Vix20 is Gary Mills and CJ, two music industry veterans who grew so disillusioned with the state of every element of the music industry that they both walked away vowing not to return…fast forward a few years, now rejuvenated, though no less prickly about the Modern Age, they return, to quote the band themselves, “we’re hard rockers turned to the dark side of pop”. As evidenced in their single, Digital Age, their passion for power-pop (don’t say ‘punk-pop’ to them, it suggests too much jumping around) and dexterity with words combines to become insanely catchy 3-minute thunderbolts. Completing the Vix line up is long time conspirators Rich Norris and Kill, with a busy year ahead the next single is planned for April and the band will appear at the International pop overthrow festival in May at the legendary Liverpool venue The Cavern.
LINKS:
https://www.vix20.com
https://www.instagram.com/vixtwenty
https://www.facebook.com/vixtwentymusic
https://twitter.com/Vixtwenty
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuPABFfRP8fWPKkp6mA9Kkw
https://open.spotify.com/artist/01fEKKUsAN1pp9jguVrTQG?si=0cMw1OI6R6mM2iO_42M6sw
-
connect_icut – Simonson
In his music, connect_icut (real name Samuel Macklin) aims to remove the distinctions between instinct and intellect, chaos and order, organic and synthetic, analog and digital. This work may be deemed ‘glitch’ or ‘post-digital’, but one thing is for sure – this is a mixture of melodic elements and rarefied abstraction with intense modulations that flare up between the cracks of mysterious geometrical passages.
Releasing music since 2005, some of it has met with significant success. The Wire Magazine commented that it was “always involving – and easily rewarding enough to make getting up and turning the record over an anticipatory pleasure”. Thurston Moore and Byron Coley (via Arthur Magazine) also noted this music “takes a lot of standard ‘pretty’ electronic practices and flops them over on their sides… There’s pop crafting here, but it’s subtle and allowed to evolve in its own darkly idiosyncratic way”.
connect_icut released ‘Crow & Kittiwakes Wheel and Come Again’ (2013) and ‘Small Town by the Sea’ (2014), both via Aagoo Records, to wide acclaim, followed by ‘Rage Coma’ (2017). While those albums were mostly created using computer software, this new EP is essentially a test recording for a new all-hardware set-up.
Whereas other electronic music producers making the software/hardware switch have simultaneously adopted an analog-only approach, connect_icut remains firmly rooted in the digital realm. The six extended tracks collected here delve into the granular synthesis techniques developed by computer music pioneers like Curtis Roads, Barry Truax, and Guy Reibel – only without using a computer, as such.
This music also differs from that of the aforementioned pioneers in its rawness and spontaneity. The source sounds were created with whatever was at hand, which usually turned out to be a Casio SK-1 toy sampler. The finished tracks are both proof-of-concept test runs and seat-of-the-pants improvisations. Somewhere along the line, this resulted in surprisingly beautiful music.
It anchors all manner of chaotic abstraction in a solid foundation that is fundamentally grounded in hands-on performance and spontaneous composition. Live connect_icut appearances have included support slots for a number of notable electronic artists including Oneohtrix Point Never and Loscil.
In support of this new release, connect_icut also presents the video for ‘Simonson’, emphasizing radiant pixels and glowing digital abstraction.
‘Music for Granular Synthesizer’ will be released via Aagoo Records on November 24 on triple cassette and can be ordered on Aagoo’s website and also digitally via Bandcamp.
LINKS:
http://connect-icut.com
http://twitter.com/vinylscrobbler
http://soundcloud.com/connect_icut
http://www.youtube.com/user/CSAFrecords
http://connect-icut.tumblr.com
http://csaf-records.bandcamp.com
http://open.spotify.com/artist/1GWsn2g4Fy23GGTDtj882N -
A Flock Of Seagulls – Space Age Love Song (With the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra)
A Flock of Seagulls are back in their original form for the first time since 1984. Mike Score, Ali Score, Frank Maudsley and Paul Reynolds release “Space Age Love Song”.
LINKS:
https://soundcloud.com/aflockofseagulls
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcluFtLtRzipm7CdtERnceA
https://facebook.com/seagullsrunning
https://twitter.com/seagullsrunning
https://instragram.com/seagullsrunning
http://www.aflockofseagulls.org -
The Franklys – Keeper
Comprised of two members from Sweden and two from England, The Franklys have created something unique, commonly described themselves as “frenetic garage rock with heavy and psychedelic overtones”. But don’t fool yourself by assuming this is just another band on the London rock scene.
The Franklys have built a reputation for themselves as one of the most exciting live bands on the London circuit and beyond with relentless touring across the UK, Europe, and America the past couple of years. They are best known for being a band that can’t be pigeonholed and have proved that by making festival appearances at both Isle of Wight 2015, Download Festival 2016 and Rebellion Festival 2017.
May 2017 saw the release of their debut album ‘Are You Listening?’, which received praise from publications such as ‘Louder Than War’ and ‘Vive Le Rock’ as well as radio stations such as BBC 6 Music where Steve Lamacq described the first single as ‘The best thing they’ve done to date’.
The latest single to be released from the album is the fourth track ‘Keeper’, a dark number with a haunting bass and drum intro executed by bassist Biggs and drummer Clark. The song slowly builds into an upbeat indie-style chorus and brings out some heavy guitar-riffing from Broberg along with some serious cymbal bashing. The vocals, which start off merely as a whisper, soon transforms into howls where Ahlkvist declares she will keep him, her, or even it, for herself.
Immerse yourself in the mad and peculiar world of The Franklys. You just never know what you’re gonna get.
LINKS:
http://thefranklys.com
http://facebook.com/thefranklys
http://youtube.com/thefranklysofficial
http://twitter.com/thefranklysuk
http://instagram.com/thefranklys