Every now and again a debut release comes along that just screams “star in the making”.
REIN is the polar opposite end of the electronic music spectrum to the likes of CHVRCHES, but it’s plain to see that she is on the fast track to achieving success.
Joanna Reinikainen was born in 1990 in Sweden near to the capital city of Stockholm. She felt like an outsider in her youth, she was different to her peers. When she was thirteen, her father took her to see KRAFTWERK.
It was a revelation and she knew then that she wanted to write and produce her own music. It could be said it wasn’t a huge surprise as the music business is in her genes, her father was a successful pop star in Sweden in the 1980s.
She cites NITZER EBB as a big influence and her own material as addictive, drum heavy EBM. She was the guest vocalist on Swedish duo OPERATING TRACKS single ‘Testify’ in 2015 and then went on to record her debut EP at the end of that year. Released in January 2016, it created an instant buzz about this fiercely independent female music artist.
The self-titled EP is a five track statement of intent, to showcase her abilities and talent. Track one is a hard hitting, adrenaline pumping anthem ‘There Is No Authority But Yourself’. Don’t expect hearts and flowers, all REIN’s tracks are gritty and could be said to be a bit gloom laden, but REIN likes to tell it as it is. Second track ‘Concrete Jungle’ has an unexpected softer vocal to begin with, but then hits back with a bombastic climax.
‘Can’t Handle Me’ is a defiant, hook laden blockbuster, followed by ‘Rebel Girls’ which could be a homage to the strong, political women that she admires in the music industry like MIA, the British solo artist. DIE ANTWOORD would be another act she would like to work with too, given the opportunity. The EP’s last track ‘Born To Die’ is a life reality checker and undeniably punk inspired.
She loves to write and produce in the studio, mainly on computers but is just as passionate about performing live. As expected, she is a force on stage with just a female drummer, Irina Rojas for company. So it’s no surprise that fellow countrymen COVENANT wanted her to support on their upcoming tour, while she will be performing as support to the iconic electronic pairing DAF at BodyFest on 15th October 2016. More live dates in Sweden have been announced and having just signed to Playground Music, a new single is expected later in the spring.
With thanks to Andreas Jismark
The ‘Rein’ EP is released by Cold School and available via the usual digital platforms
Without doubt, Mute Records is one of the most important record labels in the history of electronic music.
While the early electronic legacy of Virgin Records helped the genre gain its first foothold in the mainstream, the discerning ethos of Mute has maintained its presence in both pop and more experimental fields.
Like many, Mute supremo Daniel Miller began taking an interest in synthesizers as tools for making pop music after hearing KRAFTWERK’s ‘Autobahn’. The son of Austrian Jewish refugees, he was DJing on the continent after completing his film studies course when he became enthralled by the Kling Klang sound.
He was inspired to make electronic music himself but at the time, the equipment was prohibitively expensive. That all changed with the advent of affordable synthesizers from Japan manufactured by the likes of Korg and Roland.
Already a fan of German kosmische scene, his sense of experimentation and an adoption of punk’s DIY ethic led him to buying a Korg 700s. Wanting to make a punk single with electronics, he wrote and recorded ‘Warm Leatherette’ b/w ‘TVOD’ for a one-off independent single release in 1978. He needed a label name and chose ‘Mute’ after the button that came on the equipment that he had used as a film studies student.
Distributed by Rough Trade, MUTE 001 was a surprise success and thanks to him including his mother’s North London home address on the back of the striking monochromatic crash test dummy sleeve, Miller started receiving cassettes from kindred spirits who were keen to explore the brave new electronic world; he realised that a new scene was developing.
Through his connections at Rough Trade, he became aware of former art student Frank Tovey. As FAD GADGET, Tovey recorded ‘Back To Nature’ which was issued as MUTE 002 in October 1979. A seminal work that was also critically acclaimed, it helped establish Mute’s credentials as a champion of electronic music.
The first album released on Mute was ‘Die Kleinen Und Die Bösen’ by German band DEUTSCH AMERIKANISCHE FREUNDSCHAFT (DAF) in March 1980. Miller had signed them because “they weren’t relying on past rock”. The majority of STUMM 1 was recorded with the legendary Conny Plank at the controls of the studio recordings, while the remainder came from tape of a live gig at London’s Electric Ballroom.
DAF set the ball rolling in furthering Mute’s aspirations, while the Germanic influence continued through into the label’s cataloguing system as the album prefix Stumm was the German word for Mute.
Meanwhile, Miller was fascinated about the idea of synthesizers as the future of popular music and conceived a teenage pop group who would use only synths; he called them SILICON TEENS although in reality, this was actually his solo electronic covers project. Something of a novelty, his cover of ‘Red River Rock’ ended up on the closing credits of the Steve Martin / John Candy comedy ‘Planes, Trains & Automobiles’ in 1987!
But Miller’s dream became flesh and blood when he came across a young quartet from Basildon called DEPECHE MODE. Signed on a handshake 50/50 deal, while the group was a chart success, they fragmented after their 1981 debut album ‘Speak & Spell’. However the remaining trio of Andy Fletcher, Dave Gahan and Martin Gore recruited Alan Wilder, soldiered on and the rest is history. Meanwhile, the departed Vince Clarke went on to further success with YAZOO, THE ASSEMBLY and ERASURE.
With the label’s commercial success, Mute were able to back more experimental releases from Germany including the quirky single ‘Fred Vom Jupiter’ by ANDREAS DORAU & DIE MARINAS, and ‘Los Ninos Del Parque’ by LIAISONS DANGEREUSES. Mute’s business ethos, where money made from record sales allowed acts to develop within a sympathetic creative environment free from interference, proved to be key to its artistic and financial prosperity.
As the label expanded over the years, further signings included EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN, LAIBACH, WIRE, BOMB THE BASS (through the Blast First subsidiary), INSPIRAL CARPETS, GOLDFRAPP while Moby and Nick Cave proved to be amongst the big successes . Meanwhile Miller took the ultimate step in his love of German music, acquiring the rights to the music of CAN and becoming the winning bidder for the vocoder used on ‘Autobahn’ when it came up for auction!
In May 2002, Mute Records was bought by EMI for £23m, although Miller remained as a figurehead and in charge of the company’s global activities. The label became the brand for the multi-national’s electronic music activities and when KRAFTWERK’s back catalogue was finally remastered by EMI, it was released under the Mute banner.
However, with rapid changes occurring within the industry as a result of the new digital marketplace, EMI and Miller reached an agreement in September 2010 to establish a second independently run record label under the name Mute Artists for new acts, while the Mute Records name and rights to the label’s archive recordings remained under the control of EMI via its new owners Universal. As owners of their own catalogue, DEPECHE MODE formally ended their association with the label that launched them and signed a lucrative licencing agreement with Sony BMG.
But the Mute story continues with acts such as MAPS and Polly Scattergood, while Miller’s latest addition to the roster has been NEW ORDER whose new album ‘Music Complete’ will be out on 28th September 2015.
So what twenty albums or EPs best represent Mute’s electronic legacy? With a restriction of one release per artist moniker, here are ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s choices…
FAD GADGET Fireside Favourites (1980)
Following the success of singles ‘Back To Nature’ and ‘Ricky’s Hand’ with a small but loyal fanbase now established, a FAD GADGET album was eagerly anticipated. It came in September 1980 with ‘Fireside Favourites’ co-produced with Eric Radcliffe and John Fryer. it developed on the minimal industrialism of the singles. The superb ‘Coitus Interruptus’ was a cynical commentary on casual relationships while the Cold War tensions were documented on ‘Fireside Favourite’.
Following the acclaim that was accorded to THE NORMAL, Daniel Miller decided to undertake a new project where rock ’n’ roll standards such as ‘Memphis Tennessee’, ‘Just Like Eddie’ and ‘Let’s Dance’ were reinterpreted in a synthpop style, with Miller singing like he had a clothes peg attached to his nose. With his inherent shyness, the vehicle he used was SILICON TEENS, a fictitious synth group where several young actors were hired to appear in videos and do press interviews.
Disillusioned by the pop circus following the singles success of ‘New Life and ‘Just Can’t Get Enough’, Vince Clarke departed DEPECHE MODE in late 1981 and formed YAZOO with Alison Moyet. Although they only released two albums, YAZOO’s impact was long lasting. The debut ‘Upstairs at Eric’s’ was a perfect union of passionate bluesy vocals and pristinely programmed synthpop. Songs such as ‘Only You, ‘Don’t Go’, ‘Midnight’ and ‘Winter Kills’ set a high standard but the duo parted ways.
In a departure from DAF’s pioneering electronic body music, drummer Robert Görl lightened up considerably with a solo synthpop record that even had him posing bare chested by a swimming pool on the cover. ‘Night Full Of Tension’ even featured vocal contributions from EURYTHMICS’ Annie Lennox on ‘Charlie Cat’ and ‘Darling Don’t Leave Me’. Although not featuring on the original LP, the brooding but accessible single ‘Mit Dir’ was an electronic cult classic and included on the CD reissue.
Although success for ERASURE was not instant with debut album ‘Wonderland’ and its lost single ‘Oh L’Amour’, the chemistry between Clarke and Bell possessed a special spark. ERASURE toured the college circuit and built up a loyal fanbase, eventually hitting chart paydirt with ‘Sometimes’. ERASURE added political commentary ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be’ and ‘The Circus’ title track, while songs such as ‘Spiralling’ and ‘Hideaway’ confirmed they were more than just a great singles act.
Controversial Slovenians LAIBACH played with Teutonic rhythms and Third Reich imagery, while their unique covers of QUEEN’s ‘One Vision’ and OPUS’ ‘Life Is Life’ indicated they were either ironic art terrorists or preachers of a dangerous political message. Mute were accused of tolerating artists with far right sympathies but with Daniel Miller’s Jewish heritage, this was unlikely. Their industrial torture made an impact with ‘Opus Dei’, particularly on RAMMSTEIN.
‘Counterfeit’ allowed Gore to indulge in six covers with varying origins. The emotive traditional standard ‘Motherless Child’ revealed his love of the Blues while a great version of SPARKS’ ‘Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth’ was a fitting look back at the eccentric pop that would have fed the young Mr Gore. Reinterpretations of cult artists such as TUXEDOMOON, THE DURUTTI COLUMN and THE COMSAT ANGELS revealed there was a lot more to Gore’s record collection.
Why is ‘Violator’ so important and highly celebrated? It is still DEPECHE MODE’s most complete and accomplished body of work. It was the classic Fletcher/Gahan/Gore/Wilder line-up firing on all cylinders and at their most happiest as a unit. The end result was four hit singles but also songs such as ‘Halo’, ‘Waiting For The Night’ and ‘Clean’ which were easily their equal. And on ‘Blue Dress’, Gore’s lyrics possessed an honesty that while dark and deviant, still retained a naïve innocence.
‘As Is’ saw Essex industrialists NITZER EBB at the height of their imperial powers. Although produced by the band, each song was mixed by a different artist or producer. These included Jaz Coleman from KILLING JOKE, producer Flood and MAGAZINE’s Barry Adamson. But the best number was ‘Come Alive’ mixed by Alan Wilder which had the legacy of ‘Violator’ stamped all over it. The subsequent album ‘Ebbhead’ which was produced by Wilder and Flood.
While there had been two EPs ‘1 + 2’ and ‘Hydrology’ by RECOIL, Alan Wilder’s solo sideline to DEPECHE MODE, it wasn’t until 1992 that there was a full length album. ‘Bloodline’ featured vocals from NITZER EBB’s Douglas McCarthy, Toni Halliday of CURVE and Moby. Wilder’s brooding electronic soundscapes and meticulous production made their presence felt and it was McCarthy’s contributions to a cover of Alex Harvey’s ‘Faith Healer’ that stole the show.
When Moby was signed by Daniel Miller, he was considered to be a one hit wonder with ‘Go’ in 1991. His first proper album ‘Everything Is Wrong’ arrived in 1995. The superb instrumental ‘First Cool Hive’, the happy hardcore of ‘Feeling So Real’, the gospel punk of ‘All That I Need Is To Be Loved’ and the neo-classical ‘Hymn’ showcased his eclectic tastes. Miller’s tremendous foresight turned out to be a wise decision when the unexpected success of ‘Play’ in 1999 provided a boost for Mute.
London duo Simon Leonard and David Baker began as I START COUNTING and then morphed into FORTRAN 5. But as KOMPUTER, they created some heavily KRAFTWERK influenced numbers to make up for the lack of new material. From their first ‘EP’, ‘We Are Komputer’ was their own ‘The Robots’, while there was also the tribute to the first female Cosmonaut ‘Valentina Tereshkova’ which mined ‘The Model’.
The concept of PEACH was ‘ABBA meets THE KLF’. Released in September 1997, ‘Audiopeach’ is one of those albums that has been lost in the midst of ‘Cool Britannia’. The album’s reputation was based on the participation of its two instrumentalists Pascal Gabriel and Paul Statham. Completing PEACH’s line-up was singer Lisa Lamb. The album’s launch single ‘On My Own’ was classic pop for the modern era with Lamb’s vocal delivery akin to Belinda Carlisle going electro.
While LADYTRON were using their Korg MS20s making sinewaves in a more pop oriented setting, ADD N To (X) took their MS series synths into more obscure, experimental territory. ‘Add Insult To Injury’ had one half written / performed by Ann Shenton and Steve Claydon, while the other was written / performed by Barry 7. The wonderful robotic sexual tension of ‘Plug Me In’ and the creepy noise fest of ‘Hit For Cheese’ were highlights.
‘Felt Mountain’ was a superb introduction to the then electro Weimar Cabaret cinematics of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. Beginning with the superb ‘Lovely Head’ with its spine tingling whistle and MS20 assisted banshee wails, the album thrilled with Morricone style widescreen inflections to accompany an ascent to the Matterhorn rather than a trek through a Spaghetti Western. ‘Felt Mountain’ was a slow burner that was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.
VINCENT CLARKE & MARTYN WARE Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle (2001)
‘Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle’ was composed as part of an installation where the colours referred to in the titles of the six lengthy pieces were ‘programmed to cross fade imperceptibly to create an infinite variation of hue’ in a white clothed room. Tracks like ‘White – You Are In Heaven’, ‘Yellow – You Are On A Beach’, ‘Blue – You Are Underwater’ and’ Green – You Are In A Forest’ were all utilised to full effect with a binaural 3D mixing technique best heard using headphones.
In 2002, DUBSTAR’s Sarah Blackwood was recruited to front synthpop duo TECHNIQUE by Kate Holmes. In Leipzig supporting DEPECHE MODE, they became CLIENT and were mysteriously referred to as Client A and Client B in a ‘1984’ inspired Orwellian twist. Signed to Mute via Andy Fletcher’s Toast Hawaii imprint, they announced “Client… satisfaction guaranteed… innovate never imitate… we aim to please… at your service” before a “F*** OFF! DON’T TOUCH ME THERE!”
His solo debut ‘Paper Monsters’ was a disappointment, but Dave Gahan was still finding his feet as a songwriter, becoming more realised on ‘Playing The Angel’. ‘Hourglass’ was better and ‘Kingdom’ could have made a great DM recording. But in the same way that Mick Jagger’s 1984 Nile Rodgers produced solo debut LP having very few takers meant that the ROLLING STONES would continue ad infinitum, would DEPECHE MODE still be going if Mr Gahan’s solo career had taken off?
While Mute continues to diversify, the more esoteric pop aspirations of Mute’s synthetic roster continues. MAPS is the vehicle of James Chapman; with a more expansive electronic template, his third album ‘Vicissitude’ was a selection of very personal songs with a strong melodic backbone. Unafraid to let the instrumental synth elements take a role in the overall aesthetic, tracks like ‘AMA’ and ‘You Will Find a Way’ put MAPS into the same league as M83 and EAST INDIA YOUTH.
Polly Scattergood signalled the more electronic journey of her second album ‘Arrows’ with the marvellous electro-COCTEAU TWINS twist of ‘Wanderlust’. While there were still signs of her folkier roots, synthetic textures and technological trickery were very much part of the action. The sad but driving pop of ‘Falling’ and ‘Subsequently Lost’ attracted empathy with Polly World, while the highly emotive ‘Miss You’ and the dreamy ‘Cocoon’ displayed her vulnerability.
Whilst the whole Industrial genre of electronic music continues to struggle with its identity and overall sound (the cancellation of the recent Alt-Fest hardly helping the cause), there is always going to be a place for the innovators, those that lead and don’t follow, and such was the case at a packed Garage in Highbury.
Just getting into the venue to see DIE KRUPPS was an event itself.
The early start of the gig meant that following an Emirates cup match against Benfica, waves of Arsenal fans swept down the Highbury Crescent towards the nearest tube. Meanwhile, a motley crew of EBM / Goth and Industrial fans gallantly fought against the red tide the other way towards The Garage, prompting a few stares of disbelief and sideways glances at some of the more exotically attired DIE KRUPPS devotees!
Fortunately black and red didn’t mix in any confrontational manner and both parties wound their way to their destinations happily. DIE KRUPPS are rightly cited as a huge influence on the Industrial / EBM music scene, their 30 year career inspiring the likes of NITZER EBB, FRONT 242, DEPECHE MODE and most significantly the German masters of Industrial Metal, RAMMSTEIN.
The band now comprises of founder members Jürgen Engler on vocals and PROPAGANDA’s Ralf Dörper on synths, alongside guitarist Marcel Zürcher and American drummer Bradley Bills.
DIE KRUPPS have adopted LOU REED’s ‘Metal Machine Music’ as a way to describe their sound and this is a pretty adept way of giving identity to their songs, each track centred around big, sequenced analogue basslines, crushing guitars, live / electronic drums and chanted lyrics. The set opened with ‘Ein Blick Zurück Im Zorn’ from current album ‘The Machinists of Joy’ and this pretty much set the tone for the evening with its fast-paced 16 step sequenced bass intro and tough, but melodic / anthemic chorus.
The track that followed, ‘The Dawning Of Doom’, really showcased how indebted RAMMSTEIN are to the band for pioneering the combination of electronics and heavy guitar textures, to the point where Til Lindemann’s group wrote ‘Tier’ as a tribute, incorporating the main riff of this DIE KRUPPS track into it.
Most of the night’s set was divided between the current album and the previous one ‘The Final Option’, but there was an extra treat when five songs in, ex-CLIENT and DUBSTAR’s Sarah Blackwood joined the band for their amped-up version of VISAGE’s ‘The Anvil’ in German, ‘Der Amboss’.
Although The Garage sound crew seemed a little unprepared for the appearance of Miss Blackwood, the band delivered a superb version which the crowd loved, especially as it gave frontman Engler a chance to use his custom-made ‘steel-o-phone’ on the anvil-bashing sections of the track.
Highlights included ‘Robo Sapien’ with its Teutonic string line intro and chanted chorus and ‘Part Of The Machine’ which was driven by a KRAFTWERK-style hi-Q drum pattern and a catchy-as-hell high-register synth hook from Dörper. Following a thirteen song set, the band were brought back out for two encores, the first with ‘Machineries of Joy’ and ‘Crossfire’ before then for one final track ‘Bloodsuckers’, which saw Engler stood atop of his ‘steel-o-phone’ soaking up the adulation of the crowd.
It could be argued that after experiencing a DIE KRUPPS gig, they don’t have that one killer stand-out track, yet conversely this fits in with the whole machine-led / factory production-line aesthetic where songs are rolled out one after the other, and when that particular song-mould is such a strong one, why mess with die formel.
What was refreshing about tonight’s performance was that it avoided all the usual Industrial music clichés, there were no dubious synth / trance riffs or distorted 909 kicks, just a band that had stuck to its guns with a sound that eventually influenced many others to follow.
Ralf Dörper was impeccably cool throughout, whilst his fellow band members put on a crowd-pleasing and energetic show that belied their 30 years in the industry. The turn out at The Garage will have certainly reminded DIE KRUPPS how appreciated they are and if you get a chance to catch this legendary band live, it is certainly worth it if you appreciate a harder-edged electronic sound to your music and want to be Part Of The Machine.
Setlist:
Ein Blick Zurück Im Zorn
The Dawning of Doom
Risikofaktor
Essenbeck
Der Amboss (with Sarah Blackwood)
The Machinist of Joy
Part Of The Machine
Schmutzfabrik
Robo Sapien
Metal Machine Music
To The Hilt
Nazis Auf Speed
Fatherland
—
Machineries of Joy
Crossfire
—
Bloodsuckers
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for a one-off independent single release in 1978. He needed a label name and chose ‘Mute’ after the button that came on the equipment that he had used as a film studies student.
which was issued as MUTE 002 in October 1979. A seminal work that was also critically acclaimed, it helped establish Mute’s credentials as a champion of electronic music.
by German band DEUTSCH AMERIKANISCHE FREUNDSCHAFT (DAF) in March 1980. Miller had signed them because “they weren’t relying on past rock”. The majority of STUMM 1 was recorded with the legendary 
. However the remaining trio of Andy Fletcher, Dave Gahan and Martin Gore recruited Alan Wilder, soldiered on and the rest is history. Meanwhile, the departed Vince Clarke went on to further success with YAZOO, THE ASSEMBLY and ERASURE.
will be out on 28th September 2015.
was released as STUMM 3
was released as STUMM 2
was released as STUMM 7
was released as STUMM 16
was released as STUMM 35
was released as STUMM 44
released as STUMM 67
was released as STUMM 64
was released as MUTE 122
was released as STUMM 94
was released as STUMM 130
was released as MUTE 175
was released as STUMM 153
was released as STUMM 187
was released as STUMM 188
was released as STUMM 194
was released as TH 003
was released as STUMM 288
was released as STUMM 354
was released as STUMM 328
Whilst the whole Industrial genre of electronic music continues to struggle with its identity and overall sound (the cancellation of the recent Alt-Fest hardly helping the cause), there is always going to be a place for the innovators, those that lead and don’t follow, and such was the case at a packed Garage in Highbury.
DIE KRUPPS have adopted LOU REED’s ‘Metal Machine Music’ as a way to describe their sound and this is a pretty adept way of giving identity to their songs, each track centred around big, sequenced analogue basslines, crushing guitars, live / electronic drums and chanted lyrics. The set opened with ‘Ein Blick Zurück Im Zorn’
from current album ‘The Machinists of Joy’ and this pretty much set the tone for the evening with its fast-paced 16 step sequenced bass intro and tough, but melodic / anthemic chorus.
Highlights included ‘Robo Sapien’ with its Teutonic string line intro and chanted chorus and ‘Part Of The Machine’ which was driven by a KRAFTWERK-style hi-Q drum pattern and a catchy-as-hell high-register synth hook from Dörper. Following a thirteen song set, the band were brought back out for two encores, the first with ‘Machineries of Joy’ and ‘Crossfire’ before then for one final track ‘Bloodsuckers’, which saw Engler stood atop of his ‘steel-o-phone’ soaking up the adulation of the crowd.
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