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coldwarnightlife

Two Daves, Two Howards, and the Singularity

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

Dave Howard used to tour Canada, dropping off cassette tapes for sale on consignment at local record shops. Then, one day, he was gone. So was his Acetone organ and Max, his trusty drum machine. Some swore that he had been kidnapped by the keyboard player from Visage. Others claimed he had been silenced by the Walker Brothers to protect their own market.

The truth lay somewhere in-between. Howard had taken his punk-inspired organ act to London, where he worked with Dave Formula. As the only singer in The Dave Howard Singers, but one of two Daves locked away in Herne Hill, Howard put together the Who Is He? EP for Hallelujah! Records. Formula roped in other musicians from Howard Devoto’s circle to produce a set of songs from one of Howard’s cassettes that introduced the Canuck crooner to the UK post-punk scene.

As a solo act, The Dave Howard Singers violated The Trade Descriptions Act, but there was no question that Howard could sing. He was capable of smooth vocals that would make Michael Bublé cry with envy. Howard toured with The Lemon Kittens, showing he was able to shout to the back of venues with an intensity matched only by his processed Acetone. This was captured by Dutch TV for his next EP, Good Night, Karl Malden. A retort to the star of The Streets of San Francisco, Good Night… displayed the controlled chaos of a DHS show with the percussive accompaniment of another Canadian ex-pat, Nick Smash.

Smash’s involvement led to a meeting with JJ Burnell of The Stranglers, who produced another EP based around the David Essex track, “Rock On.” The next release featured Jon King from Gang of Four on studio duties for a recursive song featured in a Kurt Vonnegut novel. “Yon Yonson” was an ear-worm that sold little but did more than most to put Wisconsin lumber mills on the map for mid-80s arty types.

Fast forward to 2024. Howard is back in Toronto, occasionally being coaxed out for shows but getting on with adult life. A copy of the Swedish music software, Reason, opens the door for a new album. The Acetone is on leave. Max is semi-retired. What was a solo act is stripped back even further. The Dave Howard Singularity appears with Dark and for Boating, a set of mostly-new songs made in-the-box with a more ambient style.

There is one cover on Dark and for Boating, but it is a DHS track, “The Murder of Your Smile.” Originally found on the 1987 compilation, On the Dotted Line, it is a dark lounge track reinvented with orchestration. Maybe “dark lounge” is a genre that Howard should trademark, because there is no one else making twisted material of such consummate beauty. “Swept Away” makes this point directly, but songs like “In Your Eyes” show that his voice has lost none of its polish in the decades since he crossed the Prairies armed with a bag of tapes.

Dark and for Boating isn’t The Dave Howard Singers, but it is every part a Dave Howard album. It has the subversive humour and melodic inventiveness, while touching nerves at a different pace. There is nothing else like it.

The full album is available as a digital or CD release on Bandcamp: https://thedavehowardsingularity.bandcamp.com/album/dark-and-for-boating

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Music Is for Peace – Not War!

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

We wish to make the following editorial statement:

The world is beset by war. The ongoing crisis in Ukraine, the tragedy in Israel and Gaza, the conflicts in Africa – wherever you look, it seems that bullets, cluster bombs, and missiles are flying. In every case, this means the horrors of explosives and fragments of metal being visited on human bodies. Gunpowder and shrapnel are the signs of bestiality and not humanity.

We stand for culture. We stand for peace. On that basis, we stand with those artists who have pulled out of SXSW due to the involvement of the US military and arms manufacturers. We reject the militarisation of culture and insist that music festivals and promoters say no to any involvement by the merchants of death. There is no compromise position that gives space to militarism at a music event.

We say – and call on our trade bodies, like the Association of Independent Music, to join us in saying – Music is for peace – not war!

(Crowd image by Drazen Zigic on Freepik)

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International Women’s Day 2024

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

The position of women in music generally reflects the position of women in society. A Parliamentary committee in the UK recently released a report which began by laying out some of the issues that women face in the music industry. It makes sobering reading, so we have copied out some passages from “Misogyny in Music” below.

We have also assembled a playlist with more than eight hours of material by women that deserves more airtime. Yes, Spotify has plenty to answer for, but it is where the greatest quantity of music could be found to make the playlist. By all means, look up the artists off Spotify and buy their music and merch from Bandcamp or other sites.

1. Women are underrepresented in key roles in the music industry. Positions of authority, from senior leadership through to roles in Artists and Repertoire and production have historically been more likely to be occupied by men. This is reflected in the unequal representation of female artists in the rosters of artists at major record labels, in airtime, streaming and as headliners at music festivals.

2. In many levels of the industry female representation is improving, in part due to the support of a myriad of targeted programmes, but in certain areas progress is slow and shackled by discrimination, misogyny and sexual abuse in an industry that is still routinely described as a “boys’ club”. Women seeking careers in music continue to face unjustifiable limitations in opportunity, a lack of support, gender discrimination and sexual harassment as well as the “persistent issue of equal pay” in a sector dominated by self-employment. These issues are intensified for artists faced with intersectional barriers.

3. Abuse and discrimination are not unique to the industry but they are amplified in music by the high number of freelance workers in the sector—which gives rise to significant power imbalances in working relationships and precarious employment practices—and the informal nature of many workplaces which, together with late-night working, often in places where alcohol and drugs are available, can result in women working in environments that are unsafe. None of these concerns will come as a surprise to anyone with knowledge of the sector; the question we asked repeatedly in this inquiry and one which the industry must continue to ask itself is why these concerns persist and how they can be better tackled.

We have the same question. As an industry, we must do better. As a society, we must do better. And not just on the 8th of March.

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Then Comes Silence Release New Video

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

The Swedish dark pop band, Then Comes Silence, have announced their new album, Trickery. Now signed to Metropolis, the band are fresh from their sold-out Reptile Club show in London. This video, for the first song trailed from the album, “Ride or Die,” is directed by Gözde Duzer and Then Comes Silence. It features denizens of the Stockholm night whom you might recognise.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=lAVqlgJE3uQ%3Fsi%3DnJ67FUDgxVLRATkO
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Black Nail Cabaret to Tour in UK

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

The Hungarian duo, Black Nail Cabaret, have announced a new album and UK tour dates. Chrysanthemum is out now, featuring the vocals of Emèse Árvai-Illes and the keyboard work of Krisztián Árvai. The dark pop favourites have also released this video for “Darkness Is a Friend,” lifted from the album.

04.04.23  MANCHESTER Rebellion
05.04.23  GLASGOW Classic Grand
06.04.23  BRISTOL Dareshack
07.04.23  NUNEATON Queens Hall
10.04.23  NOTTINGHAM The Chapel
11.04.23  NEWCASTLE Cluny 2
12.04.23  SHEFFIELD Corporation
13.04.23  LONDON Garage

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fGtbohvcALs%3Fsi%3DHaQCpU8caAamBFp4
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Something New from Principe Valiente

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

The Swedish dream-pop act, Principe Valiente, have released the first video from their forthcoming album. In the Light is set to be unveiled in May 2024, but “Something New” provides a taster. The band has been reduced to the duo of Fernando Honorato (vocals) and Jimmy Ottosson (instrumentation), but on the strength of this track there is still plenty to look forward to.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=P1i8uigHrl8%3Fsi%3DHMam2O7R2P-7-Ihl
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Kite – Glassy Eyes

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

Sweden’s Kite return with a magnificent new song. Debuted at their recent Dalhalla show, “Glassy Eyes” is a minor key tear-jerker. It is also begging for a remix as a trance anthem.

This is the live version. The studio version is being released as a vinyl 7″, coupled with “Losing” (featuring Anna von Hausswolff and Henric de la Cour).

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Front 242 Announce Final Tour

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

Front 242, the legendary EBM act from Belgium, have taken to social media to announce their final tour. After the heart problems of Jean-Luc de Meyer in 2022, there was some speculation that the band would struggle to carry on, but de Meyer returned to the stage with impressive energy. Now, however, the group has decided it is time for one last round.

The full text of the message from Front 242 follows.

BLACK OUT – A Personal Message to Our Fans

Today, we reach out to you, our fans, with a heavy yet hopeful heart to share the news of our final concerts. Now, we are preparing to bring down the curtain on our live performances as FRONT 242, we find ourselves navigating a sea of emotions.

For nearly four decades, we’ve journeyed together, creating unforgettable moments and sharing the profound joy of music. You’ve been more than an audience; you’ve been a part of our extended family, witnessing our evolution and sharing in our highs and lows.

The decision to step back from performing live has not been easy, but we believe it’s important to end this chapter on a high note, preserving the essence of Front 242 that you’ve grown to love. We want to leave you with memories of our band at its peak, full of energy and passion.

So, we are extending our invitation to you: join us for one last adventure. Let’s make these final shows a celebration of the incredible journey we’ve shared. We promise to deliver performances that capture the heart and soul of Front 242, a fitting farewell to a story we’ve written together.

Our final concerts:


EU24

04 Aug LOKEREN – Lokerse Feesten – B
10 Aug HILDESHEIM – M’Era Luna – DE

US24

06 Sept TAMPA – Jannus Landing – US
07 Sept PHILADELPHIA – Union Transfer – US
08 Sept CLEVELAND – Agora Theater – US
13 Sept LOS ANGELES – Mayan Theater – US
14 Sept PORTLAND – Roseland Ballroom – US
15 Sept SAN FRANCISCO – Great American Music Hall – US

EU24

12 Oct HAMBURG – Markthalle – DE
17 Oct UTRECHT – Tivoli Ronda – NL
18 Oct BERLIN – Huxley’s Neue Welt – DE
19 Oct OBERHAUSEN – Turbinnenhalle – DE
25 Oct MÜNCHEN – Backstage Werk – DE
26 Oct LANGEN – Neue Stadthalle – DE

US24

08 Nov HOUSTON – Rise Rooftop – US
09 Nov DALLAS – Granada Theater – US
10 Nov DENVER – Reelworks – US
15 Nov CHICAGO – Metro – US
16 Nov CHICAGO – Metro – US

EU24

29 Nov GOTHENBURG – Film Studios – SE (FutureRetro)
30 Nov STOCKHOLM – Berns – SE (FutureRetro)
06 Dec LILLE – Black Lab – FR
07 Dec PARIS – Le Trianon – FR
08 Dec LONDON – UK
13 Dec BARCELONA – Sala Apolo – SP
14 Dec MADRID – Sala La Paqui – SP
25 Dec CHEMNITZ – Dark Storm Festival – DE

EU25

10 Jan COPENHAGEN – Pumpehuset – DK
24 Jan BRUSSELS – Ancienne Belgique – B
25 Jan BRUSSELS – Ancienne Belgique – B

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Shine On: Marina Schiptjenko

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

The Swedish poptronica scene is not short of talent, but few of its participants can match the glamour of Page’s Marina Schiptjenko.

The daughter of a Swedish mother and Ukrainian father, Schiptjenko was born in Malmö, the regional capital of Skåne. It was there that she met Eddie Bengtsson, a skateboarder and drummer with a taste for Silicon Teens and Devo. The two had already started dating when Bengtsson traded in his drum kit for two keyboards at the local music shop. Schiptjenko, who was classically trained, taught Bengtsson to play his monophonic synth. Together, they started Sweden’s pioneering poptronica band, Page.

Page live in Gothenburg (Photo: Krichan Wihlborg)

Page quickly became one of the most significant acts in the emerging Swedish synth scene. It was effectively the house band at Stadt Hamburg, an all-ages club at the centre of Malmö’s social world for the emerging syntare culture. With bouncy pop singles sung entirely in Swedish, it was both a successor to ABBA and its antithesis. Page continues to release new music and grow its fan base to this day, but both members have taken time to focus on other projects.

For Schiptjenko, the most significant have been Vacuum and BWO – two Swedish hyperpop bands with a flair for the theatrical and chart-climbing skills. Schiptjenko has not lost her head in the dizzy heights of commercial success, however – she has also worked with close friends like Julian Brandt (Julian & Marina) and Claes Bang (This Is Not America) to make music for the love of it.

Marina Schiptjenko with Eddie Bengtsson (Photo: Simon Helm)

A gallerist who deals in modern art from Stockholm and Paris, Schiptjenko moved to Sweden’s capital in 1986 to study comparative  literature and theatre. These interests were combined when she appeared in Ruben Östlund’s movie, The Square. A satire on the elitism of the art world and the attitudes of the rich, the film took the Palm d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

Julian & Marina in Gothenburg (Photo: Simon Helm)

An intellectual and multi-sided artist, Schiptjenko is a much-loved figure in Sweden. Through her activity in Page and her work as a gallerist, she returns the feeling. It is a virtuous circle that has kept her place in the hearts of the syntare community as fashions have changed and the years have passed.

10. Page – Dansande Man

Written with the third original member of Page, Anders Eliasson, “Dansande Man” became an early hit for the band. In this clip, we see its members, including Schiptjenko, in their youth.

9. Page – Står i din väg

Reduced to the core duo of Schiptjenko and Bengtsson, Page released this professional music video in 1995. Directed by Arvid Unsgaard, it shows off the band’s senses of melody and humour in equal measure.

8. Vacuum – I Breathe

Formed by Alexander Bard, after he dissolved Army of Lovers, Vacuum was designed for pop success. Bard told an interviewer, “Marina is the most creative and the best musician in the band.” She had to leave Page behind to focus on this project, which took her into the dance music stratosphere.

7. BWO – Lay Your Love on Me

After two albums with Vacuum, Schiptjenko left and joined Bodies Without Organs. Their hyperpop sound – curated, again, by the provocative philosopher Alexander Bard –  found commercial success.

6. BWO – You’re Not Alone

BWO entered the Swedish Melodifestival – trials for Eurovision – in 2009 with this single from their fourth album. It was their second attempt at representing their country, but they narrowly missed out.

5. Page – Tick-Tack

This delightful clip recalls the innocence of Page in their early days. It is a contrast to the ultra-concentrated pop sensibilities of Vacuum and BWO in the heady days around the turn of the century. Schiptjenko was to reclaim her position in Page in 2010 for the album, Nu [EN: Now].

4. Julian & Marina – Moon & The Stars

Schiptjenko’s return to Page was not on an exclusive basis. She collaborated with Julian Brandt, the bassist in Lustans Lakejer, to produce a series of releases inspired by French romantic pop of the 1960s and perhaps a little Astrid Gilberto, mixed up with the Pet Shop Boys.

3. Julian & Marina – The Knight

Taen from their first album, this track from Julian & Marina shows off the elegant sound and style that the duo created.

2. This Is Not America – Your Love Is Wasted on Me

Schiptjenko met the Dutch actor, Claes Bang, on the set of The Square. The two became fast friends, and Bang invited Schiptjenko to join him for some recordings of his act, This Is Not America.

1. Page – Mia och Tom

Page have continued to release albums, getting more sophisticated as they mature, but on stage the crowds love to sing along to the classics. This clip captures the mutual love  of the band and its audience. It is the spirit that Schiptjenko embodies.

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Lush Sounds for Barren Worlds: Zanias Returns

by coldwarnightlife
written by coldwarnightlife

If you don’t hear the new album from Zanias as the soundtrack to the next Dune movie, it will only be because someone else licensed it first. With its striking atmospheres and lush textures, Ecdysis is evocative, exotic, experimental, and awe-inspiring. It is a rock-solid demonstration of the immense talent of the Berlin-based Earth-child, Alison Lewis.

With a sonic palette that recalls Jean-Michel Jarre’s Zoolook and Peter Gabriel’s Last Temptation of Christ, the album moves even further forward than last year’s Chrysalis. Vocally, Zanias releases have been powerful, raw, and soaring. From the opener, “Earthborn,” this element has been enhanced and amplified. The songs have been shorn of lyrics, as Lewis’ voice is abstracted, sampled, and taken into the stratosphere.

Comparisons to Lisa Gerrard are borne out on the majestic “Duneskipper,” but the magic spun by Madonna on her Ray of Light album is a closer reference point on “Acacia.” William Orbit recently said that he dreams of working with Ms Ciccone again, but the creative center of gravity should draw him to Zanias, instead. The power of the project has been refined and restrained, so that it sweeps like a sandstorm seen from a distance, and the material is more at home in a concert hall than a club.

Where we really expect to hear Zanias turning up is on soundtracks. Ecdysis is as cinematic as anything Lewis has done. Tracks like “Habenula” offer the kinds of resonances and moody textures that should get music directors in Hollywood in a complete lather. The title track opens with the kind of sensitivity that characterised Orbital’s “Halcyon,” before hardening slightly, like the formation of a new exoskeleton. If that doesn’t add lustre to scenes on celluloid, we don’t know what does.

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