A Berlin union between LOCAL SUICIDE, the Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi with Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, better known by his stage moniker KALIPO, DINA SUMMER follow up 2024’s ‘Hide & Seek’ EP with a new album ‘Girls Gang’ to welcome in 2025.
‘Hide & Seek’ was a fine blend of new wave, synthpop, dark disco, techno and Italo with a cutting Mittel Europa edge and ‘Girls Gang’ is a natural progression, playing on its darker but still club friendly aesthetics compared with the Italo flavoured debut album ‘Rimini’ from 2022.
Setting the scene, the ‘Girls Gang’ title song adopts the hypnotic pulse of BOY HARSHER in a seductive celebration of “girls in black”, of dancing to BAUHAUS and DEAD CAN DANCE in a dedication to female icons such as Morticia, Wednesday, Vampira, Elvira and Siouxsie. A German phrase meaning “sound and smoke”, the equally uptempo ‘Schall & Rauch’ plays with female and male vocals in the second half for some haunted post-punk disco.
Much more intense, the sonic cathedral of ‘Nothing To Hide’ paces down with textural guitar interventions sitting alongside synthetic choirs and a rattling percussive backdrop. Upping the momentum and embracing the outsider, ‘Alien’ throbs gloriously in a manner calling Miss Kittin & The Hacker as DINA SUMMER make demands to “take me to your leader” as “we are aliens!”
Named after the popular holidaying destination in Northern Greece known for its sandy beaches, the comparatively lighter ‘Halkidiki’ is an infectious electronic club tune made for sultry summery nights and shines with bliss before the darker climes that come with ‘Promise Me’; this sees Berlin-based New Yorker Luca Venezia of CURSES guest with his anguished lead accompanied by Joshua Murphy’s six string for a burst of melodic goth rock embroiled in longing.
The gothic theme continues on ‘Hypnotized’ which musically borrows from BAUHAUS and THE CURE as stabbing synths offset the doom-laden bass guitar while ‘Zombie’ continues on a not too dissimilar footing fully in keeping the song’s theme.
‘Disco Goth’ gets back to clubland as frantic throbbing electronics with commentary on how to get that look while the tense ‘FOMO’ continues the action under strobe lights and plays on that “fear of missing out”. The closer ‘No More Tears’ falls under the spell of THE SISTERS OF MERCY and goes for the full Doktor Avalanche blow out although the bursts of synth are the dead giveaway that this is not actually Andrew Eldritch and Co.
Despite its title, ‘Girls Gang’ does actually feature more male vocals than its predecessors while there also are more of the guitar-driven elements associated with goth creeping in which is quite timely given the recorded return of THE CURE. In much as the same was as NEW ORDER have done in the past, the album manages to straddle the worlds of electronic disco and alternative rock. As with acts like DIE SEXUAL, despite the apparent darkness, there’s an energetic thrill that comes from the decadent dance and the willingness to be one of the gang.
Me? Definitely Won’t Be! Join the #SynthResistance
When ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK came into being in March 2010, synth was still on a recovery path and it seemed PET SHOP BOYS were the only act continuing to fly the flag successfully having been awarded the BRIT Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution To Music’ the previous year.
While DEPECHE MODE and SIMPLE MINDS had released albums in 2009, their latest material showed few signs of their imperial phases. BLANCMANGE, NEW ORDER and SOFT CELL had not yet returned, ULTRAVOX were still to release ‘Brilliant’ despite a well-received live return and while THE HUMAN LEAGUE were regulars on the live circuit, they had not issued a new album for 9 years. Meanwhile OMD and DURAN DURAN were in a state of creative flux having released disappointing albums in ‘History Of Modern’ and ‘Red Carpet Massacre’ respectively.
However in 2024, most of these acts are performing to sizeable audiences and while ULTRAVOX may have called it a day in 2013, Midge Ure continues to tour with songs from ‘Vienna’, ‘Rage In Eden’, ‘Quartet’ and ‘Lament’. For these heritage acts, the concert circuit is now very lucrative and a testament to their music still standing up after several decades and most importantly for longevity, appealing to new and younger audiences.
Photo by Chi Ming Lai
But for new synth music generally, particularly in Britain, it appeared to be in decline although these signs had been very apparent over the past few years. One thing that has been significant about ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 30 SONGS OF 2024 was that on only 4 occasions was there full or part representation from the nation that seeded Synth Britannia… how the mighty have fallen! And when Taylor Swift is doing better electronic pop songs than most, then there’s a real problem!
First time around during 1994 to 1997, Britpop had as good as killed off the synth and with the news of the OASIS live reunion in 2025 grabbing all the headlines, it looks as though history is repeating itself. But everything is cyclical and there was a backlash against guitar bands after the new millennium began. There is hope yet but while a MIRRORS reunion is unlikely any time soon, it takes darkness to appreciate the light so anything is possible 😉
2024 was a year fraught with uncertainty and this was reflected musically. With ongoing political tensions in their homeland and having spoken out against the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, MOLCHAT DOMA relocated from Belarus to Los Angeles. Their excellent fourth album ‘Belaya Polosa’ channelled the anxiety and fear of that journey into exile and literally saw the trio change from sounding like JOY DIVISION to sounding like NEW ORDER. But have they walked from the frying pan into the fryer?
Released back in March before the US Elections, one of the best albums of 2024, ‘Masochist’ by NIGHT CLUB became a dystopian prophecy come true. Emotions were summed up by the inclusion of ‘The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)’, a cover of the song by FUN BOY THREE. Written as a metaphor to the dangerous posturing games played by “The Cowboy” Ronald Reagan in 1981 during The Cold War, today the even crazier orange face is back followed by his flock of mindless MAGA sheep…
‘If You Tolerate This, Then Your Children Will Be Next’ sang MANIC STREET PREACHERS and more than ever in the UK, it is important to stand against the retarded racist scum getting behind the neo-fascist posturings of that pompous grifter Nigel Farage to cover up for their own life failings. Add in a crackpot billionaire who inherited blood money made during the vile South African Apartheid regime, playing a real life Dr Evil by throwing his cash into the far right and supporting the new Nazis in Germany of the AfD, and the world is in a very precarious position right now. Quoting Midge Ure who recently gave new live renditions of the ironically monikered RICH KIDS’ sadly relevant 1978 anti-Nazi anthem: “NEVER AGAIN DO I WANT TO HEAR THE SOUND OF MARCHING MEN!”
Anglo-German duo KALEIDA experienced an existential crisis due to the pressures of parenting and the shifting patterns of life. But Christina Wood and Cicely Goulder managed to make their long distance creative partnership work again and their reward was their third album ‘In Arms’. As the title suggested, it has been an impassioned battle capturing 3 years of artistic perseverance and reinforced their sense of purpose.
On a more personal level, Anglo-French artist Julia-Sophie delved deeper into the complexities of relationships by exploring themes of self-destruction, tenderness, love and emotional struggles. This is what happens when people ‘forgive too slow’ but swathed in an intriguing electronic sound, her understated fulfilment combined emotional unease with an airy beauty for some satisfying thoughtful listening for another of the best albums of 2024.
Photo by Chi Ming Lai
With the onset of climate change but still those in denial despite the scientific proof, Patricia Wolf conceived ‘The Secret Lives of Birds’. Having recorded various bird songs and calls, curiosity led her to become a conservationist and while her music was very beautiful at times, there were darker moments of angst and sadness driven by concern. Birds and their behaviour have been a creative haven for artists of a more ambient persuasion and Masayoshi Fujita continued his avian fascination on his new work ‘Migratory’.
Loula Yorke presented her new ‘Volta’ and the wonderful opener ‘It’s been decided that if you lay down no-one will die’ acted as a bittersweet meditation on overwhelm, an emotion many were feeling. For Finlay Shakespeare, his creative journey appeared to have taken its emotional toll and ‘Directions Out Of Town’ reflected turbulent times and was touted as possibly his last album. Meanwhile Polish producer ZAMILSKA summed feelings up with the impassioned ‘United Kingdom Of Anxiety’ as another exile from Belarus CHIKISS captured this moment ‘Between Time & Laziness’.
Photo by Thomas Stelzmann
While a new PET SHOP BOYS album was always on the cards and they duly delivered with their fifteenth ‘Nonetheless’, Michael Mertens and Ralf Dörper starting a new chapter of PROPAGANDA was perhaps on not on anyone’s bingo card at the start of 2024. Featuring the sultry vocals of Thunder Bae, PROPAGANDA presented an eponymous long player to signify a fresh start with the closing cover ‘Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte’ being a key highlight.
There were several key esoteric releases in 2024; Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller released their third volume of ‘Electronic Music Improvisations’ as SUNROOF while Heiko Maile and Julian DeMarre offered ‘Neostalgia’, leaving Jori Hulkkonen with some ‘Hurt Humour’. And like a greeting from wherever he is now in the universe, Klaus Schulze had ‘101, Milky Way’ posthumously released in a continuation of his vast electronic legacy.
In 2024, there were albums released where 90 to 100% of the content comprised of previously released singles; one of those was the debut album by LEATHERS, the side-project of ACTORS keyboardist Shannon Hemmett which explored her love of dark electronic pop. Another was the appropriately titled ‘VII’ by Swedish duo KITE which was their seventh body of work containing music from their seven most recent singles released over the past seven years, gathering the power and the glory of their ambition.
Using a similar strategy, R. MISSING finally released an album ‘Knife Shook Your Hand’ after years of embracing a scattergun standalone song approach which at times was frustrating to follow, especially with today’s now widely embraced Netflix-led home and mobile entertainment methodology of “binge watching” TV series.
Photo by Volker Maass
CAMOUFLAGE finally took their ‘Rewind To The Future & Goodbye’ tour on the German road with a show look backing on four decades. Meanwhile celebrating 45 years of BLANCMANGE, ‘Everything Is Connected’ was a new career-spanning collection supported by a tour where Neil Arthur supported himself with his collaborative side project THE REMAINDER. Celebrating 25 years of the multi-million selling ‘Play’, Moby delivered a mighty greatest hits set in front of a packed house at London’s O2 Arena as well as highlights from that album.
Midge Ure aired his catalogue of his greatest hits and with so many ULTRAVOX songs part of the set, it was difficult not to think of his departed bandmate Chris Cross who passed away this year. Another sad loss in 2024 who had connections to ULTRAVOX and their former leader John Foxx was the iconic photographer Brian Griffin; his other subjects included DEPECHE MODE, OMD, SPANDAU BALLET and TALK TALK.
With 16 tracks speeding through its restless 40 minutes, ‘Powder Dry’ saw Tim Bowness revisiting his passion for the post-punk and electronic pop acts of his teens, having opened for the solo Billy Currie version of ULTRAVOX and worked with members of JAPAN while in his first band NO-MAN with Steven Wilson; of course the latter has been behind the spate of new remixes of ULTRAVOX for their series of lavish boxed sets.
A number of veterans returned after long new release absences. Michel Moers, best known as the front man of Belgian electronic trailblazers TELEX released what was only his second solo studio album ‘As Is’ and had Claudia Brücken guest on its lead single ‘Microwaves. Meanwhile after several years in the making, Harald Grosskopf presented ‘Strom’, translated from German as “electricity”.
Across the Atlantic, Los Angeles-based multimedia artist Geneva Jacuzzi gave a detached Eurocentric poise reminiscent of Gina X and her third album ‘Triple Fire’ was an enjoyably delightful mix of accessible electronic pop and energetic art chaos. Comprising of North America’s alternative music power couple Tom Shear and Mari Kattman, HELIX took their fans to an ‘Unimaginable Place’ as another US based couple XENO & OAKLANDER further refined their precise yet spirited productions for their eight album ‘Via Negativa (in the doorway light)’.
Newer North American acts making a splash were IMMORTAL GIRLFRIEND and Canada’s MINDREADER while Los Angeles-based duo DIE SEXUAL finally brought their erotic charge to the stage opening for the likes of IAMX and LEÆTHER STRIP. But the most promising act emerging stateside were Haute & Freddy.
Photo by Tim Darin
For the past few years, Alison Lewis has focussed on her ZANIAS solo venture but she was back playing live with Ryan Ambridge as LINEA ASPERA in the summer with the pair having been quietly writing and recording new material together. Having found TikTok fame performing synthwave styled covers, DREAMKID released his second album ‘Daggers’ to capitalise on his social media traction while both exploring much darker climes, CURSES and CZARINA released their third full length albums.
In Europe, Belgian duo METROLAND released their sixth album ‘Forum’ as well as simultaneously maintaining their solo projects 808 DOT POP and LECTREAU. In Sweden, Johan Agebjörn was a very busy man releasing EPs with Yota and Mikael Ögren while also announcing he has a work-in-progress with NINA; the Queen of Synthwave’s own musical partnership with RADIO WOLF was developing nicely, with a European tour opening for CANNONS giving the couple a chance to showcase their darker sound.
As the summer ended, IONNALEE ambitiously issued her new album simultaneously in English and Swedish while Norwegian neighbours PISTON DAMP declared there were “No Points For Trying” as they launched the more pessimistic instalment of their twin volume ‘Mastermind’ album venture.
Photo by Joanna Wzorek
Presenting the second volume of their ‘Midnight Confessions’ series, ITALOCONNECTION were back with their vintage but modern style of Italo disco while Greco-German trio DINA SUMMER showed that good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook was alive and well in Berlin. Also based in the former divided city, Polish DJ and producer CHARLIE emerged as one of the promising new stars on the Italo-Proto scene.
Retrospective sets can often compile another time, another place as exemplified by releases this year from Bryan Ferry, Peter Baumann and NO-MAN proved. But the best one came from FRANK CHICKENS whose ‘Ninja Legends 1983-1989’ captured them in their quirky prime, especially on the collection of BBC radio sessions which made it an essential purchase. On the book front, ‘1984: The Year Pop Went Queer’ was among the best.
The desire to revisit the past became a major thing in 2024, as exemplified by the frenzy surrounding the sale of tickets for the OASIS reunion shows which were among the first in the UK to employ the dreaded but perfectly legal scam of dynamic pricing. But the need to see any band years past their commercial peak with the likelihood of a less accomplished performance than before, be it vocally, musically or energetically, was a head scratching prospect. The music world has been trying to make up for lost time and money since 2021 but the post-covid gig bubble may have now burst.
With ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK having seen many bands back in the day at their best, the shows now available with a hint of nostalgia may not have been universally appealing as they were to those who were too young or not even born to have attended first time around. But paradoxically thanks to the dearth of new quality music, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK found itself listening to podcasts of old people talking about old music! So it was an honour to be invited by host Iain McDermott to chat about our favourite year in music 1981 for his wonderful ‘Back To NOW’ podcast centred around the noted compilation album series.
‘The Album Years’ hosted by Steven Wilson and Tim Bowness remarked that “talking about music IS the new music” and on the most knowledgeable, passionate and humorous podcasts, hosts were able to express their opinion and say a record or an artist was “sh*t” without immediate fear of social media retorts while also praising where praise was deserved!
But during a recent edition of ‘The Small Town Boys’, Clark Datchler of JOHNNY HATES JAZZ remarked that while music critics back in the day could be “cynical” and “nasty”, today they are at the other extreme and “sycophants now” with “hardly any criticism of records released” – this everything is brilliant mentality has undoubtedly led to an acceptance of mediocrity and a lack of perspective in a monoculture of medium pleasure.
With those forthright and articulate expressions key to their success, live presentations of these podcasts in theatres and arenas are becoming increasingly popular and profitable thanks to lower overheads, especially when compared to concerts.
Among ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s favourite music podcasts in 2024 were ‘Word In Your Ear’ presented by former Smash Hits and Q editors David Hepworth and Mark Ellen, ‘Electronically Yours With Martyn Ware’ and ‘The Giddy Carousel of Pop’ discussing the history of Smash Hits. But best of all was the more general podcast ‘The Rest Is Entertainment’ hosted by Richard Osman and Marina Hyde which is part of Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger Podcast empire also behind ‘The Rest Is Politics’, ‘The Rest Is History’, ‘The Rest Is Money’, ‘The Rest Is Classified’ and ‘The Rest Is Football’; one suspects the popular socially conscious former footballer will not miss the BBC the way it will miss him 😉
If 2023 was something of a strange year, 2024 might have actually been stranger. There is a glimmer of hope for the future, but the signs are already there that things may get worse, be it socially, politically, environmentally or culturally… sometimes, people really do deserve what they get!
Streaming has made music more accessible to people than at any time previously in the music industry’s history.
With traction of new music now very dependent on social media, many artists are playing the algorithm with single songs rather than bodies of work such as EP and albums which are now almost an afterthought.
While ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has always done end of year summaries around songs rather than albums, as they can best represent an annual period, the release strategy adopted by some proved frustrating for listeners. As a result, with everything now democratised and so much choice available following seemingly random patterns, promising new acts found it much harder to get noticed than 10 years ago and simply fell into the cracks of the web.
In 2024, there were albums released where 90 to 100% of the content comprised of previously released material; while the albums made sense as a journey in most cases, during the build-up, what used to be considered traditional “album tracks” were being issued as underwhelming singles that may have disappointed when listened to out of context from the main programme. Whereas the rant in the past with the plethora of different remixes available might have been “JUST GIVE ME THE VERSION THEY GOT RIGHT!”, today it is more likely to be “JUST GIVE ME THE BLOODY ALBUM!”
Then there were artists who only seemed to release single tracks with no EP or album likely, so unless a consumer had the time or the inclination to become a dedicated follower, it could be quite difficult to follow what was going on. Yes, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK may be stuck in the past as it is often accused of doing, but it simply does not embrace this bitty fragmented approach!
A straightforward list to compile, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s 30 SONGS OF 2024 gathers tracks available on the usual online retail platforms with a restriction of one song per artist moniker and placed in alphabetical order…
BRIGITTE BARDINI Crush
Hailing from Melbourne in Australia, Brigitte Bardini is another artist to embrace her dark side having begun as an acoustic singer songwriter. Her first venture into the dark side came with the shady gothic techno of 2023’s ‘Start A Fire’. But ‘Crush’ was more ethereal, a dreamy melancholic number expressing some bittersweet heartache where “I’ll forget about you, if you want me to”. But despite a desire to hold on, it really is all over…
Not to be confused with the classic 1984 Italo disco track ‘Spacer Woman’ but no doubt in homage, ‘Spacewoman’ was the new EP by Berlin-domiciled DJ, musician and producer Leona Jacewska, best known by her stage name CHARLIE. Its highlight was ‘Let Go’, a thumping strobe-lit slice of dark disco saw Chicago meeting Italy in hypnotic bliss. Tonally and rhythmically, it was a sexy and sweaty number that provided an exhilarating ride.
Available on the CHARLIE EP ‘Spacewoman’ via Wrong Era / Slow Motion
Berlin-based New Yorker Luca Venezia, better known as CURSES, joined the Italians Do It Better family in 2024. One of the highlights of the ‘Another Heaven’ album comes with the superb ‘Vanish’; this was CURSES’ own ‘Your Silent Face’ with its brightly bubbling sequencers and solemn demeanour. There was even a subtle ‘Heroes’ like quality about it as our hero declared to his love that he wanted to ”vanish with you”.
Available on the CURSES album ‘Another Heaven’ via Italians Do It Better
Embracing her inner clown, ‘Sexy Clown’ was a delightful slice of detached minimal synth disco from Montreal’s Marie Davidson. Off her new album ‘City of Clowns’ out in 2025 on SOULWAX’s label DeeWee, the song explored the conflicted feelings around her treatment as an outsider where vulnerability and mettle, candidness and humour struggled to co-exist in other people’s minds. But real life is all about contrasts!
From out of the shadows to under the strobe lights, DIE SEXUAL are the erotically charged Los Angeles-based duo of Anton Floriano and his wife Ros. Their second EP ‘Inservio’ developed on the themes of domination and submission of their debut EP ‘Bound’. With their penetrating club-friendly sound, ‘Need To Sin’ was conceived as a tantalizing roleplay of our seemingly innocent subject submitting to their ultimate desires and hedonistic fantasies.
A product of Berlin, DINA SUMMER blend new wave, synthpop, dark disco, techno and Italo; although their EP ‘Hide & Seek’ embraced a cutting Mittel Europa edge, it was just a precursor to a new album ‘Girls Gang’ in 2025. Released ahead of it, ‘Halkidiki’ was an infectious electronic club tune made for sultry summery nights and named after the popular holidaying destination in Northern Greece known for its sandy beaches.
With a long gestation period, the ‘Ecce Homo’ long player started as a collaboration between Gavin Friday and Dave Ball who had first produced his band VIRGIN PRUNES on the 1986 album ‘The Moon Looked Down & Laughed’. Combining elements of synth with post-punk, the title song itself was a wonderfully deathly slice of disco gothique that sounded like Ian McCulloch meeting SOFT CELL at Berghain given an extra chill by an opera soprano sample!
Available on the GAVIN FRIDAY album ‘Ecce Homo’ via BMG
North American glam glee duo Haute & Freddy have only had two songs released but they made an impression in 2024. While ‘Scantily Clad’ was an excellent debut, the best of the pair was ‘Anti-Superstar’, a superb slice of avant synthpop with a chunky driving electronic bass triplet. There was certainly a cool wonderment about their style, sound and theatrics, making them one of the most promising new acts of the year.
Available on the HAUTE & FREDDY single ‘Anti-Superstar’ via Even If
North America’s alternative music power couple Tom Shear of ASSEMBLAGE 23 and Mari Kattman returned as HELIX. Blessed with one of the most captivating voices in electronic music, Mari Kattman was on top form with ‘Unimaginable Place’, an infectious slice of electronic pop with sparkling hooks and groovy rhythmics. Tom Shear said “I prefer to make other people dance than to dance myself. If you’ve ever seen me perform live you know why! I can’t dance to save my life”
With a detached Eurocentric poise reminiscent of Gina X, Geneva Jacuzzi described her third album ‘Triple Fire’ “as a hit parade of wildcard synthpop and sly post-apocalyptic camp”. Brilliantly catchy, ‘Dry’ offered alluring danceable synthpop which went weirdly discordant halfway through. A commentary about dehumanisation, it highlighted the song’s lyrical gist about being ghosted following a date.
Available on the GENEVA JACUZZI album ‘Triple Fire’ via Dais Records
Jonna Lee returned in 2024 as IONNALEE to the electronic sound she is best known for after 2022’s more organic IAMAMIWHOAMI record ‘Be Here Soon’. This third IONNALEE long player ‘Close Your Eyes’ had the twist of having a Swedish Language twin in ‘Blund’. ‘The End Of Every Song’ surprised with a thumping rhythm and a cacophony of chunky sequences and piercing electronics, the vocals sitting brilliantly like ABBA on helium in outer space!
Available on the IONNALEE album ‘Close Your Eyes’ via to whom it may concern
In 2021, ITALOCONNECTION issued ‘Midnight Confessions Vol1’, a record themed around love. On ‘Vol2’, there was a twist; en Français using an AI generated female voice, ‘Europa’ paid homage to the art movements and machine music of the continent in a dramatic midtempo piece accompanied by synth passages that could be Jean-Michel Jarre. KRAFTWERK, TELEX, PET SHOP BOYS, PROPAGANDA and NEW ORDER were among those getting a name check.
French singer Jeanne Louise Galice is more known for mixing pop with Afrobeat, but with an electronic energy and Moroder-esque throb, ‘Nobody Knows’ was very different from her previous work. With a similar lyrical disposition to Taylor Swift’s ‘I Can Do It With A Broken Heart’, where “Nobody Knows, it’s just the way I’m feeling tonight, I’ll keep on dancing, but I feel heavy-hearted”, underneath the glitterball splendour was deep sadness.
Available on the JAIN single ‘Nobody Knows’ via Spookland / Sony Music
The long awaited debut long player from Julia-Sophie entitled ‘forgive too slow’ was a contemplative body of work as reflecting on past relationships. Lead single ‘numb’ was a marvellous avant pop set piece over a subtle rhythmic rumble with a stark haunted monologue. But then things took a frantic about turn as sung and spoken passages alternated with the growing intensity. A concluding barrage of unsettling cut-up voices highlighted her resigned state of mind.
Available on the JULIA-SOPHIE album ‘forgive too slow’ via Ba Da Bing Records
It looked as though KALEIDA would disband due to the pressures of parenting and the shifting patterns of life. But Christina Wood and Cicely Goulder made their long distance creative partnership work again and their reward was a third album ‘In Arms’. The glorious ‘Stranger’ sprung a surprise with 808 electro dance rhythms and a superb collage of staccato voice samples, punchy bass and great vocals that came over in a prayer-like chant.
Available on the KALEIDA album ‘In Arms’ via Embassy One
The Greek love song ‘Ti Einai Afto Pou To Lene Agapi’ was made famous when Sophia Loren sung it with Tonis Maroudas in the 1957 film ‘Boy On A Dolphin’. For 2024, KID MOXIE gave the song an emotive electronic arrangement that was both sweet and haunting. It was included in the soundtrack of the new season of Netflix drama series ‘Maestro In Blue’ which had been the first Greek television series to be included on the platform.
Releasing their first EP in 2008, KITE finally released their first full-length studio album on the American independent label Dais Records. As their seventh body of work and following on from the numbered series of EPs, the appropriately titled ‘VII’ contains music from their seven most recent singles released over the past seven years. Like a slice of Nordic gospel, ‘Glassy Eyes’ confronts the turmoil of existential anxiety.
Available on the KITE album ‘VII’ via Dais Records
While ACTORS have been gaining increased worldwide recognition, their keyboardist Shannon Hemmett has developed her more synth focussed solo project LEATHERS in parallel. Her long awaited debut album ‘Ultraviolet’ contained romantic synthpop with sinister twists in that classic Lynchian fashion. However, ‘Daydream Trash’ was a wonderful outlier, a summer new wave tune that was “100 in the shade” and could have easily come off the soundtrack of a John Hughes film.
Available on the LEATHERS album ‘Ultraviolet’ via Artoffact Records
While Alison Lewis has focussed on her ZANIAS solo venture for the past few years, she was back playing live with Ryan Ambridge as LINEA ASPERA in the summer. The pair had quietly been writing and recording together with the absorbing ‘Mycelium’ being the first fruit of labour. Featuring Ambridge’s characteristic arpeggio-laden backdrop, Lewis turned to using the fuzzy mass growing on mouldy food as a metaphor for the state of a personal relationship.
Best known as the front man of Belgian trailblazers TELEX, in 2024 Michel Moers released what was only his second solo studio album. Recorded primarily using Logic, the songs were developed over several years. While Moers continued with his distinctive cynical surrealism, the single ‘Microwaves’ featured Claudia Brücken on lead vocals for a more straightforward slice electronic pop with solid bass and icy synth lines that came over like PROPAGANDA meeting TELEX.
Available on the MICHEL MOERS album ‘As Is’ via Freaksville Records
Now the solo project of Parisian producer and DJ Amandine Stioui, MINUIT MACHINE has been described as “disrupted, emotional, and terribly addictive”. But making a fresh restart with a clear sheet on her Instagram, ‘Hold Me’ showcased an optimistic lyrical gist and melodic drive on top of the thumping beats than had been heard in her work with previous MINUIT MACHINE creative partner Hélène De Thoury aka Hante.
Now exiled from Belarus to LA, MOLCHAT DOMA brought in the dancier but still sombre sequenced pulses of classic NEW ORDER and DEPECHE MODE for their fourth album to create a more refined studio product. The magnificent ‘Kolesom’ was a glorious slice of apocalyptic electronic disco with an obvious NEW ORDER influence although Bernard Sumner never sounded this foreboding! The ominous baritone offered a commentary on the banality of modern life.
Available on the MOLCHAT DOMA album ‘Belaya Polosa’ via Sacred Bones
NIGHT CLUB The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)
‘Masochist’ was the highly appropriate title for the fourth NIGHT CLUB album, a dystopian prophecy that came true! Written FUN BOY THREE in 1981 as a metaphor by to the dangerous posturing games played by “The Cowboy” Ronald Reagan during The Cold War, the inclusion of a cover of ‘The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)’ with an even more sinister resonance was sadly relevant as the crazy orange monster was mindlessly voted back as the leader of the free world!
Available on the NIGHT CLUB album ‘Masochist’ via Gato Blanco
Created, recorded, produced and mixed at home in Berlin, ‘My Dark’ encapsulated a dark romantic spirit between NINA and RADIO WOLF. “I knew we’d be creating a kind of revelatory anti-love song about the dark side of relationships” said RADIO WOLF while NINA added “we both felt like creating something quite heavy and I wanted to let out my inner femme-fatale… it’s very moving as a dance track yet provocative like a sex scene in a movie”.
Michael Mertens and Ralf Dörper starting a new chapter of PROPAGANDA young German singer-songwriter Thunder Bae was perhaps on not on anyone’s bingo card at the start of 2024. She gave a superbly enticing performance in a haunting cover of ‘Wenn Ich Mir Was Wünschen Dürfte’ (translated into English as “If I had a wish”), a Weimar-era song written by Friedrich Hollaender in 1930 also featuring Oscar winning pianist Hauschka.
Available on the PROPAGANDA album ‘Propaganda’ via by Bureau B
Following a trail of sporadic singles with minimal promotional fanfare, R.MISSING have not been straightforward to follow. But with the enigmatic voice of the appropriately named Sharon Shy and the backing of Henry Frost, their alluring pop noir has been compelling when it hits the spot. Short and sharp with the air of a more electronic CHROMATICS, ‘Sleep Will Darken It’ came from their long awaited debut album.
“I wrote this track on a social media break as an ode to reclaiming oneself from the grasps of Musk et al” said Maria Uzor, best known previously for being a member of SINK YA TEETH with Gemma Cullingford. Self-produced with a feisty twisted energy, ‘What U Need’ was a techno anthem celebrating detox from the online world that signalled another development in her fearsome beat-laden underground.
Combining modern and natural worlds, one key aspect in the music of Patricia Wolf is her use of field recordings and this shapes her new album ‘The Secret Lives of Birds’ into a soundtrack for an as-yet-unmade wildlife documentary. While the ambience is very beautiful at times, there are darker moments of angst and sadness driven by concern. Self-explanatory and with synthetic droplets simulating contact calls, ‘The Secret Lives of Birds’ title piece sets the scene.
From their Connecticut laboratory bubble, the new XENO & OAKLANDER album sees a further refinement to their precise yet spirited productions. Past works have demonstrated and reinforced Liz Wendelbo and Sean McBride’s talents as the Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg of synth. With an immediate rhythmic bounce, ‘Magic Of The Manifold’ is classic XENO & OAKLANDER with its squelchy bassline programming being a prominent feature.
Yota is a Paris-based singer / songwriter hailing from Stockholm, while Johan Agebjörn is the Swedish producer who is best known as the instrumental half of SALLY SHAPIRO. Blending his melancholic electronic pop style to her sumptuous vocals, ‘Universe In Flames’ provides a telling global warning message. A fine mix of Scandipop, synthwave and rock with sinister twists, it showcased the best of both talents, combining classic synthpop styles with dance music.
Available on the YOTA & JOHAN AGEBJÖRN EP ‘Universe In Flames’ is released by Keytar Records
If you’ve ever wondered what happened to good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook, well it’s alive and well in Berlin in the form of the recent ‘Hide & Seek’ EP from DINA SUMMER.
A collaborative project comprising of LOCAL SUICIDE, the Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi and KALIPO, the moniker of Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, DINA SUMMER opened their account with the excellent single pairing of ‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ in 2021. The Italo flavoured debut album ‘Rimini’ followed a year after.
Before they departed on their next set of travels, DINA SUMMER spoke collectively to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about their past, present and future…
You produce music in your own right as LOCAL SUICIDE and KALIPO, so how did the idea of working together come about?
We’ve been friends for years before starting collaborating. But the idea of a collaboration started when Jakob (KALIPO) and Dina and Max (LOCAL SUICIDE) were all playing at the same festival. While hanging out at the backstage, Jakob floated the idea of Dina contributing vocals to some of his edgier darker tracks. A few weeks later Dina and Max popped over to Jakob’s studio to lay down some vocals, and things just clicked from there. The creative energy sparked instantly, and before we knew it, ideas were flowing freely, blurring the lines between our individual projects. The musical and personal chemistry was undeniable, and from that moment on, the idea of creating a new live project took root and flourished.
Photo by Alex Gotter
What is the creative chemistry in DINA SUMMER, do you have designated roles?
Our creative process flows with flexibility. While we embrace a collaborative approach without strict roles, each member contributes their unique strengths. Jakob’s background as a sound engineer, a live performer and multi-instrumentalist, cultivated through his involvement with German band FRITTENBUDE and his solo project KALIPO, enhances our sonic landscape. Max and Dina, in addition to their production roles, are experienced DJs too, ensuring our tracks translate seamlessly to the dancefloor. Max’s extensive experience in label management brings valuable industry insight to our projects. Meanwhile, Dina leads lyric writing and takes care of our social media also lending a hand with PR efforts.
‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ was an excellent first single pairing, were these tracks built up from scratch or ideas originally for LOCAL SUICIDE or KALIPO?
Both tracks were actually created after we had finished producing our debut album. However, we made the decision to release them as our first EP under the name DINA SUMMER to introduce our new project. Our goal was to craft a fresh and distinctive sound by blending elements from our individual projects while venturing into new sonic landscapes.
What do you get from a satisfaction point of view in DINA SUMMER that might not occur otherwise?
DINA SUMMER is our playground for experimenting with diverse styles and pushing creative boundaries. It’s a collaboration that provides a unique sonic space, allowing us to explore new territories and find satisfaction in merging our individual approaches. Currently, we’re in the studio producing a variety of tracks, from dark wave and synthpop to electronic tunes made for the dancefloor.
Photo by Petra Ruehle
How do you look back on the making of the ‘Rimini’ album? Was the sunny Italian flavour intentional from the start?
Looking back on the making of the ‘Rimini’ album, it was a thrilling adventure. From the outset, we intentionally infused it with the sunny Italian flavor, aiming to encapsulate the vibrant and energetic atmosphere of the region. Our shared love for Italy and its music, especially Italo disco, served as a driving force, motivating us to pay homage to its essence. Given Rimini’s significance as a hub for Italo disco enthusiasts, it felt natural to center our album around it.
With ‘Rimini’ you released not one but two remix albums… are remixes a strategy due to modern streaming algorithms or is it something you wholeheartedly embrace… but can it be too much on occasions?
After releasing ‘Rimini,’ we realized that some tracks weren’t exactly geared for the dancefloor, but held serious potential. Thus, we cooked up a ‘Versioni Discoteca’, or Club Versions album, featuring our own club edits of selected tracks. Additionally, we already had some killer remixes for a few singles released upfront, and we loved them so much that we sought out a few more, aiming for a diverse sound. It’s always intriguing to witness other artists’ reinterpretations of your music. Furthermore, we were eager to involve some Italo legends and were delighted to receive remixes by Alexander Robotnick and Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi.
Around the time of ‘Rimini’ although not featuring on the album, you covered THE FLIRTS’ Bobby O produced disco classic ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s EBM favourite ‘Headhunter’ as free downloads, what was the thinking behind this as they are at quite opposite ends of the electronic dance spectrum?
We chose to cover tracks like THE FLIRTS’ ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s ‘Headhunter’ because they’re both songs we absolutely adore and we wanted to give them a dance floor makeover. Jakob suggested ‘Passion’, while ‘Headhunter’ was Dina’s idea, but we all agreed instantly that we should give them a shot. It was a fun way to pay homage to influential tunes from different corners of the electronic dance scene while showcasing our versatility and passion for diverse musical styles… and with fewer purists around these days and the current wave of Italo Body Music blending EBM, Italo, and new beat vibes, it felt like the perfect time to explore these classics and put our own spin on them.
Photo by Alex Gotter
Do you have any favourite go-to synths for your productions?
Our go-to synths for our productions often include the Moog One, Korg MS20, Sequential Prophet 6, and Moog Voyager, which you can hear in nearly all of our songs.
On the ‘Hide & Seek’ EP, the title song comes in two different versions, had it been a challenge to realise your visions, was there any creative tensions as to where to take it?
Originally, we crafted the original version of the title track for the ‘Hide & Seek’ EP. But with its faster synth-pop vibe, we realized it might not seamlessly fit into our solo live and DJ sets, as well as those of other DJs. So, we decided to create a club version to give it an electronic twist, making it more dancefloor-friendly for a wider audience. This allowed us to tailor the song to fit the needs of club DJ sets while preserving its energy.
As can be heard on ‘Unter Strom’ and other tracks, drums fills are a characteristic of the DINA SUMMER sound which is quite unusual in club music, how did this enter the party?
Since we’ve used drum fills in our solo productions, it just made sense to bring them into the DINA SUMMER sound too. We love how they add a unique twist to our music and have always been about breaking away from the usual club music norms by throwing in some dynamic and unexpected elements.
Anglo-German vocals are another constituent to DINA SUMMER, do you view the voice as just another sound texture or is the lyrical content important as well?
While the voice certainly contributes as another sound texture, we also value the importance of lyrical content. Our lyrics can range from humorous, as seen in tracks like ‘Zig Zag’ and ‘Fortune Teller’ to empowering in songs like ‘Who Am I’, ‘Dominator’, ‘All or Nothing’ and ‘Echoes of the Past’. We also delve into fictional storytelling, as seen in ‘Revenge’, which tells a horror sci-fi tale or we explore specific characters, such as the story of Rimini’s Romeo La Zanza Maurizio in the track ‘Rimini’. Our lyrics typically revolve around topics that we find interesting, important or amusing.
Photo by Petra Ruehle
‘All Or Nothing’ is very energetic and stark at the same time, but doesn’t use hi-hats in its rhythm, how did you arrive at this feel?
This distinctive feel is achieved through a combination of elements: a 16th arpeggio Moog bassline, infectious vocals, and numerous breaks featuring screaming opening filters and a deep sub bass.
‘Excess’ does what it says on the tin and is quite sweaty and sexually charged, is the viewpoint expressed autobiographical or observational?
We were captivated by the tales and visual material of Studio 54, prompting us to create a track that embodies the spirit of this legendary club. Renowned for its hedonistic vibe and lavish gatherings, Studio 54 inspired the birth of ‘Excess’. This track dives deep into the sweaty, sexually charged atmosphere synonymous with the club culture of that era, evoking feelings of unrestrained indulgence and opulence.
The Berlin music scene appears to have a lot of camaraderie, which artists have impressed you recently who are based in or around the city?
In the vibrant Berlin music scene, camaraderie runs deep, and we’re constantly inspired by the talents surrounding us. One artist who stands out for us right now is CURSES; his production prowess, DJ sets, and guest vocals truly resonate with us. So we’re very happy to have a guest appearance by him on our next album too. We also love the work of SKELESYS, FRANZ SCALA, ITALO BRUTALO, MODERNA, RADONDO, NEU-ROMANCER, ZANIAS, KRIS BAHA, and PHASE FATALE, some of whom we’ve also had the pleasure of collaborating with. On the DJ front, we’re particularly drawn to the sounds of Paty Vapor, Caillou, Ludmila Houben, Melanie Havens and Philip Strobel.
Will there be another DINA SUMMER album, does the long playing format have a place in this modern world of music consumption or is another EP more likely?
We are currently working on our album, although we’re not certain when it will be completed. It’s possible that we may release an EP before the album. However, rest assured, a DINA SUMMER album is on the horizon, and we anticipate it will be released either by the end of this year or the beginning of the next.
Photo by Petra Ruehle
What is next for you as DINA SUMMER but also individually?
Right now, we’re deeply focused on crafting our second album as DINA SUMMER, while also preparing for upcoming gigs in Switzerland and Sicily. Furthermore, we’re excited to announce our confirmed appearances at several festivals in Germany and France for the summer season with more to be announced soon.
KALIPO has some exciting releases in the works, starting with an EP set to drop on Ki Records, along with a series of performances at various venues and festivals.
Meanwhile, LOCAL SUICIDE have an impressive line-up of releases coming up. This includes a collaboration with PANKO on U’re Guay Records, an EP with VELAX featuring remixes by Arnaud Rebotini and Andre VII for Record Store Day on Iptamenos Discos, and another EP with SKELESYS later in the year again on Iptamenos. Additionally, they’ve been hard at work on several remixes scheduled for release in the coming months. While their DJ schedule is packed for the next few months, they’re also planning to take some time off this summer in Greece, Dina’s homeland, to recharge their batteries.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to DINA SUMMER
A product of Berlin, DINA SUMMER is the collaborative project comprising of Greco-German technodisco couple Dina Pascal and Max Brudi aka LOCAL SUICIDE and Nu-disco exponent Jakob Häglsperger, better known by his frozen dessert flavoured alias of KALIPO.
Blending new wave, synthpop, dark disco and techno, DINA SUMMER opened their account with the excellent single pairing of ‘Who Am I’ and ‘Fortune Teller’. Their new EP ‘Hide & Seek’ embraces synth with a cutting Mittel Europa edge following their more Italo flavoured 2022 long player ‘Rimini’. But around this time, although not featuring on the album, they covered THE FLIRTS’ Booby O produced disco classic ‘Passion’ and FRONT 242’s EBM favourite ‘Headhunter’ as free downloads to show how across the spectrum their musical tastes lay.
With an epic gothic intro, “the clock is ticking” with live sounding drum fills and frenetic blips as ‘Unter Strom’ comes shaped with stabbing synth interventions and a feminine Anglo-Germanic vocal presence for an ecstatic opening. The uptempo rhythmic thrust of ‘Hide & Seek’ offers tension and excitement using real bass guitar and a much more snarly vocal delivery in amongst all the throbbing electronics although its sparkles in a manner that puts all the synthwavers to shame with its elicit spirit. Meanwhile its ‘Club Edit’ matts the shine and takes things deeper and darker at a more steadfast past, drawing sonic parallels to another Berlin-based act NNHMN.
Photo by Petra Ruehle
Even faster but interestingly sans hi-hats is ‘All Or Nothing’; using a high energy formula with deep synthetic choirs and pitch swoops for the required burst of gloom, it is punctuated by feisty and assertive spoken words declaring “I won’t be caged”. Then with the minimal structure of a solid propulsive beat and spacious layers of electronics before a big bang of hypnotically repeating basslines, ‘Excess’ is sexy and sweaty with talk of “high leather boots”, its nonchalant narration providing an alluring incentive to dance and be corrupted.
This is an excellent EP that combines light and shade in a manner that is perfect for the dancefloor or a home soundbar. If you’ve ever wondered what happened to good electronic dance music with a grittier impassioned outlook, well it’s alive and well, and it’s right here…
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