Reviewed by Ben Hurrell

Laziness is not a word that you would use to describe Ronnie Martin. This is his 21st release under the Joy Electric moniker since 1994 not including remixes, production credits and side projects The Foxglove Hunt and The Brothers Martin. With obvious influences of acts like The Human League and Ultravox, 'The Otherly Opus' continues Joy Electric' distinctive brand of analogue-purist electro-pop. It' also the fifth album of the 'Legacy' series, in which Joy Electric coaxes all manner of sounds from just a single synthesiser. What sets this release apart from his older world though, are the vocals. From the upbeat 'Red Will Dye These Snows Of Silver' to the atmospheric 'Ponderance Need Not Know' his voice play a much greater part than ever before, and in many ways a bigger role than the music. Layers of Martin's vocals weave in an out of complex synthesiser lines in a choir-like fashion. . . sort of. Maybe a choir conducted by Gary Numan. If you can get past the irregular sounds that Joy Electric crafts it becomes apparent that each song is a pop gem, and the album an exciting listen.

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