Author Archives: Crash

Dec 10 2012

[Audio] Maya Jane Coles’ new EP

Maya Jane Coles

It’s been quite a while since we featured the work of Maya Jane Coles. We both featured She Is Danger and premiered music from Nocturnal Sunshine way back when. Indeed, back when Dubstep was still good, before Americans got hold of it and turned it into Heavy Metal. Since then we’ve been buyers of Miss Cole’s tunes but haven’t got around to writing about her for one reason or another.

Well, that’s all changed now, we’ve been dying to write about her new Easier To Hide EP for a couple of weeks now, just been waiting for the tracks to go public. And they have. So here you are. Maybe it’s just the mood we’re in right now, having just relocated back to London, but this collection of four tracks is really vibing with us right now. Deep and urban, complex yet soulful this enthralling EP, released on her new label ‘I Am Me’ is a melting pot of ideas and influences. More emphasis is placed on Maya’s vocals and signwriting, than there’s been since She Is Danger, allows her to create her typically post-Dubby deep Funky soundscapes and add an emotionally resonant topping. the EP kicks off with the title track, a shuffling Deep House track with an introspective indie vocal, a compelling combination. The hypnotic Over brings more of the same with body shaking bass and an inescapable looped riff laying the backing for Maya hushed tones. Run With The Wild provides a Funky Deep House interlude, vocally sparse and loaded with pulsating synths. The EP plays out on Back To Square one with sees Maya bringing back the big beats and sub-bass, which works amazingly well with her voice to create a kinda’ otherworldly, yet infectiously groovy, track to get lost in. If you’re not to bothered about genres, then this EP is definitely worth checking out.

♫ Maya Jane Coles – Easier To Hide

♫ Maya Jane Coles – Over

♫ Maya Jane Coles – Back To Square One

Maya Jane Cole’s Easier To Hide EP is released 7th December on Beatport.

Buy Maya Jane Coles’ music from:

       

Dec 10 2012

[Mixtape] Pharao Black Magic’s Winter Mix

Pharao Black Magic

Pharao Black Magic – Winter Mix 2012 = We’ve got a whole hour here from Pharao Black Magic as their latest mixtape, designed to warm up the winter months, takes you on a journey through deep Disco and Retro House.

♫ Pharao Black Magic – Winter Mix 2012

The tracklist:

01. Jam Crew – Exotic Nations
02. Arcardis – Lost Days
03. The Other Tribe – Sing With Your Feet (Dub Mix)
04. Fenech-Soler – All I Know (Waifs & Strays Long Version)
05. Ian Pooley – Compurhythm (Dixon 4 4 Treatment)
06. OOFT! – LGB
07. CamelPhat – Right Now
08. Kolombo – Get So Hot
09. Waze & Odyssey – Love That (Burns Hot Enough)
10. Kyodai – Shakin (The Revenge Remix)
11. Benoit & Sergio – New Ships
12. The African Dream – Make A Living

Buy Pharao Black Magic’s music from:

Dec 10 2012

[Audio] SaiR’s new tune

sair

Hot on the heels of his new EP for Rosso Corsa, Portuguese Dreamwave SaiR is already filling up our ears with more of his smooth, Jazzy, retro Nu-Disco sounds. This new one, Mornings, is a musical treat that’s primed to ease you into the week.

Mornings a blissfully laid back, Moog Funk infused, Disco tune layered with so many melodies it should sound really cluttered, but in SaiR’s capable hands everything flows together perfectly. Running throughout is a lush electric piano that lends a cool Jazz swing as it breezes along a dense, Funky backing. just the right tempo to keep the energy up, but also wash you in relaxed vibes. SaiR delivers mood changes with skill too, as the just-under six minute track injects the occasional Cosmic build and growling Electro Boogie breakdown  Perfect introspective Disco listening.

♫ SaiR – Mornings

SaiR’s Sunfield EP is out now on Rosso Corsa Records.

Buy SaiR’s music from:

Dec 7 2012

[MP3] Reflex reMix Shindu (+ free Plaisir De France Edit)

shindu_thumb

One of the stars of the last couple of years, French ElectroPoppers Reflex, have done it again. We’ve covered Belgian outfit Shindu’s new single for Continental Records, Just Go, quite a bit this past month. It’s released as part of the reMix single of Just Go on 10th December and amongst the likes of Kamp!, Plaisir De France and Oxford, will sit this gem from our favourite French duo.

Just Go is a very cool track indeed, so it’s a hard one to top, but Reflex do just that. Loaded with Reflex’s fun and funky take on ElectroPop, with an injection of Disco and tons of quirkiness. A pounding Disco beat and springy synths bounce all over this track with a summery smoothness, perfect for knocking out the winter blues. The little interactions between lead lines are a work of synth art. This is definitely the killer version of this tune.

♫ Shindu – Just Go (Reflex reMix)

While you’re here, check out Continental boss man Mr. Jerry Bouthier’s edit of the Plaisir De France reMix as a free download. It’s got a hypnotic old school rave feel tied up with a Disco-Housey bow.

♫ Shindu – Just Go (Plaisir De France reMix (Jerry Bouthier Edit))

The reMixes of Shindu’s Just Go are released 10th December. The original single is out now.

Buy Shindu’s music from:

Dec 7 2012

[Video] Chrome Canyon’s ‘Pulze’

Brooklyn vintage synth wizard Chrome Canyon has just débuted his new video, for a particularly Cosmic track called Pulze. A synth prog-fest that is pure epic.

The video, directed by Jennifer Juniper Stratford, is just as retro-trippy as the track, essential viewing (and listening)

The track is taken from his Elemental Themes album, out now.

Buy Chrome Canyon’s music from:

Dec 7 2012

[MP3] New Arcades

New Arcades

New Arcades are a London based SynthPop duo who are making some delicious retro Pop noise. Dean Canty and Adam Sullivan released a single a few months back and are now dropping a brand new track in anticipation of an EP in the coming months. Expect some sweeping, emotional, synth tunes.

Sitting just a tad too far into SynthPop to be SynthWave, New Arcades still retain some of SynthWave’s nostalgic optimism in their shimmering melodies, but layer that with a particularly British vocal and Pop structure. Remember The Nights, their new tune, counterpoints it’s anthemic sing-a-long vocal and bouncy lead line with some deep vintage electronics. The result being an all-round winner, catchy and upbeat with an underlying richness. That’s some impressive SynthPop right there. Their previous single, Echoes Of A City, strikes the same note with a little more of an Italo drive that would sit better with the Outrun crowd. these guys are definitely a name to keep an eye on in the SynthPop world.

♫ New Arcades – Remember The Nights

♫ New Arcades – Echoes Of A City

New Arcades’ Echoes Of A City is out now.

Buy New Arcades’ music from:

 

Dec 7 2012

[Video] Parralox’s ‘Sharper Than a Knife’

Here’s the video for Australian SynthPop outfit Parralox’s Sharper Than A Knife, a tune that’s been around for a while now. The track has been reworked slightly for a new 2012 release.

In all honesty, we kinda’ prefer the original version, it’s a lot warner and more original. No-one needs to add circa 2007 Pop-Electro sounds to a track these days. Still, it’s awesome to see the track in video form.

The original of Sharper Than a Knife can be found on Parralox’s 2008 album Electricity.

Buy  Parralox’s music from:

     

Dec 7 2012

[MP3] Figure Of 8 covers Sonic Youth

Figure Of 8

Belfast’s finest export Figure Of 8 has been busy holed up in some dark studio somewhere working on his forthcoming album. Actually, it could be a really brightly lit studio for all we know, we’re just paining a mental picture here, he could even be recording al fresco. Anyway, in between putting the finishing touches to the new record he’s snuck in this cheeky cover version of Sonic Youth’s Dirty Boots with Irish acoustic crooner Our Krypton Son.

The cover is insanely deep, groovy and pretty unrecognisable for the original. It’s actually pretty hard to produce an electronic version of a guitar track without sounding cheesy, but Figure Of 8 pulls it off with style. I think he makes it work by not trying to substitute the guitar, rather working around a low down bass riff and shuffling beat and keeping this pretty spacey and cosmic. A nice Musical interlude from Figure Of 8.

♫ Figure Of 8 (Feat. Our Krypton Son) – Dirty Boots (Sonic Youth Cover)

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Dec 6 2012

[Audio] Ronika & Mylo!

Ronika &Mylo

If there’s a bunch of tracks in the past few months we’ve been dying to hear it’s the fruits of the collaboration between Ronika and Mylo. As soon as we heard these two would be working together, Dance legend Mylo has personally chosen our girl Ron to ‘mentor’ as part of Bacardi’s Bacardi Beginnings project that teams up-and-coming artists with veterans, we’ve been itching to check out the result. We know there’s more than one track incoming, and here is the first Dance (The Modern Way).

Weirdly enough, it does actually sound like Ronika And Mylo working together. It’s essentially very much a Ronika track, but in some respects swaps her jagged retro DiscoPop for Mylo’s warmer, more rounded Dance sound. So, without mentioning Ron or Mylo anymore, the track itself is pretty awesome and despite sounding like a stripped down, hypnotic track, has a hell of a lot going on in it. A long, rich, string and vocal led intro lays down a sense of drama as the tune gradually introduces pulsating arpeggios and a classic House riff, winding up the listener like a rubber band until, just before you snap, launches you into a deep House groove. Loaded with Italo overtones, Dance (The Modern Way) juggles Robo-Pop slickness and euphoric 90s House with ease topped of with Ron sounding sultrier than ever. Ronika and Mylo in the same room is definitely not disappointing so far, can’t wait to hear what’s next.

♫ Ronika Vs. Mylo – Dance (The Modern Way)

No word yet about release dates or when the other tracks will surface. We’ll keep out ears to the ground. If you;re in London this weekend you can catch Ronika DJing at the launch of new Disco clubnight West 54th Street.

Buy Ronika’s music from: