Tag: Poeme Electronique

POEME ELECTRONIQUE Interview

Named after the 1958 electro acoustic composition by Edgard Varèse, London quartet POEME ELECTRONIQUE are best known for releasing just one single ‘The Echoes Fade’ on Carrere Records back in 1982.

Comprising of Julie Ruler (vocals), Sharon Abbott (vocals), Dave Hewson (synthesizers) and Les Hewson (bass), the sub-7 minute single was championed by John Peel and became a much sought after collector’s item when there came retrospective demand for what was now being called “minimal synth” and “coldwave”.

This interest prompted Marc Schaffer of Anna Logue Records to track down and contact Dave Hewson in 2007 who by now has disbanded POEME ELECTRONIQUE and quietly having as a successful career as a composer, arranger and producer for television and film; one of his best known productions was ‘Anyone Can Fall In Love’, the vocal version of the ‘Eastenders’ theme by Anita Dobson.

The end result of the link up with Anna Logue Records was a 7” reissue of ‘The Echoes Fade’ in gently remixed form and more significantly in 2009, a double album set of previously unreleased POEME ELECTRONIQUE material recorded back in the day. The union also led to the formation of TWINS NATALIA and the album ‘The Destiny Room’ which reunited Hewson in the studio with Julie Ruler and Sharon Abbott to music that has been co-written with Schaffer.

Dave Hewson spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about synths, POEME ELECTRONIQUE, TWINS NATALIA and much more…

You studied at Trinity College of Music, how did you becoming interested in using synthesizers?

I was given an amazing opportunity as a teenager while still studying at school, to be given a scholarship to be able to go to the Royal College of Music’s electronic music studio once a week, where I was given tuition in electronic music composition with Lawrence, Cassidy and Tristan Carey. Prior to this, I had to started to experiment with Musique Concrete techniques, as I had been gifted a small Phillips tape machine.

The early compositions that I created in the early late 60s and early 70s were made using tape editing and loop techniques. To the credit of our local education authority, they maybe could foresee a future for me in the world of electronic music creation.

I also experimented with various tape speeds, reversed, sounds, all the kinds of things you would expect from the Radiophonic Workshop, which was a source of fascination and inspiration for me. I had written and a lot of classical compositions that I never saw being able to being performed, so I worked out, that if I had a machine to produce my music, I could create record and make my own compositions from scratch. It didn’t stop me writing a great deal of piano and orchestral music, but I loved the experimentation involved with tapes combined with the electronics.

I was also very inspired as a teenager when I heard ‘Visage’ by Luciano Berio for the first time, and some of the concrete compositions by Pierre Schaffer, listening to some of the early music I created in the early 70s, l can now I can see how strong that influence was. My interest was also enhanced after discovering the amazing work by Wendy Carlos and Tomita.

What sorts of synths became available to you to use there and was there a college hierarchy as to their use?

They had several EMS VCS3s, and some external EMS modules filters and sequences etc. I was encouraged to learn how to use the VCS and it proved to be invaluable. Once you’ve got used to the matrix system, it seems very simple. It is a fantastic synthesizer and I’m so pleased to see that it is being reborn by some manufacturers in various forms.

What was the first synth you got?

My parents gifted me an EMS AKS in 1970, this opened up a whole new sonic world for me, and this was the very start of my personal electronic journey.

Electronic pop was becoming the future of music by 1980 so how did POEME ELECTRONIQUE come into being and who were your role models as far as that musical direction?

In the late 70s, my brother Les asked me if I would be interested in playing keyboards with his band, a lively and very active punk rock band called STAGESTRUCK. They were very influenced by bands like THE TUBES and SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES. It soon became a seven piece line-up and we played regularly in South London. It had a very large fan base and following, I soon started to write material for the band.

We had a single on Trident Records called ‘Smoke’ and it was recorded at Trident Studios in London. It did not do very well. In fact it was banned by the BBC; it was an anti-smoking song, so I don’t really think they got the message or understood. The band split and I decided to form POEME ELECTRONIQUE with my two cousins Sharon and Julie, and with my brother. The girls had been the backing vocalists in STAGESTRUCK, but now Sharon and Julie were to form the very core part In this new venture.

My brother played bass guitar on many of the tracks that we created. We then started to produce songs in a very small 4 track recording studio, just in a tiny room in our home in South London. I guess our main influence then would’ve come from SOFT CELL, EURYTHMICS, THE HUMAN LEAGUE, YAZOO and Nina Hagen.

What was the creative dynamic between the four of you?

We had a very set way of producing our material. Sharon would constantly supply me with lyrics and I would use these as the inspiration for my electronic songs. This was never difficult, as she was brilliant at painting an immediate picture of how the track should form itself, so the title and the lyrics would often give the direction.

I would arrange the whole track produce and create the vocal line to fit Sharon’s lyrics, adjusting where I would need to, and Julie would sing the backing vocals. Sharon would sing the lead, and on some tracks my brother Les would play bass guitar. I tend to work very much on my own being a producer and creator at all levels, singing a guide for the lead line, and for the backing vocals. Occasionally, if the song felt right, I would also add some backing vocals myself, and also some vocoder additions, as in the Poeme song ‘Theories’.

The portastudios that came on the market at the time were a revelation, but which was your tape machine of choice and how was it to use?

We used a TEAC 4 track reel-to-reel machine, the A3340S. It had simul-sync, so we were able to bounce tracks to form layers. I would make a stereo mix, and then leave two tracks just for the vocals.

How did you choose ‘The Echoes Fade’ to be your debut single?

I think we chose ‘The Echoes Fade’ because it seemed to sum up completely what POEME ELECTRONIQUE was about – lyrics by Sharon that were very poetic in nature, and the addition of my electronic synthesises and drum machines. “poeme electronique” – “electronic poem”

How did the deal with Carrere Records to release ‘The Echoes Fade’ come about because at the time, they were mostly known for Euro disco pop like Sheila B Devotion, Amii Stewart and Patrick Hernandez?

To our amazement ‘The Echoes Fade’ was championed by the record company executive Freddie Canon who was the chief of A&R at Carrere Records in London at that time. Our then-manager Barry Dunning (he managed the group MUD in the 60s) played our 4 track version of the song to Freddie, he wanted to release it just as it was, completely unaltered, so that’s exactly what happened, we were totally amazed. Freddie had a great ability to spot the unusual and different.

The length of the song worked against us from the start, as most radio stations did not play it, because it did not fit into the required timeslot of a three minute pop record, and I guess that was always going to be a problem. The only person who liked our record and played it on his show, was the late great John Peel. This meant so much to us of course. We had created several songs ready to go, but because of the lack of interest in POEME ELECTRONIQUE poem, it was all buried amongst all of the many tracks that we had started to produce.

Freddie Cannon did not lose interest in us and really believed in the track, and so he sought a more commercial approach, which for us would be to create an album that later became known as ‘Danse Electronique’ by ELECTRO PHONIQUE. It was an album of electronic covers of hits from the period so on that disc is SOFT CELL – THE HUMAN LEAGUE – KRAFTWERK etc, a few copies still turn up on eBay.

As for ‘The Echoes Fade’, to our amazement, it will often sell for many pounds – crazy, so l guess at that time, Poeme was not to be. It did not stop me writing songs however and in the period after the single, we must’ve created over 50 tracks, they were tucked away for years.

Was it a disappointment that ‘The Echoes Fade’ b/w ‘Voice’ came out in a plain black sleeve and not a picture bag as had become the norm at the time, or was it intentional to allow the music to stand out on its own?

It’s a great shame that it came out with just a plain black sleeve and I’m sure a picture bag would’ve made it even more collectible. I guess it’s because we were so naive at that time, it did not occur to us that it would matter, I think we were just so grateful and thrilled to have a song released. Now that we have the brilliant Steve Lippert to design our sleeves – it’s made up for that I guess.

How was the public reaction to ‘The Echoes Fade’, was there excitement in the band?

Public reaction was difficult to judge, I think we were all very enthusiastic and made a couple of home-made videos to try and promote the single. Sharon is an extraordinary performer, a pure natural in every sense. Julie also bought magic to her backing vocals with her life performances.

After that, POEME ELECTRONIQUE went silent but then Anna Logue Records got in contact to reissue ‘The Echoes Fade’ b/w ‘Voice’ in 2007, this time with a picture bag… you opted to remix the two tracks, but what rules did you impose on yourself for that process?

I was so excited and thrilled when Anna Logue records got in touch with us, and was amazed that there was an interest in our music. The track is based on a version that I had created just after the original, this version being tucked away for many years. It was created on 16 track tape, so I took 90% of those elements and then just added a few updates, vocals from Sharon and Julie are the originals from that time.

Why had POEME ELECTRONIQUE been put into hiatus?

After I gave up teaching full-time, music composing was the only source of my income. I guess any projects that I couldn’t see being able to sustain me financially were very much put on hold. I was determined to create as much music as I could, and that I hoped that would pay.

I have Marc Schaffer to thank for the renewed interest, and that l might be able to work on Poeme again. I had become able to support myself financially through my television music etc, so this gave me more time to work on Poeme and other projects.

How did the TV soundtrack work come about?

My composition teacher, Richard Arnell introduced me to students at the London International Film School, where I would compose music for free for the students’ films. This was really helpful, and a great teaching tool for me. I learnt a great deal about writing to picture. Gradually I started to be involved in more commercial projects, one of the students at the school called Laurence Posner produced a film on ‘The Prisoner’ TV series and asked me if I would write the music.

Things developed from there and I was also asked as a keyboard player to perform on a number of artists’ productions, including Amii Stewart’s remixes of ‘Knock On Wood’ which I also produced.

You worked on TECHNO TWINS’ 1982 album ‘Technostalgia’, what was that like for you?

I was at college with Bev Sage, one half of TECHNO TWINS, and met her again several years later when we recorded ‘Smoke’ at Trident Studios, she was in a band called FAMOUS NAMES. They were there, recording their single at the same time as us.

She asked me if I would be interested in writing some songs for her, and so the majority of the material that they released as TECHNO TWINS was created in my little 4 track studio in South London. I enjoyed the work on ‘Technostalgia’, I created the cover version of the only successful single they released ‘Falling In Love Again’ with my MS-20 synthesizer, my little Boss DR55 drum machine, and my 4 track.

When ‘The Echoes Fade’ double album collection came out on Anna Logue Records in late 2009, it included 14 previously unreleased tracks from 1980-1983; had there been any interest from other labels back then? Had you considered self-releasing the material or was that impossible at the time?

I think that our material at that time was considered to be too off the wall, and releasing ourselves was beyond us I guess.

What was your approach to the final sound for this 2009 release? How far could you take the mix?

We wanted to keep the material as close to the original as possible, and many of the tracks are just stereo mixes of the four track masters. The most important thing for me was to capture Sharon’s original vocals and Julie’s backing vocals, I did use some noise reduction to clean up the analog tapes, and replace some of the drum sounds with a like-for-like. There was a lot of post-production and editing.

Unlike a lot of “minimal synth” or “coldwave” of that period, POEME ELECTRONIQUE were very song based and had tunes, where did this classic songwriting influence come from?

I think it was Sharon’s lyrics that inspired a much more song-based approach to the writing. A good example is ‘It’s In The Atmosphere’ which has a cinematic feel, I think the melodic influences must’ve come from my classical training.

What are your favourite POEME ELECTRONIQUE tracks from this period?

I find it difficult to choose, I love all of the songs that we created, each song had a particular story to tell, ‘Dilemma’ is a good example, and also ‘Atoman’ maybe predicting the future that we are now all living in.

The union with Anna Logue Records led to new POEME ELECTRONIQUE tracks and the formation of a sister band TWINS NATALIA, what has it been like to compose and construct synthpop songs again in the modern era?

This was very inspiring, and also gave us an opportunity to explore a new outlet. Marc Schaffer providing the original track ideas, which I would take forward into full blown productions, creating and the lead melody, and backing vocals which Sharon and Julie sang, Sharon would provide the lyrics. I would perform all of the synth and drum machine parts, we did not involve any other musicians. The production was computer based, using virtual synths.

Are there any differences with how you approach TWINS NATALIA compared with POEME ELECTRONIQUE, is there something you would do with one that you maybe wouldn’t do with the other?

I suppose we could regard TWINS NATALIA as the new POEME ELECTRONIQUE, but I think the TWINS NATALIA concept is much grander and more developed from a production point of view, but the essence of Poeme is very clear to hear l feel.

How did you end up doing the lead vocal on ‘I Avoid Strangers’?

I have never really considered myself to be a good singer in any way, but somehow, when I listen to the track, my voice seem to work, so I gave it a try and I think it’s not half bad.

How do you now look back on ‘The Destiny Room’ album?

I am very proud of what we achieved on that album. Some of the songs are epic in nature, ‘Set Love Free’ is a good example, it gave me a chance to explore so many areas of production, Sharon and Julie performed amazing vocals.

Your synth soloing style appears to have a very prog influence, please discuss?

I never plan my synth solos, they come straight off the top of my head, and I improvise and play in the way that reflects just how I’m feeling, allowing the track to inspire the twists and turns of the solo. Having worked on the track for a long time, the chord sequences are embedded in my head, so I kind of know what’s coming next, in every bar. I think as far as the prog influences concerned, if I were a guitarist, it would be very similar.

What would you say has been your favourite synth of all time?

I guess it would have to be the VCS3, not ideal in for solos or chords, but just in terms of an absolute “sound house” of inspiration I don’t think you could get better. The other since synth that was an enormous influence on me was my CS80, just so expressive, it features very heavily on the Poeme album, particularly on ‘It’s In The Atmosphere’. My CS80 kept breaking down so very sadly, I had to let it go. I wish I’d kept it.

Did you keep your original synths or are they long gone? Where do you stand on the VST versus hardware debate?

When I sold my house in Sussex, the studio had to go, alongside racks and racks of synthesizers, my Emulator 2, my Jupiter 6, my CS80 etc. They have all now been replaced by virtual versions. For me, it’s just a means to an end and in the back of my head, I don’t feel as if I’ve lost my beloved analog synths. Now l have a collection of virtual synths far greater than I had. In the analog world, I wouldn’t have the room from those keyboard instruments now, that’s for sure.

You’ve kept the music of POEME ELECTRONIQUE and TWINS NATALIA largely off streaming services and more or less exclusively on Bandcamp, has this been a deliberate strategy or will that change in the future with any possible reissues?

I want to try and make all the material available. Getting vinyl prepared and ready can take a while, but I have so much material in the pipeline. I am keen to get that out to the people who want to listen to my music. Bandcamp is an immediate and speedy vehicle for just that.

What about the necessary evil of social media, how do find navigating that?

We live in a world now where Pandora’s Box is well and truly open, and we can’t avoid social media. I tend to play it fairly low-key, but will always respond to people who are interested to see what I’m trying to achieve with my music.

So will there be any new POEME ELECTRONIQUE and TWINS NATALIA albums, what are you up to at the moment?

My plan is to make available a large number of POEME ELECTRONIQUE tracks that never ever saw the light of day. Some of these were recorded, but a large number never ever made it onto tape, so it would be an exciting project to remake those with new technology. I think these will be initially on Bandcamp, but I’m sure that they will also come up as a vinyl release, as the second Poeme album called ‘Fashion For All Sexes’.

There are also new and exciting tracks in the pipeline from TWINS NATALIA, most recently a collaboration with the wonderful performer and singer Kriistal Ann. I am also exploring the use of AI for lead vocal lines, using my vocal as a guide. I am also planning a solo synth album of dark minimal tracks.


ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to Dave Hewson

Special thanks to Marc Schaffer at Anna Logue Records

The albums ‘The Echoes Fade’ by POEME ELECTRONIQUE and ‘The Destiny Room’ by TWINS NATALIA are available digitally from https://davehewson.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100029145923592

https://www.facebook.com/twinsnatalia

https://soundcloud.com/davehewson/sets/electrophonique


Text and Interview by Chi Ming Lai
5th April 2025

MUSIK MUSIC MUSIQUE 3.0 1982 | Synth Pop On The Air

Cherry Red’s ‘Musik Music Musique’ series now reaches its third volume and 1982 when there was “Synth Pop On The Air”.

From the team behind the ’Close To The Noise Floor’ compendiums, the excellent ‘Electrical Language’ set but also the rather confused ‘Music For New Romantics’ box, this 3CD collection documents the year after SOFT CELL hit No1 with ‘Tainted Love’ in the summer of 1981 while THE HUMAN LEAGUE did likewise with ‘Don’t You Want Me?’ to bag that year’s Christmas topspot. 1982 began with KRAFTWERK belatedly reaching a No1 too with ‘The Model’, a track from 1978’s ‘The Man Machine’.

It was as if the world had caught up with the sound of the synth. The period was also notable for affordable silicon chip based polysynths such as the Roland Juno 6 and Korg Poly 6 entering the market. In tandem with the improvement in quality of cassette-based 4-track Portastudios, electronic music became more accessible with basic home studios now a hive of musical creativity.

While the big hitters such as SOFT CELL, OMD, BLANCMANGE, THE HUMAN LEAGUE and ULTRAVOX are represented by album tracks and B-sides alongside breakthrough singles by NEW ORDER, FASHIØN and HEAVEN 17, the curiosity value of ‘Musik Music Musique 3.0’ is boosted by a greater proportion of lesser known tracks and acts compared with the first two compendiums.

Often dismissed as a MOR act thanks to the Giorgio Moroder produced ‘Take My Breath Away, BERLIN are provided a platform for the provocative and more classically Moroder-esque ‘Sex (I’m A….)’. Meanwhile with a not dissimilar throbbing template, DEAD OR ALIVE’s ‘What I Want’ in previously unreleased demo form captures the band in transition from proto-goth to HI-NRG disco and sounding like both simultaneously.

Wonderful lost synthpop jewels include the melodramatic ‘Juliet’ from PASSION POLKA and the bouncy SPANDAU BALLET inspired instrumental ‘Profile Dance’ by SERGEANT FROG, an early alias of PWL mixmaster Phil Harding. Echoing the slightly overblown vocal styles of the period, ‘Future Shock’ by COMMUNICATION falls under the spell of ASSOCIATES while both ‘Climb Down’ from THIRTEEN AT MIDNIGHT and ‘Instant Feeling’ by AERIAL FX are percussively anxious.

The two best rare highlights both come with links to Glasgow; fronted by David Rudden, ENDGAMES played with a brand polished synthpop funk of which ‘First Last For Everything’ is a good example. Meanwhile, LEISURE PROCESS were the duo comprising of Ross Middleton and Gary Barnacle whose small portfolio of singles were all produced by Martin Rushent; although the vocals were virtually unintelligible over the clattering Linn Drum, pulsing synths, squawky guitar and sax, ‘Love Cascade’ remains a cool dancefloor friendly number reflecting the decadent spirit of the times.

The underrated COLOURBOX are represented by the 1982 single version of ‘Breakdown’ while DRINKING ELECTRICITY’s ‘Good Times’ explores a synth art funk hybrid that threatens to turn into ‘The Locomotion’. An actual cover version, JULIE & THE JEMS take on ‘1-2-3’ is a reflection of how commercial pop had become synthed up, especially when it is learnt that front woman Julie Harris was part of the line-up of TIGHT FIT that got to No1 later in 1982 with ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’; incidentally that rework was produced by Tim Friese-Greene who later became Mark Hollis’s writing partner in TALK TALK who themselves are represented on ‘Musik Music Musique 3.0’ by their slightly underwhelming debut single ‘Mirror Man’.

There is a surprise in that Arthur Brown of ‘Fire’ fame with his synth experiment ‘Conversations’ and it is suitably crazy and enjoyable in the manner of early FALCO. The late Austrian himself is represented by ‘Maschine Brennt’ while German neighbours DIE KRUPPS’ ‘Goldfinger’ is a welcome inclusion that exposes their more DAF-like origins.

Adding a less confrontational continental tone, ‘Par Hasard’ by MIKADO is a slice of delightful electro-lounge, while Belgium’s TELEX bring swing into the mix with ‘Sigmund Freud’s Party’ and Switzerland’s YELLO exude their quirky playfulness on ‘Heavy Whispers’, albeit with a darker disposition.

It is interesting to look back at the lesser remembered Kim Wilde single ‘Child Come Away’ and Toyah’s 1982 re-recording of ‘Ieya’ which were both synth dominated but failed to crack the Top 40 despite the sound being ubiquitous on the airwaves. There was the beginning of a notable synth backlash after the triumph of 1981 and DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS fiddly ‘Come On Eileen’ becoming the best-selling UK single of 1982 was a surefire sign. And that was without the Musicians Union motion to ban synths from recording and live performance.

Cult acts of the period FAD GADGET, THE PASSAGE, FIAT LUX, SECTION 25 and POEME ELECTRONIQUE along with the two Thomases, Dolby and Lang don’t miss out on the party, but notably absent are bands who had been part of earlier sets such as NEW MUSIK and VISAGE whose 1982 albums have worthy material to mine.

Closing with OMEGA THEATRE and the quite bizarre but entertaining ‘Robots, Machines & Silicon Dreams’, its classic pop theatrics are not entirely surprising as its creator John Carter co-wrote the 1970 Eurovision runner-up ‘Knock, Knock Who’s There?’ for Mary Hopkin, ‘Let’s Go to San Francisco’ for THE FLOWER POT MEN and ‘Beach Baby’ for THE FIRST CLASS.

However, as before, there are minor quibbles; while the correct 1982 versions of NEW ORDER’s ‘Temptation’, TEARS FOR FEARS ‘Pale Shelter’ and Paul Haig’s ‘Justice’ feature, ‘European Son’ by JAPAN comes in the earlier John Punter B-side version rather the snappier 1982 Steve Nye single remix. And then having mentioned in the booklet that OMD’s ‘She’s Leaving’ was released as a slightly remixed 1982 single in Benelux territories, the compilation goes with the familiar 1981 ‘Architecture & Morality’ album cut. Meanwhile the inclusion of ‘Sex Dwarf’ from 1981’s ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’ is a head scratcher when the 1982 SOFT CELL B-sides ‘Insecure Me’, ‘….So’ or ‘It’s A Mug’s Game’ would have been more interesting.

Lessons have still not been learnt from previous booklets with photos of OMD from 1984 and DEAD OR ALIVE from 1985 appearing. Again, the booklet notes are a mixed bag; why bother to bang on about the John Foxx-era of ULTRAVOX with the limited word count when by 1982, the Midge Ure-led version were an established hit machine? Also, why does the story of JOY DIVISION need to be repeated ad nauseam  in the context of NEW ORDER?

Meanwhile, DRAMATIS (who are represented by their best single ‘The Shame’) returned to being Gary Numan’s live backing band in 1983, not 1982! Then with the biggest gaff in the TEARS FOR FEARS section, Curt Smith played bass NOT guitar and vice versa for Roland Jaime Orzabal de la Quintana to give his full name!

So full marks for the amount of lesser known material gathered on ‘Musik Music Musique 3.0’, but please get the accompanying booklet sorted out for ‘Musik Music Musique 4.0’ as there have been enough opportunities now to get that side of the operation right. Roll on 1983…


‘Musik Music Musique 3.0: 1982 – Synth Pop On The Air’ is released by Cherry Red on 17th February 2023 as a 3CD boxed set

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/musik-music-musique-3-0-1982-synthpop-on-the-air-3cd-box-set/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
13tn February 2023

ELECTRICAL LANGUAGE Independent British Synth Pop 78-84


From Cherry Red Records, the makers of the ‘Close To The Noise Floor’ trilogy showcasing formative and experimental electronic music from the UK, Europe and North America, comes their most accessible electronic collection yet.

Subtitled ‘Independent British Synth Pop 78-84’, ‘Electrical Language’ is a lavish 4CD 80 track boxed set covering the post-punk period when all that synthesizer experimentation and noise terrorism morphed into pop.

Largely eschewing the guitar and the drum kit, this was a fresh movement which sprung from a generation haunted by the spectre of the Cold War, Mutually Assured Destruction and closer to home, the Winter of Discontent.

As exemplified by known names like THE HUMAN LEAGUE, FAD GADGET, SECTION 25 and BLUE ZOO included in the set to draw in the more cautious consumer, this was pop in a very loose manner with melodies, riffs and danceable rhythms but hardly the stuff of ABBA or THE BEE GEES!

‘Red Frame/White Light’ by OMD was a chirpy ditty about the 632 3003 phone box which the band used as their office, while Thomas Dolby’s ‘Windpower’ was a rallying call for renewable energy sources. Then there was the dystopian ‘Warm Leatherette’ by THE NORMAL based around two noisy notes and lyrically based on JG Ballard’s ‘Crash’ with its story around car collision symphorophilia.

While those acts’ stories have been rightly celebrated for putting the electronic avant pop art form into the mainstream, with any truly great compilation or collection, the joy is in finding the lesser known jewels.

Made primarily by the idealistic outsiders and independent experimenters from the lesser known side of Synth Britannia, ‘Electrical Language’ has plenty of synthetic material to rediscover or hear for the first time. Indeed, the more appealing tracks appear to fall into three categories; forgotten songs that should have been hits, oddball cover versions and largely unknown archive wonders.

Those forgotten gems include the exotic ‘Electrical Language’ title track by BE BOP DELUXE, documenting the moment Bill Nelson went electro. His production on the gloriously emotive ‘Feels Like Winter Again’ by FIAT LUX is another welcome inclusion to the set.

But the two best tracks on ‘Electrical Language’ are coincidentally spoken word; ‘Touch’ by LORI & THE CHAMELEONS about a girl’s Japanese holiday romance is as enchanting and delightful as ever, while there is also THROBBING GRISTLE refugees CHRIS & COSEY’s wispy celebration of Autumnal neu romance ‘October (Love Song)’, later covered in the 21st Century in pure Hellectro style by MARSHEAUX.

Merseyside has always been a centre for creativity and this included synthpop back in the day. ‘I’m Thinking Of You Now’ from BOX OF TOYS was a superb angsty reflection of young manhood that included an oboe inflected twist which was released on the Inevitable label in 1983. From that same stable, FREEZE FRAME are represented by the atmospheric pop of ‘Your Voice’

Jayne Casey was considered the face of Liverpool post-punk fronting BIG IN JAPAN and PINK MILITARY; the lo-fi electronic offshoot PINK INDUSTRY released three albums but the superb ‘Taddy Up’ with its machine backbone to contrast the ethereal combination of voice and synths lay in the vaults until 2008 and is a welcome inclusion. The ‘other’ Wirral synth duo of note were DALEK I LOVE YOU whose ‘The World’ from 1980 remains eccentric and retro-futuristic.

Scotland was in on the action too despite many local musicians preferring THE BYRDS and STEELY DAN; although both ‘Mr Nobody’ from Thomas Leer and ‘Time’ by Paul Haig were detached and electronic, they vocally expressed minor levels of Trans-Atlantic soul lilt compared with the more deadpan styles of the majority gathered on ‘Electrical Language’.

Under rated acts form a core of ‘Electrical Language’ and while THE MOBILES’ ‘Drowning In Berlin’ may have come across like a ‘Not The Nine O’Clock News’ New Romantic parody on first listen, its decaying Mittel Europa grandeur was infectious like Hazel O’Connor reinterpreting ‘Vienna’ with The Master of Ceremonies at the Kit Kat Klub in 3/4 time!

NEW MUSIK’s ‘The Planet Doesn’t Mind’ probably would have gone Top 20 if had been done by Howard Jones, although band leader Tony Mansfield had the last laugh when he later became a producer working with the likes of A-HA and NAKED EYES. The brassy arty synthpop of ‘XOYO’ from Dick Witts’ THE PASSAGE was immensely catchy with riffs galore, while POEME ELECTRONIQUE’s ‘She’s An Image’ offered stark European electro-cabaret.

Cut from a similar cloth, one-time ULTRAVOX support act EDDIE & SUNSHINE inventively (and some would say pretentiously) presented a Living TV art concept but they also possessed a few good songs. The quirkily charming ‘There’s Someone Following Me’ deserved greater recognition back in the day and its later single version was remixed by one Hans Zimmer.

Meanwhile, the 4AD label could always be counted on more esoteric output and COLOURBOX’s ‘Tarantula’ was from that lineage, but then a few years later perhaps unexpectedly, they became the instigators of M/A/R/R/S ‘Pump Up the Volume’.

These days, modern synth artists think it is something an achievement to cover a synthpop classic, although it is rather pointless. But back in the day, as there were not really that many synthpop numbers to cover, the rock ‘n’ roll songbook was mined as a kind of post-modern statement. The synth was seen as the ultimate anti-institution instrument and the cover versions included on ‘Electrical Language’ are out-of-the-box and original, if not entirely successful.

Take TECHNO POP’s reinterpretation of ‘Paint It Black’ which comes over like Sci-Fi Arthur Brown while the brilliant ‘My Coo Ca Choo’ by BEASTS IN CAGES (which features half of HARD CORPS) is like PJ Proby with his characteristic pub singer warble fronting SILICON TEENS with a proto-GOLDFRAPP stomp.

Having contributed a T-REX cover for the ‘Some Bizzare Album’, THE FAST SET recorded another. Whereas ‘King Of The Rumbling Spires’ on the former was frantic electro-punk, ‘Children Of The Revolution’ is far more sombre and almost funereal. Least desirable of the covers though is ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’ by HYBRID KIDS.

Of the obscurities worth checking out, the rousing standout is ‘Lying Next To You’ by Liverpool’s PASSION POLKA. A brilliant track akin to CHINA CRISIS ‘Working With Fire & Steel’ but with more synths and drum machine, it was recorded in 1983 but never actually saw the light of day until 2011 via a belated release on Anna Logue Records.

Delightfully odd, the VL Tone and organ infused ‘Bandwagon Tango’ from TESTCARD F is swathed with metallic rattles and possesses a suitably mechanical detachment. But with piercing pipey sounds and a hypnotic sequence, the metronomic ‘Destitution’ by cult minimal wavers CAMERA OBSCURA with its off key voice is one of the better productions of that type. Cut from a similar cloth, the perky ‘Videomatic’ by FINAL PROGRAM throws in some lovely string synths to close.

Swirlingly driven by Linn and her sisters, ‘Baby Won’t Phone’ by QUADRASCOPE comes from the Vince Clarke school of song with not only a great vocal, but also the surprise of a guitar solo in the vein of ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN!

‘The Secret Affair’ from JUPITER RED is a great ethereal midtempo synthpop song also using a Linn, while ‘Surface Tension’ from ANALYSIS is an appealing club friendly instrumental that was largely the work of the late Martin Lloyd who later was part of OPPENHEIMER ANALYSIS.

Produced by Daniel Miller, ALAN BURNHAM’s ‘Science Fiction’ from 1981 takes a leaf out of DALEK I LOVE YOU, while tightly sequenced and bursting with white noise in the intro, ‘Feel So Young’ by LAUGH CLOWN LAUGH has bubbling potential but is spoiled by some terribly flat vocals.

One of the weirder tracks is ELECTRONIC ENSEMBLE’s filmic ‘It Happened Then’ which recalls Parisian art rockers ROCKETS; backed by a brilliant ensemble of synths, it sees the return of the cosmic voice from Sparky’s Magic Piano and remember in that story, it could play all by itself!

Of course, other tracks are available and may suit more leftfield tastes… packaged as a lavish hardback book, there are extensive sleeve notes including artist commentaries, archive photos and an introductory essay by journalist Dave Henderson who cut his teeth with ‘Noise’, a short-lived ‘Smash Hits’ rival that featured a regular ‘Electrobop’ column covering the latest developments in synth.

While worthy, the ‘Close To The Noise Floor’ trilogy could at times be very challenging, but ‘Electrical Language’ provides some accessible balance, allowing tunes and beats in. It captures an important developmental phase in music, when technology got more sophisticated, cheaper and user friendly, that can be directly connected to ‘Pump Up the Volume’. Yes, this story is the unlikely seed of the later dance revolution, like it or not! And at just less than twenty five quid, this really is an essential purchase.


‘Electrical Language’ is released as 4CD boxed set on 31st May 2019 and can be pre-ordered from https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/electrical-language-independent-british-synth-pop-78-84-various-artists-4cd-48pp-bookpack/

https://www.facebook.com/closetothenoisefloor/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
23rd May 2019

TWINS NATALIA The Destiny Room

Following the debut single ‘When We Were Young’ b/w ‘Kleiner Satellit’ in 2008, TWINS NATALIA finally release their first album ‘The Destiny Room’.

The Anglo-German ensemble comprises Anna Logue Records supremo Marc Schaffer, graphic designer Steve Lippert, synth wizard Dave Hewson and vocalists Sharon Abbott and Julie Ruler, the latter three from cult combo POEME ELECTRONIQUE. Using vintage synths and “working together in order to create some beautiful, catchy yet melancholic and substantial electropop”, TWINS NATALIA have captured a pristine technostalgic journey through Europe of real life and postcard views.

Touchingly melancholic with classic Weimar Cabaret melodies and vibrant Kling Klang interplay, the soundtrack conjures memories of holiday romances with pretty German Frauleins and flirty French mademoiselles. With classic Roland drum machines, the metronomic structures of TWINS NATALIA’s songs are the backbone to a wonderfully emotive soundtrack of elegance and decadence.

Like with other dual female fronted combos such as PROPAGANDA, LADYTRON and MARSHEAUX, the combination of sweet wispy countenance together with the occasionally half spoken intonation makes things rather appealing. Sharon Abbott’s deeper, Dietrich-like vocals and Julie Ruler’s more ABBA-esque demeanour are complimented further by a two way counterpoint courtesy of Dave Hewson and vocoderizations by Marc Schaffer.

Previewed on ‘The Anna Logue Years 5th Anniversary Compilation’ in 2010, the gorgeously arpegiated opener ‘Destiny’ is beautifully melodic and simply outstanding. Rich, vibrant soloing from Dave Hewson on a Roland Jupiter 6 acts as a wonderful dressing, as it does throughout the album. Second song ‘Into My Arms Again’ features the type of octave pulse familiar to lovers of ‘Rent’ and ‘Blue Savannah’ which will provide a pretty entry point into the classic style of synthpop on display.

‘I Avoid Strangers’ ups the tempo with a frantic HI-NRG romp. Featuring Dave Hewson on lead vocals and lyrics by Steve Lippert, you could be forgiven that this might be the CHVRCHES blokey moment of the album. But Herr Hewson possesses a voice that suits the song perfectly and the end result is not at all out of context. Meanwhile ‘Scary Monster’ and its vocodered robots add a more mechanised outlook to proceedings.

On ‘Don’t Fade Away’, the pace steadies before the glorious ‘Bear Me Up’. This one is not unlike GINA X PERFORMANCE reconstructed with a romantische Eurovisionary chorus… but don’t let that put you off; after all, the Belgian synth pioneers TELEX did Eurovision in their time. The United Europe theme continues with ‘C’est Le Weekend’ and would be what Grace Jones would sound like if she represented Luxembourg. This is what being in the EU is all about… so stick that up your Nigel Farage!

‘My Little Battery Boy’ features some wonderful bouncy highs and electro-metallics coupled with some saucy innuendo; Abbott announces she has been having “so much pleasure, so much joy!”… mais oui! Chugging sequences permeate ‘Freedom In Your Hand’ where another marvellous polyphonic solo run by Hewson adds to the fun before the PET SHOP BOYS styled neo-orchestrated statement of ‘Set Love Free’. It climaxes like a pomped up ‘Rent’ and is a wonderful slice of joie de vivre to end ‘The Destiny Room’.

Now while the debut single is not featured on the vinyl LP, both sides come as welcome bonus tracks on the CD version. The appeal of ‘When We Were Young’ and ‘Kleiner Satellit’ are that they are endearingly familiar yet equally futuristic at the same time. TWINS NATALIA’s fiercer cover of MARSHEAUX’s ‘Radial Emotion’ is also included along with a Special Extended Night Version of ‘I Avoid Strangers’. Overall as a CD package, ‘The Destiny Room’ and its rich textures will satisfy electronic music enthusiasts of a time when people actually played synths and explored the capabilities of their drum machines. It’s been a long time coming but the wait in ‘The Destiny Room’ has been worth it.


‘The Destiny Room’ is released by Anna Logue Records on 1st March 2014. For information, please visit: http://annaloguerecords.blogspot.de/p/releases.html

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Twins-Natalia/207356979275587

https://soundcloud.com/twins-natalia


Text by Chi Ming Lai
26th February 2014

Introducing TWINS NATALIA

TWINS NATALIA are an Anglo-German collective of creative minds from various artistic fields “working together in order to create some beautiful, catchy yet melancholic and substantial electropop”.

The brainchild of Steve Lippert, they also feature Marc Schaffer, Dave Hewson, Julie Ruler, Sharon Abbott and Marc Schaffer. Incidentally, the latter three are also part of the cult synth act POEME ELECTRONIQUE who released a single ‘The Echoes Fade’ in 1982 which found a champion in the late John Peel.

Speaking about TWINS NATALIA, Dave Hewson told Burning Flame: “it’s a kind of electronic co-operative. Marc sends me a demo of a track – and I then transform this into a finished song with lyrics from Sharon, Sharon sings lead vocals and Julie sings backing, although this is never set in stone.”

In 2008, this ensemble issued a fabulous single ‘When We Were Young’ b/w ‘Kleiner Satellit’. Rich in vintage machinery and deep resigned female vocals with glorious Weimar overtones a la GINA X, the two tracks were weirdly technostalgic but mysteriously futuristic at the same time. Indeed, there were even echoes of TECHNO TWINS’ lost 1982 electro cover of ‘Falling In Love Again’ which was made famous by MARLENE DIETRICH. But then this was not wholly unsurprising as TECHNO TWINS’ instrumentalist and unpictured third member was Dave Hewson!

Composed using drum machines such as the Boss Doctor Rhythm, Roland TR-606 and TR-808 alongside synths like the wonderfully ‘swimmy’ Crumar Performer, Korg MS-20, Korg Poly-61 and Roland SH-2, the metronomic structures of TWINS NATALIA’s songs are the backbone to a strangely humanic sound brimming with neu romance.

Releasing their work on Marc Schaffer’s own Anna Logue Records who issued the lost POEME ELECTRONIQUE material as a collection entitled ‘The Echoes Fade’, TWINS NATALIA’s only other recording so far has been the gorgeously sequenced ‘Destiny’ on ‘The Anna Logue Years – Fifth Anniversary Compilation’ from 2010 which celebrated the label’s back catalogue and included cult acts such as CAMERA OBSCURA (the Minimal Wave duo, NOT the hipster Glaswegians!)

But all that is about to change thanks to a union with Greek synth maidens MARSHEAUX. Marianthi and Sophie declared ‘When We Were Young’ their favourite song of 2008 and have sweetly covered it for a special split ‘AA’ sided 7 inch single.

In reciprocation, TWINS NATALIA have recorded ‘Radial Emotion’ from ‘Lumineux Noir’ in their own inimitable style, adding a more Teutonic demeanour and fiercer euro-rhythmics. Incidentally, another split ‘AA’ release ‘I Avoid Strangers’ on 12 inch is due for release in mid-August with (you’ve guessed it!) POEME ELECTRONIQUE who contribute  ‘I Wouldn’t Change Me For Anyone’.

TWINS NATALIA’s debut album, which provisionally features songs such as ‘C’est La Weekend’, ‘Freedom’, ‘In My Arms Again’ and ‘Scary Monster’, is expected to be completed later in the year. Based on what previews there have been so far, it’s all sounding very good!


TWINS NATALIA / MARSHEAUX ‘Radial Emotion’ / ‘When We Were Young’ is released as a 7 inch vinyl limited edition of 500 copies on 7th June 2012 by Anna Logue/Undo Records. It features a full colour outer sleeve with a printed embossed inner.

http://twinsnatalia.blogspot.de/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Twins-Natalia/207356979275587

http://soundcloud.com/twins-natalia

Meanwhile, POEME ELECTRONIQUE themselves have a new version of ‘She’s An Image’ available at: http://davehewson.bandcamp.com/album/shes-an-image

http://www.poeme-electronique.com/

http://soundcloud.com/davepoemeelectronique

To purchase physical releases from the TWINS NATALIA and POEME ELECTRONIQUE catalogue, please visit: http://annaloguerecords.blogspot.co.uk/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
9th August 2012