British synthpop

Vile Electrodes are one of the hottest acts on the European electronic music scene. Fronted by Anais Neon (see what she did there?) and propelled by voltage-controlled music-man Martin Swan, the Vile ones have attracted attention with their brand of dirty electronics: they have already warmed up for OMD and John Foxx & The Maths to widespread acclaim. The duo is now ready to peel back the latex a little and show you their new album, The Future Through a Lens.

The Future… is the first proper Vile Electrodes album. It gathers many of the sounds that have done well on their live outings, including the front-of-stage favourite, Damaged Software. The surprise is how well Anais’ vocals match up to the synthesized tones squeezed from Swan’s patch cables – the slower songs, especially, are impressed with delicate pathos in both the voice and instrumental tracks. The closing track, Deep Red, belongs to that place of alienation and yearning that is also occupied by Yazoo’s Winter Kills or OMD’s Distance Fades Between Us.

The pace isn’t as restrained in songs like Empire of Wolves or Tore Myself to Pieces, which beg to be unleashed on the dancefloor. The Vile ones have a great sense of song structure, which will make them a firm favourite with DJs. The best way to enjoy them is live, but owning your own copy of The Future… is a brilliant way to keep the hips moving between shows.