MUSIC | REVIEWS 94 THE LIST 1 Apr–31 May 2019
ELECTRONIC GIORGIO MORODER Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Thu 4 Apr
When no less an authority than Nile Rodgers calls you 'the man who invented dance music’, you must have played a pretty important role in the world of club culture. Now 78, Giorgio Moroder was a true pioneer of electronic music. His production work on Donna Summer's disco classics 'I Feel Love', 'Hot Stuff' and 'Love to Love You Baby' set a new benchmark in the genre. He gave disco sophistication and sex appeal and turned the then-unknown Summer into a star. Moroder was one of the most in-demand producers of
the 80s, working with David Bowie, Cher, Blondie, Freddie Mercury and many more while also composing scores for classic films such as American Gigolo, Scarface and The NeverEnding Story. His popularity and legacy has continued through more recent collaborations with Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey and Kylie while his last album, Déjà Vu, featured guest spots from Sia, Charli XCX, Britney Spears and Kelis.
'The Chase' from the soundtrack to Midnight Express (1978)
helped set the template for what would become techno. It also won Moroder his first Oscar; he'd later add two more to his collection as producer and writer of 'Flashdance . . . What a Feeling' (1983) and Berlin's ‘Take my Breath Away' (from Top Gun, 1986). Despite more than 50 years in the industry, surprisingly this
will be Moroder's first ever UK tour, dubbed A Celebration of the 80s. 'It is something I have always wanted to do, fans kept reaching out to me, asking if I would ever do a real tour,' he explains. 'Back in the days, it was unthinkable for producers to ever leave their studios. That territory was reserved for the singers. Today, DJs and music producers have become the superstars of popular dance music, so the time feels right and I am so excited to be finally doing this.' (Henry Northmore)
P H O T O
: J E N A B E L L
ALTERNATIVE POP GWENNO Hug & Pint, Glasgow, Wed 29 May; supporting Manic Street Preachers, Usher Hall, Edin- burgh, Sun 26 May.
Searching for Gwenno Saunders’ name online, it’s interesting to note a news story which says the Cornish Language Board believes her second and most recent album Le Kov was responsible for a 15% increase in students taking Cornish language exams last year. That’s still only 77 people in total, and the language remains ‘critically endangered’, but the album was clearly both a big advertisement for and a significant work in the culture of a minority British language in which Saunders was raised (her father is Cornish poet Tim Saunders).
‘The response [to the album] has been incredible,' says Saunders. 'I’ve always had a faith that music doesn’t have any linguistic barriers, and I’ve been proved right; I feel that, as human beings, we’re interested in each other’s stories and in different cultural perspectives.’
She views the sung Cornish element of her music as being internationalist, rather than inward-looking or exclusive. For this former singer with under-recognised pop vocal trio the Pipettes and winner of the Welsh Music Prize in 2015, the album is a creative highlight so far. Next up is the score for a Welsh-language version of Brecht’s Caucasian Chalk Circle for Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. ‘It’s a lot of work, but it’s fantastic to find new ways of working,’ she says. ‘I love getting to a chorus but with this you just can’t, so it’s a very different experience.’ (David Pollock)
HIP HOP LOWKEY SWG3, Glasgow, Fri 12 Apr; Summerhall, Edinburgh, Sat 13 Apr
There has always been a natural symbiosis between hip hop and activism, with rappers throughout the genre’s history rising up to speak about key issues. As a heavyweight of the British hip hop scene, Lowkey has long been recognised for his candid and politically charged lyrics and masterful dissection of social inequalities. Following a hiatus to focus on his studies and activism, the rapper will soon be making his long-awaited return with the follow-up to 2011’s highly acclaimed Soundtrack to the Struggle. Soundtrack to the Struggle 2 is a continuation of Lowkey’s mission of challenging the status quo, but, as he notes, the album represents a sense of personal and artistic development too. ‘The album connects to Soundtrack to the Struggle in that I have developed as far as my political education goes. Back then, I was more knee-jerk and instinctive in terms of my rebellion; I don’t think I really necessarily understood the social forces that were behind some of the things that I was making songs about.’
With a UK tour coming up, Lowkey is keen to push the boundaries further and encourage
audiences to think critically about their surroundings. ‘Not only is it a case of musicians having a social responsibility, it’s a case of all of us trying to encourage young people to start thinking about social responsibility, to start thinking about the ways that they’re interconnected and interdependent in general. I think it’s important to try to cultivate that in young people.’ (Arusa Qureshi)