British indietronica synthpop artist Rodney Cromwell has announced ‘Dreamland’ as the new single off his ‘Rodney’s English Disco’ EP. This is his first collection of new material in three years, first previewed by the song ‘Comrades’ (with 12″ extended dance mix by electronica act Vieon) and ‘Barbed Wire’,

Rodney Cromwell is the solo project of Adam Cresswell, founding member of indie-folktronica band Saloon (who had four entries in John Peel’s Festive 50, recorded three Peel Sessions and had top 10 album of the year in The Sunday Times) and one half of electronic two-piece Arthur & Martha  (acclaimed by the likes of NME, The Guardian and Artrocker).

While his debut album ‘Age of Anxiety’ by drew on personal demons, social and political tribulations in the UK inspired the tracks on this new EP. ‘Comrades’ is a robotic turbocharged rebel song for the twitter generation. ‘Barbed Wire’ is a song from across the barricades of the supermarket checkout. ‘Technocrats’ is a song for our illusory robot masters. ‘Dreamland’ is a breakup song for someone who just wants to go back to bed and pretend none of this ever happened.

Sonically, this music sits between Kraftwerk, Pye Corner Audio and the Best of Divine. Along with four original tracks by Rodney Cromwell, the EP features remixes by Rémi Parson, Vieon, Pattern Language and the debut release by Alice Hubble (Arthur & Martha, Mass Datura).

Rodney Cromwell’s evocative synthpop looks to the proto-electronica of the 70’s and 80’s to construct a twisted soundtrack for the post-truth world. The instrumentation of the new EP has been kept intentionally minimal with its drum sounds taken entirely from a vintage Boss DR-55 drum machine and with a self-imposed limit on the amount of hissy analogue gear used in its making. Melody and dark humour combine with simple motorik rhythms, soaring bass lines and the bleeps of retro synths, all within a lo-fi pop aesthetic.

Cromwell’s sound has been compared to the analogue electronica of Kraftwerk, Section 25 and the ‘retro futurists’ of Ghostbox Records. His miserablism and dark humour has been compared to that of The Cure and John Grant.

Rodney Cromwell’s debut album and subsequent EPs found crossover appeal, gaining Cromwell coverage from the likes of NME, Electronic Sound Mag, Huffington Post and Steve Lamacq and Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Music and on Spain’s national RNE3. At the end of 2015, Rodney Cromwell featured in 25 ‘Best of’ lists and was named ‘Most Promising New Act’ by The Electricity Club. ‘Barry Was an Arms Dealer’ featured in the 2015 Official Festive 50

‘Rodney’s English Disco’ EP will be available on red 7” vinyl, CD and digitally via Happy Robots Records. Distributed by Cargo, this album can also be ordered via the label’s store or Bandcamp.

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