Rebeka’s ‘Stars’ will be the next release on Discotexas. This Polish duo make eclectic ElectroPop the likes of which we are starting to see a resurgence of. And I’m quite looking forward to the summer of quirky DiscoPop.
Check out the video for their début, its a suitably glittery affair for the Mirror People produced tune. Balbina Bruszewska & Katarzyna Baraniewicz directed.
‘Stars’ is released 20th April on Discotexas with reMixes from Punks Jump Up.
Check out more from Rebeka on SoundCloud.
In support of Record Store Day 2012 (which you should all get on board with BTW) out ElectroPop princess Little Boots will be dropping a new 12” ‘Every Night I Say A Prayer’ accompanied by a free download this 21st April.
‘Every Night I Say A Prayer’ was put together with Andy Butler from Hercules & Love Affair and is an eipc slice of Pop that comes complete with this reMix from Tensnake, who takes things in a deep, hypnotic, direction. If you heard Boots’ last mix you will probably recognise that synth snare and rolling bassline as Victoria snuck it into the cunningly titled ‘Into The Future’ mixtape. Tensnake’s treatment of the track is an undulating Sci-Fi soundscape, retaining Boots’ Pop but taking it on a cosmic cruise to strange new paces. There’s a clash of analog warmth and abrasive sound in there that is at once comforting and slightly unsettling, like a journey to strange places with only Victoria’s voice to guide you. I love how Little Boots stays so Pop, but take so many risks with reMixes and extras. The total (and tiny) package.
♫ Little Boots – Every Night I Say A Prayer (Tensnake reMix)
The 12″ will also hold a reMix from Joe Smooth. Boots will be playing a special gig at Rough Trade East in London on Record Store Day, as well as a playing May 4th at XOYO with support from Ronika. Yes, we will be there.
Buy Little Boots’ music from:
Russian duo Sohight are on a roll right now, their couple of releases have been total jams and they are carving a nice little groove for them selves in the Disco tinged retro synth arena. Now they are lending their reMixing skills to Mexican producer Enterprise’s new single ‘Stages’.
‘Stages’ is a huge slice of deep Funk and Disco from Nico Raibak with an absolute killer bassline, a massive analog groove. The kind of bassline that sounds like Optimus Prime and Megatron fighting at Studio 54. Real apocalyptic Disco stuff. Squealing Korg synths and lush retro chords power over the track, it truly is a juggernaut of Disco. Doing anything to it is a tough job, Sohight are brave Dudes! their reMix smoothes things out a little, whilst the original smacks you in the face with Disco, Sohight gently wipes off the blood with their Boogie. Built around a slick Disco lick and some warbling synths. Sohight bring a little sext back to the dancefloor after Enterprise has brutalised it.
♫ Enterprise – Stages (Sohight reMix)
Check out more from Enterprise on SoundCloud.
So, I think I have this subconscious belief that bloggers make shit producers. I know, I know, it’s completely unfounded. I don’t even know where it comes from (although to be honest, a lot of stuff I have heard from bloggers has been shit). I think it might be because I see them coming at making music from the wrong angle, writing about music and thinking ”I’ll have a go” rather than feeling the passion to create. However, as a big fan of rationality I do love being proved wrong and Big C, who maybe known to you as author of Big C’s Music, is having a mighty crack at making me look like a fool.
The Wheel Wells, Big C’s latest target for reMixing, are a Canadian duo with an Indie-Dance sound who’s ‘Morning Light’ you might already be familiar with, and if you’re not there a good chance you are about to. Big C’s ‘Beachhouse’ mix does exactly what it says on the tin, Tropical vibes abound with a laidback beach party Disco sound. The thing that stuck me the most about this mix is that from someone who up until about a week ago I didn’t really consider a ‘producer’ how polished it is. The mix could use a little punch, but on the whole it’s a balanced and slick mixdown, something that many new producers get terribly wrong, and that shows there’s latent talent in there. So yeah, Big C has made the jump from being ‘a blogger who does some productions’ to ‘a producer who sometimes blogs’ in my head, and me being a stubborn bastard that is a really hard jump to make.
♫ The Wheel Wells – Morning Light (Big C ‘Beachhouse’ reMix)
♫ The Wheel Wells – Morning Light (Big C reMix)
Check out more from The Wheel Wells on SoundCloud.
London SynthPoppers Strangers’ new single ‘Shine On You’ has finally gone and got itself a video! I’m glad it did, it’s definitely a track deserved of visuals.
Tom Doran directs this clip, with an epic visual style to match the majestic sound of the track. ‘Shine On You’ truly is anthemic and the video does it;s best to live up to that.
‘Shine On You’ is out this week on Killing Moon Limited/Beatwolf Records.
Buy Strangers’ music from:
The new Cut Slack EP is here! This Portuguese producer is someone we’ve been keeping close tabs on ever since he entered one of the standout mixes in Fear Of Tigers’ The Adventured Of Pippi Longstrump’ reMix competition. He’s got a slick, rich, SynthWave style that really appeals to us. Cinematic and rousing, his tunes notable kill. And his new EP is absolutely free.
This self titled collection sees Cut Slack mixing in a little Disco and a little 80’s guitar into his retro synth sound. The opener, ‘Daybreak’, is about as good as SynthWave gets, it’s a big powerful into that sets you up for a EP’s worth of synth nostalgia with a rock attitude. After the Nu-Disco and guitar solos of ‘T.M.H.S.R’, ‘Never Let You Down’ is a low down dirty Disco tune that exemplifies Cut Slacks style. a sexy Dancefloor groove with guitar shredding over the top, a strange combination maybe, but one that works so well and sounds like the soundtrack to the best buddy cop movie. ‘Lana’ brings the smooth with rolling vocoded vocals and lush electric piano. It’s summery vibe is a nice, chilled, middle point to the EP. A sunset respite before the party rap of ‘Move To The Beat’. For a first EP, Cut Slack has done an amazing job, at a brilliant price. This EP deserves your attention.
♫ Cut Slack – Never Let You Down
♫ Cut Slack (Feat. Thunder & Co.) – Lana
The ‘Cut Slack’ EP is out now, you can download it here.
Check out more from Cut Slack on SoundCloud.
Only a matter of days after reining ElectroPop royalty Queen Of Hearts premiered her new single ‘Neon’ are we treated to one of the companion reMixes. First to man-up to the challenge of polishing what is already sparkling is Lightwaves. If anyone can do it Jan (ex-Yes giantess!) can.
No wishing to compete with the full-on ElectroPop powerhouse that is the original, Lightwaves takes a more laidback route with this mix. Reigning in the tempo gives the track a whole new feel. Whereas in the original, the Queen’s vocals were like the velvet glove to the noisy synths iron fist, here alongside Jan’s chilled synth groove they are allowed to be as silky smooth as they want. Suddenly Queen Of Hearts becomes a husky, breathy chanteuse accompanied by Lightwaves broken beats and twisting synths. Other reMixes on the new single come correct from the legend that is Mark Reeder, Tropical man of the moment Perseus, Ghost Beach and Dubstepper DYM. Not that I’m saying we had anything to do with the Queen Of Hearts/Mark Reeder matchmaking, but we did, and now they’re sitting in a tree, R.E.M.IX.I.N.G.! Who’s next?
♫ Queen Of Hearts – Neon (Lightwaves reMix)
‘Neon’/’Tears In The Rain’ is out now as a limited 7” single and digitally with the bonus tracks ‘Forgive Me’ and ‘No More’.
Queen Of Heart’s ‘Arrival’ EP is out now, as is ‘electronic rumors Volume 1’ on which she features.
Buy Queen Of Hearts’ music from:
It’s been a while since we heard from New Your Bedroom Pop turned Indie-Electro jetsetter Penguin Prison, we figure he’s holed up in the studio somewhere working on his next album. If you find yourself desperate for some new PP then have no fear. Our favourite denizen of Belfast Figure Of 8 is here with one of his slick DancePop reMixes of ‘Fair Warning’.
It;s becoming more and more apparent, especially in the last couple of years, that the gulf between the producer as a guy with some music software and a few ideas and the producer as a guy with musical training, or at least latent ability and understanding of music theory, is getting wider and wider. Figure Of 8 firmly falls into the latter category with a string of reMixes that show off his talent like he’s taunting the less gifted. The track centres around some sweet piano and and the kind of early ‘90’s House synth bass that we’re fast associating with Figure Of 8 that give the track a classic Dance tune feel which kinda’ softens Chris Glover’s impassioned vocals and gives them more of a smooth flow. All-in-all another on of Figure Of 8’s almost timeless productions, a classic Dance sound with a classic Pop feel.
♫ Penguin Prison – Fair Warning (Figure of 8 reMix)
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When Australian ElectroPoppers Radio INK returned to our consciousnesses in February with their with their ‘Who We Are Tonight’ single we welcomed them back with open arms. A massive comeback single for a band who get massive ElectroPop just right. Uplifting sing-a-long brilliance. Now they are doubling the excitement by dropping a reMix package and bringing some awesome talent with them.
Fellow Aussie Muffin is no stranger to reMixing Radio INK, but he released so rarely that we eagerly consume anything he puts out. The man is a Dreamwave genius who, with his version of the track, effortlessly merges the rich ElectroPop of Radio INK with with his own retro powerhouse. Perhaps more Poppy than Muffin productions we are used to, but this is no bad thing. Muffin brings an almost The Sound Of Arrows quality to the track in it’s pure euphoria, and when the solo kicks in, it’s enough to make a grown man weep with joy. Rogue Vogue take a deeper road with the track. First heard on The Magicians last Magic Tape, Rogue Vogue’s reMix is deep early ‘90’s House. The Sound of Chicago completely changes the cut-up vocals into a smooth jackin’ monster.
♫ Radio INK – Who We Are Tonight (Muffin reMix)
♫ Radio INK – Who We Are Tonight (Rogue Vogue reMix)
Buy Radio INK’s music from:
Walter Sobcek have just put together a video for the track ‘Hollywood Cries’, taken from their awesome ‘Miami’ EP of last year.
The B-side to the title track of the EP, ‘Hollywood Cries’ was no less impressive slick Dreamwave. Lazy La nights brilliance with a passing nod to Bronski Beat. The video, a homage to lives crushed by the Hollywood meat grinder is pretty brutal viewing.
Buy Walter Sobcek’s music from:
electronic rumors 