Jun 26 2012

Superlux’s ‘Tired Of You’

Superlux

Released this month is the new single from Belgian Indie-ElectroPop collective Superlux. Tired Of You is the the outfit’s first release for quite while, their Wildness & Trees album from 2007 was their last outing.

Kicking off like an avant-garde cover of The Human League’s Being Boiled, the track soon evolves into a haunting, Lo-Fi ElectroPop jam. Superlux have a stripped down, raw sound that will go down well with the Minimal Synth crowd looking for something slightly less Gothy. The combination of elements in Tired Of You lend themselves to an almost old school EBM sound, maybe that’s the Belgian heritage coming through? the machine beats and rigid analog synths play nicely against the floaty female vocal. Not sure the guitar really adds anything though, probably best to leave that out.

♫ Superlux – Tired Of You

Superlux’s Tired Of You is out

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Jun 26 2012

Goin’ Old School: Krush, Savage & Information Society

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

Here’s the first track to be featured on Goin’ Old School twice! We love it that much! Krush’s House Arrest from 1987. One of the best record ever made.

Savage bring the Italo this week with1984’s Only You.

And a bit of American SynthPop for Information Society with What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) from 1988

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Jun 26 2012

DJ Falcon reMixes Justice

Justice

Well this is probably the best thing to come out of new-era Justice so far. Legendary French Touch master and one half od Together, DJ Falcon, has taken on Justice’s new single New Lands from their recent album, Audio, Video, Disco.

In fact, the whole EP is the best thing Justice have released in awhile, reMixes come from A-Trak and SebastiAn too, both top quality, but Falcon’s takes the prize. Slick rolling Disco grooves and warm, lush synths that carry along with the tune. There’s almost a Dreamwave quality to the track, a sunshine optimism, that is until the four minute mark where things get a little more French Electro.

♫ Justice – New Lands (Falcon reMix)

Justice’s New Lands is out now.

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Jun 25 2012

Parallels’ ‘XII’

Parallels

Canadian ElectroPop act Parallels first came to our attention with their 2009 single Ultralight on THISISNOTANEXIT. The following year, Visionaries, the album Ultralight was taken from blew us away. Parallels combination of big Pop songwriting and a raw analog production sound, despite being very retro, sound incredibly fresh. Holly and Cam crafted an album that had the synthesizer authenticity of Minimal Synth, the catchy tunes of Pop and the live feel of Indie. It was both critically acclaimed and was one of out top records of 2010. It’s been a long couple of years while we waited for new material.

In those two years, Cam and Holly parted ways, Cam concentrating on his awesome Kontravoid project and Holly carrying on the name of Parallels. Now, a lot is being said about Cam’s departure and how it has affected the new material. The ‘internet’ seems concerned that, without Cam, Parallels are just a Pop act and the new album XII is somehow not as good as Visionaries. The ‘internet’ is wrong. XII lives up to our expectations in every way, from Love & Devotion, the album’s opener, onward you are treated to a catchy, intelligent, atmospheric ElectroPop album, with each song carrying a emotional resonance. There is definitely less melancholy on this record, then the previous, but that feels like a natural progression. Whereas Visionaries displayed a certain darkness (although not as much as some people would like to make out), XII replaces that with a nostalgic longing, a slightly bitter reminiscing, that actually makes a stronger emotional connection with the listener than Visionaries Goth-lite. Time Will Crawl is the album’s obvious standout, introducing Italo into Parallel’s repertoire and worming it’s way into your brain with a huge chorus which, along with a cover of Gowen’s Moonlight Desires and Ritual Dancer made up Parallel’s much loved recent EP. The rest of the album delivers on the EP’s promises, from Days Of Summer, a retrospective track with starlight synths and Funk bass to Fury On Earth’s reverb washed 80’s movie soundtrack drums and warping lead or the Industrial pounding of Dover, XII is a album that compels further listening. Yes, without Cam XII is a very different sounding album than Visionaries, but it is built from the same foundations. The only real difference here is production style, Holly sublime and relatable vocals work an an anchor, the thread running through Parallel’s work. Be in no doubt, this is Parallels, as good as ever, and XII is an excellent album and one with we would highly recommend.

♫ Parallels – Time Will Crawl

♫ Parallels – Days of Summer

♫ Parallels – Electrimotion

♫ Parallels – Moonlight Desires

Parallels’ ‘XII’ is released tomorrow.

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Jun 25 2012

Skeleton Lipstick

Skeleton Lipstickis an ElectroPop/Chillwave/SynthWave/Indie-Electro mash-up outfit out of Philadelphia. They’ll be releasing their début LP next month and in anticipation of that have just droped a free EP.

The You Think You Know Me? EP sits in that nice space between SynthWave and Chillwave. Whilst SynthWave at it’s core, retro beats and vintage lead lines abound. The Lo-Fi recording ethos and washes of reverb swing it toward the Chillier side of things. Skeleton Lipstick like to write on “old, broken, circuit bent or abandoned synths that are difficult to program and work with but yield very rewarding results”, and it comes through as part of the Lo-Fi feel, toytown synths and ChipTune elements work their way into the track’s DNA. I even heard some VL-Tone in there somewhere. the EP’s title track, You Think You Know Me? is probably the EP’s most accessible. A funky little synth number with floaty vocals and a surprisingly Disco groove. Like an 80’s Pop hit heard through a vintage radio, Skeleton Lipstick experiments with electronic sounds and recording techniques but the catchiness of the song shines through. As with I Find All Your Love So Vain, the EP’s most SynthWave track, which sounds like an ‘80’s U2 hit, played though a distortion pedal and then given a Disco reMix. Retro through the grit of Lo-Fi, Skeleton Lipstick keeps it both experimental and infectious at the same time. All four tacks on this EP are worth your attention.

♫ Skeleton Lipstick – You Think You Know Me?

♫ Skeleton Lipstick – I Find All Your Love So Vain

Skeleton Lipstick’s You Think You Know Me? EP is out now.

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Jun 25 2012

Dizkopolis reMix OJ Law

OJ Law

The best thing to come out of Kuala Lumpur and our good friends Dizkopolis have dropped a brand new reMix, and it’s as smooth as ever. this time they are tackling fellow Malaysian and Indie singer OJ Law.

reMixing Law’s track Yoñlu, Dizkopolis have delivered a slick slice of Dreamwave as only the can. Consistently producing the most dreamy of retro synth tracks with a Disco edge this production duo conjure nostalgic feelings of good time with each and every one of their tunes. This reMix of Yoñlu is no different, a laid back Disco beat rolls onwards amongst a lush amalgamation of thick, soft, synths and a walking bassline. This makes the perfect backing for OJ Law’s soft spoken Folksy style and produces a track made for lazing around on the beach. Nothing but good times here.

♫ OJ Law – Yoñlu (Dizkopolis reMix)

Yoñlu is taken from Law’s album Yesterday is a Distant Dream, out now.

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Jun 25 2012

Cinnamon Chasers’ new mix

Cinnamon Chasers

Cinnamon Chasers – DJMix June 2012 = Cinnamon Chasers new mixtape is a Boogie fuelled fifty minutes. Loaded with smooth grooves and dreamy synths it’s the perfect compliment to a hazy summers day. With this mix on, there’s just nothing to worry about.

♫ Cinnamon Chasers – DJMix June 2012

Cinnamon Chasers’ The Day That Never Came is out now.

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Jun 25 2012

Arcade High’s début album

Arcade High

Pittsburgh based SynthWave artist Arcade High’s music is a cross between the kinda of SynthWave we are used to, influenced my ‘80’s TV and Movie themes, and the adrenaline chaos of video game arcades a couple of decades ago. Prepare for sweet lead lines with a ChipTune edge with his début album The Art Of Youth.

Appropriately the into track is called ‘Inset Coin’ and after a selection of 8-bit sounds we are dropped into the first song proper, Miami Nights. It’s in this track that you start to get a feel for Arcade high. Rich retro synths build thick, nostalgic sound full of synth flourishes and uplifting progressions. There’s something thoughtful and pensive about Arcade High’s music, despite his neon flashing muse. The albums highlights, for us, were 1987, a deep boogie of a cop show theme tune with a video game lead line amidst the shimmering synths. Electric City is digital bassline gold, growling like an angry Italo beast and providing a core for the Disco-esque lead line to play around it’s space. The surprise track of the record was Crush, the albums only vocal track that enlists the voice of Maddie Ardillo and delivers a catchy Italo slow-jam with a ‘90’s Indie overtone. The whole eleven tracks of The Art Of Youth are worthy of your attention, a strong début for Arcade High. Did we mention it was free?

♫ Arcade High – Miami Nights

♫ Arcade High – 1987

♫ Arcade High – Electric City

♫ Arcade High (Feat. Maddie Ardillo) – Crush

Archade High’s The Art Of Youth is out now, for free!

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Jun 25 2012

David Douglas’ new EP

Royal Horticultural Society is the début EP from Dutch producer David Douglas. Although at eight tracks it weight in more as a mini-album. Douglas draws from myriad sources of inspiration to weave various styles of electronic music into his beautiful, rustic tunes. the natural and synthetic working in perfect harmony.

The EP (album?) kicks off with California Poppy a blissful, hazy track with sets the tone for the Disco tinged Chillwave proceedings. Lazy grooves and reverb washed Funk, dreamlike vocals and half heard vocal samples make up the truly organic use of electronics on this EP. The EP’s blurb explains: “David Douglas (1983) is a Dutch producer of electronic music.David Douglas (1799) was a Scottish plant hunter who explored North America collecting seeds of plants and trees unknown to mankind at that time. Inspired by the Scottish botanist, David from ’83 started looking for his own musical seeds. The greatness of nature the sublime mountain landscapes, Icelandic lupine fields, arctic coastlines, Californian fir forests invigorate his music.”. And that kinda’ makes sense when you hear the record. It’s very natural sounding, like the tones and sounds are evolving throughout the tracks. Dreams has all the elements of a big Disco tune, vocal snatches, a solid groove but prefers to use them in a more fluid fashion. Lo-Fi and grainy, David Douglas’ music is hard to categorise. Warm, and enveloping like smoke, the emotional electronic soundscapes are complimented by beats that come from all over. Broken beats, B-Boy beats, Disco beats, all have a place on this record, assimilated into David Douglas’ musical garden.