Electronically Yours

OMD's Andy McCluskey talked about the appeal of MARSHEAUX's 'wistful melancholy' with EY last year. And with the most recent single 'Another Likely Story' by Brooklyn's AU REVOIR SIMONE, you get that 'wistful melancholy' in abundance plus one.








For you don't just get two attractive girls happily playing around with their synths, you actually get three!!

They are the sweet studious girls who you'd spot pouring over their latest thesis in the college library. This overt bookish intelligence only enhances what is already a terrifically understated sexy appeal.






And this is without mentioning the gorgeous string sounds, ringing counter-melodies and vocal harmonies.

AU REVOIR SIMONE started out when Erika Forster (keyboards & vocals) and Annie Hart, (keyboards & vocals) and Heather D'Angelo (drum machines, keyboard & vocals) exchanged stories and ambitions only to discover that they had a common desire to form an all-keyboard band to play synthetic covers of songs they adored from their youth.


One of these was Rod Stewart's 'Young Turks' which they have since revisited and turned into a stonking full fat electro dance version in collaboration with The Disco Pushers.


AU REVOIR SIMONE's instrumentation has manifested their sound. In their own words, they wanted to make 'warm and organic electronic music with forthright female vocalists'. Annie said: 'Our inspiration comes from the sounds that the keyboards make, that's what made us start playing them in the first place'.

Their MySpace stated the main influences as being 'Casio, Roland, Korg, Alesis, Rhythm Ace, Univox, Yamaha, Nord and Suzuki'. Heather added: 'We used to get some overly opinionated people say 'You guys need a drummer' but not so much now...'

They made their recorded debut in 2006 with the release of a mini-album 'Verses of Comfort, Assurance and Salvation' on Moshi Moshi Records.

Their subsequent albums 'The Bird of Music' in 2007 and last year's 'Still Night, Still Light' (from which 'Another Likely Story' is taken) have attained critical acclaim and a host of admirers.




Their most famous fan is 'Twin Peaks' director David Lynch while indie dance band FRIENDLY FIRES asked them provide vocals for the excellent if slightly over long 'Aeroplane Remix' of 'Paris'.


'Another Likely Story' also comes in another 'Aeroplane Remix' but luckily, it appears lessons have been learnt and it clocks in at a far more sensible four minutes.

Other songs such as 'Shadows' and 'Sad Song' are fairly representative of AU REVOIR SIMONE (their acronym is a bit unfortunate!) and their laid back output.
While the chilled-out electronic atmospheres they create recall Gallic sonic architects like AIR and STEREOLAB, AU REVOIR SIMONE's songwriting style probably has more in common with the subtle melodies of conventional acts such as CAMERA OBSCURA or BELLE & SEBASTIEN.

'It seemed like something fun for us to do - to celebrate the keyboard,' recalls Erika.

Hallelujah to that we say here at EY!

Au Revoir Simone @ myspace




EY Donations - we need your help


It's that time of year again when our super hosts F2s are sending us polite reminders about hosting fees for EY.
2010 promises to be a very special pop laden year when much of our focus will be turned back in the direction of The Mighty Human League who will shortly be releasing new material on the equally mighty and much admired Wall Of Sound label. EY will be giving this the best possible coverage along with new albums from other EY faves such as La Roux and Little Boots throughout 2010.

We will of course continue to waffle on about the new and unsighend bands inbetween all the big news and if you would like to make a modest voluntary donation via the secure Paypal button below - it will go a long way in keeping us online for the next 12 months.


Thank you all in advance for your kind support and keep it electro :)
orac x

Following on from LITTLE BOOTS' appearance with GARY NUMAN last December, the BBC gave us yet another memorable collaboration at their Maida Vale Studios with a special performance featuring LA ROUX and HEAVEN 17.






Firmly reinforcing the artistic link between the 'Synth Britannia' heroes of yesteryear and the new 'L-Word' generation of electro ladies, the endorsement of the UK's two leading exponents of the modern-era has recognised beyond doubt their true synthesized credentials.

With LITTLE BOOTS having already duetted with The LEAGUE's Lord Philip Oakey, MARSHEAUX with OMD and LADY GAGA with PET SHOP BOYS, the electro torch is being passed on to some worthy successors. Funnily enough, no-one's asked to duet with The Presets yet ;)

Despite declaring in his 2008 interview with EY that he was less than impressed with the new generation of female-fronted electro pop, Sir Martyn Ware had a change of heart when heard LA ROUX.






Sister Elly Jackson (for it is she) had declared 'Come Live With Me' as one of her favourites songs of all time and the quite obvious musical homage to the early HUMAN LEAGUE / BEF sound on 'In For The Kill' confirmed that a new exciting era of classic electronic pop was upon us.

So impressed was Sir Martyn that during a discussion on electro-pop on BBC5 Live in which he and Elly were contributing, he pleaded with her live on air to let him produce the next LA ROUX album.

Who knows what will happen next but the result of that exchange has led to this gathering at the Beeb which was being recorded as part of KATSEN champion Steve Lamacq's show for BBC6 Music.


He was on hand as compere this evening and the pre-show music consisting of vintage DAVID BOWIE, ANIMOTION, OUR DAUGHTERS WEDDING, DEPECHE MODE and HUMAN LEAGUE suitably set the scene.

Tonight, HEAVEN 17's nucleus of Glenn Gregory and Martyn Ware are joined as usual by the gorgeous Billie Godfrey and the vivacious Me'sha Bryan on backing vocals plus Asa Bennett doubling on guitar / synths and Aussie Joel Farland on electronic drums.
Meanwhile, LA ROUX feature their usual live line-up of Elly, Mikey, Mickey and Will sans silent writing/production partner Ben Langmaid.

'(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' begins proceedings and still resonates as it powerfully fills the BBC Maida Vale Studio. Ironically, this song was banned by the BBC when it was released as a single in 1981 due to its 'Ronald Reagan...Fascist God' baiting lyrical content. And here were HEAVEN 17, finally getting to play it for Auntie with Glenn Gregory standing by his original observation!

'Geisha Boys And Temple Girls' is next and has been made to sound more like the 'Penthouse & Pavement' version in preparation for the forthcoming tour which will see this seminal album played live for the first time in its entirety.
Gregory and Ware's favourite H17 song 'Let Me Go' closes the first part of the show with the squelchy Roland TB303 bassline that pre-dated acid house by five years taking prominence. What's noticed is although this is basically an electro-funk song, it's actually quite difficult to dance to!

LA ROUX then take to the stage and start their section with the fierce growl of 'Tigerlily', still one of the best tracks on the eponymous debut album. Next, the beautiful gospel tinged 'Cover My Eyes' is given a rare outing, made possible by Ms Godfrey and Ms Bryan joining the band to assist on backing vocals.

Its great to hear another one of the highlights from the album performed live. For the end of the LA ROUX 'solo' set, the crowd are treated to a spirited rendition of 'Bulletproof'. The sound is wonderfully crisp and crunchy within Maida Vale, exactly how electronic music should be heard.

Elly and Glenn get together for the first collaboration and are an amusing sight to see. Elly's trademark quiff has now got so big that standing next to Big Glenn, she's almost as tall-tall-tall!
However, all lead singers have an inherent flaw in their performance; OMD's Andy McCluskey has a habit of getting verses the wrong way round; Midge Ure of ULTRAVOX occasionally sings the first verse twice. With Big Glenn, it's missing his cue!!



They try to surprise us but after some light hearted deliberation about the size of lyric sheets, Big Glenn forgets to come in on the first verse of 'In For The Kill'.

But the second take is magnificent with Big Glenn taking the lead vocal while Elly does her wailing interludes and angelic middle eight. Any scepticism that may still linger about the connection between LA ROUX, BEF and therefore early HUMAN LEAGUE can now be totally quashed.

'In It For The Kill' is a lost BEF Production.

During the show's interview, Glenn Gregory is asked by Steve Lamacq about how he first heard about LA ROUX when Elly interjects 'when someone told him we were copying them!'Glenn then jokes that HEAVEN 17's first contact with Elly was via lawyers!

Elly mentions how she loves 'And That's No Lie' from 'How Men Are' so Glenn announces that HEAVEN 17 will be playing it on the forthcoming tour specially for Elly but haven't worked out how to perform this 10 minute epic.

When Lamacq asks Ware about the incumbent technology around the studio, Ware proudly shows off his Korg 770S which was his first synth and is still being used today.

'...350 pounds in 1977 and it was buy that or a second hand car! I still have the synth but I still can't drive!' said Sir Martyn.

HE STILL CAN'T PLAY THAT!' retorted Big Glenn, pointing at the Korg with a glint in his eye!

The evening is filled with good spirited humour throughout that even brings smiles to the usually straight faced Sister Elly. She tells Lamacq that she hates YouTube because it captures all those less than glorious live performances. She cites Glastonbury 2009 as an example. Playing to 10,000, she amusingly recalled she was so nervous that she 'couldn't sing for toffee!' and the resulting video clips have preserved this.


During a break in recording, Steve Lamacq suggests to LA ROUX's electronic percussionist Will that he must be good at 'Rockband' only for him to reply that he's 'cr*p' at it while Martyn Ware gleefully tells everyone that Big Glenn only got 78% doing 'Temptation' on 'SingStar'!

Speaking of which, the HEAVEN 17 song they decide to collaborate on is probably a bit obvious but 'Temptation' is pulled off superbly. Elly may not have a natural 'soul' voice like Carol Kenyon on the single or Billie Godfrey on the current live version but she can certainly hit those high notes in this classic.

The audience cheered with approval mid-song as Big Glenn smiled and looked on in awe.

The cover version they attempt is again an obvious choice as the two acts explained their reasoning. Big Glenn suggested TERENCE TRENT D'ARBY's 'Sign Your Name' as the original was produced by Martyn Ware, so there was already a HEAVEN 17 connection.
But independently, Elly also thought of it as it was the inspiration for her own 'Cover My Eyes'.
So 'et voila', the combined ten piece band launch into a great uptempo electro-bossa nova reworking sounding not unlike the arrangement LA ROUX's 'Tigerlily' played earlier.

'LA SEVENTEEN' declared Big Glenn; 'No, I prefer HEAVEN ROUX' replied Sister Elly!

Elly Jackson looked extremely comfortable and relaxed performing with HEAVEN 17. This was a fantastic and unique night uniting two generations of the synthesizer. The BBC said in their press release: 'Three decades ago HEAVEN 17 were instrumental in the popularisation of electronic music in the UK, and over the last year LA ROUX have come to prominence as one of today's leading electro torchbearers. In bringing these artists together, BBC6 Music illustrates the lineage and influence of the genre from the 1970s through to the present day'.


It's things like this, the LITTLE BOOTS / GARY NUMAN session and 'Synth Britannia' that makes this whole licence fee thing worthwhile.



(With thanks to Robert R)

Keep an eye on the 6Music site for more Heaven Roux gems via this very handy link



Listen to the La Roux H17 live session on the BBC iPlayer here (available for 7 days for those in the UK)





Update constructed by Orac whilst listening to 6Music's first live airing of the H17/La Roux session...and EY HQ (rather predictably) sang along to every word in very lush tones :)





EY Donations - keep us online for another 12 months

Electro Innovators Heaven 17 played a very special gig last night at the legendary Maida Vale last night for BBC 6Music and the Sheffield sound alchemists were joined on stage by another EY fave - La Roux.






Presented by electro enthusiast Steve Lamacq who was the first to play Katsen on national radio, this unique 6Music live combo featured La Roux giving a rare live outing for 'Cover My Eyes' along with 'Tigerlily' before joining Glenn Gregory & Martyn Ware for special BEF versions of 'In For The Kill' and H17's defining 80's hit 'Temptation'.

With the two acts bonding so well on the night musically and personally, Elly has hinted to 6Music that there will be more H17/La Roux collaborations in the future - a possible project that Glenn jokingly called 'La Seventeen'.
A cover of Martin Ware's 1988 hit for Terrence Trent D'Arby's 'Sign Your Name' was also performed by Glenn and Elly (a track that Elly admitted had inspired 'Cover My Eyes').



Martyn was hugely impressed with how well Glenn and Elly's voices complimented each other on the night.

'There's an interesting contemporary aspect to Elly's voice and the smoothness and richness of Glenn's voice,' said the founder of the Human League and proud owner of the Korg 770 synth used on 'Being Boiled' and last night's live performance.
'This magical synergy between two different creative forces, I thought was something really quite unusual and beautiful'.



6Music have now added a video of Glenn & Elly performing 'Temptation' and it can be viewed along with broadcast information together with other quotes via this very important link.
And if you look very closely, you'll see EY's Chi Ming Lai bopping away at the front whose excellent review of the night will appear here very shortly.


Heaven 17 have also launched their rather splendid official website today and we are chuffed to be featured in the links section. Thank you :)

Jump here to check out the new H17 site and be sure add it to your bookmarks.

oracx

CHEW LIPS released two very impressive singles 'So' and 'Salt Air' last year on the ultra-hip French Kitsune label who successfully launched LA ROUX and DELPHIC.



Despite proclamations last year by their singer Karen O that the YEAH YEAH YEAHS had adopted the synth, the resulting 'It's Blitz' was actually a polished new wave record with hints of glitterball seasoning.

With CHEW LIPS, you actually get what YEAH YEAH YEAHS would have sounded like if they really had gone all electronic.

This London based trio consist of singer Tigs, and multi-instrumentalists Will Sanderson and James Watkins. Describing their own music as '8-bit Casiotone drone-disco' which perfectly sums up 'Salt Air', their sound is quite sparse but there's lots of pulsing sequencers and drum machines chugging away alongside the occasional spot of bass and guitar.



Meanwhile the songs have a melancholic edge whilst occasionally like on 'So', having a distorted percussive rattle that's not unlike The Ting Tings accompanied by a Boss Doctor Rhythm!


And this is the key, despite all the blips and blips, CHEW LIPS have songs.

EY has often been accused of hating male electro but it's just bad or boring electro that EY dislikes. But one common trait of a fair proportion of male electro or dance music at the moment is an aversion to actual song structure amongst all the flurry of noises and beats...and not knowing when to finish.

Is this the macho factor coming in?




Girls seem to like hooks and melodies so with the female-fronted CHEW LIPS, the longest song clocks in at less than 4 minutes 33 seconds and despite musically being in closer to say THROBBING GRISTLE than THE HUMAN LEAGUE, there are proper verses and choruses, all to a disco beat.


CHEW LIPS will definitely appeal those who find LITTLE BOOTS or LA ROUX too glitzy and prefer their electronic pop with a cloudier sky.

Their debut album 'Unicorn' features a host of great tracks. Single 'Play Together' carries on where FC KAHUNA left off with EY fave 'Machine Says Yes'. Indeed, FC KAHUNA even contribute a remix of this (available separately) as if to verify the link!

'Karen' is brilliant electro indie with shades of guitar-driven NEW ORDER while 'Slick' takes a great bleep forward as it builds around the minimal backing.

'Too Much Talking' is a wonderfully dark ballad and 'Toro' (Italian for 'Bull') is less aggressive GOSSIP-style new wave funk. Other highlights include 'Two Years' which comes on like classic DEPECHE MODE while grandeur filled closer 'Gold Key' borrows that Mellotron choir from OMD and even features a guitar solo!

But a real treat is the beautiful iTunes only bonus track 'Rising Tide' with its haunting piano, Krafty rhythm section and sparkling synth-harp runs. With a wonderfully spirited vocal from Tigs, this really should have been included as part of the main feature.

Although 'Unicorn' is an impressive debut, CHEW LIPS have missed a trick by not including their two Kitsune singles.

Whereas this is probably aimed at giving fans value for money and making the album more of an artistic statement, in this modern day and age, to not have two of your strongest and 'best known' songs on your debut long player may put off some curious newcomers who could have grown into some of the less immediate material on this album had they initially bought it to get 'Solo' or 'Salt Air'.

EY Rating: 8 out of 10 if 'So', 'Salt Water' and 'Rising Tide' had all been included on the CD version of the album.

www.myspace.com/ChewLips

(With thanks to Richard Price and Malc)

Last month, EY dedicated the entire Noughties to one very talented lady and now electro's most influential singer in recent years is back!










Its been two long years since Goldfrapp's hit and miss album 'Seventh Tree' but Alison Goldfrapp stays true to form by constantly altering the Frapp blueprint. The wispy, loved-up up 'folktronica' of 2008 has now been dropped in favour of a return to Planet Pop and insanely catchy hooks.





'Rocket' is the first single to be released from forthcoming album 'Head First' that hits stores on March 22nd and it's shamelessly mid-80's with synth stabs that sound suspiciously like Van Halen's 'Jump'.


Don't let that put you off for 'Rocket' is also a glorious celebration of d-i-s-c-o with nonsense lyrics about jumping on a rocket - a chorus that is likely to stay in your head all year.





'Rocket' is brilliantly engineered - a real lesson in perfect pop with the simple aim of brightening up the airwaves for 3 minutes and to give you a bit of a lift.
The Mighty Frapp could be heading for their biggest chart hit since 2005's 'Ooh La La' and Alison is probably the only person on this planet who can still getaway with looking good in a lurid jump suit.

Rocket is released by Mute on March 9th in the UK.

EY's Shameless Pop Rating 9/10





2nd Single of The Week: Groove Armada 'I Won't Kneel'





Even more female led electro and another 80's inspired pop stomper from the usually chilled UK production team Groove Armada comprising of knob twiddlers Andy Cato and Tom Findlay.



It's been almost 13 years since GA first stormed the charts with the dreamy sun drenched 'At The River' that would define the summer of 1997 and 1999 when it reached Number 19 on both occasions.


Sporadic and diverse releases followed with varying degrees of success but GA have returned with a track that is on par with Royksopp's recent and splendid 'Girl & The Robot'.

'I Won't Kneel' also takes it's inspiration from 80's pop with some dirty fat synth sounds (used to great effect such as the Heaven 17 'Come Live With Me' bassline effect) and very crisp and rapid drum patterns (which we love here at EY HQ) - and the chorus is simply life affirming.




The distinctive vox meanwhile are provided by SaintSaviour who runs around a neon set in spandex 'Buck Rodgers' costume like an extra from Tron (and the video that looks as though a few bob has been spent on it).






'I Won't Kneel' is Groove Armada's catchiest track to date and a very memorable pop song that deserves to rule the airways.
It's also a very buzzy track that makes us think that we are all in for a classic year of top pop releases - hurrah!

It all feels like 1982 again :)

EY Neon Rating: 8.5

(With thanks to Marsheaux)

LITTLE BOOTS, LA ROUX, FLORENCE & THE MACHINE and LADY GAGA all featured in the Top Six of the 'BBC Sound Of 2009' and the list pretty well predicted the year's musical success stories.


One of the significant changes that occurred compared to previous years was that the many of the protagonists were not only female, but had a modern synth pop based sound and/or the inventive echoes of the KATE BUSH school of songwriting.

Although featuring two acts with all male line-ups, the 'BBC Sound Of 2010' Top Four has for the second year in succession reflected credible pop craft with all four acts possessing elements of a synth friendly palette.

Of these four, HURTS and MARINA & THE DIAMONDS have already been predicted for success at EY and attracted support from other credible observers such as Popjustice and the NME.

HURTS are a classic UK synth duo consisting of talkative singer Theo Hutchcraft and silent moody keyboard genius Adam Anderson. The whole myth around them does seem to be solely based around their magnificent song 'Wonderful Life'.




This emotive piece of cinematic melancholy features, like all good pop, light at the end of the tunnel as it turns out to be about someone who's about to end it all when suddenly a beautiful girl comes along and saves him.


It is only one song but let's face it, very few acts manage to produce a song as brilliant as this in a lifetime, let alone on just one album.
But the interest is definitely there with as the boys have already sold out their debut London gig at Wilton's Music Hall in February.

Asked by the BBC about whether their more enigmatic approach (compared with the in-yer-face 'trashy' look of their previous band DAGGERS) was a deliberate move to try something different, singer Theo Hutchcraft said: 'I guess that's one way to put it. But your tastes change all the time. There's not a person in the world who hasn't one day worn a purple sweater and then two months later gone 'I hate that purple sweater'' It's less deliberate - if it was a case of 'gimme gimme gimme', we'd probably have shiny neon hair and be dressed in space suits.'

MARINA & THE DIAMONDS has a varied repertoire of material with her glitzy 'ready for radio' single 'Hollywood' sitting alongside more kookier numbers such as 'Mowgli's Road' and 'Girls'. The very electronic 'Starsmith 24 Carat' remix of 'I Am Not A Robot' was one of the best songs of 2009 while the superb synth driven 'Shampain' is another potential hit.


Of 'Hollywood', she told the BBC: 'This is who I was. Hollywood infected my brain and I really valued the wrong things in life, but I changed dramatically. This obsession with celebrity culture is really unhealthy. I don't want to live my life like that, and I don't want to be a typical pop star.'

Some have called Marina Diamandis is (for it is she) a poppier FLORENCE & THE MACHINE and while her inflected contralto vocal style may polarise audiences in a 'Marmite' manner similar to LA ROUX, there is no doubt that Miss Marina has the talent, style and looks to sustain a successful artistic career for years to come.


Coming second in the 'BBC Sound of 2010' may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as LA ROUX found.

Debut album 'The Family Jewels' is out on 15th February.






The other two acts in the Top Four have both opened for LITTLE BOOTS but couldn't be anymore different.

Already awarded the BRITS Critics' Choice Award for 2010 (FLORENCE & THE MACHINE was last year's title holder), this year's 'BBC Sound of 2010' winner ELLIE GOULDING is a very accomplished performer but unlikely to totally capture the heart of EY as her style is squarely in the folk rock tradition of a KT Tunstall.






However, EY were a bit sceptical about a certain LADY GAGA this time last year so who knows? But the concept of 'folktronica' is quite fascinating.

With a bit of electro sparkle thrown in by her producer Starsmith, her single 'Under The Sheets' displayed some pop prowess while its 'Friends Electric' remix revealed some analogue disco potential. But as her friend LITTLE BOOTS found, the pressure will now be on. Ellie's much anticipated debut album 'Lights' is due in March.

DELPHIC have a great, multi-instrumental stage presentation featuring a good mix of synths, guitars, bass and electronic percussion accompanied by a funky live drummer. In some ways, they are like A CERTAIN RATIO gone right!




Consisting of James Cook, Matt Cocksedge and Richard Boardman, DELPHIC formed as a reaction to all the sub-OASIS nonsense that was pouring out of their home city of Manchester. Unhappy with what was around them and sensing an unwillingness for change among their peers, they felt they had to stop moaning and actually do something about it.

One of their mottos is 'the guitar is dead, long live the guitar' but their desire to incorporate other musical influences such as dance and electronics sets them apart from conventional landfill indie bands.

Main synths man Rick Boardman said to the BBC: 'This is going to sound really cool, as if I've made it up, and the rest of the band hate me for this, but I have very cool parents. My first musical memory was getting a little Casio keyboard and playing 'The Model' by KRAFTWERK on it. That was the first thing I learnt.'

Guitarist Matt Cocksedge also had some nice things to say about fellow Mancunians HURTS. 'I'm just looking forward to seeing Theo - we've seen him before in other bands and stuff - he's always been a star waiting to shoot off and actually be a proper recognised one. Manchester's known about it and he's been a little well kept secret.'



Comparisons are inevitable but as time goes on, DELPHIC could become NEW ORDER to HURTS' PET SHOP BOYS.

The one truly great song of DELPHIC's is the euphoric 'Counterpoint' which sounds like ORBITAL meets NEW ORDER while latest single 'Doubt' is a worthy first cousin showing an inventive use of samples, sequencers and klanky guitars.

As showcased on both songs, James Cook's vocals possess a vulnerable tonal quality in the mould of Thom Yorke or MUSE's Matt Bellamy that will aid any indie dance crossover. But their stuff does appear to be based around grooves and jamming rather than actual songs. It will be interesting to hear how their material stands up over the length of a long player.

Their debut album called 'Acolyte' is out now.

So expect another bumper year in music during 2010. While the 'Class of 2010' may not be able to match the cultural impact of 2009's 'L-Word' electro generation, they are worthy graduates who reflect the continued development of challenging rock, indie and R'n'B convention to deliver an alternative but accessible pop art form.

Update constructed by Orac to Clark 'Growls Garden' - on repeat.



Coming up...Gaga and how can we expect to take her seriously(?) plus chat with the winners of EY's Album of 2009 - the lovely Dynamic Katsen Duo!

Wall Of Sound's official website yesterday confirmed the news that they have signed Premier Electro Legends The Human League for a worldwide 'multi-album' record deal.

The press release includes comments from Sir Philip Oakey and Wall Of Sound Supremo Mark Jones who says; 'Never before have The Human League been more relevant musically than they are today. The evolution and progression of electronic popular music is what brings us together. 'It's an honour and inspiration to have them signed to Wall Of Sound. They say 'never work with you heroes'...but fuck that for starters.'








Timelord of Pop - Sir Philip Oakey then gives the following quote that is currently being reproduced around the world; 'Emerging from a decade in which everyone seems to have spent their time looking backwards we are delighted to have the opportunity to march forwards once again and attempt to produce new and exciting music in a new and exciting partnership'.


The record industry trade publication Music Week also gave the news favourable coverage this week revealing that Mark Jones had been 'chasing the band' for the last decade since the League's last studio album 'Secrets' back in 2001.






In the same Music Week article, Jones reveals that the League have already 'worked up' 15 tracks and that the band are now currently looking 'at working with different producers'.


(BBC image: Sir Philip with Wall Of Sound's Mark Jones...and two of the best electronic albums ever recorded).




Festival appearances here in the UK have also been booked including this year's Guilfest which has just confirmed 90's knob twiddlers Orbital to their line-up along with The Mighty League.


The Wall Of Sound deal was signed in December and new Human League releases are expected in 2010 with some sources quoting 'three months' - possibly for a single(?).
Although similar sources are mentioning the League as a 'three-piece', Philip's long standing songwriter Neil Sutton has been heavily involved with the new League sessions along with David 'Technical' Beevers whilst the 'Secrets' League line-up that has toured solidly since 2001 with guitarist Nick Burke has remained unchanged.

With official confirmation of the Wall Of Sound deal, news also reached the UK's biggest selling tabloid paper The Sun with a glowing article by Bizarre reporter Gordon Smart who ran with the headline 'A Human Triumph'.

'THEY are unquestionably one of the greatest bands Sheffield has ever produced, now THE HUMAN LEAGUE could be back in the big time after signing a record deal with hip label Wall of Sound' - for the full article from The Sun, please Kiss The Future and jump here.

The Human League....they're back!!! :)


Related links:
Wall Of Sound Official Site
Wall Of Sound (Facebook)
Secrets: The Human League Forum

The BBC have broadcast ''Back To The Phuture' on 6 Music featuring interviews with Heaven 17's Sir Martyn Ware and La Roux's BEF Girl EllyJackson.

Split into two parts, each artist was interviewed by the man who recently signed The Mighty Human League - Wall Of Sound Supermo Mark Jones.





Lot's of nice electro synchronicity also going on with the artist's respective playlists that includes an airing for the splendid Arthur Baker remix of BBC Sound of 2010 faves Hurts plus various tracks from H17, Depeche, Yazoo, Ultravox and The Knife.

The show is currently available to UK listeners over on the BBC iPlayer for the next 6 days - just jump here for 120 minutes of pure electro.
Isn't the Beeb great?

Later this month on the nation's greatest radio station 6 Muisc (we'd be lost without it), Steve Lamacq will be playing highlights from the H17 La Roux session on January 29th with the entire gig available on BBC digital the following week.
A double hurrah for the Beeb then.

EY's Top 5 albums of 2009!

Slightly later than planned, here are five electro albums that you simply must have in your collections kicking off with the EY Album of 2009....




1: Katsen: It Hertz!




Radiophonic hooks and arty without ever being pretentious or frightfully 'art school', 'It Hertz!' has been EY's most played album since last Summer and reminds us of a heavenly day sipping wine in a London garden with the most perfect company...and 'It Hertz!' on repeat.


Katsen's technical sheen and attention to detail result in a collection of rich and varied songs and there currently isn't another band out there that sound anything like this Katsen duo.
Shades of Crystal Castles and mid 90's Orbital in terms of precision sequencing, perhaps the biggest revelation is how good Chris' vocals are when interacting with Donna's delightful tones.




Playful and slightly mischievous but always with an eye on accessible pop - detailed soundscapes always seem to reveal new textures and sounds with each listen.
Chris described 'It Hertz!' as a 'labour of love' to us at EY6 and this debut captures all that excitement and inventness without the added worry of commercial pressure.

This is a rare independent release worthy of Steve Lamacq praise who made it the alternative album of the week for the BBC and we dearly all hope that you love it as much as we do.

We do wish that we had some cool EY sculptured logo award, illuminated by small purple neons to give to Katsen but all our disposable cash has been thrown into the EY time travel project (we've always fancied a Tardis - to see and Kiss The Future etc).
Instead, let us direct you all to XFM who have shortlisted Katsen for their New Music Awards of 2010 along with La Roux, Little Boots, lovely Florence & The Machine etc.

EY has already registered its vote for Katsen so please follow us to this link.


'It Hertz!' choice tracks to sample: Chequered Flag, I'm A Doctor, What You Want, Florian.

You can grab the delux version of 'It Hertz!' with gatefold packaging over at Musicnonstop.

An interview with Katsen will follow shortly.




2: La Roux




Not just a pretty album sleeve but a collection of songs that helped change the musical landscape of the UK and give RnB a good bloody nose in the charts for good measure.

Cheeky and simplistic (almost 8-bit) melodies not heard in the charts since the days of Blancmange and Mode's 'Speak & Spell' - electro suddenly clicked and bleeped again when added to the emotional and often powerful vox of Elly Jackson.

Lead single 'In For The Kill' went on to sell a million copies/downloads despite initial resistence from Radio One who refused to playlist the track (sounded too British probably?).



Whilst those BBC playlist clowns amazingly kept their jobs - Elly followed it up with one of the greatest UK chart toppers in recent years - 'Bulletproof'.

Illness hampered the promotion of 'I'm Your Toy' whilst the next single - a surprising re-release for 'Quicksand' - seemed odd when fans for clamouring for album fave 'Tigerlily'. Other gems include 'bonus' track 'Growing Pains' that was recently used to such brilliant effect in E4's drama of the year 'Misfits'.

'Cover My Eyes' also could have been a massive Xmas hit but it now looks like the next single will be taken from the forthcoming follow-up currently being recorded for release in 2010.

Choice tracks: Tigerlily, Colourless Money, Growing Pains, Bulletproof





3: Parralox: State of Decay





EY's involvement in 'Electricity' follow-up 'State Of Decay' was fairy limited compared to the 2007 EY Special Edition.
All we did was listen to a few rough demos at the turn of the year and gave a massive thumbs-up to stomper 'When The Walls Came Tumbling Down'.

A new, darker Parralox was most welcome and then we took a step back as 'EY VOL 1' was ready to press and roll from scenic Athens.
If we are honest, we were probably a little bit nervous about hearing this new album initially.





Could 'State Of Decay' really match anything on 'Electricity' - a fave with so many readers of this site??

Playing the lovely packaged CD of the new Parralox album was a very special moment as 90% of it was all new to us here at EY HQ.

Three tracks in and we were continually going back to the beginning to play all three tracks again (so it took us a while to reach the end - and what a finale in the shimmery and epic form of 'Time'?).
The album begins with crisp, descending and icy sound effects for 'Beautiful World' - an effect that Jam & Lewis would often use in the 80's most notably on the League's 'Love Is All That Matters'.
One of the beautiful things about this album (apart from Amii's voice, the hooks, the sounds etc), is the sheer number of diverse influences and little touches that will be obvious to the most passionate follower of this wonderous genre.

At times, 'State Of Decay is 2001 Kylie when she couldn't put a leg wrong musically, then it suddenly jumps to 'Technique' New Order before jumping again to definitive Pet Shop Boys circa 1986 when there was a real edge and energy to their recordings.
A few songs later and it's 'Borderline' Madonna with Shannon NY beats and Amii is delivering all these lines so, so emotively.

It is very flattering for us that the EY logo still appears on the packaging of such a fine pop album and without sounding biased - 'State Of Decay' easily walks off with a 9/10 rating.

The album is already a Musicnonstop bestseller and you can still grab the limited edition via this link.





4: Marsheaux Lumineux Noir

No 'difficult third album syndrome' for Greek Sensations Marsheaux who opted to explore darker emotions with this acclaimed collection of songs for Out Of Line Records earlier in 2009.

Album opener 'Exit' is perfectly broody and menacing before it shifts into a catchy sequenced bank of buzzing synths - the kind of track that fans would later miss of DM's fine (if flawed) 'Songs Of The Universe'.





A clever concept drives this album where 'light' tracks' blend perfectly with the darker numbers hence the genius title and it's very much the darker Marsheaux where we think the girls really shine. 'Sorrow' is worthy of Mode's finest hour - most certainly inspired by 'In Your Room' with complex string arrangements and unexpected turns that reminds us of the much missed Swiss act Yello.

Of course, regular readers will know who much we love and admire 'So Far' - a Popjustice Song Of The Day and deservedly so.
Shortly after that Popjustice coverage, the girls were approached to support Pet Shop Boys on the Greek leg of their tour but the dates clashed with EY6 where Scala was already booked and paid for.

'Future Music' last month awarded 'Luminuex Noir' 9/10 describing it as 'Crystalline Sexy Pop' - three brilliant words to describe a very special album...

Grab the Limited Edition here before they vanish forever.




5: Little Boots Hands

Lady Victoria Of Hesketh (© Paul B 2009) has dominated EY over the past 12 months so we will try to keep this brief.

'Hands' is something of a rough diamond. Victoria was whisked away to America (why??) by Warners shortly after winning the BBC's Sound of 2009 so for EY, there is a big shift from the splendid Joe Goddard sonics of 'Stuck On Repeat' to the loveable likes of the Kylie-esque 'Tune Into My Heart'.

Warners messed things up a bit by dabbling too much and this resulted in the awful 'New In Town' that gave us a few sleepless nights last summer.




Victoria pulled things back with 'Remedy' and it's marvelous Middle 8th and the album recovered to sell over 200,000 copies in the UK.
Minor niggles aside regarding clueless suits at Warners (sack them now), 'Hands' is still a fine collection of songs - good enough to tempt Sir Philip Oakey away from current League recording sessions to record one of the greatest tracks of last year - 'Symmetry'.

All we want for Boots album Number 2 is for Hot Chip's Joe Goddard to guard Victoria from Warner suits and get back into that 'Stuck On Repeat' groove.

Lots coming up...stay tuned

It is officially the coldest winter here in the UK since 1981 and to prove the point, BBC 5 Live played the League's 'Don't You Want Me' on Thursday to various archive news reports from when the country was last gripped by such a severe cold snap.



This followed an interview with the very promising Delphic who came 3rd in the BBC's fascinating Sound of 2010 once place ahead of EY faves Hurts. When told that they sounded like fellow manchunian Electro Gods New Order - Delphic cooly replied '...if we came from Sheffield, people would probably say we sound like Human League'.







Some were foolishly predicting an electro backlash in this year's BBC poll but the musical landscape has changed so dramatically here in the UK and a lot of this is down to previous BBC nominees Little Boots and La Roux.
Chi Ming Lai's top tip for 2010 Marina & The Diamonds narrowly missed out on wiining the poll coming in at a very respectable Number 2 yesterday.


Chi will be reviewing the artists featured in this year's BBC music poll shorlty plus his thoughts on the woman behind EY's single of 2009 - Lady Gaga. Is it now time to take her seriously?

As we recover from the worst head numbing virus ever, there now quickly follows a few things of interest....





One of the UK's greatest unsung songwriters Sir Jo Callis has given a most fascinating interview to The Cabonauts website. Amongst new work for this sci-fi series, Jo also talks in great detail about his time with The Human League, the highs of 'Dare' the production problems of 'Hysteria' and how he coaxed Martin Rushent back to produce 1990's anti-Gulf War single 'Heart Like A Wheel'.


For more revelations plus great lost League titles such as 'Here Comes The Ice Cream Van' - please jump here before your fingers freeze.

After being confined to bed for a few days sweating off a virus, we've been dying to reveal the EY Album of 2009 and we think the winner will surprise many. The Top 5 will be live this weekend.







Whilst we put all that together, here is a track that EY somehow managed to miss last year despite a few people (including Marsheaux) urging us to check them out.





We finally got to play Mojo's recent 'The Man Machine' CD this morning (the first time we've listened to any music in three days) and were blown away with track 4 by Goldfrapp/Mode remixers M83. Released on Mute Records last year, this is their life affirming single 'We Own The Sky'...and we absolutely adore it.


The Mighty and much admired Popjustice have today very kindly linked to EY regarding the fantastic news that Human League have signed a new record deal with Wall Of Sound.
The PJ link is already providing a huge surge in first time visitors so for all you lovely PJ readers - here's our original news item from December 19th 2009 in full...

They're back! The Human League confirm major new record deal!!
Text: Orac





EY is delighted to be able to confirm tonight that The Mighty Human League have secured a major record contract - the first since 2001 and the album 'Secrets' that was released in 2001 on Papillon Records.







(Image: Philip at the secret Battersea Power Station gig - image: Anthony Dangio)





Secrets Forum Moderator Stig Olsen kindly contacted EY this morning with the news that Sir Philip Oakey had signed the contract with Wall Of Sound MD Mark Jones in London at 10.30am last Friday.


This meeting took place the night before the League played a secret gig in a purpose built transparent venue within the listed 'ruins' of the London's iconic Battersea Power Station.






The Human League are the first band to be allowed to play within the listed building due to safety fears. The last people to be allowed in to use this derelict site was the production team for the movie 'Superman 2' that was filmed back in 1980.



We have no details about the new material only that it must be impressive to warrant a deal with such a respected label (Wall Of Sound is also home to EY faves Royksopp).

EY promised some time back that we would return to the League when we had concrete info about new material and you can rest assured that we will be following developments very closely and will report news from official sources if and when we get it.

(Image: Nick and Susan Sulley at the secret Battersea Power Station gig last Thursday - image: Anthony Dangio)

For EY, the news of the League securing such an impressive deal having had no contract for much of the decade could possibly result in the best Christmas we've had since 'Don't You Want Me' reached number One in the UK back in 1981... and ushered in a golden era of analogue pop - a moment in time that still continues to inspire this site.





For readers who have been with us since the days when we were called 'Secrets-Online' - a site inspired by the League's 'Secrets' album, The Mighty League will need no introduction.
But for those who are finding electro via La Roux, Little Boots, Marsheaux and Parralox, here are a few pop facts as to why the League remain so special...



1: The Mighty Human League changed pop music in the UK forever with the first album to fully embrace the synth and drum patterns with plenty of bass. 1981's 'Dare' went on to sell 5 million copies and it is still the definitive electronic blueprint for perfect, pristine pop.

2: 'Don't You Want Me' is officially the bestest Crimbo single ever.

It also reached Number One in the States and ushered in the biggest UK pop invasion since The Beatles in 1966 providing Number One hits for Soft Cell, Duran Duran and even Culture Club somehow managed to get in on the act.




'Don't You Want Me' is also the 24th biggest selling single of ALL time outselling most of the singles released by The Beatles.



3: Acts inspired by Human League include Depeche Mode, Bjork and more recently Little Boots who even managed to get Sir Philip Oakey to sing on her debut album.






4: The Human League have the best singles catalogue in the world - described by NME in 2003 as 'The Electronic Beatles' - they are one of the few UK bands to have more than one US Number One.
The Jam & Lewis produced 'Human' topped the US charts in 1986.


Genre defining hits that should be downloaded on to every mp3 player in the cosmos include: 'Open Your Heart', 'Love Action'. 'Mirror Man', '(Keep Feeling) Fascination', 'The Lebanon', 'Life On Your Own', 'Louise', 'Together In Electric Dreams and 'All I Ever Wanted'.

5: Despite countless personal setbacks, fall-outs and record company hassles, The League continue to bounce back.
In 1995, Philip Joanne and Susan returned with a new label - East West - and released the finest pop single of that year - 'Tell Me When' - that led to a record breaking five appearances on the much missed Top Of The Pops.

6: In 2001, the League released the critically acclaimed 'Secrets' but disaster struck later in the year when the label collapsed.
In that time, the band have concentrated on producing some of the finest live electronic shows of the decade resulting in appearances at the V Festival and countless other festivals in the UK and across the world.


The last UK tour Steel City resulted in more press attention here in the UK than any other tour of 2008.

7: In 2004 Q Magazine awarded the League with an 'Innovation In Sound' award in recognition for their groundbreaking work with synths and creating new sounds.






8: We really could waffle on all night about The Human League - about how 1980's 'Travelogue' is a fascinating insight into the future careers of League MK2 and BEF's Heaven 17 but for now we will leave you with a few exclusive pics from the Battersea Power Station gig and some choice Youtube clips of classic EY fave League moments including this very special performance for Jools Holland back in 1995.

Enjoy :)

(Orac would like to thank Stig Olsen for news and pics)

Related Link: Discuss this news story over at the Secrets forum

oracx

Finally...after one or two site gremlins recently (never try to embed more than 36 Youtube videos onto one page), we can now present our remaining Top 5 electro tracks of 2009.








Competition has been intense over the last 12 months with credible offerings from the major labels but as ever, the most fascinating and innovative tracks from the unsigned acts will always creep up and dominate EY HQ.


Three of the acts in our Top 5 are signed to tiny labels and it's a credit to their shining creativity that they can still challenge the mainstream artists and hype that can often follow them...

5: Parralox: Isn't It Strange

The second studio album from Parralox 'State Of Decay' is full of glorious pop moments, including this PSB influenced track that has more of an edge than the majority of the Pet's latest offering ' Yes'.



'Isn't It Strange' could well be the greatest Parralox recording to date, up there with 'X Minus One' and full of blistering sonics and JVA's futuristic knob twiddling
JVA has now reached a level of technical excellence that can match any track currently in the UK Top 40.

'Electricity' and singer Roxy were both such a tough act to follow but Amii has stepped in and given the Aussie duo and extra layer of warmth and emotion that flows right through 'State Of Decay'.
Unknown to us whilst we were compiling this chart in the wine cellar below EY HQ, 'Isn't It Strange' had already been chosen as the new single with a promo video almost in the can as is due for release in March 2010 on Conzoom Records.

For some rare behind the scenes footage during the shooting of 'Isn't It Strange', do click on the exclusive Parralox video and stick with it till the end as Amii sings the chorus to this brilliant pop gem.

Time to bring Parralox back to the UK for a special 'State Of Decay' gig we think...

4: Katsen: Florian

A lovely and hypnotic space age album cut from Katsen's equally loveable debut
album ' It Hertz!' - this is music for Clangers to stargaze to...with wobbly BBC Radiophonic Workshop bleeps from the 1970's and a big fat bassline.


The 'Florian' promo video is something of a lesson to other unsigned acts who seem to struggle to get anything on Youtube (that can then be spread via Facebook and Blip.fm).

'Florian' is probably the cheapest video in terms of production costs to be presented in this Top 20, yet it's one of the most endearing clips to feature on EY in many a year with cunning use of green screen and performed here totally live right down to fiddly keyboard bits that are usually sequenced.

On New Year's Eve, we wished upon the sight of some glowing airborne Chinese Lanterns in the night sky (or were they UFOs?) for a live Katsen gig in 2010...(plus one or two other desirable things....)


(Image: The Clangers - top TV entertainment for cool kids in the 70's © BBC )

Katsen's debut 'It Hertz!' is now available over on Musicnonstop here in the UK so do snap up a copy via this link.

3: Marsheaux: So Far

Boo! Sadly no promo video for this track though it's possible that it may get a single release in 2010 - this for us 'So Far' is Marsheaux's finest moment.

It's bizarre looking back that BBC legend Stuart MacConie was at EY4 and made an effort to enquire who was behind 'So Far' when Chi Ming Lai gave the track one of it's first public airings anywhere in the world.
Stuart commented on how it reminded him of The Human League (a band he's very fond of) and we sent a text with the news to a delighted Undo Records the following day.

For all its choppy bassline brilliance and Rex The Dog nods - the real delight of 'So Far' is the chorus and how Marianthi delivers each and every word over some brilliant (and not too obvious) hooks.

Three studio albums down the line and the Greek girls can still produce outstanding tracks like this...

Have a listen to 'So Far' on the Marsheaux Myspace player via this link.



2: La Roux: Bulletproof




Most end of year music polls across the planet have gone for the UK's 6th biggest selling single of 2009 'In For The Kill' (also voted iTunes Single Of The Year) and who can blame them?



'In For The Kill' is an astonishing track but we've gone for the song that we always felt would smash it's way to the UK Number One when we first heard it a few months prior to release.
When the definitive history of pop is written before the sun goes supernova, we believe that 'Bulletproof' will go on to be Elly's eternal signature tune.



If you listen to 'Bulletproof' very closely, it's actually Blancmange only they never quite managed to write a pop hit as big as this despite being a genius synth duo who were years ahead of their time...



A source of much debate throughout 2009 in the electro community and beyond (only one female popstar stands before Elly from da Roux as a huge irritant to a few 40 something electro fans...), EY is counting down the nano seconds to La Roux's BBC 6 Music gig with Heaven 17....




The EY Electro track of 2009....

1: Lady Gaga: Bad Romance



For ten whole months in 2009, we paid very little attention to Lady Gaga and on the odd occasion when we did mention her fleetingly, we received one or two angry emails from people keen to never hear her name whispered ever again.

Truth is that we've also had emails from people asking why we've ignored the almost impossible to ignore Gaga who has appeared in the UK press virtually every single day since 'Just Dance' became the first Number One of 2009.

As mentioned previously, we thought that Gaga was easily the best performer at last summer's Glasto with a very amusing set that reminded us of Madonna and her Blonde Ambition Tour.

Gaga's 'The Fame' was probably a bit to R'n'B for our tastes with plenty of forgettable filler tracks and it falls way short of EY's forthcoming album shortlist of 2009.
Despite the leanings towards tiresome R'n'B, it is very, very hard to ignore 'Bad Romance' that has just gone back to being the UK's Number One this week for a second time after briefly being knocked off course by all that recent Rage Against The Machine/X-Factor media nonsense.



We strongly believe that you can isolate any fragment of 'Bad Romance' and have a massive hit single with that sample.

There isn't a single note, sound or second wasted within the structure of this song (and it is so beautifully structured) - the vocal bridge could easily be main hook yet this song goes one better with a fantastic chorus.

'Bad Romance' is 'Don't You Want Me' for a new generation - a rare moment of pop genius when everything clicks - it can be played over and over and still hit you much like Kylie's 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head' and these songs don't come round too often.

Lady Gaga has crafted a dark enchantment spell with this single. For all it's uplifting moments - there is this conflicting and slightly menacing undertone.


If spooky CH4 magician Derren Brown could write pop tunes to take over the world instead of guessing lottery numbers - then it would probably sound like 'Bad Romance'.

2009 is the year of Gaga.

With thanks to Mark Booth who sent in these comments relating to parts 1-3 of the EY 2009 countdown:

'Just a quick note to thank you for the site. As an old man of 42 I have no exposure to new music (I can't tolerate Radio 1), but you've introduced me to all kinds of wonders over the past few months, and I've found some gems in your top 20. I thought the whole music business had been lost to indie rubbish and X-Factor tat, what a pleasant surprise!'

2009 will be remembered as the year that electro finally forced it's way back into the mainstream of popular culture with A-listed singles from Little Boots and La Roux.

Both of these 'L-Word' ladies went on to prove that there was a massive audience for the synth at long established festivals such as Reading whose predictable line-up of indie landfill and dullard sandal rock was finally broken.



Elsewhere, Lady Gaga won over many (including EY) who may have previously doubted her 'electro credentials' as this new Madonna gave the most memorable performance at this year's Glastonbury along with Lady Victoria Of Hesketh and Elly from da Roux.

EY HQ has spent a good few weeks compiling this end of year rundown with one or two late nights pondering the eventual winner - the chosen track may come as a huge surprise to many regular readers (we may have to lock our windows and hide in the wine cellar here in Ascot if certain forum members should ever discover our secret base close to the racecourse when the winner is announced).

As with previous years, we've picked just one track to represent each artist (bar one) - no room here for La Roux's 'In For The Kill' (The iTunes Single Of The Year) though Elly may appear a bit later in our chart countdown.....

20: Sputniko: The Google Song



When we first began to compile this fantastic list of banging bleepy electro, Hiromi Ozaki AKA Sputniko was far from our thoughts until Chi Ming Lai's recent article on acts to look out for in 2010 and this is the 'new' track that we fell in love with after just one listen.


A heart warming 8-bit ditty about finding love via Google, this track actually reminds us very much of the London duo Schmoof (the first act ever to play at an EY event) and the vocal delivery is very similar to that of Schmoofy Sarah whom we hope is locked away somewhere in a posh suburb of London working on new material.
Hiromi becomes the very first Japanese artist to ever appear on EY and we are delighted that acts in such a lovely country are dabbling with synths and pure pop hooks.

Orac was in Japan this time twenty years ago and would highly recommend a visit to this country.
Lovely people and this is an ultra lovely pop song.




19: Emilie Simon: Dreamland

Another track brought to our attention by EY's Chi Ming Lai who simply told us that we had to give this a listen... and it was an EY Single Of The Week the next day.

The rather striking Emilie could be described as France's answer to Little Boots ie: ridiculously talented behind a synth - yet musically she tends to venture more into the sound arena of Bats For Lashes, early Goldfrapp and Florence & The Machine - with quite a few loving nods to Kate Bush who seems to be growing in stature as a massive influence to new female talent and hurrah for that.




A massive star in her native country, 'Dreamland' showcases Emilie's massive potential with complex and surprisingly arrangements.






18: Kid Moxie: Tsunami



Released this winter, Tsunami really is a saucy Summer track that may take older readers back to late nights tucked up in bed with a bottle of Soda Stream, listening to pirate station Radio Luxembourg on crackly Medium Wave back in 1982.



With tracks remixed by Fotonovela who also twiddled the mixing desk knobs for Marsheaux's 'Lumineux Noir', the arty 'Tsunami' pulsates with beautiful sonics and showcases Fotonovela's diverse talents whilst Chief Moxie Elena oozes seduction with spine tingly vocals.

After hearing this single on Greek radio, the legendary 'Twin Peaks' composer Angelo Badalamenti (who also composed the strings for the Pet Shop Boys gem 'It Couldn't Happen Here') personally emailed Elena to congratulate her on this track.

High praise indeed.




17: Editors: Papillon




Editors were a big EY fave back in 2005 when they released their debut album 'The Back Room' but like The Killers a year earlier, we quickly lost interest in them.





A Brummy more chart friendly Tesco answer to the God Like NY Genius of Interpol, Editors (like Yeah Yeah Yeahs before them) this year opted to dig out the analogue 81 synths and town down the guitars with impressive results.

'Papillon' could be a mid 80's Depeche B-side full of gloomy synth sequencing and haunting chord changes. A brave move that we think has paid off with a very memorable opening single that we keep returning to here at EY HQ.




16: Rex The Dog: Bubblelicious



An EY Single Of The Week back in January, Rex returned to Planet Electropop with his trademark choppy basslines and frantic drum patterns with this genius tune built around a vocal sample taken from the 1982 Yazoo track 'Midnight'.




Mute have quite rightly guarded Yazoo's back catalogue as something very precious turning down many requests from other DJs wanting to sample the brilliance of Alf and Vince - the fact that they let they granted electro's leading remixer access to the Yazoo master tapes speaks volumes and 'Bubblelicious' treats the source material with plenty of respect.

The year of electro got off to a great start with this body popping gem.

At the time of posting news of this single to EY, we remarked how the video fondly reminded us of Tony Hart's Morph and a few days later, the BBC artist sadly passed away.
We dedicate this track to his memory.




15: Pet Shop Boys: Love Etc



For EY, the Pets are so massively important, churning out life affirming singles and glorious B-sides since 1985.
We fell in love with them for providing pure electro in the mid 80's when everything else was going so badly wrong thanks to 'Sir' Bob and his secret Stadium Rock Live Aid agenda.




'Love Etc' became the first PSB single since 2003's 'Flamboyant' that we played to absolute death, epic in scale and comparable to 1993's 'Can You Forgive Her' but with orchestral stabs removed in favour of a chanting male choir.

We kicked ourselves for not being there after reading Chi Ming Lai's recent PSB concert review for EY (and Sir Bernard Summer performing classic New Order tracks!) and the Pet's performance at the Brits (with Lady Gaga) was inspiring, teary eyed stuff.

The album 'Yes' was a crushing disappointment though here at EY HQ with the exception of a few tracks including 'This Used To Be The Future' with Sir Philip Oakey (who may appear a bit later in our bonkers - not gospel - festive countdown).

14: Depeche Mode: Wrong




A huge proportion of the Devotional would later scream 'Wrong!' at Depeche's 2009 album 'Sounds Of The Universe' - but before all that weary 'it's not as good as 'Violator'' talk set in, The Mighty Mode released this single in the Spring of this year and we made it a Single Of The Week whilst Popjustice also praised the track.




'Wrong' captures a very angry Martin Gore seemingly at odds with everything in his path - a complete anti-statement compared to the sentimental and quite touching 'Precious' from 2005.




Proving that the band still have a massive following worldwide, 'Wrong' reached number one in countless countries though it struggled to crack the Top 20 here in the UK.

'Sounds Of The Universe' may lack obvious singles but here at EY HQ, we still find it more enjoyable from start to finish then other DM albums this decade. No real surprise to us that album track 'Corrupt' was picked to promote HBO's 'True Blood' - the biggest 'buzz' series to come out of the US since 'The Sopranos'.

This video should also win end of year awards. The 2009 comeback may have been muted somewhat, but fans will still be playing these new tracks in years to come.





13: Little Boots: Earthquake





This was one of the very first batch of 'demos' that originally made EY fall in love with Lady Victoria Of Hesketh back in late 2008 along with one of the decade's finest electro tracks 'Stuck On Repeat'.

Since walking away with the BBC's Sound Of 2009 award, a few elder members of this fine electro community have frothed at the mouth and spurted all sorts of twisted sexist nonsense in her direction but at the end of the day, it all falls down to the quality of the songs.
Pouty lips and short skirts really don't cut it unless you have the pop hooks and Lady Victoria knows a thing or two about the power of pop and The Mighty Middle 8th (see 'Remedy').


For EY, 'Earthquake' represents the true Hesketh before her label meddled a little bit too much and lost sight of things. It was never programmed to set the charts alight but was engineered directly at those who savour the hidden gems of The Human League and Pet Shop Boys.




12: Ladytron: Tomorrow

This was The Mighty Tron's only release early this year and we have missed them so much here at EY HQ.
Since this tingly single release, the Tron have been locked up with Goldfrapp in a studio mixing and producing the new 'comeback' album from Christina Aguilera that is due for a worldwide release in early 2010.



The Tron will also be bringing out a 'Best Of' whilst they continue recording the follow-up to 2008's rather magnificent 'Velocfero'.





11: Florence & The Machine: Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)




Not strictly electro but we adore it so much....

Long legs and flaming red hair are so hard to resist but Florence sings with such raw emotion that this track was always going to be a rank outsider from the moment we heard it over a few glasses of Cava back in September.



With crashing drums, Bjork-like harp arrangements and 'Wicker Man' imagery, Florence is perhaps the surprise success out of all the BBC Sound Of 2009 nominees and her album 'Lungs' is pretty special too particularly for the track 'Cosmic Love'.

10: Royksopp: The Girl & The Robot

Norway's finest knob twiddlers returned with their third studio album 'Junior' the long awaited follow-up to 2005's sublime 'The Understanding'.
'The Girl & The Robot' was the second single and perhaps the best cut from the new album.

The lead vox are provided by Robyn who makes the festive EY Top 20 for the second time in two years and still sporting one of the sharpest haircuts in pop.

Lots of lovely sequenced nods to 'Don't You Want Me' in this track and a real disco stomper,
Wall Of Sound is now the official home of The Human League so perhaps we will see a League/Royksopp collaboration in the not too distant future?

The video featured a glorious all dancing retro 70's robot but we've decided to go with this clip which was Royksopp's first live performance in over seven years...




9: Little Boots: Symmetry



Perfect vocal interaction (much like classic League) between Lady Victoria of Heskey and Sir Philip Oakey for this album cut from 'Hands' and it's also one of the better produced tracks from that album.







Just by chance, we were fortunate enough to catch Victoria and Philip performing this song together at Heaven in London last year (we had no idea that Philip would even be there), so it was a very special moment.

(Image: Richard Price)


Since the Heaven gig, Victoria has performed this track on her own at countless festivals and it still works just as well.





A former Popjustice Song Of The Day, we still long for this to be single Number 4.
Well done also to the person who created this fan video for 'Symmetry' full of carefully edited League moments.




8: Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Zero



One of the first EY Singles Of The Week in 2009 and an absolute tour de force in power pop with this much loved NY 'rock' fully embracing the synth for the very first time - a move that was instigated mainly by the band's unique front woman - The Mighty Karen O.

The single has since been named as the NME Single Of 2009 - though rather predictably, their current issue is an OASIS 'special'....

Moving rapidly on from that yawn fest - the 'Zero' video was innovative and highly watchable but we would like to showcase the Yeah's mighty live performance on Jools Holland that also includes the brilliant follow-up single 'Heads Will Roll'.

Enjoy :)



7: Miss Kitten & The Hacker: 1000 Dreams



Miss Kitten has had many fine moments throughout the decade and has since inspired countless other artists but we think that this single '1000 Dreams' is easily the best thing she's ever released.


Pure EY (if we could compose songs then we would want them to sound just like this), with tingly Talk Talk 'It's My Life' chords and sultry vox from Miss Kitten - there is a nostalgic sadness to it all but it still perks us up here at EY HQ whenever we play it.
A wonderfully simple but highly effective video too shot on Super 8



6: Hurts: Wonderful Life



There was a real buzz around EY HQ when we found this band via the pages of Popjustice and Worrapolava and we rushed them on to the news page of EY in record time after hearing 'Wonderful Life' on myspace for the very first time.

We've waffled on and on a lot about them recently so won't repeat ourselves here except to say that we think the debut album could be rather special.

Rejoice! We finally have a decent male fronted electro band....and do enjoy this glorious remix from electro legend Arthur Baker...


The countdown from 5 - 1 will be revealed shortly..




'EY VOL 1' officially becomes a MNS bestseller!



The UK's greatest online music store Musicnonstop have released a 2009 Top 30 chart featuring their best selling albums of the year - and occupying the number 13 slot is our very own UNDO/EMI double compilation 'Electronically Yours Vol 1'.


Released back in June 2009, 'EY VOL 1' featured new and unsigned acts and was possibly the first compilation to showcase female fronted electro with exclusive tracks and remixes from the likes of Marsheaux, Parralox, Katsen Noush and many more.





The compilation reached Number 1 and would go on to have an unbroken run of four weeks in the MNS Top 5.




Other EY related albums that made it into the MNS Top 30 Bestsellers Chart include Marsheaux's 'Luminuex Noir' one place above 'EY VOL 1' at Number 12 whilst the recently released 'State Of Decay' from Parralox has generated enough sales in a few weeks to grab Number 22 on the chart.


To see the complete MNS Top 30 Bestsellers chart - please jump here.


Thanks again to all the artists who were involved with 'EY VOL 1' and to everyone at Undo and EMI Greece who took a risk in financing it all.

EY would like to wish you all a Happy New Year.
.