DIM STAR
Dim Star initially came to me whilst walking along side the National Gallery in London, with a fuzzy title of ‘Film Star’. Everything was jumbled as per usual, but over the next few days it fell into place. The song was fueled partly by drunken late night walks through London; With thoughts of failed relationships, speed date culture and abandonment coming to the fore. The song urged me to record itself pretty quickly.

Anne Mari (Davies) who used to sing and play keyboards with 80’s Peel faves The Field Mice and currently The Trembling Blue Stars was suggested to me by my good friend Dermot. She had already kindly offered to sing the song “I Kissed A Girl” for me. Immediately after that session I played her “Dim Star” and asked if she’d like to sing it with me - which I'm pleased to say she did - and it was recorded straight away.

I was going to use a six string electric guitar for the riff but Anne Mari suggested a ‘Hookie’ bass. This was played to lo-fi imperfection by Don Tempi.

A Roland SH09 provided the main riff in tandem with the guitar during the choruses and was also lead synth during the verses. The Sequential Six Track provided the padding.

BENNY HILL’S NOT ALIVE TODAY
I have no idea how this song came to be. I certainly cannot remember sitting down and working at it from scratch. I do remember however wanting a boy-girl synth tussle. Lyrically, a lot of this would be a reflection of my own desires not being realized. A song most definitely born of frustration!

I knew once I had written it, I’d like Anne Marie (Gilkes) to sing the female part. I met Anne Marie on tour with Erasure in 2003. Having normally sung sessions with top artists, it must have been a pleasant experience arriving at Landing Studios, Brockley being asked to stand in a room full of cardboard boxes and tat. I remember her having to enquire on more than one occasion “hang on..this floor board is squeaking..oh..and this one too – is the mike picking it up?”.

Despite only having heard the song upon arrival at Landing that afternoon, we had her part recorded in no time.

The main synth used on this track was my favorite Yamaha CS15.

The sync’d oscillator solo was provided by my live buddy the Moog Prodigy.

WHY DO I WANT YOU WHEN I DON’T KNOW WHAT I WANT?
This song arrived during a late night tube journey home on a bleak Winter’s evening in 2000. A potent mixture of unrequited love and love lost was all consuming.

When I wrote it I was lost.
I suppose I still am and I often find myself returning to it.

All the sounds were recorded using my Moog Prodigy.

I KISSED A GIRL TONIGHT
I had spent an afternoon with friends at a Birthday picnic in a park. More characters arrived including an interestingly pierced Gothic girl who appeared to have an unhealthy interest in her cousin. Later we all drunkenly trundled back to a flat where Old Git and Swedish hospitality combined for a bizarre evening where hidden desires amongst friends would perhaps tickle the surface. Why does it make you feel uncomfortable? And what does that say about you and me?

At 5am on the Sunday morning I awoke to the sound of The Salvation Army on the radio. I wasn’t well and decided to walk as far as I could through London Town . Upon reaching St.Martins Lane and pondering the events of the night before, the song had arrived and everything fell into place quickly.

Despite really liking the song, I knew I couldn’t sing it well and wondered if Angie would sing it. Of course she said yes and it became a staple of the live act at that time.

Due to live commitments, I did not record too many tracks with Ange and only a stripped down guide vocal version existed. A year later, Anne Mari (Davies) of The Trembling Blue Stars heard the track and said she’d record it with me.

This song has had a fair dosage of innuendo thrown at it. As one reviewer once commented: “ Sapphic electro: how can you lose?”

Synthesizers on this track are the Moog for the main ‘signature chimes’ and the Sequential Six Track for octave work.

EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN AGENDA
Perhaps I had been harboring bitterness from the previous night spent with friends having lectured me, but his song is different in that I worked at it from scratch with a sequencer, Six Track and the Moog. Disclaimer: I am not a fan of computers but often can’t escape them if using a sequencer for drums and arpeggios etc.

Anne Mari commented that it had an early OMD vibe to it. Not sure if I can hear that, but they must be in there somewhere though as I used to listen to them at night whilst falling asleep when young.

BIG IT UP
This song had been sitting on the shelf for a while. I had the opening signature riff and the songs melody, but lyrically, I only had a few lines.

Ange came round to my flat one afternoon shortly after recording Hell to Helsinki and I played her what I had. I thought it might be an REM rip off or something Michael Stipe should sing. Perhaps I could hear an American on this track?

Luckily she liked it and we went into the kitchen where she added the rest of the lyrics detailing some bizarre events she had encountered the previous evening. I remember being really pleased with my Moog synth solo in the middle!

The track was recorded a few months later - just prior to recording another joint composition ‘Kiss You’. I have never liked collaborating much but I liked these sessions.

As a foot note to this song; I was told that when Daniel Miller at Mute heard it, he winced stating he thought it was TOO '1981'.

High praise indeed.

U.N.P.A.C.K
Ange had moved house and after a few months told me she still hadn’t unpacked. Every time I corresponded with her I would sign off with ‘Unpack!’ I think she eventually did…

I handed her a copy for her Birthday 6 months later just to remind her..

The main synthesizer used on this track was the Yamaha CS15.

(THEY LONG TO BE) CLOSE TO YOU
This track came about due to playing at a Carpenters 'Tribute' evening in London.

In preparation for the event, I rustled up a synth backing for a version of the Burt Bacharach / Hal David number “Close to You”. Subliminally, it went down a slightly darker road by adding a sad little refrain which was later repeated at the end.

I recorded it at the weekend prior to the gig. You can hear Angie doing some nifty synth work on the Six Track on the left speaker and me on the right.

Events and years having passed, I had forgotten about this recording completely until compiling the album. I listened to it with fresh ears and found it rather magical. A beautiful song.

I SOLD YOUR HEART ON EBAY
Of all the places, this song suddenly appeared in my head on my way home from Cost Cutter’s at Brockley Cross. I got indoors and worked on it straight away.

I had just purchased a new microphone (Rode NTK) and used this for its first recording. Unfortunately it picked up the conversations on the street outside so every session thereafter with this mike was recorded in a different room!

I always forget this song exists. I think it’s because it all happened so quick from head to tape.

It was written during another bitter time when everything was a blur. A song about solitude, independence, longing and hope - that Cold Play and every miserable posh university band fall off the end of the play lists to our lives.

Synthesizers used were the Sequential Six Track and Yamaha CS15.

IBIZA MON AMOUR
This was written a long while back in 1999. Big Brother culture was growing in the Petri dish of the media. You could feel a storm brewing. In my eyes, the whole of club culture had destroyed synthesizer music. Gone were the melodies and in were the rhythms. What made it worse was seeing some fool earn more than some countries GDP in an evening for playing it on a turn table. What could be worse than this? Yep, people PAYING money to HEAR the fool put a stylus onto a piece of vinyl.

Anger is my great motivator for writing.

I was actually drifting off to sleep one night when the main synth riff came to me. I knew I couldn’t risk falling asleep and losing it so went into a room and put a basic little pattern down.

The rest of the song came to me during a late night walk home.

I had just tried out a new sequencer (FL 3.5), and used this to make a lo-fi, lo-bangin’ accompaniment. Everything else as usual was played live. Yamaha CS15 provided the main riff, Sequential Six Track provided the chord 'stabs'.

Going back to the OMD reference mentioned earlier, I also used to listen to Kraftwerk when they were good (before Bartos and Fleur left). Computer World was a favorite and I can hear the ghostly feel of Computer Love with the Sequential work on this track.

SPACE
The beginning ascending bit came to me one fine but melancholic morning at Brockley train station. The rest of it just fell into place during the journey and at London Bridge . There is often something in the air for me on Platform 6 at London Bridge.

I am not a fan of re-recording tracks as I believe in capturing the feeling or mood as close to the time of creation. This track was the one exception though. I recorded it first in about 1998 then hung on to it before Marv at Electromancer heard it and put it on a compilation. It ended up in the live set pretty early on and then it was going to be track 4 on the Txt Msg single. Actually, I took all the component bits into the Mute Studios and transferred them over to re-record the vocals, this time with Ange.

Something though, still wasn’t right, the mix or something, (having a lack of control is bad news for me).

I ended up recording another version at home with Ange, but thought the new backing wasn’t as ‘warm’ as the original SO, last year went back AGAIN to the original tapes and started again.

Even now I know my vocal is not great, but when I hear the opening chords, I feel they’re climbing stairs, trying to lift me up out of a sad moment in time.

Main synthesizer used on this recording was the Sequential Six Track. I also used a Roland Drumatix for the rhythm.

8-BIT HIT
At the time, I thought I was going to have a whole album’s worth of songs about my hatred of club culture. ‘ Ibiza Mon Amour’, ‘8-Bit Hit’ ‘Txt Msg’, ‘Return to Synth Pop’. They all formed the basis of a Jetson’s vision of the future where DJ’s were relagated to where they belonged i.e. behind garishly adorned tinselled podiums playing records at weddings and where trainers and sports wear would never be worn outside of a sporting environment.

This song always seemed to go down well live, though I can’t remember its creation too well. I think it started with the seed of 8-bit sounds born of a Vic 20 computer being all that was needed to eradicate modern day woes. Not so much Live 8 but more Live 8-bit for me. I remember adding synth riff upon synth riff until it sounded just 'right'.

I’d like to say that the war on DJ's or 'club culture' was won. For me, it WAS a war. I was (still am) passionate and rallied to the cause to reclaim the synthesizer from club and dance culture.

Those that mock and cite ‘irony’ as the only logical reason for making the type of synthesizer music I love are perhaps today heading to the Balearic Isles to listen to the latest guitar band who are now playing regularly at the very same clubs the Disc Jockeys once ruled. Perhaps it was only a partial victory after all...

The most heart warming quote I have ever seen about VT was delivered by Armchair Critic who in reviewing a live performance stated that “the songs were performed with love rather than irony, because love is always better than irony”

To that there is nothing more I can add except a huge thank you for sticking by me and I hope you enjoy the album.

Vic TWENTY July 2005