Over the past few decades, there have been numerous elements of popular culture that have explored Cold War themes – books, very many Hollywood and TV films, as well as music to a lesser extent. Perhaps the most notable instance of an artist covering thematics from this particular era is Canada’s Rational Youth and special mention goes to their ‘Cold War Night Life’ album. Exactly 40 years on from the release of that seminal new wave album and 3 decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union itself, there is a wealth of subject matter still ripe for exploration. On that note, we are pleased to introduce the latest musical output from Manchester-based artist Richard Evans, whose new single‘Black Rain’ explores the harrowing story of the atom bombs the US military dropped on Japan in 1945 and the repercussions thereof.
“Black rain was a type of radioactive rain that fell after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The song reflects on the era of Cold War atmospheric testing that exploded over 600 nuclear weapons, as well as the accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima, all releasing long-lasting isotopes into the environment. The track starts with a rhythmic repetition of the Japanese word ‘hibakusha’ which means radiation-affected person. In a way, we’re all radiation-affected persons now,” says Richard Evans.
Richard Evans’ music is commendable, not only for its allure and catchiness (with elements of Rational Youth, Pet Shop Boys and Jean-Michel Jarre), but also for taking on such topical subject matter as technogenic disaster, environmental devastation and our skewed outlook on our dire prospects as Earth’s inhabitants.
This song is the first taste of Evans’ forthcoming debut album ‘Sentinel’. Covering an array of themes that demonstrate the scattered and lost sense of humanity as we have finally reached the point of no return – as a species and in relation to the environmental problems we have, ourselves, largely created. With eight tracks on offer, this full-length album will be released via Manchester label Cold Star Media,.
An electronic musician, writer and digital media artist with dual Irish-British citizenship, Evan’s projects are inspired from real-world science, exploring biotechnology, machine intelligence and the environment. The accompanying video for ‘Black Rain’, which surrounds the same themes, was filmed at the University of Salford / MediaCityUK by Ashley Tidball, Timur Atilgan and Will Wood.
Formerly keyboardist in UK cult band James, with whom he also co-wrote and recorded material, he was also a guitarist and songwriter for St. Vitus Dancers prior to that. Since cutting his teeth on the UK music scene from the early 1980s to early 1990s, his independent creative projects have received nine awards from Arts Council England and a Business Development Award from Creative England, as well as being commissioned for various projects by the University of Manchester and Manchester Science Festival.
On ‘Sentinel’, analogue synths and sequences are mixed with melodic vocal hooks and drum machine rhythms. Recorded during the COVID lockdowns, the album’s concept was spawned several years ago during an acclaimed multimedia live show that explores climate change in sound and light, featuring electronic music, video and data visualisation content. Originally commissioned by Manchester Science Festival with additional support from Arts Council England and Creative England, it has since been performed at festivals across the country.
For this long-player, existing songs were refined and new material was written, combining the warmth of classic synths with pared-down lyrics that explore real-world subject matter. Recorded at Evan’s home studio, this album was mixed by Hervé Girardin.
“‘Sentinel is an electro-pop concept album. It’s important that art has something to say about the world we live in and there is no bigger issue than climate change. The album is my take on the different facets of the subject – from the impact of micro-plastics to the paranoia of COVID; from the origins of life to global climate protests, all in a pop package,” says Richard Evans.
Richard Evans’ output extends well beyond the musical realm. He wrote, directed and produced ‘AEON‘, a science fiction drama encompassing a smartphone app, web series and live events. A published author of many short stories, he also published the novel ‘KOSMONAUT ZERO’ (via Dead Ink), researched at Star City Cosmonaut Training Centre near Moscow. In 2011, Richard devised and directed the ‘Gagarin 50’ exhibition, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first human spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin.
The ‘Sentinel’ LP will be released digitally on February 25th across online stores and streaming platforms, and can be pre-ordered directly from the artist via Bandcamp at https://richardevans.bandcamp.com/album/sentinel . White 180-gram vinyl can also be pre-ordered exclusively through Diggers Factory, limited to 300 copies. Scheduled to ship on April 22, depending on the number of orders required, the vinyl can be ordered at https://www.diggersfactory.com/vinyl/231202
To mark the digital release, Richard Evans will be performing Sentinel live on March 11th at Oxford’s Old Fire Station.
TRACK LIST
1. Made Of Stars
2. Brave New World
3. 2084
4. Trick Machine
5. The Last Of Us
6. Black Rain
7. All Fall Down
8. Constellation
CREDITS
Music, lyrics, vocals, programming by Richard Evans
Mixed by Hervé Girardin
Co-produced by Hervé Girardin & Richard Evans
Graphic design by Lee Baxter
Mastered by Digitalflesh Audio Mastering
With thanks to Arts Council England, Creative England, Manchester Science Festival, Waterside Arts and the University of Salford
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