May 15 2013

[MP3] Giorgio Moroder’s ‘Racer’

Have you been watching the Google I/O Keynote speech? Unless you’re a big old nerd like us, probably not watching a live stream of a developer conference. But if you have, you’d have seen the demonstration of Racer, a cross platform Chrome experiment. A slot racing game with an interesting soundtrack, it’s scored by Italo Disco legend. Mr. Giorgio Moroder.

Racer, named after the game itself, is a pounding SynthWave stormer. Loaded with hard hitting basslines and warbling leads. A driving force that lives up to it’s title, Racer is a high octane collision of euphoric leads and growling bass accompanied by melodic vocoding. Written for a racing game, the track has all the energy and excitement to keep the mood going. (Also, yes we’re using out favourite Moroder picture again, ‘cos it’s amazing).

♫ Giorgio Moroder – Racer

Giorgio Moroder’s Racer is available as a free 320kbps download from the Google Play store.

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May 15 2013

[Video] Goin’ Old School: Den Harrow, Max Him & Modern Talking

Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:

Kicking off with Den Harrow’s Italo classic, from 1985, Future Brain.

More Italo from rom the same year, it’s Italy’s Max Him’s single Japanese Girl.

Finally, German SynthPoppers Modern Talking’s début single You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul form 1984.

You can buy most of this music from:

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May 14 2013

[Audio] Hemingway’s ‘Ace Neptune’

In Nu-Disco circles the début release from Toronto’s Hemingway could be considered quite long awaited. The guy’s built up quite a reputation for himself over the past year or so with a string of excellent reMixes. Now his première release is out, via Brilliantine, and having had it on rotation round electronic rumors HQ for the past couple of weeks we can definitely say it’s lived up to it’s promise.

Ace Neptune is the name of Hemingway’s single, and it’s a veritable Smörgåsbord of dreamy synthesizer Funk. There’s something interestingly proggy about Ace Neptune, there’s a definitely Cosmic vibe to it and you can imagine Hemingway surrounded by tiers of analog snyths, eyes tightly shut, generally having a synth freak out. The track takes elements from Nu-Disco, Dreamwave, SynthWave and Italo and constructs an epic built upon layer and layers of intertwining melodies and warping Galactic Funk basslines. Deceptively complex, this is a true synth Disco fan’s track. reMixes come correct from Jokers Of The Scene and this gem from Cyclist, who ups the Funk quota and leads the track from the space-station to an under-lit dancefloor to boogie the night away. Frantic Disco licks and slinky synths are the order of the day in this mix. Ace Neptune is a confident and impressive début, and one that should have Hemingway’s name on people lips.

♫ Hemingway – Ace Neptune

♫ Hemingway – Ace Neptune (Cyclist reMix)

Hemingway’s Ace Neptune is out now.

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May 3 2013

[Audio] Sferro’s new EP

One of the many highlights of this musical week has been the release of the new EP from Girlfriend Records main man, Sferro. Not only has he released a beautiful five tracks of synth gold, but he’s also placed his fate in your hands with a pay-what-you-like price for the EP. I suppose, if you were a genuinely terrible person, that could mean you could pick it up for free, but we suggest slipping a few buck in the direction of someone pouring their digital heart out is the least you could do. No judgement. Or a lot of judgement. Whatever.

Wetware Computer is the name of the EP, which is all very William Gibson (there’s even a track called the tried and tested High Tech Low Life), a theme which carries over into the music. Four tacks (and a reMix) which deliver on the promise of soundtracking a dystopian, urban, dark future and a technological singularity. Autonomous Robot kicks off the EP, a steady and majestic introduction. An undulating synthetic chorus set to a machine beat that leads into the slightly more human Intelligent Systems. Intelligent Systems brings a little Boogie to this cold, cyborg collection, warming up proceedings with a laid back synth Funk bass and infectious hook. Wetware Computer follows, eschewing the dancefloor in favour of providing a haunting musical interlude. Sounding a little like 80s UK Sci-Fi TV themes (which is a compliment BTW) Wetware Computer layers, thick, rich and piercing sounds to create an intriguing, emotionally resonant, package of intertwining melodies. The aforementioned High tech Low Life comes next, and fittingly sounds a little like late 80s EBM, all steady pounding rhythms and buzzing synths. This is tempered with a hypnotic, shining melody that acts as a nice counterbalance. The EP rounds off with a reMix of Autonomous Robot by French SynthWaver Tommy, who turns in a galactic oddessy of a tune with some really interesting use of instrumentation and a full, encompassing, sound. We should make not of the fact that a few of the tracks on the EP are followed by reveres snippets of something or other. Honestly, we haven’t had the time to load them up in an audio editor and play them backward, but I’m sure they’ll turn out to be a ‘thing’. I guess we’ll have to wait an see, in the meantime go and check out this quality EP.

♫ Sferro – Autonomous Robot

♫ Sferro – Intelligent Systems

♫ Sferro – Autonomous Robot (Tommy reMix)

You can pick up a copy of Sferro’s Wetware Computer EP here.

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May 2 2013

[Audio] Jules Schimmer reMixes My Midnight Heart

Some nostalgic ElectroPop vibe right now from Manchester SynthWave producer Jules Schimmer and his reMix of Brooklyn newcomer, avant-pop singer My Midnight Heart’s Solace. Replacing the original’s left-field chorus with a smooth Dreamwave sound, Schimmer delivers a slick summery Pop tune.

On a bouncy, Italo flavoured, synth stomper, Schimmer wraps the epic vocals in a swirl of warm synths that flow effortlessly with the song, rising throughout toward the tracks euphoric finale. Driven by a punchy synth bass, the track offers up both nostalgic synth vibes and a big, sunrise, feel. Entered as part of a My Midnight Heart reMix competition, if you like you can vote for it here.

♫ My Midnight Heart – Solace (Jules Schimmer reMix)

Check out more from My Midnight Heart on SoundCloud.

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Apr 26 2013

[MP3] Earl Gray’s début EP (+ Thrillionaire reMix)

I never know whether to spell grey, grey or gray. Is there a difference? I mention this purely so you’ll forgive me if I spell it wrong at any point in this post, as Danny Ashenden, better know as one half of The C90s, has chosen to spell it grey in the moniker of his new solo project, Earl Grey. We’ve already heard a few of his reMixes in the months just gone, but it’s high time we turned out attention to his début EP, released next week on La Belle, which we have been rocking to in the past couple of weeks.

The EP’s titled Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea, which may be referencing Earl Grey’s departure from The C90s upbeat Disco sound into something a bit deeper, more thoughtful and, dare I say it, a little more avant-garde. But as you know this is a departure that is right up our street, so as Danny busts out the brooding space Italo and synthesizer prog. The EP kicks off with, we would say, it’s strongest track, Through The City. A track that blends SynthWave with the mood of Moroder’s more introspective material, vocoders and analog warblings blend together with rich chords to create an imposing, yet familiar, mood that flows into Jus Clap, a track with more House in it’s DNA. Jus Clap takes an intoxicating warehouse vibe to the extreme, slowing down the Chicago vibe until it’s utterly hypnotic. Regent’s Park’s blend of Tropical percussion and live electronics is nicely intersected with the occasional B-Boy beat in a track that calls to mind the freestyle synthesizer experimentalism of the early 80s. The EP plays out with it’s most accessible, and probably the most DJ friendly, tune Pong. Pong is an undulating slice of Cosmic Disco with hints on Minimal Synth and a sprinkling of House. Delivering a sound not dissimilar to Scandinavian Nu-Disco in it’s perfect blend of the galactic, and the very human. Pong balances icy tones with quirky, playful melodies creating something for your mind and your feet. Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea is definitely worth investigation for pretty much anyone with an interest in electronic music.

♫ Earl Grey – Pong

While you’re here check out Earl Grey’s new reMix for LA’s Thrillionaire, and their single of last year, Wie Gehts? (a title that can’t help but remind us of GCSE German), for more of Danny’s warm, enveloping electronics. Folding the gently vocals into the track as another instrument, this reMix wraps the listener in waves of swirling, surprising, sounds.

♫ Thrillionaire – Wie Gehts? (Earl Grey reMix)

Earl Grey’s Not Everyone Cup Of Tea EP is released 29th April.

Check out more from Earl Gray on SoundCloud.

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Apr 25 2013

[Audio] Kid Machine’s new EP

Manchester’s finest Italo export and one of the driving forces of the modern Italo scene Kid Machine is gearing up for the release of his next 12”. Looking forward toward a packed EP released through Red Laser Records, Kid Machine is promising to deliver some top quality Sci-fi Italo with these two sneak peak tracks, Hyperion and Il Militante.

Up first is Hyperion, which is as epic a track as the title suggests. Coming in just short of nine minutes, Hyperion uses it’s length wisely, sucking you in to it’s galactic soundscape and carrying you along with it on it’s retro future Disco odyssey. With a solid grounding in pounding machine beats and the phatest Italo bassline you’ll hear in a while, Hyperion has a solid core on top of which it can dance and swirl, crafting optimistic and mysterious synthetic moods. After the space age fantasy of Hyperion, Il Militante brings us slightly back down to earth with an urban electronic feel. A vintage dystopian soundtrack for a neon soaked city, the analog beats for footsteps, the sparking arpeggios for rain. We’re definitely looking forward to checking out what the rest of Kid Machine’s EP holds.

♫ Kid Machine – Hyperion

♫ Kid Machine – Il Militante

Kid Machine’s new EP is out soon on 12”.

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Apr 12 2013

[Video] Sally Shapiro’s ‘If It Doesn’t Rain’

If It Doesn’t Rain is the new video from Swedish ElectroPoppers Sally Shapiro. One of the highlights of their excellent Somewhere Else album, it;s a lush, sweeping slice of SynthPop

The clip was put together by Iris B Cegarra and is based on a Czech cartoon from 1953.

If It Doesn’t Rain is taken from Sally Shapiro’s new album, Somewhere Else, out now.

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Apr 8 2013

[Audio] Auxiliary Tha Masterfader’s reMixes Statickman

Time for some real 70 synth Disco vibes right about now with Dutch boogiemeister Auxiliary Tha Masterfader’s latest work. Straight on after the release of his latest EP, Music For Discotheques, Aux brings us this retro future reMix of Statickman’s The End Of The Times.

Aux whips out his analog big guns and delivers a rolling, expansive track. Part Italo floorfiller, part throwback Disco, mostly Cosmic journey. An evocative galactic journey loaded with sweeping synths and engine-like arpeggios in which Aux neatly straddles the line between dancefloor and dreams. With the addition of a sprinkling of vocoded vocals and an infectious hook, this reMix will transport to you more exciting, possibly silver jumpsuited, places.

♫ Statickman – The End Of The Times (Auxiliary Tha Masterfader reMix)

Statickman’s The End Of The Times is released 22nd April.

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Mar 28 2013

[Audio] More from Miles Prower

Bristol based SynthWavers Miles Prower have unleashed two more tracks from their forthcoming Pneumatic EP, which makes five now, which is high time the EP was released if you ask us. These guys continue to make their decidedly British mark on the SynthWave scene with Italo influenced grooves and bright Saturday morning melodies.

This World Wont Let Me Down is a rich, emotionally resonant tune in a classic Dreamwave mould. With a tiny bit of a Tropical vibe this time around, Miles Prower deliver punchy basslines to carry the weight while layers of starlight melodies play out over the top.Starlight Burning up’s the tempo somewhat, maybe a little too much. When not descending a suspicious amount into Happy Hardcore territory, it’s actually a pretty uplifting, euphoric track with some epic vocals from Alice Maria Sparey, we’re just a bit concerned that putting a donk on anything is never a good idea. It’s a nice enough tune though, and sees Miles Prower set to turn-in a top EP.