The first one is the London-based genre-busting four piece, Spektrum. With one smash debut album Enter The Spektrum released on Germany’s acclaimed Playhouse imprint already tucked under their belt - which saw the birth of globally-renowned singles Breaker, Freakbox and Kinda New - Spektrum are back at last. ‘Fun at The Gymkhana Club’, for UKs Nonstop Recordings, features singles Horny Pony, ‘May Day’ and latest offering and blistering dance floor wobbler, ‘Don’t Be Shy. Fun At… exudes the playful elements of Spektrums multifaceted personality. As well as boasting a tongue-in-cheek title - horseplay and cheeky hi-jinks taking place within the confines of the Pony Club establishment - the Gymkhana Club is also a term that refers to world of colonialism. This new album from Spektrum oozes with alternative undercurrents - they have stormed the Club and messed up all the codes. And its up to you to decipher them. ‘Fun At… provides an absorbing visual landscape. Opening up with the marching scenes of ‘May Day’ - all thigh-high leather boots and tight uniforms, we then slip into ‘Horny Pony - all galloping fillies, whips and stirrups. Next up is ‘Moody Feels Good’, a wall-climbing blur of psychedelia. We then get dragged onto the light-up dance floor with Dont Be Shy, and pulled straight off into the darker back room antics of Cedar. Sugar Bowl brings us down a level, lost in clouds and bubbles everywhere. The Bones is a brisk walk into the realities of daylight which soon transforms into a confused stagger into the bloodshot sunset ahead of Cut Me Off. Fit Together take us up into the clouds once more, hovering over the planet in a moment of reflective glory only to be brought down sharply, soles of feet firmly hitting the ground, with Build An Army, which leads us by the hand into The Mirror Man - the albums final march across the Spektrum landscape. Phew. While most live bands of 2006 aim to recreate the post-punk sound of the ‘late 70s/early 80s era, Spektrum are set on creating a new, innovative, sound - which ‘Fun At…’ is overflowing with. Influences from the funk, punk and electro are key, but Spektrum never try to mimic, but rather expand and develop. The styles range from electrofied punk (May Day), rock with an electro-funk edge (Mirror Man), through to the British live band’ exploration of post-Timbaland R&B (Cut Me Off, The Bones), through to song-based dance music (‘Moody Feels Good’, ‘Build An Army’). Spektrum are also one of the hottest live acts the UK has to offer. A contemporary fusion of ESG, Grace Jones and the Slits, they perform all over the world from Portugal, Paris, New York and Berlin, through to New Zealand, Australia and, er, Brighton. Spektrum are Lola Olafisoye, Gabriel Olegavich, Isaac Tucker and Teia Williams. __________|The second one is a new prog band consisting of members from GALLEON, CROSS and GRAND STAND as well as the female singer, the extraordinaire Lizette von Panajotte. The name SPEKTRUM not only refers to the optical term, but also to the different musical background of the band members. All the key elements are here: dynamics, intricate playing, great solos and foundation rattling bass pedals. And the result is excellent: melodic with female vocals of a quality rarely heard in the genre and refreshing progressive rock with strong compositions and a spotless production. __________|The third one is a Drum and Bass DJ, originally from NYC but now located in Kalamazoo, MI. |
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