New Wave Outpost Forum

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2018 3:02 pm**

I have to agree. Just recently listened again to "Information" and, while it's not as slick as later releases, it certainly is much more interesting from the lyrical point of view, such a wide range of themes - and themes I'm much more interested in. Also, Virginia's vocals actually sound a part of the overall sound, not the main ingredient (sometimes overpowering) as with Terri. I'd love to hear the same themes as on "Information" performed now in (or approaching) Berlin style of 1982-84

Of course if Crawford, Nunn and Diamond are at all capable of that!

I wonder what it is with that New Wave sound of roughly 1978-81 that makes one return to it again and again. Quite an addiction! While I love synthpop, it sometimes is just too slick, lacking that live element - and that where New Wave comes in, sounding refreshing and energetic. Music played by humans comes across as more, well, human, more alive. Perhaps sequencers are to blame...

Posted: **Tue Jan 23, 2018 7:36 am**

Passing_Stranger wrote:I have to agree. Just recently listened again to "Information" and, while it's not as slick as later releases, it certainly is much more interesting from the lyrical point of view, such a wide range of themes - and themes I'm much more interested in. Also, Virginia's vocals actually sound a part of the overall sound, not the main ingredient (sometimes overpowering) as with Terri. I'd love to hear the same themes as on "Information" performed now in (or approaching) Berlin style of 1982-84 :D Of course if Crawford, Nunn and Diamond are at all capable of that!

I wonder what it is with that New Wave sound of roughly 1978-81 that makes one return to it again and again. Quite an addiction! While I love synthpop, it sometimes is just too slick, lacking that live element - and that where New Wave comes in, sounding refreshing and energetic. Music played by humans comes across as more, well, human, more alive. Perhaps sequencers are to blame...

I hear exactly what you are saying. I differentiate this period as "technopop" instead of "synthpop." The former being the precursor or the latter, as it were. It almost comes down to what was used for rhythm: a drummer or a drum machine. Of course, my favorite approach is when the two schools were mixed, as with Ultravox. The difference is the blending of machines and traditional instruments versus pure synthetics. The latter is a bit dry and perfunctory for my tastes. As such, As much as I like music by Depeche Mode and Pet Shop Boys, or even Erasure, I don't rate it as highly as I do for music that came earlier, like The Buggles or early OMD. Music that was more hybridized. I think it was the tensions between the two approaches that were most interesting to me.

New Wave Outpost Forum

BERLIN: upcoming 2017 album with John Crawford

Re: BERLIN: upcoming 2017 album with John Crawford

Re: BERLIN: upcoming 2017 album with John Crawford