Futurepop

Indeed, this hybrid genre inherits only a few small Electronic Body Music traits, while completely overhauling the very vision of dark clubbing: futurepop's main influences, though rooted in new wave (deep, melodic, even romantic vocals) or in synth-pop (here too, Depeche Mode play a fundamental role), cannot ignore trance music or the more commercial strain of eurodance (two genres that, as it happens, had become hugely popular in the second half of the '90s). Gone, then, is every industrial reference (hammers, factories, gears), replaced instead by minimal artwork and a shiny, forward-looking aesthetic that gazes towards space exploration and the future of humankind. Which is why, at least from our point of view, it's decidedly wrong to lump futurepop together with EBM, or vice versa. To put it simply, futurepop is essentially synth-pop taken to a 2.0 level.

Fashions change, and today releases in this field have dwindled to a minimum, largely because, some time ago now, the genre's biggest names sniffed out new paths to explore, abandoning the main road that had given us so many great records. Even from a purely qualitative standpoint, contemporary futurepop can be boiled down to the odd decent single that often vanishes from the radar within a few weeks. Finally, and this is no small matter, for many years now EBM has fully regained its strength, first through the old-school revival and then through its recent, winning fusions with techno and industrial.

Through ten key albums, then, let's retrace the many shades of this fascinating musical universe, following, naturally, a strict chronological order:

VNV Nation – Empires (1999)

By this point VNV Nation had already released two albums of great importance for the genre's evolution (especially 1998's "Praise The Fallen"), but it's with "Empires" that the real breakthrough arrives. Irish-born guru Ronan Harris shapes his creation until it becomes the key reference point for many young musicians of the time. This is down to a dark, nocturnal record, filtered through a latent melancholy that heightens its emotional charge. "Kingdom" is a journey into space, "Standing" is a slice of history, while some of you will have danced "Legion" to the point of exhaustion. A masterpiece, no doubt, alongside the other genre manifesto, "Futureperfect", released three years later.

Apoptygma Berzerk – Welcome To Earth (2000)

The Apop (as their fans call them) instead represent the tip of the iceberg of a thriving and surprising Norwegian scene (in 1997 they even collaborated with Satyricon, remixing one of their tracks). After two albums closer to synth-pop (including the excellent "7"), 2000 brings the record that sealed their reputation: crystalline production, catchy melodies and a string of unforgettable hits (from "Eclipse" to "Kathy's Song", not to mention the tribute to "Twin Peaks" with "Moment Of Tranquility"). There's even room for a Metallica cover ("Fade To Black"). Plenty on offer for an undisputed classic of the genre.

Covenant – United States Of Mind (2000)

Covenant, led by Eskil Simonsson (not to be confused with the Norwegian band of the same name, later renamed The Kovenant), also left a deep mark on futurepop, especially with this record, objectively far removed from the rawer, more hypnotic earlier work (though "Europa" still deserves all your attention). "One World One Sky" embodies this new sound at its most powerful, taking on significant eurodance influences, while "Dead Stars" catapults us into a gripping alternative dancefloor anthem, a track able to project old-school new wave and synth-pop into the most technological future of the twenty-first century.

Assemblage 23 – Failure (2001)

Is America just watching from the sidelines? Absolutely not. Here comes this project signed Tom Shear, who has always been the sole mastermind behind the A23 name. If the previous "Contempt" (1999) unfortunately proves rather unripe in many respects (despite some excellent underlying ideas), "Failure" is the surprise you didn't see coming: an album still somewhat rough in places and far from the crystal-clear productions that would follow, but qualitatively unimpeachable. "I Am The Rain" isn't easily forgotten, and neither are the gorgeous "Divide" (with its dreamy refrain) and "King Of Insects", the latter shot through with shades clearly indebted to Reznor. An important piece of the genre's puzzle.

Colony 5 – Structures (2003)

This Swedish duo embodies one of futurepop's softer sides, and it's no coincidence that some have in the past likened Colony 5's sound to a punchy, pumped-up powerpop. "Structures" is an excellent record in this regard, delivering plenty of pleasing sensations: "Black" is a hit that's very simple but damned effective, built around a melodic synth line that guides the whole track. "Hate" and "Synchronized Hearts" are more melancholic, but stay true to the duo's less elaborate approach, one that has allowed them to carve out a strong place among the hottest names in the ever-thriving Scandinavian electronic scene. A less ambitious effort, but no less worthy of attention.

Icon Of Coil – Machines Are Us (2004)

Still in Norway with Icon Of Coil, the brainchild of the versatile Andy LaPlegua, who later moved into club-oriented industrial and eventually into metalcore with his American project Combichrist. Icon Of Coil released three albums, all of a high standard, but we've chosen their final effort for its compositional maturity: "Machines Are Us" is indeed the most complete record by this trio (the line-up also includes Christian Lund and Sebastian Komor), a compendium of club-ready blasts ("Remove/Replace"), glimpses of the future ("Android"), nods to Nitzer Ebb ("Pursuit") and aching ballads ("Sleep:less"). Here Andy's charisma really makes the difference, and calling it a milestone is by no means an overstatement.

Rotersand – Welcome To Goodbye (2005)

Often lumped in with futurepop, this German duo spent years trying to raise the bar for the genre, and they succeeded brilliantly, at least with a couple of albums (the one under discussion here and "Random Is Resistence" from 2009). "Welcome To Goodbye" is their second record and arguably one of the most eclectic albums released during that period. Here techno elements surface alongside industrial, purely electro and even EBM touches, all held together by a powerful futurepop glue. "Storm" is the heavyweight track, along with the incredible hit "Exterminate Annihilate Destroy", but there's no shortage of darker, more relaxed passages either — a genuine emotional rollercoaster and one of the brightest gems the scene has ever produced.

Pride And Fall – Elements Of Silence (2006)

It wasn't easy choosing between the excellent debut "Nephesh" (2003) and this follow-up, "Elements Of Silence", but the fact remains that we're looking at two of the most underrated albums in the genre. Once again we land in Norway, but unlike Apoptygma Berzerk and Icon Of Coil, Pride And Fall are far darker, almost depressive (the sound even oozes darkwave influences), a kind of even gloomier take on VNV Nation. "The Perfect Circle" is moving note after note, while "The Violence In Me" seems to nod to Depeche Mode before soaring off into purely trance territory. There isn't a single throwaway track here — this is an album of the highest calibre.

Solitary Experiments – In The Eye Of The Beholder (2009)

The origins of Solitary Experiments date back to the mid-Nineties, when the sound they proposed was far more contaminated and industrial. Then came a slow evolution, passing through releases of real substance ("Advance Into Unknown") until they finally squared the circle in 2009 with this very album. With every rough edge smoothed away, "In The Eye Of The Beholder" offers the most melodic and polished side of futurepop, without giving up on the occasional more violent moment (the revisiting of "Seele Bricht" alongside Feindflug) or darker passage (the excellent closer "No Surrender"). It's a shame their later albums have been far less striking than this one.

Frozen Plasma – Dekadenz (2015)

Quite a pair, Vasi Vallis and Felix Marc, who in 2015 crafted one of the last true strongholds of the genre we're covering here. Their earlier records are actually worth more than a passing listen too, but "Dekadenz" was a bolt from the blue, since in 2015 no one would have expected an album of such quality within this particular field. Frozen Plasma can be quite syrupy, cloying even, but here the blend of synth-pop and dancefloor sounds comes together in a remarkably natural way and offers plenty of variety: from the classic futurepop of "Age After Age" to the sly electro of "Crazy", ending with the sumptuous "Faith Over Your Fear", which seals the record's thoroughly synthetic character. One of the few acts still believing in it.

As an appendix, here's another list of ten further titles created by just as many important names linked, through different approaches, to the sound under discussion: