electronic albums
Not Forgotten: John Foxx – Metamatic
It’s one of life’s cruel ironies that some people saw John Foxx as a Gary Numan wannabee, as just prior to his solo emergence, Numan had famously stated in the press that “I’ll never be as good as Ultravox!” He was referring to Foxx’s hideously underrated futuristic glam-rock pioneers, his comment instantly prompting millions to …
Album Review: Poliça and s t a r g a z e – Music for the Long Emergency
Released on Transgressive Records, Music for the Long Emergency sees Poliça collaborate with s t a r g a z e, a group of orchestral musicians based in Berlin. First glimpses of these blend of forces was in February 2016 in Berlin during the Liquid Music project hosted by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, linking …
Album Review: Johnny Jewel – Digital Rain
Johnny Jewel is a musical Renaissance man: he owns a record label, he writes film scores, he collaborated with David Lynch on the recent Twin Peaks soundtrack and he’s a member of Chromatics and Glass Candy. And having grown up in Texas, he’s obsessed with the idea of rain, which is why he’s written this …
Not Forgotten: White Noise – An Electric Storm
“Many sounds have never been heard-by humans:some sound waves you don’t hear-but they reach you. “Storm Stereo” techniques combine singers, instrumentalists and complex electronic sound. The emotional intensity is at a maximum.” So read the bold sleevenotes on this unique release on which David Vorhaus ,an electronics graduate, teamed up with two members of the …
Album Review: ShapeShiftingAliens – ShapeShiftingAliens
There is no doubt that the vocals of Swedish duo ShapeShiftingAliens (SSA) will immediately make you think of David Bowie, and there are echoes of some other of my favourite vocalists from Nick Cave, Wayne Hussey (Sisters of Mercy), Blixa Bargeld (Einstürzende Neubauten). Vocal style alone, however, does not a great band make and SSA …
Album Review: Leyya – Sauna
Sophie Lindinger and Marco Kleebauer are Leyya, an electronic pop duo from Vienna, Austria. Today sees the release of their new album “Sauna”, which was preceded by a single, the evocative “Heat”. “Heat” features Lindinger’s gorgeous almost languid vocals over a sparse indie electronic beat and a rousing, charged chorus. Electro melancholic pop that evokes …
Album Review: Turtle – Human
In music, we find self-expression. Innermost feelings are committed to sound, be it carrying the fervency of Soul, the delicacy of Classical, or the honesty of just a person and a guitar. All of these genres are the most well-travelled avenues to convey the intensity of emotion – yet Electronic music is the path hardly …
Album Review: Calvin Harris – Funk Wav Bounces Vol 1
The evolution of Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris has been quite an epic one. Rewind to his emergence on to the scene, when he was a geeky looking guy singing about how amazing the eighties were. It’s always been his production skills that have trumped his limited vocal abilities, and he capitalised on this on his …
Album Review : Videodrones’ ‘Nattens Hævn’
Videodrones makes music that grabs you by the jugular and doesn’t let go. It’s dark, brooding electronic music that conjures up late night flicks you’d come across when you were a kid in the witching hour. Vampires, zombies, demons, witches, and the supernatural emanating from your television as a strange, buzzing wave of music accompanied …
Album Review : Astral TV’s ‘Chrystal Shores
Listening to Astral TVs Chrystal Shores is like receiving some ancient transmission from deep space. It slowly unfolds through breathing synthesizers and tube-driven circuits these interplanetary melodies. This album evokes long walks contemplating life, or quiet moments watching the sun dissipate into the ocean. This record is made up of what I call “big picture” …