This review covers a coming debut full-length release "Instead" out in February 2007.
Behind ONETWO are hiding two well-known musicians, which can look back on a successful as well as pioneering work back to the 80ties with their represented projects. While it isn’t clear, who’s ONE and who’s TWO, we have on the main vocals Claudia Brücken, the female main voice of the German Bombast-Synthpop combo PROPAGANDA (“Dr. Mabuse”, P-Machinery”). The music machinery of ONETWO is leaded by Paul Humphreys, one half of the legendary ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK, short OMD (“Maid Of Orleans”, “So In Love”), whose mutual way with his partner Andrew McClusky ended in 1988 with the release of their last single “Dreaming” and a “Best of OMD” collection. McClusky later has released alone under the OMD moniker only one more album “Sugar Tax” in 1991.
The question was and is: where have you been, Paul? Claudia meanwhile has tried to re-animate PROPAGANDA, but without success. She also has done some guest vocal appearances (ACT) and did record a solo album. So you might expect to get a combination of both outstanding talents presented musically and lyrically.
Indeed, but this album offers more than this, both are working already for some time on mutual stuff and their long-time experience can be heard in every track, verse, chorus, part and note. This is high-quality Synthpop/Electropop, which should appeal all fans of the genre. Pleasing detailed arrangements unite with Claudia’s marvelous vocal performances ranging between energetic (“Have A Cigar”) and sweet emotionally (“Heaven”, which other title could this dreamy piece get???). Not to forget Paul, who's doing a fine job on front of the micro at “I Don’t Blame You”, which proves that he can offer more than only some background vocals. A strong favorite for a possible SingleCD co-release has to be named with “Cloud 9”, which is by the way co-written by a totally unknown artist/composer named Martin L. Gore (DEPECHE MODE), who also has contributed the acoustic guitar sounds to this Synthpop pearl.
One other piece “Kein Anschluß”, the only one featuring German lyrics, reminds strong on some KRAFTWERK tunes (“Showroom Dummies”) in the kind of arrangement. There are for sure several other pearls worth to check out, the divided opening track “The Theory Of Everything” or my personal favorite “A Vision In The Sky” which ends this outstanding release.
A lot of productions out of this genre have to look on this as reference – maybe THE release of the coming year for the Synth/Electro-Pop genre!!!
Source: http://www.chaindlk.com/reviews
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