DEPECHE MODE - THE SINGLES 1981 TO 2021. PART 2: NEW LIFE

 

OPERATING, GENERATING - NEW LIFE

The Single

Mute's brief but to the point press release for New Life - courtesy of Depeche Mode Classic Photos & Videos Facebook Group

New Life was released on 13th June 1981 and had a 15 week run on  the UK charts. Starting off at 55, it then inched up to 54 before the band's debut appearance on Top Of The Pops on 25th June saw the single jump to 27, 21, 19, 15, 12 and then a chart high of 11. The single stopped frustratingly short of the Top 10, dropping to 15 the following week before exiting the charts via stops at 18, 31, 43, 57 and 74. A very pleasing performance however and the band's three performances on Top Of The Pops (25th June and 15th and 29th July) helped keep the single in the public eye. Each performance gave it new life in the charts in fact. Ho Ho.

The release of New Life also saw Depeche Mode receive their first cover appearance on UK pop magazine Smash Hits. Look at how young they look:

As well as an interview with the band, that edition of the magazine also featured the lyrics to New Life

New Life is another classic Vince penned pop song. He really is a master of this sort of thing and New Life fizzes, crackles and bursts with energy from the off, ending in a wildly enthusiastic four piece harmony ("Ahhhhh....." etc) before ending in a riot of electronics. Musically, it's far more intelligent and complex than you might think on first listen. If you want to keep it simple however, and if you want an example of a classic single from the synthpop era, this is it. 

The press were fairly positive about the single. "This is the way honest synthpop should sound," said Steve Rapid quite correctly in Hot Press. Edwin Pouncey in Sounds said that the song was a "tinkly bonk excursion groping in the dark for the switch that will hopefully turn on the torchlight of success" which I think is a good review. 

The song was a live favourite for a good few years being played live 235 times with its last live appearance coming on 30th July 1985 at the gig at Torwar Hall in Warsaw. 

As with Dreaming Of Me, New Life had a b-side that stood out. Shout is a quite marvellous track that combines the darker feel of Ice Machine in its verses with a chorus that is pure Speak & Spell pop. Like Ice Machine, it's a gem of a song that deserves a wide audience and it's further proof that Depeche Mode were smarter than the average synthpop bear. The song was played live a lot by the band, appearing 163 times in live sets until its last airing, like New Life, on 30th July 1985 in Warsaw. You can hear a live version from Hammersmith Odeon on 25th October 1982 on the Love In Itself  limited edition 12" (see future blog for more about that).

One important thing to note about New Life is that it sold around 500,000 copies. That is an incredible figure and again shows just how many singles a band had to sell in 1981 to even get near to the Top 10 in the UK. 

The Formats

As we've seen already, New Life came out on 7" single. The huge ever pulsating Depeche Mode collector brain depmod.com tells me that there are 8 different variations of the single some with different rims, others with differences only a trained eye could spot and a variation with New Life labels on both the a and b sides. Collect the set and impress your friends as long as those friends only like Depeche Mode.

The single also saw the release of the band's first 12" single and that set in motion years of releases with multiple formats in multiple countries making New Life the starting point for poverty among Depeche Mode collectors worldwide. The sleeve of the UK 12" and the record itself are pictured above.

The picture used on the 12" is sourced from a 1968 magazine called Mind Alive:

The image was also used on a Black Sabbath album cover. Their 1983 album Born Again, an album that I've not heard and can quite categorically state that I will never hear. The album looks like this:

Grim. I prefer the Depeche Mode cover. The back of the New Life 12" looks like this:

The 12" contains two tracks, both remixes by Daniel Miller. The snappily titled New Life (Re-Mix) is a a snappier version of the 7" single with a fantastic drum machine intro replacing the synth build up intro that you already know. The b-side is the real star here however. Shout (Rio Mix) is stunning and that is enough to make you forgive the puntastic remix title. The song is stretched out to over 7 minutes of experimental synthpop and during that time it bobs and weaves and ducks and dives all over the place to quite magnificent effect. If you haven't heard this remix you are missing out. Daniel used large parts of it in a DJ set of his I saw at the Short Circuit Mute event a few years ago so I presume it's a track he holds dear. If you are one of the readers hiding in collectors' corner, there are 6 variations of the 12". As ever, refer to depmod.com for all the juicy details.

The 1991 UK CD single reissue series combined features both 12" tracks plus the 7" version of Shout:

The single wasn't just released in Britain of course and it ended up appearing in Germany, Spain, Australia, France and New Zealand among others in either 7" or 12" formats.

I mentioned that New Life being the first UK multiple format release (well...2 format release) started off the never ending journey of Depeche Mode collecting for many people. Well, in West Germany, the band's label Intercord decided that black vinyl was not enough for Depeche Mode releases and so in 1987 they released a glorious marbled vinyl version which is really lovely:

As you can see, the sleeve is the same as the UK 7", not the 12". It also proudly claims that New Life is a "Top Hit Aus England." which rather harshly ignores Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The original 1981 German 12" said the same Anglocentric thing.

Despite what it says on the sleeve, the tracks on this 12" are the same as appear on the UK 12". The French "Triage Limite" or Limited Edition 12" is also a rather nice thing

It again features the msyterious egg man cover that we saw on the UK 7". It also features the same two tracks as the UK 12"

Even the brown paper inner sleeve is appealing - as ever, the French do things with a style other countries fail to match. Finally in 12" corner, the Spanish 12", sadly missing from my collection, has another variation of the Mr Egg sleeve:

Picture courtesy of depmod.com

In digital format news, the German and French CD singles from 1987 and 1988 respectively are both lovely items. Here's the German one with its central blue stripe (you'll see a few of these over the next few months)

The French CD is a very silvery thing:

You will see that the CD has a grey centre. Later versions had a transparent centre just in case you were wondering. You weren't? Fair enough.

There are of course many other vserions on New Life from many other countries but none of us really have the time for me to go into all that.

A number 11 single and 500,000 or so copies sold - not too shabby at all. Things were very much on the up for Depeche Mode. Their next single would chart higher (hooray!), would have more, increasingly rare versions released worldwide (boo!) and the band would be unstoppable. What could go wrong? It's not like anyone would announce they were leaving on the eve of a major tour or anything. 

Ah.

More about that next time.

REVIEW: MARNIE - STRANGE WORDS AND WEIRD WARS

As Depeche Mode take a brief pause on their world tour, I can take a brief pause from the Global Spirit Tour Project to write a review of the new Marnie record Strange Words And Weird Wars. Listening to the album, as I have done many times already, I can't help but think she'd make a fine support act for DM's global trek, firstly given how popular she is among the Black Swarm anyway, but secondly because these songs played live would be a great way to open a Depeche show. Perhaps if they get round to confirming a Glasgow show for later this year? It makes sense Martin and co.

Anyway, to the album. This is  Helen Marnie's second solo release and it is a real treat for fans of electronic pop, building on her wonderful solo debut release Crystal World, adding a new layer of crisp pop to great effect. By now you should all know lead single Alphabet Block which kicks off the album and which I reviewed a while ago (review). As part of that review, I had a quick chat to Helen and asked about the new album and during that she said that the new album was "definitely a pop effort"  and that's apparent throughout. As Alphabet Block and the second single, the magnificent Lost Maps, show though, this is more than a straightforward pop album - it's a beautifully crafted, intriguing gorgeously synth laden album that is surely bound to be looked on as one of this year's finest.



Bloom and G.I.R.L.S follow Alphabet Block, a faultless opening trio, with G.I.R.L.S boasting a chorus that even the dead would dance to, before recent single Electric Youth slows things down a little with its mix of 80's power pop and pure synthpop a real joy. The video (below) reflects those influences and, as I'm a huge fan of an HQFU, it's cool to see Sarah Stanley both in the video and as a key part of Marnie's live set up.



A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night and Summer Boys both show off a darker synthpop side and both a re wonderful with Summer Boys sounding like the sort of single Mute would have loved to have released in their early days. The distorted sounding synths on that track are one of those things that, if you're a bit of a synth nerd, are music to your ears. Glorious. The closing track Heartbreak Kid is another standout, containing yet another chorus that's impossible to ignore and impossible to get out of your head.

Like I said earlier, this album is surely going to be considered one of this year's finest. I'm biased of course being a huge Ladytron fan, a Glasgow based blogger who goes on a tad too much about electronic music including of course Depeche Mode and someone who loves Crystal World, but in all honesty, this is a superb album. There's so much incredible music coming out of Glasgow just now but, despite the competition, Marnie has raised the bar. This is an album you don't want to miss.

Strange Words And Weird Wars by Marnie is out now and is available on all the usual digital places. Ignore them though and head to her Bandcamp pages for cd's and a grogeous clear vinyl release. 

Marnie Bandcamp https://helenmarnie.bandcamp.com/
Official site http://helenmarnie.com/

EXCLUSIVE - MARNIE INTERVIEW & ALPHABET BLOCK

Helen Marnie's solo work to date is a wonderful thing with her debut album Crystal World and standalone single Wolves both must haves in anyone's collection. Her new solo album Strange Words And Weird Wars, released under her solo guise Marnie, is due out on 25 March and it's been preceded by the gorgeous single Alphabet Block.  The track is as fine an examples of synthpop as you'll hear at the moment, showing the many artists who have been influenced by her solo work and, of course, her work with Ladytron, just how this type of music is done.

Mixing a new poppier direction with shoegaze and dream pop influenced electronics, Alphabet Block is a powerful, mesmerising track that demands repeated plays. The verses and the chorus juxtapose perfectly with the former's darker feel giving way to the shimmering space of the chorus magnificently. As you can hear below, Alphabet Block is a special track and one you're going to love. It's a great taster for the album too and that record is going to be one of the must hear releases this year. You don't want to miss it - once again, Glasgow proves itself to be the new home of electronic music.

I had a quick chat with Marnie to find out a bit more about Alphabet Block.

APA: Welcome back Marnie! Alphabet Block is quite a way to announce your return. Tell us a bit about the song.

M: Thank you. It's great to be back! The song is a co-write with producer Jonny Scott. He produced the album Strange Words And Weird Wars and I've been working with him since I wrote Wolves in 2014. I thought Alphabet Block would be a good album opener, a little sneak peak at what to expect. That being said, the album is quite different to Alphabet Block. AB is a wordy little number, which i would describe as shoe-gaze electropop. I love all the swirling guitars and arpeggiators. Lyrically, it's actually really dark. I wrote it at a time of personal uncertainty. However, I think it does come across as warm and that is due to the instrumentation.

APA: The song has a real classic synthpop feel to it. Does the song represent a move towards a poppier sound generally?

M: I would agree with that, yes. It's funny, when I did my last album Crystal World, a few people advised me not to move in that direction. As in, I'd be wrong to do that. So, this is basically my 'fuck you' to them. Nobody should ever tell me what kind of music I should make. I can make my own decisions and create whatever I want.

APA: Were there any particular influences in mind when you wrote the track? The chorus has a real dream pop feel to it for example.

M: Because the verses are so lyrically full, it was important for me create some space and depth with the choruses. And I did that be introducing that dreamy vocal feel. Elongating the words. Creating more breath and layering the vocals. The guitars also give a sense of space. I like that the song enters like a club track, but then completely changes and transforms into something different.

APA: Looking forward, your second solo album Strange Words and Weird Wars is out in March. Can we expect a similar, more pop focussed approach?

M: I can't tell you how excited I am to finally have the album coming out. It will be over 2 years in the making. And, as seems is usual with me, not everything went as smoothly as i would've wished. It's definitely a pop effort, there is no denying that. But I think there's also a lot more to it than that. It's intelligent, it's melodic, it's not overly produced, it's guitars, it's synths, it's my voice, and it's a good ride. I'm hoping people will be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks very much to Marnie for taking the time to have a chat. As I've mentioned earlier, Strange Words and Weird Wars is destined to be an album that a lot of you are going to love this year. Alphabet Block is a wonderful way to reintroduce yourself to Marnie.

Strange Words and Weird Wars by Marnie is released on 25 March. Alphabet Block is out now.

(c) Almost Predictable Almost 2017. Not to be reproduced without permission. 

BOOHOOHOO - DEBUTHOOHOO

BooHooHoo are the newest artist on the impeccable Last Night From Glasgow label and their debut e.p., the rather niftily titled DebutHooHoo has just been released. It's available in all the usual digital places and on a very limited USB wristband which is a quite wonderful thing. That's the key thing about Last Night From Glasgow releases - they're unique and joyous beasts, each one as inventive as the last. The bands whose music fill the formats are happily of the same ilk.

DebutHooHoo is three songs long, each a full on riot of synthpop meets disco meets 80's style power pop. Lead track Mould Me is the star with its synth washes sweeping majestically through layers of pure pop wrapped in synth bassline that could easily be an offcut from A Broken Frame era Depeche Mode. That, as you all should know by now, is no bad thing. Think Leave In Silence's one finger bassline, realise how perfect that is, and that'll give you a clue. As all good songs should do, Mould Me is carried along by its impossible to ignore chorus. It's one of those choruses that you feel immediately familiar with even though you're hearing it for the first time. An impressive feat and an superb track.

There's an 80's style feel throughout here, though that's not to say that this is an overtly retro feeling release. Dreams Tonight features an dangerously amount high of funk bass, but it survives, moving quickly into Hot Chip territory, echoing that band's ability to make the even inanimate objects dance. Closing track Now Is The Season turns all the influences I've mentioned above up by a factor of about 100, building up to a frenzied blizzard of sampled vocals and yet another stupendous chorus. You're almost of breath by the time it ends. I think I can speak for everyone in Nice N Sleazy's at the e.p. launch gig on 30 November when I say the live version left me feeling like that.

DebutHooHoo is yet another marvellous example of just how fertile Glasgow's electronic scene is. One of my favourite bands at the moment are The Insomniac Project, a band I've covered many times on this blog, and BooHooHoo are following in their footsteps with this release, with a pop lead take on disco infused synthpop. These are exciting times with bands like these showing everyone how to make this music work and DebutHooHoo is a captivating release. I'd recommend you get this.

DebutHooHoo by BooHooHoo is available now on Last Night From Glasgow.

BooHooHoo Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boohoohooband/?fref=ts

REED & CAROLINE - BUCHLA AND SINGING

Reed & Caroline are a new signing to Vince Clarke's Very Records and they have just released their debut album, Buchla And Singing. As befits a release on Vince's own label, the music on the album is made on a Buchla modular synth alone. The Buchla was one of the first modular synths, with Don Buchla beating the perhaps more celebrated Robert Moog to the punch by a few years back in the 1960's. Sadly, Don Buchla recently passed away, but his wonderful, hugely influential invention lives on in this album and it's a fine tribute to him. Reed Hays' mastery of the Buchla is hugely impressive and it even outdoes his own label boss. When asked about the Buchla system, Vince said "I had one once but I sold it. It's way too difficult to use."  Now, if Vince can't master it, it must be tough.

Anyway, to the music. As I mentioned above, Reed Hays is in charge of the Buchla and the vocals are provided by Caroline Schultz, with both working perfectly together. The album opener Singularity (We Bond) shows off the pair's skills perfectly - it's as glorious a slice of synthpop as you'll hear in a long time. Caroline's vocal style brings to mind the likes of Jen Wood's vocals on The Postal Service's Nothing Better and they really are central to the album's success.

REED & CAROLINE - Singularity (We Bond) [Official Video] from VeryRecords on Vimeo.

Electrons is another standout track, its futurist lyrics and crisp electropop having a distinct air of, for example, Kraftwerk's Radioactivity album albeit with a far glossier pop sheen. The track also features in remixed form as a bonus on the cd with Vince Clarke offering his own take on the song. It's a sparser affair, slightly reminiscent of his superb Behind The Wheel remix for the last Depeche Mode project and it's well worth checking out. 

There are more experimental moments as you might expect given the machine that is producing the music here. Oh My Dog and Nightmarf for example, show off the Buchla's collection of impressive noises to impressive effect. Henry The Worm perhaps pushes the experimentation too far, with its twee lyrics not really hitting the spot, but that aside, there aren't really any missteps here.

The fact that Reed & Caroline have managed to make such an interesting and enjoyable album using only an ancient and difficult to master modular synth system says much about their ability. Whilst the album title is literally correct, neither the Buchla nor the singing overshadow each other. Both come together in perfect harmony, producing excellent results.

Reed & Caroline's Buchla and Singing is available now on cd and download from Very Records and through all the usual digital music purveyors.

Very Records Shop - https://veryrecords.com/shop/

Reed & Caroline Facebook https://www.facebook.com/reedandcaroline/?fref=ts

PRIEST - WE'RE THE SAME

Last year's winners of the Almost Predictable for best album of 2015, Priest, return with a new free download single We're The Same. The track still shows off Priest's masterful grasp of synthpop, but this time there's more steel to it with the addition of more muscular beats and something of a more aggressive feel to the music. They've not quite turned into Nine Inch Nails, but by adding some power to their sound, Priest have simultaneously retained what made them so appealing in the first instance whilst adding new dimensions to their music. Once again, they show that they're genuine contenders and a breakthrough is only a matter of time.

Go and grab your free download on the band's Soundcloud page.

Priest Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/xpriestx/were-the-same-2

AVEC SANS - HEARTBREAK HI

Avec Sans are an electropop duo comprising Alice Fox and Jack St. James and their new album Heartbreak Hi is as fresh a burst of synthpop goodness as you could possibly want. Like Priest with their self titled debut last year, Avec Sans have produced a wonderful, at times quite thrilling album that fans of electronic pop are bound to love.

Opener Even The Echoes sets the tone, mesmerising and enchanting, with Alice's vocals the focal point among swirling synths and vocal samples that bring to mind the likes of Gold Panda's You. The most recent single Heartbreak Hi follows and it's a cracking track. I was first alerted to this by Podcast, one of Glasgow's, if not the internet's, best music blogs and I've loved it since then. With a chorus that's as fine as you'll hear and music that's as good an example of clean, icy synthpop as you'd like, Heartbreak Hi is a track that deserves to be heard by everyone. 

The album is filled with electronic pop gems thought. Shiver is like a poppy Chvrches and We Are resembles Erasure's peak pop era rom The Innocents to Chorus. It's also an example of Alice's superb vocal range. To carry off songs that are this synthpop focussed you need to be able to sing them well and, throughout this album, the vocals never fail to grab your attention. 

There are moments on this album that you can't help fall in love with. Hold On, The Answer, All Of Time and Close My Eyes are all textbook electropop gems and each one is incredibly impressive. Close My Eyes has one of those choruses that, once you hear it, it will be a long, long time until you stop singing it.

All in all, Heartbreak Hi is an album that is going to appeal to all fans of electropop, synthpop, or, if you want to forget those labels, great pop music generally. My only criticism is that it's perhaps a track or two too long. Had this been trimmed down a little, it would be hard to argue with it being considered one of the best albums of the year thus far. Even as it stands though, Heartbreak Hi, is something special and it's certainly one to check out.

Heartbreak Hi by Avec Sans is available now through the band's Pledge Music site (http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/avec-sans). They are currently touring supporting Ladyhawke and then go on the road themselves. Check their site and Facebook page for details

Avec Sans http://avecsans.com/#home

Avec Sans Facebook https://www.facebook.com/avecsansband/

PRIEST - MAGNETS

Last year's winners of this blog's Album Of The Year title Priest kick off their 2016 campaign with a cover of Magnets by Disclosure featuring Lorde. The track has been given the full Priest treatment, and they've pulled off the trick of making the song sound like one of their own which, if you ask me, is the key to producing a successful cover version.

I'm biased obviously as Priest are a band who can do no wrong as far I'm concerned, but bias aside, Magnets shows them the their finest. Their knack of producing synthpop gems remains impressive and it's a sure sign that the music they have planned for this year is going to more than live up to their wonderful self titled debut. Treat it as a taster of what's to come or, if you're new to Priest, treat it as a sign you need to delve into their back catalogue. Either way, just enjoy Magnets. Listen below and download the track free of charge from the link on YouTube.

METER BRIDGE - IT WAS NOTHING

What is it with Canada at the moment? There is so much good music pouring out of that country that it's getting increasingly hard to take it all in. Meter Bridge are a synthpop duo from Nelson, Canada and their new single It Was Nothing is a wonderful mix of dark electronics and crisp Kraftwerk like beeps and bleeps. Written about a public figure spreading lies to make money, It Was Nothing is an intriguing track with more than enough to satisfy anyone whose ears prick up at the mention of electronic pop. 

As if all that wasn't enough, the single comes with a remix of It Was Nothing by blog chum Rodney Cromwell which, as you'd expect, is a triumph. Similar in sound and feel to last year's epic Age Of Anxiety, Cromwell's remix of It Was Nothing is an synthpop masterclass.

Two tracks, both wonderful examples of electronic music at its finest. What's not to love about that? Listen below then go and buy it

It Was Nothing is released on 6 February via WEATNU Records

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLES 2015 NO.5 - ALBUM OF THE YEAR

So here we are. The final award of this award season which is the biggie - Album of the year 2015. The winner this year, which will be revealed shortly, is one of this albums that comes along every so often that grabs you and strikes a chord, causing you to play it over, over and over again. Before we get to that one though, we've 19 other choice cuts to get through and they start with...

20. Mt Doubt - My Past Is A Quiet Beast

The debut album from Edinburgh's Mt Doubt brings to mind the likes of The National and Radiohead before Thom bought a laptop. It's a wonderful record that is enhanced further when you see Mt Doubt live where the songs take on new life and sound stadium sized. Impressive stuff.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/mt-doubt-my-past-is-quiet-beast.html

19. Paper Dollhouse - Aeonflower

The first of three Night School Records entries on this chart, Aeonflower is a dark, ambient electronics that transports you to places you didn't know existed. A fascinating record

http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/paper-dollhouse-aeonflower.html

18. Woodenbox - Foreign Organ

Foreign Organ was an album that I played a lot this year. It brought to mind the likes of Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs in places and in More Girl Than Friend, it gave us one of the songs of the year.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/woodenbox-foreign-organ.html

17. Tame Impala - Currents
The move from psych-rock to an almost wholly electronic sound suited this blog as well as Tame Impala. What, on first listen, is a sprawling album, soon turns into a remarkable piece of work and Let It Happen is just one of those songs - very, very special

16. Kill The Waves - The One That Could Have Been
Kill The Waves basically take elements of bands I love (The Cure, Radiohead), add an impressive indiepop sheen to them and create quite wonderful music. As debuts go, this album was as solid a start as you could hope for
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/kill-waves-one-that-could-have-been.html

15. Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper
Every time I listen to this record, I hear something new. It's a stunning thing and tracks like Mr Noah are some of the most original music I've heard in years
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/panda-bear-panda-bear-meets-grim-reaper.html

14.  Chvrches - Every Open Eye

Following The Bones Of What You Believe was going to be tricky but Chvrches pulled it off and songs off the quality of the likes of Clearest Blue and Afterglow are quite brilliant. It maybe doesn't have the punch or variety of their debut, but Every Open Eye was a confident, impressive second album.

13. YuTaNi - At The End Of A Day
Another debut album, this time from Connor from Machines In Heaven in solo mode. There's nothing not to love about this record - part ambient, part experimental, all electronic and all lovely
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/yutani-at-end-of-day.html

12. Sally Dige - Hard To Please
This collection of intriguing European electronic pop was a real hit with me. Like a darker Yazoo, fronted by Siouxsie Sioux, Berlin based artist Dige produced filled with subtle pop charms.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/sally-dige-hard-to-please.html

11. Turtle - It's a Good Thing
One of Turtle's many releases in a productive year, It's A Good Thing really hit the spot. Part Thom Yorke like experimentation, part pop, part dancefloor, this was a collection of outstanding tunes that confirmed that Turtle is a rare talent
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/turtle-its-good-thing.html

10. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?
This is Hot Chip's best album yet. No fillers, just a focused, punchy album that impresses from start to finish. They sound better than ever
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/hot-chip-why-make-sense.html

9. The Deadline Shakes - Zealots
The Deadline Shakes are a Glasgow sextet who make some of the most wonderful music you're going to hear. Not afraid to look for influence among the likes of Sparks or Paul McCartney, they take those influences and add a modern twist to them, producing quite splendid music. Zealots was a real treat and it's an album it's difficult to stop playing. I reviewed it for XS Noize and you can read that below
http://www.xsnoize.com/album-review-the-deadline-shakes-zealots/

8. Miaoux Miaoux - School Of Velocity
In a year of impressive Scottish albums, it's impossible to ignore School Of Velocity. Miaoux Miaoux's sound moved onto a different level with this record and it's as fine an example of electronic pop as you'll hear. Superb.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/miaoux-miaoux-school-of-velocity.html

7. MG -MG
Martin Gore's solo records usually involve a set of beautifully presented cover versions. This time, no doubt inspired by the outstanding VCMG project he undertook with Vince Clarke, he released an album of techno influenced instrumentals that really hit the spot. Europa Hymn was especially beautiful, like a call band to Depeche Mode's most beautiful instrumentals like Agent Orange.

6. Rodney Cromwell - Age Of Anxiety
Do you want outstanding synthpop with a twist of New Order and Kraftwerk? This is for you. Age Of Anxiety is a real favourite of mine and it's a record everyone should hear. Top notch stuff - Barry Was An Arms Dealer may well be one of the great synth pop songs.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/rodney-cromwell-age-of-anxiety.html

5. Apostille - Powerless
Night School Records boss Michael Kasparis unleashes his alter ego Apostille giving us the closest thing there is to a modern Fad Gadget. An incredible record and one I insist everyone on earth listens to
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/apostille-powerless.html

4. Beliefs - Leaper
Beliefs produce music that draws much influence from classic shoegaze/late and early 90's indie, bringing to mind acts like The Pixies, Sonic Youth, Ride, My Bloody Valentine and so on. bands you want to hear basically. They add their own twist to it and, with Leaper, they produced a stunning album. Listen to 1992 and tell me I'm wrong
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/beliefs-leaper.html

3. Everything Everything - Get To Heaven
I only discovered Everything Everything this year. If a band can produce a track as good as No Reptiles, they'll do for me. Get To Heaven is simply a brilliant album and one of this year's real highlights.

2. New Order - Music Complete
It's a fact that Technique is one of the pillars of music. With Music Complete, New Order essentially nearly matched Technique.  This was a surprise in many ways and what a surprise. Rejuvenated, refreshed and as important as they have ever been
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/live-review-new-order-o2-academy.html

And the album of the year is...

1. Priest - Priest
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/priest-priest.html

Priest are Madeline Priest and David Kazyk, an Orlando based duo who this year released an album that absolutely blew me away. Priest is a synthpop masterclass, an album that is perfect from start to finish. Using 80's electronic sounds as a reference point, Priest manage to capture all that is wonderful electronic pop and the album is a joy to listen to. The song Waiting For The End To Come is the standout. It's as if someone decided to create the perfect synthpop song - it has everything you'd want and it feels timeless, much like the album as a whole. It's not too often that albums come along that genuinely move you - Priest was one such album and it's a deserved Album of The Year. Madeline took the time ot have a chat about the record and you can read that below. First though, treat your ears to Waiting For The End To Come




APA: Congratulations on winning the Almost Predictable for Best Album . How's 2015 been for you?

MP: Thank you so much! We are honoured. 2015 has been pretty great - between releasing our full length record back in May and our tour in September and early October, we've been pretty stoked about everything, And all our supporters have been amazing, to say the least.

APA: How have you found the reaction to the album - it seems to have gone down very well.

MP: Everyone's reception has been pretty great! That's always a nice feeling. The whole release took a bit longer than originally anticipated, so the wait was difficult because we wanted our fans to hear it. It was worth it in the end though. When we finally released The Game back in February, we were very excited because we felt it was the perfect representation of what we'd been working on and gave an idea of what to expect. The support through shows, blogs, social media and whatnot was overwhelming, but in a good way. It's all very humbling.

APA: The whole album is superb, but if I was only allowed to pick one track it would be Waiting For The End To Come. It feels like a timeless electronic pop song, Tell us a bit about it

MP: That's one of my favourites as well. It's kind of just a longing love song but still has that feel good vibe to it as well. Makes me feel like I'm in an angsty 80's teen movie!

APA: And if you could pick one track from the album, what would that be?

MP: I'd honestly have to pick Waiting For The End To Come. It's so difficult to actually choose because I love Broken and Staring At The Walls as well. I go through phases. Dave would definitely choose White Nights which I also love.

APA; What or who are your songwriting influences?

MP: I've had so many musical influences, past and present. But a lot of times, it's just feelings from experiences, places and people. I just kind of draw inspiration from all over the place.

APA: You toured the US in Autumn this year. How did you enjoy that and what was the response to the gigs?

MP: Yes, we finally had out first little tour! It was a great experience. Dave's hone on tour before, but this was my first time. I'd never been to any of the cities except Atlanta, so it was fun seeing new places. The responses were pretty great, It was so fun meeting people who came to see us and those who didn't, but liked the show anyway. One thing I never announced was that I actually got really sick three or so days in - fever and chills and shit. Luckily we had a few days between shows, so I was able to get somewhat better before performing in Chicago. That was kind of a bummer, but the gigs and people made up for it tenfold. We met so many awesome people and I look forward to going back to each city.

APA: Glasgow where this blog is based is fast developing a reputation for electronic music lead of course by Chvrches who you're no doubt familiar with. Are you a fan?

MP: Of course! I love them! I actually just saw them back at the end of October. They came to Orlando the day after my birthday so that was a present to myself. It was such a fun show - I love Lauren Mayberry.

APA: What are Priest's plans for 2016? More touring? If so. any plans to visit the UK?

MP: We have some things in the works, so we are absolutely hoping and planning to do some more touring, and of courtse I would absolutely love to come to the UK. really hoping we can make that happen at some point. But, other than touring, we are working on new material and are very excited about it!

APA: Finally, this blog started life as a Depeche Mode blog, so there has to be a DM question. What's your favourite DM track?

MP: I'm so bad at choosing things like this (see fourth question!) because there are so many good ones, I'd have to say Personal Jesus and Enjoy The Silence. I love both of those videos too.

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You can't argue with an DM choice that picks the greatest song of all time ever Enjoy The Silence can you? Thanks very much to Madeline for taking the time to chat. I can't wait to hear what Priest come up with next.

The same goes for all the acts I've featured in this post, the previous 4 Almost Predictables 2015 posts and in all my posts this year. What started off as a place for me to bore the world with endless Depeche chat has turned into something I never thought it would become and, as a result, I've got into so much amazing music both from home and abroad and met so many cool people. I hope that 2016 will see me carry that on and thank you for taking the time to read what write. It means so much to me, genuinely.

Here's to 2016!

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLES 2015 NO.3 - BEST SINGLE

2015 has been a year when my ears have been stuffed with outstanding new tunes both from seasoned artists and from new ones.  One of the many wonderful things about writing this blog is the number of tunes that artists send me to listen to, so Best Single focuses on songs that have been sent to me or that I've stumbled upon online.  That means Everything Everything miss out for No Reptiles and Hot Chip miss out for Hurrache Lights but they'll cope. This isn't going to be a top twenty however as I don't want to miss anything out from what has been a great year for music - instead, it'll be a review of sorts followed by the virtual handing over of the virtual award.

Electronic music is this blog's main thing and a number of acts I've got to know and whose music I love have released a number of singles this year and they are all worth listening to if you haven't already. Leading the way are Tongues who's three singles (Anymore, Religion  and You Never Knew Me) have all been on heavy rotation round here this year. Check out Tongues Soundcloud page other them all. What makes Tongues stand out is the sheer digital perfection of their take on electronic pop. At the other end of that spectrum, you'll find the "melancholitronica" of Shards three singles ( Just To Get Something Started, Afterwards and Sad Sayonara, Goodbye) fit the band's self anointed description perfectly. Clever, thoughtful electronic music that, like Tongues, won't fail to move you. Again, check out Shards Soundcloud page to enjoy the music yourself.

Apache Darling are another band who've rightly grabbed a lot of attention this year. Firebird  was an example of powerful synthpop that really caught my ear this year. Their powerful love performances are always worth catching too. Also on the pop front, Kloe's Grip and Touch were highlights this year. You suspect that big things await Kloe. One of my real favourites this year were Twi§ted, the Glasgow based duo who are going to be huge next year. Everything they've released this year has been superb and Scunnered  was a close runner up to the event winner of this award. Here's the video for the track that the band released last week



Continuing the electronic theme, Shona Brown had a superb year with her 10 in 10 project which saw her release a single a month from November 2014 onwards. This year's Your Silence Is So Loud was my favourite of the bunch. Fiona Soe Paing's Heartbeat and Analog Angel's Your Breath  showed new exciting sides to acts, both of which promise much for the future.  Let's not forget HQFU too whose Dust & Dirt  and Ca$hle$$ Lip$ have already seen an Almost Predictable head her way. YuTaNi gave us one of this year's great tracks with Mt. Minakami. Away from Scotland, synthpop singles by Rodney Cromwell, High Jinx and the superb Priest were also highlights. Death Of Hi Fi's superb Swim Away is also a track you really have to catch from 2015.

It wasn't all synthpop though. Edinburgh's Gus Harrower produced confident, insanely catchy pop with Girl I Didn't Know and the marvellous Mt Doubt's Soak was a towering beast of a song. Wozniak and Kill The Waves also produced some superb material and Woodenbox gave us one of the songs of the year with More Girl Than Friend.

There's only one Almost Predictable however and this year, the Almost Predictable for Best Single goes to The Insomniac Project for their frankly perfect debut single In And Out (Of My Head) which this blog was proud to exclusively preview in August. This band is surely bound to get bigger and bigger. Their music is infectious and their live performances already have something of a celebratory air to them that should only see them play to bigger and bigger audiences as they develop. One to keep and eye on for certain. I caught up with Debz and Andy from the band for a chat. Before we get to that though, have a listen to the track


APA: Congratulations on winning the Almost Predictable for Best Single for In And Out (Of My Head). How's 20125 been for you?

Andy: It's been a great year, put simply. Even though we launched as a band in late 2014, we feel that this has been the first year that we can look back on and appreciate what we've done. We've hit a few milestones that we wanted to hit and, most importantly, we are on the up and pushing forward with more exciting things. We're played some great shows and still have a couple more to play, so for me, personally, having the connection and energy on stage and seeing it rub off on the crowd has been a highlight.

APA: What have been your highlights of this year?

Debz: There are two highlights for me. Our single launch at Sleazy's was mega. The venue was packed and the atmosphere was amazing. (APA: I was there and it was). I have to say though, our recent gig at King Tut's with Crash Club and Our Future Glory was something else! I've seen so many of my favourite bands play there, so I felt a bit giddy. It was a wicked night, although I think I'm still feeling the effects of the overzealous lighting man and his extreme strobe action!

APA: How did you find the reaction to the single? It seemed to go down extremely well.

Debz: We were a bit overwhelmed with the reaction to the single, so many kind words from bloggers and journalists. It was definitely what we wanted for the first single, but it's certainly not what we expected. In fact, we got quite a few emails that we were looking at thinking "Is this spam? Because if not it's AMAZING!"

APA: Your live shows are fast developing a reputation for being something special - how have you found the reaction to your gigs this year?

Debz: We've only played a small number of gigs, so to see people dancing and singing along to stuff is brilliant. I'd like to think we always bring loads of energy to the live shows, so it's amazing to see the audience getting into it too. We're definitely going to try and play a lot more next year.

APA: What are your plans for 2016?

Debz: As well as getting a few more gigs under our belt, we're working on a new single. I get the feeling 2016 will come with as many surprises as 2015. We've got a bit of a plan in mind, but the exciting thing is seeing what unexpected things happen along the way.

Andy: Yeah, as Debz say, we do have a plan in mind, however, ultimately we just want to keep growing as a band and keep having fun. We feel we've only just scratched the surface as far as exploring sounds and writing material is concerned so there will be plenty of time spent creating new songs and, critically, letting our fans hear them live and on record.

APA: Finally, given how this blog began there's an obligatory Depeche Mode question. What's your favourite Depeche Mode track?

Andy: Got to be honest, I'm not the biggest DM fan (sorry) (APA - that's ok...) however they do have a couple of cracking songs. Personal Jesus is really tribal and has a great drive to it - out of their big hits that's definitely my favourite. As a more left field option. The Things You Said from Music For The Masses is a really nice song. It screams 80's New Romantic, however it does have a sense of timelessness about it and some of the synth lines and lead parts are beautiful. It's a sort of lullaby almost, similar to Asleep by The Smiths which is another song I love

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Basically, picking The Things You Said forgives any suggestion of not being a big DM fan - easily one of the band's most wonderful tracks. Anyway....thanks very much to The Insomniac Project for taking part and I look forward to hearing what the band has to come for 2016. As for all the other bands who've sent me songs this year, thank you too and please feel free to keep sending as much music as you want next year and beyond.

Congratulations to The Insomniac Project - well deserved!

The Insomniac Project Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Insomniac-Project-330344370464489/?fref=ts 

KLOE - TOUCH

One of our New Bands of 2015, Kloe, (http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/new-bands-2015-no-6-kloe.html) has released a new track today called Touch. 

Building on her two previous tracks Grip and Feel, Touch is a synth driven pop masterclass that has a real depth to it a huge sound and a superb chorus. It's only going to add to the Glaswegian's reputation and a song like Touch displays a real knack for electronic pop, which is always going to be a good thing. Check it out below:

Kloe Facebook www.facebook.com/mynameiskloe
Kloe Twitter www.twitter.com/kloemusic

TRACK OF THE DAY: TEEN - ALL ABOUT US

Teen are a four piece from New York who are about to release their third album Love Yes. All About Us is the lead single from that and it's a cracker. A combination of breathless, excitable vocals, a superb harmony part, a pop melody that will lodge itself in your brain and, most pleasingly, a riot of synths that are as bleepy and beepy as you'd like.

Balancing perfectly with the song's catchy, poppy vibe is its theme which deals with everyday misogyny and, as singer Teeny Lieberson says, it "(E)xplores a situation that I have dealt with many times; if sexism is not in your face and one isn't saying it outright, then it couldn't possibly be happening." 

Have a listen below and I'm sure you'll quickly agree that this is a superb track. The album Love Yes will follow on 19 February 2016.

Teen Facebook https://www.facebook.com/teentheband/?fref=ts
Teen Twitter https://twitter.com/teentheband

EYES OF OTHERS - NIGHTWALKING EP

I've already highlighted Eyes Of Others as one to watch both on here and on one of my other homes, Scottish Fiction. Proving that Edinburgh is as fertile a ground for electronic music as Glasgow is, Eyes Of Others produce striking synthpop mixed with a dancier feel and it just works. Their new e.p. Nightwalking is released today (6 November) and from beginning to end, it's a joy.

Opener When It Suits moves from 80's influenced synths to the type of soaring, slightly melancholic pop the Pet Shop Boys once specialised in and it sets the e.p. off on the right tack immediately. Rugged Bunch Of Hunks, which is the most Pet Shop Boys title the Pet Shop Boys have never used, is another superb track. Again, there's an 80's feel to the synth sounds but there are also distinct New Order like vibes, almost sounding like a lost Power, Corruption & Lies track in places which is ace. It's followed by the laid back synthpop meets dreampop Vibrates Inside You which is in one moment all floaty atmosphere and then in the next a powerful, guitar led wall of melody that is quite magnificent. We then end on Middles Meet which has a definite feel of early Depeche Mode to it both musically and lyrically, and, from this blog, that is nothing more than a high recommendation.

Nightwalking is an impressive addition to what is already an impressive back catalogue and it highlights the talent Eyes Of Others have for atmospheric, thoughtful synthpop. Definitely one you want to hear

Nightwalking e.p. by Eyes Of Others is out now on Club Fandango/INgrooves and is available from all the usual digital retailers including ITunes

Eyes Of Others Facebook https://www.facebook.com/myeyesofothers/?fref=ts
Eyes Of Others Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/eyesofothers

ETIQUETTE - REMINISCE

Etiquette are yet another band to feature on here who are part of the Hand Drawn Dracula roster. You know the rules by now - if it's on that label then it's going to be good. Like two of my favourite local labels Hot Gem and Night School, Hand Drawn Dracula turns out one superb release after another and Reminisce, the debut album by Etiquette is another such record.

Etiquette are Graham Walsh and Julie Fader, both of who have been around on Canada's incredibly diverse and rich indie scene. Reminisce is primarily synth dominated with many of the songs having a feel of a combination of cold wave, mid 80's Cure and melodies that bring to mind Depeche Mode somewhere between Some Great Reward and Black Celebration. That kind of combination only means one thing - Reminisce is exactly the sort of thing that I, and regular readers of this blog, love.

A couple of tracks aside, more of which shortly, Reminisce moves at a dreamlike pace, working as a whole rather than as a collection of songs which is impressive. The opening bleeps and synth washes of Pleasantries almost immediately surround you in virtual dry ice and they lead to Brown & Blue which increases the pace, bringing to mind the more pop oriented synth led sounds of the mid 80's albeit with a distinctly modern feel. As the album progresses via Attention Seeker, Outside In and Sleep To Wake Up, you become immersed in Etiquette's very clever electronic pop, with Julie's vocals being a standout. Their crisp clarity is a perfect counterpoint to the music.

Suddenly though, Twinkling Stars arrives. It's a riot of Vince Clarke like synths taking on Ladytron at their peak with Kraftwerk refereeing and it's an absolute gem as you can hear below. It's not the most representative track when you consider the album as a whole but it really works in the context of the record.


The last three tracks, Promises, On And On and Island round off the album perfectly, with On And On being one of the other notable tracks here. Reminisce really is a wonderfully autumnal, electronic album that manages to give atmospheric tracks enough edge to keep your attention throughout and it's one that I'd recommend you check out.

Reminisce by Etiquette is available now on Hand Drawn Dracula.

Etiquette Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ETIQUETTExo/?fref=ts
Hand Drawn Dracula http://handdrawndracula.com/

HIGH JINX - CLOSE TO THE SUN

Today we once again look beyond Scotland, venturing to wonderful Toronto where we find synthpop duo High Jinx. Comprising Ranny Lee on vocals and Mark Moby Holman on musical duties, the band produce a bang up to date take on classic synthpop with songs that you simply can't get out of your head once you've heard them. Their new single Close To The Sun is a prime example as you can hear below. Clean, hook laden electronics mix with superb vocal melodies, producing a near perfect example of modern synthpop - it's quite wonderful

It's not all about Close To The Sun  however as High Jinx have already produced a back catalogue of hugely impressive electronic pop. Check out the Cut And Run ep for example - it's a real gem and displays the many facets to High Jinx work perfectly.

One of the many joys of writing this blog is discovering new music and 2015 has already been quite a year for that. High Jinx are yet another band to add to the list of new discoveries for this year and, believe me, you're going to like them.

Close To The Sun is available on High Jinx Soundcloud page and Cut And Run is available now through ITunes.

High Jinx Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/highjinxmusic

High Jinx Official http://www.highjinxmusic.com/

High Jinx Facebook https://www.facebook.com/highjinxmusic?fref=ts