# London Synthpop Artist RODNEY CROMWELL ‘Memory Box’ Maxi-Single Out November 17

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/london-synthpop-artist-rodney-cromwell-memory-box-maxi-single-out-november-17/
- Published: 2021-11-17T16:30:00-06:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

**London synthpop artist Rodney Cromwell ‘Memory Box’ maxi-single is out November
17. Features remixes by MOOD TAEG (Düsseldorf / Shanghai) & UK synthwavers AUW**

_“Rodney Cromwell’s music belongs to the future” ~_**NME**

_“This music is based on our common human experience, with all its joys, quirks 
and misgivings. A brilliant track – thank you Rodney Cromwell. We’ll take a dish
of your cool-flowing retro synth delight with pleasure” _~ **THE SPILL MAGAZINE**

_“Yanking the mundane into the sublime. Its sweeping synths transverse a sonic landscape
bridging an ancient sentiment and an almost folk instrumentation with pure hertz
tone glory” _~ **POST-PUNK.COM**

_“His new lo-fi disco laments are joyfully simple and painfully funny”_ ~ **HUFFINGTON
POST**

_“Makes a delightful lo-fi synthpop racket with a load of old gear and a deep appreciation
of classic outfits” ~ _**ELECTRONIC SOUND**

_“A reminder of good pop tunes from a magical era” ~_**LOUDER THAN WAR**

On November 17, London-based synthpop artist [**Rodney Cromwell **](https://www.happyrobots.co.uk/rodney-cromwell)
will release two remixes of his new **[‘Memory Box’](https://youtu.be/aY1Uza7pz8M)**
single via [**Happy Robots Records**](https://www.happyrobots.co.uk/) with distribution
by **Cargo Records**. Presented as a 4-track offering together with the original
version and the ambient track ”Memory Stops’, this is the first music from Cromwell
in 2 1/2 years.

‘Memory Box’ is a song about perceptions of reality and the certainty of our memories.
How do we believe anything in a world where truth and honesty are of so little worth?

The first remix is a reimagining by Düsseldorf / Shanghai krautrock band **MOOD 
TAEG**, whose discordant re-interpretation is reminiscent of the avant-pop of Stereolab
or the European coldwave of Ladytron. The second mix, by **Retrosynth Records** 
artist **AUW**, is slice of dark synthwave, pitched somewhere between Kavinsky and
Pye Corner Audio.

RODNEY CROMWELL: Memory Box (Bot29v1)

[⌊RODNEY CROMWELL: Memory Box (Bot29v1)⌉⌊RODNEY CROMWELL: Memory Box (Bot29v1)⌉

Watch this video on YouTube

**‘Memory Box’**

Rodney Cromwell is the nom de plume of** Adam Cresswell**, founding member of 1990s-
2000s 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** (praised by the 
likes of NME, The Guardian and Artrocker).

With minimal percussion, Rodney Cromwell’s lyrics float over a bed of vintage synthesizers
and effected guitar. Shunning a clean ’80s synth sound, the song is almost psychedelic
in outlook, reminiscent of the minimal synth of acts such as Broadcast, Pram or 
Silver Apples.  The video, an atmospheric montage of heavily effected and distorted
shots of rural Britain, was inspired by film auteurs such as **Stan Brakhage **and**
Chris Marker**.

![](https://i0.wp.com/redirect.haulix.com/-jOJW5XAwCcYDp98bCRclFawIImRuqvgBWkoMo5hqgE%
3D/PromoAccessory_880295.jpg?resize=438%2C292&ssl=1)

**Photo by Zamberwell**

Writing and recording in his home studio in Catford, South London, Cromwell employs
an old-school approach using predominantly vintage hardware. Mixed and co-produced
by **Richard Bennett** at [**Acme Hall Studios**](https://www.acmehallstudios.com/faculty)(
New York) and mastered by [**Pete Maher**](https://www.petemaher.com/)** (U2, Goldfrapp,
Paul Weller, Pixies, The Alarm)**, **Martin J Langthorne**, who also designed the
album artwork, contributes guitar.

“It was one of the first songs written for the new album. At the time I was still
disorientated from illness. I turned on the TV and there was Boris Johnson’s lackey,
Dominic Cummings, spinning some yarn. In my post-fever state he came across like
Wormtongue from Tolkein, talking about riverbanks, woods and castles while literally
sitting in a perfumed rose garden like in Alice in Wonderland. I wouldn’t say that
influenced me directly, but certainly my own state of brain-fog sent my writing 
off in a more heady and fantastical direction,” explains **Adam Cromwell**.

“I wanted the song to have the feel of a marching clockwork toy, so the beat is 
really simple and metronomic with the synths doing the talking by enveloping the
song.”

This single is the title track of the forthcoming** ‘Memory Box’ album**, A mixture
of electronic hauntological excursions, dreampop and European coldwave that is scheduled
for release in early 2022.  Using analogue synths, drum machines with parts played
almost entirely live (with minimal computer sequencing) and vocals recorded without
autotune, this record conjures up an organic, albeit dream-like, world that is inspired
as much by Alice in Wonderland, Franz Kafka and Anna Kavan as it is by its sonic
influences such as Kraftwerk, The Cure and Stereolab. The sonic pallet of ‘Memory
Box’ is both reassuringly familiar and completely distinctive.

Rodney Cromwell’s debut LP** **[**‘Age of Anxiety’**](https://rodneycromwell.bandcamp.com/album/age-of-anxiety)****(
2015) and [**‘Rodney’s English Disco’ EP**](https://rodneycromwell.bandcamp.com/album/rodneys-english-disco)(
2018) have garnered Rodney Cromwell features in **Electronic Sound Magazine, NME,
Huffington Post, Paste, Record Collector, BBC6 Music** and national **RNE3 **in 
Spain, for whom he also recorded a live session. The debut album featured in scores
of Best of Lists including **Electronic Sound Magazine** and he was named ‘Most 
Promising New Act’ by **The Electricity Club**. He has appeared on compilations 
alongside Cavern of Anti-Matter, John Foxx, Devo, OMD, Katy Perry and other notable
artists.

Rodney will be playing a handful of live dates to support the album’s release. His
debut festival appearance at Indietracks 2015, described as ‘a spiritual experience”,
led to further festival appearances in the UK and in Spain, in addition to supporting
artists such as **Pram, Marsheaux, Death & Vanilla, Rowetta **and** Steve Davis**.
In 2020, he also performed as part of **Damo Suzuki**‘s backing band.

As of November 17, the ‘**[Memory Box’ ](https://open.spotify.com/album/6t05EvrYYzpd4AhHinhNPf)**
maxi-single will be available digitally, including on **[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dTvT69KRMnuB2l3rq945G),
[ Apple Music](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/rodney-cromwell/id41638392)** 
and directly from the artist via [**Bandcamp**](https://rodneycromwell.bandcamp.com/album/memory-box-single).

![](https://i0.wp.com/redirect.haulix.com/7XiJSxbYT7k16SdJVnFgcVo9QVLWf2QqyNggv46vVso%
3D/PromoAccessory_641451.jpg?resize=193%2C193&ssl=1)

**CREDITS**
Written and recorded by Adam Cresswell  Martin J Langthorne – guitar
on ‘Memory Box’Mixed and co-produced by Richard Bennett at Acme Hall Studios, New
YorkMastered by Pete MaherAlbum artwork by Martin J Langthorne

**FOR FANS OF: **
Broadcast, Pram, Stereolab, Kraftwerk, Advisory Circle, Death &
Vanilla, Section 25, Polyrock

**Keep up with Rodney Cromwell**
[Website](https://www.happyrobots.co.uk/rodney-cromwell)
| [Bandcamp](https://rodneycromwell.bandcamp.com/) | [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/rodneycromwellartist)
| [Twitter](https://twitter.com/robot_rocker) |[ Soundcloud](https://soundcloud.com/rodneycromwell)
| [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/c/HappyRobots/videos) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/5dTvT69KRMnuB2l3rq945G)
| [Apple Music](https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/rodney-cromwell/id41638392) |
[Amazing Radio](https://amazingtunes.com/happyrobotsrecords/rodneycromwell)

**Keep up with Happy Robots Records**
[Website](http://www.happyrobots.co.uk/) |
[Bandcamp](https://happyrobotsrecords.bandcamp.com/) | [Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/happyrobotsrecords)
| [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/HappyRobotsRecs)| [Soundcloud](https://soundcloud.com/happy-robots)
| [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ZvCbaApGUVuQA7m7jaJtg/videos)

**Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR**
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