There's a certain notion that makes out that Berlin was the place to go for creative musicians in the 1970s. How true this is is open to debate. Certainly the homegrown bands were busy creating new sounds that still hugely influence music being made today. Besides that you had Bowie, Reed and Iggy, but for your average, less avante-garde musician it was an unlikely destination. Now more than ever it seems that the city is being chosen as a recording centre for many bands. Of course the whole situation there is far better than it was in the days when the city was divided by a wall and tensions often ran high, but even so, many are decamping to the city for inspiration, and this includes formerly London-based duo Noblesse Oblige.
Their new album 'Affair of the Heart' is now available and single 'Runaway' mines the vein of 1980s pop music for inspiration. They get the sound spot on here, it's not out of the question that this song could be passed off as an original, although if you really dissect it there are a few telltale signs of modern production techniques being used, but these are negligible. Really the swooshes of synth, the pulsing electronics and the sharp beats give a warm retro feel to a genre that often came across as being cold and mechanical. Perhaps this is down to the twin vocals; Sebastian Lee Phillip takes the lead and has more than a hint of the Phil Oakleys about him, but he's backed by Valerie Renay whose more human and welcoming tones have the effect of softening the song for easier consumption.
Noblesse Oblige's website
Buy the album
Catch them live:
Sep 14 Henry Lee Fest @ Zbrojovka, Brno, Czech Republic
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