Aug 1 2013

[Audio] Betamaxx’s ‘Sophisticated Technology’ album

We’ve got to be honest, two albums in one year always raises alarm bells for us. There’s a big danger of quantity over quality with such a packed release schedule, and the feeling that there’s no self-editing going on at the production end. In a day and age where everyone just throws up every single thing the do on the internet, for artists trying to create a buzz there’s a strong chance that releases become so commonplace that no excitement exists anymore. That said, we are big fans of Pittsburgh based SynthWaver Betamaxx, who album Interface from January this year we are still loving, and he has just released a new full length record, titled Sophisticated Technology, on Telefuture.

We were pleasantly surprise to find that Betamaxx has kept up his high quality productions throughout 2013 next 13 tracks. The album launches itself on a collaboration with French synth wizard Tommy, Breakthrough, a track that wears it’s more robotic side of the 80s influences on it’s sleeve. A cavalcade of tweaking arpeggios and laser beam synth lines that, whilst futuristic, leans on the side of the optimistic. Dolby Dance and Zenith are next, a chilled Beach vibe slice of retrowave and a hyperactive Italo Pop tune respectively, both showing off slick arrangements but featuring a slightly out of place muted guitar. Maxximum gets things back on track, a pulsating slab of instrumental RoboPop that is as emotionally resonant as it is playful with it’s twisting lead lines. When Redlining 6th kicks off there’s a slight feeling that it;s all over the place, but that soon reveals itself to be organised chaos as the track descends into pinpoint precision, multi layered, driving SynthWave with a hypnotic solo. The enigmatic synthesizer squeaks of Inside Information lead us to Reel To Reel, featuring Mike McG. A heavy Synth Funk tune that pairs B-Boy beats with ghostly vocoded vocals and a storming lead line, sprinkled with just the right amount of metal dance to give it a machine groove. Chrominance and Memorex Discotheque are both frantic, Outrun style tunes that drive the album toward it’s conclusion of the synthesizer relaxation of New Horizons and hopeful euphoric mood of the album’s final, cinematic, track, Remembrance. Overall Betamaxx has beat the odds and delivered a second amazing album in one year, sure there are some really jarring guitars here and there on the record that largely feel tacked on, and some of the hi-octane tunes are a tad by-the-numbers, but on the whole Sophisticated Technology is more killer than filler and well worth your investigation.

♫ Betamaxx (Feat. Mike McG) – Reel To Real

♫ Betamaxx (Feat. Tommy) – Breakthrough

♫ Betamaxx – Maxximum

♫ Betamaxx – Redlining 6th

Betamaxx’s Sophisticated Technology is out now.

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Aug 1 2013

[Video] Annie’s ‘Back Together’

Annie journey to the 90s is now complete. Here’s the video for Back Together, from Annie’s current, and awesome, Richard X produced The A&R EP.

Going full on ITV’s The Chart Show style, this clip runs down the Dance chart (always the best week!) from her own Invisible through imaginary entries until the retro video début’s at number 1.

Annie’s The A&R EP is out now.

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Aug 1 2013

[MP3] Olympic Ayres’ ‘Episode III’ EP

Olympic Ayres are an Australian duo who have been quietly pumping out some of the best Disco tinged Indie-Electro for while now. They have just released their new EP, a free download that goes by the name of Episode III, and is, shockingly, their third release. Pure summery vibes inside.

The EP’s lead track, Magic, is sunshine in a song. A breezy ElectroPop tune with enough Disco roots to keep any dancefloor moving and enough Indie cool to deliver a sing-a-long-anthem chorus. Turning up the tribal purcussion towards the tracks finale bears comparison to The Other Tribe, both acts deal in good-time exciting, live DiscoPop. It’s an excellent and arresting EP opener that leads into the moor deep and soulful Orchid before the EP end on Girl. Girl makes good on Magic’s promise of raucous ElectroPop with a poolside vibe, more chanted vocals, more funky basslines and more big synth stabs. Just what the doctor ordered.

♫ Olympic Ayres – Magic

♫ Olympic Ayres – Girl

Olympic Ayres’ Episode III EP is out now, download it for free.

Check out more from Olympic Ayres on SoundCloud.

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Jul 31 2013

[Audio] Jensen Sportag’s ‘Bellz’

It feels like we’ve been waiting an age for new material from Nashville Chillwavers Jensen Sportag, their Pure Wet EP seems like it was years ago, and that’s because it was, and with only the odd track and reMix here and there since, we feel slightly deprived of cool dreamlike Funk. Fear not though, the duo have been hunkered down in the studio busting out their début album. Set for release in November on Cascine, Stealth Of Days is as good as you’d hope it to be (we’ve had a cheeky listen, shhhh) and here’s your first taste, Bellz.

The album’s first single really show off what the Sportags have been up to these long two years. Bellz rocks a killer digital bassline and smooth retro stabs. For a track seen though the haze of reverb, the groove is amazingly tight. That bassline plays off the shuffling beats with razor sharp precision, which allows the airy Soul vocals and waves of hazy Tropical synths to glide over the tune in a loose fashion without stripping the tune of it’s dancefloor appeal. Which leaves you with the best of two worlds, Chillwave and Disco, really.

♫ Jensen Sportag – Bellz

Bellz is out now, Jensen Sportag’s début album, Stealth Of Days, is due out 12th November.

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Jul 31 2013

[MP3] Figure Of 8 reMixes Shit Robot’s ‘Feels Real’

Here’s the latest reMix from Irish electronic music renaissance man Figure Of 8. Turning his attention to fellow Irishmen, DFA’s Shit Robot and their single of earlier this year, Feels Good, Figure Of 8 takes the spaced out New York Disco of the original and injects it with a little Boogie, perfect for hot summer nights.

The instant thing about this reMix is the combination of the beat and the bassline, that emphasis the bassline puts on certain kicks really powers the tune along and also makes it irresistibly compelling. The grumbling synth bassline is like a relentless Boogie juggernaut, dominating you listening experience, but providing a rump shaking backing for Shit Robots falsetto croon. A brilliant return to the Funk from Figure Of 8.

♫ Shit Robot – Feels Real (Figure Of 8 reMix)

Shit Robot’s Feels Real is out now.

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Jul 31 2013

[MP3] Pat Lok edits AlunaGeorge’s ‘Outlines’

London Electro R&B (now) superstars AlunaGeorge’s début album, Body Music finally hit the shelves this week. It’s a record that should definitely be listened to by all, and a strong contender for album of the year, showcasing in perfect light AlunaGeorge’s unique blend of ElectroPop, R&B, Garage, House and avant-guarde weirdness. Amazing Canadian Disco/House magician Pat Lok has whipped up this tight edit of Body Music album track Outlines, which is actually more of a full on reMix despite Pat’s modesty.

Pat’s Crayola edit serves up Aluna’s sweet vocal with a side helping of big walking Disco bass and a pumping House beat. It’s a playful and deeply funky reMix, pairing that irresistible bassline with cheery Tropical hook and purcussion which give the track an instant outdoor, sunshine vibe. Which, considering that AlunaGeorge are festival darlings, makes Pat Lok’s edit of Outlines the prefect festival anthem. Keep the summer going.

♫ AlunaGeorge – Outlines (Pat Lok ‘Crayola’ Edit)

AlunaGeorge’s Body Work album is out mow.

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Jul 30 2013

[MP3] Starsmith’s ‘Clockwork’

Stop the press, there’s a new Starsmith track in town! It’s been what seems like an age since the man’s last single (around this time last year for the free track Zeroes), which is far too long for one of the UK’s finest production talents. Luckily, this new tune, Clockwork (another free download), more than makes up for the absence. Bring it on!

Clockwork is just full-on driving dance music. Pretty ecclectic in it’s instrumentation and arrangement, it;s fun tune and, dare we say it, a bit madcap. Like a cosmic House adventure, there’s a different sound or hook around every corner, but it all ties together nicely in a robo-funk, hands-in-the-air, big room tune. We expect this one is going to get quite a bit of play out.

♫ Starsmith – Clockwork

Starsmith’s Clockwork is out now.

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Jul 30 2013

[Audio] Grum’s ‘The Theme’

Theme For Great Cities, the opening track of Simple Mind’s 1981 album Sister Feelings Call, is just one of those instantly recognisable tracks. The haunting synth riffs seem to send a chill right through you and informed many early 80s SynthPop tracks that followed it. Those ice tones also serve as the basis for the forthcoming new single from the man like Grum. Following on from April’s Everytime, The Theme got it’s world premiere at the weekend on Pete Tong’s Radio 1 show. Check it out.

The second single to be taken from Grum’s soon-to-be-released sophomore album, Human Touch, The Theme swoops straight into the main room with a vibe that is somewhere between sunrise and dystopia. Progressive House at it’s core, the tune pushes to the front Grum’s knack for the huge uplifting epics but keeps a little corner of itself edgy with those post-punk Simple Minds synths, which makes for an exciting combination. There’s even a hint of the Balearic in there as Grum deliverers all the elements of a big room floorfiller on one handy package. Definitely the stuff of the future.

♫ Grum – The Theme (Radio Rip)

Grum’s Human Touch is out later this year.

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Jul 30 2013

[Video] frYars’ ‘Cool Like Me’

We featured London ElectroPopper frYars’ Cool Like Me earlier this month and it’s been getting some heavy play around here ever since with it’s Tropical Disco inspired Indie-Electro-Funk.

This is the new video for the track, directed by Ian & Cooper and sees Ben Garrett take to the streets of Watts to spread the good word.

frYars’ Cool Like Me is out now.

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Jul 30 2013

[Audio] Bxentric’s ‘Surrender’ (+Kevin McKay & Phil Kelsey reMix)

Well, it really has been quite a while since we heard an original tune from Nu-Disco producer Bxentric. Apart from the wonderful Foolishness, which featured on Aeroplane’s In-Flight Entertainment compilation last year, you have to go way back to 2010 and tunes like Complete and Vice (awesome tracks) to grab a bit of Bxentic goodness. Keeping busy he seems to have dropped the ‘-‘ and the ‘!’, grabbed Bristolian songstress Emily Breez from Vents, and lines up a storming release for the always top Glasgow Underground.

Surrender is an atmospheric and evocative slice of huge sounding Italo Pop. Actually, surprisingly so. It’s a far more straight-up ElectroPop track than we would have expected, but we like being surprised, and we were certainly pleasantly surprised by the classic 80s sound of Surrender. Breez’s borderline Goth croon curls it’s way around the track like smoke, whist Bxentric delivers pulsating basslines, ghostly arpeggios and razor sharp retro leads, but despite all these robotic elements, Bxentric injects the track with a nostalgic warmth too. reMixes on the single come from Cosmic Kids, Kevin McKay and a couple of versions from Kevin McKay & Phil Kelsey, including their Club Mix, which serves up the track with a side order of burbling Deep House groove.