(Photo by Reset Records) The English musician and singer Robert Marlow (real name Robert Allen) is no more. Marlow passed away on Thursday 22nd September after a short and unexpected illness. The news was communicated by a close friend of Marlow on Facebook. He would have turned 61 on October 21st.

About Robert Marlow

Robert Marlow was an English synth-pop singer, songwriter and musician and grew up in Basildon together with future Depeche Mode members Vince Clarke, Martin Gore and the late Andy Fletcher. But there’s more, he was also tied to Alison Moyet, with whom he played in a band, the Vandals. He ended up playing in a band, with Vince Clarke, called the Plan, and later French Look, with Martin Gore and Paul Redmond.

In 1983 Marlow formed The Peter Pan Effect. The project initially was born when Marlow was in a band called Film Noir, with future keyboardist and guitarist for the Cure, Perry Bamonte. After Clarke left Depeche Mode, Marlow approached Clarke and secured some studio time at Blackwing Studios with him and Eric Radcliffe. He was offered only one day, and decided to record “The Face of Dorian Gray”. This led to extra studio time. The single was released on Reset Records, a label founded in 1983 by Vince Clarke and Eric Radcliffe. The B-side was the track “The Tale of Dorian Gray“.

After that, he released three more singles: “I Just Want to Dance”, “Claudette” and “Calling All Destroyers”. Due to little airplay and low sales the album was shelved until 1999 when the Swedish label Energy Rekords released it.

In early 2002 Robert Marlow founded Marlow, which was a duo with Gary Durant. The duo released the single “My Teenage Dream” in 2002. An album followed in 2009, “Inside Outside”, on Electro-Shock-Records which would release all of Robert Marlow’s later side-project albums. The title track was arranged and produced by Vince Clarke, who had also remixed a track on the album called “Home”. The follow-up album “The Future” was never released and the duo split up in 2012. However in 2013 he would release a reworked version of “The Future” as “The Future Remixes”.

After the split of Marlow, Robert Marlow once again performed as a solo artist and released a new 7 track EP, “The Blackwing Sessions”, again on the German label Electro Shock Records. The release held tracks with other vocals and instrumentals from the “1982–1984 recordings in the Blackwing Studios”.

Cleopatra Records would later on release standard US releases of “The Peter Pan Effect” and Family Fantastic’s “Nice!” in a limited edition box double pack with additional info about Vince Clarke’s involvements in the two projects on the back. Family Fantastic was a project formed in 2000 by Clarke and Phil Creswick (ex-Big Fun), featuring various high-profile singers from the UK.

I have had the pleasure to interview Robert Marlow a couple of times, and although he never became a big superstar, he was ok with what he had achieved despite having to wait decades to see his dreams come partially true. A sweet person, maybe too kind for this world.

Our most since condolences to Robert’s friends and family.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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“Fair Winds”, a Black Needle Noise track originally written to be the theme song for a TV show about the history of the Isle Of Man is out now. John Fryer adds: “Unfortunately it has been put on the back burner because of Covid. Hopefully, this will happen down the line, but I decided to release this piece in the meantime.”

The record features two other musicians: female vocalist Ruby Friedman and Colin McGuinness (live musician for Japan amongst many other acts).

John Fryer started his career in 1979 at London’s Blackwing Studios (London) and soon began working with seminal bands on 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade, and Beggars Banquet, including Depeche Mode, The Wolfgang Press, and Cocteau Twins. His work led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil. Currently, Fryer works closely with COP International and its roster and this is the label debut release for Black Needle Noise on COP International.

You can get the 4-track single right now from Bandcamp.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Photo by Angela Conway) Duet Emmo was a project that emerged in 1982, and it consisted of Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis (in a hiatus in the trajectory of the group Wire of which they were part) together with Daniel Miller. The name Duet Emmo is actually an anagram of the words Mute and Dome. Dome was the band Graham Lewis and Bruce Gilbert had started in 1980 (originally under the name Cupol) which published a couple of albums.

So how did these three musicians end up together? All three had been friends for a long time as they had all been using Blackwing Studios sharing the same engineer, Eric Radcliffe. An initial project had been suggested in 1980 but the success of Depeche Mode and Yazoo had kept Miller busy until the end of 1982.

Duet Emmo released the – excellent – album “Or So It Seems” in 1983, from which the single of the same name was released. The original 8-track album was recorded in the periods between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day in ’81 and ’82 with legendary engineer Eric Radcliffe at their favoured studio, Blackwing in London. The album’s artwork was a collage by the Brothers Quay redesigned by Bart van Damme. Later, Gilbert and Lewis returned to Wire, while Miller ultimately pursued a career as a producer through Mute.

Coming up now on August 19th is the long-awaited remastered release of the 1983 album “Or So It Seems” on double vinyl, CD and digitally. The reissue has been recently remastered from the original analogue tapes by Stefan Betke and the double vinyl also includes the 8-minute re-mixed 12” b-side version of the title track, “Heart of Hearts (Or So It Seems)” which previously was only available on CD.

Listen to the title track right below.

Here’s how the release will look like.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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(Courtesy Attasalina) Black Needle Noise’s first release on COP International Records is a fact. Out now is a new single “Machine” featuring vocalist Attasalina and violinist Meredith Yayanos. The “Machine” EP features remixes from Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward), Mark Hockings (Mesh/Blackcarburning), Sick Jokes, Soman and (London DJ) Samantha Togni.

Says Fryer of “Machine”: “It’s taken a while to find the right song for Attasalina so we could collaborate again. She did an amazing job on ‘Messages By Dreams’ and she has done an exceptional job on ‘Machine.’ It’s always a pleasure working with Attasalina, and it’s been great having Meredith Yayanos on board this time around playing violin on the track, adding another dimension.”

Attasalina, best known for her collaboration with Daniel Ash (The Soldiers of Everyday), has also released music with her band The Seraphim Rising and is currently working on her first solo record in collaboration with John Fryer, to be called Freed From Rage and Sorrow. She previously collaborated with Fryer on the Black Needle Noise track “Messages By Dreams.”

See the video for “Machine” below.

About John Fryer

John Fryer started his career in 1979 at London’s Blackwing Studios (London) and soon began working with seminal bands on 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade and Beggars Banquet, including Depeche Mode, The Wolfgang Press and Cocteau Twins. His achievement in helping develop the latter’s pioneering ethereal and ambient sound ultimately led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil.

Since then, Fryer has produced many iconic artists, including Love and Rockets, HIM, Cradle of Filth, Clan of Xymox, Nitzer Ebb, Dead Can Dance, Yaz (Yazoo), Xmal Deutschland, Fields of the Nephilim, De/Vision, Stabbing Westward and many others. Fryer has also produced many film soundtracks, such as Seven, Clerks, Johnny Mnemonic, Mortal Kombat, Faust and Resident Evil: Apocalypse.

Currently Fryer also works closely with COP International and its roster and this debut Black Needle Noise release on the label is being hailed by COP founder Christian Petke who says, “I know how much this project means to John and I think it represents some of his finest work. Black Needle Noise is his vehicle to execute his artistic visions. It is not bound by style or fashion but represents the distilled essence of a man honing his craft for 40-plus years. To say it is an honor to represent Black Needle Noise on COP International is an understatement.”

Fryer recently celebrated a #1 entry on the German DAC Charts with the Chiasm & John Fryer album “Missed The Noise”. Good to know, Fryer acts as an A&R and a producer at COP International Records, helming the work of artists such as Stabbing Westward, Azam Ali, Chiasm, Stoneburner, Blackcarburning and more.

For more on John Fryer, see A Cloud Of Ravens release remix EP feat. remixes by Clan of Xymox,… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Wave Records are preparing an essential best of release of the US/British 80s New Wave/Goth Rock band The Veil. The CD, called “History”, comes with a 12-pages booklet including rare and never seen documents and pictures from the 80s as well as an extensive comment by Mick Mercer.

The CD collects all tracks ever released by the band on 1 album, two 12” singles and one 7” single. You can expect it to hit stores in early December. Pre-orders can be placed here.

The Veil was born from the ashes of San Francisco Death Rock/Goth band Beast, who dissolved at the end of 1983 following their last UK tour at which time Andrella Canne (vocals) and James Christ (bass) decided to remain in the UK where they felt the climate was right for what they wanted to do next musically: The Veil. Local Brits Andrew DaKeyne (guitar) and John Kingham (drums) completed the Lineup.

A first single was recorded at Blackwing Studios, engineered and produced by John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget, Cocteau Twins). In 1985 the band began recording the album, “Surrender”, again recorded at Blackwing Studios, and again with John Fryer assisted by John Brand (The Waterboys, Big Country, The Cult, Go Betweens, Aztec Camera, Gene Loves Jezebel…).

Due to Clay Records being in serious financial trouble, they were forced to release their new EP on their own. And the bad luck didn’t stop there, the two founders of The Veil, being American, were forced to leave the UK due to the fact that the UK Home Office would not renew their work permit for the UK. The pre-internet times forced The Veil to dissolve.

Clay Records in the end didn’t go under until late 1990. The independent record label founded by Mike Stone in 1980 out of a record shop in the English city of Stoke-on-Trent had such artists as Sex-Gang Children, Play Dead, The Lurkers, Demon and G.B.H. on its roster. Members of Clay went on to form Jungle Records in 1984. But that’s another story.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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