Rein

Inside the Matrix with Rein

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

Rein has dropped the video for her current single, “Closer to Nature,” and it is an intense ride.

Made together with Fredric Posé, the clip shows Rein being bound, scanned and jacked into machines by a faceless system. The Swedish hard dance specialist breaks away, with soldiers in pursuit; presumably to rally fans to the dancefloor and complete the next stage of her development.

When Rein headlined TEC 006 in London, she showed some of the steps in her reinvention. What is emerging is an artist who can write exceptional songs and turn them into movies with  clarity of vision rarely seen on the electronic music scene. Her fusion of pop and EBM influences avoids the predictability of both genres.

We would like to see Rein directed by Luc Besson next, but Rein has her own schedule: she appears at the sold out Resistanz Festival in Sheffield on 12 April 2020.

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Getting Closer: Rein’s New Reality

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

It is hard to put a label on Rein. The categories used by critics don’t stick readily to the Swedish producer.

She confounds and exceeds expectations; refusing to be put into anyone else’s box. Rein casts off her chains and takes new forms just as music writers start to close in.

When Rein played her debut London show, she demonstrated how she is constantly (re)creating herself. In the early days, she stormed onto the EBM scene, scaring the shouty men from the stage. More recently, she has been combining her trademark bass lines with melodies that cross over into poptronica territory.

“Closer to Reality,” her second single coproduced with Robyn-collaborator Carli Löf, is a subversive track; seemingly aimed at the commercial market but with a sting in the tail.

It comes on the heels of “Off the Grid,” which reasserted her rebel spirit. Hard is still her calling card, but Rein is adding new dimensions with each successive release.

“Taking back control!” The chant is one we should all join.

Rein plays in Stockholm on Monday, the 27th of January, with Nitzer Ebb. Although the Essex band inspired her, she has long moved beyond the restrictions of 16 step sequencers to make a noise all of her own.

[Photo: Aga Slobodzian]

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Rein to Headline TEC 006 in London

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

The Queen of EBM, Rein, has been announced as the headline artist for TEC 006.

The Swedish singer, songwriter and producer was named Cold War Night Life’s New Artist of the Year in 2015. Since then, she has stormed stages across Europe and been nominated for awards by Swedish television and the magazine GAFFA.

With a fierce attitude and heavy-duty beats, Rein’s releases have transformed the landscape for EBM. Shouty men have had to step aside to make room for her sophisticated and intelligent style, which makes no compromise in politics or energy. As we wrote of the track, “Can’t Handle Me”:

Tougher than tempered steel, Rein has the attitude and skill to hammer out energetic tracks, using the dancefloor as her anvil. There are a lot of fine details in her vocals, which are confident and muscular when they need to be.

As confident in the studio as she is on stage, Rein co-produces her music, designs her own sounds and programs her own thundering bass lines.

TEC 006 is a series of electronic events curated by The Electricity Club. Cold War Night Life and The Electricity Club are copresenting TEC 006 with Rein and special guests who will be announced.

TEC 006 kicks off at 7:30 pm on the 30th of November, 2019, at Electrowerkz on Torrens Street (closest Tube: Angel, Northern Line).

Tickets are on sale now!

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The Top 17 of 2017

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

After the loss of so many artists in 2016, it was a pleasure to see some of the original synthpop heroes back on the release trail. OMD, Alison Moyet, Erasure and Blancmange were among those with new albums to perform, and they all stuck to what they do best.

Against that backdrop, Depeche Mode‘s effort, Spirit, seemed a tired and forced attempt at American blues-rock.

Depeche Mode used to sing about danger, but there was nothing particularly risky about Spirit. Against a backdrop of nuclear threats, environmental disaster and grinding poverty, the millionaires from Basildon put on beards and taunted their neighbours for letting them down (again?).

The album contained many of the band’s familiar sounds, but fans complained that it lacked the magic of earlier works. We probably won’t see another Depeche Mode album until 2021, so we can only hope that by then Trump will be gone and Martin Gore will have rediscovered the joys of moody electronic pop.

In contrast, this year’s list is packed with risk-takers. From industrial pioneers to Finnish librarians who dabble in experimental soundtracks; from middle-aged Swedish dark electro songwriters to Belgian conceptual artists – 2017 was the year in which those who dared won.

17. Throbbing Gristle – Second Annual Report

It’s a reissue, but Mute’s release of Throbbing Gristle’s first album is a reminder of how potent the capital-I Industrial  quartet were in the second half of the 1970s.

In those days, entertainment for many English youths consisted of shooting fireworks at each other or gobbing on pub rock bands playing at high speed. Synthesizers were the devil’s handiwork, and anyone putting them on stage was a Rick Wakeman effigy waiting to be hung from the nearest faux-Tudor beams.

Throbbing Gristle didn’t care. They liked ABBA and built their own kit. The audience could throw all the chairs they liked – they were going to play on.

The unconventional, deconstructed sound of TG started riots, wound up the press and opened the doors to post-punk experimentation. Second Annual Report turned forty this year, but even in middle age it stands head and shoulders above anything in Pitchfork’s playlist.


Web site: Industrial Records

16. Pieces of Juno – Tacenda/Kalopsia

Norway’s Pieces of Juno released not one but two albums this year. Tacenda and Kalopsia each would have made our list on their own, but together they demonstrate the vitality of Norway’s most promising young artist.

We were treated first to Kalopsia, the “red” piece, which has been nominated for a national prize in Norway. Tacenda, the “blue” piece, followed later in the year. The songs on both albums had been written at the same time, but were sorted by Juno into different releases based upon their feel, setting up a duality that is reflected in their artwork and in Juno’s wigs.

In any event, both albums feel as smooth as stockings being drawn along shaven skin. Not that we would know anything about that, but Juno’s jazzy, trip-hopping sound is both sensual and seductive. The voice of Anana on a cover of Elysian Fields’ “Black Acres,” intoning, “I need to have this little death” – you know the French saying – just adds layers to this picture.

Juno calls her style “Northern Noir,” and it is as good a way as any to describe the sound coming from the speakers. Somewhere between Portishead and Nick Cave, with minor key images emerging from the darkness, with these releases Pieces of Juno has crafted a magical sonic diptych.


Web site: Pieces of Juno

15. Black Line – Treason, Sedition and Subversive Activities

An electronic super-group to rival The Traveling Wilburys, Black Line has a core team in Douglas J. McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb, Fixmer/McCarthy, DJM REX) and Cyrusrex (DJM/REX), and it draws in a long list of collaborators: Bon Harris (Nitzer Ebb), Jason Payne (Nitzer Ebb), Ken ‘hiwatt’ Marshall (Skinny Puppy, DJM/REX), Paul Barker (Ministry/Revolting Cocks), Jon Bates (Big Black Delta), Zack Meyers (Fear of Ghosts), Brad Apodaca (Fear of Ghosts), Anthony Baldino and Michael prophei Dietel (Annodalleb).

The first album from Black Line is completely funked up. “Shut It Down” provides a growling, groovy slice of EBM with McCarthy’s voice scraping like a strop razor over a stomping beat. It out-hammers Nine Inch Nails.

“Changed” comes as a mix from Venetian Snares, adding a touch of Prairie grit. There is plenty of experimental and industrial styling on Treason, Sedition and Subversive Activities, and it is great to hear McCarthy in a fighting mood again.

Black Line are opening for Depeche Mode on the next leg of the European Spirit tour.


Web site: Black Line

14. Parralox – Holiday ’17

Parralox‘s seasonal collections are always heavily anticipated, and the release of Holiday ’17 more than lives up to expectations.

John von Ahlen has a gifted ear for classic synth sounds, and his choice of material is always speaker candy for electronic music fans.

Holiday ’17 comes with covers of The Assembly’s “Stop/Start,” Human League’s “The Dignity of Labour” and Depeche Mode’s “Shine” and “Fools.” Even Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” gets a Parralox makeover.

The real treat is a subversive version of the traditional Christmas song, “O Tannenbaum,” with Katja Kassel guesting. Kassel’s breathy German vocals recall Marlene Dietrich, while von Ahlen’s electronics are playful; toying with the classic to emphasise Kassel’s poise.

Web site: Parralox

13. Goldfrapp – Silver Eye

Goldfrapp - Silver Eye Goldfrapp’s performance at Glastonbury was the kind of jaw dropping event that students discuss between classes the next day.

“Did you see…?”

“Yes! She was amazing!”

Alison Goldfrapp still has one of the best voices in Britain – up there with Jane Caley, for sure – and the show was a mad masterclass in stagecraft. If Madonna was watching, she would have bitten through her lower lip.

What Goldfrapp did live and on the new album, Silver Eye, was avoid the trap of rehashing Kraftwerk or early Human League styles that many synthpop heroes fell into. The results have been outstanding.


Web site: Goldfrapp

12. Anna Öberg – härsknar NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR!

One of the surprises of 2017 was the arrival of Sweden’s Anna Öberg. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, Öberg stunned the electronic music scene with a cutting-edge release designer-made for alternative dancefloors.

Tracks like “Sin mamma” [EN: “Their Mother”] channeled the spirit of Danielle Dax, while “5 minuter” [EN: “5 Minutes”] and “Allt är ägt” [EN: “Everything Is Owned”] went in a harder direction.

“Härsknar” means “rancid” in Swedish, but this was an album with a fresh feel. Produced by Öberg with Charles Storm, it breathed some life back into dark wave in 2017.


Web site: Anna Öberg on Bandcamp

11. UUUU – UUUU

A sonic supergroup, formed from artists connected to Coil, Wire, Dome and Tomaga? Yes, please.

UUUU is the combination of Edvard Graham Lewis, Thighpaulsandra, Matthew Simms and Valentina Magaletti. Their self-titled debut album is a bonkers mixture of krautrock, experimentation, antipop and improvisation.

There must be a trend for songs over 15 minutes – see Frogmore, below – but we’re not arguing for stricter time limits when the material is as interesting as “Five Gates.” The piece we were really struck by, however, is “Verlagerung, Verlagerung, Verlagerung,” a track that could have been mapped out in Conny Plan’s kitchen.

UUUU have live shows coming up in 2018 and we can’t wait.


Web site: Editions Mego

10. Wire – Silver/Lead

Wire never fail to disappoint, and they opened the year with another compelling release.

Silver/Lead is Wire’s fifteenth studio album. In our review, we noted that it comes an adult lifetime after their initial outing:

Forty years later, Silver/Lead shows Wire emerging from the lab on the front foot, turning out the kind of material that the dream-pop set can only dream about. From the delightfully retro sleeve to the cleverer-than-a-chemist lyrics, Wire continue to hold their ground. Over their four decades as a combo, they haven’t blown with the trends of the times, nor have they been stopped by line-up changes, time apart and a near-fatal experiment with drum machines. The new album continues the pattern by drawing on the strands of psychedelia that were hinted at on last year’s Nocturnal Koreans mini-album and infusing them with a sense of groove.

Because Wire are at their most awesome live, we’ve dug out this clip from KEXP with some of the new material:


Web site: Pink Flag

9. Rico C – Frogmore

Frogmore didn’t get the attention it deserved, but we predict that the first solo album from Rico Conning will be a slow burner.

You will recognise Conning from his work as a producer and engineer at Guerilla Studios and for Mute Records (Martin Gore, Frank Tovey, Laibach – it’s a long list), but he knows how to make stunningly creative material of his own.

We were taken by songs like “Fluxus” and “Mercury” that were too long for commercial radio but we didn’t want to end. Frogmore is an album of dream-like grooves that carry you along with them like leaves in the current, and the journey is as interesting as the destination.


Web site: Rico's Reel (blog)

8. Jean-Marc Lederman – The Space Between Worlds

We didn’t finish our review of The Space Between Worlds earlier this year – sorry – but from the moment the boxed CD came through the letterbox it has been a regular feature at CWNL HQ.

When it comes on, there is always a moment of, “Who is that?” Rediscovering Jean-Marc Lederman’s latest album is a joy, because it sounds fresh every time. From the buzzing electronic arc of “Enter the Dragonette,” through the whimsical “Map of the World,” and on to the reverb-heavy touch of “A Darker Snare,” it is an album filled with an exciting experimental spirit.

The Space Between Worlds is Sunday night music: just right to listen to with a snifter and headphones while the world sits still.


Web site: Jean-Marc Lederman on Bandcamp

7. DAF – Das Ist DAF

The original EBM godfathers, DAF, reissued a selection of four albums in a deluxe format this year.

The set included Die Kleinen und die Bösen, Alles ist Gut, Gold und Liebe and Für Immer – all albums that a DAF fan already owns and adores. However, even if they have  listened to “Kebabträume” and “Goldenes Spielzeug” a million times before, there is nothing bad about refreshing the vinyl and adding a slip mat to the collection.

The real treat, however, was a 12” of new mixes from Giorgio Moroder and Boys Noize and a 7″ single with unreleased tracks. They might not have change lives, but their arrival certainly lifted moods.

We spotted DAF’s Robert Görl in one of the year’s most interesting films – the biography of Conny Plank. The scenes he shot with the famous producer and engineer’s son were particularly poignant. This trailer has a short clip with Görl at 1:01 that fans will appreciate:


Web site: Groenland

6. Psyche – Youth of Tomorrow

A new Psyche release is always welcome, but we were very happy when “Youth of Tomorrow” landed. It was heralded by a video that played on a series of 1980s music and television tropes: double-breasted shirts, Michael Jackson gangs and Tony Scott lighting among them.

The 80s have become a cultural archive to be excavated by synthwave enthusiasts and Netflix thrillers. It is fitting, therefore, that one of the original dark wave artists should dig themselves out first.

“Youth of Tomorrow” is great fun, but the flip comes with a serious message. “Truth or Consequence” is about the surveillance state and its discontents. Take it from Darrin:

Your life is on trial
There’s a price on your head
You’re gonna have to pay
For all you’ve given away
The security is all in your mind
You know the safety in numbers
Is making us blind
Your life is on trial
Don’t stand a chance


Web site: Psyche

5. Rein – Freedoom

Rein announced that she is taking 2018 off, following a driving tour schedule to promote Freedoom.

We will miss the Stockholm-based chanteuse, because she has single-handedly reinvigorated the EBM genre.

The Freedoom EP won’t be matched by Rein’s contemporaries anytime soon. With tracks like “Missfit” and the chantable spelling song, “C.A.P.I.T.A.L.I.S.M.,” Rein gave us something to think about as well as dance to.

Come back soon, Rein – music needs your kick up the backside.

4. Black Needle Noise – Lost in Reflections

John Fryer relocated from Oslo to LA this year, but the move to a warmer climate didn’t interrupt the flow of excellent releases from his Black Needle Noise project.

Lost in Reflections, BNN’s most recent collection, continues the pattern of excellent and mind-bending collaborations between Fryer and a long list of accomplished vocalists.

We’ve said before that BNN is the spiritual successor to This Mortal Coil, and Fryer has consistently proven the point.

What makes BNN interesting is the spin that the singers bring to the project. Take the alternately soothing and soaring vocals of Kite Base’s Kendra Frost on “Warning Sign.” Frost’s voice is simply stunning, while Fryer’s instrumentation and production are both elegant and dynamic. Ivo might have retired to live in the desert, while 4AD has become just another hit-seeking label, but Fryer is keeping the true flame of This Mortal Coil alive by letting the human voice have a space of its own.

We love the contribution of Jennie Vee on “Heaven.” Vee recently joined The Eagles of Death Metal as their bassist, but she also has a history of making dreampop material of exceptional quality. “Heaven” finds her in a darker, very personal space, and the results are magnificent.

There are also contributions from Front Line Assembly’s Bill Leeb, Andrea Kerr, Delerium collaborator Mimi Page, Omniflux, Zialand, Ana Breton and Sivert Høyem. Each has its own, distinctive qualities, but the collection is held together by Fryer’s sublime production.


Web site: Black Needle Noise on Bandcamp

3. Kite Base – Latent Whispers

Kite Base is as close as you can get to the pulse of London’s alternative sound.

Throbbing basslines, rhythms that tense and release like muscles, vocals both sapphic and seraphic – this is music from the core. Pity the finger-snapping hipsters from the suburbs who are trying to impress each other with clones of Phoebe from Friends.

After seeing the band live, it was no surprise to find that Latent Whispers is a mighty debut album. Dueling bassists, a drum machine and one of the strongest vocalists we’ve heard combine to perform sturdy tracks with a deep sense of groove. It’s like indie-funk fuelled by Irn Bru.


Web site: Kite Base

2. Lau Nau – Poseidon

Finland’s Lau Nau is one of Europe’s most interesting artists. She crosses bridges between folk, experimentation and chamber music with ease, and her output is a dream for movie makers.

Poseidon is Lau Nau’s follow up to Hem. Någonstans, the soundtrack to the eponymous film. It’s an antipodean partner to that album, filled with sounds and feelings drawn from warmer days. We found that the best musical signposts were somewhere between Virginia Astley, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Sigur Rós, but Lau Nau’s sound is both original and daring.

We expect that this will end up in a Hollywood music consultant’s bag of surprises sooner rather than later.


Web site: Lau Nau

1. Page – Det Är Ingen Vacker Värld Men Det Råkar Vara Så Det Ser Utt  ALBUM OF THE YEAR!

Sweden’s poptronica pioneers started as a singles band, but after three decades of work have honed the album format to perfection.

Det Är Ingen Vacker Värld… is Page’s meisterwerk. Eddie Bengtsson’s compositions out-Numan Numan with Moog filters and angular phrasing, but the secret to the album’s success is its pop intentions.

“Tid För En Kyss” is knock-out poptronica. No one else is writing songs like “Lägger Av.” Page’s formula is one part integrity and two parts audacity, and the combination puts the band streets ahead of its competitors.

Known as Sweden’s Vince Clarke, Bengtsson is fearless in his pursuit of pure poptronica. There is no auto-tune on any of the vocals. No concessions are made to the demands of hit radio. All of the tracks are made with authentic Moogs. The sounds are crafted without presets and reach straight for your hips.

You don’t have to dance, but if you don’t then you’ll have missed all the fun.


Web site: Hot Stuff

 

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Rein Kicks A.S.S. with Freedoom

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

The first time we talent-spotted Rein was about fifteen minutes after she put her first song on Soundcloud. The Swedish EBM artist has been a rocket ride since “There Is No Authority But Yourself” became our Track of the Day: nominations for Swedish awards keep flowing in; her songs are on mainstream radio and crushing the college circuit; and Dagens Nyheter’s Fredrik Strage thinks she’s the bomb.

He’s not wrong. There was a point when we were worried that there are only so many ways to make 16 beat step sequencing interesting, but Rein has put those concerns to rest. Freedoom (Playground), her new EP, takes a path that leads directly to the dancefloor. The opening track, “Missfit,” proves what we have been saying all along: the lady can sing! Yes, she can shout, scream and holler, but Rein has vocal chords as sweet as her lungs are steely. We were first given a glimpse in “Concrete Jungle,” but now the secret is out.

Don’t worry – Rein hasn’t gone all Tove Lo. Her instrumental compositions are blistering, as the industrial acid of “C.A.P.I.T.A.L.I.S.M.” and rolling bass of “Bruises” prove. Her vocals are solid, her politics are fierce, and Rein still packs a hell of a punch.

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Beatbox Live: Poptronica by the Water

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

Beatbox Live
Halmstad, SE
15 Oct 2016

img_2361Halmstad is half-way between Gothenburg and Malmo on Sweden’s west coast. A perfect meeting place, therefore, for the country’s most enthusiastic poptronica fans. A small venue on the edge of the water provides the setting for an amiable evening to host a mini-festival featuring Canada’s best-loved synthpop heroes, Rational Youth, a rare appearance by Italo legend Paul Rein, a tribute to the sorely missed Krister Petersson, and more.

img_2389Proving The Electricity Club’s dictum that “the best shows are the ones curated by fans,” Beatbox Live was an ambitious but carefully-organised event, combining nostalgia and novelty in equal measure. It began with Electric City Cowboys, a part-time act from Karlshamn, who warmed up the crowd with danceable songs, and Modiga Agenter [EN: Brave Agents], who provided evidence of the talent bubbling under the surface of the Swedish scene.

Then it was the turn of Candide, one of our favourite Swedish acts. The group consistently delivers a stylish, crafted form of poptronica, and they had hips and feet in motion throughout their set. They gave away one of their copies of the Heresy tribute to Rational Youth, which features their version of “City of Night,” delighting the winning fan at the front of the stage.

img_2386A special event took place in the middle of the programme to remember the sorely-missed Krister Petterson. Pettersson was the Swedish Italo scene’s most visible booster, and he was also a key part of the legendary Vision Talk. Richard Flow from Machinista, who co-founded Vision Talk with Pettersson, led proceedings with a short set of classic Vision Talk songs before being joined by vocalist John Lindqwister for an equally too-brief set of Machinista songs.

The group Italove from Stockholm took the stage next, showing off a high energy passion for Italo Disco. While a lot of Italo can sound same-same, Italove managed to keep the audience’s interest with solid beats and danceable melodies.

img_2353Paul Rein is known to some as the father of Joanna Rein, our favourite EBM warrior. While Rein the Younger was waiting to go on stage at Stockholm’s Bodyfest, pere Rein was treating a crowd of nostalgic fans to a set of his hits, including “Communicate” and “Hold Back Your Love”. He’s lost some hair but none of his capacity to belt out a solid dance track.

img_2350Then it was the turn of Rational Youth. The Canadian legends were making their first Swedish appearances since releasing Future Past Tense, this year’s EP. Despite some technical problems that raised the possibility of the event going unplugged, they ploughed on with a set of classics and the newer material. Tracy and Gaenor Howe had just warmed up for Midge Ure (Ultravox, Visage, The Rich Kids) in Toronto, but were as happy as clams to be amongst the black-clad poptronica fans of Wallander country.

img_2392During “Everything Is Vapour,” Howe lost his microphone to a superfan in the crowd, but there were plenty of voices singing along to carry the chorus without amplification. None of the new material was lost in the set, and equal love was shown for classic and recent songs. The boisterous set ran late into the frigid Swedish night, keeping the darkness away for a hall filled with happy syntare.

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Can You Handle Rein?

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

A blast of cool air from the North reveals that Rein is on the march. The Swedish EBM warrior and our 2015 New Artist of the Year has her debut solo show in Stockholm on 5 January 2015, an EP due any minute, and a brand new video for her song, “Can’t Handle Me.”

Tougher than tempered steel, Rein has the attitude and skill to hammer out energetic tracks, using the dancefloor as her anvil. There are a lot of fine details in her vocals, which are confident and muscular when they need to be. We love this track, which is sure to be a crowd favourite.

Rein performs at Obaren in Stockholm on Tuesday, 5 January 2016.

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The Top 15 of 2015

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

If 2013 was the year of new music and 2014 the year of the live show, what was the defining feature of 2015? We’d say that it was the development of collectives organising to support artists outside of the record industry mainstream. The trend picked up steam with I Am Snow Angel joining forces with Dani Mari and Claire London. They called themselves Female Frequency and started crowdfunding to produce an album made entirely by women artists. Over in Norway, the KOSO collective launched with a similar spirit. This was less of a feminist statement than a reflection of feminine confidence. The record industry might be run by men in suits and their hipster-bearded minions, and EDM might have been born in some boys’ bedrooms, but this year the female of the species got tired of waiting for her turn. She sounds great.

 

15. Train to Spain – What It’s All About

We called What It’s All About the soundtrack to summer, and with its effervescent synths and sparkling vocals it was glittery bliss for the trip to the beach on bright weekends. Those days are long forgotten in Europe, suffering in the cold and damp of a stormy December, but we have Polaroids to remind us that Train to Spain’s first album was an accomplished debut.

 

14. Hannah Peel – Rebox 2

Hannah Peel’s first EP of cover songs, Rebox, tackled classic 80s pop gems, like “Tainted Love” and “Blue Monday.” Her second, Rebox 2, picked tracks from more current artists, such as East India Youth (with whom she toured) and Perfume Genius. We love Peel’s original material, but there is no faulting her song choices or interpretations here. As ever, Peel’s voice is the draw – it travels on wavelengths of exceptional clarity and has the impact of a Holi carnival of colours.

 

13. Machinista – Garmonbozia

Machinista’s second album showed off the continued strength of their songwriting, as well as John Lindqwister’s penetrating vocals. Last year’s debut, Xenoglossy, set the template, and there was clearly more Lynchian, dancefloor-friendly poptronica waiting to come out.

 

12. Muricidae – Tales from a Silent Ocean

John Fryer, the legendary producer and songwriter, pushed out two major projects in 2015: Silver Ghost Shimmer, a grinding, sexy project with singer Pinky Turzo; and Muricidae, a Mortal Coil-esque enterprise featuring Louise Fraser. We found it hard to choose between them, but in the end kept coming back to this jewel from Muricidae’s debut album, Tales from a Silent Ocean. Set to repeat, it’s perpetually Sunday after sundown, and that’s our favourite time.

 

11. Marsheaux – A Broken Frame

Reinterpreting a Depeche Mode album with synthesizers might seem a neat conceit from a distance, but when it is A Broken Frame, the Basildon boys’ second, purely electronic album, you might also ask, “Why?” The answer is that Depeche Mode have long turned their back on that masterful set of experimental pop. If Gore and Gahan aren’t going to develop the ideas that were first captured in Blackwing Studios, back in 1982, then why not some fans from Athens who have a line in angelic electropop? By giving the songs a modern makeover, Marsheaux breathed new life into them – if only DM would do the same!

 

10. Vile Electrodes – Captive in Symmetry

There still isn’t a band in Britain that is making music at the level of Vile Electrodes. Their three-track EP, Captive in Symmetry, reminded everyone of that, but so did a show warming up for Mesh and a headline performance at “A Secret Wish.” This was also the year that the BBC discovered the Viles, as did lecturers in media studies at an academic event in Dusseldorf. After years of breaking the fourth wall, surely it’s time they punched through the glass ceiling, as well!

 

9. Pieces of Juno – “Same to Me” VIDEO OF THE YEAR!

In the year of A-Ha’s return, we discovered a Norwegian artist we like better: Pieces of Juno, an Oslo-based songstress, caught our attention with leftfield poptronica and creative video work. We first heard her providing backing vocals for Karin Park at Electronic Summer, which was a mighty performance all-round, and a little digging unearthed a vein of gold and silver.

Nothing against Morten & Co., but things have moved on a little. These days, Juno and friends in the KOSO collective are making their own way without the support of major record labels. As this effort shows, Norwegians are still doing great video work to accompany the sounds from the North.


 

8. Me the Tiger – Vitriolic

One of the stand-out performances of 2015 came from Sweden’s Me the Tiger at Gothenburg’s legendary Electronic summer event. The trio from Falun shook the walls with outstanding songs and fabulous vocals from Gabriella Åström. It turned out that they’d put it all down in the studio, too, and Vitriolic was bottled lightning. With DAF’s management behind them, they’re going to go far.

 

7. Jennie Vee – Spying

The word “muse” comes up a lot in writing about New York’s Jennie Vee. Not in the sense of a glam- and prog-influenced rock band that puts marching teddy bears in their anti-NWO videos, but as an artist who stimulates others. Courtney Love has used the term to describe Vee, as has her photographer, Katrin Albert. We just call her great, because Vee has given shoegaze a shiny, patent-leather kick from behind. Her first solo album, Spying, demonstrated that the preceding EPs weren’t kidding with their emphatic, bass-driven dreampop. We’ll be spinning this for a long time yet.


 

6. Karin Park – Apocalypse Pop

The arrival of Karin Park’s fifth studio album was keenly anticipated. There had been a three year interlude since Highwire Poetry, and it turned out that the extended gestation period did nothing to detract from Park’s sense of melody. With a diverse group of songwriters collaborating on compositions, the album’s flavours change like an American gobstopper candy: layers peel away to reveal a raw, inner core of emotional authenticity that you get from few other artists. “Hard Liquor Man” and “Look What You’ve Done” will become classics of Park’s live show, but we also loved “Stick to the Lie,” which had a single release with this remix.

 

5. Dan Söderqvist – Dark Flowers Awake

Dan Söderqvist’s sidelines from Twice a Man have included a number of collaborations with European and American artists. This year, he picked through the archives for some of the best, which were collected as Dark Flowers Awake. With contributions by the artists behind Building Castles Made of Matchsticks, Narcoleptica and Mono-Drone, among others, the album showcased Söderqvist’s experimental forays but also how far his influence reaches beyond Sweden’s borders.

 

4. Rein – “Concrete Jungle” NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR!

We’ve been waiting for Rein to come along – a fierce, independent woman who combines talent with a capacity for attitude and aggression that can tame the hardest death metal grunt. Armed with a copy of Reason, Rein stormed onto Soundcloud with the old-school EBM of “There Is No Authority But Yourself,” followed quickly by “Concrete Jungle.” The latter proved that she has a fantastic voice, while this mix pushed us out onto the floor all over again. Dance, pilgrim!

 

3. Lau Nau – Hem. Någonstans

Finnish avant-folk composer, Lau Nau, breezed into our consciousness with the soundtrack to Hem. Nagonstans, a film by Lotta Petronella. Readers of The Wire and visitors to obscure festivals will have got there ahead of us, but the musical world of Laura Naukkarinen is one that we are happy to inhabit. A rare London appearance confirmed the organic beauty of Lau Nau’s voice and vision. We’ve been walking barefoot among the birch trees ever since.

 

2. Sista mannen på jorden – …translate EP OF THE YEAR!

R-6954020-1430309974-3662.jpegReleased to mark SMPJ’s first London show, at Cold War Night Life’s “A Secret Wish,” …translate was an ultra-limited edition EP, featuring English versions of some of the band’s best-known songs. With a darker version of “Stadens alla ljus” rendered as “All the City Lights” and the classic “Luft” reprised as “Air,” this was the perfect introduction to Sweden’s best-loved poptronica outfit.

The EP isn’t available as a download – you had to be there. Sorry if you couldn’t make the show, but singer/songwriter Eddie B did share this taster on his Soundcloud account.

 

1. Twice a Man – Presence ALBUM OF THE YEAR!

Twice a Man have been making music together for four decades, but they’ve never lost their bleeding-edge coolness. In 2015, they released a new album, Presence, with the political verve and musical mastery to show the new generation how it is done. This is a remix that appeared on the single for “Black,” proving that there is plenty of juice in the engine yet.

 

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Here Comes the Rein!

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

artworks-000130785275-83l73y-t500x500Fierce! There’s no other word to describe the music of Rein, who jumped from our speakers with her first release, “There Is No Authority But Yourself.” With its independent attitude and blistering beats, we were immediately converted and it became our Track of the Day. In the weeks that have followed, Rein has revealed additional material and appeared in a video for The Operating Tracks. We tracked her down ahead of Sweden’s Bodyfest event to find out a little more about this uncompromising new artist.

You’ll be performing soon at Bodyfest in Stockholm with The Operating Tracks. How did your collaboration with them come about?

A friend of mine knew The Operating Tracks’ manager. My friend mailed him a short presentation about me and my songs. This was just some days after I uploaded my demos on Soundcloud. Then we had a chat, and he had an idea for me to guest in one of their songs. They sent me “Testify” and I was recording my part at home in Reason. I actually first met Carl and Carolina when we recorded the music video. I really liked them immediately.

Your solo material is very old-school EBM. What bands inspire your sound?

Thanks! I do, of course, get very inspired by Nitzer Ebb, but not only them. I get inspired by crust punk, too, for example. I like short songs with short lyrics. But I am also very inspired by other music genres, like electro, where there is a lot of dynamic in the synths with effects and stuff. I like to take cool parts from genres that I like and make something cool with it all together.

You previously played drums in a band [The Blister Exists], but your voice is great and belongs in the lead position. Do you have a singing background?

I have been singing since I was four years old. I was raised in a family where everything was about music, because my whole family work with music, lyrics and performance. So, it has always been natural to me to sing, perform and create music. But I was self taught – I never made it to a music school. I was always singing to the radio in the car with my father and did some school shows. I really love to sing and always have.

We saw a picture of you using Reason. Do you do all of your own recording and production?

Yes, I do! I have created songs in Reason since I was thirteen years old, and there’s nothing strange about that! I get this question a lot because I am a woman, I guess. I guess a lot of men aren’t getting this question as much.

What is in your heart that still needs to come out through your music?

I want to make music for people who don’t have a voice and sing about injustices in society with some kick-ass beats.

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Rein – There Is No Authority But Yourself

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

A frontal assault on your senses, “There Is No Authority But Yourself” shakes you from your PBR-fuelled complacency and kicks you out onto the dancefloor with old school EBM patterns. From her forceful, electro-Amazon vocals, we’d say that Joanna Rein’s not compromising, so you’ll need to let someone else feed your sourdough starter and get your heavy boots on. You’re not a trend-following, peer-pressure absorbing hipster – you’re the Authority. And there isn’t another one but you.

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