March Ninth

aj+full house+ kit

Last week I had Richard, Martyn and Adam in the Studio of Kit Records and Full House. These guys alternate slots before my show on Sundays. Since I usually arrive at the studio a little before my radio slot, each week I get a chance to hear the tail end of their shows, and I’m usually blown away by their selections.

Hard Corps Review

Here is a review I did for Juno Plus a few months ago on Hard Corp’s Rarities release.

hard c

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There seems to be no end to the flood of synth reissues over the past few years, labels like Dark Entries, Medical and Mannequin are among current record labels digging deep, committed to unearthing forgotten rarities from often unsuspecting musicians. At the very centre of this movement is digger extraordinaire, Veronica Vasicka, who coined the Minimal Wave genre back in 2005. After releasing Clean Tables Have to Be Burnt by Hard Corps in 2012, Vasicka brings forth the Rarities LP, a collection of out-takes and demos issued in dedication to frontwoman Regine Fetet who passed away in 2003.

This Brixton-based band developed a devoted cult following throughout the mid 80s, as well as getting a reputation for their killer live performances. Things started looking up when Hard Corps were featured on John Peel’s radio show, and subsequently signed with Polydor in 1985, getting a chance to work with renowned producers like Martin Rushent and Daniel Miller, as well as touring with Depeche Mode and The Cure. But this promising period only resulted in one single, the undoubtedly brilliant Je Suis Passée. Although this track was a hit throughout underground dancefloors, the band’s work failed to break through to the general public, and their Polydor time proved to be less fruitful than many had expected.

Regine Fetet’s vocals are distinctively haunting throughout the release, cutting through harsh industrial textures. Regine came from a background of exotic dance, which perhaps influenced her evocative live performances; for instance, it was not uncommon for her to strip down during the gigs. Hailing from France, she was not a trained vocalist, and initially struggled with timing and enunciation, but this background perhaps made her vocal deliverance all the more interesting.

The ghostly quality of “Bravo” stands out in this LP of unreleased cuts, driven by a punchy bassline that feels razor sharp against warm ethereal synths, drenched in reverb. Following suit, the rigid drum sequences of “Killing Fields” are treated with effects that brighten harsh mechanics behind the track, accentuating warm, lush analog electronics found throughout the release. There’s an undeniably groovy bassline on “Desire” that is topped by silky vocals, with gleaming synths that flow throughout track.

The Hard Corps canon is rougher than some of their glossier synth-pop counterparts of the time, with music that embraced a gritty lo-fi approach through their carefully constructed tracks. Even so, there is undeniably an element of warmth that ties together this LP, an organic intensity that emanates from Regine’s vocals to the buzzing of analog hardware, enveloped in a dreamy haze of reverb. These tracks form an absorbing collection of out-takes and demos that emerge from obscurity after collecting dust for many years and can finally be appreciated thanks to the Minimal Wave label,.

Linear Space

This Friday March 7th, Linear Space is back at the Star of Kings, with Chloe Frieda (ALIEN JAMS) and Debonair (Radio DEBONAIR)

…italo-disco, post-punk, off-kilter house and techno for your listening pleasure! Come join us in our favourite Kings Cross pub!

 moon 2

March Second

Last week’s show included new music from Delroy Edward’s excellent new release, Teenage Tapes, as well as new Perc, the Space Lady, Coil, Peder Mannerfeld and much more!

It seems like the last couple weeks have been especially fruitful on the release front, with plenty of interesting new LPs, I had fun sharing some of these tracks on the show! Tracklist to follow!

suzs

Alien Jams with guest Keith Seatman

It was a pleasure to have Keith Seatman join me in the NTS studio for this special Alien Jams session. Keith is a musician, and occassional dj, collector of synths and records.  His last release is called Boxes Windows and Secret Hidey- Holes, and he is soon to release new work in the next couple months.  Keith played some superb selections, as well as one of the tracks off his forthcoming release.

rob rental

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Rental & the Normal- Live at West Runton Pavillion
Hard Corps- Desire
Klaus Schulze- Ways of Changes
John Baker- Dial M for Murder
1991- Tangerine Lidl
John Foxx & Belbury Circle- Empty Avenues (Pye Corner Audio Remix)
Otto Leuning- Invention in 12 Notes
Dolly Dolly- Warp
Gabriel Saloman- Adhere Part 3
Giorgio Moroder- From Here to Eternity
Patrick Cowley- School Daze
The Organisation- Tone Float
Pye Corner Audio- Building Obscured by Mist
Dark Day- Hands in the Air

 giorg

Androgynous Mind

I am part of a collective of ladies organizing an International Women’s Day event at London’s Ace Hotel on the 8th of March that will incorporate both djs and performance art!

International Women’s Day, originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked as a holiday on March 8 in many countries across the world. Started as a Socialist political event, the holiday somehow lost its political flavour, however we don’t want to forget its origins and want to celebrate the social and cultural achievements of the women of the world and also raise awareness towards mistreatment of women.

Excerpts from the event will be broadcast on the Alien Jams show on NTS Radio at 5pm on Sunday 16 March. Tune in to http://ntslive.co.uk/

DJs / sound collage:

Blenda Jaxxon (Castlemania)
Chloe Frieda (NTS / Alien Jams)
Hairy J Blige (Pop Twinette)
Hellenore (Resonance FM)
Lizatron (Dark Star)

Performances:
Daniella Valz Gen
Jemima Burrill
Kate Mahony
lili Spain
Silvia Ziranek

All proceeds will be donated to Eaves, a charity which helps women in vulnerable situations and campaigns for a society in which all women live free from violence, exploitation, objectification and discrimination.

Voluntary donations will gratefully accepted on the night or you can visit our justgiving web page to make a donation any time:http://www.justgiving.com/Jemma-Cullen1

You can find out more about the charity here:
www.eavesforwomen.org.uk

International_Womens_Day