BOYTRONIC THE WORKING MODEL REVERSE RE-RELEASE ALBUM STRANGE WAYS RELEASE: MAY 26, 2003 REVIEW: MAY 15, 2003

The newer generations of electro heads might not be that familiar with Boytronic, even though they put out a bryllyant, sorry..., brilliant comeback album last year. Opposing obvious redundancy, I advice you to check my "Autotunes" review if you need the background basics.
"The Working Model" was the first, and by many considered the best, album by Holger Wobker and his gunmen. It spawned the biggest hit of Boytronic's career with "You" (they made appearances on several "mainstream" TV shows back in the day). While I too am fond of the naïve, but effective simplicity of "You", there are other standout tracks on the album, and even more on this re-release, complete with remastered sound and several bonus tracks. My all time Boytronic fave, "Luna Square", sounds better than ever and so do many of the other bits and pieces of history on my nostalgic walk down memory lane. "Diamonds & Loving Arms", "At Last", "My Baby Lost Its Way". They are all cruel reminders of the illusiveness of time, but at the same time a vibrant wake up call to today's synthpop scene.
The bonus material will please even some of the most devoted fans, as the much sought-for non-album tracks "Hurts", "Trigger Track", "Goodbye", "Bryllyant" and, especially, "Late Night Satellite" are all on here. As an added favour, Strange Ways has decided to include three previously unreleased tracks from the 1983-or-so era as well, all written by Wobker (the song writing duties at the time were usually left to Peter Sawatzki). They aren't as good as the original album material, a bit too much on the cheesy side, but overall this is a synthpop mile stone. And I hear this could be the start of further re-releases of old Boytronic works.

NIKLAS FORSBERG