It’s been almost a year since the “Silver Rain” EP from Steven Jones + Logan Sky and now more material from the duo reach our ears in the form of the “Voltage” maxi-single at the same time as Mr. Sky maps out a new collaboration with Japanese artist RIS-707. The latter was a new artist for my ears, but based on her excellent guitar tone, I hope that this won’t be the last time I sample her talent.

LOGAN SKY + RIS-707

Logan Sky + RIS-707: Everything, Everywhere, Endlessly – UK – DL [2024]

1. Everything, Everywhere, Endlessly – 3:58
2. Everything, Everywhere, Endlessly [Can’t Get Enough Remix] – 3:58

A rising wave of whirring energy reached its apex and then the loping, Moroderesque Disco beat kicked in and the languid guitar licks of RIS-707 began issuing peals of metallic sound arcing over our heads. The bass synth loops burbled in their circular paths and the sound of good old Simmons drum pads laid down the big beat. Echoes of RIS-707 singing the line “no time for anything” was caught in a repeat loop for the duration of the verse structure.

Then the chorus of “everything [x4], everywhere [x4] circled overhead for the next four bars. Consolidating a minimalist banger from the simplest of materials. And it vacillated to and fro forming a Möbius loop of synthetic Eurosound. The keening guitar of RIS-707 attaining a Paul Reynolds tone that made it very much at home in the greater synthetic structure of the song. Leaving the last “no time…no time…” to reverberate on the fade as finally, RIS-707 sang the word “endlessly” swooping the octave while drenched in eerie vibrato.

The “Can’t Get Enough Remix”‘ was altogether more playful and rhythmic. Substituting a skittery, complex rhythm for the streamlined Eurodisco of the original mix. RIS-707 vocal was dubbed out into even more abstract forms but more room in the mix was made for her guitar. At the mix’s midpoint we learned how it received its name as the first six notes of Depeche Mode’s “Just Can’t Get Enough” were sagely interpolated into this mix for a whole new context. Sound bites of RIS-707 speaking Japanese were woven into what constituted the middle eight here.

Logan was branching out in a new shoot here with a collaborator who brought very different energies to the mix. Her website cites “glam rock, punk, new wave, techno, and electronica” as her touchstones and based on what I heard here, New Wave was winning that battle! Mr. Sky will be joining RIS-707 in her native Tokyo to perform this single on a show this October 29th. Gloryoski! Meanwhile, there also this…

STEVEN JONES + LOGAN SKY

Steven Jones + Logan Sky: Voltage EP – UK – DL [2024]

1. Voltage [2024v] – 3:34
2. Voltage [I See Your Face] – 6:15
3. Voltage [I Need My Energy] – 5:26
4. Voltage [Zim In-Between] – 7:45
5. Fragmentation – 4:10

“Voltage” was a pulsating Mororder land cruiser from the duo’s “The Electric Eye” album of 2018. At the time commenter Echorich suggested that its best destiny was to be a Visage song, and I chimed in “…with Robin Simon and Steve Barnacle on guitars?” Time has caught up to my musing since this new version added lonesome guitar and fat bass licks courtesy of the duo’s current third spoke Jan Linton. It’s a real pleasure getting what you asked for, even years later!

The new mix fills in the space around Steve Jones’ vocal and if the Eurochill of the original, more minimal mix was sacrificed for something a little more fiery this time then I’ll have to admit that synthesizers and guitars sound better and stronger in each other’s company. Next, two remixes by known collaborators with Jones + Sky manifested. The “I See Your Face” mix scraped off the guitars and sported a spoken word intro from Steven Jones familiar to the original version before settling into a high BPM, almost house-like mix that opted to feature the spoken word vocal with greater prominence.

Then Electro pioneer Man Parrish proffered the “I Need My Energy” remix that got off the starting block on a slightly queasy footing as a distorted, synthetic voice chimed “I need my energy” before it settled into his distinctive hard, minimal mix. Jones vocals were slathered in a heavy chorus effect as the arid beats and the perky sequenced notes reverberated with their staccato energy for a Kraftwerk-like vibe. Interestingly, Parrish kept Lauren Duvall’s original backing vocals in this mix alone.

The final mix was from Jones + Sky and it also gave prominence to Jones’ spoken word segments while keeping the glorious Jan Linton additions to the track prominent in the mix. Think of this one as the old school “extended version” and not the “remix.” The middle eight here was shimmering and glassy with thunderous synthetic keyboard percussion jousting with the guitars in the coda.

Then we had a new Jones + Sky composition with the somber “Fragmentation” reaching for Numan-space in the intro with synths chittering like insects while downtempo piano and curdled string patches took its good sweet time to coalesce into a groove. Spinning apart at the middle eight to have the song plunge into deep space for its chilling coda. Was that real bass guitar I was hearing in there…from Mr. Sky since Jan Linton was not credited for this track? Are you holding out on us Mr. Sky?

Ever since running across Logan Sky on the last Visage album we’ve been following his exploits with interest as he’s been weaving a gloriously analog synthetic tapestry across his solo, group, and collaborative efforts. He’s gone back to an old gem from Jones + Sky and given it to Jan Linton to add more melodic polish into it with his guitars. And then he formed an all new alliance that was something else entirely.

As I await his next new opus with Steven Jones, I’m also charged up with what RIS-707 brings to the fertile ground she’s plowed up with Mr. Sky. I certainly hope that there’s more where this came from. And in the interim, each of these DLs are yours for a scanty £1.00 each, so don’t forget to top up your purchase on Bandcamp. DJ’s hit that button!

EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, ENDLESSLY

VOLTAGE V.2024

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