Evocative electronica
Spoken word artist Equinox struck critical acclaim back in 2017 on the strength of his debut album It’s Hard To Be Happy When Your Head Is Full Of Sin. That album featured an intriguing variety of collaborators, including electro-punk duo Feral Five, agit punk rock duo Deux Furieuses and even synth-pop legend Vince Clarke.
Equinox combines spoken word pieces with evocative musical backing, the result of which offers a strange, hypnotic experience. At times, the words trace out a narrative which can have a haunting quality, such as ‘Goodnight Vienna’, the track that features Vince Clarke’s minimal electronic moods. BBC Radio’s Gideon Coe perhaps summed up Equinox’s compositions in a more concise way: “It draws you in and then slaps you in the head.”
Correction follows on similar lines to Equinox’s debut album with a host of collaborative works that includes the likes of Battery Operated Orchestra, Reed Hays (of Reed & Caroline and Alka – both of whom currently record for Vince Clarke’s Very Records), electronic punk-rapper Razorrawks and the legendary Helen McCookerybook (Helen & The Horns) among others.
‘How Much I Love You’, which is premiering today here on The Electricity Club, features a hook-up with ‘Rural-Electronica’ outfit Jannu. Based in the Lake District, Jannu boasts a love of French Electro and cites a diverse range of influences ranging from Air to Erik Satie.
There’s a warm, hymnal quality to Jannu’s synth melodies on this piece. But those pastel elements switch up a gear when the electronic percussion kicks in. Meanwhile, Equinox’s words deal with the ever-familiar theme of love and the intensity of the feeling (“When your love shines through/It makes me the happiest being to walk this Earth”). The kaleidoscopic visuals for the video come courtesy of video designer stuarturo.
‘How Much I Love You’ is perhaps a world away from synth-pop, but its engaging moods (echoed by the rest of the tracks on Correction) are likely to occupy your head long after you’ve stop listening to it.
Correction is released on 30th August 2019 and will be available on limited edition CD and download via Wormhole World and Equinox Bandcamp pages.
https://soundsofequinox.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/SoundsOfEquinox
