The Human League – Being Boiled
The Human League are influential throughout all types of music and their debut single is probably my favourite. I love the early electronic drum sounds, industrial soundscape and simple but effective use of synthesisers!…Oh and the artwork is wonderful!
Ace – How Long
I’d say this is a perfect 3 minute pop song. Great 70s production with amazing harmonies and a super warm electric piano. I must have listened to this track 1000 times and I never tire of it. Hats off to Paul Carrack!
Artery – Into The Garden
Post-punk from 1981. I love the intro as it reminds me of the crossover period where Joy Division became New Order. It’s raw and has some cool production techniques I emulate within my own music!
Gomez – Get Miles
Not strictly a ‘Sheffield’ band but they were formed here after going to University together. I love the whole album ‘Bring It On’ but this is my pick as it showcases Ian’s unique vocal and their trippy influences.
Toddla T – Manabadman
The great thing about Sheffield is the diversity in cultures and how they bleed into each other to create new forms of art. Who’d have thought this skinny white kid from Sheffield would have turned out to be a successful artist working with all of Jamaica’s finest musicians!
Moloko – Sing It Back
I guess I’m cheating again as these aren’t strictly from Sheffield but they were formed here! Written in the heyday of proper nice electronic influenced pop music where things didn’t feel so ‘throwaway’.
Cabaret Voltaire – Easy Life
Gotta thank DJ Pipes of Kabal for this one as it’s a classic piece of early 90s electronic music from experimental band Cabaret Voltaire. A lot of their back catalogue isn’t very accessible, but this one is wonderful. I can hear a little Boards Of Canada sound within in this, which leads me onto Warp Records….
Boards Of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest
We don’t really need to delve into the details of how important both BOC and Warp are, so here’s a full album. It’s an impossible task to pick out my favourite release from Sheffield’s most important record label!
I Monster – Daydream In Blue
I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what the bands connection with Sheffield is but I once met a really drunk guy who was singing this song AT me as a request whilst I was DJing. He assured me it was from Sheffield, so he must be correct!
The Beautiful South – Let Love Speak Up Itself Lyrics
I couldn’t talk about my hometown without speaking about fellow Sheffield United fan Paul Heaton’s band ‘The Beautiful South’. Sometimes all you need is a piano and a wonderful voice! Oh and one of my favourite pubs in Sheffield, The Riverside has a giant neon sign with a line from the song on the side of the pub.
Yarni’s next release is forthcoming on Nightcolours,pre-order here:
https://www.beatport.com/release/avaz-ep/2143387
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Nightcolours Recordings
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