Inspired by the vibes of Kim Wilde and the Pet Shop Boys, Sweden’s Ankomst return with a slice of summer bliss. Drizzle it with eurodance and drench it in sunshine – it’s a poptastic main course.
Track of the Day
There’s a classic line from the movie, Blues Brothers, when a bartender is asked about the music they play at the bar: “We got both kinds. We got country and western.”
So, welcome a new country-themed, star-spangled, rhinestone-encrusted, guitar-jangling group fronted by Kandle Osborne. Formed together with Jennie Vee, Leah Bluestein, and Rex Elle, The Midnight Cowboys have released their first single to acclaim by one of the Gallaghers from Oasis. And why not? The band might be half-Canadian, but it is all country.
The new album from Simon Fisher Turner, Instability of the Signal, comes out on Mute on 2 August 2024. Ease into it with this subtle track from the British composer with gentle strings from the Elysian Collective and whispered phrases added to his piano work and electronics.
Mute tell us:
The composer, musician and Zelig-like artist who has worked and performed in groundbreaking and underground music, film and art scenes since the 1970s has created a lush, soothing and intimate album, a landmark in his ever-expanding catalogue of projects. The 13-track album features Fisher Turner singing for the first time in many years, accompanying compositions built from tiny snippets of sound along with piano, classical strings, a detuned Fender Telecaster, and his field recordings.
The latest single to be lifted from Page’s excellent album, En ny våg, “Frusen” features a contribution from Rrussell Bell. The Dramatis man and former member of Gary Numan’s touring band adds a touch of the OG Synth Britannia sound to Eddie Bengtsson’s reimagining of the spirit of 1979.
Arielle Andersson and Fredrik Lundvall Kindsäter are Octolab. Another act from Sweden’s West side, they do elegant pop with influences from the electronic underground. For this track, they have produced a sleek video with some masked guests and masses of strings.
Lace up your bovver boots, strap on your suspenders, and fetch your flat cap: Container 90 are back with new remixes. “Hard Knock Life” and “Psycho Social Media” have new versions, but our choice for today is this mix of “Remote Mind Control,” which has been retooled by Katscan.
Bill Leeb joined Skinny Puppy as a teenager. He left in 1986 to found Front Line Assembly, which has almost reached its fortieth anniversary. Along the way, he has worked with other artists as (among others) Delerium, Noise Unit, Cyberaktif, Fauliage, and Equinox. What has been missing, amidst the constant flow of electro-industrial and ambient music, is a solo album.
That is set to be remedied with the release of Model Kollapse on Metropolis in September. The eleven-song album will be in vinyl and CD formats, showcasing the British Columbia musician’s current output. There will be guests involved, as the first single to be unveiled reveals. “Terror Forms” includes another Left Coast resident: Shannon Hemmett from Actors and Leathers.
(Photo: Bobby Talamine)