Category: Interviews (Page 2 of 112)

25 FAVOURITE INTERVIEWS ON ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK

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, 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 it 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

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

R. MISSING Interview

New York-based duo R. MISSING finally issued their first full-length album ‘Knife Shook The Hand’ at the end of 2024 having debuted in 2017 with the mini-album ‘Unsummering’.

Comprising of the enigmatic Sharon Shy and the even more elusive Toppy Frost, the pair originally bonded over their shared dislikes. With a shadowy brand of understated electronic pop noir characterised by Sharon Shy’s sad forlorn vocals and Toppy Frost’s ethereal synthesized backdrops, R. MISSING have focussed on standalone songs with ‘Crimeless’, ‘New Present City’, ‘All Alone With Seas’ and ‘Verónica Pass’ among the fine examples of their portfolio.

However, while releasing singles to streaming platforms has been very much the norm these last few years, the low profile presence of R. MISSING has meant they have passed many listeners by despite the quality of their work. However, ‘Knife Shook The Hand’ has now provided the long playing focal point that their music deserves; among the collection’s highlights were Party Fade Into Air’, Make It Starry Most’, ‘The Down That Creeps’ and ‘Sleep Will Darken It’.

Never sitting still for long, R. MISSING’s start to 2025 has been heralded by a wonderful new song ‘Fakesnow’ in collaboration with Johan Agebjörn; and it was via an introduction by the Swedish producer that ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK was able have a virtual chat across the Atlantic with Sharon Shy…

R. MISSING have finally released a full length long player ‘Knife Shook The Hand’, this might sound a silly question but does it now feel “proper”, like things have got “real” as a band? How has the audience response been?

The aim was just to create a fast way to locate all of our most recent releases. We feel no more or less “real” than before. The audience response has been nice.

‘Knife Shook The Hand’ is a striking title but I can’t help but notice that its cover artwork looking at you from behind staring at greenery is like the photos which THE KNIFE used around the time of ‘Shaking The Habitual’, was this a homage to the sibling duo?

No – but that sounds very interesting. I should have a look…

‘All Alone With Seas’ was a fine track but ultimately didn’t end up on the album, so how did you go about selecting which songs would form ‘Knife Shook Your Hand’?

‘Knife Shook Your Hand’ is a collection of songs released in 2024. ‘All Alone With Seas’ came out the year prior.

How would you describe your creative dynamic with Toppy Frost in R. MISSING, is it working in a room together or much more remote? Do you have specific roles?

We typically work remotely, although there are exceptions. I usually start with concepts and Henry then makes things come to fruition.

CHROMATICS are often cited in reviews of R. MISSING, but which artists have been key in influencing the sonic palette of R. MISSING?

It changes day after day, week after week. One day it might be French yé-yé, the next, Eurodance or Virna Lindt, then THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON or something else entirely. I’m generally more inspired by books than by other music, too.

Since the debut mini-album ‘Unsummering’ in 2017, R.MISSING had been following a “singles only” strategy, what was the thinking behind this? Was this to maximise the streaming algorithms or was it more down to practicality?

We change very quickly and often feel almost disconnected to a song soon after its completion. Releasing quickly sends out the message when it’s still very new and pertinent. I wait every evening for a world that’s fast, quiet and calm.

Would you say that ‘Crimeless’ released in 2021 helped R.MISSING achieve a wider profile breakthrough? What was it about the song do you think that made it so appealing?

That I don’t know. I can’t say for certain that it appeals to anyone. All I can say is that it’s a moment in time.

With ‘New Present City’, you went as far as commissioning a video to accompany it, did you work with the video director on the storyline or did you allow them total artistic freedom to interpret the music as they saw fit?

The director had a vision for the concept of the video that he made come to life all by himself. We cannot take any credit for that.

For ‘Sleep Will Darken It’ with its brilliant synth solo, you self-produced a very effective DIY video for it; with R. MISSING having projected an enigmatic image, how was it to perform in front of the camera?

Fast and unstudied. Just another starless night in the underpass parking somewhere.

So what is ‘The Down That Creeps’?

It’s the disquiet you might feel at Club Altair when the music stopping times up with the windows jamming.

With songs like ‘Jane Four’, ‘Get Careful Darker’, ‘Maryhead’, ‘Cry Quicker’ and ‘Imagination To Be Sad’, R. MISSING don’t mess about and all clock in under three minutes? Was it intentional to keep these songs short?

Not intentional. Concision is just my automatic feeling.

Do you have any favourite songs on the album and if so, why those particular ones?

No. The truth is I never really think about anything once it’s alive.

Since the album ‘Knife Shook The Hand’ came out, there has been a new single ‘Fakesnow’ with Johan Agebjörn, how did this come about and what was the writing process between you like?

Johan created an elegant dark Italo disco instrumental that luckily worked extremely well with a concept and lyrics we had floating in our brains for a while.

There was the 2023 collaboration ‘ Wear The Night Out’ with CAUSEWAY which was very fitting and they also made a ‘My Time As A Ghostly Someone Else’ remix. Are there anymore collaborations planned for the future with other producers and artists?

Quite possibly. Although I’m not the best at guessing the future, I’ve always wanted to be a sci-fi side character.

R. MISSING like to do the occasional cover version and these have ranged from new wave numbers like ‘I Could Be Happy’ and ‘Spellbound’ to soul classics such as ‘Superstition’, so how do you choose a song that will suit the R. MISSING aesthetic? Are there any more particular songs you would like to do?

A record label asked us to do several covers that suited several themes they had in mind. I’m not sure we’ll be doing any other covers.

What is next for R. MISSING? You don’t play live very often, is that something that might change in the future?

More releases. And yes, more live shows.


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Sharon Shy

Special thanks to Johan Agebjörn

The album ‘Knife Shook Your Hand’ and the most recent single ‘Telepolartears’ are available digitally from https://rmissing.bandcamp.com/music

‘Fakesnow’, the collaboration with Johan Agebjörn is available from https://agebjorn.bandcamp.com/album/fakesnow

https://rmissing.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rmissingmusic

https://www.instagram.com/r.missing/

https://www.threads.net/@r.missing


Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
27th January 2025

KID MOXIE: The Covers Interview

Photo by Paige Von Bank

‘The Covers’ is the new long playing collection by KID MOXIE.

The musical vehicle of Greek-born Elena Charbila, although KID MOXIE has been busy these past few years with her 2022 long player ‘Better Than Electric’ and 2023’s collaborative EP ‘Lust’ with German Queen Of Synthwave NINA released on Italians Do It Better, the new collection was precipitated by her soundtrack work on the 2020 film ‘Not To Be Unpleasant, But We Need To Have A Serious Talk’.

While the majority of the material on the soundtrack was instrumental, it included a stark feminine reinterpretation of ALPHAVILLE’s ‘Big In Japan’; the traction gained led to further soundtrack commissions, most notably the drama series ‘Maestro In Blue’, the first Greek television series to be made available on Netflix. This led to a number of cover versions being commissioned in her continental cinematic pop style. Ranging from worldwide pop classics to Greek language evergreens, a number were included in the series and released as single while others remained unused on the hard drive… until now.

Now back in Athens after many years of living in Los Angeles, Elena Charbila spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about the stories behind recording the various songs included on ‘The Covers’ album…

Why did you decide to put together a covers compilation?

I feel like there was too many floating around and I think it was motivated by my OCD which wants things in boxes and chapters… covers are a big chapter of my musical life and something that more people got to know me from, as tends to happen with covers in general. So I thought I would put them in one chapter and put them away for a while because I’m ready to say “this was the covers chapter, let’s move on to more original stuff”. But I’m also really proud of this chapter so I wanted to highlight it.

What has been particularly delightful about this compilation is you’ve made a statement of your Greek heritage by including ‘Aniko Se Mena’, ‘Ela Mazi Mou’, ‘Poios To Kserei’, ‘Ti Einai Ayto Pou To Lene Agapi’, ‘Τa Ladadika’ and ‘Panselinos’?

It wasn’t intentional, but I was a little bit sceptical and apprehensive about going there. But it feels in life that going back full circle has a liberating feeling because there’s sometimes to fear about going back to your roots. I was always afraid of leaving America and moving back to Greece, it was almost “a step backwards” but I don’t see it that way anymore.

It’s the same with these covers, I don’t see singing in my native language as a step backwards, I see it as “what a cool bridge”, coming back full circle and singing in a language that was “too close to home” literally… liberating is one way of describing it, but there was a sensation of getting closer to where you may be running from. So you want to differentiate yourself from your heritage, your roots, your home, your parents and then once you’ve done that, it’s almost like the odyssey, you come full circle and can embrace it because I’ve found pieces of myself along the way. So I can embrace where I came from because that was the jolt to take the journey in the first place.

How would something like ‘Ti Einai Ayto Pou To Lene Agapi’ which was in a 1957 Sophia Loren film have been chosen?

Oddly enough, this was a suggestion from the label Universal Greece, they said “you haven’t really done anything Greek, this is an iconic Greek song, the one that has been sung the most because of Sophia Loren, how do you feel about doing this one?”

Usually I refrain from doing stuff that is already close to my vibe, this was already ethereal, emotional, sung by a woman and Greek…. one of the things when I do covers is I don’t want to be compared, so I always try to pick something so different in order to do something different. But it was a revelation to do something that I was a little apprehensive about and scared of. And now it’s one of my favourite covers I’ve ever done at this point 🙂

How did you decide on the eerie synthwave arrangement for ‘Ti Einai Ayto Pou To Lene Agapi’?

It was born into it with me, it’s the ballpark I like, I really like those sonic soundscapes and vibes. Something like this that’s been so traditional and filmic and Greek, how would it live in that soundspace? That was what really excited me.

In a way, your approach to this reminds me of PROPAGANDA doing that cover of ‘Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte’ this year; I think as much as people can complain about Spotify etc, it has sort of created an international environment now where language is no longer a barrier to appreciating music anymore…

I agree and I actually thought it’s hot for people who don’t understand a language to still like it and get the feeling. For me, it’s never been about lyrics anyway, I write lyrics because I write music, lyrics always came secondary so it doesn’t matter what language they are in. Primarily it is about the melody and the music. I’m not a Bob Dylan fan, but people who love him, love him for what he says mostly, it’s just not my cup of tea and I don’t know if that’s sacrilegious but that’s now I feel because I don’t feel the vibes *laughs*

I know what you mean, I only like Bob Dylan songs when they are covered by other people and to be quite honest, I prefer Leonard Cohen! *laughs*

100%!

Photo by Paige Von Bank

You duetted on ‘Aniko Se Mena’ with Giorgos Mazonakis, how did this come about because this is unusual in that you are singing this with the original artist?

Yes, there’s two of these on the album, the other is with Haris Alexiou, both of them came as requests. All these Greek artists, I was surprised and grateful that they invited me to touch iconic songs of theirs and I can include them now on my album.

The one with Giorgos Mazonakis was for a Cannes award winning short film ‘On Xerxes Throne’. But he was ready to take a departure and make something really different plus he was also starring in the film, so that’s how it came about. This is another iconic Greek song that everybody in Greece knows, very traditional sounding with Bouzouki and all of that, but because I don’t listen to Greek music, I didn’t even know it which was a surprise to Mazonakis, he was like “C’mon dude, you don’t know my song?”! *laughs*

‘Panselinos’ is a duet with Haris Alexiou who released an album of reworks, the backing sounds a bit like that great late Greek Vangelis?

This song means “Full Moon”; I call Haris Alexiou “the DEPECHE MODE of Greece” because a couple of months after my collaboration with DEPECHE MODE on ‘Wagging Tongue’, people were asking me about her and she has a legacy of decades with a huge audience abroad as well. Sounding like Vangelis was intentional but it’s always unintentional at the same time, him and Angelo Badalamenti are my two favourite composers of all time. So I feel once you love and have delved into somebody’s work so much, it’s inevitable that you are going to bring it with you! So that’s an amazing compliment!

Photo by Paige Von Bank

‘Poios To Kserei’ was made famous by Nana Mouskouri who is a worldwide star and my mother played at lot at home, but you’ve given it a very different synthwave treatment?

I did this one because my Mum loves it and what’s more Greek than doing something your Mum chooses! *laughs*

It’s a gorgeous song, this and ‘Ela Mazi Mou’ which means “Come With Me”, they are both my Mum’s choices, I said to her “I making some Greek songs, please tell me some of your favourites”; she wrote down a list, I picked two and I made them for her 🙂

Another song you have given a synthwave treatment to is ‘Τa Ladadika’ which in its Dimitris Mitropanos version has a traditional dramatic delivery complete with Bouzouki?

Talking about legends, people would have killed for Mitropanos who has now passed on, but he is someone who is so heavy in Greek culture and people are very passionate about him. This is a song about prostitutes in a particular area of Northern Greece and it was really interesting for a woman to be talking about that in those lyrics rather than a man as per the original. It’s a gorgeous melody and an iconic track.

Do you think your cover of ALPHAVILLE’s ‘Big In Japan’ presented you to a much wider audience?

YES I DO! *laughs*

How do you look back on the reaction to it?

Again, this was created for a film back in 2019 and that showed me what covers can do… it showed me that there is such a bridge between an indie artist and an audience once you throw in something really recognisable and twist it on its face. So I was thinking “oh cool, maybe I could do a little more of that” and more and more and more. It felt like the beginning and it’s still one of the ones I still listen to, because there is some stuff I listen to from the past, even in ‘The Covers’ where I think “this is good, I see why I wanted to do this” but ‘Big In Japan’, I’m a fan of how that sounds… I’m not saying that about everything but that one is one of my favourites.

Did Marian Gold of ALPHAVILLE ever feedback his opinion?

I did! We have the same publisher Schubert so I heard through them that he heard it and loved it, that was an amazing pat on the back on my first big cover 🙂

Doing the ‘Creep’ cover was a bold step, but while recording it, did you notice how close it really was musically to ‘The Air That I Breathe’ which was written by Albert Hammond and made famous by THE HOLLIES?

No! I never thought about that!

The song was done as a love theme for a Netflix show called ‘Maestro In Blue’, the third and final season has just dropped and three songs from ‘The Covers’ appear. That was actually a request on the strength of ‘Big In Japan’ from the director who loved ‘Creep’, he wanted the something close to that. But when I listen back to both of them, they really don’t sound similar. ‘Big In Japan’ definitely has a darker sparse edge whereas ‘Creep’ is way more ethereal. It also became one of my favourite covers and got a lot of love. And because people heard it, it brought me a lot of other beautiful things and people asked if I would like to work with them, it was very unexpected.

Because the show and song were popular, whether it’s liked or not, I was craving some hate mail! I was like “Where is my hate mail you guys?”; I felt people were going to think I was disrespecting it! It’s like with ‘Ti Einai Ayto Pou To Lene Agapi’, when it was released a couple of week ago, I was waiting for the hate mail, it didn’t come… but then about a week ago, somebody posted a horrific comment on Instagram about it saying that he’s been puking since he heard it and it’s a horrible thing and vile and I should die and how dare I, so I pinned it as a top comment, I was like “yeah, here we go!”… so ‘Creep’ didn’t get enough hate like I thought it was going to! *laughs*

What inspired you to put together a ‘Twin Peaks’ meets darkwave version of ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’?

Again, this was a request from the director for ‘Maestro In Blue’ for a very very important love scene, a full circle end of episode scene. As with ‘Creep’, I’m anticipating reaction, let’s see how that does… *laughs*

Photo by Paige Von Bank

‘Waiting For Tonight’ saw you do a delicious rework of the song with NINA, are there any plans to work together again?

Not in the immediate future, I think we’re both focussed on our own individual stuff but I am so proud of what we did together and the ‘Lust’ EP is one of my favourites, also getting to work with Italians Do It Better was something we had both been wanting to do for a long time. This song is like the womb it came out of so this EP was like the best home it could have had, all the visuals and everything about my collab with NINA was a beautiful chapter.

’Wild Is The Wind’ has been interpreted by many different artists, who did your favourite version and why did you do it? What did you feel you could bring it?

This was going to be in ‘Maestro In Blue’ and that was the only reason I touched it, I was never going to go there. I love it but I never felt the need… to be honest, that was one of the scariest things to tackle because I thought “this is going to swallow me alive”, that was way scarier than ‘Creep’ which is way more well known.

So I did it, it didn’t end up making the show because of rights, logistics and all that! But if I was going to pick between Nina Simone and David Bowie, Bowie’s is definitely the one I’ve listened to the most and resonated with, it has more of an explosion of emotion instrumentally which I really a big fan of. But neither Nina Simone’s or Bowie’s was an influence on this and I’m glad because I try to stay away from trying to imitate or take suggestions from an original or a well-known version because that is a recipe for not-a-good cover…

Photo by Paige Von Bank

Were there any reasons that you decided to leave off some of your other covers like AC/DC ‘Thunderstruck’, BEE GEES ‘Holiday’ or Julee Cruise ‘Mysteries Of Love’?

You know what Chi! I forgot about ‘Thunderstruck’! That’s an honest answer! *laughs*

Also, ‘Thunderstruck’ was quite recently released and on the ‘Better Than Electric’ album but as far as ‘Mysteries Of Love’ goes, I don’t see it as a cover because that was a rework with Angelo Badalamenti, so it was never living in me as a cover, we just did a new version of it. But you know what, you’re making me think, I don’t know if I made the right choice to leave them out, especially as ‘Mysteries Of Love’ was one the most beautiful experiences in my musical life ever.

Are there any songs you would still like to cover or any fantasy duets you would like to do?

With covers, I feel so inundated right now, I feel it’s been a lot and I’m sure come back to it, I’m sure I will but not right now.

Fantasy duets? If we’re going dream big, then Kate Bush would be the first person who comes to mind, that would be iconic, yeah!

What are you up to next?

I’m composing music for an animation show, so that’s going to be the case for a while as it’s multiple seasons. I’ve started on an album of original songs that may include a few I did for a Fox TV series. It will be an EP perhaps, I don’t know how many songs are going to end up coming out. That’s what I’ve been up to.

I’m going to be on two episodes of ‘The Voice of Greece’ as a guest judge and performer. The Teams are now fixed, Giorgos Mazonakis is one of the judges and has invited me as his guest to sing with him on one number while I’ll also be performing alone.


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to KID MOXIE

‘The Covers’ is released by Minos EMI and available online now via Apple and Spotify

http://www.facebook.com/kidmoxie

https://www.instagram.com/kid.moxie/

https://kidmoxie.musicmerch.eu/en-gb


Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
23rd December 2024

Heiko Maile: The CAMOUFLAGE interview

Photo by Walter Cymbal

CAMOUFLAGE’s ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ tour was an opportunity for the German electronic pop veterans to look back on four decades. And while CAMOUFLAGE’s past was being celebrated, new songs such as the autobiographical tour title song and ‘Everything’ were also included.

Influenced by the likes of KRAFTWERK, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, DEPECHE MODE and DAF, Oliver Kreyssig, Heiko Maile and Marcus Meyn, formed CAMOUFLAGE in Bietigheim-Bissingen and eventually settled on the name after a track on the 1981 YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA album ‘BGM’. Their 1987 debut single ‘The Great Commandment‘ was certifiled Gold in Germany while it was an American hit in 1989, peaking in the Billboard Hot100 at No59 while also being a Billboard Dance Club Play No1. Another German Gold single and Top10 ‘Love Is A Shield’ followed.

With eight albums to their name, CAMOUFLAGE have a formidable back catalogue, as exemplified by their recently released multi-disc retrospective, also called ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’; the band invited their fans via social media to vote for their favorite tracks and the resultant 40 track collection includes not just singles but B-sides, fan favorites and rare recordings.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK had the pleasure of meeting CAMOUFLAGE in Hamburg and Oberhausen during the ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ tour, so took the opportunity afterwards to catch up with Heiko Maile for a comprehensive new career spanning interview…

Photo by Klaus Mellenthin

CAMOUFLAGE have been around for 40+ years, that is a long time to be in a band but when you first formed in Bietigheim-Bissingen, was lasting so many decades ever in your thoughts? Was it something you even joked about?

Certainly not! Back then, our dream was simply to record in a professional studio and produce a 12 inch vinyl for ourselves, our friends, and our earliest fans. The original version of ‘The Great Commandment’ was created during such a session – that it would lead to such a long story for our band was, of course, unimaginable. Sure, we made jokes about it, or dreamed of winning the lottery like everyone else, but in a way, that’s what happened with CAMOUFLAGE. You need talent, a lot of hard work, and most of all, plenty of luck to be in the right place at the right time. One such moment for us was our debut single.

CAMOUFLAGE arrived just as analog synthesis was being superseded by digital synthesis and sampling, what keyboards were first being used and how was the band adapting to this technology race where new equipment was coming out all the time?

Looking back, this transitional period was the perfect environment for us. On one hand, many instruments and techniques became affordable for beginners like us, and on the other, there were constant innovations, which meant older analog devices became available at reasonable prices on the second-hand market. Of course, even these “affordable” devices were still expensive for us, but just a few years earlier, much of this technology was only accessible to established artists with big budgets.

We invested all our savings to buy our first gear and spent every school holiday working factory jobs to afford new equipment. That’s how our first setup came together: a Roland Juno-60, a JX-3P, a TB-303 Bassline, a Korg MS-20, and a Roland TR-808 drum machine.

What are your memories of performing on TV for the first time with ‘The Great Commandment’ in Summer 1987, was there feeling that something big was about to happen for you all? 

Well, we were certainly curious about what would happen after our first TV appearance. From an outsider’s perspective, it might have seemed like an overnight success, but for us, it marked the end of a long period of waiting, during which we sometimes doubted the single would ever be released. The journey to that point had many steps.

It all began with the first studio recording with Axel Henninger, which largely resembled the “Extended Radio Mix” that was later released. The response to this recording from our label, Westside Music, was so positive that they had high hopes for its release. This led them to partner with promoters and distributors, including Karin Wirthmann, who later became our manager. She introduced us to Metronome Records, which offered exciting prospects but also slowed things down with new plans and strategies.

One idea was to wait for the right TV show to showcase our single to a large audience – this finally happened about a year after the initial recording. The waiting tested our nerves, but it was worth it. Although the show aired on a Sunday morning, the response was phenomenal. We also did a lot of radio promotion, which kept the momentum going. The reactions were fantastic and kept us incredibly busy for the next two to three years. Back then, TV had a much bigger impact than it does today.

Photo by Heike Hilgendorff

How do you look back on the making of your debut album ‘Voices & Images’? Was it just forward momentum all the way through?

It was more of an unfiltered, perhaps even naïve time. Of course, the success of the single put some pressure on us, but we had plenty of songs and ideas from the years before, so we simply selected our favorites. Scheduling studio time was trickier, though, since Oliver was still in training and Marcus was finishing his final year of high school. I had already completed my vocational training and decided – even before ‘The Great Commandment’ became a hit – to devote a year entirely to music. This allowed me to work in the studio with Axel Henninger on the tracks for the album, while the others joined us on weekends. There were a few challenging moments, but I remember this phase as an exciting and intense time of growth. We absorbed every new studio experience like sponges.

This contrasts with our second album, ‘Methods of Silence’, where we had to navigate the expectations that came with following a successful debut. Writing a strong, independent album under those circumstances was our real baptism by fire. With ‘Voices & Images’, we had a stockpile of songs…

‘Voices & Images’ is perfect in its original 10 song LP running order, do you have any favourite songs from it?

No, there isn’t one definitive favorite. Naturally, we sometimes hope that fans and listeners would shine more light on tracks beyond ‘The Great Commandment’, but after our recent tour, we were delighted to see that alongside the eternal fan favorite ‘That Smiling Face’, songs like ‘Stranger’s Thoughts’ and ‘Neighbours’ are still true crowd-pleasers!

As a film score composer today, I particularly enjoy revisiting ‘Voices & Images’. Tracks like the 3/4 time signature and flugelhorn solo on ‘I Once Had a Dream’ or the mysterious sounds of ‘Pompeii’ stand out to me as personal highlights.

Marcus once described CAMOUFLAGE songs as “melancholic and sometimes sad – but not negative”, was this one of the advantages you had over DEPRESSED MODE that set you apart?

Honestly, there was never a master plan behind it. It’s more of a snapshot of our life situations at the time. Early DEPECHE MODE also had a much more “positive” sound, and they released far more albums than we did. For example, ‘Sensor’ had significantly darker moments compared to ‘Relocated’.

What our music might have sounded like during phases where we didn’t release anything is something we’ll never know. However, I do think there’s a certain emotional foundation in our work that leans more toward hope and optimism rather than dystopia or hopelessness.

After ‘The Great Commandment’, was the pressure was on with the second album ‘Methods Of Silence’ and to achieve another hit?  You did it with ‘Love Is A Shield’, was it yours or the record company’s decision to bring Peter Godwin in to help with the lyrics?

The idea to involve Peter Godwin came from our producer at the time, Dan Lacksman, but also because we wanted more confidence in our lyrics. Since our music had such an international reach, it became even more important to avoid significant errors as non-native speakers. So, the collaboration was more of a proofreading process – the lyrics were all written by us. It’s a bit unfortunate in hindsight that it sometimes seems like Peter played a larger role in the process than he actually did.

On ‘Methods Of Silence’ you covered ‘On Islands’ by NEW MUSIK, is Tony Mansfield one of the most underrated songwriters and producers ever because his influence can be clearly heard in the more synthpop work of THE WEEKND?

We’ve always been fans of NEW MUSIK and could never understand why they didn’t achieve greater success. In addition to the ‘Anywhere’ album, which had a huge impact on us, their album ‘From A To B’ was also very influential. Not only because of ‘On Islands’, but even the name of our demo tape, ‘From Ay To Bee’ (1985), was directly inspired by it. Beyond his impressive work as a producer for A-HA, THE B-52S, and CAPTAIN SENSIBLE, I was especially excited by the collaboration Tony Mansfield had with one of my other musical idols – Yukihiro Takahashi – on his album ‘Neuromantic’ in 1981.

Through our cover version, ‘On Islands’ became a part of us in a way, and many of our fans see it that way too. Personally, looking back, I find our version a bit unfortunate because we stuck so closely to the arrangement and sound of the original. At the time, we saw this as a mark of respect and homage. But we’ve since learned that a cover should ideally add a fresh perspective to the original. Still, as fans, we achieved our goal: to bring this great song to a wider audience!

Apart from ‘Kling Klang’ and ‘Kraft’, CAMOUFLAGE lyrics are almost exclusively in English, so have you ever dreamt in English?

During the height of our success, we spent a lot of time in the US and gave countless interviews in English. So yes, it did happen occasionally.

Our decision to write lyrics in English was influenced by feedback from a publisher we approached, along with many other labels, during our early days. Our demo tapes included songs with both English and German lyrics. Like most others, this publisher turned us down but offered some valuable advice: to focus on one language moving forward.

Photo by Wolfgang Wilde

In 1990, Oliver left but did this prompt CAMOUFLAGE to explore more traditional directions with violin, sax and live drums as well as more guitar? 

Oliver’s departure at the end of our first live tour was a significant turning point for the band. Although we had been aware of his decision for a few months, it was still a major change, especially after spending almost every moment together over the previous three years. Tensions had built up, and in hindsight, it might have been better if we had taken a break from each other to clear our heads and regain perspective.

The tour itself was a fantastic experience, particularly because we performed with Ingo Ito (guitar), Thomas Dörr (drums), and Robin Loxley (keyboards). We increasingly enjoyed the blend of electronic and live instruments. Later, violinist and keyboardist Julian Boyd (aka Julian DeMarre) joined us, and we collaborated with him for several years.

In hindsight, do you think this was the right way to go on ‘Meanwhile’? What lessons did you take away from working with Colin Thurston as producer?

In a way, the move towards acoustic instruments was a logical extension of the evolution between our first two albums. We also became bolder about embracing “other” influences, like THE BEATLES, TALK TALK, or Daniel Lanois. With the success of our earlier albums, we had the budget to explore freely. We even had a great conversation in London with Midge Ure but ultimately decided to work with Colin Thurston. His impressive production credits drew us in, but it was his eccentric personality that convinced us he’d bring unorthodox and fresh ideas to the table.

The production started promisingly, and Colin seemed genuinely enthusiastic about our work. But over time, it became clear that he wasn’t contributing as much as we had hoped. Perhaps this was due to the illness he later battled, which we only learned about many years after his death. In the end, all these developments resulted in an album that wasn’t well-received by many of our fans. Even before the final mix, we had a sense of this and resolved to make our next album much more electronic. Looking back, we laugh at many of our decisions, but we also wonder what opportunities might have opened up if ‘Meanwhile’ had been as successful as its predecessors.

You went back to electronics and working with Dan Lacksman again on ‘Bodega Bohemia’, the album features the ‘Suspicious Love’ but closes with the fantastic epic ‘In Your Ivory Tower’, what inspired it and how did you decide to make it so long?

As we wanted the album to embrace a more electronic style, we adopted the motto “Think Electronic”. This mindset led to the creation of an instrumental track, which I initially envisioned as a sort of electronic symphony and the perfect way to close the album. When our guitarist, Ingo Ito, heard it, he suggested he could write lyrics and vocals for it. A few days later, he played us his idea, and we were immediately captivated. The lyrics were inspired by a friend who had passed away from AIDS just a few weeks earlier. I feel Marcus captured the mood beautifully during the studio recording.

Although I was initially hesitant to keep the arrangement at its full length, we ultimately felt that every section of the track was too strong to cut. One of my personal highlights is the violin melody at around 3:57 min, contributed by Julian Boyd. This track became a special collaboration and a fitting conclusion to the album.

In 1995, you released a superb cover of Moon Martin’s ‘Bad News’, how did you figure out it would work as a CAMOUFLAGE track in the context of ‘Spice Crackers’?

Thank you so much for the praise—it really means a lot. Sadly, that album never received the recognition I believe it deserved. Over the years, people have often told us that the production style was ahead of its time. While we’re not sure, it was certainly the album we wanted to make in 1995: a mix of electronic influences driven by the club music trends of the era, yet still melodic, harmonious, and full of sci-fi elements and experimentation.

We were also heavily influenced by the cultural moment—frequent cinema trips to see Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ and a general creative buzz. At some point, Moon Martin’s ‘Bad News’ came back into our minds. It was a track we had danced to countless times in our local youth disco in the early ’80s, and it had always been on our wishlist of potential covers. It felt like the perfect fit for the eclectic style of the album, and we loved bringing it into that world.

Photo by Mathias Bothor

The classic trio reunited in 1998 and has now stayed together longer than first time round and produced more albums, how did the approach change to enable this longevity? 

The turning point in our band’s history came after the commercial failure of ‘Spice Crackers’. It became clear that we couldn’t continue to dedicate 100% of our time to the band. Around the same time, we had to shut down our studio in Hamburg, and Marcus and I each became fathers within a short span. This led us to reorient our careers and take a two-year hiatus from the band. Both of us moved with our families to Stuttgart.

Eventually, the desire to make music together returned, and we saw this new reality as an opportunity to reassess many of the dynamics that had crept in during the stressful years before. Marcus suggested inviting Oli to join us for a fresh start. At the time, I had set up a new studio in Stuttgart, primarily for production work and commercial music, and we already had a demo – ‘Thief’ – to work on together. In 1998, the three of us were back in the studio, and it felt as though no time had passed.

Since then, we’ve accomplished many projects together, but the fundamental set-up has remained the same: each member has their own career and doesn’t rely on the band’s income. This removes much of the pressure, even though it limits the time we can dedicate to the band. While this approach can lead to delays in album production, it gives us the freedom to create only what we truly want, with virtually no compromises. We all deeply value this arrangement.

The full album return with ‘Sensor’ took a while to complete and it finally came out in 2003, did the delays in making the record taint your memories of it?

After ‘Thief’, we signed with Virgin Germany, who expressed interest in an album but never fully committed. Even our willingness to release ‘The Great Commandment 2.0’ as a single didn’t sway them. While we enjoyed working with the British production team TOY (Kerry Hopwood, Dave Clayton and engineer Q) and found the collaboration promising, we were more eager to focus on a new album rather than revisiting our classic track. Virgin ultimately decided against producing the album, which initially frustrated us but also motivated us to move forward independently.

We announced ‘Sensor’ as our next album, even though its production timeline and release were still unclear. After continuing to work on demos, we eventually found a new partner in Polydor, who fully supported the project. Their commitment helped us bring the album to life with great care and determination.

‘Me & You’ was a great opening salvo for your “comeback” album, how did that come together as a recording?

‘Me & You’ was written during the Virgin era and was frequently performed live at our concerts back then. As a result, there were multiple versions of the song before we finalised the studio version. Each iteration left a mark, with various details and sound snippets finding their way into the final arrangement.

When we signed with Polydor, we planned the production with three different producers for specific tracks: TOY (who had worked on ‘The Great Commandment 2.0’), Gerret Frerichs (aka Humate), and Rob Kirwan (known for engineering U2 tracks and others). While the sessions were promising, the songs ended up pulling in slightly different directions. Budget constraints also forced us to end our collaboration with Rob Kirwan.

TOY developed a strong concept for ‘Me & You’ and their session in England shaped the track significantly. However, they eventually stepped back, citing a mismatch in expectations for the production process. Fortunately, they generously shared their audio files with us, including the incredible driving synth bassline. The final production was completed with Gerret Frerichs in Hamburg, blending elements from various sessions.

Despite the challenges, the resulting album has a cohesive sound. Looking back, I’m especially proud that we overcame the logistical and creative hurdles to deliver something that felt unified and true to our vision.

There has since been two more albums ‘Relocated’ and ‘Greyscale’, how do you look back on those? Which songs still stand out for you? 

For me, ‘Relocated’ will always hold a special place as it captures a period in the band’s history when, for the first time in many years, we were all living in the same city. This allowed us to spend a significant amount of time together in the studio, something we hadn’t done with such intensity since ‘Methods of Silence’. The collaboration was incredibly creative, leading to a wonderful blend of collective songwriting. A great example is ‘Dreaming’, which existed as a demo for years but only found its final chorus and arrangement during these sessions. It’s hard to single out one song because I truly like all of them, but my heart often leans toward tracks like ‘Real Thing’ or ‘How Do You Feel?’ which tend to be a bit overlooked.

With ‘Greyscale’, it’s even more difficult to pick favorites because I genuinely believe it’s one of our strongest albums in terms of songwriting. Whether it’s because we worked on it for many years or simply because we’ve grown as writers, I’m not sure. I rarely listen to our own music, but with this album, I’m often amazed by how varied, simple yet complex, and emotionally rich electronic pop music can sound. I think we can be proud of the result, which makes choosing a single song quite tough. ‘Shine’ is a really strong track; I love the cinematic grandeur of ‘Still’, the quintessential CAMOUFLAGE blend of styles in ‘Laughing’, and the powerful, emotional arrangement of ‘End of Words’. For the band as a whole, ‘Leave Your Room Behind’ is probably a highlight, as we had tried to complete it for years but always fell short. In the end, we finally managed to deliver it as it is: a simple, electronic pop song filled with emotion and atmosphere.

Your almost entirely sold-out ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ German tour has come to an end. How did it feel to be back on stage together after nine years?

The tour was a lot of fun and filled with incredible moments. Of course, Oliver’s decision to step back was a significant turning point for us, but based on the fans’ reactions, I feel we adapted well to this change in our live set. Naturally, Marcus and I would always prefer all three of us to be on stage, but at some point, you have to accept new realities and learn how to handle them. Together with our fellow musicians Jochen Schmalbach (drums) and Volker Hinkel (guitar, keyboards) – occasionally replaced by Stefan “Snöt” Fehling at certain shows – and our experienced live crew, we put together a fantastic show that did justice to our 40 year band anniversary. The response to the tour sparked new energy and excitement for future plans. Oliver is still very much part of the band, and we’re working together on new songs and everything else involved in running a band with a discography like ours.

How do you decide the live setlist, is it like three people trying to paint with the same brush or is it much easier than that? 

For the recent tour, we aimed to create a shared time journey. That meant leaving out some of the usual live favorites but instead highlighting other aspects of our band’s history. Of course, the setlist was built on our classics, complemented by key milestones from our perspective and even some new tracks to signal the future. Initially, the setlist was just an idea that felt perfectly balanced to us, but you never know for sure how it will resonate in reality. After our first rehearsals, we were confident it was a great mix, but we were still eagerly awaiting the audience’s reactions!

Photo by Klaus Mellenthin

Despite the tour title, are there any plans for a new album? Does the album have a place still in the modern music marketplace? 

There are definitely plans for new songs. Whether those will culminate in an album remains to be seen… we’ll see where it takes us. An album is, of course, a significant undertaking and should stand tall alongside our previously released records. That said, we always think in terms of albums, though our definition leans more towards the length of a traditional vinyl record rather than the full 74-minute package that was once the standard. At some point, we noticed that nearly all of our favorite albums have that classic format of about 2 x 24 minutes. Put simply, I’d prefer 10 really good songs over an album that feels endless.

Conceptually, we still see an album as the ideal collection of songs, even though many people today prefer individual tracks or playlists. This shift hasn’t entirely passed us by either. In the past, we loved crafting “transitions” between tracks within an album, whether with pauses or clear overlaps. Unfortunately, when songs are shuffled randomly on streaming platforms, these transitions often end up clashing. Over time, I think this will lead to fewer such transitions being designed into album tracklists.

As for the “Goodbye” in the tour title and the possibility of the band coming to an end, all I can say is that we have no plans for that yet. If that time comes, we’ll handle it the same way we’ve approached everything else over the last 41 years: on our own terms.

Photo by Walter Cymbal

What is your favourite moment in 40 years of CAMOUFLAGE? 

When we played the finished version of ‘The Great Commandment’ to others in 1987, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. We were confident in our song, but it was hard to imagine what lay ahead in the coming months. A few days before the single’s official release, we were invited to perform it on the TV show ‘Spruchreif’. The reaction to that appearance, along with the rest of our promotional efforts, was so overwhelming that a few weeks later, we debuted at No27 on the German singles chart. We received the chart news during a radio interview in Hamburg, and we were ecstatic – it felt like a daydream. As we left the radio station in the car, the sun was shining, and the radio coincidentally played ‘Wonderful Life’ by BLACK – it couldn’t have been a more fitting soundtrack for that moment.


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Heiko Maile

Special thanks to Sean Newsham at Bureau B

‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ is released as a 3CD and 4LP+3CD set by Universal Music, available from https://camouflage.bravado.de/

CAMOUFLAGE 2025 European live dates include:

Warsaw Palladium (26 March), Ostrava Barrák Music Club (28 March), Bratislava Rafinery Gallery (29 March), Prague Roxy (30 March), Vänersborg Subkultfestivalen (27 June), Cologne Amphi Festival (19 July), Osterfeld Kulturhaus (2 August), Schwerin Pappelpark-Bühne (15 August), Neubrandenburg HKB (5 September)

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

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

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2YTbBGa3Tf2rRPhiJxWoUN


Text and interview by Chi Ming Lai
19th December 2024

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