Ghost in the Rain

Pappas has done what many synthpop artists have attempted but few have accomplished – he has carved out his own unique sound, characterized by beautifully crafted lyrics that create pictures in your mind and songs that are a bit melancholic without crossing the line into excess. I got the impression as I listened to Ghost in the Rain of a seasoned artist who is in supreme command of his instruments and his voice, able to blend the two into perfect, evocative tapestries.

This is not music to listen to while driving in your car. Rather, curl up in a chair in a quiet spot – preferably on a chilly, rainy night – slow down your busy mind and immerse yourself in its subtle and irresistible charms.

Here are some highlights of this incredible album:

Vintage – A haunting aural delight about a long-dead film noir movie star with whom the narrator is smitten. It features shimmering synths and minor key riffs, overlaid by George’s delicate voice. It is a great mood piece; Pappas does a masterful job of creating a song that evokes mental images of a femme fatale lighting a cigarette in a shadowy alley. Vintage sets the tone for the rest of the album with its moody atmospheric style.

Ghost in the Rain - Another deeply haunting ballad about a broken relationship. “I am a ghost/trembling in the rain/I am a ghost/Remember me this way.” An echoey, garbled voice track and sythesized chorus in the middle of the song reinforces the mental image of a ghostly figure, trapped between two worlds. Not scary, just sad. Once again, the synths are the perfect accent to this song – used for emphasis in between the vocals, rather than a layered wall of sound. Very effective!

Stay With Me - This is the closest thing to a love song on this album. Stay With Me is a nice mid-tempo melody with just a touch of melancholy around the edges.

Brigette – When he was writing this song, Pappas imagined an allied soldier in the trenches on the “killing fields” of France during World War I – where tens of thousands of troops gave their lived. He is awaiting the order to charge toward certain death, and holds in his hand a crumpled image of a beautiful woman who he has never met. He’s pining for a love that never was, while realizing he only had a few hours to live before the order to charge would come. The lyrics of Brigette are incredibly evocative: “My Brigette/As the earth becomes my blanket/And autumn dies/I’ll be left behind.” This is a beautiful, heartfelt song.

Perfect World – A quirky synth riff at the beginning gives way to a melancholy song. “Voices shriek aroud my ears/They cry forlorn, then disappear/But when you’re here, they dance and swirl/And when you’re here, it’s another world.” A chorus of voices with a synthesizer riff on top is the perfect instrumental close to this gorgeous arrangement.

Vanishing Girl – I love the concept behind this song. The narrator is obsessed with a girl at a local horror show who vanishes before the eyes of the audience. He watches her evey night, and fantasizes that when she disappears, she goes to be with him – until the next day’s show. But he longs to hang on to her, and to not have to share her with the audience at the horror show. “Vanishing girl, if I stop you from reappearing/Then you’ll always be with me/You’ll only be real in my private show.” Another very cool song – one of my favorites on Ghost in the Rain.

Music Box Doll – The album closes with another evocative ballad. This one is about a pale girl who is very fragile, like an old, cracked music box doll. The story teller remembers a better time when she was “full of life” and “ten feet tall,” but today she is a mere shadow of her former self.

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, I’m sure it’s fairly obvious who my favorite synthpop artists are – groups like Mesh, DE/VISION, Iris, Babylonia, Foretaste and Marsheaux. Still, I’ve been hungering for some time now for an artist or album that would literally blow my socks off. So much of what I get to evaluate as the author of this blog is average, forgettable music that I just can’t connect with, melodically, lyrically or emotionally. When nearly anyone can produce electronic music, you’ve got to skim through a lot of dross to get to the real gold.

I’m happy to report that George Pappas and his Alien Skin project have exceeded my expectations on all these levels. Ghost in the Rain is a masterpiece, easily one of the best new albums of 2012, in my opinion. I highly recommend it!

Tenek, one of the most consistently excellent acts on the synthpop scene, recently released a new EP that contains two new songs, a radio-friendly version of one of them and two remixes of songs from its stellar last album, On the Wire. The magic continues on this new disc, named EP2.

EP2 opens with What Do You Want, a likeable mid-tempo number that features tight vocal harmony between Peter Steer and Geoff Pinckney atop a rollicking mix of synths, violin, cello and a driving drum track. The string instruments bring a strong organic feel to this excellent song, and form the perfect counterpoint to the rest of the song’s tight arrangement. The violin part was played by the legendary Chris Payne, who was part in the original line-up of Gary Numan’s band from 1979 to 1989. There’s also a bit of cello in this mix. Nicely done!

The other new track on EP2 is next, Elusive, a dance floor filler that balances the duo’s awesome vocal harmony with a driving, echoing synth line. If God is in the details, then that explains why this is a divine track. Little synth bits drift in and out of the headphones, adding that extra element of aural appeal to an already solid track.

Next up is an alternative mix of The Art of Evasion, one of my favorite tracks from On the Wire. I think I like the album track a bit better, which was just a little bit punchier than this version.

After The Art of Evasion, the next track on EP2 is an alternative mix of Higher Ground, the last single from On the Wire. This track has a style similar to the last one- just a slightly different take on another excellent track that is hard to improve upon. Again, give me the album version over this one.

Elusive (Radio Edit) closes EP2. Its arrangement has been altered slightly to reduce its length and make it more radio-friendly. If someone asks you, “Tenek? Who’s that?” then have them listen to this track. If they don’t go, “Wow! These guys are awsome!” then call for an ambulance, because it’s obvious they don’t have a pulse!

I can’t wait for Tenek’s next full-length album. Hopefully they can make it to the States to play some gigs, too! Based upon what I’ve been seeing from the group’s Facebook fan page, the dynamic duo has been very busy playing gigs throughout Europe, steadily exposing more people to their unmistakable sound. I got to meet Geoff during the Chicago stop of the Legends of Synthpop tour in April; he was playing with Mesh. What a great guy! Bring Peter with you next time!

For more details on Tenek’s current activities and future plans, I urge you to check out this excellent interview with the Geoff and Peter on The Electricity Club’s website.

If the songs on In Scarlet and Vile have a darker tone to them, it’s in large part because the group has decided to tackle some of life’s challenging issues, such as the nature of suffering, temptation and grace.

“Almost every song on the record deals with some kind of struggle,” frontman Joey Belville explains. “Some resolve, some don’t. Both sides of that coin present hope, comfort, or both. Hope that things can resolve, or comfort in hearing that at least one or two people feel or have felt they way we do.”

The album gets off to a strong start with a rocking song called Heaven (The Devil’s in the Details). It features some nice vocal harmony between Joey and Chrissy Jeter and a driving guitar line.

This powerful vibe continues with a lush uptempo number called Revenge that combines synths and guitar into a strong, punchy number that is one of my favorites on this album.

Flame, one of the songs previously released as a single, is next up. It sounds like it’s arrangement has been tweaked slightly to freshen it up for the album. It’s another strong song, which features Joey covering a remarkable vocal range.

The Huntress features Chrissy on vocals, and has a definite 80s vibe to it. Not one of my favorites.

Let’s Go is another uptempo song underpinned by an echoing lead guitar. Joey and Chrissy trade off vocals in a point-counterpoint at several points in the song, and sing in harmony in other parts.

Dead Hearts – This mid-tempo song has a bit more of a layered, orchestral feel to it, and it sounds very much like a “traditional” EG song, with soaring synths and light, airy guitar punctuated by Joey’s distinctive vocals. The Suffer EP contained a  demo of this song; the finished version has a depth and a brightness to it that makes it really come alive.

Suffer – This is another song that was previously released on an EP. It goes back and forth between Joey’s verses accompanied by a sparse synth line and a big bombastic hook that melds a driving synth line with a powerful lead guitar riff. The contrast is quite striking. This as an awesome song that delivers the message that even in suffering, there is grace.

The preview version of In Scarlet & Vile contains a Glen Nicholls remix of Sanctuary, another single first released in 2010. It has an ominous feel to Joey’s vocals and a a powerful beat. The big highlight of this song comes near the end, when Chrissy has a solo that absolutely shimmers – I actually got goosebumps the first few times I listened to it – wow!

King Planet is one of the tracks that are exclusive to the special edition of In Scarlet & Vile, and it’s a must-have in my book. It’s different than anything you’ve heard from Joey & Co. The lyrics are more spoken than sung, almost like an electronified rap song. King Planet is brimming with attitude, and I can immediately tell he had a blast producing it. According to his comments in my recent interview with him, he explained that this song gave him an opportunity to flex some different musical muscles. King Planet is one kick-ass song!

Voices Carry, an 80s classic by ‘Til Tuesday, gets the EG treatment, with Chrissy’s vocals riding on top of a lush pastiche of synthesizers. It’s a beautiful, inspired cover – well done!

If you’re a fan of The Echoing Green, then In Scarlet & Vile is a must-add to your music collection. If you haven’t dug into their impressive catalog, then you owe it to yourself to check out this excellent album by one of the best contemporary synthpop groups today.

Minerve’s last release was the album SenseFiction in 2006. It contained a combination of trance flavored tracks like Take Me Higher and The Inner Cage, interspersed with lush ballads like It’s Quiet, Moonaddicted and There is Nothing. The group’s earlier work had a layered electronic sound that I tend to like yet I only found myself connecting with about half of the songs. The rest seemed to be somehow rather sterile. In comparison, the new album seems to be warmer and more emotional. There’s no filler here; Please is one of those rare albums that you can listen to from beginning to end, each one a different thread in a vibrant tapestry of synthpop.

Here are some highlights from this solid, enjoyable synthpop album:

Hold Me Tight: This is a solid dance floor filler with a great beat and plaintive vocals.

Every Day: A swirling cloud of synthesizers gives way to a pulsating, fast beat. The lyrics speak of the person who is being driven slowly insane by the day to day monotony of his life: “Every day is the same/A never ending game/ I close my eyes now and leave it all behind.”

Down to the Ground: This song is the group’s attempt at a mid-tempo ballad.  It features guitars as a counterpoint to the vocals in the verses. It also features evocative lyrics about a broken love relationship: “We fell down to the ground/Shattered dreams were all around/Yet we tried to fly away with broken wings.” An enjoyable, well written song.

Life is an Illusion: A dramatic sounding ballad that is one of my favorites on thus album. Like a number of other tracks on Please, this song deals with the mysterious, fragile mind and how easily one can get lost in the labyrinthine illusions it creates.

Don’t Ask Me Why: Another up-tempo number with a strong backbeat that would be right at home in most clubs. This is perhaps the most accessible pop sounding song on the album.

Phoenix: This up tempo song is probably my favorite from the whole album it features a propulsive beat, with the synths providing a beautiful counterpoint to the vocals.

In short, if you love electropop, then Please is a “must” addition to your music collection.

The duo’s confident songwriting and perfect musicianship are back with a vengeance on what one fellow synthpop blogger has accurately described as an “asskickingly beautiful” album. There’s no question in my mind that On the Wire is one of the best synthpop releases of 2010 that begs to be heard by a wider audience.

Here are some of the highlights:

Losing Something – This rollicking uptempo song gets On the Wire off to a kick-ass start with a strong bass beat and a driving mix of synths and guitar.

The Grid – A pulsating beat and propulsive lyrics power this standout song.

Higher Ground – A ringing lead guitar plays a delightful counterpoint to this song’s verses. The style of this song is reminiscent of some of The Fixx’s classic tracks. Higher Ground also showcases the fantastic vocal harmony between Pinckney and Steer.

Blinded by You – The single from In the Wire, the energetic Blinded by You is certain to be a dancefloor favorite at clubs worldwide.

The Art of Evasion – This slower song opens with a big, echoing analog synth intro that appears to be channeling Tears for Fears. When Steer kicks in with the lyrics, I’ll be darned – he even sounds a bit like Roland Orzibal. Don’t get me wrong – I mean this comparison in a very positive way. This is an awesome, moving song that is another one of my favorites.

On the Wire – This densely layered, propulsive track cranks the energy level back up, and features a deeply throbbing bass synth, the perfect counterpart to its soaring vocals.

Under My Skin – The perfect end to a perfect album, Under My Skin features killer guitar hooks, driving drum rhythms, soaring background synths and excellent vocal harmonies. An amazing pop song that is a powerful exclamation point to this outstanding collection of synthpop songs!

I strongly encourage you to pick up On the Wire. You won’t be disappointed!

Anton is a veteran of the electronic music scene. In 1998, he founded Pseudocipher, which produced several albums of electronic rock. During 2006-2007, he performed as front man for Information Society. Anton’s lineup on Destination: X is Nick Tutone on keyboards and production, and Donna Jean, who handles bass, vocals, keyboards and percussion. The trio scored a hit with a remake of the Visage classic “Fade to Grey” on Mirror Piece Records earlier this year, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the song’s release.

Highlights of Destination: X include:

I Want to be Broken: A gorgeously layered mid-tempo number with a strong, underlying percussive beat gets this album off to a kick-ass start.

A Shattered Mind: An excellent dance-floor filler, this song grabs hold of your ears and won’t let go. I love the way Anton’s echoing voice wafts over a strong, insistent beat and soaring synths in this catchy song. Written by labelmate Richard Broadhead, this song hit home with Anton, who has dealt with the demons of addiction and the helplessness of having a close relative suffering from substance abuse, mental disorders, and destructive addictive behaviors.

Entropy: A beautifully ethereal slower song with several gorgeous synth interludes interspersed with the haunting melody.

Imitation of Life: A ballad that is reminiscent of Depeche Mode, with  Anton’s vocals taking on a percussive cadence and the synths supporting in the background.

True Love-Angel Eyes: An ethereal opening gives way to a strong, persistent bass beat, underlying an excellent pop song. Lots of playful synth touches here. A fun song to listen to.

Lovefix: An uptempo, seductive song with a simple message: “Give in to me. Don’t hold back. I’m your fix tonight.” This song was written by Anton, Tutone and Jean as a rebuttal to the stereotypical pop song message about sexual delusions of grandeur.

I am the Inside: A beautiful, brooding song about loneliness and carrying on after someone special has left you. This song really showcases Christopher’s ability to produce not only dance-floor fillers, but melancholy, layered synthpop that you’ll love listening to with a fine pair of headphones bracketing your cranium.

State: Another beautiful, brooding love song, a masterpiece of synth composition, which Anton wrote as a tribute to his wife. The bridge of this song features what sounds like an entire orchestra of virtual strings, soaring through my headphones. Pure bliss!

Destination: X is an awesome first solo effort by a veteran of electronic music. I highly recommend that you add it to your music collection.

This EP is the first release from Tenek since their outstanding 2009 album, Stateless (read my review of it here), and is a worthy successor to it.

Blinded by You opens with the single version of the title track, a pulsating, multiple-layered masterpiece that will make you feel like dancing. Like Tenek’s other recent work, Blinded by You is filled with cool little touches that make this song really stand out, and Geoff Pinckney’s voice has never sounded better.

The second track is a new mid-tempo track called Synchronize that I must confess is not one of my favorites. It features a chant (“HEY!!!”) in the midst of the chorus that seems oddly out of place, as if the boys were trying a little too hard to up the coolness factor if this song.

The EP closes with a remix called Blinded by You (Designed for Dancing) which adds a heavier, more club-friendly beat to this song plus some cool new synth riffs and instrumental interludes. This is a nicely done mix that should be a real dance-floor filler.

If you’re a fan of Tenek, then Blinded by You is a must-buy. If this release sounds intriguing, it’s a great way to expose yourself to the excellent song writing talents of this dynamic duo.

You can purchase it in MP3 form from Amazon.com by following this link.

The Voice in Me, Michael’s long anticipated fourth album, contains an intriguing and enjoyable variety of mid-tempo songs and ballads. Great song writing, crisp production and delightful arrangements, as we’ve come to expect from this talented synthpop pro.

One of Michael’s strengths has always been his amazing voice, and I’m pleased to report that it’s in top form on The Voice in Me. Whether it’s providing propulsive emphasis on a faster number like Against My Life or softly floating above subtly crafted electronic and drum machine beats on a ballad like Mit Dir, Michael’s voice has got to be one of the best in the world of modern synthpop music.

Here are a few highlights from The Voice in Me:

Against My Life: An enjoyable mid-tempo song with a strong beat and awesome harmonies. Nice, ethereal outro – something new that I haven’t heard in past WIH albums.

Gone: A likable ballad about love and loss that contains lots of playful electronic blips and beeps.

Dieser Tag: A bright, mid-tempo German language song in which the synth line plays counterpoint to Michael’s crisp, engaging vocals. As much as any song on the album, Dieser Tag draws attention to it’s superb production. Vocals, synths and bass line played in my headphones with astounding clarity and warmth, never sounding muddy or indistict. There’s a surprising balance between electronic precision and warmth that is quite admirable and all too rare.

As If: A slow, atmospheric song that sounds very orchestral in places. It’s a very different style for Michael, almost an ambient song. But it works well and adds variety to this excellent album.

Lead the World of Mine: A dark, dramatic number with ominous-sounding synths and punchy vocals rising above the sea of darkness. Impressive!

Mit Dir: This ballad starts out with a drum machine and Michael’s haunting, melodic vocals (singing in German) and slowly builds, adding a violin-like synth line and a few other instrumental touches. Mit Dir’s minimalist arrangement is just right; Michael’s vocals provide the only drama in this stripped down, haunting arrangement.

The Magician: Bright, swirling synths surround Michael’s minor-key vocals in this very atmospheric, faster number.

What’s nice about The Voice in Me – and most of Michael’s music, for that matter – is that it always seems to hit the perfect blend of experimentation, but without straying too far from the trademark Wave in Head sound. That keeps it interesting from one album to the next.

If you’re a Wave in Head fan, then The Voice in Me is a must-add to your collection. If not, then I heartily recommend this album as a point of entry into Michael’s impressive body of excellent synthpop music. You can pick it up from a number of online retailers, including Michael’s label, A Different Drum, as well as iTunes.

You may also want to check out The Voice in Me single, which features the album version of its namesake song plus two remixes and – best of all – an older tune that Michael has performed live but which apparently has never been released, Suddenly. This track really showcases Michael’s ability to craft dramatic arrangements and stunning vocal harmonies. An outro for Suddenly rounds out this release.

Until Tony Miracle from Venus Hum mailed me a pre-release copy of this film, I knew that the band existed, but hadn’t paid much attention to their music. My mistake! The live DVD is a great cross-section of Venus Hum’s library of synth-infused music – sort of a “greatest hits” compilation.

Standout tracks featured in this concert film include:

• Hummingbirds: Annette’s staccato vocals ride on top of fat analog synths -pure magic!
• Pink champagne: A dancy tune where Annette really vamps it up on the microphone.
• Soul sloshing: Another bouncy, energetic number that is very enjoyable.
• Mechanics & Mathematics: The title track of Venus Hum’s latest album is another very enjoyable pop number.

This live performance also features a number of excellent ballads, including Magic Between Us, Tell Me Secrets, The Bells and Bella Luna.

Vocalist Annette Strean empowers the group with a magnetic stage presence as she pours put her heart and soul into the microphone. Dressed in a white blouse, black skirt and wearing black-rimmed glasses with her hair pulled back into a ponytail, she pulls off the sexy geek look perfectly. Her emotive style is perfect for sharing Venus Hum’s colorful vignettes of daily life.

Tony Miracle deftly juggles a synthesizer and lead guitar, which spices up the arrangements of many of Venus Hum’s songs. Finally, Kip Kubin does a great job of backing up Annette and Tony with a bank of synthesizers, a drum machine and other assorted electronics.

According to a behind-the-scenes documentary contained on the DVD, Annette said that she, Tony and Kip created this concert film out of a desire to share Venus Hum’s music with more people. “Just as we connect with each other long distance (Annette is from Montana, Tony from southern California), we’re hoping that we can do the same with our fans, our audience, that we’ll find a way to have a  conversation with them. I think that doing this live show and putting it on a DVD is one of the best ways to do that,” she explained.

The live show was filmed in the same space that Venus Hum used to record much of its latest album, which gave the group a considerable advantage from a production standpoint. “We had control over the whole space, which was a luxury,” Tony indicated. Normally, when a group tours, it must interface its equipment with a different house sound system each night, which can often result in uneven or poorly mixed sound. Not here – every song on the DVD features excellent, crisp production.

In addition, the team that filmed the live concert uses a nice variety of camera angles, giving you an up close and personal look at a Venus Hum performance. As the lead singer, Annette gets a lot of screen time, but you also get a close-up look at what Tony and Kip are doing. Not too much quick-cutting edits of the band, which seems to be very fashionable today in live concert videos. Just an intelligently-presented, up-close look at a very talented group. The look and feel of this DVD is just right; it’s very enjoyable both visually and sonically.

If you have never listened to Venus hum before, this concert DVD is a great introduction to this excellent group. On the other hand, if you are a Venus hum fan, then this DVD is a must add to your collection! The Mechanics & Mathematics live DVD is available from the shop on the group’s website; the cost is US$18, including shipping and handling. The audio of this live performance is also available for purchase from Amazon.com, iTunes and other online music stores.

Here is the official video trailer that the group posted to YouTube – a small sampling of this excellent performance.

Three versions of this synthpop anthem have been released on a new EP: the single mix, a Club Mix and the Astrotek Dub Mix. After listening to them for a few days, I’m extremely impressed!

Anton, backed by Donna Jean on percussion and keyboards and producer Nick Tutone on synthesizers, have fashioned a loving tribute to Fade to Grey that successfully updates this classic tune with a contemporary sensibility. In Anton’s reimagining of the single version of Fade to Grey, a driving but understated beat and layered, orchestral arrangement gives the arrangement a solid foundation for his soaring vocals. The French backing vocals are also given more prominence than in the original song.

What’s really refreshing is that the Club Mix and Astrotek Dub Mix also exceeded my expectations. The Club Mix features a more driving, layered arrangement that should make it excellent dance floor filler. This version also takes a slightly different approach to the instrumental interludes between the verses of the song that I really like a lot.

The Astrotek Dub Mix takes a slightly lower-key approach to the song. Again, a nicely layered arrangement that blends echoing synths with what sounds like some synthesized guitar in several spots. Some new instrumental interludes are introduced in this version that sounded awesome on my headphones.

In an interview with me, Anton admitted he hopes that this EP will expose more people to this beloved synthpop classic from 3 decades ago. Can it really be that long since Fade to Grey was released? It’s true!

Interview

Q. What inspired you to cover Fade to Grey? Are you big fans of Visage?

Christopher: We had wanted to do a dance version of an new wave song for some time, then Nick suggested ‘Fade to Grey’. I thought it was a great idea being that the song has such a trademark 80s style melody.

Donna: 2010 also marks the 30th anniversary of the song. (according to Wikipedia, Fade to Grey was released on Polydor Records in November 1980).

Q: What was your goal in updating and re-interpreting this synthpop classic?

Christopher: One of the conditions that Nick and I set up for ourselves when we started working together was that we were going to make music as an homage to synthpop. We’ve done more than that though by orienting ourselves in the dance genre, but with Fade to Grey we really do hope to reach people who are not already familiar with the track by interpreting it in this new form.

Q: How would you characterize the music your band produces?

Christopher: Dance music with themes of love and loss.

Q. What can you tell me about Destination: X, the full-length album that you plan to release next month? What will the style of this release be? What can we look forward to? And how does it differ from A Perfect Tragedy?

Christopher: I am so excited to be releasing Destination:X. This album has something for everyone in it, it took alot of blood, sweat, and tears to make, and I am blown away by Nick’s productions. The style stays true to synthpop, but I think of it as a tribute to all electronic music. It’s more of a dance album than YPT was, Donna does backing vocals on many tracks which is a nice addition.

Conclusion

Christopher Anton wasn’t on my radar screen before. But he definitely is someone I’ll be watching more closely in the months and years ahead. I can’t wait to give a listen to Destination:X when it’s available.