Japanese interactive theatrical performance combo SIRO-A have been making a splash in the UK with guest appearances at ambassadorial culture events such as Hyper Japan and Japan Matsuri.
They also won the ‘Spirit Of The Fringe’ award at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011. Steadily, their audience has been building and they are now back with an autumn residency at the Leicester Square Theatre, deep in the heart of the London’s West End, for a third successive year.
Their name is derived from the Japanese word for ‘white’.
SIRO-A are often seen as Japan’s answer to BLUE MAN GROUP, the acclaimed international multi-media mime act… but err, white! Now if Neo from ‘The Matrix’ took the blue pill and went clubbing, then SIRO-A is what he might see.
SIRO-A’s show was a dynamic, theatrical slice of entertainment fusing tightly choreographed mime, computer generated visual effects, optical illusions and a Technodelic backbone… musically, there are some parallels to YELLOW MAGIC ORCHESTRA’s same titled album of experimental rhythm construction and sonic interplay.
The music was controlled by on stage DJ Kentaro Homma, while to his side was visual director Daichi Norikane who blended the show’s distinct aura. At the front though were versatile performance artists Fumiya, Toshiya Arai, Keiji Miya and Yohei.
Strangely as people took to their seats, the foursome were mingling with the audience and true to Japanese stereotype, having photos taken with them… little did they know they were about to become part of the show!
With a sharp electro soundtrack, SIRO-A had the crowd immersed in their own iPad game with a series of sketches that required lightning sharp human interaction with the pre-programmed graphics and laser effects while clothed in bizarre but futuristic costumes. Imagine six Chris Lowes dressed as Lieutenant Commander La Forge of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ moving to the music of PET SHOP BOYS ‘Relentless’ crossed with LOGIC SYSTEM. It was a highly enticing spectacle but also witty and humourous.
There was a tribute to Nintendo’s Mario who literally danced across the stage with the performers using only hand held screens to catch the fast moving projections while a series of white cubes were also used to colourful effect in a similar fashion to PET SHOP BOYS ‘Pandemonium’ tour while synchronised to a mutant chiptune. Indeed, SIRO-A and PET SHOP BOYS would make a rather interesting visual combination.
In a break from technology, there was a homage to cinema with amusing tributes of films such as ‘Skyfall’, ‘Rocky’, Rambo’, ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Singing In The Rain’ but with the visuals and even characters from those movies amusingly transformed on the screen into block capital letters.
Then there followed an affectionate send-up of Japanese culture with Sumos, Ninjas, Samurais, Yoko Ono and Pikachu all referenced before a Pythonesque animated foot stamped the end to the proceedings.
The show was then temporarily halted as SIRO-A endearingly filmed selected members of the audience shouting and waving to camera. The final two girls who participated were asked to scream the word “HAPPY”… and in a flash, all the segments were sampled and manipulated into a hilarious rendition of PHARELL WILLIAMS ‘Happy’ promptly danced to by the troupe!
But to finish the main part of the show, SIRO-A gave a rapidfire performance of their calling card routine ‘Barcode Man’. A frantic cerebral cacophony of white light polarised against a sea of black, the robotic moves combined with hypnotic but enjoyable technopop to demonstrate why SIRO-A have been impressing audiences around the world. As effectively non-verbal entertainment, SIRO-A have overcome any language and cultural barriers with the bonus of being able to be enjoyed by all generations.
And in less than an hour, it was all over. There was a short encore synching the photos from the pre-show mingling to an ensemble dance finale but SIRO-A left observers wanting more. And that’s how it should be. Theatre experiences in the West End can often be gruelling affairs to those more used to a live gig setting. But SIRO-A did not outstay their welcome and formed a perfect bridge between visual theatre and electronic music. They are a wonderful futuristic adventure into escapism.
With thanks to Georgina Hayward at Team International
SIRO-A have regular matinee and evening performances at the Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX until 11TH JANUARY 2015
For more information, visit the SIRO-A website or Leicester Square Theatre for tickets
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK have just returned from a visit to Undo Records HQ in Athens.
One of the acts they discussed were LIEBE, a Greek electro disco duo comprising George Begas and Dimos Zachariadis who coincidentally released their second album ‘Somewhere in Time’ on Undo back in 2012. Hailing from the Hellenic art capital Thessaloniki, LIEBE released their debut album ‘Club Royal’ in 2010 on Planetworks.
Their sound really does hark back to somewhere in time when Giorgio Moroder and Bobby Orlando were models of dancefloor cool, sitting on that difficult bridge between pastiche and post-modern. Brilliant songs such as ‘Strangers’, ‘Another Story’ and ‘Flamingo Nights’ all highlight the pairing’s love of synthpop and Italo, both much maligned music forms in the eyes of hipsters.
But whatever retrospective tendencies LIEBE have, what Begas and Zachariadis do is fun, melodic and danceable but with a tinge of melancholy… and they do it with panache and style, as can be seen from their promo videos.
‘I Believe In You’ is LIEBE’s most recent single and the video has been gaining traction on MTV Europe. Filmed by Nikos Tsaldaris and choreographed by Nadia Koutziabasi, the visuals see four dancers practicing their art for the cameras while a monochromatically captured Begas stares upwards at the screen, looking strangely disinterested. The music ain’t bad either…imagine if PULP’s Jarvis Cocker had joined PET SHOP BOYS in 1987 and actually tried to sing instead of speak 😉
Already onto their third album, entitled ‘Airport’ and featuring ‘I Believe In You’, it continues on the sunny, synth assisted holiday vibe as showcased on ‘Somewhere in Time’. ‘Airport’ also features highlights such as ‘Save The World’, ‘Into Your Arms’ and ‘The Distance’ which reinforce why classic European pop can still have a place in people’s hearts.
‘I Believe In You’ is taken from the album ‘Airport’ released by Hawaii Records and available from iTunes
‘Somewhere in Time’ is still available as a CD via Amazon or Undo Records online shop at http://www.undorecords.com/
‘Blown Away’ is the third album in as many years from Finnish electronic duo SIN COS TAN.
Juho Paalosmaa and Jori Hulkkonen first worked together on ‘Origin’, the only album so far from VILLA NAH who Paalosmaa was one half of. Although they supported OMD in 2010, VILLA NAH lost momentum attempting a follow-up. But as the album’s producer, Hulkkonen got on so well with Paalosmaa during those sessions, they came together as SIN COS TAN. The “disco you can cry to” magnificence of 2012’s ‘Trust’ from their self-titled debut album was their calling card and cemented their reputation.
Meanwhile, their creative chemistry has continued with a prolific work rate that shows no sign of waning in quantity or, most importantly, quality.
The new album sees SIN COS TAN not only expand their sound palette even further as showcased on previous long player ‘Afterlife’ but also adopt a concept. It follows a quirky narrative, telling the fictional story of Michael Burana: a middle-aged American facing a dead-end job and a failed marriage. Having taken a trip to Mexico to convalesce, Burana soon discovers a new career opportunity – becoming a drug courier between the United States and South America. The album follows his journey of newfound excess, fast money and hedonism. In effect, ‘Blown Away’ is sort of like a synthpop version of ‘Breaking Bad’…
Opening track ‘Divorcee’ sees Burana leaving his spouse and setting off on his adventure to an optimistically perky soundtrack of synths, marimbas, acoustic guitars and Banda horns. It’s a strangely incongruous but enjoyable mix, setting the tone for a natural progression from songs like ‘Limbo’ and ‘Ritual’ off ‘Afterlife’. The frantically paced but dreamy lead single ‘Love Sees No Colour’ is like a classic NEW ORDER song with beautifully intense and breathy vocals from Paalosmaa. It is a combination that is a perfect accompaniment for a Tex Mex sunset.
‘A New World’ though is where things get a bit more serious with a sombre house template along the darker lines of the ‘Sin Cos Tan’ debut. As the drugs start to work, ‘Colombia’ drifts into the atmospheric sub-PET SHOP BOYS territory that Hulkkonen always does so well; stabs of melody, and gorgeous string sweeps are held together over a gently percussive backbone.
‘Lifestyle’ moves towards NEW ORDER’s Italo disco leanings supplemented by minimal guitar and a strong piano motif. The mix of sunshine and melancholy on this album easily could make it SIN COS TAN’s answer to ‘Technique’. Meanwhile, ‘Traffic’ is perhaps more like Bernard Sumner’s side project ELECTRONIC; the instrumental dance leanings are more overt like one of his and Johnny Marr’s B-sides. It acts as a fitting interlude before the narcotic induced breakdown begins…
Photo by Vilhelm Sjostrom
‘Addiction’ takes the tempo down as our anti-hero slips into the downward spiral. The eerily danceable and nocturnal ‘Cocaine’ captures a corrupted panic embodied by Paalosmaa while an unexpected saxophone solo adds a suitably sleazy heat to proceedings.
As the album moves towards its inevitable grim conclusion, the ‘Blown Away’ title track adopts the template of OMD with a pulsing synthbass propelling the sinister mood with a strangely looming beauty.
It rather bizarrely sounds like Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys covering U2’s ‘With Or Without You’! As the closing ‘Heart Of America’ makes its presence felt with ‘The Star Spangled Banner’, the distinctive squelch of a TB303, clattering analogue drum machines and the building cascades of ‘Trans Europe Express’ cast doubt on the true value of The American Dream and its way of life.
‘Blown Away’ shows SIN COS TAN at their height of their powers with an adventurous musical streak that mixes synthetic and organic instrumentation with confidence, all while emotively held together by the voice of Juho Paalosmaa, Will these boys ever sit down? But when the music is as good as this, why should they?
Special thanks to Marietta Longley at Outpost Media
‘Blown Away’ is released in CD digipak, gatefold vinyl LP and download formats by Solina Records
Mark Reeder has carved out an impressive reputation for his catalogue of fine remixes since the success of his electronic dance music record label MFS which launched the careers of internationally renowned DJs such as Paul Van Dyk and Cosmic Baby.
He had moved to Berlin in 1978 having become fascinated by the artistic diversity of the city and was Factory Records’ representative in Germany between 1978 to 1982. He also worked with bands such MALARIA! and DIE TOTEN HOSEN while simultaneously being part of cult duo DIE UNBEKANNTEN who later morphed into SHARK VEGAS and toured Europe with NEW ORDER.
His passionate attention to detail gained many notable admirers within the music industry. So when Reeder focused on remixing at the start of the new century with his studio partner Micha Adam, he was given the opportunity to work with major artists such as John Foxx, PET SHOP BOYS, DEPECHE MODE and BLANK & JONES.
As the man credited for introducing NEW ORDER to electronically propelled dance music, when Mark Reeder spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK in 2011, he said: “I’m old school. I like to still be able to hear the song, but give it my own signature and atmosphere, while at the same time use as many of the original elements as possible”.
Reeder’s visceral approach provided a developmental enhancement to the music while retaining an all important degree of familiarity and accessibility. A number of these results ended up on his lush surround sound compilation package ‘Five Point One’ in 2011.To follow-up ‘Five Point One’, the revived Factory Benelux label have issued ‘Collaborator’, a new compendium of remixes and collaborations by the still Berlin-based Reeder.
A significant number of tracks feature his long-time friend Bernard Sumner who appears vocally in four guises with the songs reworked in a classic electronic style not really heard since NEW ORDER’s ‘Here To Stay’ in 2002 and ELECTRONIC with Johnny Marr. First, there are Reeder’s versions of BAD LIEUTENANT singles ‘Sink Or Swim’ and ‘Twist of Fate’ which are without doubt, more enjoyable that the guitar driven originals.
Meanwhile, the wonderful ‘Miracle Cure’ helmed by dance merchants BLANK & JONES could easily be mistaken for a NEW ORDER dance track in its Reeder interpretation. Best of all though is ‘She Wants’, Sumner’s most recent collaboration with WESTBAM – given an Old School Remix by Reeder, it does what its says on the tin.
However, the previously unreleased demo of ‘Crystal’ which Sumner first recorded with Reeder and Corvin Dalek is perhaps less essential but welcome, giving as it does, a very different Deep House view of the song from its ‘Get Ready’ rock out. But how marvellous it is to hear Sumner being given a synth driven backbone again? Now while his guitar has always been an essential ingredient to NEW ORDER, his tracks on ‘Collaborator’ are evidence if any that should the Manchester brand ever record new material again, not only should the direction be electronic but also, Mark Reeder should be behind the mixing desk as well.
‘Collaborator’ also highlights Reeder’s love of female fronted synthpop. Reeder’s So Close Remix of MARSHEAUX’s ‘So Far’ and a smooth Euro styled Sweet & Sticky rework of MARNIE’s ‘Sugarland’ display an affinity with ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s own tastes.
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But things are then taken to the next level with his remix of QUEEN OF HEARTS’ ‘Neon’; ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK is pleased to say it assisted in bringing the two parties together and the resultant Electrically Excited Remix is a rich slice of euphoric electro schaffel that has been well worth the creative intervention.
The remaining collaborations are an interestingly eclectic bunch it has to be said. How many compilations can claim to bring together post-punk veteran Anne Clark, DURAN DURAN bassist John Taylor AND artist Sam Taylor-Wood?
Clark cuts her stern poetry on ‘The Hardest Heart’, a track originally reconfigured for Reeder’s ‘Reordered’ project with BLANK & JONES while Sam Taylor-Wood teams up with old pals PET SHOP BOYS for an extended retro restyling of THE PASSIONS’ I’m In Love With A German Film Star’.
John Taylor’s ‘C’est Tout Est Noir’ however is more intriguing being a recent offering with KOISHII & HUSH and the first lead vocal from the David Beckham of New Romantic since his solo single ‘I Do What I Do’ from the ‘9 ½ Weeks’ soundtrack in 1986. Reeder’s Black Night Remix improves on the original, bringing with it a body of stark musicality as well as bringing out the moodier aspects of the song.
The conclusion of the album completes the circle of Reeder’s musical journey and goes back to DIE UNBEKANNTEN’s ‘Radio War’ from 1982 and SHARK VEGAS’ 1986 Factory Records release ‘You Hurt Me’. This pair of archive recordings actually shows how Reeder’s own musical journey has to an extent, mirrored that of Sumner’s.
‘Radio War’ is more like JOY DIVISION, all doom laden, bass heavy and claustrophobic while ‘You Hurt Me’ produced by Bernard Sumner is characterised by the sort of New York disco sequence programming that made NEW ORDER famous. Both are interesting curios in the story of how Reeder has arrived here today.
In the excellent interview by John Cooper featured within the booklet liner notes, Reeder says: “I always want my remixes to be as recognisable as their original song. This is always my concern when making a remix”.
This CD only package (please take note record labels – vinyl is NOT everything!) is a fine catalogue of MARK REEDER’s career to date covering key aspects of classic and contemporary electronic pop. ‘Collaborator’ proves that the modern day club remix doesn’t have to be death by four-to-the-floor and can be a song oriented art form in itself.
With thanks to James Nice at Factory Benelux
‘Collaborator’ is available now on CD only via Factory Benelux from Amazon and other retail outlets
Portland born Stephen Hague first came to musical prominence in 1984 with his production of Malcolm McLaren’s ‘Madam Butterfly’, an incongruous blend of opera, soul, hip-hop and electropop.
Although an experienced hand having already notched up a hit with the breakdancing novelty record ‘(Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew’ in 1983, the cinematic arthouse resonance of ‘Madam Butterfly’ allowed Hague to be taken more seriously musically. As one of the first advocates of digital recording, he was seen as someone who could helm a modern polished sound to maximise the dynamics of the then new compact disc medium.
Two acts who were listening closely were OMD and PET SHOP BOYS. Hague’s first full album production was OMD’s ‘Crush’ in 1985 but it was with his re-recorded version of ‘West End Girls’ that PET SHOP BOYS hit No1 in both the UK and US in 1986. Interestingly, the character of its distinctive bass synth was achieved by Hague coercing a reluctant Chris Lowe into hand playing the riff while the track fulfilled Neil Tennant’s concept of the duo sounding “like an English rap group”. Hague’s work on ‘West End Girls’ made him a producer-in-demand and started an imperial phase which mirrored that of PET SHOP BOYS themselves.
Although Hague was not involved in OMD’s massive American hit ‘If You Leave’ from the John Hughes teen flick ‘Pretty In Pink’, he was the music supervisor of Hughes’ next film ‘Some Kind of Wonderful’ which included PROPAGANDA and FURNITURE in the soundtrack. He then went through a particularly prolific period with a variety of synth flavoured acts such as NEW ORDER, ERASURE and COMMUNARDS, while also working with artists as diverse as PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED, ONE DOVE, BROTHER BEYOND and THE MODERN.
One of the main criticisms of Stephen Hague’s sound was that his wash of digital synths and smoothed over percussion lacked edge. But as Hague would argue, pop music “carries certain traditions of structure and expectation”. Thus his work made considerations to the placement of instruments and voices, while giving any new technology an organic touch that still sounded positively futuristic.
Hague later got his foot in the door occasionally during the Britpop era with productions for DUBSTAR, BLUR, JAMES and even MANIC STREET PREACHERS. But it is electronic pop that Hague is best known for and his best work has certainly pointed to an affinity with synthetic textures. So quite why REM asked him to produce a demo, only for them to then complain that the results were too synth heavy, remains a mystery.
When ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK first acquired a car, a mix tape conceived around Hague’s various productions was the first cassette created for its incumbent entertainment system. In effect, this was a various artists compilation but with a wonderfully cohesive sonic core.
So what 18 songs would go on an imaginary compilation today as an introduction to the work of this under rated, but very gifted producer? Listed in chronological order with a restriction of one song per artist moniker, here are our choices…
MALCOLM McLAREN Madam Butterfly (1984)
Based on Puccini’s iconic work, ‘Madam Butterfly’ became Stephen Hague’s production showcase with DX slap bass and a reverberating drum machine sitting next to haunting synth motifs and a highly emotive aria. With the late McLaren in the role of Colonel Pinkerton, the beautifully soulful vocal of Deborah Cole as Cho-Cho San and operatic stylings from Betty-Ann White provided a refreshing sound that was one of the most beautiful records from the early digital era.
Available on the album ‘Fans’ via Charisma Records
Inspired by the steadfast groove of Grace Jones’ ‘Slave To The Rhythm’, ‘(Forever) Live & Die’ had been written alone by Paul Humphreys about missing his then wife Maureen who was away working on a ballet. While the song pointed more towards the Trans-Atlantic aspirations of OMD following the success of ‘If You Leave’ in America, it still possessed elements of their Kling Klang inspired roots with KRAFTWERK-influenced derived choirs looming in the mix.
PET SHOP BOYS & DUSTY SPRINGFIELD What Have I Done To Deserve This? (1987)
‘What Have I Done To Deserve This?’ sounded like three songs morphed into one, but that was because it actually was. Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant did their respective pop art sections while Allie Willis who co-wrote ‘Boogie Wonderland’ came up with the rather blissful chorus. The song went into another sphere once Dusty Springfield was brought out of semi-retirement to add her voice and ad-libs. The smoothness of Hague’s production provided the perfect backing.
‘True Faith’ was a superb indicator of how Hague could transform a band without necessarily hindering their ethos. Hague insisted that Bernard Sumner laid down his lead vocal early on in the recording so that the instrumentation could be built around his voice. The result was that there was a more subtle dynamic space in the finished track with the occasionally messy wall of sound effect that had been a characteristic of NEW ORDER’s self-produced recordings reduced.
If a young Rod Stewart had joined PET SHOP BOYS, what would the end result have sounded like? It might probably have been like CLIMIE FISHER. The late Rob Fisher had Stateside success in NAKED EYES while Simon Climie had proved his worth with his No1 song ‘I Knew You Were Waiting’ for Aretha Franklin and George Michael. ‘Love Changes (Everything)’ continued that latter tradition, but with slightly more synthesized backing.
Available on the album ‘Everything’ via Edsel Records
Probably Hague’s best known production worldwide, ‘A Little Respect’ was perfection from the off with its combination of Vince Clarke’s pulsing programming and strummed acoustic guitar. As the busy rhythmical engine kicked in, Andy Bell went from a tenor to a piercing falsetto to provide the dynamic highs and lows that are always omnipresent in all the great pop songs like ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore’ and ‘Careless Whisper’.
The former front man of FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD’s first hit ‘Love Train’ had been mixed by Hague but the producer was fully involved in the recording of ‘Heaven’s Here’, a stand out track from the ‘Blast’ album which also later came out as a single. A lush love ballad, ‘Heaven’s Here’ took a leaf out of ERASURE’s vocal sensitivity to allow Johnson to present a less in-yer-face vocal style that perhaps he had not really visited since ‘The Power Of Love’.
Available on the album ‘Blast’ via Cherry Red Records
Having worked on THE COMMUNARDS’ ‘Red’ opus which spawned a rather fabulous cover of ‘Never Can Say Goodbye’, Stephen Hague was often a willing conspirator in aiding Somerville’s reputation as a falsetto Karaoke machine. However, ‘Heaven Here On Earth’ was a beautifully sumptuous layered self-composition from Somerville that was one of the best tracks on his debut solo offering ‘Read My Lips’. The staccato voice samples towards the song’s conclusion provided an enticing lift.
Available on the album ‘Read My Lips’ via Polygram Records
With an epic orchestration and the ghost of Brel deep within its arrangement, ‘A Lover Spurned’ could only have been a single by Marc Almond. A forerunner to the Trevor Horn assisted second side concept of ‘Tenement Symphony’ that was to come a year later, ‘A Lover Spurned’ was Almond at his narrative best with ‘The Life & Loves Of A She-Devil’ actress Julie T Wallace giving a stern spoken cameo as the title character that added a ‘Fatal Attraction’ menace to proceedings.
BANDERAS were vocalist Caroline Buckley and instrumentalist Sally Herbert and ‘This Is Your Life’ with its sample from Grace Jones ‘Crack Attack’ had a distinct Pet Shop Girls behavioural vibe to it. There was also the added bonus of Johnny Marr on rhythm guitar plus a terrific middle eight section featuring Bernard Sumner on backing vocals before an emotive synth solo. “There is no rehearsal, no second chance” sang Buckley and Sumner rather prophetically…
It seemed a strange pairing but what Stephen Hague brought to The Banshees was an exotic Middle Eastern sheen driven by synthesizers that was complimented by some sparkling rhythm guitar. Long standing fans were outraged but ‘Kiss Them For Me’ possessed an accessibility that prised away some of the perceived threatening spectres of their previous work. Siouxsie Sioux may have been unhappy with the ‘Superstition’ album overall, but it yielded a huge US hit.
Available on the album ‘Superstition’ via Universal Music
The join between NEW ORDER and PET SHOP BOYS became totally blurred with this Europop number inspired by ‘Désenchantée’ by Mylène Farmer. Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr were joined by occasional member Neil Tennant on lead vocals. The effect of Stephen Hague’s input can be heard markedly with ELECTRONIC’s original mix effectively a high quality demo while Hague’s pop sensibilities transformed ‘Disappointed’ into a fully functioning hit single.
Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris were THE OTHER TWO; ‘Selfish’ was another exquisite Stephen Hague production with its rich synthetic strings and lively but unobtrusive machine driven rhythms. Gilbert’s resigned vocal about “someone I hate” added to the inherent melancholy. Meanwhile the simulated acoustic guitar solo could easily have been represented by some Hooky bass had this number been a NEW ORDER recording, such was its melodic but understated quality.
Imagine Marc Almond impersonating Anthony Newley with a Gallic twist? Like some obscure monochromatic Nouvelle Vague movie theme, ‘To The End’ needed a lusher orchestrated treatment than for BLUR’s usual mockney Britpop, so Hague was brought in to produce it. Given added authenticity by Laetitia Sadier from STEREOLAB’s sanguine “Jusqu’a la fin – En plein soleil” and Hague’s accordion playing, ‘To The End’ was popular with casual listeners.
Available on the album ‘The Best Of’ via Food Records
Glorious string synths, rich bass and contemporary beats accompanied Sarah Blackwood’s girl-next-door vocal on DUBSTAR’s biggest UK hit single. The lyrical kitchen sink dramatics fitted well with the lush backing of ‘Stars’ as the trio stood on the bridge between synthpop and Cool Britannia. Hague produced a second album ‘Goodbye’ for DUBSTAR while he continued his association with Blackwood when she formed CLIENT.
Available on the album ‘Disgraceful’ via Food Records
The brainchild of multi-instrumentalist Kate Holmes, TECHNIQUE were a female interpretation of PET SHOP BOYS crossed with NEW ORDER’s post-punk edge. The usual Hague poptastic trademarks were present on ‘You & Me’ and while not a hit in the UK, it was in the Far East via a cover version by Coco Lee. TECHNIQUE were booked to support DEPECHE MODE but when singer Xan Tyler went left, DUBSTAR’s Sarah Blackwood was recruited… that duo morphed into CLIENT…
A-HA were undergoing a renaissance following ‘Minor Earth:Major Sky’. Stephen Hague produced four tracks on the follow-up ‘Lifelines’, the best of which was ‘You Wanted More’. Morten Harket had worked with Hague previously on a cover of ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You’ for the ‘Coneheads’ soundtrack. So with A-HA’s lush melancholic pop drama, the artistic union with Hague was particularly apt. Harket hit his marvellous falsetto in the chorus while a gospel sample added a strange twist.
Available on the album ‘Lifelines’ via WEA Records
One of two tracks Hague co-wrote and recorded for Ms Brücken’s ‘ComBined’ retrospective collection, ‘Thank You’ was like a Bond Theme reimagined by MASSIVE ATTACK, held together by a sumptuous percussive mood. The fruitful partnership led to a full album of reinterpretations entitled ‘The Lost Are Found’ which came out in 2012. Interestingly, it saw Hague revisit two of his original productions ‘Kings Cross’ and ‘The Day I See You Again’.
Available on the album ‘ComBined’ via Salvo / Union Square Music
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With thanks to Georgina Hayward at Team International
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