Tag: Assemblage 23 (Page 4 of 5)

SOS#2 Festival at Electrowerkz

9 August 2015 /


The cancellation of Alt-Fest in August 2014 sent shockwaves around the alternative music scene.

Although the fantasy festival approach had led some to read between the lines and anticipate that the event was never going to take place, many put faith in supporting the scene and fellow music enthusiasts.

Quite why people were prepared to commit themselves to a live promoter who had no acknowledged record of organising an event of this magnitude still remains a mystery… the initial crowdfunding exercise should have rung alarm bells as to the lack of liquid funds to run Alt-Fest.

If only the organisers had learned to walk before they ran and opted for something more manageable… so acts from many shores, like AESTHETIC PERFECTION, CLAN OF XYMOX and AGONIZE who had pre-arranged to come to the UK, now had nowhere to play. Coming to the rescue were Flag Promotions who promptly hosted everyone at Electrowerkz in London. Fittingly named SOS, the event was a success and prompted a second instalment for 2015.

This year’s first night was headlined by Seattle’s ASSEMBLAGE 23 with support from ANALOG ANGEL and a host of other combos of varying electro and alternative persuasions in two rooms.

Opening SOS#2 in the electro section was new act TREGENZA, who sounded nothing like how they looked.

The combo surprised those present to a cover of ‘The Partisan’, a song made famous by Leonard Cohen and with the solemn militaristic grandeur of ‘Born Into Fire’, it was a promising performance.

EMPATHY TEST have been much talked about and on paper have all the ingredients. In a currently weakened British scene, they have stood out with their hipster credentials, good looks and brooding synth sound. But even with a song like ‘Kirrilee’, there is something missing. Like STRANGERS before them in 2012, EMPATHY TEST are not MIRRORS, or even the current UK benchmark EAST INDIA YOUTH. However, a small enthusiastic following was rooting for them all the way through their set.

VIVIEN GLASS on the other hand made much more of an impact, from their co-ordinated stage presentation to their dark, punchy synthpop.

With a syncopated groove on their better songs like ’Black Magic’ and ‘Julius’ offset by moody female lead vocals, they are perhaps this year’s FUTURE PERFECT.

Their debut album ‘Awake My Sleeper’ was a mixed bag, so the new one ‘Jura’ out in September is awaited with interest.

With D-K-A-G being a rather generic EBM Industrial band who shouted “DAS” rather a lot, it was time to make a sharp exit. Welcome relief came in the downstairs alternative rock room where RED SUN REVIVAL provided some of the chromatic Gothic resonance that gave ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN some crossover appeal in the ‘Ocean Rain’ years.

Very much originally part of the Industrial scene up to 2011, an introduction of melodic synthpop elements has given ANALOG ANGEL a much more expansive template which has widened their appeal. The recent support slot for KRAFTWERK legend Wolfgang Flür and tonight’s spirited crowd singalong to ‘We Won’t Walk Away’ was evidence of that. And there was also a cheer of recognition for ‘When You Called My Name’, the song that signalled ANALOG ANGEL’s move into more synthpop based territory.

After a slight delay, ASSEMBLAGE 23 took to the stage and despite the jet lag, Tom Shear was on good form with Paul Seegers sternly controlling the backing. While A23’s stomping numbers like ‘Let Me Be Your Armor’ pleased the faithful, it was the emotive ‘Damaged’ from 2007’s ‘Meta’ and 2009’s superbly spacey futurepop of ‘Spark’ that stole the show.

Having released their first recordings in 1998, a few acts could learn from ASSEMBLAGE 23’s resilience and humility with regards maintaining an audience and surviving in the modern music industry

It was a packed evening although some rightly quibbled that the running order was far too crammed, with schedule clashes and little time for punters to properly mingle between acts, other than a glancing hello. But SOS#2 was entertaining and enlightening, providing a much needed platform for independently minded electronic music.

With thanks to Flag Promotions

http://www.flagpromotions.com/

http://www.assemblage23.com/

http://www.analog-angel.com/

http://redsunrevival.com/

http://www.vivienglass.com/

http://www.empathytest.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tregenzamusic

Text and photos by Chi Ming Lai
9th August 2015

2014 END OF YEAR REVIEW

9 December 2014 /
With 2013 having been one of the strongest years in electronic pop since its post-punk heyday, 2014 was always going to struggle to compete,

This was despite it being the 50th Anniversary of the Moog synthesizer’s first prototype demonstration at the Audio Engineering Society convention in October 1964. While 2014 was nowhere near in terms of the high profile releases of 2013 or even 2011, it certainly surpassed the comparatively quiet year of 2012. But there were still a lot of live shows as momentum continued in support of the previous year’s releases with NINE INCH NAILS, DEPECHE MODE, CHVRCHES, FEATHERS, GOLDFRAPP, COVENANT, SOFT METALS and Gary Numan among those doing the rounds.

Electronic pioneer Karl Bartos began the year with his first concert tour since 2003 in Germany. His ‘Off the Record’ live presentation highlighted the best of his KRAFTWERK co-compositions alongside excellent new material. Coincidentally, on the same night Herr Bartos opened in Cologne, Ralf Hütter picked up a Lifetime Achievement Grammy on behalf of KRAFTWERK, thus finally validating electronic music in the traditionally synthphobic territory of the USA. And by the end of the year, there was even a belated nomination for The Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame.

Staying in Germany, cult trio CAMOUFLAGE celebrated over 30 years in the business with a lavish package ‘The Box 1983-2013’ and a best of CD ‘The Singles’. Claudia Brücken though surprised everyone by strapping on an acoustic guitar for her third solo album ‘Where Else?’, but its mix of electronics and six string proved to be well received by her fans.

And on the subject of Germanic influences, Belgian duo METROLAND returned with their Kling Klang flavoured technopop courtesy of the multi-formatted single ‘Thalys’, a tie-in with the European high speed train operator and a rather original cover of ‘Close To Me’ for ‘A Strange Play – An Alfa Matrix Tribute To THE CURE’. Meanwhile, iEUROPEAN teamed up with Wolfgang Flür for some ‘Activity Of Sound’. Flür himself delighted KRAFTWERK fans by announcing he would be playing London gigs in the New Year.

MemeTune Studio in London’s trendy Shoreditch proved to be a hotbed of electronic activity throughout 2014. Already the location for the largest array of vintage synthesizers in the UK, from the complex emerged fabulous music from the likes of Hannah Peel, GAZELLE TWIN and WRANGLER featuring ex-CABARET VOLTAIRE frontman Stephen Mallinder. MemeTune even found time to curate its own live event ‘MUS_IIC.01’.

Well known for his connections with that stable, John Foxx came back from a break (by his recent prolific standards) with the audio / visual collaboration ‘Evidence Of Time Travel’ in partnership with Steve D’Agostino.

Other Synth Britannia stalwarts were in action too. OMD celebrated their ‘Dazzle Ships’ era with a pair of concerts at the Museum Of Liverpool and SIMPLE MINDS continued their grandiose demeanour with ‘Big Music’. Meanwhile, Midge Ure released a fine collection of songs entitled ‘Fragile’, his first of original solo material in 12 years; it also featured a great collaboration with Moby entitled ‘Dark Dark Night’. As well as that, he worked on a track with Dutch composer Stephen Emmer for an orchestral laden crooner album called ‘International Blue’ which additionally featured his pal Glenn Gregory.

Mr Gregory wasn’t idle either, recording ‘Pray’ b/w ‘Illumination’, HEAVEN 17’s first new material since 2005’s Before After’. He even found time to impersonate David Bowie for some special live shows performing ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ with Tony Visconti and Woody Woodmansey as HOLY HOLY. And to cap it all, HEAVEN 17 presented ‘The Tour Of Synthetic Delights’ with BLANCMANGE, proving that heritage events could be both nostalgic and credible if the line-up was right.

After last year’s seasonal offering ‘Snow Globe’, ERASURE made a full return in 2014 with ‘The Violet Flame’, the marriage of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke showcasing their best work since 2005’s ‘Nightbird’. Interestingly, ‘The Violet Flame’ was launched via the crowdfunding platform Pledge Music, although this appeared to be more as a promotional tool and fan networking opportunity. CHINA CRISIS went the Pledge Music route too, announcing their first album in 20 years entitled ‘Autumn In the Neighbourhood’ while also crowdfunded, YELLO’s Boris Blank delivered ‘Electrified’, a solo box set of unreleased material.

Not to be outdone, his YELLO bandmate Dieter Meier responded with his grouchy solo offering ‘Out Of Chaos’ which appeared to be a tribute to Tom Waits. And unexpectedly on the back of ‘Don’t You Want Me?’ becoming a terrace chant for Aberdeen FC’s Scottish League Cup victory, ex-HUMAN LEAGUE member Jo Callis launched a new project called FINGER HALO.

The enduring legacy of many of these veterans was celebrated in ‘Mad World: An Oral History of the New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s’, possibly the best book of its kind about that musical era which the Americans like to refer to as New Wave. Featuring brand new interviews with key protagonists like OMD, NEW ORDER, DURAN DURAN, YAZOO, ULTRAVOX, A-HA and HEAVEN 17, it was a high quality publication that made up for some previously clumsy attempts by others at documenting the period. Also a good read was Bernard Sumner’s memoirs ‘Chapter and Verse’ which covered his career to date with JOY DIVISION and NEW ORDER.

Coincidentally, Mark Reeder, the man often credited with introducing electronic dance music to Sumner, had a career spanning compendium called ‘Collaborator’ issued containing his earlier work as a member SHARK VEGAS, right up to his more recent remixes of DURAN DURAN’s John Taylor and Sumner’s various projects with BLANK & JONES and WESTBAM.

It was a particularly active year for the industrial scene; AESTHETIC PERFECTION toured Europe with their more accessible but still aggressive ‘Til Death’ opus while ASSEMBLAGE 23 frontman Tom Shear continued developing his SURVEILLANCE side project with ‘Oceania Remixed’. Swedish trio LEGEND gained acclaim for their live performances in support of their debut album ‘Fearless’, Texan duo IRIS released a new album ‘Radiant’ and DIE KRUPPS blasted their way into the South East of England for their first UK dates since 2008.

In more contemporary circles, LA ROUX finally released a second album, appropriately named ‘Trouble In Paradise’. Singer Elly Jackson had split with silent partner Ben Langmaid due to good old fashioned musical differences and as expected, the songs were less synthpoppy than the self-titled debut. Reaching for more disco orientated leanings such as CHIC, GRACE JONES and TOM TOM CLUB, this was if nothing, a more superior offering to either what LITTLE BOOTS or LADYHAWKE managed with their sophomore albums. North of the border, Marnie did her bit for the Scottish Independence Campaign with the rousingly anthemic ‘Wolves’.

The delightfully eccentric Imogen Heap showcased her innovative collaborative developments in music technology via her new album ‘Sparks’ and even squeezed in a collaboration with pop princess Taylor Swift for the latter’s million selling album ‘1989’. ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK commented in 2012 about how CHVRCHES‘ ‘The Mother We Share’ sounded like “Taylor Swift gone electro”, so in a give some, take some back move, the young songstress came up with ‘Out Of The Woods’, a ditty quite obviously influenced by the Glaswegian trio and a synth laden tune entitled ‘New Romantics’ on the bonus edition. By coincidence with her slight passing resemblance to Miss Swift, QUEEN OF HEARTS launched her debut musical charter ‘Cocoon’ after several years in the making to confirm that pop was indeed not a dirty word.

imogen + taylor

In the leftfield electronica arena, Warp Records issued ‘High Life’, a collaboration by Karl Hyde and Brian Eno while there was also the long awaited new album from APHEX TWIN entitled ‘Syro’. And former MASSIVE ATTACK producer Davidge released an impressive debut collection of songs ‘Slo Light’ that featured Sandie Shaw, Cate Le Bon and Emi Green among its vocalists.

One act establishing themselves as major players in the modern electronic scene were Canada’s TR/ST. Led by the polarising “Eeyore gone goth” moodiness of Robert Alfons, the ironically titled ‘Joyland’ was an excellent second album that captured the sleazy nature of a 21st Century SOFT CELL and attached it to the grumpiness of Leonard Cohen.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn minimal duo XENO & OAKLANDER gave the world ‘Par Avion’, possibly their most accessible and colourful work yet. Also from the area came the shadowy huskiness of AZAR SWAN and the alternative mystique of Rexxy. Over in LA, NIGHT CLUB showed further promise with their best offering yet in their third EP ‘Black Leather Heart’ while in San Antonio, HYPERBUBBLE launched an ‘Attack Of The Titans’.

Baltimore’s FUTURE ISLANDS however divided opinion; their fans included Andy McCluskey, Vince Clarke, Martyn Ware, Rusty Egan and Jori Hulkkonen, but their unintentionally amusing live appearance on ‘The David Letterman Show’ performing ‘Seasons’ came over to some observers like a ‘Saturday Night Live’ skit on the 80s. However, with two sold out dates at London’s Roundhouse in March 2015, Samuel T. Herring and Co are the ones having the last laugh.

The Nordic region proved itself again to be the centre of electronic creativity. The dream partnership of Robyn and RÖYKSOPP reconvened after the success of 2010’s ‘The Girl & The Robot’ to ‘Do It Again’ while RÖYKSOPP themselves released what they announced to be their last album, appropriately titled ‘The Inevitable End’. Also featuring on that album was Nordic vocalist of the moment Susanne Sundfør who has her own new eagerly awaited long player ‘Ten Love Songs’ out in 2015.

Karin Park and Margaret Berger provided another united Scandinavian front when they performed together at Norway’s Melodi Grand Prix while Finnish duo SIN COS TAN delivered their third long player in as many years with a concept album called ‘Blown Away’. From Sweden came the welcome return of KLEERUP with ‘As If We Never Won’, the first of two new EPs before an album to follow-up the brilliant self-titled debut from 2008. Meanwhile, Emmon delivered her fourth album ‘Aon’ as well as a baby. There was more glacial oddness from IAMAMIWHOAMI with her second album ‘Blue’ while the brooding Nordic Noir pop of stunning identical twins SAY LOU LOU started to gain a foothold in readiness for their first long player ‘Lucid Dreaming’.

Nordic friendly music blog Cold War Night Life curated possibly the best electronic event of the year with ‘An Evening With The Swedish Synth’ at London’s 93 Feet East. In a bill supported by the promising TRAIN TO SPAIN and synth rock duo MACHINISTA who delivered a great debut album in ‘Xenoglossy’, the event was headlined by synthpop veterans PAGE. Incidentally, Eddie Bengtsson of PAGE’s solo project SISTA MANNEN PÅ JORDEN produced some interesting covers of OMD and DEVO, both reworked i Svenska.

And all this while ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK bore witness to a puzzled British musician who actually asked with a straight face “What’s so special about Sweden then?”!! ‘An Evening With The Swedish Synth’ was a fine example of what could be achieved when an electronic event was actually curated by electronic music enthusiasts, as this was not always the case in several instances during 2014.

Following a four year hiatus, CLIENT rebooted and released ‘Authority’ with new singer Client N doing a fine impersonation of Marnie on the single ‘Refuge’. After a long gestation period, Anglo-German collective TWINS NATALIA released their debut long player ‘The Destiny Room’ and pleasantly wallowed in the neu romance of classic synthpop, dressing it with the vocal styles of Grace Jones and ABBA.

TWINS NATALIA’s ‘The Destiny Room’ was released on Anna Logue Records who in 2015 will issue ‘Signs Of life’, the debut album from enigmatic South East Asian combo QUIETER THAN SPIDERS. Possibly the best new synthpop act to emerge in 2014, as befitting their name, they made their music, edited some videos and just discretely got on with it, thus proving the theory that those who shout loudest are not always necessarily the best…

kid moxie-twin peaks

MARSHEAUX celebrated ten years in the business with a compilation called ‘Odyssey’ on the prestigious Les Disques Du Crépuscule label. They also announced an unusual project for 2015, an album covering DEPECHE MODE’s ‘A Broken Frame’ in its entirety. Also on Undo, KID MOXIE released her second album ‘1888’ featuring a collaboration with acclaimed film score composer Angelo Badalamenti to compliment her new cinematic pop approach. Meanwhile, one-time Undo label mates LIEBE started getting traction on MTV Europe and MIKRO maintained their position as Greece’s premier power pop band with their seventh album ‘New’ despite the departure of singer Ria Mazini following its unveiling.

From Dublin came the filmic ambience of POLYDROID. There were several other promising female led talents ranging from the sugary pop of PAWWS and the quietly subversive electro of I AM SNOW ANGEL to the soulful moodiness of HUGH and the mysteriously smoky allure of Fifi Rong.

VILE ELECTRODES confirmed their position as the best independent electronic act in the UK currently when they snared not just one, but two Schallwelle Awards in Germany. To celebrate the first anniversary of their brilliant debut album ‘The future through a lens’, the sparkling duo of Anais Neon and Martin Swan played alongside DEPECHE MODE tribute act SPEAK & SPELL for a wonderful evening that also featured Sarah Blackwood.

Miss Blackwood gave spirited live vocal performances of several songs from her own career as part of a singing DJ set including ‘Justice’, her recent collaboration for the FOTONOVELA album ‘A Ton Of Love’. There was additionally the bonus of her duetting with SPEAK & SPELL on ‘A Question Of Time’ during their ‘101’ performance celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary.

Analog Angel-in-profile

Possibly the best independently released album of 2014 came from Glasgow’s ANALOG ANGEL who freed themselves of their industrial shackles to produce a collection of sophisticated synthpop entitled ‘Trinity’. Having been around since 2009 and with two albums already to their name, the Scottish trio put their money where their mouths were. Their decision to avoid crowdfunding and invest in their own music was an applaudable decision, especially when other bands, who were still yet to prove themselves, were out with the begging bowls.

Indeed, 2014 was a strange year in which ego appeared to overtake ability and none more so than on the live circuit, where that old adage about needing to learn to walk before running ran true. Wanabee promoters with no notable experience bit off more than they could chew by playing Fantasy Festival, as was proven by the Alt-Fest debacle.

Despite a much publicised crowdfunding exercise, the simple use of a pocket calculator would have shown that an event of such magnitude could not be underwritten by such a comparatively small amount of cash and anticipated ticket sales. When rumours abounded that Alt-Fest was to be cancelled due to a lack of funds, the organisers’ silence and lack of resolve caused much resentment. Risk is all part of the game, but live ventures require solid finance, spirited commitment and an attempt at least to get in the black.

Alt-Fest-cancelled

However, a few promoters appeared to want to make life difficult for themselves from the off. In its investigations, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK found that with one poorly attended event back in 2013, there was no way the event could have balanced its books, even if it had sold out its ticket capacity!

Meanwhile, there was another gig in 2014 publicised so covertly with restricted social media and bizarre pricing structures, it was as if the promoters didn’t want anyone to attend! Of course, there was also that tactic of announcing an event almost a year in advance without confirming any of the acts for several months, as if the event was more important than any of the music!

As Whitby Goth Weekend’s Jo Hampshire pointed out: “Alt-Fest had put its tickets on sale while still booking acts including headliners, which is potentially disastrous”! Despite the general feeling that independently curated live initiatives should be anti-corporate, everything is about business at the end of the day. However, a number of promoters at this end of the market failed to realise this. Any artists performing must be paid their expenses and fees as per any agreement, regardless of the final ticket sales unless terms such as door percentages or ticket sale buy-ons have been arranged.

But as one-time TECHNIQUE singer Xan Tyler pointed out: “Musicians get ripped off at every turn, online stores take a huge cut, Spotify don’t remunerate artists properly, venues expect you to play for bugger all (and in some case they expect you to pay to play). If you want to make money from the music industry, don’t be a musician!”

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK is coming into its fifth anniversary and continues to maintain a readership of discerning music fans, despite protestations in some quarters to the contrary. The site’s manifesto has always been about celebrating the best in new and classic electronic pop music. It has never made claims about supporting unsigned acts or any music that happens use a synthesizer.

As Client A put it franklyin the Autumn: “in the electronica age, anyone can be a musician but that also makes it a free for all with every tom, dick or curly clogging up the internet with their crap music…” Meanwhile, NIGHT CLUB added: “People forget about things so quickly these days because the internet is so inundated with crap…”

So ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK considers what music it features very, very carefully. it may not manage to be first, like many so-called buzz blogs try to be, but it has always had longevity in mind, even if that is difficult to predict.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK Contributor Listings of 2014

PAUL BODDY

Best Album: TODD TERJE It’s Album Time
Best Song: RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN Do It Again
Best Gig: NINE INCH NAILS at Nottingham Arena
Best Video: MAPS You Will Find A Way
Most Promising New Act: TODD TERJE

DEB DANAHAY

Best Album: RÖYKSOPP The Inevitable End
Best Song: RÖYKSOPP featuring JAMIE IRREPRESSIBLE Something In My Heart
Best Gig: COVENANT + LEGEND at Gothenburg Electronic Summer Festival
Best Video: PRINCESS CENTURY Das Schlimmste
Most Promising New Act: LEGEND

IAN FERGUSON

Best Album: MIDGE URE Fragile
Best Song: MIDGE URE Dark, Dark Night
Best Gig: THE RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP at Glasgow Quayside
Best Video: IMOGEN HEAP The Listening Chair
Most Promising New Act: WRANGLER

MONIKA IZABELA GOSS

Best Album: ERASURE The Violet Flame
Best Song: ANALOG ANGEL Drive
Best Gig: DEPECHE MODE at Strasbourg Zénith
Best Video: DIE KRUPPS Robo Sapien
Most Promising New Act: PAWWS

STEVE GRAY

Best Album: RÖYKSOPP The Inevitable End
Best Song: RÖYKSOPP featuring JAMIE IRREPRESSIBLE I Had This Thing
Best Gig: GARY NUMAN at Hammersmith Apollo
Best Video: KID MOXIE Lacuna
Most Promising New Act: TWINS NATALIA

CHI MING LAI

Best Album: MIDGE URE Fragile
Best Song: ANALOG ANGEL The Last Time
Best Gig: KARL BARTOS at Cologne Live Music Hall
Best Video: LIEBE I Believe In You
Most Promising New Act: QUIETER THAN SPIDERS

SOPHIE NILSSON

Best Album: ERASURE The Violet Flame
Best Song: SISTA MANNEN PÅ JORDEN Stadens Alla Ljus
Best Gig: ANDY BELL in ‘Torsten The Bareback Saint’ at London St James Theatre
Best Video: ANDY BELL I Don’t Like
Most Promising New Act: PULSE

RICHARD PRICE

Best Album: ERASURE The Violet Flame
Best Song: POLLY SCATTERGOOD Subsequently Lost
Best Gig: PET SHOP BOYS at Brighton Dome
Best Video: JOHN FOXX B-Movie
Most Promising New Act: PAWWS

Text by Chi Ming Lai
9th December 2014

IRIS Radiant

8 November 2014 /

From Austin, Texas, IRIS are melodious synth pop as it should be.

Reagan Jones and Andrew Sega (who joined IRIS after Matthew Morris’ departure following the release of their first album ‘Disconnect’) have had a strong musical presence on both sides of the Atlantic for a considerable while now. With the second album ‘Awakening’ and its resonant, rounded songs like ‘Whatever’, ‘Unknown’ and the lush ‘Wait Move On’, Sega pushed the boundaries into a more experimental, leftfield, electronic sound.

The albums that followed were ‘Wrath’ and ‘Blacklight’, each with progressive, empowering, architectural songs that received great reviews in the US and Europe alike. The newest project from the duo, ‘Radiant’ is released on Dependent Records, the same label as MESH and COVENANT. It’s kicked off by the robust sounds of ‘Another Way’.

In true IRIS style, the uptempo, full bodied melody is interspersed with synthy tones and Reagan’s softly flowing voice. It’s a marvellous way to open the album. ‘Phenom’ follows, with rather interesting, powerful notes, resonant with the velvety quality of Jones’ vocals and an extremely atmospheric track, resembling those of ‘Blacklight’.

‘Wayseer’ is another distinctive offering from the band with its celestial qualities and almost buoyant textures. ‘In The Clear’ and ‘Sound Becomes Waves’ are analogous with tranquil and mellow tones of IRIS’ repertoire, with the latter culminating with compelling keyboard sounds, interspersed with eerie guitar. ‘Don’t Cry’ and ‘Infinite Yonder’ come in with stimulating melodies, captivating clean and bright tones, all put together to achieve yet another set of climatic pieces.

IRIS-01

‘Cries Of Insanity’ resembles MESH at times, but with the definite IRIS stamp of uncluttered, harmonious purity. It is yet another dazzling gem, shining bright on this album. The first single from the record ‘Rewired’ is a magnificent use of synths, painting that distinguished IRIS sound, representing the duo so well with a booming, intense and climatic use of melody.

‘Sight Unseen’ follows and is a glowing example of what IRIS do best; rhythmic yet soft, rich yet warm. The mega atmospheric ‘Life In A Forest’ closes, a soothing, relaxing, rejuvenating and lush track, studded with real forest sounds; the perfect way to end the perfect record.

Yet again IRIS do not disappoint, the album leaves the listener in a tranquil, dream-like state (pardon the ERASURE pun), and involuntarily wanting more. Even though one could argue that nothing new has been provided to challenge the previous album ‘Blacklight’, this is a tight record, with constant, substantial tunes, sufficient to gain new blood as well as satisfy the hardcore IRIS fan.

As IRIS visit Europe frequently, having been a part of ASSEMBLAGE 23 and SEABOUND tours last winter / spring, it is hoped they will return to present the newest album live in the near future.

‘Radiant’ is released by Dependent Records on CD and available as a download album via the usual digital outlets

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iris/55618397260

http://www.dependent.de/

Text by Monika Izabela Goss
8th November 2014

Under Surveillance: An Interview with ASSEMBLAGE 23’s Tom Shear

7 July 2014 /

American musician Tom Shear, primarily through the vehicle of his band ASSEMBLAGE 23, has spent over a decade building a career anchored in a personal relationship with his fans.

Those self same fans appreciation for his brand of harder edged electronic music, as showcased on albums such as ‘Compass’ and ‘Bruise’, was once again demonstrated in a massively successful crowd sourcing campaign for recent side project SURVEILLANCE.

Now with a newly released remix companion to that album ‘Oceania’, Shear chatted about life as a one man band, the challenges faced in his early years and the pros and cons of crowd sourcing…

Can you give us a brief overview your early years as a musician and ASSEMBLAGE 23?

Sure. My interest in electronic music was sparked by hearing GARY NUMAN’s ‘Cars’ for the first time as a child. Something about the sounds really grabbed my attention.

Late in elementary school, I’d mow lawns in the summer for cash and eventually saved up enough to buy my first synth, a Korg Poly-800. I eventually added a drum machine and a four-track cassette recorder to my set-up and that began my love of songwriting. The early stuff was all instrumental, as I was too shy to sing. But when I reached high school, I started recording music with vocals as well through an old guitar delay pedal. It was during this time I went to see DEPECHE MODE perform for the first time and they had a DJ spinning music in between bands that was playing industrial music. It was the first time I had ever heard it, and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Hailing from Seattle in the early 90s, how difficult was it being an electronic musician which runs counter to the recognised ‘Seattle Sound’ of the time?

Actually, I’ve only lived in Seattle since 2001. I grew up on the east coast and lived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York. But the effect was the same. Electronic music was very out of favor in the mainstream while grunge dominated everything for a few years. Most of the purely electronic industrial music at the time was coming out of Europe, and although it existed in the US, the more coldwave / metal guitar style of industrial was most of what got attention from labels. I got rejection after rejection, or worse, totally ignored.

This was before the internet really took off, so as an American, it was tough to find out how I could even submit material to the European labels. So it was a very frustrating time. My demos were getting actual airplay on college radio stations, people I sent the demos too were really enthusiastic, but the labels just weren’t biting.

What were those first few years like? What main challenges did you face in respect of getting your work heard?

Even before getting signed, I did my best to start getting my music out there, which basically meant mailing cassettes out to any college radio station, music zine, or interested person that I could.

The first things that officially got released were compilation tracks on American labels such as 21st Circuitry and Arts Industria.

Around the beginning of 1998, I finally got a label’s ear, which was the Gashed! Records label out of Canada. At that point, getting the name out and getting exposure became a bit easier. The label handled things like getting material reviewed, advertising etc, so I could shift my attention to getting out and performing live. We were lucky enough early on to get opening slots with really popular acts such as COVENANT and HAUJOBB… that got the ball rolling.

Had you always envisioned ASSEMBLAGE 23 to be a solo project or were there plans to develop a full studio band over time?

It was nothing I really thought about. I started out as a solo act out of necessity. Where I grew up, all anyone listened to was classic rock. Most kids in my school didn’t even know who DEPECHE MODE was. So I started out working alone and just never found a reason to add anyone else to the equation. I was really eager to learn, so doing all the work was a lot of fun to me. After awhile, I was pretty self-sufficient, so I just never really had a need to bring anyone else in on the creative end. Live, obviously, is a different story.

With that in mind what challenges were there in taking ASSEMBLAGE 23 live in those early days?

I’m not going to lie, we actually were very lucky in those early days. We were booked to open for HAUJOBB… they couldn’t get into the US – suddenly, we were the headliners. VNV NATION and APOP cancelled a show when we were to open for them for – yet again, we were the headliners and had access to these big crowds. That’s not to say we didn’t play some tiny shows or faced indifferent or outright hostile audiences in the early days, but I feel like a few lucky breaks gave us a bit of an easier time than many bands.

You have embraced the internet fully as a way of not only selling ASSEMBLAGE 23 product but also, with Facebook in particular, a mechanism for keeping in contact with your fans. How much of a boon and possibly problem has this been?

Musicians in general vastly underestimate the importance of having direct interaction with their fans. Before the internet, that wasn’t really practical. But with the ability to talk to people all around the world almost instantaneously, you suddenly have direct access to the people who are listening and (hopefully) buying your music.

I have a theory that if bands want to lessen the impact of file-sharing, they should interact regularly with their fans. My reasoning is, when fans get to see the personalities and daily lives of their favorite artists, they begin to see those artists as people just like them – not some ivory tower, unapproachable deity sleeping atop a mountain of cocaine and sports cars. Who would you rather support? The guy who takes times to answer questions and talk to you, or the one won’t talk to their fans at all, unless they pay for some retarded VIP package? The downside of this access to fans, and their access to you, is that there are definitely some unstable issues out there that can be difficult to deal with.

So the new project, SURVEILLANCE. What make this different from ASSEMBLAGE 23?

I keep several ‘ideas’ folders on my studio hard drive where I quickly sketch out musical ideas as they come to me, so I can go back and, if there is anything interesting there, develop them into songs. Obviously, not every idea I get is for an ASSEMBLAGE 23 song. Sometimes it’s something harder, sometimes it’s something more ambient or experimental. Anyway, I had a folder of material that was more EBM-focused and one day noticed I had enough of what I considered decent ideas to make an album. There are definitely elements of ASSEMBLAGE 23’s sound in SURVEILLANCE, but overall, the project is mainly influenced by the early EBM bands that got me interested in the style to begin with… FLA, FRONT 242, NITZER EBB etc. So the idea was to take those roots as inspiration, but give it a more modern polish.

SURVEILLANCE OceaniaYou crowd sourced to fund the SURVEILLANCE ‘Oceania’ album, how long did it take you to decide upon the rewards in the package?

Most of them I came up with in the course of an evening. Before I launched my crowd-sourcing campaign, I studied others that had been successful (such as Matt Fanale’s for ‘Caustic’) and tried to look for common things among these successful campaigns.

So some ideas I got from other campaigns, some were just sort of obvious, and eventually, some were suggested by the fans and added. The most important thing is to offer fans something SPECIAL that they can’t just get off iTunes and to make a wide variety of pledge levels available. If your project is good, your fans will WANT to give you money. So give them the opportunity to do so. Have lots of reasonably-priced perks, but also offer some more expensive options if fans feel they want to support you that much more. The worst thing that can happen is no one bids on those perks.

Were you surprised at how quickly you hit target?

Astonished! I thought the amount of money I was looking to raise was do-able, but I expected it to take the full 30 days. Instead, I reached it almost within 24 hours. I think this is really another case of having a personal relationship with your fans being beneficial. Matt Fanale, who I mentioned before, is brilliant at this, and sure enough, his campaign did amazingly.

Given the negative press some crowd sourced projects have gathered, do you feel this is a valid way of funding a release? Would you do it again?

The tricky thing about crowd-sourcing is, it really has a limited shelf-life. I think it’s a great way of gauging interest in your project and getting it off the ground, but I think after that, the fans expect the project to be self-sufficient.

And if crowdfunding becomes more popular, there is also the risk that fans will just get sick of all the bands constantly asking for money. If I did use it again, I would basically use it as a glorified pre-order system for a project that was ready to ship. That way, people can just pre-order the album, or if they want something more special, they get that too. One thing I will say, however, is that a big campaign is a LOT of work to keep up with. I don’t recommend it unless you have time to put into it and are an organized person.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a one man band (and this isn’t exclusively from a music point of view)?

The workload, I guess. If I’m having a bad day or experiencing writer’s block, there’s no-one else to step in and take over. I don’t mind that, but it does mean the project lives or dies by your ability to get stuff done, and no one else’s.

You are DJing now, how does the preparation for a DJ set differ from a band gig?

When we put a set together for ASSEMBLAGE 23, it’s a very deliberate and planned thing. I generally try to make it up of the songs popular among the fans, material from the most recent album, and sometimes a surprise or two such as remixed versions, covers etc. When I DJ, I definitely rehearse in the sense of just mixing music, trying to find which tracks mix in and out of one another well etc. But I don’t plan what I’m going to play at all. I’ll generally choose a tempo I want to start my set at, and then just spontaneously choose tracks after that. It’s more fun that way.

Who are you listening to now? Any new bands you feel readers should give try?

GESAFFELSTEIN is probably the one I am grooving on the hardest at the moment; a very cool mix of old school EBM basslines, plodding techno beats and aggression.

There’s a band called BLASTROMEN I recently came across that sounds sort of like what would happen if MIND.IN.ABOX formed a KRAFTWERK tribute band.

I’m also loving the new CARBIN AIRWAYS. The band are kids… brother and sister in fact, and although I have a feeling there is a fair share of ghost writing going on, the material is great.

And if I can make a crass plug for my live band mates, ASSEMBLAGE 23 drummer Mike Jenney has just released a new album for his project ALTER DER RUINE, and it’s a stunner… utterly unlike anything they did before. Paul Seegers, my keyboard player, is also about to release an album for his project THY FEARFUL SYMMETRY which is very dream-pop sounding with lots of ambient guitar, big washy reverbs, and distant vocals. Even if these guys weren’t in my band, I’d love these albums.

What does the future hold for Tom Shear…?

I plan to attempt an entirely new level of baldness called Super Baldness.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Tom Shear

SURVEILLANCE ‘Oceania Remixed’ is available as a download album via the usual digital outlets or direct from http://surveillance23.bandcamp.com/album/oceania-remixed

ASSEMBLAGE 23 play Electronic Summer in Gothenburg on 30th August 2014 alongside AESTHETIC PERFECTION

For ASSEMBLAGE 23 and SURVEILLANCE releases and merchandise, please visit http://www.assemblage23.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Official-Assemblage-23/138651156153800

Text and Interview by Ian Ferguson
Photos by Bob Libby
7th July 2014

ANALOG ANGEL Interview

13 June 2014 /

Analog Angel-in-profile

ANALOG ANGEL’s last album ‘The Thin Line’ in 2011 was a cult favourite on the industrial scene with appearances at Infest and WGT Festivals vindicating its authenticity.

But lurking within this harsher template were more electronic pop elements like the Moroder-esque throbs of ‘Love / Hate’ and the Modal vocal intonation of the album’s highlight ‘When You Called My Name’. 2013’s ‘We Won’t Walk Away’ moved towards a richer, expansive sound reminiscent of classic OMD for their best song yet and could have been mistaken for one of Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys own recordings.

The accompanying interim ‘Pride’ EP signalled John Brown, Del MacDonald and Ian Ferguson’s broader intentions. The resultant new album is without doubt ANALOG ANGEL’s most ambitious and strongest work to date. Appropriately named ‘Trinity’ as their third long player, it was launched by the grandiose new single ‘Drive’ which featured the twist of a haunting vocal by Tracy J Cox in its final third. But the biggest surprise is ‘The Last Time’, an orchestrated number that cascades into a journey of epic proportions.

After two albums and various support slots with luminaries such as ASSEMBLAGE 23, TOYAH and REPUBLICA to their name, their graft is finally paying dues while their experience has been working to their advantage. ANALOG ANGEL kindly chatted to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about how they are enjoying their new direction and turning things up to 11 while managing to avoid undecipherable artwork and letting their partners become part of Da Management 😉

‘We Won’t Walk Away’ and the ‘Pride’ EP was a turning point in the direction of ANALOG ANGEL away from your perceived industrial roots. What drove that along?

Ian: I think the word perceived is the main driver here. We originally were lumped into the UK industrial scene as the gigs that were available to us were on bills with industrial bands or at festivals with that focus. We have always seen ourselves as more of a synthpop styled band so ‘Pride’ was more of an unconscious move towards our more direct influences of the likes of DM, Ultravox, OMD etc

Del: I have never viewed us as “industrial”, that was just the way certain tracks evolved, particularly on ‘The Thin Line’. I listen to all sorts of music and I guess bits of everything rub off on you.

John: The perceived industrial thing is just that – perceived. We found it easier to get gigs in that genre of music, mainly due to our good friend Barry Douglas. He is a co-owner in the Glasgow Classic Grand and known for putting on industrial bands. Barry was kind enough to give us a few support slots with the likes of ASSEMBLAGE 23 and it kinda blossomed from there. We were also invited to play at WGT two years in a row and that, to an extent, is industrial biased. Our earlier songs are very electro / synthpop based and even the “industrial” songs are not very industrial.

‘We Won’t Walk Away’ was so much more melodic than you have been before?

John: I would disagree to an extent – we have always had a melodic sound but I think experience has shown me how to write and in a more rounded manner. With ‘We Won’t Walk Away’, I basically had a lead line and lyrics and built the rest around them.

I think a lot has to do with what I am listening to at any given time – at the time of ‘The Thin Line’, I was listening to harder edged stuff like FRONT 242, NITZER EBB and LEӔTHER STRIP so that probably crept into my choice of sound when composing; so whilst the melodies were there, they were probably overtaken by the choice of harder, edgier sounds

Ian: The songs have always had melody but again the more industrial leaning of the first two albums meant that this was possibly lost or at least not as easy to hear.

Your influences appear to be more open this time. I hear OMD, GIORGIO MORODER and ULTRAVOX… discuss?

John: The main reason for that is probably due to the fact that Ian and Derek have taken on writing and singing duties with this one. Both guys have some musical tastes which are significantly different from mine and I think it has lead to a more rounded sound this time round. I was conscious when writing the ‘Pride’ EP that there was a different sound to it; it wasn’t a decision that I took, it just turned out that way.

Del: I listened to the three you have mentioned as well as JEAN MICHEL JARRE, KRAFTWERK, DAF and loads of other European acts so those influences are bound to come into play during writing. ‘The Chase’ started as a jam and I wanted it to be like Moroder era SPARKS meets THE RAMONES… I think I kinda pulled it off *laughs*

Ian: My biggest influences are certainly OMD, ULTRAVOX and THOMAS DOLBY though I do listen to a wide range of other genres too… my favourite keyboard player for example is Tony Banks of GENESIS. There is a lot of sniffiness in the ‘scene’ around what folk see as acceptable. A guy like John Beck from IT BITES! for example is a great musician full stop, who can play across all genres.

Your previous albums have been produced by Danny Mitchell of MESSENGERS fame, what made you opt for a different production route this time with ‘Trinity’?

John: That’s not entirely true – Danny only recorded the vocals for us and gave a few hints as to where we should take things. I produced everything myself up to, and including The Thin Line. The production on the ‘Pride’ EP was a joint venture with Phil Morrison. On ‘Trinity’, the production was taken on a whole by the band members and Phil. We basically attended all the recording, vocal and listening sessions. We would then give the floor to Phil and leave him to work on things over whatever period of time he required. We are not fans of over production and actually like to leave a bit of ourselves on the finished product – too many people are putting out a product that has been produced to death. We actually kept our first album ‘Dischord’ very close to be a polished demo in order to keep some rawness there.

Ian: We went down a more self sufficient route with Phil Morrison as co-producer partly this is down to being more comfortable with the equipment we are using, partly just our overall confidence and also Danny isn’t getting any younger! Phil has really given our releases a polish they didn’t have before. He has fantastic ears and will happily tell us “that take was sh*t” or, and this is a running joke “great take, can we do it again in key?” He comes to the songs totally raw before we start the vocal takes which means we have a virgin ear. He will suggest tweaks, changes etc and tell us if a sound isn’t working for example. He also is a songwriter and arranger in his own right so will suggest things from that perspective.

I think bands don’t allow a producer to be what he should be and that is a quality control point. DEPECHE MODE for example should be working with someone like Nick Rasculinecz who produces RUSH and FOO FIGHTERS for that reason. If he has no issue telling Neil Peart that a drum take needs to be played differently, I am sure he could kick Gore’s guitar playing into shape!

Bands also seem to be afraid to be themselves and that leads to a terrible level of generic sound prevalent at the moment, all that louder than loud over compressed style of production, it’s horrid!

What about the view that for music to have any guts, it needs to be loud and rough ie badly recorded?

Ian: That’s a load of retro rubbish. Bands like THE STROKES and WHITE STRIPES have a lot to answer for. This crap about it has to be lo-fi to be gutsy has been perpetrated to justify the amount of shoddy product being pushed, you know? “It sounds that way cos it’s raw…” balls, it’s because it’s not very good. You can’t tell me something like ‘Last Night’ by THE STROKES is anyway ballsier than the like of ‘The Sun Always Shines on TV’?

Anyone that says so is talking patent nonsense. And honestly, if you walked into a pub and WHITE STRIPES were playing on stage you’d walk out. It’s a f*cking racket. Also they are directly to blame for THE TING TINGS so a pox on their house! And farcically to get the production ‘values’ desired on these songs, they are probably using more outboard kit that we do. I do love my ‘raw’ music. One of our great friends is Jamie Oliver who plays drums for THE UK SUBS. Amazing powerhouse drummer and they are a fantastic live band and properly raw. Same as MOTORHEAD, you haven’t lived until you have experienced them live so should be on everyone’s bucket list

John: I personally like breakdowns, stops, gaps, call what you like, in songs in order to try and take them somewhere. A full on album, compressed out of it is just sore on the ears – I like some nice quiet passages where you can almost hear some background noise getting past the noise gate

Del: It’s more about feel for me, I actually prefer the feel / dynamics on some of our demos to what ended up being released but I suppose you have to have a degree of consistency in the final product or it doesn’t sound right.

Analog Angel-Tracy J Cox

Are there any other new avenues being pursued? It appears female vocalists are involved?

Ian: We have Tracy J Cox providing vocals on a few tracks on the album which worked far better than we could have hoped.

John: We have known Tracy for a few years now – she was a fan of the band – and we were aware she had done some of her own stuff with another band. It was just an idea to try and take the songs somewhere. She came in unrehearsed, never having heard the songs before and pretty much gave us what we were looking for without any coaching. There were a few parts we asked her to change and she obliged no questions asked.

Ian: There’s also a track each sung by Del and I respectively. We have string arrangements on one song and a lot more in the way of backing vocals. Next release we will get the banjos and vuvuzelas out!

Del: I’d rule nothing out, concrete mixers full of bagpipe playing Zulus may make an appearance at some point 😉

John: We have a few other ideas for future recordings and live shows which will need to stay under wraps in case it doesn’t work out!

Analog Angel trinity

Some observers might say that if synth based music is somehow feminised and made more melodic, it somehow is less edgy?

Ian: This sort of calls back to your previous question about guts. Again that’s crap. I would say that there is nothing wrong with melody and that can be edgy. Something like ‘Stranger Within’ by ULTRAVOX is edgier than a million tracks by THE KILLERS or THE KOOKS. There is a bit of a misconception that synthesizer music is all like ERASURE, nice and shiny. You know as well as, if not better than me, that is A) a terrible stereotype and B) just wrong. And really, the folk saying that haven’t heard the likes of IMOGEN HEAP for example. Or the DUBSTAR version of ‘Not So Manic Now’; dark is how I would describe that song’s lighter moments!

John: Can’t agree with that – music is music. you either like it or you don’t. I have seen numerous bands with female singers but at no point did I critique it based solely on the gender of the band members. I can see what people are saying about it being “edgy” – for instance, Saffron from REPUBLICA is edgy; Lauren from CHVRCHES isn’t but at the end of the day they are both producing what they like. Certain voices go with certain music – if you swapped the two singers that I mentioned around it wouldn’t work in my opinion. Saffron in CHVRCHES and Lauren in REPUBLICA??? Nah!!!

Del: OMD ‘Souvenir’, there’s edgy… puts a lump in my throat every time I hear the intro. And GOLDFRAPP’s version of ‘Yes Sir’, that’s feminised, tell me that ain’t edgy! *laughs*

‘Drive’ appears to be a pivotal track for the new album? What is that one about?

John: ‘Drive’ was written by Ian so you will need to ask him…

Ian: It’s partly based on a personal experience with a neighbour a number of years ago who was in a dreadfully abusive relationship. We had to shelter her in our house a couple of times when her partner “went on one” as she used to say. We said why not just leave him, but that is easier said than done in these instances. She was looking to get out and he discovered this and beat her to death. Neighbours were appalled but when it went to court. they admitted they would hear the violence and literally, as the lyric says, turn up the TV. I have often though about what else I personally could have done.

The woman in the song eventually escapes by killing her partner, hence the last verse, but the support to help people escape abusive partners is so poorly funded many just suffer as they can’t escape. I’m not advocating retaliation in this way incidentally…

Do you think video can help a band get coverage and how do you feel about the trend for one minute video tasters which you did indulge in for the ‘Pride’ EP?

Ian: Music nowadays is very much a visual medium and has been for a long time. We are three guys with keyboards and no matter how you try and slice it, that isn’t a visually stimulating prospect. Most of the coverage we get is online from sites like TEC. We are never going to get into Q for example (*shiver*) so whilst an article and a link to the website is good, giving the site a video to embed is better.

The teaser / taster thing is a different prospect. It has to be like a TV advert and have a hook… just some random photos and some titles isn’t going to draw you in. Much in the same way that GarageBand has been a bit of a curse in that anyone can record a track, so it is with iMovie! Folk seem to think you need to do these where a well worded Facebook post will have as much impact!

We are lucky we have a bit of a supportive community thing going down here in Scotland so there’s a guy that has worked with the likes of BIG COUNTRY and DAN REED NETWORK who wants to shoot a video for us. All we have to pay for is his second cameraman’s time. You can do it yourself but why not ensure a level of quality and get a professional? The number of dodgy iPhone live videos I’ve seen that bands themselves have sanctioned… you aren’t showing yourself in the best light!

We also program up backing visuals which we can run, again to give the audience something to look at other than our faces and these are always well received and fun to do. I will put little visual jokes in, like footage from the original 1925 ‘Ben Hur’ just to annoy John more than anything else as the Charlton Heston one is one of John’s fave movies! *laughs*

What other previously uncharted directions have ANALOG ANGEL been heading in with the other tracks?

Del: More introspection maybe, we’re at the age where we don’t care whether our subjects appeal to teens, that ain’t my goal in life and there is no particular message either, write and play is the motto.

Ian: We are pushing ourselves more in terms of vocal performances and the arrangements of the songs themselves. There’s even a little bit of politics on songs like ‘Anthems’.

John: I think what I said earlier about Ian writing a number of the tracks this time has taken us to a different level and the song written by Derek – ‘The Chase’ – is a classic piece of synthpop… it could do with being twice as long in length to be honest; it is that good!

Humour seems to be an important aspect in ANALOG ANGEL’s philosophy, especially live?

Ian: Well we are three 40something guys playing synthpop so that in itself is faintly ridiculous. You can (and many do) take yourself too seriously. We are comfortable enough with our performance and one another on stage to have fun. Hell, I am playing alongside two of my best mates, why wouldn’t I enjoy myself? We always make sure we are ready for the gig and well rehearsed before we step onstage. That includes doing at least three to six hours before a run of shows in a proper rehearsal room with a big PA. You will always sound different through a big rig. So by the time we walk onstage, we are ready to have a good time. Again it’s three guys with laptops and controllers. We sadly can’t go down the KRAFTWERK route with visuals, 3D etc so go in another direction. And if nothing else people remember the Womble!

John: Out of the three of us, I used to take everything deadly serious on and off stage. I still have pet hates like people running late and not informing me, saying they are going to be at a certain place and then not bothering to turn up, etc…we have a good laugh now. The live aspect changed through experience, I am more comfortable on stage now. I am known for forgetting my words (or making them up) during gigs and that used to make me really nervous. I have now accepted the fact it’s going to happen!!

There is also a bit of interaction on stage now between me and Ian and that helps things visually. We have been known to drag people up on stage to perform with us – playing keys, singing, etc – I have been known to go for a wander or a wee dance on the floor in front of the stage. Tom Shear from ASSEMBLAGE 23 gave me some advice after a show in London went horribly wrong. He said that the paying customer doesn’t care about my problems; they care about a show being put on. He also said to play each show as if its your last whether there is one person or a thousand.

Del: It’s the West of Scotland influence, you either develop a sense of humour or you’re trampled on… we go for it with gusto, we rip it out of each other all the time and other bands we are mates with. All in a good sense though *evil grin*

Some observers have pointed to the irony in your name and your use of laptops and controllers live, that somehow you are not using ‘real’ electronic instruments. What do you say in answer to that?

Ian: What’s a real electronic instrument? I would say that a MacBook is currently the ultimate electronic instrument given all the things you can do with one.

There have been people that go on stage alongside us that sneer, and they all play Roland SH-201s and GAIAs using presets! We spend weeks programming sounds, resampling, mangling them for our releases whereas I get tired hearing the same presets on all these tunes. I defy anyone to tell me our stuff doesn’t sound electronic enough just because we didn’t use a Roland Jupiter 5 and 3/4s or a Korg AnalProdder 2436 from 1977. We still have loads of old kit, but the current way of working is easier, faster and, for us, gets the creative juices going. Also its the 21st Century! Would you rather swap your new Ford Fiesta for a 1977 Mk1 model? Nope didn’t think so… OMD don’t have a Mellotron on stage to do ‘Maid of Orleans’, does the performance suffer? No it doesn’t!

There is a massive amount of fetishism around old kit, the majority of which sounds horrendous. We are all old enough to remember the ‘good old days’. I had the classic late 80s rig of DX7, JX8P, MemoryMoog and Oscar back then and it was a complete pain in the hole. The Moog was constantly needing servicing, weighed a ton and went out of tune if someone in the venue used the hand dryer in the bogs. We have played with guys that use classic synths, they sound terrible, never been serviced and break down midset. The audience don’t want to see you repatching a bass sound, they want the song. If I had been offered a MacBook and a couple of controllers back then, I would have snapped your hand off at the ankle. If it’s good enough for Billy Currie, it should be good enough for everyone, nobody can question his ‘gear porn’ credentials. However at the end of the day it’s about the songs something many folk seem to forget. Rant over!

Del: If KRAFTWERK / YMO / Moroder / Plank had MacBooks back in the day, you can bet your ass they’d have used them. VSTs are the same principle as analogue gear and in many respects better, more stable and easier to cart around. That said, it’s still fun to tweak and twiddle on an old fashioned box of tricks 🙂

John: We actually started off using a mixture – we didn’t have access to a computer in the beginning. As technology in music has progressed and our disposable income has risen, we have chosen to go down a certain route. Also, due to the fact of where we are based, it is nigh on impossible to travel to gigs further south in UK or on the Continent. I suppose we could change our name every time we change our method of making music – from this time onwards we shall be known as iPad Angel!

What state of health do you think the current industrial and synth scenes within the UK are in?

Ian: The industrial scene has stagnated to the point it is pretty much a parody of itself where it is more about the clothes hair and make up than the music. There are still some great bands around like SYSTEM-FX, THE INVALID, MACHINE ROX but it’s telling that many of the old guard are either going synthpop (AESTHETIC PERFECTION for example) or full out rock, like the latest COMBICHRIST release. As for the synth scene, it is at three different levels I think. The more commercial big label stuff leaves me cold, they are all looking for the next CHVRCHES who as we know are Glasgow’s second best synth trio!

You then have the old guard that are actually releasing some of their best material in decades, OMD, ULTRAVOX and THOMAS DOLBY for example. Then you get to our level. We have to be careful and not end up like industrial in the UK… we must ensure no one ego takes over and destroys what we currently have. We should be more collaborative and support one another for the sake of supporting, not because there is something in it for us personally. There are however some fantastic bands around at the moment which is encouraging.

Del: Industrial is in danger of disappearing up its own backside, too many bands are taking themselves too seriously and image is overtaking substance… if you claim to be a musician, make music FFS. Synthpop is already back and hopefully will go from strength-to-strength, incorporating elements from all the sub-genres of electro.

John: There certainly appears to be more of a scene in the synthpop side of things. There was next to nothing when we started and if you mentioned synthpop in Scotland a few years ago, people looked at you as if you had three heads!! We basically don’t get invited to play any gigs in the Industrial scene any more…

AnalogAngel-A23

Who are your favourite artists at the moment?

Ian: Currently I can’t stop playing the new LOSERS album ‘…And So We Shall Never Part’, it’s stunning stuff. From the current crop of UK bands it’s VILE ELECTRODES, our friends from Glasgow ADVANCE. Also on heavy rotation is Tom Shear’s side project SURVEILLANCE. And the usual crop of acts you would expect if you put my iPod on shuffle!

Del: ADVANCE, BLITZMASCHINE, ASSEMBLAGE 23 / SURVEILLANCE, all the old guard still listened to regularly too.

John: DEPECHE MODE for me every time… have seen REPUBLICA a few times recently and they have become very good friends… I still fancy Saff, but don’t tell her!! All the old school stuff I have always listened to is still being played in the Brown household. With Ian being in the band now, I have been reintroduced to people like OMD and ULTRAVOX and having had the pleasure of meeting the HEAVEN 17 crew at Bas last year, I have dug out the H17 stuff again. I like the sounds of the usual suspects like SINESTAR, MESH, A23 and all the other bands that have been part of this small scene in the last couple of years, of which there are too many to mention but they know who they are. But I don’t like the band TENKO (Japan’s premier synthpop artists, they take no prisoners) though – they disgust me!! Peter and Geoffrey are very bad boys!! 😉

What next for ANALOG ANGEL?

Ian: We have shows in the diary with Jo Callis, formerly of THE REZILLOS and HUMAN LEAGUE and his new band.

We also play with VILE ELECTRODES and TOYAH later in the year with plans afoot for more gigs closer to Christmas, if Del isn’t too busy with his annual commitment as Santa’s elf at the local John Lewis. New songs are in development for the next release, which will feature again different instrumentation, arrangements etc and just to keep enjoying what we do.

Del: Hopefully more new tracks and some gigs 🙂

John: In the short term we’ll see how the album is accepted and formulate any plans from there. We already have a few new songs in various states of readiness and ideas for collaborations with them.

ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its wombling thanks to ANALOG ANGEL

‘Trinity’ is released as a download

http://www.analog-angel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Analog-Angel/78071440078

Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
13th June 2014

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