Scarlet Soho Answers 5

A few months ago, I got a hold of Scarlet Soho’s “Warpaint” (link) and have been stuck on it. I am a sucker for good synthpop, but as I have said before about Scarlet Soho: they are not sitting around and rehashing the past. They may be entrenched in a genre that came to fame in the 80s, but their relevancy and urgency is something here and now. It is infectious and addictive, and after following them on Twitter for the past few weeks (laughing my butt off on more than one occasion), I reached out to the band, and they were more than happy to answer a few questions for SlowdiveMusic Blog. My personal thanks to Scarlet for taking the time to Answer 5.



1. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

SCARLET: We've got quite a wide range of influences, a lot of ideas slip into the songs and the live show without us realising it. The 80s thing gets mentioned a lot but I there are aspects of the band that probably originate from the first wave of British punk bands in the 70s and louder bands like Faith No More. I also think there is an underlying element of humour in SS that most other electro bands lack. I think that is very important.

2. Your sophomore effort, "Warpaint," is very different than your debut in atmosphere. What were the differences in how you approached the writing and recording of your second album to your first?

SCARLET: “Warpaint” is a far more cohesive record. The songs all came from the same writing period whereas the first record was considerably more spread out timewise. It's different in tone as well; it's a more upbeat album as a whole. When we recorded “Divisions...” the third member at the time had just left the band rather acrimoniously, so Jim and I had to do the entire album alone and work out what we were going to do next. I think that had a massive effect on the way the album ended up sounding. “Warpaint” was troublesome to complete for different reasons - our producer had a mental breakdown during the recording, so James and myself were left to pretty much do the whole thing ourselves. We're currently writing and demo-ing tracks for album #3, which we're hoping to put out as quickly as is humanly possible!!!

3. I am always very interested in gear, especially with electro acts. So here are three things I am curious about: analogue or digital? Studio equipment versus live? Favorite guitar?

SCARLET: We tend to prefer analogue-sounding noises but use digital gear to get it. When you're flying out to do a show in Germany for example, I only want to worry about the welfare of my bass! We pride ourselves in being one of the only truly live electro bands around. We played a show in Berlin last week where someone had the audacity to tell Jim that it was "all playback" and "only the vocal was live." This is utter bullshit!!!!! A lot of bands no longer bother and put everything on a backing track; it may ensure that the show sounds good consistently but it's DULL!!!!! We relish in our mis-hit notes and occasional wonkiness! It's what live is all about - the unknown. My bass is my favourite guitar. I've looked at others but they never compare. It's an absolute work of beauty and I love it as much as is possible to love an inanimate object. Just look at it?!!!!



4. In general, why do you think Continental Europeans are more receptive to electro acts than the British or Americans?

SCARLET: It's difficult to say really. They definitely do seem to have a better idea of what we are doing as a band than people over here in the UK. But I'm not sure if that's down to them collectively being more open to something a little different or if it's just because British people are rubbish...

5. Any plans on coming over to the States? Any words for your American fans?

SCARLET: We would love to come to the States! I'll have words with our agent! There's nothing planned as yet but it's definitely something we would like to do in the near future! If anyone can help out with that, drop us a line!!! Any words for our American fans...?

'Favourite'. It has a 'u' in it. Innit.

Thanking you!

Keep up with Scarlet Soho at MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter. Read more ...

Catching up with Scarlet Soho and Dead by April

A friend, Bloodybones, and I were chatting online the other day, and inevitably the conversation always turns to music – of course, after we slagged off a few of our mutual friends. One thing we started commenting on was how music, recently, is much like the 80s in the sense that there seems to be a diversity that is generally accepted. It is not like the 90s, when both the mainstream and underground scenes prioritized certain forms of music. Instead, there seems to be a wider range of music that people are engaging. I remember the 80s not just for my band haircuts (though I really liked the one when I had blue and white hair simultaneously), but also for the fact that people were not willing to define themselves strictly by one scene or subculture. That sort of feeling is coming back, and oddly enough this posting is a reflection of that. From synthpop to metalcore, these two bands are arguably polar opposite of one another. Yet, I fancy that most people would be willing to listen to both and enjoy them equally. So welcome to the world of Scarlet Soho and Dead by April (thanks to Bloodybones for reviewing them), and I hope you enjoy.

Scarlet Soho: “Warpaint”

Five years ago I came across the “Division of Decency” album by Scarlet Soho; it was one of those albums that you liked as a guilty pleasure, played the shit out of, but always thought that the band could bring their game up a few notches. Other than the music, one of the things that caught my eye in this duo was the twist in stereotypical roles. Scarlet, the woman, was not the vocalist, but rather a programmer and musician. James Knight, the man, was the vocalist and programmer. (Live Stuart Key completes the lineup.) From Eurythmics to Yazzo to Goldfrapp, the role has usually been the woman singing, while the guy shyly hid behind synths. Not so here, which was as refreshing as their sound, so I wanted more. I waited. And waited. The years went by and by, and nothing. Imagine my surprise when I came across this import in the City – yeah, yeah, yeah, as soon as I got back to my car I started blasting this really loud along Avenue B.

"Warpaint was released on 27 March 2009, and there is no qualm here with wanting to sound like an 80s synthpop band. However, technology has come a long way. Those Atari sounding effects are not present; instead there is a luscious soundscape that is easy to escape into it. Further, I really do not think that the comparisons to Depeche Mode or the New Romantics do any justice to Scarlet Soho. Just like Superoscope in terms of electric body music, Scarlet Soho may know the past, may have assimilated the past, but they are treading new inroads into the future. This is not the synthpop that I grew up with. The sounds are darker, the drums/percussion more pronounced, and there is a quality of urgency to the music that points to the fact that it is meant for live performance. This is rare in synthpop.

Whether you find yourself dancing to “Analogue Dialogue (Kill the Beat)” or reminded of Bauhaus with “Under Strict Surveillance,” what you will not get is the same song twice. Heady, but not overwhelming, poppy but not superficial, the album has the umpf in it to appeal to those who like cutting edge, underground music, while the music is easily digestible by a mainstream audience. It is a great combination, a winning one, just ask Depeche Mode.



Track Listing:
1. I Dare
2. Model of Control
3. Analogue Dialogue (Kill the Beat)
4. Cyclone
5. This Nausea
6. Under Strict Surveillance
7. Speak Your Mind
8. Satellites
9. Is Growing Up the Best That We Can Do?
10. Lights Out London
11. Modern Radio
12. Isolation
13. Programmed to Perfection
14. Electric Fence

Keep up with Scarlet Soho at MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here is their video for “Speak Your Mind" from the majorvid (Major Records) YouTube Channel.



Dead by April: “Dead by April”

The self-titled debut album from Sweden's Dead by April (13 May 2009, available as an import in the US) is described by the band themselves as a "pop metal explosion,” but it left me with mixed feelings. The good news is the record starts off strong and stays that way. I'm a sucker for mixing things up, which is why the synth lead in and then abrupt kick to the face from the guitars and drums on the first track "Trapped" got my attention immediately. These guys have an interesting style with the way they write actual melodies (good melodies) with metalcore. Yes, I said "good melodies" and "metalcore" in the same sentence.

While musically Dead by April’s offering shows strong musicianship from its members with elegant arrangements and solid production, I have to point out that lyrically I felt let down. While I can understand a songwriter's point of view and their need to express themselves, I just found the lyrical content too repetitive. The central theme of the whole record revolves around love and loss. Like I said, while I can appreciate a songwriter's expressiveness, I found myself ignoring the lyrics around "What Can I Say" and paying more attention to the music. On the plus side the vocal melody still compliments the music.

Overall I have to say it's a very strong first offering; let's see what they bring to the table with their sophomore effort.



Track Listing:
1. Trapped
2. Angels of Clarity
3. Losing You
4. What Can I Say
5. Erased
6. Promise Me
7. Falling Behind
8. Sorry for Everything
9. In My Arms
10. Stronger
11. Carry Me
12. A Promise
13. I Made It
14. Leave Falling – limited edition
15. My Savior – UK version
16. Losing You, alternate version

Keep up with Dead by April on their homepage and MySpace.

Check out their video for “Losing You” and a live performance of “In My Arms” from their YouTube Channel: deadbyaprilvideo.



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