Denmark hasn’t produced a lot of electronic artists of note. Nephew established a reputation as “the Danish Depeche Mode” (it seems that every country has one), but they have come and gone over the years. Leaether Strip has been a constant in the international EBM scene for decades. It is heartening, therefore, to see the torch of synthpop being carried by Softwave.
Their new album is Game On. With space disco and synthwave influences to the fore, it lets singer Catrine Christensen soar over Jerry Olsen’s fizzing synthesizers. They describe Erasure as an influence, and Olsen certainly likes to deploy bleeps and bloops lifted straight from Vince Clarke’s crate of tricks.
That influence can be heard most strongly in “No Need to Hide,” which provides a positive, encouraging message for outsiders. Fans of Sweden’s Train to Spain will take to Softwave easily, and Game On is a great place to start the journey.