Ema Walter and Tony Blue form the electronic music duo that is EmT and they write, produce and perform outstanding synth-pop. Tony plays synthesizer and Ema provides stunning vocals.
The late 1970s/early 1980s saw the development of the electronic music genre and it was one of the most exciting, innovative, pioneering and influential eras of music. Although I was a bit young to appreciate its significance at the time, I knew I loved what I was hearing on the radio and watching on TV, particularly on Top Of The Pops - tracks such as The Human League's 'Don't You Want Me', Yazoo's 'Only You', OMD's 'Enola Gay, Depeche Mode's 'Just Can't Get Enough', New Order's 'Blue Monday' and early Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, etc - just blew me away. As I grew older, I understood that the sound that I loved was electronic music and I became fascinated by the sounds of the synthesizer. I find it amazing that even with just one synthesizer and one vocalist, the resultant sound is so powerful and dynamic.
The late 1970s/early 1980s saw the development of the electronic music genre and it was one of the most exciting, innovative, pioneering and influential eras of music. Although I was a bit young to appreciate its significance at the time, I knew I loved what I was hearing on the radio and watching on TV, particularly on Top Of The Pops - tracks such as The Human League's 'Don't You Want Me', Yazoo's 'Only You', OMD's 'Enola Gay, Depeche Mode's 'Just Can't Get Enough', New Order's 'Blue Monday' and early Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet, etc - just blew me away. As I grew older, I understood that the sound that I loved was electronic music and I became fascinated by the sounds of the synthesizer. I find it amazing that even with just one synthesizer and one vocalist, the resultant sound is so powerful and dynamic.
There are many sub-genres within the electronic music genre and the music that EmT make is my favourite kind of synth-based music - it's what I would put in the 'dance/pop' category - music with catchy melodies that you can dance to.
Background .....
EmT are very special to me, and not just because they make superb synth-pop. Background .....
Around 2.5 years ago I discovered Rusty Egan's weekly Electronic Family Tree radio show (https://www.mixcloud.com/rustyegan/), which traces the roots of electronica from the very best 1980s classics brought back to the future/remixed, through to the modern talented synth-artists on the 'underground electronic music scene' (currently being aired on internet stations Artefaktor Radio (http://artefaktorradio.com/) and Bombshell Radio (http://bombshellradio.com/).
I was listening in to Rusty's show one day when I heard EmT's 'Let Me Go' and I was blown away by it. I loved it instantly; it absolutely passed the first-listen test for me. I couldn't believe that such amazing music was being made which is not being played on mainstream radio and which, in my opinion, is far superior to what you'll hear on Radio 1!
I could not, and still cannot believe that music of this calibre (and there are so many modern synth-artists currently making amazing music) is still 'underground'. This is very much one of the reasons I started blogging - to play my part, albeit small, in spreading the word about this awesome music.
After hearing 'Let Me Go', I was so excited to see EmT on the line-up of Electro London 2015 - an electronic music boutique festival in London - and I knew I had to go. Back then, none of my friends could accompany me on the day and I didn't know anybody who I could meet there. But I was desperate to go because as well as my desire to see EmT perform, the whole line-up was awesome. So, nervous as I was (and I really was!), I went alone. I needn't have worried however, because not only was Electro London 2015 as amazing as I'd imagined, I met the most wonderful people there that I am still proud to call friends to this day..... and the rest is history ..... I have been a firm fan and passionate supporter of the underground electronic music scene ever since, and I attend as many live music events as I possibly can. So effectively, I have Rusty Egan and EmT to thank for this!
It was therefore only right that my first electronic music blog was about EmT. I also want to say that Ema and Tony are truly two of the most genuine lovely people you could wish to meet.
History & Creativity.......
Ema and Tony have known each other for years and this is evident from their on-stage chemistry; they are completely in sync and, importantly, love performing as EmT.
EmT previously wrote, recorded and performed as a 3-piece electronic band called 'Shakedown' but subsequently took time out to focus on family commitments for a few years. However, when song-writing collaborations with other artists did not quite produce the unique sound they wanted to achieve, all it took was one call and some discussions about investment in iMacs, and EmT was created.
Tony and Ema both have a passion for electronic music and often bounce ideas off each other.
Ema says; "I have lyrics already written but nothing is created melodically until I hear the track Tony is working on. Tony has the musical ideas, and once vocals are arranged, we add the finishing touches to the track".
Ema says; "I have lyrics already written but nothing is created melodically until I hear the track Tony is working on. Tony has the musical ideas, and once vocals are arranged, we add the finishing touches to the track".
When Tony and Ema initially wrote 'Let Me Go' and 'Regret' they had no idea that they would receive such a positive reaction, but soon radio stations from all over the globe were asking EmT to send them their music. As artists, Tony and Ema like to distribute their music personally to each radio station so they can share the radio links when they are being played, although it can be difficult to keep up with them all!
Tony and Ema provided Rusty Egan with the demo version of 'Stay' to play on his radio show and he was so impressed with it, he approached Tony and Ema about the possibility of remixing the track. Of course Tony and Ema agreed! I would imagine it is considered an honour when someone of Rusty's stature asks to remix a track you have written! Rusty remixed 'Stay' in collaboration with his remix partner HP Hoeger and the result was stunning. Sadly, due to timing issues it was not released but it can be found on Mixcloud where all Rusty's radio shows are stored. I have also seen Rusty comment on social media that 'EmT make great music'. There can be no better accolade.
A few yeas ago, Tim Dorney from 1990s band Republica, worked on a remix of 'Regret' and EmT were so blown away with the 'Cala Comte' mix of the track (which can be found on their new album 'Resolute'), they asked Tim if he would be interested in helping them with their album, and he was happy to oblige!
After a year of working on new music, new ideas and new vocals, which were produced and mixed by Tim, Tony and Ema are proud to have released their debut album, Resolute; on 2 September 2017, the response to which has been fantastic.
Ema added; "When you meet people who not only appreciate what you do, but support you along the journey, it is an amazing feeling and is all the motivation I need to want to give the best performance I can, both during live gigs and in the studio".
'Resolute' - the debut album .....
EmT's highly anticipated debut album, 'Resolute' is now available from all the usual download sites, but if like me, you prefer to have a physical CD, they can be purchased directly from Tony and Ema.
The album was produced by Tim Dorney and the creative artwork is by Simon Brett.
The album was produced by Tim Dorney and the creative artwork is by Simon Brett.
EmT launched 'Resolute' at the 'Dave Charles 10th Anniversary Music Extravaganza' on 2 September 2017 where they were delighted to support Republica. The weekend was an amazing success and included two of my other favourite bands - Tenek & Sinestar. As expected, and as usual, EmT went down a storm.
As mentioned before, I am not an expert on the technical aspects of electronic music, I am not a music journalist, and I am certainly not qualified to critique albums on a song-by-song basis. I am just a music fan blogging about the music/artists/events that I love and as such, it's my opinion that EmT's debut album is a fantastic collection of synth-pop.
Sometimes new music grabs me on 'first-listen' and sometimes it takes a few listens. I've no idea why, but some of my favourite ever songs have been 'growers'. There are some tracks on 'Resolute' that I loved instantly, such as 'Let Me Go', 'Somewhere Before', 'Stay' and 'Regret', but equally, I am enjoying getting to know the other tracks more slowly, and the more I play the album, I hear new elements of each song and it's like a journey of discovery - I love that!
Each track on 'Resolute' is as strong as the next in different ways. The album has all the elements that, in my view, make a great electronic album - catchy melodies, stunning vocals and strong synth arrangements.
The first thing that draws me in and causes a song to pass the 'first-listen' test is absolutely its melody - a song is obviously nothing without a great melody. However, for me, the mark of a truly exceptional composition is in its layers - ie: when you find that the synth arrangements, or harmonies, or bass-line, or guitar riff, etc, jump out at you as much as the melody and vocals, and you're not quite sure which to focus your listening on! I find this with a lot of electronic music compositions because the rhythmic, melodic sound that synthesizers produce is a stunning creation in its own right and it's the same when I listen to 'Resolute'; I am drawn to the synthesizer sounds on each track of the album as much as I am the vocal melody.
The first thing that draws me in and causes a song to pass the 'first-listen' test is absolutely its melody - a song is obviously nothing without a great melody. However, for me, the mark of a truly exceptional composition is in its layers - ie: when you find that the synth arrangements, or harmonies, or bass-line, or guitar riff, etc, jump out at you as much as the melody and vocals, and you're not quite sure which to focus your listening on! I find this with a lot of electronic music compositions because the rhythmic, melodic sound that synthesizers produce is a stunning creation in its own right and it's the same when I listen to 'Resolute'; I am drawn to the synthesizer sounds on each track of the album as much as I am the vocal melody.
Singles released from 'Resolute' were 'Regret', 'Walk Away', 'Do It', 'Seedy City', and one of my favourites, and indeed a firm fan-favourite; 'Let Me Go'. In fact, so popular is it that at live gigs, EmT fans always break out into a dance routine specially put together for 'Let Me Go' - see it here on footage by Andrew Maley:
Other tracks .......
Other tracks .......
Let Me Go - official video
Regret:
Seedy City
Stay - performed at Electro London 2015
Influences........
It is always interesting to hear of modern synth artists' influences. I often assume that the music that influenced their style and direction must be from the iconic electronic pioneering age of the late 70s/early 80s - ie: Depeche Mode, Yazoo, New Order, The Human League, Ultravox, Visage, OMD, Heaven 17, etc. Although some of the modern synth-artists are completely influenced from this era, some have a varied mix of influences, such as Tony and Ema, as follows:
Tony's influences include:
Kraftwerk, Unkle, Royksopp, Robyn, David Sylvian, Talk Talk, Agnes Obel, Archive, Underworld, Cabaret Voltaire, Fad Gadget, Karin Park, Goldfrapp, Hardfloor, Kosheen, Lamb, The Postal Service, Rex the Dog, Saint Saviour, The The, Villa Nah, Yello.
Ema's influences mostly originate from her family:
From her Dad - jazz, blues and Kraftwerk
From her Mum - Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder
From her sister - David Bowie, Japan
Ema listened to Alison Moyet, The Wonderstuff, Lamb, Frou Frou, Goldfrapp, Little Dragon, Lianne La Havas.
Kraftwerk, Unkle, Royksopp, Robyn, David Sylvian, Talk Talk, Agnes Obel, Archive, Underworld, Cabaret Voltaire, Fad Gadget, Karin Park, Goldfrapp, Hardfloor, Kosheen, Lamb, The Postal Service, Rex the Dog, Saint Saviour, The The, Villa Nah, Yello.
Ema's influences mostly originate from her family:
From her Dad - jazz, blues and Kraftwerk
From her Mum - Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder
From her sister - David Bowie, Japan
Ema listened to Alison Moyet, The Wonderstuff, Lamb, Frou Frou, Goldfrapp, Little Dragon, Lianne La Havas.
Previous EmT gigs.........
EmT love performing live and their current gig history looks like this:
South Hill Park House, Bracknell
BAS 2014 - The Towngate Theatre, Basildon
Oxjam in Basildon, Basildon
Electro London 2015 - Zigfrid von Underbelly, Hoxton, London
The Fleece, Bristol
Bridghouse II, Canning Town (twice)
Dublin Castle, Dublin
Dave Charles Music Extravaganza, Market Harborough
The future for EmT.......
EmT have their own studio, affectionately referred to as 'EmT HQ' and Tony and Ema are keen to start work on album number 2; so we can look forward to more knob twiddling, more great vocals, and more EmT-trademark style songs.
Now that their debut album is released and being incredibly well-received, it is presumably only natural that EmT want to perform live as much as possible to showcase their new music.
Indeed, Ema says that she would love to have the opportunity to gig in Europe. She says; 'I love performing live and when you get to support great bands like Republica, it gives me more of an appetite to play more and more great gigs".
Tony says; "I would love to do more albums and collaborations with Tim Dorney!"
The future certainly looks exciting for EmT. They have gained a very loyal fan-base, have performed at various gigs on the 'underground electronic music scene' and are always so well received by the audience; in fact the EmT audience is one of the most engaged audiences I've seen at gigs such as these. And now, after releasing their stunning debut album, which has had a lot of air-play on the synth radio shows, I am looking forward to new EmT developments.
Personally, I very much hope to see EmT performing at more of the awesome gigs/festivals that are periodically arranged by promoters such as Rob Green - Synth Wave - https://www.facebook.com/synthwave1/ and Renato Moyssen - Artefaktor Radio - https://www.facebook.com/synthwavelive/ although there are of course lots of other gigs and festivals.
If you want a fantastic night of amazing synth-pop to which you can dance the night away, EmT are most definitely what you need.
Links to more information, social media & music......
Check out all the usual music and social media links listed below for up-to-date news on the band's music releases and gigs:
EmT's official website
https://www.thebandemt.com/Twitter:
#RideTheSynthWave
Thanks Lorraine!
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You're so welcome! xxx
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