It ‘only’ took TWINS NATALIA five years to complete their debut album, but to them it just had to be perfect in every aspect, from each sound, note and word to each and every pixel, and quality needs time, trying to create the perfect electro pop record. In 2008, TWINS NATALIA was formed when Marc Schaffer (Shibuya Station, Solitairen Effekten, Solitude FX and Anna Logue Records) played some demo recordings to Dave Hewson (of early 80′s New Wave/Electro Pop icons Poeme Electronique and since long a professional composer for EMI including library music series, commercials, jingles, etc.) who wanted to work on those tracks while graphic designer Steve Lippert (Treeline and Attractive Co-ordinates label boss) spent hours of inventing fictional “new wave” or “minimal synth” band names, song titles and artworks, too, and amongst them was the TWINS NATALIA moniker, hence the project was born. Sharon Abbott and Julie Ruler (both also of Poeme Electronique fame) were recruited on vocal duties and a first 7″ was released, followed by two sampler contributions and an extended 12″ – coupled with the revived Poeme Electronique in 2012 – paving the way to their debut album “The Destiny Room”. The title “The Destiny Room” was coined by Dave and described Marc’s little home recording studio where all tracks were demoed on almost purely analogue gear (e.g. Roland CSQ-100, SH-2, TR-808 and Crumar Performer) and according to his vision of melancholic yet melodic electro pop, slightly inspired by Experimental Products, Kraftwerk, OMD, Rational Youth and the likes. Dave co-composed, arranged and performed all tracks in his Hewsonics studio using latest technology and adding his incredible playing skills (listen to those solos!), expertise and imagination, always in close co-operation with Marc so that the analogue spirit remained while being transformed into the 21st century. Sharon and Julie added superbly professional and versatile vocal performances based upon wonderful and substantial lyrics written by Sharon or Steve, the latter making the whole package complete by adding a stunning and perfectly fitting artwork.
All in all, a high-class melodic 10 track electro pop album (14 tracks on CD including the cover of Marsheaux’s “Radial Emotion”, the extended 12″ version of “I Avoid Strangers” plus the debut 7″) – never ‘cheesy’ or too commercial, always still melancholic with lots of attention to detail, complexity and versatility, from the minds of creative people for the active listener, and the dancers, too.
Limited edition of 400 copies (293 sold as single items), 180 grams black vinyl, UV varnished full-colour outer sleeve, UV varnished lyrics inner sleeve, DIN A3 poster and double-sided DIN A6 postcard.
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 Can you tell us about the line ups of the projects you are involved in? Zarkoff is your solo project but who’s working with you in Popsimonova, FFFC, Sumerian Fleet and Kali Jugend?
With Popsimonova I take care of the mixing, occasionally write lyrics and/or develop some musical ideas. If we both feel that my participation as an author is significant for the song, then we sign it together so there’s no confusion. FFFC is a duo with my old friend Yas (Le Chocolat Noir), he made me discover so much great music throughout the years, still does. Then Sumerian Fleet, that’s Mr Pauli, Alden Tyrell and me, a long distance collaboration. I go to Holland once or twice a year to work on new stuff and it’s easy to overdub/record and exchange files these days so I can also do some work at my own studio, of course. Kali Jugend is the freshest project, I’d say the core of this one are Popsimonova, Petar Car (from noise band Smrt i Čekić) and me, but we also had some very important creative input from Mr Pauli, and the bassist from Croatian band Baden Baden, Goran Djurich. I’m also collaborating with an immensely talented singer Iva VIs. It’s a lot, but not overwhelming yet.
In addition to that I’m trying to make a living with mastering and mixing for other artists. I recently did mastering for new Legowelt album, Marquis Hawkes, Simoncino and some other Creme Organisation releases, so that’s the direction I’m trying to take. Touring is exhausting, studio work is easier, at least for me.
Are you now able to survive off this studio work? Do you feel like you can now focus and spend enough time in the studio?
Well I never made a cent from any of my releases, so I depend on mixing and mastering jobs and live shows. I can sustain myself, since I’m really not a big spender. There are dry periods without any income and it’s very hard to keep your concentration and composure when you don’t have enough money to pay your bills. But I can disconnect from reality when I have to work and just delay any anxious thoughts or emotional reactions for a while until the work is done. I’m not complaining, this is much better than a normal job, at least for me, that is. I spend quite a lot of time trying to get new jobs and gigs, and I’m really not very good at that, sometimes it’s very frustrating, I’d love to be able to replace those man hours with actual studio work. I’m determined to change this in the future by having someone else doing it for me.
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While the ‘Mellowharsher’ mini LP (2012, Enfant Terrible) was subtle on every level this new full length album by Europ Europ might be called subtle noise… ‘Repeating Mistakes’ shows a slightly different side of the Norwegian band… they are back to being a duo and back to basics in a way…
The album is noisy but without being a simple drone… the band serves you lo-fi industrial soundscapes presented as songs… sometimes haunting and disturbing but the next minute soothing and hypnotic… ‘Repeating Mistakes’ is not an easy listening album but a piece of music you need to discover by listening to it over and over again… peeling away layers and uncovering the true nature of the songs by doing this… this is simply minimal electronics as it should sound!
Limited to 200 copies.
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Bleed what you preach…
This new compilation is created to celebrate the 10 years of activity of Enfant Terrible… I could have done a best off… or I could have done a compilation with all the people who I have collaborated with the past 10 years… but instead I have choosen to present a single album which is pointing forward into the future and still shows it roots… ‘I Am Enfant Terrible’ makes clear the traditions I have been working in but at the same time is an album with the broad spectrum of sounds I am interested in… from indie pop to new wave to minimal synth and from noise to elektro and IDM and ambient… from poppy to experimental to dance music… this is what I do and this is what I am…
In the process of creating this record I had to leave out a few artists I like a lot… but this is for sake only of creating a coherent and diverse album and a listening experience as you are used to get served from me with compilations… so I hope you enjoy this selection… thanks for tuning in and making this trip with me!
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Medical Records presents it’s second contemporary artist release with Roladex. Imagine Kraftwerk playing Steven Merritt songs.
Roladex was formed in Texas by Tyler Jacobsen and Elyssa Dianne. Producer/Member, Tyler Jacobsen holds an MFA in Electronic Art and this becomes apparent as they find lyrical and musical inspiration through the films of David Cronenberg and John Carpenter, the works of authors such as J.G Ballard as well as video artists such as Vito Acconci and Nam June Paik. Jacobsen has been on a hiatus from his work as college art professor since the formation of the group. Using an arsenal of analog instruments, Roladex nostalgically borrows ideas from music of the past to carefully craft a unique brand of futuristic-mechanized pop, with an emphasis on songwriting and layered production. Weaving sparse, sequenced arpeggios into fuzzy bass and bubbly melodies to create a bed of sound where they layout a somehow bright melancholia. Part minimal synth-wave, part dream pop, Roladex fits nicely with other non-traditional pop acts such as Ariel Pink as well as Synth contemporaries like Police Des Moeurs and Black Marble. With previous singles on Night-People Records, AMDISCs, and Beko, Medical is proud to present their debut LP.
At times their music cold and moody, at others it is bright and dimly warm. Themes such as nuclear war, cosmology, false memories and technology as the “opiate of the masses” become apparent as the listener plays through the LP. The opening track “Anthem For The Micro-Age” sets the tone with dreamy atmospheric synth textures and interwoven male and female vocals. “Love Surgery” is chock full of pop hooks and synth leads interspersed with angular guitar accents. “Empty Streets” has an almost minimal John Bender bedroom aesthetic. The Last track, “Nuke Em’ Out” is an apocalyptic disco track for the end of the world, and the electro-mechanical new wave Cathode Rays (for the the group produced a video) is one of the catches tunes on the record. Fans of early Wire (esp 154), Drinking Electricity, Fad Gadget and even noisy 90s shoegaze are sure to enjoy.
Presented on high-quality 180gram heavyweight electric blue transparent vinyl and features a bonus LP insert with lyrics. All tracks and versions recorded exclusively for this Medical release. Mastered by Martin Bowes at the Cage, UK. Limited Edition.
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