Various: Generation Blitz 4 – Mutant Electro – UK – 2xCD-R [2025]

1. Montage Collective: Regenerations (From Karimu) 04:00
2. Nostalgia Deathstar: The Ground Belongs to Me (Sons of Ken Remix) 04:08
3. Planet Neil: Contactless (Remix) 03:30
4. Brutalist Architecture in the Sun: Faith 03:42
5. Sons of Ken: What’s He Doing In There (Remix) 03:37
6. The Rude Awakening (An Encounter with D.D. Danahy): Mutant Freaky Alien Me 05:00
7. Annie XMX (Machina X): ΔNGΞL 02:41
8. HaHa Hats: Girls 03:13
9. Lunar Paths: Antarctica 04:18
10. Chrysalid Homo: I’m In Your Mind 05:00
11. 3 Electro Knights: Offline 04:08
12. WMTID: Zombie Girl (RIP) 04:57
13. Mothloop: We Fight Together (Gemma Cullingford’s Illegal Blah Blah Blah Pre-Version) 02:59
14. inochi : terrain – 03:50
15. Means of Production: Zero 04:40
16. The Neon Vortex: Beautiful in a Bleak Broken Kind of Way 04:47
17. Scenius : Every Time – 03:11
18. nON sTOP eROTIC cABARET: wHERE iS tHE lOVE 03:39
19. Kiffie : Last One Standing – 04:15
20. Magnetic Skies: Your Shadow 04:08
21. Fluid Japan: Tokyo One A.M. 04:05
22. Jan Linton (with Tim Bowness): Listening to Insects 04:56
23. PowerStateFailure: Fragments 05:15
24. Purple Jaguar: Earthier 04:28
25. Maxx Silver: Romantic Intervention 03:54
26. The Livelong June: Insects 03:47
27. Deviant: Access Denied (Deviant Versus Frozen Plasma) 03:54
28. Electronic Russian Doll: Age of Destruction 04:38
29. Flesh Eating Foundation: Metallic Wings & Technological Sins 05:34
30. Shardlowe : Too Hot To Handle (On a Trip Mix) 06:25
31. Montage Collective: Blitz Kids (Alpha Wave Remix) 03:36

This has been a series that I’ve been aware of for years, but until now, I’ve not heard. As curated and compiled by the State Of Bass label in the UK, these music packed volumes are up-to-date assays of the current state of Synthpop in the world today. I probably first heard of the series when Monastic faves Steven Jones + Logan Sky had a track on 2022’s Volume 2 in the series. But I’d not been able to investigate as the flow I’m embedded is often strong and active. It’s sometimes a miracle that I can even have an intention to follow through on, but coming hot on the heels of the Mothloop review I recently wrote, this is the fourth and supposedly final volume in the Generation Blitz series.

And this time another pair of Monastic faves are in the mix, but we’ll get to them in due time. The collection opened with Timo Jalkanen’s Montage Collective. Timo is one half of Mothloop along with Martin James, who runs the State of Bass label in addition to writing and creating music under the Mothloop and Nostalgia Deathstar names. “Regenerations [From Karimu]” proffered an intense, clattery, club vibe. I especially enjoyed the nod to a hook in Heaven 17’s “I’m Your Money” as various voices called out different locations at various points in the song. It veered into Acid territory by the midpoint as its rhythms moved in a “Bostich” direction. Martin James’ other band with Sean Albiez, Nostalgia Deathstar, were distinct from Mothloop by moving in more of a Post-Disco direction than the Funky Post-Punk of the latter band. They still found room for slap bass though, and the bass really kicked in the breakdown in the middle eight!

Brutalist Architecture In the Sun certainly belied their name! I was expecting massive slabs of heavy noise but the key to understanding the group of the latter half of their name. Instead we got a decidedly gentle music with thoughtful lyrics and melodic, emotional singing that was the lightest touch here so far. Possibly the Sunshine Synthpop that the name suggested.

I enjoyed Sons Of Ken’s “What’s He Doing In There [remix]” which sported deep pile shag carpet Disco String samples three feet thick for a vibe that went on for days. Complete with Syndrums in the rhythm bed. Annie XMX [Machina X] was notable for being the only woman on lead vocals in this entire collection. Perhaps its one conceptual Achilles heel. Surely there are other women working in this idiom? I have many in my Record Cell. “ΔNGΞL” sported a vibe for fans of imperial period Goldfrapp coupled with a lyric packed with acronyms.

I just may have discovered a new toy in Chrysalid Homo! The band were three brothers from the the former Noveau Prog band Trojan Horse. I’ve not heard them, but to pivot from any flavor of Prog to the kinetic, relentless, thrill-packed mantra of “I’m In Your Mind” was simply astonishing. The music was intense and driven, and I especially enjoyed the stern vocals that recalled Frank Tovey to my ears. Listen below!

Sequencing was great here with 3 Electro Knights following Chrysalid Homo with “Offline.” The music was very different with bass guitar leading the way, but the vocals also had that touch of dispassionate Fad Gadget to them. The lyrical metaphor here was also clever and engaging. The Mothloop track here was also on their “Decontaminated” remix album. “Beautiful, In A Bleak, Broken, Kind Of Way” by The Neon Vortex stood apart from the program thus far by being a near instrumental with a dignified vibe and a delicate sense of melody that had much ear-appeal.

The clean minimal, sound of Scenius [taking their name from a Brian Eno concept] found room for some bilingual French Synthpop cut like a fine gem. The program was very indebted to Synthpop but it would go “off-road” when necessary. But that didn’t imply that the road would be bumpy. It could also be smooth. Magnetic Skies were a band that felt like they could slot in nicely with the more cinematic soundscapes of Alphaville at their peak, or maybe White Door. Simon Kent’s vocal certainly strayed far from the Minimal Synth playbook as it fit right into the lush accompaniment here.

Following brilliantly right on the heels of Magnetic Skies, the track here from Fluid Japan, “Tokyo One A.M” fit into the program like a hand in a fingerless glove. Blatant guitars distinguished the sound right up front here, and the big payoff was in the gripping bass guitar and shimmering synths and vocals propelled by fleet footed drum programming. The vocals of Heather Heimbuch harmonized well with Todd Lewis’ graceful singing here, as usual. And this track would make a great double A-sided single with last year’s “Don’t Dry Your Eyes.” My second favorite single of 2024. This one had a great false ending followed by a surprise dubbed out coda.

It made perfect sense that Jan Linton and Tim Bowness’ contribution followed next. These artists, almost alone among the other bands here, were not ones to shy away from guitars, no matter how many synths may be on their cuts. “Listening To Insects” featured slow, methodical rhythm programming and perhaps the first synthetic crickets since Bowie’s “African Night Flight!” Those laid the groundwork for an eBow guitar snaking through the tall grass of the song. The music bed receded to leave the rhythm box chittering with eBow and Morricone-esque whistling [!] to take us out of the song.

“Fragments” by Power State Failure offered tight sequencing with rubbery portamento on the synths. The song mutated in its second half into a vibe reminiscent of “Bostich.” I enjoyed the low octave piano doubling for bass on the elegant “Romantic Intervention” by Maxx Silver. More “Insects” featured courtesy of The Livelong June on their stomping vocal track shot through with lots of fun and a slightly snotty delivery.

I was surprised that the only band here adjacent to EBM were Deviant, with “Access Denied [Deviant VS Frozen Plasma].” The metronomic rhythm bed featured trancy synth pads in addition to strong lyrics that took an Acid turn. The later songs in the program edged into ravetrance aesthetics. Culminating with the high BPM antic of Shardlowe before Montage Collective re-appeared to wrap up the program with the Alpha Wave Remix of “Blitz Kids.”

“Generation Blitz v. 4: Mutant Electro” is released today on Bandcamp with the high-res [many formats up to 24/44.1] DL a steal at only £7.00 and if you prefer tangible goods, the 2xCD-R is £15.00. Keeping in mind that today is a Bandcamp Friday, so buyers today will have all of their payment reach the label/artists.

I was impressed that a group of 31 songs over two hours in length had no real dry patches on it. There was nothing here I’d be compelled to hit the >> button on with Generation Blitz Vol. 4. even though the program was almost “Sandinista!” length. The compilers [Martin James, Timo Jalkanen, Gary Fones, Colin Spencer, and Bridget Gray] were exercising superb editorial control in putting this together, and the sequencing, courtesy of Mr. James was like a top quality DJ set with the many vibes of the individual bands flowing in a successful story arc over the course of the collection. Maybe it’s time I finally got with the program with volumes 1-3 in my rear-view mirror? Until then, DJ hit that button!

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