PRIEST - WE'RE THE SAME

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

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

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

AVEC SANS - HEARTBREAK HI

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

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

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

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

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

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

Avec Sans http://avecsans.com/#home

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

PRIEST - MAGNETS

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

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

METER BRIDGE - IT WAS NOTHING

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

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

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

It Was Nothing is released on 6 February via WEATNU Records

TRACK OF THE DAY: TEEN - ALL ABOUT US

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

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

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

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

ETIQUETTE - REMINISCE

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

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

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

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


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

Reminisce by Etiquette is available now on Hand Drawn Dracula.

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

HIGH JINX - CLOSE TO THE SUN

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HQFU - CA$HLE$$ LIP$

It's been nothing short of a spectacular few months for Glasgow based Sarah J Stanley a.k.a. HQFU. Her debut release, Dust & Dirt, rightly got a lot of attention both on here, many other blogs and on radio and that led to a support slot with Chvrches at their album release show in London in September this year. At this rate, HQFU will be headlining T In The Park next year. 

All the attention on HQFU is entirely justified and new single Ca$hle$$ Lip$ only serves to confirm that HQFU is a very special talent indeed. Built around an insistent 90's rave like feel (think Orbital's first couple of albums), the track brings that influence bang up to date, adding layers of glimmering electropop that positively radiate with confidence to produce a single that many bands several singles and albums down the line would kill for. You simply have to hear it.

As I've mentioned several thousand times already, Glasgow is, as far as I am concerned, producing the best and most diverse electronic music that you'll find anywhere at the moment. HQFU is yet another superb example of that and Ca$hle$$ Lip$ is as good a track as you'll hear from that scene or any other. 

Ca$hle$$ Lip$ is available now from HQFU's Bandcamp page and ITunes

HQFU Bandcamp https://hqfu.bandcamp.com/album/ca-hle-lip

HQFU Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HQFUHQFU?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.

RODNEY CROMWELL - AGE OF ANXIETY

As an Electronic Sound subscriber, I heard Rodney Cromwell's superb Barry Was An Arms Dealer in the August edition and fell in love with it straightaway. It's a track that merges the simplicity and pop nous of early synthpop with a modern edge and is amongst one of the finest things I've heard this year. You can listen for yourself below. Having investigated Rodney further I quickly ended up with his album Age Of Anxiety and all its label Happy Robots Records catalogue. It's an outstanding album and one that I can't recommend highly enough for fans of synthpop, electropop or whatever you want to call it.

The brief The Internationale kicks the album off before the early Hot Chip like Cassiopeia lands the first blow on your ears. Waves of soothing synths give way to treated vocals and New Order like bass before the song wraps up, returned to the synths of the start. There are a couple of recurring influences throughout the album to my ears, namely Power Corruption & Lies era New Order and Vince Clarke in his early days with the likes of Depeche Mode's Speak & Spell or Yazoo's Upstairs At Eric's but they don't become overbearing at all. Rodney takes the pure pop of Clarke and mixes it with the harder edge, at least by comparison, of New Order but puts his own stamp on it. The next track is the aforementioned Barry Was An Arms Dealer and that heralds a run of quite outstanding songs.

You Will Struggle takes the synthpop formula the album is quickly perfecting and adds an I Feel Love style bassline to the mix, creating a sublime track. The cousin of Kraftwerk, One Two Seven follows, as good as anything else here and then the New Order go pop of Fax Machine Breakup arrives mixing melodies, melodica and some rather superb lyrics ("I sold some records but not a lot/I won't be floating Happy Robots") to superb effect. At this stage, I found myself enjoying the album more than I'd enjoyed many albums recently as it is just irresistible. Baby Robot comes next, and the titular robot is clearly a fan of New Order's Temptation which is no bad thing and the penultimate The Blue Cloud takes us back to the disco albeit one which is DJ'd by Ralf Hutter and Giorgio Moroder. We then end on the near 7 minute Black Dog  which displays the influences I've perhaps already overdone, but ends the album perfectly.

It's a brave move to release an album that relies on a certain era of synthpop as translating that effectively is difficult and has led to a number of rather useless releases in the recent past. This album though is basically flawless and is one that within which every fan of electronic pop will find something to love. It only seems a matter of time until Rodney's prediction is Fax Machine Breakup is proved wrong. Go and listen to this album right now.

INTERVIEW - TWI§TED

Twi§ted are a band I've been talking about for quite a while, having come across them in the early part of this year and featured them as the first of my New Bands 2015 (here). Since then, they've also featured on one of the Almost Scottish Fiction e.p's that I've put out with Scottish Fiction (grab it here) and I quite honestly can't get enough of them. A Glasgow based duo comprising Vicki Milne and Zoe Burnett, their releases thus far range from the superb electropop of Turn It Up to the dancier, icier and frankly stupendous Machines to the harder sounding but no less melodic Scunnered which you can listen to below. For those of you who aren't from Scotland, the word "scunnered" means fed up or something similar.

Anyway, very soon many, many people are going to know about Twi§ted so, I thought it was only right that we found out a bit more about them. This way, you'll be ahead of the game when all your friends start talking about them. It's the type of service I like to provide. Thanks to Vicki and Zoe for taking time out of their busy schedule to answer a few questions.

APA: How did Twi§ted come together?

T: We met several years ago at a casting audition and, realising we were kindred spirits, we quickly became firm friends. In the early days we had various opportunities to work with some local bands and songwriters. The sound was all very "pretty" and it was all good fun, but we quickly realised this was not really what we were all about and, after a chat with our friend and mentor Paul Buchanan (The Blue Nile), we had the confidence to strike out on our own. From there, we started writing and producing our own songs, finding our own sound. 

To take it to the next level, we approached Dave "Disco" McClean who was preciously in Union of Knives, a band we both loved. He helped add a professional edge to our recordings and as this has progressed, Dave has become an integral part of the band. And so, Twi§ted were born.

APA: Tell us who does what in the band

T: We co-write all the songs and of course do the vocals, recording the rough demos in a home studio. We then move it all into the studio with Dave where we bounce ideas around, pushing each other out of our comfort zones and experimenting until we are happy with the sound.

APA: I've always got to ask this one - who are your main influences?

T: The list is endless! We take inspiration from the whole musical spectrum; from Public Enemy through Nine Inch Nails to Leftfield. Seeing as you're pushing us for an answer though, I guess The Prodigy, Fever Ray and Goldfrapp are big influences.

On a personal level, our biggest influence is Paul Buchanan. Although he is infinitely more talented and his music is so massively different to ours, he gave us the tools to write, create and believe in what we do.

APA: For new listeners, describe your sound

T: Our sound is Electropop with a dark/glitchy edge. We write tracks that have meaning and aim to take the listener on a journey. We don't follow plans or structure norms - we just write and produce what feels right at the time

APA: Your songs thus far display a range of sounds and electronic influences at least to my ears. What area, if any, do you see your sound developing into? 

T: As we mentioned earlier, we don't really plan these things. Any change in direction will come about naturally (we refuse to us the word "organically!" APA - quite right). At this point, we enjoy what we are doing and will continue in this vein for as long as we get good reactions and people enjoy it.

APA: How have you found the reaction to the band thus far?

T: The reaction to the band so far has been fantastic. We have had a few reviews that we are really proud of and, so far, reaction from people on social media has been really heartening. We are slowly getting picked up by listeners thanks to blogs like yours, Scottish Fiction, Jim Gellatly and Synthopia (in Australia!) being long terms supporters. So far it has all been very positive which makes us think we might be doing something right!

APA: What are your plans for the future? Will we see any live shows?

T: We will be releasing a 5 track e.p. very soon so keep an eye on Twitter (@Twissted_band) for updates on that. We then plan to take it live and are currently in the process of planning and designing our stage show which we aim to start gigging towards the end of the summer. We have already been invited to play at a few venues but we want to make sure we put on the best shows we possibly can, so we have pushed these back to September.

APA: Finally - what are your favourite electronic albums?

T: There are so many - it's really difficult to pin down any ultimate favourites! Today, however, our answers would be: Music For The Jilted Generation (The Prodigy), The Private Press (DJ Shadow), Moon Safari (Air) and Ok Cowboy  (Vitalic). We're changing our minds as we think of this so we'll top there!

Thanks so much to Vicki and Zoe for answering these questions. Go and check out Twi§ted on their Facebook and Soundcloud pages and, as they said above, keep an eye on Twitter for all information about upcoming shows and, of course, the new e.p. I can't wait to hear that as on the evidence of their previous work, it's going to be something any fan of electronic music will want to hear.

Twi§ted Facebook

Twi§ted Soundcloud