Category: Reviews (Page 107 of 200)

SHELTER Soar

15 July 2018 /


Welsh duo SHELTER are back with their third album ‘Soar’ and it largely sees them in a more introspective mood.

The usually flamboyant pairing of Mark Bebb and Rob Bradley have toned down their approach following their previous full-length offering ‘Ascend’ in 2016. That record had been something of a mixed bag, the sound of a band trying too hard and unable to shake off the spectre of ERASURE, although the more subtle ‘Figaro’ was an indicator of what they were capable of.

Their Crowdfunder mission statement said: “This time around, they’ve simply let the songs breathe their own life and be just what they felt the songs needed to be organically to tell their respective stories, without feeling a need to try to make them fit to any specific genre / sub-genre or generic template”.

For the start of ‘Soar’ though, it is business as usual for SHELTER with the supercharged opener ‘Electronica’ being an enjoyable PET SHOP BOYS styled celebration of electronic music utilising great synth lines and an appropriately procured robotic vocal aesthetic. The lyrics though, while well-intentioned don’t work so well.

Second song ‘Touch’ bases itself on ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ and throws in the kitchen sink with a variety of stabs, sawtooths and drops that might cause the listener to duck!

But ‘Karma’ sees SHELTER at their best yet and realising their potential with a dark and more restrained demeanour. “What you want is what you’ll get…” sings Bebb, “You will get a lot more that you planned”. With the message relayed loud and clear, Bradley compliments the sentiment with a dynamic production that hits the spot with its highs and lows.

One of the dilemmas that has always haunted SHELTER is the many directions they can take their music; one example is ‘Soar’ which is a good song with a great topline. However, it might have benefitted from a less rigid rhythmic base and a more synthpop-based treatment.

On their previous album, it was observed that Bebb needed to work on how best to apply his voice. He’s done his homework and really makes very good use of his vocal potential on the lovely ballad ‘Pieces’ which will surprise many who may not have taken to SHELTER in the past. It’s the sort of tune that Midge Ure might have come up with for his ‘Fragile’ opus.

Following on, the heartfelt ‘Survive’ is cut from a similar cloth although more synthetically orchestrated in its superb cinematic arrangement with Bebb’s deep proclamation that “the sun will rise”.

‘1984’ does what it says on the tin, recalling the great octave bassline driven melancholic pop of the classic era, while the optimistic ‘Extraordinary’ plays with a Latin flavoured R’n’B template that emulates SHAKIRA and actually works!  ‘Sorry’ features more great synth work from Bradley while Bebb tries to put a positive slant on the end of a relationship.

Closing with the staccato drive of ‘Exhale’, it’s SHELTER punching the air and making their play for a spot in a Jerry Bruckheimer movie!

A big improvement on ‘Ascend’, this is a more refined SHELTER unafraid to explore their darker side. Less can more and ‘Soar’ is documentary evidence of that.

‘Soar’ is released by Ministry Of Pop, available in CD in a variety of bundles from https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/shelters-new-album-soar/

http://www.shelterofficial.com

https://www.facebook.com/Shelterofficialmusic/

https://twitter.com/shelterofficial

https://www.instagram.com/weareshelter/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Andreas Lechleiter with styling by Monika Korn
15th July 2018

LOTIC Power

11 July 2018 /


For the lovers of all things weird and wonderful, electronica style, here’s LOTIC with their debut ‘Power’.

Choosing Berlin as their abode, the new album by Texan born artist is an “expansive exploration of the many ways in which power can be expressed and experienced”. Few years ago, LOTIC ventured into the world of quirky electronica with two EPs, ‘Heterocetera’ and ‘Agitations’, but it’s on this long player ‘Power’ that they introduce vocal experimentations for the first time.

The self-confessed lovers of pronounced beats and drums, LOTIC wanted to bring into being, an album of empowerment which became a plethora of various colours of strength, and in few instances, weakness. Even though the artist found it tricky to call themselves a musician, which may sound strange, coming from someone who studied electronic music composition and saxophone and who’s probably more trained classically than most of electronic artists in Germany and the rest of the world has to offer, LOTIC manages to intertwine tenderness and the power of survival in many shapes.

‘Hunted’, which heralds the outing, was one of the first born tracks designed for the long player, with whispered messages over the primal, found sounds and bouncy rhythm to leave the survival imprint; it is accompanied by an insidious video, shot on a beach in Majorca. ‘Love & Light’, although tentatively starting like what it says on the tin, has the undertones of menace and uncertainty, veiled under delicate bells almost like a music box, while ‘Bulletproof’ has the messy qualities of BJÖRK meets IAMX.

‘Distribution of Care’ shows off the drums as if straight from the marching band, and one can just imagine the stepping routines, which the artist recognises as “so black”. In order to survive in the polarising world of today, one needs ‘Resilience’, served on a plate of gritty synth with a sprinkling of tubular bells, as the ‘Fragility’ doesn’t always pay off. What a way to shape shift from two opposites!

The voice comes back on ‘Nerve’, which is an amalgamation of New York rap, quirky sounds reminiscent of GAZELLE TWIN and everything in between. Further experiments are palpable on ‘Heart’ with an urgent musical message and ‘Solace’, which closes the eclectic mix of tunes. To juxtapose the meanings, ‘Power’, sitting towards the end of the opus, falls like gentile musical droplets from the sky of abundance, but what is the sky abundant with? Sudden noises, confusion, non-descript shots of powerful synth, followed by drilling sounds, a mish-mash of bizarre elements to serve brutality, only to be followed again by delicate bells and mesmerising melody.

After ‘Agitations’ where LOTIC set out to be purposefully aggressive and ostentatiously dark, ‘Power’ is to simply empower using any means disposable. It is commanding to discover a debut album not weary of experimentation and not directed for an instant commercial success, even if it means to be more niche with the audience.

Following in the steps of GAZELLE TWIN, the American in Berlin isn’t opposed to mad musical professor trials, if it means they achieve their own personal work of art, their realisation and their freedom, sounding like anything between BJÖRK, THE KNIFE, FEVER RAY and AUSTRA. If you’re in the market for the unusual electronica taken to the limits, search no further.

‘Power’ is released by Tri Angle Records on 13th July 2018, pre-order direct from https://loticmusic.bandcamp.com/album/power

LOTIC will present their debut album ‘Power’ amongst the immersive walls of MONOM’s 4DSOUND installation at Berlin Funkhaus on the same day

https://www.facebook.com/lxtic/

https://twitter.com/_lotic

https://www.instagram.com/lotic/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
Photos by Matt Lambert
2nd July 2018

REED & CAROLINE Hello Science

9 July 2018 /

REED & CAROLINE’s debut album ‘Buchla & Singing’ did what it said on the tin and with it came charming quirky synthpop like ‘John & Rene’, ‘Singularity (We Bond)’ and ‘Electron’.

Championed by none other than Vince Clarke and signed to his Brooklyn-based Very Records, Reed Hays and Caroline Schutz successfully combined tunes with electronic experimentation.

Their second album ‘Hello Science’ is more of the same, but with cello and a Vako Orchestron added to the playground apparatus.

The Orchestron was a polyphonic electronic keyboard made famous by KRAFTWERK on ‘Radio-Activity’ and ‘Trans Europe Express’ which used optical discs containing pre-recorded sounds such as choirs and strings; for ‘Hello Science’, discs of Caroline Schutz’s voice were specially made using the original Orchestron factory equipment courtesy of its current custodian Pea Hicks!

Buchla launched its Music Easel in 1973 and ‘Hello Science’ certainly comprises of many airy sonic colours in a concept album of sorts inspired by Hays’ hometown of Huntsville, Alabama to where a community of rocket scientists had decamped from Europe after World War Two.

The album’s strapline is “Formulate hypotheses and gather all the facts – it’s science! It’s all about science!” and begins with the celebratory ‘Before’; the combination of watery arpeggios, cello and Schutz’s lightly treated voice provides a pleasant start to proceedings with this pretty electronic folk ballad.

The more uptempo and bouncy ‘Dark Matter’ adds vocoder plus some Hooky bass and vocals from Kendra Frost and Ayşe Hassan of KITE BASS. Despite the Brit presence, the track affirms REED & CAROLINE’s distinctly North American sound not unlike AU REVOIR SIMONE, especially in its enticing “dah-da-da-da” refrain.

With a tinge of techno, ‘Buoyancy’ provides a dancey lift while ‘Another Solar System’ is a direct “pie in the sky” reference to the ambitions of NASA with sparkly synths which reflect Hays’ belief that “my love of science is something spiritual and optimistic”. The title track springs a surprise by being completely acoustic with this cello overture recalling SPARKS in its vocal arrangement and layering but despite this, it doesn’t sound at all out of place.

‘Digital Trash’ is what DUBSTAR would have sounded like if Sarah Blackwood had been born in Brooklyn instead of Halifax and is a wonderfully poignant commentary on social media, data manipulation and online privacy. Treading not dissimilar musical territory, ‘Ocean’ is full of breezy nautical escapism and Buchla 100 handclaps.

The haunting ‘Entropy’ is a tribute to a departed friend and a fabulously touching Numan homage to his ‘Dance’ period, in particular ‘Cry The Clock Said’. The hypnotic soundtrack of gentle preset rhythms and eerie Roland CP30 electric piano is complimented by Schutz even adopting the phrasing of the man born Gary Anthony James Webb.

A variety of synthbass wobbles, Orchestron choral sweeps and sequenced pulses shape the appropriately robotic ‘Computers’ while with a militaristic offbeat that comes over like mutant chromatic reggae, ‘Internet Of Things’ is a cutely bizarre offering that lyrically highlights the potential downfalls of modern society’s over-reliance on web-connected devices and home appliances.

‘Continuous Interfold’ acts as an abstract art piece before the main act closes with ‘Metatron’ which delightfully goes all Philip Glass with its cacophony of voices. As a bonus, Vince Clarke provides his distinctive studio magic to a remix of ‘Before’, giving it a more percussive mainstream accessibility.

Speaking of which, with fewer of the instrumental interludes that formed a significant part of ‘Buchla & Singing’, ‘Hello Science’ is a much more distinct pop focussed offering with songs kept quite short and on point. If there is a criticism, it might be there are slightly too many tracks, but it does not disguise the fact that this record is a very enjoyable listen.

Despite the science, the maths, the machines and the tuned vocal aesthetic, there is also flesh and blood that has to work it out and get it all together.

‘Hello Science’ is released by Very Records in CD and digital formats

REED & CAROLINE open for ERASURE on all dates of their 2018 North American tour, further information at http://www.erasureinfo.com/concerts/

https://www.reedandcaroline.com/

https://www.facebook.com/reedandcaroline/

https://twitter.com/reedandcaroline

https://www.instagram.com/reedandcaroline/

http://veryrecords.com

Text by Chi Ming Lai
9th July 2018

LET’S EAT GRANDMA I’m All Ears

8 July 2018 /


Older music enthusiasts often express their despair about how things are “not what they used to be” with regards young new talent.

Often, the radio airwaves are bombarded with either autotuned pop wannabes or angsty folkies acting far too old for their years. So it has been quite refreshing to come across an act who are genuinely quirky and out there, as well as rebelling by not towing the X-Factor party line despite having only just left school.

Norwich duo LET’S EAT GRANDMA were just 17 when they released their debut album ‘I, Gemini’ in 2016 with a nod to American freak folk pairing COCOROSIE. Despite not being related, the pair presented themselves as twins but over the two years since, Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth have developed their own lives and identities.

Like any friendships formed during childhood, this was inevitable so when Walton formed her first relationship, Hollingworth found herself a new social circle while developing an interest in electronic music and vintage synths.

Now coming together with a new found confidence as individuals, their experiences have manifested themselves onto their second album ‘I’m All Ears’, resulting in a more much diverse record compared to their debut. Like a TV show with eleven scenes, ‘Whitewater’ with its electronic backbone acts as the album’s futuristic instrumental theme while offset by rugged bursts by cello.

The feisty single ‘Hot Pink’ is a celebration of femininity that comes over like a baby ZOLA JESUS meeting CHARLI XCX; this is perhaps not totally unsurprising as the latter’s Glaswegian producer SOPHIE is also behind the studio controls here, along with Faris Badwan of THE HORRORS.

The brilliantly wonky synthpop of ‘It’s Not Just Me’ is an indication of how much LET’S EAT GRANDMA have evolved. Still maintaining the core character of Walton and Hollingworth’s delightfully odd harmony attached to their subversive spirit, there are clear points of melodic accessibility too.

The percussive ‘Falling Into Me’ is structured into several different sections using some varied musical palettes, showcasing the duo’s willingness to think outside the box for interesting song arrangements. A combination of guitar and string machine colours the more introspective ‘Snakes & Ladders’, while ‘I Will Be Waiting’ sounds not unlike FEVER RAY attempting a CHVRCHES number.

The organ-led instrumental ‘The Cat’s Pyjamas’ effectively acts as an intro to ‘Cool & Collected’ which at nine minutes makes an epic statement about insecurity. Despite the progressive influence of GENESIS, the very slow build perhaps stretches things out a bit too much. But to their credit, it’s an indication of LET’S EAT GRANDMA’s sense of ambition if nothing else. That ambition is more successfully realised on ‘Donnie Darko’, their eleven minute tribute to the troubled teenager haunted by a monstrous rabbit-like figure.

Utilising melodic guitar reminiscent of THE DURUTTI COLUMN at the start before morphing into a wonderful movement of cascading electronics set to a metronomic beat, there are also some passionate reflections in an afflicted vocal style recalling POLLY SCATTERGOOD on the subject of human suffering. And then without warning, ‘Donnie Darko’ drifts into a glorious synthony before calming to its conclusion.

While not perfect, this album has plenty to enjoy about it. A personal record that retains a degree of innocence while establishing an understanding of more worldly issues, ‘I’m All Ears’ marks LET’S EAT GRANDMA as an act of great potential who will only get better and impress further.

‘I’m All Ears’ is released by Transgressive Records/PIAS in CD, double vinyl LP and digital formats

LET’S EAT GRANDMA 2018 live dates include:

Vancouver Fortune Sound Club (30 August), Seattle Bumbershoot 2018 (31 August) Portland Doug Fir Lounge (1 September), San Francisco Rickshaw Stop (3 September), Los Angeles Moroccan Lounge (4 September), Chicago Empty Bottle (6 September), Toronto Drake Hotel (7 September), Montreal Bar le Ritz (8 September), Allston Great Scott (10 September), Brooklyn Baby’s All Right (12 September), Washington DC U Street Music Hall (13 September), London Heaven (27 September), Utrecht TivoliVredenburg (3 November)*, Brussels Ancienne Belgique (5 November)*, Cologne Live Music Hall (6 November)*, Berlin Tempodrom (7 November)*, Hamburg Docks (9 November)*, Stuttgart LKA-Longhorn (11 November)*, Munich Muffathalle (12 November)*, Milan Fabrique (14 November)*, Lausanne Les Docks (15 November)*, Luxembourg Den Atelier (16 November)*

*opening for CHVRCHES

http://letseatgrandma.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/thelegofgrandma/

https://twitter.com/thelegofgrandma

https://www.instagram.com/thelegofgrandma/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photo by Charlotte Pattmore
8th July 2018, updated 9th July 2018

NINE INCH NAILS Bad Witch

7 July 2018 /

Trent Reznor is now (and has been for a while) in the very enviable position of having complete creative control over NINE INCH NAILS; millions of record sales and lucrative film soundtrack work have positioned the act in a situation where they can pretty much do anything they like stylistically or artistically.

This element of control is evidenced over the last two years where NINE INCH NAILS have eschewed the album format (in a similar way to AESTHETIC PERFECTION) in favour of the EP / single route, releasing shorter clusters of tracks rather than committing to a full-on album release.

Having said that, Reznor has been quoted as saying that although only comprising 6 tracks, the new release ‘Bad Witch’ is an album, primarily because of the fear of an EP release not always given the online exposure it deserves. For example, if you Spotified certain artists and went to the album section you may be given the false impression that their last release was back in 2013 eg ‘Hesitation Marks’; but a further scroll down to the singles would reveal all the more recent EP releases such as ‘Not The Actual Events’ and ‘Add Violence’.

‘Bad Witch’ completes the trilogy started by ‘Not The Actual Events’ back in 2016 and (as you would probably expect) is not an easy listen. Opener ‘Sh*t Mirror’ angrily ups the ante from the off; sounding like it was mixed on a broken 4-track cassette deck, it hinges around a punky guitar riff and the mantra-like lyric “New worlds, new times, mutations, feels so right”. ‘Ahead of Ourselves’ has the same lo-fi aesthetic with an even more buried effected lead vocal with a phrasing that is reminiscent of PIXIES’ ‘Planet of Sound’. The lo-fi sound is ramped by the inclusion of deliberately out of time drum rolls and a punishing grimy synth bass sound throughout.

The first curveball of ‘Bad Witch’ is the re-appearance of Reznor playing prominent saxophone on ‘Play the Goddamned Part’; comparable to David Bowie’s usage of the instrument on his final album ‘Blackstar’, its mournful layers fitting surprisingly well with the NIN sound.

‘God Break Down the Door’ is the most electronic sounding track on the album with an LFO filtered sequencer part, more sax and a surprisingly crooner-style vocal from Reznor, utilising a vibrato which is at odds with his normal clipped vocal phrasing. The live drums provide an almost drum n bass breakbeat feel to the piece and the aforementioned vocal again pays homage to Bowie who previously worked (and developed a close friendship) with Reznor.

Closing piece ‘Over & Out’ starts with a loping Hip Hop beat, dub style bass and splashes of vibraphone and (more) sax. Vocals here are minimal, Reznor’s “Time is running out” hook paints a pessimistic picture and ends ‘Bad Witch’ on a predictable low ebb before dissolving into a hazy wall of sound and ambient noise.

Considering NIN have been operational for thirty years, ‘Bad Witch’ sounds far more fresh and vital than it has any right to be. With the obvious spectre of Bowie looming large on the final two thirds of the work, the lion’s share of the album could be considered a requiem for the legendary musical pioneer.

Fans of the more concise, melodic and hooky style of NIN like  ‘Hand That Feeds’ and ‘Only’ will be left disappointed with ‘Bad Witch’, but those that want to be taken down a far darker musical path will find much to love in the tracks here.

The deliberately rough and ready mix sucks you into a harsh and abrasive world and by the end brutally spits you back out again. You have been warned…

‘Bad Witch’ is released by Capitol Records as a vinyl LP, CD and download

NINE INCH NAILS tour North America in Autumn 2018, opening acts at selected dates include THE SOFT MOON and KITE BASE – please visit http://www.nin.com/ for more information

https://www.facebook.com/ninofficial/

http://nineinchnails.tumblr.com/

https://twitter.com/trent_reznor

Text by Paul Boddy
7th July 2018

« Older posts Newer posts »

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

Up ↑