Category: Lists & Beginner’s Guides (Page 1 of 24)

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

25 21ST CENTURY SYNTH COVERS – 2000 to 2014

10 March 2025 /

“The medium of reinterpretation” is still very much present in the 21st Century.

There have been albums of cover versions from the likes of SIMPLE MINDS and ERASURE as well as Midge Ure and Claudia Brücken celebrating their influences, as well as numerous various artists collections paying tribute to particular acts. However, the phenomenon of covering an entire album happened for a few years, something which MARSHEAUX, BECKY BECKY and CIRCUIT 3 attempted on works by DEPECHE MODE, THE KNIFE and YAZOO respectively.

On the other side of the coin in recognition of the cultural impact of the classic synth era, the Anti-Christ Superstar Marilyn Manson covered SOFT CELL’s cover of ‘Tainted Love’ but added more shouting, while David Grey took their own ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ and turned it into a lengthy Dylan-esque ballad.

There has also been a trend for girl groups to cover songs from the period with GIRLS ALOUD, THE SATURDAYS and RED BLOODED WOMEN being among those introducing these numbers to a new younger audience.

So as a follow-up to the 25 CLASSIC SYNTH COVERS listing, here is ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s selection taken from reinterpretations recorded from 2000 to 2014, restricted to one song per artist moniker and presented in chronological order.

SCHNEIDER TM va KPTMICHIGAN The Light 3000 (2000)

Morrissey was once quoted as saying there was “nothing more repellent than the synthesizer”, but if THE SMITHS had gone electro, would they have sounded like this and Stephen Patrick thrown himself in front of that ten ton truck? Germany’s SCHNEIDER TM aka Dirk Dresselhaus reconstructed ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ to a series of minimal blips, blops and robotics to configure ‘The Light 3000’ with British producer KPTMICHIGAN.

Available on the SCHNEIDER TM album ‘Binokular’ via https://mirrorworldmusic.bandcamp.com/

http://www.cityslang.com/schneider-tm/biography

THE DROYDS Take Me I’m Yours (2002)

God Made Me Hardcore was a label set-up by Andy Chatterley and Richard Norris for electroclash tracks they had involvement in and as THE DROYDS, they covered ‘Take Me I’m Yours’ was the debut single by SQUEEZE. The original was notable for its use of synths inspired by KRAFTWERK, so the duo reinterpreted it as a full deadpan electronic number that truly revealed its Kling Klang roots.

Available on the compilation album ‘This Is Hardcore’ (V/A) via God Made Me Hardcore

https://www.discogs.com/release/289143-Various-This-Is-Hardcore

JAY-JAY JOHANSON Automatic Lover (2002)

‘Automatic Lover’ was a 1978 disco-flavoured hit by Dee D Jackson and exploring a more electronic direction after his original trip hop success, the song was perfect foil for his fifth album ‘Antenna’. Filmic with layers of melancholic vocal and vocoder treatments over the gently pulsing electronics, the end result had something of a doomed romantic quality in its beautiful resignation.

From the JAY-JAY JOHANSON album ‘Antenna’ via BMG Sweden

https://www.facebook.com/jayjayjohanson/

GOLDFRAPP Yes Sir (2003)

A breathy Euro disco classic made famous by sultry Spanish vocal duo BACCARA, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory’s take on this cheesy but enjoyable disco standard came over like The Cheeky Girls at The Nuremburg rally! Now that’s a horrifying vision! All traces of ‘Yes Sir I Can Boogie’ apart from the original lyrics were rendered missing in action as the stern Ms Goldfrapp played the role of the thigh booted dominatrix on this highly original cover.

Available on the GOLDFRAPP single ‘Twist’ via Mute Records

http://goldfrapp.com/

INFANTJOY featuring SARAH NIXEY Ghosts (2005)

When BLACK BOX RECORDER went on hiatus, Sarah Nixey recorded a beautifully spacey cover of JAPAN’s ‘Ghosts’ with INFANTJOY whose James Banbury became her main collaborator on her 2007 debut solo album ‘Sing Memory’. The duo’s other member was ZTT conceptualist Paul Morley. MIDI-ed up and into the groove, Nixey later also recorded THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s ‘The Black Hit Of Space’.

Available on the INFANTJOY album ‘With’ via serviceAV

http://infantjoy.com

DIE KRUPPS featuring CLIENT Der Amboss (2005)

Of this mighty industrialised cover, Ralf Dörper said: “When I first heard ‘The Anvil’ (‘Der Amboss’) by VISAGE, I thought: “what a perfect song for DIE KRUPPS” – it just needed more sweat, more steel. And it was not before 2005 when DIE KRUPPS were asked to play a few 25-year anniversary shows that I remembered ‘Der Amboss’… and as I was a big CLIENT fan at that time, I thought it would be a good opportunity to ask Fräulein B for assistance in the vocal department”.

Available on the DIE KRUPPS album ‘Too Much History Vol1’ via Metropolis Records

http://www.diekrupps.de/

FROST Messages (2007)

Comprising of Aggie Peterson and Per Martinsen, FROST have described their music as “upbeat space-pop”. Much of their own material like ‘Klong’, ‘Alphabet’ and ‘Sleepwalker’ exuded a perfect soundtrack for those long Nordic nights. Meanwhile their ultra-cool cover of OMD’s ‘Messages’ embraced that wintery atmosphere, while providing a pulsing backbone of icy synths to accompany Peterson’s alluringly nonchalant vocal.

Available on the FROST album ‘Love! Revolution!’ via Frost World Recordings

https://www.facebook.com/frostnorway/

ONETWO Have A Cigar (2007)

In this “PINK FLOYD Goes To Hollywood” styled rework, Claudia Brücken revisited her ZTT roots with this powerful and danceable version of Roger Waters’ commentary on music business hypocrisy. ‘Have A Cigar’ showed a turn of feistiness and aggression not normally associated with the usually more serene timbres of Claudia Brücken and Paul Humphreys’ ONETWO project. But by welcoming pleasure into the dome, they did a fine cover version.

Available on the ONETWO album ‘Instead’ via https://theremusic.bandcamp.com/

http://www.theremusic.com/onetwo/onetwo

BLACK NAIL CABARET Umbrella (2008)

Budapest’s BLACK NAIL CABARET began life as an all-female duo of Emese Illes-Arvai on vocals and Sophie Tarr on keyboards, with their first online offering being a darkwave cover of Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’. Already very synthy in the Barbadian starlet’s own version, it showcased their brooding form of electro which subsequently impressed enough to earn support slots with COVENANT and CAMOUFLAGE while producing three albums of self-penned material so far.

Available on the BLACK NAIL CABARET album ‘The Covers’ via https://blacknailcabaret.bandcamp.com/

http://www.blacknailcabaret.com

CHINA CRISIS Starry Eyed (2008)

Liverpudlian easy listening crooner Michael Holliday was the second person to have a UK No1 written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the first being Perry Como with ‘Magic Moments’. His second UK No1 penned by Earl Shuman and Mort Garson was a romantic guilty pleasure. CHINA CRISIS pledged their Scouse Honour with this jaunty synth / drum machine driven rendition of ‘Starry Eyed’ layered with reverbed synthbass warbles and harmonious vocals.

Available on the compilation album ‘Liverpool – The Number Ones Album’ (V/A) via EMI Records

www.facebook.com/pages/China-Crisis/295592467251068

LITTLE BOOTS Love Kills (2009)

LITTLE BOOTS gave a dynamically poptastic rendition of Giorgio Moroder and Freddie Mercury’s only collaboration from 1984, retaining its poignant melancholic quality while adding a vibrant and danceable electronic slant. The recreation of Richie Zito’s guitar solo on synths was wondrous as was the looser swirly groove. While Blackpool-born Victoria Hesketh didn’t have the voice of Mercury, her wispy innocence added its own touching qualities to ‘Love Kills’.

Available on the LITTLE BOOTS EP ‘Illuminations’ via Elektra Records

www.littlebootsmusic.co.uk

PET SHOP BOYS Viva La Vida (2009)

Yuck, it’s Chris Martin and Co but didn’t Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe do well? Merging possibly COLDPLAY’s best song with the synth riff from their own Latino disco romp ‘Domino Dancing’, ‘Viva La Vida’ was turned into a stomping but still anthemic number which perhaps had more touches of affection than PET SHOP BOYS’ marvellous but allegedly two fingers Hi-NRG rendition of U2’s ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’. So altogether now: “Woah-oh, ooh-ooah!”

Available on the PET SHOP BOYS album ‘Yes: Further Listening 2008-2010’ via EMI Records

http://petshopboys.co.uk

DURAN DURAN Boys Keep Swinging (2010)

No strangers to raiding the Bowie songbook having previously tackled ‘Fame’ in 1981, DURAN DURAN however blotted their copy book with their 1995 covers LP ‘Thank You’. They refound their stride with the return-to-form album ‘All You Need Is Now’, but just before that, this superb reinterpretation of ‘Boys Keep Swinging’ reconnected them to their New Romantic roots with washes of Nick Rhodes’ swimmy Crumar string machine and John Taylor’s syncopated bass runs.

Available on the compilation album ‘We Were So Turned On: A Tribute To David Bowie’ (V/A) via Manimal Vinyl

http://www.duranduran.com

LADYTRON Little Black Angel (2010)

This frantically paced cover of controversial neofolk band DEATH IN JUNE was recorded for the LADYTRON ‘Best Of 00-10’ collection and purposely uncredited. The antithesis of the midtempo atmospherics of ‘Gravity The Seducer’, this cutting four-to-the-floor romp was the last of the quartet’s in-yer-face tracks in a wind down of the harder ‘Velocifero’ era. With the multi-ethnic combo subverting the meaning of ‘Little Black Angel’, it deliberately bore no resemblance to the original.

Available on the LADYTRON album ‘Best of 00-10’ via Nettwerk Records

http://www.ladytron.com

GAZELLE TWIN The Eternal (2011)

‘The Eternal’ from ‘Closer’, the final album by JOY DIVISION, was one of the most fragile, funereal collages of beauty ever committed to vinyl. But in 2011, the mysterious Brighton based songstress GAZELLE TWIN reworked this cult classic and made it even more haunting! Replacing the piano motif with eerily chilling synth and holding it together within an echoing sonic cathedral, she paid due respect to the song while adding her own understated operatic stylings.

Available on the GAZELLE TWIN EP ‘I Am Shell I Am Bone’ via Anti-Ghost Moon Ray Records

http://www.gazelletwin.com

MIRRORS Something On Your Mind (2011)

MIRRORS revealed an interesting musical diversion with this haunting take of a rootsy country number originally recorded by Karen Dalton. Written by Dino Valenti of psychedelic rockers QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE, ‘Something On Your Mind’ was a touching ballad with its tortured yearning suiting the quartet’s pop noir aspirations. Ally Young said: “It was very nice for us to be able to apply our aesthetic to someone else’s song.”

Available on the MIRRORS album ‘Lights & Offerings’ via Skint Records

http://mirrorsofficial.bandcamp.com/

OMD VCR (2011)

THE XX had a minimalist approach which Andy McCluskey said was “really quite impressive”. This bareness made their material quite well suited for reworking in the style of classic OMD. ‘VCR’ had Paul Humphreys taking charge of the synths while McCluskey dusted off his bass guitar and concentrated on vocals. McCluskey added: “People go ‘how did OMD influence THE XX?’… but have you listened to ‘4-Neu’? Have you listened to some of the really simple, stripped down B-sides?”

Available on the OMD EP ‘History Of Modern (Part I)’ via Blue Noise

http://www.omd.uk.com

WELLE: ERDBALL Ein Bißchen Frieden (2011)

Using a logo that was based on the DDR motor company that produced the Trabant, when German chiptune quartet WELLE: ERDBALL made their tenth album ‘Der Kalte Krieg’, they included numerous German schlager style covers as an ironic nostalgic trip back to the nuclear angst of that era. One of those was a joyous synthpop cover of ‘Ein Bißchen Frieden’, the 1982 Eurovision Song Contest winner sung by Nicole, known in its English version as ‘A Little Peace’.

Available on the WELLE: ERDBALL album ‘Der Kalte Krieg’ via Synthetic Symphony

https://www.facebook.com/WelleErdball

COMPUTE Goodbye (2012)

Folk-oriented songs are just made for electronic reinventions and as COMPUTE, Sweden’s Ulrika Mild did just that on ‘Goodbye’, a song made famous by Mary Hopkin which was written by Paul McCartney who had also produced her debut hit ‘Those Were the Days’. The track formed part of a charity compilation under the supervision of Eddie Bengtsson from PAGE who covered ‘Cos I Luv U’ while it also included versions of ‘Silver Machine’ and ‘Heart Of Gold’.

Available on the compilation album ‘Friends Of Electronically Yours Present The Seventies Revisited’ (V/A) via Electronically Yours

https://www.facebook.com/computopia

SIN COS TAN My Blue Heaven (2012)

‘My Blue Heaven’ was a popular song written by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by George A Whiting. A 1927 song used in the Ziegfeld Follies and a hit crooner Gene Austin, this atmospheric synth reinterpretation by the Finnish duo of Juho Paalosmaa and Jori Hulkkonen was recorded to celebrate the end of their first year as SIN COS TAN as a seasonal gift following the acclaimed for their self-titled debut album.

Available as a free download from https://soundcloud.com/sugarcane/sin-cos-tan-my-blue-heaven

https://www.facebook.com/homeofsincostan

I SPEAK MACHINE My Sex (2013)

As I SPEAK MACHINE, Tara Busch has been known for her haunting and downright bizarre live covers of songs as diverse as ‘Cars’, ‘Our House’, ‘The Sound Of Silence’ and ‘Ticket To Ride’. For a John Foxx tribute EP which also featured GAZELLE TWIN, she turned ‘My Sex’, the closing number from the debut ULTRAVOX! long player, into a cacophony of wailing soprano and dystopian synths that was more than suitable for a horror flick.

Available on the EP ‘Exponentialism’ (V/A) via Metamatic Records

http://www.ispeakmachine.com

NOBLESSE OBLIGE Hotel California (2013)

French theatrical performer Valerie Renay and German producer Sebastian Lee Philipp are NOBLESSE OBLIGE. Together, they specialise in a brand of abstract Weimer cabaret tinged with a dose of electro Chanson. Their lengthy funereal deadpan cover of THE EAGLES ‘Hotel California’ highlighted the chilling subtext of the lyrics to its macabre conclusion! The synthesizer substitution of the original’s iconic twin guitar solo could be seen as total genius or sacrilege!

Available on the NOBLESSE OBLIGE album ‘Affair Of The Heart’ via Repo Records

http://www.noblesseoblige.co.uk/

I AM SNOW ANGEL I’m On Fire (2014)

I AM SNOW ANGEL is the project of Brooklyn based producer Julie Kathryn; her debut album ‘Crocodile’ was a lush sounding affair and could easily be mistaken as a product of Scandinavia were it not for her distinctly Trans-Atlantic drawl. Already full of surprises, to close the long player, out popped a countrified drum ‘n’ bass take of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’m On Fire’! Quite what The Boss would have made of it, no-one is sure but it was quietly subversive…

Available on the I AM SNOW ANGEL album ‘Crocodile’ via I Am Snow Angel

http://iamsnowangel.com/

MACHINISTA Heroes (2014)

Reinterpreting Bowie is fraught with the possibility of negative feedback and MACHINISTA taking on ‘Heroes’ set tongues wagging. Recorded as the duo’s calling card when experienced Swedish musicians John Lindqwister and Richard Flow first came together, electronic pulses combined with assorted synthetic textures which when amalgamated with Lindqwister’s spirited vocal, produced a respectful and yes, good version.

Available on the MACHINISTA album ‘Xenoglossy’ via Analogue Trash

http://www.machinistamusic.com

NIGHT CLUB Need You Tonight (2014)

Comprising of frisky vocalist Emily Kavanaugh and moody producer Mark Brooks, NIGHT CLUB simply cut to the chase with their enjoyable electronic cover of INXS’ ‘Need You Tonight’. Here, the familiar guitar riff was amusingly transposed into a series of synth stabs before mutating into a mutant Morse code. It wasn’t rock ‘n’ roll but we liked it! Purists were horrified, but history has proved the best cover versions always do a spot of genre and instrumentation hopping.

Available on the NIGHT CLUB EP ‘Black Leather Heart’ via http://nightclubband.com/album/black-leather-heart

http://www.nightclubband.com

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s ‘A Fistful Of Electronic Covers’ playlist featuring reinterpretations through the ages can be heard via Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/12XFwF5iuLj3Jl7Tj2GTpE

Text by Chi Ming Lai
10th March 2025

25 SYNTHY TRACKS BY MORE CONVENTIONALLY INCLINED ACTS

10 February 2025 /

At the dawn of synth, rock musicians were not usually welcoming of the instrument and acted with hostility towards what was considered an inauthentic sound, an attitude that continued into punk and to an extent still prevails today among music purists.

But changes in attitudes were afoot with Pete Townshend’s use of the EMS VCS3 and ARP 2500 on the ‘Who’s Next’ album in 1971 while with the availability of the Minimoog, keyboard players like Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson found a new tool of expression. Then there was ROXY MUSIC featuring Brian Eno who often didn’t bother with the keyboard, twisting knobs and using the joystick on his VCS3 instead.

PINK FLOYD took the experimental rock ethos further by using the built-in digital sequencer of the EMS Synthi AKS for the throbbing instrumental ‘On The Run’ from ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’ released in 1973; Roger Waters was adamant that this was about “using the tools that are available when they’re available” because “here are all kinds of electronic goodies that are available for people like us to use if we can be bothered, and we can be bothered…”

However, it wasn’t until the success of KRAFTWERK and then later, the productions of Giorgio Moroder that there came a new form in electronic pop, with synths as the alternative dominant melodic instrument to the electric guitar, that led to the post-punk emergence of THE HUMAN LEAGUE, ULTRAVOX, TUBEWAY ARMY, OMD and many more.

This list captures the occasions when more conventionally inclined acts entered the murky world of synths, sequencers and drum machines. However, those artists perceived to have a strong association and history with the synthesizer such as SPARKS, JOY DIVISION, NEW ORDER, ASSOCIATES, SIMPLE MINDS, SPANDAU BALLET, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM and WHITE LIES have not been included.

Presented in yearly and then alphabetical order, here are ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 25 choices from across the decades…

SQUEEZE Take Me I’m Yours (1978)

Although the debut single by SQUEEZE, ‘Take Me I’m Yours’ is now something an outlier both from the punky style of the self-titled parent album and the later classic songs of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. The use of squelchy synths, and drum machine pointed towards KRAFTWERK and the Doppler sweep section of ‘Trans Europe Express’ in particular; “We hired lots of synths and a bloke who knew how to work them” explained Tilbrook.

Available on the SQUEEZE album ‘Greatest Hits’ via A&M Records

http://www.squeezeofficial.com/

MARIANNE FAITHFULL The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan (1979)

Originally recorded in 1974 by DR HOOK in a country style, ‘The Ballad of Lucy Jordan’ was given a pulsing electronic treatment by producer Mark Miller Mundy and Steve Winwood. The arrangement suited Marianne Faithfull’s now raucous deep voice, the result of years of alcohol and substance abuse. It was a far cry from the sweet folkie melodicism of early records like ‘As Tears Go By’ but her art reflected the fractured pain of her life.

Available on the MARIANNE FAITHFULL album ‘Broken English’ via Island Records

http://www.mariannefaithfull.org.uk/

JONA LEWIE You’ll Always Find Me in the Kitchen At Parties (1980)

Best known for his brass band anti-war hit ‘Stop The Cavalry’, John Lewis took the stage name Jona Lewie for his solo career to avoid confusion with a jazz musician; With his early roots as a blues and boogie-woogie pianist, ‘You’ll Always Find Me in the Kitchen At Parties was a departure’; written on a Polymoog, the synth-laden backdrop suited the dead pan tale of a shy and reluctant party-goer who eventually meets his soulmate.

Available on the JONA LEWIE album ‘The Best Of’ via Union Square Music

http://www.jonalewie.com/

PAUL McCARTNEY Temporary Secretary (1980)

Having explored art funk on ‘Coming Up’ and impersonated Ron Mael from SPARKS in its video, Macca got inquisitive and went electronic with the quite bizarre ‘Temporary Secretary’. With prominent sequencer patterns to simulate a typewriter and detached deadpan vocals, this oddball experiment confused fans. Self-produced, the single was issued on 12 inch to accommodate a 10 minute B-side ‘Secret Friend’.

Available on the PAUL McCARTNEY album ‘McCartney II’ via EMI Records

http://www.paulmccartney.com/

ROBERT PALMER Johnny & Mary (1980)

robert-palmer-johnny-and-mary-islandHaving made his name in blues rockers VINEGAR JOE, for his sixth solo album ‘Clues’,  Robert Palmer had fallen under the spell of Gary Numan and JAPAN. The lead single ‘Johnny & Mary’ showcased some pulsing electronics and remains something of cult favourite despite not being a Top40 hit in the UK. It was later covered in a sax-led arrangement for the ‘Papa et Nicole’ Renault adverts while Palmer would return to rock.

Available on the ROBERT PALMER album ‘Clues’ via Island Records

http://www.robertpalmer.com/

SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES Red Light (1980)

By 1980, SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES had fragmented and were in an interim period without a permanent guitarist which pushed the then-trio into various modes of musical experimentation. Featuring a Roland Compurhythm and a camera shutter motor rewind as its backbeat, the minimal ‘Red Light’ was dominated by ominous synth played by Steve Severin to evoke a smoky club atmosphere.

Available on the SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES album via Polydor

http://siouxsieandthebanshees.co.uk

GODLEY & CREME Under Your Thumb (1981)

Kevin Godley and Lol Creme left 10CC in 1976 after two No1s; the experimentally included pair surprised on their second album ‘ISMISM’ with a haunting electronic ballad ‘Under Your Thumb’. With its gentle locomotive backbone, while the song about the ghost of a suicidal woman  sat with the then-vogue for synth, one person not impressed was Billy Currie of ULTRAVOX who named it as his “Most Hated Record” in Smash Hits.

Available on the album ‘Cry: The Very Best Of’ via Polydor / Universal Music

https://www.discogs.com/artist/104312-Godley-Creme

PHIL LYNOTT Yellow Pearl – Remix (1981)

Phil Lynott frequented The Blitz Club and ‘Yellow Pearl’ was a co-composition with Midge Ure which began life during THIN LIZZY soundchecks. Rusty Egan played drums while Billy Currie added more synths on the remix which became the ‘Top Of The Pops’ theme. ‘Yellow Pearl’ was so draped in the involvement of VISAGE members that it was almost forgotten that this was the frontman of a heavy rock band!

Available on the THIN LIZZY album ‘Greatest Hits’ via Universal Music

http://www.thinlizzy.org/phil.html

BILL NELSON Living In My Limousine (1981)

After BE BOP DELUXE, guitar virtuoso Nelson formed RED NOISE in 1978 with a more electronic focus. But when Nelson recorded the decisively Bowie-esque ‘Quit Dreaming & Get On The Beam’, his label Harvest refused to release it. Nelson bought the unreleased songs for his own label, Cocteau. A solo single ‘Do You Dream In Colour?’ gained radio play and the album was released by Mercury Records; ‘Living In My Limousine’ with its Numanesque detachment was one of the highlights.

Available on the BILL NELSON album ‘Quit Dreaming & Get On The Beam’ via Mercury Records

http://www.billnelson.com/

PETE SHELLEY Homosapien (1981)

‘Homosapien’ came about after the aborted fourth BUZZCOCKS album; producer Martin Rushent suggested to frontman Pete Shelley that they should work using the latest electronic equipment. Seen as Shelley’s coming out song, synths and 12 string guitar combined for a wonderful futuristic snarl. The lyric “Homo Superior in my interior” got the song a Radio1 ban and while it was recorded before THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s ‘Dare’, the parent album was not issued until 1982.

Available on the PETE SHELLEY album ‘Homosapien’ via Active Distribution Ltd

http://www.buzzcocks.com/

DAVE STEWART & BARBARA GASKIN It’s My Party (1981)

Keyboardist Dave Stewart, once of prog rockers HATFIELD & THE NORTH recruited friend and backing vocalist Barbara Gaskin to sing on the second of his electronic pop covers, the first being ‘What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted’ with Colin Blunstone. Made famous by Lesley Gore, their inventively oddball synth version of ‘It’s My Party’  was a triumph and a worldwide hit which reached No1 in the UK and Germany.

Available on the album ‘Up From The Dark’ via Broken Records

http://www.davebarb.com/

BIG COUNTRY Flag Of Nations (1982)

While known for their e-bowed guitars sounding like bagpipes on rock anthems such as ‘Fields Of Fire’ and ‘In A Big Country’, the 12 inch B-side to their first single ‘Harvest Home’, ‘Flag Of Nations’ was a blippy electronic instrumental. Sounding like a cross between DAF and NEW ORDER, it was constructed by Stuart Adamson and Bruce Watson around a sequencer belonging to producer John Leckie and a drum machine.

Available on the BIG COUNTRY deluxe album ‘The Crossing’ via Geffen Records

https://bigcountry.co.uk/

NEIL YOUNG Transformer Man (1982)

Between 1980-1982, Young was carrying out a therapy program for his young son Ben who had cerebral palsy. The music of KRAFTWERK reflected Young’s attempts to communicate with his son. Acquiring a Vocoder, Synclavier and LinnDrum Computer, while much of the ‘Trans’ album did not work, there was an ethereal ‘Neon Lights’ beauty in ‘Transformer Man’. For his troubles, Young was sued by his label Geffen Records for “deliberately uncommercial and unrepresentative work”!

Available on the NEIL YOUNG album ‘Trans’ via Geffen Records

http://www.neilyoung.com/

THE CURE The Walk (1983)

Following the deathly album ‘Pornography’, bassist Simon Gallup had left THE CURE, while Lol Tolhurst switched from drums to keyboards and Robert Smith lightened up considerably to come up with the perky ‘Let’s Go To Bed’. The follow-up ‘The Walk’ brought in Steve Nye as producer in a full Oberheim blow out, using the American manufacturers OB8, DMX and DSX with the track sounding very similar to NEW ORDER’s ‘Blue Monday’ which used the same drum machine.

Available on THE CURE album ‘Japanese Whispers’ via Fiction Records

http://www.thecure.com/

FREEEZ IOU (1983)

Following their 1980 hit ‘Southern Freeez’, jazz funksters FREEEZ had fragmented to a duo. Fascinated by the urban electro hybrid of Afrika Bambaataa’s ‘Planet Rock’ produced by Arthur Baker, they jetted off to meet him in New York where he suggested recording his self-penned ‘IOU’. The similarity of the rhythms to‘Planet Rock’ and NEW ORDER’s ‘Confusion’ can be explained by the same programs on Baker’s Roland TR808 being used.

Available on the FREEEZ album ‘Gonna Get You’ via Cherry Red

https://www.facebook.com/JohnRocca.MuziK

QUEEN I Want To Break Free (1984)

QUEEN used to declare “no synthesizers” on their albums, but by 1980’s ‘The Game’, an Oberheim OBX entered the ranks. Recording ‘I Want To Break Free’ had been tense, due to writer and bass player John Deacon’s insistence that the guitar solo had to be played on a Roland Jupiter 8 by session musician Fred Mandel. For its single release, the Linn Drum driven song was extended to include more synth in the intro and the bridge after the solo, emotively enhancing the less synthy album cut.

Available on the QUEEN album ‘Greatest Hits II’ via EMI Music

http://www.queenonline.com/

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN Bring On The Dancing Horses (1985)

Despite its psychedelic haze, ‘Bring On The Dancing Horses’ was notable for its use of DX7s and a Prophet, programmed drums, AMS sampled bass, as well as guitar samples sequenced on the Emulator. All helmed by the producer of the moment Laurie Latham, this was as synth and pop as ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN got. Included on the soundtrack to ‘Pretty In Pink’, the song introduced the band to a new young American audience.

Available on the ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN album ‘The Killing Moon – The Singles 1980-1990’ via Warner Music

https://www.bunnymen.com/

LEONARD COHEN First We Take Manhattan (1988)

Originally recorded by Jennifer Warnes in 1985, the doom laden Canadian poet recorded his own sinsister synth interpretation. Tightly produced with sequenced digital slap bass, Linn Drum and sombre synth sweeps, ‘First We Take Manhattan’ was Cohen’s commentary on terrorism where “there are no alibis or no compromises”. Contrasting with a soulful bridge from Anjani Thomas, it made Cohen’s vocal even more resonant.

Available on the LEONARD COHEN album ‘I’m Your Man’ via Sony Music

http://www.leonardcohen.com/

MANIC STREET PREACHERS The Love of Richard Nixon (2004)

‘The Love of Richard Nixon’ was the MANIC STREET PREACHERS’s sympathetic appraisal of former US president Richard Nixon whose positive achievements were overshadowed by Watergate. Adding a twist with an elegiac electronic production with minimal guitars, the new direction was not popular with fans and seen a sign of the trio being stuck in a rut and fighting their own musical instincts.

Available on the MANIC STREET PREACHERS album ‘Lifeblood’ via Sony Music

https://www.manicstreetpreachers.com/

KELLY OSBOURNE One Word (2005)

After her initial pop punk adventures, Ozzy’s youngest daughter surprised everyone with the classic synthpop of ‘One Word’ penned by 4 NON BLONDES’ Linda Perry. However, it was perhaps a little bit too classic sounding, with a more than passing resemblance to VISAGE’s ‘Fade to Grey’; it was so uncanny that legal action was launched. The matter was settled with Midge Ure, Billy Currie and Chris Payne each awarded a share of the royalties.

Available on the KELLY OSBORNE album ‘Sleeping In The Nothing’ via Sanctuary Records

http://kellyosbourne.com/

THE KILLERS Human (2008)

Synth was the rogue element of THE KILLERS’ debut album ‘Hot Fuss’, reflecting singer Brandon Flowers’ love of NEW ORDER and DURAN DURAN. It wasn’t until ‘Human’, co-produced by Stuart Price, that THE KILLERS came up with a true synthpop anthem. A soaring rework of the ALPHAVILLE’s ‘Forever Young’, the thundering motorik dancebeat confused their more rock-inclined fanbase, as did the Hunter S Thompson referencing refrain of “are we human or are we dancer?”.

Available on THE KILLERS album ‘Direct Hits’ via Island Records

http://www.thekillersmusic.com/

EDITORS Papillon (2009)

EDITORS first became known for sombre guitar-driven indie hits like ‘Munich’. With Flood at the production controls and Brad Fieldel’s theme for ‘The Terminator’ as an influence for their third album ‘In This Light & On This Evening’,  The Birmingham band ventured into synths with the rhythmic and ominous ‘Papillon’, sounding like a cross between BLANCMANGE and NEW ORDER.

Available on the EDITORS album ‘In This Light & On This Evening’ via Kitchenware

http://www.editorsofficial.com/

JOHN GRANT New Age Sensitive Man (2013)

Coming from the more traditionally flavoured band THE CZARS, frontman John Grant sprung a major surprise with his second solo album ‘Pale Green Ghosts’ which was produced Biggi Veira of GUSGUS to herald a new electronic direction. “I wish I was a robot, like KRAFTWERK!” he said but despite its feisty dance tempo and throbbing synths, the angry heartfelt lyrics of ‘Sensitive New Age Guy’ dealt with the suicide of a friend.

Available on the JOHN GRANT album ‘Pale Green Ghosts’ via Bella Union

http://johngrantmusic.com/

LLOYD COLE Violins (2019)

Lloyd Cole recorded an experimental electronic album ‘Selected Studies Vol 1’ with Hans-Joachim Roedelius of CLUSTER in 2013, while there was also a solo instrumental collection ‘1D Electronics 2012-2014’.  He put that modular knowhow into a song based format on ‘Violins’ where guitars were “going, going but not quite gone”. However, they did made their presence felt in amongst all the machinery at the halfway point.

Available on the LLOYD COLE album ‘Guesswork’ via earMUSIC

https://www.lloydcole.com/

BRYAN FERRY Featuring AMELIA BARRATT Star (2024)

While ROXY MUSIC were very influential on artists of both a new romantic and synth persuasion, Bryan Ferry had yet to go the electronic hog himself despite previous collaborations with DJ Hell and Todd Terje. ‘Star’ began a sketch by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of NINE INCH NAILS but the idea was shelved for several years. Ferry returned to it with painter / writer Amelia Barratt to produce some dark atmospheric post-techno.

Available on the BRYAN FERRY EP ‘Retrospective: Star’ via BMG

http://www.bryanferry.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
10th February 2025

THE ELECTRONIC LEGACY OF 1985

9 January 2025 /

Electronic pop music laid slightly wounded in 1985.

It was a year of transition as DEPECHE MODE did not release a new album, but consolidated with a handy compilation ‘The Singles 81-85’ although its very weak new track ‘It’s Called A Heart’ was thankfully not a sign of things to come.

Meanwhile after the critical acclaim with their debut single, the Bobby Orlando produced version of ‘West End Girls’ in 1984, PET SHOP BOYS were struggling to gain traction despite signing a deal with EMI with their first single for the label ‘Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money)’ which stalled on its first release at No116; but a re-recorded version of ‘West End Girls’ produced by Stephen Hague issued towards the end of 1985 would change fortunes in time for the start of 1986.

One of the key singles of 1985 was ‘Slave To The Rhythm’ by Grace Jones; wonderful, sun-kissed funky pop in its radio version, producer Trevor Horn took the multiple remix approach he had piloted with FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD to its zenith with the parent album. Having worked endlessy to come up with the perfect version and therefore different approaches, rather than actually do a collection of songs, why not do an album that was effectively multiple remixes and interpretations of one song?

The rise of FM synthesis, sampling and computer controlled systems during 1984, sidechained to the success of more guitar driven acts such as U2 and THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS in America, meant that traditional instruments and realistic presets were now the new badge of honour as music made with the inventive electronic sounds prevalent during Synth Britannia faced a backlash. EURYTHMICS moved away from synths to a more conventional band sound while THE SMITHS would continue to be held up by the music press as purer flagbearers of “real music” with Morrissey having already declared “there was nothing more repellent than the synthesizer…”

An early indicator of where things were heading came when ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ was released by SIMPLE MINDS in February 1985 in the US as the theme to a new teen angst movie ‘The Breakfast Club’. Written by Steve Schiff with Keith Forsey who already had co-writes for ‘Flashdance’ and ‘Never Ending Story’ to his name, Radio1’s Richard Skinner called the song “bland” but highly FM radio friendly, it was an American No1 before the start of the Summer and was one of centrepieces of the US leg of Live Aid at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The event coincided with an explosion in corporate rock and “DDD” music made for the up-and-coming CD format by the likes of DIRE STRAITS.

This more rock-infused but technically polished new wave sound would be key to TEARS FOR FEARS’ huge success across the Atlantic with their second album ‘Songs From The Big Chair’. It saw bands like VITAMIN Z adopting that style and they even went as far as hiring Ross Cullum who co-produced TEARS FOR FEARS debut to helm their first album ‘Rites Of Passage’; despite a UK tour opening for Midge Ure, although sales were not forthcoming, singer Geoff Barradale would later use his experience to great effect when he managed ARCTIC MONEYS and took them to stardom.

The most disappointing record of 1985 was ‘Crush’ by OMD; while producer Stephen Hague made their sound more palatable for Trans-Atlantic consumption with more guitars, piano and acoustic drums as exemplified by the uninspiring single ‘So In Love’, the inner sleeve credit of “electronic keyboards” instead of individual synths as on ‘Dazzle Ships’ and ‘Junk Culture or “synthesizers” as on previous albums was a pointer to the blanding out of this once great band for a wider audience in the US.

Despite synths being less desirable in terms of Trans-Atlantic marketability in the move away from cooler European artistry, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has been able to assemble a list of 20 albums seen as being part of the admittedly weaker electronic legacy of 1985. Listed in alphabetical order, there is a restriction of one album per artist moniker.

ABC How To Be A Zillionaire!

After the rockisms of ‘Beauty Stab’, the third ABC album sprung a major surprise in its New York electro flavoured lead single ‘How To Be A Millionaire’. “We saw it happening in Times Square, there were B-Boys doing that whole thing to KRAFTWERK which was just amazing. The minute the Emulator II came out, we bought one. No need to pay a Fairlight programmer £750 a day!” said Mark White; ‘Fear Of The World’ would later be sampled for the ELECTRONIC B-side ‘Lean To The Inside’.

‘How To Be A Zillionaire!’ is still available via Mercury Records

https://www.abcmartinfry.com/

A-HA Hunting High & Low

Despite being labelled a teenybop group, from the beginning A-HA were always so much more than just the catchy pop of ‘Take On Me’. Containing another three hit singles, there was the wistful ‘Hunting High & Low’ title song while ‘The Sun Always Shines On TV’ revealed a lyrical darkness as the combination of synths and edgy guitar put them in the same league as ULTRAVOX and ASSOCIATES. But ‘Living A Boy’s Adventure Tale’ was the track that outlined A-HA had longevity.

‘Hunting High & Low’ is still available via Rhino Entertainment

https://a-ha.com/

ARCADIA So Red The Rose

In response to THE POWER STATION, ARCADIA was Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and Roger Taylor’s attempt to be JAPAN, smothered in an esoteric pond of lush arty indulgence. ‘Election Day’ featuring Grace Jones could have been a DURAN DURAN song, as could ‘The Flame’ which bore a resemblance to ‘A View To A Kill’. But ‘Goodbye Is Forever’ was art funk that pointed to where DURAN DURAN would head with ‘Notorious’.

‘So Red The Rose’ is still available via EMI Music

https://duranduran.com/

ASSOCIATES Perhaps

With the departure of Alan Rankine after ‘Sulk’, Billy Mackenzie recruited Martyn Ware and Martin Rushent on its follow-up ‘Perhaps’. Although more glossy in sound, the Rushent produced ‘Waiting For The Love Boat’ could have easily come off ‘Sulk’ while ‘Those First Impressions’ produced by Ware narrowly failed to crack the UK Top40. But the epic string laden drama of ‘Breakfast’ helmed by Rushent was possibly Mackenzie’s greatest single moment.

‘Perhaps’ is still available via Warner Music

http://www.billymackenzie.com/

BLANCMANGE Believe You Me

Despite good crossover songs such as ‘Why Don’t They Leave Things Alone?’ and ‘Lorraine’s My Nurse’, with synthpop now no longer in-vogue, there was a lukewarm reception for the third BLANCMANGE album ‘Believe You Me’. With a proclamation from Neil Arthur that “I feel like I’m losin’ my mind” in the electro-funk of ‘22339’, it led to him and Luscombe calling it a day in order to protect their friendship after a show at the Royal Albert Hall.

‘Believe You Me’ is still available via London Records

https://www.blancmange.co.uk/

CHINA CRISIS Flaunt The Imperfection

Produced by Walter Becker of STEELY DAN, the influence of his band on ‘Flaunt The Imperfection’ resulted in much more of a live soulful feel with the contribution of accomplished session musicians while Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon focussed on the songwriting. Classic CHINA CRISIS songs like ‘Black Man Ray’ and ‘King In A Catholic Style’ secured two UK Top20 hits from a single album for the first time.

‘Flaunt The Imperfection’ is still available via Caroline International

https://www.facebook.com/chinacrisisofficial

DEAD OR ALIVE Youthquake

DEAD OR ALIVE looked like they’d missed the boat when their rivals FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD reached No1 with ‘Relax’. Having heard ‘You Think You’re A Man’ by Divine, Burns recruited the song’s production team of Stock, Aitken & Waterman to work on ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’ which hit the top of the UK singles chart. The eventual ‘Youthquake’ album was a mixed bag, but included another hit ‘In Too Deep’ and the gothic funk epic ‘It’s Been A Long Time’.

‘Youthquake’ is still available via Edsel Records

https://www.demonmusicgroup.co.uk/catalogue/releases/dead-or-alive-youthquake-40th-anniversary-edition-4cd/

ERASURE Wonderland

Andy Bell and Vince Clarke’s debut album ‘Wonderland’ was not an instant hit. The lead single ‘Who Needs Love (Like That)?’ was mistaken by some to be an unreleased YAZOO recording. Among the album’s highlights were the joyous ‘Reunion’ and the funky ‘Push Me… Shove Me’ . The record’s HI-NRG centrepiece ‘Oh L’Amour’ flopped as a single but undeterred, ERASURE toured the college circuit to build up a new fanbase from scratch.

‘Wonderland’ is still available via Mute Records

https://www.erasureinfo.com/

JANSEN BARBIERI Worlds In A Small Room

After JAPAN, drummer Steve Jansen and keyboardist Richard Barbieri formed a new creative partnership. ‘Worlds In A Small Room’ was an instrumental suite commissioned by JVC to accompany a documentary about the Space Shuttle Challenger. ‘Breaking The Silence’ was a beautiful opening piece with elements recalling Ryuichi Sakamoto while the more structured ‘Moving Circles’ had a Jansen vocal added for the Japanese release’s bonus song ‘Move In Circles’.

‘Worlds In A Small Room’ is currently unavailable

https://www.stevejansen.net/

http://www.richardbarbieri.co.uk/

HOWARD JONES Dream Into Action

Thanks to the success of his debut album ‘Human’s Lib’, the follow-up ‘Dream Into Action’ was written by Howard Jones on the road by necessity; “I was writing in dressing rooms on an Akai 12 track recorder…” he said, “we were experimenting a lot so it’s a much more complex record”. There were hopeful anthems in ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ and ‘Life In One Day’ while the plaintive ‘No One Is To Blame’ would become a huge Trans-Atlantic hit in a new version produced by Phil Collins.

‘Dream Into Action’ is still available via Cherry Red Records

http://www.howardjones.com/

NEW ORDER Low-life

‘Low-life’ saw for the first time, a single ‘The Perfect Kiss’ taken from a NEW ORDER album as a compromise following a new US deal with Qwest Records. ‘Low-life’ featured several other highlights and opened with the Country ‘n’ North Western ghost story ‘Love Vigilantes’. The mighty ‘Sunrise’ was another number in the tit-for-that exchange with THE CURE which was clearly influenced by ‘A Forest’ while the brilliant ‘This Time Of Night’ exuded a throbbing post-punk growl.

‘Low-life’ is still available via Rhino

https://www.neworder.com/

GARY NUMAN The Fury

Co-produced with PPG operators The Wave Team, ‘The Fury’ was the best Gary Numan album since ‘Telekon’. Although very much with the times and in line with acts like FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD and DEAD OR ALIVE, the hard but bright digital sound complimented Numan’s downbeat lyrical outlook. Among the highlights were ‘Call Out The Dogs’, ‘Tricks’ and ‘Miracles’ while the haunting closing track ‘I Still Remember’ was a vocal reimagining of the 1979 instrumental ‘Random’.

‘The Fury’ is still available via Eagle Records

https://garynuman.com/

PHILIP OAKEY & GIORGIO MORODER Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder

After the worldwide success of ‘Together In Electric Dreams’ and the lukewarm response to THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s ‘Hysteria’ in 1984, Virgin Records swiftly despatched Philip Oakey to record an album with Giorgio Moroder. ‘Now’ was Oakey’s heartfelt commentary on economic corruption while the thumping side one segue of ‘Why Must The Show Go On?’, ‘Good-Bye Bad Times’ and ‘Take A Chance’ was a thrilling train ride.

‘Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder’ is still available via Virgin Records

https://www.giorgiomoroder.com/

PROPAGANDA A Secret Wish

Düsseldorf’s PROPAGANDA were dubbed “ABBA in Hell”! The magnificent film noir of ‘Dr Mabuse’ was their opening salvo produced by Trevor Horn. The producer’s helm was handed over to engineer Stephen J Lipson for the album ‘A Secret Wish’. ‘Duel’ exuded an accessible ice maiden cool while the Teutonic ‘P.Machinery’ was full of state of the art technical tricks. With the lengthy and poetic ‘Dream Within A Dream’, the listener was taken on a massive sonic adventure.

‘A Secret Wish’ is still available via ZTT / BMG

https://propband.tilda.ws/

SCRITTI POLITTI Cupid & Psyche 85

The first major label SCRITTI POLITTI LP ‘Cupid & Psyche 85’ contained the 1984 Arif Mardin produced hits ‘Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)’ and ‘Absolute’, the latter also seeing input from Gary Langan and JJ Jeczalik of THE ART OF NOISE. Green Gartside embraced of mainstream dance pop and state-of-the-art studio production with new song writing partner David Gamson. Meanwhile self-produced reggae inflected ‘The Word Girl returned to sound of earlier Scritti.

‘Cupid & Psyche 85’ is still available via Virgin Records

https://www.scritti.net/

SIMPLE MINDS Once Upon A Time

After the harder new rock sound of ‘Sparkle In The Rain’ produced by Steve Lillywhite, SIMPLE MINDS brought the synths back in, albeit with a Trans-Atlantic sheen helmed by American production heavyweights Jimmy Iovine and Bob Clearmountain. Despite the modern FM rock bombast which even included a rhythm n blues flavour on ‘Sanctify Yourself’, ‘Alive & Kicking’ saw Mick McNeil’s Gaelic accordion virtuosity applied to electronic keyboards for a huge hit in the US and Europe.

‘Once Upon A Time’ is still available via Universal Music

https://www.simpleminds.com/

TEARS FOR FEARS Songs From The Big Chair

DespiteTEARS FOR FEARS adopting more guitar compared to its predecessor ‘The Hurting’, the more band oriented ‘Songs From The Big Chair’ were still characterised by electronics and rhythm programming in its backbone. Cold War angst provided the tension to ‘Shout’ and the big American driving hit ‘Everybody Wants To Rule The World’ while ‘Head Over Heels’ with its blistering synth solo was another Stateside hit, later in the 2001 psychological thriller ‘Donnie Darko’.

‘Songs From The Big Chair’ is still available via Universal Music

https://tearsforfears.com/

WINSTON TONG Theoretically Chinese

Produced by Alan Rankine, ‘Theoretically Chinese’ was as much of an electronic pop departure for Winston Tong from TUXEDMOON as Robert Görl’s ‘Night Full Of Tension’ was from DAF. The era’s inherent Cold War tensions also loomed large on the fine pulsing opener ‘Big Brother’ as well as an excellent uptempo cover of Marianne Faithfull’s ‘Broken English’ while ‘Reports From The Heart’ provided an elegant sweeping ballad.

‘Theoretically Chinese’ is still available via LTM

https://www.ltmrecordings.com/theoretically_chinese_ltmcd2382.html

MIDGE URE The Gift

Midge Ure finally took the solo album plunge with ‘The Gift’. Songs like ‘When The Wind Blows’, ‘That Certain Smile’ and the title track sounded like ULTRAVOX enough to potentially worry his bandmates. But ULTRAVOX would never have covered JETHRO TULL’s ‘Living In The Past’ or recorded the lovey-dovey UK No1 single ‘If I Was’ which was rescued from the unreleased vaults of MESSENGERS whose instrumentalist Danny Mitchell was Ure’s main collaborator on this great adventure.

‘The Gift’ is still available via Chrysalis Records

http://www.midgeure.co.uk/

YELLO Stella

‘Stella’ was the first album YELLO made without founder member Carlos Perón; Boris Blank and Dieter Meier headed towards a more cinematic style of experimental pop, making greater use of the Fairlight and digital synths. It included the delightful ‘Vicious Games’ featuring vocals by Rush Winters but the album’s biggest track was ‘Oh Yeah’ which ended up in ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’, ‘The Secret of My Success’ and ‘The Simpsons’.

‘Stella’ is still available via Universal Music

https://www.yello.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
9th January 2025

A Beginner’s Guide To ROEDELIUS

4 January 2025 /

On 26 October 2024, the legendary German experimental music pioneer Hans-Joachim Roedelius turned 90. To celebrate, there were special solo shows in Austria and Germany.

An extremely prolific artist since his first release ‘Klopfzeichen’ in 1969 as a member of KLUSTER with Dieter Moebius and Conrad Schnitzler, he now has over 40 solo albums to his name. Meanwhile he has also been involved numerous other projects in collaboration with the likes of Brian Eno, Michael Rother, Conny Plank, Mani Neumeier, Peter Baumann, Holger Czukay, Tim Story, Blixa Bargeld, Lloyd Cole, Christoph H Müller and Thorsten Quaeschning.

Born in Berlin, during the Second World War, Roedelius and his family were evacuated to East Prussia which in the aftermath of Soviet liberation became part of East Germany during The Cold War. After being conscripted into the DDR Volksarmee, desertion led to a prison sentence but Roedelius would later successfully escape across the border into West Berlin in 1961.

In 1968, Roedelius and Conrad Schnitzler established the Zodiak Free Arts Lab with Klaus Schulze and Manuel Göttsching among those who passed through. The fledgling TANGERINE DREAM would make frequent live appearances there, playing improvised sets for several hours at a time. This was a fruitful period in German music with acts such as KRAFTWERK, CAN, AMON DÜÜL II and FAUST all emerging from various arts scenes and communes reacting against the dominance of America in popular culture.

Making lengthy improvised drone music using primitive electronic instruments and found devices such as coffee percolators, KLUSTER were clearly influenced by the experimental overtures of Karlheinz Stockhausen. After Schnitzler bowed out of KLUSTER to pursue a solo career, Roedelius and Moebius swapped the “K” for a “C” and continued as CLUSTER; they would make music together in various guises until 2009.

Label mates at Brain Records, when Michael Rother of NEU! asked to meet Roedelius and Moebius at their Forst studio in 1974 with a view to collaborating, the effect on all parties involved was to prove seminal. HARMONIA combined Rother’s chugging motorik rhythms, Roedelius’ melodies, and Moebius’ atonal weirdness into an amalgam of harmony and ammonia… finding a home to produce their best music yet, CLUSTER would join Rother at a new label Sky Records which had been established by Günter Körber after leaving his executive post with Brain, the label that he co-founded.

Through his solo work and particularly his romantic ‘Selbstportrait’ series of albums, Roedelius’ music has often been seen as seeding new age through its pastoral introspective nature. However, in collaboration, anything can and has happened. These days, his focus has been on the piano.

To sum up the portfolio of Hans-Joachim Roedelius in just 20 tracks is almost impossible but ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK will try for those only partially familiar with his music using this Beginner’s Guide with a restriction of one track per album. The man himself is unlikely to approve though because as he once said: “To get the complete picture of my music and art, people should listen and look to everything I did.”

CLUSTER Georgel (1972)

While Roedelius and Moebius originally continued with the dark droning style of their work with Schnitzler, the second album saw their work edited in smaller bite-sized dramas with actual titles. While still avant garde, it was signalling a change in approach. It saw Conny Plank working for the second time with CLUSTER with proceedings now less industrial. The ominous organ lines of ‘Georgel’ warbled as a sinister tension prevailed.

Available on the CLUSTER album ‘II’ via Cherry Red Records

https://www.roedelius.com/artist/cluster

HARMONIA Watussi (1974)

Roedelius and Moebius’ jams with Michael Rother became HARMONIA. Based around simplistic rhythm unit patterns, the restrictions allowed them to experiment on tracks such as ‘Watussi’. Effectively a condensed extract, this began as a solo Roedelius composition and the shortened edit was more of a pointer to the sound of the next CLUSTER album rather than NEU! or anything that would come later in Rother’s solo career.

Available on the HARMONIA album ‘Musik Von Harmonia’ via Grönland Records

https://www.groenland.com/pages/artist/harmonia

CLUSTER Fotschi Tong (1974)

Co-produced by Michael Rother and recorded in the same time frame as the two HARMONIA albums, although ‘Zuckerzeit’ was the third long payer by CLUSTER, it comprised of a solo EP each from Roedelius and Moebius. A highlight of the record was the Roedelius track ‘Fotschi Tong’ which featured immensely melodic keyboard lines and the hypnotic percussive chatter of an Elka Drummer One rhythm unit to give fresher sound.

Available on the CLUSTER album ‘Zuckerzeit’ via Bureau B

https://www.bureau-b.com/cluster.php

HARMONIA & ENO ‘76 By The Riverside (recorded 1976 – released 1997)

HARMONIA played several gigs in 1974 including one in the presence of Brian Eno. He suggested collaborating with the trio but this not happen until 2 years later. With a steadfast pulsing electronic ambience accompanied by field recordings, the ominous tones of ‘By The Riverside’ provided a lengthy standout from the sessions. However, these recordings remained unreleased until 1997.

Available on the HARMONIA & ENO ‘76 album ‘Tracks & Traces’ via Grönland Records

https://www.michaelrother.de/

CLUSTER Es War Einmal (1976)

After HARMONIA ran its course and Rother began his lucrative solo career, Roedelius and Moebius returned to CLUSTER. Their fourth album ‘Sowiesoso’ was the duo’s first fully realised exploration into the soothing world of ambient electronics. Recorded in just 2 days with Conny Plank at the helm, ‘Es War Einmal’ was wonderfully pastoral with gentle melodic phrasing from piano and synths and no rhythm machine interventions.

Available on the CLUSTER album ‘Sowiesoso’ via Bureau B

https://clusterofficial.bandcamp.com/

CLUSTER & ENO Für Luise (1977)

Brian Eno returned to work with Roedelius and Moebius on two fruitful recordings. On the first, the front cover photo of a microphone up near the clouds summed up the approach with the album full of angelic atmospheres and gentle melodies. ‘Für Luise’ was a tense cold war drama with stark piano and minimal synth but again no rhythmic centre. This first official release with Eno brought CLUSTER to a much wider audience.

Available on the CLUSTER & ENO album ‘Cluster & Eno’ via Bureau B

https://www.instagram.com/hansjoachimroedelius/

BRIAN ENO By This River (1977)

Originating from his sessions with Moebius and Roedelius in Forst, Brian Eno produced this beautiful piano and synth ballad with Conny Plank engineering for inclusion on his fourth pop solo album ‘Before & After Science’. While the warmth extracted from the Yamaha CS80 used by Eno was one of the key stand-out elements of ‘By This River’, the backbone from Roedelius’ sweet ivories provided a special lullaby quality.

Available on the BRIAN ENO album ‘Before & After Science’ via Virgin Records

https://www.brian-eno.net/

ENO MOEBIUS ROEDELIUS The Belldog (1978)

Following ‘Cluster & Eno’, the second album from Eno, Moebius and Roedelius was issued under all their surnames and added Eno’s contemplative voice to the experimentation. While there was a mix of piano-oriented ambient pieces and avant pop songs like the unsettling ‘Broken Head’, the best number was the gentle sequencer led beauty of ‘The Belldog’ where “Most of the day, we were at the machinery…”

Available on the ENO MOEBIUS ROEDELIUS album ‘After The Heat’ via Bureau B

https://www.facebook.com/BrianEno

CLUSTER Breitengrad 20 (1979)

‘Grosses Wasser’ marked the return of CLUSTER working as a duo. Their producer this time was TANGERINE DREAM refugee Peter Baumann who was producing other acts likes Leda and in an interim phase before going pop with ‘Repeat Repeat’. Hinting at a form of avant jazz, ‘Breitengrad 20’ breezed like a morning walk as Roedelius’ clean piano lines sparred off the pulses from Baumann’s customised Project Elektronik modular.

Available on the CLUSTER album ‘Grosses Wasser’ via Bureau B

https://www.facebook.com/Roedelius

ROEDELIUS Wenn Der Südwind Weht (1981)

Roedelius was already progressing with his solo career which had begun in 1978 in parallel to CLUSTER. From his seventh solo album of the same name, ‘Wenn Der Südwind Weht’ was simply beautiful instrumental that translated from German meaning “When the south wind blows”; the piece was dominated by a glorious lead synth melody while gently rhythmical keyboard lines remained static in their hypnotic repetition. Everything blended for a soothing textural ambience.

Available on the ROEDELIUS album ‘Wenn Der Südwind Weht’ via Bureau B

https://www.bureau-b.com/roedelius.php

MOEBIUS + ROEDELIUS Emmental (1991)

Having put CLUSTER on hiatus for 8 years, Roedelius and Moebius cautiously reunited under their own names for ‘Apropos Cluster’. With a more understated ambience in the shorter compositions, taking a back seat was the rhythmical element. ‘Emmental’ saw a melodic fretless bass figure alongside spacious piano and synths. It became a signature track at their live shows and was often performed by Roedelius during his solo performances.

Available on the MOEBIUS + ROEDELIUS album ‘Apropos Cluster’ via Bureau B

https://www.bureau-b.com/moebius.php

AQUARELLO Deep Blue (1998)

AQUARELLO was a group comprising of the now-Austria based Roedelius and two Italian musicians, multi-instrumentalist Fabio Capanni and saxophonist Nicola Alesini. One of two new studio recordings on the otherwise self-titled live album, ‘Deep Blue’ was an adventurous cinematic piece co-written with Capanni that carried a marvellous European arthouse quality. It mutated into several distinct mini-suites despite clocking in an under 4 minutes.

Available on the AQUARELLO album ‘Aquarello’ via All Saints Records

https://www.instagram.com/capanni.music/

HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS & TIM STORY Lunz (2002)

Having already collaborated on the epic 56 minute soundscape ‘The Persistence Of Memory’, Roedelius had come together with Grammy-nominated American composer Tim Story to keep his muse alive. ‘Lunz’ featured largely shorter piano-based pieces reminiscent of Harold Budd, described as “Romantic and surreal – light and dark – an album of opposites attracts you like a moth to a flame”, this was the best in modern classical music.

Available on the HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS & TIM STORY album ‘Lunz’ via Grönland Records

https://timstory.com/

ARVANITIS & ROEDELIUS Digital Love (2002)

The biggest outlier in the Roedelius portfolio, he accepted an invitation to work with Greek producer Nikos Arvanitis on an electronic dance album. The superb title song was shaped by feisty house rhythms and deadpan vocals from Alexander Lovrek. But with an array of spikey and sparkling electronics, it highlighted Roedelius’ willingness to immerse himself into new music forms as he was approaching 70.

Available on the ARVANITIS & ROEDELIUS album ‘Digital Love’ via Plag Dich Nicht

http://www.nikosarvanitis.info/

HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS & THE FRATELLI BROTHERS Imogen (2011)

Roedelius’ musical instincts made him an ideal film soundtrack composer, but this did not happen until 2002 for Frederick Baker’s BBC TV documentary ‘Imagine IMAGINE’ about John Lennon’s iconic hit single. Working with THE FRATELLI BROTHERS, the tracks were re-recorded in 2011 for the album ‘Reverso’. With elegant synthetic strings and unusually in the music of Roedelius, a percussive loop, ‘Imogen’ offered a serene impressionistic quality even without the visuals.

Available on the HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS & THE FRATELLI BROTHERS album ‘Reverso’ via Musea

https://www.noh1.com/

LLOYD COLE / HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS Selbstportrait-Reich (2013)

Lloyd Cole was a fan of CLUSTER and his first electronic instrumental album ‘Plastic Wood’ recalled ‘Sowiesoso’. A mutual friend passed it over to Roedelius who was impressed and set about doing his own remix. Cole was flattered so the two discussed working together on a project. Cole created a number of minimal electronic sketches for Roedelius to develop in isolation. The glistening ‘Selbstportrait-Reich’ was a thoughtful union of the sorcerer and the apprentice.

Available on the LLOYD COLE / HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS album ‘Selected Studies, Vol1’ via Bureau B

https://www.lloydcole.com/

MUELLER ROEDELIUS 808 Fantasy (2015)

While perhaps not as much of a shock as ‘Digital Love’ was with Nikos Arvanitis, Roedelius’ collaboration with Swiss-German musician Christoph H Müller of the neotango band GOTAN PROJECT still sprung a surprise. ‘808 Fantasy’ did as it said on the tin with a curious contrast of jazzy piano and floating electronics glitched up around rigid drum machine beats. It closed the CD  version of their first album together.

Available on the MUELLER ROEDELIUS album ‘Imagori’ via Grönland Records

https://www.instagram.com/christoph.h.muller/

QLUSTER Beste Freunde (2016)

With CLUSTER splitting up, Roedelius changed the letters again and started QLUSTER with Onnen Bock before Armin Metz joined in 2013. The contemplative ‘Echtzeit’ album came after the sad passing of Dieter Moebius in 2015. With much of the recording taking place in a church, ‘Beste Freunde’ was self-explanatory, a musical eulogy from Roedelius where his piano took centre stage, sweetened by electronics and treatments.

Available on the QLUSTER album ‘Echtzeit’ via Bureau B

https://www.bureau-b.com/qluster.php

HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS, THORSTEN QUAESCHNING, HOSHIKO YAMANE, PAUL FRICK Klangtraube Part 9 (2020)

Roedelius was invited to perform at the 2019 Edgar Froese Memorial Day concert in Berlin by Froese’s widow Bianca Acquaye. Joining him were present day TANGERINE DREAM leader Thorsten Quaeschning along with violinist Hoshiko Yamane and new recruit Paul Frick. The closing ninth piece saw Roedelius on piano accompanied by the trio for a fitting tribute to his late friend from since the Zodiak Free Arts Lab days.

Available on the HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS, THORSTEN QUAESCHNING, HOSHIKO YAMANE, PAUL FRICK album ‘Klangtraube’ via Eastgate

https://www.tangerinedreammusic.com/

ROEDELIUS & ARNOLD KASAR Lifeline (2023)

Roedelius continues to compose and release music; one of his more recent works came with Berlin based musician and sound engineer Arnold Kasar. Their second album ‘Zensibility’ comprised of call-and-response pieces where Roedelius played piano while Kasar worked in the electronics. As with the vibey charm of ‘Lifeline’, the album’s end result exuded an airy meditative calm while any treatments and soundscapes were ultimately fitting and respectful.

Available on the ROEDELIUS & ARNOLD KASAR album ‘Zensibility’ via 7K!

http://kasarmusic.de/

‘90’ featuring unreleased music recorded between 1968 -1980 is out now as a 4LP boxed set via Grönland Records from https://www.groenland.com/

‘Kollektion 02: Roedelius Compiled By Lloyd Cole’ is available via Bureau B

For more information on the music and life of Hans-Joachim Roedelius, please visit https://www.roedelius.com/

An ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK playlist ‘The Roles Of ROEDELIUS’ highlighting these and other works can be heard on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/18OiPxpBrQRjBDzVcL8rc1

Text by Chi Ming Lai
4th January 2024

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