Rodney Cromwell - Rod, Jane & Freddy single
Modern London synthpop icon Rodney Cromwell (a.k.a. Adam Cresswell of 90s indie folk band and John Peel faves Saloon and 2000s electronic duo Arthur & Martha) presents 'Rod, Jane & Freddy', a playful instrumental named after the performance group from the ‘80s kids show Rainbow, which combines squelchy vintage synths with a rumbling krautrock beat.
This is one of four tracks found on 'The Winter Palace Remixes' EP, released via London label Happy Robots Records. Apart from the radio edit of 'The Winter Palace', this EP also features remixes involving two thrilling electronic acts - Norfolk electro-chanteuse Gemma Cullingford and Brighton synthwave act Infra Violet.
With washes of synths, strings, tinkering electronic piano, detached vocals and layered harmonies delivered in Cromwell's lush baritone, 'The Winter Palace' evokes an icy cold soundscape. Where the title track of his previous ‘Memory Box’ album is about losing the power of recall, 'The Winter Palace' is about trying to forget a lost love, but being haunted by them in his memory. Sonically, the song sits between classic new-wave artists like Joy Division or OMD and contemporary acts like Ladytron and Black Marble.
In the first remix, Gemma Cullingford (Sink Ya Teeth) injects a unique dark coldwave take on the original, blending experimental electronica, brittle new wave, and noughties electro clash. Infra Violet's remix spins the track into a duet between Cromwell and singer Beth Munroe, creating a sweeping cinematic soundscape with layers of reverb, 80’s Simmons drums-sounds and soaring synths from bandmate Toby Campen.
Produced by Brooklyn-based innovator Rich Bennett (Roman Angelos, The Shaggs, Mahogany, Limoncello, Hologram Teen) at Acme Hall Studios, 'The Winter Palace Remixes' EP was recorded and mixed in Cromwell’s home studio in Catford, South London and mastered by Toby Campen.
Since debuting with the 'Age of Anxiety' album, Cromwell has been featured in NME, Electronic Sound, Huffington Post, Paste, Shindig!, Louder Than War, The Big Takeover, Magic RPM, Post-Punk.com and Bandcamp Daily. National radio play includes BBC 6 Music in the UK, RTE in Ireland, airplay in Tokyo, and RNE3 in Spain, for whom he also recorded a live session.
Rodney Cromwell live is a joyful mixed-media extravaganza, incorporating analogue synths, video visuals and live instrumentation, interjected by Rodney’s 'offbeat wit'' (NME). Described 'like a spiritual experience", he has shared the stage with icons such as A Flock of Seagulls, Damo Suzuki, Pram, Death & Vanilla, Rowetta, M!R!M and Steve Davis. In 2022, he recorded a live session for Electronic Sound and supported Blancmange on a number of dates, further cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting live acts on the electronic music scene.
'The Winter Palace Remixes' EP is out now and is available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
