Today is the day for the second single from the upcoming album by Glasgow’s ferocious Punk Duo The Twistettes. We loved their “Tory C***s” single and I was also blown away by the relentless “Big Boned” single that was actually the first fruit of their upcoming album, “Red Door Open.” I was thrilled to see that Last Night From Glasgow, the Glaswegian label that looms large in my world, has now picked up The Twistettes, so the days of self-released Bandcamp goods are in their rear view mirrors. It’s a next level thing.
Of course, Last Night From Glasgow is of particular interest due to the fact that they seem to be signing up all of my favorite bands who are still active that I’ve loved for ages. [think: Blow Monkeys, Countess Of Fife, Skids, China Crisis, Armory Show, Department S, just off the top of my head]. There’s also the fact that LNFG is a non-profit label and at that point we go from admiration to the throes of love. They are doing holy work and they are on a productive tear that astonishes me on a regular basis.
Last Night From Glasgow | SCOT | DL/ST | 2025
The Twistettes: All I Want – SCOT – DL [2025]
All I Want 2:54
Speaking of astonishment on a regular basis, The Twistettes new single is called “All I Want” and it’s managed to get one foot in the Pop camp with crunchy, distortion driven melodies and yes, the lovely singing voice of Jo D’arc. Nicky drums like a steam hammer and the fuzztone bass keeps things moving fast and hard while Jo adds the hooks. The drum break for a split second in the middle eight was a thing of wonder, but don’t sneeze or you’ll miss it! By the time we get ready for more it’s already out the door and we head for the “replay” button. Their last two singles were deeper in the Riot Grrrl-slash-Mötorhead camp. Bracing stuff, but this new single is much more melodious and highly recommended for anyone who rates The Buzzcocks or Ramones.
The single is out already and you can probably stream is at one of those newfangled “apps” I hear about every now and then. Or if you like to know where your music is at all times, iTunes [and other platforms I suspect] have the good ol’ fashioned download for $0.99. But if you really want to get the material goods, now is a good time to pre-order their upcoming album, “Red Door Open.”
Last Night From Glasgow | SCOT | LP/CD |
It’s released on May 2nd and it’s got ten tracks, including the “Big Boned” single that is still rocking my world. It’s on red vinyl LP [$34.00] and CD [$17.00] as well as bundles and test pressings, and I’m amazed to see that if I order the CD, the shipping from Scotland to my North Carolina home is a scant $7.45. If I send a CD across any US border it’s time to think about digging at least $20 out of my pocket!! I think we’re being robbed!! So if you want to go the the front of the queue, jump over to Last Night From Glasgow and just get the signed album. We’ll go deeper on that soon, I promise. Until then, DJ hit that button!
It was less than two months ago when I blundered by accident into the tale of the band Neeva, while lost in the Discogs infinite rabbit hole. Albums like this one are the reason why spelunking in Discogs is its own reward. You can’t know everything, and knowledge is power. I took one look at the band, clad in sci-fi tunics rocking the bold Spencer Drate designed album cover and found a previously buried seam of Technopop that needed investigation. At the time, I wrote that I would like to follow up on that album sooner than later and seven weeks later… here we are.
Mutiny Shadow International | US | LP | 1983 | MSI 2003
Neeva: Neeva – CAN – LP [1983]
Starshine
Love [Gotta Hold On Me]
Blue Star
In Tune
Seventeen
Walking On Air
Let Your Body Go
Will You Be Mine [Part I and II]
Tomorrow’s On Its Way
Countdown
Save A Little Love
Video Kideo
The first thing I noticed when listening to the album and hearing “Starshine,” was the undeniable perkiness of the music. This was not music that cared a whit about being cool and sitting in the corner of the club, sucking their cheeks in. Nope. This was music made for Andy McCluskey to dance to! With that synth pulse and the mighty backbeat of the great Andy Newmark on very real drums, the invitation to dance was strong here. James Nevius’ lead vocals were polished and his choirboy-pure tone was a perfect fit for the bright, shiny music. The synth glissandos mixed into the music were like the beating of doves hearts. It spoke of excitement and wonder at the scope of the world.
The tempo slowed a bit for “Love [Gotta Hold On Me],” which with its great, loping guitar riffs, courtesy of producer T.J. Tindall, managed to come off like a lost track from the first album by The Cars. The staccato enunciation of the lyric by Mr. Nevius certainly had a whiff of the Ric Ocasek playbook behind it. The rhythmic panting on the lyric “and love, when you’re close to me, it’s like ecstasy, getting hard to breathe” was a great hook that anyone would have paid top dollar for.
The “hit single” on the album came next. “Blue Star” was something that, once I heard it, had the eerie whiff of familiarity. Could it be that I had once seen the video [or even pert of it] the one time MTV deigned to play it? This official MTV playlist for the week of May 4th, 1983, shows it was in light rotation – that week. But even if I came in late, I would have seen the credit in the outro and made a note of it. If I could remember. There was a lot happening in 1983 and sometimes it was hard to keep up. And who knows, maybe I did note the band Neeva and tried to find a copy, but I’m here to say that I have never seen this album until I bought my copy mail order. That initial search would have been utterly fruitless.
I’m just glad that 42 years later I can have the winsome “Blue Star” gliding out of my speakers. The perky melody was abetted by pneumatic synth swoops across the stereo image as Nevius crooned the ebullient little ditty with his [strong] voice doubled leading into the great chorus on another synth glissando. And can you have too many of those? I say thee, nay! The keys here were very capably played by Vanessa Wilkinson and C.P. Roth who co-wrote this track and “Will You Be Mine [Part I + II]” with Nevius.
Vanessa Wilkinson also performed backing vocals here as well as playing synths and co-writing some songs. She had her biggest presence yet on the cheerful “In Tune.” Offering her call and response backing vocal to Nevius’ leads in the chorus. Did I call this cheerful? How many other technopop songs with buckets of synths featured whistling in the middle eight?!
Then she took lead on the next song, one of her co-writes. On “Seventeen” we really get to hear her and betchabygollywow… Ms. Wilkinson has pretty much exactly the same [unique] singing voice as…Clare Grogan. So if you ever wondered what Altered Images would have sounded like as a Buggles-adjacent Technopop band, then you need to get this album immediately. The retro late 50s bobby-sox vibe of “Seventeen” fit the nostalgia of the lyric and the organ patches on the synth almost gave up a Roxy Music feel at their kitschiest. Think of “Trash” but utterly scrubbed of its cynicism. It’s somewhat amusing to hear what must have been a 22 year old woman looking back to her callow youth of five years earlier.
“Walking On Air”‘ began side two with a deceptively dinky intro. Monophonic synth plonks repeated on delay across the stereo image with the rhythm box chugging away frantically before the entire song erupted in an almost prog-like flourish of high impact with juddering synths and very real drumming courtesy of Andy Newmark. The song was fascinating cocktail of the reserved poise inherent in James’ vocal and the full-on euphoria of the track. Which was down to the young and in love slant of the lyrics.
At the time of recording the two members of Neeva were a couple so there was nothing but honest transparency on the track. The drum fills Newmark added to the arpeggios and glissandos in the rush of the song’s climax simply pushes the listener headfirst into the exhilaration of young love. The phased fadeout was all that could have happened by that point. How did this miss being a single somewhere?
The next song was something very different. The jaunty “Let Your Body Go” almost seems like a deliriously happy precursor to Nitzer Ebb’s “Let Your Body Learn.” Before you laugh, both songs feature girls and boys being addressed in the lyrics! But the vibes couldn’t be more different, of course! The synth solo in the middle eight was also possibly influenced by the early atonal Eno solos on “Roxy Music!”
What a great generic robot sleeve on this record!
The one 12″ A-side from the album was the impressive “”Will You Be Mine” Parts I + II.” The mid-tempo song chugged along with aplomb; its synth bass pulse beckoning to the dance floor. The first half of the song was a perfect piece of Technopop with hints of psychedelia, and the song’s second movement veered off course impressively. C.P. Roth was credited with the track’s instrumental coda which took the song into nearly Jazz territory as the furthest vistas of the music themes inherent in the song were duly mapped out. And Newmark matched Roth’s solo with inventive drumming that knew when to shake up the song’s rhythmic impetus.
Then the album concluded with the upbeat slice of optimism that was “Tomorrow’s On Its Way” as Nevius examined his relationship to this business called show. A relic from the era where optimism seemed like our birthright.
The CD I made goes a few steps beyond the album by including demos that the album’s engineer had recorded with the band for a hoped-for follow up that didn’t happen. He has posted them on his website for any to hear so I grabbed them for the all important bonus tracks. You might too. Their character is different as the album was actually recorded in 1981. So these demos probably post-date the 1983 release of “Neeva.” Obviously, Andy Newmark is elsewhere, so the drum machine drives these songs. The difference between 1981 and 1983 for my ears is the point where Technopop becomes Synthpop. A different beast entirely.
“Countdown” Had a very different Nevius singing the lead, with a a world of difference in his vocal delivery. He’s really learned how to project emotion in his voice and deliver nuance beyond being a technically tight singer. He’s actually swinging here! And the perky Pop affords him plenty of space to move.
The band were without a label at the point where these songs were recorded. They were the fourth and final album on a very small indie label, so these tracks were written and the demos recorded with the intention get another label deal. At the time they felt that “Save A Little Love” would be the one that did the trick. It’s a very commercial piece of Synthpop that comes close to the sound of The Korgis to my ears, but alas it never happened. I can actually hear this song in the 1984 top 40 without too much strain. In a world where Howard Jones was crushing the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, it feels a little unfair that this music couldn’t join him where it belonged.
I especially like the final song, “Video Kideo,” which opened with delicate sprays of synths sustained and delayed before the drum machine discipline kicked in and picked up the tempo. The winsome synth hook and the sophistication of the production belied the demo status of the track. This sounds almost like a lost Trevor Horn Dollar single. Only with much better singing! I like the way the vocals were slightly filtered for a slightly dated, megaphone effect. With the Synthpop exploding onto the 1983 scene, that these rather sterling examples failed to gel and get the band another contract seems kind of tragic.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Actual promo letter found in my copy of this LP [redacted]
I’m an old school type, so I paid for a used vinyl copy [nice and clean, complete with the promo letter that it was sent to a program director to tucked inside!] but at the very least, anyone who has an interest in hearing this can buy a DL from iTunes. It’s possibly on other platforms as well. And maybe even streaming as well, though Homey Don’t Play Dat®.
The team assembled to play with the core duo were no slouches. The producer came from the Gamble + Huff MFSB family and adapted fantastically to a very different New Wave idiom. The engineer Eddie Ciletti had just started out with Human Sexual Response the year prior and would go on to engineer albums by Miles Davis, Joe Jackson, The Plasmatics, and even Krisma!
I really enjoyed this album, just as I suspected I would. It captured Technopop at a critical juncture just before it transmuted into Synthpop. The band’s songs were charming and adorable; some might call them twee and I would understand that. There’s no doubt that this album was Kryptonite for cynics. The record captured the sound of young love and boundless optimism captured on recording tape with plenty of strong chops to add seasoning.
Ductape [L-R: Furkan and Çağla Güleray] find solace among the ruins
It was about a year ago when I heard about the album “Echo Drama” by the great Post-Punk duo Ductape. We loved that album. It’s still on our personal device and easily made the grade as one of my top five albums of the year in 2024. Like all of the music I’ve heard from the Swiss Dark Nights label, it had staying power. I’ve kept up with the singles the band have released of late which were non-LP, but that’s all changing now.
The group and their label aren’t waiting 5-10-20 years and are re-issuing the album in a ten track deluxe version, so if you’ve not gotten a hard copy yet, the time is riper than ever now. The new edition is currently in pre-order at the Swiss Dark Nights Bandcamp store as a DL/CD/CDX/and LP for its April 4th release date.
The new singles were originally released in January and February and are “Blue Black” and “Fade Away.” They’ve been slotted into the middle of the album sort of like how the earliest CD bonus tracks were 40 years ago! “Blue Black” was a pensive and melancholy song with a foundational urgent synth pulse to anchor it as Furkan’s glorious, ringing guitar was an emotional counterpoint to the song’s steely beats. As the song progressed it became more swept away in its emotions as the tension gave way to release.
“Fade Away” was more driving and angular from the start with the the strident rhythm guitar maintaining strict discipline form the start. I liked how the playing in the middle eight slackened the tempo for a few bars only to mercilessly resume and double down on the rest of the song. With Çağla’s vocals adding a desensitized, unremitting melancholy to it’s startling cold ending.
Though I loved “Echo Drama,” it was a brief album at about 32 minutes. There’s nothing wrong with “leaving them wanting more.” Indeed, I find it preferable to overstaying your welcome, but at under 45 minutes, the deluxe “Echo Drama” is in no danger of that happening. The formats are as follows:
I liked how there were two CD formats [for a change], each with the same music, but different degrees of packaging sophistication. I’m pleased that there’s no chasing down multiple formats to get all of the music. But there are also bundle offers at the Swiss Dark Nights store if you need more than one. As I’m thoroughly enjoying the music of Ductape, I await their next opus with open ears. DJ hit that button!
The Mood were one of the many groups that hit the US shores during the reign of “New Music.” The post-MTV branding for what was previously called “New Wave, ” but with a lot of synthesizers! I don’t think I ever saw a video on MTV, but that could be just my failing memory. Usually that was the reason why when visiting Crunchy Armadillo Records I’d pick up a copy of something. Maybe it was just the credits on the disc which cited gear like this: Oberheim, Prophet 5 & 10, grand piano, Roland guitar synthesizer. Ka-ching!
At the time I didn’t know the history of the band, I just bought their US EP in 1983, but The Mood dated from 1980 and were a trio formed by John Moore, Mark James Fordyce, Steve Carter, John Dalby and Eric James Logan. They issued an indie single in 1981, “There Is A Reason” and that got RCA sniffing around to sign them in that New Romantic wave that was starting to break by late 1981. By then 40 percent of the band left, leaving Moore, Fordyce, and Logan as the signees to RCA. And the latter two cleverly dropped their surnames; both opting for the James moniker. Their gigs featured opening acts you may have heard of: Soft Cell and Depeche Mode.
The only disc I’ve ever seen by The Mood is that 5-track US EP, but apart from their self-released 7″ debut, RCA managed to release five singles. Including a re-recording of the band’s debut single. While the band scraped near the lower reached of the UK Top 40, RCA never greenlit a full album. RCA America issued the EP which is as close as they got back then. I’ve never seen any of these five [six if you count their indie debut] on American shores. The only other blip on the radar I have is a Razormaid remix of “Don’t Stop” on one of their “Class-X” CDs that I have in the Record Cell.
In 2008, Cherry Red issued the first CD by The Mood and it’s been on my want list ever since then. Alas, I didn’t act decisively at the time and the Cherry Red CD became a reasonably expensive OOP CD commanding $50-100 prices in the aftermarket. But in 2025, I’ve learned that The Mood have taken their legacy by the horns and have secured the master tapes, duly baked and remastered by producer Steve Levine with Mark Fordyce. The first fruit of their labor is ready now – a compilation of every RCA/B side, and and is thankfully available on the licorice pizza or the silver disc.
The Mood: The Singles 1981-1984 – UK – CD/LP [2025]
Is There A Reason 3:26
Waves In Motion 4:09
Don’t Stop 3:06
Watching Time 3:32
Paris Is One Day Away 3:03
No-one Left To Blame 4:09
Passion In Dark Rooms 3:29
The Munich Thing 4:16
I Don’t Need Your Love Now 3:28
She’s Got Me 4:06
Don’t Let Me Down 4:16
I’m Coming Home 3:04
Interestingly enough, the Cherry Pop CD that I can’t afford features 19 tracks, including the 12″ mixes of the RCA singles as well as the 7″ edits. Plus the indie version of the debut and a few loose tracks. But as it turns out, the 12″ versions are all I’ve ever known of some of these songs as US RCA put those on the “Passion In Dark Rooms” EP back in 1983! And I can’t remember, but the Cherry Pop 2008 CD might be mastered from vinyl as is sometimes the Cherry Red way. So the band’s own issue is likely to be the better sounding copy as they bought the masters from RCA and took ownership. There may be more coming as this is just the first project the band have reissued. Word has it that remixes and unreleased material, possibly the album that never was, are yet forthcoming.
One certainly can’t fault the price the band are selling this compilation for. The CD is a modest £12.00/$15.60 and the 180g. black [!] LP is £25.00/$32.50 but buy fast if you’re American as our Dollar is shriveling in value as our economy is speedily contracting under the chaos of our shiny new governance. DJ hit that button!
It was the darkest of ironies. When Rockford, Illinois Post-Punk band The Funeral March [of the marionettes] were planning their latest album over two years ago, there wasn’t an overarching theme in mind necessarily. But as vocalist Joe Whiteaker and his bassist Darius McCaskey were selecting and recording the tracks which would come to coalesce into “It All Falls Apart,” commonalities began to emerge, as they often do. The thread that tied the album together was an entropic one where the way that everything and everyone breaks down was ultimately apparent.
That this took place in 2023 was a kindness, because by the next year, after the recordings were done, Whiteaker was dealing with a breakdown of his own. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and would ultimately die on May 17th of that year. Leaving his good friend McCaskey to take the project from final mixes, which Joe was able to hear, to the point of release on this day of March 14th, 2025.
Joe Whiteaker [1968-2024]
The Funeral March Of The Marionettes [named after the classic theme to “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”] date back to 1987, but the band took a long hiatus from the mid 90s to 2017 before Joe thought on the 30th anniversary of the band they should reform. It was at that point where they began releasing their early recordings as well as a series of new EPs reflecting the here and now. This latest one came over the transom at PPM and we’re here to discuss it today.
Bandcamp | US | DL | 2025
The Funeral March: It All Falls Apart – US – DL [2025]
Stars at Night 04:45
Shadow Games 04:52
Bobblehead 04:25
Save Us 04:43
It All Falls Apart 06:02
Stars at Night (Tweaker Remix) 04:36
It All Falls Apart (Bellhead Remix) 05:40
It All Falls Apart (Joy Thieves Remix) 04:22
Stars at Night (Tweaker Instrumental Remix) 04:38
“Stars At Night” began without warning with a torrent of sparks shooting off of Wayne Thiele’s guitar at full velocity as the bass pushed us into the fast moving current of the song. The exhilaration was immediate. Joe’s vocals were low and powerful; shared with Ria Aursjoen of Octavian Winters guesting here. The propulsive drums were [very well] programmed and belied their synthetic nature. There was nothing here to break the powerful spell of this amazing opening song.
The song’s chorus took a step back from the breakneck tempo of the verses; allowing us to catch our breath and have a moment to contemplate the energy at work here. The middle eight featured only haunting expression vocals from Ms. Aursjoen before returning to the main theme for a climactic finish as Mr. Thiele’s furious playing throughout the song simply vibrated with a breathless energy. Until the last note of his guitar rang out with an exacting finality in the coda.
The pace changed dramatically with Thiele’s guitar weaving a single slender, sustained thread throughout the intro to “Shadow Games.” Bringing to mind the sound of Paul Reynolds from the great “Modern Love Is Automatic.” The gentle eddies and currents of the song offering a respite from the headfirst rush of the opener. Instead, “Shadow Game” built upon the drone of the guitar and the repetition of the song’s haunting melody. Touched with the grace of Whiteaker’s vocal; alternately solemn or yearning.
Subterranean bass from Mr. McCaskey was the star of the show on “Bobblehead” though the classically flanged guitar of Mr. Thiele was a reliable shoutout to the ever-present influence of the great John Mc Geoch. It’s been a real pleasure to hear later generations explore the space that he helped to define over 45 years ago. The methodical pace of this one gave a feeling of stasis that allowed the wistful vocals of Whiteaker to explore the melancholy of the lyric.
The embittered lyric of “Save Us” casts a jaundiced eye at our current fate complete with dark, riffology from the guitars. Rob Hyman of [melter] guests on live drums this time to raise the stakes as did Ms. Aursjoen’s wordless expression vocals in the foreboding middle eight and climax. As Whiteakre sings “the world is on fire now” it’s tempting to realize that the notion can now be taken literally as well as figuratively. Then the fierce title track [also with Hyman on drum duty] brings it home with a dark vision of a love lost with the harmonic tang of the sustained guitar competing with the implacable drum pattern driving this song to its bitter conclusion.
The album also had remixes of four of the songs here. First was Tweaker’s remix of “Stars At Night” opting for a more delicate and crystalline experience entirely. A good example of entirely changing the complexion of a song via remixing. Though I prefer the griping urgency of the band’s mix, this was an interesting point of view nonetheless. The Bellhead remix of the title track got portentous choral patches and violins sawing away nervously; adding to the angst of it all. With a new drum driven coda aiding this mix in raising a head of steam in the climax that gave the last grace note to Whiteaker’s wordless vocals.
That the Joy Thieves remix of “It All Falls Apart” followed the Bellhead remix was made possible by bold shifts of tone such as an uptick in the tempo of the altogether more driven vibe and and expansive sound that sounded here like a path forward for the band that will never be on the album that won’t follow this one. I also loved how they set off Whiteaker’s backing vocals to greater prominence in the mix. A sterling remix, though none of these offended.
Hearing Whiteaker’s deceptively boyish voice [he was in his mid 50s when these last recordings were made] sing this song was surprising. He should have had a much longer time in the game. The band as produced by Wiliam Faith [who also brought us Autumn] captured a band at the peak of their powers. Everything here was worth our time and it must be mentioned that all of the proceeds from this album are going to Whiteaker’s family. The DL is only $7.00 but of course you’ll top off any payment, right? DJ hit that button!
DOWNLOAD ALBUM
There’s also a livestreaming album release party happening tomorrow on Bandcamp at 6:30 EDT [10:30 GMT] with The Funeral March Of The Marionettes giving their final performance of this EP with special guest vocalists. Guests include TATV GRAL, [melter] Bellhead, and William Faith. The $10 [or more] admission also nets you the album so think of this as a $3.00 livestreaming show that you might want to check out! And if the time is inconvenient, purchase allows for playback within a 48 hour window. They think of everything. So DJ hit that button, too!
Ariel Maniki [ctr] flanked by the Black Halos [Eva – L, Jan – R]
This single was released on Wednesday, and I found out about it yesterday and I’m wasting any time in discussing it right now. I’d not heard of Ariel Maniki + The Black Halos before this hit my inbox yesterday and this is to my detriment. Particularly since they have been releasing music for a decade. Their new single, “Pieces” was as auspicious an introduction as I could imagine. And we especially love how the influence of Post-Punk has spread far beyond the borders of the UK to take strong root in San José, the capital city of Costa Rica.
With their last album, “Fractals,” in 2023, the band reconvened to plot their new recordings but found them selves at a creative impasse. Leading to the band renting a cabin in the mountains for a little isolation from the energy of the city of San José. They discussed what they wanted to achieve and then let the results manifest as the songs quickly arrived and were recorded to make this new single.
Bandcamp | CR | DL | 2025
Ariel Maniki + The Black Halos: Pieces – CR – DL [2025]
Pieces 4:36
The Veil 4:56
Mysterious harmonics swelled up from the depths in the intro before the insistent throb of Eva Red’s bass and the seriously flanged guitar coalesced for a classic vibe where the line between a Post-Punk and Gothic sound was deliciously blurred. All of this hooked my ear immediately, but then it all reached another level once we heard the voice of Ariel Maiki. The man was rocking a soulful baritone that made this already delicious music that much better!
Then the synths of Janice Black hit the chorus like rays of sunshine as the chorus kicked in and Maniki started to project that powerful voice. Shifting dramatically on the spectacular middle eight where the music shifted into minor key with a riffing redolent of techno, albeit with a slower, more sensual attack. Then the chorus returned for the glorious climax to the song. Where the music dropped out on a drumbeat to leave the last word to those swirling harmonics one more time. The song was an evocative cocktail of doubt, nostalgia, and hope that make one reach for the “repeat” button.
Wisely, the band crafted a smart “B-side” in “The Veil,” that played in a very different musical sandbox. Opting to curtail the tempo to something more studied and methodical while the drum machine beat offered a motorik rhythm that was completely transformed by the slow BPM into something entirely different. Reflective piano shared the melodic leads with the guitar until the string synths joined the fray; adding their crystalline delicacy. When Maniki began singing it wasn’t alone. The Black Halos were providing strong support; sometimes in unison. At others with support melodies. Eva’s bass exerted a Simon Gallup-like pull on the extended instrumental coda where the tempo began its inevitable decay into ever slower orbits until only the piano was left. Listen below.
This trio have come out of nowhere for me but now I need to investigate their substantial back catalogue in my copious free time. The songs, arrangement, and playing were all hitting the sweet spot, but I have to admit that it was down to Ariel’s excellent singing where the band crossed a line into something spectacular for my ears. Something that doesn’t happen every day for me. And now I can’t wait to hear their next big move. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait terribly long. But until then, today is a Bandcamp Friday, so let’s make it count! The band are asking a nearly shameful $1.00 for the privilege but be sure to top up the payout since a single this wonderful is surely worth triple that amount! DJ hit that button.
Almost a month ago I got an email from John Foxx’s Bandcamp account touting his new single with Ade Fenton; Gary Numan’s aide de camp for the last decade or so. Naturally, when one learns of a new Foxx DL you go to Bandcamp and buy it. Which I did, but the current period has me flummoxed for the free time to actually unzip the files and load them into my Music app and transfer the release to my personal device to give it a critical listen during my long commute to work. Such that on this day I resorted to downloading the files to my work computer so that I might finally listen and share my thoughts on it! Drastic, I know!
As it transpires, the single is not exactly new. It was released in late 2023 as a perk for subscribers to The Quietus website, who always have time for Numan and Foxx! But the initial spark of the linkup was simply down to Foxx and Fenton sharing management with Steve Malins. Never underestimate the ability of a manager to put forces into play. All well and good, but what’s it like, you may ask?
Bandcamp | UK | DL | 2025
John Foxx + Ade Fenton: A Million Times – UK – DL – [2025]
A Million Times 7:17
A Million Times [instrumental] 7:17
Hard crisp beats echoed down long corridors while distorted tremolo guitar vibrated throughout the soundfield. The synths were content to hum like electric pylons until the psychedelic vocals of Foxx appeared. Smeared with a slapback echo that panned hard left. At that point the widescreen, cinematic string patches appeared like a multitude of Mellotrons in the decidedly Arabic-vibed track.
The track neither advanced nor retreated as it preferred to offer a kind of static mantra as opposed to any progressions. As the rhythm track stopped and the synths had the last word in the fading coda. This was a cut that immediately brought to mind the collaboration with The Soft Moon on the title track to 2012’s “Evidence.” A deep plunge into techno-psychedelia that has long been a thread in the tapestry of the John Foxx oeuvre. Perhaps a future bonus track for the DLX RM of his “Metadelic” collection. See what you think.
It can be all yours for a mere £1.50. Given that Foxx seems to be all about the piano these days, those who require synths from man would do well to pick up this DL single as his upcoming album will not slake that thirst. DJ hit that button!
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Post-Punk Monk 