Pet Shop Boys Community

nickname wrote:I think the epic ones are going to include strings and orchestral arregments. That's the different between epic-pop and electro-pop.

One example: Closer to heaven (epic) - Radiophonic (electro), I think it's something like that.

Closer to heaven isn't epic and Radiophonic is not electro either.

nickname wrote:If Trevor Horn is on it, it's very difficult to think Numb will be the only one song with orchestral arregments.

Based on Trevor Horn's track record, the only obviously orchestral track he's ever produced is Left to my own devices so I think you're off the mark.

nickname wrote:But probably I have made a mistake. The problem is if the whole album is electronic and nothing else (except Numb), what's the difference between epic and electro?

Epic refers to the throbbing, exciting and HI-Nrg influenced arrangements PSB did during in their first era (Always on my mind, It's a sin, Suburbia, ...)

Electro is a genre in itself. Do not confuse with Electronic per se. Electro started in New York in the early 80s and was characterised by its sharp electronic vibes based on early drum machines and synths cruising along at 120bpm. It's commonly credited to be the precursor of hiphop as we know it.

None of these labels like "epic", electro, etc... (or sub-genres) "arrived" here in Brazil.

In the 80's the Pet Shop were huge here (almost near to A-ha or Rick Astley or New Order).

To the avarage music press (which was 90% rock oriented) PSB's music was simply called DISCO.

To clubbers (although that word did not exist at the time here) they were HI-NRG DISCO.

The synth-pop movement was also big. But that word did not exist here. The word for it was TECHNO-POP (Thomas Dolby / Sof Cell / Human League / OMD, etc...).

By the time the PSB came here in 1994 promoting VERY, they were respected artists... and were proclaimed the greatest "techno-pop band" in the world.

Flaffer wrote:

jamie1978 wrote:So you know better than the Pet Shop Boys themselves do you?

Who have stated that the new album is going to be 'purely electronic' and 'back to the roots' with the exception, the sole exception, of Numb?

I'd take what the PSB say with a certain degree of scepticism (for want of a nicer word), the album isn't due to be released until next spring and they are indecisive and I've often found their descriptions to be a little off the mark

Still, I'd feel what they say has more validity than nickname (no offence nickname), so for the moment, until we hear it ourselves, they are the best source of information we have.