Archive for the synthpop tag

Naked Eyes: Voices In My Head

Though better known for the singles "Always Something There To Remind Me" and "Promises, Promises", Naked Eyes have plenty of equally good output that tends to go unnoticed. "Voices In My Head" is the opening track on the same 1983 release as those hits, Burning Bridges. In this digital music era where people rarely listen to full albums anymore, it's been largely forgotten.

The English duo were originally in the band Neon. In the early '80s, Neon split; Pete Byrne and Rob Fischer then formed Naked Eyes while members Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal became Tears For Fears. Still making music and touring, Naked Eyes will release their latest album, Piccadilly, this summer.

official site
available on their Best Of complation

Richie Hawtin Interview with Daniel Miller

Whoever came up with the idea for this is brilliant. Superstar techno dj and producer Richie Hawtin interviews Daniel Miller, founder of legendary UK label Mute Records. They talk about the early days of the British electronic music scene, the trials of starting up a label, his signing of Fad Gadget and later Depeche Mode, synthesizers, Berlin, and the influences Mute has had on Hawtin's own Plus 8 label. Miller signed Hawtin to his sub-label Novamute in 1992 as his dark alter ego Plastikman.

Mute Records
Plastikman

Voxbox: Passive Aggressor

My friend Nevin dropped off a video of a track from his forthcoming EP on my facebook the other day, aptly describing it as "kind of an homage to Depeche Mode & Ministry". Couldn't put it better myself.

Check out Nevin's website for not only info and samples of his original work, but some really creative mashups and dj mixes (I HIGHLY recommend his live dj sets).

official website

Venetians: Things

Ah it's a snowy, dreary winter in Chicago...time to post some more music!

I have little to say about Venetians; they're from Australia, and had relatively little success there, let alone anywhere else. "Things" is taken from their 1985 debut Step Off The Edge. Sadly, I can't find this album available for sale anywhere, and no official website for the band, as they disbanded in 1989. So enjoy this mp3 and good luck finding more; I think it's worth digging up.

My Robot Friend: We’re The Pet Shop Boys

"We're The Pet Shop Boys" is so...meta. I don't even know where to start. Released by My Robot Friend in 2002 on the full length Hot Action, it's a song about the Pet Shop Boys, created almost entirely of Pet Shop Boys' own lyrics. As if that wasn't enough, the Pet Shop Boys themselves actually did a cover of it as a b-side to "Miracles". Oh and it doesn't stop there, either; Robbie Williams did a cover of the Pet Shop Boys cover of the song about the Pet Shop Boys. Where will the madness end!?

Done, of course, more in the Pet Shop Boys' style than his own, My Robot Friend is worth checking out for his other material as well. He relays tales of robot adventures amongst the humans set against exactly the sort of machine-made pop you'd expect from someone who does his live shows in a full body robot costume (do NOT miss his live show if you happen to come across one...think Captured By Robots, the sequel).

official website
buy Hot Action on Amazon.com

Red This Ever: Selfless

Three years ago, Kamar and I were asked to play the Baltimore Music Conference. Aside from playing at Sonar (one of my favorite warehouse-style clubs), the highlight of our trip wasn't the conference at all. Our friend Michael stole us away for a night to take us to The Depot, a venue that, if you're from Chicago, I would describe as sort of a cross between Darkroom and Liar's Club. The bill included DJ Medic, kindred soul to our new wave/synthpop/industrial focus, and the fantastic all-female Depeche Mode cover band Violator. But the best part was the headliners; Red This Ever absolutely blew us away with their energetic guitar-fused synthpop. I have since kept a Red This Ever button on my purse, and Kamar and I never forgot them.

You can imagine how excited we were when Michael told us they were coming to town. We jumped on the chance to book them, and so this Sunday, Atomic takes its first leap into live music. I couldn't ask for a better lineup, and Kamar and I hope that when you see Red This Ever, either at the show in Chicago or somewhere else on their long tour, that you're as impressed as we were that night in Baltimore.

RSVP to the facebook event page for a discounted-cover password

Selfless by Red This Ever

official website

Pic Vicious: LA Dreamer + Beauty Was Her Burden

Atomic returns this weekend with a special live show at Darkroom! We are really excited about both of these bands, so I'll do a post on each.

Pic Vicious' classic synthy sound is sparse and dark. Their theatrical presentation, complete with props and costumes, is not. I love the juxtaposition and I couldn't resist posting a video, but the fancy trappings aren't even necessary; this pair sounds great even when you can't see them. Check out "Wicked West" on their soundcloud page for what happens when new wave meets dubstep. No, really. They're known for their live shows, and a quick search of YouTube will evidence why. I can't wait to see them Sunday.

Beauty Was Her Burden by Pic Vicious

RSVP to the facebook page for a password to get discounted door entry

official website

Recoil: Faith Healer

Tuesday. Tuesday...I never thought next Tuesday would ever happen. Way back in the wee days of the internet, I was on the Recoil official mailing list--back when that meant daily emails of conversing with other fans, and sometimes Alan Wilder himself, who is surprisingly approachable for someone who used to be a very key member in one of the most important electronic bands ever.

We begged, and begged, but he said it couldn't be done. Recoil could never tour, could never even do a live show... there were just too many people involved. We couldn't expect him to actually pack Douglas McCarthy, Toni Halliday, Moby, Maggie Estep, Siobhan Lynch, Nicole Blackman, Samantha Coerbell, Hildia Cambell, and Diamanda Galás all on a tour bus. Oh come on, we could dream, right?

I guess Alan changed his mind, because he's on tour, and he's coming to The Metro on Tuesday night with Gary Numan. After a LOT of digging around, I was able to discern that he actually accomplished this by bringing no vocalists at all; in their place is film, with imagery chosen specifically for each piece. It's not Diamanda Galás and Douglas McCarthy hanging out on a bus, but I'll take what I can get.

Though nearly impossible given all the options, I choose Recoil's first single and most well-known track, a cover of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's "Faith Healer" featuring Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb) from Bloodline*. I can't say it's a good representation of Recoil, because each album and even each song is a work of art that stands on its own, ranging from vintage Bukka White placed over minimal electro and Maggie Estep's hilarious spoken words to Diamanda Galás screeching in tongues and Toni Halliday screaming hate over industrial like nothing you'd ever imagine listening to her spacerocky Curve albums. And I'm not even touching on the whole plane-crash-as-concept-album thing...

official website
buy Bloodline on Amazon.com

*trivia: Foetus also covered this song on Rife, ergo this track is often mistaken for a Foetus cover, not to say that Thirwell's version didn't influence this one.

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