Electronically Yours

Electro innovators Depeche Mode have today confirmed a major world tour for 2009 at a press conference in Berlin this afternoon.
The ' Tour Of The Universe' is the band's first ever worldwide stadium tour that will take place in 28 cities and will kick off in Israel on May 10th shortly after the release of DM's follow-up to 2005 album 'Playing The Angel'.

Mode's last tour that ended in the summer of 2006, shifted a staggering 1,8 million tickets for 87 dates according to the BBC who covered the news today, however there is bad news for UK fans. The band will only be playing one date at the less than popular 02 Arena (formerly known as the monstrous 'London Dome').
This could be a reaction to low album sales for 'Playing The Angel' - an album that sold 3 million copies worldwide but amazingly only managed sales of around 70,000 here in the UK
Mode have always felt more at home on the continent where they continue to score number one hits (The Martin Gore gem 'Precious' was the band's biggest selling single in Europe since 'Enjoy The Silence').


General media apathy to one of our most influential acts could also explain the solitary London date which is of no comfort to Mode fans up north, but one could argue that the previous tour contained too many dates which tended to have an adverse effect on Dave's vocals towards the end.
Whatever the reasons, DM tours are always special and we are buzzing here at EY HQ in Ascot over the prospect of new Mode live dates.

The thought of traveling to the O2 fills us with dread - so we will probably skip that date and hop on a plane to catch Mode in Europe (it's something we've always wanted to do...).

You can watch most of the press conference on LiveNation via this link where one journalist revealed that two new DM songs played prior to the Q&A were very 'electronic' and a 'return to the band's roots'. Fletch also confirmed that DM have signed a new worldwide deal with EMI/Mute.

A new single is expected to be released in March 2009..


Here are the tour dates in full:


May

10 - Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan Stadium
12 - Athens, Terra Vibe Park
14 - Istanbul, Santral Istanbul
16 - Bucharest, Park Izvor
18 - Sofia, Vasil Levski Stadium
20 - Belgrade, USCE Park
21 - Zagreb, Arena (Tuborg Greenfest)
23 - Warsaw, Gwardia Stadium
25 - Riga, Skonto Stadium
27 - Vilnius, Zalgirio Stadionas
30 - London, O2 Arena

June

02 - Hamburg, HSH Nordbank Arena
04 - Dusseldorf, LTU Arena
07 - Leipzig, Zentralstadion
10 - Berlin, Olympiastadion
12 - Frankfurt, Commerzbank Arena
13 - Munich, Olympiastadion
16 - Rome, Stadio Olympico
18 - Milan, Stadio San Siro
20 - Werchter, TW Classic Festival
22 - Bratislava, Inter Stadium
23 - Budapest, Puskas Ferenc Stadium
25 - Prague, Slavia Stadium
27 - Paris, Stade Du France
30 - Copenhagen, Parken

July

02 - Bergen, Bergen Festival
03 - Arvika, Arvika Festival
11 - Porto, Superbock Super Rock Festival

Related links:
DM Official site for full ticket details
Home
BBC News
NME

As the EY Special Edition of 'Electricity' spends a second week in the MusicNonStop Bestsellers Top 10, we got Chi Ming Lai to fire off some questions to the very talented Jon Von Ahlen who wrote and produced Parralox's Krafty and loveable debut album.

Chi caught up with up with the Parralox knob twiddler a week after the album was released to find out Jon's initial reactions to finally holding the 'Electricity' CD, the band's amazing work rate, a night watching Yazoo in London that inspired a stand-out track and future live plans for EY3...




Chi: The recording and release of the 'Electricity' album has been turned around in a really quick time frame. Do you always work this quickly or has there been a particular motivation that has driven PARRALOX?


John: A bit of both really. I do tend to produce music pretty quickly in general. Most of the stuff is done on pure instinct so if you dwell on something for too long you tend to loose perspective and the vibe, so it's better to churn it out and sit back and see what happened. Most of the time that works, but some songs do take a little longer, both in terms of songwriting and production. Some songs on the album literally took 4 hours from conception to completion.

On one of the tracks ('You And Me Both') I was literally writing the last lyric for the song as Roxy was arriving at the studio! LOL My engineer has often joked about how quickly I work and most people would not believe how quickly these songs were churned out! But just because they were produced quickly doesn't mean that they are disposable or that there was less thought or importance placed on them. I love all my songs as if they were my children (And we know what's best for you!)

Having said that - I did consciously make sure that we kept our momentum going because we had already received such a great response from our first track ('I Fell In Love With A Drum Machine'). With that in mind, we recorded every Monday at 4pm, often times I would have had no sleep due to the fact that I work night shift at a hospital on the weekends. But I used that to our benefit as my sleep deprived state often induced weird thoughts and many songs wouldn't exist if I hadn't been so tired!

At the end of the day it's just another way to write/produce music but I wouldn't really recommend it on a long term basis. I like to explore different production and song writing techniques all the time because it just keeps things fresh.

Chi: What was the feeling when you received your batch of CDs from the factory knowing they were going to be sent to people who love your music?

John: Really amazing. I was so proud and I still am, especially as I am now reading the reviews that are starting to come in about the album and how much people are enjoying it. It was a really special time when Roxy and I were signing the first batch of CDs because I was thinking 'pretty soon someone else will be holding this CD and listening to our music'.
What makes it more profound is that these people actually took the time to pay for the CD and that means the world to us (as opposed to downloading it illegally).
To know that people actually listen to, and appreciate, the music we have made is totally what it's all about for us. If we get some fame and glory then that's a bonus, and as much as it sounds like a tired old cliche: we do this because we love music. A lot!

Chi: The track 'You & Me Both' is obviously an ode to YAZOO but it sounds like it might have been influenced by by AFRIKA BAMBAATA and GARY NUMAN?

John: Might have been? I'm just waiting for the lawyers to come knocking on the door LOL!! Actually that song was just an experiment in fusion I guess - a friend of mine played me that Gary Numan CD and i liked the song so much I based the production for 'You And Me Both' around that song. It's like a mash-up really - but without the original song. All the sounds are faithfully recreated using a combination of virtual and outboard synths, so that was a real challenge in itself.

Chi: Is there a pivotal song for you on 'Electricity' which could sum up the last 12 months for you?

John: You mean 6 months don't you! Parralox was only conceived in February this year! But I think that's not really a fair question because I love all the songs on 'Electricity' - and I wrote them! I guess one song is more of a literal summation of the events this year and that is 'You And Me Both' which tells the true story of a band we (Rob and Me!) both saw in London this year. The lyrics pretty much tell it like it is!

Chi: Have you worked out the instrumentation you'll be using for PARRALOX's UK debut at EY3?

John: Nope! My other band 'The Tenth Stage' is performing at Melbourne Fringe Festival 2008 and that is taking up a lot of my time with rehearsals and preparation. But that all winds up at the end of the week, so then I will have a few days off and then start preparing for EY3. I already know which songs we will be performing at EY3 and I have also started recording 2 new songs for the show which will be previewed at EY3 - they are cover versions that i think all electro fans will love!

Chi: Are you in the UK just for EY3 or will you be doing other stuff while you're on these shores?

John: Just for EY3 - we are all yours. We thought it's a great opportunity for us to officially launch the album in UK and it only seems natural given that this CD is really a joint venture between Parralox & EY (you and me both baby!!)

John: You're already planning the next album. Have you any ideas as to how you would like it to sound?

Oh yes. There are always plenty of ideas. But I find that for projects like this it's better to work 'in the now' to keep things fresh. Although I do want to keep experimenting with the fusion of old and new. Of course that's not a new concept, but I guess it all depends on the final product. The most important thing though is the song writing, so I'm really looking forward to that. I think we will continue with our core concept of science fiction/surrealism/synthetic. I love the idea of a dystopian future, and I like the idea of surreal lyricism so that's one theme that I will continue with.

One thing I can tell you is that the next album will be featuring a few new guest vocalists. Roxy and I have chatted about this and we are both very excited about it! Roxy of course will still be part of Parralox, so don't worry!

Message ends...

Related links:
Parralox @ myspace
Online Parralox store
EY3


Lovely new review of 'Electricity'...

A brand new review for the EY Special Edition of 'Electricity' has just appeared on one of the best UK pop blogs on the net - 'Worrapolava'.

The opening paragraph is so good that we've reproduced it in full here:

'This week saw a very special jiffy bag of delights pop through the door chez moi. After months of having to listen to the wonderous Parralox via TheirSpace the first track on their new album, Electricity summed up its arrival: "Congratulations that we've come so far/It's a pleasure to meet you finally". And singer Roxy, writer/producer John and their LinnDrum don't disappoint. Their debut is as sparky as Summer Heights High and as confident as Dare. Each track is a perfect pop song. There's melody, succinct lyrics and radio-friendly vocals all held together within a verse/chorus format, and like Dare, the only instruments are a synthesizer and drum machine (although the digi effects are very much 2008).'

To read the review in full that also includes a new Q&A with John & Roxy - please his this link.




Coming up shortly - The Mighty Marsheaux plus the latest on UNDO/EMI's 'EY Vol 1' (it will be worth the wait ;)).

In just two months time, EY will be bringing together some of the best bands of 2008 for a night of crispy-hook-laden-electro - full of new stompers that are currently light years of most in the dreary old UK Top 40.
EY3 will also be a night of stunning live vocals across all three acts and in the coming weeks, Chi Ming Lai will be catching up with all the EY3 acts with a series of interviews and it all kicks off today with RBW's lovely electro magnetic Candy.

RBW's vocal talents are set to become legendary and for Candy, it could all be in her impressive genes as Chi discovers along with desired undergarments...

The song 'Synthesizer' is very naughty, do you realise the lyrics are an electro nerd's wet dream?

Naughty? Whatever gave you that idea?! 'Take My Body Now, Feel it Pumping Through My Veins' are very respectable lyrics and don't have any sexual references in them at all! Hahahaha! As if - the naughtier the better I say. We are all very sexually confident girls who know how to have fun and tease. If there's two things I know how to do well, its singing and flirting!!!!

You're the only one in the trio who's not had classical training. So where did that big voice come from?

As narcissistic as it sounds (and I don't mean it to be) I guess I have a natural gift. I have been blessed with a singing voice without having had any training and I am very thankful for that. I guess the big voice came from my family's genes. Marc Bolan of T-Rex was my cousin, Georgia Brown too was a cousin of mine and my sister Jodie is a successful actress on the West End Stage. Singing has been in my family's blood forever. Not dancing though - I have 2 left feet!!!!

Your sound fuses 'girl power' with electro. What do you think RED BLOODED WOMEN have that makes you different from standard girl groups and regular synthesizer bands?

I love this question. 'What Makes Us Different?' It's not difficult to answer at all! Have you got a year? It's gonna take that long to reel off the spiel!!!!





First off, we can sing. We write all of our own lyrics which come from personal experiences and we mean what we sing. Hopefully that comes off in our performances. Which brings me to my other point. We perform like it's gonna be our last. We want this so much that we live for each note we sing, each dance move we make, each silly piece of banter we say on stage. We LOVE doing this and we do it with conviction, which most girl groups don't possess.


We are different because we love Pop and we're not afraid to say it. But we have cleverly infused it with an electro grace which works so damn well! I look at the girls, manager, producers and everyone else who is involved as family. We earned alot of respect and dish it out too, which I think also makes us shine that bit brighter than other bands.

Has anyone ever said to you that you look like Dani Behr?

Aaaaaah, the old Dani Behr lookalike! She was a corker in her days of 'The Word'! Of course, I get told that at least 3 times a night on the weekends! I have lied in the past and said that I am actually her to get into clubs! It's worked a couple of times! Hahahah! Of recent, I am getting compared to Lady GaGa. I think it's the blonde fringe. I don't mind though. I am loving her song 'Just Dance!'

Funnily enough, I really like LADY GAGA's song 'Paparazzi', so maybe it's an omen of things to come!! You have a fantastic song called 'Lingerie'. So what advice can you offer to EY readers to purchase such undergarments for that special person in their life...or even for themselves?!

Well, as far as undergarments go, I am a big fan of matching! You'd never catch me in Granny pants (except for when I need to wear the holding in type for one of my super tight dresses!) The sexier the better, but it's not all about lacy bras or barely there thongs. Our song 'Lingerie' is a tongue-in-cheek track. Who knows, we may do a video for it wearing kinky boxers or stockings and suspenders!!! Talking of boxers - to all the men reading this; the Y Fronts from 'American Apparel' make my knees weak!

EY originally started as a HUMAN LEAGUE fansite. Do you have a favourite Human League song?

I have to be completely honest, I don't actually have a favourite. But if I had to choose, I always remember going to a club in Wardour Street when I was 15 called 'Club Fantastic'! Hahahaha, it was an 80's night and the only place in the West End my friends and I could get into. They would always play 'Don't You Want Me' so for that reason, I'm going with that song!

Message ends....

(With thanks to Candy - RBW images: Chi)

A quick word about Ladyhawke - electro saviour or just another Keane??

EY makes no apologies about rushing another female electro act onto this page.
A good friend called Barry Rosier gave us a CD on Friday night by a band from New Zealand and we had a quick listen to the tracks on his iPod and our heads were nodding to what sounded like blindingly clever electro.
To their credit, the now electro-friendly NME have been banging on about Ladyhawke for six months now and this mysterious young lady (possibly seperated at birth from the equally lovely Alison Goldfrapp) is currently in the Popjustice Almighty Top 5.


A lot of been written lately about 'how great' it is that Keane and The Killers are set to release 80's sounding singles. EY thinks that both of them are a bit naff (The Killers track sounds like something lifted from a Brat Pack movie circa 1985 - not a good sound to be honest and not one of Stuart Price's finest moments but we still have high hopes for the new Killers album). No such problem for Ladyhawke who seems to understand the genre a little bit better with some quite edgy but brilliantly sequenced tracks, Jupiter 8's (a fave of Parralox) and gorgeous vocals.

Hit on the link to watch Ladyhawke in action via youtube for the new single 'Dusk Till Dawn' - a 'bang bang bang' Single Of The Year track full of lovely production that evokes the best of Trevor Horn and Frankie's 'Relax'.
You should also head on over to Ladyhawke's myspace page to sample other delights - for this is special stuff.

Let's hear it for the electro blondes! ;)

We will have more on Ladyhawke soon...

The expanded EY Special Edition of Parralox debut 'Electricity' this week went on sale in the UK on the relaunched MusicNonStop who returned to the scene last month as the sponsors to the electric Infest festival where Marsheaux played in the UK for the first time since EY1.

Online sales since the album's official worldwide release on September 8th have pushed 'Electricity' to number 2 in the MNS Bestsellers Chart and in a year when a few things haven't gone quite to plan behind the scenes with EY - the release of 'Electricity' is one of our proudest moments since this site was created back in 2001 (if we had some wine in the fridge tonight, we'd be absolutely sloshed with endless glasses raised to John & Roxy).

This very special edition is strictly limited to just 500 copies and contains tracks that won't be available anywhere else including a unique and unexpected analogue cover of Radiohead's 1993 single 'Creep' and a stomping 'Orlando Version' of title track 'Electricity' that initially attracted praise from the UK's most influential music site PopJustice.

'Electricity' contains 18 tracks including the new single 'Sharper Than A Knife' and tracks such as 'End Of Summer' and 'You & Me Both' that we predict will become EY3 live faves when Parralox play at Industry for their UK live debut.
'Electricity' is also the very first official EY release (our next release is 'EY VOL 1' on Undo in November) and we couldn't have picked a better album.

Retailing at 11.99, readers in the UK can order their copy of 'Electricity' via this MusicNonStop link.

Copies of 'Electricity' from Australia have now started to reach UK letterboxes and since we heard intitial demos earlier this year, we believed that the finished product would equal the pop heights of Marsheaux's 2007 classic 'Peek A Boo'. But what do others think?
Here's a few initial comments lifted from the Marsheaux forum today...

'Electricity arrived today and it certainly is an album of quality tracks. I have to agree 'End Of Summer' is a stand out track perfect for the time of year when one does feel a little melancholy!' - Service User

''Electricity' arrived in the post yesterday. Have only listened to it once but it's sounding great. For me, 'End Of Summer' is the standout track, mainly because I'm a sucker for slightly melancholy uptempo electropop. And the electro cover of Radiohead's "Creep" is pure class!' - Doctor Dean

'Got the Parralox CD today - very INFECTious - a true masterpiece - cant wait to see the live show' - malc (Facebook)

'My gorgeous CD has arrived and personally signed! Congratulations guys - I LOVE IT!!! See u in November.' - mOOger! (on Facebook)

Related links: Parralox @ myspace
Online Parralox store
EY3

EY will have more Parralox exclusives shortly....

EY was planning a day away from the PC in order to make the most of some unexpected summer sunshine (it is rare these days to have two consecutive sunny days here in the UK).
As we were getting ready for a day down the park with some Pimms and a Cornish pasty (we are quite sophisticated here in Ascot), we noticed that The Ultrasonics had uploaded a new track and after hearing it several times, we had to rush back into the site to give it a quick mention as it could well be the finest Ultrasonics track so far...

'Shine Like A Superstar' is yet another sonic-ultra-electro-gem containing some brilliant vocals from newcomer Frida.

The most infectious of choruses kicks in almost immediately and we think this is the Sonic's catchiest three minutres of pop to date- so darn good that we had to rush the song onto EY in record time.
You'll have your arms in the air during these pure vocal hooks and if you have a fondness for the chorus of Corona's 'Rhythm Of The Night', we promise that you'll be singing this chorus by the end of the song.
The Ultrasonics have some of the best producers in the biz and during a vocal middle eighth - they show off their skills with some nifty effects before the genius chorus closes this all too short song.

The Sonics make it all look so easy but perfect pop is a real art form and very difficult to pull off on a regular basis - yet this band continue to knock them out and we all have another great debut album to look forward to in 2009 along with Red Blooded Women.

If you need to be tempted further to head on over to myspace, the band have also uploaded their cover of 'Sweet Dreams' for the very first time (and it's a bit special).

EY Rating: 9/10


Afterthought....

Following the highs of hearing a brand new Ultrasonics production, EY later learnt that Perfect Girl Johanna had decided to leave The Ultrasonics to pursue a solo career and it was all a bit too glum here at EY HQ.
Jo 'loved every minute of being part of The Ultrasonics' but felt it was time to move on to other things and EY wishes her all the best and we shall be keeping an eye out for her future moves and great vox.
As for the Sonic's exceedingly talented production team of James Kinnear, Jon Kinnear & Cliff Millender, EY hopes that the team find a new front woman to showcase what will be a brilliant debut album.

Whatever happens, we haven't heard the last from Jo and the Sonics team.


Related links: The Ultrasonics @ myspace
Johanna confirms her shock departure from The Ultrasonics
Electroqueer's coverage of the new track and reaction to Johanna's departure

EY can pinpoint an exact moment in time when we became red blooded disciples of the UK's best new girl band.

We weren't quite sure what to expect during a sweltering evening in August at London's Water Rats venue.
Apart from the odd gem from The Sugababes ('Freak Like Me' 2002, 'Push The Button' 2005) and Girls Aloud ('No Good Advice' 2003, 'Call The Shots' 2007), EY had avoided many of the charts acts in recent years just to protect our sensitive ears from R'n'B which has never said anything to Orac about his life...

EY had never felt drawn to see a girl band live prior to RBW (the Spice Girls terrified us in all honesty).


Pop is constantly reinventing itself and is finally making a comeback here in the UK having almost been killed off by Simon Cowell and Irish boy bands (with their limp covers of songs that were dreadful back in the 70s).
This new crossover of bands inspired by early 80's pop owes much to Xenomania and their work with Girls Aloud who have been fusing old new wave electro hooks since 2002 and we are now beginning to see arrival of young bands inspired by the Girls Aloud pop blueprint.

RBW have absorbed all these influences and added their own delightful twist, opting to keep hooks purely analogue and celebrate bands from the early 80's that would go over the heads of most other girl bands.

Back to the Water Rats in August and after several very strong pop tracks, RBW performed a song new to EY called 'Can U See' and we were instantly won over by it.
It all begins with a stark electronic intro and a lead synth that could have been lifted from 'Dare' and one live highlight was watching the girls shake their hips to the pumping bassline but best of all is the killer chorus that could be a perfect homage to the dizzy vocal highs of recent Girls Aloud singles.
We were hooked from this moment onwards and wondering if we could tempt the girls into joining us for EY3.


'Can U See' had a similar effect on us second time around earlier this month at the same venue and the girl's vocal harmonies during the chorus were astonishing.




After the live set we asked Liz about the track and begged for an mp3 as we needed another fix of the chorus. EY thought it should be a single and Liz looked elated. With arms in the air, a delighted Liz told us that she had wrote the track and that it contained a Felix sample.
'Can U See' won't be a single - a hint that RBW have the makings of a a very strong debut album locked away at Planet Clique.
A new track will premier as a single in November just in time for EY3 but in the meantime RBW have this week added 'Can U See' to their myspace player and orac thinks you should really follow this link before doing anything else this weekend...

EY rating: 9/10

Related link: RBW on the Popjustice forum

Exciting times for Australian Sensations Parralox and EY as 500 copies of the Special Edition of 'Electricity' was delivered from the pressing plant to the very place where the band was born back in February this year - Subterrane Studios in Victoria.

Parralox are one of the most hard working bands on the planet and within minutes of receiving the EY expanded editions of the debut album, lead singer Roxy and knob twiddler JVA then got on all fours to personally autograph every single copy.

'Electricity' is a stomper mash of killer electro tunes that has only taken a little over three months since a meeting at a wine bar in London to make the EY Special Edition a reality (we wish that other things could happen this quickly).

New tracks were recorded right up to the very last minute including title track 'Electricity' that was awarded the Popjustice Song Of The Day just a few weeks ago (Parralox are still in the PJ Almighty Top 5).


You'd think that Parralox would put their feet up with a nice cup of tea and a slice of cake after working so hard but no, the band this week announced that they will shortly be entering the studio to record a new album!

With every track recorded sounding even better than the one before it - EY simply can't wait to hear the results of the new recording sessions.
We will also have the brand new video for debut single 'Sharper Than A Knife' on this page very shortly.

Copies of 'Electricity' were shipped today and they should be falling through UK letterboxes sometime next week and we are eager to hear your thoughts on the new album.

To place your order for 'Electricity', please click here.

Coming soon - a brand new RBW track - interviews with Candy, Liz and Carly plus an interview with an absolute electro legend whom EY owes so much to - our electro lips are sealed ;)

In between selected tracks from the new Rex The Dog album (including 'Bubblicious' that is built around a genius vocal sample of Yazoo's 'Midnight'), EY has also been bopping away this week (with a cold) to a brand new track from Motorbikes In Tokyo called 'Think Like You'.
This new MIT gem has the anaolgue menace of a John Carpenter soundtrack from one of his cult horror films in the 70's. 'Think Like You' begins with a rich and echoing sci-fi analogue bass and reaches pop territory with a haunting vocal bridge (that we just love to bits) followed by a chorus that Numan would've been proud of in 1979.

We are chuffed to have this very talented electro duo at our EY3 event in November as the fist of three stomping live acts and we sent Chi to find out a little bit more about the sound alchemists behind MIT, their influences and how they are coping with all these extremely glamorous modern day electro girls...

Chi: How did you meet and was there a particular moment when you knew you would have the chemistry to work together?

Rob: We met a short time after my cousin Kev's birth when I was introduced to a small blubbering creature that wouldn't stop whining and breaking my toys. Things haven't changed, although he's a lot bigger now. I don't think we realized we had the same musical chemistry until a couple of years ago when I heard some of Kev's musical meanderings and we got together with Dave, my best mate from school, to do a couple of Depeche Mode tribute gigs in the North East.

Kev: Ha ha! You can pick your friends but not your family!
I have to admit that when I was a little annoying child, I used to go round to Rob's regularly and haunt his bedroom and music making area (much to his dismay!) and be amazed by his synths and his music collection. Then over the years, what I saw and heard as a youngster must've stuck with me and I started writing my own electronic creations and listening to nothing but electro! We'd meet regularly as we got older for family get-togethers and nights out but it never really clicked with Rob till a few years ago that I was doing all this music - and it was him that first got me into it! Apparently, he was impressed! lol!

Dave: Rob and me have been doing stuff for years, ever since he brought his VL1 into school. Then, just as the DM tribute was getting off the ground, Kev sent me a CD of his own stuff. It was packed with ideas, demos and instrumentals. One track on there blew me away - 'I Feel Your Love'. We quickly ditched the covers, and shortly after became MIT.

Chi: So who was it on 'Top Of The Pops' that made you think; 'I want to do that'?


Kev: It's gotta be Numan first of all... That first appearance of him doing 'Are Friends Electric' with that cold, alien stare of his just had me hooked! The music sounded like it was from a distant galaxy and I loved it!
Then I'd say it has to be the Human League, particularly their memorable performance of 'Sound of the Crowd' which was just a cracking piece of electro fun which always went down well at parties! :)
In later years I'd say I was quite taken by Jarvis Cocker's style and Pulp's sound. Even though I could never be like him, I just loved his approach and his quirky dance moves! Inspired!
I was a big Blur fan too! Particularly in their 'Parklife' era...

Rob: Yeah, Numan was awesome, and still is, and the Human League, errm...Andy Williams.

Dave: New Order were always great to watch - you never knew what to expect. I also looked forward to seeing Pet Shop Boys videos.

Chi: Who are Motorbikes In Tokyo's main influences and inspirations?

Kev: There are so many...The usual suspects as mentioned above, Numan and the League. I just totally immersed myself in nothing but electro music when I was a kid. I was just fascinated in the electronic sound! I loved Kraftwerk, John Foxx, early OMD, Bowie, Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis, New Order, DM, Yazoo...
Today, its great to see new artists and bands who have been coming out of the wood work and championing the electro sound! Bands like Goldfrapp, IAMX, Hot Chip, Client and Calvin Harris, they're all serving the younger generation well! Electro is on the crest of a wave at the minute and its great fun!

Rob: Don't forget the Pet Shop Boys, Blancemange, Howard Jones, Vince Clark and the phenomenal Electric Light Orchestra.

Dave:...and Alphaville.

Chi: Do you have a favourite synth from that pre-digital era and have you managed to get your hands on one?

Rob: There were so many wondrous synths that I would have sold my soul to get my hands on in the 80s, although all I could afford to get my hands on were the cheap mono synths. I still have a Roland SH101 in my studio which I bought in the 80s. We used to have an ARP Solina String Ensemble that sounded phenomenal, however it did weigh more than Saturn and had to go. The Roland SH09 was great fun as we used to route the Solina through it to use the internal filters and envelopes. I always fancied an Oscar, of the monophonic synthesizer variety, but never quite managed to get hold of one.

Kev: Has to be said, I love the minimoog and thanks to a great movie called 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' an ARP! I love the SH101 too, but as Rob say's, its okay cos we've got one! :)
Dave: You can actually see our Solina String Ensemble on a classic Buggles video!

Chi What is your current instrument set-up and is there a particular way you prefer to write?

Rob: We have a couple of Yamaha RS7000s which are great for live performances. The RS7000 is a fantastic machine, although you need to be a computer programmer to use it. All those long hours spent on the ZX Spectrum when I was younger finally paid off! We have resisted 'going laptop' for gigs, and like to keep the sounds minimal, clear and melodies strong, particularly after listening to some of the very early Depeche Mode gigs where most of the synth lines were played live (albeit with live mistakes). We also use a Virus B, Indigo II, Novation KS4 & KS5, MicroKorg and a newly purchased Korg R3. I even have an old Casio SK11 sampling keyboard that I picked up in a car boot sale for a pound!
I have a pristine Casio VZ1 and Korg MS2000R under the spare bed if anyone wants to make me an offer...
As far as writing songs goes, it depends on the song, but most start off with a simple chord sequence or bass part, followed by an idea for a vocal phrase. The actual words are usually the last thing that comes along.

Kev: When i'm coming up with new ideas I use everyone's favourite, the Korg Microkorg! I also use a lot of VSTs too just to get some nifty studio effects and sounds. Then basically we bounce ideas back and forth over email and then when we get together we lay it all out properly using all the hardware. It's a good mix really.

Chi: So how does a modern male electronic band come together without sounding totally like GARY NUMAN or DEPECHE MODE?

Kev: Ha ha! We must be in the middle somewhere then? It's without a doubt that those influences are there. But we try very hard not to be carbon copies. We try to inject a modern edge where possible. Like with 'Machines' and the 'Motorbikes in Tokyo' theme, I purposefully tried to go for a more edgy, punkier sound that reflects todays sounds. Kinda like making the synths sound like electric guitars etc...And that was the result. It was an experiment and it worked.
When you've grown up on classic electro bands and songs, you can't help but drop in the odd echoes of your favourite artists from years gone by, but you just experiment with those echoes...

Rob: If one of us puts a demo track down that sounds too much like something we already know, it is soon changed. It would be so easy to record tracks in the style of Numan or DM, so we deliberately avoid that.

Chi: You produce very good instrumentals like 'Don't Forget Me'. Do you think there's too much pressure on musicians to put vocals on everything? And what makes you decide a track actually stays an instrumental?

Kev: I love to hear an album that has nice instrumental tracks on it. It doesn't always have to be vocally led. It makes the listening of an album more interesting and pleasurable if you have the odd instrumental track. I guess a lot of big record companies out there today want to put albums out that just contain 'songs' that can be potential hits. Not instrumentals. Each to their own I guess.
When I set out to write, it all kind of happens organically and then as I go along I can tell by the overall feel and sound of the track whether it's more suited to stay as an instrumental or not. Perhaps I'll test out some vocals on the track and if that doesn't work then I'll adjust it accordingly to make it more instrumental by adding more parts to make it more interesting. I wouldn't let it go to waste! Ha! :)

Rob: I get the impression that an audience might be bored if we play an instrumental at one of our gigs. I think it would be impossible for somebody to make it on instrumentals alone, but as Kev says, they are important and we shall continue to pop out the odd one here and there, maybe even at a gig one night.

Chi: What was the idea behind 'Dance To The Record Machine'?

Kev: I'm a big Goldfrapp fan. When I first heard the 'Black Cherry' album I was blown away by the simplicity of it and how Alison was 'mimicking' the sort of 70's glam rock style. That impressed me too and I thought I'd jump on the old band wagon and try to come up with a 'glammy' track myself.
I had the music but no lyrics...Rob heard it and came up with the chorus in a hearbeat! I thought it was amazing! And from that chorus I built the verses round it and it became a song about the 'Simon Cowell' driven pop star culture we find ourselves in, where it's like your only good for one album and then your forgotten instantly.

Rob: Yes, Kev played me a CD with a few ideas on and the chorus just came into my head and out of my mouth, and Kev took it back home with him and added the rest. We are proud to say we have had a track censored by the BBC, and we don't even have a record deal! :)


Chi: The electro scene is very female fronted at the moment. But you've kept your fingers in, so to speak, by doing remixes for KID MOXIE and RED BLOODED WOMEN. Do you have any favourites from the current crop of acts as featured on EY?

Kev: Its nice to see the ladies leading the way! Making Electro sexy so to speak!
I like Marsheaux. I love their minimal, clean sound and they seem to capture that Human League style essence which I love! :)
I also love the quirkiness of Katsen! Chris from Katsen is a genius in a mad scientist kinda way and Donna is just a cute bundle of fun!
But then I like a lot of other new bands coming out too! EY is certainly a good site to goto if you wanna catch new up and coming bands.

Dave: I am really looking forward to seeing Parallox and RBW.

Chi: You've been covering DEPECHE MODE's 'Photographic' at your gigs. Why did you choose that one, as opposed to any number of synthpop classics?

Rob: I think it's possibly THE song that got me hooked on electronic music, ever since I first heard it, and even now when I listen to it I get mesmerized by the hypnotic beat, neatness, and simplicity of the track.
Dave:...I think it was the first song we ever attempted. We have probably done about a dozen versions on different gear over the years.

Chi: What can we expect from your album 'Music and Machines'?

Kev: Well most of the tracks have been showcased on our myspace page already and also the EP we brought out earlier in the year. Hopefully people will find a few nice surprises in there though! There is a variety of songs. I hope it's something that you could take to a party and have on in the background and people would think that it's something they've heard before even though it isn't! :)
Each track is indeed different. There's minimal electro, glammy electro, punky electro, dancey electro. We didn't go for 'Country and Western electro' as it wouldn't have gone down well. Plus we hate Country and Western.

Chi: Apart from playing EY3, what other future plans are there for MIT?

Rob: We are aiming to go more minimal in our style of music, retaining the strong melodies. There is a MIT / Kid Moxie collaboration work currently taking place, we are writing some songs for them with the aim of producing an EP of catchy Electro tunes with sweet female voices. We are also discussing doing an electro style Frank Sinatra cover for future gigs.

Kev: I don't really need to say any more than that really! Ha ha! The Sinatra thing may work, we'll have to see! :) We'll be starting work on our new album straight after the Kid Moxie project. Hopefully I'll get to do more remixes for other lovely bands out there too! :) We'd definitely like to play more gigs in the future. Unfortunately there's not much of an electro scene happening up here in our native North East, it's quite appalling really. We do enjoy coming to London to play and I guess everything 'fashionable' starts in London! So hopefully one day the electro groove will travel further up the country! ;)

Head on over to MIT @ myspace to hear EY faves 'Think Like You' and 'Dance To The Record Machine' and get ready for EY3 - DJ's can now be confirmed with Chi Ming Lai, Matt Nida, Matt Culpin of Northern Kind, Sarah Schmoof & Orac.

EY rushed into London last night as soon as we were allowed out of 'real' work to catch a swiftly annouced live return to Water Rats in Kings Cross for one of 2008's most promising new acts - Red Blooded Women.

The Water Rats is a charming venue, one that EY would like to take over in future for it was the place where we had had bopped to Super Jupiter and RBW in recent months gone by and we were mightily impressed by the the PA, light display and general ambience on both occasions.
Thursday night had a similar buzz but this night was even better.
Orac spotted Chi and Mr Blue and within a few minutes a really obscure, but a much cherished EY track from yesteryear blasted out from the speakers above and it's a track that Orac had in his CD wallet for the Cassette Electrik DJ set but never got the chance to play.





'I love this track. I love the DIY feel...that bassline...', said Orac to EY collaborator Chi as White Town's 1997 number One hit single 'Your Woman' boomed out of the PA.
Orac promised Chi that he would spin the tune at EY3 and Chi replied; 'I hope you will' - already aware of the track's brilliance.
It was a draft from Chi a few months ago that had ultimately led to the seduction of EY into the crisp electro world of Red Blooded Women. Chi's passionate paragraphs resulted in RBW appearing on EY within an hour of reading his rough draft.

Fast forward a few months and by 8pm - Liz, Carly and Candy were on stage - striking a vampish vogue with some of the finest electro stomper tunes of 2008 (with a few seductive pouts and classic camera moments).

The current myspace and Popjustice 'Song Of The Week' tracks are powerful enough at home blasting out of your PC speakers - but when you hear the girl's vocals live, EY is reminded of the technical brilliance of Alison Goldfrapp and we were in awe tonight.



The live vox from the RBW trio is spellbinging and the girls move their hips in carefully planned dance sequences which is secondary to everything else on the night but enchanting to watch.
About four tracks into the set, RBW performed a new track 'Can U See' live for the first time (possibly the next single - on par with Girls Aloud's 'Call The Shots' but more of a hardcare electro number!
The track is so good that EY gets Liz (who wrote the song) to personally sing the track to us again long after its live premier and she reminds us of its mighty vocal hook.





Our other highlight is stomper 'Synthesizer' that Liz introduces as Carly's fave RBW track and Carly takes over with a brilliant lead vocal.
Just a few songs in and EY knows for the second tme that it has the best UK band of 2008 lined up for EY3.

RBW were the second band on and the venue is packed with people for their performance. When its over, those same people head on over to the bar away from the stage and RBW are the only band that EY watch that night.
We chat to Liz after the show about a 'secret' Depeche Mode cover for EY (the girls already have a DM song in mind but they don't let on). The current EY3 theme running through Chi's and EY's head is that each band will do a DM cover...because we all love DM and there is a Mute anniversary coming up.

As we leave, we catch a few words with Candy before she rushes off for an EY photoshot with Chi and a EY 'business card' (to appear here shorlty).
Candy knows her cult TV and is a big fan of 'Buffy' creator Joss Whedon and the spin-off 'Angel' (a huge influence on RTD's modern version of Dr Who).

A most perfect electro girl, into cult TV with vocals that make you melt?

EY must be dreaming...


(RBW images: Chi 2008)

Red Blooded Women @ myspace


Grab a ticket for EY3...

Tickets are now available to purchase for our third electro event on Friday 28th November 2008 at Industry in Shoreditch, London.
EY3 is a full-on hands in the air celebration of brand spanking new electropop.
Doors for the lower bar and stage of Industry open at 8pm and live music begins at 8.30pm with all boy UK act and recent headliners at London's Bedsitter - Motorbikes In Tokyo.

This is followed by a DJ session before EY presents a live set from the poptastic Parralox armed with some serious synths - playing live in the UK for the very first time and flying all this way from Australia especially for the EY crowd.
And if that wasn't already enough, we have possibly the best girl band ever in the gorgeous form of Red Blooded Women with their hard edged electro and insanely catchy tunes.
So good infact, that EY is getting another live RBW fix this Thursday at Water Rats in Kings Cross.

We are chuffed to bits with this line-up and we guarantee that you'll hear so many great new pop classics live on this night (plus one or two special cover versions?).

All three bands represent the very best of what EY stands for - blindingly brilliant pop stompers. Hurrah!

Virtual tickets for EY3 cost 7.00 pounds and can be purchased securely from the paypal button below (tickets on the door are 8.00 pounds).

PARRALOX

Australian Sensations Parralox have - like Marsheaux before them - saved their UK live debut exclusively for EY.
Since forming in January of this year, John and Roxy have recorded their debut album 'Electricity' (and a expanded special EY edition will be available to buy later this month).
Parralox are huge Human League fans and 'Electricity' is full of loving nods towards the legendary Martin Rushent plus 'ready for radio' hooks, dedications to the Pet Shop Boys/ Yazoo and soaring vocals from Roxy.
'Sharper Than A Knife', 'The End Of Summer', 'You & Me Both', 'X Minus One', 'I Fell In Love With A Drum Machine', 'I Heart You' and bonus EY track 'Electricity' will all become instant live classics on the night.


The original version of 'X Minus One' appears on the forthcoming UNDO/EMI compilation 'EY VOL 1' which is set for release in late October.

'John and Roxy have come up with an amazingly catchy electro pop sound, very radio-friendly and sounding like a cross between Girls Aloud and The Human League'
- Worrapolava

Parralox @ myspace
'EY VOL 1' interview with Jon Von Ahlen
'Electricity' Popjustice Song Of The Day article


MOTORBIKES IN TOKYO

Edgy and haunting analogue electro with nods to Numan and early Human League but also with the added benefit of today's technology. Kev and Rob of Motorbikes In Tokyo are talented producers who have remixed LA based band Kid Moxie for 'EY VOL 1' and more recently impressed the RBW girls and their label Planet Clique with a new remix of their debut single 'You Made Your Bed'.

MIT's 'Voice' was an EY song of the week last month; 'Voice' is menacing yet it glows at the same time rather like other apocalyptic tracks such as 'WXJL Tonight'. Eerie and desperate vocals with great lines such as: 'I'm reading a book about the end of the world, I cannot stop this as I haven't found my girl', a line made even better by a hauntingly off- synch synth chord'.

EY will be working closely with MIT on a special edition of their debut long player due out later this year and MIT kick off our first in a series of interviews with the EY3 acts in the coming week.

Motorbikes In Tokyo @ myspace

The UK's biggest electronic export Depeche Mode look set to announce a major 2009 world tour at a press conference in October with tickets on sale later that month according to a German promoter.

Leading DM fansite Home reveals that the forthcoming world tour could kick off in Israel next May whilst 'Control' director Anton Corbjin states that he is back working on new Depeche sleeve designs - including one for the new single that may hit stores as early as March 2009.

Home also reports that Anton has 'let slip that he expects to be involved with the design of the stage'
'Playing The Angel' producer Ben Hillier is back on board for the new sessions for what could be Mode's final studio album for Mute/EMI.




Kleerup - contender for Electro Album Of The Year



This week, EY has mostly been listening to the debut album of Swedish producer Andreas Kleerup. The album was kindly sent over to us from Undo Records shortly after it was released by EMI across Europe in May and we think its a slow burning gem full of lush analogue chords and clever melodic layers.
Kleerup is probably best known for producing and mixing Robyn's 2007 stomper and former UK number 1 'With Every Heartbeat' which is one of 13 tracks.








Other stand out tracks include 'Longing For Lullabies' featuring a vocalist called Titiyo (video opposite), and 'Until We Bleed' with vocals from Sweden's latest sensation Lykki Li whom we featured on EY a few months back. Neneh Cherry also makes a welcome return with vocals and lyrics on the haunting track 'Forever'.
Another track that we've played to death this week is a gorgeous instrumental simply called 'Chords' that begins with a few minor chords before building into several layers full of lovely analogue melodies like 'Dare' on full throttle and every sound is perfect and so fresh.

Spine tingly analogue chords and powerful synth strings form the backdrop for most of Kleerup's tracks but there is plenty of clever sequencing on Moroder stompers such as '3AM' with great female vox from an artist called Marit Bergman.


Kleerup takes over the vocals for 'On My Own Again' which is an cunning mix of Buggles, New Musik and ELO (if you can imagine such a mash), and it's as catchy as hell.

After quickly running through the tracklisting, EY calculates that there are between 9-10 crowd pleasing electro stompers including the Robyn gem from last year.

We expect to be hearing a lot more of Kleerup's production skills in the not too distant future even though the album hasn't officially been released here in the UK yet (which surprises us given that it is such a strong album).
EY was chatting to Parralox yesterday morning on MSN urging them to grab the Kleerup album but they had already had the album on heavy rotation during the 'Electricity' sessions.




'Kleerup' can be ordered internationally via CDWOW for under a tenner whilst Amazon UK are currently out of stock of the over proced import (note to EMI: please sort out a UK release??)..
To hear a few more of the Kleerup tunes, be sure to head over to his Myspace page and crank up the volume for 'Thank You For Nothing' - it really is brilliant.

EY Rating 9/10

Long championed by influential music sites such as Popjustice ('Top British Pop') and Electroqueer, The Ultrasonics first appeared on to the electro scene with the classic electro stomper 'Why You Had To Leave' - a track that grabbed the Popjustice Song Of The Day.
EY awarded 'Why You Had To Leave' 9/10 and The Ultrasonics were one of the very first bands we approached when we first sat down to compile the forthcoming 'EY VOL 1' CD.

Since securing track 9 of 'EY VOL 1' CD1 - The Ultrasonics have awarded another Popjustice Song Of The Day for debut single 'Perfect Girl' which is another classic pop song soaked in hooks with a thunderous 'Tell Me When' electro bassline and crisp, big budget sounding production.
The name of this band is very apt when you sample some of the knob twiddling especially for the Sonic's recent cover of 'Sweet Dreams' by The Eurythmics (that we hope makes it to the debut album).

'Perfect Girl' was released digitally last week with remixes from three of the most talented acts to appear on EY over the last two years included genre leaders Marsheaux, Australian Sensations Parralox and UK producer EMP.
The fact that The Ultrasonic's are able to write pop tunes that are up there with Brian Higgins and his much envied hit factory Xenomania is more than enough to guarantee unconditional EY love, but what makes them even more endearing is The Ultrasonics list of influences that have led them to produce such fine songs - Human League, Depeche Mode, New Order and even The Cure - names that were all criminally unfashionable here in the UK until recent years.

The Ultrasonic's other big asset is lead singer Johanna Lee Gervin who has soaring vocal talents on par with Red Blooded Women and Roxy of Parralox.



EY caught up with Johanna last week to chat about 9-5 jobs from hell, other electro faves and the forthcoming debut album...


EY: Tell us about life prior to The Ultrasonics, have you always wanted to be a popstar?
We read on another blog that you've traveled extensively?

Johanna: Ever since I was younger I was always singing in front of the mirror to Kylie Minogue songs and always knew I wanted to be in the music industry. I have worked as a professional dancer for the past 6 years traveling all over the world. it was amazing to be given the chance to do something I love for a job.


EY: What was the worse 8-5 job you've ever had in the days before joining a top pop act?

Johanna: I used to work at a hotel in a restaurant as a waitress on weekends when I was at dance college serving full English breakfasts, it was the early starts that I hated and always smelling of greasy food.


EY: The Ultrasonic's have a very talented team of producers - did you have to audition for the band initially? How did it all come about?



Johanna: James, Jon and Cliff were in search of a singer for their band and came across my myspace page. they sent me a message saying I looked and sounded perfect so we met up and the rest was history.


EY: You have had many image changes this year - what 's your fave look? EY loves the 'punky' Johanna.

Johanna: I'm always changing my hair and image. I love trying out new things. I'm not sure which image I prefer but watch this space for the next one


EY: 'EY VOL 1' has a very special Ultrasonics track that we're keeping under wraps but the new single 'Perfect Girl' is just as strong which must make you confident about the future. Are you currently recording a new album and what can you tell us about it?

Johanna: We are currently recording some new tracks for our album 'Ultrasound', we are very excited as there are great tracks that we can't wait for you all to hear


EY: You returned home to Manchester over the weekend for a big Pride event. How did the gig go and what was the buzz like playing to such a large audience?

Johanna: The gig at Manchester Pride was amazing. it was our biggest audience and they loved it. It was great as well as it's my home city so loads of my family and friends came to support me.



EY: Did you mingle much with the likes of Roisin Murphy and Sophie Ellis Bextor or catch any of the other acts live?

Johanna: Unfortunately I didn't get to see any of those acts but I heard they were great.

EY: Perfect Girl comes with some very impressive remixes from EY stars Marsheaux, Parralox and EMP - have you been dancing to them?

Johanna: I love all the remixes and have had a boogie to them all yes


EY: Do you listen much to the 'competition' and rate some of the newer acts like Red Blooded Women and Parralox. What do you think of the music scene at the moment?

Johanna: I think there are some great music acts at the moment. I love the Ting Tings especially but also think that Red Blooded Women and Parralox have great songs

EY: What are you currently listening to on your iPod?

Johanna: My iPod is full of many varied artists including Robyn, Ashlee Simpson and Marilyn Manson.


EY: Who has been the biggest influence on you?

Johanna: I think that Debbie Harry was a great influence on my image definitely, I admire strong female artists that have strong views. currently I absolutely love Pink. her songs say a lot and she looks great.

Message ends...

'Perfect Girl' can be downloaded from iTunes and Tesco Digital

The Ultrasonics @ myspace







Parralox remix competition...



With an exclusive EY Special Edition of debut album 'Electricity' - that will now feature 18 tracks - due to hit these shores in September, Parralox have this week announced news of a remix competition for their debut single 'Stronger Than A Knife'.

Two winning mixes will feature on the CD single and you can find out more details on how to enter via this link.

Bonus track 'Electricity' was last week awarded Song Of The Day over at the UK's biggest music site Popjustice who ended their review with the words; "file under 'next big electropop thing'..."
Parralox also made the Popjustice Almighty Top 5 yesterday with the following PJ quote: 'If you missed their track 'Electricity' as Song Of The Day we advise you to pop over to their MySpace where they feature a megamix (HURRAH) of tracks from their quite brilliant debut album...'

Shooting for the 'Sharper Than A Knife' promo video begins shortly in Australia and we will have it here on EY as soon as it leaves the editing room.