Track Feature:

"Hide" by Basic Elements  

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•  
• Label: UNSIGNED
• Music by: Basic elements
• Lyrics by: BOWLing, denis, goldman, youssefi
• Vocals by: JOHN denis
• Produced by: ED buller
• Mixed by: ED buller
• Mastered by: BRIan lucey
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• Audio Production Technique: Hybrid (Some digital / Some analog)
• DAWs used:
  Cubase
• Plugin Brands used:
  Arturia
  u-he
• Synth/Controller/Sampler Brands used:
  Roland Corporation
• Most used synth model : ROLAND JUNO-60
• Recording Date: OCT. 2019
• Recording Location: GLENWOOD PLACE STUDIOS, BURBANK CA

Release Date: 02-10-2020

TOTAL VOTES:    1
Track Popularity: NEW

 

"From the United States comes Basic Elements, an alternative new wave focused band that has a very interesting history, they are releasing an originally written song from the '80s when they first started as a band as very young boys; and they recently reunited again last year (2019) after being disbanded since 1990.
Let us tell you, this band does maintain a very old school post-punk essence that makes you travel to those early 80's years of glamour and glam rock like The Psychedelic Furs, The Smiths, and also an early Simple Minds to name a few from that era.
This track has many highlights starting with the super quality and modernized production, the varied synth layers and melodies (that get a little crazy and creative at points), the drums sound powerful and exciting; also worth noting is a rough musical precision in the execution of the overall performance that stamps the tune with a classic punkesque alternative sound.
The vocals are simply amazing and they just possess that punk vibe and catchy animosity that one could expect from this music style, the tonality has also a rebellious attitude that with all the refining and updating they've done imprints a pleasant elegancy that can be perceived as an accomplished maturity.
The lyrics are also on point especially if you are of the ones that like art addressing or symbolizing ageless political themes. Please listen and follow Basic Elements if you're searching for that nostalgic glam post-punk new wave sound or even if you don't you won't be disappointed!"

by Synthpop Your World on 16-October-2020

 

 

SYW Overall SCORE: "AMAZING"

 

INSIDE THE TRACK: [artist's commentary]

BASIC ELEMENTS ISN’T SOME 80S THROWBACK BAND – THEY’RE AN ACTUAL UNDISCOVERED ‘80S BAND THAT’S REUNITED AFTER THREE DECADES. PRODUCED BY ED BULLER (SUEDE, PULP, PSYCHEDELIC FURS) THEIR FIRST SINGLE, "HIDE," IS A PROTEST SONG THAT WAS WRITTEN IN 1984 AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF GEORGE ORWELL AND THE COLD WAR. 36 YEARS LATER THE SONG’S ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN LYRICS FEEL MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER. ASIDE FROM THE MESSAGE, ANOTHER THING THAT'S REMAINED CONSISTENT OVER THE YEARS ARE THE SYNTHS. THE KEYBOARD RIFF THAT BOOKENDS THE SONG WAS CREATED TO EVOKE A SENSE OF URGENCY BY EMULATING THE SOUND OF SIREN. IT WAS RECORDED ON THE SAME JUNO-60 THAT THE BAND’S KEYBOARDIST, JONATHAN GOLDMAN, HAD IN 1984 (PATCH 23 "CELESTA" WITH SOME MODIFICATIONS). THE MIDDLE OF THE SONG USES PATCH 55 ("POPCORN"). BACK IN 1984 GOLDMAN PLAYED THE ARPEGGIO TWO OCTAVES HIGHER TO GIVE IT THAT "HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF" FEEL, BUT THIS TIME AROUND IT’S BEEN DROPPED DOWN AND FLUID VCF FILTERS GIVE IT MORE OF A PINK FLOYD "ON THE RUN" VIBE. THANKS TO THE THIRTY-YEAR GAP BETWEEN PLAYING IN BASIC ELEMENTS AND WORKING THEIR DAY JOBS AS A SCULPTOR, A TV PRODUCER, A VIDEO-GAME ATTORNEY, A REAL-ESTATE AGENT AND A GRAPHIC ARTIST, WRITING MUSIC WITH PLUG-INS WAS A NEW AND UNFAMILIAR TOOL FOR THE BAND. FORTUNATELY, THEY HAD A SYNTH LEGEND TO HELP THEM WITH THE TRANSITION. AS THE ORIGINAL SYNTH PLAYER FOR THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS (AND THE CREATOR OF A HOME-MADE MODULAR MOOG SYSTEM LARGE ENOUGH TO FILL AN ENTIRE GARAGE) ED BULLER IS A BIT PICKY ABOUT SYNTHS. HE CALLED GOLDMAN’S JUNO-60, “A SINGLE OSCILLATOR TOY!” BUT LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT IN “HIDE”. DESPITE THE ANALOG BIAS, ED AND THE BAND DUG INTO SOME "SOFT SYNTHS" FOR THIS PROJECT. THEIR FORTHCOMING SINGLES FEATURE A COMBINATION OF SOUNDS FROM THE U-HE ZEBRAHZ AND ARTURIA’S V-7 COLLECTION… AND THAT JUNO-60. IN "HIDE" ALL THESE JUICY SYNTH SOUNDS MESH BEAUTIFULLY WITH THE GRINDING GUITAR, DRIVING BASS, MEGAPHONE VOCALS AND THOSE BEATING TOMS TO DELIVER A MAINLINE HIT OF PUR

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