By the early 1980s, new wave had edged closer to bombastic pop than its punk origins, no doubt influenced by David Bowie’s shift from new wave pioneer of the 1970s to his New Romantic pop of 1980. Furthermore, the song was an answer to Bowie’s Space Oddity.
Peter Schilling’s debut album ERROR IN THE SYSTEM actually arrived a year earlier in Germany (FEHLER IM SYSTEM) (1982) before Elektra released the record in English. What is even more surprising is the durability the record had given how fleeting new wave pop could be in terms of commercial presence. ‘MAJOR TOM’ may have provided Peter with the best hook to gain an international audience but the album boasted even more melodic (and melancholic) anthems. ‘ONLY DREAMS’, ‘LIFETIME GUARANTEE’ and ‘I HAVE NO DESIRE’ are also highlights.
A biting criticism of the U.S.A.’s inflated capitalism of the 1980s, the lyrics are easy to overlook given how upbeat the song sounds. It’s this dichotomy that elevates the album from being defined by ‘MAJOR TOM’, Peter Schilling’s only release with international success.
This HOT SHOT RECORDS edition of ERROR IN THE SYSTEM also features a wealth of bonus tracks, including original versions from the album’s German release as well as 12” mixes of ‘MAJOR TOM’ and the albums second single ‘DIE WUSTE LEBT – THE NOAH PLAN’.
HOT SHOT RECORDS is thrilled to present this expanded and remastered edition of ERROR IN THE SYSTEM in a deluxe super jewel case with a brand new interview with remixer John Luongo as well as nine bonus tracks.
Ghost & Writer (Frank M. Spinath from Seabound/Edge Of Dawn and Jean-Marc Lederman from The Weathermen) will make their live debut with selected dates in 2016.
The live set will see them playing songs from their two albums out on Dependent and Metropolis ("Shipwrecks" and "Red Flags", the latter being heralded as a true masterpiece by many reviewers) plus some audio surprises.
Their live gig will also see specially made background videos intertwining with the duo's personal take on dystopian romantism and boy-meets-girls-and-barely-comes-out-alive-from-it.
First date is set on Saturday, 13th August, in Fort 2, Wommelgem (Belgium).
Further dates will be announced later.
Silken Tofu has always had a firm belief in eclecticism, crossing borders and finding new paths, and this new release is the perfect example of that stubborn attitude.
KRISHNA is the ongoing collaboration between experimental techno producer Drvg Cvltvre and free jazz/metal outfit Dead Neanderthals. An invitation by the Dutch Valkhof Festival for a residency at Nijmegen’s Extrapool art space in July 2015 led to their debut album ‘Ascend To Nothing’.
The result is a monolithic techno improv stomp that will both pummel and hypnotize you. Clocking in at just under 36 minutes, ‘Ascend to Nothing’ is a relentless attack on the senses, a mind-expanding trip through sound and rhythm.
Dutch sax & drum duo Dead Neanderthals are known for their New Wave Of Dutch Heavy Jazz: an outrageous combination of jazz and metal, interlaced with noise, drone and minimal music. FUCK conventions and FUCK expectations.
Vincent Koreman a.k.a. Drvg Cvltvre has been working on his ‘doomed out psychic house’ for years now. His rich background in the DIY scene of punk, metal and experimental music shines through as he is influenced by Suicide, Sun Ra and Terrence Dixon.
So, when two acts with such an outspoken disregard for rules and borders join forces you know the result will be intense and not for the faint-hearted. ‘Ascend to Nothing’ picks you up and throws you into the vortex of the ever-growing cosmos. Let’s get lost in the void forever.
CD digipack released on July 22nd. Pre-order at silkentofu.bigcartel.com
Digital release through silkentofu.bandcamp.com
Having already released a split-LP with Amenra and a self-titled EP, both issued in 2014, Belgian post-hardcore/sludge quintet Eleanora now offer Consouling Sounds their first full-length album titled “Allure”.
Recorded and mixed by Tim de Gieter at Much Luv Studio in Belgium, “Allure” sees Eleanora sounding more dangerous and urgent than ever before, offering a scorching combination of sludge, doom, screamo and hardcore.
The way Eleanora blends the visceral aggression of the more tumultuous hardcore into their bleak and emotive screamo/doom sound is what makes the record especially challenging and intense.
Harsh, intense, depressing and distressing in the best possible way, “Allure” has the capability of disorienting and alluring the listener throughout its full 45 minutes.
After three consecutive Top 5 albums, White Lies can now announce that they will release their fourth album ‘Friends’ on October 7th. The first release under a new deal with Infectious/BMG, ‘Friends’ follows their #1 debut album ‘To Lose My Life...’ (2009) as well as ‘Ritual’ (#3, 2011) and ‘Big TV’ (#4, 2013).
With ‘Friends’, White Lies haven’t so much abandoned their trademark synth-rock sound as given it a spring clean by exploring new sounds. For many reasons, it felt like a fresh start. The trio were temporarily without a label after a bout of record company reorganisation. Rather than re-sign straight away, they decided to start ‘Friends’ under their own steam without the pressure of a deadline or a budget, or even the guidance of a producer.
Whatever sound each song suggested, White Lies went with it. Hence, when ‘Hold Back Your Love’ and ‘Is My Love Enough’ sparkled with disco grooves, they embraced it. When the beautiful ballad ‘Don’t Fall’ jettisoned their signature sound entirely, leaving only frontman Harry McVeigh’s sumptuous, sonorous vocals to connect it to White Lies of old, they stuck with it. Similarly, when the triumphant ‘Summer Didn’t Change A Thing’ harked back to the arena-ready rock of their debut, they didn’t mind.
The changing nature of relationships is a recurring theme throughout the album.
“In the past couple of years, we’ve noticed friends’ life situations causing them to make big decisions – marriages, kids, moving out of London,” says bassist and lyricist Charles Cave. “Friendships have begun to feel adult and our perception of time has changed. As kids, if you didn’t see a mate for a fortnight, you’d wonder what was wrong. Now you might not see someone for six months and it doesn’t matter.”
‘Friends’ has been launched with the brand new single ‘Take It Out On Me’ which is available now and impacts on August 12th. It’s a track which started as an experiment in which Cave aimed to write a chorus using just numbers.
“Right up until we recorded the song it was called 89-1-3,” he says. “It was inspired by a lunatic on Instagram who kept commenting on a friend’s photos in pseudo Biblical verse. From his profile I discovered he lived in a remote cabin with a rough-looking dog. He posted weird videos in which he quoted random numbers. As a challenge, I turned them in to a song. The only problem was that it went so well everyone said it should be the first single, so I relented and gave the chorus real lyrics.”
‘Friends’ was recorded in Bryan Ferry’s private studio in London’s Olympia and was self-produced by the band. White Lies enlisted the help of an expert team including Grammy Award-winning engineer James Brown (Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys), David Wrench (Caribou, FKA twigs) on mixing duties and long-term collaborator Ed Buller who contributed additional production.
The ten-track album will be released on CD, vinyl, picture disc, digital download and streaming formats, as well as a special box set edition which will include a cassette and four exclusive bonus tracks. Pre-orders are now open at all retailers including White Lies’ official store, iTunes and Amazon where ‘Take It Out On Me’ is available as an immediate download.
White Lies - completed by drummer Jack Brown - can also announce details of an extensive UK and European tour which stretches from late September through to the start of December. It includes a major homecoming show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on November 22nd.
The band’s full tour schedule is:
September
28th - Turkey, Istanbul, Babylon
30th - Greece, Thessaloniki, Principal Club Theatre
October
1st - Greece, Athens, Iera Odos
13th - Netherlands, Amsterdam, Paradiso
14th - Netherlands, Nijmegen, Doornroosje
15th - France, Paris, Trabendo
17th - Luxembourg, Atelier
18th – Belgium, Brussels, AB
21st - Germany, Frankfurt, Gibson
22nd - Germany, Osnabruck, Rosenhof
23rd - Germany, Cologne, Kantine
25th - Denmark, Copenhagen, Vega
26th - Sweden, Stockholm, Debaser
27th - Norway, Oslo, Rockefeller
29th - Denmark, Aarhus, Train
30th - Germany, Hamburg, U&G
31st - Germany, Berlin, Huxleys
November
2nd - Poland, Gdansk, Stary Manez
3rd - Poland, Warsaw, Progesja
4th - Czech Republic, Prague, Lucerna Music Hall
5th - Austria, Vienna, Ottakringer Brauerei
8th - Croatia, Zagreb, Tvornika Kulture
9th - Germany, Munich, Fabrik
10th - Switzerland, Zurich, Kauflauten
11th - Switzerland, Lausanne, Metropop Festival
13th - Italy, Rome, Orion
14th - Italy, Milan, Fabrique
16th - Spain, Barcelona, Razzmatazz
17th - Spain, Madrid, Arena
18th - Portugal, Lisbon, CCB
22nd - UK, London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
24th - UK, Nottingham, Rock City
25th - UK, Manchester, Albert Hall
26th - UK, Liverpool, Arts Club
27th - UK, Glasgow, O2 ABC
29th - UK, Birmingham, O2 Institute
30th - UK, Leeds, Stylus
December
1st - UK, Bristol, O2 Academy
