Browsing Tag

Depeche Mode

Ireland’s most experimental luminary ReHumanise has unleashed his monolithically surreal love song, Elemental

Posted on 11 June 2022

After a psychedelically soulful introduction to Irish multi-instrumentalist and producer, ReHumanise through his 2020 debut, our eyes and ears have been firmly affixed to the sonic maverick.

In his latest single, Elemental, he stormed in cooler and infinitely more visceral than Editors did when they unleashed Munich; it is a percussive electronic masterpiece with the acoustic snares snapping over the weight of the heavy electro beats. Juxtaposing-ly, every volatile fixture serves to contrast the soulful beckoning of the vocals as they project the canderous outpour of emotion in the celestial love song. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if he had to travel to a parallel universe to write it.

Inspired by the likes of Depeche Mode, Radiohead and The Smiths, any true romantic with an affinity for unpretentiously humanistic experimental music will want to save space on their playlists.

Polished by the Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer, James Auwarter, Elemental is set to take ReHumanise to even greater heights after he released a top 5 hit in Ireland in 2017 under his real name, Damian Brady, and racked up over 90k streams on his seminal single 2020, Hu Man.

Check out Elemental on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Yarsha has made his quirky darkwave electro debut, Do you wanna dance

Posted on 29 May 2022
https://open.spotify.com/track/0cc7i3ojtavuAUlqes7BDt?si=b86e08159aa64459

The darkwave synth-pop genre saw a surge of quirky innovation after the release of the debut single, Do you wanna dance, from the Italian self-proclaimed nerdy spiritual data scientist, Yarsha.

Starting with a similar stylistically moody edge as Depeche Mode and New Order, you’re drawn in by the familiarity. Once you are safely nestled into the synth-carved soundscape, that’s when the indulgent obscurities start to manifest in the distorted vocal layers and caustic effects which amass around the 80s synths. By that point, you’re suitably hooked in the paradox of so much personality breathing through an electronica soundscape, which progressively flirts with the more mechanical proclivities of industrial. It’s enough to make Covenant sound lobotomised.

To answer the question proposed by the title, as long as this track is playing, it is a resounding yes for me. We can’t wait to hear what the rest of the upcoming debut album contains.

Do you wanna dance is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Swedish pop pioneers Laptop Singers have launched their latest single, ‘The Lonely One’.

Posted on 4 July 2021

Swedish pop pioneers Laptop Singers have launched their latest interstellar electropop hit, The Lonely One. Fans of Kraftwerk, Eno and Numan are going to want to delve into the synth-carved playful single that explores isolation in a compassionately sweet way. Hitting play is a sure-fire way to top up your serotonin.

With a sticky-sweet mix of synthesised pop, rock and electronica, the familial duo, Per Andersson and Lars Andersson, constructed a delectable smorgasbord for the tonal palette. Yet, discernibly, they came into their own through their meaningful lyrics that instil event more infectious appeal into The Lonely One instead of abstracting the euphorically-laced catharsis.

The Lonely One is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Walking Trees have made their psychedelically despondent alt-rock debut with ‘SOUTHSIDE aLIVE!’

Posted on 5 March 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElQG9ES4f2Q

Racking up over 10k streams and garnering major airplay with a debut release is the dream for many aspiring artists, The Walking Trees first single ‘SOUTHSIDE aLIVE! is equally as ethereal.

By channelling post-punk despondency vocally, infusing Depeche Mode-style atmosphere and exuding frenetic Black Keys-style blues through the guitars and keys, SOUTHSIDE aLIVE! drips with Marlon Brando-level cool.

The Frank Zappa-Esque. Spoken word verse was so much more than a nod to an icon, the serpentine canter of the poetry is utterly transfixing as it affirms the amount of artistic intellect behind The Walking Trees sound which carries reminiscence from everyone from Gorillaz to the Cramps.

The Walking Trees is everything a modern alt-rock act should be. From their image to their experimental intrigue, everything points in the direction of success for The Walking Trees. With their forthcoming single due for release in late February, they are well-worth having on your radar.

You can check out the official music video which premiered on January 23rd via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

 

Mercury Teardrop – Everlight: 80s Post Punk meets Sonically Absorbing Ambient Electronica

Posted on 21 June 2020

Fans of 80s Post Punk will definitely want to greet the chilling atmospheric synths and analogue guitars featured in Mercury Teardrop’s debut album Apparitions of a Dying Moon.

While each of the soundscapes is a finely orchestrated intricately textured feat of escapism, the best introduction to Mercury Teardrop’s sound is undoubtedly the fourth single, “Everlight”.

With tones which tear through you and the absorbingly unpredictable progressions in the extended-length track, listening to Everlight is a full-body experience. After hearing the album at home, I now have a visceral need for Mercury Teardrops’ walls of deftly crafted noise to hit me live.

Mercury didn’t just pay homage to bands such as Joy Division, the Cure, Depeche Mode and Talk Talk with their debut. He reinvented perpetually cutting energy of Post Punk whilst also weaving their love for Ambient Electronica into the sonically blissful mix.

All songs written, performed and produced by Bradley Roger Baum.

You can stream Everlight along with the rest of Mercury Teardrop’s debut album which was released on June 6th via Spotify.

Connect with the artist and stay up to date with future releases via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Harbor Gents – Twisted: Funk-Fuelled Alt Synth Pop

Posted on 14 May 2020

There are very few breaking Pop artists who can match the instantly magnetic ingenuity in Harbor Gents’ latest single Twisted.

Through soul-spilling lyrics, evocatively resonant vocals and the layers of Funk, Hip Hop, and Avant-Garde added to the Synth lines, you’ve never quite heard a Pop track like Twisted before.

Despite the striking distinction which drips from Twisted, Harbor Gents ensured that the accessibility wasn’t diminished, the deftly crafted melodies will stick to your synapses like superglue.

Any fans of Gary Numan, Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode will undoubtedly want to give this perennial Pop earworm plenty of attention. The Latvian artist is definitely one to watch. It isn’t every day that we discover an artist who creates a brand-new trajectory in the evolution of Pop.

You can check out Harbor Gents’ single Twisted for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Joe Adhemar releases his new alt rock effort Space Between Spaces

Posted on 5 May 2020

Impressive how alternative rock can develop into new wave and still maintain a taste of industrial music! Let yourself be impressed with Space Between Spaces, the opening track of Joe Adhemar’s homonymous album.

The delayed vocals in the first verse reminded me of what the RHCP did in One Hot Minute (remember ‘Warped’?) even though not as swinging, before floating onto a gentle synth melody that opens up to a beautiful alternation of compressed fuzz guitars and cleaner ones.

It’s the kind of trick Depeche Mode would probably play. Or if they wouldn’t, Joe Adhemar will with valuable originality.

The harmonic soundscape lays the perfect foundation for the melody playing with slightly dissonant notes that confer even more peculiarity to an already distinctive style.

Don’t wait too long to jump on Spotify and enjoy Space Between Spaces.

Review by Jim Esposito.

Centric – The Fifth Dimension: Pure Unadulterated Progressive Sound

Posted on 5 November 2017

The Virginia based band Centric are an absolute analogue dream. Their track The Fifth Dimension was released in October 2017 but they’re worthy of a throwback review of their genius approach to music. It truly is a crime that Centric still lingers on the underground music scene,

Centric’s music has all of the synthesised delight of Depeche Mode, Gary Numan and Shiny Toy Guns with a delectably soft Industrial EBM sound. Their futuristic sound provides a tranquil yet lucidly progressive aura. It’s expertly orchestrated with an innovative sound that’s pushed through each beat to provide you with a myriad of emotions as the track runs through its 5 minute duration. Centric’s other tracks such as Heartlead and Telluride provide much more of a synthesised grungy sound not too dissimilar from bands such as the Editors. Bands such as Centric prove that Grunge and soft rock have an Infinite Malleability, and their elemental influence can be revelled in in a plethora of other genres.

If this hit dropped on a dancefloor, I have no doubt in my mind that the crowd would be immersed in its euphoria. Their tracks retain an upbeat sound that’s highly resonant and provides a sea of soundwaves for you to sink into as your mind expands in time with the melody.

Check out their single which you can download for FREE on the BandCamp page using the link below!

https://centric.bandcamp.com/track/the-fifth-dimension

A&R Factory Present: Villiers

Posted on 4 May 2016

Villiers are a deliciously dark synth pop/ new wave four piece from the north of England. Forming in 2011, originally as a three piece, they released first single ‘The Dancer’ on Jack to Phono records to rave reviews and airplaya acorss the world from BBC Radios 2’s Janice Long and Jonathan Leigh Rosen’s ‘Lopsided world of L’.

New single ‘Wandering’ encapsulates many of the iconic sounds of which the band have been influenced by such as New Order, Bronksi Beat and Depeche Mode creating a dreamy yet dramatic pop track that’s sure to get those bodies on the indie dancefloor. The track tells a tale of love and angst set against a dark, drug fuelled club scene.

The band are brother Ben and Daniel Earnshaw, Daniel Buckle and Mike Bradford.

Live dates:
May 29th – Darwen Live (Mainstage)
June 17th – Night and Day, Manchester (Supporting Avec Sans)
July 6th – SummerDays Festival, Clitheroe Castle