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Beyond the algorithm

In a music scene that is nearly impossible to be heard, yet alone be noticed, #WEATNU has been fighting for experimental music since the summer of 2014. Starting by forming the group We the New Underground, on Soundcloud that summer, but that was just the beginning of an idea that became a movement and finally a label that artists could stand behind

In this world we have formed, the musician is appreciated, not underrated. It is a city all its own, a hub for artists who long to be found, found by anyone they can. The seeker who wishes for something more than top 40 finds it here. Along with the many artists who release to us, with other sub-labels connected, forming a network, a machine for the avant-garde, a world that is so well hidden, few know about it, yet alone care to seek it out, but it’s there, and it’s been building for these 8 years. That machine is a self-running creation, that is helping the indie artist.

In a digital realm that is vast, a small drop of water that is made creates quiet ripples across the digital ocean. The original logo becomes those quiet ripples moving across the music scene.

The mainstream is this imaginary wall that we all fighting. #WEATNU didn’t climb that wall, we tunneled under it, forming our own underground. Using the internet as that underground, an underground that long existed, before this movement was made, even before the internet itself was conceived.

The mainstream is this imaginary wall that we all fighting. #WEATNU didn’t climb that wall, we tunneled under it, forming our own underground. Using the internet as that underground, an underground that long existed, before this movement was made, even before the internet itself was conceived.

We are the New Underground –

The Underground scene

The underground has always been the hidden driving force behind the music. When mainstream was releasing Disco in the 70’s, people in their own world were creating punk and later Joy Division starting the post-punk movement. Then the 80’s, while New wave was jamming and pop radio was pushing synth-pop. Industrial began to surface with groups like Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, Skinny Puppy, NIN, Ministry and Severed Heads then from Belgium, EBM came forth, with Front242 and UK, Nitzer Ebb. When dance was huge, Richie Hawtin in a club in the Detroit scene was spinning techno, then later DnB, Jungle, Electronica in the UK, and Vaperwave, Lo-fi, Synthwave, Retrowave, Dream pop on the internet. And concluding, one scene building off another, connecting them somewhat with each other.

The experimental end of this spectrum began with early hits from Coldcut, Ninja Tune, WARP Records Aphex Twin, Autechre, Squarepusher thus the IDM scene. Then trickling down to, Underworld, Boards of Canada, Tycho, Tosca, GusGus, and Röyksopp showing us the downtempo and chillout field of things. Each scene is born direct from the underground. A small niche of people find the music, and it drives straight to the heart of what they are longing to hear.

WEATNU encompasses all of these sub-genres in (4) labels.

A free existence to a musician is key to survival in a corp music world, and everything we do is free to the artist.

#WEATNU 2023

WEATNU Records

Housing all forms of electronic music, avant-garde, experimental and ever-evolving underground styles we are the bleeding edge of the DIY scene.

WEATNU Records – Founded 2014

IFMACA Productions

Our cinematic/chillout label and company for royalty free stock media, formed in 2021, and slowly rising to help composers who make film-related music, that you can listen to and enjoy.

IFMACA Productions – founded Summer 2021
Our library of composers continues to build

Transmission Nova

The post-punk/shoegaze of Transmission Nova, alongside goth and alt-rock of the 90’s.

Opened in 2022
Transmission Nova – Founded Nov 2021, launched 2022.

Synthesis Noir

And this year Synthesis Noir, our latest sub-label will house, EBM/Industrial, Darkwave, and Coldwave music.

Synthesis Noir – Founded 2023 (opens Summer)


Internet radio

WEATNU [OUR] Online Underground Radio, playing 24/7 on rotation all music that is uploaded to us.
Freely send music to us.

WEATNU [OUR] playing the best of the underground, 24/7 Electronic, Avant-garde and beyond.

Alongside our sister station, Transmission Nova – WEATNU [OUR], which also plays Indie rock and shoegaze, goth, etc. Transmission Nova radio was the first before its label came years later.

Transmission Nova – WEATNU [OUR] 24/7 | Indie Rock/Post-punk/Shoegaze and Alternative. Internet radio: Playing the best of the Underground 24/7

Our movement hones in on “The Underground” of this modern era, where people are making music directly from their small bedrooms, tiny studio in their apt/flat. That obscure musician on YouTube you’ve never heard of, or the lonely talented musician that wants to be heard.

Along the way #WEATNU has formed Radio | Label | Magazine | and in 2023 formed its net-label to help the artist, who may not wish to sell their work, but instead be appreciated for it, under creative-commons licensing through archive.org.

#WEATNU – Net-label

WEATNU Records – net-label on archive.org – under creative-commons licensing. (opened 2023)

WEATNU continues to influence the indie scene

The image of #WEATNU – becomes invisible radio waves moving across the music scene, beyond web apps, beyond software barriers, and beyond the algorithm of social media, resisting restraint from the corp world. An idea is carried across the ocean, and around the world.

mind map of #WEATNU (c) 2023

Artists from different parts of the world

Artists from many places around the globe join us, we are a world-wide event. It started in the UK and spread to Australia, and now Russia where The Underground still thrives, thanks to the pioneers who keep it going; those early 80’s artists.

Artists and fans are given new options also in 2023, now that we have our network website.

Forum and social gathering

WEATNU Network – social network + forum, opened 2023

A free to join forum / social gathering for people to come together and share music, and to join #WEATNU, where one simply becomes part of the community, sharing each others music on the internet.

We are the New Underground seems to be influencing the music scene, in some way, by the people who hear the music we release to the internet. Those unknown musicians suddenly find a niche audience.
There are micro communities across the world and have been for years, and WEATNU is here as the lighthouse for all to see from endless miles on that digital ocean we are traveling over.

Some artists who have come through our doors went on to become semi-famous, even successful and some were already this way before they arrived, only needing a boost for their self-esteem or finding a new audience, even enjoying the community we have here.
For every person who can be helped here, they find their niche audience, and this continues to happen, due to the power of the internet.

What we offer is freedom to the artist and fans who alike wish to find music that isn’t mainstream, but has true, raw talent. Both the unknown and the known are welcome to join our movement. We need you all, now more than ever.

May we continue to grow in this hard music industry, but with your help, we will succeed.

We are the New Underground – We are all one.

Almark – #WEATNU Digital Magazine – June 2023

Join our network and get to know the community.
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeatnuRecords
Follow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/weatnurecords
WEATNU Records on Bandcamp – https://weatnu.bandcamp.com
Transmission Nova on Bandcamp – https://transmissionnova.bandcamp.com
IFMACA Productions on Bandcamp – https://ifmacaproductions.bandcamp.com/artists
Discord chatroom: https://discord.com/invite/4jy5wBR

Website: https://weatnurecords.com



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FeaturedInterviews

Interview with: City Cowboy

This month Swedish artist, City Cowboy spoke to us on his music process, influences and future work he wishes to accomplish, it was a pleasure speaking to him

How are you today, City Cowboy? 

CC: Great, thanks!

Would you mind telling us your story of how you entered music? 

CC: Sure thing! Growing up we had a piano in our home and my older sister took lessons. I used to sit by the piano too (when she wasn’t there) and just play around and gradually found that I could play too – without lessons! It turns out I have a pretty good ear when it comes to identifying notes and chords, but not perfect pitch. As a teen I bought my first synth, a Roland D5. I remember making my first multitimbral tracks with Steinberg pro 12 and 24 on an Atari ST. The excitement of first recording a bassline for instance and then adding strings, then drums and so on was great. Such a creative joy. Then I tried to add some vocals along with the background. The lyrics for my first songs were really pathetic. One early track was a real “bohoohoo-story” called “Turned down again”! My music making “career” had thus begun. Many years later, I started making music with a Yamaha Motif workstation that I still use today and under the name City Cowboy. And here we are!

How long have you been writing music?

CC: Since 1989

What types of music do you write? 

CC: I guess I would call it pop or synth pop. I solely use a workstation synth so I don’t include any other instruments, even though I do play the guitar and bass for instance. I like EDM and sometimes I do more electronic stuff, like the two Kraftwerk covers I have done so far. 

What processes do you use to create music? 

CC: I start with an idea for a song, it could be that I start with a chorus for instance. I play it on a keyboard and try to come up with words too. If I like it enough I try to compose a whole song with verses, bridge etc. When I know how I want the song to be, roughly at least, I do the sequencing on my workstation. I then record it onto my Tascam multitracker. Last, I work on the vocals and mix and master.

How are you involved in the Indie scene? 

CC: I try to make myself heard through diverse channels, my music can be found in various places on the net. I have also done some local “publicity stunts” here in my home town. (Even as a Santa…) As part of WEATNU records, I agree with Almark’s vision that everyone deserves to be heard. If there’s any quality there, it should eventually be discovered, one hopes.

What is happening in the music scene around your area of Sweden? 

CC: Well… I think the best place to be here in Sweden is probably Stockholm, our capital, or another of the major cities. That is not the case for me, I like country living so I try my best from here… Cowboy style…Yeeehaw!

Are you playing live or do you wish to online, perhaps through our label? 

CC: So far, City Cowboy hasn’t done any live performances at all. That would take some practical arrangements so to speak. But who knows in the future?

You just released new music, would you like to talk about that or something you might be working at the moment?

CC: My latest release is called “Down the Aisle” and it’s a bouncy, happy track celebrating love and marriage. As a Christian, I do believe that marriage is the highest form of union between two people. Something to cherish these days. For this Christmas I plan to make my version of the medieval song Veni Immanuel available to my fans. It’s an absolutely delightful song and I chose to do the lyrics all in Latin. So beautiful. I hope folks will appreciate it and that they won’t think my interpretation of it is too modern.

Are you working professionally or for the love of music? 

CC: Well, this “ol’ cowboy” has a regular day job and does his musical cowboying in his freetime! What I would really like is for the whole world to listen to my music. To really have people’s attention! The best thing is when I get a personal message or mail from someone who has been touched by one of my songs. It happens now and then.

You said you began with Atari ST, that’s interesting. 

CC: True. With a built-in midi interface, the ST was launched as more of a professional musician’s computer than the Commodore Amiga I believe. I played my fair share of games on it too of course! But that’s how I started sequencing songs.Delightful stuff.

What kinds of music are you passionate about when you listen in your quiet space? 

CC: If someone really had me in a stranglehold and FORCED me to choose just ONE favourite group, I think it would have to be Pet Shop Boys. Just for the sheer quality of their output through so many years. Their songs are really atmospheric I believe, and they always pay attention to lyrics. There’s often a melancholy touch there. Having said that, I do also give ample credit to Depeche Mode, Erasure, Jarre, Kraftwerk and Jay-jay Johansson for instance. That’s just within the synth genre. I do like other genres too and know quite a lot about classical. Bach is a favourite of course, Mozart too, but also romantic era stuff like Grieg. Early Music is also interesting. I dig jazz as well and hiphop. Some genres don’t interest me very much, including country, blues, soul and R&B.

How does the music begin, in your mind or outside? 

CC: In my mind I would say. Or by playing around on some kind of keyboard. It doesn’t have to be a synth of course, it could be an acoustic piano too. I’m quite a skilled player if I may say so myself! 😉 I never, EVER use any “ready made” beats or grooves or anything, I do everything on my own. If I do stuff that’s hard to play right, I might slow things down while recording of course. This kind of music does take some quantization. Other genres don’t need to be so rhythmically correct. 

Music theory or by ear? 

CC: I play by ear exclusively, although I have an understanding about score and musical theory like intervals, chords, rythm, your dominants and subdominant parallels and stuff…

How did you come up with the name “City Cowboy”?

CC: Well…first off, you need an artist name, right? Although I find that at least here in Sweden, a surprising amount of people actually use their real names as artist names. That definitey doesn’t suit me, as the person behind City Cowboy is very private and secretive… So…the cowboy is one of the most iconic male “figures” in the western world, right? And I thought the contradiction of a cowboy in the city was quite interesting. What does he really do there? He can’t work with his live stock, now can he? He probably wears a hat, but he can’t strap on his gun belt. Does he go to bars and drink? I don’t know, I just liked the name.

This is our 5th year: where do you see weatnu records going for 2020?

CC: In 2020 I think WEATNU Records might be ready to lift itself from the shades of relative obscurity and become an important player, really becoming the voice of smaller, upcoming artists.

How is #WEATNU helping artists from your point of view?

CC: WEATNU helps artists by being a fair label, a radio and now also a Digital Magazine. Great with this threefold power.

Marmite or Nutella? – Trick question.

CC: I never eat Nutella. The other I don’t know what it is! Not sure it’s available in Sweden. Try to eat healthy stuff mostly!

Thank you City Cowboy for doing this interview with us, good luck to you and your music. May your Christmas be well and Happy New Year!

CC: Many thanks for interviewing me!

#WEATNU Digital Magazine – Dec 2019

Follow City Cowboy on Twitter: @CityCowboooy



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The Best Artists of the 80’s – Pet Shop Boys

In 1984, the group’s pioneering piece of synth pop, entitled ‘West End Girls’ thought of as their very best.
The Pet Shop Boys’ dark track was influenced by hip hop music and a TS Elliot poem, describing the pressures of inner-city life.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/p3j2NYZ8FKs” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>

The Pet Shop Boys’ second UK hit, ‘It’s A Sin’, depicts their time at the Catholic St. Cuthbert’s
High School in Newcastle. The song was written in 15 minutes, and was intended as a camp joke, but people consciously took very serious. I remember hearing the song for the first time, “how powerful” I thought, it moved me, hearing the clarity in his voice and how serious this was to him. The interesting thing about the song was, the local parish priest in Newcastle delivered a sermon on it, reflecting how the Church changed from the promise of a ghastly hell to the message of love.

In 1987. The synth pop duo covered “Always on My Mind”, a TV special marking 10 years since the King passed away. They decided to release it as a single, and it became that year’s Christmas number one.

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Their ‘Actually’ album (What Have I Done to Deserve This?) track was accompanied by Dusty Springfield (60’s soul legend), and it was a number two hit in the UK and US, riding close behind Rick Astley and George Michael’s top spots.

In 1992, Derek Jarman asked them to perform at a charity event in Manchester. ‘Go West’
a disco hit was selected and later, the two decided to record it as a single, and it was a huge hit.

During the duo’s early years, they wrote ‘Opportunities’ describing “two losers” and it is based around the quote “Let’s make lots of money”. Somehow, it is written about himself as being intellectual and educated.

Neil Tennant said he imagined this song “Rent” as being about a kept woman, living in America.
The song also deals with a financially one-sided relationship, kept as a kind of secret..

The song, “Being Boring” came from the accusation after someone said the duo was being boring. The duo described it as “one of the best songs that we’ve written. It’s tells of our teenage years and how we moved to London, and I became successful and my friend became ill.”

‘Release’, the duo’s 2002 album gave them another top hit, despite it bizarre music video, showing mice running across tracks and eating discarded food at a Court Road Underground station, with only minimal shops of the duo. Never accuse them of being boring.

Their 1988 album, ‘Introspective’  produced this song influenced by Latin pop and also by the song ‘Elle est comme les etoiles’ by Desireless.

Jazzykat#WEATNU Digital Magazine
November 2019

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ArchivesNew albums

WEATNU Records: Year one

For an entire year WEATNU has been building a large group of artists on it’s label WEATNU Records. You’ve heard many of them throughout the months. Now you can hear them all together on the same album. Showcasing 74 amazing electronic artists, including punk and post-punk, dream-pop, nu jazz swing. You can buy this great piece of underground history for 9.80 USD. Complete with a wide variety of styles from all over the world. WEATNU Records continues to take in the greatest of hidden talent. All artists receive 70% per sale. WEATNU believes in fair pay to the artist.

Purchase on Bandcamp

<iframe style=”border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;” src=”https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3474610779/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/” width=”300″ height=”150″ seamless=””>WEATNU Records: Year One by WEATNU RECORDS</iframe>


#WEATNU Digital Magazine

Dec 2015

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Review : She’s Got Claws : Synthetic Emotion

By JC Luff

The arresting melange of patches, melodies, harmonies and drum samples setting stage in the “Synthetic Emotion” EP are most potent in their consonance with each other, materializing a sort of poetic design… something beyond electronica.

From the first note, this album has brought a magnetic tsunami to the table of my attention, including a myriad of philosophical considerations regarding the notion of artificial intelligence… and my relentlessly unexplainable desire to load “Synthetic Emotion” into my co-conspirators car stereo and take a midnight drive through the city, with a sub-woofer and more ice-coffee than any sane person would consider drinking, colored lights and the bewildered expressions of other travelers of the night trailing behind the windows to progress.

The synthesizer tones used are warm and well calibrated, with stereo imaging implicated brilliantly, invoking a genuine emotional response. The songs have both conceptual and musical dimensions of continuity through the album, keeping an engineered coherence most effective.

The percussion is well thought out in this album, as I detect analog hats, but could never for the life of me prove them to be there. The lyrics are most fascinating, and the vox is best in class. Transistor-clear vocals weave a neon clad and entrancing work of modern poetry, conjuring both deep thought and humbling silence simultaneously. “Synthetic Emotion” is a concept album of notable substance, a sure fire conversation-starter.

I have been listening to “Synthetic Emotion” on a loop for a while now, and with each play, another sonic nuance comes to light between pulses of the audio tapestry, rich with captivating signal processing and solid rhythm.

Listen on Soundcloud.

Buy on Google Play

Follow She’s Got Claw’s on Twitter.

#WEATNU Digital Magazine – Nov 3, 2015

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Sea Mountains – Lilith

This month Sea Mountains brings us Lilith, a preview to her up in coming LP ‘Zeitgeist’

Sea Mountains’ ‘Lilith’ shares our love for the experimental/bassline + wobbles and also compliments her own style of Seapunk/Synthpop. This is cutting edge DIY/synthesis. With deep bass, mysterious melded melodies in a short 2 min single. Release of ‘Zeitgest’ coming Oct, 2015.

Follow Sea Mountains on Twitter. 

Almark#WEATNU Digital Magazine

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ArchivesInterviews

Interview with Naimi

“Swedish experimental artist Naimi is no stranger to #WEATNU. Her music has been on our radio for a while now. She creates 8-bit influenced tunes, as well as synthpop styles. Her influences range from Punk to Indie rock. We were thankful to get some insight from her words.”

Almark: Hello Naimi, how are you today?

Naimi: Hello, quite ok.

<iframe style=”border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;” src=”https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3700457922/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/” width=”300″ height=”150″ seamless=””>Demonsongs EP by Naimi</iframe>

Almark: Thank you for doing this interview with #WEATNU DM.

You’ve just released your first EP Demonsongs to WEATNU Records. But you’ve been creating electronic for some time now. How has coming to #WEATNU helped you?

Naimi: I got more followers on soundcloud and on twitter, and more people listen to my music on soundcloud. And I know more electronic music now!

Almark: Great to hear.

How long have you been writing?

Naimi: I did some songs when I was like 10 years old, and when I was 15 years old. But I started make music more seriously in 1998, when I was 19 years old.

Almark: You mentioned that you use Jeskola Buzz to create electronic music. Is this your main piece of software these days?

Naimi: Yes, I almost do all electronic music with that program, have used it since 2005.

Almark: And you being Swedish, and the author of Buzz is also Swedish, did that somehow allow you to find Buzzmachines? I too have been using the program off and on since 2005 as well.

Naimi: hmm I did not know that the author of buzz is Swedish hehe.

Almark: I believe he is, as the program itself greets you with the word. “hej” laughs

Naimi: aha…

Almark: It isn’t hard to tell that you like video games, at least I can hear the PCM droning in the background on some of the songs on this EP such as OCD3. Is that right?

Naimi: I really don´t play video games, but when I was a child I did play a lot Nintendo 8-bit. What are PCM?

Almark: Pulse-code modulation. It’s that droning sound you hear in popular NES games, like Contra

Naimi: I think I know what you mean!

Almark: How well received is your music to the new listeners, and since this is niche music, aka avant-garde type, who are you targeting?

Naimi: It´s good! I don´t think so much about who is my target, people who like it like it. But I have noted that not so many people at Spotify listen to my electronic music, but on soundcloud they do.

Almark: It’s quite difficult to pipe followers into Spotify.

What music influences you to create what do you?

Naimi: when it comes to my electronic music, nothing special. It´s more my feelings and mental health that influences me.

Almark: What got you into creating electronic?

How did it begin?

Naimi: I got a synth when I was 10 years old, I played a lot on that, then when I was like 19 or 20 years old I found that synth again, and started to make music on that, melodies, a combination of Nintendo 8-bit and folk-music, and this was like 1999, and 2005 when I found Jeskola Buzzmachines I started to make more different electronic music. I wanted to do different music. Also I did and still do a lot of guitar music. I don´t want to do just one type of music.

Almark: You also mentioned that you own many analog synths?

Naimi: yes, like maybe 20!

Almark: That’s a lot of synths indeed!

Naimi: Yes I collected them before.

Almark: What is one such vintage piece of gear you own?

Naimi: I have a little sampler synth, Casio I think, I don´t remember its name now!…

SK1

That´s the name!

Almark: Lots of small synths then?

Naimi: Yes

Almark: Yard sales?

Naimi: Flea market and second hand

Almark: Those are always fun.

What type of music do you enjoy, outside the electronic spectrum?

Naimi: singer/songwriting, indiepop, shoegazing, postrock, grunge.

Almark: So you grew up to some punk as well?

Naimi: oh i forgot, punk!!

Yes, I did. Mostly Swedish punk, but also American hardcore

Almark: Like Black Flag?

Naimi: More like NoFX.

Almark: ah, I remember them.

Fugazi?

Naimi: Yeah, I have heard them.

Almark: Cool.

How is the Electronic scene in Sweden going? How is your music being received there?

Naimi: hmm I´m not so updated, I know Andreas Tilliander, Ola Bergman, The Knife, Sophie Rimheden. The Knife is very well known in Sweden, but the scene is not so big. I think many musicians know about me, but not so many other people.

Almark: Indeed

How do you create your music?

Naimi: you mean the electronic?

Almark: Yes

Naimi: I often use the program buzzmachine. A few times I have used Mixcraft with a midi-synth, and sometimes I use my physical synths. Before, like 2000-2005, but it happens now and then.

Almark: Not many know about Jeskola Buzz. Since it’s the hidden daw of the Internet since 1998, I personally can say it’s one of the best free, if not free, at least completely unique pieces of software I’ve ever used.

Have you also created with Renoise?

Naimi: Yeah, Buzz is the best!! But I have not heard about Renoise, what is that?

I also have used AudioMulch and Sunvox

Almark: Renoise is a modern tracker program, much like Fasttracker II. Also did you know that FT2 and Buzzmachines were created by Swedish programmers? AudioMulch is very interesting

Do you also create music by playing MIDI controller as well?

Naimi: Yeah, I learned that from you that they were Swedish 🙂

Naimi: Yes, sometimes.

Almark: Are you currently playing live anywhere? Locally

Naimi: No, not anymore, I used to play live in like early 2001, I don´t now, but the last time I played live was I think about 18 months ago. I have played quite a few times at clubs and festivals, but it was a long time ago.

Almark: So you’ve come back again, this time to the Internet?

Naimi: I have never stopped, but it´s like only on Internet now.

I´m too scared to play live, maybe I am going to do that in the future.

Almark: What plans in music do you have for the future?

Naimi: I have like music ready for 5 more albums, I’ve just got to record them, but it´s not only electronic music, it´s a lot of guitar songs and organ songs, plus I have plans to do a synthpop-album and a guitar-punk album with electric guitar.

<iframe src=”https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/203498987&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ frameborder=”no” scrolling=”no”></iframe>

Almark: Much like the song you created “I miss Talking to you”?

Naimi: yeah.

Almark: Are you seeking a band for those, or more solo work?

Naimi: it´s solo work.

Almark: Have you found any artists under #WEATNU whom you enjoy listening to?

Naimi: yeah, Adryelle!

Almark: Ah, yes, she’s great 🙂

Are you working on new music?

Naimi: yes, with the synthpop EP and with a Buzz EP with vocals.

Almark: Great!

Would you like to say what your Demonsongs EP is about?

Naimi: It´s about my mental health.

Almark: Do you think our reviewer hit the nail on the head about your EP?

Naimi: I think so, the titles say quite much!

Almark: Yes!

Naimi: And the feelings in the music.

Almark: last question favourite food?

Naimi: Hallomi is my favorite food!!!

Almark: Thank you Naimi for doing this Interview with #WEATNU DM. Good luck to you and your future in music.

Almark#WEATNU Digital Magazine

Follow Naimi on Twitter.

Buy Demonsongs on WEATNU RECORDS

<iframe style=”border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;” src=”https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3700457922/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/transparent=true/” width=”300″ height=”150″ seamless=””>Demonsongs EP by Naimi</iframe>

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80’s Superstars – The Thompson Twins

This British music group was formed in April, 1977 and initially were New Wave. They switched to a more mainstream Pop sound and were very popular in the mid-1980’s, scoring a string of hits in the United Kingdom, the United States, and around the globe.

The band was named after the two bumbling detectives in Herge’s comic strip, The Adventures of Tintin.. We know this extremely talented band as “The Thompson Twins.”
At various stages, the band had up to seven members though their best known incarnation was as a trio between 1982-86. Becoming a prominent act in the so-called Second British Invasion, the band performed at Live Aid where they were joined on stage by Madonna.

Early Days – In 1977 the line-up consisted of Tom Bailey on bass and vocals, Pete Dodd on guitar and vocals, John Roog on guitar, and Jon Podgorski (aka “Pod,”) on drums. Dodd and Roog met when they were both 13 years old. They arrived in London with very little money, and lived as squatters in Lillieshall Road, London. Allanah Currie, from Auckland, New Zealand lived in another squat in the same street, and it was there she met Tom Bailey. They lived in a ramshackle and run-down house and they found an illegal way of “borrowing” electricity from the house next door.

Bailey described them as “on the dole,” – unemployed back then, and they were living on very little, scavenging everything they could lay their hands on. He even said that the only instruments they had were bought, or had been stolen or borrowed. Pete Dodd managed to get a “council flat” close by. Their “roadie,” at the time was John Hade, he lived in the same house, and later became their manager.

Jon Podgorski decided to stay in the north, so the group auditioned several drummers at the Point Studio in Victoria, London. Andrew Edge joined them on drums for less than a year, and left the band to join Savage Progress, who later toured with the Thompson Twins as their support act on the 1984 UK tour.

The line-up by 1981 was Bailey, Dodd, Roog, Bell and two new members: former band roadie Joe Leeway on congas and percussion and Jane Shorter on saxophone.

This line-up recorded the first Thompson Twins album “A Product of. . .(Participation)“, documented in the film, “Listen to London” (1981). Allanah Currie, who had been with the band for years, played and sang on the first album, but was not a full member. After the first album, the band’s line-up shifted yet again. Saxophonist Jane Shorter left, percussionist Currie was made an official member, and bassist Matthew Seligman, a former member of The Soft Boys and The Fallout Club, joined. Bailey moved to keyboards and guitar in addition to serving as lead vocalist, with Leeway handling vocals on a few tracks. The band signed to Arista Records and released the album “Set”. Thomas Dolby played some keyboards on “Set” and on some live gigs, since Bailey had little experience with synthesizers before then. “Set” contained the single, “In the Name of Love”, sung and largely written by Bailey. It became a No. 1 dance club hit in the US, and an album entitled “In the Name of Love”, consisting mainly of tracks from “Set”, with two others from “A
Product of . . . (Participation) was released in the US to capitalize on the song’s popularity. It entered the US Billboard 200.

After the success of “In the Name of Love”, manager Hade convinced Bailey Leeway and Currie to downsize the Thompson Twins to three, in April, 1982. The other four members of the band were notified, they were paid 500 pounds and were allowed to keep their instruments and equipment in exchange for an agreement not to perform together under the name “Thompson Twins”. The remaining Thompson Twins went to the Bahamas where they recorded at Compass Point Studios in Nassau with the producer Alex Sadkin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6cn0mLJVZY

The band broke in the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1983 with “Lies” and “Love on your Side”, which became the band’s first UK Top 10 single. They then released their third album, “Quick Step and Side Kick” (it was called “Side Kicks” in the US), and peaked at Number 2 in the UK and was later certified platinum. Several singles followed, “We Are Detective” (another Top 10 UK hit) and “Watching” (UK#33). All three band members received songwriting credits, though the band publicly acknowledged Bailey as the songwriter, with Currie contributing lyrics and Leeway focusing on the stage show. During 1983, the band opened for The Police concert tour in the US.

“Hold Me Now”, was released in late 1983. The song was an international chart success, peaking at No. 4 in their native UK, where it became the band’s largest seller, earning a “Gold Disc”, and reached No. 3 in the US in the Spring of 1984 becoming their biggest US hit. The band’s new album, “Into the Gap”, was released in early 1984 and became one of the year’s biggest sellers, selling five million copies worldwide. It topped the US Albums Chart and was later certified double platinum there. Further hit singles from the album followed with “Doctor! Doctor! (UK No. 3) and “You Take Me Up” (UK No. 2 their highest UK singles chart placing and which earned a “Silver Disc”). Other singles included a new version of the album track “Sister of Mercy” (UK No. 11), and “The Gap” (though this was not released in the UK).

The band embarked on a world tour in support of the album, which had also made the US top ten. A brand new single, “Lay Your Hands On Me”, was released in the UK in late 1984 and reached No. 13 in the UK charts. Following this, the band parted company with their producer Alex Sadkin and opted to produce their new album, “Here’s To Future Days, by themselves in Paris.

However, in March 1985, while promoting their new single “Roll Over” and the forthcoming album, Bailey
collapsed in his London hotel room from nervous exhaustion. The “Roll Over” single was then canceled at the last minute and the new album postponed. Nile Rodgers was called in to rework the album with them and was eventually released in September, 1985, reaching the UK Top 5 and US Top 20, though failed to come close to the success of “Into The Gap”. Other singles that were made was “Don’t Mess With Doctor Dream” (UK No. 15), followed by “King For A Day” which peaked at No. 22 in the UK, but reached No. 8 on the US chart. Other singles included a new US version of “Lay Your Hands On Me” (US No. 6) and an unsuccessful cover of The Beatles’ 1968 hit “Revolution” which became the band’s first single to fail to make the UK Top 30 in three years.

The planned Summer 1985 tour of the UK (and a headlining appearance at the Glastonbury Festival) had to be canceled due to Bailey’s collapse from exhaustion (fans with tickets received a free live album as compensation), international dates were re-scheduled and the latter half of 1985 were sell out tours for the band in the US and Japan. A second planned tour of the UK in 1985 was also scrapped due to the promoter declaring bankruptcy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d991M9Ebq98

Leeway left the band in 1986, and the remaining duo of Bailey and Currie carried on making music for another seven years. 1987 saw the release of “Close to the Bone” and the single “Get That Love”, which climbed to No. 31 in the US but failed in the UK.

#WEATNU Digital Magazine – By Kathryn S

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