Album review: Apparatjik 'We Are Here'

Apparatjik are one of the best musical ‘supergroups’ out there at the minute, yet chances are you’ve never heard of them. Comprised of Guy Berryman of Coldplay, Magne Furuholmen of A-Ha, Jonas Bjerre of Mew and eminent producer Martin Terefe, these guys shy away from the publicity circuit and let their music do the talking – to the extent that their live performances are conducted behind opaque screens.

We Are Here was actually released rather discreetly via their website only back in February, but they’re only garnering more attention now that their record is being re-released on an international scale. Those aware of the band back at the start of the year were in for a treat, and those only just discovering them now must surely be kicking themselves for not having their ears closer to the ground sooner.

With each member entering the band with their own distinct background sound and history, what has resulted is not a blatant amalgamation of these separate entities but an entirely different direction. Created instead is an array of electro-pop sounds which serve to inspire, enchant and rouse the senses.

Bursting, clashing and clanging electronics that sound like someone having a crazy time in a scrap yard ensures opening track 'Deadbeat' makes for an imposing first impression. However, these jagged instrumentals are slightly dissipated by Bjerre’s immediately recognizable intangible, higher pitched vocals, which add a transcendental ambience throughout. Add to the equation amorous lyrics buried beneath the gnarly rhythms and we have two opposing elements creating what should really be a dysfunctional sound; yet with Apparatjik they somehow complement each other and it all falls into place.

'Electric Eye' transports you to the other world that the band envisage themselves from, with vocals distorted to sound like the extra-terrestrial and building synths battling each other to be the first to flood over and propel you to a different dimension entirely. As the album progresses, early intensity gives way to lighter, more luminous melodies, with 'In A Quiet Corner' featuring exposed, slower vocals and for a brief second it feels as though the façade they have so intricately constructed is going to be slowly dismantled. Alas, before even the top layer can be fully peeled away, the pulsating beats soon reappear with just as much gusto as they demonstrated before.

The general perception at the end of the thirteen tracks is that there is nothing spectacularly new about their music, but what is there are genuinely fine examples of previously established sounds. The experimentation aspect of the record is its most appealing element and you feel compelled to listen on, as you’re never entirely sure what tangent they’re going to veer off to next. Team this with the mysterious and captivating persona they present and what’s left is a valiant effort possessing some exciting ideas and galvanizing potential. Apparatjik are most definitely here and I cannot wait to see what they have planned next.

This review was originally posted on www.culturedeluxe.com

Coldplay to keep it comin'?

Coldplay are currently holed up in a secret London studio working on their fifth studio release and the follow-up to the multi-award winning Viva La Vida. Despite claims from band members at the end of their mammoth world tour last September suggesting that although new material might be a work in progress, they clearly stated that was going to be no release date for the forseeable future. Chris Martin has apparently (much to my delight) had somewhat of a U-Turn and today declared in an interview that the new album will be out by Christmas if the band have their way.

However, EMI have already hit back and stated that this is not going to be a possibility. Yet with the severe financial trouble the label currently finds itself in, and the effect that their biggest artist has on their shares (value dropped by 16% after Coldplay delayed the release of their third album) you'd think that they'd be wanting to get the next Coldplay cash cow out as soon as possible. Ultimately, we'll just have to wait and see whether anything is released in ten months time, but with the band seemingly eager to release, EMI would be fools to try and delay.

Top 20 songs of last decade (Part Two)

After my previous slating of various songs that were considered to be outstanding from the last decade but in reality proved otherwise, I decided it was only fair to list some of the ones that I personally feel should have been included. I'm not going to re-write the entire list as I don't wholly disagree with the last one, but am just going to put a few suggestions out there that I feel should have had a look-in. Feel free to suggest your own if they've been missed out too!

In no particular order...

Arcade Fire - Wake Up
Ridiculously atmospheric, a breath-taking change half way through, beautiful orchestral music and passionate lyrics, this is a definite contender.




Jay-Z - 99 Problems
I know Jay-Z isn't everyone's cup of tea, that much was made pretty apparent by a large crowd of unimpressed faces surrounding me when I saw him 'support' Coldplay at Wembley Stadium. Whether you're a hip-hop fan or not, you can't deny that the lyrics of this song aren't an incredibly thought - provoking social commentary. The prominent addition of percussion to a rap track was pretty impressive as well. He's built an empire (including his own record label) from scratch and paved the way for current and emerging hip hop artists, plus he married one of the biggest selling female artists of our generation. Not bad going for a disadvantaged kid from Brooklyn.




Coldplay - In My Place
Although the success of some of their more recent songs seems to have eclipsed their earlier releases, In My Place remains, for me, one of the best tracks of recent years. The first few drum beats before the guitar kicks in are instantly recognisable, and the sweeping crescendo key change at the start of the chorus has sparked thousands of yearning sign-a-longs. This song also marked the point in their career where they progressed from sentimental indie musicians into mainstream soft rock stars. Their first album was released in 2000, but it wasn't until In My Place in 2003 that they really started to gather a strong following and develop into one of the biggest bands in the world by the time the decade was done.




The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army

For a Jack White creation not to be included in any list categorising some of the best music of the decade would in all honesty, be a bit of a travesty. One of the most influential artists of the last decade and fearless leader of the 'super-'group' movement, White has thrust himself upon our earlobes via three different incarnations; The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and more recently The Dead Weather. 

After they made waves with their single 'Fell in Love with a Girl', it was Seven Nation Army that really made everyone sit up and pay attention to the Stripes duo. Never has single drum beat and a lone guitar riff sounded so addictively irresistible, and by the time the more perplexing and raucous bridge and chorus kick in, you know that you want to be signing up to White's Army too.

Top 20 songs of last decade (Part One)

Over the New Year period, Channel 4 decided to broadcast the twenty best songs of the last decade. All I can say is that I really hope whoever voted has been living in a cave for the past ten years, because if this is the best music that they've heard in that amount of time then I pity them greatly. For those of you who didn't watch it, here's the rundown...

20: Leave Right Now - Will Young
19: Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
18: Valerie - Mark Ronson ft. Amy Winehouse
17: Viva La Vida - Coldplay
16: Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
15: Mercy - Duffy
14: Patience - Take That
13: Stan - Eminem
12: I Don't Feel Like Dancin' - Scissor Sisters
11: Hey Ya! - Outkast
10: You're Beautiful - James Blunt
9: Can't Get You Out Of My Head - Kylie Minogue
8: Crazy in Love - Beyonce
7: Rule The World - Take That
6: Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
5: Rehab - Amy Winehouse
4: Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon
3: I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
2: Mr Brightside - The Killers
1: Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

Many would argue that this list is tailored to Channel 4 viewers tastes, which is why the list is entirely comprised of 'mainstream' songs. Fine, but call your programme 'Channel Four viewers' songs of the decade' instead to clarify this.

I'm not saying I disagree with the entire thing. Gnarls Barkley certainly deserve to be on the list; not only is Crazy a ridiculously catchy song, but it represented a milestone for digital media in the music industry as it was the first track to reach number one in the singles chart on download sales alone. Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand's releases heralded the resurrection of the indie era in British music and Can't Get You Out Of My Head proved that pop can be classy as well as catchy. Even though I may not be a fan it is fact, like it or not, that Eminem's emergence in the charts paved the way for rap music to become more generally accepted in popular culture.

It is undeniable that Ruby is a ridiculously catchy song. But one of the best written, both lyrically and musically, over the past ten years? No way. Lead singer Ricky Wilson himself admitted that the entire song is based on about three notes. Combine that with the ridiculously repetitive lyrics and you may have  a hit single, but not a well written track.

It is a similar situation for the Snow Patrol track, though at least Ruby came towards the bottom of the list. Chasing Cars is a good song. The harmonies and lyrics are meaningful and thought out, and it's popularity has increased after it's increased usage on tv shows and adverts. Yet we all know that just because lots of people buy it, it's still not necessarily an outstanding song. Bob the Builder was one of the biggest selling songs of the last decade for crying out loud. When I think of the last ten years, this song wouldn't even register in my head as a possible contender, let alone winner.

Whereas now we can look back and say that the Beatles' 'She Loves You', 'Son of a Preacher Man' by Dusty Springfield or 'I Got You Babe' by Sonny and Cher were stand-out songs of the 60s, I don't believe that half of these tracks listed will be considered in the same high esteem as these older tracks are when we look back at the noughties in forty years time. I don't think this is because there were not enough memorable and incredibly produced songs over the last ten years, far from it. It's just perhaps the general music buying public has become far too content in their acceptance of mediocre lyrics and music.

Enchanting us with their Electric Eye

With new bands popping up every day, it is often hard to discover the really good few mixed in amongst the hundreds of mediocre. It is therefore not very regularly that I get as excited about a band as I have about Apparatjik.

Pronounced 'app-a-rat-chick', this is quite possibly the most understated super group of recent years. Comprised of Magne Furuholmen from a-ha, Guy Berryman from Coldplay, Jonas Bjerre from Mew and producer Martin Terefe, the band originally formed to create the title track 'Ferreting' for BBC's 'Amazon' series. Yet after producing the commissioned track, the four continued to create music in Magne's Norwegian studio and have just released their first official single 'Electric Eye' on limited edition vinyl.

With a sound based around experimental electro-rock, the band state that they sound like 'no one else' and although that's a big statement, they may not be far wrong. Despite hints of Sigur Ros in their instrumental pieces, I can honestly think of nobody else in the industry at the minute that is making music quite like these guys. Experimental rock and electro is continually in development, yet very little of it seems to sound quite so appealing or developed as Apparatjik's music does.

The mystery and experimental aspects of the band are reflected in most other features of their production as well. Their website is a myriad of cubes within cubes, bringing up images of the band, random youtube videos they have found amusing, brief flickers of the Batman Joker image and scans of book pages describing quantum physics. Their debut performance is due next month in Berlin, and it has been reported that this will take place inside a cube not dissimilar to the one cryptically depicted on their website. Hopefully this live showing will not be a one-off; the band have far too much talent to exhibit on a few tracks alone, and they deserve to have music listeners regard them in the high esteem they warrant.

http://www.apparatjik.com/
www.myspace.com/apparatjik

Christmas Crackers: Day 1

It's December, which means it's time to get ready for Christmas. No, I'm not putting up my tree quite yet, but it's only three weeks away (or just over) and people spend longer time than that getting excited before they go on holiday. So to get everyone in the spirit I am going to post a different Christmas song performed by a band or artist each day.

Today's offering is one of my favourites, Coldplay's cover of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas'. Originally released on their 'Mince Spies' EP (they can write puns as well as songs), it was also re-recorded in Radio One's Live Lounge a couple of years back and received a great response. The epitome of a great Christmas song, it puts a smile on your face and makes you want to snuggle up in front of a log fire.

The Song Remains The Same

I got into a discussion with my friend on Saturday night over, namely, Coldplay and the Kooks. I’m not afraid to admit that I like either; neither set out with the intention to revolutionise the music industry so we are in no position to criticise when they haven’t.

Anyway, we were not discussing their credibility on the music scene, but more the sound of their songs. My friend believes they are too ‘same-y’ and that their material is essentially just slight variations of each other. I maintain it’s simply their musical style we hear; there is an obvious distinction between ‘Yellow’ and ‘Viva La Vida’, for example.

When you hear a song, you can usually distinguish a band by analysing several components. Soft rock guitar? Check. Sporadic infusions of drums and piano? Check. Chris Martin’s somewhat effeminate voice? Check. It must be Coldplay! But these elements that supposedly makes Coldplay’s work ‘same-y’ are surely applicable to any band. If you listen to many Beatles albums, aside from the natural progression they display as a band, the recognisable Liverpudlian tones and pop permeated guitar strummings conjure up that fuzzy feeling of familiarity inside you. But do you hear anyone really harp on about all the Beatles tracks sounding the same as each other? No, they wouldn’t dare.

Nowadays we expect too much from our music and the artists in general. Fifty years ago popular music was still very much in its developmental stages, and the limited number of recording artists reflected that. Fast forward and we now have hundreds of new bands attempting to infiltrate their way into our musical sub-conscience every day. We are spoilt for choice and as a result expect substantial variety in order to reflect the supply and demand. The fact is, with a band, such as Coldplay, their individual sound is not the repetitive problem we have here. It simply comes down to the fact that the genres have been over-saturated with bands competing for the same audience and our expectant selves have become too gluttonous.