Blog Archives
Goin’ Old School: Front 242, The System & Malcolm McLaren
Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
OK, so I’m not sure why ‘Headhunter’ hasn’t made Goin’ Old School yet, but it’s time to rectify that. Anton Corbijn directed Front 242 , in their game changing track from 1988. Be crushed by that bassline, it’s literally all reverb (the original sound was removed).
Pure ‘80’s Synth Funk here from The System and their 1982 track ‘You Are In My System’. This looked well futuristic at the time. I have a feeling that Sci-Fi complex he’s in is actually an office building at 55 John Street in New Youk in the ‘80’s.
In 1983 Punk Impresario Malcolm McLaren brought Hip Hop to the UK, kicking off UK Hip Hop with ‘Buffalo Gals’. It was most people first experience of sampling, turntablism, graffiti and popping.
You can buy most of this music from:
Mirrors’ new EP
This week Brighton SynthPop outfit Mirrors released a brand new EP on their Bandcamp page.
The ‘This Year, Next Year, Sometime . . . ?’ EP contains two new tracks, ‘Dust’ and ‘Shooting Stars’, and five new demos. it was put together by the band to help fund their return to the studio for a new full length album and it’s well worth the price. ‘Dust’ is classic SynthPop, powerful and brooding and capturing that ‘just right’ SynthPop atmosphere of melancholy shot through with hit of hope. Along with ‘Dust’, if ‘Shooting Stars’ is anything to go by, we Mirrors get back in the studio soon. It’s a gorgeous peice of synthesizer based Indie-Electro with all the darkness and majesty you’d expect from these guys. Buying the EP seems like a worthy cause, and seven awesome tracks to boot.
♫ Mirrors – Dust
♫ Mirrors – Shooting Stars
The ‘This Year, Next Year, Sometime . . . ?’ EP is available now.
Buy Mirrors’ music from:
Kid Kasio’s début album, ‘Kasiotone’
The end of this month sees the long awaited release of Kid Kasio’s début album, ‘Kasiotone’.
In the years before electronic rumors started, and the ElectroPop resurgence of 2007 onward, a band called The Modern (later Matineé Club) was one of the UK big hopes for rocketing intelligent SynthPop back into the spotlight. Unfortunately due to mis-management and major label problems The Modern’s fame was never realised, but ever cloud has a silver lining. Had The Modern never split up then Nathan Cooper may have never adopted his Kid Kasio alter-ego and brought to the world the most authentic ‘80’s Pop committed to recording since 1989.
Everything about the Kid Kasio experience is meticulously overseen by Nathan, from the recordings, to the artwork, to his now legendary videos, all slotting into their place in his perfect vision of the ‘80’s. ‘Kasiotone’ is the epitome of that vision. Kid Kasio isn’t influenced by the ‘80’s, he is the ‘80’s. What we mean by that is ‘Kasiotone’ doesn’t sound like an album that is a pastiche, or a parody, or a homage, or a reverence, or a bandwagon rider, this actually sounds like an album from around 1985 (albeit with modern recording techniques, like a 1985 album remastered). Sure, there is the occasional touch of modern electronic music in the production, but everything about these songs whether it’s the vintage synth and drum sounds or Nathan’s Duran Duran crossed with Nik Kershaw style of songwriting, sounds just like the real thing. That’s not to say you have to be a big fan of ‘80’s music to enjoy this album, ‘cos you don’t. Nathan is both a talented songwriter and instrumentalist. His ability to capture certain emotions in his lyrical narrative, as well as making them catchy is matched by his mastery of melodies and complex programming and results in a collection of songs that has something for everyone. From dancefloor like anthemic ElectroPop of ‘Not For Turning’ or the TOTP sing-a-long of ‘Telephone Line’ to more introspective tracks like the Pop Funk of ‘Paranoia’ or the ‘80’s album track ‘I Miss You’ there is something most people will find to love on this record. Whether you’re a fan of ‘80’s music, or just a fan of ElectroPop in all it’s forms, or just like a good song, this album is definitely worth your investigation.
♫ Kid Kasio – Over And Over
♫ Kid Kasio – The Reason
♫ Kid Kasio – Not For Turning
‘Kasiotone’ is released 30th January.
Check out more from Kid Kasio on SoundCloud.
Saint Etienne are back!
SynthPop legends Saint Etienne are back! With their first full length studio album in seven years on the horizon the trio have dropped the first single from the forthcoming release, ‘Tonight’.
Two facts about ‘Tonight’ you’ll probably not be surprised at. 1) It’s produced by Xenomania’s Tim Powell, 2) It’s mixed by Richard X. According to SE’s Bob Stanley the track is “about the anticipation of going to see your favourite group. For some reason, I imagine this show is at the Forum in Kentish Town. The whole album is about the power of pop, how it affects and shapes your life.”, which is kinda’ what we’re all about to. The track is big, slick sounding DiscoPop combined with Saint Etienne’s particularly British take on everyday life. A Welcome return.
♫ Saint Etienne – Tonight
Download ‘Tonight’ for free at www.saintetienne.com.
Buy Saint Etienne’s music from:
Goin’ Old School: Howard Jones, Thompson Twins & Nik Kershaw
Howard Jones’ ‘New Song’ from1984. Throw off your mental chains! Throw them off! Do It! I;m watching! Oh Oh Oh!
A Musik Laden performance of Thompson Twins’ ‘The Gap’, again from 1984
More from 1984, Nik Kershaw’s ‘When A Heart Beats’, just ‘cos.
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Ronika reMixed by Echoes
Photo courtesy of Katja Ruge
OK, so we don’t normally go in for the whole blog ‘exclusive’ bragging rights thing, we don’t see the point, very little on the internet stays exclusive for more than 30 seconds, and your ‘exclusive’ probably got leaked last week anyway. We always though it was about the music, not the blog. But we are amused by how much exclusivity there is crammed into this one post, so we’re going to mention it. Hypocrites much? What we have here is the première one of our favourite Indie tinged SynthPop acts, Echoes, reMixing our favourite Madonna Of The Midlands™, Ronika, topped of with a exclusive Ronika based display of retro sportswear from our favourite photographer, and snapper to the stars, Katja Ruge. Literally nothing about this post isn’t so fresh it’s still smoking.
Anyhoo, dazzling shininess of this post aside, what Echoes have turned in is a pretty stunning sunrise-beach-party take on Ronika’s ‘Only Only’. Part Balearic, part Progressive House, Echoes strip back the urban dancefloor urgency of the original (and it’s subsequent reMixes) and insured let Ron’s vocals swim about in a sea of chilled good vibes. Echoes have crafted a laid back and emotional slice of summery House with a classy piano line and let Ron’s vocals sit in just the right place in the mix, somewhere just in the distance, so the track washes over you.
♫ Ronika – Only Only (Echoes reMix)
Completely coincidentally, both Ronika and Echoes will be appearing on our electronic rumors volume 1 compilation, released 13th February, and both putting in an appearance at the launch party on the 10th February. Details here.
Ronika’s latest single ‘Only Only’/’In The City’ is out now and comes highly recommended.
Buy Ronika’s music from:
Strangers cover Tears For Fears’ ‘Shout’
So, if you ignore an James Corden associated abominations, Tears For Fears’ ‘Shout’ is one of the best songs ever written, not many covers do it justice (and some (see aforementioned abomination comment) are so shit they barely qualify as music), thankfully London SynthPop trio Strangers’ take on the track is stop on.
I’ve heard the track with distorted industrial percussion before, but always with terrible industrial vocals, here Strangers get electronically experimental with the beats but keep the anthemic, melodic ,vocals (which aren’t easy to sing, so kudos there!) intact. It’s an awesome slice of dark ElectroPop which really conveys the power of the original song.
♫ Strangers – Shout (Tears For Fears Cover)
Strangers’ ‘EP 3’ is out now.
Buy Strangers’ music from:
Labyrinth Ear’s new video
Labyrinth Ear’s Italo basslined deep SynthPop track ‘Humble Bones’ is now a visual treat too.
Minimal, but hypnotic, the video directed by Brendan Canty of Feel Good Lost is simple but very effective.
‘Humble Bones’ is taken from Labyrinth Ear’s forthcoming EP “Apparitions”, released on 7th February.
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Empire State Human’s new single
Ireland’s Empire State Human (incidentally, the first act we interviewed on electronic rumors, all those years ago!) has released a brand new single this month, ‘December Rose’.
A beautiful, deep electronic ballad-with-a-beat, ‘December Rose’ not only features Aidan Casserly’s Kraftwerk inspired machine synthesizer patterns but some huge cinematic chord work that life the track into the relms of epic. Add to that a lilting, almost ‘90’s beach House, saxophone and you have an evocative slice of laid back SynthPop.
♫ Empire State Human – December Rose
‘December Rose’ is out now and taken from
Buy Empire State Human’s music from the forthcoming album, ‘The Art’, both on new label House Of Analouge.
Sébastien Tellier’s ‘Pépito Bleu’ video
Here is it! The full video for Sébastien Tellier long, long awaited new single ‘Pépito Bleu’, taken from his also long, long awaited forthcoming album ‘My God Is Blue’.
The track is pure Tellier SynthPop quirk and drama. Majestic and ridiculous and amazing. As for the Sanghon Kim & Mathieu Tonetti directed vide, well, just watch…
‘My God Is Blue’ is out soon on Record Makers.
Buy Sébastien Tellier’s music from:
