SYNTHETIC CITY 2018 LINEUP

March promises a stellar billing for the annual Synth City Festival…

The Synthetic City Electronic Music Festival remains one of the most vital events of the year. Its combination of global acts lends the all-day event an intriguing and broad perspective on the many colours of the synth pop palette.

Hosted by Johnny Normal, an electronic music artist in his own right and also a well-known radio host, Synthetic City is an outing that manages to combine established artists alongside emerging acts. Once again, Synthetic City will be taking place at Water Rats in London on Saturday 24th March.

The 2018 line-up offers a strong list of contenders suggesting a packed day of electropop goodness. DJ duties for the event will be handled by Rob Harvey. Currently presenting a show for Phoenix 98FM, Rob presents the weekly Synth City show Tuesdays from 8pm.

Dicepeople

Dicepeople have been putting out their own brand of dark electronic pop since 2013. Consisting of Matt Brock (musician, songwriter and producer) and Rafael Filomeno (visual artist), the outfit have recently taken on board new vocalist Zmora and continue to dazzle audiences with their compelling live performances.

Their 2017 EP Synthetic was a stand-out moment, while the outfit also delivered a stunning cover version of Depeche Mode classic ‘Strangelove’. More recently, their team-up with Moi Saint produced the stunning ‘Shallow Under Skin’.

http://dicepeople.com
https://dicepeople.bandcamp.com/track/synthetic
http://www.facebook.com/dicepeople
http://twitter.com/dicepeople

Berlyn Trilogy

Staying themselves as “retro-futurist romantics”, Berlyn Trilogy offer up a darker approach to synth-pop with some gothic elements weaved throughout their material.

Consisting of James Beswick, Simon Rowe and Faye Williams, Berlyn Trilogy showed their electropop chops on 2014 album A Perfect Stranger which delivered the percussive pop of ‘Synthetic Love’, the rolling moodiness of ‘Departed’ and the epic tones of ‘The Drone’.

Berlyn Trilogy proved one of the highlights at the 2017 Silicon Dreams event in Liverpool and their appearance at Synthetic City is a perfect opportunity to catch the darkpop trio in action.

https://berlyntrilogy.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BerlynTrilogy
https://twitter.com/berlyntrilogy

Leg Puppy

There’s such a diverse number of ideas and influences in the music of Leg Puppy that they’re difficult to pin down to any one niche. Combining dark electronic beats with a raw energy and a punk attitude, the outfit also add in a cheeky element to their lyrics referencing pop culture and social commentary.

The 4-piece outfit, which consists of Darren Laurence, Claire Jones, Pups and Hugo Bamboo, originally came together by accident when someone at a house party asked Darren and Claire if they were in a band.

Since then, the electro punk quartet have kept busy via songs such as the brooding cynical commentary piece ‘Selfie Stick’ and the diversity of the material on new album You Should Be Paranoid (including the hypnotic dancepop of ‘Running Through A Field Of Wheat’).

ttps://www.soundcloud.com/legpuppy
https://www.facebook.com/Leg Puppy
https://www.twitter.com/Legpuppymusic
http://legpuppy.net/

Cult With No Name

‘Post-punk electronic balladeers’ Cult With No Name, comprise the East London duo of Erik Stein and Jon Boux. Their first two studio albums Paper Wraps Rock and Careful What You Wish For were met with critical acclaim. Blaine L. Reininger of genre-transcending legends Tuxedomoon collaborated on their second album (on the stunning ‘You Know Me Better Than I Know Myself’).

In 2014, inspired by their track ‘As Below’, German filmmaker Peter Braatz commissioned the band to produce a soundtrack for his documentary Blue Velvet Revisited (Filmed entirely in 1985 on set during the making of David Lynch’s masterpiece). 2017 saw Cult With No Name return to songwriting with the magnificent Heir Of The Dog. Featuring the supporting cast of Tuxedomoon members and the talents of Kelli Ali, it saw the band explore touches of Americana, from disco to gospel to blues. The album includes ‘No News’, one of their most remarkable piano ballads to date, as featured over the closing credits of Blue Velvet Revisited.

In addition to their studio albums, the band have appeared on several compilations and have frequently collaborated with minimal techno artist Doudou Malicious. Erik Stein has also acted in several short films made by electronic music pioneer John Foxx as well as the 2011 short film Sonus, produced by Ridley Scott Associates, and Gustav (2012) which is on permanent display at Bletchley Park. The band collaborated with Kelli Ali, co-writing and performing on two songs for her 2013 solo album, Band Of Angels.

https://www.facebook.com/cwnnofficial/
https://twitter.com/cultwithnoname
https://www.cultwithnoname.com/

Perpacity

Straddling between the UK and Denmark, Ian Harling and Martin Nyrup form the nucleus of electronic outfit Perpacity. Each has over 20+ years of musical experience, ranging from writing music and live performance to studio work and music production. Their debut album The Sinner Inclination arrived in 2015 and the band have since issued some well-received singles. Their 2016 album Arise also received critical acclaim.

Perpacity released new single ’Rule The Day’ this March ahead of their forthcoming new album release The Order Of Now, due out later in 2018.

http://www.perpacity.com/
https://www.facebook.com/perpacity
https://twitter.com/PerpacityREAL

Palais Ideal

Consisting of John Edwards and Richard van Kruysdijk, Palais Ideal draw inspiration from the likes of The Cure, New Order, Joy Division and Sisters Of Mercy. The result is a mix that the outfit suggest offers “fragments of post-punk, new wave and goth”.

Their new album No Signal offers a showcase of their blend of romanticism and stark modernism, including the driving tones of ‘Crossfade/Dissolve’ and a raw cover of classic Iggy Pop number ‘Funtime’.

http://www.palaisideal.net/
https://www.facebook.com/Palais-Ideal-1587769398199336/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0HCpJRSn14kT2CgvwKMjr6?si=enfCedxWSXOAvLBhBlFiDQ

La Lune Noire

Taking inspiration from the likes of Gary Numan, Front 242, Killing Joke, Depeche Mode and early Simple Minds, La Lune Noire offer up their own unique music style.

Weaving in catchy synth lines, Gregorian choirs and punky guitars, the duo deliver thumping darkwave moments such as ‘Nothing To Fear’.

http://www.la-lune-noire.com/
https://twitter.com/LaLuneNoire_NL

Mr Strange

Mr. Strange is the titular singer/songwriter of a four-piece electro-rock outfit from the Isle Of Wight. From the goth/drum n bass stylings of first album Sounds From The Asylum through to 2015’s uncompromising The Bible Of Electric Pornography, Mr Strange has carved out an intriguing musical path.

Inspired by such eclectic influences as Gary Numan, IAMX, David Bowie, Lady Gaga, Tom Waits and Insane Clown Posse, Mr Strange offers up a truly unique live show.

https://soundcloud.com/mr-strange-official
http://www.mrstrangemedia.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Official.Mr.Strange/

The Circuit Symphony

Oliver Davis and Samantha Adams form The Circuit Symphony, an outfit that draws from a wealth of influences from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s. They teamed up with blues guitarist legend Bernie Marsden for the single ‘Christmas 1974’.

The Circuit Symphony have produced/remixed and programmed for artists such as OMD, Howard Jones and Take That and have received credits for work with The Human League, Steve Wilson, Ultravox, Howard Jones and more.

https://www.facebook.com/thecircuitsymphony/
https://twitter.com/CIRCUITSYMPHONY

Tenedle

Dimitri Niccolai is a songwriter, producer, performer and writer who operates under the name Tenedle.

Formerly a member of new wave outfit Laughing Silence, Tenedle has since pursued a solo career, clocking up 6 album releases. Although he originally hails from Italy, Tenedle now bases himself in Holland.

More recently, Tenedle has focused on new studio album Traumsender.

Tenedle’s performance at Synthetic City 2018 will also feature the vocal talents of Bridget Gray who will be appearing as a special guest.

http://www.tenedle.com/

Johnny Normal

Host and performer for Synthetic City 2018, Johnny Normal gravitates between presenting his weekly radio show for Radio Warwickshire (where he’s interviewed the likes of Gary Numan, Martyn Ware and Adam Ant) as well as writing and performing as an electronic musician in his own right.

In the past, Johnny has performed alongside the likes of Adam Ant, Edward Tudor-Pole, Blancmange, Altered Images, Deviant UK, Sigue Sigue Sputnik, Nash The Slash and Wolfgang Flür among others.

His 2017 effort ‘Let Nothing Take Your Pride’ (penned under the banner of The Rude Awakening and featuring Brooke Calder) offered a rallying call for those that have been beaten down.

www.johnnynormal.net
www.facebook.com/johnnynormalmusic
www.facebook.com/johnnynormalofficial

Synthetic City 2018 takes place on Saturday 24th March 20018 at Water Rats, Kings Cross, London. 2pm-1am.

Tickets from: https://www.abnormalproductions.rocks/synthetic-city-london-2018