Monumental

Read Junk Review (2012)

For those who love early 80s synth pop – and I mean the real stuff, like Human League, Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Tears for Fears, etc. – you can’t get a nostalgic act much purer than Space March. But they’re not just a shallow, ironic throwback – Space March is earnest and damn good. So poppy, so catchy, and so pitch perfect, you will wonder if they are covers of obscure one-hit wonders from the Rubik’s Cube era.

Craig Simmons’s nerdy and nasal vocals are the only weak spot. Luckily, they’re less pronounced (and more distorted) here than on “Without This You Can Never Change,” an album similarly filled with synthy dance-pop gems but with froggier (sometimes cringe-inducing) vocals. If he had a more British-style (Simmons is Australian), “New Romantic” accent, Space March could be huge and single handedly bring back the ’80s. Vocals aside, I don’t see how any radio could resist these tunes.

Bottom Line: Brilliant early 80s-style dance-pop gems.
Notable Tracks: American Girl, Monumental, Get What You Deserve, Eye for an Eye, Stop the Press
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Publication: Read Junk
Date: 15 October 2012
Reviewer: Adam Coozer
Web Site Review Page: Read Junk

Read Junk Review (2011)

This album is from the 1980s right? Space March is from Australia and play guilty pleasure Synth Pop. If you like Erasure, New Order and Depeche Mode, you’ll appreciate the synthy poppiness of Space March. I feel like doing “the robot.”

Space March is an indie-synthpop project from Craig Simmons and Monumental is the third album. I didn’t know I would actually enjoy this album as much as I did. I suppose I’m a bit nostalgic of the 80s pop music. I’m a sucker for it basically. The synth part of the music is really catchy, and the vocals is similar to the Pet Shop Boys. I’m actually surprised I haven’t heard of Space March until now because this would be something I would like. The first two tracks “American Girl” and “Monumental” are my favorites on the album. “Do You Remember My Name” has some nice reference to Duran Duran. All in all, most of the album is just a lot of fun to listen to. Don’t be a pencil neck, listen to some tracks!

Bottom Line: If this music was released in the 80s, it would be an international hit
Notable Tracks: American Girl, Monumental, Do You Remember My Name
Overall Rating: 3.5 stars

Publication: Read Junk
Date: 6 December 2011
Reviewer: Bryan Kremkau
Web Site Review Page: Read Junk

Our Picks for Top Albums of the Year 2011

The Bop 2 Pop blog put together their top album picks for 2011, and although Monumental did not make the Top 5, it did receive an honourable mention amongst esteemed company such as Yelle’s Safari Disco Club. Check out the Full Article.

1. The Sound of Arrows – Voyage
2. Mirrors – Lights and Offerings
3. Queen of Hearts – The Arrival
4. Johan Agebjorn – Casablance Nights
5. Monarchy – Around The Sun

Honorable Mentionables

Washed Out: Within and Without
Space March: Monumental
Holy Ghost: Holy Ghost
Nightlife: Radio
Emmon: Nomme
Yelle: Safari Disco Club

Bop 2 Pop Review

Space March is the indie-synthpop project of Australian songwriter and producer, Craig Simmons. The single, Space Cowboy is mixed by legendary producer Mark Saunders. This trippy video was shot in Mungo National Park in Australia by Alex Harris. We are totally taken in by Space March‘s insanely clever melodies and barebones synth hooks that seem so authentic, you may actually think it actually came from the 80s. We have also included the James Bond theme-sounding, Eye For An Eye and American Girl, both ripe for single releases.

Publication: Bop 2 Pop
Date: 27 November 2011
Web Site Review Page: Bop 2 Pop

Electronic Rumors Review

‘Monumental’ is the third album from Australian Modern SynthPop artist Space March.

The record is a collection of twelve tracks of melodic and lilting electronic Pop tracks that have a definite emphasis on hooks. There is a pure Pop sensibility at work on much here, especially the likes of the title track where synths, guitar and bouncy vocals work in tandem. That’s not to say, though, that most of the album isn’t pretty dancefloor oriented. From the pumping Italo Disco of ‘Get What You Deserve’ to the grandiose soundtrack dance epic of ‘Eye For An Eye’, Space march’s combination of machine beats and synths with a Sci-Fi twist with organic instrumentation and vocals with a hint of drama makes for quite a rousing experience and a SynthPop album that rings with a sense of narrative. Now, long-time readers will know how I feel about the so-called Modern SynthPop scene, and there is a strong strain of Modern SynthPop in this record’s DNA. What sets it apart, though, is the production. Everything is clean and sits together well in the mix, there’s not a hint of the amateurish, bedroom production (with no idea how to produce drums) that plagues the majority of Modern SynthPop, whether that has anything to do with input from Erasure/Depeche Mode/A-Ha/Tricky collaborator Mark Saunders in the mixing department I’m not sure, but whatever the reason Space march have made a Modern SynthPop record that is head and shoulders above it’s contemporaries.

Publication: Electronic Rumors
Date: November 24, 2011
Reviewer: Clive ‘Crash’ Lewis
Web Site Review Page: Electronic Rumors