Love? - Electronically Yours

In the world of EDM there is an undying need for people (myself included) to have sub genres in order to define the music and to help us, as listeners, find more of something we are aurally attracted to. Synthpop and electropop, to my mind, are two of those sub genres that tend to deter listeners more inclined towards EBM and the darker side of EDM because of the "pop" in the description. Love? falls into this sub genre and for the most part, are not "pop". If you need a definition, lets go for, oh, how about dark electronica.

German band Love?, is a the human duo of Tom Wunder (Wonderboy) on Voice, Synth and Drums, and Miss Violet on voice and synths and a third electronic member called TI which, apparently, is just being himself and a language translator. Formed in 1997, Love?'s discography started in 1998 with the release of Soundz For Lovers followed by the album Unique in 2000 and in 2005, a promo album Fragile. Before and in between these releases, one or both of the artists have been in various projects including Overgament, OV! and Monochild and also do some DJ work. Quite the resume

Electronically Yours is Love?'s 4th release. produced by Olaf Wollschläger (Mesh, And One, In Strict Confidence...), 13 tracks take you through an hour long journey of EDM from dark electronic sounds and concepts through to the aforementioned synthpop and back again. The influences of early Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and bits and pieces of Art Of Noise, Nitzer Ebb and others from that period are noticeable in Love?'s work, not as a copy of, but as just that, an influence.

The single "This City" opens the album and is shortest track on the album and deserves to be longer. There is a club remix of the single (which as yet I have not heard) that may appease my desire for a longer track. For the album though, the short version of "The City" with a dark "survive if you can feel" sets up the album so very well.

The next three tracks, "I Walk Alone", "I Want You", "I Need My Babe" continue the smooth synth sounds and beats with a meaningful lyric content, that vocally, Wonderboy nails every time. The first four tracks have a flow of a story to them. Being in the city and a relationship on tender ground with "I Need My Babe" having a drum and bass feel to it without the deep basslines. An interesting mix that works well.

"Like Back in the 80" starts with a classic 80's riff and then a bouncy bass line drops in. A minimal track with little sounds dropped in here and there which (if you're old like me) sound as though they came off the first Depeche Mode album. The sing along dancability to the "80's" sound and feel is infectious. Track 6 "Mein Taschenrechner und Ich" is Kraftwerk calculator music that isn't Kraftwerk. All the things you remember about that time of music are in this song and you can't help but smile and bop along.

After what feels like an interlude of minimal happy synthpop techno we delve back into the darker area of Lover? with "Shivering Skin". With the darker sound comes the deeper darker lyrical content and feel that envelopes Electronically Yours. "The Sign" is the most EBM feeling track on the album with instrumental breaks and sequences and is 7 minutes plus of aural pleasure with the rise and fall music and vocals.

After the pace of "The Sign", "Sex Me I'm A Robot" has the TI out again but its a darker TI than before. Looking for love in dark bass sequences and robotic yearning. "In Your Hands" brings out the sequencers in force and BPM. "No Love!" slows us down again for a deeper look in to the psyche of love and loneliness full of strings, echos, piano and pads broken by intense percussion. "Monochild" is the last of the original tracks on Electronically Yours and is the most minimal eclectic yet beautiful comforting track. A forlorn love song that closes the album proper exceptionally well.

"In Your Memories" is a cover of my all time, without question, absolutely no doubt, favourite Depeche Mode song ever. So there was in my mind, an awful lot to live up to. And Lover? do the best job of covering it that I have ever heard. So close to the original with what I can only describe as, a Lover? touch, which, after listening to the album, is easier to discern rather that hearing it on its own.

Lover?'s Electronically Yours is simply brilliant. Musically you hear familiarity, and considering the genre is a good 30 years old, there really is no surprise in that. The depth and feeling behind the lyrical content and the crisp, clean, well suited vocals is what makes this more than an album full of songs that sounds like it came from the 80's and was done with new technology. And there are many many albums out there like that and as such can turn the listener off. Not Electronically Yours. I can't give you a favourite track on this album. Each track is good in its own right.

Ultimately, the best thing to say is that Electronically Yours will be a favourite album that I would (and will) have in my DJ "crate" in order to use any track to suit the set I am playing. Add to that Tom Wunder and Miss Violet have made an album of, not just songs that you can listen to for the joy of listening, but songs you can dance to and sing to for the joy of doing so as well. Not an easy trio to achieve.

Just go get it. You won't be disappointed. Jul 06 2014