Friday, October 31, 2014

Siouxsie and the Banshees' Final Albums Reissued

The reissue of the last four albums by Siuxsie and the Banshees has been quite a topic with this month finally giving it an official release announcment. This package include the final four albums (1987′s 'Through the Looking Glass' 1988′s 'Peepshow', 1991′s 'Superstition' and 1995′s 'The Rapture'). All four releases come with remastered audio from the original master tapes, rare bonus and unreleased tracks plus extensive sleeve notes. And just a reminder that in April their debut single "Hong Kong Garden" was reissued on double seven-inch vinyl.

www.facebook.com/pages/Siouxsie-And-The-Banshees



Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Next Wave: X Priest X

X priest X is musical project of vocalist Madeline Priest and producers Chandler Strang and David Kazyk from Florida. The group was formed in 2013 when they revealed their first song "Dark Sun" as a demo. Eraly spring of 2014 then saw the release of their debut EP 'Samurai' on emotion Records. There is a certain enigma and mystery about a band name that certainly attract attention. Samurai songs reveal prefectrly structured pop songs where Madeline's innocent vocals flow on dreamy synth lines. The band was featured this year on 'When the Gramophone Rings'' 51 bands of 2014 and on NME's Radar Report. We hope to see more of them even in 2015. 

www.xpriestx.com


Next Wave: Corners

Corners is a four piece band from Los Angeles consisting of Tracey Bryant, Billy Changer, Rick Mabery and Jeff Eretitti. Influenced by Velvet Underground and Joy Division, the band of engineers simply called Corners play California styled surf postpunk combined with garage. They have released their second album 'Maxed out on Distractions' and to promote it, the band is currently touring. Check their social pages to find them in a place near you.



Sunday, October 26, 2014

Introducing 'Dimension Gondry'- Bjork- Human Behaviour

As you all know Michael Gondry is the famous French film director. Those who prefer music over the movies might know him as an excellent music video director whose videos were an instant part of the daily music televisions' airplay in the last two centuries. 
Not sure where your Gondry story starts,  my kicks off certainly with Bjork's "Human Behavior". It was probably played during 'Awake on the Wild Side' or some other VJ show during the golden era of MTV Europe in the early 90's. Gondry's big breakthrough starts with Bjork and she must have remained his muse for quite a long time as his aesthetics found the best use in her music videos. The places you never imagined, unrealistic dimensions, the surreal world you only might have occur in your deepest dream are just few aspects of it. 
Important to say that Gondry also directed videos for many other artist including The White Stripes, Beck, Sinead O'Connor and many more. 
Dimension Gondry is our very special feature where we will feature ten essential music videos directed by Michel Gondry which were instant part of growing up and our musical video evolution.


Björk- Human Behaviour
The song was written by Nellee Cooper and Björk and it dates back to 1988 when Bjork was still with the Sugarcubes. A video for "Human Behavior" was the first collaboration between Michel Gondry and Bjork. It tells a story about a relation between humans and animals, taking animals' perspective in a role play of a predator and a prey. Bjork's emotional woodlands meet with Gondry's surreal playground in a master piece. The video received six nominations for the MTV video music awards in 1994 and won one. It was also nominated for the Grammy awards. It also has several elements that are present in Gondry's first feature film 'Human Nature'.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

WAW: Zastranienie- Prism

Desire records have announced a new track by Zastranienie. The new song is entitled "Prism" and it is the first track from their debut vinyl release which has been revealed for now. The album is set for release next year. Stay tuned for more info.


Friday, October 24, 2014

In Conversation: Violence

Earlier this month we posted a special feature where we introduced the Canadian Visage Musique in our label spot. Out of the great line up of artist we would like to present you Violence. Based in Montreal and on Visage Musique since 2013, when they released their debut EP, Violence have developed their own unique electronic music formula. Their sound reflects an aesthetic of a discourse where no additional description is needed, words are shapes, music is the ultimate medium of expression. This year they released their enigmatic debut album 'Erlebnis' which is one of our top records in 2014. Ahead of their small tour which starts this October, here a small interview with the band.
Hear the words, experience their music, sense Violence.


 1. There is hardly any info about Violence on the internet. Are you trying to keep your musical profile low-'fi' and does the music as the main result tell the story of Violence or is there something more you would like to tell us about yourself? 
 V: We do indeed wish that the music retains a strong enough narrative value so that it can speak by itself. A type of discourse that we find interesting is the dialogue between the listeners and the music, which we think should be free of contamination from our own interpretation.

 2. The music of Violence reveals some great electronic shapes. What influenced your music the most and looking into future, what would be your vision in music? 
 V: Nice that you refer to a certain visual aspect of sound, which has been a driving force in this project since its initiation. We often accompany our live performances with visuals made of shapes and pictograms that we draw ourselves image by image on a very primitive device. It would be too long to enumerate our musical influences, but let's just say that we appreciate "la beauté baroque", past and future.

 3. You released your debut album ‘Erlebnis’ this year on Visage Musique. It is certainly one of our favorite music albums here on Burning Flame for this year. Were you approached by the label and if yes, did this label have any influence on your musical style? 
 V: Thank you. Yes Visage Musique previously released our self-titled EP in 2013, which they probably heard through mutual friends. The aesthetics of Violence already suited well that of VM, which is quite broad but at the same time nicely coherent we think.

 4. How would you describe your musical style on ‘Erlebnis’ and why did you pick the German name as the album title? Is the term ‘Violence’ in any aspect related to your music? 
 V: "Erlebnis" has several meanings; our intent was to refer to the inner experience of listening to music, i.e. its psychedelic properties. This inner experience is seldom quiet - the name Violence is no stranger to that.

 5. Do you hang out and tour together with other artists from Visage Musique?
 V: VM is a collaborative effort by great people driven by the love of music and the urgency to facilitate its diffusion. We often find ourselves playing and attending the same concerts and events in Montréal.

 6. Can you share some impressions from your first live performances, how was the energy, atmosphere in general? 
 V: Around 2010 we left Canada to establish ourselves in Oxford UK, that's where we started composing music as Violence. We've played our first concerts in loft parties when returning temporarily to Montreal. The atmosphere was quite unique, with friends doing performance art, video projections, etc... Almost everyone attending these parties would have prepared some kind of performance, making those dancing nights very unique and inspiring.

 7. How good are you in remixing music, any plans of doing some remixes for other artists. Do you also do DJ shows? 
 V: We sometimes do remixes, which can be refreshing. We DJ in private parties but up to now never had the time to really invest in this art.

 8. What music are you listening to when you are not recording your own? 
 V: We listen to a lot of music composed by our friends, including Automelodi, Low Factor, Ambrose, as well as some who don’t have any desire to make it public.

 9. What was the first record you bought with your own money? Is it still with you? 
 V: Eric: I bought “Sigue sigue sputnik - Flaunt it!” when I was around 10 years old, which was one of my first contacts with electronic music. I still have it but to be honest it very rarely lands on my turntable...

 10. What are the future plans for Violence, further releases, tours outside Canada? Europe maybe? V: We'll be doing a short European tour at the end of October, really looking forward to it. We'll be releasing new material in January, but may leak a song or two by then.


 11. Where can fans gain access to your music?
 V: Vinyls on VM: http://visagemusique.tumblr.com/
Digital on bandcamp: http://violence.bandcamp.com/
News/shows: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Violence/182111595174108

Very special thanks to Eric Trottier for this interview!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Retrovision: Edward Ka Spel - Eye Contact

Thirty years ago Edward Ka Spel released his debut album 'Laugh China Doll'. A great record of minimal synth and abstract electronic. The album has been reissued twice since the original release.
Today we focus on "Eye Contact", one of my favorite tracks from the album with its seminal video.


A Certain Ratio's 'Sextet' to be Reissued on Factroy Benelux

Factory Benelux will reissue A Certain Ratio's third album 'Sextet' next month. 'Sextet' was originally released in 1982 and featured the single "Knife Slits Water" and the great title track "Lucinda". This new version of 'Sextet' will include bonus tracks and 12 inch versions and will be released as 2CD Deluxe edition. Official released date is set for November 3rd, 2014. 


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Visonia's Debut Album 'Impossible Romannce' out in November

Earlier this year Visonia released their debut EP, a  split with Doppeleffekt entitled 'Die Reisen' both on vinyl and digital. This autumn Nicolas Estany returns with the much anticipated debut album 'Impossible Romance'. The album reveals poetic soundscapes of emotions, feelings, fears and positive expression. It will come as double vinyl format includes the previously available collaboration with Dopplereffekt, alongside an equally striking collaboration with New Wave/Synth Pop artist, Mad Moizel in the form of 'Beat Frequencies' and late addition to the album - the sleek, driving vision of 'Between Lies and Real Looks'.  
Expected release date November 2014. 




Alphaville's 12" and b-sides to be Released on a Compilation.

German based DJs Blank & Jones continue their long-running so80s (SoEighties) series this October with a new release focusing on German synthpop band Alphaville. Best remembered for their 1984 hit singles "Big In Japan" and "Forever Young", Alphaville released three albums on the Warner label in the 1980s but like many eighties pop bands struggled to match the success of the early records in the 90's.
 This new two-CD so80s collection celebrates 30 years of Alphaville and features all 1980′s twelve-inch versions and B-sides, all of which have remastered from the original master tapes. In addition, this comes with a 36-page booklet with rare photos and a track-by-track annotation by the group. Online retailer JPC.de are offering exclusive autographed versions of this new release. so80s presents Alphaville is released on 31 October 2014. 

 www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/soeighties-presents-alphaville
 

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Next Wave: Wrangler

Wrangler is the big new thing in analogue and synthetic beat electro. Futuristic, but quite vintage is what the new London trio relies on.The band's members have noted history in music, Stephen Mallinder the founding member of Cabaret Voltaire, Phil Winter has been recording, playing and DJ-ing for a number of years and is a member of folktronica exponents Tunng and Synth collector extraordinaire and producer Benge who is best known for his part in the collaborative project John Foxx & The Maths. They made their debut in 2012 releasing the EP 'Mind Your Own Sequence'. Their brand new album 'La Spark' was released in May this year. 

https://www.facebook.com/weare.wrangler
 

WAW: Sato Sato- Psycho Liar

Here another great new comers of 2014 to rave about. Based in London/Berlin, Sato Sato consists of Alessandro Nieri and Alessio Ippolito who released their debut single in April this year. Meanwhile their first official EP is out entitled "Architecture of Torment". One of the lead tracks of the EP "Psycho Liar" is a real synthetic electro dancefloor killer and dangerously atmospheric. We got on a vid for you as we are watching. 
 Thanks Brigitte for recommending this!

More about the band..
 http://satosato.bandcamp.com
 

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Martial Canterel Announces New Album/ Label Change

Sean McBride, aka Martial Canterel who also performs as half of the duo Xeno & Oaklander is back with a brand new album. His new album is entitled 'Gyors, Lassù' and will be released on a new label Dais Records. It is announced that the album marks an important milestone in the evolution of Martial Canterel's music style, "Progressing far beyond the cages of “minimal synth” and embracing the noisier qualities of its sound". The Album is set for release on October 28th and you can hear the preview track below "And I Thought". Sean is currently touring as Xeno & Oaklnder.  

http://daisrecords.com/


   

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Label Spot: Visage Musique

There was this wonderful Gold Zebra song I discovered few years back which led me to its mother label. You can see that I'm referring to Visage Musique, one of the finest record labels in Canada. Based in Montreal, the label was probably established in 2010 and since then, it has released material of very distinctive synth driven electronic sound. Best known for Brusque Twins and Gold Zebra who share the history with the label and are there since its launch. Visage Musique certainly is the Face of the Montreal's electronic music scene and I'm sure there are more synth pop artists lined up and waiting to be heard. One of my personal favorite from VM's catalog certainly is Violence who released their debut album this year. 
They will join us for an exclusive interview this month. Stay tuned!

http://www.visagemusique.com

Monday, October 6, 2014

Retrovison: Alison Moyet- All Cried Out

Thirty years ago Alison Moyet released "All Cried Out", one of her biggest hits to date and the best charting hit from her debut album 'Alf'. This album was her first official release after Yazoo disbanded. "All Cried Out" reached #8 in the UK charts. The song was written by Moyet and producers Jolley & Swain. Today, Alison Moyet is still active in music, last year she released her eight studio album 'the minutes' and coming up next month is her new album 'Minutes and Seconds- Live'.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Dark Entries Records Reissue Cult Italo Disco Classics

Celebrating the 30th anniversary. Dark Entries Record presents International Music System's "Dancing Therapy" and Charlie's "Spacer Woman" remastered. Both tracks were produced by Maurizio Cavalieri and released on his own record label Mr Disc Records in 1983/4. "Spacer Woman" has become a cult revival track since its appearance on the legendary I-f mix CD ”Mixed Up In The Hague” in 2001 and has been reissued several time to this date, while for Dancing Therapy this is the first reissue since its original release in 1984. Both release have been remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and are available now. For More info follow the link.



Next Wave: Minuit Machine

Minuit Machine is a Paris based darkwave duo consisting of Hélène de Thoury and Amandine Stioui. Hélène was previously active with her band Phosphor when she decided to quit the band in 2013 and start her own music ventures. She soon met Amandine and together they started recording music as Minuit Machine. Their music is dark, very atmospheric and cold and it reflects all the struggles we encounter one day or another, self-destruction, fear and love. Their debut EP 'Blue Moon' was released in 2013 and this year sees the release of their debut album 'Live and Destroy' which is out on Desire Records.

http://minuitmachine.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/minuit-machine
http://www.desirerecords.com


Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Jimmy Sommerville's Video and Rarities Compilation Announced

Edsel has announced the release a Jimmy Somerville compilation, 'Dance & Desire • Rarities & Videos' in November. This compilation brings together music and videos from across Somerville’s career beginning with Bronski Beat, moving through the Communards and then Jimmy’s solo career. The story turns full circle with the inclusion of "Smalltown Boy (Reprise 2014)" a new version of the classic track with an accompanying promo film. 'Dance & Desire • Rarities & Videos' includes rare remixes (and videos) not compiled on the previous deluxe reissues, most notably the original twelve-inch versions of 1984 hits "Smalltown Boy" and the full ‘Son Of Gotham City’ mix of "Don’t Leave Me This Way". 'Dance & Desire • Rarities & Videos' will be released on 17 November 2014.

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/jimmy-somerville-dance-desire-rarities-videos-2cddvd/



WAW: White Hex- Paradise

White Hex are back after two years break with another interesting release. As they say, on the second album 'Gold Nights' they explore more italo disco, minimalist techno and the more primitive end of 1980’s German underground and it is more sophisticated then their debut release. Here is the outstanding track from 'Gold Nights' and their first single 'Paradise'. The video for it was directed by Devin De Araujo.

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