PRINCESS CHELSEA Live at The Moth Club

Return of the loneliest girl… Since 2011, Princess Chelsea has served up four albums of engaging indie pop with her fifth album, Everything Is Going To Be Alright, ready to keep that legacy going. The New Zealand musician also has … Read More

OMD – Future Yard, Birkenhead

OMD return to Wirral… It’s been a long time coming, but last night we finally saw OMD at Birkenhead’s newest music venue, Future Yard. With an audience of 350, it promised to be a very special night for fans of … Read More

HEAVEN 17 – Reproduction and Travelogue

Classic synth-pop albums come home… The first two Human League albums (Reproduction from 1979 and Travelogue from 1980) have, for some time, been hugely inspiring for me – they still sound like music of the future even now. There’s a … Read More

YOU ME & OMD

How can this be true… After a year of a live performance schedule that resembled a scene from Mad Max, the news that OMD were to perform live once again came as something of a shock. In fact, the You … Read More

OMD Live in London

A warmer feeling seldom owned… Following on from a host of projects tied into OMD’s 40th Anniversary (including a new book and a new compilation album/box set), the band have embarked on a tour which is designed to celebrate that … Read More

MARINA – Live in London

In this handmade heaven, it’s paradise… Having detached herself from her earlier title as Marina And The Diamonds (settling instead for a straightforward ‘Marina’), Welsh musician and songwriter Marina Diamandis returned earlier this year with new album Love + Fear (see TEC … Read More

EMPATHY TEST Live in London

Just Got Home Scheduled as Empathy Test’s homecoming gig after their recent American adventures, the London-based electronic outfit also had a diverse bill of other acts on hand to round out the evening. This included the dark dancepop of Nature … Read More

A-HA – Hunting High And Low live in London

Now there’s more than meets the eye… It would be difficult to assess the history of synth-pop without taking into consideration Norway’s own considerable contribution in the shape of a-ha. The 3-piece outfit need little introduction, having chalked up an … Read More

KNIGHT$ live in London

Spooky synths in action In a live environment, the irrepressible KNIGHT$ always manages to stand out in sharp relief through a combo of slick pop tunes and a charismatic stage presence. Choosing Halloween to stage a headlining show seems like … Read More

SILICON DREAMS 2019

Liverpool’s Electronic Music Event Returns… The Silicon Dreams festival has been a semi-regular event on the synth-pop-lovers calendar for almost two decades now. Originally a small retro-computing/synth-pop crossover celebration, it’s grown over the years, shedding the 8-bit to concentrate on … Read More

SYNTHETIC CITY 2019 Review

All day electropop… One of the fixed points on the gig-going calendar is, of course, the Synthetic City Electronic Music Festival. It’s multi-line-up of bands and artists from both the UK and abroad has offered an opportunity for established acts … Read More

PSYDOLL Live in London

A night in the Machine Kingdom… Hitting the UK in the spring months, Japanese cyberpunk outfit Psydoll took in an extensive number of venues across the country, including Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh, Leeds and Birmingham. Consisting of Nekoi (vocal,keyboard,songs) … Read More

ARTEFAKTOR LIVE 3

Live electropop thrills… Sometimes it’s good to appreciate the wide variety of electronic acts who are out there performing live (as well as on record). While the UK is, in many ways, the spiritual home for synth-pop, there are also … Read More

OMD/RLPO In Concert 2018

This field remains… When OMD first collaborated with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra back in 2009, you would be forgiven for thinking the project sounded unfeasible. For a band that’s carved an impressive career utilising electronic music, the idea of … Read More

SYNTHETIC CITY LONDON 2018 RELOADED

A day of electronic music magnificence… Not content with simply staging just one electronic music event in 2018, Synthetic City decided to do a return bout with the creation of Synthetic City Reloaded in the autumn months. As ever, the … Read More

LADYTRON – Live In London

Untied and weightless… The post-britpop years gradually gave rise to a renaissance of sorts for electronic music. With so many diverse acts currently ploughing their trade, it’s perhaps difficult to remember how barren the landscape was at the start of … Read More

PRINCESS CHELSEA Live in London

Sardonic Pop Delights… With three studio albums under her belt, the choice of tunes to perform live for Princess Chelsea has become much more trickier. Cuts from new outing The Loneliest Girl would obviously be given a special showcase, but … Read More

LET’S EAT GRANDMA – Live In London

Eats shoots and leaves The Norwich duo of Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth, collectively known as Let’s Eat Grandma, have been rapidly gaining attention since their 2016 debut album I, Gemini. Their latest album, the mercurial I’m All Ears, offers … Read More

MOI SAINT Live in London

Dark romantic tunes… The Slaughtered Lamb is a curious venue hived away in Clerkenwell which, as summer draws to a close, was home to a 4 band lineup combining an eclectic set of talents. Serving as a showcase for many … Read More

A-HA, OMD & TOM BAILEY Live

The opening night of a-ha’s 31-date Electric Summer tour yielded plenty of surprises, as Barry Page discovered… The home of Kent County Cricket Club, the Spitfire ground has been doubling up as a music venue since Elton John brought his … Read More

MARCONI UNION Live In London

Ethereal electronica.. Ambient outfit Marconi Union are probably best known for their soothing composition ‘Weightless’, a piece whose genesis arrived after consultation with a sound therapist. The finished work was considered “the most relaxing tune ever” (to the point where … Read More

DEFSynth Presents: The New Wave of Waveform

Insurrectionary Neo Futurist Adventures… The live event circuit has been boosted of late by the regular DEFSynth events. Hosted by the larger than life character of Derek Anthony Williams, the DEFSynth nights are launched under the tagline of “The New … Read More

SYNTHETIC CITY LONDON 2018

Electronic music magnificence descends on London… As ever, the Synthetic City music festival keeps things ambitious with an all-day event boasting 11 acts. The 2018 affair offered up a range of styles and approaches, while also throwing a nod to … Read More

EMPATHY TEST Live In London

The truth can be so tragic and beautiful… It’s been quite the year for London-based electronic outfit Empathy Test. Their successful PledgeMusic campaign saw the band reach over 600% of their target – an effort that also resulted in the … Read More

22rpm Electronic Music Festival

A day of esoteric electronic tunes… Holding an electronic music festival inside a church might seem to be a strange choice of venue, but in practice it certainly lends a distinctive atmosphere to proceedings. The location of St. John’s Church … Read More

SPARKS Live In London 2017

Iconic pop duo bring their hippo to the house at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire… Over forty-five years since their formation, the inimitable Sparks continue to delight and surprise fans and critics alike. Fresh from the critical and commercial success of … Read More

SYNTHETIC CITY 2017 LONDON

Global electronic acts descend on London for this packed synth-pop extravaganza… Among the many electronic music events of the year, the Synthetic City Electronic Music Festival was certainly one of the more ambitious affairs. Boasting 11 bands and artists from … Read More

ELECTRO PUNK PARTY

An evening of electronic swagger… This year has seen a broad variety of multi-band line-ups for electronic music events. Getting the right balance on the selected artists can be a tough trick to pull off, but the Electro Punk Party, … Read More

SILICON DREAMS 2017 Review

The electronic musical festival returns with an impressive lineup… This summer saw the return of SILICON DREAMS, the electronic music festival whose roots were founded in the Vintage Computer Festival back in 2010 (an event which also featured OMD performing … Read More

KRAFTWERK – Nottingham

The German electronic pioneers bring their visually impressive performance to Nottingham… “For beauty we will pay” Never a truer word as (like the rest of the tour), these tickets immediately sold out when they went on sale last September, such … Read More

DEPECHE MODE – Stadium Spirit

The Mighty Mode deliver a powerful London performance… London Stadium, Saturday 3rd June 2017 It’s a mild Saturday afternoon and I’m following a vast throng of Depeche Mode fans into the former Olympic Stadium; the setting for triumphant UK athletes … Read More

AUSTRA at Village Underground

Toronto’s finest pay a visit to London… Austra’s Future Politics album was a timely release that explored themes of human nature, politics and the environment. In a particularly turbulent time, Katie Stelmanis outlined a manifesto of sorts in which everyone … Read More

AUTOROTATION at Collage Nights

Autorotation drop in for a live show and VR demo… International Women’s Day falls on the 8th March each year, which opens up opportunities for both articles discussing women in electronic music and also special events to coincide with the … Read More

SUSANNE SUNDFØR Live in London

While the Nordic charms of Susanne Sundfør have been present for several years, it was the release of her latest album Ten Love Songs that appears to have pitched her music career into a much more noticeable spotlight. Now with … Read More

AUSTRA Live at Koko

It takes a lot to draw us out into a chilly November evening, but Austra provide a suitably attractive prospect. Following on from the release of critically-acclaimed new album Olympia, the sold-out Koko in Camden is proof of the Canadian … Read More

PERFUME Live in London

Japan’s technopop trio make their UK debut… There was a point not that long ago where the idea of an outfit such as Perfume performing in the UK would have seemed absurd. Following on from Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s performance earlier … Read More

PRINCESS CHELSEA goes from Lost to Found

Electronic charm Princess Chelsea produced one of the best sleeper albums of 2012 in the shape of Lil’ Golden Book whose fragmented slices of electronic charm and wistful tunes came as a refreshing change and demonstrated the versatility and range … Read More

Alles Klar – On Tour With ULTRAVOX

Now in the fourth year of their widely documented reunion, Ultravox know no boundaries. When it came to the next jigsaw sequence in Ultravox history, the unveiling of their 2012 studio album Brilliant, with a European tour to follow, was … Read More

GRIMES Live in London

Venus In Fleurs The steady upward path of Grimes continues, paved by the recent success of the Visions album, which also marked the signing of the artist to the 4AD label. Transcribing the dense, complex soundscapes that form the Grimes … Read More

PRINCESS CHELSEA Live in London

Machines Of Loving Grace The solo synth work of Pikachunes kicked off the action at what was essentially a Lil’ Chief record label showcase at the Monto Water Rats. Pikachunes’ DIY approach to electropop is intriguing not just for the … Read More

KRAFTWERK Live in New York

There’s no doubt about the influence KRAFTWERK has had on OMD. Both founding members have come out dozens of times citing the German experimental electronic band as a main influence. Lead singer Andy McCluskey jokes of how their song ‘Electricity’ … Read More

CURXES and VILE ELECTRODES at TEC001

An Evening of Electropop Synthpop and electronic music website The Electricity Club (TEC) hosted their first ever live event at the weekend. Situated on New Oxford Street, The Bowery was the ideal venue for an extended night of English electropop. … Read More

HOWARD JONES Live at Indigo2

Featuring Human’s Lib and Dream Into Action HOWARD JONES is often thought of as the one man musical mastermind of synth-pop but when looked at fully, he’s so much more than that. Howard Jones has been around since the early … Read More

MIRRORS – Live At Ronnie Scotts

Into The Heart When Mirrors played a special music industry showcase at Ronnie Scott’s club in London’s Soho, The Electricity Club were in attendance. Hosted by Skint Records, the event was an intimate affair aimed at bringing the Brighton quartet’s … Read More

OMD + VILLA NAH Live At Brighton Dome

To a city by the sea It has been three years since OMD last played at the Brighton Dome. In 2007 the reunited original quartet of Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes were in the midst of … Read More

THE FAINT Live in Chicago

We Get Seduced Omaha Nebraska isn’t really a place normally associated with electronic music. Known more for its flat lands, it has however, given America one of the best electro-dance, punk, indie-wave bands in the form of THE FAINT. Formed … Read More

OMD at Bletchley Park Mansion

“Everything You Say, Everything You Do…” The ballroom at Bletchley Park is a very intimate and opulent room, with its gilded ceiling and linen fold wood panelling. The grandest of the rooms there, so a fitting venue for such a … Read More

THE GOLDEN FILTER Live in Chicago

It can be said THE GOLDEN FILTER are a bit of a hybrid band. Lead singer Penelope Trappes is originally from Lismore Australia while keyboardist, programmer and drummer Stephen Hindman called the USA and more specifically, Ohio his home. But … Read More

PARRALOX Live In London

It’s Such A Beautiful World On a balmy spring evening in London’s Hoxton district, excited fans gathered to witness the return of Australian synth sensations Parralox. For the uninitiated, Parralox are a duo from Melbourne who have produced some of … Read More

COVENANT Live in Chicago

If you haven’t heard of the Swedish band COVENANT you have been missing out on what can arguably be called one of the most ingenious, enduring, and addictive EBM bands in existence. Since teenagers, lead singer and songwriter Eskil Simonsson, … Read More

DELPHIC live at Manchester Ritz

Let’s Do Something Real In the tradition of some of Manchester’s finest, here are the ‘new’ young men of Delphic, who continued their meteoric rise with a second date in Manchester in as many months. Last time it was at … Read More

MUSE Live at Chicago United Center

Undisclosed Desires So why is a review of Muse showing up on this, an electropop dominated website? They’re not exactly pop but have elements of the same catchy melodies that sit firmly in your brain; not fully electronic but indulge … Read More

LA ROUX Live at Reading Hexagon

Following the recent Pan-European volcano dramas, La Roux finally got round to taking the ‘Gold’ tour to the Reading Hexagon, a venue better known in the past for snooker finals! With a large number of teeny boppers now discovering the … Read More