Category: Reviews (Page 68 of 199)

SNS SENSATION Your Door

10 July 2020 /

Having captured the claustrophobic solitude of lockdown with ‘Small World’, SNS SENSATION follow-up that slice of disco noir with a variation on the theme.

Entitled ‘Your Door’, this reflective electronic number deals with the effect that isolation has on the wider human condition.

Highly influenced by the cool synthpop templates of NEW ORDER and PET SHOP BOYS, Sebastian Muravchik is the man behind SNS SENSATION.

Muravchik was best known as the front man of HEARTBREAK and while that project’s Italo sheen remains one of the continuity elements within SNS SENSATION, less prominent though are the heavier synth rock elements that came via musical partner Ali Renault. However, ‘Your Door’ springs a surprise with some distorted guitar in the final third to counterpoint its more wistful elements.

The promo music video for ‘Your Door’ is another inventive home-made affair and tells the story of a young school boy dealing with lockdown, unhappy about being taught by parents and unable to meet friends, but finally getting to enjoy the wide-open spaces of the great outdoors.

The video is a London-based present day colour tribute to Francois Truffaut’s 1959 nouvelle vague drama ‘The 400 Blows’, a story about a misunderstood Parisian adolescent who struggles with his parents and school. Elements could also be thematically seen to visually resonate a similar sentiment to TEARS FOR FEARS and the artwork for their debut album ‘The Hurting’.

Being in lockdown has made many feel like John Tracy in Thunderbird 5 and the subtle processing on Muravchik’s voice creates a hazy cabin fever feeling that aesthetically conveys all manner of frustrated emotions within ‘Your Door’.

In an interview with ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK in April, Sebastian Muravchik said: “After the initial shock and the panic that ensued from becoming aware of what this pandemic could be and mean, I felt that facing the reality of it head-on in my work was a way of coping: perhaps a sense of control, even if illusory.”

He concluded that “My contribution is to help make some sort of sense of this reality; to try to understand more”.

But Muravchik admitted “the biggest challenge of all, bigger than the very real and horrific death we all justifiably fear, is freedom. And for as long as we manage to stay healthy, freedom is everywhere.”

‘Your Door’ is available now as a download single direct from https://wearesns.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/wearesns/

https://twitter.com/sns_wave

https://www.instagram.com/sns_discopop_noir/

Text by Chi Ming Lai
10th July 2020

NEW RO i o u

30 June 2020 /


NEW RO is a Helsinki-based singer, songwriter and producer with a cheeky sense of humour that she often vivaciously expresses via her social media.

Known by her mother as Ronja, she released her first music in 2018, beginning with the saucily titled R’n’B pop of ‘I Cum’.

With an approach that is melodic, rhythmic and vulnerable, NEW RO released the appropriately spacey ‘Kosmos’ EP at the start of 2020, with the title song having a delightful GRIMES approach circa ‘Visions’.

Signing to Solina Records, home of VILLA NAH, SIN COS TAN, VON KONOW, THE HEARING and JUNO FRANCIS, NEW RO’s new body of work ‘i o u’ encapsulates a more dance-oriented direction, celebrating friendship and hedonism.

The opening title song is a fabulously dreamy trance tune with an alluring vocal performance from NEW RO over a throbbing electronic soundscape that engages the mind and the feet. An equivalent artist for reference would be Sweden’s LIZETTE LIZETTE who also places techno backbones into an avant pop setting; “I forget myself” she happily declares.

Initially sparser, ‘Trickle’ enters ROBYN mode and passionately builds into something quite percussive and most of the remaining tracks on this EP follow a similar vibe. With an airy warbling flavour laced with gated voices, ‘3’ explores more Balearic territory.

Meanwhile ‘Don’t Talk To Me On The Dancefloor It’s Really Annoying’ visits Detroit via its hypnotic club drive, although it is all given an icy Finnish twist with the surprising addition of kantele! However, ‘Everything’ closes proceedings with something more abstract and reprises the esoteric side to NEW RO that appeared on ‘Kosmos’.

A vintage string machine is thrown into ‘Everything’ amongst the prominent textural swoops and layers of treated vocals which are aesthetically not far off YELLO collaborator FIFI RONG.

“I wanted to emulate the feeling of hazy and euphoric nights in a great company” said NEW RO, “My friends have inspired this EP and I want to see them dancing to it.”

While the title track is the definite stand-out from ‘i o u’, as was the case on her previous release ‘Kosmos’, NEW RO has shown promise with her two most recent EPs and ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK awaits with interest as to how she progresses creatively in the future.

‘i o u’ is released by Solina Records via the usual digital outlets

https://www.facebook.com/longlivenewro

https://www.instagram.com/longlivenewro/

https://www.facebook.com/SolinaRecords

https://open.spotify.com/album/2LDMRexBa1huWFUUh2FgQt

Text by Chi Ming Lai
30th June 2020

APOPTYGMA BERZERK Nein Danke!

20 June 2020 /

APOPTYGMA BERZERK goes Deutsch with the ‘Nein Danke!’ EP.

The prominent NEWWAVESYNTHPOP legend emblazoned on the front of its striking yellow artwork more than gives away its contents. Throughout his electronic love affair, Norwegian Stephan Groth embraced all shades of synth, from the stomping EBM, through future pop to instrumental wonders like his 2016 offering ‘Exit Popularity Contest’ which was one of the best wordless electronic albums ever written.

Dabbling in alternative rock and lighter shades of goth, the artist became an icon for a wide variety of electronica listeners, gaining fans all over the globe and lending his production skills on other artists’ outings. Groth is a clever chameleon, whose input into the world of synthpopia is invaluable. But he is not a one man band on stage, but he certainly knows his stuff when working in the studio, from writing, performing and producing the tracks, having been solo at APOP for pretty much ever.

Having been around for 26 years, the man doesn’t stop experimenting. Of course when he started, he had to use much more of his own creativity than the kids of today do. In an interview last year, Groth mused about his beginnings: “Back in the day we had to use our imagination way more and be more creative than today”, but he surely uses it now, even with the vast advances in music technology. After a few years of waiting and teasing via live premieres, the ‘Nein Danke’ EP presents a comeback to harsher side of synthpop.

‘Soma Coma’ is a timeless piece, now and again nodding towards quintessential PET SHOP BOYS, but the following ‘Atom & Eve’ with its superbly mechanical rhythm sounds vintage enough to mesmerise the hardcore lovers of the classic synth. Hitting hard, ‘A Battle For The Crown’ rolls out the good old drum machine, old style DEPECHE MODE on steroids-like.

Somehow APOPTYGMA BERZERK manage to bring in the old with the new and make it sound luscious. The melody is there, the texture is there and the feeling is there too, what’s not to love.

‘Nearest’ sees Stephan’s brother Jonas step into the limelight on a very cute electronic ballad, which utilises sounds reminiscent of ‘Exit Popularity Contest’ mingled with chosen tracks from ‘Welcome To Earth’. A proper chill out song, ‘Nearest’ has the same ethereal qualities as the best known track from APOP, ‘Kathy’s Song’.

Having toured with VILE ELECTRODES last year, Groth expressed his appreciation towards the Hastings duo’s works by joining forces on a superb version of ‘Deep Red’. Jane Caley and Martin Swan’s “long cut” remix version is sublime, dark and deliciously dirty. ‘Battle Of The Crown’ gets its remix by DRUGWAR, and what remix that is! Tribal, minimalistic, gritty and sleek all in one go, followed by a quaint rework of ‘Atom & Eve’ from ZONE TRIPPER. Arcade games anyone? The C-64 version has those in spades.

The closing ‘Jennifer Corvino’ invites in with hauntingly beautiful classical piano, interjected with synthesised inclusions that create a second to none soundtrack soundscape. Indeed the fictional character taken from the 1985 movie ‘Phenomena’, Jennifer is a student in Swiss boarding school stalked by a serial killer.

The character played by Jennifer Connelly uses her powers to communicate with insects to catch the killer. The piece is superb, and a great way to wrap up the newest ordering from APOP.

Yet again, the big character in a small package, Groth proves that he does what he likes, when he likes, as ‘Nein Danke!’ is an exhilarating experience of various tempos, mixing the current with the old, so instead of “nein, danke!”, we say “Ja, bitte!”

‘Nein Danke!’ is released by Pitch Black Drive in CD and digital formats, available direct from https://pitchblackdrive.bandcamp.com/album/nein-danke

Chrystal clear 12 inch vinyl EP available from a number of online retailers including POPoNAUT at http://www.poponaut.de/apoptygma-berzerk-nein-danke-limited-chrystal-clear-edition-vinyl-p-19437.html

http://www.theapboffice.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ApoptygmaBerzerk/

https://twitter.com/apoplovesyou

https://www.instagram.com/apop/

https://apoptygmaberzerk.bandcamp.com/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
20th June 2020

FIAT LUX (How Will We Ever) Work This Way

19 June 2020 /

With their 2019 album ‘Saved Symmetry’ capturing an understated depth and musicality that made it very much a grower with its mix of emotions and colours, FIAT LUX have surprised with their new single ‘(How Will We Ever) Work This Way’.

A very direct new wave disco number with a prominent funk-laden bass, ‘(How Will We Ever) Work This Way’ had almost been completely recorded at David P Crickmore’s Splid Studios during their now stalled sessions for the follow-up to ‘Saved Symmetry’.

Steve Wright had managed to lay down his voice before the lockdown came into action. However, saxophonist Will Howard made his slinky contribution remotely which Crickmore said “came c/o his back bedroom with mic under the sheets.”

The lockdown has inspired many acts to get creative with solutions for producing promotional videos and FIAT LUX have been no different. In their case, they have filmed their parts in isolation while in complete darkness, save what appears to be an LED rotating disco ball for lighting effects. As well as featuring Wright, Crickmore and Howard, a Roland Jupiter 8 and Minimoog make cameo appearances.

“It’s a toe tapper” said Wright about the more uptempo nature of ‘(How Will We Ever) Work This Way’, “My daughter says it’s wiggle bop!”; but despite the spacey dance feel and an uplifting middle eight, the lyrics point to something much darker, highlighting that what was considered normal in the past is no longer acceptable.

FIAT LUX have been particularly enjoying their renaissance following their tentative return in 2017, with their triumphant comeback concert at Bradford’s St Clements C of E Church in Autumn 2019 as well as more recently, opening for CHINA CRISIS at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds.

While things are very much up in the air as with everyone, a new album and more gigs are planned.

‘(How Will We Ever) Work This Way’ is released by Splid Records through Proper Music Distribution via the usual digital platforms

http://www.fiat-lux.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/Fiatluxofficial

https://twitter.com/fiatluxofficial

http://www.splidrecords.co.uk

Text and photo by Chi Ming Lai
19th June 2020

KITE Teenage Bliss

15 June 2020 /

After the moody introspection of ‘Tranås/Stenslanda’ and the dark widescreen overtones of ‘Demons & Shame’, KITE explore the innocence of ‘Teenage Bliss’ for their latest singular offering.

Recalling the enigmatic duo of Nicklas Stenemo and Christian Berg’s earlier songs like ‘Ways To Dance’ from their self-titled debut EP and ‘Jonny Boy’ from their ‘III’ EP, ‘Teenage Bliss’ features a strong stabbing riff that could easily be mistaken for OMD. But perhaps the biggest surprise about ‘Teenage Bliss’ is that it is co-produced by Benjamin John Power.

Best known as Scared Bones Records artist BLANCK MASS and as a founder member of experimental electronic duo F*CK BUTTONS, Power is usually associated with a much more heavier aggressive instrumental sound as exemplified by his own ‘D7-D5’ and ‘Death Drop’. However, he appears to have relished pushing a couple of his own pop buttons by applying his edgy template to this rousing anthemic number.

The dynamic combination of KITE and BLANCK MASS is wonderfully hymn-like, with Stenemo telling his congregation that “Teenage bliss, there ain’t no consequences in your life and you don’t know what tragedy is” before the bittersweet revelation that “In the end, no-one wins!” as “life is not like your first kiss…”

Accompanied by a video capturing a young crowd at a club back in the day to compliment the celebratory pop rave of ‘Teenage Bliss’, KITE are on the cusp of a wider breakthrough having been “Sweden’s best kept pop-secret” since their self-titled debut EP was issued in 2008. Having confined all six of their longer-form releases to this mini-album format, are KITE about to release their first ever full-length album?

Back in 2015 on ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK, Nicklas Stenemo said of his creative chemistry with KITE bandmate Christian Berg: “Christian is really great making suggestive drone landscapes. I’m more a traditional songwriter. So we send music to each other all the time, add stuff and change chords etc. Sometimes we just jam over a beat… but we’ve learned that there is no certain way we can make music… we just mess around with it in every way possible and wait for the magic to happen. Pure luck I guess 🙂”

‘Teenage Bliss’ is released by Astronaut Recordings via the usual digital platforms

KITE’s back catalogue is available digitally direct from https://kitehq.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KiteHQ

https://www.instagram.com/kitehq/

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7GmTgBzZ8ZLILtRuvnqlpe

Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photo by MilkDrop Studio
15th June 2020

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