DivineDemento

With their pioneering blend of electronic instrumentation, repetitive beats and simple yet effective hooks, Kraftwerk defied all expectations as a totally electronic German band that became a worldwide phenomenon in the early 1970’s. However, Kraftwerk not only rewrote the rulebook on what pop music could be, but also defied the tired hyper-masculine rock clichés of the 70’s - and redefined what it meant to be a man in pop. Before Kraftwerk broke through to mainstream critical acclaim in 1974 with their seminal track Autobahn , the perception of electronic music in the public consciousness could not be more different from what it is today.  Electronic music existed only on the fringes of popular culture, either as novelty records (Hot Butter’s ‘ Popcorn ’, 1972), cinematic scores, or the foil of avant-garde composers and installation artists. For electronic music to have become the staple genre and approach to pop consistently over the past 40 years is in itself a testament t...

Only 3 short years after Tainted Love set the world on fire, drugs, constant touring and almost total emotional collapse meant Soft Cell disbanded with This Last Night in Sodom in 1984. A dirty, mono slab of commercial suicide, critics disregarded the album as being too radical a departure for the former pop darlings. But I would argue that ...Sodom is, in fact, the natural and appropriately chaotic conclusion to the bands original mission statement. Of all the early 80’s electronic duos, Soft Cell were not only the first, but also certainly the most misunderstood. Many only know Soft Cell for their 1981 mega-hit Tainted Love, and for Marc Almond’s signature all-black look – somewhere between Edith Piaf and Scott Walker. But at the time the band was also notable for their subject matter highlighting the stories of people on the fringes of society – rent boys, suburban housewives and sex workers. For all the pearl clutching Soft Cell inspired during their original 80’s tenure, the ...