Apr 7 2011

In Flagranti’s ‘Worse For Wear’

In Flagranti return this month with a new single, ‘Worst For Wear’, on Codek.

Apparently leaving being their trademark vintage porn-chic sensibilities in favour of a ‘”trashed-goods” vibe, the duo’s music is still deep, funky, Electro-House goodness. ‘Worse For Wear’ has that visceral organic groove that so many In Flagranti productions sport. It’s an almost physical compulsion to move to the bass. Mixhell is amongst the reMixers contributing to the package with a synthetic Disco workout with a powerhouse, Old School EBM-esq, riff, it’s like Nitzer Ebb Disco gone Acid!

♫ In Flagranti – Worse For Wear

♫ In Flagranti – Worse For Wear (Mixhell reMix)

‘Worse For Wear’ is out 18th April

In Flagranti @ Beatport

In Flagranti @ Juno

In Flagranti @ 7Digital

In Flagranti @ Amazon

Apr 7 2011

The Magic Loungeabout with The Human League

As well as rocking Bestival this year electronic rumors will also be in attendance at The Magic Loungeabout, a festival with a difference.

Held in the grounds of historic Broughton Hall in Yorkshire the festival at the end of July, The Magic Loungeabout is an altogether more cultured weekend with a whole day of ElectroPop awesomeness. The Saturday’s musical line up consists of Crazy P, the wonderful Florrie, New Young Pony Club, Fenech-Soler and will be headlined by none other than The Human League! All in one day! Phew!

On top of that crop of awesome live acts there are also many speakers including Robin Ince and Annie Nightingale, a cinema and restaurant. That’s festival luxury!

The Magic Loungeabout takes place 29th-31st July, for more info visit their website:

The Magic Loungeabout

Apr 6 2011

Fear Of Tigers reMixes Queen Of Hearts…all hail Queen Of Tigers!

I’m starting to think that Fear Of Tigers tracks are like busses. You wait ages for one then a few come along at once!

The anthemic sweeping Pop of Queen Of Hearts’ ‘Where Are You Now?’ has had a Fear Of Tigers going over. There are a few acts out there that seem to be destined to be reMixed by FOT (I’m still waiting for a FOT reMix of Bright Light Bright Light’s ‘Love Part II’!!!) and Queen Of Hearts feels like one of them. Her accessible classic Pop voice is the perfect accompaniment for Fear Of Tigers’ sparkling retro power Pop. The track is pure ElectroPop genius with an added sprinkling of Disco licks to give it that funky edge before bringing you back to the huge Pop chorus.

Y’all know how much I love Diamond Cut and StardonE? Well, don’t tell them, but this might be my favourite version of ‘Where Are You Now?’…

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Where Are You Now? (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

I’d also like to add that last time I wrote about Queen Of Hearts I questioned both her authenticity and the hype surrounding her. These were comments she took in the spirit in which they were intended and was pretty, well…regal, about it (i.e. she didn’t get shitty about it). People who can take not-necessarily-100%-positive comments about themselves in good humour are people I immediately warm to. She seems like good peeps.

She’s playing her début show tonight at Madame Jo-Jo’s in Soho. So good luck to her and continued good luck to Ben Fear Of Tigers in his charity marathon run.

Props to Robot & Pigeon for getting the premier on this one.

Queen Of Hearts @ Beatport

Apr 6 2011

Shine 2009’s ‘So Free’ video

Shine 2009 are Cascine’s latest offering. This Finnish duo have just released their single ‘So Free’ (Featuring Paula Abdul). It’s a totally late 80’s/early 90’s Pop track that makes me feel so nostalgic, both in look and feel, for a period I didn’t know I felt nostalgic about!

The house piano, the square wave bass sound, the strings, the Hip Hop drums, the synth horns…the haircuts. Love it!

There’s even an M1 in the video!

The clip was directed by Santtu Mustonen.

‘So Free’ was out yesterday on Cascine

Shine 2009 @ 7Digital

Shine 2009 @ Amazon

Apr 5 2011

Van Go Lion: New single and some words!

Portland’s purveyors of perfect Pop Van Go Lion (that’s my clever writing quota for the year done!) release their brand new single ‘Body Moves’ today on Ninthwave Records.

Unashamedly ambassadors for electronic Pop music, the duo of Josh Loerzel and Amy Paige have been quietly and constantly putting out the kinda’ of tunes that make you smile and make you dance for the last year or so but the release of ‘Body Moves’ should give them a bit more exposure and propel them into the ElectroPop limelight. The track features everything we’ve come to expect from VGL in the last twelve months. Josh’s kicking dancefloor production with a synthetic twist and Amy’s powerful vocal delivery and lyrics shot through with a streak of humour.

It’s actually interesting that Ninthwave is putting out the single as in retrospect Van Go Lion are, in many ways, the spiritual successors to the 90’s Modern SynthPop scene. A lot of the elements of Modern SynthPop are present in VGL’s music but with added savy when it comes to contemporary music and dancefloor production (something Modern SynthPop always failed miserably at). Maybe that’s what Van Go Lion represent, Modern SynthPop all grown up and ready for the big time.

With the huge, anthemic, ElectroPop of ‘Body Moves’ Van Go Lion will defiantly be seeing a lot more attention. Listen for the “show me moves made of sweat and a bassline” drop…awesome!

Amy and Josh were kind enough to share their thoughts on this, that and the other. Here’s the ‘words’ bit:

ER: How did you guys get together? Was is always to make electronic music? Were you in bands before you got together?

Amy: I moved to Portland from NYC in ’09 and Josh answered by ad on Craigslist for a band. We’d both been in some bands over the years, but nothing serious. Band sluts! Originally Van Go Lion was a four-piece alternative-pop band, but we decided to do our own thing in early 2010 and it immediately went toward pop. It was totally natural! All it took was the two of us sitting down and listening to a little Tears for Fears, a little Madonna, and that was that, we were synth-pop.

ER: Van Go Lion? What does that mean anyway?

Amy: Haha, we get that a lot. So back in the 80’s there was this goofy show on PBS called ‘Zoobilee Zoo’ where the characters were humans dressed up as singing and dancing animals. Watch it now and you’d probably be horrified, but as a kid it was the most amazing thing. Van Go Lion was one of them. Plus we thought it’d look cool on t-shirts.

ER: Who are your heroes and influences, both musical and otherwise?

Josh: Queen, Billy Ocean.

Amy: PRINCE!

ER:The 3m30s pop song is one of the most important things on the planet and can change your life. Discuss.

Amy: Totally, that quintessential pop song can change your life, so true! A few years ago I would have completely agreed with 3m30s, but now that I’m doing it I’d have to bump that up to 4:30. Lots of the classics are there, Vogue, Billy Jean, they all go up to about 4:30. I think I’m taking this too seriously…but this is serious business.

ER: What movie would you have liked your music to be on the soundtrack of? And what song in what scene?

Josh: Top Gun, the volley ball scene.

Amy: Sex and the City, one of those scenes when the four of them are walking down the street all dressed up and you’re all like, “Watch out, THOSE ladies are OUT ON THE TOWN”

ER: What’s in Van Go Lion’s’ studio? What are your favourite bits of kit?

Josh: 2 Macs, a condenser mic, a couple keyboards and speakers. I like my cool plug-ins galore.

ER: And how does that translate live, both with gear and performance?

Josh: Lots and lots of sampling and live singing.

Amy: The gear is minimal but the sound that comes out is big. Our goal is to make our live show as close to the recordings as possible and I think we do that well.

ER: If money was no object what synth would be your dream purchase?

Josh: A Roland AX-1, red. KEYTAR!

ER: Who would your dream support slot be supporting?

Josh: Madonna or Lady Gaga.

Amy: Robyn, Pink, Sam Sparro or Lady Gaga.

ER: What does the future hold for Van Go Lion?

Amy: Releasing more music! There’s a whole debut album no one has heard yet, plus we’re constantly working on new tracks and on becoming stronger writers and musicians. ‘Body Moves’ is our official single so it’s just the beginning. We really want to get our live set out there. Also, the future will hopefully involve keytars.

ER: Are Van Go Lion more cereal or pile of pancakes for breakfast kinda’ band? Would that change the morning after a show?

Josh: Cereal!

Amy: Cereal, but I’d prefer a big disgusting pile of pancakes any day. Oh yes, especially after a show.

Cheers guys.

Check out title track from the single:

♫ Van Go Lion – Body Moves

‘Body Moves is released today:

Van Go Lion @ Beatport

Van Go Lion @ Juno

Van Go Lion @ Amazon

Apr 5 2011

Fear Of Tigers: running for a cause

tiger

That chick is SO going to get eaten!

Just sayin’

Anyhoo, this is just a quick one to give you all a heads up that Ben from the awesomeness that is Fear Of Tigers is running in this year’s London Marathon on 17th April. He will be raising money for WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals).

In his own words:

“Hello!

I’m running the London Marathon to help raise money for the WSPA, an animal welfare charity who work in regions of the world where few, if any, measures exist to protect animals.

The WSPA are currently in Japan caring for animals who’ve been injured or displaced by the earthquake and Tsunami: http://animalsindisasters.typepad.com/wspa/2011/03/wspa-prepares-to-head-into-japan.html

On a more personal note, I’ve watched the marathon runners, who come in spitting distance of where I live, many times and it will be a great honour for me to run in the city and borough where I reside.

I’m also hoping to lose a few kilograms on the way!

Take a look at the following link to see some of the much needed work the WSPA are doing.

http://www.wspa.org.uk/wspaswork/default.aspx”

You could defiantly do worse today that pop over to Ben’s Just Giving page and sponsor him a few quid. It’s a good cause and will be a lot of hard work on Ben’s part, so the more he raises for WSPA the more it will have been worth it.

Also, the Dude did give you all an album for free!

AND, if altruism and empathy isn’t enough to convince you, those who sponsor Ben’s marathon entry will also receive a super secret Fear Of Tigers reMix, I won’t tell you what it is but it’s crazy good and one of the best reMixes of this particular track you’ve ever heard!

Still here?

Ahem…

Fear Of Tigers @ Just Giving

Apr 5 2011

Alpha Boy’s new EP

Awesome German retro synth wizard Alpha Boy returns this month with a brand new EP, titled ‘Douce Folie’!

Alpha Boy has put the last year of writing and releasing 80’s inspired Synth tunes to good use as all his influences are poured into new EP. Inspired by everything 80’s, from Modern Talking and Phil Collins to episodes of Knight Rider, Alpha Boy would probably be and easiest fit in the Dreamwave scene, but his music stems from a more musically nostalgic place than that. Not necessarily trying to invent 80’s music for contemporary times, AB wraps up his love of 80’s synthesiser music into a style that he sees fit, and it’s a style that, although would work well on the dancefloor, isn’t exactly dance music. It would be better to say that it’s a danceable synthesiser odyssey that has as much in common with Jean Michel-Jarre as it does with Kavinsky.

Here we have the track ‘Glam’ with its intertwining melodies and slightly oriental feel (again there is JMJ as a point of reference). Alpha Boy’s goal in life is to share with his listeners “a touch of the great feeling of the 80’s”…well, mission accomplished!

♫ Alpha Boy – Glam

The ‘Douce Folie’ EP is out now, go check it out!

Alpha Boy @ Juno

Alpha Boy @ 7Digital

Alpha Boy @ Amazon

Apr 5 2011

Zimmer’s ‘Cruisin’’

Portuguese based Disco label Discotexas’ latest signing is French jetsetter Zimmer who bursts onto the scene with this head nodding analog workout.

‘Cruisin’’ is the result of Zimmer dividing his time between Paris and California, and it shows. Displaying the raw Disco of Paris and LA Dreamwave elements, Zimmer reigns in the tempo and delivers a mid-paced, feel good, Summer Disco jam. Incorporating a few Housey tricks and a rhythm section that bores into your soul, ‘Cruisin’’ need the sunshine to survive, it’s a track for lazy Sunday afternoons and good times.

♫ Zimmer – Cruisin’

Lookout for more by Zimmer on Discotexas soon.

Zimmer @ Facebook

Apr 5 2011

Video for Pacific!’s ‘Unspoken’

Here is the video for Pacific!’s ‘Unspoken’, which features a turn from El Perro Del Mar.

You can read the story behind the tune here, the video actually does quite a good job of capturing the narrative without being too obvious.

The video was directed by Ben Roth.

“Unspoken” is out 18th April on Alan Braxe’s Vulture Music. reMixes come correct from Santiago & Bushido, Moonlight Matters, Alex Gopher & Pierrick Devin and Anoraak

Apr 5 2011

The Swiss reMix Tyson

The Swiss are back!

The Aussie Disco outfit have put their not-inconsiderable skills to good use in reMixing UK mystery man Tyson’s new tune, ‘Out Of My Mind’. ‘Out Of My Mind’ is, in it’s various forms, doing the rounds a lot right now but this reMix tops the lot. shuffling Disco drums, a rolling arpeggiated bassline, power retro stabs and shimmering lead lines, what more do you need on the dancefloor? Tyson’s haunted vocal delivery just adds another layer to the mix. Six minutes of pure groove.