ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK celebrates its fifth anniversary and it has been a glorious journey.
The site came into being on 15th March 2010 after the founding team discussed having an online platform to feature the best in new and classic electronic pop music. After weeks of deliberation, the decision to finally launch the site came at the HEAVEN 17 aftershow party for their triumphant gig at The Magna Science Park on 6th March 2010.
That evening, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK met and chatted with HEAVEN 17’s Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware, OMD’s Paul Humphreys and Claudia Brücken, best known as the singer of PROPAGANDA… by the end of the year, all four had given insightful interviews to the site.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK received a major boost in profile in May 2010 when its interview with Paul Humphreys was quoted by The Guardian as part of a news item announcing the release of OMD’s comeback album ‘History Of Modern’.
Key interviews with DUBSTAR and CLIENT’s Sarah Blackwood, LANDSCAPE’s Richard James Burgess, THE ART OF NOISE’s Gary Langan and ULTRAVOX’s Warren Cann also followed. Later in the year, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK featured promising new act VILE ELECTRODES for the very first time; they were soon to become a stalwart of the UK independent electronic scene.
But the first act to formally be reviewed was MARINA & THE DIAMONDS, reflecting the kooky female fronted keyboard based pop like LA ROUX, LITTLE BOOTS, LADYHAWKE and LADY GAGA that was prevalent at the time. However, there was a changing of the guard on the horizon as new astute male fronted electronic based acts such as HURTS, VILLA NAH and MIRRORS appeared which the site took a keen interest in.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has always prided itself in asking the questions that have never usually been asked, but which fans want to know the answers to. And it was with this reputation for intelligent and well researched interviewing that the site was granted its biggest coup yet when it spoke to NEW ORDER’s Stephen Morris. In the ensuing chat, Morris cryptically hinted that Manchester’s finest would return… and that is exactly what happened in Autumn of that year when concerts in aid of the band’s late friend Michael Shamberg were announced.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK was on a roll in 2011 as OMD’s Andy McCluskey, RECOIL mainman Alan Wilder, BLANCMANGE’s Neil Arthur, Mira Aroyo of LADYTRON, HOWARD JONES, THOMAS DOLBY and DRAMATIS’ Chris Payne all gave interviews. And in rather bizarre throwback to 1981, DURAN DURAN, THE HUMAN LEAGUE and JOHN FOXX released new albums on the same day in March. Meanwhile, up-and-coming acts such as AUSTRA, SOFT METALS, ELEVEN: ELEVEN and QUEEN OF HEARTS made a good first impression.
Events like ‘Return To The Blitz Club’, ‘Short Circuit Presents Mute’, ‘Back To The Phuture – Tomorrow Is Today’, ‘The Electronic Phuture Revue’ and the BEF Weekender reinforced the new found profile for music seeded from the Synth Britannia era and kept the team busy. ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK even found time to curate its own live event featuring VILE ELECTRODES.
2012 paled in comparison after such a fruitful year and several acts who were featured probably would not have gained as much coverage in more competitive periods.
But the year did unearth talents such as CHVRCHES, GAZELLE TWIN, GRIMES, KARIN PARK, TRUST, METROLAND and IAMAMIWHOAMI who were eventually make a lasting impact. During this time though, MIRRORS sadly lost momentum and appeared to wind down after the departure of founder member Ally Young while VILLA NAH mutated into SIN COS TAN.
Ahead of ULTRAVOX’s recorded return with ‘Brilliant’, Billy Currie spoke to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK and MARSHEAUX headlined a sold out second event with The Blitz Club’s legendary DJ Rusty Egan as its special guest. EDM was also becoming big news internationally. But ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK stood its ground and showed little interest in this largely repetitive sub-genre as parties within the industry desperately tried to centralise synthpop and dance music with misguided promotional campaigns such as ‘Electrospective’. It was quite obvious the industry was struggling to come to terms with a changing marketplace, as well as failing to distinguish between dance music and electronic pop.
Contrary to general perception that music using synthesizers was 80s, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK maintained a stance that electronic pop music didn’t start in that decade and certainly didn’t end there either. In fact, there was even an editorial diktat that banned its writers from using that horrific and lazy term of reference.
80s is neither an instrumentation style or a genre of music… tellingly, several PR representatives told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK that one of the site’s main appeals was that it avoided the whole nostalgia bent as represented by events such as ‘Here & Now’ and other media, both virtual and physical.
What ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK did in 2013 would take up a whole article in itself… 2013 turned out to be one of the best years for electronic pop since 1981. Interviews with ALISON MOYET, GARY NUMAN, KARL BARTOS, MARNIE, ADULT. and MISS KITTIN confirmed the site’s impact. There was even a radio show with Rusty Egan which ran for 25 programmes on dance station Mi-Soul.
Meanwhile new releases from OMD, NINE INCH NAILS, BEF, PET SHOP BOYS, GOLDFRAPP, MESH, MARSHEAUX, SIN COS TAN, POLLY SCATTERGOOD and VISAGE reflected the vibrancy of the modern electronic scene.
But the biggest recognition of how influential the site had become was when VILE ELECTRODES were chosen to support OMD after being spotted by Andy McCluskey while he was perusing the site’s webpages.
Over the years, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has written about a number of talents whose promise was never fully realised despite producing great music… THE SOUND OF ARROWS, SUNDAY GIRL, KATJA VON KASSEL and THE VANITY CLAUSE all featured several times, but timing and in the cases of the first three, record company interference stifled potential. Whether signed or independent, nothing can be guaranteed in the today’s music world.
Although the year started tremendously with an invitation to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK to meet KARL BARTOS and WOLFGANG FLÜR in Cologne, 2014 suffered next to quality of 2013.
But more key figures from the Synth Britannia era were interviewed including MIDGE URE, ex-CABARET VOLTAIRE frontman Stephen Mallinder and the often forgotten man of the period JO CALLIS, who was a key member of THE HUMAN LEAGUE during their imperial phase.
For the 25th Anniversary of DEPECHE MODE’s ‘101’, Alan Wilder spoke exclusively to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about how that live document became a major game changer for the band. And at his autobiography launch in London, Bernard Sumner revealed that NEW ORDER’s next album would be more electronic than the band’s last couple of offerings. Meanwhile, SUSANNE SUNDFØR’s various collaborations with RÖYKSOPP and KLEERUP enhanced her profile in readiness for ‘Ten Love Songs’, her most accomplished work yet. Also riding high were Glasgow’s ANALOG ANGEL with their third album ‘Trinity’ and a support tour with Swedish veterans COVENANT in 2015 was their reward.
The live circuit was vibrant and there was a third event which had a DEPECHE MODE flavour thanks to tribute band SPEAK & SPELL playing ‘Speak & Spell’ and ‘101’ sets. There was also a DJ set by Sarah Blackwood plus a special memorabilia exhibition curated by Deb Danahay, co-founder of the first official DM Information Service. At the same event VILE ELECTRODES celebrated the first anniversary of their debut album ‘The future through a lens’ having snapped up two Schallwelle awards in Germany for ‘Best International Album’ and ‘Best International Artist’.
As 2015 settles in, highly regarded acts within the electronic community continue to engage with The Electricity Club. German trio CAMOUFLAGE used an edit of ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK’s career retrospective on the band as liner notes for their CD ‘The Singles’. Meanwhile studio legend John Fryer, who worked with FAD GADGET, DEPECHE MODE, COCTEAU TWINS and NINE INCH NAILS, also stopped by for a chat as did BLANCMANGE’s Neil Arthur, securing a site record with his fourth interview for the site.
Newer artists over the last few years as varied as FEATHERS, KID MOXIE, HANNAH PEEL, I AM SNOW ANGEL, TWINS NATALIA, NIGHT CLUB, PAWWS, MACHINISTA, QUIETER THAN SPIDERS, PRIEST and TRAIN TO SPAIN have proved that electronic music is still very much alive. ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK appears to have reflected the interests of people who love the Synth Britannia era and have a desire to hear new music rooted in that ilk. 🙂
While things cannot carry on for ever, there is a belief that there is much more excellent music still to be created and discovered.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its warmest thanks to all who have contributed over the last five years, be they writers, musicians, commentators, photographers, artists or models And a big thank you to everyone who has taken the time read an article on the site
In the five years since its formation on 15th March 2010, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has reviewed over 100 albums and EPs.
During this time, the album has become less of an artistic statement, with the focus of both consumer and media on single songs directly led to the prominence of the extended EP or mini-album in today’s digital marketplace.
It is a halfway house, but at least the creative output of an artist can be showcased by a small body of work. And increasingly, many are combining and reworking several EP releases in order to formulate a full length album. Despite the move towards downloads and streaming, there is still a demand for physical product.
However, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK has been slightly bemused by the music industry bias towards vinyl, to the neglect of CD. It should be noted that silver digital discs are still the preferred medium for the general consumer, as proven by the million plus sales of TAYLOR SWIFT’s ‘1989’ opus on CD. This was a release which was confined to compact disc and digital download variants with no concessions towards streaming and, initially in the first few months of release, vinyl.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK confesses it has no love whatsoever for vinyl in the 21st Century, and is rather irritated by it being turned into an antiquated object of fetish and snobbery which bears little relation to the music on it.
And to think ironically that the world’s record labels tried to kill off vinyl back in 1989 in favour of err… cassette! Yes, the music industry… as forward thinking as ever!! With regards Spotify, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK actually is not particularly fond of that either…
Even with the subscription model, with so much music available, most of it is not listened to properly, thus devaluing any music that is perhaps worthy of greater recognition. Think of it like the casual music festival goer who just hops between all the acts playing on the many different stages after just two songs… it’s a false economy in reality!
But despite its concerns, ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK still loves a good album in whatever format. It is the content that is most important, not the mode of carriage. So which long players still stand up to scrutiny and can claim to have lasted the course over the last five years? Listed by year then alphabetical order, with a restriction of one album per artist and no recent releases from 2015, here are our 30 favourite albums from the period between 2010 to 2014…
GOLDFRAPP Head First (2010)
Although now disowned by the duo, ‘Head First’ was Alison Goldfrapp finally all relaxed and having fun. Stomping synth tunes like ‘Alive’, ‘Believer’ and ‘Believer’ were fine examples of Ms Goldfrapp taking her Olivia Newton John fixation (which had been apparent on early B-side ‘UK Girls’ with its interpolation of ‘Physical’) to a fully realised musical level. But best of all though on this short and sharp collection were the marvellous ABBA tribute of the ‘Head First’ title track and the ethereal ARP laden Eurodisco of ‘Dreaming’. While the more recent ‘Tales Of Us’ has seen GOLDFRAPP venture into more cinematic orchestrations again, a return to electronic pop is always possible with Ms Goldfrapp’s record of chameleon-like tendencies.
‘Head First’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Mute Records
One of the best electronic albums to have been released in 2010, ‘Origin’ was a fine crystalline balancing act that combined the classic synthpop of days gone by, with the freshness of new technologically fuelled dance music. The songs of the Helsinki based duo Juho Paolosmaa and Tomi Hyyppä ranged from the supreme GARY NUMAN on Prozac of ‘Remains Of Love’ and ‘Ways To Be’, to the Moroder-esque hypnotism of ‘Kiss & Tell’. Then there were the OMD influences on ‘Some Kind Of Dream’ and ‘Envelope’ so it was not entirely surprising the pair were invited to support than band on their 2010 tour. But while VILLA NAH then went into hiatus, Paolosmaa partnered up with ‘Origin’ co-producer Jori Hulkkonen to form SIN COS TAN.
‘Origin’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Keys Of Life Records
The baroque electronic trio of Katie Stelmanis, Maya Postepski and Dorian Wolf successfully broke away from the short lived Witch House sub-genre to yield their own emotionally charged sound. The moodily enigmatic ‘Beat & The Pulse’ and the frankly bonkers ‘Lose It’ had already gained a worthy amount of attention as singles and luckily, AUSTRA’s debut album did not disappoint. The tremendously epic spectre of ‘The Villain’ successfully utilised programmed technology and live drums while the sexual tension of ‘Spellwork’ was like a gothic opera crossing THE KNIFE with DEPECHE MODE that provided their most overtly synthpop offering.
‘Feel It Break’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Domino / Paper Bag Records
Since the return of the classic line-up in 2004, DURAN DURAN’s new material had general failed to meet expectations. However, despite losing guitarist Andy Taylor on the way, the Mark Ronson produced ‘All You Need Is Now’ saw DURAN DURAN reclaim their quintessential sound. The superb glitterball rework of ‘Are Friends Electric?’ for the title track signalled their intentions while ‘Girl Panic’ and ‘Runaway Runaway’ captured classic Duran for the 21st Century. The superb sequencer assisted ‘Being Followed’ had a tingling metallic edge that captured the tensions of post 9/11 paranoia while songstress KELIS dreamily counterpointed on the moody, string laden ‘Man Who Stole A Leopard’ which recalled ‘The Chauffeur’. Nick Rhodes claimed the album was “undoubtedly one of the strongest of our career”; and he was right!
‘All You Need Is Now’ is available as a CD and download via Tape Modern
‘Interplay’ was possibly JOHN FOXX’s most complete and accessible body of work since his classic ‘Metamatic’. Together with Chief Mathematician and synth collector extraordinaire BENGE aka THE MATHS, the use of vintage electronics with modern recording techniques captured a mechanised charm while simultaneously adding a correlative warmth. Among the realised examples of this fresh approach were the feisty ‘Catwalk’, the electro-folkisms of ‘Evergreen’ and the eerie ‘The Running Man’. One of the stand-out tracks ‘Watching A Building On Fire’ featured Mira Aroyo of LADYTRON and was perfectly dystopian, while the title track and closer ‘The Good Shadow’ both added a subtle atmospheric quality to proceedings.
‘Interplay’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Metamatic Records
MAISON VAGUE’s ‘Synthpop’s Alive’ was one of the surprise albums of 2011 and the creation of Clark Stiefel, a German domiciled American with a love for all things Synth Britannia. A classically trained virtuoso who studied piano and electronic music at a conservatoire, his title track battle cry sounded like the result of an unlikely sexual liaison between DEVO and PLACEBO. Chunky riff laden tracks such as ‘Pixelated Lover’, ‘My Situation’, ‘Living On Ice Cream’ and ‘Give Them Away’ affectionately revived The GARY NUMAN Principle but for some variation, there were the marvellous BETTE MIDLER gone electro of ‘No Show’ and the reggae inflected ‘Tunnel Vision’.
‘Synthpop’s Alive’ is available as a download album via Stiefel Musik
Brighton pop-noir quartet MIRRORS’ only album ‘Light & Offerings’ was a seamless majestic journey swathed in layers of vintage electronics and modern rhythmical dynamics. It began with superb sonic pulsar of ‘Fear Of Drowning’ with its dramatic overtures of young manhood before continuing with reworked recordings of the band’s excellent first two singles ‘Look At Me’ and ‘Into The Heart’. The sublime ‘Hide & Seek’ was soulful electronic pop while ‘Ways To An End’ proved MIRRORS could cut it on the dancefloor too. Elsewhere, ‘Somewhere Strange’ took the listener on the most euphoric train ride since NEW ORDER’s ‘Temptation’ while the final track ‘Secrets’ was an ambitious ten minute epic in three movements featuring its own ambient parenthesis. MIRRORS were worthy successors to the original Synth Britannia generation, but they sadly fragmented in Autumn 2011 and all momentum was lost before things really could get going.
‘Lights & Offerings’ is available as a CD, 2LP and download via Skint Records
With the critically acclaimed ’Visions’, Montreal’s GRIMES aka Claire Boucher explored a hybrid style of electro influenced by K-Pop, New Age and R ‘n’ B. ‘Genesis’ was one of many kookily inventive tunes on the album and like its close cousin ‘Oblivion’, played with Kling Klang derived rhythm section that came over like LYKKE LI fronting KRAFTWERK. Often using pentatonic scaling to show her affinity towards South East Asian culture, GRIMES’ sumptuously infectious approaches made tracks such as ‘Be A Boy’, ‘Colour of Moonlight (Antiochus)’ and ‘Vowels = space and time’ an aurally challenging but rewarding listen. And all this while retaining a quirky sense of humour in her promo videos…
‘Visions’ is available as a CD, LP and download via 4AD Records
While technically a stopgap compilation of rare and unreleased MARSHEAUX tracks, the ‘E-Bay Queen Is Dead’ collection did provide a mostly cohesive listening experience. Including a plethora of non-album tracks such as ‘How Does It Feel?’, ‘Sadly’, ‘Fischerprice’ and the FRONT 242 influenced ‘Bizarre Love Duo’, MARSHEAUX’s charmingly delightful synthpop covers of THE HUMAN LEAGUE’s ‘Empire State Human’, BILLY IDOL’s ‘Eyes Without A Face’ and OMD’s ‘She’s Leaving’ were also largely present and correct. Meanwhile, two uptempo outtakes from the ‘Inhale’ sessions ‘Do You Feel?’ and ‘Inside’ indicated where their fourth album might have headed had MARSHEAUX’s national surroundings been less economically turbulent.
Although METROLAND have little in common with GIRLS ALOUD, they are indeed The Sound Of The Underground. While highly influenced by KOMPUTER and KRAFTWERK, the single ‘Enjoying The View’ indicated METROLAND were more textural in their use of synthetic sequences, robotic vocals and vintage drum machines. With tributes to London Underground map designer ‘Harry Beck’, Kling Klang homages such as ‘It’s More Fun To Commute’ and a cover version of IGGY POP’s ‘The Passenger’ that has to be heard to be believed, METROLAND’s soundtrack provided a ride through an electronic landscape designed for the commuter world.
‘Mind The Gap’ is available as a CD, deluxe 2CD and download via Alfa Matrix Records
Having worked together on the ‘Origin’ album, a side project between VILLA NAH’s Juho Paalosmaa and ace producer Jori Hulkkonen was almost inevitable. Under the moniker of SIN COS TAN, their debut album impressed with a rich filmic quality permeating amongst all the synths and drum machines in a much more mature approach than had been apparent on ‘Origin’. There was plenty of variation too, from the dark, atmospheric space ballad ‘In Binary’ and laid back electro R’n’B of ‘Book Of Love’ to the NEW ORDER styled dream attack of ‘After All’ and the almost Balearic ‘Calendar’. But true to form with Hulkkonen’s intelligent disco manoeuvres, the beat templates were complimentary and never overbearing. And with the sublime “disco you can cry to” closer of ‘Trust’, SIN COS TAN’s place in electronic music has been assured.
‘Sin Cos Tan’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Solina Records
A release that actually slipped under TEC’s radar on initial release, TRUST was the project of Robert Alfons and AUSTRA’s Maya Postepski. Although Postepski left after its release to return to AUSTRA, ‘TRST’ made a slow burning impact as Alfons toured his “Eeyore gone goth” electro template around the world. The filthy ‘Gloryhole’ was a wondrous combination of portamento and dance beats, while ‘Bulbform’ was perfectly doomy disco. There were more immediate moments too like the trancier synthscapes of ‘Sulk’ and the alternate Euro-disco of ‘Dressed In Space’ which came over like a more depressed version of CAMOUFLAGE. In all, ‘TRST’ was one grower of a record.
‘TRST’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Arts & Crafts
‘Brilliant’ reminded people why the classic line-up of ULTRAVOX were supreme when firing on all cylinders. It also laid to the rest, the ghost of the dreadful ‘U-Vox’ album in 1986. The title track and ‘Live’ contained all the hallmarks of Billy Currie’s Eurocentric piano and synth embellishments complimented by the motorik power house of Chris Cross and Warren Cann while Midge Ure’s voice now possessed a fragility and honesty that could only come from life experience. Then there was the pounding electronic rock of ‘Satellite’ and the percolating sequences of ‘Rise’ which saw the return of Currie’s distinctive ARP Odyssey soloing. The whirring Odyssey also appeared on ‘Change’ with beautiful ivory runs over the shuffling schlagzeug. ‘Brilliant’ was proof than while Billy Currie needed Midge Ure, Midge Ure also needed Billy Currie.
‘Brilliant’ is available as a CD, 2LP and download via EMI Records
If people can still hold enough regard for a version of KRAFTWERK featuring just Ralf Hütter to crash the websites of the world’s art spaces, then KARL BARTOS should at least be accorded some kind of equal status. After all, Bartos did co-write ‘The Model’, ‘The Robots’, Neon Lights, ‘Numbers’ and ‘Computer Love’. Utilising musical sketches and ideas gathered during his period with KRAFTWERK and his later project ELEKTRIC MUSIC, ‘Off The Record’ was a fully realised recording with Kling Klang at its heart. Indeed, ‘Without A Trace Of Emotion’ saw Bartos conversing with his showroom dummy Herr Karl and confronting his demons. The punchy ‘Rhythmus’ revisited ‘Numbers’ and ‘Computer World 2’ while the wonderful ‘Hausmusik’ had its clanking core driven by the type of mechanised backbeat heard on the ‘Autobahn’ and ‘Radio-Activity’ albums. Even using ideas gathered prior to 1996, KARL BARTOS produced a classic but modern electronic pop album.
‘Off The Record’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Bureau B
BEF Music Of Quality & Distinction Volume 3 – Dark (2013)
The third instalment to Martyn Ware’s ambitious BEF covers project, amongst its fourteen tracks was some of his most overtly electronic work since he was in THE HUMAN LEAGUE. Kim Wilde’s brilliant opener ‘Every Time I See You Go Wild’ used just a Roland System 100 while the GIORGIO MORODER meets SPACE electro disco of ‘Same Love’ featuring David J Roch was another highlight. Other notable vocalists included ERASURE’s Andy Bell on an eerie take of ‘Breathing’, POLLY SCATTERGOOD’s kooky vocal on ‘The Look Of Love’ and CULTURE CLUB’s Boy George whose interpretation of ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ possessed a previously unheard grouchy edge. But it was a slowed down waltz remake of ASSOCIATES’ ’Party Fears Two’ voiced by HEAVEN 17’s Glenn Gregory that virtually stole the show and brought the hankies out.
‘Music Of Quality & Distinction Volume 3 – Dark’ is available as a CD, deluxe 2CD and download via Wall Of Sound
Like it or not, CHVRCHES have managed to attain a mainstream recognition that was denied to MIRRORS, thus furthering the cause of electronic pop worldwide. And in Lauren Mayberry, they have a sweet voice that counterbalances some of the harsher aural aesthetics that come with using Moog and her sisters. This album was full of quality synthpop with excellent songs such as ‘The Mother We Share’, ‘Science / Visions’, ‘Gun’, ‘Lies’ and ‘Recover’. However, an otherwise great debut was spoilt by Martin Doherty’s dreary blokey ramblings on ‘You Caught The Light’ and ‘Under The Tide’… and with the far superior ‘Now Is Not The Time’ sitting on the B-side bench, it is this type of noted Glaswegian bloody mindedness that will be the Achilles’ Heel to this trio achieving further success.
‘The Bones Of What You Believe’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Virgin Records
While claims that FEATHERS were the female DEPECHE MODE may have perhaps been overstated, ‘If All Now Here’ was an impressive opening gambit that actually came over more like THE BANGLES fronting Basildon’s finest. Essentially the one woman project of Anastasia Dimou, she successfully combined harmonies, dystopia and deserts for some dreamy electronic soundscapes. ‘Land Of The Innocent’ was a wondrous epic based around the arpeggio of ‘Ice Machine’ while ‘Soft’ borrowed from the single mix of ‘Behind the Wheel’, but added an enlightening pop sensibility. Of course the raunchier, bluesier side of DM revealed itself on ‘Fire In The Night’ and ‘Believe’, but in ‘Dark Matter’, there was a tune with a Latino dancefloor heart, but reimagined by NITZER EBB! Opening for DEPECHE MODE on the winter 2014 leg of the ‘Delta Machine’ tour completed the circle.
Named after the cult Italo standard, FOTONOVELA’s sophomore album ‘A Ton Of Love’ was conceived as a supreme electronic record featuring vocalists from all stages of classic synthpop, as a homage to the genre. As a sign of their ambition, the first person they approached was OMD’s Andy McCluskey and the sessions went well… so well, that the resultant number ‘Helen Of Troy’ ended up on OMD’s ‘English Electric’ opus instead! With FOTONOVELA’s tracks being coveted by their heroes, it boded well for the remainder of the album. With a cast that included SECTION 25, KID MOXIE and MARSHEAUX, the quality was maintained and several cases, even exceeded. In particular, ‘Our Sorrow’ featuring MIRRORS’ James New captured the essence of classic OMD with a spirited, majestic vocal while ‘Justice’ found DUBSTAR’s Sarah Blackwood in particularly feisty form. The presence of some of the most distinct voices in electronic pop music made ‘A Ton Of Love’ a fine showcase for one of best production teams in Europe.
‘A Ton of Love’ is available as a CD and download via Undo Records
With LADYTRON in hiatus, Helen Marnie set out “to create an electronic album with more of a pop element and pristine vocals” for her first solo record. Vocally and musically expansive like an Arctic escapist fantasy, this objective was achieved with ‘Crystal World’ with the classic pop of ABBA and MAMA CASS obviously apparent as well as MARNIE’s love of fellow weegies CHVRCHES. The brilliant launch single ‘The Hunter’ was the vibrant electropop single that LADYTRON never quite got round to releasing while there were other shining jewels like ‘Hearts On Fire’, ‘We Are The Sea’, ‘High Road’ and ‘Sugarland’. Meanwhile, ‘The Wind Breezes On’ was MARNIE’s own ‘Love Is A Stranger’ while the neo-acappella ‘Laura’ sat as a lush centrepiece to the collection.
‘Crystal World’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Les Disques Crespuscle
MESH’s danceable electro-rock ambitions became fully realised on ‘Automation Baby’. The lead single ‘Born To Lie’ was a brilliantly aggressive slice of Goth glam while in ‘Taken For Granted’, MESH had their own ‘Never Let Me Down Again’. ‘Just Leave Us Alone’ added some trancey dressing to the classic MESH template but it was the atmospheric maturity of the album’s ballads that were the big surprise. The beautiful ‘It’s The Way I Feel’ showed a more sensitive side with hints of ENNIO MORRICONE while ‘Adjust Your Set’ displayed some subtle traits despite its mechanical rhythms. But with the aptly titled ‘You Couldn’t See This Coming’, this orchestrated epic saw Mark Hockings’ passionate angst exposed for all. With the sonic balance bolstered by additional strings to MESH’s bow, ‘Automation Baby’ was undoubtedly the best album of their career to date.
‘Automation Baby’ is available as a CD and download via Dependent Records
On ‘Innocents’, MOBY’s familiar chord changes and sweeping string synths were all present and correct. But this was an adventurously beautiful work tinged with emotion, sadness and resignation that explored mid-life and mortality. Damien Jurado’s sensitive vocal on ‘Almost Home’ provided a marvellous slice of folktronica while Skylar Grey’s angelic voice on ‘The Last Day’ provided a beautiful innocence over the looping male gospel sample. One of the key moments of the album was ‘The Perfect Life’, an enjoyable duet by MOBY with FLAMING LIPS’ Wayne Coyne that came over bizarrely like GARY NUMAN at a Pentecostal church! With an elegiac tension, MOBY described parts of ‘Innocents’ as “nostalgic futurism”… it was also soothing electronic soul.
‘Innocents’ is available as a CD, deluxe 2CD, 2LP and download via Little Idiot
In 2013, Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys finally released the album that many had been wanting since 1984. ‘English Electric’ was a brilliant concept album that encompassed the mantra “what does the future sound like?” The reality of unfulfilled dreams and impending mortality lingered on ‘Metroland’ and ‘Night Café’ while ‘Dresden’, ‘Helen Of Troy’ and ‘Final Song’ used clever metaphors for tales of relationship breakup. However, the magnificent ‘Our System’ did what OMD always did best, with an emotive soundtrack about the universe while ‘Kissing The Machine’, McCluskey’s collaboration with KARL BARTOS from 1993, was given some appropriate Synth-werk. And there was the return of the Paul Humphreys vocal on the very personal ‘Stay With Me’, a melodic ditty that was up there with ‘Souvenir’.
‘English Electric’ is available as a CD, deluxe CD/DVD, LP and download via BMG Music
Laced with House, Italo and Eurotrance references, ‘Electric’ took a few risks with the opening track ‘Axis’ being virtually instrumental, re-imagining Bobby Orlando in the 22nd Century. The brilliantly titled ‘Love Is A Bourgeois Construct’ recalled the pomp of ‘I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing’ but then came the hypnotic ‘Fluorescent’. Basically a wonderful dancefloor makeover of ‘Fade To Grey’, waves of synth sirens attacked like a Martian invasion. Meanwhile, ‘Thursday’ re-explored the New York club scene with the distinctive squelch of a TB303 and captured the vibrant excitement of what is now the new Friday. The slightly berserk ‘Shouting In The Evening’ was a slice of “banging” techno before the comparatively conventional ‘Vocal’. With the vivid sentiment “I like the singer, he’s lonely and strange – every track has a vocal…and that makes a change”, it was a befitting conclusion of what this album was about; ‘Electric’ by name and electric by nature.
‘Electric’ is available as a CD, LP and download via X2 Recordings
Anglo-German collective TWINS NATALIA captured a pristine technostalgic journey through a Europe of real life and postcard views on ‘The Destiny Room’. A wonderfully emotive soundtrack of elegance and decadence with a touch of neu romance, the collection’s main act began with the gorgeously arpeggiated ‘Destiny’. Then there was the more frantic HI-NRG romp of ‘I Avoid Strangers’, while the PET SHOP BOYS styled neo-orchestrated statement of ‘Set Love Free’ climaxed like a pomped up ‘Rent’. As an appendix, there was also the superb debut single ‘When We Were Young’ b/w ‘Kleiner Satellit’ which first appeared in 2008. With rich, vibrant soloing from Dave Hewson on a Roland Jupiter 6 throughout, ‘The Destiny Room’ was perfect listening electronic music enthusiasts of a time when people actually played synths and explored the capabilities of their drum machines.
Three years in the making, ‘The future through a lens’ was well worth the wait. While not as immediate as the tracks on the preceding three EPs made available for their German tour supporting OMD, the album itself took a more esoteric, filmic approach. Like ‘Twin Peaks’ meets ORBITAL, ‘Damaged Software’ was an enticing piece of electro while ‘Drowned Cities’ was an enticing entry point following the title track overture. Both the pulsating ‘Proximity’ and the moody ‘Nothing’ grew with further listens. But with the closing ‘Deep Red’, it took all that was great about early OMD, putting ‘Statues’, ‘Stanlow’ and ‘The Romance Of The Telescope’ into a breathtaking seven and a half minute epic. This full length debut impressed enough for VILE ELECTRODES to snap up two Schallwelle awards in Germany for ‘Best International Album’ and ‘Best International Band’ in 2014.
‘The future through a lens’ is available as a download via Vile Electrodes, CD and cassette package available at http://vileelectrodes.bigcartel.com/
Techno DJ WESTBAM celebrated 30 years in the music business with an intriguing mature collection of songs under the title of ‘Götterstrasse’. While the theme of the album centred on the joy and euphoria of underground nightlife, the magnificent launch single ‘You Need The Drugs’ voiced brilliantly by THE PSYCHEDLIC FURS’ Richard Butler was not actually a celebration of illicit substance use. It was an album full of surprises like the dramatic ‘Kick It Like A Sensei’ with rapper LIL WAYNE and the tensely militaristic ‘Iron Music’ featuring the distinctive baritone of IGGY POP. Meanwhile, ‘She Wants’ saw the return of NEW ORDER’s Bernard Sumner on a new electronic dance composition and the frantic but serene ‘A Night to Remember’ with THE STRANGLERS’ Hugh Cornwall brought proceedings to a euphoric come down via some piano and Solina strings.
‘Götterstrasse’ is available as a CD and download via Warner Music
The transformation of Glaswegians ANALOG ANGEL has been startling. Moving away from their industrial shackles, they came up with a largely excellent collection of quality synthpop in ‘Trinity’. ‘Drive’ was a haunting drama about domestic violence that was given extra poignancy by a ghostly guest vocal by Tracy J Cox. There was also the frantic ERSAURE on Stella Artois of ‘The Chase’, the rousing schaffel stomp of ‘Round Again’ and the refined CAMOUFLAGE meets VANGELIS atmospheres of ‘Inner Voice’. But the biggest surprise was ‘The Last Time’, a cinematic masterpiece involving an orchestra that cascaded into an epic Pan-European journey across The Steppes. The virtual symphonic strings and gothic choirs gave an indication as to what OMD might have sounded like if Jim Steinman had been producing!
After the promise of the ‘Bounty’ and ‘Kin’ collections, ‘Blue’ fully realised the potential of IAMAMIWHOAMI, the slightly bonkers moniker of delightfully odd vocalist Jonna Lee and producer Claes Björklund. Expanding on the audio / visual template of its predecessors, the first impression of ‘Blue’ is that it is more of the same. But like fine wine, this album gets better with age. The windy breeze of glacial Scandinavian beauty immerses itself on tracks like the sub-COCTEAU TWINS ‘Fountain’, the ABBA-like ‘Chasing Kites’ and the closing reverberant mood piece ‘Shadowshow’. But it is the more uptempo danced based numbers like the mutant techno of ‘Ripple’ and the KATE BUSH gone trance of ‘Hunting For Pearls’ that show the most advancement. Jonna Lee’s otherworldly rasp does polarise but once overcome, the sonic rewards can be startling.
RÖYKSOPP’s final album took five years but it ultimately benefitted the outcome. ROBYN returned for a shorter, sharper version of ‘Monument’, but her thunder was stolen by some supreme vocal performances by SUSANNE SUNDFØR and Jamie McDermott from THE IRREPRESSIBLES. ‘Save Me’ and ‘Running to The Sea’ reinforced why the former is the Nordic vocalist of the moment, while the latter’s contributions to ‘You Know I Have To Go’ and ‘I Had This Thing’ showed how modern electronic dance music can be both vibrant and heartfelt. Only the pointless profanity laden ‘Rong’, ironically featuring ROBYN, stopped ‘The Inevitable End’ from achieving perfection.
‘The Inevitable End’is available as a 2CD, 2LP and download via Dog Triumph / Cooking Vinyl
The ULTRAVOX reunion had a profound effect on the diminutive Mr Ure if nothing else and got him to fully focus on the solo album he’d been working on since 2001. The time that passed was worth it; songs like ‘Become’ recalled his work with VISAGE while the title track revealed that despite the moustache and long raincoat back in the day, he’d always wanted to be in PINK FLOYD. Meanwhile, instrumentals such as ‘of ‘Wire & Wood’ and ‘Bridges’ showed that Ure’s music still has subtlety. But the undoubted highlight of ‘Fragile’ was ‘Dark, Dark Night’, a co-write with MOBY. The song built to an amazing climax with the follically challenged pairing forming a partnership made in heaven. Overall, the album was an impressive musical diary of a man pondering and confronting his post-midlife.
‘Fragile’ is available as a CD, LP and download via Hypertension Music
‘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
Less than a year after their eponymous debut, SIN COS TAN are back with another quality collection of emotive songs reflecting further broken dreams but in a slightly lighter setting where there are “spirits awoken”.
With a surplus of material from those first sessions, Juho Paalosmaa and Jori Hulkkonen have capitalised on the momentum of their working chemistry in the studio by recording a swift follow-up. Entitled ‘Afterlife’, this second volume expands the instrumental palette and this is signified by the album’s opening gambit ‘Limbo’.
With its conventional bass guitar mantra, prominent ivories and staccato organ lines, it has the air of Bryan Ferry who coincidentally had a song with the same name. But despite the musical shift, as ever with Hulkkonen’s work, he can’t help slipping a classic PET SHOP BOYS styled middle eight into proceedings. Meanwhile, Paalosmaa is a little more relaxed than before, resulting in their most defined pop statement yet.
Although initially a more of a classic synthpop pairing with Paalosmaa handling the majority of the lyrical chores and Hulkkonen focussing on production, ‘Afterlife’ sees the duo combine their roles in a more collaborative fashion with a much looser feel than its predecessor. The opening third is delightful with ‘Part Of Me’ being a natural progression of sunnier tunes such as ‘Calendar’ from the SIN COS TAN debut while ‘Ritual’ gives an interesting Nordic interpretation on how to use a Latin shuffle while dressing the structure with pretty but understated melodies that recall CHINA CRISIS.
Despite this being a less nocturnal offering, darkness does have its place on ‘Afterlife’ and the middle section adopts a much sombre shade. The sparse ‘Heat’ premieres this darker side but it doesn’t go the full hog until ‘Destroyer’ which amusingly appears to have borrowed its verse vocal topline from JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE’s ‘Sexy Back’ or LADYHAWKE’s ‘Professional Suicide’, depending on your mindset! ‘Fair Rewards’ continues this maturer pace while ‘Heart On A Plate’ adopts a beatier groove.
The next trio of numbers however spring the album back to life. Hulkkonen first found fame as part of TIGA & ZYNTHERIUS back in 2001 at the height of the Electroclash movement; partly recalling that era, ‘Avant Garde’features Casey Spooner from the scene’s flag bearers FISCHERSPOONER. One of the album’s key tracks, it’s a moment which Paalosmaa described as “a very cool honour”. ‘Avant Garde’ itself though is not club oriented at all though, much more like THE CURE being produced by PET SHOP BOYS with Spooner providing a suitably cynical snarl to contrast Paalosmaa’s lost boy cry.
Meanwhile, the wondrous ‘Television’ intros with some Hooky six string bass and jumps into a danceable number that wouldn’t sound of place on NEW ORDER’s ‘Technique’ with CHIC-styled rhythm guitars syncopated against Moroder-esque sequencers. The following ‘Moonstruck’ ends this marvellous trilogy with a gorgeous ballad in the Tennant/Lowe tradition, smothered in synthetic strings while driven by a steady drum machine.
To close ‘Afterlife’, there is the building drone drama of ‘Burning Man’, probably the starkest thing Paalosmaa and Hulkkonen have attempted together so far. It would be fair to say that while there isn’t a track like ‘Trust’ on the album, ‘Afterlife’ is a colourful but no less impassioned body of work.
Paalosmaa still sounds emblazoned in sorrow but the adoption of more live instruments adds some brightness to the SIN COS TAN sound. While the spectre of PET SHOP BOYS looms, CHINA CRISIS and post-Roxy BRYAN FERRY are pointers to this more organic but still synth-friendly record.
Special thanks to Tom Riski of Solina Records
‘Afterlife’ is released by Solina Records in Europe and Sugarcane Records for the rest of the world on CD, vinyl and download with a street date of 22nd November 2013 for the UK
One of the best albums of 2012 has been the eponymous debut by SIN COS TAN, “a synthesized duo of great promise, broken dreams, and long nights”.
This brooding, electronic meisterwerk is the creation of Juho Paalosmaa and Jori Hulkkonen, both highly regarded figures within the Finnish music scene. Paalosmaa is the singer and songwriter from VILLA NAH who released the crystalline genius of ‘Origin’, one of the best synthpop albums of 2010.
They consolidated that success by supporting OMD that same year. Hulkkonen meanwhile is the highly regarded producer who released his first album ‘Selkäsaari Tracks’ in 1996. He came to the world’s wider attention though as ZYNTHERIUS with TIGA on their 2001 electroclash cover of COREY HART’s ‘Sunglasses At Night’ which was a UK Top30 hit.
He has since also worked with JOHN FOXX and PET SHOP BOYS as well as remixing THE PRESETS, CLIENT and best of all, the late BILLY MACKENZIE on his cover of RANDY NEWMAN’s ‘Boltimore’. His PROCESSORY project with the reclusive vocalist Jerry Valuri delivered an album ‘Change Is Gradual’ in 2011 which was an ambitious Sci-Fi concept album about seeking new life and new civilisations.
SIN COS TAN’s debut is more straightforward, developing on the pop instincts of both Paalosmaa and Hulkkonen but adding an organic edge to the electronic framework. With a rich filmic quality permeating amongst all the synths and drum machines, the album is possibly varied than either has attempted previously. However, ‘Sin Cos Tan’ still maintains a continuity that is both immediate and thoughtful. With songs such as ‘Trust’, ‘In Binary’ and ‘Book Of Love’, it is a contemporary electronic soundtrack which is ideal for that drive home on a rainy night…
Functionally, SIN COS TAN are a classic synth duo; Paalosmaa is intense and committed while Hulkkonen is more laid back and unassuming. Their contrasts compliment each other perfectly. Following their impressive debut UK performance at Nordic music night ‘Ja Ja Ja’ and with a new single ‘Bittersweet’ on the way, Juho Paalosmaa and Jori Hulkkonen kindly talked to ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK about their album’s trigonometrical solutions…
How was SIN COS TAN conceived?
Juho: Me and Jori wanted to try and work on something new together, as we’d previously co-operated on each other’s own projects. We soon discovered that recording material together was very effortless – in just a few days we squeezed out 15-20 tracks.
Jori: Yeah, basically the idea was first just to try to write music together and see how it works; “is there chemistry in the studio” and “are the results something that’s more than the sum of its parts?” I was quite surprised how effortlessly the whole thing came together.
The project appears perhaps darker than VILLA NAH and more dance influenced than PROCESSORY. In your opinion, what are the differences?
Juho: VILLA NAH’s sound is somewhat an ode to the music of my childhood, hence the naivety and nostalgia that surrounds it. SIN COS TAN is sonically more modern and mature, so perhaps that explains the darker texture. I’d say SIN COS TAN is more emphasised on straightforward pop than PROCESSORY, but Jori is a better judge on that…
Jori: …with PROCESSORY, we wanted to experiment with the pop formula very intentionally, and although a lot of the songs were quite poppy, the arrangements were not, which made it maybe not so accessible; but in a way that was the whole idea of that record. With SIN COS TAN, we really wanted to focus on strong songs, and have a production and arrangement that supports the song, rather than distracting from it. And as opposed to VILLA NAH, I guess the keyword is “mature”.
How is the dynamic between you both in SIN COS TAN compared with the other occasions you’ve worked together?
Juho: With VILLA NAH, I’ve been solely responsible for the songwriting, so I knew that would be different with SIN COS TAN. With Jori, we both bring our ideas to the table and let them mix together…for me, that is the key ingredient of SIN COS TAN.
Jori: Yeah exactly. We had an idea what we might sound like, but when we actually got in the studio and started writing songs from scratch, that was the most rewarding thing for the whole process, as the end result took a slightly surprising direction; there’s a bit of R’n’B influence and it’s quite soulful at times.
Saxophones and guitars feature on several songs…was this willingness to use some conventional instrumentation a key part of your sonic exploration?
Juho: I try not to put any rules on instrumentations – I find that very limiting. So I’m not a synth purist, nor any purist, for that matter. My philosophy in music is simple: if it sounds good, just use it.
Jori: A lot of my favourite pop records are not limited to strictly electronics, and when I put my producer hat on, I’m always interested in expanding the sonic palette. I like the tension a tight drum machine and organic guitar can have. I love the idea of programming and creating the basic groove, but then colouring it with a bit more organic touch; on a lot my productions there are acoustic percussions, and little things played live and left a bit loose, just to add a bit of extra spice.
What about the types of synth textures you wanted?
Juho: Jori probably has a more detailed answer…I think we generally wanted SIN COS TAN to be sonically very clear and clean – stripped of any excessive production, relying more on the dynamic between just the vocals and the bass.
Jori: Again, it wasn’t really that planned. When we were writing songs, it soon became clear that we wanted to keep the production kind of minimal and leave space for the vocals to breathe. I think one of the strengths of the album is that the soundscape is also very honest; we didn’t go after any specific direction but worked on each song on its own terms, rather than trying to make the song fit a certain formula we might’ve wanted to have. It was only afterwards when we started going through the songs we’d done, we kind of noticed a certain “sound” emerging, and then tried to tie the album together by picking the songs that fitted together.
‘Book Of Love’ is a pleasant surprise with its sub-R’n’B beat template?
Juho: That’s very much Jori’s input. I found it a refreshing angle when compared to anything I’ve done before…vocally, it opens a completely different approach as well.
Jori: One of the key elements that came with co-writing was that I could point Juho towards certain directions as a vocalist he might not have tried himself; ‘Book Of Love’ is a prime example of that. I think it also is a great example of that “maturity” we mentioned earlier.
I understand ‘Trust’ started off more downtempo…how did it evolve into the final track?
Juho: ‘Trust’ was actually initially a demo track that I’d played around with my Yamaha organ; it was a bit more uptempo then. But as we took it to Jori’s studio, it transformed into a moody downtempo piece. Afterwards Jori offered a more uptempo mix, which we both agreed upon.
Jori: Yeah, the original version we recorded was very moody, in a way reminiscent of VILLA NAH’s ‘Emerald Hills’, but at the back of my head I felt it might need a different approach. So after trying a few things, it ended up being my favourite style of music: Disco You Can Cry To.
The extended live version of ‘Trust’ is something very special, any plans to release that?
Juho: So far no plans. But anything’s possible, of course…
How are you finding taking SIN COS TAN out live?
Juho: It’s fun and relatively smooth; Jori devised us a rather ingenious set of equipment which we’re able to grab along across the globe fairly easily.
Our live shows also feature visuals, which is a great asset to the music – it brings out an entirely different side of the band.
Jori: For me, it’s quite exciting as I’ve never really played live in a band, and sharing the stage where someone else takes the limelight is quite refreshing. Also, my solo gigs have always been very much based on improvisation, something you can’t really do as a duo doing pop.
‘All I Ever Dream Of’ is quite a bizarre track as it starts with this offbeat before building to a percussive crescendo?
Juho: It’s probably my favourite on the album, it has a nice off-kilter menace to it. I’m quite pleased with the lyrics and vocals on it too. The song actually came about extremely quickly – I think Jori can share how he came up with that tasty rhythm…
Jori: …it’s a very cool track; great example of our co-writing where I had this idea of the relentless rhythm and bassline, and Juho came up with this quite menacing tone to his voice which is a great combo. There’s many ways to approaching writing a song, sometimes interesting ideas come from programming a simple rhythm that has a character of its own and the song just manifests itself. It’s the closest to magic that I know of.
What is ‘History’ about?
Juho: ‘History’ was one of my initial home demos which we recorded for SIN COS TAN. Lyrically I think it deals with discommunication, resignation and the eternal repetition of the former two. Who says I’m not an optimist?
Although there is this melancholy running throughout the album, ‘Calendar’ is quite up, almost euphoric?
Juho: Yes ‘Calendar’ has the most summery vibe on the album. Like a ray of sunshine on a cold winter day…
Jori: …I had a basic idea for a track with that bassline and chord progression which felt very, very poppy and I sent it to Juho who loved it. We felt it was our summer hit.
What is your favourite song on the album?
Juho: As mentioned earlier; ‘All I Ever Dream Of’.
Jori: Tough, but I’d have say ‘Not Over’. If a future me had gone back in time one year from today and played me the song before we even started working on anything, and told me what Juho and I would sound like, I probably wouldn’t have believed him/me. That’s the beauty of this collaboration, it’s a bit unexpected.
What are your future plans, with regards both SIN COS TAN and your own projects?
Juho: More stuff with SIN COS TAN – we have plenty of ideas and tracks to work on from just our previous sessions alone. I’m also working on more VILLA NAH, whenever possible.
Jori: SIN COS TAN is definitely the priority as it has so many facets to the whole thing; more studio work, videos, touring. Apart from SIN COS TAN, I’m putting together some stuff both on solo fronts and collaborations.
ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK gives its sincerest thanks to SIN COS TAN
Special thanks to Tom Riski at Solina Records
‘Sin Cos Tan’ is released on CD, vinyl and download by Solina Records in Europe and Sugarcane Records for the rest of the world.
Their cover of ‘My Blue Heaven’, a song from the 1929 musical film ‘Glorifying The American Girl’ not included on the album, is available as a free download
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reminded people why the classic line-up of 
. ‘Drive’ was a haunting drama about domestic violence that was given extra poignancy by a ghostly guest vocal by Tracy J Cox. There was also the frantic ERSAURE on Stella Artois of ‘The Chase’, the rousing schaffel stomp of ‘Round Again’ and the refined CAMOUFLAGE meets VANGELIS atmospheres of ‘Inner Voice’. But the biggest surprise was ‘The Last Time’, a cinematic masterpiece involving an orchestra that cascaded into an epic Pan-European journey across The Steppes. The virtual symphonic strings and gothic choirs gave an indication as to what OMD might have sounded like if Jim Steinman had been producing!
is released by Solina Records in Europe and Sugarcane Records for the rest of the world on CD, vinyl and download with a street date of 22nd November 2013 for the UK
is released on CD, vinyl and download by Solina Records in Europe and Sugarcane Records for the rest of the world.
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