You know that thing where you never notice something until you hear about it or see it once, and then after that you can't help but keep running into it again and again? Well, this is what's happened since I blogged about Cold Wave a month or so ago. I have since had the fortune to discover a lot more about this neglected genre, aided by a spate of new coverage. One of my favourite discoveries was the blog Systems of Romance, which serves, "as a dumping grounds for all great things minimal synth, post-punk, coldwave, synthpunk, industrial, synthpop, and various other combinations of these styles". There are some great records on there, some of my favourites thats I've had a chance to listen to being by Mary Moor, Opera de Nuit and In Trance 95, although there's a lot more on there. I was also pleasantly surprised by the headline topic on this week's Guardian Music Weekly podcast being none other than Cold Wave, and it was reassuring to hear them mention similar influences, influencees (I realise I just made that word up), etc. as I had previously! There was also an interesting recommendation to this Dummy's guide to the movement, which was enlightening and entertaining, and well worth a read to fill in the many gaps in my initial blog post. One video and song I particularly liked was this one of Jacno. I never quite appreciated just how intimidating technology was back then... It seems, perhaps unsurprisingly, that there is considerable interest in Cold Wave, and this interest is making its way to the mainstream surface slowly but surely, no doubt ready to be appropriated by a new generation of Cold Wave-soundalikes.
I've already blogged about Fever Ray remixes, but i've recenly come across another of particular interest. This time the track that gets madeover is When I Grow Up, one of the many highlights of the Fever Ray album, and the producer who steps up to the plate is Scuba, the working name of Hotflush Records boss Paul Rose.
The song and the accompanying unofficial video provide a perfect illustration of the future of dance music, as well as its roots. Scuba leaves little of the original intact, save for a few slices of Karin Dreijer's vocals, and instead lays down a slow, druggy-feeling backing that nods almost as much to techno as it does to dubstep. It's this convergence of various electronic genres that Hotflush Records have pioneered and advanced, through the likes of Pangaea, Mount Kimbie and, perhaps most successfully, Joy Orbison. These artisits, along with others such as Floating Points and Joker, often share few real similarities other than a genre-transcending excellence that has left critics searching for embarrassing names with which to label the movement.
Hotfush hail from that traditional home of trend-busting music, Bristol, and the influence of trip-hop is clear in the music they represent. This link is made explicit in the video, which splices together Fever Ray's original with the Chris Cunningham directed promo for Portishead's Only You (one of my favourite videos to one of my favourite songs). The aquatic theme of both videos fits well with Scuba's remix, with it's rippling synth shots and bubble sound effects, worthy of a man with such a name.
Hotflush represent the future of dance music, and in particular dubstep, a genre fast becoming an unwitting parody of itself, if it hasn't already.
The video to Hot Chip's I Feel Better shows the band for what they really are, a sexy, beautiful boy band, bedecked in trilbies, cardigans and skinny jeans like a younger Take That. The ridiculously creepy skinny, bald white guy dressed up like Jesus/a mental patient perhaps upsets this aestethic a little, although perhaps it's just the return of Robbie to the fold.
The video was directed by Peter Serafinowicz, which explains the suitably tongue-in-cheek style and hilarious results, but it does underline the fact that this is an incredibly polished and poppy single from the Chip, that wouldn't seem out of place in the X Factor charts if it weren't so damned good. As an aside, anyone who saw the amazing Look Around You, which starred Serafinowicz amongst others, may remember the Music 2000 episode which sought to predict the future sound of music. I'm still waiting for Machadaynu and the Rapping Song to assault the charts, but i'm sure they will do shortly.
Whilst we're (I'm) chatting about boy band videos, i thought i'd highlight another suitably hilarious video, this time from O Children, although this time the hilarity may have been unintentional. The promo to new song Ruins (which is alright) is full of suitably moody shots of the band members, to remind us that they're all goffs and stuff. No matter how hard they try to look cool though, they'll never escape the fact that they used to be in BoNo Must Die.
Wherever Sisterworld may be, i'm pretty glad i don't count myself as one of it's inhabitants. If Liars' new album is anything to go by, it must be a relentlessly dark, sinister dystopia. The record evokes paranoia and tension in equal measure, particularly on tracks such as Drip and the string-laden Here Comes All the People, which ends with Angus Andrew creepily chanting that he's, "counting victims one by one" (I doubt there's any way such a line can be sung without sounding creepy). Other lyrics about killing people in the street with a gun prove that this is often a brutal and violent album, but it is also an incredibly well realised one. The darkness of this other world is consistently evoked and sustained, making for an incredibly atmospheric and satisfying whole, their best so far for me.
The track Proud Evolution represents a respite of sorts, sounding almost beautiful, with it's motorik beat and high, resonant synths, and it's also a track that's been given the Thom Yorke treatment. The Radiohead frontman and all-round musical extraordinaire makes it sound like it should be the soundtrack to some sort of horror-circus, with it's shuffling, ADHD-ish beats and wonky organ line, fitting in nicely with the original feel of the album. It's also a fitting track title on an album that represents an evolution Liars should justifiably feel proud of.
I've always felt that The National worked on a level higher than other indie bands, with their brooding, but highly refined take on the genre. Albums Alligator and Boxer are amongst the best records of the last decade for sure, and it seems as if The National could be continuing their run of good form into this new decade with the imminent release of High Violet (released 11th May on 4AD). New track Terrible Love, as aired recently on Jimmy Fallon, retains all the usual National motifs, most obviously Matt Berninger's sonorous vocals and Bryan Devendorf's rollicking drums, and although it is instantly recognisable as a National track and adds little new, it is of course also instantly brilliant.
Instead of spending Sunday night at home bemoaning the end of the weekend, I was lucky enough to be at the Camden Roundhouse, playing host to Beach House and Grizzly Bear. For me, this was as good as a double-header, Grizzly Bear having made my favourite album of last year, Beach House the best so far this year, and it would be an understatement to say that the two did not disappoint live.
On record, Beach House make dreamy, hazy, wistful pop, and, by looking at their Last.fm tags, it seems most people agree with this, with gentle synths, pianos and a muted drum machine accompany Victoria Legrand's husky vocals creating a gorgeous lo-fi amalgam. Yet in concert this could not be further from the case. I was little prepared for the booming drums (played live), and instead of gliding along smoothly with the keyboard she played, Legrand's vocals pierced high above it. The fuller, heavier sound was darker and, i hate to use this word, more epic; more nightmare than dream pop. And it was amazing. The quieter, more intimate sound of the albums could so easily have been lost in the cavernous Roundhouse, but instead their sound soared as they played a set of mostly Teen Dream material. There were too many highlights to recall, but closer Take Care was perfectly fitting, Legrand sounding particularly impassioned.
Grizzly Bear take a Walk in the Park
Despite the brilliance of Beach House before them, Grizzly Bear were never really going to disappoint. Like Beach House, they also played songs mostly from their latest album, with some notable exceptions, in particular Knife. The melodies, the rhythms, the false buildups and the eventual moments of cacophonous bliss of their recorded output were all masterfully executed, and beautifully matched by the sparkly-bulbs-in-jars set. Watching bassist and multi-instrumentalist Chris Taylor cycle through his vast array of instruments was always entertaining, and his dedication of one song to the band's mothers (it was mother's days) was sweet, as recognised by the crowds collective 'aaawwww', but overall Grizzly Bear added little to what they have already laid down on record. The only real digression was the inclusion of Legrand on vocals for Two Weeks, which had to be the best song of the set for me, and many in the audience by the sound of it.
Although Grizzly Bear's set may have been flawless, and their songs inherently brilliant, it was the Beach House set that impressed most. It confounded my expectations and really elevated their music to the occassion, although it could perhaps be argued that this was something the Bears didn't have to do to begin with, and it would be interesting to see Beach House in a more intimate setting.
Yesterday my radiator broke. My room was fucking freezing. It was even colder outside. To celebrate this sorry state of affairs I embarked upon a journey into the world of Cold Wave, armed only with a scarf, a sweater and Spotify. Cold Wave was something I only had the vaguest notions of before yesterday, but I liked the sound of it- a largely French (and occasionally Belgian) take on post-punk, gothic rock and other such 70s and 80s music. Inspired in particular by the likes of Joy Division and the production of Martin Hannet, the music sounds familiar, but with a distinct Gallic twist- like all the best things.
Whilst exploring the chilly world of Cold Wave, I also came across a compilation of 80s European minimal wave synth-pop, The Minimal Wave Tapes, which was amazing. Similar in many ways to the Cold Wave bands, the tracks combined Kraftwerk, Joy Division and Gang of Four in various measures. I was struck by the similarities between many of the bands on the compilation and bands that are now pretty hot (see what i did there?). The vocals and synths of Games & Performance by Deux reminded me of The Teenagers (although less sordid and a lot better), and DasDing's Reassurance Ritual was spookily similar to Cold Cave. In reviews of these modern bands, comparisons are often made to the likes of New Order, which are completely understandable, but there so many other bands out there who remain ignored and unknown, but deserve a listen.
My personal highlight from The Minimal Wave Tapes was coincidentally a band more associated with the French Cold Wave, a track called Just Because by Martin Dupont.
Also worth checking out the DasDing song, and if you like that, listen to the whole compilation over at Spotify.
You'd never have imagined it, but Four Tet's take on Pantha du Prince's Sticky to My Side is actually pretty good. I jest, it was never really going to be anything but when the artists who have produced, for me, the best electronic albums of the year got together. Having said this, the production does at times feel a bit too busy for Noah Lennox's yearning vocals. Still, well worth a listen.
I awoke from the depths of an alcohol-induced slumber this morning to some of the best news i've heard in recent times. A new Japanese film version of Norwegian Wood, the 1987 classic by Haruki Murakami (second mention in as many weeks, he must be so proud), is to be scored by Radiohead guitarist and all-round musical genius Jonny Greenwood. It's not his first time scoring a film, and anyone who saw There Will Be Blood will remember the incredible music, making me especially excited about this collaboration between one of my favourite musicians and what is easily one of my top ten books finally getting the silver screen treatment.
I was once a keen rider on the Foals bandwagon, but I fell off a while ago and haven't listened to their Antidotes in a while. However, new song Spanish Sahara may change this, along with the new video, which though cinematographically beautiful, doesn't exactly inspire images of either Spain or the Sahara. The new direction these grown up Foals have taken is more post-rock than math-rock (post-math-rock anyone?), with a quiet, slow build up to an inevitable crescendo of squally, shimmery guitars and disco drums. Yannis' vocals reflect this, beginning in uncharacteristically high pitched fashion, before descending into the ranges of old as the song builds. Makes me excited for the new album Total Life Forever, released May 10 in the UK.
My most played track at the moment is 'Night' by Zola Jesus, and I can't help but think that this is what Florence of "and the Machine" fame could have sounded like if she'd been a bit more of a goth/good.
The new album by Gorillaz, Plastic Beach, is currently being streamed in full over at the Guardian's music site, and, as long as you've recovered from the pinches and punches of earlier today, it's well worth a listen. From the few chances i've been able to give it, the record seems to be the strongest they've yet produced, although it has a more restrained feel than their previous attempts, and so far no one track has stood out in a way that other previous singles have. However, this is no bad thing, and as a whole the album works well, although i have to admit that i prefer the Damon Albarn-led tracks on what is a rather collaboration-heavy album. Saying this, the mid-section is perhaps the strongest (and my favourite) part of the record, a section in which Lou Reed, Mark E Smith and Little Dragon all guest. Anyway, don't take my word for it, head on over to Guardian Music, where Gorillaz have initiated a takeover.
, and the producer who steps up to the plate is Scuba, the working name of Hotflush Records boss Paul Rose. 
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I awoke from the depths of an alcohol-induced slumber this morning to some of the best news i've heard in recent times. A new Japanese film version of Norwegian Wood, the 1987 classic by Haruki Murakami (second mention in as many weeks, he must be so proud), is to be scored by Radiohead guitarist and all-round musical genius Jonny Greenwood. It's not his first time scoring a film, and anyone who saw There Will Be Blood will remember the incredible music, making me especially excited about this collaboration between one of my favourite musicians and what is easily one of my top ten books finally getting the silver screen treatment.
My most played track at the moment is 'Night' by Zola Jesus, and I can't help but think that this is what Florence of "and the Machine" fame could have sounded like if she'd been a bit more of a goth/good.
