One of the more prolific artists on the UK electronic music scene and certainly one of the most interesting worldwide in the genres popularly known as synthwave, retrowave and synthpop, today we have the pleasure of revealing the latest video from Rodney Cromwell – ‘Rod, Jane & Freddy’ is a playful instrumental named after the performance group from the ‘80s kids show Rainbow. Combining squelchy vintage synths with a rumbling krautrock beat.
It would be an understatement to say that Cromwell has been leading a double life. Otherwise known as Adam Cresswell of 90s indie folk band Saloon and also acclaimed 2000s electronic duo Arthur &Martha, he is also the clever mind behind boutique electronic label Happy Robots Records and regularly remixes other artists, not to mention touring.
Rodney Cromwell will be taking his crisp wondrous sound on the road in June 2023 for his debut UK headline tour, accompanied bylabel-mate Roman Angelos, who will be touring in support of his ‘Supermarkets, Underwater’ album with Scott Solter (St. Vincent, Spoon, Superchunk, The Mountain Goats).
With washes of synths, strings, tinkering electronic piano, detached vocals and layered harmonies delivered in Cromwell’s lush baritone, the EP’s title track ‘The Winter Palace’ evokes an icy cold soundscape. Where the title track of his previous ‘Memory Box’ album is about losing the power of recall, ‘The Winter Palace’ is about trying to forget a lost love, but being haunted by them in his memory. Sonically, the song sits between icons like Joy Division and OMD and contemporary acts like Ladytron and Black Marble.
In the first remix, Gemma Cullingford (Sink Ya Teeth) injects a unique dark coldwave take on the original, blending experimental electronica, brittle new wave, and noughties electro clash. Infra Violet‘s remix spins the track into a duet between Cromwell and singer Beth Munroe, creating a sweeping cinematic soundscape with layers of reverb, 80’s Simmons drums-sounds and soaring synths from bandmate Toby Campen.
‘The Winter Palace’ was produced at Brooklyn’s Acme Hall Studios by producer Rich Bennett (Roman Angelos, The Shaggs, Mahogany, Limoncello, Hologram Teen). Since debuting with the ‘Age of Anxiety’ album, Cromwell has been featured in NME, Electronic Sound, Huffington Post, Paste, Shindig!, Louder Than War, The Big Takeover, Magic RPM, Post-Punk.com and Bandcamp Daily. National radio play includes BBC 6 Music in the UK, RTE in Ireland, airplay in Tokyo, and RNE3 in Spain, for whom he also recorded a live session.
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Rodney Cromwell live is a joyful mixed-media extravaganza, incorporating analogue synths, video visuals and live instrumentation, interjected by Rodney’s ‘offbeat wit” (NME). He’s toured or played live with A Flock of Seagulls, Damo Suzuki, Pram, Death & Vanilla, Rowetta, M!R!M and Steve Davis. In 2022, he recorded a live session for Electronic Sound and supported Blancmange on a number of dates, further cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting live acts on the electronic music scene.
‘The Winter Palace Remixes’ EP is out now and is available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music andBandcamp. Catch Rodney Cromwell and Roman Angelos live in London, Coventry, Reading and Todmorden this June. Tickets may be obtained at www.happyrobots.co.uk/tickets
TOUR DATES
Thu, June 8 LONDON – Servant Jazz Quarters
Fri., June 9 READING – Face Bar
Sat, June 10 COVENTRY – Just Dropped In
Sun, June 11 TORMODEN – The Golden Lion
Bliss out with Rodney Cromwell
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More sonic beauty from Happy Robots Records
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