WAW: Marcel Wave - The Moon King

It is almost ten years now since A Terrible Splendour released their marvelous "Slaves to the City" tune and their New Romantic half, a good friend Lyle, has recently been experimenting with synth pop on a solo basis as Marcel Wave. The video for the new song "The Moon King" was revealed on Monday. This pleasant piece of synth pop takes us on an artistic and cinematic trip in the realm of The Moon King. The b-side isn't less interesting as it is Marcel Wave take on the French classic "Les Nuits Sans Kim Wilde", originally performed by Laurent Voulzy  The video for the song was created with the help of another old friend, Soft Riot's very own Mr Jack Duckworth (JJD). We hope to hear and see more creative collaboration materializing from these two. 

Please follow the link for more Marcel Wave goodness.
https://marcelwave.bandcamp.com/album/the-moon-king

Next Wave: Dinner

Danish producer and singer Anders Rhedin who records and produces under the Dinner moniker is our new Next Wave stars on Burning flame and one of the most anticipated stars for this year. Already in 2014 he draw a good deal of attention with his synth laden glam-pop tunes. Somewhere divided between LA, Berlin and Copenhagen he is taking influences from everywhere.This is how his music is described by his label: "Sometimes Dinner sounds like a long-lost mixtape from the local Dusseldorf pop scene in the early 1980s. Other times he sounds something like the soundtrack to David Lynch directing Miami Vice, or Genesis P-Orridge embracing Italian pop-infused Danish darkwave, or like a male descendant of Nico singing Eno-esque pop songs on discarded Julian Cope tracks." 

In April, Dinner will release the complete Three EPs Collection 2012-2014 and also support Mac DeMarco on his West Coast tour. In May and June he’ll embark on his first extended European tour. He’s currently in LA, where he’s working on his debut full-length.

Chronicles of Punk, New Romantics and Beyond in 'We Can Be Heroes' by Graham Smith

'We Can Be Heroes' is a brand new book by Graham Smith that gives the insider's perspective on London's clubland 1976-1984 and celebrates the Punk and New Romantic movement. Graham Smith designed some album covers for Spandau Ballet and Sade. He was also unofficial house photographer of the London clubs and collected over 450 previously unseen images and 500 quotes from many of the chief creative figures of the punk and New Romantics era, projecting his masterpiece above and beyond the traditional photo book realm. The book was co-written with a friend and fellow Chris Sullivan who wrote a bestselling illustrated history of Punk that the Pistols say is the best book on the subject ever penned.  

The book was fully funded and released just before Christmas on December 8, 2011. You can still buy the book exclusively from Unbound, either as a limited Special Edition hardback, or as a numbered Deluxe edition, in an elegant box with two signed prints.

Reissue: Spandau Ballet- The Albums 1980-84 4CD Boxset

Spandau Ballet will release a deluxe 4CD Boxset which contains the first four classic Spandau albums 'Journeys To Glory', 'Diamond', 'True' and 'Parade'. The albums are packaged into individual sleeves then housed into a deluxe slip case with beautiful white and gold artwork. The remaster boxset includes all the hit singles from over the years "To Cut A Long Story Short", "Musclebound", "Chant No1", "Gold", "True", "Lifeline", "The Freeze", "Communication", "Only When You Leave"and many more. 

 The release date is set for April16, 2012. Pre-order your copy of Spandau Ballet The Albums 1980-84 4CD Boxset between now and March 16th and be automatically entered into their exclusive 'Mothers Day Draw' to win a framed Signed by all of Spandau tour program.   

www.spandauballetstore.com/spandauballet/CD/The-Albums-1980-84

Steve Strange Has A New Formation

New Romantic vocalist Steve Strange of 'Visage' and 'Blitz Kids' fame is back with a new project called Detroit Starrzz. The collective includes artists, producers and remixers such as Patrick Ruane from chart-topping dance duo 'The Nightstylers', amazing remixstress producer and guitar virtuoso Rachel Ellektra and the highly talented and charismatic DJ Little Andy (TOTP Star Bar). They have launched their unique brand of breaks and beats-inspired synth-pop. Their new album is expected to be released soon.

www.facebook.com/pages/Detroit-Starrzz

Retrovision: Visage- Visage

Thirty years ago Visage had a hit with "Visage", not as big as its predecessor "Fade To Grey" from 1980, but the video was a soundtrack the New Romantic generation introducing the Blitz Club.

 

Next Wave: A Terrible Splendour

A Terrible Splendour are a New Romantic Synthesiser Cabaret outfit from London. Their songs weave tales of blackmail and despair, of cruelty and of heartbreak. They draw their inspiration from the drama of faded silver screen stars, imprisoned dissidents and espionage. Having built a following around their blood and cake stained live performance, ATS are set to release their debut single "The Russians" / "Slaves to the City" on June 17th, whilst continuing to work on their debut album 'An Evening in the Company of A Terrible Splendour'. 
Check out their Facebook band page to listen to their latest single. 

http://www.aterriblesplendour.com/

Retrovision: Spandau Ballet- Musclebound TOTP

Thirty years ago Spandau Ballet had their second Top ten hit when the song "Musclebound" which reached the UK charts at number ten in 1981. It was the third single release from their debut album Journeys to Glory and  this is their brilliant performance on 'Top of the Pops'.

Ultravox's Vienna No.1 Campaign

Please join in the final push on the last 2 days until midnight this Saturday; Friday 9th & Saturday 10th April. Buy the Vienna single MP3 download a few times if you can - gift them to friends, ask friends and family to buy you copies as an early birthday present, tell everyone in your address book, etc.
Find the download links on this page:
http://www.ultravox.org.uk/facebook.shtml

(All images are copyrighted by their respective copyright owners)

Duran Duran and Seven And The Ragged Tiger to be Reissued

Following the recent expanded reissue of Duran Duran’s 'Rio' album, Capitol/EMI will release their self-titled debut and 'Seven and the Ragged Tiger' albums. The release is scheduled for March 29, 2010 in Europe and May 18th in the US in limited edition 2CD/DVD and digital audio packages. Expanded limited special editions feature remastered original albums, plus b-sides, 12-inch mixes, live recordings, music videos, and radio & TV performances, including previously unreleased material.
http://www.duranduran.com/

The Face - The Very Best of Visage

Visage celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the bands biggest hit "Fade To Grey". The compilation album is entitled 'The Face - The Very Best of Visage' and features several different versions and remixes of the song "Fade to Gray" and all the single releases except the "Beat Boy". It's out on Universal from March 1, 2010.

The Face - The Very Best Of Visage

Ultravox- Vision of Blue

In 1983, Ultravox released their song "Visions of Blue" and recorded a video for the MTV airplay which contained brief nudity. It two showed topless women with bare breasts, draped in towels washing themselves beside a fireplace. This video was banned by the BBC and MTV due to nudity exhibition. An edited version was later provided for broadcast on Top of the Pops. Since this form of nudity has become quite harmless, the original version of the video can also be found on YouTube.

Spandau Ballet- Once More

As already confirmed in March, Spandau Ballet have reformed for another album release and tour this year. "Once More" is their first single in 20 years which has been released on October 19, 2009. The single is followed by the homonymus album which mainly contains cover versions of old Spandau Ballet songs. The band are offering fans the chance to download a new version of old song 'Only When You Leave' from their official website, Spandauballet.com, from October 25.

Check out more exciting news and info at:

www.spandauballet.com/

Marc Almond- Orpheus In Exile

Marc Almond will release a new album on September 7, 2009. The album is entitled 'Orpheus In Exile' and it celebrates the sentiment and the genious of the soviet writer Vadim Kouzin. A microsite with details of the album along with audio and video clips is now available from the link on the front intro page and this one.

http://www.marcalmond.co.uk/

Ultravox Return to Eden

Ultravox perform "Visions In Blue" live on stage at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium (SECC) on April 11, 2009, the second date on their Return To Eden reunion tour. The "Return To Eden" tour continuous...

www.ultravox.org.uk/tour-dates

Spandau Ballet Reformation

One the most successful and influential British bands of all time return this year. All five original members of the seminal 1980s band Spandau Ballet got together for the first time in 20 years today to announce the first dates of a world tour, taking in UK and Irish arenas from October.
From their synth pop and dance pioneering early singles "To Cut A Long Story Short "and "Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On)", to the globe trotting smashes "True" and "Gold", Spandau will be playing the hits once again. With 25 million record sales, 6 multi platinum albums and 23 hit singles to choose from, this is one of the most eagerly awaited REFORMATIONs of the decade.

More info:
http://www.spandauballet.com

New Visage

Few weeks ago I posted a topic about the new Visage song that was going to be available soon. Now you can get the brand new Visage song in full on the official website. 

http://www.visagemusic.com/

Ronny

There is not much info on the only female performer that was part of the romantic movement in the early 80's. We never managed to find out the real name so we will address her with her artistic moniker. She was brought up in the grim Northern industrial area of France and left home at 14 to go to Paris, doing all kinds of different jobs. She took dancing classes, used to model and then stopped everything and started to write songs.

The club entrepreneur Rusty Egan met Ronny in the Paris club Privelege and introduced her to the whole New Romantic movement and she soon became a regular at the Blitz Club. Ronny released three singles co-produced with Midge Ure/Rusty Egan, Vangelis and Peter Godwin. They were all released in 1981/82 on Polydor, "If you Want Me to Stay" has grown into a New Wave classic in the Internet era. 

Tik and Tok

When robotic act Plastic Joe and mime and music outfit Shock got together in 1980 the seeds of Tik + Tok were sown. Shock played at legendary venues at their height like the Hacienda, The Blitz and The Warehouse, became a key part of the New Romantic movement and recorded with Rusty Egan (Visage) and Richard Burgess (Landscape). Tik and Tok consisted of Tim Dry and Sean Crawford with Barbie Wilde, Robert Pereno, L.A. Richards and Carole Caplin.

“Mime was where we started. It was our chicken or was it our egg? We never wanted to be human! Then bit by bit we bought some music equipment so we could start to make our own little soundtracks for Mime ideas we had. We've always seen ourselves as being abstract visual artists who just happen to make music as well.” Tik

When Shock split soon after, Tik + Tok appeared everywhere from the Covent Garden Piazza to the 1983 Royal Variety Show, on countless TV shows and had key roles in 80's sci-fi creepfest Xtro. A young band called Depeche Mode supported them live, they released a series of cracking electronic singles on the Survival label and one album, Intolerance, shortly before disappearing from the music scene in 1984.

“A mix of everything that we liked musically at the time. Movies like Blade Runner too. Plus needing tracks that we could create a Mime piece to. Oh, and sex and Sci Fi too of course! We'd already got Vile Bodies so we kind of built side 2 of Intolerance around that. Side 1 of the album was geared towards a more 'Poppy' kind of stance, but deep down we were still wanting to be unearthly and quite weird musically. The pop stuff was fun to tart around to but I think that both of us now feel that we're quite glad that we didn't have a hit single. No 'Buzzcocks' or revival tours for us!” Tik

After 21 years away from the live circuit, Tik + Tok have reformed and re-emerged earlier this year at the annual Elektrofest festival whipping up a storm. Back to finish what they started, the time was perfect to communicate with the legendary Robots.