Friday 26 May 2017

Metroland Reconfigured

White Lion Radio are delighted to bring you a special show to celebrate the release today of the Metroland "12 X 12" Box set.


"Metroland Reconfigured" features twelve of our favourite Metroland Remixes by other artists and covers their 5 year career so far.....

A show to complement the new Box Set!

Listen to the show on Mixcloud

Listen to the show on Hearthis.at

Listen to the show on Mix-Sets

We would like to thank both Passenger A & Passenger S for their help in not just this show but also the other special Metroland themed shows we have put out recently, behind the scenes they have been extremely helpful and an absolute pleasure to work with.

Find out more about Metroland and their new Box Set on their Official Homepage

Here is the Full Playlist for the show:

Theme For Metroland - Laurent Boudic Under Novo Remix
Inner City Transport - 1 To Many Remix
M-E-T-R-O - Keen K Remix
T.F.L - Cosmic Impressions
Led Me Think - Kretz Remix
Thalys - Version Jonteknik
Zeppelin - Diskodiktator Remix
Struktur - Paul Alty Remix
Ikone Der Moderne - Deutsche Bank Remix
Art + Technology - Sound Of Science Remix
The Manifesto - Franck Kartell Remix
Design - Remix Polynomiq

Wednesday 17 May 2017

Passenger S - My 12 Favourite Tracks

Our latest show is "Metroland 2 X 12" and it features the 12 favourite tracks of both Passenger A and Passenger S of the band Metroland, who are from Belguim.


Passenger S discusses the reasons why he has selected these particular tracks.........

OMD - Telegraph (Extended Version)

There is this lingering bell loop bursting so much energy on top of Andy McCluskey’s vocals, spread all over the song and I consider this another top work of aural art! From the very first second I heard this song until the present day, it is still one of my favourite pieces of music. The (once deleted) extended version rips every part of the song open, building it together again and towards the end it’s like cracking fireworks. Back in ‘83 when I played the record, and it was finished, I just put the needle back on at the beginning of the song, over and over again…this way the 12inch version for me lasted for over 30minutes.

Thank you both Andy and Paul for giving me these fabulous 5’35 minutes, and I have no clue how many times this 12 inch has been played since 1983, but I am sure counting it all up, it would be ‘hours’…

Marsheaux - Secret Place (Extended Version)

No other synth pop band, have made such a lasting soothing impression as the Greek goddesses Marianthi and Sophie. Ever since they started I have loved every possible album that they have dropped down from heaven! On every album there are highs and lows, as on many other albums by other artists, but when "Inhale" came out and I Played “Secret Place”, this caused a serious meltdown. I cannot describe the beauty of this song, it leaves any other synth pop song, sounding dull, because this track brightens up every bad day.

I reckon not many know, that they invited Andy Bell to sing on this track. For once I am happy he didn’t as this song deserves the divine touch of Marsheaux. It sends Shivers down my spine because the extended version, brings out elements that are not so clear in the regular version.

Komputer - Looking Down On London (Metroland)

A moving composition, a musical meltdown second after second, an ear-gasm…. I cannot begin to describe what this version of the song does to me. The original version is already a massive piece of electronics and this remix takes the listener even further as it is a complete new arrangement. Everything in this remix is perfect, simply perfect, from sound to structure, back and forth. If I ever die, please play this at my funeral, may I take this divine track with me to heaven or hell and may everyone who likes, remember me when they hear this song.

Soft Cell – Memorabilia (Extended Version)

To me, the nicest male voice of a singer is the one from Marc Almond. What always struck me in Soft Cell was the fact how a band with an attitude of “us against the fucking world” did have so much success. The upper gay behavior of Almond and the childish-simple electronics of early Dave Ball resulted in filthy 3 minute songs often telling a complete story about sex, perverts and tons of misery.

This extended version (produced by someone whom I really look up to, Daniel Miller, I often believe Daniel is God that decided to come to earth to bring us ‘electronic music’) has to this day a mystic bass-sequence (and I love bass-sequences). It has this portamento, sliding sound from which I still don’t know if it is a note or an effect, or a programmed pitch (which I doubt, seeing the time and the evolution of synthesizers). Still, the monotone bass sequence, the early rhythm, the sexy voices and the lovely long version is a perfect companion in the car, up goes the volume…

Indochine - l’avonturier

If there is one song that drives me nuts after a good set of beers and get me going on a dance floor, it has got to be this one. Their album Le Peril Jaune is amongst my 10 favourite albums but this track is from their debut EP. Lightweight and frail, but punchy and not a chance you can survive and sit still. This is a song I liken to "Electricity" by OMD, "Just Can’t Get Enough" by Depeche Mode, "Der Mussolini" by DAF or "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division, If this track comes on the volume goes up up up and up, so no one can hear me singing along (like a dead cat!)

Yazoo - Too Pieces

The most beautiful blend of man and machine (although we need to say woman). This song brings me to tears nearly every time I play it. Listen how Vince carefully starts the song with a light weight sequence, and a kick, next Alison comes in with rather soft vocals but they tend to go louder and louder, higher and higher, stronger and stronger...to finally come to the part where she sings ‘…shuts her eyes and takes the picture from the wall’. And that is the moment were Vince Clarke opens up the gates of electronic heaven.

Vince has crafted many extremely wonderful tunes, but for me, he has never topped this one

kraftwerk - Europa Endloss

Trans Europe Express was the first Kraftwerk album I ever owned. I bought it from a local library for less than 1 Euro in the early 80’s. I was aware of the likes of Yazoo, Depeche Mode and OMD and so the next obvious step was to discover Kraftwerk. When I put on this record it started with "Europe Endless". I cannot describe what happened then. For over 9 minutes I was taken into an entirely different universe, the monotone sound of the intro played by just a few notes passed through a delay effect, so that it sounded like a sequence, the voice sound, unheard before and then the mechanical drums....I couldn't believe my ears!

For years "Trans Europe Express" was the love of my life, the all-time number one album, but as years go by, others come and others go, however, I have kept that feeling, the same warmth, for "Europe Endless", that I had when I first played it.

I always play Krafwerk in German, like it more, therefore “Europa Endloss”.

Nitzer Ebb - Warsaw Ghetto

Known for brutality, this is an early rare track where Douglas McCarthy shows another side of the band, a whirlpool of angst, crying out loud, over 7 minutes of a constant bashing bass line, that sends shivers down my spine, every time I hear it. I Have played this song thousands of time, it's fucking addictive, I know every drum pattern that Bon programmed and every ‘auw’ Douglas spits out.

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Few songs breathe such a strange atmosphere that they leave you with goose bumps. This is just one of them. It is in every way a perfect pop song, a perfect melancholic song, a perfect new wave song, perfect melody, perfect… But when you are aware of Ian’s life (check the movie “Control”, masterpiece) nothing seemed perfect about it at all.

This track sucks in just one way, and that is when it comes down to covers. It has been fucked up millions of times, all for the worst, the same can be said of Yazoo’s "Only You". There is no way you can improve songs like this, myths should remain untouched, and this song is a myth.

Elegant Machinery - Is This The Way

We had Depeche Mode ruling the 80s, Marsheaux over the last decade and Elegant Machinery during the 90’s. No other era left me such a gap in musical history as the 90’s, nothing stood out. Luckily there was Robert Enforsen and his chaps and for many years, they were one of the only bands I was aching to hear something new, although there was SPOCK and early Covenant sending hot synth sounds from the North.

Elegant Machinery made an enormous amount of beautiful songs and up to this date, they are still regularly played in my car stereo. I can't get enough of their massive pop songs!

This track was never released as a single although it deserved it to be. It was on their comeback album "A Soft Exchange", released in 2008 and it made a lasting impression (as did the 12inch version of the song "Feel The Silence" and "A Soft Exchange"). Seldom was a come-back album this strong. They have earned their spot in the gallery of great synth-pop bands, and a place in my top-ten!

Afrikaa Bambaataa - Agharta (The City Of Shamballah)

This is to me the father of all techno tracks, I cannot describe how deep this song just goes, how it builds up the force to unleash it a little later and it bites you like a pitbull. I was never much into true dance music or any deviation but this one is fucking great. It was in the period where music was really something to throw away, the more stupid sounding a song was the more success it had. This was fortunately one of the songs that didn’t follow that trend.

Depeche Mode - Just Can’t Get Enough

The title says it all for me, I can’t get enough of this track. It may sound cheesy and when looking at the video clip, you can laugh your ass off, but the song itself is another example of how good Vince Clarke is at writing pop songs. I just love the simplicity and the way the sequences get layered, the sound choices (even when having limited equipment).

The Schizo mix for me, is not amongst my favorites (I am after all a sucker for 12 Inche singles), that said I would not call it bad remix, and for that time for sure, a daring piece, but I wish it was a good and long extended version, with all the elements of the song spread out. 

Listen to 2 X 12 on Mixcloud

Listen to 2 X12 on Hearthis.at

Listen to 2 X 12 on Mix-Sets

Metroland have a new box set called "12 X 12" on May 26th, find out more about it on their Official Homepage: http://www.metrolandmusic.com/

Passenger A - My 12 Favourite Tracks

Our latest show is "Metroland 2 X 12" and it features the 12 favourite tracks of both Passenger A and Passenger S of the band Metroland, who are from Belguim.


Passenger A discusses the reasons why he has selected these particular tracks.........

New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (Extended Dance Mix)
This is just an amazing track which compels me to sing along and turn up the volume no matter where I am. It is beautiful, powerful, sweet melody, great synthesizers, and so much more. Even though Blue Monday is more danceable, this track means more to me. The so called “dub” of this track is really good too.

Mirrors - Fear Of Drowning

I only saw them live once, as support act to OMD, but I was blown away instantly by their tunes. I already loved the first version of this song on an EP they sold at the time, but when I heard the new re-recorded version on their album I almost cried because of the beauty of the intro. Their album "Lights & Offerings" is a brilliant album too, also Marsheaux did a remix for another Mirrors track, "Into The Heart”, which, for me personally, is even better than the original.

Maceo Plex - The Replicant

I have always been a sucker for dance music, more so, than for actual bands, or pop tunes. Maceo Plex changed attitudes and genres within Techno and House Music a lot, and not only does he get away with it, he also inspires many others. In a way I am jealous of the minimal approach of those bands and artists. “The replicant” is one of those songs that was played in “repeat mode” for weeks in my car.

Orbital - Where Is It Going?

Orbital is one of my favorite bands ever. What they do with techno and electronics is second to none. Also seeing them perform live is a must-see for anyone into electronics or just want to move to good beats and amazing sequences.‘This track is taken from their album “Wonky” and yes, they created a new #1 favourite track for me in "Where Is It Going". The live version on YouTube is the best of all, but then again, they made the album specifically to play live.

Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight (Extended Mix)

To be clear, this is the Robert Margouleff dance mix, but just a smidge longer, and is in fact the 12” version that was released in the USA. Admittedly, it was a tough choice here, as the 12” from “Everything Counts” was my first contact with the Basildon boys and it’s continuously jumping seats with "But not tonight" regularly as a favourite track, but today this won. In fact, I loved this track from the moment I heard it on the 12” of “Stripped".

The Grid - Floatation

After Soft Cell broke up (the 1st time), both men went their own way. Dave Ball started up “The Grid”, a kind of non-mainstream technological project with experiments and released some amazing singles, one of which was “Floatation”. I remember seeing the video clip on MTV for the first time and I was overwhelmed by the simplicity and beauty of the melody. It took me some years to find the single and during a visit to Kent in the UK, I found the vinyl 7” in mint condition. It took me even longer to finally get hold of the 12”!

i Start Counting - Still Smiling (Extended Version)

Passenger S and I spent years (and a lot of money) strolling from record store to record store. It was whilst we were in Ghent, we found this 12 inch and we've been fans of “I Start Counting” ever since. The single version is more beautiful, but the 12 inch has more meaning to me, personally.

Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring
I have always had a strange relationship with Pet Shop Boys, meaning that if I liked a tune, I thoroughly loved it, but if I did not like it, I simply ignored it. “Being Boring”, marked for me, their change from the disco-ish tunes to a grown-up style which, in retrospect, gave them more number 1 hits than any band ever before. Clearly the 90’s was their era! This again is a tune, that I could play at any given time, and enjoy it, like I was hearing it for the first time. I have never been fond of any album completely, and most tracks are for me at their best if released as a single. Most album tracks are not good enough, to my personal taste.

Acts Of Madmen - The Dream

Ah, yes, New Beat. Needless to say, that when I was growing up in the 80's in Belgium, that this style had a huge impact at the time. “The Dream” has never left my record-collection and is always among my MP3-tunes in the car or on my i-Pod. Again, the melody is ever lasting. Pure bliss!

Nitzer Ebb - Control I’m Here

In a former life and in a former band we were once support-act to Nitzer Ebb, who were our biggest inspiration at the time. "Control I’m here" is my favorite track. The aggression in Douglas' voice, without shouting, is compelling. Next to being support-act, we also got a chance to interview them, a moment I will remember forever.

kraftwerk - Tour De France (Francois Kevorkian Mix)

The first time that I heard this, the melody immediately struck me and it has been my favourite melody of all time ever since. The intoxicating percussion and delicious samples of bicycle chains are brilliant, the breathing, the chains even,…the whole ride… And of course, hearing the deep ‘ah!’ sample from the live-version fills me with joy every time I hear it, because I know what's coming.

Every version I have is too short for me, so luckily there is something called “repeat”! If not mistaken, Passenger S and I once made a version of this track that lasted well over 12 minutes. Bliss! The live version they play nowadays is not the same anymore, and it bugs me, that half way through they start playing the newer version, which is so boring. My number 2 track would be “Europe Endless”, and yes, in English, the lyrics are more fluent, simple as that.

Soulwax - Masterplanned

Soulwax, also known as TooManyDJs is one of Belgium’s most famous names in Indie Music, who incorporate many electronics in their tunes and live performances. If you look at the artists and bands that they remixed, you will understand what I mean (Daft Punk, Hot Chip, Kylie Minoque….to name a few).

It has taken them 12 years to make a new album with new material, and it has been spinning for weeks, continuously in my car, I am glad that they went for quality instead of quantity.

Listen to 2 X 12 on Mixcloud

Listen to 2 X12 on Hearthis.at

Listen to 2 X 12 on Mix-Sets

Metroland have a new box set called "12 X 12" on May 26th, find out more about it on their Official Homepage: http://www.metrolandmusic.com/

Metroland 2 X 12

White Lion Radio are delighted to bring you a special show called "Metroland 2 X 12"


Metroland are an Electronic duo based in Belguim and are heavily influenced by the likes of Kraftwerk, OMD, Komputer and Orbital.

The band have, so far, released 3 albums, all receiving excellent reviews and have a growing fan base across Europe and beyond. They are to release a special box set called "12X12" to celebrate 5 years of Metroland on May 26th and on this show we find a lot more about this duo as they have each selected their favourite 12 tracks of all time.

Listen to the show on Mixcloud

Listen to the show on Hearthis.at

Listen to the show on Mix-Sets 

If you want to find out more about Metroland, a good place to start is our special indepth interview with the band, which features tracks from their box set.

You will find the interview here:

Metroland 12 X 12 = Interview

Find out more about the band and their 12 X 12 Box Set by visiting their official homepage:

http://www.metrolandmusic.com/

White Lion Radio would like to thank Passenger S & Passenger A for their music selections.

Here is the Full Playlist for the show:

Passenger A

New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
Mirrors - Fear Of Drowning
Maceo Plex - The Replicant
Orbital - Where Is It Going
Depeche Mode - But Not Tonight (Margouleff Dance Mix)
The Grid - Floatation (7 Inch Version)
i Start Counting - Still Smiling (12 Inch Version)
Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring
Acts Of Madmen - The Dream
Nitzer Ebb - Control I'm Here (Zero Option Mix)
Kraftwerk - Tour De France (Francois Kevorkian Remix)
Soulwax - Masterplanned

Passenger S

OMD - Telegraph (Extended Version)
Marsheaux - Secret Place (Extended Version)
Komputer - Looking Down On London (Metroland)
Soft Cell - Memorabilia (Extended)
Indochine - L'Aventurier
Yazoo - Too Pieces
Kraftwerk - Europa Endlos
Nitzer Ebb - Warsaw Ghetto
Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Permanent Mix)
Elegant Machinery - Is This The Way
Afrika Bambaataa - Agharta (The City Of Shamballa) (Dr Rhythm's Higher State Of Trommelwirbel Mix)
Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough

Monday 15 May 2017

The Electronic Music Hour #24

Welcome to edition #24 of our series "The Electronic Music Hour", which features some of the best electronic and synthpop music from the last 40 years.


These shows not only include well known artists from the last 4 decades but new and emerging bands on the electronic music scene from around the world, a lot of which are either unsigned, or on a small independent label, or self release their material.

So the shows will feature old and new tracks that fit in the electronic/synthpop genre.

Listen On Mixcloud

Listen On Hearthis.at

Playlist

Camouflage - Shine (Single Version)
Vogon Poetry - In Darkness Lost Again
Depeche Mode - A Question Of Lust
Zynic - Any Second Now
Pet Shop Boys - After The Event
VNV Nation - The Farthest Star
OMD - Helen Of Troy
China Crisis - Some People I Know To Lead Fantastic Lives
Haberdashery - Stars
Vanguard - On My Own
Electronic - How Long
Royal Visionaries - Back To Yazoo
New Concept - Why Don't You Believe Me
Daily Planet - Stay With Me

Monday 8 May 2017

Maximum 80s (Volume 48)

This is a series of shows that feature nothing but the very best in 1980s 12 Inch Singles. The biggest hits on the biggest format from a classic decade......the 1980s.


Listen On Mixcloud

Listen On Hearthis.at

Track List

Re-Flex - The Politics Of Dancing (Extended Version)
Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots (Original 12 Inch Version)
The Stranglers - Skin Deep (Extended Version)
Visage - We Move (Dance Mix)
Ultravox - Serenade (Special Re-Mix)
Alison Moyet - Invisible (The Transparent Mix)
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome (Escape Act Video Mix)
Hazell Dean - No Fool For Love (Dance Version)
The Cure - A Forest (Extended Mix)
Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat That's My Home (Extended Club Mix)

Monday 1 May 2017

Rubik's 80s Mix (Volume 48)

Welcome to Volume 48 of a series of shows on White Lion Radio called Rubik's 80s Mix, a show that features classic hits from a classic decade......the 1980s.


Listen On Mixcloud

Listen On Hearthis.at

Track List

New Order - Age Of Consent
Shannon - Sweet Somebody
OMD - Waiting For The Man
Adam & The Ants - Antmusic
Fine Young Cannibals - Suspicious Minds
U2 - Bad
A Flock Of Seagulls - Modern Love Is Automatic
Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels
ELO - Confusion
Ultravox - Dancing With Tears In My Eyes
Japan - Nightporter
Imagination - All Night Lovin'
Shalamar - I Owe You One
Madonna - Cherish