Sepultura have been on a roll recently with latest album 'Quadra' being the definitive sound of a metal band maintaining their relevance into the 2020's and beyond. However, they've just released a crushing one-off cover version of 60s Soul classic Tainted Love, for the Brazilian TV show Desalma.
Future-Rocker predicts that this sludgy rendition (with a gang-vocal finale for the inevitable moshpit throwdown), is a prime candidate for a huge hit single.
Originally sung by Gloria Jones in 1965, the song became a Post-Punk monster hit in 1981 for Soft Cell.
This Fall, Danish Cyberpunk Martin Ahm Nielsen - AKA Code Elektro - released his first live album Night Train Live 2020, and in contrast to his acclaimed studio albums, this time features additional musicians to make it more of a live experience.
We catch up with Martin during 2020's Covid lockdown to find out how it all went down.
Future-Rocker: What made you decide to make Code Elektro a live experience?
Live is where the magic happens. I have always played live
shows but only in other bands. And sometime last year I felt that it was time
to take Code Elektro live. And it was so awesome!
Is Radar a local venue, and therefore a hometown crowd? What was it like, bringing it to the stage.
Radar is a local venue here in Aarhus (Denmark). It’s a really awesome place with great sound and gear (lights etc.). So yeah it was a hometown gig – beforehand I didn’t know if that would be an advantage because when I look at my Spotify data my fans are from all over the world. Thankfully a lot showed up and it was a great night!
What made you want to add a live guitarist (Niels Bach
Storgaard) and drummer (Mikkel Nørgaard) for the live Code Elektro?
I wanted to have the live grooves that a guitarist and drummer
gives - I wanted that feel with me on stage. I think you can hear the groove in
the tracks. It really gives something extra.
They give the music an added dynamic and
'urgency'. The logical progression might be to add a vocalist. Have you ever
thought about it? Male or female?
Absolutely (and thanks!). I am thinking about moving into
that area. Male or female is not that important…. whatever fits the song best.
I would love to see this music on a movie soundtrack... as
a sound designer you must meet film-makers all the time. Do any motion picture
opportunities ever come up?
There’s has been a few opportunities and talks about Code
Elektro and soundtracks…maybe in a near future.
How has lockdown been for you? Productive, or a bad
interruption?
It has definitely given me more time. Since the live show in
February I have been busy working on the releases – so I have had enough to do.
But I know people that have been struggling financially and with the isolation.
I hope things will clear up.
I'm really intrigued about your side project Telestation Alpha. Those
analogue synths sound really beautiful. What inspired the music? I love the
feeling of an 'Old Future' that they evoke. In my memories we used to have a
late night series of TV programs called 'The Open University' where some really
crusty-looking 1970s physicists would talk about particles. It reminds me of
that..!
Thank you so much! The inspiration comes from my interest in
the Cold War, spies and all that stuff. And also, the electronic pioneers from
when electronic music started: Laurie Spiegel, Else Marie Pade and Edgar Froese
etc.
I think I know what you are talking about regarding the
physicist haha! I also got some of my inspiration from when I visited the Thule
Airbase in Greenland with a band I played in. It’s an American military base
and it totally had these Cold War vibes, but also reminded me of the Dharma
Initiative from the series LOST.
Any plans to expand the Telestation Alpha concept? How about write an
actual screenplay around it?
That would be a really awesome idea! And I have thought about it. Right now it’s just these albums that I will release from time to time. But maybe at a later point I will work on a bigger story around it.
LINKS:
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BONUS TRACK:
Telestation Alpha - The Number Station (Audio Drama)
SKYND is a Scandinavian singer who researches true crime and then uses it as inspiration for her music.
Musical influences include Die Antwoord, Korn and Rob Zombie.
ADVISORY: This brilliant video is not an easy watch... if 2020 has already pissed you off, skip this and come back in 2021..!
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