synthead: WICKED MUSIC: MODULAR RECORDINGS NEW YOUNG PONY CLUB

In the ’90s, glamour in electronica was hiding anonymously in the background of trance tunes, never allowed to take centerstage just in case it detracted from the geek-boy technicality of the genre. And when it did finally take spotlight in the early 2000s (courtesy of bands like Ladytron or Miss Kittin) it was always strapped down, genderless and robotic; sexual suggestions that were about as sexy as a slap in the face with Gary Numan’s old pants! It was as if the electro bods were terrified that their music would be tainted as pop or disco at the merest sign of femininity and only felt safe with their girls stripped of all passion and identity, portrayed purely as she-droids – their sexuality defined only by their mechanical subservience.

Then electro-clash broke through the electro-fabulous levees, and the ladies took control! Peaches grabbed the baton, flaunting her glam-sex brutality with fantastic abandon. Le Tigre became the femdisco Beastie Boys! Goldfrapp surrounded herself with unicorns and dolphins and got sexy despite being 286 years old. And now we’ve entered a flamboyant new world of danceadelica: Lovefoxxx, Robots In Disguise, Tigerpicks, Crystal Castles, The Ting Tings and, shimmying sparkly cheeked across some celestial dancefloor in high-heels and party dresses, Tahita Bulmer, the ice cream queen of the new glamtronic generation.

There are so many wonderful indie dance, electro-pop, discotech, noise-electro, electronica type bands out there right now that are not getting the recongnition and credit they deserve! I admit I used to think that the years that I had not been able to experience would never repeat themsleves like historians like to tell you, the 80's! Being born in the 80's I unfortunally missed out BUT there is hope, bands started to come through in the early 2000s! I found a record label "Modular Recordings," who seem to be the pinnacle of all this glittery gregariousness! This record company really knows who to sign ;) I felt it was necessary to share with you some of the GREAT indie bands I've recently discovered from this label (and some other labels too.)

First, New Young Pony Club, a five piece electronic band from London, England.

Forming in 2004, New Young Pony Club, draw influences from new wave bands such as LCD Soundsystem, Talking Heads and Blondie (or Vodka, Cake and Emotion as they like to say), combining angular guitar driven rock with dance rhythms disco-pop gloss & synths which is an enthusiastic and dance-y reminiscent of new romantic stars of the 80s or just a synth band with guitars...whatever.

As they explain at SPIN Magazine, Tahita Bulmer & Andy Spence, co-founders of NYPC, were introduced by mutual friends, they shared the same love for punk rock and dance music, from Gang of Four to Tom Tom Club. Tahita Bulmer is a vegetarian who describes herself as loving animals, and is interested in animal rights. She wasn’t very good at sports as a kid & she is Trinidadian mixed with English but spent her childhood living in New York, London and Europe. And Andy Spence, a graduate of UOL: The University Of Life, with his peace-activist, CND-mad mum.

The pair began writing together as a duo originally, intending only Tahita to preform the songs. Andy later assumed a larger role when they decided to form a proper band, so they gathered Lou Hayter for the keyboards, Igor Volk for the bass & Sarah Jones on the drums and became New Young Pony Club. In early 2005, they released two limited edition 7” singles, cult hit 'Ice Cream' & 'The Get Go' on an indie label 'Tirk Recordings' before like-minded label Modular Recordings picked them up & signed them to a worldwide deal, that was just one year after they had formed with all five members.

After that they exploded everywhere! They toured extensively in 2006 and 2007, a support tour with Lily Allen was followed by a spot on the 2007 NME Indie Rave Tour along with CSS, The Sunshine Underground and Klaxons. The band went on to their first headline tour to promote their debut album, Fantastic Playroom. The sold-out tour launched on May 30th at The Cockpit in Leeds, and concluded at Winter Gardens in Eastbourne on June 9, 2007. The band continued to play festivals throughout 2007. The band brought in the 2008 new year at the famous Rhythm & Vines festive in Gisborne, New Zealand. Their performance was considered a success.

Fantastic Playroom (NYPC’s effortlessly bubblely 10-trackdebut) is an example of the potential NYPC has. Modular sure knows how to pick 'em . It’s got the icy-cool foundations of Ladytron, the pose and punch of Peaches,the samba sexiness of CSS and the electrogiirrrrrrl ’80s pop scene of Robots In Disguise!! This is the best indie synth crossover record I've heard in a while!

SOME MORE FUN FACTS ABOUT NYPC

Tahita and Andy initially pressed 1,000 copies of their debut seven-inch single 'Ice Cream,' but the entire lot sold out in just three days.

Petas website finds out in an interview that the band’s name came from lead singer Tahita Bulmer’s desire to be part of a club or team at school. Her original idea for the band name was the more concise “Pony Club”, which she describes as “quirky and kinky and fun”. A pre-existing Irish band had already claimed the name, and the prefix “New Young” was added to reflect that the band are “a newer, younger and kinkier Pony Club.

Their song 'Ice Cream' is featured in a commercial for Intel Core 2 processors , in episode 4 of Secret Diary of a Call Girl and in an majority of the Gossip Girl commercials.

It also featured in the episode of legal drama series Shark, 'Here Comes the Judge', when Julie Stark drinks at a party. Also in the Grandparents seduction scene in Wedding Daze.