Sweden’s Train to Spain were one of the very first bands to appear in Cold War Night Life. They were also first up on stage at our event, “An Evening with the Swedish Synth.” We like Jonas Rasmusson’s catchy, uptempo electronics. With great vocals from the Kylie-esque Helena Wigeborn, the band has enormous potential, so it’s fantastic to see them moving into video and raising the level of their production. There is an 80s thread running through “Keep on Running” that is brought out strongly here.
Track of the Day
Six degrees of Trevor Horn: Horn was once told by Africa Bambaataa that his favourite song was by The Guess Who; Randy Bachman was in The Guess Who; Bachman ran a label called Legend; Trooper were signed to Legend; Trooper had a hit with “The Boys in the Bright White Sportscar” in 1979; Datafreq (Dave Rout of The Beautiful Spies and ex of Rational Youth) has recorded a new version that subverts the original with a hi-NRG feel.
Back in the 80s, The Leather Nun played ABBA covers with a homoerotic undertone and hung out with Throbbing Gristle and the Industrial Records set. They were much more in a rock tradition than their Gristlised peers, but wrote material that was accessible to fans in a variety of subcultures. Jonas Almquist’s brought the Nun back from time to time, but the promise of new material in 2015 is exciting – particularly if this taster sets the tone.
Oliver Jack and Tom Lenton are Delmer Darion. Their home-brewed project takes its name from a character in the movie, Magnolia, but the simmering bird-song, pads, horns and piano of this track owe something to Sigur Rós and Virginia Astley. The austere vocals of Emily Burns are a revelation. If this is what the youth of Britain are making, then there is still hope for a dubstep-free world.
Influenced by Italo disco and lethal live, Vision Talk were one of Sweden’s best-loved poptronica acts. Richard Flow, the singer, moved on to be the keyboardist in Machinista, while Krister Petersson started the SwedIT project with different singers (including Flow and his bandmate, John Lindqwister). Karin Hallberg joined Vanguard’s live show. When they were together, they knocked out this rather beautiful dance track, which got the remix treatment from John von Ahlen of Parralox.
Melina Merkouri was the popular Minister for Culture in a series of Greek governments after the restoration of democracy. Her credentials for the post included her work as an actress and singer. Mikro is a Greek electronic band on the Undo Records label, home to Marsheaux. They recently contributed this remix for a tribute album, released twenty years after Mercouri passed away. Their touch on this mix is discreet, letting Merkouri’s voice shine through. She was known to some as “the last Greek goddess,” but we are sure there are others – there just isn’t another Melina Merkouri.
Mark Stewart’s rage is key to the sound of The Pop Group and most of his solo output, but in 1987 he offered a combination of Satie and Tackhead hip-hop rhythms as the setting for an incantation of unpredictable beauty. The righteous rage returned in short order, but for a moment (in love) Stewart tamed his beast and gave us sight of his soft side.
It’s been so long since Depeche Mode’s peak hour that it’s a joy to hear another artist pick up the stylistic touches that made them pre-eminent for so long. In this case, Magnus Norr’s deadbeat project hits the spot with “Mörk energi” [EN: “Dark Energy”]. Norr has previously worked with Compute’s Ulrika Mild and Fraulein Plastique, but here is in top form in solo mode. Or Mode.
As one-half of the Gothenburg-based, Yazoo-influenced duo, Alison, Karin Bolin Derne is known for having a vocal presence that can fill clubs and conquer dancefloors. Now, she’s effectively adapted the Dogme 95 rules to music, eschewing studio craft for a raw and direct recording technique. “90” is described parenthetically as “raw” because it isn’t yet polished by engineers, but it’s actually a good description of the emotional force of Bolin Derne’s material. This song is dedicated to her father, and it is delivered with the intensity of an exposed nerve. It’s a beautiful thing, but just try not to flinch as it touches you.
I believe in Father Christmas. I believe in music being coded into holes punched on scrolls, which are wound through hand-cranked music boxes. I believe in divine vocal accompaniments, distortion and the soundtrack to a million mobile phone company ads. OK, so the B-side to Hannah Peel’s “Find Peace” single hasn’t made it onto Vodafone’s radar yet, but it was only just released. Give it 12 months and this is going to be the song you can’t escape from, even if it’s a statement against the commercialisation of the holiday. In the meantime, Ms Peel’s version of Greg Lake’s classic, “I Believe in Father Christmas,” is just for us.
Update 21/12/2014: Hannah’s released a charming video with a live take, to add to your merriment: