You've gotta admire Ronnie (Joy Electric) Martin's perseverance and his dogged commitment to his craft.
"This recording contains vocals and synthesizers"
Would Martin have been more at home during the early eighties in the UK where this genre was at its commercial peak than in the unforgiving modern rock landscape? Perhaps, but he would not be making the strident independent statement he is making now. Kudos to Tooth and Nail for keeping faith with Martin and his uncommercial product.
Thankfully too that this time out, Martin has decided not to treat his vocals at all, letting his natural timbre work brilliantly with the "old-school" synthesizers perfectly. Tracks like "The Works Of Unknowns," "The Singing Arc," and "The Birth of the Telegram" are sheer electronic joys to behold. Sweet machinery!
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Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #109Reviewed by Jamie Lee RakeIt's crazy how Christendom has had Joy Electric as its own electro-pop secret all these years. Crazier still how Ronnie Martin's one-man band defies the presupposed conventions of its genre by getting more textually and texturally nuanced with time. Not coincidentally, JE's latest (and last in a trilogy) Hello, Mannequin, trades in synthetically rendered impressions of time's ravages on…Decapolis September 2004Reviewed by Mike LeechRonnie Martin does what he wants, when he wants. Exhibit A: In 1994, when the last thing anyone on the face of the planet wanted to hear was nitty-gritty synth pop, Martin inflexibly replied, "Screw it. I don't even care." He then went on to release a slew of albums on Tooth & Nail, effectively forcing any fan of the label to ultimately enjoy his music through osmosis. Exhibit B: After shifting…The Phantom Tollbooth July 2004Reviewed by Aaron C. AndersonHello Mannequin, I'm tired Hello Mannequin, I'm cold Hello Mannequin, I'm hungry Hello Mannequin, I'm weak Hello Mannequin, I'm sad Hello Mannequin, I'm angry Hello Mannequin, I'm scared Hello Mannequin, will you be my friend? This is how Ronnie Martin, the brainchild behind Joy Electric, chooses to open his latest album entitled quite fittingly, Hello Mannequin. From the opening lyrics the…Similar sounding releases
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