SNOWY RED - I'm Alright (1989)

Описание: Marcel Thiel, aka Micky Mike, began his career in Belgian punk band Chainsaw (who released one EP, See-Saw, in 1977) before reinventing himself as electronic genius Snowy Red. Possibly the best of all the early minimal synth brigade, Thiel took Numan, Foxx and all the European influences forward into a project quite personal and outstanding while still following the 'rules'. His music's sheer sense of wonder and amazing freshness even today is breathtaking.

Snowy Red released four albums, the best of which in my humble opinion is The Right To Die, my second favourite one-finger synth album behind Foxx's Metamatic. The Beat Is Over, from 1989, carries an obvious Belgian New Beat/EBM flavour as befitted the Antler Subway house style, recalling bands like Vomito Negro, Tilt! and Cassandra Complex but with Thiel's own signature ever-present. It isn't quite as accomplished as the early 80s material but still holds a killer punch; tracks like I'm Alright and The Long Run would grace any of the first three albums. Line-up:
Micky Mike - guitar, keyboards, mandolin, vocals / Stephan Kraemer - guitar, keyboards / Michel Degreef - percussion, rhythm programming / Alain Prick - saxophone / The Panther Association - backing vocals. Produced by Micky Mike & Stephan Kraemer.

Like so many others Snowy Red's music never received the commercial acclaim it deserved. A live appearance at the Antwerp BimFest in 2003 was the last outing for the project.

Marcel Thiel died in May 2009 aged just 52, after complications following surgery. Onderstroom Records has just released a magnificent 5-album tribute box set including the three 1981-84 albums (Snowy Red, The Right To Die, Vision), plus B-sides, rarities and a newly-unearthed set of demo recordings: find it at www.onderstroomrecords.net