This week’s capsule of Synthesizer Zen, to carry you into the weekend, comes form a look at the history of the rare Octave Plateau Voyetra 8.
Video courtesy of YouTube user TheAnalogLab.
Author Archives: Crash
[Audio] Ronika reMixed by The HICS
Whilst chatting about 90s R&B when we posted about Ronika’s forthcoming new single, Rough ‘N’ Soothe, we were this close to mentioning Mariah Carey. It seems we weren’t the only ones to get this vibe either, as London based Electronic Soul outfit The HICS inject the track with more than enough smooth 90s swing to tip it over the edge straight into Carey ballad territory.
Of course, the key is the chorus and the chimes, both of which are kept intact in the mix, but layered over a booming, laid back, kick & shaker beat and lazy keys. Stirring up a musical daydream, The HICS have delivered that rare of things, a reMix that completely differs from the original (not just a different take on the same thing), but one that sounds just as relevant to the song. It’s not all pastiché either, these guys litter the track with interesting synthetic touches to keep things fresh. We’re looking forward to what else the EP, out in April, holds.
♫ Ronika – Rough ‘N’ Soothe (The HICS Refit)
Ronika’s Rough ‘N’ Soothe Is released 22nd April.
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[Audio] The Postal Service’s ‘Turn Around’
As the re-release of the almighty The Postal Service’s 2003 masterpiece album, Give Up, draws ever close, we are treated to the second of the new, or at least previously unheard, tracks that will be featured on this deluxe 10th anniversary edition.
Turn Around is a cheery and sweet slice of ElectroPop and perfectly The Postal Service. Easily one of the more optimistic songs from this duo. Rolling on a kick heavy beat and layers of blippy snyths, the electronics lifts and drops the mood along with Gibbard’s vocals. It actually feels more The Postal Service than the previously heard new track, A Tattered Line Of String, although we slightly preferred that track to this one. Also, apologies for the crappy YouTube player, we’re not sure if Sub Pop still haven’t worked out this internet thing yet, but there you go.
While you’re here check out this pretty a music video The Postal Service made with Funny Or Die, to celebrate the anniversary release, that features a host of famous musicians auditioning for Ben Gibbard’s role in the band.
The Postal Service’s tenth anniversary release of Give Up comes out 9th April.
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[Audio] Strangers’ ‘Something New’
Stop the press, there’s a new single from London’s finest moody SynthPop outfit Strangers incoming. Now that HURTS have gone all, let’s face it, shit, it’s time for Strangers to step up and take their rightful place as the best DarkPop act in the country. this single might just be the one to do it. Prepare for epicness.
Something New is exactly the kind of top quality, emotionally rousing SynthPop we’ve come to expect from his trio. Produced by Dimitri Tikivoi (The Horrors, Goldfrapp, Placebo, Little Boots), the track is an orchestra of rich snyths and sparkling, chiming keys. With a hint of the rapturous about it, Something New is a majestic, but melancholy, theme that takes David Maddox-Jones’ vocals and elevates them to a sacred hymn, ringing out, calling the dispossessed to worship at the alter of SynthPop. Y’know, like Depeche Mode at their most religiously weird. Excellent stuff.
♫ Strangers – Something New
Strangers’ Something New is released 13th May, backed with Never Enough on Just Off Pop.
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[MP3] Moonlight Matters remixes Goose
We first featured Belgian Electro-Rockers Goose back in 2010. Now we have an excuse to again as fellow Belgian producer, and one of our favourite artists of recent years Moonlight Matters has reMixes their new single, Real.
Working with something other than your usual dance track has given Moonlight Matters free reign to try something a bit different. Anyone expecting Seba’s usual early 90s Pop-House anthem might be disappointed, but come to the track with an open mind and you’ll be delivered a satisfying, involving tune. A majestic slab of synthesizer Pop with a militaristic feel, it’s a reMix that commands your attention with trumpeting stabs and rolling beats that serve the call-to-arms vocals perfectly. Industrial Disco anyone?
♫ Goose – Real (Moonlight Matters reMix)
Goose’s new album, Control Control Control, is released 14th April.
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[Audio] Monsieur Adi reMixes Swiss Lips
One of our favourite producers working right now, Monsieur Adi, has dropped yet another new track. This time it’s a reMix of Manchester IndiePop outfit Swiss Lips’ new single, U Got The Power. The record is out now and well worth it, if just for Adi’s stunning DiscoPop take on the track.
Adi takes an already uplifting, euphoric, track and applier to it some of his trademark orchestrated Disco. Bringing a little of that old Fire Fire Fire Adi to the mix, he bring it home with some big pumping synth stabs, a fluid beat and an infectious piano hook. This is exactly the kind of song Adi is prefect for reMixing, there’s an optimism in his music that matches up with the tone of U Got The Power perfectly. Another stunner from Adi, but we would expect no less.
♫ Swiss Lips – U Got The Power (Monsieur Adi reMix)
Swiss Lips U Got The Power single is released 22nd April.
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[Audio] Butterclock‘s ‘Holograms’
Sandra over as Cascine turned me on to this track, and it plays right into our love of female fronted ElectroPop and B-Boy beats. You might remember Berlin vocalist Laura Clock A.K.A. Butterclock as the named vocalist on oOoOO’s Our Love Is Hurting Us. She’s about to release a début solo EP titled First Prom from which the track Holograms comes.
With a beat reminiscent of Kraftwerk’s Numbers serving as the backing for some dreamy piano and Butterclock’s haunting vocal, Holograms has everything you need for a hazy electronic experience. Essentially an acoustic track with a machine beat, Holograms shows off Butterclock’s strengths as a singer/songwriter and injects a little left-field electronics into the mix for good measure. A truly captivating song.
♫ Butterclock – Holograms
Butterclock’s First Prom EP is released 15th April.
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[Mixtape] Bag Raider’s ‘Best Party Never’ mix
Bag Raiders – Best Party Never (A Bag Raiders mix) = Currently in LA, working on their sophomore album, one of Australia’s finest outfits, Bag Raiders, took the time to put together this euphoric hour and a half of Disco and House, ranging from the soulful to the full-on hypnotic.
♫ Bag Raiders – Best Party Never (A Bag Raiders mix)
The tracklist:
01. Classixx – A Fax from the Beach
02. Chris Malinchak – If U Got It
03. Jonas Rathsman – Bringing You Down
04. Telonius – Old Toy (Stefano Ritteri reMix)
05. Klangkarussell – Sonnentanz (Phonique reMix)
06. Seasfire – How Do You Sleep? (MiGHty mOUse reMix)
07. Breach Vs. Dark Sky – The Click
08. Hot Since ‘82 – Mr. Drive
09. Justin Martin And Eats Everything – Feather Fight
10. Anna Lunoe And Touch Sensitive – Real Talk (Cassian reMix)
11. Playmode – Ultrasonic
12. FCL – It’s You (Redondo’s Beat Mix)
13. Justin Martin – Ruff Stuff (DJ Version)
14. Ben Pearce – What I Might Do (Club Edit)
15. Monkey Safari – Hi Life (Ole Biege reMix)
16. Luciano – Rise of Angel (Andrea Oliva reMix)
17. Pedro Mercado & Karada (Feat. Zoe Xenia) – You Take Me There (Rodriguez Jr. Alt reMix)
18. Butch – Sweet In The Morning
19. Dauwd – Acireams (Original Mix)
20. Attune – Rising (Alex Q reMix)
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[Audio] Final DJs & Gin Joints ‘City Nights’
Germany’s finest, Final DJs, are set to release another new single next week. This time the Dreamwave duo are teaming up with Sweedish lover of 80s Funk, Gin Joints. The meeting of these minds can result in nothing but the finest smooth synth sounds. This is one to get you geared up for the weekend.
The single comes with a storming reMix package featuring some awesome work from Figure Of 8, Neon Workout, Knbtz and Gin Joints himself, but right now we can grab a listen to the original version wich sees Final DJs funking it out with a fat-as-hell synth boogie bass and shimmering chords. Gin Joints lays down some smooth vocals on the track and give it a classy, late night, vibe. Overall though, it’s be that bassline that’ll get you hooked. It’s hypnotic I tells ya. Also, did he just say “listen to some Chromeo”? I was kinda’ happy listening to Final DJs and Gin Joints.
♫ Final DJs (Feat. Gin Joints) – City Nights (Original Mix)
Final DJs’ City Nights is released 27th March.
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[Audio] Rex Ronan’s début EP
Rex Ronan is the latest signing to the always excellent Girlfriend Records. This Coventry based producer is an ex-live player of Martin Bowes’ avant-garde Electro Industrial outfit Attrition (ahhh Acid Tongue!) whos been producing solo for a while now, but recently got together with GFR to release his début EP, Beyond, which out released next Tuesday.
The EP kicks off with Incoming, which gently sets up the EP without dropping you straight into some of the frantic, high-octane tracks that appear later. Incoming works a range of breezy buzzing riffs and ringing synths over a storming beat for a driving, but uplifting result. Coastal continues the same pace, but injects a little groove into it’s bassline giving that track a breezy, laid back, Disco side to it. This one is definitely one of the EP’s highlights and could do well in any DJ’s crate. Up next is Beyond, a pumping Electro-House track that blends in a little bitcrushed grittiness and a little big room flavour. Where Ronan shies is his chord progressions and epic melodies, bring a wave of emotional resonance into a huge dance track. The EP plays out on Spell, a sidechaned-to-all-hell tune that combines the worlds of SynthWave and French Touch to make you feel likes it’s 2007 again. Electro on! The only problem with the EP we found was in a few of the tracks, most noticeably Incoming and Beyond, Rex has a tendency to drop in little DJ flourishes, which you don’t really want on original tunes, it makes it sound a bit like you’re listening to a good track on some kid’s YouTube DJ mix wondering why he can’t leave the Flanger alone, it’s a small gripe though, and doesn’t really detract from how good an EP this really is.
♫ Rex Ronan – Coastal
♫ Rex Ronan – Spell
Rex Ronan’s Beyond EP is out 26th March.
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