Author: NerveJam

STOP PRESS! New John Foxx and the Maths single and album..

Posted on by NerveJam

The single is here NOW, via Bandcamp, minimum price is £1.50 + VAT..

The album follows later in the year.

They are BOTH called “Howl”, and when you hear them, you will understand: Robin Simon’s howling guitar!

Here’s the official blurb:

JOHN FOXX AND THE MATHS NEWS 

John Foxx And The Maths return with a new line-up on their 5th studio album, Howl which will be released on 15 May 2020.

LISTEN to the new single ‘Howl’ HERE 

PREORDER the Howl album HERE including ltd yellow vinyl edition

Former Ultravox guitarist Robin Simon joins Foxx, Benge (Ben Edwards) and Hannah Peel after previously guesting with The Maths at their debut Roundhouse show in 2010. ‘For years, I’d wanted to work with Robin Simon again,’ says Foxx. ‘There’s something central about what he does – and I always miss it, no matter who I work with. It’s what Rob can do with a song, and with the sheer power of sound.’

Work on the album began back in April 2019 at Benge’s Memetune studios in Cornwall with Rob Simon involved right from the start, his contributions instantly mutating the original ideas into something new. ‘Give him a song and he’ll give you three takes – all utterly different incarnations,’ enthuses Foxx who first worked with Simon on Ultravox’s Systems Of Romance album in 1978. ‘And it will all be much better. Demolition intercision is what he does and when you get used to the violence he can wreak, it’s a true delight.’

The singer cites the title-track and first single Howl (now available from the Official John Foxx store) as a vivid example: ‘Rob just walked in, did one take and left us all standing on the chairs. So I had to write another song around it. Benge did knockout bass and drums. A great experience and totally out of the blue.’

www.metamatic.com

 

BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend Review. Better late than never.

Posted on by NerveJam

Yes, I know it’s a bit after the event, but it’s not often I get out and about these days.

My son (now 15) wanted to go to this event, which was only a few miles away from where we live. being under 16, someone had to go with him. That’d be me..

It was originally billed as a two-day event (Sat/Sun) with separate tickets for each. We got priority tickets as we were “local”, which was a good job as they sold out instantly. They later added a “dance” night on the Friday as well.

We went for the Sunday tickets, as Catfish and the Bottlemen were on the bill – on the main stage, a few hours after the dreadful Little Mix. Dancing cucumbers?

They later added 21 Pilots to the Sunday bill, as well, but managed to clash that with the 1975..

It was so rammed that the only way to see Catfish was to “infiltrate” the crowd before the previous act.. so we ended up watching Jax Jones before Catfish.  Surprisingly entertaining, with lots of guests and mad inflatables on stage.

I have to say that Catfish and the Bottlemen were the highlight for me. Never seen them before, but they were well-rehearsed and slick, and the audience were obviously well into them. I can see why.

Then off to the McDonald’s “free” nuggets experience. Weird. But hey, free nuggets. And a queue.

Lots of face-stuffing later (noodles, and a footlong chilli dog. Jeez. Expensive. AT least the water was free.

Had a go on the big wheel. Lots of photos (*)

Toilets were a hassle, but could have been far worse. Not keen on pissing against a wall in an open bit of field..

Ok, moving on, we had to do the infiltrating thing again in the indoor stage to get a decent view of 21 Pilots. That meant enduring Dave’s Set (nightmare), and 2 Door Cinema Club (Excellent). The crowd was crammed in, and they were throwing beer (I hope it was beer). How that didn’t erupt into violence, I have no idea.

I’d seen 2 Door Cinema Club on TV before, but they were really good live. But 21 Pilots were amazing (My son’s favourite band). The “Drum-surfing” was crazy, and right next to us, too. (He surfed the drumkit and himself into the crowd, and started playing IN the crowd. WOW!

By the time they finished, we were way too late to watch “The 1975“, but hey, you can’t have everything.

On the shuttle-bus (no parking on-site), I realised that my phone SD Card was corrupt. No photos. Bollocks. But memories, yes!

 

 

 

 

Electronic Sound Issue 53 – Where’s Dave?

Posted on by NerveJam

As usual, I get to read it in WH Smith’s before my subscription bundle copy arrives at home.

Surely that’s not right?

Anyway, where is Synthesiser Dave? Not here, that’s where. No mention of him.

And why are all the images missing in the article starting on page 64? Blank white space looks crap.
The 7″ vinyl is by some obscure Euro band from 1980.. again.. hopefully something better next month?

Dave: “Who turned out the lights”?

Electronic Sound Edition 52 is just around the corner. [Amon Tobin] [updated]

Posted on by NerveJam

I know this because I got an e-mail saying my subscription has been taken for it.

I have no idea what’s in this one as there doesn’t seem to be a slip in the previous package to tell me..

I just hacked the ES website and found this:

 

I did notice that there are still copies of Edition 51 (Deux Single) and Edition 50 (Karl Bartos single), both with and without the vinyl.

The Bartos one did sell out, but additional copies were printed)..

Get in quick if you want them..

 

** UPDATE: They are taking orders now. Delivery is 11.4.2019. **