In A Very Real Sense Now - The European

'in a very real sense now' is the debut album from the european on stolen recording and is limited to 500 luxurious copies. the european is the solo project of london-based musician and electronic artist, simon break. break was previously in icebreaker, later icebreaker international, which he formed in the late 1990s with american musician, alexander perls. icebreaker / icebreaker international recorded three albums on three different labels before disbanding in 2004, 'distant early warning' (aesthetics, 1999), 'trein maersk' (it records,2000) and 'into forever' (sound of a handshake, 2003). the latter was a joint offering with danish producer and musician with manual, while the first two albums break has always claimed were commissioned by nato. the european's music is at one level simplistic and melancholic, but at another break's unusual use of instrumentation and software give it a lingering and mesmerising edge. he prefers to program his own computer materials and design his own instrumentation rather than follow more traditional or conventional paths for creating and making music.-Rough Trade

 

Absolutely love this record so far, it's perfect English bedroom pop - this feller Simon Break possesses a plaintive, half spoken sing-song vocal style (kinda like a male Lily Allen!) but he makes this fizzing, joyous music that sounds like a very continental version of Magnetic Fields - highly melodic DIY pop tinged with some embryonic late 70s Kraut twist; also there's a new-wave pop heart beating away under all this. The songs can veer from kitch library glam to sad-eyed dream-pop vignettes. I'm reminded in a way of both Momus & Felix Kubin, this arch blending of commercial electronic pop with a very individualistic heart & soul. One of the nicest surprises of the year so far, style-wise this has Ant recalling the electro-pop poetry of The Vichy Government whilst Brett is haunted by an unholy marriage between David Tibet & Ian Broudie in the vocals. -Norman Records

 

An extremely charming new LP from Stolen Recordings, authored by Simon Break, formerly of Piano Magic and Icebreaker International. Break applies his droll, unaffected voice (which half comes across as an English equivalent to Colin Meloy) to sing entertaining, witty bedroom pop that incorporates knowingly low-rent electronics (think the intro to Blur's 'Advert') with far more accomplished production traits - there's even a spot of Hecker-meets-Cornelius digital psychedelia that cuts through the magnificent album closer, 'The Tearaway'. It's a slightly odd record to really get a handle on this, not least because of Break's wry, uniquely British sense of weariness that seems to offset the songs' generally very chipper, upbeat electronic character. But once you've spent some time in The European's universe you'll discover much to love about this record. -BOOMKAT

"Take the videos, take the CDs, take the DVDs and smash them against the wall!"

Ha, a nice way to kick off for this CD and limited edition vinyl album for this former member of Piano Magic and Icebreaker International, Simon Break, who is based in London.

The European crashes in, merrily banging his drum. Simon comes to terms with the afterlife. On his own now, he puts together synth pop, lightweight glitter rock, bubblegum pop and indie doo-wop with snap, crackle and bop.

Timeless kitsch in the ballad-like 'Wet Dream' reminds of the genius of Jona Lewie. 'Tearaway' is the hymn to a chavette, complete with a church organand dramatic to the max.

If our radio hadn't become ignorant, traffic information drivel, this little album would get played all day long. It debuts in one sense, but also already sounds like a 'Best Of' which is an enormous achievement. There are nine tracks and each entirely worth your attention. If he still were with us, Peel would have played all nine tracks at least once, I reckon. Penny Black

 

The chap behind this project, Simon Break, has an interesting history as an art galley founder and schemer of various multimedia events. He sounds like a mad genius. On the other hand, his music sounds like early 90s DIY electro-indie.
Break has a way with amusing pop lyrics ("I played it cool and it backfired on me / that's why I'm down on my knees, I'm compromising") and the music is geekily intimate, rather like a secret diary as performed by Belle and Sebastian. Break's voice meanwhile, lands somewhere around the Bernard Sumner spectrum of things. Artrocker

 

Solo release from London Based Simon Break – AKA: The European – Imagine Graham Coxon if he was much Whiter and much more Middle Class. Is this a Joke?
 
The first thing that struck my mind when the Eponymous track of this charming – if slightly Lynchian Surreal album started playing?

Surely… I thought… Surely this can’t be his real voice?
Surely… I thought… Surely this is a character he is just playing?

But yes, it was him, this is the European.
You expect from the write up a Frank Turneresque voice, a traditional folkrock soloist, with a voice like gravel and attitude in abundance – instead, the mental image created from In A Very Real Sense Of Now you get a half Adam and Joe character and half Halifax employee – the voice is just, well, disarming, it’s so … so.. NORMAL.
And lovely…
…and Normal.

You know what I mean?

So after the alarming and patronising first impression, you just let the music envelope you and within seconds you are mushy and warm and in love with the tone the charm and the beautiful, beautiful talent on show.

You imagine that the videos that would accompany these songs would be neon psychedelic 70’s UK cartoons, like Pigeon Street or Rainbow – With The European walking through daylight painted by 7 year olds, and cartoon birds tweeting aong with the keyboard sections and bobbing up and down on the telephone wires of the crayon drawn universe this music inhabits.

I’m Compromising is a lovingly old-school acoustic jaunt through the memory of a broken relationship, I’m Not Getting What I Want From you sounds like an Adam and Joe mini stylophone opus – and Calm, Calm, Calm sounds like the opening of an early eighties educational video – there is such a charming lo-fi feel throughout the entire record you are, by the final track, wishing for a return to the corduroy and jelly sandles of your youth and mourning the death of Children’s TV in the classic era of 1986/7.

The European should be Prime Minster – or at least, this should be the soundtrack played over the Prime Minsters speeches, and I guarantee financial recovery, fiscal upturn and a general sense of UNITED Britishness would grow from every blade of grass, the Sun would be yellower than ever, Fields would be lush Emerald acres of Fun and we would all greet our neighbours with a wave and a smile rather than a brick and a stabbing.

Ah! For the glory of a European lead world.

This is my favourite album so far of 2010 – and I cannot wait to share with everyone.
The Eurpoean did the impossible and melted the Hatred from my heart for all things Bedroom produced and shiny…

Bloody marvellous…
Get the sunshine of this man in your life now…  

9/10 Subba cultcha

 

In A Very Real Sense Now is an album that can be best described as a collection of potential theme tunes for 1970s educational programmes spoken over by a sexually frustrated Neil Tennant. Just what the music industry has been crying out for, eh?

This is a quintessentially English album. You get the impression that if Simon Break (the creative force behind this unique gem) hadn’t been allowed the outlet of making this album over the last five years he’d be bothering the residents of a satellite town – wearing carrier bags on his head, threatening pensioners with celery and filling bins with jam. Whilst at its core the 1970s TV theme music remains a staple sound, there's an eccentricity that drives the album in many directions. From the adorable music-box ballad of ‘Wet Dream’ to the electro-skiffle of ‘I’m Not Getting What I Want From You’, wherever it chooses to roam it does so with a spring in its step and a knowing air of confidence.

Throughout the album The European assembles his screwball world and like a digital pied piper, leads his listeners there. But upon reaching final track ‘Tearaway’ - a dark and looming love song – the walls of perception start to collapse. White noise pours in through the cracks, the sound begins to break up and nothing can stop the real world from rushing in. It’s quite a spectacular end to such an insane journey that plonks you back on your feet wondering if it was all just some crazy dream.

This is certainly one of the most interesting and off-kilter albums you’ll hear this year. Please buy a copy - if only to prevent Simon from being released back into the community to reek havoc. -The Music Fix