Ambition fulfilled: Depeche Mode Live

It’s not often you get to fulfil one of your life’s ambitions. It’s even less frequent that such an ambition lives up to your expectations. Yet in the case of seeing Depeche Mode live, both things happened.

Being in the standing area of the MEN allowed me to get pretty close to the stage and as ‘In Chains’ began to start, everyone knew we were in for a great night. Dave was his usual exuberant self and Martin was clearly set for a good time. Only Fletch spoiled the party with his ridiculous hand gestures and posturing.

Following the obligatory new album tracks (they are, after all, promoting a new album) they began to churn out cracking versions of ‘Walking in My Shoes’, ‘A Question of Time’ and ‘World in my eyes’. One highlight for me was ‘It’s No Good’ which sounded as fresh and exciting as when I first heard it. Following a lacklustre ‘Enjoy the Silence’ we reached the arm waving spectacle of ‘Never Let Me down again’. This was something I’ve always wanted to be a part of ever since I saw ‘101’ all those years ago.

Quite brilliant performances of ‘Behind the Wheel’ and ‘Personal Jesus’ rounded out a truly remarkable concert that did not disappoint. Whilst the set design did not seem to have moved on much from the ‘Touring the Angel’ tour of 2005/6 and the dreadful timing and incompetence of Mr Fletcher became evident the longer the show went on (I will be interested to see if his dreadful playing of the snare in ‘Behind the Wheel’ makes it onto the live album.), all seemed to have enjoyed seeing the band in the flesh. Here’s to next time. Still miss Alan’s input though.

Ningear on eBay

Well it's not often you see a band auctioning their unwanted instruments on eBay. Yet Trent Reznor of “Nine Inch Nails” fame is auctioning a number of instruments at the moment.

Amongst the more interesting items are an MPG-80 Super Jupiter programmer, a Novation Supernova II rack and a Waldorf Microwave XT rack. There is also a number of unimpressive guitars, drums and amps, all of which are gaining bids that place them over and above their actual value. Auctions Here

Pet Shop Christmas

The latest release scheduled by the Pet Shop Boys is an EP titled ‘Christmas’. It features a remix of the album track ‘All Over the World’, a remix of the fan club only single ‘It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas’, and cover versions of Madness’ “My Girl” and Coldplay’s ‘Viva La Vida’ which segues into ‘Domino Dancing’.

Now most fans have been listening to this release for a couple of weeks now as promo’s have leaked onto the internet. The verdict? Severely disappointing.

The new version of ‘All Over the World’ features an intrusive, badly mixed, annoying and out of tune orchestral arrangement. Some further minor tweaks here and there mount up to an inferior version to that featured on the album ‘Yes’.

The ‘2009 Mix’ of ‘It Doesn’t Often Snow at Christmas’ is similarly awash wish a new orchestral arrangement which features a choir and segues into a couple of carols here and there. Once again the original version is preferable.

The cover version of ‘My Girl’ is actually very good and is the highlight of the EP for me. Yet anyone who visits the official www.petshopboys.co.uk has already heard the demo recording from which this version is derived.

During their current tour Neil and Chris have played a version of ‘Viva La Vida’ which incorporated elements of their song ‘Domino Dancing’. This track became something of a highlight of the tour and its release seems a logical step. However, the version on this EP feels different to that played during the tour. Despite being an admirable effort, this track lacks punch and left me wondering what happened to the bass frequencies. A second version of ‘My Girl’ rounds out the track list but it is largely the same as the original version.

Out Dec 14th 2009

Royksopp Live: Everything is beautiful

Seeing bands live is often an underwhelming experience. What annoys me especially about electronic musicians playing live is their use of acoustic drums or guitars that don’t feature on the recordings. Not so with Norwegian band Royksopp. As the duo walked on stage it was clear that only one cymbal and an inaudible bass guitar would sully an evening of electronic entertainment. And boy did they entertain.

The rather lacklustre intro of “Royksopp Forever” with its unintentionally distorted bass and plodding rhythm was soon banished by “Happy Up Here” (once someone remembered to turn Karin’s microphone on) and a string of high energy tracks built the crowd into the frenzy that was “Poor Leno”. My clothes shook with the bass, my face had a big grin and I remembered how good electronic dance music can make you feel.

Rather than just play the majority of their tracks in their album form they chose to play remixed and altered versions which were, in the main, far superior in the live context. Despite the inaudible bass guitarist (who couldn’t help himself and proceeded to prance around the stage in typical rock n’ roll fashion) they were the personification of cool stood behind their synths and decks with broad smiles that said they were as happy to be there as we were.

My happiness was further enhanced by the fact that Royksopp have by far the most beautiful female fans of any band I have ever been to see.  A beautiful evening indeed.

Radio daze

Until the advent of DAB, the most frustrating aspect of listening to the radio for me is was not knowing what is actually playing. Often DJ’s will not tell you either the artists or the song they have just played. For many, many years I yearned to own a few songs which I had only ever heard on the radio but had no idea of who created them. I drove me to distraction at times. Songs that I heard, loved and never owned in the pre internet or DAB era were:  

Propaganda ‘Duel’ 

An instrumental section of this song was used as the music for TV coverage of the British Rally for many years on BBC television and I heard it on the radio a few times in my youth. Remembering only a few of the lyrics made the track impossible to pin down. Yet I loved it. One of my primary goals when I first became plugged into the web was to find this song.  

Eric Clapton ‘Behind the mask’ 

This one came as a surprise when I finally found out who was singing ‘Who do you love? Is it me babe?’ It was an even bigger surprise to find it was a superior cover version of a song by the Japanese synth pioneers Yellow Magic Orchestra.

Deee-Lite ‘What is Love?’ 

When I heard this track on the radio, I was immediately struck by its obvious Kraftwerk influence. Yet I had no idea who the track was by for a few years (in retrospect the lyric ‘How do you say Deee-Lite?’ should have told me really). This track was a double A side with ‘Groove is in the Heart’ in the UK but was ignored by almost everyone.

Wax ‘Building a bridge to your heart’ 

I actually knew who recorded this track but was unable to get hold of it until the internet came along. In my youth I had a cassette with a recording of this song from the radio; complete with the ubiquitous over compression added by FM radio broadcasters. In the heady days of Napster I downloaded this one.

This subject popped into my head the other day following a seemingly meaningless series of actions: I was listening to a radio show a few days after it had originally been broadcast via the internet. I heard a song I liked. I checked in the play list on the website and proceeded to amazon.co.uk and bought the track. Within a minute I had my own copy of the song. Doesn’t sound too exciting does it? Yet when I consider this in the context of the years I spent not knowing who created some of my favourite, barely heard tracks, I feel very grateful for the internet.

Basement Jaxx "Scars"

It’s something of a bleak month for house-pop purveyors Basement Jaxx. Having completed their contractual obligations with the release of their fifth album “Scars” this month, they have subsequently been dropped by their record company XL Recordings. 

To add to the pain, only reverence for their previous efforts seems to have stopped critics from completely mauling their latest album. Critical assessment of “Scars” in the music press varies slightly, but nothing I have read credits it with anything other than a mediocre score. Personally I think “Scars” is better than the lacklustre “Crazy Itch Radio” musically and is more reminiscent of the magnificent “Rooty” in feel. “Feelings Gone” and “Raindrops” are particular favourites of mine. 

However, none of this is of consequence when compared to the packaging of the CD. Presented in a folding card slipcase, the leaves are sealed with a sticker that appears to have been designed to be impossible to remove. Stuck down with a kind of Martian Super Glue, this sticker steadfastly refuses to lift without taking most of the sleeve with it. Presumably it is designed to leave ‘scars’ on the sleeve making each copy unique, but ultimately ruined. This sticker is almost as annoying as the seals American import CD’s come with. Anyone who has tried to open an American pressed CD will know the annoyance of the seal running across the top of the jewel box that takes forever to remove and will always leave its sticky residue behind. Just stop doing it! No wonder people buy so many downloads.

A week of remixes

The last week of listening has highlighted the difference between the old ‘extended’ remixes of the eighties and their modern counterparts. The “Big Train” remix of Erasure’s single “A Little Respect” is a good illustration of these differences. Yes, the snare is different and the songs structure has been altered, but essentially the “Big Train Remix” amounts to just a different mix of the original material. The verb ‘remix’ is defined as “to change the relative prominence of each performer’s part of (a recording).” What defines these brilliant mixes of the 1980’s and early 1990’s is that they use the source material to generate a new version of a recording. 

However, in recent years, remixing seems to have become something entirely different to some people. Artists such as The Orb, Aphex Twin and Underworld have contributed remixes that bear little resemblance to the source material. The popularity of the Depeche Mode song “Barrel of a Gun” from 1997 was enhanced by one mix in particular. The “Underworld Hard Mix” began to receive considerable club play on both sides of the Atlantic much to the mystification of the man who wrote the song, Martin Gore: “The original version of “Barrel of a Gun” was about 83 beats per minute. When we receive the “Hard Mix” back from them, we were sitting there thinking: what relevance does this speed bare to ours?” Gore later telephoned members of Underworld and asked, “Is there any chance you can fly some vocals in? Just so it has some relevance. Because there is not one sound of the original version on there?” Gore summarised the remix as: “Different key, different speed, different song!” 

 Sometimes you would be hard pressed to identify the original song from many contemporary remixes. Does anyone actually enjoy this stuff? With the exception of the remix of “Barrel of a Gun” mentioned here; I don’t know of any of this type of ‘remix’ as being popular with listeners. I don’t even like the Underworld remix of “Barrel of a Gun”. One of the biggest criticism I see aimed at remixes is that they are uninteresting and do not add anything to the original. Those of us who enjoy GOOD remixes know just how much difference a remix can make and equally abhor those mixes that bare no resemblance to the original. Some remixers would be better served by noting the definition of what a remix is, and if they do not like the source material, they should turn down the job. Please save me ear drums from the likes of “Liberation (E-smoove 12” Mix)” or “Sentinel (The Orb 7” Remix)”. Please.

All the sounds of the Fairlight CMI in one CD

I have always been aware of the group ACT because of Claudia Brucken’s involvement. However, her collaborator on his project, one Thomas Leer, was until recently something of a mystery to me. Having recently acquired his 1985 album “The Scale of Ten” I seem to have discovered a Fairlight/Linn Drum classic.

The whole album is created on the Fairlight CMI and sounds like a cross between The Art of Noise, Thomas Dolby and Peter Gabriel with a bit of pop thrown in for good measure. The samples Leer uses are lo-fi 8 bit crunchy brilliance that could only come from a Fairlight. As the album unfolds some classic Fairlight presets are thrown in with some futher creative sampling to add the magic. This is the album I always wanted to hear the Fairlight produce.

For the ridiculously low price of £4.98 you can buy a CD that shows of an electronic ‘instrument’ like no other. Yes, Mr Leer has a good voice, and some of his songs are really quite brilliant, but the fascination for me is hearing a Fairlight used imaginatively. Sure Jarre, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel et al used the Fairlight to great effect but rarely in such isolation. If you wish to hear this machine in its full glory these is no better place to start.

DJ Culture: a hidden gem?

There are thousands of great moments in the Pet Shop Boys back catalogue. All ‘petheads’ have their own favourites and some are rather obvious. 

 

However, whilst flicking through various mp3 playlists on my hard drive recently, I came across one of their most overlooked moments of greatness. The “Extended Mix” of their 1991 single “DJ Culture” is, in my opinion, a hidden gem. I remember walking into “Our Price” record shop to buy all three formats of “DJ Culture” on the day of its release. I knew the “Extended Mix” would be my favourite as soon as I heard Neil saying, “I’d just thought I’d mention it. I just thought I’d mention It”, during a breakdown towards the end of the track. Moments like that are truly genius to me. 

 

Dr Wayne Studer also picks “DJ Culture” as one of his seven most beautiful Pet Shop Boys musical moments. On his highly regarded “Pet Shop Boys Commentary” website, Wayne places the bridge/middle eight in "DJ Culture" at number one:"Now, as a matter of pride, indulge yourself...." I get the shivers nearly every time I hear it: a gorgeous descending chord progression that lends an air of almost unbearable sadness to lyrics alluding to the sometimes desperate measures people take to try to make themselves happy. 

 

Some feel that “DJ Culture” was a weak track to be released as a single and its relatively poor chart performance goes some way to bearing this out. Indeed the b-side “Music for Boys” became so popular in the USA that the single was released as a double A side there. Surely this would not have happened if the lead track was stronger. Users of rateyourmusic.com also seem to feel the track was not one of the Pet Shop Boys best, “A real crappy stop-gap” is the only unsympathetic verdict offered. Yet if the track had not been released as a single, it is doubtful that the “Extended Mix” would exist. Now largely overlooked, “DJ Culture (Extended Mix)” remains a hidden gem that will reward the inquisitive and evoke great memories for those who have forgotten its charms.

Brian Higgins and the hit factor

The latest issue of the Pet Shop Boys Club magazine ‘Literally’ features a lengthy interview with Xenomania principle Brian Higgins. From what Neil and Chris have said about recording their album ‘Yes’ already, it seems Higgins and all the Xenomania team are highly talented but eccentric individuals. Yet the attributes that emerge from this interview are simply arrogance and overconfidence. This interview, to me, leaves him sounding like a driven, talented but highly unlikable individual.

The best evidence for Higgins’s true personality lies with the other acts with which he has worked. Sam Sparro says of his failed collaboration: “I did meet Brian Higgins but he, er, I can’t really comment on that. He’s a strong personality.”

Referring to another failed collaboration (I strongly suspect that here he is referring to his work on New Order’s “Waiting for the Siren’s Call”) Higgins states: “I’ve had the experience happen where the big artists were fine until they got into the mix room and they basically pulled the record to pieces. So I took my name off the record and the writing credits off the record. So big artists are often jerks of the highest order.”

Okay so you can’t hope to be best friends with everyone you work with, but Higgins does seem to have a habit of upsetting people. The name "Xenomania" means, according to Higgins, "the exact opposite of Xenophobia...a love of everything, of all cultures." Quite how one reconciles this philosophy with Higgins statement that “We’re Xenomania, so fuck you!” I do not know.

You can’t deny Higgins and Xenomania ARE very good at what they do. However, Higgins’s words seem to dismiss any other type of song writing other that the chart fodder they specialise in. There is a whole world of music out there and the vast majority of it is far more interesting, innovative and successful than Xenomania’s output. Higgins’s should be more conscious of this if he does not wish to sound quite so arrogant.

Yet there is a considerable amount of sense in Higgins evaluation of the Pet Shop Boys and their music. His feeling that they had not made a decent record since 1988 or 1989 is obviously complete rubbish; yet his assessment of “I think the rhythm programming had gone” and that they became self indulgent and used their music to chronicle their personal lives does hold water.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and ‘Yes’, as I have already stated, is a brilliant record. I guess when considering working with Xenomania one has to undertake a risk benefit analysis. Will the final product justify the process? Can you endure a personality as strong as Brian Higgins? If you want a brilliant pop record then the answer has to be Yes.

Simian Mobile Disco come up trumps

Having bought their first album on the back of a review that suggested electronic excellence, I have always trusted Simian Mobile Disco to deliver on their promises. 2007’s “Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release” was my record of the summer and will, in time, be regarded as a classic I’m sure. 

Thus, their second effort “Temporary Pleasure” is highly anticipated. Kicking off with the pulsating “Cream Dream” featuring vocals by Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys, this album is set to become a dance floor favourite. 

Yet, unlike similar dance orientate efforts, this album has depth and is a considered endeavour. Catchy pop/dance cross over single “Audacity of Huge” is followed by trance like anthem “10,000 Horses Can’t Be Wrong”. The Italio house influenced “Cruel Intention” displays Shaw and Fords diversity and talent for crafting a groove. “Off the Map” and “Synthesise” are balls out dance tracks that deliver the four-on-the-floor kicks demanded by the dance floor. “Bad Blood” features Hot Chip vocalist Alexis Taylor in what strikes you as an obvious and satisfying collaboration, more should follow this if there is any justice. 

The only poor tracks are “Turn Up The Dial” and the final cut “Pinball”.  Whilst I acknowledge that “Pinball” is an attempt to balance against the heavy dance sound of the rest of the album, it just ends up sounding out of place. In addition, the track is just terrible in my opinion. Nevertheless, despite a poor ending, “Temporary Pleasure” is set to become less ephemeral than the title might suggest. Simian Mobile Disco seem to be generating quite a following both on and off the dance floor. All lovers of good electronic music should rejoice that bands as good as this keep making music.

B12 Archive complete

I first became acquainted with B12 via their ‘Electro-Soma’ album of 1993. This music was new and to me, truly unique. I have distinct memories of walking to tedious college lectures with the sounds of ‘Soundtrack of Space’ ringing in my ears and not a care in the world. The churning techno of ‘Telefone 529’, ‘Obsessed’, and ‘Hall of Mirrors’ became a little slice of heaven for me. There were many great tracks on ‘Elecro-Soma’ but ‘Soundtrack of Space’ continues to resonate most strongly with me.

However, between 1998 and 2007 nothing was heard of B12 or their pseudonyms Redcell, Musicology, Cmetric etc. Kraftwerk seemed prolific in comparison to Messrs Golding and Rutter. Yet 2007 saw a flurry of activity that went someway towards redressing the balance. The album ‘Last Days of Silence’ and its companion ‘Last Days of Silence (Remixes)’ proved to be the equal of anything in their back catalogue: a welcome return indeed. Thus, the B12 records archive series was hotly anticipated by fans.

I fail to agree with some reviews posted on the B12 records website which suggest that the most recent ‘Volume 7’ is the best in the series. The two discs that constitute volume one and the second disc of volume two are my personal favourites. Yet there are hidden gems on almost every one of the 14 CD’s.

So if you are partial to ‘intelligent techno’ or however else you wish to describe the music of B12, then you could do a lot worse than investing in some, or all of these CD’s. However, with such a rush of activity over, I now fear that B12 may disappear for another nine years. It would be a real shame, as electronic music that is both innovative and original is hard to come by; and these guys make some of the best there is.

Mute are at it too...

OK so they’re at it again. Record companies selling us music we already own. This time things might be different. Mute are set to release a 21st anniversary edition of Erasure’s ‘The Innocents” on October 26th. As well as a standard remastered edition there is a deluxe edition planned. Mute have a fabulous track record in special/deluxe editions and I am actually looking forward to this one. What will make or break this release is the quality of the remastering (j
ust louder with less dynamic range probably), the extra tracks (if any) and the packaging. 

Recently the official Erasure website actually asked for fans views on what was important in such releases. The majority of people plumped for the unreleased racks option rather than the remixes and video footage options. Let’s hope Mute were listening. The 21st anniversary edition may also put right a piece of history. At the time of the album’s release I always felt ‘Phantom Bride’ would be an appropriate single and it remains one of my favourite Erasure tracks. Currently there are plans to release a remix single of the track on October 12th. Let’s hope the remixes are good and not the usual dross.

Pet Shop Boys @ 02 arena

Well I have to blog my visit to see Pet Shop Boys on their Pandemonium tour at London's 02 arena. They were quite brilliant. 

One of the things about seeing artists live is that they often play the tracks as they sound on their album. Yet the Pet Shop Boys often take a more imaginative approach and present their tracks in new remixed versions coupled with stunning visuals. Particular highlights for me were the re-workings of "Why Don't We Live Together?" and "Two Divided by Zero". The Shep Pettibone Remixes of "Love Comes Quickly" and "West End Girls" sounded as fresh as they did when they were first released in 1986.

Only a few grumbles. The sound was pretty poor in terms of quality and also far too quiet for a venue of this size. The 02 which encloses the arena, and the transport links seem to struggle with large numbers of people leaving at the same time. Having to walk around the entire 02 to get out is not good planning. The merchandise was rather expensive and not a massive amount of choice. A disappointment to me. Roll on December and the MEN in Manchester (which I didn't make as the snow was so heavy the trains were cancelled).

eBay box sets

It seems that some people bought more than one of the 300 ultimate edition box sets of the Pet Shop Boys album 'Yes' in order to make a profit. eBay has two listings currently.

• Listing one
• Listing two

£1000 start price seems a bit ambitious to me. Most 'hardcore' collectors who are willing to pay through the nose for this sort of product already have a copy and I can't see these sets for selling for more than £600. But that is still double what they cost. Not a bad investment.

Junior Boys live

Seeing band live is always an exciting and unique experience. Thus, it was with some relish that I drove to Manchester University a couple of days ago to see Canadian electro gods Junior Boys. The intimate 'club academy' provided the perfect venue for the sonic beauty that is the music of the Junior Boys.

Tracks such as 'Hazel', 'Work', "Counting Souvenirs', 'Birthday' and 'In the Morning' created an almost club like atmosphere with deep basslines and electro riffs. Whilst the arrangements varied little from their album counterparts there was more than enough energy in the performance to generate the atmosphere required to get the crowd dancing.

The only down sides to the show were that Jeremy was obviously ill and in his own words, only "95% certain he was playing a show". This may have contributed to the fact that his vocals were almost indistinguishable in the mix. Why they choose (like so many electronic bands) to include a drummer and a guitar in their live set up is quite a mystery. On more than one occasion I was ready to shout: "Oi! Greenspan put the guitar down". Yet as he later admitted, we could shout whatever we wanted and he couldn't understand us (presumably due to our English accents).

Junior Boys come highly recommended. My favourite album is 'So this is goodbye' which along with Soulwax's 'Nite Versions' is a modern classic of electronic music.

Confessions of a producer

I recently stumbled upon a website featuring the reminiscences of producer Mike Thorne. Amongst the fascinating essays on the site is a production note centred on the recording of the band’s first album ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’.

In terms of the history of electronic music, this album is of prime importance. For the first time electronic music was becoming more than just a curio obsessed over by an underground cult. Soft Cell took the purely electronic formula and thrust it firmly into the pop charts all over the world.

Yes Kraftwerk wrote some great purely electronic albums in the 1970’s but they didn’t achieve the success of ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’. Similarly, Gary Numan had topped the charts with his electronic sound for some time, but all of his work included a conventional rhythm section with an electric bass and a drummer.

Mike Thorne and Soft Cell were amongst the first who ditched the conventional drummer and let their drum machine do the work. In 1981 this was a bold move for a group attempting to achieve commercial success.

Thorne gives us a fascinating insight into the production of early electronic music and this site comes highly recommended. If nothing else it has put ‘Non Stop Erotic Cabaret’ back on my play lists and that can’t be a bad thing.

Yes box set: the verdict

Well, the Pet Shop Boys ‘Yes’ box set has been out for a few days and here is an inside look at what you get for your £300.

Firstly, the box set is delivered in a sturdy box packed with thick bubble wrap to cushion the impacts that the Royal Mail will surely inflict upon it.

Inside the bubble wrap, a clear plastic bag holds your investment and protects it from scratches.

Once out of its cocoon, the box set consists of a very shiny, opaque, black Perspex box with a gold coloured metallic ‘tick’ to the front. One detail I did not notice until opening the box was a door to the side of the box which is held in place by two magnetic catches. This door simply lifts off to reveal the records themselves.

Within the box there are 12 LP sleeves, each of a different colour. 11 sleeves contain 12” singles. Each disc plays one album track and the instrumental version on the b-side.

The twelfth sleeve is white and has the coloured tick from the ‘Yes’ artwork to the front. Inside there is a glossy card which lists the album credits and states this is a limited release. Also in the white sleeve is an art print which is signed and numbered (very clear full signatures in black pen).

Each sleeve has an inner which lists the lyrics on one side and a picture which forms part of a large mosaic portrait on the reverse. Each 12” has a plain coloured label and an indication of which side is facing.

The merits of this release are not in the music it contains. Some people (all of whom did not order it) feel it is amusing that the 'exclusive' instrumentals on this release will inevitably be widely available on the Internet in the near future. I, like most people who ordered this box set, couldn't care less about the 'exclusivity' of the music. I welcome digital copies of the instrumental versions which will save me from having to play my records. £300 for records you are not going to play? That's insane!

Well, no it's not insane. Looking at this in purely financial terms it represents a sound investment. With only 300 available, the few box sets being advertised on eBay are already fetching considerably more than the £300 retail price. By not subjecting the vinyl to wear/dust/static/scratches the condition is maintained and thus the value enhanced. Not playing the records makes sound economic sense.

Aesthetically this box set is also very pleasing. The whole point of this set is that it is a luxury item that could almost be considered a piece of art. It is crafted from fine quality materials and pressed on a relatively small scale. It's high cost also ensures its elite nature.So on the whole I am very pleased I ordered it and that I am able to justify such a huge price tag to myself. I just hope they don't make any similar box sets for future albums as I still have to eat and pay the mortgage.

Arrival

Well it's here......

It's pretty good, but not sure its enough to justify a £300 price tag. More thoughts as I assess my bank account and the product.

Tired of waiting

The extra special 'ultimate' edition of the latest Pet Shop Boys album got me really excited when it was announced. Having said that if you waited until it was officially announced you were likely to have missed out on one of the 300 11x12" box sets.

The promised release date of April 25th came and went. We are approaching June and still no box set. They were quite happy to take my £300 months ago, but it seems they are not so happy to actually get on with manufacturing the thing.

My initial excitement has been replaced with disinterest and boredom. Even the pictures on Mark Farrow's website of the initial proof copies has failed to rouse my interest. I'm just so sick of waiting.

But, no you can't have mine.

Vinyl is the future

I have always been a bit sceptical about the supposed ‘warmth’ and dynamic range of LP’s compared to CD’s and other digital sources. To me there was little difference between the sonic characteristics of analogue and digital sources other than the obvious crackles and associated background noise a vinyl LP always generates.

Yet as I begin to rediscover my vinyl collection I am stuck by the difference between these analogue sources and their digital counterparts I have become accustomed to. In the last week the new Pet Shop Boys album ‘Yes’ has been released as a limited edition of 1000 heavy weight vinyl LP’s. Since it’s original release in March I have become very familiar with this album from its CD and MP3 versions. On playing the LP for the first time, I was struck by the difference in sound.

This difference is best described by one of my recent experiences in a high end Hi-fi retailer. I was present at a listening session in which I was confident of not being able to detect the difference between a £1000 Japanaese manufactures amplifier and a £3500 British manufactures amplifier. Surely there isn’t much difference that an amplifier can make is there? Wrong, very wrong. Another listener best described the difference between the two as: “The Japanese amplifier sounded like you were listening to a CD. The British one made you feel like the singer was in the room.” Thus what I always assumed was a relatively benign component of an audio set up was clearly illustrated as making an enormous impact in the characteristics of the sound. When you consider the original source is likely to make an even bigger impact on the characteristics of the music you listen to than the amplifier, it makes careful consideration of the source a worth while exercise.

Analogue sources DO sound warmer and offer a much greater dynamic range than their digital counterparts. The best way to detect this is to listen to one source or the other exclusively for a long time. Then swap to the alternative source whilst retaining the same audio set up; the difference is quite striking and is enhanced the more familiar you are with the original recording.

Having said that, not all vinyl is created equal. I have plenty of flimsy and scratched 12” singles that offer the same sound quality as if it were being played into a wind tunnel whilst the sound of a gas leak steadily pesters your ears. The key to a fantastic listening experience is in the quality of the source and with their latest LP release Pet Shop Boys have excelled once again. You have no excuse for not owning a turntable.

Don’t judge a book by its cover (or an album by its box set)

Come on admit it. When you heard Martin Gore was buying mountains of vintage analogue gear to make Depeche Mode’s new album you were excited. Yet when it was released in its mammoth box set version on Monday, we were all left sorely disappointed.

Here is how to produce a Depeche Mode album the Ben Hillier way:

Step 1: Get the track up and running with a good beat and melody
Step 2: Add the vocal and any overdubs
Step 3: Remove good beat and add tiny almost imperceptible analogue percussion
Step 4: Remove melody and add an out of tune drone
Step 5: Add distortion to EVERYTHING
Step 6: Ensure anything approaching melody is removed
Step 7: Add distortion to everything again just make sure
Step 8: Turn everything in the mix up until it distorts
Step 9: Ensure the mix engineer adds distortion to everything just to be doubly sure
Step 10: Ensure the mastering engineer is instructed to make everything very loud and distorted

I have noticed there are many ways to buy the album ‘Sounds of the universe’. It’s very difficult to just buy a straight forward CD with the album on. The afore mentioned box set is a truly amazing item with many many extras, there is also a CD/DVD package, a 2xLP and CD package and of course the digital downloads.

All of this additional content and extraordinary packaging makes me wonder if we are supposed to be distracted from the quality of the album itself and simply admire it for how it is presented to us. This album has very little musical worth due to the way it has been produced and it sits squarely alongside the worst of Depeche Mode’s back catalogue.


I wish Alan would come back and sort this bloody mess out.

CD storage is impossible

I love music. Consequently I have lots of CD's. I collect records by the Pet Shop Boys and have lots and lots of those. Storing them is a real pain. I often muse over the benefits of a digital music collection.

A friend of mine recently sold her entire CD collection after she copied it all to her hard drive. I think she will regret that decision one day, especially if her hard drive melts. Also, I consider the packaging of a record to contribute to its overall worth. Why else would I spend £300 on a Pet Shop Boys deluxe edition album when I already own the music it contains?

I recently found this picture of my entire Pet Shop Boys collection on my hard drive. It is circa 2003 and in 6 years it has grown. The second picture is merely the CD's as I couldn't fit all the vinyl in the same picture.

Tag your mp3's correctly or beware of the consequences

When I first dipped my toes into the pool of the Internet back in the late 90’s, Napster was the peer-to-peer network everyone used. Suddenly it was possible to download and hear “Music for Supermarkets” by Jean-Michel Jarre, I could find any obscure Pet Shop Boys mix and I downloaded all the ‘one hit wonders’ I had been searching for for years.

One of the pitfalls of downloading mp3’s illegally was that some people were not exactly accurate in labelling their files. Very odd tracks would appear that were clearly nothing to do with the artists they were attributed too.

For instance:
Vangelis and Jarre collaborating on a version of ‘Crocketts Theme’ anyone?
The previously unheard of Depeche Mode remix of New Order’s ‘Bizarre Love Triangle’?
Kraftwerk’s recording of the synthesizer classic ‘Popcorn’ sound good to you?

By far the most annoying (to me anyway) miss tagging was the ubiquitous “One Night in Bangkok” by the Pet Shop Boys. “One Night in Bangkok” became an international hit for Murray Head in 1984 and is seemingly regarded by many as a classic of the era. However, it has absolutely no links to the Pet Shop Boys. Not only do labels such as this rob the original artist of the credit but also tarnish the unfortunate recipient.

How this, and other bizarre tags, originated is quite a mystery. Obviously, the ignorance/stupidity of one person contributed and as the file was copied, the error spread like a virus.

Yet in this age of legal downloads and consumer shrewdness this irritation is no longer a major problem. Yes, iTunes frequently miss labels tracks, but that is down to the record company submitting them and not Apple as such. Yet if you look closely at the files people are listening to on last.fm, it seems there are STILL some dumb asses listening to ‘One Night in Bangkok’ by the Pet Shop Boys or Jean-Miche Jarre’s version of the ‘Miami Vice’ Theme.

More Horsepower

Dance music truly exploded in the early 90’s and I felt I was in the midst of a musical phenomenon. Illegal raves were still being organised, pirate radio stations seemed to spring up every week and if you went to the right record shops, you could find treasure. 

One day a friend of mine played me a recording of a pirate radio station broadcasting in my home city. Through the hiss of the cassette and the FM broadcast, the magnificent sound of ‘Horsepower’ by Ravesignal III assaulted my eardrums. It was a truly glorious moment. Once I tracked down the CD I noticed it was released by a label called R&S. I began to buy most things released by R&S for a few years including the original “Analogue Bubblebath” by Aphex Twin, Human Resource’s “Dominator” and Jam & Spoon “Tales from a Danceographic Ocean” all of which are worth a few pounds now. 

Yet it is CJ Bolland’s Ravesignal III project that I treasure above them all. Thus, imagine my excitement when whilst playing my new Microwave XTk synthesizer I found the preset Bolland used for the intro to ‘Horsepower’. The patch has been modified slightly but certainly comes from the Microwave. For many years I wondered which synths were used on this track. The drums are obviously TR-909 and TR-808 but everything else remained a mystery. So I am about to get my flange effects up and running and try to recreate the majesty of Horsepower. I wish it was 1991 again.

Yes, the verdict

Prior to the release of the Pet Shop Boys album 'Fundamental' Popjustice.co.uk created a graph to represent the relative greatness of Neil and Chris's previous albums. Obviously they got it completely wrong but 'best album' debates are VERY subjective and not something I will get into here.



Having been unsure of their latest release at first I am now able to offer a considered opinion.

Integration of the MicroWave XTk

Buying new gear can be full of disappointments and pitfalls. For an initial period the frustrations of a new synth not being fully integrated into my studio far out-weighs the excitement. The recent acquisition of my MicroWave XTk has proven this true, but also added the stress of potentially ruining my new toy.

You see I like to do a number of things when I buy second hand gear. The first is to clean it and the second reset it to ‘factory’ standards. Inevitably, old synths are full of sounds created by their previous owners and before I create my own, I like to start afresh. Once I had located the latest factory presets, I also purchased a librarian/editor to make programming easier from my PC. Then I created a MIDI patch script for use in Cubase, as there did not seem to be one readily available on the net. Creating patch scripts is a laborious and maddening process that took me a whole evening. In the meantime, my new toy sits untouched, I really had no time to play the thing.

With modern digital synthesizers, there is also the daunting and potentially ruinous process of updating the Operating System (OS). Having checked my synth, it appeared to be running on version 2.29 of the OS. I then trawled through various web sites and found that the latest OS is 2.33 dating from 2000. A quick visit to the newly reinstated Waldorf website (the company went out of business in 2004 and have only resurfaced at the end of 2007) gave me the latest OS.

The one thing about updating the OS of a synthesizer is that if it goes wrong, the synth could end up irrevocably damaged. If the part of the OS that tells the synthesizer how to ‘boot up’ is damaged it will never work again. Scary when you have just paid a substantial sum. With fingers crossed I loaded the OS into Cubase and played the file to the XTk. The display read ‘Receiving System 2.33…” and all looked great until an error message appeared. Now I was really worried. Having read the manual again I realised Cubase was sending MIDI clock data to the XTk and once I turned this off the system updated without problem (running at about 90bpm it took just a couple of minutes).

Now everything is set I can actually use the machine to create sonic mayhem. And boy does it create mayhem. The bass from this synth is truly astounding and its ability to create a sheer wall of noise is unrivalled. The MicroWave is a truly iconic instrument. Just one look of the red alpha dial and you know what is in front of you. Just one press on the keys and you could pierce you eardrums.

Microwave XTK has arrived

I have no idea what to do with this thing yet. I'm lost. I thought the Korg Triton was difficult to master. After half an hour with this thing I am no closer to getting it to do anything I want it to. Complex. A challenge. I like it aldreay.

But it does look fantastic. And I have been chasing one for a few years, so to actually own one finally is a great feeling.

Just for the record(s)

In a recent post, I praised the box set available for the new Depeche Mode album ‘Sounds of the Universe’. As well as praising this release, I also wished for a nice box set to accompany the new Pet Shop Boys album ‘Yes’. I got my wish. Oh boy did I get my wish. Look here if you dare. It is now SOLD OUT!

 

Now I know what you’re thinking: “£300 in a recession? You must be joking!” Nevertheless, it is obvious this is going to be a highly sought after item and will only increase in value. For a collector such as myself, I think it makes sense as an investment. As a Pet Shop Boys fan I think it is the most awesome release I have EVER seen. I am aware vinyl is not for everybody, but that is kind of the point of a release like this. Only those of us who appreciate good vinyl editions will truly acknowledge the intrinsic value in an 11x12” box set. People who ‘wish it was a CD box set’ have missed the point of this version entirely. The exclusive instrumental mixes are not important (my copy will never be played so I will not even hear them!) they are just a bonus. There is of course a standard LP of ‘Yes’ being pressed (and even that is limited to 1000 copies) but the sheer gorgeousness of this box set makes it the standout Pet Shop Boys ever created. I will even venture the opinion that this is the best release by anybody in a long, long time.

Internet music game

Synthopia have pasted a great game devised by Noise Addicts on their web site.
Here are the rules:

1. Go to Wikipedia and hit “random” and the first article you get is the name of your band.

2. Go to “Random Quotations”. The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page will be the title of your new album.

3. Go to Flickr and click on “Explore the Last Seven Days”. The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

Of course I thought I would have a go and was rather pleased with the result:





















The quote is from Miss Piggy on the Muppets (it sounds like a crappy U2 album title to me). The band title is a place in New Zealand. The photo is rather cool.

However, I wouldn't anticipate finding "Never Eat More Than You Can Lift" on Amazon anytime soon.

eBay and GAS

I buy a fair amount of musical equipment (‘gear’ in geek parlance) on an increasingly infrequent basis. Yet recently GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) has resurfaced and I find myself looking through eBay for something interesting almost every day. The one thing that strikes me as I peruse these listings is that the price of vintage gear remains elevated, recession or not.

Around the turn of the millennium, it was still possible to find some great bargains as people offloaded their outboard in favour of software. I can only assume there are an increasing number of like-minded musicians who use the short sightedness of others to acquire bigger studios. Obviously, this has all happened before when digital synths arrived and analogue instruments were dropped like hot potatoes. However, it took many years before analogue became converted and prices inflated. Then some fool went and invented ‘electronica’ ‘rave’ or whatever else you want to call it and eventually everyone wanted a TB-303 (I can’t bring myself to comment on the £1000+ TB-303 phenomenon).

Yet the outboard being off loaded by musicians at the moment is not necessarily iconic or unique and still commands large sums of cash. I will give you some examples:

£300 start price with £40 postage for a Korg 01/W?
It is not 1995 anymore. I want one but only because they should be cheap but cheerful.

£900 for a Jupiter 4 with 24 hours still to run?
Are you people mad or just rich? It says 4 not 8.

£250+ for a Roland SH-101
Back in 1990 I had the choice of a DX100 or an SH-101. Each were £90-100 as I remember. I chose the DX100. I really am stupid sometimes.

£320 for a Korg Trinity
Surely you can find a Triton for less than this?

I am VERY excited about the synth I am currently bidding on. This synth is a long-term target that is very rare and my bids are rather high. Thus, I guess I am as guilty as anyone for pushing up prices. Yet my pulse quickens at thought of owning this one and if I win you’re sure to see it here. Watch this space.

Yes? Well maybe....

I have now heard all but one of the tracks from the new Pet Shop Boys album 'Yes' and the first word that springs to mind is 'pop'. That 'Girls Aloud' chart fodder type of pop. 

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with pop, I like pop music, but I still long for the 'electro' album they always threaten to make. When you hire Xenomania to produce your album you are obviously going to end up with a 'pop' recording, yet there are glimpses of what could have been. 

The bassline on 'Did you see me coming?' is quite sublime, 'Love etc' is almost pure electro, ' 'Legacy' has snatches of techno, 'More Than A Dream' could be a house track from 1991 and 'The Way it used to be' is crying out for a DFA remix. 

Yet Neil sings his 'X-factor' styled vocals over pure bubblegum pop backing tracks with an unhealthy dose of Johnny Marr guitar. With every PSB release I seem to raise my hopes that they will recreate 'Please' or 'Disco' in a Kraftwerk/eletro style (imagine my near hysterical excitement at the pre-release of 'Psychological' from 'Fundamental') only to be disappointed.  

However I will take 'Yes' for what it is and enjoy it none the less. In reality I should just be thankful that my favourite group still create new music. I guess 25 years of being a 'pethead' is making me selfish. 

Speaking of 25 years, there is a free CD 'Pet Shop Boys Story: 25 Years of Hits' included in the Mail on Sunday today. If you can face buying such a rag. I recommend you take out the CD and throw the newspaper in the bin immediately.

Now that's what I call a 'box set'

Mute records always seem to know what the punter desires. When I laid eyes on the new box set for the Depeche Mode album ‘Sounds of the Universe’ I was impressed. Indeed, I was so impressed I spent nearly £60 on the thing. Mute appear know that if you get the content and quality right, fans will simply ‘have’ to own their latest release. Loading digital files onto your iPod might be cheap and tidy, but you simply do not get the thrill of owning such great physical products such as this.

There is a long history of Mute ‘getting it right’. The Depeche Mode and Erasure singles ‘box sets’ of the last few years are just one example of this. This latest release is packed with goodies for fans and has me almost as excited as the release of ‘Yes’. It also makes me wish that EMI’s other subsidiary, Parlophone would do something similar for the upcoming Pet Shop Boys album (and ‘box set(s)’ for Neil and Chris’s singles/remixes are long overdue). So, as much as the record industry might bemoan the advent of the mp3 they should also learn that the physical product must be of a superior quality (regardless of cost) if they wish to sell CD’s to the hardcore fans that keep them afloat.