Archive for the ‘synthpop’ tag

Endora: Perfect Isolation + Carmen

I met this band ten years ago after I saw them opening up for Anything Box. Or it may have been Book of Love. I was instantly hooked on their synthpop sound with goth style vocals. I felt they could have been extremely successful, but for whatever reason, they parted ways after a series of shows and demos. I’m not sure what most of the members are doing these days, but their keyboardist Rubin has remixed numerous trance, synthpop, and EBM tracks (Iris, Icon of Coil, Syrian), and has a successful photography company.

The two songs I’m posting are from a five track demo CD. The first is “Perfect Isolation”, one of my favorite synth songs of the last decade and one of the most heavily requested songs when I did Destination Unknown. The second is their cover of Anything Box’s “Carmen”. It adds a darker dimension to the song without destroying the elements that made the original a classic.

X-Divide: Sometimes

Musician and synthpop/industrial promoter Jens Domgörgen and singer/songwriter Eric Schmaler have just released their first album as X-Divide, called X, on Infacted a few weeks ago. It’s not doing too bad for a debut album; their first single, “Forever”, just found its way into the German alternative top ten. I’m expecting to see them in an opening slot on a synthpop tour this summer–this could be a band worth getting to the show early for.

X on Amazon
official website

Lykke Li: Little Bit [CSS remix]

It’s 6am and the sun is coming up. Kamar just dropped me off and these potato things from Dunkin Donuts are soooo good, you have no idea…
Such a great evening at Panic! I got there way too late to hear Arturo, but caught a rare Britpop-ish set from Chicago-legend-via-Berlin Scary Lady Sarah, who had the place so packed with friends that my head was spinning even before the Maker’s Mark got to me. We moved on to Late Bar, Dave Roberts’ new place, with Peroxide and Stormy, and made some new friends there, too.

I should probably go to bed, but I can’t stop listening to this Lykke Li remix lately, which may have something to do with me starting off my set with it Thursday night.

Here’s to hoping your weekend is going as well as mine.

Youth Novels on Amazon
Official Website

Electronic: Getting Away With It

In honor of the New Order tribute this week at Atomic, I present Electronic. Electronic served as a side-project of New Order lead singer Bernard Sumner. Joining forces with him was ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, both sharing a mutual love for both electronic (obviously) and house music.

This likely combo also dragged along Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys for the ride on their 1989 debut single “Getting Away with It.” Rumor has it that the lyrics of the song were a parody on Morrissey’s lyrics and public interviews, including the chorus: “However I look / It’s clear to see / I love you more than you love me.”

The first Electronic album of the same name is ranked highly among my favorite work of Sumner and is definitely worth pursuit if you are new to the band.

Hear this song and other New Order related tracks this week on Thursday, February 4th for Atomic at Neo… See you in the dark.

Electronic on Amazon

OMD: Sugar Tax

Sugar Tax was essentially a solo album released by Andrew McCluskey under the name OMD in 1991. Paul Humphreys left the band in 1989 and was followed by longtime members Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes, stemming from their unhappiness over the band becoming increasingly commercial. In addition, Graham and Neil Weir, who joined the band in 1985 and contributed to OMD’s mainstream success, left after disputes over their roles in the band. Surprisingly, Sugar Tax was a success in the UK and received attention in the States as well. Although it was missing many elements of what made OMD so great, the album included many memorable tracks such as “Sailing on the Seven Seas” and “Pandora’s Box”. McCluskey released two more albums as OMD (Liberator and Universal) before calling it quits. However, McCluskey, Humphreys, Holmes, and Cooper re-united in 2006, and have consistently toured since. OMD announced plans for a new album (History of Modern) to be released sometime in 2010.

Official OMD Website
Sugar Tax on Amazon

Ministry: Same Old Madness

So, you all know industrial gods Ministry. Most of you are familiar with the likes of “So What,” “Stigmata” and “Jesus Built My Hotrod.” You’re even pretty familiar with the first Ministry album With Sympathy, which you’re afraid to admit that you like better than the rest of their work. You wish Al Jourgensen would have kept hanging out with Depeche Mode (I kid!) for more fake British accent and made more records like this.

But HEY! You can take one more trip down that synthy route that they were known for at the time with this unreleased single “Same Old Madness.”

This track still has not seen an official release. It was originally supposed to see light in 1982 as the band’s second single following “Cold Life.” The song was recorded and a video was filmed (partially at Chicago’s Metro, as legend has it) until Ministry decided to move to Arista Records for the release of With Sympathy.

Sidenote: Angry Biker Al in the video? MMM, what a treat.

Ministry at Amazon.com

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