitted his original plan to make all the songs on ‘Splinter’ one-dimensional was “a sh*t idea”!

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/gary-numan-discusses-splinter/

RODNEY CROMWELL (2016)

One of the fun things about the Vintage Synth Trumps series of interviews is that there is a degree of jeopardy for both interviewer and artist. Taking time to gain acclaim and recognition , the first Rodney Cromwell album ‘Age Of Anxiety’ was perfect for mainman Adam Cresswell to talk about his love of synths and DIY recording as well as the influence of NEW ORDER and SECTION 25 on his music over a fish supper in London’s Soho.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/vintage-synth-trumps-with-rodney-cromwell/

RICHARD BARBIERI (2017)

It was known that Richard Barbieri is often not that keen on talking about JAPAN and ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK assumed all the chat over the phone would be about his new album ‘Planets + Persona’. But unprompted, he chatted about his MicroMoog which was used on a number of JAPAN albums. But the crowning glory of the interview was how he did the metallic intro of ‘Ghosts’ using his Roland System 700 Lab Series.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/richard-barbieri-interview/

ZEUS B HELD (2017)

While not as well-known as Giorgio Moroder or Conny Plank, producer Zeus B Held contacted ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK after it did a Beginner’s Guide feature on his career portfolio. A coffee meeting was arranged at Foyles bookshop in London and morphed into a full interview which saw the talkative German reflect back on working with GINA X PERFORMANCE, FASHION and DEAD OR ALIVE as well as John Foxx and Gary Numan.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/zeus-b-held-interview/

ROBERT GÖRL (2017)

When in Düsseldorf… despite the confrontational aspects of DAF, their drummer and sequencer programmer Robert Görl is something of a thoughtful and spiritual soul. This face-to-face interview was conducted before a performance of his ‘Glücksritter’ live only project and took in DAF, his wonderful solo debut long player ‘Night Full Of Tension’, working with Annie Lennox and the great standalone single ‘Mit Dir’.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/robert-gorl-interview/

SOFT CELL (2018)

Marc Almond and Dave Ball surprised all with a reunion for ‘One Night Only’ at London’s O2 Arena that has since become an ongoing world tour. But with it came a lavish boxed set, various books and new albums. In a London pub,  ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK had an in-depth chat with Dave Ball focussed on the ups and downs of SOFT CELL. This was followed up with an entertaining game of Vintage Synth Trumps in 2023.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/soft-cell-interview/

MARTYN WARE (2019)

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has enjoyed seven interviews with Martyn Ware encompassing HEAVEN 17 and BEF, but this chat was about his time as a co-founder member of THE HUMAN LEAGUE to coincide with a live celebration of their first two albums ‘Reproduction’ and ‘Travelogue’. This was a fascinating insight into how THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s “vocals and synthesizers only” sound became the future of pop music.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/martyn-ware-the-reproduction-travelogue-interview/

ROB DEAN (2021)

Although he left JAPAN in 1980, guitarist Rob Dean gave an eye witness account to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK into the making of their third album ‘Quiet Life’ to coincide with a remastered boxset. JAPAN were in a state of transition from the growly glam funk of their first records to the mannered artful combo people remember them for today, so with him now residing in Costa Rica, this email Q&A provided some insightful commentary.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/rob-dean-the-quiet-life-interview/

MARK REEDER (2021)

While most of ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s interviews with Our Man In Berlin have been conducted remotely at his convenience, apart from an onstage interview at a 2016 event in Düsseldorf, this Vintage Synth Trumps chat was a rare live outing on Skype. Among the topics were his remixes for NEW ORDER and YELLO while there was also mention of the Transcendent 2000 which Bernard Sumner had built from a kit and given to him.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/vintage-synth-trumps-with-mark-reeder/

BILLY CURRIE (2022)

With his noted dry humour, Billy Currie was on top form for probably the best interview in the Vintage Synth Trumps series so far. With insight into the workings of ULTRAVOX and VISAGE as well solo work and his brief time in the Gary Numan live band. Of the latter, Currie went into detail about the ARP Odyssey solo on ‘On Broadway’ while also shedding light on how ‘Touch & Go’ co-written with former band mate John Foxx became ‘Mr X’.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/vintage-synth-trumps-with-billy-currie/

TELEX (2023)

Some say that the Belgians don’t have a sense of humour, but that was proved wrong when surviving TELEX members Michel Moers and Dan Lacksman gave a laugh a minute interview to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK in support of their self-titled boxed set released by Mute Records. The most hilarious moment was when the pair recalled their dismay when Portugal awarded them 10 points at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/telex-interview/

MIDGE URE (2023)

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has had the honour of interviewing Midge Ure on a number of occasions, the first time at the world famous Abbey Road Studios. But the most recent occasion was the best where he discussed a life in music ahead of his 70th birthday and a special show at the Royal Albert Hall. This was an extensive chat which included music technology such as the PPG Wave and the Roland GR700 guitar synthesizer.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/midge-ure-a-life-in-music/

JOHN FOXX (2024)

With ‘Metamatic’ about to celebrate its 45th Anniversary, it was a perfect time for ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK to chat to John Foxx about his close encounters with synthesizers over a game of Vintage Synth Trumps in Düsseldorf, the spiritual home of modern electronic pop. As well as talking about his seminal debut solo album, he recalled how ULTRAVOX came to utilise synths and drum machines in their music.

https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/vintage-synth-trumps-with-john-foxx/

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s interviews can be viewed at https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/interviews/

Interviews from the Vintage Synth Trumps series are collected at https://www.electricityclub.co.uk/v-s-t/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
15th March 2025

A Short Conversation with CAUSEWAY

6 February 2025 /

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

American noir synth duo CAUSEWAY return in 2025 with their own brand of sophisticated downbeat melodrama on their second album ‘Anywhere’.

Comprising of Allison Rae and Marshall Watson, their first full length album ‘We Were Never Lost’ was released on Italians Do It Better in 2022 to immediate acclaim, with syncs on Netflix TV shows ‘Never Have I Ever’, and ‘Riverdale’ to reinforce that praise. The album’s excellent lead single ‘Dancing With Shadows’ heralds a new relationship with Manchester independent label Sprechen Music as well as an update to their dreamy cinematic sound.

With the dark and light narratives of ‘Anywhere’ due to be made public soon, CAUSEWAY chatted to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about its making…

It’s been over 2 and a half years since ‘We Were Never Lost’ was released and even longer since the first CAUSEWAY song was late 2020, have you changed as people in the that time?

Marshall: I think we’ve evolved as a collaborative team. Back then we were two disparate people who happened to make a decent song and fell backwards into a label relationship without even trying. I think now we are much more cohesive as creatives and songwriters. We still have our roles, but the dialogue is different, the world is different, our energy is different and we express ourselves better.

Allison: I think we’ve really streamlined our writing process. For the first album, it was a blend of different approaches—some songs were written entirely remotely, others were created together in the same room, and some were a mix of both. Through that experience, we discovered that we work best when writing remotely, passing songs back and forth. For the second album, we embraced this method fully, and I believe it allowed us to be more vulnerable and true to what we were feeling. It gave us the space to reflect and express ourselves in a way that felt authentic and deeply personal.

As a person, I feel like I’ve changed quite a bit. Working through the frustrations and disappointment of my divorce was a significant journey. It was a challenging time, but it also offered a lot of growth and self-discovery. I think a few of our new songs really capture those emotions. Writing during that period was incredibly cathartic and eye-opening – it became a way to process everything I was feeling.

What was the approach this time round for ‘Anywhere’, it appears to be subtle development rather than say what AIR did from ‘Moon Safari’ to ’20,000Hz’ which was to cut off any sonic lineage?

Marshall: For me, I definitely didn’t want to cut off any lineage, in fact I think we were always trying to still ‘sound like us’, but we did want to explore some different sonic territory. Honestly I think we just took it one song at a time and really focussed on trying to make something special that we resonated with and hoped others would as well. The sound of this album, I think, still keeps a synth-centric feel, which we’ve always leaned toward.

Allison: I can’t speak much to the sonic qualities of the album – that’s all Marshall’s expertise. Lyrically, though, I feel like it carries a similar thread to our first album. Love and grief seem to be recurring themes for us, and they’ve naturally continued into the second album. That said, I do think our second album has a darker sonic quality, which I absolutely love. It adds a depth and intensity that feels like an evolution of our sound.

What synths were your main tools in the production of ‘Anywhere’?

Marshall: Lots of Prophet 8, ASM Hydrasynth Deluxe, and the Moog Grandmother. I have the same drums I use for nearly every track. I built the kick, snare and toms specifically for CAUSEWAY and I use them in just about every song. The Moog handles bass almost exclusively. I also have a Novation Summit which has an incredible sound… it can be really rough, distorted and powerful, and also super delicate. Many of the high end arpeggios come from the Summit. Every time the music seems to ‘soar’, that’s the Prophet though. That thing cuts through any mix.

The first single off the new album ‘Dancing With Shadows’ retains the shady mystery of the previous album, was it important not to shake things up too much for this preview of ‘Anywhere’?

Marshall: I like the word “mystery” when used with us. ‘Dancing With Shadows’ was written in a fever dream last year. I had the flu and was rocking a 102F fever and woke up one night and had nearly the entire song in my head. I got up and wrote it down and sung it into my phone. The next day I hit up Allie and we knocked it out in about 3 days. Call that what you will… mysterious, maybe just the universe guiding us a little bit. It just seemed to fit for the first single. It’s a little darker maybe, but I think it is a good lead in for ‘Anywhere’.

Allison: I absolutely love the song ‘Dancing with Shadows’. It was entirely written by Marshall. It’s heavy, dark, and powerful. It’s one of those songs that can completely transform the vibe of a room the moment it plays. This track was a no-brainer as our first single off Sprechen Recordings, especially with the brilliant remixes accompanying it. After two years without releasing anything, I think this song makes a bold statement: We’re still here making killer tracks. Get ready for more.

Creatively, has the process altered from previously, what had you decided you could do a bit better this time around?

Marshall: The process was pretty much the same. We bounce ideas off each other and eventually something sticks. Sometimes it’s as simple as a phrase. Allie had this amazing line in ‘Love Me Like Your Last Time’, where she basically sang those words in a demo. It stuck and the rest of the song was built off that. I started thinking about last time, first time, all time… etc. The rest of the song evolved really fast. We weren’t really trying to do anything better, we just communicated a little easier maybe. Sometimes it’s a musical motif that gets the flow going, and sometimes it’s a lyrical theme. We try to be open to the evolution. I read Rick Ruben’s book ‘The Creative Act’ last year and that really opened my eyes in terms of how to let things happen. In his book, he makes a distinction between a craftsman and an artist, which rang true to me. TLDR… you can’t control everything all the time.

Allison: The second album seemed to develop quicker than the first. I think it’s because we just figured out what process worked best for us.

The ‘Anywhere’ title song is different to what CAUSEWAY have done before as it is more Motorik and minimal, how did this track come about?

Marshall: I wanted to break out of the slow mo thing for a bit. . I’m a fan of NEU! and other ‘Kraut’ rock styles… COLD BEAT do that sound really well too, see also WAR ON DRUGS. I’ve been experimenting with that style of production for a while, but nothing really took hold. With ‘Anywhere’, we’d tried a few different angles on it, and then I got a really sweet Cherry Audio plugin of the CR78 drum machine… that sort of sealed the deal for the sound. We were already working on the lyrics, the rest of the song developed naturally. I asked Dale from ENDLESS ATLAS if he’d do some guitar work for us and he nailed it. To me it feels very ‘out of the box’ for CAUSEWAY but it fits in our universe.

Allison: Anywhere is definitely different from the songs we usually produce. It’s lighter with a softness that shines through its harmonies but it works. It serves as a beautiful contrast to the darker tones of the other tracks and gives the album a moment to breathe.

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

One of the album highlights ‘Lightyears’ refers to someone who “doesn’t want to change”, is this song autobiographical?

Marshall: There is a really honest story in this song but I’m not going to tell it. All of our tracks have an element of our own experiences in them, but rarely are they outright ‘autobiographical’ … this song is like that. Maybe some of it is, lots of it isn’t, but it’s a good story. To me I feel like we try to get to the universal… the thing that many people can relate to. “I’m trying really hard not to cry, when I do it just ends in a fight” isn’t about us, it’s about anyone who’s ever gone to bed sad.

Allison: “Maybe we will be alright, in another life” is such an emotional line to me. I can’t remember if that was a line that Marshall wrote or me. I remember I did edits on the lyrics and he wrote the majority of this track. It’s just so emotional because I feel everything I’m singing. Having to leave someone that I loved was the hardest thing I have ever done.

There’s a lot of paranoia on ‘Put Up A Fight’ which musically appears to fall under the spell of THE CURE? As a side, what did you think of their new album ‘Songs Of A Lost World’?

Marshall: I’ve only scanned through the new CURE album. Some of it I like and some of it might take a minute to connect with. The older CURE tracks definitely surface in ‘Put Up A Fight’. Definitely in the guitar work. Maybe ‘Kiss Me’ era?

Allison: ‘Songs of a Lost World’ is a masterpiece. It does not disappoint.

‘Ruin Me’ has great lyrics and great synth sounds, is this a fine example of your partnership dynamic firing on all cylinders?

Marshall: Is it? Of course it is… I think we’re firing on all cylinders all the time 🙂

Allison: I wrote the lyrics to ‘Ruin Me’ a few weeks after I filed for divorce. ‘Ruin Me’ is a very sexual song at face value, but its shadow side reveals anger and the willingness to take the fall, to endure the pain. It’s a plea that says, “go ahead and destroy me – I never want to feel this way again.” It’s intense, vulnerable, and captures the complexity of surrendering to something that hurts and also wanting it to hurt.

So “what does it feel to be human?”

Marshall: Ah. Maybe our only political track. This year and last, with Israel and Palestine, as well as Ukraine… it’s just so sad, no matter what your views are. There is just so much suffering going on. I was working on words that spoke to that, and was having trouble sorting it all out. I connected with Hannah Lew of COLD BEAT, and she helped finesse the writing and took on lead vocals. She and I finished out the track, trying not to be overtly “U2” political, but still have a message. Just…. stop. Everyone just try and be nice to each other.

Allison: Sometimes irritatingly vulnerable and not safe. I hope this track breaks through that heavy feeling and offers humanity a sense of hope. Hannah Lew’s delivery was absolutely incredible – she brought so much depth and emotion to the song. She re-crafted a few of the lyrics, including my absolute favorite line: “I lost my hope in the ruin, until I heard you say it’s alright”. That line captures a universal vulnerability, one that resonates deeply in the contexts of not only war, but love and loss. It’s a powerful reminder of human resilience.

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

You have been performing a cover of ‘Nobody’s Diary’ by YAZOO live and have committed it to vinyl as the album’s closer, was there much tweaking to do in the final arrangement you settled on?

Marshall: This one has been cooking for a while now. I think we took the same approach as we did for the Madonna cover of ‘Crazy For You’… reduce it, extend it, destroy it, and rebuild it, all the while remaining, or at least trying to remain, reverent to the original. I’m a huge YAZ(OO) fan, and ‘Nobody’s Diary’ is probably my favorite track. Alison Moyet has such a soulful delivery, and we took a more defiant angle – I can hear the anger in Allie’s delivery, and I love it. I intentionally delayed the lead off synths so we could work our way into the song… kinda hide the magic so to speak.

This version is pretty close to the way it was a couple years ago when we were playing it out, but we had it mixed (as well as everything else) by Jesse Beuker, who mixes all of R. MISSING’s work. I think that he took it to the place it needed to be sonically. Actually, speaking of Jesse, he really created a wonderful space with all the mixes, I can’t recommend him enough. We really put him through the ringer with revisions and ultimately we landed in a place that everyone was super happy with. He’s as patient as he is skilled.

How did the new label relationship with Sprechen music in Manchester come about, what made them attractive to CAUSEWAY?

Marshall: I got connected with Chris through another DJ friend Alice Palace (UK/Ibiza), he and I hit it off musically right away as he’s part of the ALFOS community, a direct legacy DJ crew of Andrew Weatherall. Initially he wanted to work with Allie on track for his THIEF OF TIME project, and that sort of opened doors for a release and the conversations about the album.

Manchester holds this kind of magical place in my musical history for me… that’s where some of my favorite music and many of my musical influences come from… NEW ORDER, OMD, JOY DIVISION, most of the Factory Records catalogue–it seemed like a great fit for us. Our relationship was immediately organic and honest – he says what he means and means what he says. Additionally, Chris is a super nice guy, incredibly talented, and he’s involved with some of the best music coming out of the UK right now. I feel like he kinda went out on a limb with us, and it’s an honor to be working with him.

Allison: I love working with Chris. He’s been very supportive from the beginning and just all around a nice guy. I hope to maintain relationships with him and IDIB. Looking forward to more opportunities in 2025.

Do you have a favourite song for the new album, one that holds the best memories during recording?

Marshall: Personally I like ‘Anywhere’ and ‘Lightyears’. We just played a packed show opening for NEW CONSTELLATIONS here in Boise, and there was a great moment where we were playing ‘Anywhere’. When Allie sang the words “I had my reason, you had your lines, it’s taken years but I’m just fine…”, the crowd went bonkers. It’s such a quiet part of the song, it was amazing to me how they were really connected to what she was singing in a live setting… and no one had even heard that track before. It’s the one and only time we’ve played it out. I really felt connected to the audience at that moment. Honestly I like all the songs for different reasons.

Allison: Hands down, ‘Love Me Like Your Last Time’. This track was the last track we wrote for the album. Before we wrote it, I kept harassing Marshall telling him we needed one last banger. I think I might have annoyed him a little, but he came around and sent the audio file to me and I immediately was like THIS IS IT! Then we worked together on the lyrics and here we are!

Photo by Khoa Nguyen

Do you think you’ve achieved the “Mean dirty break up album” that you said you hoped to make when we last spoke?

Marshall: I dunno. I don’t think this album is mean, in some ways I think it’s actually kinda hopeful. I think it’s better than our last one, both in songwriting and production. I like where we’ve gone with music, and I like this freedom to do what we want. I also feel like we connected with more universal themes this time around. Maybe??

Allison: Haha! I think that might have been something that I said. I think we’ve created something darker and more mysterious. It carries the weight of heartbreak but also hope. It captures the complexity of moving through pain toward something brighter.

What are CAUSEWAY’s plans for the rest of 2025 and beyond?

Marshall: Keep making music. I have a lot going on with music, some new collaborative work with Cole Odin, and a new single of my own with Alona Esposito on Sprechen slated for next year. There are some life changes coming, but Allie and I have always been a kind of ‘file sharing’ sort of project, so I doubt anything changes with CAUSEWAY. I’m super excited for the new album, and I hope people connect with it. This time around we’ve worked with some amazing people – the Sprechen team, Jesse, Hannah, Dale … ‘Anywhere’ took all of us operating at our best. I hope you liked it, and I hope other people will too.

Allison: Continue to write music that inspires people and makes them want to dance! I never want to stop making music. It’s the best kind of drug.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its grateful thanks to CAUSEWAY

‘Dancing With Shadows’ is avaible now as a download bundle with 4 remixes

‘Anywhere’ is released on 14 February 2025 via Sprechen Music in vinyl LP and digital formats from https://sprechen.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/wearecauseway

https://www.instagram.com/weare_causeway/

https://wearecauseway.bandcamp.com/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3V6PIgndeEbvQu6ThnLQ5i

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
5th February 2025

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