Artist: VNV Nation
Title: Electric Sun
Genre: Industrial / Future Pop / Electro / Post-Punk / Synth Pop
Release Date: 28th April 2023
Label: Anachron Sounds / Metropolis (US)
Album Review
‘Electric Sun’ Is the latest album from Future Pop / Industrial giants VNV NATION. VNV NATION play a mix of EBM (Electronic Body Music), Industrial, Post-Punk, Future Pop and Synth Pop with Hardcore Dance music influences. Fans of this genre will need no introduction to the electronic music project led by Ronan Harris on vocals, who also writes and produces. VNV NATION formed in 1990 by Irish born Ronan (who now lives in Hamburg, Germany) and Mark Jackson. Mark left in 2017 to pursue other projects, but today poignant tunes like ‘My Beloved’ and ‘Standing’ have made VNV NATION are still one of the biggest names on the Industrial / Electronic music scene. They played to packed out audiences on their last tour. Their forthcoming tours in the USA and Germany are already selling out in many locations. The VNV stands for Victory Not Vengeance. It feels a little odd to refer to VNV NATION as a group when there is now only one member, however session musicians join Ronan for live performances.
I first heard NNV NATION in the late 90s, re-entering the Goth / Alternative scene after a three-year absence due to health issues. I went to an alternative night in Leeds and thought I had walked onto the set of ‘Red Dwarf’ - astounded to find the usual sea of black clothing was peppered with dashes of bright UV and day-glow colours! The melancholy guitar orientated Gothic Rock changed to a thumping, energetic beat. with a high BPM count. It was as though DEPECHE MODE, DAF and FRONT 242 had had a threesome and it resulted in a lovechild. I watched in awe as these neon clad socialites, remained glued to the dance floor whilst enthusiastically waving orange and green glow-sticks around in a “big fish, little fish, cardboard box” formation to APOPYTYGMA BESERK and VNV NATION. I don’t remember which VNV track it was, but I do remember being awestruck by this pulsating Industrial / Electronic Dance music. Now here I am over twenty years later about to review their latest offering ‘Electric Sun’.
Track one is a beautiful and haunting ballad, the title track ‘Electric Sun.’ Ronan’s soft vocals are backed by a gentle lullaby-type synth melody, that eventually builds to a crescendo with anthemic synth chords It builds, then drops away, builds again, the emotion in Ronan’s voice is almost tangible - superb. Track two, ‘Before the Rain’, starts with an ominous sounding long note, then is joined by a more upbeat synth riff. What I love most about this track though is the lyrics: “We built a universe so we could hold the cosmos in our hands.” It gives me the feels. This track was released as a digital track in 2023. Track three: ‘The Game.’ A semi-ballad to which you could easily dance. As usual Ronan’s vocals are en-pointe. The fourth track, ‘Invictus’, is another anthemic dance track with a very memorable beat. I dare anyone to listen to the next track, ‘Artifice’ without their head thumping to the beat. A hardcore dance track, grab those glow sticks and get pumping. A great instrumental bridge, just wait for the drop. Nope, too late, my head is going and so are my air glo-sticks.
‘In the Temple’ gives you breathing space, it’s a slow, melodramatic and sophisticated. Instrumental perfect for the half-way point of this album. The next track, ‘Prophet’, increases the tempo again, another danceable track with a catchy sequence. Track eight, ‘Wait’, was released as digital single in 2023. It’s the longest track on the album. When I first heard this, my ear buds had run out of charge and I listened to it through my phone’s speaker, quickly realising that I could not fully appreciate this anthem without listening to it through ear-phones. I went back to this a short while later and glad that I did, Ronan is an incredible wordsmith: penning a lament to the apathy of society, who live in a hyperreality of social media and technology, while death and destruction continue and the powers that be, do nothing. It feels almost like the entire album has been leading up to this track. The words give me goosebumps. When those words are delivered to a background of futuristic electronica, the results are…astonishing.
‘At Horizon’s End’ is a slower number that starts and ends with a long, low note, that gradually ascend, to compliment the vocals. This is followed by ‘Run’ a haunting melody that carries on the feeling of futility from ‘Wait.’ The penultimate track ‘Sunflare’ is at moderate tempo, it almost gives the impression of winding down from the energy that has been running through the album as you reach the finale, ‘Under Sky’, an absolutely beautiful, cosmic symphony, which running for less than three minutes is the shortest track on the album. Now I’m depressed, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I’ve listened to VNV NATION many, many times, but something about ‘Electric Sun’ left me with chills!
VNV NATION have not lost any of their touch for writing thought provoking, emotionally drenched lyrics set to the backdrop of orchestral synth sequences. With twelve tracks in all from ballads to hardcore dance music, there is a variety of beats, tempo and themes to keep VNV fans happy. With some of them like the title track over six minutes long and ‘Wait’ being a whopping seven minutes twenty-seven - you certainly get your money’s worth. I can’t fault this album. It’s absolutely solid. If you love Electronic (Body) Music with anthemic dance tracks and emotionally intelligent lyrics, don’t ‘Wait’, buy it.
Tracklist
01. Electric Sun
02. Before the Rain
03. The Game
04. Invictus
05. Artifice
06. In the Temple
07. Prophet
08. Wait
09. At Horizon’s End
10. Run
11. Sunflare
12. Under Sky
Line-up
Ronan Harris - Sounds, Lyrics, Vocals
Website
https://www.VNVnation.com
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 10
Sound: 10
Total: 10 / 10
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