Feb 27 2010

The Durutti Column Vs. Monarchy

Neon Gold’s SynthPop card up their sleeve, Monarchy, have dropped this wonderfully dark edit of Manchester Post-Punk legends The Durutti Column’s ‘My Country’.

The original is clearly recognisable here, but what is done works so well. The addition of the beat, strings and a sprinkling of synth work all combine to pull the song into the 21st century whilst loosing none of the atmosphere that made the original what it was.

♫ The Durutti Column – My Country (Monarchy reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘My Country’ is taken from the 1989 album ‘Vini Reilly’

The Durutti Column @ Beatport

The Durutti Column @ Juno

The Durutti Column @ 7Digital

The Durutti Column @ Amazon

Feb 27 2010

Eliza Doolittle reMixed by Acid Washed

Eliza Doolittle is the next, hotly tipped, up and coming, London based, female singer/songwriter. It’s a pretty crowded genre but the kind of thing that will make her stand out is reMixes like this one, by Paris’ Acid Washed.

The disco duo come up with a half Nu-Disco, half retro Acid House mix up for this mix with forms a nice backing track for Eliza’s chilled vocals, which serve as a counterpoint to the upbeat track.

♫ Eliza Doolittle – Skinny Genes (Acid Washed reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Skinny Genes’ is released 29th March.

Eliza Doolittle @ 7Digital

Eliza Doolittle @ Amazon

Feb 27 2010

Fear Of Tigers reMix Yes Giantess

Neon Gold have got so many fantastic artists and producers on speed dial that any combination of their associated acts is bound to produce stunning results.

But this hook up of Indie-ElectroPopsters Yes Giantess an the ever wonderful Fear Of Tigers sounds just too good to be true, but it’s not, it manages to live up to expectations!

The Starsmith produces ‘The Ruins’ is a great SynthPop track to begin with, but Fear Of Tigers knocks it out of the park, lifting the track into a epic Nu-Disco powerhouse, a retro synth monster soundtrack to your teenage summers!

♫ Yes Giantess – The Ruins (Fear Of Tigers reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

The single, ‘The Ruins’ drops 8th March.

Yes Giantess @ Neon Gold

Yes Giantess @ PureGroove

Yes Giantess @ Beatport

Yes Giantess @ Amazon

Feb 26 2010

Substatic

I’ve been meaning to write about this band for a couple of months now, but things have been pretty disorganized here at electronic rumors towers since I relocated from Camden back to my home town of Bristol (after six years away). I will now remedy this!

Long time readers will remember in the early, less focused, days of ER that I used to harp on about how much I missed Bristol, so if there’s one thing I like better than discovering new talented Electro artists, it’s discovering new talented Electro artists from Bristol.

Enter Substatic!

Without wanting to sound like an idiot, or incredibly literal, this is what contemporary Electro would sound like if it was being made in Bristol…which it is…so it does.

I’ll try and make more sense now. Substatic have got the big dirty synths, 8-bit sounds and raw electronics of Electro but they couple that with a Breakbeat flavour and Drum & Bass basslines that adds a powerful driving force beyond your typical Electro fare. More Electro than your standard ‘Bristol beat’ act and more ‘Bristol beat’ than your standard Electro act, Substatic have carved out a unique slice of the Electro musical landscape for themselves which they supplement with live instrumentation, a splash of guitar and the inclusion of live violin, which you would think would send the music down a folksy road but instead it adds that little bit of orchestration which in turn adds drama to the songs.

I’ve not even mentioned Colleen’s vocals yet! Powerful, dramatic, sultry, seductive with a hint of danger, the perfect piece of the puzzle that ties everything together. Equally devastating on the dancefloor as in the headphones, Substatic’s dynamic and compelling take on Electro is sure to propel them to great heights.

I could have just said “Substatic are a live Electro band turned up to 11”! Check it out:

♫ Substatic – Triplet (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Substatic – Wild Horses (zShare) (MediaFire)

Having already played a few high profile shows and gained exposure on BBC 6Music (#saveBBC6music BTW!), Substatic are defiantly one to keep an eye on in 2010!

The band are constantly gigging up and down the UK (their next show is 27th March @ The Junction, Bristol) and their reMix of Leisure Allstars ‘How We Roll’ is available here:

Leisure Allstars ‘How We Roll’ (Inc. Substatic reMix) @ 7Digital

Leisure Allstars ‘How We Roll’ (Inc. Substatic reMix) @ Amazon

The band are planning to release their début EP in May, until then show them some MySpace love:

Substatic @ MySpace

Feb 26 2010

Wonderful Life Vs. Wonderful Life

It can’t just be me?

I can’t be the only one?

I find myself completely unable to hum/sing to myself this:

Without ending up humming/singing to myself this:

Black and white videos? Suits? Saxophone solos? Five letter bandnames? Songs called “Wonderful Life” that have the lyric “It’s a Wonderful Life” in the chorus? C’mon, are they trying to mess with my head?

But with all that in common they sound totally different, are totally different songs. Black’s 1987 Synth-Soul classic holds a lot of memories for me and as much as it has a place in my heart it has been really outdone by HURTS SynthPop powerhouse.

I do suggest you own both though!

HURTS @ Townsend Records

HURTS @ Amazon

Black @ 7Digital

Black @ Amazon

Feb 26 2010

Party Horse

If you really made me pin Party Horse down, genre wise, I mean if you had a gun to my head, I would probably say, er, Disco-Rock? Maybe…

The Anglo-Dutch duo appear to throw a bit of everything in the mix. Chainsaw guitars, 16-Bit game sounds, analog synths & cheap drum machines and an aesthetic that is nothing short of 70’s Top Of The Pops. If Mark Bolan (in the 70’s…still alive) had been backed by The Human League and produced by Giorgio Moroder and then fed through a fuzzbox you are coming somewhere near Party Horse.

But look beyond the glam, look beyond the strut, and what you have there is some really classic pop songs. Check the video for their track ‘Lazer Beam’:

Party Horse are about to embark on a UK tour supporting CHEW LiPS:

19 Apr: Suno, Leicester
20 Apr: Arts Centre, Nowrich
21 Apr: Bodega, Nottingham
22 Apr: Faversham, Leeds
23 Apr: ABC 2, Glasgow
24 Apr: Café Drummonds, Aberdeen
25 Apr: Acadamy 2, Liverpool
26 Apr: Academy 2, Sheffield
27 Apr: Sugermill, Stoke
29 Apr: The Cooler, Bristol
30 Apr: Cargo, London
1 May: Old Fire Station, Bournemouth

Looking to release their début single at the start of the summer, until the visit the Horse on MySpace:

Party Horse @ MySpace

Feb 26 2010

Electrosexual & Scream Club

Like a coming together of everything that’s great about electronic music, one-time Nerdcore, Electro Hip-Hop ladies Scream Club and deep synth reMixer Electrosexual have teamed up to drop a limited edition double A-side 12” featuring two tracks from Scream Club’s, Electrosexual produced, forthcoming album.

‘Break You Nice’/’Screaming And Crying’ is the distilled essence of the wonder that was electronic music in the 80’s and early 90’s. Like B-Boy Electro mixed with early Acid House it’s supported by reMixes from Divider, Leonard De Leonard and Hard Ton.

Hard Ton’s reMix continues the electro pioneer genre clash, with vocals reminiscent of Cybotron and a burbling TB-303 bassline.

♫ Electrosexual & Scream Club (Feat. Zoe Vermillion & Mz. Sunday) – Break You Nice (Hard Ton reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Scream Club, with Electrosexual, have managed to create a sound that wears it’s influences so strongly on it’s sleeve but still sounds fresh, sorry, f-f-f-f-fresh!

The single is out 3rd March on Crunks Not Dead/Rock Machine, available on limited edition white vinyl or digital download:

Electrosexual @ Beatport

Scream Club @ Beatport

Electrosexual @ Juno

Scream Club @ Juno

Electrosexual & Scream Club @ 7Digital

Electrosexual @ Amazon

Scream Club @ Amazon

Electrosexual & Scream Club @ Amazon

Feb 26 2010

My Favorite Robot cover The Cure’s ‘Fascination Street’

Montreal DJ and production duo My Favorite Robot are about to drop their ‘Fascination Reworked’ single.

The single, a cover of The Cure’s ‘Fascination Street’ is backed with reMixes by Omid 16b and Elevator People. I’m digging the hell out of the Omid 16b version, it’s a dark analog cross between 80’s Hip-Hop Electro and Cabaret Voltaire, it’s Old School Electro sensibilities just make you remember everything you loved about heavy basslines and a TR-808. Elevator People go in a totally different direction with a hypnotic Deep House take that will go down massively on a late night dancefloor.

♫ My Favorite Robot – Fascination Street (Omid 16b Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ My Favorite Robot – Fascination Street (Elevator People Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Fascination Reworked’ is out soon on Mile End Records.

My Favorite Robot @ Beatport

My Favorite Robot @ 7Digital

My Favorite Robot @ Amazon

Feb 26 2010

Justin Faust ‘Holdin’ On’

Munich man Justin Faust has just dropped an EP of funk tinged French House. the ‘Holdin’ On’ EP contains the title track and reMixes by the likes of Moullinex and Nightriders.

‘Holdin’ On’ is a feel good Electro-House jam with more than a nod to Filter House but once Moulinex get hold of it, it becomes a mighty retro disco monster.

♫ Justin Faust – Holdin’ On (zShare) (MediaFire).

♫ Justin Faust – Holdin’ On (Moullinex reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

The EP is out now on Moullinex’s label Discotexas:

Justin Faust @ Beatport

Justin Faust @ 7Digital

Justin Faust @ Amazon

Feb 24 2010

We Have Band’s new video

We Have Band have débuted the video for their forthcoming single ‘Divisive‘. It’s a fun clip that looks like it took ages to make, it was directed by Jul&Mat.