Jul 3 2013

[Audio] Rayko edits The Strangers

Spanish Disco don Rayko has already had a few outings this year via the likes of Nang and Chopshop, now he’s back on Ruben & Ra’s Retrospective label with a selection of edits on the Can’t Get Enough EP. Right here we’re premiering the Rayko Tigersoul Edit of Step Out Of Me Dreams, the EP’s dancefloor highlight, a radical reworking of The Strangers’ 1983 classic.

Taking the spaced out bridge from the synth Funk fuelled original and stretching it out for nearly six minutes, Rayko drops a pounding beat behind it, whipping up a storming dancefloor frenzy. Picking up on certain bits of the breaks bassline and rolling them into a proto-EBM Disco juggernaut. Probably the strongest track on the EP, this edit shows off Rayko at his best, deep in the mix with his sights aimed squarely at the dancefloor. It;s worth checking out the whole EP when it;s released for some choice battle weapons.

♫ The Strangers – Step Out Of My Dreams (Rayko Tiger Soul Edit)

Rayko’s Can’t Get Enough EP is out 15th July, you can pre-order it here.

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Jul 3 2013

[Audio] The Swiss reMix Breakbot

OK, so we quite like Breakbot, the early singles were mind-blowingly good at the time, but his début album was a little samey, if solid nonetheless. His latest single from the album is You Should Know, which came out last week and contains reMixes from the likes of Busy P & Boston Bun, Homework, Le Family and this cut from Australian groovers The Swiss which, frankly, blows the original out of the water.

This time the laid back live Disco is replaced with a storming bassline rolling underneath a huge Disco House tune that’s all about Rukazoid’s vocals and the piano. A killer piano hook and a brain melting synth solo are dangerous weapons in the right hands, and The Swiss certainly weld them with skill. The intertwining piano/synth solo is the track highlight in a track that is the highlight of the single itself. The Swiss really made this one their own.

♫ Breakbot (Feat. Ruckazoid) – You Should Know (The Swiss reMix)

Breakbot’s You Should Know is out now.

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Jul 3 2013

[Video] Protest Crayon’s ‘Floorboards’

Here’s the video for Bristol SynthPop duo Protest Crayon’s current single, Floorboards. It’s a cute, emotive slice of striped back Bedroom Pop that’s a lot more epic that first impressions would have you believe.

The video was put together by Bristol based collective I’m With Them Productions and has a pretty good kid’s party vibe going on.

Protest Crayon’s Floorboards is released 8th July.

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Jul 3 2013

[Audio] Miles Prower’s ‘Outatime’

Bristolian SynthWave outfit Miles Prower are set to follow up on April’s Pneumatic EP with a new release in the coming months. The new EP is titled Outatime, which we can only hope is a Back To The Future reference, if not it should be, and the title track sees the Prowers once again teaming up with Substatic’s Colleen Quinn for a little vocal spice.

Miles Prower lay down a driving Italo, slightly EBM groove here, all flying arpeggios and a gritty dark future mood. As with a couple of the tracks on their début EP, there’s a slight Trance influence going on here too, it’s all very rousing hands-in-the-sir stuff. Helped in part by Colleen’s moody performance that breaks into epicness in the choruses. Boosted by a multi layered arrangement, both musically and vocally, this is probably Miles Prower’s biggest song to date. We’re intrigued to hear the rest of the EP.

♫ Miles Prower (Feat. Colleen Quinn) – Outatime

Miles Prower’s Outatime EP is out soon.

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Jul 3 2013

[MP3] Shiny Toy Guns reMixed by Gosteffects

OK, so this is full-on cheesy. Unintelligent, uninspired, lowest common denominator dance music. But there’s just something about it that’s pretty infectious. Sure it’s the same old arpeggiated mid-90s Trance leads and really obvious builds, but this reMix of Shiny Toy Guns’ excellent single Somewhere To Hide, from their album III, by New York producer Gosteffects won us over.

Gosteffects keeps a good level of excitement and works the vocals well to deliver a pretty epic dance track. It’s not the kind of thing that would usually be to our tastes (at least not since the early 00s) and is probably what uninformed Americans would call ‘EDM’, but we just can’t help but like it. Maybe it is the big builds, maybe it is the cheesy leads, maybe we’re just not a cynical as we used to be (yeah, right!), but this has us wishing we were dancing in a field with thousands of others. Switch off and enjoy.

♫ Shiny Toy Guns – Somewhere To Hide (Gosteffects reMix)

Shiny Toy Gun’s III is out now.

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Jul 3 2013

[Video] Goin’ Old School: Vocoder & Roni Griffith

Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:

A couple of SynthPop and Italo obscurities today starting with Spanish outfit Vocoder’s 1984 début ¿Que Sucede Ahora? What Happens Now?.

And moving on to Roni Griffith’s 1982 release of her single Desire.

You can buy most of this music from:

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Jul 3 2013

[Audio] Annie’s ‘Back Together’

Here’s the first taste we’ve had of Norwegian ElectroPop songstress Annie forthcoming new EP. Titled The A&R EP, the release is so-called because of the A standing for Annie and the R for Richard X, who is on production duties for these new five tracks. The EP follows Annie’s last single Tube Stops & Lonely Hearts and looks set to be a lot more upbeat.

Little Boots has mentioned that she co-wrote some of the EP with Annie and if we had to guess, we’d say Back Together might just be one of hers. From a vocal arrangement point of view, it’s very Hands-like, Little Boots in full-on Pop mode. It’s a massive slice of ElectroPop with a brilliant 90s House piano riff, in fact it’s got quite a general 90s House vibe to it all over, but with Annie huskily dragging it into a more Pop territory. We’re looking forward to hearing the rest of the EP.

♫ Annie – Back Together

Annie’s The A&R EP is out soon.

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Jul 2 2013

[Audio] Bryan Ferry’s ‘Don’t Stop The Dance’ reMixes (inc. Todd Terje, Punks Jump Up & Psychemagik)

At the weekend, 70s/80s Roxy Music legend Bryan Ferry dropped an absolutely massive collection of reMixes of his 1985 single, Don’t Stop The Dance. It’s a classic tune that was ripe for reMixing and the line up he has picked to do the deeds is pretty impressive. There’s a whopping eleven reMixes in the package, including these three choice cuts from Todd Terje, Punks Jump Up and Psychemagik.

Terje’s take in the tune is truly sublime. Surpassing even his last encounter with Bryan Ferry (he previously reMixed the Ferry track Alphaville), Terje gets into a spiralling Cosmic Italo groove that is unrelenting for it’s whole ten minute length. Undulating arpeggios and chilly Scandinavian Disco beats clash with space age synths and Dubbed out vocals until the whole track coalesces into one big, tight, funky synthetic siren’s song. Punks Jump up deliver some of their particular brand of sax fueled, late 80s influenced, jump up House tunes. Introducing a bouncy synth bassline and swirls of intoxicating retro sounds and haunting horns, Punks Jump Up’s is definitely the one we’re most excited about hearing on the dancefloor. Blissed Out Nu-Disco hippy Psychemagik’s take on the tune wraps the original in a variety of vintage House sounds and a trippy Disco vibe. This is quite a package they’ve put together, and it sounds like these guys had a lot of fun playing with this tune, the results are certainly worth checking out.

♫ Bryan Ferry – Don’t Stop The Dance (Todd Terje reMix)

♫ Bryan Ferry – Don’t Stop The Dance (Punks Jump Up reMix)

♫ Bryan Ferry – Don’t Stop The Dance (Psychemagik reMix)

Bryan Ferry’s Don’t Stop The Dance reMixes are out this week.

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Jul 2 2013

[Audio] Funkabit’s ‘Giraffes By The Ocean’ EP

Simone Coccato A.K.A. Funkabit has been on our radar for a while, the man’s released a string of sweet Nu-Disco EPs and reMixes over the last couple of years. With his new release, and EP for Neonized, he’s working his way toward a more House oriented sound, getting deep and funky with it. The Giraffes By The Ocean EP holds three tracks of tough, involving and groovy, late night, dancefloor magic.

The EP kicks off with Limes, a deep deep track with an early 90s feel and a seriously moody warehouse presence. Dark but irresistible, this is the kind of House tune that, when your on the dancefloor with it, you never want to stop. It’s low down bass, ghostly vocal samples and compelling organ hook just feel like they need to keep going forever. Banksy, makes things a little more soulful, with a vintage synth hook and layers of intricate percussion. Funkabit’s take on the Chicago House sound really put you in the middle of the action, winding and hypnotic tunes that command you to dance. The EP plays out with On & On, a track that lightens the mood as little in a hazy swirl of synths. Funkabit’s The Giraffes By The Ocean EP fills it’s time with tracks that should be part of any House DJs crate.

♫ Funkabit – Limes

♫ Funkabit – Banksy

Funkabit’s The Giraffes By The Ocean EP is out today.

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Jul 2 2013

[Audio] Duke Dumont’s ‘Hold On’

This is Hold On, British producer Duke Dumont’s follow up to his chart topping previous single Need You (100%). Whereas the Need You featured the vocals of A*M*E, this time it’s A*M*E’s old school friends MNEK’s turn to step up to the mic, because the London Pop/House producer scene is getting so incestuous and it had to be done. With his last offering hitting number one in the UK charts, expectations are high for this cut.

Swaying a lot more toward the soulful and the House than the post-Disco Boogie/Chicago House mix of Need You, Hold On is more thoughtful. A smoother, more laid back sound is presented here with slick beats and warm tones underpinning MNEK’s vocal ensemble-esque performance as it rides the double-tap snare. Gorgeous vocals and sumptuous production could land Dumont his second smash hit.