Gary Numan performing Cars live with Nine Inch Nails at the O2 Arena London, 15th July 2009.

via petey1978

Skinny ties, drum machines, 1-finger synth string melodies and bad haircuts – looks like the 80’s are cool again.

This is the first video from Los Angeles alternative electro band Celebutante, from the upcoming Nightlife full-length release.

What 80’s band does Celebutante remind you of the most?

via celebutante

Description:

The editors of Keyboard magazine have culled that era’s most insightful and landmark articles and combined them with a wealth of insight looking back now some 20 years later to paint a vivid and accurate picture of just how groundbreaking the keyboard’s role was in crafting the sound of an era. The book features 20 in-depth interviews with noted players and producers like Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes, Depeche Mode’s Vince Clarke, Peter Gabriel, and The Human League, as well as such visionary pioneers as Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Frank Zappa.

Keyboard magazine editors Ernie Rideout, Stephen Fortner, and Michael Gallant uncover the true stories behind the gear, the production techniques, and the real stories of some of the 1980’s most definitive keyboard-driven recordings.

MSRP $19.95.

Silver Plastic describes the compilation as “a mature exploration of the new wave.” The tracks on the CD show the influence of groups like Joy Division, Bauhaus, Human League and Gary Numan. The artists throw in modern influences, too, so you may hear a breakbeat against a synthpop bassline.

The CD starts out with PsychoSomatic Breakdown’s Bone Harvest. Bone Harvest is an unusual track. For an album that is largely retro-pop in various 80’s styles, it initially seems a little out of place. On second listening, it sounds a lot like some of the quirky instrumentals from that era that led to more modern downtempo and chill-out music. A sequenced melody bounces from left to right speaker as it repeats a melonchaly sequence. Fans of Moby’s chilled tracks should like this.

Burn Like Nero contributes two tracks that kick the compliation officially into retro-new wave territory. Silver Plastic calls the style “Permanent Wave”, because it is new music that draws on influences from the early days of synth pop. Faded Away and Small Details both have the chord progressions and synth stylings of 80’s synth pop down perfectly. An alternating octave bassline starts off Faded Away in true synthpop style. Unfortunately, Faded Away is let down somewhat by pedestrian lyrics that don’t seem quite right for this style of retrosynth music. “Time’s an abstraction, when you’re with me…If you love somebody, set them free”. Small Details, on the other hand, is just about perfect. Filtered females over a rhythm track carry a hint of darkness that draws you into the song.

Drug of Choice keeps the retro synth groove going with Desperation. The vocals and synth work convey a sense of alienation over a synthpop dance beat.

Egg in Space serves up two tracks, Back in Time and Say Hello. Back in Time is a great cut. It mixes electro beats and vocoded lyrics that keep things moving, and the arrangement seems to match the them of the song. Say Hello has a jumpy euro-beat with an off-beat accent. Both tracks are catchy synth pop.

eH FACTOR contributes Club 33 & This desperation. Club 33 is almost a great track. Massive synth lines in the style of early Gary Numan veer in contrasting directions, setting up a great groove. Unfortunately, the strength of the instrumental introduction isn’t matched by the vocoded verse lyrics. Instead of building in intensity when the vocals come in, it lets off, which make the vocals seem throw-away. eHFactor brings back the dark side of the 80’s with This Desperation. This track work well, they music and lyrics work together and to bring you a slice of retro-angst.

Several instrumental cuts help fill out the album. Janosch Moldau’s track Redeemer is an instrumental dance tune. Lank’s two cuts, stress relief point and 012 (Introvert) are downtempo instrumental tunes. Lank’s music doesn’t have a distinct retro feel, but instead is has more of an ambient chill-out feel. stress relief point features a interlocking sequences that create a hypnotic groove. Under this, Lank adds break-beat drum programming that adds intensity to an otherwise laid-back track. Introvert is another extended track, but has a harder edge to it.

onLoad takes things back to synth-pop with Electrofish. The track is a strange number about electric fish that sing in the sea, “lalalalala”. It sounds a little like Depeche Mode if they got some happy drugs and a female lead singer.

The Signifying Monkey contributes two tunes that are interesting in the way they combine retro guitars and synths and breakbeat drum programming. I should have gone drinking & A lovesong (to impress women). These tracks are some of the best on the compilation, because the songs build to interesting climaxes. The vocals are great, too.

The last two tracks are from Bernie Lucas: No down and Grayscale. They are short instrumental pieces (with the exception of a little vocoding) that are somewhere between ambient and chillout. They are in a similar territory to Aphex Twin’s dark ambient tracks.

While the CD is let down in a couple places by a few weak tracks, there is a lot to like on Return of the Permanent Wave. It’s available directly from the Silver Plastic site, and through CD Baby.

Tracks:

• PsychoSomatic Breakdown – Bone Harvest
• Burn Like Nero – Faded Away
• Burn Like Nero – Small Details
• Drug of Choice – Desperation
• Egg in Space – Back in Time
• Egg in Space – Say Hello
• eH FACTOR – Club 33
• eH FACTOR – This Desperation
• Janosch Moldau – Redeemer
• Lank – stress relief point
• Lank – 012(introvert)
• onLoad – Electrofish
• The Signifying Monkey – I should have gone drinking
• The Signifying Monkey – A lovesong (to impress women)
• Bernie Lucas – No down
• Bernie Lucas – Grayscale

Aalacho is made up of Nathan Scott, who handles synths, guitars, vocals and programming. He’s joined on this CD by guitarists Sam McIlvain, Chris “Reemus” Brown & Derek Armstrong; and vocalists Joe Randazzo, Trevor Hesse and Sarah Severson.

Scott’s tracks are fairly minimal electro-pop, but with an unusual amount of guitar work. Synths and drum machines frame out the tracks, and provide the base for the vocals from Scott and his guest vocalists. The prominent guitar work, though, helps give Aalacho’s music its own identify.

The first track, Pompeii, is a little underwhelming in its original form. The energy builds a little with the second track, Lift. Lift is an instrumental track that emphasizes the interplay between synths and guitars.

Ticket to Ride is an interesting take on The Beatles’ original. It’s done at a much slower tempo, and with a detached new wave attitude. Scott’s arrangement takes the track into electro-pop territory, and gives it a bit of an Indian vibe, It successfully re-imagines the original, but the comparison also exposes some of Scott’s limitations as a vocalist.

Things heat up a little with the last three tracks, I’ll Climb You, It’s Not About Love, and Atomic Playboy. These tracks have faster tempos, and push the guitars to the front. The combination of electro sounds and guitar work is refreshing, and adds interest to these cuts. The guitar work sounds like it would be at home on an Allman Brothers or Doobie Brothers album from the 70’s. It sounds so out of place with the synth backing, but, somehow, it works.

The CD ends with a nice remix of Pompeii by Felix da Housecat. The remix gives the track a steady beat and emphasizes the darker aspects of the original. Ironically, the remix is one of the most electro sounding cuts on the album.

Aalacho has done a lot of things right with Electro. The CD has great packaging; the design is top-notch and it ties in perfectly with the electro concept. The inclusion of the Felix da Housecat mix of Pompeii provides a club-friendly track for the DJs.

Nevertheless, Electro is a bit of a mixed bag. Scott’s approach, emphasizing the guitars within an electronica context, has a lot of potential. Some better hooks or killer vocal performances would have helped the tracks realize that potential.

Tracks:

1. Pompeii
2. Lift
3. Ticket to Ride
4. I’ll Climb You
5. .It’s not about love
6. Atomic Playboy
7. Pompeii (Felix da Housecat Mix)

This light new-age trance pop tries to be sexy, but fails to generate much heat. It cops a feel, in a groove sense, from Enigma, to the point that it almost feels like Enigma-lite, if that is possible.

The beat is mid-tempo throughout, and the music maintains a consistent global new-age groove. Well-worn asian flute samples make an appearance, and the other synth-work is professional but nothing unique.

The music may put some listeners in a trance, but others may fine some of the lyrical content unintentionally humorous. Fans of light new-age music may find Aquaria relaxing, but others will probably find it overly saccharine.