A few days ago we dropped the video for Konnichiwa’ s ‘Maiden China’ from their début album ‘Visions’. We’ve had a chance to listen to the full album now, and it’s pretty special.
The thing I like about Konnichiwa is their points of reference. Most 80’s inspired acts draw their influences from Europe, particularly England (and being English, I do hear a lot of it!) whereas Konnichiwa, although defiantly an 80s SynthPop influenced duo, produce a sound more akin to the Electronic Pop that came out of the US in the 80s, a sound that tended to be a bit more upbeat than it’s European counterpart and made more extensive use of burgeoning sampling technology. This sound eventually gave way to a particular North American brand of EBM/SynthPop (think Information Society) and it’s this poppy, yet borderline EBM, groove that I can hear running through Konnichiwa’s record. Lots of FM synthesis and sampling make up the music. Percussive and driving it forms a stable basis for Kaela Noel’s crazy, reverb washed, vocal style. Almost oriental and kinda’ operatic in a weird way, and with a touch of Karin Dreijer-Andersson to it, Kaela’s vocals form a strange and alluring focal point for the tracks.
Check out ‘Constellations’ on of my favourite tracks from ‘Visions’
‘Visions’ is out 22nd March on Rainbow Body Records.
electronic rumors 
LOVE this. So good.