On 30 September – BLANCMANGE – will release the new album: Private View. Marking a return to London Records, almost 40 years since the label released the band’s debut, the release is preceded by the track ‘Take Me’.
Of ‘Take Me’, Neil Arthur explains: “As usual I’m playing with double meanings and domestic references. Can you take me, in terms of the unpredictable aspects of a personality, or can you literally take me to our favourite place by the sea? And also how much does someone have to “take” before a relationship breaks down? How many times can your partner be expected to accept repeated mistakes? Where is the tipping point?”
Listen to ‘Take Me’ – BELOW:
Across the album, there’s a deft marriage of futuristic electronic sounds, Arthur’s unmistakable vocal hooks, and songs that veer from buoyant and joyful to dark and brooding. Benge returns as a key collaborator, and David Rhodes (Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Scott Walker) returns as the guitarist, having previously performed with the band on 1982’s debut Happy Families (as well as several other Blancmange albums).
In their post-punk early days, Blancmange made tape loops and experimental sounds with kitchen utensils, before developing into one of the definitive chart-topping British electronic pop acts. Since reforming in 2011 (Luscombe had to leave shortly after for health reasons) Arthur has harnessed a duality of experimentation and seamless pop melody to release a staggering 10 albums in the last decade. “I don’t know whether I’m on a roll but I feel something in me has been released,” he says. “I used to hold back and I didn’t trust myself. While I’m still full of self-doubt I’m now quite comfortable with it. This is it. We’ve only got one time around the block, so make the most of it.”
The past is used as a trigger to create new ideas and build fresh momentum, not as somewhere to linger. “A lot of people are frightened of the future and are quite happy to have a repeat of something that was done before,” he says. “But it’s just not for me. Looking forward you’ve got a hell of a world to try and navigate through at the moment. We’re all moving forward – so we’ve got to try and find some answers.”
Private View is a record that manages to capture an artist who is potently in the moment when it comes to creating new work, while also being able to draw on 40 years’ worth of knowledge, experience and built-in intuition. “I’m really lucky to be able to make the music completely on my own terms,” Arthur says. “Within myself there are no limits, there’s a massive palette inside and I will try anything.”
Private View tracklisting
What’s Your Name
Some Times These
Reduced Voltage
Here We Go Go
Chairs
Who Am I
Everything Is Connected
I Tried To Be You
Private View
Take Me
An extensive UK tour throughout October, November and December follows a recent performance for Grace Jones’ Meltdown – full details below.
PRIVATE VIEW TOUR
1 Oct – Rough Trade East, London
6 Oct – The HMV Empire, Coventry – w/ Bernholz
7 Oct – The Junction, Cambridge – w/ Oblong
8 Oct – Subscription Rooms, Stroud – w/ Oblong
13 Oct – Arts Centre, Colchester – w/ Oblong
14 Oct – University Y Plas, Cardiff – w/ Oblong
15 Oct – Cheese and Grain, Frome – w/ Oblong
20 Oct – Sub 89, Reading – w/ Oblong
21 Oct – The Level, Nottingham – w/ Oblong
22 Oct – Glassbox Theatre, Gillingham – w/ Oblong
27 Oct – The Fleece, Bristol – w/ Alice Hubble
28 Oct – The Boilerroom, Guildford – w/ Alice Hubble
29 Oct – Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne – w/ Alice Hubble
4 Nov – Exeter Theatre, Exeter
5 Nov – The Brook, Southampton
10 Nov – The Mill, Birmingham – w/ Alice Hubble
11 Nov – Kanteena, Lancaster – w/ Alice Hubble
12 Nov – The Forum Theatre, Barrow-in-Furness – w/ Alice Hubble
17 Nov – Corn Hall, Diss
18 Nov – Gorilla, Manchester – w/ Stephen Mallinder
19 Nov – Hangar 34, Liverpool – w/ Stephen Mallinder
24 Nov – The Wardrobe, Leeds – w/ Stephen Mallinder
25 Nov – The Leadmill, Sheffield – w/ Stephen Mallinder
26 Nov – The Riverside, Newcastle – w/ Stephen Mallinder
1 Dec – The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen – w/ Stephen Mallinder
2 Dec – The Liquid Room, Edinburgh – w/ Stephen Mallinder
3 Dec – Queen Margaret Union, Glasgow – w/ Stephen Mallinder
9 Dec – Concorde 2, Brighton – w/ Stephen Mallinder
10 Dec – Islington Assembly Hall, London – w/ Stephen Mallinder
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