Tag: Soulwax

Top 40 albums of 2016 – 2020: #’s 30 – 26

We reached the top 30 of my top 40 albums of the last five years. Whittling my list down to 40 records was hard enough, how about 30?

#30: Underworld – Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future (2016)

Easily one of the most optimistic and uplifting albums of the last five years, Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future was a triumphant return for Underworld and had all of us look up to a shining light ahead that could be reached if we all worked together. The themes became more important each passing year.

#29: Blanck Mass – World Eater (2017)

Speaking of records built around synths, drum machines, and analog gear – Blanck Mass’ World Eater is a powerful record that expands on Underworld’s optimism and fuels it with some trepidation and danger.

#28: Soulwax – From Deewee (2017)

The electronic music hits keep on coming. This stunning record combines vintage synths with double live drumming to produce a wicked record that was recorded in one take. One. Take. It never ceases to impress.

#27: Cookin’ Soul and MF DOOM – DOOM XMAS (2018)

Made all the more special since the untimely passing of MF DOOM, this is not only a great rap album, but it’s also a great Christmas record. Cookin’ Soul mixes samples and beats with def(t) talent and layers them over freestyles by DOOM. The result is brilliance.

#26: Ron Gallo – Stardust Birthday Party (2018)

Zen punk. It’s the best way I can describe it. Ron Gallo created this album after doing a two-week silent Zen retreat and filled it with great hooks and rip-off-the-veil lyrics about embracing presence and impermanence. It was a shot in the arm well before the COVID-19 vaccine and songs like “Always Elsewhere” will stay relevant until some sort of global consciousness is reached.

What’s coming next? A lot of shoegaze and psychedelia, that’s what. Stay tuned.

Keep your mind open.

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Soulwax’s next album was made with just one synthesizer.

‘EMS Synthi 100: Deewee Sessions Vol. 01‘ is an exciting new project from David & Stephen Dewaele (Soulwax) that celebrates the pioneering modular synthesizer, the EMS Synthi 100.

The highly collectible package, will be released on May 29th by DEEWEE and The Vinyl Factory, compiling a new album, created entirely using a lovingly restored EMS Synthi, alongside a 48-page book exploring the synthesizer’s history and the story beind the album. The Dewaele brothers hope to have the opportunity to create further volumes in the series in the near future.

“It was our belief that there were tons of melodies and rhythms hidden within the machine,” commented David & Stephen Dewaele. “We just had to make it sing. Every sound you hear on this record, however hard to believe, originates from the mighty EMS Synthi 100. Some were easy to make, some took days to get right.  A few of the compositions were written beforehand, with the Synthi 100 in mind, then translated onto it. A couple were created by just messing around for hours, and some of it is the machine randomly playing by itself, inspiring us to build onto its unique chaos.”

‘DEEWEE Sessions Vol.01’ features the album on heavyweight 180g vinyl along with a fully-illustrated 48-page book exploring the background behind the album and history of the Synthi 100. The book compiles a foreword from David & Stephen Dewaele; an introduction from 3030, the specific Synthi 100 unit that was used for the album; a history of its creation and an exploration of its sounds; and finally an interview with Ivan Schepers, the IPEM technician who has been 3030’s long-term custodian.

Fittingly, this tribute to such an elegant machine is presented in a beautiful style, art directed by Ill-Studio. The vinyl is held in a perforated ‘patch bay’ cover with a fully artworked inner sleeve, while both the disc and book are housed in a clear PVC bag.

‘EMS Synthi 100 – DEEWEE Sessions Vol.01’ will be released on May 29th with catalogue numbers DEEWEE034 / VF301. A digital version will also be available via download and streaming services and all formats are available to pre-order from HERE.

This album was made with the kind assistance of and in collaboration with IPEM, Ghent.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Deewee Ltd.!]

Rewind Review: Soulwax – Essential (2018)

When the Belgian duo of David and Stephen Dewaele, otherwise known as Soulwax, were asked by BBC Radio to create an “essential mix” in 2017, they decided to create an entire album of new music based on the meaning of the word “essential” instead of just mix a bunch of material made by other folks. The result, Essential, turned out to be a great record mixing house music, dub, electro, and trance.

The twelve tracks are named “Essential One,” “Essential Two,” “Essential Three,” etc. No other ornamentation is needed. “One” mixes radio static and electronic alarm clock blips into a funky cacophony. “Two” brings in disco bass and what sounds like electro-vibraphone to get your booty shaking. It flows so well into the ready-made-for-the-dance-floor “Three” that you might not notice the transition.

The groovy bass continues on “Four,” and there’s a brief pause before the echoing chants of “Five” fill your head. The bells and other percussion of “Six” are downright addictive. “Seven” is a bit mellower than the previous tracks, but not by much. It still keeps you moving. The bass on “Eight” is fat as a whale and will have your entire house party moving so hard they might topple over your china cabinet. “Nine” mixes in odd rhythms to the funky bass for a cool brew.

“Ten” starts with menace, but drifts into a quiet bliss by its end. “Eleven” has the most discernible, and sexiest, lyrics. The sultry synth-beats certainly don’t hurt either. “Twelve” is the shortest track on the album at two minutes-thirty seconds, but it still has enough swanky bass to supply a half-hour DJ set.

Essential is indeed that if you’re a fan of Soulwax or electro music. They recently announced that their U.S. tour has been postponed, but dates would be rescheduled. Don’t miss them if they’re near you.

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 albums of 2017: #’s 10 – 6

It’s my top 10 of the year.  Who’s here?  Read on for the first five.

#10 – Sleaford Mods – English Tapas

Bold, brash, and at times brutal, this is a punk rock album disguised as a hip hop record.  The minimalist beats get under your skin and the scathing lyrics stick it to the Man, ourselves, and everyone in-between.

#9 – Gary Numan – Savage (Songs from a Broken World)

This industrial powerhouse of a record was a great return for Gary Numan and a fantastic concept album (about life in a post-apocalyptic world) to boot.  It has some great riffs and Numan’s synth work is top-notch.  He shows no signs of slowing or aging.

#8 – Soulwax – From Deewee

Recorded beginning to end in just one take, this amazing record combines three drummers with four other people playing vintage synthesizers, drum machines, and sequencers.  It’s an impressive piece of work and it produced one of my favorite singles of the year – “Missing Wires.”

#7 – Honey – New Moody Judy

I picked up this album after hearing just one song from it, “Dream Come Now (another one of my favorite songs of 2017),” and was astounded by the rest of the record.  It’s fierce and chock-full of garage-punk riffs that flatten nearly everything else I’ve heard this year.

#6 – Slowdive – self-titled

This is one of the most beautiful records of the year and marked a big return for not only Slowdive but also the entire shoegaze genre.  Everyone wondered how this record would sound once Slowdive announced their reunion, and it exceeded everyone’s expectation.  It’s easily the best shoegaze release of 2017.

Who makes the top five?  Tune in on New Year’s Day to find out!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 10 singles of 2017: #’s 5 – 1

Here they are, amigos.

#5 – Caroline Rose – “Money”

Funny, sharp, and frenetic, this single from Caroline Rose‘s upcoming album (due in February 2018) is instantly catchy and one of the wittiest post-punk songs of the year.

#4 – LCD Soundsystem – “Tonite”

Speaking of witty songwriting, LCD Soundsystem‘s “Tonite” has the most scathing lyrics of the year as lead singer James Murphy takes down Millennials, Gen X’ers, the rich, hipsters, and himself with lyrics like “Life is finite, but that shit feels like forever,” “Are you shocked from being used?” and “You’ve lost your internet, and we’ve lost our memory.” 

#3 – Tinariwen – “Sastanaqqam”

The beats on this amazing track by Tuareg music legends Tinariwen were enough to get my feet tapping, but as soon as the guitars kick in I knew this was going to be one of my favorite songs of 2017.  There is something about Tuareg music that is hard to describe, but you feel it in your core.  This song is a prime example of that.

#2 – Soulwax – “Missing Wires”

As soon as I heard the opening synths of this playing somewhere in Chicago, I thought, “Who is this?”  It was Soulwax.  This song grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.  I immediately tracked it down, along with their stunning album, From Deewee, which was all recorded in one take.

#1 – Feltworth – “Forget This Feeling”

Yes, this is my favorite song of 2017.  Do not dismiss it.  It has the best power pop hooks I’ve heard all year.  It also has sharp lyrics, shredding guitar, killer piano work, and a crisp rhythm.  The lads in Feltworth are also fun dudes, so that’s a win.

There you have it, folks.  Enjoy!

Keep your mind open.

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Soulwax – From Deewee

Soulwax‘s latest album, From Deewee, would be impressive in any sense.  It’s a wonderful blend of electro, synthwave, disco, industrial, and even a bit of trance.  What makes it more impressive is that the entire album was recorded one in one take.  Granted, they did multiple takes and picked the best one, but playing this entire album beginning to end with no apparent flaws is a stunning feat.

After a brief instrumental opening, the album flows into “Masterplanned” – a funky track with great synth bass and a sweet blend of electric and live drums (which will continue through the whole record).  The live drums rip open “Missing Wires,” one of my favorite singles of 2017, before the wicked bass and analog synths put down a fantastic dance groove.  “Conditions of a Shared Belief” has a brooding sense of industrial menace to it, proving that Soulwax loves Front 242 as much as Kraftwerk.

The drum solo at the beginning of “Is It Always Binary” is equally matched by the choppy yet highly danceable synth work.  “Do You Want to Get Into Trouble?” mixes more industrial touches with hints of goth synths and John Carpenter synth bass.  “My Tired Eyes” is practically an industrial ballad and “Transient Program for Drums and Machinery” could be the theme song to the album – drums,analog synthesizers, and drum machines that drift back and forth, merge, split up again, and reunite in different shapes.

“Open your eyes to the heavens,” Soulwax implores on “Trespassers” –  a song that gets heavier and creepier as it rolls along to a great finish.  “The Singer Has Become a Deejay” could be a takedown on musicians who attempt to operate outside their wheelhouse, or it could just be an excellent display of Soulwax’s rhythm section and Crystal Method-like programming.  It flows right into the sharp dance track “Here Come the Men in Suits,” in which they warn these guys “will draw you in like moths” to their corporate culture, rampant consumerism, and shady economics.

The album ends with the subdued yet snarky “Goodnight Transmission,” with the lyric “There’s so much bullshit coming out of your mouth” sung in almost a slow jam R&B style before they encourage you to “put your weight on it.”  Soulwax wants us to put up or shut up.  You don’t have time for bullshit when you’re recording an entire album in one take.

You have time for this album, however.  Make time for it if you have to do so.  It’s one of the best of the year.

Keep your mind open.

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