Electrelane
Take note - it wasn’t always this way, but today, the ladies in Electrelane are Verity Susman (Keys, Vocals, Guitar, Sax and Clarinet), Emma Gaze (Drums), Mia Clarke (Guitar and Vocals) and Ros Murray (Bass). They are four people from Brighton, on England’s beautiful south coast.
The first incarnation of the band released its debut single ‘Film Music’ seven years ago through Denial Records, an off shoot of renowned local label Skint, and followed it with the release of ‘Le Song’ on Fierce Panda before starting up their own label, the invigoratingly titled Let’s Rock Records. But on their first album, ‘Rock It To The Moon’, which they recorded later that year and released early the next, Electrelane weren’t rocking particularly hard at all – not conventionally, at least – eschewing vocals and traditional song structure all together in exchange for delivering instrumental, almost cinematic music, the like of which they deemed far more interesting.
They’d also undergo a line up change or two before the first LP would hit the shelves, original bassist Tracy Houdek leaving the band to be replaced first by Rupert Noble (to this day the only fella ever to have been in Electrelane) and then by Rachel Dalley. Guitarist Mia Clarke would also step in to fill the void left by the departing Debbie Ball, in a role which she holds ‘til this day. And after all that, their debut album was eventually released in April of 2001.
‘Course, those who heard it fell head over heels for it. But it wasn’t until the release of their second LP ‘The Power Out’ that people started to fall in love on a larger scale. Recorded with Steve Albini in Chicago, the songs featured the first recorded instances of vocals on an Electrelane release, and despite being decidedly more structured in places, it was also an experimental and very brave work which took lyrical pointers from Nietzsche and Siegfriend Sassoon, utilised enormous choirs and had the girls singing in three different languages. It’s a frankly stunning record.
Heading back to record the follow up (although without Rachel Dalley, who was replaced on bass by old friend Ros Murray) in Chicago again with Albini (hey, if it ain’t broke…), Electrelane’s next LP would be an even greater step in to the unknown. Choosing to record the record all but live, the resulting ‘Axes’ is a bracing work yet again full of affecting songwriting but this time given a much harsher edge. They followed its release with a compilation of singles and b-sides, and most recently, their fourth album proper. ‘No Shouts No Calls’ is its title, and the experiments of ‘Axes’ seem to have more than paid off – unless Electrelane rush release another LP before December’s out, nothing else will sound like it all year.
ELECTRELANE OFFICIAL: Flashy but not imposing, this fine little site offers videos, tour blogs, eternal life…
ELECTRELANE MYSPACE: If you’re unfamiliar with the band, head here and listen to ‘Birds’. Only if you’ve got enough cash spare to subsequently buy their entire back catalogue, however – it’s an inevitable consequence.
ELECTRELANE @ TOO PURE: They do the label site thing well, these guys – a discography, marvellous gallery and tour dates for you here.
ELECTRELANE @ BEGGARS USA: The US label gives Too Pure a run for their money though, offering MP3 downloads and e-cards for all’a y’all.
ON PARADE: A highlight from ‘The Power Out’ assessed.
TO THE EAST: The first single from the current LP ‘No Shouts No Calls’ is pondered over.
THE POWER OUT: We get characteristically but excusably giddy about the band’s masterpiece.
LIVE IN LONDON 2004: In support to kindred spirits Le Tigre.
FLIM MUSIC:
TO THE EAST:
BLUE STRAGGLER: