There are certain artists whose music you can recognize from the first few seconds and, in that regard, there are certain artists who can make you feel excited from these very first beats. While this applies to multiple genres, one of the areas where the melody and instrumentation combine to make the music even more memorable is retropop. Today we dedicate a few of our (and your) time to one of the artists (who is quite prolific, I must say) from the UK electronic music scene, whose music is very much worth your attention.
The artist in questions is South London-based synthpop funster Rodney Cromwell (real name Adam Cresswell) and the release we are focused on today is a four-track EP called‘The Winter Palace Remixes’, which includes contributions by Norfolk electro-chanteuse Gemma Cullingford and Brighton synthwave actInfra Violet. Talented, punchy, fun and calculated, Cromwell is a musical force to reckon with and he has the pedigree to show for it (Cresswell was a member of the 90s indie-folk (and John Peel favourites) Saloon and one-half of acclaimed 2000s electro-wave duo Arthur and Martha.
With washes of synths, strings, tinkering electronic piano, detached vocals and layered harmonies delivered in Cromwell’s lush baritone, Lead 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 classic new-wave artists like Joy Division or 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 final original track – ‘Rod, Jane and Freddy’ (named after the performance group from the ‘80s kids show Rainbow) – combines squelchy vintage synths with a rumbling krautrock beat.
Produced at Acme Hall Studios in Brooklyn by producer Rich Bennett (Roman Angelos, The Shaggs, Mahogany, Limoncello, Hologram Teen), ‘The Winter Palace’ was recorded in Cromwell’s home studio. 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 extends BBC 6 Music in the UK to also include RTE in Ireland, airplay in Tokyo, and RNE3 in Spain, for whom he recorded a live session.
Rodney Cromwell live is a joyful mixed-media extravaganza, incorporating analogue synths, video visuals and live instrumentation, interjected by Rodney’s ‘offbeat wit” (NME). Described ‘like a spiritual experience”, he has shared the stage with icons such as 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. Cromwell will be taking this music on the road in June with support from NYC lounge / chill master (and Happy Robots Records label-mate) Roman Angelos – the two will perform in London, Coventry, Reading and Todmorden (near Manchester). Angelos will be promoting his new ‘Supermarkets, Underwater’ album with Scott Solter (St. Vincent, Spoon, Superchunk, The Mountain Goats).
Tickets may be obtained at www.happyrobots.co.uk/tickets
RODNEY CROMWELL / ROMAN ANGELOS 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
Rodney Cromwell on the net
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