John Foxx And The Maths – Howl

Any synth-pop fan that knows their onions with be well aware of John Foxx. Any new wave fan too, and ambient, art rock and even post punk. If there was any artist performing today worthy of the title ‘legend’ then it would be John Foxx. Maybe best known for his early 80s hits Underpass, Europe After The Rain and Dancing Like A Gun, he has never shied away from recording, scoring soundtracks of even exhibiting photography and art.

The Maths, consisting of Benge (Oblong, Wrangler, Blancmange, Creep Show) and Hannah Peel (The Magnetic North, Paul Weller, OMD) are now joined by former Ultravox guitarist Robin Simon. Both Foxx and Simon were members of various incarnations of what became Ultravox both leaving in 1979 when Foxx was of course replaced on vocals by Midge Ure.

Howl is a triumph, and probably sees septuagenarian Foxx give his finest vocal performance of his career. Opener, My Ghost is a powerful taste of what is to come. Excessive synths and guitars which swirl and compete with each other vying for the spotlight, both of them winning the marathon in equal first place. The title track echoes Bowie’s Fashion as the writhing guitar seems to scream in pain as it twists itself around and away from the song both opposing and complimenting it as it goes. Foxx occasionally sounds like the Thin White Duke himself, an effortless outpouring that sounds as fresh and exciting as many of his contemporaries half his age. There are ‘trademark’ Foxx synth sounds courtesy of The Maths which make for an almost 80s collection that has been completely brought up to date, no doubt aided by Benge and his collection of classic keyboards.

The intro to Everything Is Happening At The Same Time begins with an effect not dissimilar to Visage by Visage as both voice and instrumentation swirl in an a Sgt Pepper/Yellow Submarine LSD induced beauty. Foxx is on top form. It’s difficult to pick out a highlight such is the quality of its eight tracks and here is plenty to give Howl some bit chunks of radio airplay as its experimentation has enough of a commercial aspect to reach larger audiences. Tarzan And Jane Regained is anthemic, The Dance is subtle and dreamlike, New York Times is tight and anxious and, once again an incredibly addictive track. There are several instances of Bowie influence both in voice and guitar work and, Howl would not doubt suit the tastes of those admirers too whilst being an undoubted thrill to fans of Foxx. Last Time I Saw You is raw and Simon is in incredible form. As the album closes with Strange Beauty, Foxx croons across an empty universe with an incredibly moving performance and some stunning string-led sections from Peel.

In short, Howl is a stunning album – one which improves with every listen as intricate sounds are discovered on each play – and, one that sees John Foxx at a career high. Inventive, expansive and totally encapsulating.

By Paul Scott-Bates

John Foxx - Underpass [Remixes]

Pssst!! Hey, yeah you. Have you heard these three remixes of the John Foxx classic debut single Underpass? No!!? Where the hell have you been hiding for the past ten years? In an underpass?

What we have here first are the Sinister Subway remixes by Mark Reeder from 2010 which were released as 320 MP3 downloads, each of them shorter (and better) versions of the ten minute ultra-extended Dark Long & Sinister Mix. There’s an added thud to this remix with Reeder playing additional bass guitar, yet Reeder keeps the original 30 years of synth and drum-machine dust that made Underpass such a spectacular debut following John Foxx’s departure from Ultravox. These remixes are designed to be played a bit loudly, so be prepared to fend off your neighbours when they complain about their house shaking.

By 2013 it was time for two more remixes of Underpass, this time released on 12” vinyl for Record Store Day. Post Punk Monk posted a fine review of the double A side single, which I have taken a large machete to…

First up were Dave Clarke & Mr. Jones. They have got the 5:57 “_unsubscribe_remake mix” on the A Side. The mix is comparable to the Mark Reeder version from 2010, in that it sounds like many of the original stems were used in its construction. If not, then they really went out of their way to emulate the original patches! The huge difference being that this mix has been flanged to within an inch of its life! The first half is close to being the seven inch mix we all know and love but the EQ has the resulting track sounding as brittle, metallic, and sharp is it has ever been. At the track’s midpoint, the cut almost goes in dub as the new bass synth becomes more prominent in the mix for the vamping that extends the cut to half of its length. By the time is wrapping up, the build-up has the bass dominant in the mix while the rhythm is dubbed out. It’s a reverent mix that doesn’t take many chances. It seems more concerned with extending the vibe for a longer running time; basically…an old school extended remix.

I can’t say the same for the flip AA Side “Oh The Gilt mix” by John Tatlock and John Doran who founded/edits ace website The Quietus. As the familiar aerosol banks of synths descend over the horizon, their resolve is fragmented into sequenced eighth notes while clanks and hisses make of the intro a close second cousin to that of Visage’s “The Anvil.” Then the new bass line enters the mix as a near-relative of the one from Gary Numan’s “It Must Have Been Years” from “Replicas,” with the last note dropped. The slow build-up coalesces once Foxx lets loose with the first “click/click/drone” as the track clicks into synch. The rhythm boxes of the original have been replaced with sampled drum loops. The one thing that remained largely untouched, were Foxx’s vocals. This was a smart move since almost everything of the original has been replaced whole cloth or abandoned entirely.

The first chorus gets dubbed out until the 2:00 mark, when hints of acid bass arrive to provide counterpoint to new, foreboding chord sequences and countermelodies brought to the mix. Later, tubular bells enter the track as a slow build-up begins at the 2:57 mark until the next verse begins. By this point, the track can be said to be in its second movement as the extended coda becomes a series of build-ups of choral vamps and ascending chords that are built slowly over the course of a minute or more. Near the 6:00 mark, a false fade occurs and stick percussion begins the final build-up before the climactic build to the cold ending on a perfectly welcome “click/click” at the 8:45 mark.

The “Oh The Gilt” remix takes the track far from its origins without boring, offending, or ever descending into dance porn. It’s strong work and at the end of the day, it’s a fascinating alternate vision of a song that in its original form bristles with all of the power and menace that an inspired original vision can bring to the world. The new mix tops off the energy and increases the urgency of the track at the cost of the baleful, malevolent vibe of the original. It’s intriguing and worthy for a fan like me. I’m still pinching myself that the current environment is producing remixes that I actually enjoy for the first time in a quarter century! If you like good daaaaance music, it hits the marks admirably, but at the end of the day had it been the original mix, maybe no one would be remixing it 33 years later.

Metamatic

Foxx's solo debut after leaving Ultravox!, Metamatic, achieves the same emotional transcendence as his previous group's early highlight, Systems of Romance, despite a new reliance not just on synthesizers, but on a musical framework dependent on them. On Metamatic, Foxx cultivates a curious air of disinterest that never seems truly bored, but is much more extreme than even his unarguably distant vocal style for Ultravox! Make no mistake, Metamatic sounds dated and very much so in places but, given the advancing technology in its genre it is hardly surprising. What it does show is a distinct ear for sound, experimenting and ultimately writing songs which had the ability to be commercial successes. The album’s first single, Underpass is style commonly regarded as one of the most iconic of the synthesizer movement. At the time, Metamatic was astonishing. It fused the previously underground sound of electronic music from the likes of Cabaret Voltaire, pre-fame Human League and The Normal with chart potential via almost minimalist tracks which resulted from six-track recordings creating a sparse almost dystopian end product. Opening with Plaza, the track contains sweeping synth sounds and light percussive accompaniment making it simple but addictive at the same time. It creates an almost empty, echoing atmosphere filled with suspense and eerie proportion. Underpass is grandiose in the extreme, a gripping bassline and single-word chorus of anthemic status, the track appears on many compilations of the era as a benchmark track. Metal Beat holds an amount of irony as it feels anything but metallic, fluid in its feel it gurgles and reverbs with several interesting effects before giving way to No-One Driving, possibly the albums finest moment which is has a pure, classic sounding pop buzz. Its perfect pop formula fused with enough originality to make it an especially memorable moment.

In summary, Metamatic is a must for all electro connoisseurs. It stakes its claim as an early landmark in the genre and whilst it has since been overtaken in sound by continuing leaps in technology (of which Foxx is still at the forefront), it will remain a reference point for many a year to come.