Category: Reviews (Page 34 of 199)

NIGHT CLUB Die In The Disco

19 February 2022 /

Although NIGHT CLUB’s third album ‘Die Die Lullaby’ was released in 2020, with events making the world stand still, Emily Kavanaugh and Mark Brooks finally get to tour their opus in Spring 2022.

‘Die Die Lullaby’ was mixed by Brooks with Dave “Rave” Ogilvie, a former member of SKINNY PUPPY known for his work with NINE INCH NAILS and Marilyn Manson.

But crucially, he also mixed Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2011 worldwide smash hit ‘Call Me Maybe’ to provide a typically NIGHT CLUB twist and develop their Britney Spears fronting NINE INCH NAILS template even further.

To launch the tour, with its Giorgio Moroder and Bobby Orlando influences, album opener ‘Die In The Disco’ has been given a superb animated video treatment; the throbbing HI-NRG disco is offset by the imagery that accompanies the unsettling ghostly pitch-shifted voice which announces: ”This is my party and I will die if I want to!”

Of the visualisation for this macabre statement, Mark Brooks told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK: “Last summer we talked about wanting to make a video for ‘Die In The Disco’ before our tour starts this Spring. Because of the way we wanted it to look, animation was clearly a cheaper route than live action (since I work in animation). It did take a while; EIGHT MONTHS!”

With so many animated styles available such as anime and even Disney, Brooks opted for the Patrick Nagel inspired aesthetic used on ‘Moonbeam City’ which NIGHT CLUB did the soundtrack for: “Yeah, I wanted to make a hybrid of ‘Metalocalypse’ and ‘Moonbeam City’. These are two shows that I directed and are my personal favs. Also we thought it would be more unique to do it this way than producing another anime, which is getting oversaturated”.

NIGHT CLUB are pumped for going out live again and have no fears of stage rustiness at all: “We are excited to go back on tour! Luckily last year we did some warm-up shows in SF, Denver and Vegas so we don’t feel as rusty now. It’s been really fun to play the new material live, which we didn’t get to do when we released the album in late 2020 and obviously everything was shut down.”

As far as what’s next for NIGHT CLUB, the duo said “We’re currently about to go on our US tour and we’re booking a UK tour for the Fall. In between playing all these shows, we’re writing and recording our next LP, which will hopefully be out next year.”

‘Die In The Disco’ is from the album ‘Die Die Lullaby’ released by Gato Blanco in CD and download formats, available from http://nightclubband.com/

NIGHT CLUB tour North America in Spring 2022

https://www.facebook.com/nightclubband

https://twitter.com/nightclubband

https://www.instagram.com/nightclubband/

https://soundcloud.com/nightclubband

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
Photos by Francis George
19th February 2022

SOFTWAVE Thank You For Breaking My Heart

17 February 2022 /

Having reflected tense times with ’System Failure’ in Summer 2021, Danish synthpop duo SOFTWAVE are back with a bittersweet superpop number ‘Thank You For Breaking My Heart’.

With glistening shades of ERASURE, Catrine Christensen and Jerry Olsen reflect on the positives of a toxic relationship ending, with shackles unlocked and new opportunities beckoning. As a result, this solo Christensen composition declares “Without you there’s no dark”.

The worldwide pandemic has forced many to re-evaluate their life, career and choices.

‘Thank You For Breaking My Heart’ will work on many levels as light is able to shine again. The video reflects this through mash-up of images including forlorn individuals staring at cityscapes, couples arguing, youngsters enjoying the nightlife, live footage of SOFTWAVE, dance troupes and a veiled figure walking in the desert.

‘Game On’ released in 2020 fulfilled the promise that had been evident since ‘On & On & On’ was issued as a remix by Jerry Olsen in 2017. As a result, the duo came to the attention of OMD who invited them to be the opening act for their Scandinavian tour in early 2020; SOFTWAVE thanked the Wirral electronic pioneers with a cover of ‘Souvenir’ by way of a tribute a few months later.

While a full length follow-up to their debut album is not yet on the cards, SOFTWAVE are preparing an EP for a release later this year with the next single being ‘Supernova’; Catrine Christensen promises “It has a great message and story…”

‘Thank You for Breaking My Heart’ is available digitally on assorted platforms via https://frontl.ink/zbmpxmq

Other SOFTWAVE releases are available from https://softwave.bandcamp.com/

http://www.softwavemusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SoftWaveMusic/

https://twitter.com/SoftWaveMusic

https://www.instagram.com/softwave_music/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
17th February 2022

SALLY SHAPIRO Sad Cities

16 February 2022 /

Although they announced a retirement of sorts in 2016 and released a final single ‘If You Ever Wanna Change Your Mind’, Swedish duo SALLY SHAPIRO joined the Italian Do It Better family in 2021 to make an unexpected return.

Comprising of the enigmatic anonymous songstress Sally Shapiro and producer Johan Agebjörn, they became cult favourites with their dreamy pop albums ‘Disco Romance’ ‘My Guilty Pleasure’ and ‘Somewhere Else’. In parallel, Agebjörn also had a solo career with 2011’s ‘Casablanca Nights’ album featuring LE PRIX, LAKE HEARTBEAT and QUEEN OF HEARTS attracting acclaim.

During the hiatus, Agebjörn has also worked on two collaborative records with Mikael Ögren as well as soundtrack work for the Swedish comedy thriller ‘Videomannen’ including the songs ‘Hot Boy’ with one-time Page3 stunna Samantha Fox and ‘Love On Ice’ with Italian star Ryan Paris in a duet with Shapiro.

As if they had never been away, the fourth SALLY SHAPIRO album ‘Sad Cities’ is mixed by both Agebjörn and Italian Do It Better head honcho Johnny Jewel. Originally recorded as a duet with Ryan Paris but with his backing vocals remaining in this Sally solo version, the wispy opener ‘Forget About You’ provides a wonderful wintery disco tune, as does the gorgeously airy ‘Believe In Me’ which follows.

But the elegiac ‘Down This Road’ could be a theme to a French Nouvelle Vague movie but throws in an unexpected guitar solo from Alex Karlinsky aka HIGHWAY SUPERSTAR to throw off the scent before vibing up and adding slinky sax from Jorja Chalmers.

Like an electronic version of yacht rock, the ‘Sad City’ title track exudes a drifting oceanic mood while ‘Dulcinea’ is a pretty midtempo synthwave ballad with a slight West European bent. With some Nordic flight, ‘Falling Clouds’ bounces delightfully skywards with a shuffling but danceable beat while despite having previously collaborated with ELECTRIC YOUTH on ‘Starman’ in 2013, ‘Love in Slow Motion’ is unsurprisingly more laid back in nature.

Offering an Italo housey stance, ‘Million Ways’ twists expectations with cosmic synth solos, jazzy electric Rhodes and filmic orchestrations. Shyness is nice as ‘Tell Me How’ with TOMMY ’86 offers more typical synthwave atmospheres that bubble into an absorbing odyssey.

As the title suggests, ‘Christmas Escape’ is a drifting mood piece that reflects the crystalline air of the winter holiday season before the mighty dance laden ‘Fading Away’ features a glorious plethora of trancey electronics and thumping rhythms over seven minutes to provide a satisfying closer.

Five years has allowed time for SALLY SHAPIRO to be missed and this new collection of songs is a gift to their fans. ’Sad Cities’ doesn’t stray too much from past formulas, right down to the collaborators but that doesn’t matter. This is blissful breezy electronic pop despite its inherent melancholy and sadness.

‘Sad Cities’ is released by Italians Do It Better on 18th February 2022, available from https://sallyshapiro.bandcamp.com/

https://italiansdoitbetter.com/sally-shapir/

https://www.facebook.com/shapirosally

https://twitter.com/sallyshapiro

https://www.instagram.com/sally_shapiro_official/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
15th February 2022

I SPEAK MACHINE The Metal of My Hell

13 February 2022 /


With the Western Powers is a rather tense and scary stand-off with Russia over Ukraine as if The Cold War had never ended, I SPEAK MACHINE’s ‘The Metal of My Hell’ from the upcoming album ‘War’ is rather on point.

A fierce aural assault of frantic heavy metal machine music using synths, Busch declares in a raging if tongue-in-cheek manner: “burn the witch / burn the bitch… you had it coming for a long time!”.

I SPEAK MACHINE is the audio visual project of Tara Busch and Maf Lewis; their album ‘Zombies 1985’ was ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s favourite album of 2017. While that collection made use of Busch’s impressive vocal range from high soprano to deep contralto and a previous 2011 single ‘Rocket Woman’ came over like Doris Day in outer space, her voice takes on an aggressive devilish tone for ‘The Metal of My Hell’.

Angry and claustrophobic with screeching horror flick strings, ‘The Metal of My Hell’ is appropriately complimented by the Maf Lewis directed video filmed in the dusty, sweltering fire roads of Griffith Park in Los Angeles. Using an iPhone 13 Pro Max in 4K with Filmic Pro, it captures Busch adopting some dishevelled symbolism like Libertas gone goth…

While Tara Busch has previously worked with the likes of Benge, John Foxx and John Fryer, as well toured with Gary Numan and Hannah Peel, ‘War’ has been co-produced by Dean Honer of I MONSTER, THE ECCENTRONIC RESEARCH COUNCIL and INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS OF POP fame; the album was constructed remotely between LA and Sheffield over a three year period.

While ‘Zombies 1985’ was the soundtrack to a short horror sci-fi film about a self-obsessed man who fails to notice the Zombie Apocalypse happening around him, ‘War’ is a much more personal album dealing with themes of addiction and mental illness.

As I SPEAK MACHINE prepares to go out on tour soon supporting Gary Numan on his US ‘Intruder’ dates beginning on 23rd February at The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, war is coming…

‘The Metal of My Hell’ is from the new album ‘War’ out on 22nd April 2022 in double red vinyl LP, CD and digital formats, pre-order via https://singinglight.link/ispeakmachine-war

https://www.ispeakmachine.com

https://www.facebook.com/ispeakmachine

https://twitter.com/ISpeakMachine

https://www.instagram.com/ispeakmachine/

https://ispeakmachine.bandcamp.com/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photoby Maf Lewis
13th February 2022

SEA CHANGE Mutual Dreaming

10 February 2022 /


SEA CHANGE is the nom de théâtre of Norwegian producer and vocalist Ellen A. W. Sunde who self-released her debut album ‘Breakage’ back in 2015. Her interest in music began with a fascination for ambient noise, tiny acoustic instruments and synths.

Following up 2019’s FEVER RAY-inspired ‘Inside’, her third album ‘Mutual Dreaming’ is a product of moving back to Norway after living in Los Angeles and Berlin to immerse herself into their noted club scenes. Settling in the southern coastal town of Kristiansand, the quiet location has undoubtedly coloured proceedings with a mysterious serene air focussed onto the music.

With enigmatic air of Stina Nordenstam, ‘I Put My Hand Into A Fist’ states its intentions like a musical Nordic Noir mystery with a gently percussive transience. Building on that introduction, ‘Is There Anybody?’ offers subtle electronic signals and haunting vocal treatments that slowly gain in presence as a whole.

Vocally like an abstract Dot Allison, ‘That’s Us’ is sparse and swathed in echo, recalling the Andrew Weatherall-helmed dub experiments of ONE DOVE. In a backdrop of reverse Norse code, ‘OK’ is more whispery Alison Goldfrapp and begins as an angelic mood piece before snapping rhythmically.

‘Never Felt’ moves away from metronomic beat structures and enters eerier territory with ghostly manipulated voice colouring while without almost noticing, the rumbling backdrop becomes central to the work. Comparatively uptempo but minimal, ‘Night Eyes’ captures a darkness falling but then the aural cavern expands to create a hypnotic sinking feeling.

Adding distortion into the mix, ‘Mirages’ acts as a soft environmental interlude into the home straight leading straight into the ‘Mutual Dreaming’ title track with its absorbing percussive mantra and breathy Björk-like interventions in place of a conventional lead vocal. And with a heartbeat, ‘Rituals’ hits FEVER RAY territory with deep pitch shifting to close.

Like a more accessible Stina Nordenstam but with all the characteristic Nordic idiosyncrasies, ‘Mutual Dreaming’ is a panoramic record with an abstract mindset.

With a dreamy impressionistic quality, it acts as relaxed escapism from the tensions of civilisation with an intriguing avant pop aura. File under “Visceral and very introspective”.

‘Mutual Dreaming’ is released on 11th February 2022 by Shapes Recordings, pre-save at https://ingrv.es/mutual-dreaming-tda-4

https://www.facebook.com/seachange666

https://twitter.com/SeaChangeartist

https://www.instagram.com/sea_change_music/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
11th February 2022

« Older posts Newer posts »

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

Up ↑