KING TUT'S NEW YEAR'S REVOLUTION - THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT AND MT. DOUBT

Tonight sees the opening night of King Tut's New Year's Revolution featuring a set by Apache Darling, one of this blog's favourite Glasgow bands. There's around three weeks worth of gigs to come showcasing the best local talent such as Stillhound and The Van T's, but as a preview of every show would make this as long as one of our usual Depeche Mode pieces, we've picked two gigs to focus on. If you're going to go to any of the 14 King Tut's New Year's Revolution shows, make them these two.

January 15 - The Insomniac Project

This year is going to be The Insomniac Project's year. Their superb disco infused electronic pop has come on in leaps and bounds and their live shows are unmissable. It is only going to be a matter of time until your friends start talking about them, so get in there first and head to King Tut's on Sunday January 15. The band are supported by Elle Exxe, North Atlas and Stray Saints with a DJ set from Vinyl Noise Blog there too. 

Tickets here http://theinsomniacproject.bigcartel.com/product/the-insomniac-project-king-tuts-new-year-revolution-headline-show

January 16 - Mt. Doubt

There's not much to say about Mt Doubt that I have already said in previous blogs. There is no other band that sounds like Mt Doubt on the local scene just now and, like The Insomniac Project, this year surely has big things in store for them. Powerful, dark yet uplifting melodic post rock tunes enhanced by a stirring live band are what to expect and, if you haven't heard Mt Doubt, then this gig would be the best place to start. The band are supported by Crow's Feet, Sea Captain and Skjor with a DJ set from Podcart.

Tickets here https://mtdoubt.bandcamp.com/merch/mt-doubt-at-king-tuts-new-years-revolution

2016'S BEST MUSIC THINGS

I'm not doing the usual top 20 best whatevers as I'm too busy really. There are a couple of Depeche Mode projects in the pipeline (ha ha etc) which are eating up my writing time and my actual day job continues to annoyingly get in my way. So instead, here's a round of of the Best Music Things that caught my eye/ear/attention this year. 

Before I start though, I just want to say thanks very much for reading all the nonsense I've posted this year and thanks for all your comments. It amazes me to think that people want to read what I write and I'll never quite get over that. Hope you all have a lovely festive season and I'll no doubt see some of at numerous Depeche gigs next year. Anyway, here we go:

BEST BIT OF 2016 #1 - HQFU

HQFU's debut album is one of the finest this year and her live shows are insanely good - it's music that would make the dead dance. The album launch show at Glasgow's Glad Cafe in April was very much one of this year's best bits. I even forced Helen Marnie and Stuart Braithwaite to have a picture taken with me. Not a very cool thing to do I know, but it was me, Ladytron and Mogwai - I wasn't going to miss that. Even admitting I did that is embarrassing, but let's move on.

HQFU live review http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/live-hqfu.html

Helen, Stuart, me and a chap in a hat

BEST BIT #2 - MT DOUBT

Mt Doubt makes music that never fails to inspire or move you. Hot on the heels of 2015's My Past Is A Quiet Beast, In Awe Of Nothing provided more evidence of Leo Bargery's unique talent, with tracks like Afterglow setting the bar high for new Scottish music this year. You really must see Mt Doubt live too to witness the songs taken to new, wonderful heights.

In Awe Of Nothing review http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/mt-doubt-in-awe-of-nothing.html

BEST BIT #3 - DEPECHE MODE ARE BACK

Ok, it probably won't be Violator part 2, but what I've heard about the new album is encouraging. There's a full tour too and I'm already signed up for the opening gig in Stockholm and the London Stadium gig in June with a few more to follow. Brace yourselves for a DM onslaught in 2017 on this site. 

DM Press conference review: http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/depeche-mode-announce-vacancy-for-new.html

BEST BIT #4 - THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT

I won't stop talking about them until you all listen. There's something smarter than the average bear about this band and 2017 is going to be the year many more people find out about them. You know where you read it first

Vacillation review: http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/the-insomniac-project-vacillation.html

BEST BIT #5 - HAPPY MEALS: FRUIT JUICE E.P.

Another band who can't stop getting better and better. All the parts you need are there - space disco synth perfection, the catchiest of tunes and remarkably beautiful record packaging courtesy of the ever wonderful Nightschool Records. Fruit Juice is one of 2016's must have releases. Your life is poorer for having it.

Fruit Juice review: http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/happy-meals-fruit-juice-ep.html

BEST BIT #6 - MACHINES IN HEAVEN - PHENOMENOLOGY

Every time Machines In Heaven release something new, they go into territory they've never gone into before and they master it effortlessly. I've come back to this album a lot this year and I never tire of listening to it.

Phenomenology review http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/machines-in-heaven-phenomenology.html

BEST BIT #7 - RODNEY CROMWELL FAX MESSAGE BREAKUP E.P.

Possibly one of the best releases this year, taking tracks from 2015's magical Age Of Anxiety and remixing them to perfection. I don't think Rodney or the Happy Robots label are capable of releasing anything that isn't just brilliant

Fax Message Breakup review http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/rodney-cromwell-fax-message-breakup-ep.html

BEST BIT #8 - LAST NIGHT FROM GLASGOW

In a city already besieged by incredible labels (festive hellos to Hotgem, Nightschool, Scottish Fiction and Olive Grove), Last Night From Glasgow came along and changed the game. A not for profit, crowdfunded label that focuses on the artists above all else with each release a uniquely beautiful thing. They've put out wonderful music by BooHooHoo ( a wristband usb ep), Stephen Solo (a credit card usb) and Mark W Georgsson (a 7" single of all things) among others and have hosted a series of live events, culminating in last Sunday's epic The Christmas Effect gig at Mono. Next year promises to be even bigger for the label and that's incredibly exciting. They are to be applauded for all their work - thanks Ian, Murray and the gang

Last Night From Glasgow http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/last-night-from-glasgow.html

BEST BIT #9 - TEEN CANTEEN - SAY IT ALL WITH A KISS

I strategically missed them out of Best Bit #8 as they deserve attention themselves. Their debut album, Say It All With A Kiss was one of Last Night From Glasgow and indeed this year's best releases. I defy anyone to do anything other than fall in love with the album. Teen Canteen also jointly presented The Christmas Effect with Last Night From Glasgow with lead singer Carla's side project Ette also featuring. As an aside, Ette's Homemade Lemonade album released on Olive Grove this year is another you have to check out

Teen Canteen review http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/teen-canteen-say-it-all-with-kiss.html

BEST BIT #10 - A MONTH LONG PERIOD OF REJOICING

It seems astoundingly big headed to pick one of my own things as a best bit, but in March I did a month long feature on Depeche's Black Celebration to celebrate its 30th birthday. I had a whole lot of wonderful contributors, I interviewed Gareth Jones and, for that period at least, I can say that I knew more about Black Celebration than Martin Gore probably did. It was fun and, along with all the otehr Best Bits, it's why I do this.

http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/let-have-black-celebration.html

I could go on and on but I'm stopping here. I missed out Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool, Nick Cave's staggering Skeleton Tree, The Pixies at the Barras, the big Erasure boxset, the fact I managed to get Kraftwerk tickets for next year, superb releases from Zyna Hel and Monkoora and much more. After 2016 started so horribly for music with David Bowie's death (that still looks wrong when you write it down), there was plenty in the music world to find joy in both globally and, happily for me, locally too. Next year will be equally if not more epic and, between Depeche Mode ramblings, I'll try to keep you as up to date as I can.

See you next year.

"SO WHY DEPECHE MODE?"

How many times do I get asked that? Last Thursday, for example, my firm hosted a quiz for clients. I was the quizmaster and wrote all the questions. One of the answers was Just Can't Get Enough (not one for the DM purists I know) and I mentioned the band both during the quiz and in the e-mail I sent the next day thanking everyone for coming, said e-mail referencing the fact that Depeche had been mentioned more times than was probably reasonable during what was an event promoting my firm. 

One thing that surprised me that night was that many people said "Are they still going?" This was a bunch of people who, it must be said, had performed very well during my Synthpop Intros Round, all professing a knowledge of early 80's synthpop, including Just Can't Get Enough, yet none of the knew that Depeche were still going. Once I explained that they were, and I did so in the briefest way I could, every single one of them said, "Why Depeche Mode?" with a couple saying "Surely they were finished by the time you discovered music?"

Ok, that's a compliment as I'm 42 years old, but that aside, those reactions were odd.

So why Depeche Mode? What makes them stand out among all other bands? What continues to draw me to them after all these years? I adore many, many bands - R.E.M., The Pixies, The Smiths, Kraftwerk, New Order, Joy Division, Nine Inch Nails to name a few older ones, The Insomniac Project, Priest, HQFU, Machines In Heaven, Everything Everything, Nailbiter, Beliefs, to name a few newer, many of whom I've found thanks to this blog.

But, above them all, there will always be Depeche Mode. Yes, the most recent years haven't matched the highs of, say, 1986 to 1993 in terms of experimentalism as pop music, but my love for them has never wavered. Sounds Of The Universe tested it certainly, but I took that as an album being a vehicle for a tour and saw numerous shows and met numerous wonderful people, a feat repeated in 2013/14 with the wonderful Delta Machine and the even bigger number of shows I saw, catching up with old friends and making even more new ones. 

I'm not, or at least I don't think I am, one of those fans who obsess over every Depeche detail there is. You might chuckle at that, given the nonsense I've written over 4 years of this blog, but I do like to see myself as one of the more rational Depeche Mode fans. Ok, there's a huge record collection that mocks that claim, but, among the DM tribe, I'm fairly normal. My 3 shows in 5 days on the Delta Machine tour is seen my non Mode pals as the actions of a man on the brink of a breakdown. To my Depeche friends, it's seen as a less than impressive attempt at keeping up with them.

I just paused to ask myself why I'm even writing this at 00:45 am on Sunday 9 October. Well, the reason is this: I've just come home from a night out with friends where I told them about unconfirmed Depeche Mode tour dates on what may, or may not, be the 2017 tour. (I won't mention what appears to be the name of the tour here as it's not confirmed). I also, with unnecessary excitement, told me wife about it in the taxi on the way to meet our friends. I then came home, did the usual last Facebook check of the night (you ALL do that) and saw what bears to be a new official picture of the band.

And with that, all thought of sleep passed and I started hunting out information. Information that I know will be speculation until Tuesday's press conference, but information I need to have all the same. I've already set aside an hour when I should be actually working for Tuesday's press conference. A press conference by a band? A press conference where they'll no doubt announce an 18 month campaign that we could already predict about 80% of the details. But, and here's the thing, it's a Depeche Mode press conference, where new Depeche Mode information will come to light.

So why Depeche Mode?

Because no other band inspires this sort of nonsense in a man that should know better given his age

Because Enjoy The Silence genuinely changed my life

Because of Stripped

Because of The Sun And The Rainfall

Because of the last minute of Strangelove on 101 where Martin sings "Strangelove" repeatedly

Because of that harsh but glorious metal bashing sound halfway through It's No Good

Because of The Things You Said

Because of the World In My Eyes video, teasing us with World Violation footage

Because of Precious

Because of the dark perfection of Ultra

Because Violator is the single most inspirational album of all time

Because Martin brought But Not Tonight back to such heartbreaking perfection in 2013

Because of so many other things, too numerous to name here

But ultimately because they are Depeche Mode.

And that is why Depeche Mode.

THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT - VACILLATION

Last year's winners of the Almost Predictable for Best Single, The Insomniac Project (http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/the-almost-predictables-2015-no3-best.html) are back with a new single, Vacillation, and, once again, they've hit gold.

Vacillation is a prime example of what The Insomniac Project do best - an infusion of disco and synthpop, topped off with a superb lead vocal from Deborah Lang which is complimented perfectly by Andrew Butler and Michael O'Donnell's irresistible harmonies. You're going to love this. For the first time, the band have made a video to accompany the single, so instead of my "listen to this" line, why not watch AND listen to the song right now.


The single is out on 18 April and the band are hosting a launch night at The Admiral in Glasgow on 16 April. They're already gaining a impressive reputation for their live appearances and, having seen them, I can safely say that that reputation is more than justified. Get yourself along to The Admiral to check them out and, more important, to dance yourself daft. It's the only option as once The Insomniac Project get you in their groove, you can't get out.

Tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-insomniac-project-single-launch-the-admiral-16-april-2016-tickets-22665005642

SCOTTISH MUSIC IN 2016 - WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO

I wasn't going to do this as many others have already taken care of this topic, most notably Murray Easton's superb post on his Everything Flows blog where he lists 16 things to look out for this year. Have a read of that as there's loads of good stuff there. Anyway, I keep getting emails about new things and reading about bands and their forthcoming releases so, in no order particularly, these are a few things I'm keeping an eye out for this year:

1. New NightSchool records magic

In a recent interview I did with Michael Kasparis, he mentioned that 2016 will see new releases from Happy Meals, Apostille, Molly Nilsson and two as yet unnamed artists. It's also the label's 5th anniversary and it keeps going from strength to strength

2. A new Machines In Heaven album

Easily one of the intriguing electronic bands around, Machines In Heaven's second album promises to have a more experimental feel than their bordersbreakdown debut. It's going to be superb - that's guaranteed

3. Twissted

One of my favourite electronic bands and one who are definitely going to grab a lot of attention this year, Twissted will be releasing a new e.p. and touring this year. Not to be missed.

4. The Insomniac Project

You've read all about them here already (here and here) and you're going to read a lot more about them this year in many more places. There's a reason James Murphy got scared and brought LCD Soundsystem out of hiding you know...

5. Kill The Waves

The band are due to record their second album for the rather lovely Bloc Music label and, if it's anything like debut The One That Could Have Been it's going to be splendid. Read all about it and Bloc Music's forthcoming plans here http://blocmusic.org/news/happy-new-year/

6. King Tut's New Year's Revolution

This is basically the best of new Scottish music crammed into one legendary venue, spread over 16 nights. The gig on 13 January featuring Tongues and Machines In Heaven looks unmissable (http://www.kingtuts.co.uk/gig-info/?gig=6862) but there are so many wonderful bands to see over the length of the event (7 January to 23 January) that you'd be best advised to take residence in King Tut's an enjoy the whole lot. The Apache Darling headline set on 20 January (http://www.kingtuts.co.uk/artist-biog/?artist=6870) is also bound to be a belter. I've seen them play King Tut's before and they were magnificent.

7. Chvrches at the Hydro on 2nd April

This is obviously going to one of the gigs of the year. A hometown show, a Saturday night and The Twilight Sad on the bill. Ridiculous. 

8. The Twilight Sad

I missed the Barrowlands gig sadly but I'm making up for it a bit by seeing them at the Chvrches show and then in Berlin later on in the year supporting The Cure. The fact that Robert Smith handpicked them to support on a sold out worldwide arena tour is amazing, The Twilight Sad are going to make thousands of new fans this year.

9. Other blogs

I'm going to be immersed in an all consuming Depeche Mode project until the end of March meaning my writing about new Scottish bands will suffer. But, there are far better places to read about that anyway and blogs like Everything Flows, Gold Flake Paint, Podcart and of course one of my other homes and, frankly, one of the best music blogs there is full stop Scottish Fiction will more than take care of your needs. The job these blogs do in promoting new music can't be ignored - go and read them all. 

After you've read this obviously

10. HQFU

This blog's Best New Band of 2015 is going to have a huge year. A new ep, a tour and no doubt more majestic electronic wonderfulness awaits.

11. Call To Mind and The Son(s) at the Glad Cafe on 30 January

Two of the brilliant Olive Grove Records finest bands playing a gig in a great venue about 5 minutes from my house - how cool is that? Just needs a Martin Gore DJ support to top it off. Maybe you can call him Lloyd? Tickets here http://www.musicglue.com/the-glad-cafe/events/30-jan-16-independent-venue-week-call-to-mind--the-sons-the-glad-cafe/

There are 11 things for you to mull over. I could have gone on and mentioned the inevitable rise of Kloe, a new Friends In America album, Hot Gem continuing to put out some of the most inventive electronic music there is, the SAYS, the BAMS and more but I had to stop eventually. An in-depth analysis of the samples used on the Death Mix of Fly On The Windscreen won't write itself. 

All I would add is that, as far as I can recall, there has never been a better and more fertile music scene in Scotland than we have at the moment. Go and check all of it out, buy the records (at Love Music Glasgow and Monorail), see the bands, read the blogs and enjoy it. 2016 is going to be quite superb.

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

----------------------------------------

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 

LIVE REVIEW: THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT, NICE N SLEAZY GLASGOW 4 SEPTEMBER 2015

As you'll know from a recent post here, The Insomniac Project recently released their debut single, the superb In And Out (Of  My Head) and on Friday they played a lunch gig at Nice 'N' Sleazy, a gig that was quite superb. It was my first experience of the band live and it won't be my last - they have to be among one of the most exciting live bands in Glasgow at the moment.

The Insomniac Project live 4/9/15 - Photo courtesy of TV Eye Photography

The support act Our Future Glory kicked off the evening brilliantly with a set filled with superb indie electro tracks which impressed everyone around me and me too of course. More to come of them on here very soon. By the time The Insomniac Project came on stage, the room was full and the whole crowd was instantly into their dancefloor filling set. From the off they were on superb form with the LCD Soundsystem goes pop genius of Vacillation setting the tone for the gig. Songs that we familiar from their demo releases like Parallells and Breakaway were particular highlights, sounding more muscular and frankly, even funkier that their recorded versions. The band display a rare degree of confidence for a group at the stage they find themselves at and rightly so - the whole thing was hugely impressive and utterly, irrepressibly joyful. By the time the gig ended on In And Out (Of My Head  the whole room was grooving around in many and varied ways and there was no-one there who wouldn't have been delighted if The Insomniac Project played the whole gig again.

Ultimately, the most impressive thing about this gig was the sense you had that you were watching something very special indeed. The Insomniac Project may be in their early stages, but they have already worked out how to transfer the energy of their recorded tracks to the live stage and, surely, they are bound to attract larger and larger audiences and sooner rather than later. They are a band that you have to see live and I'd recommend you do that the next chance you get

EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE: THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT - IN AND OUT (OF MY HEAD)

As regular readers probably know, we've a bit of a soft spot here at Almost Predictable Almost for Glasgow six piece The Insomniac Project. Combining disco, electronica and synthpop (think of LCD Soundsystem versus Giorgio Moroder), the band caused quite a stir with their recent demo release campaign (here) and they were one of the featured acts in our Glasgow Electronic Too blog in March this year. 

The band are set to release their debut single In And Out (Of My Head) on August 31 and we're delighted to bring you the world exclusive premiere of that track today

Produced by Lewis Gardiner of Prides, In And Out (Of My Head)  is a full on disco belter that will tempt even the most reluctant among you to hit the dancefloor. The song's relentless groove is added to with a full on pop chorus that most bands would kill for and it builds to a quite wonderful, glitterball filled crescendo. Have a listen below - I guarantee you that you will start grooving around in your seat within seconds. 

The band celebrate the release with a launch party at Glasgow's Nice 'N' Sleazy on Friday 4th September. Grab your tickets for what promises to be quite a night from here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-insomniac-project-debut-single-launch-4th-sept-tickets-18081065955

In And Out (Of My Head) by The Insomniac Project is released on 31 August 2015 and will be available on ITunes and all digital outlets

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

ALMOST SCOTTISH FICTION VOLUME 2

Following the success of Almost Scottish Fiction Volume 1, we and Scottish Fiction are delighted to announce the release of Almost Scottish Fiction Volume 2. For this release, we've increased the number of tracks from 4 to 6, giving you 50% more new Scottish music that is entirely free to download, listen to and fall in love with. Once you've grabbed this, go and check out the bands' websites, Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, see them live and buy their music. This month's tracks are:

APACHE DARLING - MORE THAN ME

Apache Darling are a synthpop duo from Glagsow who produce some of the finest pop music the city has produced in ages. More Than Me was the first track they released and it rightly gained a lot of attention. Apache Darling are a genuinely thrilling prospect and More Than Me captures all that is great about this band

very very small inclusions - RAIN RAIN
With a band name taken from the grading scale used to judge the clarity of diamonds, you'd expect crystalline clear music from very very small inclusions. What you get is a dispersion of influences and ideas, with themes of introspection. This track, Rain Rain features heavy tom-toms, with pure and acoustic sounds, and airy vocals. This track is taken from the band's album Dispersions.

TONGUES - ANYMORE

Tongues is Tim Kwant from Kill The Waves solo project and Anymore was his first release. The song was a smash on Soundcloud and the buzz it created spread far and wide. A slice of laid back electro pop with a huge chorus, Anymore will grab you straight away and never let you go.

BEAM - HEX
BEAM is the glorious sounds of singer and songwriter Amy MacDougall, who has been in the past better known for contributing to other people's music; for example King Creosote. However, Hex is the sound of her own music, mysterious vocal loops, cello, piano and an overall dreamy feel.

THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT - BREAKAWAY

The Insomniac Project have kindly allowed us to use a brand new track, Breakaway and it is a cracker. Disco fused with LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, Breakaway is destined to get anyone grooving. The band play a headline show at Stereo in Glasgow on May 30 - go along and watch Breakaway work its disco magic

SEAS, STARRY - NEWARK
Coming from the Aberdeen four piece's album Tyto Alba, Newark is a perfect illustration of the effects laden ambient music that Seas, Starry produce so well. Taking influence from the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Errors, the band drag the listener's ear to the furthest edges of electronic instrumental music

To download the e.p. head to either our bandcamp page https://almostpredictablealmost.bandcamp.com/album/almost-scottish-fiction-volume-2 or Scottish Fiction's https://scottishfiction.bandcamp.com/album/almost-scottish-fiction-volume-2

Thanks very much to the band's for allowing us to use their tracks and once again, thanks to Findlay at Burnhouse Industries for the artwork. 

Almost Predictable Almost Twitter - https://twitter.com/almostprdalmost

Scottish Fiction Twitter - https://twitter.com/scotfiction984

GLASGOW ENDLESS TWO - GLASGOW'S ELECTRONIC MUSIC REVOLUTION CONTINUES

In July 2013 ( http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/glasgow-endless-glasgows-electronic.html ) I took a look at four local bands who I'd just discovered were playing electronic music in Glasgow. This was a fairly new concept to me as, to my knowledge at the time, the Glasgow music scene didn't feature much, if any electronic music. Since I wrote that piece however, things have changed significantly, driven by a combination of the global success of Chvrches and the city's continually innovative and inspiring music scene. I felt that it was something well worth revisiting and so caught up with five bands to find out what they think of the current scene.

I spoke to a mix of bands, some established (Machines In Heaven, Atom Tree), some making their mark (Apache Darling) and some new and hotly tipped (The Insomniac Project, Happy Meals) and the general feeling was the same throughout - the electronic music scene in Glasgow is as buoyant as it ever has been, and that is an exceptionally good thing. Once you've read this piece, do check out the bands it contains, but don't stop there; seek out as many others as you can from the industrial turned sleek electro pop sounds of Analog Angel to the perfect machine pop of Twissted to the cinematic electronics of Malmo. Glasgow is currently covering all bases. Even as I wrote that sentence, the likes of Errors and Turtle sprang to mind for example. There is so much going on that it's almost impossible to fully cover and that's a rather beautiful thing. Even this week, I've profiled two new bands in Tongues and Kloe and it's only a matter of time until I find more. Anyway, enough rambling - let's chat to the bands.

1. MACHINES IN HEAVEN

Machines In Heaven

As regular readers will know, one band I have been particularly taken with is Machines In Heaven. They debut release, the superb Glasgow Jihad e.p. was followed by 2014's debut album bordersbreakdown displayed a mix of electronica that sounded like it came from a seasoned band, not a debutant. The band's Hindu Milk e.p, which like bordersbreakdown was released on Glasgow's superb Hotgem label, rounded off 2014 in superb style with the band coming moving more towards electronics in a sublime way. I asked them how things had progressed for them since Glasgow Jihad:

MiH: "A marked change is that we're playing less gigs but bigger ones, for example, The Art School Mental Health Scotland show and The Pleasance in Edinburgh. We've done sessions for Radio Scotland and pulse FM and even popped our London cherry."

APA: Do you see Hindu Milk as a progression from bordersbreakdown? 

MiH: "Very much. It's the first time the three of us have written songs together so that explains the different sound. There are three distinctive styles on there too but having said that we are maintaining the loose set of 'rules' we developed for borders - epic but melodic sound, huge outdo, a subtle blend of all our tastes. There are also more vocals and synths though we're not ditching the guitars in any way."

APA: What do you think of the current Glasgow electronic scene? Has it changed much since we last spoke?

MiH: "If anything it's got even stronger. We've been commenting recently that it's hard to find new guitar bands because everyone is doing an electro 2 or 3 piece. We don't try to sound like a particular scene though. We just do the thing we're doing, and people say we sound different so we're happy with that. Glasgow's a victim of its own success- there's so much happening every weekend it's hard to get people to come to your gigs!"

Machines In Heaven really are one to watch and 2015 is going to be a huge year for them. As well as their Glasgow gigs (next up March 13th at The Old Hairdressers) they are going to play a small English tour, will hopefully pop up at festivals on both sides of the border and will start to narrow down their 50 or so demos for their second album which will hopefully arrive towards the middle of the year. Keep an eye on the Machines.

2. ATOM TREE

Machines' labelmates, Atom Tree, are a band I mentioned towards the tail end of my July 2013 article. Like Machines, their profile has risen hugely since then and their Clouds e.p. at the end of 2014 was a superb release. I asked Shaun, the band's founding member how the last 18 months had gone for the band:

Atom Tree

AT: "The last 18 months have been fantastic. I finally found a singer and got play some of the best festivals in Scotland, as well as having two e.p's out. It feels liked we've played a lot of gigs in the last 18 months and I'm looking forward to writing new music"

APA: What about the current electronic scene in Glasgow? How do you see that?

AT: "From the bands we've played with, there is a lot of talent out there. Sad City is one that sticks out. I've played with him twice and his live shows are spectacular. The Simple Things festival in 2014 really highlighted the quality of Glaswegian electronic music as well as the quality of electronic music that Glasgow attracts."

APA: What are your plans for 2015?

AT: "The plan is to get an album and tour ready. The album will probably feature 8 of the best songs I've written in the last year plus any new songs that spring up during the album writing sessions. I'm still working on the balance of instrumental to vocal tracks at the moment, so it will be a challenge but I'm looking forward to it."

There's no doubt that 2015 can be a huge year for Atom Tree. Check out Hold On below to hear how good they are

3. APACHE DARLING
One band who have really caught my attention this year are Apache Darling. The band comprise Stefanie Lawrence and Andrew Black and they play some of the most perfect synthpop you'll hear. They first came to the world's attention last year with the release of the magnificent More Than Me and quickly followed that with a residency at Glasgow's best electronic venue Broadcast. As well as all this they've managed to gather a lot of radio play from Radio 1 to 6 Music to XFM and success surely awaits them. Prior to their second release, the superb Firebird they found time to speak to me.

APA: An easy one to start - tell us about you influences.

Andrew: "I learned piano listening to the likes of Elton John and then became quite obsessed with David Bowie and Jean Michel Jarre which led me onto synthesizers. Hearing bands like OMD, ELO and Gary Numan blend electronics with classic pop set off something in my imagination"

Stefanie: "I grew up with 50's rock 'n' roll courtesy of my Dad and my singing teachers were the Beatles and Brenda Lee. My mum introduced me to the other musical decades and mu higher education came from Prince and Bowie."

APA: How do you see your music? You've used the hashtag #thenewpop on social media - what's that all about?

Stefanie: "I'm really driven by melody and hooks. #thenewpop represents the new era of the classic pop song. It's almost nostalgia - what we think a pop song should be"

Andrew: "There are two sides to it: mainstream bands will try and crowbar in synth sounds because it's popular whereas new bands can try and be too cool and dark and don't write songs you want to hear again and again. I think we have a good balance of ballsy analog synths and good catchy pop songs."

APA: What are the band's plans for 2015?

Andrew: "We've been blown away by the support we've had, particularly online. At this point we're concentrating on building our catalogue and fanbase."

Stefanie: "We've had a brilliant six months and it's only the beginning. We'll be putting our second single online soon (Firebird - released after this interview). It's so reassuring to see the support we've had considering we're unsigned and unknown."

APA: And finally, what do you think of Glasgow's electronic scene at the moment?

Andrew: "The trend right now is definitely leaning towards electronic. There's a flurry of great new bands who alcove under that umbrella and they're all doing pretty well. Where I think we stand out is that we're not afraid to call our music pop  and I think people always relate to that"

I certainly do. If Apache Darling's two releases thus far are a guide, the pop world could well have some new synthpop heroes on the way. 

4. THE INSOMNIAC PROJECT

Another band who have grabbed me recently are new kids on the scene The Insomniac Project. They are a 6 piece who play a lovely brand of hugely catchy electro pop. They have only released two tracks so far, Parallels and Shake Those Demon both of which bring to mind all sorts from disco to the popper end of the DFA spectrum to Hot Chip and beyond.  I had a chat to Andy from the band

APA: It's the influences question again - tell us about the band's inspirations:

TIP: "Myself and Gaz are pretty much influenced by anything DFA related from LCD to Holy Ghost! and beyond. We also take the indie side of our influences from the like of Bloc Party and mix that with the likes of The 2 Bears."

APA: And how would you describe your music? What's the #nosleepforthedreamers hashtag all about?

TIP: "We want to have a crisp, polished sound that lends it to a commercial feel, embracing our pop side. On stage though, we want it to be more dynamic. As there's six of us we're on top of each other and we feed off each other's energy. The hashtag was a tagline I first came up with when I came up with the idea for the group. It ties in with the band's name and with the idea of escapism, about using music as an escape from the mundanity of everyday life."

APA: What about Glasgow's current electronic scene - how do you see that?

TIP: "It's on the up. Obviously, Chvrches have done amazingly. Bands like Atom Tree and Apache Darling are barking up the same tree as us so hopefully we can all flourish this year."

APA; Talking of this year, what does 2015 have in store for you?

TIP: "Short term, hopefully a few more demos before our show at The Old Hairdressers on February 27th. We then plan on writing and releasing an e.p and we'd love to play shows with some more established acts.

As Andy mentioned there, the band play The Old Hairdressers in Glasgow on February 27th and it will no doubt be quite a show. 

5. HAPPY MEALS

The final band I caught up with are Happy Meals who released their debut album Apero on Glasgow's Night School Records last year. A mix of cosmic synth genius and analog disco joy, the album was one of my favourites of last year. Suzi from the band granted me an audience.

APA: Tell us about the history of Happy Meals?

HM: "Saturn's moons aligned with Neptune and the cosmic vibrations turned us to each other. We have grown up together and, in the last year, decided to start making music together. Apero is the culmination.

APA: How pleased were you with the album?

HM: "So pleased. We've made many new friends and have explored bright horizons thanks to the kindness of people who have liked the album. It's a real pleasure to know that people all around the world are listening to and enjoying our music. It's beyond our expectations."

APA: And what are your 2015 plans?

HM: "We're touring for two weeks at the start of April with our good friend Michael from Apostle. We'll also be putting our minds and hearts together for the next album starting in the summer."

CONCLUSION TIME AGAIN

At the moment, Glasgow has as vibrant an electronic scene as anywhere else I can think of. The five bands who I've interviewed all come from different ends of the electronic spectrum, but they all have in common their fantastic music. It's a real joy to have discovered these and bands and to keep discovering more every week. If you are from Glasgow, celebrate this scene and dive in. See the bands live, but their releases and be proud that the city is producing such a diverse range of outstanding music. If you'r not from here, come and see us and join in. You'll find all the electronic music you need.

Thanks very much to everyone for giving up their time to speak to me. All the links to the bands' Facebook and Twitter pages are found in the articles above

(c) Almost Predictable. Almost 2015. No part of this article is to be reproduced without the prior consent of the author.