Blancmange new single – Reduced Voltage

This announcement appeared in Classic Pop, september 8, 2022. The picture is courtesy of Helen Kincaid.

Blancmange (Neil Arthur) have shared a new single, Reduced Voltage, alongside a John Grant remix of the track, ahead of the release of the forthcoming album, Private View.  (More info here).

The new album, out 30 September 2022, will be followed by an extensive UK tour that runs from 1 October through to a London Assembly Hall appearance on 10 December, with Stephen Mallinder, Bernholz, Oblong, Rodney Cromwell and Alice Hubble as special guests across the tour.

Neil Arthur explains of the new song: “I wanted a track driven by a singular minimal beat occasionally shot through with lyrical phrases. They’re thoughts, hints of an internal dialogue. Feel the groove, feel the pain.” before going on to say, “Me and Benge stripped away some of the original layers detail to make the track groove. Increasing the impact by reducing the content.”

The new single is accompanied by a remix from long-time co-conspirator, John Grant who says, “I have loved Blancmange for close to four decades, so it’s such an honour to be asked to remix a track off the new record. It was a blast and it’s my first. Hope you enjoy.”

Across the album, there’s a deft marriage of futuristic electronic sounds, Arthur’s unmistakable vocal hooks, and songs that veer from buoyant and joyful to dark and brooding. Benge returns as a key collaborator, and David Rhodes (Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Scott Walker) returns as the guitarist, having previously performed with the band on 1982’s debut Happy Families (as well as several other Blancmange albums).