Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
Pet Shop Boys’ new single ‘Winner’ is out today, it’s awesome stuff that we will bring you one their label sort their lives out, but today we’ll dedicate Going’ Old School to Britain’s finest SynthPop duo, starting with 1986’s Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money).
The tail end of the ‘80’s with Domino Dancing from 1988.
Got the heads up about this over on Breaking More Waves, on of the UKs best, and most passionate, music blogs. Robin at BMW predicts that London ElectroPop duo Avec Sans will soon have the music blogosphere’s tongues wagging, and he could very well be right. So let’s start the ball rolling.
Avec Sans are Alice Fox and Jack St James who, after a seriously classy cover of Bon Iver’s Perth, have dropped this début tune, the amazingly titled Heartbreak Hi. Amazingly titled ‘cos not only is it a reference to casually greeting heartbreak, but also sounds like an awesome Australian teen drama from the early ‘90’s. Now that’s wordplay! The track itself is glorious, rousing slice of razor sharp ElectroPop. With a very slight Industrial quality to it, that is tempered by Alice Fox’s impassioned vocals. It’s rare for a new ElectroPop act to come along and sound so polished and mature from the get-go. Avec Sans are going to do big things, mark my words.
Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
Here’s the first track to be featured on Goin’ Old School twice! We love it that much! Krush’s House Arrest from 1987. One of the best record ever made.
Savage bring the Italo this week with1984’s Only You.
And a bit of American SynthPop for Information Society with What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) from 1988
Canadian ElectroPop act Parallels first came to our attention with their 2009 single Ultralight on THISISNOTANEXIT. The following year, Visionaries, the album Ultralight was taken from blew us away. Parallels combination of big Pop songwriting and a raw analog production sound, despite being very retro, sound incredibly fresh. Holly and Cam crafted an album that had the synthesizer authenticity of Minimal Synth, the catchy tunes of Pop and the live feel of Indie. It was both critically acclaimed and was one of out top records of 2010. It’s been a long couple of years while we waited for new material.
In those two years, Cam and Holly parted ways, Cam concentrating on his awesome Kontravoid project and Holly carrying on the name of Parallels. Now, a lot is being said about Cam’s departure and how it has affected the new material. The ‘internet’ seems concerned that, without Cam, Parallels are just a Pop act and the new album XII is somehow not as good as Visionaries. The ‘internet’ is wrong. XII lives up to our expectations in every way, from Love & Devotion, the album’s opener, onward you are treated to a catchy, intelligent, atmospheric ElectroPop album, with each song carrying a emotional resonance. There is definitely less melancholy on this record, then the previous, but that feels like a natural progression. Whereas Visionaries displayed a certain darkness (although not as much as some people would like to make out), XII replaces that with a nostalgic longing, a slightly bitter reminiscing, that actually makes a stronger emotional connection with the listener than Visionaries Goth-lite. Time Will Crawl is the album’s obvious standout, introducing Italo into Parallel’s repertoire and worming it’s way into your brain with a huge chorus which, along with a cover of Gowen’s Moonlight Desires and Ritual Dancer made up Parallel’s much loved recent EP. The rest of the album delivers on the EP’s promises, from Days Of Summer, a retrospective track with starlight synths and Funk bass to Fury On Earth’s reverb washed 80’s movie soundtrack drums and warping lead or the Industrial pounding of Dover, XII is a album that compels further listening. Yes, without Cam XII is a very different sounding album than Visionaries, but it is built from the same foundations. The only real difference here is production style, Holly sublime and relatable vocals work an an anchor, the thread running through Parallel’s work. Be in no doubt, this is Parallels, as good as ever, and XII is an excellent album and one with we would highly recommend.
Parisian Indie-Electro trio Tristesse Contemporaine actually comprises a Brit, a Swede and a Japanese girl and are about to release their second single, ’Hell is Other People’, later this month. It’s an interesting, introspective ElectroPop track. Quite minimal, quite moody. reMixes are supplied by Chloe, Clement Meyer and this track from real French Parisian Yan Wagner.
Mr. Wagner takes things into a slightly more upbeat, ElectroPoppy place with his reMix, but keeps things in an atmospheric, brooding place. The subdued vocal works really well with this new urban futuristic backing. Sparse dance beats and a bouncy bassline make a nice core for the more ethereal elements of the track, shimmering synth hooks and floaty pads. Interesting, Intelligent, ElectroPop.
Last week we introduced you to American SynthPop outfit Mirror Kisses who were gearing up for the release of their new album, ‘Bad Dreams’. The album is finally out, and it’s raining and miserable here in the UK, perfect weather for some electronic beats and songs shot through with a vein of melancholy, which makes it the perfect time to take a look at this duo’s latest offering.
The album kicks off with ‘Proud’, the track we featured last week, and the track that originally got out attention. Musically it’s a bit of a manifesto for these guys, it makes clear what to expect from the rest of the record and as we go into ‘She’s Gone’ we discover that they certainly can keep up the quality with buzzing electronics and a solid beat. aside from lots of Saw Tooth waves, Mirror Kisses signature sound comes from the vocals, which effortlessly switch between a Gothic croon and something that reminds us of Billy Corgan. It makes for a unique sound, and coupled with quite a raw, live sounding production, full of soaring synths and tribal flourishes, makes for compelling listening. ‘Bad Dreams’ is true ‘80’s sounding album, it could have quite easily been released around 1983-84. Sure, there are a few modern lead lines in there, on the more upbeat tracks like ‘Team Follow’ or ‘Sleeping In The Hallway’, but on the whole the choice of sounds, and the production style, particularly the use of big roomy reverb is very early ‘80’s. As is the songwriting, on songs such as ‘Someone to Name’ or ‘Haunt Me’ you can hear the ghosts of Japan bleeding through. Mirror Kisses’ ‘Bad Dreams’ is a definite recommendation for anyone into that end of ‘80’s SynthPop that mixed a gloomier sound with a strangely fitting uplifting quality.
♫ Mirror Kisses – She’s Gone
♫ Mirror Kisses – Team Follow
♫ Mirror Kisses – Haunt Me
♫ Mirror Kisses – Sleeping In The Hallway
Mirror Kisses new album, ‘Bad Dreams’ is out now on Chill Mega Chill.
Following on from their, frankly amazing, ‘time Will Crawl’ EP, here is the first preview of Canadian ElectroPop geniuses Parallels new album ‘XII’. They will be showcasing a brand new track everyday on their SoundCloud every day for the next seven days, leading up to the albums 26th June release, and while we won’t be featuring every track, daily (that would be too much) we’ll kick you off with this first one and urge you to keep and eye out for the next seven days of tunes until we get our hands on the album for review.
If ‘Days Of Summer’ is supposed to be an indication of what ‘XII’ holds then we are more excited about this release than ever (and we were pretty excited as it was). It’s a track that covers you in a wash of nostalgia, both musically and lyrically. Shimmering synths reverberate around the track, warm basses and sparkling lead lines weave in and out of one another creating a modern ElectroPop sound that still reflects SynthPop of the past. A contemporary sound that still wears it’s retro influences in it;s sleeve. There’s even a slight Italo quality to it. Holly’s vocals integrate with the track perfectly, at times acting as part of the instrumentation, but all the time weaving a tale of innocence lost, in a good way, and better times. Right now ‘XI’ is out most anticipated album of they year, the end of the month can;t come quick enough.
So, if you’ve been at all an ElectroPop or Indie-Electro fan in London, or the UK, or Europe in the past ten years you’ll know the name of Scarlet Soho, and probably seen them live a few times. Like troopers they have held the line for ElectroPop and Indie-electro through some of the genre’s dark times. Scarlet, Jim and Stu are that rare breed, a British ElectroPop band that gigs, a lot. With some pretty high profile tour supports under their belt, including Zoot Woman, Razorlight, IAMX and A Flock Of Seagulls, these guys have honed their skills in the live arena, and that translates to energy in their records.
Take their new release. ‘When The Lights Go Out’ is one of the catchiest, slickest ElectroPop tracks you’ll hear all year and sees Scarlet Soho right at the top of their game and making their comeback in a Pop climate that could be really welcoming. So after years as one of the top underground ElectroPop acts in Europe, it looks like 2012 could be the year Scarlet Soho gain that wider recognition they so deserve.
The lovely Scarlet, keyboard player and bassist extraordinaire, took some time out of their busy promotional schedule to chat with us about the past, present and futures of Scarlet Soho.
ER: We were quite surprised (in a good way) when ‘When The Lights Go Out’ hit the electronic rumors inbox. We weren’t sure whether you were still going. So what have you been up to since ‘Warpaint’ and what makes now the perfect time to return to people’s consciousnesses?
SS: It feels like we’ve not been away! Despite the lengthy gap between ‘Warpaint’ and ‘When The Lights Go Out’ we’ve been gigging sporadically, breaking new ground and working hard on the new material. Lots of stuff has been written, rewritten, reworked, scrapped and revived in the last couple of years. We probably have enough tracks for some kind of triple album, but decided to bite the bullet and drip-feed the new tracks to the world in a series of EPs. And get back on the road where we belong!
ER: How does it feel to be back promoting a record again? As an ElectroPop webzine we’ve definitely seen a change in the musical landscape in the past three years, HURTS’ success has suddenly made ElectroPop with a shot of melancholy, and a bit more intelligence, more of a commercially viable option. This must make it a pretty exciting time for you guys to be releasing a new record?
SS: Yes, we’ve been chomping at the bit for so long now it’s a huge relief to be pushing something new. In the meantime I’ve grown to love ‘Warpaint’ again and the new songs fit nicely into the set and are being received well. Having not toured for a little while you have a slight concern that maybe you’ve forgotten how to do it. But the recent tour to promote the EP has been our best to date!
HURTS look distinctly like Bros to me… Which I find slightly (very) off-putting. When I first saw their video I thought they were a joke band… But a gazillion Germans can’t be wrong. Can they?
I’m a huge fan of Robyn and Ronika and the more out-and-out Pop acts that are about at the moment. HURTS have always seemed a little smug and po-faced.
But yes, exciting times for music at the moment I think.
When The Lights Go Out (2012)
ER: So, tell us about the new EP. It seems polished compared to the ‘Warpaint’, which now seems quite raw and gritty in comparison. How, and why, would you say your sound has evolved?
SS: As I mentioned we have been working and reworking the tracks for a long time. And came to realise that less is more. It’s the Ramones effect I think – the less going on, the more it hits home. The same can be said for AC/DC, the more simple you go, the louder it allows you to be. I like loud.
ER: For us, listening to the ‘When The Lights Go Out’ EP, we felt like this was the point ‘Divisions Of Decency‘ and ‘Warpaint’ were leading to? Do you feel like this is the ultimate incarnation of Scarlet Soho?
SS: I believe we are now the band we always wanted to be. In the beginning we were a little cautious of being “too Pop” and often whilst writing the songs would wonder if we could actually get away with some of the stuff we were coming out with. Being a little older and wiser now you just do what you want to do. People go to watch bands to have a good time. They don’t want to be stood around gazing at the floor being miserable. There’s a time and a place for that – at home. We love touring and like to see people drinking and dancing.
I’ve always been in awe of comedians, because making people laugh is an incredibly difficult task, but so is getting people to dance.
It feels good to know that you’ve contributed to people having an amazing night.
ER: What’s been your influences writing the new material? And what are you guys listening to these days?
SS: When we toured with Zoot Woman it was the first time we had toured with a band that were that mainstream. And around that time we also started listening to a lot more commercial music. James loves his Italo. I think that has figured in the studio more this time round. When writing he has a in-depth vision of exactly how he wants the songs to sound (which often is miles away from the original demo he comes up with). I’d love to tell you the inner workings of that man’s brain but thankfully I’m not privy to that.
ER: How’s The promotion of the EP going? It looks like you’ve been pretty busy hopping back and forth from Europe for shows.
SS: It’s going well thank you! We’ve had some amazing reviews and great support from the Electro scene. We were a little worried that we’d be starting from scratch, but the EP and shows have been well-received from fans old and new.
Speak Your Mind (2009)
ER: So, what’s in Scarlet Soho’s studio? Any favourite or go-to bits of kit?
SS: We’re not really a ‘gear’ band. We used to own a lot of old synths, I had a couple of CZ5000s and a CZ1000 but we ditched them when we started playing abroad more often. I worry enough flying with the guitars, let alone a big old synthesizer rattling around in the hold! I love the vintage kit, but it’s so unreliable. I had shows where I had 2 synths and had to program sounds mid-set because the memory was faulty.
We’ve streamlined everything down to make travelling easier, and in the writing process the less options the quicker things get finished. I watched an amazing recent interview with Giorgio Moroder and he remarked that making all of those classic songs was easy due to the lack of variables. You had a kick. A snare. A bass sound. A string sound. Boom. Done.
For years James has preferred to manually program drums on a shitty drum-machine rather than using Logic or anything fancy. We’re luddites where that is concerned.
ER: And how does the writing and recording process work?
SS: We try to mix things up a bit. If you rehearse or write in the same place all of the time I think it’s very easy to get stuck in a rut.
James writes whilst walking. He has a Dictaphone and puts ideas directly into that. Writes snippets of lyrics on his phone. He knows how he wants things to sound so the rest is relatively easy. We use a variety of studios to keep it interesting. We’ve done bits recently in Hamburg, London, Southampton and Winchester. The studio isn’t that important in terms of getting things done. The wonder of the internet means you can achieve whatever you want wherever you are. The real work happens in the writing and mixing.
ER: If money was no object, what synth (or bit of studio kit) would you love to own?
SS: Ha! Well… It’s more about space than money! I’d love to have my CZs back. I love Vince Clarke’s Cabin. He has this amazing Cabin with all of his gear in. It’s like an Aladdin’s cave of nerdiness.
I fucking hate my Korg. It’s a piece of shit. The sooner that bites the dust the better. Every time I see a band with a fucking microKorg I want to kill myself. Sadly I think they are probably indestructible. I may put that to the test in the not too distant future.
City Behaviour (2004)
ER: When can we expect a new Scarlet Soho full length album? And what can we expect from it?
SS: We’re in the midst of doing EP2 at the moment. Vague release date for Sept/Oct 2012. It’s a little moodier than WTLGO. People that have heard the lead track have said it’s the best thing we’ve ever written. So, happy with that!
After that we’re going to do a full length album that completes the series of releases. My lips are sealed on what it’s going to sound like.
EP: Are you a cereal for full English breakfast kinda’ band? Would that change the night after a big show?
SS: I can happily speak for James and Stu in saying that “they like meat”.
We work hard on stage so probably sweat out a lot of calories.
I’m not particularly fussy, a like a bit of porridge. But often a beer will suffice 🙂
ER: Thanks for taking to time to share with out readers Scarlet.
SS: Thank you! This interview was brought to you by Scarlet from Scarlet Soho and a pot of Chai tea.
Go check out their new EP, ‘When The Lights Go Out’, and it’s awesome reMixes.
‘When The Lights Go Out’ is released 21st May, you can pre-order here.
Sometimes wading through submissions on SoundCloud can become a chore, especially when people don’t care to find out if your publication is appropriate for their style of music. It can get pretty tedious. However, sometimes someone sends you an absolute gem. Nashville based ElectroPop artist Patrick Baker has done just that.
Dropping his latest song ‘Get 2 Know U’ over to us made out day. The best way we can describe Patrick Baker is as the American Kid Kasio. whereas Kid Kasio makes completely authentic sounding British ‘80’s Pop, Patrick makes completely authentic sounding American ‘80’s Pop. Once you listen to it you’ll get what we mean. From that era when the US music scene merged European SynthPop instrumentation and arrangement with Pop R&B and Soul rhythms and those big catchy vocals, Patrick has perfectly captured the jump-up excitement of a summer Pop hit from the late ‘80’s, everything from the signwriting, to the arrangement, to the production is spot on, and not in a parody way, or a homage way, or even in an influenced way, but in a could actually be a re-discovered recording from 1987 way. And if you don’t know what we mean, wait for the sax solo. Amazing.
Dutch Disco guru Auxiliary Tha Masterfader is getting his not inconsiderable skills on again with a brand new reMix for Berlin based ElectroPop outfit UhOh. The track is an awesome combination of Sweet European SynthPop and Aux’s big retro grooves.
Aux’s mix of ‘Ride On’ bounces along as he gets to express his ElectroPop side. Less Disco than we’re used to from his work, the track still keeps that vintage Funk under all the think layers of lush synths. It’s a pretty cosmic track, from both UhOh’s floaty vocals to Aux’s Sci-Fi arpeggios, the lyrics, though, at all a bit watery. There’s boats and treasure and mermaids and stuff all up in there, not really sure what’s going on, but both UhOh and Aux have delivered a fantastic DiscoPop track that warrants many, many listens.
electronic rumors 