ITALOCONNECTION are the veteran duo Fred Ventura and Paolo Gozzetti whose ethos of is “to sound vintage in a modern way”.
Although ITALOCONNECTION released a self-titled debut album in 2013 comprising of their own tracks as well as productions and remixes for other artists, it wasn’t until ‘Metropoli’ in 2017’s that they released their first proper album.
In 2021, ITALOCONNECTION issued ‘Midnight Confessions Vol1’, an excellent danceable pop record themed around love. For Fred Ventura, an Italo disco trailblazer since first solo releases in 1984, “The production of this album was like a long journey, going through bad weather and back to the sun several times. We had to face the reality of working from distance and without the usual production jam we used before the pandemic”. More material was written than could be included so now comes ‘Midnight Confessions Vol2’.
‘Midnight Confessions Vol1’ featured guests including Swedish performance artist Tobias Bernstrup and French superstar Etienne Daho on lead vocals and while there are no star names this time round, in addition to Ventura’s voice, there is the return of Francesca Gastaldi who featured on 2018’s ‘Humanize’ and Jaia Sowden who sang Jay-Jay Johanson’s ‘On The Radio’ for the interim covers album ‘Nordisko’ of 2023.
‘The Wait’ is superb, with warm electronic bass and catchy sequences like the best imperial phase PET SHOP BOYS providing a fine opening. Into the night, the instrumentally strong ‘Lover 2 Lover’ does the same and is uplifting despite the melancholic lyrical lilt.
Not an OASIS cover, ‘Live Forever’ sees Francesca Gastaldi’s shine brightly over a robust electronic backdrop with some glorious uplifts. The octave bass laden ‘Cold War Lovers’ is more enigmatic with a delightfully long instrumental introduction but no less catchy in its presence as Ventura laments the lack of disco interaction as a metaphor calling for peace in the world
Despite the lost love, Why’ retains an optimistic mood in a pacey cacophony of electronics laced with percussive breaks. Meanwhile simultaneously pulsating, swooping and droning, ‘Systematic’ plays on the sixteens to offer a colder take on Italo while being no less hook laden. With “impact and disorder”, ‘Just Like Water’ is laced in melody with Jaia Sowden providing her wistful touch in a bittersweet story of discontent and disconnect.
En Français using an AI generated female voice, ‘Europa’ pays homage to the art movements and machine music of the continent in a dramatic midtempo spoken word piece accompanied by thematic synth passages that could be Jean-Michel Jarre while giving KRAFTWERK, EURYTHMICS, TELEX, PET SHOP BOYS, PROPAGANDA, NEW ORDER, YAZOO, DAF, EINSTURZEN NEUBAUTEN, ULTRAVOX, LES RITA MITSOUKO and many others a name check.
The ‘Midnight Confessions’ title song generates a throbbing bass triplet over a lone analogue drum machine before building into a cascading disco track with bursts of sharp synth. With an alluring middle eight from Francesca Gastaldi, it provides a fitting conclusion to this enjoyably immediate long player.
As with all ITALOCONNECTION releases, the production is clean and danceable without being overbearing, making it suitable for the home, the car, the radio or the disco. It’s one for lovers of classic European electronic pop with that warm romantic Italian touch.
Japanese punk pop performance group FRANK CHICKENS release a retrospective boxed set ‘Ninja Legends 1983-1989’ on Cherry Red Records.
As befitting the title of the set, FRANK CHICKENS (who were named after a brand of Japanese stationery) have a significant cult following and have often been credited for introducing Karaoke into the UK mainstream via their founder Kazuko Hohki’s Channel 4 show ‘Kazuko’s Karaoke Klub’.
Included are their first three albums and a selection of BBC sessions recorded for John Peel, Richard Skinner and Janice Long; their delightful cover of ‘Blue Canary’ recorded for the former with a spoken introduction about a miserable Japanese housewife in Milton Keynes was placed at No42 in his 1984 Festive 50.
Although originally a trio, the eventual nucleus settled on Hohki and Kazumi Taguchi; the former arrived in London as a tourist and had grown up reading English children’s books with their awkward humour. Having observed the London Musicians Collective at play on her second day, she decided to stay in the UK having found a place where artistic misfits like her could thrive. Performing that day were David Toop and Steve Beresford of THE FLYING LIZARDS who would later become FRANK CHICKENS collaborators.
It was while at Camden Arts Centre that Kazuko met Kazumi who was invited to watch a performance of the Japanese American Toy Theatre which Kazuko had co-founded. Part of the performance saw Hohki singing a Japanese pop ballad using Karaoke backing. Afterwards Kazumi suggested to Kazuko she could sing it better and that they should form a band.
Influenced by pop, punk and traditional Japanese music, FRANK CHICKENS came to the attention of John Peel who invited them to record a session for his late night radio show in 1983. About the same time, the original three-piece appeared on stage at London’s Clarendon Hotel Ballroom. In the audience was David Toop who afterwards enthused to his colleague Steve Beresford about how they could help realise FRANK CHICKENS’ ethos into original collaborative songs.
With Toop and Beresford co-producing, FRANK CHICKENS released their debut single ‘We Are Ninja (Not Geisha)’ in March 1984. This slice of quirky electro art funk became an independent chart hit, showcasing their socio-political constructs of borders, race and gender through eccentric but humorous storytelling.
Expressing themselves as women in a manner than would have been frowned up in their own country, there were however prejudices to overcome in their adopted home of the UK. In a more racist environment than today, not helped by the then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s anti-immigrant stance, FRANK CHICKENS challenged the myths separating East and West, while highlighting the absurdity of the dual stereotype that saw Japanese women as submissive geisha or mysterious femme fatales.
On a roll, the parent album ‘We Are Frank Chickens’ followed and was also an independent chart hit that combined multi-cultural pop with the avant garde. It was an impressive debut with opener ‘Cheeba Cheeba Chimpira’ falling under the spell of hip hop while ‘Mothra’ played more with traditional exotica elegance.
Like an uptempo crime series theme, ‘Yellow Detective’ had slinky sax thrown in amongst the electronic squelch and sampled strings. But combining synths and Japanese traditional textures, ‘Shellfish Bamboo’ threw in spoken narrative and street rows about men with long necks in the market while ‘Fujiyama Mama’ was delightfully oddball.
‘Pikadon’ experimented with reggae inflections while the ‘We Are Frank Chickens’ title song with its abstract chant took on the rhythmic influence of Prince. The wonderful ‘Sake Ballad’ closed the album with a melancholic drama about how “I drink to kill my memory”, lamenting a love that cannot be, soundtracked by gorgeously sad string quartet.
Released in 1987, second album ‘Get Chickenized’ continued the satirical mockery of cultural stereotypes but touched on other topics; lesbian love was the subject of ‘Two Little Ladies’ while the rockier ‘One Million Hamburgers’ reflected on consumerism. ‘We Say You Say’ utilised an R ‘n’ B backdrop and a “GET CHICKENIZED” hook to challenge ethnic stereotyping further but entering Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis territory, ‘Solid Life’ made a good go at the soulful pop of the period.
Featuring lively LinnDrum and brassy synths, FRANK CHICKENS referenced Gary Cooper in ‘High Noon’ as an example of ‘Sacred Marriage’ while ‘Street Angels, Tokyo’ drove along with speedy programmed cowbell like it was taken straight from a Jerry Bruckheimer action movie of the period. Further reflecting the broader musical church of the record,. ‘Monster’ burst with surf guitar while ‘Yellow Toast’ headed to Greece with bursts of bouzouki to provide an unusual twist and another challenge to racial stereotypes. To close ‘Get Chickenized’, ‘The Dark’ provided an experimental slo-mo séance and ‘House Of Ninja’ surprised as if on the nose with current trends in a spacey upbeat house track.
After a tour of Australia and New Zealand in Spring 1988, Kazumi Taguchi decided to take a break from FRANK CHICKENS and was replaced by new singer Atsuko Kamura on the third album ‘Club Monkey’. There were more changes as Grant Showbiz, Justin Adams and Clive Bell stepped into the studio team. With Kazuko now co-writing with them, themes changed with the ‘Club Monkey’ songs inspired by Hong Kong martial arts and zombie films. Based on a story about a club where an English aristocrat gets defeated by two Asian women, the idea had been premiered as a Christmas musical 1988 with money from the Greater London Arts Association.
‘Club Monkey’ opened with the smooth sophistipop of the album title song and ‘Waiting For A Dog’ offered more adventures as it explored the blues. ‘Burn That Body’ ventured into pacey electro and the gorgeous traditional ballad ‘Revolution’ put ethnic sounds into mix. ‘Night Drain’ was an idiosyncratic funk collage with chants of “mind the gap” while ‘Feed Me’ adopted a sunny Spanish flavour. But the album’s highlight was the synth driven ‘Jackie Chan’, a celebration of South East Asia’s biggest action film star did all of his own stunts.
There were further explorations into other musical territories like ‘Shaken By God’s Hand’ with its cowboy accordion and harmonica while ‘M.Y.T.H.’ ventured into the indie-rock of THE SMITHS. Concluding ‘Club Monkey’ was the album’s thematic outlier ‘Do The Karaoke’ which saw Kazuko and Atsuko take turns to prophetically tell the world about a plug-in machine where you “no longer need a band” to sing along to ‘My Way’!
There were two more albums ‘Pretty Frank Chickens’ in 1991 and ‘床下 Underfloor World = Yukasita Underfloor World’ in 1994 both co-produced Clive Bell that were issued only in Japan, but while there have been no new releases since, FRANK CHICKENS continue to be proudly led by Kazuko Hohki.
Today South East Asian culture now everywhere and part of the everyday, be it in cinema, music, gaming, food or fashion. With the group now expanded to a multi-national performance ensemble with over 20 members, FRANK CHICKENS participate in events ranging from one-off happenings at The Barbican or Union Chapel to huge outdoor culture showcases like the annual Japan Matsuri in London’s Trafalgar Square… who would have thought that would happen in 1983?
Speaking Frankly, FRANK CHICKENS ‘The Movie’ from 2012 says at the start “Laugh at them, laugh with them, above all – enjoy them!” While not everything is this set hits the spot, ‘Ninja Legends 1983-1989’ is a perfect (re)introduction to world of FRANK CHICKENS. It will make you smile 😊
FRANK CHICKENS will appear at Ura Matsuri on Saturday 19 October 2024 which takes place at London’s Hoxton Hall – tickets available from https://www.uramatsuri.com/
An album called ‘United Kingdom Of Anxiety’ was never likely to be an easy listen…
However, Polish producer Natalia Zamilska has captured the state of her nation next door to Ukraine and the state of world in the face of conflict. Self-described as a “symphony of horror”, Zamilska has transformed violent emotions into an unsettling work of art. In her artistic ethos, she has parallels with the likes of GAZELLE TWIN and SIERRA.
As on the lead single ‘Odyssey’ featuring the guest voice of huskie aka Ola Myszor, bass envelopes are ominous and tensions run high over 17 pieces of music. Many are songs, but some are soundscapes and extended interludes like the post-punk unsettlement of ‘Golden Tooth’. ‘No Gods’ with the screeching aggression of Pachu from grindcore band HOSTIA ventures into fierce industrial metal. But this is familiar territory for Zamilska, as her most recent album ‘Incovered’ in 2019 ably demonstrated.
Featuring the vocals of Natalia Przybysz, ‘Persist’ does as its title suggests and stands proud as she makes the proclamation to “Let me rise like a mist”. Meanwhile a distorted huskie returns on ‘Shot In The Head’ for a updated electronic take on PORTISHEAD.
The warning sirens go off rather fittingly to ‘1984’ to exude fear and anger in a world of impending totalitarianism, before ‘Deadfall’ plays around with fierce percussive noise and ‘Dysponea’ closes with a no less suffocating barrage of turbulence.
In a year which has featured emotive works by a number of female artists, while Patricia Wolf preferred to let the music quietly speak and Julia-Sophie was driven to the point of solemn resignation, Zamilska doesn’t go down without at least a fight. Her opening for Kim Gordon of SONIC YOUTH on her European Tour is wholly appropriate.
‘United Kingdom Of Anxiety’ won’t be for everyone but with the projection of a potential dystopian outcome for Eastern Europe and the rest of the world after, this is a worthy listen that will be no form of escapism.
Yota is a Paris-based singer / songwriter hailing from Stockholm who first started recording collaboratively in 2005 and released her most recent solo album ‘Room 412’ via NewRetroWave in 2023; one of its highlights was the longing nu-disco flavoured popwave of ‘Holding On’ while it also contained a cover of ICEHOUSE’s ‘Hey Little Girl’.
Johan Agebjörn is the Swedish producer who is best known as the instrumental half of dreamy electronic disco duo SALLY SHAPIRO. He notably has maintained a parallel solo career that encompassed pop with songs for Samanatha Fox and Ryan Paris as well as more ambient material. His latest album ‘Dynamic Movements – Music for Exercise & Relaxation’ with Mikael Ögren celebrated the era of the exercise tape.
Both Yota and Johan Agebjörn relish collaboration so it was natural the pair would eventually work together to blend his melancholic electronic pop style to her sumptuous vocals for a moody EP entitled ‘Universe In Flames’.
Working with regular Yota producer Arnault Esteve aka Douze, the ‘Universe In Flames’ title song provides a telling global warning message. It is powerful statement and recalls Agebjörn’s own remix of YOUNG GALAXY’s ‘In Fire’ in a fine mix of Scandipop, synthwave and rock with sinister twists.
Produced in collaboration with American synthwave exponent BETAMAXX and co-written with Ian Schranz aka BARK BARK DISCO, ‘Did You Lose Your Mind?’ adopts more of a shuffling groove while Yota’s voice is silky and alluring throughout; however the remix from another regular Yota collaborator LIFELIKE makes it even more disco and cavernous for club consumption but although vocal phrases retained, this arrangement is much less song-oriented.
As the title suggests and taking in more higher vocal ranges, ‘Our Highs’ gets the trancey vibes in for a wonderfully euphoric slice of electronic dance pop. This is a fun EP that showcases the best of both talents and mixes classic synthpop styles with dance music. Please let everyone have more of this partnership, three songs isn’t enough 🙂
Vancouver is a rainy city in the shadow of Grouse Mountain with beautiful views. Its citizens like to eat pancakes at Sophie’s Cosmic Café and cycle around UBC, while wearing clothes from Mountain Equipment Co-op or Patagonia.
The furthest point any Canadian could have been from the European bases of PORTION CONTROL and FRONT 242, it’s an unlikely cradle for the development of industrial electronics. Nevertheless, SKINNY PUPPY was born there, in a perfect storm of sequencers and hair spray. FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY broke through the membrane when Bill Leeb left to make music in a different vein.
With a changing cast that mostly revolved around Leeb and Rhys Fulber, FLA put less of a focus on gothic theatrics than SKINNY PUPPY. The band’s sound owed more to Neal Stephenson than Vincent Price. Cybernetics, media, and power complexes became themes around which intense electronic sounds were built.
Leeb and Fulber have also spent time in the mainstream as DELERIUM – a project that allows them to explore their interests in ambient and epic synth work. The Left Coast’s natural beauty is clearly impressed into the project, along with influences from Jean-Michel Jarre, Klaus Schulze and TANGERINE DREAM.
Leeb has just released his first solo album. ‘Model Kollapse’ sits between the intensity of FLA and the fluidity of DELERIUM. With guest vocals from a fellow Vancouverite, Shannon Hemmett (ACTORS, LEATHERS), and contributions from DELERIUM collaborator Mimi Page and Jason Corbett (ACTORS), it adds textures that don’t sit neatly in either bucket. It is also a deeply personal collection of songs, assembled during a period of transition for Leeb.
“All I ever wanted was to be with you” goes a line on ‘Muted Obsession’. Is it a statement of regret or an argument for forgiveness? The urgent bass line doesn’t resolve the question, but it is sophisticated dark poptronica. It butts up against ‘Simulation’ which is spiked with the essence of PORTION CONTROL. The material on ‘Model Kollapse’ combines the feel of classics from the Industrial bins at Vancouver’s Odyssey Imports with the lessons of a lifetime on global stages.
Photo by Bobby Talamine
You can detect the influence of FRONT 242 in ‘Terror Forms’ and NITZER EBB in ‘Infernum’ but these are not derivative tracks. They are built on the rhythmic foundations of EBM, but the edifice is a cathedral of reverb, distortion, and insistent vocal lines. Leeb’s stylings infuse the material with classic FLA definition and intensity.
‘Model Kollapse’ sounds a warning about the encroachment of technology on our lives. A description of the tendency of AI systems to fall apart when exposed to their own outputs, the term highlights that we take the good with the bad. A rainy winter in North Vancouver, contemplating the passing of friends and discomfort about the growth of Big Data could lead you there. So could 52 minutes in the company of the resulting album.
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