Category: Reviews (Page 99 of 199)

PETER HEPPNER Confessions & Doubts

3 November 2018 /

PETER HEPPNER requires no introduction; his voice is recognisable worldwide, even to those who didn’t know or remember WOLFSHEIM.

It all started in Hamburg, a city known for many an accomplished act, but it was and still is WOLFSHEIM that brings the notion of melancholic nostalgia to minds. After a few successful albums and having established die-hard fans, Heppner left the coop and went solo. And expectedly so, his own provisions continued to feed the lovers of his deep, unusual and classy vocal over ‘Solo’, ‘My Heart Of Stone’ and various collaborations with CAMOUFLAGE as well as many others like NENA, PAUL VAN DYK and SCHILLER.

‘Confessions & Doubts’ and its ‘TanzZwang’ companion collection eases the burden of the long wait since his last offering, providing enough material for four albums. The original material gets the first airing in album versions, then instrumentals, followed by the ‘TanzZwang’ portion with further tracks plus remixes of those by some notable German bods. If that’s not enough, Heppner will be touring the offering throughout Germany this winter.

‘Confessions & Doubts’ opens with demurely ‘Unlovable’, where the listener is transported into the Heppner parallel universe, full of minimal instrumentation, familiar abandonment notions in the lyrical content and that haunting voice, which could be recognised anywhere in the universe.

Joachim Witt, an artist celebrated in Germany something chronic, joins Heppner on ‘Was bleibt?’ Performed in his mother tongue, it’s a modern semi-electronic ballad, coming into its own thanks to WOLFSHEIM-like connotations.

Heppner returns to English on ‘Nothing Ends’, where the tempo speeds up like ‘Once In A Lifetime’ with a modern twist. Thanks to this album, the listeners are truly enjoying ‘Viele Schöne Stunden’, yet another beautiful easy listening ballad, while the reminder that ‘Good Things Break’, as they “tend to change… always end”, brings Heppner into a monologue, where he translates his childhood toys into the pain of adulthood.

German domiciled American Kim Sanders joins the Königsstimme on ‘You Don’t Love Me’, while the most synth content can be found on ‘Chance’, which is stompingly bubbly and super electronic.

The vocal numbers are followed by their stunning instrumental renditions before ‘TanzZwang’ rolls out its red club carpets with delicious dance tracks.

‘Und Ich Tanz’ is wonderfully fast and pointed, leading into superb ‘All Is Shadow’ with its magically executed dance sparkles.

‘Herman Hesse: Im Nebel’ musically nods towards modern day DEPECHE MODE and could be easily performed by Martin Gore and the listener is yet again reminded of the classic WOLFSHEIM on ‘Just One Word’ with its classic hooks and perfect vocal transitions.

‘Once Again’ Heppner waves his magical vocal wand, where the sound blossoms into a mini Love Parade. No chance to ‘Sedate Yourself’ here, the best thing is to continue dancing till the end with ‘Standing Tall’ and he is! But that’s not everything; to top it all, there are further remixes to enjoy…

Heppner can do no wrong, because the moment he opens his mouth, the magic starts to flow, only to cease with the quiet. Nevertheless, with the vast offering of forty tracks, it is easy to lose sight and interest very quickly. The first part is a beautiful standalone piece and the original dance part should have been provided as a separate offering.

A worthy body of work, but only if you allow yourself four independent listenings, pretending those parts don’t form a whole. “Never too much of a good thing” could have been proven very wrong here.

Still, it’s Heppner, and it’s more than good…

‘Confessions & Doubts’ is released by RCA Deutschland as a single CD and vinyl LP while a 4CD boxed set and digital formats are also available, along with a separate edition of the ‘TanzZwang’ remixes

Hamburg Markthalle (15th November), Rostock MAU Club (16th November), Berlin Huxleys Neue Welt (17th November), Hannover Musikzentrum (29th November), Haus Leipzig (30th November), Glauchau Alte Spinnerei (1st December), Magdeburg Factory (8th December), Nuremberg Hirsch (9th December), Stuttgart Im Wizemann (11th December), Zürich X-TRA (12th December), Oberhausen Kulttempel (14th December), Langen Neue Stadt Halle (15th December), Cologne Live Music Hall (16th December)

http://www.peter-heppner.com/

https://www.facebook.com/peterheppneroffiziell/

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
3rd November 2018

SARAH P. Mneme

1 November 2018 /

SARAH P. has been described as “an electropop goddess” and the video to her new single ‘Mneme’ more than reinforces that very image.

It is inspired by the three original ancient Greek muses, Aoide (the muse of voice and song), Melete (the muse of thought and meditation) and Mneme (the muse of memory).

The exquisite video filmed by George Geranios and conceived by SARAH P. herself sees the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne  come together as the inspiration for poetic and musical creation.

Starring the Berlin-based songstress as Mneme, the visual accompaniment also features dancer Clio ‘Lil Cli’ Arvaniti as Aoide and actress Dora Pantazopoulou as Melete; the key themes explored are playfulness and sisterhood in commemoration of more carefree times, all under the glorious Athenian sun.

Meanwhile, the ‘Mneme’ song itself is laced with a wispy angelic quality, afflicted but endearing as both atmospheric guitars and synthesized strings linger.

With the muse giving her name to the word meaning “the ability to retain memory” and also a retrograde irregular moon orbiting Jupiter, Mneme in its plural context also represents “units of knowledge gained by repetition”.

‘Mneme’ is the first single from the new SARAH P. EP ‘Maenads’ and her first new material since the acclaimed 2017 debut long player ‘Who Am I’, the CD of which was released by Amour Records earlier this year.

‘Mneme’ is from the upcoming EP ‘Maenads’ released on 14th December 2018 by EraseRestart Records

http://sarahpofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/sarahpofficial/

https://twitter.com/sarahpofficial

https://www.instagram.com/sarahpofficial/

https://sarahpofficial.bandcamp.com/

https://www.amour-records.com/sarah-p

Text by Chi Ming Lai with thanks to Robert Helbig
Photos by George Geranios
1st November 2018

ANI GLASS Peirianwaith Perffaith

31 October 2018 /

ANI GLASS is back with a new single ‘Peirianwaith Perffaith’, an enticing trailer for her forthcoming as-yet-untitled debut album.

Translated as ‘Perfect Machinery’, with the vibe of Autumnal discontent, the haunting detuned backdrop is perfect for her socially conscious Welsh expressionism. With a wonderfully swirling leadline and a suitably penetrating bass pulse, the Cardiff-based synth songstress says the song is about how the “search for identity in a moving city and society insists on a sense of stillness often found in the shadows of progress”.

The still image visual accompaniment filmed and directed by Jon Pountney with artistic direction by ANI GLASS begins with stark industrial views before drifting into suburbia and a journey into the countryside in time for twilight.

An experienced hand who has previously worked with Andy McCluskey and the late Martin Rushent, ANI GLASS released her acclaimed first EP ‘Ffrwydrad Tawel’ in Spring 2017. Having recently completed a Masters Degree, the songstress is now fully focussed on finishing her self-produced debut long player.

She said to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK in January: “I’m really excited about curating the presentation of this album; conceptually and visually. I have a lot of ideas about how I might involve and engage with people who may not be instinctively interested in Welsh electronic music. It’s quite an exciting time to be making music in Wales – something is afoot; I couldn’t tell you what it is but I think it’s going to be exciting and I really want to be a part of it.”

‘Peirianwaith Perffaith’ is released by Recordiau Neb, available on iTunes and Spotify

ANI GLASS’ previous releases are available direct from https://aniglass.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/aniglasscymru/

https://twitter.com/Ani_Glass

https://www.instagram.com/ani_glass/

https://soundcloud.com/aniglass

Text by Chi Ming Lai
31st October 2018

STEVEN JONES & LOGAN SKY The Electric Eye

30 October 2018 /


The duo of Steven Jones and Logan Sky have been a busy twosome this year.

January saw their unusual offering of ‘Hans Und Lieselotte’ with some peculiar sounding tunes. And now it’s followed this annum by opus number two ‘The Electric Eye’.

Jones met Sky through Steve Strange, both having been associated with the late star. Sky established himself within the electronica circles thanks to his synth skills for VISAGE and working with Nick Rhodes while Jones has been around, sharing his love of yoga and singing.

The pair worked together on various EPs and the long player ‘Corrupt State’, which featured Strange before his untimely passing. While ‘Hans Und Lieselotte’ was filled with more experimental offerings, ‘The Electric Eye’ is deliciously musical and very electronic.

What ‘Violet Alert’ opens with, is exactly what Sky is superb at; the correlation between being a classically trained pianist who turned into a synth wizard, and sees himself as an “inventor”.

PET SHOP BOYS with a twist is what ‘Voltage’ is, a little bit of vintage, tangled, untangled, mixed and remixed: a perfect synth track. The title song could have been VISAGE meets SOFT CELL, oh it’s scrumptious, if simplistically delivered, but who needs unnecessary dilutions?

‘Time Paths’ rejects the norm, vintage style, a notion that prevails into the synthylicious ‘No Way Out’ with a minimalistic approach, where old is mixed with new. It’s almost as if Daniel Miller redid THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s ‘Travelogue’.

The ominous ‘Black Clouds’ gather over to witness the super gritty ‘Okan’s Run’, while the dazzling beauty of ‘Solid Crystal Core’ cannot be denied. ‘Carousel’ brings certain demureness into the mix, leading into ‘Christmas In The Machine’.

With just a simple beautiful piano, devoid of pretty much any other instrumentation except for an occasional synth, it’s a classic in itself. The sampled heartbeat could suggest DEPECHE MODE’s ‘Somebody’ connotations, and that’s where the twosome excel.

The best is clearly left for last with the immensely powerful ‘Blood Moon’, with its lush dirty synth and sci-fi plug-ins; a truly vintage piece.

Who’d have thought Steven Jones and Logan Sky would return this quickly and with such a little gem. The love and knowhow of electronica shines through each and single track and the two keep the vintage new and fresh. If you’re looking into a superb way to end this musical year, than look no further.

‘The Electric Eye’ is available as a CD or download direct from https://etrangersmusique.bandcamp.com/album/the-electric-eye

https://www.etrangersmusique.com

https://www.facebook.com/etrangersmusique/

https://twitter.com/etrangers

Text by Monika Izabela Trigwell
30th October 2018

MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY Infinity Mirror

26 October 2018 /


Now onto album number three and without original musical partner Tomas Greenhalf, Ryan James continues to hone and develop his hybrid mix of luxuriant synthetics and subtle guitar textures as MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY.

Already preceded by three singles ‘Remember the Bad Things’, ‘Lafayette’ and ‘Achilles Heel’, ‘Infinity Mirror’ features another nine tracks and doesn’t deviate too far from the template that James has developed so far on previous longer form releases ‘King Complex’, ‘Foe’ and ‘Maximum Entropy’.

The album feels more electronic and slightly more contemporary because in the main, it lacks the presence of the breakbeat style drums that were a signature feature on earlier material such as ‘Puppets’.

Album opener ‘Preface’ features a combo of highly processed glitched vocal effects and the kind of ethereal guitar that THE XX used to do so well. ‘Lion Mind’ combines a shuffling drum loop reminiscent of DUBSTAR’s classic ‘Stars’ and some quirky high pitched synth lines. For those already familiar with MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY lyrics, much of the narrative here comes across as ultra-personal with the main hooks “running from the rest of my life” and “my lion mind has disappeared” displaying an open insecurity.

‘Remember The Bad Things’ has a synth hook in the style of THE BELOVED style (MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY have previously covered ‘Sweet Harmony’) melded to a chord progression inspired by THE CURE. Despite the title, there is something curiously life-affirming about ‘Remember The Bad Things’ and the sampled guitar power-chords drive the song to an epic conclusion.

‘Beta Blocker’ is arguably the biggest deviation in sound on ‘Infinity Mirror’, with a huge ‘Dr. Mabuse’ synth bass sound and ZTT-style production (replete with Fairlight Orchestra samples). Rippling filtered synth arpeggios which echo the omnipresent ‘Stranger Things’ theme bring the song to its conclusion.

‘Lafayette’ remains an utterly gorgeous track, listening to it is akin to relaxing in an electronic bubblebath; 808 percussion and beautifully understated guitar subtly underpin the track which is easily the stand-out on ‘Infinity Mirror’. Titled after the forename of L Ron Hubbard (science fiction / fantasy author and latterly Scientology leader), the lyrics are peppered with subtle references to the cult of Dianetics and ends with the cryptic hook “wrap me up inside your blackout curtain”.

‘Skeletons’ is a waltzing piece, with backwards drum-loops and 8 bit Nintendo synth sound, whilst ‘Achilles’ Heel’ takes the album in a 4/4 direction with a welcome resuscitation of the classic Korg M1 house piano and organ bass sounds. Also worthy of mention is the brilliant vocodered synth vocal solo at the end, probably the best of its kind since the one featured on MYLO’s ‘Drop The Pressure’.

‘Infinity Mirror’ ends with the almost ambient title track; epic sweeping synth pads and echoed vocal textures slow the pulse down and take the listener into a dream-like state before the song builds to a crescendo and quickly descends into a sudden cacophony of noise.

Criticisms? There is but one, the auto-tuned over-processed vocal effects can get a bit wearing as they are present on all of the songs, but they do suit the lush synthetic aesthetic here and the attention to detail with their production is nonetheless technically brilliant.

The fact that ‘Infinity Mirror’ is primarily the work of just one musician is incredible, there is SO much craft and melody on show here you will struggle to hear a better electronic album this year – this is absolutely outstanding.

‘Infinity Mirror’ is released by Killing Moon Records in CD, double clear vinyl LP, USB and digital formats, available direct from https://manwithoutcountry.bandcamp.com/album/infinity-mirror

MAN WITHOUT COUNTRY plays live at The Old Blue Last in London on 26th November 2018 – entry is free but tickets must be obtained from https://dice.fm/event/99l79-man-without-country-26th-nov-the-old-blue-last-london-tickets

https://manwithout.country/

https://www.facebook.com/manwithoutcountry/

https://twitter.com/mwc_music

https://www.instagram.com/mwc_music/

Text by Paul Boddy
26th October 2018

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