The Human League "Credo" - Album Review

By the time "Credo" arrives at my door the album has already invaded the British charts at nr. 29, which makes CREDO a hit album by any standard - but is it worth having?

The answer is a resounding YES!

"Sheffield's finest" Philip Oakey, Susan Sulley and Joanna Catherall aka THE HUMAN LEAGUE have indeed delivered a great piece of work worthy of the 21st century, contempary synthpop that isn't even trying to sound like back in the day when albums sold like mad.

While many critics never really moved on from their early, groundbreaking work like DARE, the new album is more than just a great album of fans of 80's synthpop.

In fact, there is very little 80's style music on CREDO. The two singles "Never Let Me Go" and "Night People" are the most commercial sounding tracks of the 11 tracks album and were cleverly placed as the opening numbers on the album.

The League surprises with unique sounding songs like "Sky" or "Privilege", while tracks like "Electric Shock" or "Breaking the chains" are disitinctively 21st century fun-pop.

Through it all Philip's trademark vocals are as strong as ever and the girls sound fab, too.

What I like about CREDO in particular is the fact that it sounds fresh without deliberately trying to block out the band's impressive past.

It is perhaps overall less commercial as some would have hoped but that was always the case with The Human League and I suspect that this is indeed the secret to their success.

All in all, the album deserves a top ten slot or even higher and the Sheffield threesome can teach new bands a thing or two with regards to building up songs and delivering great memories.

CREDO - a must have!

NEW HUMAN LEAGUE album "Credo" out now!

Have ordered it via hmv, eagerly awaiting its arrival. Review here on electropop soon!

Erasure continues ...

... as announced today on the official Erasure website: Vince Clarke and Andy Bell are working on a new album!!!

New online magazine for electro fans

There is a new online magazine that's worth a look: NEUWELTMUSIC

Depeche Mode tour in jeopardy

Depeche's "Tour of the Universe" is in jeopardy as the band was forced to cancel quite a number of gigs. Frontman Dave Gahan is suffering from a malignant tumor, which has been operated on in New York recently. Watch this space

Florian Schneider quits Kraftwerk

After 40 years as a robot, Florian Schneider left Kraftwerk. The band is currently on tour and will continue without him. Ralf Hutter is now the only remaining original member of the godfathers of electronic music.

ULTRAVOX

Just got back from Glasgow, where the reunited ULTRAVOX performed a briliant concert at the SECC. Check out the review here

Electro rules

2009 is set to be a brilliant year for electronic music fans. The Pet Shop Boys' long awaited new album "YES" is out in less than three weeks and Depeche Mode's new album is out in late April.

While a new generation of fans is currently enjoying a cover version of DM's "Just can't get enough" by The Saturdays, a real electronic legend is back out in force and ready to give it their all: ULTRAVOX is touring soon and they will be also playing a homecoming in Glasgow to which I already have tickets!!

Good times!!

(MY) TOP TEN ELECTRO POP ACT

Just watched some sort of a TOP 10 on electro-pop heroes on YOUTUBE and thought I throw in my two cents. These are my personal ALL TIME electronic pop heroes

01. DEPECHE MODE
02. ERASURE
03. YAZOO
04. OMD
05. KRAFTWERK
06. FAITHLESS
07. MOBY
08. THE HUMAN LEAGUE
09. LAMB
10. RECOIL

DVD Tipp

Just went through my DVD list and remembered one of my favourite DVDs "Moog" - a documentary on Moog Synths and Moog founder/inventor Robert "Bob" Moog.

The DVD is class and the extra footage consists of performances from many artists such as NIN.

Really cool.

OMD 78/08 - 30th anniversary tour

Paul Humphreys of OMD and OneTwo fame

The mighty OMD (Orchestral Manouvres in the Dark) have recently embarked on their 30th anniversary tour and played Dublin's "Ambassador" on September 28th.

Needless to say that they were brilliant. For full review see HERE

Electronic music gets its own show

"Boing Boom Tschak" is a new electronic music show that kicks off on the internet station BABYLON RADIO weekly from mid-october, friday nights. Full timetable to be announced. The show has its own BLOG

Yazoo - Reconnected Tour 2008

Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet have joined forces again for a once-off tour. YAZOO is back! See three concert - reviews HERE

CD - Review: Scooter - Jumping all over the world

Tesco offers Scooters latest album together with a bonus CD (greatest hits) for under Euro 14,-. "Jumping all over the world" is very 90s in places yet contemporary and actually quite cool and surprisingly well produced.

It takes a good few spins to get into the groove but once you feel the it you'll actually enjoy the new material.

Scooter uses a lot of cover melodies and even go as far as "abusing" OMD's Enola Gay.

My favourite has got to be Marian because the English and German vocals are brilliant.

NEW old-school music

The music industry hasn't got anything worth listening to to add to the history of electronic music. Thank God for outlets such as Facebook or Myspace where music lovers can find what they're looking for.

I just found two very good artists and albums in the recent past: Marsheaux from Greece and Britain based pop duo Cassette Electric.

Marsheaux album "Peekaboo" is well produced, and the two very good looking woman know how to create different moods through music. The songs are all very OMD/New Order-esque in terms of songwriting and arrangement yet, thanks to the sound of 21st century recording studios and instruments, the album is fresh sounding.

Cassette Electric is on the way to becoming a well known act themselves as they have supported The Human League on their last tour. Cassette Electric will also support Client in November 08.

CE's album: "Electromagnetic" offers superb songs throughout, including a cover version of Erasure's "Respect". CE are clear Vince Clarke fans as one can find a remake of Depeche Mode's "New Life" on their myspace page.

The vocals and musical arrangements on "Electromagnetic" are deep and long-lasting and the album will instantly hook people in.

Check their pages and buy their albums - they are truly brilliant

YAZOO to reunite for 2008 tour

YAZOO

It is official - Synth god Vince Clarke, founding member of Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure joins forces with Alison Moyet again. The duo had risen to fame in 1982 delivering the most outstanding new wave music the world had ever seen.

Over the last 25 years there was little room for speculation and hope to ever see YAZOO back together again as Erasure took on a life of its own.

Now, Vince and Alison are touring together as YAZOO in June 2008 in support of a 4-Disc-CD box set consisting of all Yazoo highlights.

There is a god - this is a mega event and a fine moment in the history of electronic music.

The good music is back

Pet Shop Boys

Although the critics weren't too fond of the Pet Shop Boys 2006 release: "Psychological" I think it is their strongest album in years and their subsequent tour had teeth. Depeche Mode's 2006 hit album "Playing the angel" was another contemporary yet quintessential Mode album that showed how the big guys are doing it.

Erasure's 2007 album "Light at the end of the world" wasn't as good and inspiring as their 2005 release "Nightbird" although the album has two or three tracks that are brilliant and worth the money. Overall, Vince Clarke, in my book, is THE most talented songwriter and keyboarder the modern world has ever seen, yet he is THE most underrated.

The album that blew me away in 2007 was OneTwo's "Instead" - modern, yet eighties related, classic songwriting and stellar performances from Claudia Bruecken and Paul Humphrey's. Only disappointment on the album is the fact that Paul only sings one track. His voice is phenomenal which he proofed in 2007 while touring with his old "OMD" buddies.

In late 2007 Duran Duran released "Red Carpet Massacre" - a great, contemporary album
, perhaps not as melodic as its predecessor "Astronaut" (2004), but songs like "Falling Down" or "Pot full of honey" are right up there with their best recordings.

I also like Kosheen's latest album "Damage" - what a stunner! Other worthwhile releases of "newer" artists in the recent past are The Chemical Brothers 2007 release: "We are the night".

The good music is back - if one knows where to look

OMD - Original line-up tour

The Original line - up performed their full classic album "Architecture and Morality" as well as all their classic hits in front of a full house ...



... at Dublin's famous Olympia Theatre on May 13th 2007. Apart from a few technical problems the show was superb.



May the continue on !

the devils