New Depeche Mode remix album in April
The new Depeche Mode remix album will be released early April 2011.
For those who didn’t know yet; remix duties have been executed by Alan Wilder (Recoil and ex-Depeche Mode – “In chains”), Vince Clarke (Yazoo, Erasure, ex-Depeche Mode – “Behind the wheel”), Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes, New Order’s Bernard Sumner, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow. Other unconfirmed names which have popped up include Aphex Twin, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs!, Brandon Flowers of The Killers and Arcade Fire.
More news will follow 
Yazoo – Chinese Detective – Cover
Really nice cover of an old Yaz classic
Based on the live BBC recording – Sequenced using a BBC Master computer with UMI-3s sequencer
The lost Yazoo track – Get set – reappears
It’s been a long time coming (almost 30 years!) but the Yazoo track “Get Set” is finally getting an official release as it features as an exclusive bonus track on pre-orders for the iTunes release of “Reconnected Live”. The previously unreleased and much sought after “Get Set”, was originally recorded in 1983 and used as the theme to the BBC Children’s TV show “Get Set For Summer”. Order it right here.
Recorded live in Summer 2008 it features classic tracks from Yazoo’s albums “Upstairs At Eric’s” and “You And Me Both”, including “Only You”, “Don’t Go”, “Situation” or tracks such as “Nobody’s Diary” which are performed live for the first time ever.
Teaser below:
Yazoo – Reconnected Live (sampler) by MuteRecords
No hopes for a new Yazoo album
Alison Moyet has drowned all hope to see both her and Vince Clarcke back in the studio anytime soon. Moyet, who is working on an electronic project, got a question from a fan who asked whether Clarke would be working with her on the new material.
She said this: “I think the notion for me to work with Vince was a good one. We intended while touring to see what we might come up with but the reality of a tour that is brief and unlikely to be repeated meant the focus stayed on the job in hand. Added to which, Vince had acquired some new animation software that occupied his spare time and I made the most of seeing places I had not explored on earlier outings. The fact that we live in different continents and he was soon to be writing for the next Erasure album meant that the opportunity escaped us and normal lives resumed. It was a nice idea but the moment passed. We have not talked about finding time for it since.”
Teaser of the reconnected Yazoo
A short reminder of how Yazoo’s 2008 reunion came about, incorporating vintage Yazoo videos, interview footage with Alison Moyet and comment from Mute Records’ Daniel Miller and journalist Paul Morley.
Yazoo’s ‘Reconnected Live’ album will be released as a 2-CD set on September 27th (UK) and September 28th (US) in standard and deluxe editions.
www.yazooinfo.com
A brand new Yazoo video trailer has been released including a short reminder of how Yazoo’s 2008 reunion came about – incorporating vintage Yazoo videos, Yazoo interview footage with Alison Moyet and comments from Mute Records’ Daniel Miller and journalist Paul Morley.
Yazoo’s “Reconnected Live” album will be released as a 2-CD set on September 27th (UK) and September 28th (US) in standard and deluxe editions.
New live album from Yazoo
We reported already on a scheduled Yazoo live album, but it has now also been confirmed officially. To be released on 27th September 2010 is the Yazoo double live CD “Reconnected live”. The live album will also be released on LCD and download. Recorded live in Summer 2008 it features classic tracks from Yazoo’s albums “Upstairs At Eric’s” and “You And Me Both”, including “Only You”, “Don’t Go”, “Situation” or tracks such as “Nobody’s Diary” which are performed live for the first time ever.
Exclusive interview with Swedish synth-maestro Eddie Bengtsson
Page is currently celebrating 30 years as performing artsist on the Swedish synthpop stage and are currently planning summer gigs after the release of their first new album in 10 years. Stereoklang got an one on one interview with the synth pioneer Eddie Bengtsson, who’s electronic music really kick started the Swedish synth-pop scene in the 80’s, active in Page, Sista Mannen På Jorden (Last man on earth) and This Fish Needs a Bike. Page really became the Swedish answer to Yazoo/Erasure, OMD, and Depeche Mode, and made ground for popular acts like Elegant Machinery, S.P.O.C.K and many others. In this interview we have invaded Eddie’s home studio to take a closer look at the synthesizers and music production gear he uses and what it really takes to make a great synth-pop song.
Neatly mounted in a corner of a 10sq/m room, sharing the space with Star Trek memorabilia and a huge vinyl record collection, several of the classic hardware synthesizers are hooked up and ready to bleep. Although Eddie tells me he have had to sell of several synthesizers from a logistical point of view I enjoy finding vintage gear like the Moog Rouge, a Korg DW 6000 and the personal favorite of Eddie’s the Yamaha CS15 (used on every album), coupled with recently acquired gems like the Moog Little Phatty, the Moog Voyager and then some modern virtual analogs like microKORG and Yamaha CX1x.
What is used use for what
The CX1 is used as the mother keyboard and the DW 6000 mainly for strings. ”Sound 11 is a personal favorite” Eddie says☺. You can for example find it also on all S.P.O.C.K songs. If Eddie on the other hand only were to take one synthesizer with him to a deserted island it would be the CS15. In fact Eddie tells me that due to the flexible routing and filters; he’s able clone the bass sounds of all other synthesizers with it, if you treat it nicely. Perhaps the only drawback is the useless noise generator, which is too weak, although a weakness that many synthesizers has as he puts it.
Neatly tucked under racks of synthesizers a well hidden Roland S760 sampler can be found. Curious about the fact that this particular device hasn’t been replaced by software versions already, Eddie admits that years of collecting disketts has made him somewhat lazy, somewhere among all those hundreds of disketts there is always that one with the right sound. But I wouldn’t be surprised if that device will be left out from future productions in favor of software alternatives.
The lazy side of Eddie shines through on several occasions during the interview and for the last two records other people have contributed in replacing sounds with updated versions. However, the new Page album actually came as a turning point for him and a lot of hard work has gotten into it, resulting in more focus on sound search and music production then before.
Moving on to the next rack of synthesizers Eddie tells me that the microKORG is actually a very capable machine used primarily for strings and pads. The Rouge on the other hand is the real stage machine and a trade mark for Page in live sets. It’s compact and easy to bring, cool looking and splendid for single oscillator sounds. (Indecently the Rouge uses the same circuitry as the Taurus II Bass Pedals). (Listen to this song, all sounds by the Rouge by Hannes Rasmus. http://www.vintagesynth.com/audio/moogtheroguedemo.mp3 ) Other old gems like the Roland SH02 and Moog Prodigy have been replaced with new bass and sequencer gear; the Moog Little Phatty, as you can easily spot on the new Page album.
Why all the Moogs?
Easy answer would be that everyone is talking about them, prestigious and expensive stuff that is. And although proud to have them, some drawbacks can be found also here; the sound is a bit chilly and there is no noise generator to be found at all, as with the Prophet 8, it takes forever to heat up and sometimes the oscillators are not really in sync. The Voyager is really a beast and lit up it looks really impressive. Currently it’s mainly used to discover cool sounds in the studio it might end up on the stage some day. “But why on earth did they implement this totally useless performance pad on it, when turning the knobs is the way to do it and it is not even multi-touch, which might have given it some extra advantages”. I asked what’s next and Eddie kind of suggests that a DSI Mopho might end up on the rack within short.
Where do you start making a song?
“Never, or very seldom, I have an idea or the song in my head. When I feel like making new songs I always start off with a bass, then adding drums, melody and finally the vocals. I really need to get the beat going first.” >>>>>
Read the rest of the article here >>
Electric Independence feat Vince Clarke
Vince Clarke is a man synonymous with synth pop and a legend in the history of electronic music. He’s famous for founding three of the most popular and lasting musical acts in history: Depeche Mode, Yazoo and Erasure. But his distinct sonic output depends upon another feat: he has spent the last 30 years amassing one of the world’s most impressive collections of rare, ‘holy grail’ analogue synthesizers.
In 2004, Clarke left England for the unsynthesized woods of Maine, where he constructed a temple for these monolithic machines he calls ‘The Cabin,”. and began branching out into (gasp!) software synths too. Recently Motherboard made a pilgrimage to Clarke’s purpose-built digital/analogue studio to meet the musical titan, hear the story of his musical journey, learn how to make the perfect pop song, and get a little demonstration of one of his signature moves: building a drum pattern from a wall of modular synths. To Clarke, music is still magic even now, an alchemy in which he gets to make “something from nothing.
Yazoo on tour again (finally)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOaWHqhvB_o]
Yes its true – they are back on stage – after what -20 years or so!! As you can see from the live performance video above, they have a contemporary light show and Vince Clarke is laptop based and running Logic and various soft-synths.
Native Instruments recently posted an interview with Vince Clarke on their site here
Well enjoy and make sure to find out more here >> http://www.yazooinfo.com/.
Yazoo – in the spotlight this summer
Nice interview in Release Magazine >>
This summer a dream will come through for many synthpop fans out there as the classic UK band Yazoo return to the stage after 25 years of silence. Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet will be on the road from May 27 to July 17 on their “Reconnected” tour; playing in Denmark, Germany, Ireland, UK, Spain and finally also the US. Release got the opportunity to ask Vince Clarke some questions about the comeback.
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