Feb 1 2010

Heaven 17 & La Roux – Temptation

Heaven17LaRoux

Following on from their meeting of electro giants old and new, in the form of Little Boots and Gary Numan, last December BBC 6Music recently paired up ex-The Human League SynthPop legends Heaven 17 with current ElectroPop royalty La Roux at Maida Vale.

The whole session is a nice affair, lots of banter between the two acts, you get the feeling that this was a more comfortable affair than the Little Boots/Numan gig where Gary always looked a little uncomfortable, especially singing ‘Stuck On Repeat’

Anyway, both sessions are hit and miss (although generally hits) but for me the highlight of both is Heaven 17 and Elly performing H17’s classic ‘Temptation’. Elly’s vocals really lend themselves well to the track.

♫ Heaven 17 & La Roux – Temptation (Live @ Maida Vale Studios For BBC Radio 6Music) (zShare) (MediaFire)

You can listen to the session in full on the BBC iPlayer here until the end of the week and digital viewers in the UK can watch the whole thing (and the Boots/Numan show) by pressing the red button (I feel kinda’ weird saying that, like a TV voice over guy, but it’s true) until 6th February.

Feb 1 2010

Lo-Fi-Fnk are back!

Lo-Fi-Fnk

ElectroPop duo Lo-Fi-Fnk have dropped a new tune over on their Facebook group. It’s been four years since the amazing ‘Boy Life’ album and three years since the last we heard anything from the Sweeds.

‘Marchin’ In’ is the first taste we have had of their forthcoming album and from this sample it looks like it might have been worth the wait!

♫ Lo-Fi-Fnk – Marchin’ In (zShare) (MediaFire)

While you’re waiting try checking out Lo-Fi-Fnk’s back catalogue.

Lo-Fi-Fnk @ Beatport

Lo-Fi-Fnk @ 7Digital

Lo-Fi-Fnk @ Amazon

Feb 1 2010

New Young Pony Club; Chaos video

Following on from their free internet single ‘Lost A Girl’ and in preparation for their forthcoming album ‘The Optimist’, 1st March sees New Young Pony Club release the single ‘Chaos’, the first proper single from the album. They have just premiered the video clip for the track over on their You Tube channel.

Cool song, cool video. More New Young Pony Club than ‘Lost A Girl’ I feel. It’s just nice to have NYPC back!

‘Chaos’ is released 1st March and is taken from the forthcoming album ‘The Optimist’, released 8th March.

New Young Pony Club @ Beatport

New Young Pony Club @ 7Digital

New Young Pony Club @ Amazon

Feb 1 2010

Breakbot is all yours

Breakbot

Breakbot’s first official EP for Ed Banger Records drops on Valentine’s Day. ‘Baby I’m Yours’, featuring Irfane on vocals, is some smooth Disco basslined French House.

With razor sharp production Breakbot clears the floor of all competitors as he show how this Synth Funk should be done. ‘Make You Mine’ is more of a chilled, summer Sunday, ElectroFunk Vocoderfest that i will defiantly be breaking out in a few months time!

♫ Breakbot (Feat. Irfane) – Baby I’m Yours (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Breakbot – Make You Mine (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Baby I’m Yours’ drops 14th February.

Breakbot @ Beatport

Breakbot @ Amazon

Feb 1 2010

Penguin Prison reMix Ellie Goulding

EllieGoulding04

Ellie Goulding’s ‘Starry Eyed’ appears to be taking the world by storm (the UK at least)! Make no mistake, this is a good thing The more Neon-Gold-knows-how-to-pick-‘em intelligent Electro tunes the better!

Of course, there is the inevitable flood of reMixes, but this one by Penguin Prison and Theophilus London stands head and shoulders above the crowd. PP is New York’s latest hip bedroom ElectroPopper who floored us all a few months back with his ‘A Funny thing’ and continues to keep us interested with a string of really good reMixes like an American Starsmith.

Check it out:

♫ Ellie Goulding (Feat. Theophilus London) – Starry Eyed (Penguin Prison reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Ellie’s ‘Starry Eyed’ is out on 22nd February. It’s already doing well, help it along here:

Ellie Goulding @ Neon Gold

Ellie Goulding @ 7Digital

Ellie Goulding @ Amazon

Feb 1 2010

Spector

Spektor

Spector is a name that has been around for a while. John-Paul Denton (and occasional partner John Elliott) have had their fingers in various Dance music pies for a few years culminating in Spector releasing some sweet Pop fuelled dancefloor Electro funk.

This track ‘near The Mark’ is taken from Spector’s forthcoming ‘Infrasound’ EP and it’s a jittery banger with an infections funk bassline.

♫ Spector – Near The Mark (zShare) (MediaFire)

To promote the release Spector is also dropping this noisy Electro-House reMix of La Roux’s ‘Bulletproof’ with some seriously growling synths!

♫ La Roux – Bulletproof (Spector’s Wings Of Steel Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

The ‘Infrasound’ EP is out soon on Rogue Industries.

Spektor @ Beatport

Spektor @ 7Digital

Feb 1 2010

Detachments reMixed

Detachments

Wow! THISISNOTANEXIT records are certainly on a roll right now! November last year saw the release of the single ‘Circles’ by not-quite-from-Manchester dark Indie-Dance outfit Detachments and the label has just dropped the third, and final, instalment of reMixes.

The James Ford (Simian Mobile Disco) produced original has already been tackled by such names as Mighty Mouse and Night Plane and here gets treated to three wildly different mixes by Beg To Differ, Dscio and Spectral Empire. Beg To Differ had already dropped the Dub version of their reMix in the first remix package but now we are treated to the full vocal version which keeps up the ominous mood but feeds the tune through a dark SynthPop machine. Dsico’s US Post-Punk/New Wave mix is almost eerily authentic sounding and Spectral Empire round off the selection with their tribal John Carpenter soundtrack-esq epic horror noisescape.

♫ Detachments – Circles (Beg To Differ Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Detachments – Circles (Dsico reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Detachments – Circles (Spectral Empire Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Detachments are currently in the studio working on their début album with the likes of Trevor (Playgroup) Jackson, Tim (DFA) Goldsworthy and Andrew Weatherall, this latest bunch of reMixes was released a couple of weeks ago and can be purchased here:

Detachments @ Beatport

Detachments @ Juno

Detachments @ 7Digital

Detachments @ Amazon

Jan 29 2010

New Shy Child track & video

Shy Child have just débuted the video for ‘Disconnected’, the first single from their forthcoming album ‘Liquid Love’ and is one of the most Poppy tracks thy have done to date, although still as noisy as you’d expect from Shy Child there is some Nu-disco creeping into their Indie-Electro!

when the single drops expect reMixes from Ocelot, Moscow, Shuttle and Anoraak!!! That should be a really sweet single!

♫ Shy Child – Disconnected (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Liquid Love’, is out on 15th March through Wall Of Sound and Shy Child have just announced UK tour dates!!!

02nd February @ White Heat @ Madame JoJo’s, London
04th February @ Centro, London
27th February @ Kazimier, Liverpool
28th February @ Thekla, Bristol
01st March @ ICA, London
02nd March @ ABC2, Glasgow
03rd March @ A Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds
05th March @ Academy 3, Birmingham
06th March @ Roadhouse, Manchester

Shy Child @ Beatport

Shy Child @ 7Digital

Shy Child @ Amazon

Jan 29 2010

Parallels; Ultralight

Parallels

I love Toronto, and if you look closely enough there is some great Electronic music to be found there. Parallels (who you may remember from Kitsuné Maison 8) are at the top of the Toronto scene Featuring ex-Crystal Castles drummer Cameron Findlay, Holly Dodson and Joey Kehoe, the band are about to drop a rerecorded version of their single from last year ‘Ultralight’ with a huge reMix package on THISISNOTANEXIT records

As soon as this new Album Version of ‘Ultralight’ kicks in with it’s synth bass you just know it’s gonna’ be good. The Moroder-esq arpeggios drive the song into a wonderfully 80’s chorus that you just can’t resist. Parallels have mated to sound authentically retro without descending into any kind of parody or exaggeration. I really could be taping this off of Top Of The Pops!

Speaking as someone who has been into Electro/Synth music (mostly SynthPop) all my life, it’s tracks like this that just put such a huge grin on my face!

Club Silencio’s moody Dub tinged Disco kicks off the reMix line up that also features Detachments’ robo-invasion, which is a cool reMix that warps the track and reminds me of early Cybotron tracks like R-9. Also featured is fellow SynthPopper The Dark Esquire who brings his style of deep synthetic Pop to the package.

♫ Parallels – Ultralight (Album Version) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Parallels – Ultralight (Club Silencio Rmx) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Parallels – Ultralight (Detachments Rmx) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Parallels – Ultralight (The Dark Esquire Re-Version) (zShare) (MediaFire)

What can I say?, the reMixes are good, but it’s the album Version that has made my listening day! The EP drops 8th February, buy it!

UPDATE: Simon from THISISNOTANEXIT has stopped by to let us know you can order the 12″ here.

Jan 29 2010

New Thieves Like Us

ThievesLikeUs

Taking their name from the New Order track, Thieves Like Us had reasonable success on ‘07 with their (now classic) ‘Drugs In My Body’ on Kitsuné Music and with ‘Your Heart Feels’ in ‘08.

Now they are back for ‘10 with ‘Never Known Love’, the first taste of the forthcoming full length album ‘Again And Again’. ‘Never Know Love’ displays it’s mixed French Electro/New Order influenced but the raw synth bass, hushed vocals and gangly guitar stabs bring it down firmly on the side of New Wave.

♫ Thieves Like Us – Never Known Love (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Again And Again’ is out later this year.

Thieves Like Me @ Beatport

Thieves Like Me @ Juno

Thieves Like Me @ 7Digital

Thieves Like Me @ Amazon