Yazoo – SIDE-LINE

Yazoo’s ‘Upstairs at Eric’s’ turns 44 on 20 August

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Yazoo, the English synthpop duo of Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet, released their debut album “Upstairs at Eric’s” on 20 August 1982 through Mute Records. The album turns 44 this year. It reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and was later certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry.

How Yazoo recorded ‘Upstairs at Eric’s’

The title points at Eric Radcliffe, who ran Blackwing Studios in London, where the sessions took place. Radcliffe produced the record with Yazoo and engineered it with John Fryer. Daniel Miller, the Mute founder who signed the duo, added production. Clarke wrote seven of the eleven tracks: “Don’t Go,” “Too Pieces,” “Bad Connection,” “I Before E Except After C,” “In My Room,” “Only You” and “Tuesday.” Moyet wrote the other four: “Midnight,” “Goodbye 70’s,” “Winter Kills” and “Bring Your Love Down (Didn’t I).” Two UK top-three singles, “Only You” and “Don’t Go,” had already charted before the album arrived.

Clarke had left Depeche Mode after that band’s 1981 debut “Speak & Spell,” and the pair came together through an advertisement Moyet placed in Melody Maker. Moyet has described what she was looking for at the time: “I put an ad in Melody Maker looking for a semi-professional band […] Not someone who’d just had a massive hit album.” The two had known each other since their school years in Basildon, Essex. Clarke recalled taking the duo’s first recording to Miller, and getting a reading he misjudged: “I took the demo to Daniel Miller at Mute, and I got the distinct impression he was not interested. ‘That’s that,’ I thought. ‘Get a proper job’.”

Clarke has described the sessions themselves as unplanned: “Nobody really knew what they were doing. We were open to trying anything – it was like being in a toy shop, finding out what would happen if you pressed different buttons.” In North America the album appeared under the name Yaz, on Sire Records. Mute issued a remastered edition in 2008, the version now on streaming services, alongside the “In Your Room” box set and the duo’s Reconnected tour.

About Yazoo

Yazoo formed in Basildon, Essex, in late 1981, with Clarke on keyboards and Moyet on vocals and piano. Mute released their first single, “Only You,” in May 1982; it reached number two on the UK Singles Chart. “Don’t Go” followed and entered the UK top five, and “Upstairs at Eric’s” arrived on 20 August 1982. The duo toured Britain that year as the Guided Tour, and in 1983 won the Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act alongside a nomination for British Group.

The partnership did not survive the second album. Clarke and Moyet split in May 1983, before “You and Me Both” reached shops. Moyet began a solo career with “Alf” in 1984; Clarke co-founded The Assembly, then formed Erasure with Andy Bell in 1985. A quarter of a century later the two reconciled, reissuing both studio albums with the “In Your Room” box set and touring the UK, Europe and North America in 2008 as Reconnected, documented on the 2010 live album “Reconnected Live.” They shared a stage again in May 2011, performing three Yazoo songs at a festival organised by Mute. Side-Line has since covered Clarke’s first solo album in Vince Clarke launches debut solo album ‘Songs of Silence’ – Out now, the archive footage in The last Depeche Mode show with Vince Clarke – Watch it now, and a recent reworking of the duo’s final single in Yazoo hit ‘Nobody’s Diary’ gets Sgt Slick rework – Out now. Forty-four years on, “Upstairs at Eric’s” remains the first of the two albums the duo completed together.

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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Yazoo hit ‘Nobody’s Diary’ gets Sgt Slick rework – Out now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 23 Dec 2024 11:25:53 +0000

Out now via Electric Mode | Whitelabel, Sgt Slick delivers a rework of Yazoo‘s hit “Nobody’s Diary” as a promo-only edition, not intended for official release. Following his current release “Everybody Dance” on Fool’s Paradise, Sgt Slick’s ReCut infuses the Yazoo classic with a disco-driven twist.

The promo holds two reworks, the Sgt Slick ReCut one and the Sgt Slick Dub version.

Originally released in May 1983 as the lead single from Yazoo’s second album, “You and Me Both”, “Nobody’s Diary” showcases lyrics written by Alison Moyet at age 16. The song explores themes of longing and emotional reflection. Upon its release, “Nobody’s Diary” climbed to number three on the UK Singles Chart and topped the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart in July 1983.

Here’s the original music video, directed by Chris Gabrin, features the band performing amidst a minimalist, atmospheric setting.

About Sgt Slick

Sgt Slick, born Andrew Ramanauskas in Melbourne, Australia, has built a career as a house music DJ and producer over the past two decades releasing his work on labels like Vicious Grooves, Purple Eye, Neo, and SKAM. He first gained recognition in 1998 with his debut single, “White Treble, Black Bass”. More recently, in 2020, he covered ABBA’s classic “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)”.

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Erasure announce brand new vinyl reissues of ‘Tomorrow’s World’, ‘Snow Globe’, and ‘The Violet Flame’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 15:26:37 +0000

The British synthpop duo, Erasure, consisting of vocalist Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, have announced the vinyl reissues of three albums: “Tomorrow’s World” (2011), “Snow Globe” (2013), and “The Violet Flame” (2014). These limited edition vinyl reissues, set for release on December 13, will be available via Mute Records.

Tomorrow’s World (2011) – Limited Edition Clear Vinyl

“Tomorrow’s World” marks Erasure’s return after a four-year hiatus. Released in 2011, the album showcased a duo deeply rooted in the synthpop scene yet embracing a more modern sound. Produced by Frankmusik (who has worked with artists such as Lady Gaga and Pet Shop Boys), the album was recorded across multiple locations, including Maine, London, and Los Angeles. It includes the singles “When I Start To (Break It All Down)”, “Be With You”, “A Whole Lotta Love Run Riot”, and “Fill Us With Fire”.

The album was well received. It followed a period where Andy Bell released his solo album “Don’t Stop”, and Vince Clarke briefly reunited with Alison Moyet for a Yazoo tour.

Snow Globe (2013) – Limited Edition Pink Vinyl

“Snow Globe” took Erasure in a stripped-back, often melancholic take on the festive genre. Departing from the more traditional, glitzy sounds of Christmas music, the album features eerie, minimalist arrangements.

Produced by Erasure, alongside Gareth Jones and Richard X, the album includes a modern rendition of the traditional Latin carol “Gaudete” and new versions of classics like “White Christmas” and “Silent Night”. The album’s lead single was “Make It Wonderful”.

The Violet Flame (2014) – Limited Edition White Vinyl

“The Violet Flame” came out in 2014, following the festive experiment of “Snow Globe”, and saw Erasure return to their electronic roots. The album was produced by Richard X (known for his work with Goldfrapp, SOPHIE, and Róisin Murphy).

Unlike their previous work, where songs traditionally began on guitar or piano, the tracks on “The Violet Flame” emerged directly from electronic dance grooves. This change in process resulted in standout singles such as “Elevation”, “Reason”, and the Halloween-themed “Dead of Night”.

With over 25 million albums sold worldwide and an impressive 18 studio albums under their belt, Erasure has cemented their place as one of the UK’s most successful synth-pop duos. Formed in 1985, they have consistently evolved while maintaining their signature synthpop sound. Their most recent releases include “The Neon” (2020) and its experimental follow-up “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” (2022), which reimagined the songs from “The Neon” with new arrangements and vocals.

The vinyl reissues will be available on December 13, 2024, via Mute Records, and pre-orders are currently open.

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Vince Clarke set to perform ‘Songs of Silence’ live in New York

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 15:40:32 +0000

Vince Clarke is set to perform ‘Songs of Silence’ live at National Sawdust, Brooklyn, NYC, on Saturday, May 4th, 2024. Following the success of the November concert in London, Clarke has decided to bring the show to New York City. Accompanied by Reed Hays, the event promises an intimate evening with doors opening at 6 pm and concluding by 9 pm. The duo plans to present “Songs of Silence” in full, along with additional tracks from the same project.

Tickets for this exclusive performance will be available starting this Sunday, March 24th, at noon (NYC time). Unlike the larger London event, the Brooklyn show offers a more personal experience in a stunning venue, anticipated to be a truly special occasion.

Priced at $35 each, plus a service and booking fee of $4.19, tickets are for general admission standing only. Interested parties can secure up to four tickets per transaction exclusively through the designated Eventbrite page. Purchases cannot be made at the venue or through other channels. Additional details regarding wheelchair access, venue specifics, and the evening’s schedule are available on the ticketing page.

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Me The Tiger to launch 2nd single from brand new album ‘Envy’: ‘I Want it Back’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 12:55:10 +0000

(Photo by Lina Gabrielli) The Swedish electropop trio Me The Tiger are to launch a second single, “I want it back”, taken from the upcoming album “Envy” expected to be released in Spring 2024. Earlier they released “Post Denial War”. The new single is also out via Progress Productions.

Below is already the cover artwork.

Cover artwork “I want it back” single

Me The Tiger (Gabriella Åström, Jonas Martinsson, and Tobias Andersson) was formed in Falun in the Spring of 2012 and has since released three full-length albums, a series of singles, and performed at festivals like M’era Luna (Germany), W-fest (Belgium), Eine Nacht im Bergwerk (Switzerland), Infest (England), E-Only (Germany), electriXmas (Sweden), and shared stages with Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode, Yazoo), Front 242, Kite, and Emmon.

In 2024, they will tour in Europe, including a performance at Solitary Experiments’ 30th-anniversary festival in Berlin and their festival debut in Poland.

The message the band wants to spread via their material is the following: “In a time where individualism thrives, the trio aims to highlight values of solidarity and contribute to a fairer and warmer society. We live together and have a collective responsibility to care for one another, regardless of class, ethnicity, or gender.”

Here’s their previous single “Post Denial War”. Read the review of ‘Envy’.

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How interesting was the Vince Clarke Q&A session in London? Find out here on video!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:22:01 +0000

(By our UK correspondent Simon Helm of Cold War Nightlife) A few days ago we posted a review of the first solo concert of Vince Clarke at the LSESU in London, with Sunroof (comprising Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones), and today we present you a review of the additional Q&A session featuring Daniel Miller which took place at Rough Trade East on Sunday, November 19th.

Vince Clarke needs no introduction, so Daniel Miller didn’t give him one. The mastermind behind Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly, and Erasure, Clarke was in London to perform his solo album, Songs of Silence. A Q&A session at Rough Trade East allowed the Mute label boss to put some questions to Clarke and talk about their shared history.

Update: Mute in the meantime posted a video of the Q&A.

When Vince Clarke met Daniel Miller

The first time Clarke and Miller met was a bit of a disaster. Dressed up in futurist clothes, Clarke had travelled from Basildon with Dave Gahan to pitch Depeche Mode’s demo tape to London-based labels. When they tried Rough Trade, the counter staff pointed them at Miller, who was in the back preparing the artwork for a Fad Gadget record. When the Mute man emerged, he took one look at the Mode boys and kept walking.

Miller chuckles at the lost opportunity, which he recovered from when Depeche Mode supported Fad Gadget at the Bridgehouse in Canning Town. He notes a controversy that has arisen because Stevo, the notorious Soft Cell manager and Some Bizarre label boss, has claimed that he “let” Miller “have” Depeche Mode for Mute. Rubbish. Depeche Mode did what they wanted – and, as Clarke confirms, that was to work with the genius behind The Normal, Silicon Teens, and the sound of Fad Gadget.

The lockdown stopped Erasure from working together

On to the new album. Clarke explains that lockdown stopped Erasure from working together. Inspired by repeated viewings of Bladerunner 2049, he decided to make the soundtrack for a sequel in his basement studio using modular kit. Drones provided the fluidity, while additional elements were layered on top. “It was never intended as a record,” Clarke said. “It was really just for me to learn to use the synthesizer.”

When Miller asked Clarke what he was up to, some tracks were passed across, and Miller suggested they become an album. “I was in total shock, because it wasn’t what I intended,” Clarke told the audience.

The only track with lyrics used a recording of a traditional miner’s union song, which Clarke had struggled to set to music previously. Miller explained that it proved impossible to track down the rights holder for the vocals – drawing a laugh when he explained that Mute would “Take care of them.”

New Erasure album in the making

Clarke revealed that there is a new Erasure album planned for release next year, but he has not played the music to Andy Bell, yet. “We never write remotely. It just doesn’t work for us. We have to be in the same room, at the same time, to make a complete song.”

Miller let on that there is more coming from the Erasure camp. “Andy [Bell] is also working on a solo album at the moment.” No word whether it will also feature Eurorack modules or found sound, but it will undoubtedly come with its own stories.

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The last Depeche Mode show with Vince Clarke – Watch it now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 17:36:28 +0000

In 1981 Depeche Mode were: Vince Clarke, Andrew Fletcher, Martin Gore and Dave Gahan. When the Speak & Spell tour ended on Monday November 16 1981 at the London Lyceum, Depeche Mode knew they would end up with 3 soon after. In November 1981, Vince Clarke publicly announced that he was leaving Depeche Mode. Soon afterwards, Clarke joined up with blues singer Alison Moyet to form Yazoo (or Yaz in the United States).

Vince Clarke performed for the final time with Depeche Mode on Thursday 3 December for a television show, Off The Record, in Chichester. For those who wandered what that show looked like, you can now check it out below. Poet John Cooper Clarke was the support act.

The setlist:

00:00 Off The Record Intro
00:20 Photographic (Some Bizarre Version)
03:38 New Life
06:36 Puppets
10:10 I Sometimes Wish I Was Dead
12:19 Tora! Tora! Tora!
15:20 Just Can’t Get Enough
19:04 Boys Say Go!
21:48 What’s Your Name?

Why did Vince Clarke leave Depeche Mode?

It was with their third single “Just Can’t Get Enough that Depeche Mode struck gold. It was also the only Depeche Mode video to feature Vince Clarke. As a result they were soon playing on Top of the Pops. At this point Vince had decided to part ways with Depeche Mode as he felt that they were in favor of taking a different musical direction than the one he wanted to pursue citing arguments regarding songwriting, and admitting his own dogmatism where it comes to creating music. He also added: “There was never enough time to do anything. Not with all the interviews and photo sessions”

Clarke also said he was sick of touring, which Gahan said years later was “bullshit to be quite honest”. Gahan went on to say he “suddenly lost interest in it and he started getting letters from fans asking what kind of socks he wore.”

In a later interview with Vice, Clarke would say that he left Depeche Mode because the band was young and weren’t getting along adding “nothing more, nothing less, no regrets”.

Initial talk of Clarke’s continuing to write material for Depeche Mode ultimately amounted to nothing. According to third-party sources, Clarke offered the remaining members of Depeche Mode the track “Only You”, but they declined. Clarke, however, denied in an interview that such an offer ever took place saying, “I don’t know where that came from. That’s not true.”

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Television Set’.

About Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode formed in Basildon, Essex, England, in 1980, initially under the name Composition of Sound. The lineup that became Depeche Mode came together that year around Vince Clarke (keyboards, guitars), Andy Fletcher (keyboards, bass) and Martin Gore (guitars, keyboards), with Dave Gahan joining shortly after as lead vocalist. The band adopted the name Depeche Mode at a gig at the Bridge House in Canning Town on 24 September 1980, where Mute Records founder Daniel Miller saw them and signed the group.

Depeche Mode’s debut single, “Dreaming of Me,” was recorded in December 1980 and released on Mute in February 1981, followed that October by the debut album “Speak & Spell.” Vince Clarke left the band that November, going on to form Yazoo and later Erasure; Alan Wilder joined on keyboards in 1982 and became an official member from the 1983 single “Get the Balance Right!” The band’s catalog through the 1980s includes “A Broken Frame” (1982), “Construction Time Again” (1983), “Some Great Reward” (1984), “Black Celebration” (1986) and “Music for the Masses” (1987), the latter turning the band into arena headliners in the US off the back of their Rose Bowl concert, later documented in the film “101.”

“Violator” (1990) and “Songs of Faith and Devotion” (1993) marked the band’s commercial peak, but Wilder departed in June 1995, continuing his own project Recoil, leaving Gahan, Gore and Fletcher as a trio. The band released “Ultra” (1997), “Exciter” (2001), “Playing the Angel” (2005), “Sounds of the Universe” (2009), “Delta Machine” (2013) and “Spirit” (2017) as a three-piece, touring with long-serving live members Christian Eigner (drums, keyboards, since 1997) and Peter Gordeno (keyboards, bass, since 1998). Alongside the band, Gahan released solo albums “Paper Monsters” (2003) and “Hourglass” (2007), and Gore released “Counterfeit²” (2003).

Depeche Mode was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7 November 2020. Andy Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, and Gahan and Gore continued as a duo, releasing “Memento Mori” in 2023 with Eigner and Gordeno again on the road. The band has sold more than 100 million records and placed 54 singles on the UK charts. Vince Clarke left the band in November 1981, shortly after the release of debut album “Speak & Spell,” going on to form Yazoo and later Erasure.

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Vince Clarke and Sunroof live at London School of Economics – An exclusive review

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Sat, 18 Nov 2023 15:07:09 +0000

(By our UK correspondent Simon Helm of Cold War Nightlife) This is a review of yesterday’s event at the London School of Economics where Vince Clarke did a debut solo show supported by Sunroof (comprising Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones).

Vince Clarke admits that he is a little nervous. The confession comes as he adjusts his set-up between songs. Normally, Andy Bell would step into these gaps, but this is not an Erasure show. It is a performance of “Songs of Silence”, Clarke’s album of songs based on drones. There is no need for concern: the sold-out crowd in a basement venue at the LSE is a friendly one (look – there is Neil Arthur from Blancmange!); and the spaces between tracks are exactly what the album’s title promises.

The event is billed as Vince Clarke’s first ever solo performance – but, of course, it is not. Clarke is a serial collaborator, who has spent his career working with other talents. Depeche Mode, Yazoo, The Assembly, Erasure, The Illustrious Company, VCMG – even when the prime mover, Clarke has sought out others to share the experience and the credits. Tonight, the limelight is shared with his friend, Reed Hays, and a cameo from the indomitable Sarah-Jane Dale, while Richard Evans from the Erasure Information Service tweaks the lighting. Clarke is more exposed than usual, but he is not alone.

The title of the new album is a reminder that Clarke is a life-long Simon & Garfunkel fan. It might also be a reference to the recent losses of his friends, Robert Marlowe and Andy Fletcher. The cover photo shows Clarke in stark relief, and the cruelty of time is written into the songs. Performed live, they lose none of their emotive content, and Hays’ cello underlines the sadness of “The Lamentations of Jermiah.” Even “Blackleg,” a version of the traditional miners’ song made popular in a more combative form by Steeleye Span and the PCA Band, is ominous and melancholy. Grainy footage of miners walking from a pit invokes something lost – like Test Dept without their fine-tuned debris.

The appearance of Sarah-Jane Dale for “Passage” adds a touch of glamour to the otherwise spectral drones and haunting rhythms. Clarke seems relieved to have the focus on another part of the stage, but he warms to the experience as the show continues. By the time of “Last Transmission,” he can’t hold back a full-on smile. The audience – most of whom have followed Clarke’s career for more than four decades – never doubted that it would be a special night. Clarke, it seems, has to pass through it to agree.

Support came from the Sunroof project of Gareth Jones and Daniel Miller. Facing each other across blinking panels of Eurorack modules, the two great producers embarked on a journey into improvised electronics that led down unpredictable tributaries of blips and webs of bloops. Sunroof’s shows are as unique as snowflakes and even cooler, as they harness the flow of electricity to weave magical textures. On a stage filled with Mute’s main superconductors, they played their roles as human Tesla coils with inspiration.

Pictures of Vince Clarke and Sunroof live sets

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Vince Clarke launches debut solo album ‘Songs of Silence’ – Out now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 16:30:28 +0000

(Photo by Eugene Richards) Vince Clarke unveils his first solo album today, titled “Songs of Silence”. This ambient album, spanning 10 tracks, is now available in vinyl, CD, and digital formats through Mute. Clarke celebrates this release with his debut solo show tonight at the LSESU in London, with Sunroof (comprising Daniel Miller and Gareth Jones) as the opening act. Additionally, a Q&A session featuring Daniel Miller is scheduled at Rough Trade East on Sunday, November 19th.

After writing numerous hits for prominent bands like Erasure, Yazoo, and Depeche Mode, Clarke has finally ventured into a solo project. The album, recorded in his New York home studio, showcases photography and artwork by renowned Magnum photojournalist Eugene Richards. Originating as a lockdown diversion, Clarke delved into the possibilities of Eurorack, a modular synthesizer known for its expansive and engaging configurations. “The process was incredibly enjoyable, and it was solely for my own pleasure initially. I never contemplated others hearing it. The learning and creative journey in my studio was the highlight,” Vince reflects. “It was a surprise when Mute decided to release it.”

Songs of Silence by Vince Clarke

As previously mentioned, Clarke adhered to two self-imposed guidelines for this album: exclusively using Eurorack for sound production and constructing each track around a single note, maintaining a consistent key. Vince humorously notes, “No one in my family, not even the cat, showed much interest in my studio work, especially after hours of drone sounds.”

Vince Clarke video singles

Here are the two previously released videos from the album.

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Listen to ‘White Rabbit’, a new Vince Clarke track from debut solo album

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 16:18:54 +0000

(Photo by Eugene Richards) Vince Clarke (Erasure, Yazoo, Depeche Mode) has shared “White Rabbit”, the latest track to be released from his forthcoming debut solo album, “Songs of Silence”. “Songs of Silence” is a 10-track ambient album which will be available on vinyl, CD and digitally via Mute on 17 November 2023.

In addition, Vince Clarke’s debut solo performance has been confirmed for the LSE, London on Friday 17 November, with a Rough Trade East Q&A confirmed for Sunday 19 November.

“White Rabbit” comes accompanied by an animation by Daniele Arcuri looking at the darkness surrounding our relationship with technology. Daniele Arcuri explains, “I wanted to openly address the themes of hyper-connectivity, anxiety, apathy, and voyeurism towards others’ suffering. This video is a bold and thought-provoking reflection on how technology is eerily shaping our existence, and challenges viewers to contemplate the human cost of an ever-connected world.”

Watch the video below.

Recorded in his home studio in New York, and featuring photography and artwork by Eugene Richards, work on the album began as a distraction during lockdown, a chance to finally get his head around the possibilities of Eurorack, a modular synthesiser format famed for its addictive and limitless configurations. Alone in the studio, Clarke set himself two rules: first, that the sounds he generated for the album would come solely from Eurorack, and second, that each track would be based around one note, maintaining a single key throughout.

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Vince Clarke to release debut solo album in November, ‘Songs Of Silence’, first track out now, ‘The Lamentations Of Jeremiah’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 09:35:33 +0000

(Photo by Eugene Richards) Vince Clarke, known for his contributions to bands like Erasure, Yazoo, and Depeche Mode, has unveiled his first-ever solo album titled “Songs of Silence”. Set to launch on 17 November 2023, this ambient music album, devoid of lyrics across its 10 tracks, will be available on vinyl, CD, and digital platforms through Mute.

For enthusiasts eager for a glimpse, the track “The Lamentations of Jeremiah” is now available. The accompanying video was directed by Ebru Yildiz, whose previous collaborations include artists like Laurie Anderson, Mitski, and A Place to Bury Strangers. Ebru Yildiz comments, “When I first heard the song, I felt like it encapsulated an entire lifetime. It’s an amalgamation of drama, peace, anxiety, serenity, tension, hope, and more. My aim was to make the visuals echo these myriad emotions.”

Crafted in Clarke’s home studio in New York, “Songs Of Silence” also showcases the artistic prowess of Magnum photojournalist Eugene Richards through its photography and artwork. Interestingly, the album’s inception was a product of the lockdown period, born out of Clarke’s exploration of the Eurorack – a modular synthesiser known for its boundless configurations. “The whole process was incredibly immersive. It felt like I was on this continuous journey without an endpoint in sight,” Vince shares. “The surprise came when Mute expressed their desire to release it.”

During the album’s creation, Clarke adhered to a couple of self-imposed guidelines: one, the soundscapes should exclusively originate from Eurorack, and two, each composition should resonate around a singular note, ensuring a consistent key throughout. With a touch of humour, Vince adds, “My household isn’t particularly drawn to my studio sessions. In fact, even our cat would often retreat after an hour or so of listening to the continuous drones.”

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Erasure sees updated vinyl release of 2015 album ‘Always (The Very Best Of Erasure)’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 10:21:14 +0000

(Photo by Douglas Brothers) Out on Mute / Bmg on 18 August 2023 is an updated release of “Always (The Very Best of Erasure)”, out on vinyl for the very first time as a double disc heavyweight viny edition.

Originally released in 2015 to celebrate the band’s 30th anniversary, “Always (The Very Best of Erasure)” offers a journey through nearly four decades of hit singles. Also included are post 2015 tracks such as “Love You To The Sky” (from 2017’s “World Be Gone”) and “Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling)” from 2020’s album, “The Neon”. Those two tracks replace the “Be with You” and “Sometimes 2015” which were on the original release.

When it was released in 2015, “Always (The Very Best of Erasure)” was the fourth compilation album released by the British synthpop band Erasure. The deluxe edition contained two additional CDs with corresponding remixes, including some of their singles that did not make the compilation. The compilation followed the release of the first and only single from the album, entitled “Sometimes 2015”, a re-vamped version of the original single mixed by David Wrench. The single was released on 23 October 2015, and contained a mixture of previously released remixes of “Sometimes” as well as a new remix by Love To Infinity.

Erasure recently released “Day-Glo (Based on a True Story)” and their eighteenth studio album, “The Neon”.

Erasure are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a member of synth-pop duo Yazoo.

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Electropop act Berlin Banter and electronic music icon Tricky collaborate on new single ‘I’ll Wait’ – Out on April 14

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 12:59:24 +0000

The electropop duo Berlin Banter and electronic music icon Tricky have announced the release of their new single “I’ll Wait” on April 14. The single will be available on all major music platforms. The intimate track merges elements of electronica, synthpop, and industrial music, and was mixed by Gareth Jones, who is known for his work with Depeche Mode and other artists.

“I’ll Wait” is the first single from Berlin Banter’s second EP, following their debut EP “All Too Familiar” which also featured covers of Yazoo, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys and Tanita Tikaram tracks.

Berlin Banter, founded by music producer Chris Kobusch in 2020, combines traditional instruments with analog synthesizers and recorded sounds. The project collaborates with different vocalists and visual artists to produce their unique sound. Chris is a self-taught synth geek in the wave/industrial scene and already released material as Distorted Reality with American vocalist Martha M. Arce, and with Eight Bit Machine.

“I had composed the music for ‘I’ll Wait’ already back in 1996, but I never released it, partly because this track was more experimental than everything else I was putting out. Now last summer, I remixed the track and to me it sounded like a great fit for Tricky’s vocals. As I knew Tricky lives in Berlin, I decided to reach out and see if he would be up for a collaboration – and he was,” says Chris Kobusch.

And in related info, in two weeks from tomorrow (April 28) Distorted Reality will also release a new single, it’s called “I Can’t Imagine”.

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Electro country with G.W. Childs IV on ‘You Don’t Know’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 04 Apr 2023 08:15:44 +0000

Here’s an odd duck on COP International label: the Fort Worth, Texas based act G.W. Childs IV. This project delivers electro country or synthwave with a disco falsetto actually. Behind the buttons we also notice John Fryer (Depeche Mode/NIN/Yazoo) and Rodney Orpheus (The Cassandra Complex).

The 7-track EP will be out next Friday (7th of April) on Bandcamp Day and features 2 original tracks (“You don’t know” and “Infinitely You”) plus “Tarrrant County” remixed by Rodney Orpheus / Cassandra Complex, DJ Joe Virus / Solemn Assembly, Josh Pyle (Aphorism), Ashes Fallen and one by by G.W. Childs IV itself.

You can already check the title track itself.

You Don't Know by G.W. Childs IV

Here’s the previous single of the project, the 5-track EP “Tarrant County”.

Tarrant County by G.W. Childs IV

Christian from COP International comments: “When John Fryer send me the first track I was blown away. We both had discussed the direction we expected COP to go for but this was something else entirely. Or was it? John always finds the emotional core in a track and brings it to the surface. But he also helped GW rediscover his roots and embrace them at the same time – what a beautiful gift. With his new band everything that has shaped GW is coming together. He grew up on a ranch among farmhands and livestock. He joined the Army and they took him all over the globe. His Passion for music brought him to California and gave him the opportunity to work for Lucas Arts as a sound designer. His love for his family brought him back home to Texas. GW Childs IV “Tarrant County” is the sum of all these experiences. GW Childs IV and COP have been working together for 20 years (GW was half of the storied Dark Wave Band Soil and Eclipse). But I feel that his new band is the first time we see the real person behind the music. It combines his early love for 4AD, the great balladeers of historic country music and his love for catchy melodies.”

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A night with Telex and Mute Records founder Daniel Miller in Brussels (BE)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:09:17 +0000

BXL Central and Pias are collaborating to host a special musical event that brings together Dan Lacksman and Michel Moers of the renowned Belgian synth-pop trio Telex, and Daniel Miller, the founder of Mute Records.

The event aims to provide an insight into Telex’s lasting impact on electronic pop music and their groundbreaking contributions. Olivier Monssens, a respected journalist and filmmaker, will be interviewing the artists during the discussion. The event is free to attend, however, reservations are required.

Event Details:

Title: A Night with Telex & Daniel Miller
Date: April 17
Venue: BXL CENTRAL [CHEZ PIAS], Rue Saint-Laurent 36-38, 1000 Brussels

Schedule:

6:00 PM – Doors open
6:30 PM – Talk and interviews
8:00 PM – Event concludes

The event is free to attend; however, reservations are required.

Telex, consisting of Marc Moulin (1942-2008), Dan Lacksman, and Michel Moers, formed in 1978 in Brussels. As electronic pop pioneers, they played a key role in popularizing the genre. Their discography includes six albums, which Mute Records is reissuing in various formats on April 14, 2023.

Daniel Miller founded Mute Records in 1978 with his 7″ single ‘Warm Leatherette,’ released under the name The Normal. Mute has since evolved from a one-man label to a global group, with Miller remaining focused on the creative output. The label’s catalog features prominent artists such as Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Erasure, Goldfrapp, and Yann Tiersen.

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‘Click Interview’ with Mark E Moon: ‘I’m Constantly Battling My Demons’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000

Set up and driven by Mark Sayle and Phil Reynolds Mark E Moon is hailing from the Isle Of Man. After having released an impressive debut-album “Refer” in 2019 they two years later confirmed their strong potential by the opus “Old Blood”. The band is clearly driven by good-old Dark-Wave and Post-Punk reminding legendary acts like The Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus, Joy Division ao. Earlier this year they did it again unleashing the mini-album “Lux Vindictae”. I consider Mark E Moon as one of the hottest contemporary formations in their music genre. I talked with Mark Sayle and Shelly Rourke.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Two years ago now we did an interview for the debut album “Refer”. A lot happened since then; lockdowns due to the ongoing pandemic, political scandals in the UK plus Brexit, the war in Ukraine… and you released a second album and now an EP while the line-up evolved as well. How do you look back at all these events?

Mark: The ancient curse ‘May you live in interesting times’ has certainly never been so apt. Don’t get me started on Politics or we’ll be here all day. Phil probably has something to say on Brexit but I doubt it’ll be anything complimentary.

The band line-up has certainly evolved, not that anyone was kicked out, we’d love the opportunity to work with Kieran or Steve again, but circumstances change and people aren’t always available for various reasons. The pandemic was, and is still, a terrible time for everyone. I know musicians moan a bit about not being able to be in the same studio but when you consider that more than a million people, in the US alone, have died from this disease it puts artists petty gripes into a more sobering light.

Q: Let’s get back to your second album “Old Blood” which was a rather engaged piece of music against fascism. Why did you feel the need to deal with this theme? And how did the transition happened from “Refer” to “Old Blood”?

Mark: After “Refer” we wanted to do a more cohesive album that felt like the sum of its parts. “Refer” was basically a bunch of, admittedly very well recorded, demo tracks. The title track “Old Blood” deals with this sea of right wing populism, white supremacy and outright fascism that has swept the western world, washing over some and sweeping away others in its spiteful currents. The incident that ignited the touch paper for me was the events in Charlottesville and the murder of Heather Heyer in 2017. The slogans chanted by the Neo-Nazis became a festering sore in my soul that wouldn’t go away. The only way I have to react to something like that is through music and my lyrics, so that is, eventually, what I did.

Q: Your newest work is the EP “Lux Vindictae”. It rather looks as a mini-album featuring six songs. What have been the main sources of inspiration for this work and its title? Was there any specific focus in the writing- & production process and were there aspects from previous albums you wanted to change/improve?

Mark: With “Lux Vindictae”, certainly from a writing perspective, some songs were created quite differently than the usual deal of me writing a bassline, a riff and some lyrics and taking it to Phil to transform it into a proper song. George, who happens to be Phil’s older brother, had joined us and had some fantastic musical ideas of his own. If you listen to “Anastasia”, for example, that’s George’s music and the Russian lullaby was Shelly’s idea.

Shelly: I was already a Mark E Moon fan, so being asked to add vocals to a track on “Lux Vindictae” was hugely exciting –and subsequently being asked to join the band as a permanent fixture was mind blowing for me! My first experience of being part of the creative process was everything I hoped it would be and I think some of our new dynamic shows.

Q: The lyrical themes featured at “Lux Vindictae” are quite different. ‘Depression, rage, assault, alcoholism, the murder of an innocent child and the sheer horror of life on an alien feudal world’. It all sounds more personal and intimate so did you have to chase inner demons? And how important is music to express inner thoughts?

Mark: I’m constantly battling my demons. Being bipolar and having ADHD gives me a certain perspective on situations I think, not a unique one by any means but they force me to try to think differently about subjects. My thoughts are generally pretty dark, even when I’m writing something quite upbeat, and I think that comes through.

Q: I noticed you also released a cover version of Soft Cell which has been released on a tribute-album. I didn’t exactly expect Mark E Moon covering Soft Cell. What did this band mean to you and how did you transform the original version into a personal adaptation?

Mark: I like to think of Mark E Moon as a fusion of Gothic-Rock, the darker side of Post-Punk and Synth-Pop. Soft Cell were (along with acts like Belois Some, Yazoo, Depeche Mode and Blondie) a very important band in my musical development. My sense of what Pop music could be had its roots firmly embedded in the darker (lyrically) themed bands. Of course, Soft Cell had had a massive hit with their cover of the Gloria Jones number “Tainted Love”, but it was “Bedsitter” that really turned me onto them. The cover we did of “Facility Girls” isn’t that dissimilar but we tried to put our own slant on it.

Q: I can imagine you guys must be excited to play on stage again. What are the plans and your expectations? What are the further plans for the second half of 2022?

Mark: We released “Dark Love” in September as a taster of the forthcoming album “Pop-Noir”. Whether the new album is ready before the year is up is anyone’s guess but we are beavering away to make it the best possible record it can be.

Shelly: 2022/23 will be busy and hopefully bear many fruits. We would like to add some UK gigs too. As Mark said, George is a wellspring of music so we have a deep pool of new songs to work on, and Phil’s excellent skills to weave them into a tapestry. After adding a few snippets of my own lyrics to some songs, the guys have given me the confidence to write more. Mark is always on hand to lend his expertise when I struggle. Writing about life from this woman’s perspective can be difficult as some of my past was painful and very dark, but I’ve found it cathartic. And if it gives the listener a new experience to explore then my worst moments will have purpose, whilst keeping the Mark E Moon sound ever evolving.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Cult trio project Duet Emmo gets its ‘Or so it seems’ album reissued in a remastered version

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 26 May 2022 11:24:08 +0000

(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.

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Studio II finally finishes debut synthpop album – after 30 years – and releases ‘The Good the Bad the Odd and the Slightly Depraved’ on April 1st

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:39:02 +0000

After a 30-year hiatus, brothers David and Warren Harrison (Jess Lamb / Hungry Lucy) have reunited as Studio II. The duo have released their long awaited debut album, “The Good the Bad the Odd and the Slightly Depraved” holding a collection of synthpop songs written from both sides of the Atlantic, over the span of many years.

The 10-song album opens with “Letters From America” which is an ode to a long distance relationship spanning two continents and the longing to be together again. “Little Girl Dreams” is a new and updated version of the duo’s first single (from 1987), bringing together the original lyrics and a new lush soundscape.

The collection of songs concludes with the two new singles. “Silence is Never” and “Runwalker”.

Available on all digital platforms on Apr 1, 2022 and in pre-order via Bandcamp below. Advised for fans of Erasure, Yazoo or Pet Shop Boys.

The Good the Bad the Odd and the Slightly Depraved by Studio II

And below are the two previous singles.

Silence is Never by Studio II Runwalker by Studio II

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The 10 best synthpop / electropop albums of all times (and 5 more)

Eldrina Mich — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 14:38:36 +0000

Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. During the late 1970s bands such as the Human League, Kraftwerk, and later on Gary Numan, Soft Cell and John Foxx helped pioneer a new synth-pop style that drew more heavily from electronic music and emphasized primary usage of synthesizers. Developed in the late 1970s it has seen several revival periods up until now.

We picked out the best synthpop albums from the past 4 decades (!!!). Here’s our list.

The Human League – ‘Dare’ (1981)

The Human League are ‘oldies’ when it comes to synthpop. Formed in Sheffield in 1977 and initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group attained widespread commercial success with their third album “Dare” in 1981. The album contained four hit singles, including the UK/US number one hit “Don’t You Want Me”. The band’s third studio album, it was recorded between March and September 1981 following the departure of founding members Martyn Ware and Ian Craig Marsh, and saw the band shift direction from their prior avant-garde electronic style toward a more pop-friendly, commercial sound led by frontman Philip Oakey. A remix album based on “Dare”, “Love and Dancing”, was released in 1982.

Talk Talk – ‘It’s My Life’ (1984)

Talk Talk were an English band formed in 1981, led by Mark Hollis (vocals, guitar, piano), Lee Harris (drums), and Paul Webb (bass). The group achieved early chart success with the synth-pop singles “Talk Talk” (1982), “It’s My Life”, and “Such a Shame” (both 1984) before moving towards a more experimental approach in the mid-1980s. Not surprisingly that our next pick is “It’s My Life”, the second studio album by Talk Talk, released in 1984. The album enjoyed an enormous succes thanks to the big international success of its singles (notably “Such a Shame”). We have a soft spot for the tracks “Dum Dum Girl”, “Such a Shame”, “Renée”, “It’s My Life” and “It’s You” although the entire album is just extremely enjoyable.

Alphaville – ‘Forever Young’ (1984)

The German synth-pop band Alphaville, which formed in Münster in 1982, achieved chart success with the singles “Forever Young”, “Big in Japan”, “Sounds Like a Melody”. All these were taken from their 1984 debut album “Forever Young” which was produced by Colin Pearson, Wolfgang Loos and Andreas Budde. Despite the success of the album and its singles, the band did not tour as they felt more like ‘studio rats’. It remains the band’s best output to date.

a-ha – ‘Scoundrel Days’ (1986)

The Norwegian synth-pop band a-ha was formed in Oslo in 1982 by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards and guitars), and Morten Harket (vocals). “Scoundrel Days” is the second studio album by the trio and offered a more mature sound compared to their debut “Hunting High and Low” (1985). “Scoundrel Days”, recorded in England in early 1986 and produced by Alan Tarney, sported such singles as “I’ve Been Losing You”, “Cry Wolf” and “Maybe, Maybe” which was released solely in Bolivia. “Manhattan Skyline” was the forth and final single released from the long-player.

Erasure – ‘Wonderland’ (1986)

“Wonderland” is the debut studio album by the English synth-pop duo Erasure and was released in 1986. Although it was not an immediate success, the three singles released from it did become cult tracks overtime: “Who Needs Love Like That”, “Oh L’amour” and “Heavenly Action”. Although “Wonderland” was considered a failure, especially when comparing it to Clarke’s prior successes with Depeche Mode and Yazoo, the album became an all time favourite that laid the fundament of what was to follow in 1987 with the release of “The Circus”. The album was produced by Flood who would become a long-time collaborator.

Pet Shop Boys – ‘Actually’ (1987)

Pet Shop Boys, the English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981, broke all records when they released “Actually”, their second studio album, in 1987. It was pushed forward by such great tracks as “One More Chance”, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” (with Dusty Springfield), “Shopping”, “Rent”, “It Couldn’t Happen Here”, “It’s a Sin”, “Heart” and the majestic “King’s Cross”. In short an album filled with hits.

New Order – ‘Technique’ (1989)

New Order was formed in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. The band formed after the demise of Joy Division, following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis and were joined by Gillian Gilbert on keyboards later that year. Their experience of the early 1980s New York club scene saw them increasingly incorporate dance rhythms and electronic instrumentation into their work which resulted in their 1983 hit “Blue Monday” becoming and absolute monster hit. However, we picked out “Technique”, their fifth studio album. Released in 1989 by Factory Records, the album incorporates Balearic beat and acid house influences into the group’s dance-rock sound. “Technique” was the first New Order album to reach the number one spot on the UK charts and had such excellent singles as “Fine Time”, “Round and Round” and “Run 2”.

Depeche Mode – ‘Violator’ (1990)

“Violator” is the seventh studio album by England’s Depeche Mode. It was first released on 19 March 1990 through Mute Records internationally, and through Sire and Reprise Records in the United States. Preceded by the singles “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” (a top-10 entry in both the United Kingdom and the United States), the album propelled the band into international stardom, and also yielded the singles “Policy of Truth” and “World in My Eyes”. The album is generally considered as their most accomplisched electropop album before they encorporated more rock elements in the next album, “Songs of Faith and Devotion”. The role of Alan Wilder was crucial in “Violator”, you only have to compare the first and final version of “Enjoy The Silence” to notice the huge difference.

Bel Canto – ‘Birds of Passage’ (1990)

Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo, originally a trio, fronted by vocalist Anneli Drecker and musically powered by Geir Jenssen and Nils Johansen. Signed originally to Crammed Discs, their second album “Birds of Passage” is considered as an absolute pearl holding an excellent production (aided by Giles Martin) and a long list of guest musicians who added acoustic elements to the cold nordic synths Jenssen and multi-instrumentalist Johansen. It was also the last album featuring Geir Jenssen. It holds the hits “Intravenous”, “Birds of Passage”, “A Shoulder to the Wheel”, “Time Without End”, “Continuum” and “The Suffering”. The band remains an often well-hidden pearl in electropopland.

De/Vision – ‘Fairyland?’ (1996)

De/Vision, a German synthpop act formed in 1988, was at the peak of its electropop stardom around the mid-nineties culiminating in the outstanding “Fairyland?” album which had such great tracks as “I Regret”, “Sweet Life”, “Today’s Life” or “Bleed Me White”. The band was fronting a new wave of electropop bands in Germany but was generally considered to be the most consistent one as far as quality and output. Sadly enough the release, and also the band’s earlier material, are no longer available on Spotify.

Wolfsheim – ‘Spectators’ (1999)

Wolfsheim was a synthpop duo from Hamburg, Germany, that consisted of Markus Reinhardt and Peter Heppner. Their fourth studio album was “Spectators” (1999) preceeded by two ‘pre-release’ singles from the album. “Once in a Lifetime” was released on October 16, 1998 and “It’s Hurting For The First Time” followed on November 30th. The LP was produced by Wolfsheim and José Alvarez-Brill and held 11 new songs. To this day, “Spectators” is the best-selling album by Wolfsheim with over 250,000 copies sold. The third single, “Künstliche Welten”, was released in 1999.

Iris – ‘Disconnect’ (2000)

“Disconnect” is the debut album by the electropop group Iris. Released in 2000 via the US label A Different Drum, the synthpop label by excellence, its success was guaranteed by the now cult synthpop jewels “Annie, Would I Lie to You?”, “Lose In Wanting” and “Danger Is The Shame”. Originally formed by Reagan Jones and Mat Morris in 1993, after the release of their first album “Disconnect”, Matthew Morris was replaced with Andrew Sega, who pushed the band’s sound in a more experimental electronic direction. Sadly enough the release, and also the band’s earlier material, are no longer available on Spotify.

Elegant Machinery – ‘A Soft Exchange’ (2008)

The Swedish synthpop band Elegant Machinery defined the Swedish synthpop movement along with such bands as Page, S.P.O.C.K, Sista Mannen På Jorden and Kiethevez. Heavily influenced by acts like Yazoo, The Human League, Depeche Mode and Rational Youth, the trio Robert Enforsen, Richard Jomshof and Leslie Bayne started the band in 1988 under the name Pole Position. The band was very successful in Sweden, with a number of successful singles and various awards. But it is their 2008 album “A Soft Exchange” that earned them a place in our list. The album was extremely mature yet very melodic and features such pearls a “With Grace”, “Do You Know”, “Feel The Silence”, “Bleeding Words” and “Is This The Way”.

Electro Spectre – ‘Dangerous Game’ (2012)

The Norwegian electronic music duo Electro Spectre fronts the 3rd electropop wave. Isak Rypdal (writer-producer) and Alexander Björneboe (writer-singer) debuted in 2009 with the album “Watch It All Turn” (which was later reproduced and re-released in 2010). The duo has secured us from a steady and consistent output ever since. In our list we picked the band’s 2012 release, which is their second studio album entitled “Dangerous Game”. Included are such pearls as “Love Thief”, “Dancing Girl”, “World Keeps Turning” and “Tokyo Shuffle”.

Mondträume – ‘Empty’ (2014)

Mondträume is the creative outlet of 2 Spanish talented artists Pikotto Vond Mond and Damasius Venys. In only a few years, the duo rapidly caught the attention of concert organizers, released several songs on compilations, and secured a label contract with Belgium’s electronic label Alfa Matrix where they debuted with the album “Empty”. The hits “Life Is Short”, “Parasite” and especially the synth pop pearl “Far From Pain” show why this band became one of the strongholders in the 3rd electropop wave together with such bands as Electro Spectre, and more.

Eldrina Mich

As Eldrina Mich I work as a go-between and a devil’s advocate when it comes to Side-Line. If our own staff needs to be interviewed then ask the questions no one else dares to ask.

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New electronic project Berlin Banter to release 5-track cover EP ‘All Too Familiar’ feat. Tracks by Yazoo, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Pet Shop Boys and Tanita Tikaram

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:01:42 +0000

Berlin Banter is the project of Cassis and Christian. Casis is a film music professional who had worked for director Jim Jarmusch in New York while Christian is a self-taught synth geek in the wave/industrial scene (Distorted Reality with American vocalist Martha M. Arce, Eight Bit Machine).

Out via Instant Noise Productions on November 26th is the debut EP by this Berlin based act: “All Too Familiar”. This release is a collection of five reinterpreted songs from the 1980s. Songs included are for instance “Why can’t I Be You?” (The Cure) or “Dangerous” (Depeche Mode) which get reinterpreted in a blend of trip hop, dark wave and ambient. So far two singles were released from the EP, “Dangerous” in March 2021 and “Why Can’t I Be You?” in June 2021.

Nice detail, “Why can’t I Be You?” and “Twist In My Sobriety” (Tanita Tikaram) feature Greta Brinkman on electric bass who had accompanied Moby doing his “Play” world tour in the early 2000s.

The cover artwork holds the artwork of the well-known contemporary photographer Gregory Crewdson who liked the idea of this particular project.

Tracklist:

Winter Kills — originally by Yazoo/Yaz (1982)
Why Can’t I Be You? — originally by The Cure (1987)
Left to My Own Devices — originally by Pet Shop Boys (1988)
Twist In My Sobriety — originally by Tanita Tikaram (1988)
Dangerous — originally by Depeche Mode (1989)

Here are the 2 already released singles taken from the EP.

For more on The Cure, see Argentina based Soviet Net Label pays a YouTube tribute to The Cure… on Side-Line.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Erasure’s ’The Neon’ remixed interview: ‘There’s not a lot going on at the moment… perhaps a new release in 2022?’

János Janurik — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:14:28 +0000

(By our local correspondent János Janurik) “Hey, Janos, there you go…” It’s cool to be in email contact with Vince Clarke, founder of bands like Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure. He may not be a wordsmith, but good-humouredly, the living synthpop legend had answered my questions before he went on a well-deserved vacation. At the end of October he is going on a tour through the UK and Europe with his long-time bandmate, Andy Bell. As a small appetizer for the upcoming concerts, Erasure’s latest album “The Neon Remixed,” will be released at the end of July, featuring remixes of their 2020 work “The Neon,” as well as a brand new track “Secrets.”

Certain electropop tracks are often more successful in remixed version and sometimes sound better than the original. This genre of music simply suits remixes well. The same goes for Erasure. Although I’m not a big fan of remixes from the last two decades, this time I was very pleased with what I heard. The remix of “The Neon” includes partly complete new productions, partly extended maxi versions in the classic sense and of course there are enough tracks to dance along to. “The Neon” is also remixed and in this revised version it is a pure electropop perfection! “The Neon Remixed” features reinterpretations from artists like Kim Ann Foxman, Hifi Sean, Octo Octa, Paul Humphreys (OMD), Andy Bell & Gareth Jones, Brixxtone, Theo Kottis, and others. My first question to Vince Clarke was of course about this upcoming remix compilation.

SL: One year after the release of your last album „The Neon” its remix version will be released at the end of July. Whose idea was this remix compilation? Did you want to take a new turn with „The Neon” songs to take them in a new direction or was that the idea of the record company?

VC: The remix album was the idea of Mute Records. They wanted to extend the ‘life’ of the album, hopefully right up to the start of the „Neon” Tour.

SL: Old friends and colleagues of you, like Paul Humphreys or Gareth Jones, as well as a lot of new DJs and remixers can be found among the participating artists. Who selected and requested them for these remixes?

VC: Neil Blanket from Mute came up with the list of remixers. (Neil Blanket is the Head of Marketing at Mute – author’s note)

SL: The „Violate Flame” album also had a similar remix version, but my favorite one is still „The Two Ring Circus”. I would be glad to hear live that stunning remix version of „Leave Me To Bleed” by Vince and Eric Radcliffe one day in my life. Are there any such remixes from your back catalogue, which you think are even better than the original?

VC: I’m very fond of Orbitals remix of „Ship Of Fools”.

SL: As mentioned before „The Neon” album is already one year old. How did it affect you the last time you heard it? Do you still have the same favorite songs on the album? By the way, what are your current favorites?

VC: I tend not to listen to an album once it’s been released unless of course, I’m preparing tracks for our up and coming tour.

SL: This year there is another anniversary in the history of Erasure: Your debut album „Wonderland” was released 35 years ago. Many of the fans think that your current album has a lot in common with your first album. Have you noticed any similarities in the sound or in terms of the production work?

VC: I think there are similarities. Both albums are upbeat and positive looking and the sounds and arrangements are less cluttered.. (I think?)

SL: This October you are going on tour according to your plans. Have you put the new setlist together yet? Which are the songs that already have a fix place on the setlist?

VC: We’ll obviously be doing songs from ’The Neon’, a few old favorites and a couple of lesser known tracks from our back catalogue.

SL: There’s a rumor that Andy wants to sing the Eurythmics classic „Love Is A Stranger”. Are you planning to perform this cover version on the upcoming tour?

VC: ‘W & S’… (Wait and see.) 🙂

SL: In these Corona times it is difficult to make preparations for a tour. When can you meet each other to rehearse live?

VC: We start rehearsals in London, two weeks before the first show in Scotland.

SL: At your London concert you are going to have Blancmange as the opening act. I have always liked their music and a lot of fans know about the contact with Depeche Mode (Blancmange were the opening act on Depeche Mode’s 1981 and 1982 tours) and with Vince. Vince, you remixed „Living On The Ceiling” a few years ago and your fans are also eagerly awaiting the joint work with Neil Arthur. Where is this project lying right now?

VC: We’re hoping to finally mix our ‘collaboration’ at the end of July although it rather depends on UK and US travel restrictions.

SL: Vince, you’re also a label manager and host of an online radio show about the world of synths. Are there any news from the home of VeryRecords?

VC: There’s not a lot going on at the moment… perhaps a new release in 2022?

SL: And let’s not forget that your son son Oscar has just released his debut work. Vince, please, tell us a few words about this record and about your possible involvement on it.

VC: I contributed very little. My son did pretty much everything including getting it on Spotify etc.

SL: Back to the subject of touring. You are giving six concerts in Germany during the forthcoming tour in October. The German fans have always been very loyal to you. Do you have a story in your mind about Erasure and Germany that you still remember?

VC: Our very first show in Hamburg comes to mind. We played a venue called the Markthalle which was probably about half full. We were not well known in Germany at the time but I remember the audience was amazing… So warm and enthusiastic.

The fans are still waiting with great enthusiasm to finally see their idols live on stage again. Hopefully the Corona situation will get better and then we can enjoy Vince and Andy on a concert! Here you can see the tour dates once again. See you there!

“The Neon Remixed”

CD TRACKLIST (CD 1)

1 Secrets
2 Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) (Hifi Sean Remix)
3 Nerves of Steel (Andy Bell & Gareth Jones’ Sapphire and Steel Mix)
4 Fallen Angel (Saint Remix)
5 No Point in Tripping (John “J-C” Carr & Bill Coleman 808 BEACH Extended Remix)
6 Shot A Satellite (GRN Extended Remix)
7 Tower of Love (BSB’s Stella Polaris Remix)
8 Diamond Lies (Armageddon Turk Extended Remix)
9 New Horizons (Matt Pop Extended Remix)
10 Careful What I Try to Do (Brixxtone Extended Remix)
11 Kid You’re Not Alone (Theo Kottis Remix)

CD TRACKLIST (CD 2)

1 Secrets (Kim Ann Foxman’s Heaven Mix)
2 No Point in Tripping (Can Love Be Synth Remix)
3 Hey Now (Think I Got A Feeling) (Hifi Sean Dub)
4 Careful What I Try to Do (Brixxtone Synthwave Dub)
5 Nerves Of Steel (Gareth Jones’ ElectroGenetic Terabyte of Love Mix)
6 Kid You’re Not Alone (Paul Humphreys Remix)
7 Secrets (Octo Octa’s Psychedelic Visions Disco Dub)

János Janurik

I began my career in online music journalism in 2001, writing about artists I had followed since the late ’80s and early ’90s, including Depeche Mode, Erasure and The Cure. I later edited the Hungarian Mute microsite for EMI Music Hungary. This led to interviews with Erasure, Nitzer Ebb and Alan Wilder, and some of those collaborations developed into lasting friendships. Since 2014, I have been part of the editorial team of depechemode.de. I also contribute interviews to Reflections of Darkness, Peek-A-Boo Magazine and Kaput Mag. I maintain a close connection to Mute Records artists and have also supported releases on Very Records. I am proud to collaborate with Side-Line Magazine, where I regularly publish interviews and features.

‘Terminal Love’ – third consecutive Zeromancer EP including surprising remixes

Jan Ronald Stange — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 17:30:00 +0000

(By our Norwegian correspondent Jan Ronald Stange) June 25^th saw the release of ‘Terminal Love’, the third EP this year from the Norwegian industrial synth rockers Zeromancer, a worthy follow up to their previous releases ‘Damned le Monde‘ and ‘Mourners‘. In addition to interviewing the band about the EP, we also got hold of the guys behind the L’âme Immortelle and Architect remixes to get their thoughts on the song and the remix process.

Side-Line: ‘Terminal Love’ – feels like it’s a continuation of ‘Mourners’, like the next chapter or a different view of a similar story – an ongoing theme there? Or coincidence?

Alex Møklebust: Some of the continuation feeling you also get is probably how the song opens. Like ‘Mourners’ it starts with only synths and vocals, before the chorus hits. The chorus melody line on ‘Terminal Love’ is taken from a unreleased ZMR song during the making of ‘Sinners International’. Kim gave it another chance on ‘Terminal Love’ and the chorus finally made sense. Felt so good singing that melody line 12 years later. Never throw away ideas!

Kim Ljung: Alex has a memory like no other. All the time he surprises me with stories I have forgotten a long time ago. Though in this particular case I believe he’s a couple of years off 😉
The chorus of ‘Terminal Love’ is taken from a demo originally named ‘Collider’, which then again was a spin-off of an old Red 7 track (Lorry and Dan played in this band). Quite sure it was written in the aftermath of the ‘Death of Romance’ album. The pre-chorus of ‘Terminal Love’ I found on my phone where I always tape simple ideas with acoustic stuff, me singing on top. The date was June 26, 2014. One day later than the official release date which was about a week ago. Not so strange maybe, that musicians lose their minds carrying all this stuff around for years and years.
Regarding the connection with ‘Mourners’, I’m blind to those aspects. Just another Zeromancer song written in a fashion that suits that particular track. What we always do. People has a tendency to ask what song or album we prefer ourselves. That’s irrelevant. I never set them up against each other. Not my job 🙂

S-L: When hearing the main synth melody line my first thought was “this is something Vince Clarke would’ve wished he made himself for a Yazoo song!”

AM: Thanks! I’ll take that as a huge compliment. The synth needed lots of movement to carry the first verse by itself. The modular setup works well for that and blends in with all the other instruments in a good way. The analogue imperfection is key.

KL: Word, Alex!
We had a lot of sessions at Room 13, Alex’s studio, where Alex sat and tweaked those knobs on the modulars. The idea was to create a signature sound for the intro of the song. Something significant that opens a track, and when you hear it, you instantly know which song it is.

S-L: The external remixes were both quite down-tempo and atmospheric, which also suits this track very well. Surprising that both chose this direction?

AM: It was a very pleasant surprise. Love the way it turned out. Both Thomas and Daniel had a short deadline, but managed to make two beautiful remixes. Thomas made it so personal that you immediately hear it’s a L’âme Immortelle remix. Respect.
Daniel also made ‘Terminal Love’ his own. The deep sub version takes you on this beautiful ride into Daniels universe. Love it. So talented musicians. We are so grateful for having friends all over the world collaborating with us. Musically, but also on a personal level.

KL: Both versions blew me away. I didn’t expect it at all. Pure genius. You can hear in an instant how much love and passion they put into this track. Fold my hands for those guys.

S-L: Alex, your alter ego SnifferGod ends the EP with an up-tempo remix, a good contrast to the other remixes, with great beats and rhythms! Some elements here puts me back to the end of the 80’s/early 90’s, like Nitzer Ebb doing a 90’s rave with S’Express and a touch of acid house, but layered in a 2020’s updated soundscape. Tell us what you did here!

AM: I had to work on this one in-between mixing the Zeromancer album. Mixing daytime and remixing nighttime.
You are absolutely spot on. Because of the high tempo, I wanted to get that 90’s techno feel combined with some 80’s EBM. Nearly all synths are from my modular and semi-modular setup. No samples, except sampling ourselves. It’s an up-tempo remix, maybe close to stress-techno, but the «party boy» Alex kicked in. Blame the late night sessions.

KL: Stress-techno or stress-synth. Hahaha….it’s an internal wordplay on a comment by the Foo Fighters-drummer in a recording session with good, old Rick Springfield. He calls Springfield’s style stress-rock. And he does so as a kind of a compliment. However, who wants that type of label 🙂

Yeah, SnifferGod is Alex going back in time. A real killer version. Lots of raving flashbacks, with the God himself on the dancefloor.

S-L: Kim, where’s your mother this time on the cover photo? Vacation in the fjords, or where she’s originally from?

KL: This time the photo is taken on the roadside near Odda in Hardanger. The roads were obviously a lot more curvy back in 1957. Though they still are…
The family took these endless road trips from Sauda all around Norway every summer holiday. My mom is on the left, my uncle at the right of the photo. They are facing the glacier, Buerbreen. Both of them are carsick as hell. My grandfather took the shot, as he did with the previous singles.

I think the distance and the vibe of the photo suits perfectly with title of the song.

Check out this playlist of Zeromancer and SnifferGod remixes!

As with all three EPs this year, this one also features brilliant remixes, which made an easy decision to repeat the remixers part from the ‘Mournes’ article. Both Thomas Rainer (L’âme Imortelle/Nachtmar) and Daniel Myer (Architect/Liebknecht/Haujobb/Covenant etc.) had some to say about their contributions.

First off is Thomas Rainer from Vienna, Austria:

S-L: What’s your relation to Zeromancer before this remix?

Thomas Rainer: They already made 2 remixes for my band L’âme Imortelle and are also label mates, so it was kind of obvious that we would also collaborate the other way around one day. It also didn’t hurt that I have also always really liked the music of the band.

S-L: How did you like the new song ‘Terminal Love’?

TR: I really liked the song from the very beginning. The vocals immediately caught my ear, but after further listening I really enjoyed listening to all the small details in the very sophisticated production.

S-L: The other ZMR releases in 2021 – what’s your opinion so far?

TR: I enjoyed all of the new material so far especially since it shows an even more mature form of the band. Something I greatly appreciate.

S-L: What was your main idea with your remix?

TR: I usually approach all remixes by listening to the vocals alone first, and Alex’ stellar performance made it clear that it needs to be given as much space as possible with the music just being a supporting element.

Check Thomas’ playlist of his remixes!

Next remixer were Daniel Myer from Leipzig, Germany:

S-L: What’s your relation to Zeromancer before this remix?

Daniel Myer: I’ve known Zeromancer since they came to the scene. It’s a fairly small scene, so of course you know every new act that comes out, especially back in the day;)

We also share the same booking agency, so I went to see them live quite often when they were in town or at festivals. I always liked their style and I really like the songs and Alex’ voice.

S-L: How did you like the new song ‘Terminal Love’?

DM: Terminal Love had a real anthem feel to me. That’s why I approached a friend of mine to do this remix with me. I wanted to make it really big, like a “Pop Hymn” in the style of Imagine Dragons. But my friends was busy with her release, so I did the remix by myself.

S-L: The other ZMR releases in 2021 – what’s your opinion so far?

DM: I haven’t heard it all, only the last single, and I love Krischan Wesenbergs remix. He is one of my favourite producers at the moment.

S-L: What was your main idea with your remix?

DM: For the remix, like I mentioned above, I had something big in mind, but I only had a very limited amount of time.
I was on vacation with my girlfriend and we had very specific plans for this time. I started the remix with this Imagine Dragons idea in mind and then send it off to my friend in NYC. She came back to me after a few days, telling me that she couldn´t work on it, so I had to finish it by myself. By that time I was in a very strange headspace, a lot of things went wrong on our vacation trip, so I was stressed out and I had to go see my mother.

So I actually finished the remix on the train to Bielefeld one morning, on the day of the deadline. Overall I had only 12 days to do the mix, Alex came basically in the last minute to ask me for it 😉 And my mother lives in the woods, so there was no good internet connections. I actually used the hotspot from my phone to deliver the remix to Norway! 😀

Check Daniel’s playlist of his remixes!

Listen to and buy the ‘Teminal Love’ EP from Spotify, Apple music and other services – click here!

Jan Ronald Stange

Sometimes – when I’m not cooking, biking, listening to music or attending concerts, I write stuff for Side-Line.com. Mostly about Norwegian bands, but it’s been some Swedish, English, American, Danish, German and others too… 😉

www.facebook.com/jrstange

John Fryer’s Black Needle Noise announces new single ‘Machine’ featuring vocalist Attasalina & violinist Meredith Yayanos

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 17:26:47 +0000

(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.”

Machine by Black Needle Noise with Attasalina

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

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Blutengel – Fountain Of Destiny (Album – Out Of Line)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Mon, 10 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro, Electro-Wave.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.

Background/Info: While Chris Pohl last year released the debut album of his side-project She Hates Emotions, which was devoted to the 80s, he now strikes back with this new Blutengel album featuring cover versions of legendary 80s songs. The album is available in different formats, but I here review the classical CD version featuring ten covers plus two extra songs.

Content: Blutengel transposed the original Electro-Wave/Pop songs into a very personal interpretation. You always recognize the original songs, but also the typical –and rougher, but melodic Blutengel touch. Chris Pohl remains the lead singer while Ulrike Godmann sings a few songs as well.

The bands that were covered include Duran Duran, Alphaville, Ultravox, Gary Numan, Steinberg & Kelly, Mike & The Mechanics, Yazoo, Propaganda, A-Ha and Erasure. Last, but not least we also get two extra songs written by Blutengel featuring the instrumental “Journey To The Edge Of The Night”.

+ + + : Covering legendary songs such as “Wild Boys”, “Forever Young”, “Nobody’s Diary”, “Dr. Mabuse”, “The Sun Always Shines On TV” or yet “Ship Of Fools” remain a tricky business. It’s an exercise, which is often more efficient when the songs are played live instead than releasing a ‘special’ album. But there’s a reason if Blutengel is recognized as one of the absolute leading formations from this scene and that probably explains why these interpretations have been accomplished with passion and knowledge. It sometimes feels like Blutengel is the original writer of the songs, this way realizing a sonic bridge between the 80s and Blutengel’s sound. The production of the vocals is absolutely great. We probably all have our favorites, but the way Duran Duran’s “Wild Boys” has been reworked is brilliant. I also have to mention Yazoo’s “Nobody’s Diary sung by Ulrike Goldmann. Blutengel takes their fans by surprise by this new opus. And as a little bonus you get a great song entitled “Unsere Zeit”, which is a typical, but efficient Blutengel piece.

– – – : I definitely prefer original albums, but I can live with this one.

Conclusion: I think this album has been a way to bring homage to legendary 80s artists, who probably inspired the work of Chris Pohl.

Best songs: “Nobody’s Diary”, “Wild Boys”, “Dr. Mabuse”, “Alone” + Unsere Zeit”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: www.blutengel.de / www.facebook.com/BlutengelOfficial

Label: www.outofline.de / www.facebook.com/outoflinelabel Read the news on ‘Fountain Of Destiny’.

“Fountain Of Destiny” by Blutengel

About Blutengel

Blutengel is a German electronic band founded in Berlin in 1998 by Chris Pohl, who released the debut album “Child Of Glass” in 1999 and has since been joined on vocals by Ulrike Goldmann. The band records for Out Of Line.

Days after “Fountain Of Destiny”, Pohl announced the band’s next studio album, “Erlösung – The Victory Of Light”, in four editions, and discussed the band’s approach to digital releases in an August 2021 interview.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Swedish synthpop revelation Karin My launches debut album ‘Silence Amygdala’ on Ad Inexplorata label

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 13:55:03 +0000

The last couple of years have seen a number of single releases by the Swedish synthpop artist Karin My as a solo artist, accompanied by a string of experimental videos. She also created a number of so-called ‘audio sculptures’ for outdoor art installations during the period 2019 to 2020.

In the past few years we have seen Karin My as the 5th member of cold wave legends Twice a Man. She is also featured on various tracks by Carbon Based Lifeforms and she has performed the track “Winter Tree” on Swedish national TV in late December. And that’s not all, a streamed live concert, shot in October 2020, became the second most viewed video to date for the German Messed Up magazine.

And now the debut album from Karin My has arrived called “Silence Amygdala”. “Silence Amygdala” was written and recorded over several years in parallel with her work as a vocalist, both live and in the studio. Prominent collaborators on her debut include, among others, Twice a Man, Carbon Based Lifeforms, Fake Moss, Coph Nia, Sync24 and other artists. We were very much charmed by the lovely synthpop pearl “Winter Tree” which will please many Yazoo fans.

Here’s the full album on Spotify.

Check out the video for “Winter Tree” below. Read the review of ‘Silence Amygdala’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Blutengel covers 80s hits on ‘Fountain of Destiny’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 02 Feb 2021 19:06:32 +0000

Out on March 12 is a brand new Blutengel album: “Fountain of Destiny”. The album holds ten iconic songs from the 80s. The CD version also includes two brand new Blutengel tracks: the instrumental “Journey to the Edge of the World” and “Unsere Zeit”.

The cover songs were of course handpicked by Chris Pohl and Ulrike Goldmann. Check out the tracklist below, including of course Duran Duran, a-ha, Gary Numan, Propaganda, Alphaville, Yazoo, Erasure and so on. Read the review of ‘Fountain Of Destiny’.

The Wild Boys
Forever Young
Hymn
Down in the Park
Alone
Silent Running
Nobody’s Diary
Dr. Mabuse
The Sun Always Shines on TV (Blutengel Version)
Ship of Fools
Unsere Zeit
Journey to the Edge of the Night (Instrumental)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Covenant covers Yazoo track ‘Winter Kills’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 19:36:00 +0000

Sweden’s electropop act Covenant has covered the Yazoo song “Winter Kills” which was written by Alison Moyet. The band’s Andreas Catjar originally covered the track for a theatre piece, and when Eskil Simonsson heard it he decided to release it under the Covenant flag with his vocals.

Until the 1st of January 2021, 50% of the proceeds of the sales will go to #lauterwerden supporting the band’s crew and people working behind the stage making all the magic possible.

Backing vocals on the track were secured by Andriana Seecker while Joakim Montelius mastered the whole. Elise Fritzson delivered the artwork.

Winter Kills by Covenant

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Strikkland interview: ‘Here we are, seven months, three singles and one EP later.’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 12 Nov 2020 06:52:15 +0000

(Interview by Simon Helm / photo by Krichan Wihlborg) Sweden’s love affair with EBM goes back a long way. Bands like Pouppée Fabrikk, Container 90, Kropp, Sturm Café and Spetsnaz have carried the torch for body music for many years.

The next generation of Swedish artists influenced by the sound has included Rein, Circumpolar and Strikkland. These acts have built on the beats of their predecessors by adding elements of electronic pop.

The last of these has started to release a series of singles and an EP independently in 2020. A duo composed of Henric Ceder (keyboards and computers) and Henrik Johansson (vocals), Strikkland has combined EBM and pop influences to striking effect. They have also leveraged Johannson’s skills as a videographer to ensure that their visuals are as dramatic as their sound.

We asked Ceder to tell us about Strikkland’s work and plans in the time of corona.

SL: How did you come together as Strikkland?

S: Strikkland was started in Trollhättan, Sweden, in 2015.

Henrik and I had been friends for a long time, and we shared a passion for electronic music. We had often talked about starting a band, since he had a background as a singer in a metal band and I had been mucking about with synthesizers since the mid 1980’s. In 2015, we actually sat down to make something, and the result was “Predatorial Right.”

Unfortunately, Life™ intervened. I got divorced, moved to Gothenburg, and Predatorial Right ended up in a drawer until the summer of 2019, when it was played at a private Subkult Festival pre-party in Trollhättan.

The feedback we got was amazing, and in April 2020 it became our first single, released on all major streaming platforms. To our surprise, the single was nominated as a newcomer at the German Electronic Web Charts (GEWC.de) and aired at several Web radio stations across Europe and even in South America. That was like a vitamin injection for us that really sparked our creativity. So, here we are, seven months, three singles and one EP later.

The “Dance Like a God” video.

SL: How important is the visual element to you?

S: The visual element is pretty important. A reason for that is probably the fact that Henrik is a photographer by trade. The cover art of our releases are all photos taken by him. Our first (and, so far, only) music video (“Dance like a God”) is shot by his film production company and directed by his wife Sofie.

The obvious thing to do would be to go to a closed-down factory and take pictures in black-and-white, posing in combat boots in front of chimneys, rubble and cog wheels, and use that as cover art; but the visuals are an equally important part of our art (if we may call it art without sounding like pretentious wankers). So, we do our thing just like we do with our music.

SL: Your style is based on old school EBM, but you have acknowledged influences ranging from metal to Depeche Mode. What do you draw upon to create your music?

S: We both love old school EBM, and it has had a huge impact on us in terms of influence, but we can never become another DAF, Nitzer Ebb or Front 242, even if we wanted to. We also have to confess that we love synth-pop, lush pads and solid melodies. I mean, I grew up in the 1980’s with Human League, Depeche Mode, Ultravox, Alphaville, Yazoo and all the other great artists like Vangelis and Jarre – that was the soundtrack to my youth. So, of course, that all sits in the back of my brain when I write the music.

I also took classical piano lessons for more than a decade when I was young, so that probably has an impact, as well. I usually sit down with the intention to make a raw bassline on an analog hardware synth, but a few hours later there are pads and melodies added. That is our workflow, by the way: I write the music and Henrik writes the lyrics and does the vocals.

SL: What is next for Strikkland? There seem to be remixes on the way?

S: There is another single in the making, which will hopefully be released in November. We will also be releasing some remixes of our music that other bands are working on right now. No ETA on those yet, though. We are also working on a remix for the amazing Swedish band Octolab, and we are making a cover song for a German compilation that will be out before Xmas.

There is a small Covid-safe live performance together with our good friends Peter and Robert of Dpoint scheduled for December 18^th. Hopefully, we can pull that one off, but of course nobody knows these days. Last but not least, we are looking for a label to help us to the next level – to release a full album on physical media.

SL: Are you happy with how your material has been received?

S: We are extremely happy and thankful for the amazing support and positive feedback we have received. Strikkland wouldn’t exist without it, and that is what sparks us to continue. With that said, we did expect some of the songs on the A Gift to Solitude EP to attract more streams and attention. I mean, “Kinky Sophisticated Gentleman” deserves to be a floor-filler, and “Truth Will Unfold,” where my wife Cecilia contributes with some vocals, is a pretty solid track with a 80’s vibe to it.

But, all in all, we are extremely happy with the reception of our music and we really want to thank everyone who helps making this journey possible for two fifty year olds!

Released so far…

Predatorial Right by Strikkland Levitate by Strikkland Dance like a God by Strikkland A gift of Solitude by Strikkland

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Indie Moon – Somewhere Somehow (CD Album – Indie Moon)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 12 Dec 2019 19:30:36 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: Indie Moon is the meeting between two singers established in Paris (France) and fans of 80s electronic music. Frédéric Bourreau and Elise Drilhon are now active since 2017 and have unleashed their debut album this year.

Content: We can easily speak about an ode to some 80s new/electro-wave hits as this album features 10 cover versions. You’ll discover 3 Depeche Mode covers while the others are covering Tears For Fears, Visage, Yazoo, Taxi Girl, The Stranglers and Elliot Barett. Indie Moon has adapted the original versions into rather intimate, electronic versions. A few more musicians contributed to the work while both singers perform on the album.

+ + + : I especially like the intimate atmosphere running through the work and some passages, which are more into minimalism. Both singers are talented, but I’m especially impressed by Elise Drilhon when she sings “Don’t Go” from Yazoo. If you know Alison Moyet’s powerful timbre of voice you’ll have to agree it’s not an easy song to sing. The song “No More Heroes” from The Stranglers is the one on which Indie Moon convinced me the most.

– – – : I’m not saying that it becomes boring to discover albums filled with 80s covers, but it’s no longer a surprise. The vocals are good, but some music arrangements are a little less naïve.

Conclusion: No doubt about it, this is the kind of formation that will be more appealing on stage instead of releasing discs with cover versions. It however remains a way to celebrate and remember some essential songs from the new-wave era.

Best songs: “No More Heroes”, “Lie To Me”, “Don’t Go”.

Rate: (6½).

Artist: www .indiemoonband .com / www .facebook .com /pg /indiemoonband

About Indie Moon

Indie Moon pairs Paris-based singers Frederic Bourreau and Elise Drilhon, active together since 2017 as fans of 80s electronic music. Their debut album gathers ten cover versions of new wave and electro-wave songs, reworked into intimate electronic arrangements with the help of additional musicians.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Softwave – Game On (Vinyl Album – Softwave)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Sat, 31 Aug 2019 19:30:54 +0000

Genre/Influences: Synth-pop.

Background/Info: Softwave is a Danish duo set up in 2014 by Catrine Christensen and Jerry Olsen. They previously released several singles and unleashed their self-released debut album earlier this year.

Content: Softwave brings us back to electro-pop ‘purity’. Inspired by old-school synth-pop formations, they bring a melodic work, which might remind to Yazoo, Erasure and co. There’s a kind of happy melancholia running through their work. “Game On” features 3 previously released singles.

+ + + : Softwave already got a very positive response, mainly in their homeland, but also abroad. The band definitely deserves this enthusiasm as their work is styled and accomplished. The songs are achieved with carrying melodies while the sound treatments reveal this good-old vintage touch from the early synth-pop years. Catrine Christensen injects through her vocals some extra emotions. My favorite cut is “Reflected Memories”, which appears to be a new song on the album. Last, but not least, I also have to say a word about the great artwork of this vinyl, which is very professional.

– – – : The only single, but essential element I’m missing at the album is a real ‘hit’ song.

Conclusion: Softwave is for sure an interesting addition to the world-wide synth-pop roster. This is the kind of production getting people happy.

Best songs: “Reflected Memories”, “I Need Love”, “Something Is Missing”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www .softwavemusic .com / www .facebook .com /SoftWaveMusic

About Softwave

SoftWave is a Danish synth-pop duo formed in 2014 by Catrine Christensen and Jerry Olsen. The project debuted in 2016 with the “Together Alone” EP, followed by a remix edition in 2017, before “Game On” arrived in 2019 as the duo’s full-length debut.

“Game On” was later reissued with bonus material as “Game On 1Up” on Electro Shock Records, and the duo followed with the “Aspire” EP in 2023, continuing to release new singles since.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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New release from Vince Clarke’s VeryRecords by the UK electronic duo Brook – check out a first video

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 26 Jul 2019 07:26:55 +0000

In 2016 Erasure’s Vince Clarke founded the Brooklyn based record label VeryRecords, which he describes as being “a very small record label dedicated to releasing very fine electronic music”.

The label has been releasing some material in the past, including for instance a fifty-track download bundle of exclusive digital sounds from his various projects, next to albums by Reed & Caroline, Alka and Vince Clarke & Paul Hartnoll. As it looks now, they are aiming at one release per year.

The label now announces the release of “Built You For Thought”, the debut album by UK electronic duo Brook (consisting of Vocalist Beth Brooks and musician Howard Rider). The album will be released on 20th September 2019 and you can check out a teaser for the album’s sound via the video for “Diamond Days”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Interview with Erasure ‘s Vince Clarke, Mark Saunders and Gareth Jones on re-release ‘Wild!’ LP

János Janurik — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 09:02:29 +0000

(Interview © Janos Janurik) 2019 is a year full of anniversaries and anniversary releases and tours, just think of bands and records or special concerts such as Alphaville (“Forever Young” (Super-Deluxe-Box)), the anniversary tour to A-ha`s debut album “Hunting High And Low”, special live performances of The Cure to their legendary “Disintegration” album – just to name a few…

This series is complemented by the re-release of Erasure’s “Wild!” LP. The album was originally released in October 1989 and put the duo of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell on the top of the charts. According to Erasure’s fan base this record is still one of their best and contains timeless classics like “Drama!”, “You Surround Me”, or “Blue Savannah”, which are still part of their concerts.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Wild!”, our contributor, Janos Janurik, invited three people involved in that project for an interview: the unique and unrepeatable Vince Clarke and his right hands, who also have a good reputation among Depeche Mode fans: the two producers, Gareth Jones and Mark Saunders.

They were all ready for a discussion and answered the questions of our colleague as follows.

(Erasure press photo by David Scheinmann (1989))

Vince Clarke

SL: In the series of the Mute album re-releases the last Erasure LP of the eighties, “Wild! ” will be published on the occasion of its thirtieth anniversary. Which (not only musical) memories of the autumn of 1989 are still awake in you?

VC: – I remember the music was recorded in my very first home studio in London. Mark Saunders worked with me whilst Andy recorded with Gareth Jones at the ‘Church’ studio.

SL: The producer of this album was Gareth Jones, a long-time studio employee of Mute Records artists like Depeche Mode, Wire, and Nick Cave. His partner in the production team was the legendary mix master Mark Saunders. You worked together with Gareth on other Erasure albums. Which cooperation do you remember best? Do you have a favourite remix of Mark’s Erasure catalogue?

VC: – Mark did a fantastic remix of ‘You Surround Me’. He was/is very easy going and we got on well. At that point I didn’t really know Gareth.

SL: The single releases “Drama!” and “Blue Savannah” are still fix parts of your live setlists. On the Violet Flame Tour you performed remixes of the rarely played “Wild! ” singles “Star” and “You Surround Me”. Except “2000 Miles” you actually played all album songs at your previous concerts. Are you still satisfied with this material? How do you rate this album after 30 years of time?

VC: – Not bad. 🙂

SL: The “Wild! Tour” has perhaps been the biggest of your tours so far. You toured the world with a gigantic stage set. For the first time you had dancers on stage besides the background singers and there were also several costume changes and two different setlists. During this tour you also played live behind the iron curtain in Prague and then in exotic places like South America, Japan and Australia for the first time. Not to mention the legendary finale at the Milton Keynes Bowl. Do you have any special souvenirs from this tour that will bring back good memories?

VC: – I don’t have any souvenirs, but I remember that the tour was very exciting, especially play to such big crowds.

SL: The second disc of the forthcoming re-release will feature 14 bonus B-sides, remixes, rarities and live recordings, five of which are previously unreleased, including a brand-new remix of “Drama!” by Richard Norris and a recently discovered unreleased mix of “How Many Times?”. This song is my favourite song from the album and which one is yours?

VC: – “Blue Savannah”.

SL: But Erasure is not a nostalgia band of the 80s, because in the meantime you have released more than a dozen albums that have all been received positively – by fans as well as critics. What does the band-future of Erasure look like? Are there any plans for new material yet?

VC: – We hope to be writing for a new album in 2019.

SL: What would your message be for your fan base?

VC: – THANK YOU!

(Gareth Jones photo by GJ)

Gareth Jones

SL: Gareth, you’re supposed to be the in-house producer for Mute Records. Before working with Erasure, you’ve worked with renowned Mute artists such as Depeche Mode, Wire and Nick Cave. How do you remember the first meeting with label boss Daniel Miller and the studio work in Berlin with Depeche Mode on their „Construction Time Again” album?

GJ: – I have told this story many times, so I will keep it brief.

I was introduced to Daniel Miller and Depeche Mode by my friend and mentor John Foxx. He owned a studio called “The Garden” in Shoreditch in East London, and Daniel and Depeche Mode were interested in recording there. I was working for John at the time and he sent me over to the MUTE Records office, which at that time was in Kensington Gardens Square in West London, to meet the whole team. I was a bit nervous, but they were all super nice and normal people, and agreeably weird. Luckily for me they felt good about me too, and offered me the job.

SL: How did the request to produce Erasure’s „Wild!” album come about? Have you had contact with Vince Clarke and Andy Bell before?

GJ: – Before we started working on the “Wild” album I didn’t know Vince or Andy very well at all. For this record they had decided to make sure that there was plenty of time for Andy to work on his vocals. They were looking for someone to engineer and produce the vocals. I had already been working in Berlin with the incredibly talented Diamanda Galas. She had met Andy a couple of times I believe (I don’t know where) and she was kind enough to recommend my vocal production skills to him. So that is how I join the team.

SL: How was it working with them compared to Depeche Mode?

GJ: – This was a very different process from working with Depeche Mode. Initially I was hired to record and produce Andy’s vocals. Vince was in another studio with the other co-producer of the record, Mark Saunders. We were in the church studio and I think Mark and Vince were in Swing Studios.

The studios were both in North London so we were able to have meetings often, and we were continually exchanging musical and vocal ideas.

When it came to mixing it was decided that Mark and I would both mix the album. I was mixing in the Church and Mark was mixing in Konk. We were all determined to get the best out of the songs, so we all pushed each other to do our best like a Sound System contest.

I remember the first single “Drama!” went back and forth between our two studios a few times! Eventually we were all happy.

SL: Are there any favourites from this album that you are still proud of today?

GJ: – The whole record was an amazing experience. Vince and Andy are such strong song writers, talented musicians and all around wonderful people that it was a real pleasure and privilege to be a part of this great record.

I loved the whole process and I have a special affection for “Drama!” and” Blue Savannah”.

SL: You were not only involved in the „Wild!” project as a producer, but also as a remixer, for example the „Syrinx Mix” from „You Surround Me”, which is one of my favourites. Do you have a favourite remix from Erasure`s discography that you particularly enjoyed working on?

GJ: – I did 2 remixes of “Blue Savannah” (“Der Deutsche Mix 1 & 2”) in Berlin with my friends Sun Electric – Stephan Fisher, Max Loderbauer and Tom Thiel. I really enjoyed this – they are all so musical, creative and professional. It was truly a fantastic experience.

SL: After the „Wild!” album you had numerous co-productions with Erasure – among them you worked on one of my favourite albums from them, on the self-titled „Erasure”. And how about you? Do you have a favourite album from Erasure?

GJ: – The first album, “Wild!”, is dear to my heart. I also love the “Erasure” album. It was such a pleasure to work with my friend Thomas Fehlmann as a co-producer on the album and he bought so much to the table. I was so happy that Diamanda agreed to do a guest vocal on the record. We also had the pleasure of an amazing LP mix by Francois Kevorkian.

– The „Wild!” album also included an extensive world tour. Did you see Erasure live back then? If so, where? What did you think of them as a live act?

GJ: – I saw the Wild tour in Hamburg I think. I invited my parents to come along. The show was incredible. I am always impressed by Erasure live shows. The love between the band and the audience is so tangible and touching. Andy is an outrageously talented frontperson, and Vince is always Mr Cool. What a great combination!

SL: What are you currently working on and what are your plans for the future?

GJ: – I am currently writing and recording a solo electronic music project and a new collaboration that I am very excited about.

This year I will also be writing and releasing a new LP for the “Spiritual Friendship” project – an ongoing collaboration with the amazing Nick Hook.

I am also producing an exciting and enjoyably weird electronic pop album with American and European musicians for a new project called “Of Love And Lust”.

I will be back in Yann Tiersen’s fantastic new studio on the island of Ushant (Ouessant) later in the year, helping out with a new recording.

(Mark Saunders photo by MS)

Mark Saunders

SL: Among your early outstanding works is the engineering of some of David Bowie’s songs from 1985 and 1986, who was the idol of several generations of musicians, including Erasure’s Vince Clarke. How do you remember this studio work?

MS: – I feel incredibly lucky to have been in a studio to witness the true legend, David Bowie at work. It was just under a year from starting at West Side Studios in London when Bowie first came in to work on songs for the movie that he was also acting in – „Absolute Beginners”. Before that, I’d been making demos on a Tascam 8-Track tape machine in a dilapidated cow shed on my dad’s farm. Working with Bowie was an unfathomable step up! When the Bowie sessions started, I was transitioning from assistant engineer to house engineer. My bosses, producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (Madness, China Crisis, Elvis Costello, Bush, Bowie & Jagger), were constantly throwing me in the deep end on sessions. There were quite a lot of jazz songs that we recorded for the Absolute Beginners soundtrack were and there would often be drums, bass, piano, guitar, and sometimes up to 9 brass players all playing together in the studio. It was intense as a newbie engineer to get thrown in on those sessions. I remember one session feeling somewhat overwhelmed and turning around to my boss Alan to get some confirmation that I was doing ok and he was asleep on the sofa behind me! For Bowie’s songs for the soundtrack, when the band were laying down the backing track for Bowie to sing on, Bowie would always sing along a ‘rough’ vocal to keep the band inspired. His vocals were always brilliant and as far as I was concerned, nearly every one could have been the master vocal take. But surprisingly, when Bowie was happy with the backing track, he would approach singing lead vocals in quite a clinical way. He would often sing one line, stop, and listen back to it before moving on to the next line. He would also quite regularly check his vocal on the demo version of the song to during this process. His vocals always sounded fantastic though. The pinnacle of those Bowie sessions was when on one day, we recorded the epic title track „Absolute Beginners” and then late in the afternoon, Mick Jagger came in to record „Dancing In The Street” for Live Aid! This was incredible for me – this was a year and one day from starting in a professional studio – and I was working with Bowie & Jagger! This being before cellphones and frustratingly, I had no way to text friends and say – „You’ll never guess who I’m working with today!”. „Dancing In The Street” was one of the first records I ever got an engineering credit on.

SL:Erasure are part of the success story of Mute Records. Your first commissions with the record company included remixes of Depeche Mode`s „Strangelove” and „Everything Counts”. These tracks are – after 30 years – still firm parts of the Depeche Mode club evenings. Did you like making them (with Tim Simenon)?

MS: – I think that these remixes occurred just after or around the time that I worked with Tim on Neneh Cherry’s brilliant debut album „Raw Like Sushi”. Tim was great to work with, he was young and came from the DJ-ing aspect of music rather than being a studio musician or an engineer and he had a naive (in a good way) approach to making records that kept things moving along and fresh sounding – particularly noticeable on „Buffalo Stance” by Neneh Cherry – her first hit. The „Everything Counts” Depeche remix was a pretty simple affair. I seemed to remember hiring in a Roland SH-01 for that session which was definitely used for the bass. Personally I would have preferred to have made the remix more musical – but Tim was happy to keep it more of a hardcore club track. Our Strangelove remix was much more complicated and fraught with technical difficulties.

In those days I was syncing my Atari 1040st computer, running Cubase, to a timecode track (SMPTE) which was recorded on one track of the multitrack tape that contained the song.

This quite often lead to difficulties because after hours or playing and rewinding the tape, the tape would start to wear out. Usually the code track was on the edge of the tape and the edges wore out faster.

So as it go late into the night, we had real problems syncing the computer to the tape machine. And the computer was running all the new parts and samples that Tim and I were adding for the remix. I think this one turned out pretty well though!

SL: Before the release of “Wild!” you also made remixes for Erasure songs like „A Little Respect”, „Stop!” and „Knocking On Your Door”. Did you follow the band`s history from the very beginning?

MS: – I’d been a fan of Vince since the early Depeche days and the Yazoo era but I missed the early Erasure days. My first Erasure work was a remix of „A Little Respect”. I’m sure this came about because of my work for Tim Simenon who was signed to Rhythm King records which was based out of Mute’s offices. I didn’t meet the band though until I mixed the „Crackers International EP” which included the songs „Stop!”, „Knocking On Your Door”, „God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman” and – my favourite – „The Hardest Part”. I mixed „The Hardest Part” first and that was the first time I met Vince – when he came in to check the mix. I was nervous and nobody had warned me about his very dry, deadpan sense of humour. For one thing, when he listened to the mix, he barely moved. He barely even seemed to blink! He didn’t tap his feet, smile or turn around to me to give me an assuring look – nothing! He sat like a robot with his head between the speakers. I took this as a sign that he must absolutely hate the mix – I was literally pacing back and forth behind him wondering how I’d got the mix so horribly wrong! Eventually the song finished, Vince stopped the tape and then paused for what felt like an eternity before turning around and saying „I love it!” And then with a dead straight face he said – „Just one thing… Did you not like like the kick drum?” My heart nearly stopped! Had I really missed out the entire kick drum track on an Erasure record! But before I had a chance to respond, he said „Just kidding… there’s no kick drum on this song!”

SL: In 1989, Erasure`s „Wild!” album was released that still belongs to the fans’ favourites and includes such classics as „Drama!” and „Blue Savannah”. What memories can you recall of these studio works with Erasure?

MS: – As Erasure had time constraints for the making of „Wild!”, I was hired to co-produce the tracks with Vince Clark and Gareth Jones (Depeche Mode, Wire, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, Interpol) was hired to work on vocals with Andy. When Vince and I finished a track in his basement studio in his house in Notting Hill, London, the multitrack would be whisked off to The Church studios in Crouch End in the north end of London for Andy to sing on. On the first day of the recording, Vince sat me down and said – in his deadpan way, „Do you want to know how much money you’re going to make from this album?” Before I could utter much more than „Oh… well… err”, he’d tapped away on a calculator for a few seconds and was holding up the resulting calculation to show me and said „How’s that?” To which I gulped and said „Err… that looks just fine… thanks.” Vince’s basement studio contained nearly every great synth known to man and it was beautifully laid out, with a mixing board against one wall facing the window, and the other three walls had floor to ceiling racks laden with all the synths. One thing completely stunned me on day one though. We decided on what song to start with and Vince then proceeded to expertly get a kick drum sound from one of his synths – an ARP 2500 I think. When he was happy with it, he said, „OK let’s print that to tape (an Otari 24 track 2in Tape machine)”. I said „Are you sure you want to record it now?” He frowned and said „Why not?”.

I said, „Well, wouldn’t you prefer to hear the kick drum in context with a bass and maybe a couple of synths before you commit it to tape?” He still looked completely baffled – like I was asking him to pilot a space craft to the moon or something else outside of his comfort zone.

He replied „But this is the way I’ve always done it.” – which is a fair response from someone whose already produced a shed load of mega hits! „OK”, I said, „but surely, you have more than enough excellent gear here to have all the parts running live from your sequencer and refine all the sounds in context with each other before we need to commit to tape – right?” Long pause and more deep frowning – followed by „I’ve never thought about doing it like that”. This blew me away! This was Vince Clarke, the guy that I watched on Tomorrow’s World many years before I got into the music biz explaining how the Fairlight could sample sounds and play them musically on a keyboard and then sequence them to create a song – all inside a massive computer. Ground breaking stuff! And yet here was the same guy who hadn’t thought of running multiple parts on his sequencer before! Anyway, luckily, rather than kick me out of his studio, Vince gave my suggestion a go and after a couple of hours he said „I like this way of doing it…” and so that’s how we worked from then on. Vince is a musical genius and I loved working with him. He was all about keeping stuff dead simple and keeping songs short… He would quite often say „That’ll do”, like a builder who’s just skimped on the bolts holding some majorly important steel beams together. An example of the Vince Clark genius was the rising and descending piano riffs in „Blue Savannah”. Vince, during the programming/recording said „This needs a piano riff”. Then he just seemed to sit there and stare into space. After a while, I said „Why don’t you just try and play something?” He said… „Sshh… I’m thinking!” After what seemed like an eternity, he started furiously typing numbers into his ancient BBC UMi computer. Minutes later, he sat back and said „Right, let’s have a listen then.”… and my jaw dropped when the brilliant piano riffs popped out of the speakers. He had worked it all out in his head and then had typed in – numerically – each note, the position of the note, the note length and the velocity. Bloody brilliant! At the beginning of the record, Daniel Miller, the Mute Records boss, said to me „I want you to try and get Vince to try some new sounds on this record – experiment a bit more. He’s been using the same sounds for years.” So I tried, but I didn’t push the idea with Vince because I loved all his tried and trust analog synth sounds. We did use some samples from my Akai S1000 sampler a few times, like the acoustic guitar sample on „Star” – although Vince had no interest in using a sampler, as far as I remember. When the recording was finished, both Gareth and I started mixing the songs. I can’t remember if we both mixed all of the songs or not – and I can’t remember exactly who’s mixes ended up on the record – but I think it was a fairly even split between Gareth’s and mine. I mixed in Konk Studios, just up the road from The Church where Gareth was mixing. Konk, owned by The Kinks, had a great big room with a full size snooker table in it which was fab. Vince drove up from Notting Hill one day during the mixing and said „Come on, take a break… Let’s have a game of snooker!” So that’s what we did – we played at least two games and then I said, „OK, let me play you some mixes then”, to which he replied ‘nah, I only came up here for a game of snooker’. I assumed he was joking because, for one thing, the drive from his house to Konk was a fairly arduous journey across a big chunk of London. He told me he was deadly serious though and it took a great deal of effort to persuade him to stay and listen to a mix. I decided to play him „Blue Savannah”. Now, if you’ve ever heard the acoustic slide guitar samples in my 12” remix of this song… well, I had originally put them in the album version. I found the samples in my library while I was working on the song and when I loaded them into the Akai S1000, I loved them! They fit the key of the song perfectly. But somehow I had a feeling that I might be on shaky ground when Vince heard them. My instinct was right. When I played him my album mix, he assumed his normal position… stone faced, and dead still in front of the speakers. But when the first slide guitar riff came in, he positively flinched… like someone had slapped him around the face! But amazingly he kept listening without moving again until the end of the song.

Then he turned to me and said „Yeah, it’s good… but… I would never, ever, have a slide guitar in any of my songs… ever!” So that was the end to the slide guitar in the album mix. And now I think about it… how did I ever get away with putting them in the 12” version?!

Vince had an unerring confidence in what he was doing. If Daniel Miller, the Mute Records boss, had any doubts about anything to do with the record, Vince would say „Don’t worry Daniel, it’s going to go to number 1” – which of course it did, in it’s first week of release!

SL: A remix of „You Surround Me” also bears your name. You made a danceable club hit out of that original ballad. Erasure even played this version live on their Violet Flame Tour 2014. Please tell us a little about it! Which song, by the way, is your favourite from the „Wild!” album?

MS: – I was in Mayfair studios in London for this remix. I remember getting depressed because for quite a long time I couldn’t get anything going that I liked – mainly because of the tempo of the track I think. Then I tried playing double tempo drums along with the song and all of a sudden I was up and running and excited about the mix! I’m pretty sure I was thinking Billy Idol when I did this version. I was pretty happy with the result and was very flattered to learn that the band played my version live. My favourite song from „Wild!” is definitely „Blue Savannah”. My next favourite song that I worked on with Erasure was „All This Time Still Falling Out Of Love” from the album „Nightbird”.

SL: Not only for Erasure, but also for Yazoo you made a remix for their hit „Situation”. Did you see the duo live during their reunion 10 years ago?

MS: – Working on the remix of „Situation” with Daniel Miller was a great honour. What an absolutely perfect pop song… and less than 2 minutes and 30 seconds long! On my website is an extended edit of the song that never got released… actually, I don’t think I ever played it to the band or Mute. I was lucky enough to see them in New York during their reunion tour. They sounded great. Alison Moyet is awesome… I got to work with her too a couple of times and she, like Vince, has a very dry sense of humour and is very down to earth.

SL: What future plans and current works in progress do you have?

MS: – I moved back from the States in 2017 which was a big deal after 21 years of living there. I feel much more inspired musically in the UK. I’m in love with the BBC 6 Music radio station… best radio station I’ve ever heard. They play the most eclectic range of music that you could possibly imagine but they somehow nearly always play stuff that appeals to me! I have two young boys and for a few years now life has been more about family life than pursuing my career but I feel that as they are getting older there is going to be room for both – hopefully soon!

P.S.: A short info for all those who have missed a conversation on the topic with Andy Bell, he is currently very busy with his new solo project “Torsten in Queereteria” (release date: 12 April 2019) and therefore unfortunately could not be at our disposal.

“Erasure – Wild! – 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition”, is out Friday, 29th March 2019 via BMG / Mute Records.

CD1 Track Listing:

Piano Song – Instrumental
Blue Savannah
Drama!
How Many Times?
Star
La Gloria
You Surround Me
Brother and Sister
2000 Miles
Crown Of Thorns
Piano Song

CD2 Track Listing:

Sweet, Sweet Baby – The Moo Moo Mix
Drama! – Richard Norris Mix (unreleased)
Blue Savannah – Mark Saunders 12″ Mix
Piano Song – Live at the London Arena (unreleased)
Runaround On The Underground – Remix
How Many Times? – Alternative Mix (unreleased)
Supernature – Daniel Miller & Phil Legg Remix
Star – Soul Mix
No GDM. – Unfinished Mix
Drama! – Act 2
Brother and Sister – Live at the London Arena (unreleased)
Dreamlike State – 7″ A Cappella Mix (unreleased)
You Surround Me – Gareth Jones Mix
91 Steps – 6 Pianos Mix

János Janurik

Train To Spain – A Journey (CD Album – Sub Culture Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 20:00:57 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop. Background/Info: Set up in 2011 by Jonas Rasmusson, Train To Spain saw Helena Wigeborn joining in as the singer in 2013. The Swedish band started to release several EP’s and the debut album “What It’s All about” (2015). They now strike back –again on Sub Culture Records, to unleash their second opus. Content: The band remains clearly inspired by the golden years of electro-pop. Train To Spain stands for classical electro-pop music, featuring 80s influences with something more dance-pop like. The songs are catchy and carried by melodic choruses. On several songs you can feel the influence of Vince Clark and especially from the Yazoo-period. The album features 10 songs plus 2 bonus cuts, which were the title songs of previously released EP’s (cf. “Believe In Love” and “Dominant One”). + + + : Train To Spain is a great and efficient electro- & retro-pop formation. They don’t innovate at any single moment, but perfectly know the secret to compose efficient and achieved electro-pop. The songs have been accomplished with catchy parts and melodic choruses, but still features right dance vibes. A good electro-pop band also needs a talented singer and that’s precisely what Helena Wigeborn stands for. My personal favorite song is the outstanding and somewhat more melancholic sounding “Pretend We Won”. – – – : I’ve never been a huge fan of songs ending with a fade-out and that’s precisely the way the first song ends. But that’s just a little element, which doesn’t affect the global production of this work. Conclusion: Train To Spain brings nothing new, but has the skills to compose efficient and traditional electro-pop music. That’s why I like this album. Best songs: “Pretend We Won”, “80s Drum Machine”, “Dominant One”, “Saviour”, “Monsters”. Rate: (8). Artist: www .traintospain .se / www .facebook .com /train 2 spain Label: www .subculture .no / www .facebook .com /norwegiansubculture

About Train To Spain

Train To Spain is the Swedish synthpop duo of Jonas Rasmusson and Helena Wigeborn, who joined as singer in 2013; the band’s name was inspired by a line in the Human League song “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of.” The duo’s debut album, “What It’s All About,” appeared in 2015 on Sub Culture Records, followed by the EPs “Believe In You” and “Dominant One” in 2016. “A Journey,” reviewed here, is the duo’s second album, also released on Sub Culture Records in 2018.

Inferno Sound Diaries

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Vince Clarke launches VeryRecords sound library with a 50-track free download (but the server can’t always handle the downloads)

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 03 Oct 2018 07:34:57 +0000

Vince Clarke (Yazoo, Depeche Mode, Erasure, …) has put together a fifty-track download bundle of exclusive digital sounds, each one created by him and some of which you may recognise from his various projects, which he is now making available for free to use in your own electronic music making.

This is the first VeryRecords sound library bundle – containing 50 sounds created by Vince Clarke and Howard Rider – and is available to download for free right now from this page. You will need to sign-in to the download page by using a valid email address.

Note that the site is apparently having difficulties to service the volume of requests although we have been able to download it. The people behind Very Records are working on that now and normal service will be resumed as soon as they can get it all sorted out. If the download is not currently available then check back later!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Brand new Yazoo remix for ‘Winter Kills’ to be featured on new vinyl and CD boxset – orders available now

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 13:17:44 +0000

Next month sees the release of a new retrospective Yazoo box: “Four Pieces”. Included is a brand new remix of the duo’s track “Winter Kills”. The track only received a minimal remix treatment by Minute Taker aka Ben McGarvey. You can check the new cut below.

“Four Pieces” will be released on vinyl (order here on Amazon), while an additional CD edition entitled “Three Pieces” (order here on Amazon) will also be released. Included in the boxset will be both of the duo’s albums plus a collection of remixes and – surprise surprise – the band’s 2 BBC Sessions in their entirety which were recorded in 1982.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Chris Liebing signs to Mute Records – here’s a first new track

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 17:20:47 +0000

Chris Liebing has signed to Mute records and now the label has released a brand new track, “Novembergrey”. “Novembergrey” was co-produced by Ralf Hildenbeutel. You can listen to the track below.

Liebing explains his relationship with the label: “A lot of the music I was into came from just one label, Mute. I vividly remember dancing around to songs by Depeche Mode and Yazoo and banging my head in dark basements to the likes of DAF, Laibach and Nitzer Ebb. Things came full circle when I found myself in the Mute office and I’m delighted to be working with Daniel Miller, someone I’ve known for years and Mute, a label I have known for longer still.”

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Collide launches pre-order new album on Pledge Music

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 17:20:22 +0000

The female fronted industrial rock act Collide is (finally!!) getting ready to release another CD. Called “Mind & Matter” it will be a double CD with 29 songs of re-imagined remixes from the band’s last album “Color of Nothing”, 2 cover songs (Yazoo’s “Winter Kills” and John Lennon’s “Imagine”) plus 1 new Collide song, “Holding Back”.

You can pre-order the new 2CD set on Pledge Music where you can also check out a long set of perks.

And the winning remixes were made by…

Special guest remixers include Bret from Blue Stahli, and Jason Slater from Snake River Conspiracy, as well as Kevin Kipnis from Purr Machine, and Wade Alin, who has remixed Collide songs beginning with their first album, “Beneath the Skin”.

Other tracks on this album come from a remix contest that brought in hundreds of remixes from all over the world. The winning remixers are Alien Nation, BIINDS, Blue Sky Alive, D’ MacKinnon, Digital Gnosis, Giant Monsters on the Horizon, Modern Vultures, Jason Yates, Katarrhaktes, LGVela, Maria Lui, Nathan Charlson: Milkfixer, Pappy (a.k.a. Throe), Rale Daver, Rick Moore, The_boundless, The Stitchlings, Tkivo, Vladan Hranisavljevic, The Wave and the Particle, Zero Meaning.

You can check out the perks of this Pledge Music campaign right here which also has a video teaser.

Formed in 1992

Collide was formed in 1992, in Los Angeles, California, United States by Statik and kaRIN. Their industrial rock incorporates elements of trip hop, synthpop and music from the Middle East. Collide’s debut album, “Beneath the Skin”, was released in 1996, followed by a remix album, “Distort”, in 1998.

Dissatisfied with the music industry, Collide started their own record label, Noiseplus Music, and in 2000, they released their second studio album, “Chasing the Ghost” followed by their third studio album, “Some Kind of Strange”. The rest is history!

A band worth checking out!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Legendary label Mute Records visually documented in hardback book ‘Mute: A Visual Document’ incl. Depeche Mode, Erasure, …

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 18:00:34 +0000

Mute and Thames & Hudson have announced details of “Mute: A Visual Document”, a 320-page hardback book, available November 28, 2017 and ready for ordering right here.

“Mute: A Visual Document” is packed with artwork and photography – much of it previously unseen – from the Mute Archives and from Daniel Miller’s own archives, including photography and video stills from legendary photographers, conceptual artworks, rare ephemera and equipment.

The book features comprehensive discographies, a family tree of Mute artists, an extensive introduction and commentary by Daniel Miller – who has curated the materials for the book – plus anecdotal and photographic contributions from key figures in the label’s story, including Moby, Alison Goldfrapp, Anton Corbijn, Bleddyn Butcher, Brian Griffin, Jon Spencer, Barry Adamson, Ivan Novak (Laibach), Angus Andrew (Liars), Adrian Shaughnessy and Tom Hingston.

Mute was created by Daniel Miller to release his debut single as The Normal, “Warm Leatherette” / “T.V.O.D”, in 1978. The label quickly grew and established its reputation through the music of its community of artists – ranging from Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Moby, Can, Diamanda Galás, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds to Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, Laibach, Liars and Ben Frost.

Here are a few teasers:

Side-Line also covered Depeche Mode’s ‘Where I Wait’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Kaos! – Never Ever Me (CD Single – Shortlist Records)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 19:30:59 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop.

Background/Info: Stockholm based duo Eva Kaxe – Kristian Oscarsson are back on track unleashing a new single. The Swedish formation deals with electro-pop, which finds its influences in the 80s. Kaos! already revealed a real interesting potential and I’m really waiting for the day they’ll definitely break through.

Content: “Never Ever Me” moves on with the retro-inspired electro-pop music. The title song is totally representative for the 80s spirit although with some modernism on top.

You also will find a more danceable remix of the title song plus a remix of “Zurück” (the original version was released on the EP ”Moments Of Perfection”).

+ + + : Kaos! confirms to have all ingredients to compose great electro-pop music. The music is made of great, deep sounding bass lines, an efficient vintage pop approach, a great chorus and a talented female vocalist. The new title song is worthy of examination, but both remixes are pretty cool as well. This is the kind of music that will appeal to fans of Yazoo, Erasure and co.

– – – : I just regret this is only a single and I’m really looking forward to hear a new full length by Kaos! This band now definitely deserves a bit more recognition!

Conclusion: If you’re in search of upcoming electro-pop talents, you better try Kaos!

Best songs: “Never Ever Me”, “Never Ever Me – SoundBlitz Extended Rmx”.

Rate: (7½).

Band: www .kaosthlm .se / www .facebook .com /kaossthlm

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Alison Moyet goes electronic again on new album ‘Other’ – enjoy the video of the first excellent single ‘Reassuring Pinches’

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Wed, 24 May 2017 18:30:18 +0000

“Reassuring Pinches” is the first single from Alison Moyet’s new album, “Other”, which will be out 16th June 2017. The album can already be pre-ordered on vinyl or CD.

“Other” was produced and co-written by Guy Sigsworth, who (Björk, Goldie and Madonna), who also co-created the last album “The minutes” by the former Yazoo frontwoman. The new longplayer furthermore features backing vocals from Alison’s daughter on the track “The English U”, which was preceded by her guest appearance on stage at Alison’s Royal Albert Hall show, and an appearance in the video for “When I Was Your Girl” (from “The minutes”).

Here’s the video for the new Alison Moyet single “Reassuring Pinches”.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Tracklist new Mesh single ‘Runway’ available incl. Yazoo cover

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 19:00:50 +0000

The new Mesh album “Looking Skyward” by the duo Mark Hockings and Richard Silverthorn was released at the end of last year. The Bristol based duo will be releasing the single “Runway” later in May. You can order the 4-track CD right here. “Runway” is the second single from “Looking Skyward,” released to coincide with the second part of their tour of Europe with performances in Germany, Spain, England, and Belgium. Next to the radio edit and a club mix of the track you will also get the B-sides “Too Little Too Late” and the cover version of Yazoo’s classic “Tuesday”.

Read the review of ‘Runway’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Spray – Living In Neon (DCD Album – Banoffeesound)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 20:00:41 +0000

Genre/Influences: Synth-pop, dance-pop, wave-pop.

Background/Info: Earlier this year UK-duo Jenny McLaren and Ricardo Autobahn unleashed their third album “Enforced Sun”, which was their first new album in nine years. They were signed to the American Ninthwave Records when they released their successful debut album “Living In Neon” (2002). The album is out of print and that’s why Banoffeesound has re-released this opus plus some extra cuts.

Content: This is an opportunity to get back to the dance-pop sound of Spray. They clearly move on the edge of commercial dance music (which is probably due to their past activities in The Cuban Boys) while adding a real happy aspect to their work. Spray will make you dance and simply have fun. This is an opportunity to get back to some of their early ‘hits’ like “Child Of the 80s” and “I Am Gothic” while I also enjoyed the less dancey cuts like “I Kill With My Car” and “Comeback”.

The first disc also features some extra songs taken from the EP “I Am Gothic” plus compilation tracks. Among these cuts you’ll notice a cover version of Yazoo’s “Don’t Go”.

The extra disc features 16 cuts, which have been introduced as ‘rare’ material. You’ll discover some remixes and alternative versions of essential aforementioned cuts plus a few unknown songs. There’s more diversity here, but the main sources of inspiration remain however dance and electro-pop like.

+ + + : The sound of Spray makes you happy and that’s a rather important item when listening to music. The songs are danceable and carried by strong choruses. Next to the ‘dance’ influence there also is a delicious 80s input, which I personally prefer. One of the most captivating moments of the album also is the chorus of “Fashion Stigmata” where you can hear children chanting.

– – – : You have to place this album in the context of its original release (2002). Some cuts now sound a bit cliché-like and definitely into easy dance-pop music, but 147 years ago it really made sense. This is an album that will please the fans of the band and especially those who didn’t had the opportunity to buy the original one. The extra disc is fun, but not exactly adding a real bonus to the work.

Conclusion: Even years after its original release, “Living In Neon” will still make you dance and bring the spirit of club music in your living room.

Best songs: “I Kill With My Car”, “Comeback”, “Child Of the 80s”, “Heatwavers”, “I Am Gothic”, “Living In Xenon” + “I Am Gothic – Raindancer Remix”, “Singing For England”, “Theme For The 2001 Manchester Film Festival”.

Rate: (7).

Band: www .spraynet .co .uk / www .facebook .com /spraynet

Label: www .banoffeesound .co .uk / www.facebook.com/banoffeesound

Inferno Sound Diaries

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‘Click Interview’ with Leæther Strip: ‘I Am Still Living My Teenage Dream Still After Almost 30 Years’

Inferno Sound Diaries — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 19:45:12 +0000

Leæther Strip belongs to the collective memory of all EBM fans. After nearly 30 years of existence, multiple hits and referential albums this Danish band set up an driven by Claus Larsen hits already back with a new album entitled “Spæctator”. The new work has been released on Rustblade and appears to be one of the best productions from late Leæther Strip work.

You can order all of his material right here. and a lot of his material can be downloaded right here from Bandcamp (use the code january50432 to get 50% off)

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: After years of commitment and an impressive discography what does the new work “Spæctator” means to you?

Claus: Yeah 2018 will make it 30 years since my first release as Leæther Strip. Releasing a new album has, since my first album, always been a personal landmark for me. I am very blessed to have been able to do this for so long and still have listeners. There is not a day that I don’t feel grateful.

Q: I got the feeling “Spæctator” is a real intimate album because of some recent tragic events you went through. What is it really all about and does music has this kind of magic power to heal wounds?

Claus: Yes, I lost my mother 2 years ago. Some very serious and suppressed events, and thoughts mainly from my childhood and teens, needed to be dealt with. Stuff that I should have handled many years ago, or events where people didn’t believe me. But I guess we all push stuff like that in the background because some things are just too painful. Most of my songs are very personal and kind of a diary of my life and what was going on around me, near and far. Composing songs has been my way of dealing with life events and also an escape from myself and my dark clouds. The best weapon for me against the dark clouds is being creative.

Q: One of my favorite cuts “Luc Van Acker” sounds less intimate, but what’s the story behind this song?

Claus: That song is the album’s ‘fun’ song. Back in ‘91 Leæther Strip opened up for the Revolting Cocks, and all I can say is that is sure wasn’t boring backstage. I cherish that gig so much and it’s one that stands out as one of the most fun gigs I played. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a band having so much fun both backstage and on stage. They were all super nice to us. I got kind permission from Luc and Chris to use that iconic ‘Luuuc Vaaaan Ackerrrrr’ shout from the Cocks’ love album in the song. I will be adding the song to my live set soon so I bet that will be fun.

Q: I already mentioned your impressive discography, but do you see one or more releases, which have been more important than others?

Claus: For me they are all very special of course, and sure there are some more successful than others, and yes I do know that album like “Solitary Confinement”, “Self Inflicted” and “Legacy Of Hate And Lust” stand out in many of my listeners minds. These albums are still opening doors for me. I learn a lot doing each new song, so for me the old albums have their own life bringing back memories of good or bad times in people’s minds. I know that, because people write to me about what certain songs mean to them personally. I love getting these messages. It’s what it’s all about. The power of music is so very strong, and it’s my therapy too.

Q: During the past few years you’ve released an impressive number of (mainly digital) cover songs from 80s formations like Simple Minds, Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Talk Talk, Yazoo, Depeche Mode ao. What do these covers mean to you and what do you precisely try to inject in a cover version?

Claus: Doing cover version of my favorite songs is kind of my hobby, and also a way to train my skills as a musician. I’ve done it for many years. I am a self taught musician and I do it all by ear, so diving into someone else’s song is good training and very inspiring. I mostly only cover songs that has had a special meaning for me and I am not trying to make the original better, as some think, I do it all with love and respect and I hope it might spark some new life into the songs and maybe make some new listeners check the original band out, in case they haven’t discovered them yet.

My cover album “Æppreciation”, which I released on Emmo.biz Records and on my Bandcamp site a few years ago is one of my most successful albums to date. Love doing them, so that won’t stop.

Q: I also noticed several songs composed for your husband Kurt. How is he doing and what’s the importance of your beloved –especially in your artistic activities?

Claus: Yes, his medicine costs are sky high and we’re struggling to make it work financially, so instead of doing a ‘go fund me’ or something like that to help him. I wrote some songs so people could support him, and us that way. All income from Bandcamp sales goes directly to his medicine account. People have been so very kind and many have been very supportive. We are still waiting for a kidney transplant, from me to him, but the doctors still do not want to do it. This sadly also means that Kurt can’t perform with me outside the EU, because he can’t get travel health insurance. It’s very hard for us, but it would be too risky to travel without insurance sadly.

It’s hard for us both being apart in this situation, but I need to make a living supporting us both. Right now he is stable, but that can change very fast, but we live one day at a time, with our heads held high. We got a live full of love and people who care about us all over the world. As long as we get each other and our friends support, nothing can beat us.

Q: What are the further plans for some of your side-projects like Am Tierpark, Klutæ and the (digital) label Body Music Records.?

Claus: I’ll soon starting to work on a new Klutæ album. It’s going to be a ‘back to the roots’-album, heavy and aggressive. That’s the plan.

With Am Tierpark, John and I just released a new EP titled “Cherry Blossom” on limited edition vinyl and digital. The next Am Tierpark is also composed and ready, so we are hoping it will be out soon too. We also hope to get some concert jobs with Am Tierpark during new year. We have had so much positive response so it’s time we take it to the stage.

With Body Music Records we have lots of exciting releases out and more to come in the next months.

As for Leæther Strip, the songs for the next album has also been composed and the tour will soon continue with shows in Madrid, Poland, Mexico, Germany, USA and many more booked. And in planning. So 2017 is going to be a busy year too. 2016 has been the best concert year for Leæther Strip ever, playing all over the world has been yet another dream come true. Thanks to my supporters I am still living my teenage dream still after almost 30 years.

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

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Today is World AIDS Day: let’s remember René Klijn’s splendid version of Yazoo’s Mr. Blue

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 19:00:36 +0000

Today is World AIDS Day, it is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988.

Today is the perfect day to remember a special live version of Yazoo’s “Mr. Blue” by René Klijn. Klijn was a member of the boyband Bam-to-Bam-Bam. He died September 5, 1993 in Amsterdam from AIDS-related complications. In 1992 he performed the Yazoo cover “Mr Blue” on Dutch Television, clearly suffering from the ravage AIDS had caused. This was his first performance at dutch television, after this show Rene entered the charts with this song. But within 1 year after this show he died because of aids.

Here’s René Klijn (1962-1993) in the TV-show ‘de Schreeuw van de Leeuw’ on 28 november 1992.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Imagine a map featuring the history of electronic music… it exists!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 21:40:01 +0000

(All pictures by Dorothy) A map featuring the history of electronic music (albeit without dates), who could ever have imagined that someone would create that. Well, it does exist alright and is called “Electric Love Blueprint – A History of Electronic Music” and is for sale for 35 UK£ at Dorothy, a Manchester based art shop annex studio.

The 60 x 80cm big poster is based on the circuit board of a theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments ever built. The blueprint features over 200 inventors, innovators, artists, composers and musicians who (in the opinion of designer James Quail) have been pivotal to the evolution of electronic music from the invention of the earliest known sound recording device in 1857 to the present day.

Key pioneers featured in the map include the usual suspects Léon Theremin, Bob Moog, Karlheinz Stockhausen, John Cage, Brian Eno, Kraftwerk and Aphex Twin. The print loosely groups genres, from the obscure Musique Concrète (Pierre Schaeffer) to the better known Krautrock (Kraftwerk, Can, Tangerine Dream, Neu!, Faust, Cluster, Harmonia and Amon Düül II) synthpop (Gary Numan, Human League, Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Pet Shop Boys) and electronica (New Order, The Prodigy, Massive Attack, LCD Sound System and Daft Punk).

There are also references to the experimental BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the record labels Mute and Warp.

A pity it totally forgets the industrial & ebm scene with such artists as Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, Die Krupps, Skinny Puppy etc which all have had a huge impact. Let’s see who will create a more complete map…

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

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Vogon Poetry – Never Too Late (Digital EP – ScentAir)

Inferno Sound Diaries — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 03:14:39 +0000

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, electro-wave.

Content: This EP by Swedish formation Vogon Poetry is meant as a teaser to introduce their 2nd album “The Prefect Stories”.

“Never Too Late” is a good choice as the title-song although not an absolute smasher. It’s a well-crafted electro-pop-wave cut featuring nice electro bleeps. The only regret I have about this song is the minimal touch that seems to have been lost. I don’t know if it’s fully representative for their new full length album, but it definitely was an essential aspect featured on their debut opus “Don’t Panic”.

The title song has been remixed in 9 different versions. This is an opportunity to discover the creativity of bands like Erotic Elk, Diskodiktator and Restriction 9 plus several less familiar names. The most noticeable remix is the one by Japanese producer Kei Kohara who realized an amazing job. The remix reveals a somewhat experimental/glitch approach mixed with power and technoid arrangements. This is a terrific transposition of the original version into a supersonic dancefloor style.

Two other noticeable remixes were accomplished by established pop formations Erotic Elk and Diskodiktator. I especially liked the minimal reinforced touch emerging from the Diskodiktator remix.

I can’t say that the other remixes left are terribly inspiring, but some experimental-minded remixes are quite interesting. So I’ll make a special mention of Blitflipp. In a totally different approach there also is the rather ‘happy-sounding’ remix by Jooli. Notice by the way that Vogon Poetry accomplished thier own remix as well.

The EP features a few more songs and one of the most noticeable ones is the cover version of the legendary “Only You”-song, which you know from The Flying Pickets, Yazoo ao. This cover sounds a bit melancholy.

Another noticeable song is the remix of “Vectors” (originally released at the EP “More Things To Do In Zero Gravity”). The “Garkbit Edit” is a fascinating exploration of electro fields moving in between EBM and pop-minimalism.

Conclusion: “Never Too Late” is a song that you’ll easily keep in mind because of the formula they used which is to remix the song like hell. The least I can say is that it works for “Never Too Late”.

Best songs: “Never Too Late – Kei Kohara Remix”, “Never Too Late – Diskodiktator Remix”, “Never Too Late”, “Never Too Late – Erotic Elk Remix”.

Rate: (DP:7)DP.

Band: www.facebook.com/vogonpoetrymusic

Label: www.scent-air.com / www.facebook.com/ScentairRecords

Inferno Sound Diaries