Not well enough known outside of their native Sweden, GarboSTHLM are one of those bands who make exquisite pop that reminds you of the best bits of Duran Duran and Ultravox. They recently warmed-up for Visage in Stockholm, and this new release will keep the 80s vibe going.
Track of the Day
Machinista are on an upwards path. The Swedish duo of Richard Flow (ex-Vision Talk) and John Lindqwister (ex-Cat Rapes Dog) are making a name for themselves with a sophisticated, dancefloor-friendly form of synthpop. This track shows off their sleek sound and Lindqwister’s terrific vocals, with some help from a celestial choir.
Duet Emmo was a collaboration between Daniel Miller of Mute Records and Graham Lewis and Bruce Gilbert of Dome. One of the most beautiful and haunting tracks ever made, it freezes the feeling of 1982 in 12 inches of vinyl. Lewis and Gilbert’s own post-Wire experimental work was extraordinary in its own right, but when the synthetic expertise and detuned sounds of Miller are added, the result is much more than the sum of its parts.
Formed by some young lads training for a career in kitchens or catering, and named for a device used to scientifically ration out food, Portion Control were one of the electronic world’s true originals. Here, they keep the colonels from power in what they call The Great Divide…
British Columbia’s Moev is a kind of ground zero for electronic music in Canada. While Montrealers Rational Youth were first off the mark with their all-synth album, Cold War Night Life, on the Left Coast they were working to catch up. The first Moev album, Zimmerkampf, came out in 1982, and this catchy, synth-driven ditty was the lead track. The band then spawned Nettwerk Records, home to Skinny Puppy and others.