Category: Reviews (Page 73 of 199)

WHITE DOOR The Great Awakening


If there is one person who has probably sparked the realisation of a long-awaited second WHITE DOOR album, then it has to be the synth Superswede Johan Baeckström.

A solo artist in his own right but also a member of synth duo DAILY PLANET, the young Johan Baeckström was a fan of the first WHITE DOOR album ’Windows’ released in 1983.

When he needed B-sides for the singles from his own 2015 solo debut ’Like Before, he covered ’Jerusalem’ and ’School Days’.

Although Baeckström has been unashamedly candid about the influence of Vince Clarke on his music, his musicality was also been shaped by the small catalogue of songs by Mac Austin, Harry Davies and John Davies.

While Mac Austin and Harry Davies have continued to perform in their prog combo GRACE over the years, Baeckström sowed the seeds of a WHITE DOOR reunion when he and DAILY PLANET bandmate Jarmo Olilia invited Austin to provide lead vocals on ‘Heaven Opened’ on their 2017 album ‘Play Rewind Repeat’.

That sparked a WHITE DOOR reunion and as a newly confugured quartet, Mac Austin, John Davies, Harry Davies and Johan Baeckström now present ’The Great Awakening’. Baeckström gives the pulsing Vince Clarke-isms a breather and swaps it for the more polyphonically formed keyboard interventions of his other heroes like Howard Jones.

A joyous tune that sets the scene, the exotic sophistication of ’Among The Mountains’ possesses the soaring windscreen poise of A-HA with a flawless vocal from Mac Austin while the soundscape is sweetened by flute, providing an interesting timbral contrast.

Acknowledging the theme of ’Get Carter’ but with a more brassy flair, ’Resurrection’ surprises with a bouncy Giorgio Moroder inspired stomp and the lift of a rousing chorus. Meanwhile Mac Austin manages to sound like a cross between Morten Harket and Chris De Burgh over some beautifully symphonic synth and subtle slapped bass in a guest appearance from Baeckström’s son Simon.

’Soundtrack Of Our Lives’ captures the joys of spring, with the English folk austere that was very much part of WHITE DOOR’s make-up playing a key role with the harmonious vocal arrangement.

A sparkling production with space for all the elements to shine, there’s even a few classic Linn Drum sounds thrown in too. Yes, they are more recollections of A-HA although of course, the ’Windows’ album came out a year before ’Hunting High & Low’.

Holding down the steadier mood with a synth arpeggio, the richly layered ’Lullaby’ makes what appears to be a simple arrangement sound grand and complex in a cleverly configured traditional tune that steadily builds and surprises with a burst of saxophone in the final third which also glistens ivory-wise in the manner of Howard Jones.

Beginning with a slightly stuttering rhythm, ’Angel Of Tomorrow’ bursts into life with a spacey buoyant pomp that captures an air of Vangelis.

An elated majestic tone ensues as staring mortality in the face, ’The Great Awakening’ celebrates an embracment of life and second chances with a range of complex synth motifs. All wondefully complimenting one another, it is akin to a casade of church bells ringing on a Sunday morning.

The spritely ’Simply Magnificent’ does as the title suggests and is pure sequenced synthpop in the vein of early ALPHAVILLE, the distant transistor radio ending acting a nice tribute to bygone listening experiences.

Ending the album, ’Beautiful Girl’ is classic WHITE DOOR and a song which Harry Davies describes as ”a wonderful song for making babies to”. Vocally like a modern hymn with patterns of hooky chimes, there’s even a surprising lilt of sax that suits the electronic backdrop, with a gorgeous sweeping polysynth conclusion that CHINA CRISIS would be proud of, recalling the feel of their appropriately titled tune ‘The Soul Awakening’.

Hopeful, mature and joyous, ’The Great Awakening’ grandly blows away the attempted sensitive synth overtures of the young pretenders almost half their age. It is twilight magic provided by the sorcerers and their apprenctice. Nearly four decades on, WHITE DOOR have again passed the test with commendation.

Of his role in ’The Great Awakening’, Johan Baeckström said to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK: ”I really wanted to do my best to maintain the WHITE DOOR sound and spirit in the production on this album”.

Mission accomplished ?

’The Great Awakening’ uses the following synthesizers: Roland Jupiter 6, Roland Juno 106, Akai AX73, Minimoog, Korg Mono/Poly and ARP Odyssey


’The Great Awakening’ is released by Progress Productions on 17th April 2020, pre-order download from https://whitedoor.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-awakening

Pre-order CD or white vinyl LP from Progress Productions at https://mailchi.mp/9e7025e1bf26/whitedoor

https://www.facebook.com/whitedoorband/

https://twitter.com/Bstrommusic

https://open.spotify.com/album/3bU49HHzLHxEDQAeVpEROJ?si=ZwnqbshNQ-CB6C2P85HH9Q


Text and Photos by Chi Ming Lai
15th April 2020, updated 17th April 2020

SQUAREPUSHER Lamental


SQUAREPUSHER is the musical vehicle for the Chelmsford-born producer Tom Jenkinson, noted for his drum n bass, breakbeat and jazz techno work.

Signing to Warp Records in 1995, his prolific run of albums have led him to become one of the most acclaimed IDM artists in the UK.

His most recent long playing release being ‘Be Up A Hello’ was described by Uncut magazine as “An impressively wide ranging fusion of twisted synth melodies, knotty beats and sense-rupturing speed-jazz”.

Amongst the speedy tracks on ‘Be Up A Hello’ like ‘Oberlove’ and ‘Nervelevers’ was a more melodic ambient piece entitled ‘Detroit People Mover’. On this new ‘Lamental’ EP, Jenkinson focusses on that lesser-known contemplative side to SQUAREPUSHER.

‘Detroit People Mover’ was a number seeded from a Jean-Michel Jarre aesthetic with glorious synthy swoops and bursts of spacey string machine. But with the ‘Lamental’ opener ‘The Paris Track’, a squelchy accelerated rework of ‘Detroit People Mover’ is presented which despite the frantic building of techno beats, remains gloriously filmic and melodic.

‘Les Mains Dansent’ springs a total surprise as a rather solemn acoustic guitar interlude, but following it is Jenkinson’s own ‘Avec Batterie’ rework of ‘MIDI Sans Frontieres’ which was written in 2016 as a marvellously melancholic response to the EU referendum in the vein of William Orbit. Here, he explores a type of ambient breakbeat which is strangely compelling, with the two styles unexpectedly complimenting one another.

Unlikely to alienate Jenkinson’s loyal fanbase, the reworkings featured on ‘Lamental’ are beat laden but they are also unobtrusive, allowing the cinematic synth aspects to glow.

With great crossover potential, SQUAREPUSHER is likely to draw in previously disinterested parties to listen to his music with this release.


‘Lamental’ is released by Warp Records as a 12 inch vinyl EP and download

SQUAREPUSHER 2020 live dates include:

Brighton Concorde 2 (19th October), Leeds Brundenell (21st October), Nottingham Metronome (22nd October), London Roundhouse (23rd October)

https://squarepusher.net/

https://www.facebook.com/squarepusher/

https://twitter.com/SQUAREPUSHER


Text by Chi Ming Lai
11th April 2020

PURITY RING Womb

If CHVRCHES are like PURITY RING then PURITY RING are like CHVRCHES, except that PURITY RING were here first!

The duo consisting of Megan James on vocals and Corin Roddick in charge of synths, programming and multiple instruments, have been around since 2010, when their simplistic sparse sound heralded the arrival of special type of synthpopia.

Craftily, within couple of years, the Canadian pair were signed to the legendary 4AD and put out their first long player ‘Shrines’.

A true musical melting pot packed with inclusions of such wonders as 808 drums, monosynths and extravaganza of sampled vocals, the album was recorded in separate studios miles apart, one in Halifax and the other all the way in Vancouver, a fact rarely exercised back then, yet quite common nowadays, being enabled by various file sharing platforms.

The follower to ‘Shrines’, ‘Another Eternity’ saw the group honing on their sound, polishing it and refining the production, as well as audibly improving the vocal masterdom. The album was more commercially minded and one could say that is what CHVRCHES sound is all about.

Being far more ‘underground’ to CHVRCHES, who hit the commercial bubble beautifully, PURITY RING enjoy cult audiences, who often prefer “the real thing” to the newcomers. With that, this peculiar time introduces a peculiar album number three…

‘Womb’ is the intensification of its predecessor, it’s wholesome and polished, wavering the “music for the masses” aspect (no pun intended) for the more niche particulars, and the opening ‘Rubyinsides’ is a perfect example. Lyrically it is bizarre and worrisome, like listening to an audio horror show, juxtaposed with the sweetest of voices over gentle melody.

‘Pink Lighting’ with its coagulated male voice during opening, transferring to James’ delicate vocal floats over minimal base of dreamy electronica, while ‘Peacefall’ rings out with velvety qualities of a music box.

‘I Like The Devil’ rolls in with punctuated twisty synth, exposing further delicacies of the duo’s sound, transforming into minimal ‘Femia’, which nods towards their first album. The song was written after the tragic passing of the vocalist’s aunt, it’s a tale of passing life and the realisation that the fate leaves nobody standing. ‘Sinew’ continues with the nostalgic thoughtfulness, calmly melancholic and weirdly uplifting at the same time.

With ‘Vehemence’, the hope comes back, floating between gracefulness and luminosity, to ebb away on ‘Silkspun’, with its heavier synth qualities. Of course James’ voice softens it all, calming the angriest of seas, which is the case on ‘Almanac’ as well, with further vocal manipulations to suit any modern palate. The closing ‘Stardew’ recalls CHVRCHES the most, beautifully arpeggiated and very commercial, it’s just a perfect chill song.

If you like CHVRCHES and have never heard of the parents of the Scottish band’s sound, then give PURITY RING a go. Somehow the duo could appeal to you more so than the one who made it commercially.

More niche, much more experimental and far more endearing, Megan James and Corin Roddick created something greatly more extraordinary than CHVRCHES. Check for yourself.


‘Womb’ released as a CD, violet or black vinyl LP and download by 4AD Records

http://purityringthing.com/

https://www.facebook.com/purityringmusic/

https://twitter.com/PURITY_RING

https://www.instagram.com/purityring/


Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
5th April 2020

MENTRIX My Enemy, My Love

As ZOLA JESUS said recently, looking inwards is something she does a lot of, and in these unprecedented times, isolation and concentration on self, will be something that even the biggest extroverts will have to work on.

Not too dissimilar from Ms Jesus, Sufi inspired Iranian born, Berlin based artist MENTRIX, debuts with her long player ‘My Enemy, My Love’ in which she looks towards the core of her existence, intertwining her varied experiences with wonderfully unique musicality derived from Persian poetry and modern electronica.

Samar Rad moved to France when she was eight by the end of the Iran-Iraq war. Aged fourteen she moved back, and had to re-discover her Farsi mother tongue, going from learning Latin and French literature to Arabic and the Qu’ran. Later, Mentrix spent some time in Britain and now the Iranian desert rose lives in Berlin.

Drawing from her experience of an immigrant deserter, not really belonging and missing her home land, Rad says: “This album reflects my relationship with the contrasting worlds I lived in, with myself, and all my existential wanderings.”

‘My Enemy, My Love’ is being released on MENTRIX’s own label, House Of Strength. The name comes from the gathering place “Zoorkhaneh”, where warriors would train in secret during the Arab invasion of Persia in the Seventh Century. The men would gather there to fuel patriotic feelings. “Women for instance do not train in these places,” explains Rad, “this idea of solidarity must be revived, everywhere, yet the patriarchal aspect must still be fought.”

The long player unfolds in eight tracks, each one unique and derived from a different source within the artist’s psyche. The captivating ‘Nature’, with its enchanting video, filmed in the stunningly beautiful landscapes of Kavir-e-Lut, in eastern Iran, known to be one of the hottest places on earth, is as hypnotic as it is tantric. Played on Daf and Tombak, both traditional Iranian drums, with the inclusion of Sufi inspired lyrics, the track is electrifying.

‘Walk’ is packed with tribal qualities, almost devoid of any sound, except for the floating vocal and metallic shuffling until further instrumentation is introduced to create a very ZOLA JESUS-like landscape. ‘Dreams’ continues the trance twists with a numismatic concoction of swirling sounds à la THE KNIFE, while ‘Igneous Sun’ releases more reflective textures over sparkling synths.

The title track races towards its culmination with distinctive Iranian instruments such as the tombak, kamancheh, ney and daf, each sounding alien to the western ear but bring the artist a great deal of national pride.

The inclusion of marching drum on ‘Loyalty’ sustains the feeling of urgency, where Rad calls out for “patience”. Inspired by traditional Mooyeh mourning chant from Lorestan in Iran, ‘Longing’ brings raw quality to the recording, with sounds derived from desert sand and mountain winds.

“It is very important for me to associate my music with the landscape of Iran,” explains Rad, “I am forever attached to my birth place, and my identity and aspirations are very rooted in Iranian culture. Since the West so often portrays Iran in a questionable way, I feel obliged to share its diverse and positive faces to the world.”

‘If’, however, sounds perfectly western, perfectly synthy and perfectly soulful; it’s an urban ballad of uncertainty and thoughtfulness.

Deeply connected with her beloved homeland, MENTRIX re-defines women of Persia and women living all over the world.

This feminist theme stretches to the fact that featured on the record are primarily women, such as Claire Bay playing the ney, to multi-award winning legendary New York-based mastering engineer, Emily Lazar.

Previously, MENTRIX used to lend vocals on other people’s music. But on ‘My Enemy, My Love’, she ushers in the era of Rad, debuting with a unique sound, bridging eastern and western cultures. This isn’t your standard feminist stance, however, in the way the likes of REIN would approach the subject.

Her femininity and musical landscapes, paint the picture of maturity and grace, highlighting the strength and resilience to overcome all adversities. And now, more than ever, we need those attributes in order to survive this Armageddon.


‘My Enemy, My Love’ is released on 3rd April 2020 via House of Strength

http://www.mentrixmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mentrixmusic/

https://www.instagram.com/mentrixmusic/

https://www.hosrecords.com/artist-mentrix


Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
1st April 2020

CIRCUIT3 The Rain EP


After the unexpected success of his 2016 CIRCUIT3 debut ‘siliconchipsuperstar’, Peter Fitzpatrick bought some more synths and followed up in 2019 with ‘The Value Of Everything & The Price Of Nothing’.

Like a dystopian Howard Jones album fashioned from the roots of Synth Britannia, Martyn Ware of HEAVEN 17 said: “The album sounds great! Glad current artists are keeping the faith with quality songwriting”

Indeed, the most Howie sounding of its tracks ‘The Rain’ has been issued a single, complete with a host of remixes.

Now while DEPECHE MODE play in the rain and so does Taylor Swift, CIRCUIT3 uses ‘The Rain’ as a metaphor to embrace all emotions in life so that the good times will come over even brighter. The original version was like ‘Don’t Always Look At The Rain’ from ‘Human’s Lib’ reimagined by Philp K Dick, a musical coping strategy with a touch of Guinness that the late Rutger Hauer would have been proud of for all sorts of reasons.

The GravitySlip Remix adds a synthetic percussion backbone which works well in more noisy environments like cars and pulls of the feat of not being too overbearing on the original song, even maybe enhancing it in an understated manner. Meanwhile Acko’s Remix begins in a rather funereal fashion before exploding into steadfast gothic rock halfway through and the CHON Dublin Remix adds a MASSIVE ATTACK vibe.

There is also instrumental dub version included which allows the more subtle elements of ‘The Rain’ to be heard more clearly; but speaking of instrumentals, the EP include three original previously unreleased instrumentals which will appeal enormously to fans of atmospheric synth B-sides from back in the day.

The best of these is ‘Overview Effect’, a classic synth number with fabulous textures, voicing and rhythmic effects, each part having its place like in all the great instrumentals.

The more atmospheric ‘Transmissions’ is punctuated by Jarre-like beeps and sweeps but perhaps more surprisingly, there’s a sharp burst of digitised slap bass.

Meanwhile, ‘Blinded By The Sun’ could be retitled ‘Blinded By the Odyssey’ with ARP derived sirens penetrating the Moog Sub37 bass, sparking Roland Jupiter 4 arpeggios and CP70 ivory foundations.

These three instrumentals are actually tasters for the third CIRCUIT3 album and with a planned lyric for ‘Blinded By The Sun’ going “count the lies from 1 to 45”, the midlife angst continues for Peter Fitzpatrick. Now that can only mean the potential for even more great synth music to emerge from CIRCUIT3.


‘The Rain’ EP is released by Diode Records on 3rd April 2020, pre-order as a CD or download from https://circuit3.bandcamp.com/

CIRCUIT3 presents an Online Live Streaming Synth Gig on Saturday 4th April 2020 at 2000 GMT, details on the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/218651819353562/

http://www.circuit3.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Circuit3music

https://twitter.com/Circuit3Music

https://www.instagram.com/circuit3music/

https://soundcloud.com/circuit3/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmo6IkKRlL718vAg6GpXsdQ


Text by Chi Ming Lai
28th March 2020

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