 |
 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BLINDED BY YOU REVIEWS... AVERAGE RATING 9.4 / 10 |
|
Give me 30 seconds and I'll make you a tenek fan. "Blinded by You" is the new single from tenek, the English duo of Peter Steer and Geoff Pinckney, and if you can make the 30-second mark of this song and you aren't nodding your head or tapping your foot/hand/pencil, then you've got no business listening to synth music. If you make it past 60 seconds and you aren't trying to clear some room to dance, then you may as well ask six of your mates to pick up your casket & carry you to the nearest hole. This is the sort of pulsing, driving, infectious club track that takes me back 20 years to the heyday of my early 20's when I ministered to the masses from my dancefloor pulpit. And yet, the sound isn't dated; it's fresh and current while being comfortably familiar and instantly an essential part of your iPod's rotation. Taking a drive? Pop this into the car audio system and hope the police aren't running radar. Taking a run through the park? Listen to this and take a minute off your best time. Working out at the gym? This will burn a couple hundred extra calories for you. And that's just the single mix. (But wait! There's more!) The past few years, I've been increasingly disappointed with the sad state of remixes, with hastily thrown-together rubbish being churned out by the Flavor Of The Moment DJ and containing virtually none of the original track. Not so with tenek. The single contains the remix "Designed For Dancing", eight glorious minutes of beats put together by Shaun Brooks, the resident engineering genius at tenek's Toffeetones label. Brooks has singlehandedly revived the lost art of the extended dance mix, adding beats while still maintaining the body and sound of the original track. Another treat on the single is an actual B-side track that's not some throwaway extra song that nobody wanted and relegated to purgatory on a single. "Synchronise" has a bass-heavy edgy energy guaranteed to garner club play on its own merits and will make a great crowd singalong anthem at a packed show. Over all, if this is any indication of what we can expect when the full "On The Wire" cd drops in September, the next 3 months will be worth the wait. |
|
|
This year has been notable for the number of male electro combos getting their act together after a 2009 dominated by girls. So one very pleasant surprise is Blinded By You, the fantastic new single by alternative electro faves TENEK. Leaving their previous Depeche Mode/Mesh roots behind, Blinded By You is danceable and catchy with hints of The Human League's The Things That Dreams Are Made Of. There are even bright uplifting synth pads as if to counter the darker edge that was prominent in TENEK's earlier work. Their new album due for release in September promises even more synth pop anthems. |
|
|
TENEK wouldn’t allow themselves too much of a break after the release of their widely-acclaimed debut ‘Stateless’. They quickly were on to the next full-length, in-between touring a bit and playing some apparently great shows, I sadly failed to catch one of them, but I’m working on getting this done. Anyway, the new album entitled ‘On The Wire’ will be out some time this summer, heralded by the single ‘Blinded By You’ which is the topic of this little review here. The single counts 3 tracks in total and is started by the single mix of ‘Blinded By You’, a sweeping compound of an 80s-inspired rhythm foundation and, something that strikes you with the first words, grand vocals. There’s apparently been a lot of improvement in that department since we’ve heard them last. The single’s B-side ‘Synchronise’ is being driven by a rhythmic pulse that is immediately after its start commanding for people to get to the nearest dance floor they can find. Add to this treated guitar and bass and you’ll understand how infectious this one is. The third place in the tracklist is occupied by the extended club version of the title track which is literally designed for dancing. The single deserves the word appetizer ‘On The Wire’. In fact, I can hardly wait to hear the entire full-length, because what I got to hear now is really promising. |
|
|
You'll be caught by these tracks from the moment you press play, once again Tenek aren't afraid to use those synth voices that others bypass to conform to the norm you hear in clubs and the charts. If you aren't taken in straight away by the opening of Blinded By You then you're using inferior headphones, there's plenty to listen to before cutting in to the vocal, albeit simple, it works with the track and will be sure to set the dancefloors pounding with it's decisive bass and synth hook, it's classic Tenek at it's best, these guys know how to compose, if this is a small sample of what's to come then bring on the new album! Synchronise is a strange one for me, it's not quite dance but I get the feeling that if the technology was around in the 70's, this song would be there at the front setting the standards. It's quirky and groovy and funky and "in ya face" and one that gets repeated just because it sounds so right. The 'designed for dancing' mix of Blinded By You definitely suits the song better than the single mix, it's good , really good, again the new album is eagerly anticipated! Tenek have shown they have their own sound which they haven't repeated from previous albums. Get it, you'll be caught too! |
|
|
Bevor der „Stateless“ Vollzeit Nachfolger das Licht der Welt im Jahre 2010 erblickt, werden die Fans elektronischer Tanzmusik mit einer drei Track EP aus dem britischen Tenek Klanglabor beglückt. Ein elektronischer Windzug pfeift aus dem künstlichen Klangerzeuger, bevor sich ein blubbernder Rhythmus auf dem Weg durch „Blinded By You“ macht. Geoff Pickney greift kräftig in die Tasten seiner Soundmaschine, die Pickneys Nebentätigkeit bei Mesh nicht verleugnet. Wenn Bandkollege Peter Steer keinen zweiten Synthie bedient, kratzt er kleine Löcher mit der Gitarre in den synthetischen Hintergrund der großen Soundfläche. Der aufgeputschte Refrain mogelt sich ganz unauffällig mit in die eingängige Melodie und verleiht dem Ganzen einen ohrwurmigen Charakter. Ein satter Beat entsteht, der sich im ganzen Körper verteilt und kein Bein ruhig neben dem anderen stehen lässt. Um das Tanzverlangen noch weiter zu steigern, haben Tenek „Blinded By You“ noch einmal kräftig getunt und es zu einem „Dancetrack“ umgestaltet. Die Instrumente drehen noch eine Stufe höher auf und bekommen genau den richtigen Move zum Marathontanzen. Den nächsten Einblick in die neueste Tenek Tüftelei gewähren die Jungs aus Bristol mit „Synchronise“. Der Strom läuft mit Höchstgeschwindigkeit durch die Kabel und donnert schnurstracks durch die Maschinen, dass die sprühenden Funken in der aufgeheizten Atmosphäre knistern. Mit soviel Beweggründen wird die Freude auf mehr und die dazu gelieferte live Umsetzung im Herbst erwartungsvoll gesteigert. |
|
|
Blinded By You (Singlemix) Teneks new single Blinded by you is a blinding (pardon the pun!) slice of modern electronica. Very upbeat, danceable and catchy as hell. There are a couple of nods towards the end of the track to John Foxx & also a Billy Currie-esque synth solo which the single mix fades out to. Ticks all of my electro boxes. Go out and buy this single now. Tenek have done it again. What a cracker. Synchronise The opening sequence to this reminds me of the theme to Airwolf a little bit but is different enough in its own right to form the whole basis of this new song. Track itself reminds me of Depeche Mode with beats that remind of the Glitter band (there I'm showing my age). A real foot stomper. Blinded By You (Designed for Dancing) This is another Shaun Brooks remix of the the afore mentioned track. 7 minutes 59 seconds of heaven. If you like the single mix your going to love this. Overall fantastic slick production on all of the tracks. For best quality I recommend that you buy the CD version. |
|
|
Dancing song After tenek have been on a great major European tour with De/Vision, here comes now an awesome single release: “Blinded by You”, a three track single available from July 5th 2010. The ones who visited the live shows already heard that song and I’m sure they took it home inside their ears because it’s an earworm (sings heartbeat… get down). It’s a amazing song which makes you directly sing and dance. The first version the single edit “Blinded by You" fits absolutely well in any radio station broadcasts, no doubt. I would say that “Blinded by You” can be a true hit. The next song is “Synchronise” which sounds a bit rougher but still cool electropop style. The last tune is a specially designed for dancing version of “Blinded by You” and that is exactly what it does. It’s a dancefloor filler and club hit. People liked it a lot when I played it and I say that this is a song you don’t want to miss in your CD player or Ipod. It’s made to make you sing in the streets and dance. A clear must have for all synthpop/electropop/wave fans and clearly a 10 evaluation of 10 possible points. |
|
|
A little over 18 months ago I came into contact with Tenek through Myspace, it took all of minutes from my initial listen to the “Stateless” promo to swing me into the Toffeetones shop on a spend, one that’s proved the most notable as my playlist keeps confirming to me. Thankfully there is no stopping the Tenek machine! A year of successful touring on, the thrill is still there at first listen of new July 5th lead single “Blinded By You” from Septembers planned release of album “The Wire”. “Blinded By You” packs in an irresistible to sing out loud lyrical hook-line worked together with a driving new-wave synth melody that culminates into 4 and half minutes of danceable bliss for a casual listener or a serious electro-head alike. Given that the single edit brings with it the desire to keep hitting on repeat, the equally delicious “Designed For Dancing” remix coming in at an 8 minute time span is a triumph of remix editing and engineering by Shaun Brooks. Devoid of misplaced minutes worth of instrumental fillers that so often many remixes see themselves overstretched with. Shaun has carefully mastered this cut so that it seamlessly flows from intro to finish with equally pleasurable pulsating electro swagger. Whereas, middle track “Synchronise” veers down a slightly darker path compositionally, that makes good for a angsty hands pointed in the air anthem. Overall “Blinded By You” is a very welcomed addition to my Tenek collection, firmly whetting the appetite for more of Pete and Geoffs well crafted alternative electro pop, that lies in wait for us in “On The Wire” – We can hardly wait for September – you Tenek boys continue to be on fire! |
|
|
The new EP from Tenek, Blinded by You, is another winner... Blinded by You is the new single and EP from Tenek, a British duo that has been tearing up the world of synthpop lately. This is their first release since their outstanding 2009 album, Stateless and is a worthy successor to it. The single version of the title track is a pulsating, multiple-layered masterpiece that will make you feel like dancing. Like Tenek’s other recent work it is filled with cool little touches that make this song really stand out, and Geoff Pinckney’s voice has never sounded better. The second track is a new mid-tempo track called Synchronize that I must confess is not one of my favorites. It features a chant (“HEY!!!”) in the midst of the chorus that seems oddly out of place, as if the boys were trying a little too hard to up the coolness factor if this song. The EP closes with a remix called Blinded by You (Designed for Dancing) which adds a heavier, more club-friendly beat to this song plus some cool new synth riffs and instrumental interludes. This is a nicely done mix that should be a real dance-floor filler. If you’re a fan of Tenek, then Blinded by You is a must-buy. If this release sounds intriguing, it’s a great way to expose yourself to the excellent song writing talents of this dynamic duo. |
|
|
Das im malerischen Brighton beheimatete Electropop-Duo, bestehend aus PETER STEER und GEOFF PINCKNEY, will es nun offensichtlich wissen: Nach einer kürzlich erfolgreich absolvierten Tour als Support von DE/VISION, erscheint mit „Blinded By You“ der erste Vorbote zu Album und weiterer Tour im Spätsommer. Der Titeltrack überzeugt durch einen astreinen Ohrwurmrefrain, eine markante Bassline und die Schmeichelstimme von GEOFF, der sich ansonsten auch als Livekeyboarder bei MESH verdingt. Dahingegen kann man die B-Seite „Synchronised“ guten Gewissens auch als solche bezeichnen: Ein netter, aber unaufgeregter Track, der seine Einflüsse aus den Achtzigern nicht verleugnen kann. Der „Designed For Dancing“-Mix von „Blinded By You“ unterscheidet sich nur marginal von der Originalversion, zieht die Tanzbarkeitsschraube aber noch ein bisschen mehr an. Stilistisch schließt die Single nahtlos an das Debütalbum „Stateless“ an und wird den Puls von Freunden gepflegter Melodiösität mit Leichtigkeit in die Höhe treiben, und so haben wir Synthpop doch immer noch am liebsten: Eingängig, souverän und mitreißend. Einziger Kritikpunkt: Insgesamt ist die Single mit nur drei Tracks (und zwei Songs) vielleicht ein klein wenig mager ausgefallen, allerdings lässt diese ordentlich aufhorchen und sensibilisiert dadurch für den anstehenden Album-Release von "On The Wire", auf das sich in jedem Fall gerne und ausgiebig gefreut werden darf - und mehr darf man von einer Single doch erstmal gar nicht erwarten, oder? Heartbeat, get down! |
|
|
I don't have an urge to drive a Lamborghini but when i see someone driving one Ii can't help feeling a little bit jelous because they look so f*""!!ing cool. I don't have an urge to sound like tenek but when I hear them i can't help feeling a little bit jelous because they sound so f*""!!ing good!!! |
|
|
I have quietly watched the progress of Tenek over the last couple of years and they are going from strength to strength and the new single is stunning and for those that miss the traditional 80's style 12 inch single you will not be disappointed with the "Designed For Dancing" mix, I love it! |
|
|
Electronic artist Paula O`Brien got me into tenek`s music just over a year ago and their music in my opinion is going from strength to strength. The latest single Blinded by You has three "blinding" tracks and they are all awesome. I play every track on my radio show and will continue to do so for a very long time. The question I always ask myself is "why aren`t tenek bigger than they are?" as in my opinion they definetly deserve to be. I am now eagerly awaiting the new album in September. Top marks to Geoff,Peter and Shaun for another great production. |
|
|
Tenek debut album Stateless was one of my favourite albums of 2009. Follow-up album On The Wire is due for release in September and they’ve just released the first single, called Blinded By You. Blinded By You is the new 3-track single from UK synth band Tenek. It’s an excellent taster for the new album and shows the band moving more towards a purely electronic sound. Blinded By You has a wonderful European futurepop sound; Tenek certainly seem to be filling the gap left by Apoptygma Berzerk‘s departure into rock. It’s easy to hear why the likes of De/Vision, Mesh, Assemblage 23, and Gary Numan have asked Tenek to support them on tour: there’s an assured song-writing skill and seasoned professionalism apparent in their sound. With its catchy chorus and driving electro groove, Blinded By You is a stand-out single for 2010. Second track Synchronise contains hints of the Human League‘s Being Boiled, updated for the naughties and fuelled by rock and electroclash. I can imagine this being a particular crowd-pleaser at gigs, with its “Hoy!” refrains. Synchronise is an exclusive track (the B-side!) but it’s a complete song with vocals. The third track is an extended dance mix of Blinded By You. Harking back to that wonderful era when a twelve inch dance mix was essential, this 8-minute version brings to the fore extra touches of OMD and Ultravox into the mix. All in all a fantastic release -- short but sweet! |
|
|
tenek really are developing into something very special , this is the product of lots of hard work gained by the unique partnership of pete and geoff and the progress they are making is evident in blinded by you .. they are truly becoming masters of their art and im sure with the persistence and professional approach to all things tenek they are to achieve huge success . fantastic track with a storming b side you can hear the unique sound and lots of their influences coming through that can only add to the tenek machine an intelligent machine that can light up any cd player or IPOD light the tenek TOUCH paper . well done to you and all concerned and hears to the new album !!! |
|
|
One of my favourite bands to date are bringing mayhem to the music scene, and here they are again with something quite remarkable. The single mix of 'Blinded by you' is a track you just have to love, it really shows their potential and reminds me of a quicker-paced Pet Shop Boys. I like to listen as I write, as I find that words just flow a lot easier, however... Listening to this track has got me absorbed, and I soon find myself distracted by their incredible talent. I remember listening to Tenek some time ago, on what is now the 'so last summer' Myspace. But for all of you that spend your time on Facebook, venture over to Myspace once in a while and you may find what I did; an absolutely sensational band. 'Synchronise' has a relatively slow intro, however it builds like an invincible game of Jenga with an addictive beat. Now, you never thought I'd be comparing a band to Jenga, did you?... Tenek have pretty much got this genre dead on, they know what works and they know how to experiment to create impressive, professional music. You won't be disappointed. And right from the horse's mouth, "Were going to take you on, so are you feeling strong?"... Well, that's Tenek taking the music scene by a whirlwind if you ask me! 'Blinded by you' (Designed for dancing) is exactly what it says on the tin. I'm thinking smoke machine, I'm thinking full volume, and I'm thinking - an awesome night. I for one haven't been fortunate enough to experience Tenek at a live gig, although I have some high expectations which I am damn sure they would exceed. As their third track pumps out my speakers, around six minutes in, I could easily imagine a club full of people stop dancing and begin clapping and singing to "Heartbeat, get down. Heartbeat, down down...". Tenek are like a drug - yet not so expensive and you would definitely remember what happened. |
|
|
Die beiden Briten sind zumindest als tenek noch gar nicht so lange aktiv und doch hat man das Gefühl, sie schon ewig zu kennen. Geoff Pinckney und Peter Steer sind beide gestandene Musiker. Peter Steer tourte mit einem früheren Projekt namens BonBooshe mehrmals in den Neunzigern als Support von Gary Numan und später auch mit John Foxx durch die Konzerthallen Englands. Auch mit Geoff Pinckney sollte jeder Konsument feinsten Synthiepops in der Vergangenheit in Berührung gekommen sein. Geoff ist schon seit geraumer Zeit Bestandteil der Livecrew bei mesh. Und dann gab es da noch The Nine. Dort arbeiten Geoff und Pete bereits ziemlich erfolgreich musikalisch zusammen. Leider entschied man sich 2006 das Projekt zu Grabe zu tragen. Doch daraus entstanden zwei neue Bands – Alien 6 und eben tenek. 2007 veröffentlichten tenek die erste Single „Tenek EP“. Bis 2009 folgten noch die beiden Singles „Where's The Time?“ und „Submission“. Im März 2009 erschien das Debüt-Album „Stateless“, welches schon viele Kritiker aufhorchen ließ. Genug Geschichtsunterricht – widmen wir uns mal „Blinded By You“ - dem aktuellen Vorboten des im September 2010 erscheinenden zweiten Albums „On The Wire“. Die Maxi wirkt mit 3 Tracks auf den ersten Blick etwas knapp bestückt. Aber „Blinded By You“ war eine gute Wahl und kann so stark punkten, dass die Quantität mal wieder keine tragende Rolle in meiner Bewertung spielen muss. Wer sich tenek bei der letzten „Popgefahr-Tour“ von De/Vision anschauen konnte, wird „Blinded By You“ sofort wiedererkennen. Und was gibt es Besseres, als eine Single zu veröffentlichen, die einen starken Wiedererkennungswert besitzt. Dem kraftvoll mitreißenden Refrain „Heartbeat ... Get Down ...“ kann man sich nur schwer entziehen. Hier trifft energiegeladener Electropop auf eine ordentliche Produktion und vermischt sich zu einem Ohrwurm, den ich in den letzten Wochen bei Veröffentlichungen von Musiker-Kollegen mit der Lupe suchen musste. Die „B-Seite“ mit dem Titel „Synchronise“ ist ziemlich einfach gestrickt. Auch hier gibt es wieder einen kraftvollen Refrain, allerdings haut mich der Song jetzt nicht aus den Socken. Spannend ist aber, wie „Synchronise“ mit Elementen aus den 80er Jahren spielt. Oder wurden tenek direkt von The Timelords „Doctorin' The Tardis“ inspiriert? Man weiß es nicht. Als dritten Track hat Shaun Brooks, der auch für den Singlemix von „Blinded By You“ zuständig war, eine umwerfende Extended Version kreiert. Die Bezeichnung „Designed For Dancing“ trifft voll ins Schwarze und tenek liefern hier noch mal einen wirkliche Hommage an die 80er Jahre. Als es noch die Long-Versions gab, wusste man genau, was man an einer 12inch-Vinyl-Schallplatte hatte. Tenek lassen diese Zeit für 8 Minuten wieder auferstehen. „Blinded By You“ entfaltet für mich erst mit dieser Version seine ganze Vielfalt. Mit dieser Single legen tenek die Messlatte für coolen, ideenreichen und frischen Synthiepop ein ganzes Stück höher. Meine Erwartungen an das eingangs erwähnte Album „On The Wire“ sind durch „Blinded By You“ mächtig gestiegen und ich bitte tenek, den Releasetermin dringend einzuhalten. Ich kann es kaum erwarten. |
|
|
Die Zeiten, in denen ein Act aus Brighton mit Big Beats gleichzusetzen war, sind glücklicherweise wieder vorbei... Geoff Pinckney hat bei MESH in Sachen Electro-Pop schon jede Menge Vorzeigbares geleistet. Sein Vorbote zum zweiten tenek-Longplayer lehnt sich da klanglich an & geht auch in eine vergleichbare Stoßrichtung, jedoch packt Peter Steer noch eine straighte Klampfe dazu & Shaun Brooks, der Mann, der sonst nur Gary Numan veredelt, jagt alles noch mal durch den Mixer. "Designed For Dancing" könnte man nicht besser auf den Punkt bringen & das knallige "Synchronise" schreit nach mehr. Wenn doch nur alle B-Seiten dermaßen blendend wären. |
|
|
With a cover that will make you think 'eye, eye, what's going on here?' Pete & Geoff return with an extremely tasty offering from their forthcoming album "On The Wire" and what a taster it is. One of their most popular live tracks "Blinded By You" loses none of its power on disc, either in its single or extended dance mix forms, hitting you right between the eyes with an ultra-infectious melodic riff setting the scene for a total stormer of a track that's sure to find favour with synthpoppers far and wide. These guys may be inspired by the 80s but they know how to keep their music fresh, modern and invigorating. And that's not all as the triumphant "Synchronise" forms the filling in this particular sandwich. With a swagger that recalls glamrock at its celebratory best (and which reminds me of Heaven 17 for reasons I can't quite work out) it's a real hands-in-the-air slice of fun and a bit of a surprise, too, they've never done anything like this before. No doubt about it, the lads have come up with one of the tracks of the year and I think it's fair to say that, even if you weren't excited about the album before you'll be near to bursting for it once you've heard this!! |
|
|
Soms heb je de indruk dat cd-singles bespreken een soort van nutteloze bezigheid is want eens de recensie geschreven is, rijst die prangende vraag : “Wie koopt er in 2010 nog cd-singles?”, om maar niet op de vraag te moeten antwoorden in welke winkel je alternatieve cd-singles moet gaan zoeken. In ieder geval, bij een groepje als Tenek blijft zoiets nog enigszins het vermelden waard, al was het maar dat je stiekem hoopte dat deze groep het zou kunnen maken. Ook al is Tenek’s synth/futurepop verre van origineel spettert het uit je boxen dat het geen naam heeft en dat komt omdat zij in de eerste plaats begrepen hebben dat een goed synthpopnummer een solide melodie moet hebben. Drie tracks vind je hier waarvan de titeltrack “Blinded by you” uit hun laatste en tevens tweede album getrokken is. Dit gezegd zijnde, dat album “On the wire” is trouwens één van de betere die je op de huidige synthpopmarkt kan vinden. Sterke synthmelodiën en een krachtige stem van Geoff Pickney maken van dit Brits synthpopduo een equivalent van de vroegere Mesh, dit maar om u te zeggen dat het goed is! |
|
 |
|
 |
Reviewer: Steve Kalinowski - Rating 10/10 (mojosteve.blogspot.com) 
Reviewer: Chi Ming Lai - Rating 9/10 (www.electricity-club.co.uk) 
Reviewer: Sebastian Huhn - Rating 8/10 (www.reflectionsofdarkness.com)