Next month sees the release of the third studio album from UK SynthPoppers Scarlet Soho. If fair to say that this duo are one of this country’s hidden gems. Them being largely unrecognized and tucked away on the stale Goth/Industrial end of the SynthPop scene is a massive shame as these guys, particularly in the last couple of years, are producing some of the catchiest and most relatable electronic Pop music around. They would easily be able to be high flyers on the Indie-Elector scene, or the proper SynthPop scene with the consistent quality they put out. Hopefully this new full length offering, In Cold Blood, will get them out to the wider audience they definitely deserve.
Waiting no time in pulling on your heartstrings, In Cold Blood launches with it’s title track; a dramatic and rousing slice of vintage Pop that set a tone for the rest of the album, delivering something a little more epic and rich than past Scarlet Soho albums. When The Lights Go Out is the first of the last couple of year’s EP’s lead track to feature on the album, Solo KO and Two Steps From Heartache are also represented and are amongst In Cold Blood’s highlights. When the Light Go Out was featured as one of our top twenty songs of 2012, and amongst it’s album contemporaries sounds as fresh and exciting as ever. What You Need is a nice combination of retro songwriting and modern production, a synergy you’ll find in numerous places on the record, and one of the qualities that make it a standout release. The majority of the listening experience you’ll get on In Cold Blood is an upbeat, nostalgic one; there’s a thread of energy and emotionality running through it’s nine track that is hard to resist, although you will also find quieter moments like the downtempo Depeche Mode of This Town Is Mine that sees James channelling a soloing Martin Gore and surprises such as 2015, a tune best described as ‘Scarlet Soho go full SynthWave’. If we had to guess at the next single, we’d probably pick Gigolo, a song that takes it;s time to grow on you, but soon it’s racing apreggios and utterly epic chorus draw you in and stick in your head. In Cold Blood isn’t a perfect release, Make The Final particularly feels like a mis-step, it’s muddy production doesn’t seem to sit right with it’s peers, but on the whole Scarlet Soho’s third offering is confident, classy and thoroughly deserving of your attention. Also, hidden track!
♫ Scarlet Soho – When The Lights Go Out
♫ Scarlet Soho – Two Steps From Heartache
♫ Scarlet Soho – Solo KO
Scarlet Soho’s In Cold Blood is released 13th February.
Two Steps From Heartache is the lead track from from UK Indie-Electro act Scarlet Soho’s forthcoming new EP. A contradictory intertwining of retro melancholy SynthPop and optimistic breakin’ beats makes for something strangely anthemic. Check out the video below.
Directed by Steve Hogg the clip which blends glamorous performance footage with the duo being harassed by a mime. We’re not sure how we feel about that. Fucking mimes!
In the past year we’ve given a fair bit of attention to the selection of newsingles from British ElectroPop outfit Scarlet Soho, but if you at all a follower of SynthPop in the UK then you’ll know the Southampton based outfit have had had a long and prolific career spanning over a decade. Now, with the latest era of Scarlet Soho earning critical acclaim, the band are releasing a retrospective, Hit The Floor: Favorites And Rarities, of some of their finest moments from their first two albums, 2004’s Divisions Of Decency and 2009’s Warpaint, and a host of never-before-heard material. The album is being released as a strictly limited edition CD the comes equipped with a packed 16 page booklet that serves as a visual history of Scarlet Soho. It;s released at the end of the month, but you can pre-order here.
Scarlet Soho’s sound has evolved significantly over the years, and that’s perfectly reflected on Hit The Floor. From the post-ElectroClash Indie-Electro of Divisions Of Decency to the more guitar oriented Electro Rock of Warpaint, Scarlet Soho’s experimentalism with different styles and strict adherence to decent songwriting above all else had always delivered an interesting listening experience regardless if they are currently playing a sound you dig or not. There’s something for everyone on this compilation, whether it’s the raw electronics of Disconnected and Modern Radio or the polished Indie of This Nausea and Analogue Dialogue (Kill The Beat) you’re bound to find something that will be stuck in your head for the rest of the week. For a taster of what to expect, check out the insanely catchy (if a little overly Rocky) Speak Your Mind for a fine example of Scarlet Soho’s big catchy choruses and waves of lush synths, or this stripped back EBM reMix of What You Need, by Canadian EBM legends Psyche who deliver a nice combination of Piano and unprocessed electronics. That’s just one of the exclusive tracks appearing of this album including a reMix from Kosheen and live material.
♫ Scarlet Soho – Speak You Mind
♫ Scarlet Soho – What You Need (Psyche reMix)
Scarlet Soho’s Hit The Floor: Favorites And Rarities is released 25th October and available to pre-order here.
UK ElectroPop heroes Scarlet Soho embark of a European tour next week, which just goes to show how hard working they are having just come back of a European tour. That’s either dedication or an overriding love of Transit vans!
They’ll be taking in a bunch of shows with the amazing Kosheen (you can download Kosheen’s reMix of Scarlet Soho’s Pedal To The Metal here) before scooching back to the UK for an unmissable London finale.
With the impending release of their awesome new EP, Solo OK, (which we reviewed here) Southampton based Indie-Electro trio, and one of the UK’s brightest ElectroPop stars, Scarlet Soho are hitting the road around Europe. Taking their well oiled machine of catchy synth hooks and memorable, emotive, lyrics to some of the continent’s hotspots to showcase tracks from the new EP as well as pleasing the crowd with their hits.
But that’s not all. Because the guys are feeling psyched about releasing the Solo KO EP and getting out there to play the tracks live, they are also letting us give away a pretty special tune. Bristolian dance legends Kosheen recently got on board with Scarlet Soho’s track Pedal To The Metal, delivering a complex and infectious rendition of the song. Loaded with jagged synth riffs and warm pads, alongside the refrain of “we hit the road” it’s the prefect track to launch Scarlet Soho’s tour, which culminates with an un-missable Christmas party in London. The tune is here to download for the cheap-as-chips price of one shiny email address. Now that’s a bargain!
You can download Kosheen’s reMix of Pedal To The Metalright here.
Scarlet Soho launch their European tour to promote the Solo KO EP on the 8th November in Belgium. Check the dates:
08.11 La Legia, Liege (BE)
09.11 Tsunami Club, Koln (DE)
10.11 Kokolores, Kunzeslau (DE)
11.11 Schuetzengasse, Weimar (DE)
13.11 Fluxbau, Berlin (DE)
15.11 Pod Lampou, Plzen (CZ)
16.11 Jugendhaus, Riesa (DE)
17.11 Zebra Bar, Brussels (BE)
14.12 Railway, Winchester (UK) (Scarlet Soho Christmas Party Part 01)
15.12 Hoxton Underbelly, London (UK) (Scarlet Soho Christmas Party Part 02)
If you’re in the area, know your Scarlet Soho, and are feeling lucky, you can try your hand at winning two tickets to your local show over on the bands Facebook page.
You can pre-order the Solo KO EP from Scarlet Soho’s website. It’ll be released 9th November.
Early November see the release of the new EP from one of the UK most underrated Indie-ElectroPop outfits, Scarlet Soho. Hot on the heels of their insanely infectious When The Lights Go Out single comes Solo KO, which sees the band expressing their deeper, more passionate side after the pervious single’s catchy Pop gloss.
We caught the video for Solo KO earlier in the week, it’s an ominous sounding track but in the tradition of the best British SynthPop of the ‘80’s, it’s melancholy is shot through with an injection of optimism. A deep warping synth bass underpins the track with a sombre mood, but this is tempered with some lush stings and James’ passionate vocal. By the time the chorus hits, in all it’s anthemic glory, it’s time for a hands-in-the-air moment. Solo KO is flipped with Make The Final, a pulsating, stripped down, SynthPop track with a nice duelling vocoded/clean vocal. Make The Final would nicely soundtrack a training montage in an ‘80’s flick (so just keep that in mind next time you have an enemy to defeat or an obstacle to overcome), just right for a synthetic inspirational timeout. The EP also hold’s a beautiful, rich, vintage SynthPop reMix of Solo KO by Swedish trio Candide and a rough and ready Electro-House mix from Hamburg’s Teenage Mutants, who deliver chopped up vocals and chainsaw synths over a shuffling Techno beat. Solo KO is the prefect compliment to When The Lights Go Out, showing two sides to Scarlet Soho, who knows what EP number three will hold?
Solo KO is the powerful title track from UK Indie-Electro heroes Scarlet Soho’s forthcoming new EP. It’s an anthemic slice of impassioned electronic Pop that’ll be sure to provide some hands-in-the-air gig moments.
Steve Hogg directs this clip which just goes to prove, alongside Raging Bull, that boxing looks better in Black and White.
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.
A couple of days ago we presented the video for London ElectroPop band Scarlet Soho’s comeback single ‘When The Light’s Go Out’. Time for a look at the whole EP.
The title, and lead, track is the prefect choice for Scarlet Soho to reclaim their rightful place amongst the best ElectroPop bands recording today. It’s an insanely catchy track the will stick in your head all day. Capturing the best of ‘80’s arrangements, especially in the epic vocal harmonisation, and full of lush synth sounds ‘When The Lights Go Out’ is Indie-tinged ElectroPop at it’s finest. There’s two other original tracks on the EP, the moody and enigmatic ‘What You Need’, another chunk of 80’s nostalgia wrapped up in contemporary presentation and ‘Retail Therapy’, a track with hints of Japan in it’s bass and vocals tinged with melancholy until the big ‘80’s Electro Soul chorus. Also included in the package is a reMix of the title track from Austrian avant-garde ElectroPop outfit Trouble Over Tokyo, who deliver a rolling, tribal, electronic soundscape. The single is definitely a welcome return for these guys, and one that leaves a good impression.
Some of the best news we’ve had this week is the return of London ElectroPoppers Scarlet Soho.
Here’s the video for their forthcoming new single ‘When the Lights Go Out’, directed by Steve Hogg. It’s a really catchy comeback for the four peice. They have been missed.
‘When The Lights Go Out’ is released 21st May, you can pre-order here.
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