HQFU - FOR INHUMANITY

A new HQFU release is always something to be welcomed and Sarah Stanley's new album For Inhumanity, released today, is yet another unmissable 

The album is wholly instrumental, showing off a gentler side to HQFU and this approach was reflects the fact that the album was designed as the soundtrack to the forthcoming Dark Skies Entertainment game Inhumanity, a text based game due for release later this year. For Inhumanity displays many of HQFU's signature traits which fans will recognise, but they're balanced with a more stripped back feel that adds a new dimension to HQFU's sound.

Inhumanity1 is one of the best examples of this with layers of overlapping synth lines building to a joyous finale. It's a wonderful track, as is its Kraftwerk like reprise Inhumanity2, which mixes the classic electro of Computer World with the best parts of Tour De France and that is very much a good thing.

For Inhumanity is certainly an album all HQFU fans will love and it will no doubt attract many people who have somehow missed out on this unique and quite brilliant artist. To celebrate the release of the album, HQFU is having a launch night at Stereo in Glasgow tonight with a live album playthrough accompanied by visuals. Support comes from Bossy Love who are providing a DJ set.

For Inhumanity is available now on all digital platforms. Tickets for the show at Stereo are £4 in advance or on the door

HQFU Bandcamp - https://hqfu.bandcamp.com/album/for-inhumanity

HQFU -  https://www.hqfu.co.uk/

RECONSTRUCTION TIME AGAIN : DEPECHE MODE - SPIRIT

I reviewed Spirit last week for XS Noize and did so having listened to the album twice in quick succession, basing my review on early impressions of the record. Obviously, being the person I am, it takes a lot for my first impression of any new Depeche material to be anything other than rapturous, but I think that review was even handed enough. I decided to leave my own review for a week to allow the album to sink in more, so that I could offer a perhaps more considered view of it, finding any flaws and taking these into account here. I've played a it a few more times, albeit not enough to dim the excitement that will arrive next week on the actual release date when I have the physical release in my hands, and I have to say that my opinion of the album hasn't changed. If anything, Spirit has grown on me more and, to my ears anyway, we have something of a late period Depeche Mode classic on our hands with this release.

Much has been made of the political slant of the album with lead single Where's The Revolution delivering a message that chimes perfectly with the troubled times we find ourselves in. That message is open to interpretation of course, as is amply highlighted by hatemongering alt-right buffoon Richard Spencer's recent assertion that Depeche are "the official band" of his tribe of racist lunatics. The band were quickly to politely but firmly play put that to bed and Dave has gone even further in an interview with the New York Post today (http://nypost.com/2017/03/09/depeche-mode-rails-against-the-alt-right/). What Spencer and any other clown thinking Depeche Mode are aligned with any of these right wing fonts of fuckwittery fail to appreciate is the band's history and that history resonates throughout Spirit.

Before Depeche Mode turned full on leather clad Berlin based globe conquerors they displayed a social conscience unusual in the pop world of the early 80's. 1983's Construction Time Again took pot shots at big business (Everything Counts), feared for the environment (The Landscape Is Changing) and told us that the only way to improve things was to have a revolution, albeit a gentle one (And Then).  Those songs displayed a naivety, the type that people in their early 20's experiencing success are wont to make, but its innocence made it work. The theme of many of the songs on Spirit could be said to be the same, but this time it's viewed through the cynical, world weary eyes of 50 somethings, filled with anger instead of hope. 

At this point, before I set about the album itself and stop banging on about Construction Time Again, it's worth pointing out that this album isn't Construction Time Again, nor is it Violator, Black Celebration, Music For The Masses or even Exciter (thankfully). No new Depeche Mode album is ever going to be like any of those and to expect that or to get angry when it doesn't sound like them is a waste of energy. My one fear was that we'd find ourselves still stuck in the bluesy swamp of the last two albums but the change of producer from Ben Hillier to James Ford has in the main dispensed with that sound and has seen the band's sound refreshed, producing Depeche's best album since Playing The Angel or perhaps even since Ultra. 

Opener Going Backwards sets the tone for the album and does so impressively. One of the first things that strikes you is the sound - this is far different to Delta Machine and mercifully Sounds Of The Universe both of which managed to sound overproduced yet muddy in places. Going Backwards is unmistakably Depeche Mode, but it has a nice aggression to it with a sparseness that makes the song a standout here. Dave's vocals are superb too, placed beautifully in the mix, maximising the effect of the song's sound and lyrics, where Martin writes about technology screwing society up and leaving us slaves to it, dulling our senses to the point we don't care anymore. This is as bleak as Depeche Mode have sounded in a long time and that's a welcome thing in my book. Where's The Revolution follows and I've discussed that before so there's no need to go through all that again. As a choice of single however, it's interesting as I can't quite put my finger on why it was released. It's a safe choice in that it acts as a bridge between the last two albums and this one and it's an introduction of sorts to the themes of Spirit. It's not an especially brave choice though. I'd like to have seen something like Scum or even You Move released first, just to wrongfoot people. Anyway, I like Where's The Revolution and that's that.

The third track, The Worst Crime continues the album's theme of doom and despair with its tales of lynchings and bemoaning the fact we have committed some crime or other, sealing our own fate. Martin wrote his songs on this album in late 2015/early 2016 so they predate the twin horrors of Brexit and Trump, but his lyrics really do have a relevance that they've not had for a long time, especially in this opening quartet of songs. The Worst Crime is a slow, dark lullaby of a track that suddenly pounds into life in places before disappearing again and, sonically, it's a cross between Delta Machine's blues and Dave's Soulsavers project. Indeed, it reminds me so much of the latter that I was convinced this was a Dave track when I first heard it. It's "Depecheified" enough to make it sound like Depeche Mode however and it's a track that will slowly creep up on you, reeling you in over repeated listens.

One of my favourite tracks, Scum, follows and it is a song that is destined to be the star of this year's live shows. Part Nine Inch Nails circa The Downward Spiral albeit without the intense self loathing, part modular synth fest and as angry as Depeche Mode have sounded in ages, Scum is a cracking track. Be ready to sing "Pull the triggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah" at every show you see this year. You'll recognise Scum from the Milan press conference last year as it starts with some of the bleeps and beeps from one of the snippets played there. It soon turns into Delta Machine's My Little Universe pissed up and fighting facists however and that is a wonderful thing. After slabs of gloom, You Move arrives, very much a bedroom song and one that is rather wonderfully co-written by Dave and Martin. It's definitely a case of Dave on lyrics and Martin on music and it really works. It's a synthpop song but a distinctly experimental side to it, sounding in places like Dopplereffekt which is a real treat. Again, this song might pass you by on first listen, but it grows in stature with every play.

Dave's songs have never been my favourites on post Exciter works as for every Suffer Well or Nothing's Impossible we've had a I Want It All, Miles Away or, heaven forbid, a Hole To Feed.  His songs here, the first of which, Cover Me follows Scum, are all really good, interesting tracks. Cover Me is very much a tale of two songs however. The first part is a ballad with a gorgeous chorus, but a song that tilts a bit too much towards Soulsavers, before it blossoms into a couple of minutes of pure electronic music that is a gorgeous as any Depeche have made before and will no doubt bring a tear to the eye of those who still pine for Mr Wilder. It's Depeche Mode as Kraftwerk circa Autobahn and Trans Europe Express and it elevates Cover Me from just another track to something very special indeed. If they play this live, it will be special. My nervous anticipation of Dave's contributions to albums is equalled only by my Martin bias as it his solo tracks I always look for first. His first vocal contribution is short but majestic Eternal, a black celebration of love, promising that no matter what disasters befall him ("...the radiation falls..") he will love the object of the song eternally. It's a step up, or perhaps several steps up, from recent Martin tracks too. It's short in the same way that classic Martin tracks like It Doesn't Matter Two are short, Martin sings almost entirely without the crooning vibrato that's befouled his recent efforts and, while the lyrics are not exactly new thematically, they have a focus that his recent vocal leads haven't. This is a dark, powerful lullaby and the final "My eternal loooovvvvvve" line is stunning.

Focus is a key feature in Spirit and that seems to be down to a combination of Martin having something to write about and James Ford's production. Previous albums have either meandered wholly (Sounds Of The Universe) or lost focus halfway through (Delta Machine and even Playing The Angel) but, here, we are 7 songs in already and there's no sign of any slacking or any needless filler. Dave's second contribution comes next and it keeps the momentum up nicely. Poison Heart was another of the Milan snippets ("Wooah-ohhh-ohhhhh" - you know the one) and, again, Dave's come up trumps here. Ok, the lyrics hold no real surprises, but the song has a almost soul like feel to it, admittedly soul smothered in black leather waiting for the world to end, and it works. Again, it maybe takes time to grow on you, but it will do. The album as a whole is like that really; it reveals another layer each time, like a big gloomy onion, and Poison Heart fits that bill.

We return to synthpop with So Much Love and after all the darkness, it's nice to see some light. It starts off like Broken gone haywire before settling into a fast paced track with synths clanking all over the place. It's not the best song on the album, but it's needed to break up the gloom. Those Depeche fans yearning for the old days will love this one and is definitely Spirit's purest pop moment. 

The tenth track heralds the first misstep. Poorman is another slow paced, song of faithlessness and distortion that isn't really needed here. It's very much in tune with the theme of the record with its tale of a "Poorman" who is down on his luck, ruined by corporate greed, but it sounds forced. Whereas Everything Counts expressed a youthful shock at what The Man gets up too with his grabbing hands grabbing all they can, hearing the 50 somethings I referred to at the start of this review sing "Corporations get the breaks/Keeping almost everything they make"  is just a bit odd. Considering that they've not done too badly for themselves over the years and that the album is out on a major label, this doesn't sit right. Musically too we're going backwards to the Hillier era rather than forwards and really, Poorman isn't needed here. It doesn't add anything and is a bit of a momentum killer. 

Dave's third and final contribution No More (This Is The Last Time) revives the mood however. It's another synthpop focussed track that brings to mind the band's earlier works and, whilst it's a good song, it does sound a little unfinished to me, Something is lacking from it and whatever that is, really could have given this song an edge that would have promoted it to one of the album's standouts.

We end, uniquely for a Depeche album, on a Martin lead vocal with the wonderful Fail.  It acts like a recap of what's gone on in the previous 45 minutes, reminding us that "We're hopeless" and that "Our souls are corrupt" before surprising all and sundry when Martin sings "Ohhh..we're fucked." Cover your ears Devotees. The song is great for many reasons. The music firstly is all swirling synths and scary noises, back to the experimental feel of earlier electronic passages on the album. The lyrics offer yet another crushed worldview but this time with a very dark sense of humour evident, telling us all that all the ranting and raving of the album's opening tracks has been pointless as, no matter what we do, we're in trouble and, as Martin notes with the last line of the album, "We've failed." What adds to the song's genius, and what ends the album beautifully and cleverly, is the passage of music that follows that last line, with glimmering synths offering some hope after all, like the sun coming out just before the planet inevitably explodes anyway.

Spirit will not please the entire Depeche Mode fanbase, if such a thing is even possible, nor will it necessarily win them legions of new fans. What I love about it though is the fact that it shows Depeche Mode still want to push themselves. Ahead of another stadium and arena tour, they could have easily put out another Hillier era like album, knowing that tickets would sell and people would buy the record, but they've chosen not to do that. With Spirit, the band have found a new energy and focus that is rare in bands of their size, and they have done so in their own, unique way. This albums shows that Depeche Mode are as relevant as they ever have been and, perhaps surprisingly, they find themselves making political statements ahead of any other act their size. Ok, morons like Mr Spencer might choose to misinterpret that, but what does that matter? If Spirit works, the revolution will see to the likes of him. Get on board.

Spirit by Depeche Mode is out on 17 March.

YOUR SILENT FACE - RED RAIN EP

Manchester's Your Silent Face are back with Red Rain a new e.p. and the first on their own label Tethys Records. The e.p. is a feast of electro goodness and the title track is a collage of acid bass, pounding almost industrial percussion and precision techno that is quite wonderful. You hear bits of Kraftwerk, D.A.F, Nitzer Ebb and more throughout and, if any of those bands mean anything to you, you'll love this. What is cool about this release is the diversity of the tracks. Red Rain's 9 minute plus techno explosion gives way to the darker, more early electronics feel of Kleinian Transform which initially sounds a bit like Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder having a fight in an industrial club before they make up and start dancing. It should be said that that is a very, very good thing. Scorched Earth ends the release on a even darker note, with serious sounding walls of beautiful electronics part soothing you, part unsettling you. It's one of those electronic tracks that moves you despite the darkness and it's quite brilliant. Listen for yourself below

Red Rain e.p. is a treat for fans of any electronic genre from techno to ambient. Highly recommended.

Red Rain ep by Your Silent Face is out now and is available through their Bandcamp page, on Beatport and on limited edition 12" distributed by Rubabdub Records in Glasgow

Your Silent Face Facebook https://www.facebook.com/yoursilentfacemanchester/

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

INTERVIEW - RODNEY CROMWELL

Rodney Cromwell's Age Of Anxiety (Happy Robots Records) was one of the albums for 2015 for me as I'm sure you'll have read about already. Every listen to it reveals another layer of analogue synth loveliness and, at times, it genuinely brings to mind the likes of peak New Order and Kraftwerk. That's not to say, though, that this is a distinctly retro sounding album. It's as fresh sounding as you'd like and, with each listen, more and more clever pieces of electro production reveal themselves, meaning you want to come back to the album time and time again. If you haven't checked it out yet, then you obviously have to rectify that immediately and when you're doing that, grab the Black Dog remix ep too for even more Cromwell goodness.

I had a chat with Rodney Cromwell, or Adam Cresswell as he's known in real life, recently to find out all about Age Of Anxiety.

APA: Age Of Anxiety is one of this blog's albums of 2015. How did the album come about and what were its inspirations?

RC: Wow. Thanks. I'm genuinely still taken aback that anyone likes it. The album certainly didn't come together overnight. A couple of tracks had been gathering dust on my hard-drive since 2009 when my old band Arthur And Martha split. I really didn't think that I would ever release another record; I sold loads of my gear at a boot fair and started writing a novel instead.

But, there was something about making music that kept on drawing me back in. It became a sort of sonic therapy. During the period I recorded the LP, I had a serious job and mortgage, I had become tied down to the drudgery of London commuting and I had also become a father, which was fantastic, but as you can imagine meant more responsibility. I was also coming to terms with other personal issues, notably dealing with panic attacks and anxiety. So, I suppose the album was inspired by a need to find a creative escape from adult concerns and existential angst. I toyed with the idea of the new songs becoming a second Arthur And Martha record, especially after Alice (a.k.a Martha) recorded some great parts. But, as soon as I had the title Age Of Anxiety that idea really didn't work; the whole album was just too personal, too tied to my own life experiences.

In late 2014, I turned my studio into a nursery, as we had a second sprog on the way, and I decided to just mix the whole thing down to get rid of it - which took about four hours. Before I knew it, I had a melodic lo-fi synth heavy retro pop album in the can, and thanks to some coaxing from friends, I was persuaded to actually release it. I should note that since the record came out I've not written a word of my novel. The literary world can breathe a sigh of relief.

APA: How pleased are you with the reaction the album has had?

RC: Obviously you can't expect to make a left-leaning, alternative, electronic record on ancient gear and get it reviewed in the Daily Mail or featured on Sky Arts, but I am beyond pleased with the reaction. It was barely a year ago that this ethereal, fantastical concept of an album started to look like it might actually happen, and now people are talking about it being the best record I have ever made. It goes without saying that it has been fantastic to have got some great reviews and a load of radio play, and I am incredibly thankful for every piece of exposure, but I have been most touched when people have said that the record has helped them in dealing with their own mental health issues. Clearly I didn't release the record out of some benevolent desire to make the world a better place, but if it has made a few people feel less like they are suffering in silence, then it has all been worthwhile.

Although I have genuinely never sought anything more than cult appeal, I would love nothing more than to sell the last few boxes of CD's currently living under our staircase.


APA: What bands influence you? I sense bits of Kraftwerk and New Order on the album for example.

RC: yeah of course Kraftwerk, New Order, Giorgio Moroder - they are all massive influences. Their music is part of my DNA and I don't think I could ever make a record that wasn't influenced by them. With this album, I wanted the music to be a "safe space"; upbeat, uplifting and familiar enough to counter balance the cynical and world-weary lyrics and, for that reason, there was no attempt to disguise influences, just to enjoy them.

The most positive influence is always when you hear a record that makes you sit up and think "wow, I wish I could have done that" - the sort of songs that inspire you to just keep pushing harder, or quit. The two records I was mostly listening to while making the album were Racine Carree by Belgian megastar Stromae and See You On The Ice by actress/singer Carice Van Houten. Neither of them sound much like my album though, they are just good records with their own sound. This week's listening is mostly Lilies On Mars, Gabe Knox, remi Parson, Hologram Teen, Tiny magnetic Pets, Ummagma, Johnny Hawaii and the new Pye Corner Audio, whenever the kids let me near the record player that is.

APA: One of the things I love about the album is the almost exclusive use of what sound to me like wonderful analogue synths. Have I misheard entirely?

RC: You have heard entirely correctly. I love analogue. So much of music made today is neat digital sequences of ones and zeroes, with vocals pitch-corrected to oblivion and mixes compressed to hell. I wanted to do something that felt a bit more lo-fi, organic and real; to capture some of that lo-fi excitement of the pre-digital age. With this record, there was no big studio, no plethora of special guests, just me and my close friends and family and a load of shitty unreliable thirty year old gear.

In terms of equipment I use, I only own four analogue synths: a Moog Rogue, a Moog Opus 3, a Korg MS-10 and an ARP Quartet. Probably 75% of the synth sounds on the album are from the MS-10 and the ARP. I can't understand artists who feel the need to own loads of synths. There is so much you can get out of just one. I am sure anyone who owns more than a handful is trying to make up for deficiencies elsewhere in their life. There are also a lot of vintage effects on the album; tremelo, delays and phaser mostly. In fact, there is so much phaser and delay on this record, I'm amazed any of it sounds even vaguely in time.


APA: Songs like Barry Was An Arms Dealer and You Will Struggle manage to combine emotional depth with electronics. Do you find this sort of thing difficult? It's too often wrongly said that synths can't generate an emotional feel.

RC: I suppose I must find it easy because I can't say I've thought about it. I've never found it hard to put my heart on the line, whether for songs like Victor Safronov or Bicycle Theives off the first Saloon album or for something like Cassiopeia on Age Of Anxiety which is about the loss of two close friends. The hard part is trying to show emotion without sounding overly earnest, self-pitying or slipping into cliche.

And as for anyone who thinks synths can't display emotion, well they've clearly not spent as much time in the company of synths as I have. My Moog Rogue is like the seventh member of the family, after the wife, the kids and the cats. The washing machine is probably the eighth member.

APA: The remix EP is a wonderful thing too. I love that the remixes are what I'd call proper remixes rather than just a DJ's interpretation which pays no attention to the original track. Was that the intention with the EP?

RC: Thanks. The main intention was to make it a collection of songs that sit together and to make an EP that stands up on its own, where you don't need to skip any of it. All filler, no killer. The difference with making the EP was that by then, people were interested in what I was doing, providing pressure that wasn't there with the album. So in making the EP, I worked with my brother Dom Cresswell who has a music technology degree and was taught by John Foxx, so he really should know what he's doing. In fact, many of the best things I've ever worked on have had Dom's input somewhere. My favourite track on the EP is probably You Will Struggle (Glitchy Disco Mix). With that one, I wanted to prove that I could do something a bit more contemporary sounding, but at the same time sounding like a massive retro hi-NRG track. The Best Of Divine was probably a massive influence on this EP to be honest.


APA: What does 2016 have in store for Rodney Cromwell?

RC: Well there sure as heck won't be a new album! I want to enjoy milking this one. I'll probably do another EP if I can decide which track to pick as the lead. I'm going to do some remixes ; Dom and I have just finished one for the great Canadian band Meter Bridge which was a lot of fun. Mostly, I want to play more gigs though. My band and I have actually only done a handful so far, mainly because I've been too busy with all the other promotional bureaucracy to look for bookings. So, if anyone wants to put us on, please get in touch and save me a job. We are all nice people and we have a very reasonable rider (herbal tea bags, cheap red wine and white kittens etc).

APA: Finally, because this blog started life as a place for me to bore people about Depeche Mode, what's your favourite Depeche Mode track?

RC: Well, Violator is probably the most complete pure synth album of all time (APA - correct!). Every cut is absolutely flawless - the combination of great production, songwriting and an astonishing singer. But, if I had to choose just one track, it would probably have to be one of the Vince Clarke uber-pop numbers, I think New Life probably edges it, but ask me tomorrow and it will probably be a different answer.

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Rodney Cromwell Bandcamp https://rodneycromwell.bandcamp.com/
Rodney Cromwell Facebook https://www.facebook.com/happyrobotsrecords/?fref=ts
Happy Robots Records http://www.happyrobots.co.uk/

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/

NEW BANDS 2015 NO. 18 - EYES OF OTHERS

Edinburgh's Eyes Of Others recently featured on Volume 6 of the Almost Scottish Fiction e.p. with the brilliant Binary World and that was my own introduction to the band. The solo project of John Bryden, Eyes Of Others produce a brand of electropop that immediately brings to minds the likes of New Order and Depeche Mode in their electronics meet dance music phases, Hot Chip, Kraftwerk and more. It will works quite marvellously. 

The band's key track thus far is the sublime Never Complain which sounds like a modern day take on The Man Machine in one 6 minute track and it's a song I've been playing over and over again for days. It's one of the best new electronic tracks I've heard in ages - have a listen:

Now you've heard Never Complain you'll be hooked so go and have a listen to the superb Dysfunctional which you'll find on Eyes Of Others Bandcamp page. I've no doubt that, like me, you'll quickly become an Eyes Of Others fan.

The good news is that you don't have long to wait for new material as the Nightwalking e.p. is due for release on 6 November. A full review will follow but having already heard it, I'm pleased to say that it's excellent. Keep a look out for Eyes Of Others - with music this good you're going to be hearing an awful lot more about them

Eyes Of Others Bandcamp https://eyesofothers.bandcamp.com/track/dysfunctional
Eyes Of Others Facebook https://www.facebook.com/myeyesofothers?fref=ts

RODNEY CROMWELL - BLACK DOG

Rodney Cromwell's Age Of Anxiety album is one of the finest electronic records of the year (see here) and, without spoiling any surprises, is pretty much a shoo in for a highly placed finish in this blog's Top 20 albums of the year come December. It's clear from the album that Rodney knows how an electronic record should be put together and the release of the Black Dog e.p. (released on Happy Robots Records) shows that he is well aware of one of the other rules of electronic music - a remix e.p. is always a good thing. This particular e.p. is a wonderful thing

The title track of the e.p. is the last track on the album itself. It's here in two forms, Version and Extended Version. Both remixes are by Rodney Cromwell himself and are really cool takes on the track. Version highlights the original's Peter Hook like bass and New Order circa Low Life and Brotherhood sequencers, adding a dancier texture to it and presenting an alternative but superb version of the song. As you'd expect, and as you'd hope for,  Extended Version is exactly what it says it is and, given that it is generally accepted by people who get this sort of thing that extended versions of songs are what 12" singles were designed for, that is a very, very good thing indeed. 

Sandwiched between those two mixes are two remixes of standout album tracks. You Will Struggle (Rod's Glitchy Disco Mix) adds an army of sequencers and drum machines and takes the track on a disco adventure very successfully. It brings to mind classic 12" remixes from the days when that type of thing was constructed with care rather than phoned in by a listless D. J. The highlight of the e.p. is Barry Was An Arms Dealer (AUW's North-Poindexter Remix). Arguably, Barry.. is the best track on Age Of Anxiety and this take on it removes the innocent Speak & Spell era Depeche Mode feel and replaces it with an initially part ambient, part Kraftwerk feel before turning it into the sort of moody electronics mid 80's era Depeche aimed for. It's tremendous. 

If you already have Age Of Anxiety (and why wouldn't you?) then this will be right up your street. If you don't have either release, then all you have to do is go and get both. You'll kick yourself if you don't.

To get the e.p. head to Rodney Cromwell's Bandcamp page https://rodneycromwell.bandcamp.com . If you're quick you'll be able to get your hands on one of the 10 limited edition promo cd's which I can of course highly recommend.

TONGUES - YOU NEVER KNEW ME

Hot on the heels of July's excellent Religion (review), Tongues return with the next track from their debut e.p. which is due out in a few weeks' time.

You Never Knew Me is, for me, the best Tongues track to date. Filled to the brim with Kraftwerk like bleeps and beeps, overlayed with superb beats, the track builds to a surprising but excellently powerful ending. What's exciting about this track and indeed all Tongues work, is that every new track represents a progression from the last. I'm looking forward to seeing how they top You Never Knew Me as it's really rather special.

Keep an eye on Tounges Facebook page for all info about the forthcoming ep https://www.facebook.com/tonguesmusic?fref=ts

ELECTRONIC INSPIRATIONS 3 - KRAFTWERK.

Normally, this Electronic Inspirations section features a specific album by a specific band and it had been my intention to write something about The Mix by Kraftwerk, but BBC Four's recent, mainly dreadful Pop Art show prompted me to change my usual approach. Instead of that programme being a glorious history of arguably the most influential band of all time, it was instead a Paul Morley narrated half arsed history with the occasional chink of light (Pocket Calculator live from 1981, Francois Kervorkian's undiluted love for the band) and was ultimately hugely disappointing. I'm not going to pretend that this piece will be anything like the definitive history of Kraftwerk of course. Instead, it's a look back at the band's musical history with some of my own, no doubt questionable views thrown in. As electronic inspirations go, only electricity itself has influenced electronic more than Ralf and co.

BEFORE MEN WERE MACHINES - THE EARLY YEARS

It's easy to skip over pre-Autobahn Kraftwerk, partly because many people simply don't know about that era and partly because any electronic music articles tend to start at Autobahn and work from there. Kraftwerk's formative years are important though, as the experimentation they group displayed then lead to the electronic experiments they became famous for. Florian Schneider and Ralf Hutter had met as students and had played in a group called Organisation whose only release was Tone Float (RCA 1969), which was produced like all good German albums of the time by Conny Plank and was a sprawling mix of prog like tracks. It's by no means essential listening, but there are some nice moments in tracks like Tone Float and Rhythm Salad. Ralf and Florian soon left Organisation and formed Kraftwerk.

It wasn't the classic line up at this stage and a number of musicians were involved including, rather wonderfully, Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger who went on to form Neu! a band that deserves a blog of its own as they are quite marvellous. Florian remained the only constant member of the band at this stage as even Ralf took time out when he returned to University. Two albums of more prog like jams were released in 1970 and 1972 as Kraftwerk  and  Kraftwerk 2. From the first album, it's certainly worth checking out Ruckzuck and Megaherz. They're fairly unrecognisable from Kraftwerk today but they do contain hints of what the band would become. Here's Ruckzuck live on West German in 1970 in front of an audience of German hipsters of the time. Some of them even seem to be enjoying it.

Kraftwerk 2 is the better of these two albums. The artwork shows that Kraftwerk were always conscious of how their image came across, as it mirrors Kraftwerk 1's road cone art, differentiating itself by having a green rather than a red cone. 

This album was also written entirely by Ralf and Florian and features some great tracks such as Klingklang (so good they named a studio after it) and Harmonika. There are electronic percussive effects galore throughout the album and many "real" sounds are treated and manipulated. Here's Klingklang:



1973's Ralf and Florian followed Kraftwerk2 and contains far more electronics again, with synthesizers and, notably, the vocoder playing a key role. The album contains six tracks similar in sound to the b-side tracks from Autobahn, with Elektrisches Roulette and Ananas Symphonie my personal faves. Wolfgang Flur and his knitting needles playing tin foil drum machine had joined by this stage, moving the band closer to their best known incarnation. 

Here's the band on groovy West German tv show Aspekte from the time, with Ralf still looking like a young Michael Stipe and Florian like an accountant who's walked into the wrong room

So far so good but not that outstanding. Things were shortly about to change.

AUTOBAHN

What is there to say that hasn't already been said about 1974's Autobahn? It's the album that made people notice Kraftwerk, the album that is essentially responsible for anything produced thereafter with a synthesizer on it, an edit of the title track rather bizarrely gave Kraftwerk a hit on both sides of the Atlantic and so on and so on. It's so much more than the title track alone however. Certainly, Autobahn the song is an outstanding piece of work that is a think of such unspeakable genius that my words alone would never do it justice. If you haven't heard it already (and if that is the case what on earth are you doing reading this?) remedy that instantly. It invents at least four genres of electronic music over its 22 minutes 47 seconds and if you don't immediately burst into tears with joy at the sheer beauty of Ralf's "Jetzt schalten wir ja das Radio an/Auf dem Lautsprecher klingt es dan" immediately followed by the radio singing (singing! Ok it's a vocoder) "Wir fah'rn auf der Autobahn"  at  14 minutes 13 seconds in then your soul has been removed. It is utterly impossible to overstate the importance of this song.

The title track aside, however, there are four other tracks on the album which all feature on the b-side. The stand out is Kometenmelodie 2 which is a jaunty electro pop masterpiece but the other tracks (Kometenmelodie 1, Mitternacht and Morgenspaziergang) are all certainly worth hearing too. They are fairly experimental in places and even use real instruments but they all work. Autobahn is the first properly complete Kraftwerk album and you shouldn't just listen to the title track alone.

RADIOACTIVITY



Radioactivity (1975) is my favourite Kraftwerk album. It's the first one to feature the classic Ralf Hutter/Florian Schneider/Karl Bartos/Wolfgang Flur and was the first that was solely produced by Ralf and Florian. It was also the first to be recorded at the band's own studios, Kling Klang. The album sounds like it has been beamed in from another planet and time and is, I think, wholly electronic. Thematically, it focuses on nuclear power, radioactivity and radios, with the band seemingly caught between deciding which one of the two radio themes to lead with. Opener, Geiger Counter is just what you'd expect it to be and it leads into the title track, Radioactivity. This song never fails to amaze me. I remember listening to it at school just after The Mix was released and being amazed at the difference in mood between the original version and its remixed cousin. It's a beautiful track underpinned by a choral effect that surely wasn't possible in 1975? Breathtaking.

The whole album contains such moments, from Radioland's mournful but gorgeous evocation of a golden age of radio, to The Voice Of Energy's terrifying electrical transmitter barking at you in a scary robot voice. Closing track, the puntastic Ohm Sweet Ohm is marvellous. It starts off with the vocoder singing the title and builds through what sound like the kind of pre set rhythm tracks you'd get on keyboards in the 1980's to a closing electro pop finale. As I mentioned above, the whole album sounds like it was created on another planet and is so far ahead of its time that you can't quite believe what you're hearing. After Autobahn's success and given the three albums that were to come, Radioactivity is often, wrongly overlooked, other than getting mentioned as the album that David Bowie became obsessed with, leading to the likes of Low and Heroes. For me, it's the first Kraftwerk mission statement and the first evidence that Kraftwerk were doing something that no other band had even contemplated.

TRANS EUROPE EXPRESS

It's hard not to lapse into clichés when talking about Trans Europe Express. Its influence is well known, from the Human League to Afrika Bambaataa, and it's the first of a run of three albums that are recognised as the bedrocks of electronic music. Oddly, whilst I adore much of it, I find tracks like Showroom Dummies and  The Hall Of Mirrors seem a bit out of place given the album's theme of travel. Opener Europe Endless is simply beautiful, a 9 minute 40 second track that immediately seats you on the train sung of in the title track and zooms you through the European countryside. The part where Ralf sings "Life is timeless" to which the vocoder responds "Europe Endless" is so heartbreakingly lovely that it never fails to give me the shivers. The two tracks I mentioned above follow, before we board Trans Europe Express and set off on a remarkable musical journey.

There is nothing about the song that isn't perfect. It chugs along like an actual train and sings of Vienna, Dusseldorf and, superbly, meeting Iggy Pop and David Bowie. It's honestly incredible. As the song ends it mutates into Metal On Metal where Kraftwerk decide to invent industrial music given that Trans Europe Express had already invented every other genre. Franz Schubert follows, using the arpeggiated part from Europe Endless as its base, before we end on Endless Endless, a simple vocodered piece that rounds everything off wonderfully. Another thing to note is the artwork (German cover below) which is brilliant. Look at them - 4 blokes in suits who are responsible for everything that is good in music.

As I said at the outset, it's all too obvious how influential this album is, but it is one that is still worth revisiting. For something recorded in 1977, you hear the sound of modern music all over it.

THE MAN MACHINE

For 1978's masterpiece, the band further developed the notion of machines taking over the world by becoming machines themselves. The Man Machine is an immaculate album that is probably the defining Kraftwerk piece. Everything, from the stunning artwork to the minimal precise electronics throughout the album, is perfect. It really is an astonishing album that deserves repeated listens. The synth class of 77-82 from Vince Clarke to Martin Gore to Steve Strange to Soft Cell and beyond were listening and taking notes. It kicks off with The Robots, a 6 minute plus masterclass in electronic music. Despite it being a song about actually being a robot, the song is far from a detached, icy futurist piece. As with all Kraftwerk's takes on technology, travel and radios/radioactivity, there is a real beauty to be found within the song.

Spacelab follows and it's rhythms and beats are frankly astounding. The more threatening sounding, but still beautifully melodic, Metropolis is next before we reach the Kraftwerk go pop sounds of The Model. Now, you all know this track and it's as good an example of electropop as you'll find anywhere else, but too many people still think this is the only thing Kraftwerk have ever done and that's something that needs sorted out! Part of this may be due to the track's success in 1982 when it became a UK number one for the band having initially appeared as the b-side to Computer World. Anyway, The Model  is obviously a great track but it's a little incongruous on The Man Machine.

The album's final two tracks are works of ten out of ten, 100%, unquestionable supreme majesty. Neon Lights is one of the most beautiful electronic music tracks that there has ever been. It lasts over 9 minutes but even that seems too short. A remarkable track. By the way, NEVER listen to Simple Minds cover of it - your ears will never recover. The song was released as a single and came on a luminous vinyl 12" which I have and believe me its a great thing (see below). The album ends on the title track which could well be the most robotically precise piece of music ever. It's slightly spooky ("The Man Machine/Semi Human Being") but by this point Ralf and co actually considered themselves to be machines so fair enough. The track opened the show at the only Kraftwerk gig I've seen (Glasgow 2004) and I have no shame in saying that I had tears in my eyes. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. 

COMPUTER WORLD

It could be said that Computer World (1981) is Kraftwerk's most influential album. It certainly is in a three way tussle with Trans Europe Express and The Man Machine  in terms of influence on specific genres and artists. With this album, Kraftwerk essentially invented the internet, so thanks to them you're reading this.

The album begins with a bang with Computer World,  a track that predicts how the man would end up spying on us all ("Interpol, Deutsche Bank/FBI and Scotland Yard")  before Pocket Calculator takes us off into a world where music is made on something the size of a calculator. Reading this on a phone with a number of music apps on it are you? For the world tour, the band rather marvellously all had calculator type machines on which to play the track (see below). Track 3 of the album is one of the greatest things anyone has ever done. Numbers is such a bewilderingly incredible piece of electronic music that my words are insufficent to describe it. If you don't know it go and listen now, but believe me, when you hear it you'll realise you know it and you know hundreds of tracks influenced by it. Computer World 2 then leads us into Computer Love a song that predicts internet dating and, despite that, sounds majestic. Finally, Home Computer and It's More Fun To Compute talk about the sort of things that we all know take for granted whilst, musically, still sounding like a future that hasn't yet happened. 

Computer World is one album that everyone must own, such is its impact on modern music. 

TOUR DE FRANCE and ELECTRIC CAFE

All good things must come to an end and it's perhaps no surprise that Kraftwerk couldn't keep us their astonishing 74-81 run. Post their 1981 tour, the band started work on an album rumoured to be called Techno Pop which doubtless would have carried on in the manner we had all become accustomed to. Sadly, Ralf had a bike accident, so the album was put on hold. A standalone single called Tour De France was released in 1983 and, as Autobahn resembled the feel of driving, Tour De France gives the impression, both rhythmically and with its sounds, of being on a bike. All well and good, but it's not what one would call a great Kraftwerk track.

In addition to Ralf taking time out to recover, the band also became concerned with the quality of the tracks demoed for Techno Pop and so, over the next couple of years, they spent time re-recording and editing them. This led to a lengthy gap between albums with Electric Cafe not appearing until December 1986.

The album itself isn't great. There are some fine Kraftwerk moments, notably Techno Pop and Musique Non Stop, the latter of which is still a key feature of their live shows but the rest of the album suffers from a blandness that Kraftwerk had never suffered from before. Some of the sounds even sound a little like preset sounds which is surely not the case. Sex Object is possibly the band's low point and whilst The Telephone Call has a traditionally wonderful melody, it never really takes off. It's a shame and I guess that Kraftwerk perhaps suffer from having released four near perfect albums prior to this one. One positive is that their crystal ball was still working, as the title track Electric Cafe basically invents internet cafes.

THE MIX

The Mix (1991) was my entry to Kraftwerk and I still love it to this day. Wolfgang Flur had left the band after Electric Cafe and between that album and The Mix the band gave Kling Klang a makeover and decided that, instead of a greatest hits album, they would remix the highlights of their career for a new generation of fans, one of whom was me. 

Most of the key tracks are here from The Robots to Autobahn to Radioactivity and beyond. The latter features new lyrics which leave you in no doubt that it's a song about the fear of nuclear disaster and Autobahn is rebooted with the sounds of Formula 1 cars. Pleasingly, it still features the singing radio in the middle. One notable omission is Numbers although that may be due to the fact that the original still doesn't sound dated.

THE 21st CENTURY

Since The Mix there hasn't been a great deal of Kraftwerk activity, at least in terms of new material. A standalone single, Expo 2000 came out in, yes you've guessed it, 2000 and that was followed in 2003 by Tour De France Soundtracks which continued Ralf's obsession with cycling and that race itself. The album is decent enough with Elektro Kardiogramm and the wonderful Vitamin the highlights. 

The band hit the road (how un-Kraftwerk does that sound?) and played numerous shows including the tear inducing Glasgow one I mentioned earlier. The set was a mix of the album and greatest hits and was thrilling from beginning to end with the appearance of the robots being a highlight. It's all captured on the live album and dvd Minimum Maximum which is well worth a listen and look.

The band were then silent until 2009. In 2004, Ralf talked about the band transferring all their files from their master tapes to new formats for remastering and reissuing and indeed a promotional boxset of remastered albums did appear in 2004. The actual reissues didn't turn up until 2009 however with the release of The Catalogue which contained remastered versions of Autobahn, Radioactivity, Trans Europe Express, The Man Machine, Computer World, Electric Cafe (now renamed Technopop and somehow better for it), The Mix and Tour De France Soundtracks (now renamed Tour De France). The sound throughout was better and crisper and the albums had newly designed sleeves. It's a great package and one that's certainly worth having. As for the pre Autobahn albums, rumours abound of reissues but there is no news yet. Here's hoping.

Since The Catalogue the band have certainly been busy, almost constantly touring. Sadly, Florian left in 2008, leaving Ralf as the only original member. The band are still blowing audiences minds live with their 3-D show and, purely selfishly, I hope they continue to do that, as I've still not seen it yet.

ENDLESS ENDLESS

As I've banged on about above, it's not possible to overstate how influential Kraftwerk have been and continue to be. Without them, we wouldn't have Bowie's Berlin phase, Depeche Mode, New Order, Detroit techno or Howard Jones. Well, the last one would actually be a great thing, but I'd rather have a world in which Kraftwerk exist with Howard Jones in it, than one where Kraftwerk didn't exist at all. I guess that anyone reading this knows about Kraftwerk and owns plenty of Kraftwerk so tonight, go home, put on your favourite Kraftwerk album, enjoy it and give thanks to Ralf and the boys. We owe them a lot.

HAPPY MEALS - APERO

Happy Meals are another example of the great electronic music Glasgow continues to produce. The duo (Suzanne Rodden and Lewis Cook) released their debut album Apero on Glasgow based Night School Records on 10 November and it is a real treat. 

The album's six tracks take you on a journey through an analogue synthesizer filled universe and the rather wonderful electronics merge beautifully with Rodden's vocals which are sung in both French and English. Opener Crystal Salutation is a 9 minute epic that has distinct echoes of the electronic Kosmische side of the Krautrock scene as synths bubble and float around criss-crossing with Rodden's voice to great effect. To these overly sensitive Depeche Mode ears, there's also a feel of DM's In Chains especially at the start when the synthesizers wake up and start working. The much shorter Electronic Disco follows, pushing the band towards a poppier sound albeit one that has a very experimental feel. Side 1 (I managed to get one of the limited edition vinyl versions which is a smashing thing) ends with Altered Images (listen here) which is simply a great synthpop tune with a superb bouncy bass line. The Age of Love kicks off Side 2 and it's immediately redolent of mid 70's era Kraftwerk, somewhere between Radioactivity and The Man Machine which is never going to be a bad thing. Visions of Utopia follows and, perfectly logically, moves from Kraftwerk to an early Human League or Cabaret Voltaire feel with its analogue loops and clicks. The album then ends on the excellent Le Voyage, another song with a poppier feel and an acid like bassline which rounds the album off perfectly. The whole record is a journey through electronic music and it's a really promising debut album that you just want to keep listening to. 

Check out Night School Records website for more info on Happy Meals and all their other artists ( http://nightschoolrecords.com/ ) and keep an eye on their Facebook page too 

APHEX TWIN - SYRO

This review first appeared on XSNOIZE on 25 September 2014

Has there been a more anticipated release this year? It’s unlikely. The news that the Aphex Twin was returning was greeted by all fans of electronica with unconfined joy and rightly so.  Richard D James is a master of his craft and is peerless in the field of electronic music. From the post rave genius of Selected Ambient Works 85-92, through to the landmark Selected Ambient Works Volume 2 to the frankly terrifying in places Druqks, Aphex Twin has always been a unique artist, forging entire genres through his music

But what of the new music? Will he still be able to stand out from the crowd given the remarkable change in electronic music since Druqks was released? Happily, the answer is yes. Syro does away with the drill and bass terror of Druqks and instead leans more towards the AFX Analord 12” singles released in the early 2000’s. As you would expect, the vast majority of tracks on this album are a blizzard of noise with acid like squelching basslines clashing with seemingly random drum patterns whilst sampled vocals (from Richard, his parents, his wife and his children apparently) float in and out over analogue synth lines beamed in from other planets. 

That, however is a very good thing. There are spectacular moments of beauty to be found within the chaos. CIRCLONT6A [141.98] [syrobonkus mix] sounds like a distant relative of Kraftwerk’s Dentaku for example and is all the better for it. Minipops 67 [120.2] [source field mix] is a bubbling electro classic that essentially revisits every genre of electronica that has popped up since Druqks came out, remixes it all and delivers it up on one big platter for you to enjoy. 11 out of the album’s 12 tracks are at times baffling but magical electronic soups so it’s something of a surprise when aisatsana [102] closes the album as it is not a flurry of bass and drums but instead a Brian Eno Music For Airports like ambient piano piece awash with bird song and general loveliness.

So is the Aphex Twin still relevant in 2014? Very much so. Always imitated, never bettered. Syro is an exceptional album.

BLOOD BLOOD - SUNDAY/WORSHIP

Blood blood is Davey Gwynne who is one third of blog favourites Machines In Heaven and his new solo release sunday/worship is something that fans of electronic music really have to get their hands on. The album, which was released on 24 August, is available free from the band's bandcamp page right here - http://bloodblood.bandcamp.com/album/sunday-worship

 

 

This really is a fascinating and, at times, brilliant album. At various times, you could be listening to Kraftwerk, Recoil, Ghosts era Nine Inch Nails and even Tangerine Dream. Lo-fi electronics clash with full on huge sounding productions, vocals occasionally float in and out, bleeps bleep and when it's all done you want to hear it again. Standouts for me are the Kraftwerk like korzybski, the Eno like leeloo and tribe-hell. The latter sounds in places like a remix of Depeche Mode's Stripped and has a mesmerising lead synth part running all the way through it.

 

For fans of electronic music, this really is a must. A hugely impressive release. 



THE MAN MACHINE: MACHINES IN HEAVEN - bordersbreakdown

There's a risk inherent in praising a band to anyone who'll listen in that when they finally release an album it may turn out that you were wrong all along. Luckily for me, Machines In Heaven have produced a better debut album than anyone could have hoped for. If you're a fan of any sort of electronic music at all, bordersbreakdown is for you. The album comes out on March 14 and rather brilliantly can be purchased from Rough Trade here

Prior to the album, Machines In Heaven have released the excellent Glasgow Jihad ep and a few remixes and what's pleasing is that the album really builds on that work and takes their sound in a new direction. All three tracks from the e.p. appear here but in beefed up form with album opener The National Monument sounding huge with a bass line that could flatten buildings. The album really does get off to an impressive start with The National Monument followed by the brilliant Parliament Is Made Of Rice Paper and Divided by Zero. Parliament really is a special track and deserves a lot of attention. It mixes Kraftwerk, Orbital at their In Sides best and adds church organ to produce a really atmospheric track. If you're going to pick one track here grab this.

Davey, Connor, Greg

The album isn't afraid to show its' influences but never overdoes them. From time to time you get modern day Radiohead guitar lines (think In Rainbows) mixing with almost acid like bass, huge beats mixing with Kraftwerk like synth and on the excellent We Fall almost acoustic loveliness that suddenly transforms into a glam stomp reminiscent of Depeche's Personal Jesus which of course finds favour here. Continuing the Kraftwerk theme the band name Metropolis after a track from The Man Machine but the track itself brings to mind the haunting quality of Radioactivity which is just fantastic.

I am probably a little biased but I genuinely love this album and really recommend you get it. Careers have been made on lesser albums than this -  Machines In Heaven deserve your attention. 

Machines In Heaven Facebook https://www.facebook.com/machinesinheaven?fref=ts

Machines In Heaven Twitter https://twitter.com/MachinesHeaven

Album launch event Glasgow March 14 https://www.facebook.com/events/216531631872155/

Rough Trade link http://www.roughtrade.com/albums/80889