Propaganda
Propaganda
(Bureau B)
★★★★★

GERMAN electronic pioneers Propaganda’s music first emerged in the mid-1980s. An eclectic fusion of Wagner, Abba, Simple Minds and Prince. Epic chord progressions, melodic intensity and driven production ideals. Those ideals remain firmly in tact on the new album. Founding members Michael Mertens and Ralf Dorper are joined by vocalist Thunder Bae.

Album opener They Call Me Nocebo is imbued with the nocturnal mood of vintage Propaganda but expresses itself within the context of modern dance and new electronic sounds. Purveyor of Pleasure continues that feel, full of intense rhythms, and pulsating Moog bass. The standout track is Tipping Point, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXRHGS3A3cw, a high-octane delight taking on issues of climate crisis and the rise of the far right in Europe. 

Another highlight is the instrumental track Dystopian Waltz, enriched through Mertens’ soundtrack work. The album closes with the gothic inspired If I Could Wish For Something. Propaganda is still a vital force to be reckoned with. 

David Gilmour
Luck and Strange  
(Sony Music)
★★★★★

GILMOUR says about the new album that it is his best work since Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Certainly, it continues his tradition of writing classic English Blues Rock infused curious melancholy atmospheres. It features Lyrics by his wife Polly Sampson along with vocal and harp contributions from daughter Romany Gilmour and the likes of drummer Steve Gadd and keyboard contribution from the late Rick Wright.  

Black Cat opens, a simple one-minute instrumental with piano from Roger Eno winding around a simple classic Gilmour riff. Luck and Strange, the centre piece of the album, works around a slow tempo rock line up. 

The Piper’s Call focuses on a clever chord change structure, based around acoustic guitar, with Steve Gadd’s drums featured high in the mix. Vita Brevis, another deep atmosphere instrumental, is based around harp and guitar, and Sings conjures up lock down images of isolation and contentment, both empowering and nurturing. 

Jon Hopkins  
Ritual                
(Domino Records)
★★★★★                                         

A WORK of masterful ambient leanings, pointing in the direction of deep spiritual experiences and mind-altering substances, the album stems from an installation Hopkins undertook music for, namely Dreamachine, an immersive exhibition created by Collective Act.  

Altar the opener builds on a slow drone, complete with distant echoed Tibetan peace bowls and even further distant voices, seemingly in prayer. The tempo starts to build on Place Illusion with hints of techno and trance influences. A chord structure emerges, amid an offset architectural ambition. Next up is Transcend, where ambient textures emerge as if from distant clouds. 

Dark and extra-terrestrial tones are the hallmark of The Veil. The rhythms start to pick up, influenced from tribal Aztec rhythms. Solar Goddess uses bursts of dramatic intensity. Nothing is Lost, closes the album. Utilising optimistic piano refrains and deep synth pad chords, it is a sonic feast based on strong structures and ancient spiritual influences.