Dec 13 2012

[Audio] Oliver reMix Black Van

Black Van is, of course, the duo of German Electro-Disco master Kris Menace and long-time collaborator, Moonbootica’s KoweSix. These two have released some cool shit over the years, gracing some of Disco’s top labels, the likes of DFA and Permanent Vacation. This twosome is back together and have just released a brand new single, Inside. Amongst the big beats is this reMix from LA Dreamwave, and Oliver themed, duo, Oliver.

It seems like this reMix is a nice indication of where these two have been, and where they are going. If you’ve heard their recent collaboration with A-Trak, and their thoughts on the matter, you’ll be aware that the guys are expanding their sound. Maybe they are taking in a wider Dance music scope, bringing a bit of the current American Dance music markets grit to their tune, adding it to their smooth Disco fuelled Dreamwave. But this reMix for Black Van seems to be the best of both worlds. Soulful and dreamy as their best LA vibed tunes, but with a pounding Electro groove. It’s like a tune made of stardust. From the big stabs, to the shimmering lead line, to the totally rocking beat, everything about this track is right on the money.

♫ Black Van – Inside (Oliver reMix)

Black Van’s Inside is out now.

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Dec 13 2012

[Audio] Pinemarten’s new single

Falling For You is the forthcoming new single from Derbyshire’s finest Pinemarten. It’s been a few months since his I Can See EP but that’s not time wasted. Falling For You, and it’s B-side Built For Two, were recorded between September and November this year and have a particular autumnal feel.

It’s a track that features some of the sweetest synth solos we’ve heard in a while. While Falling For You’s core is a spacious, Funk fuelled, hazy soundscape, loaded with soulful drums, punchy digital bass, and reverb washed vocals, it;s when those solos kick in that the song is taken to the next level. Truly soaring stuff. The single is due for release later this month backed with two reMixes.

♫ Pinemarten – Falling For You

Pinemarten’s Falling For You is released 17th December.

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Dec 11 2012

[Audio] Silenx’s ‘Space Love’ reMix EP

Earlier this year Silhouette Music put out the Space Love EP from our friend SynthWaver Silenx. A collection of some of his finest tunes from around that time, the EP held four track worth of massive funky, space age Electro. Now it’s time to revisit Space Love, with a brand new reMix EP holding work from some of the top names on the scene.

Brooklyn synth heads Follow Me kick off the proceedings with a bouncy Italo version of the title track that delivers punchy beats and bass while managing to keep the Sci-Fi tone intact. Germany’s finest, Final DJs, bring a wonderful combination of soaring synths and infectious digital slap bass for their take on Far Far Away. Injecting the EP with an overdose of Disco, Final DJs work up a track that is electronically complex as it is soulful. 80s Stallone’s vintage 80s dancefloor workout version of Long Lost Love brings the core essence of SynthWave to the EP with wobbly chords and digital horns over an addictive Italo-esque groove. The EP leads off with a reMix of Stellar Kiss from Keenhouse. As you would expect, Keenhouse gets emotional and psychedelic with his synths, crafting a futuristic soundscape with a Jazzy twist and delivers the prefect EP closer. Easing the listener out of the heave retro beats with a glorious galactic voyage of swirling synthetic sounds.

♫ Silenx – Far Far Away (Final DJs reMix)

♫ Silenx – Stellar Kiss (Keenhouse reMix)

Silenx’s Space Love: The reMixes is released 17th December.

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Dec 10 2012

[Audio] Kavinsky’s ‘ProtoVision’

Here it is! After what seems like forever waiting for some new music, here’s the new single from Outrun-Electro original gangster Kavinsky. Released today, this is the first track from the dead Cruiser’s forthcoming album, cunningly titled Outrun. ProtoVision, as it turns out, was actually the track we heard a while back in this video (which has since been named accordingly). Loved it then, loving it more now.

ProtoVision is a grinding soundtrack to an 80s Sci-fi video nasty. A screaming robotic assault that references epic electronics from Jean Michel-Jarre to Brad Fiedel’s The Terminator soundtrack. Soaring synth leads and guitar wails strike dramatic moments over chainsaw synths and a tense bassline that growls at the heart of the track. In Kavinsky’s Dead Cruiser narrative this is one hell of a powerful beat, you can imagine what kind of high-stakes conflict is occurring and with the video (a still from which is above) coming very soon, maybe we’ll find out. Too often lumped in with the bog-standard distorted Electro crowd, Kavinsky is still the king of SynthWave/Outrun-Electro, and he;s back to show the imitators how it’s done.

♫ Kavinsky – ProtoVision

Kavinsky’s ProtoVision is out today, the album, Outrun, follows early 2013 on Record Makers.

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Dec 10 2012

[Audio] Maya Jane Coles’ new EP

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.

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Dec 10 2012

[Audio] SaiR’s new tune

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.

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Dec 6 2012

[Audio] 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.

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Dec 6 2012

[Audio] Aaron Alexis’s new single

One of our favourite introspective ElectroPop artists Aaron Alexis is about to drop a new single, Kill The Lights, at the beginning of next year. The very beginning in fact, Kill the Lights is released January 1st, which seems like an odd time to release a single, let hope it doesn’t get ignored in the entire worlds post-NYE hangover, as it would be a shame for these two beautiful tracks to go unheard.

Kill The Lights is a lush, enveloping wash of sound interspersed with gentle electric piano and a vintage beat. Accompanying the reams of buzzing synths and piercing chimes, Aaron’s instantly recognisable croon weaves in and out of the track like smoke. The B-side, Scars shows off more of Aaron’s BedroomPop skills. A hunting industrial ballad that sees Aaron’s lament echoing through shivering rhythms and starfall leads encased in a thick fog of synthetic tones. the two tracks are a little slower paced that we are used to from Aaron Alexis and would have probably been better served alongside one of his more upbeat numbers, nevertheless this side of Aaron is always a pleasure to visit and he carries the release well. The single also comes equipped with a reMix from Kyson, which is, unfortunately, pretty uninspired Downtempo-by-numbers, but luckily that doesn’t distract one bit from these two new lush offerings from the talented Mr. Alexis. Definitely worth checking out to soundtrack these cold winter months.

♫ Aaron Alexis – Kill The Lights

♫ Aaron Alexis – Scars

Aaron Alexis’ Kill The Lights is released January 1st 2013.

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Dec 6 2012

[Audio] Only You’s ‘The Starchild’

A couple of months ago we featured New Jersey retro Pop artist Only You, who came from nowhere, with just one song, but impressed the hell out of us with his slick, personal, take on vintage Pop music. Now here comes track number two which is, dare we say it, even more catchy and a hint more anthemic.

The Starchild continues Only You’s quest to capture the best of 80s American SynthPop. It’s got everything you’d want in a retro Pop track, punchy drums, appreciated bass, shimmering lead lines and razor sharp chords, with Only You’s vocals, this time round, taking on a big, stadium Pop, quality. You can just imaging rows of screaming teens in big hair singing along on old VHS concert footage. There’s only really a handful of artist who get 80s Pop completely right. Kid Kasio, Patrick Barker and the like, Only You has definitely joined their ranks.

♫ Only You – The Starchild

Check out more from Only You on SoundCloud.

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Dec 4 2012

[Audio] Shelby Grey’s new single

There’s a new single in the offing from ‘The ever-awesome Holographic People’, which also happens to be their big 1-0. This tenth release on the label comes from sable staple Shelby Grey, who delivers two tracks, slightly darker than we’re used to from him, full of atmosphere and import.

The Devil’s Dancer sees grey moving toward a more SynthWave sound. Ominous and cinematic, Shelby plays out a tense audio narrative using a sound palette not unlike the synthetic soundtracks of late early 80’s Zombie movies. With a hint of John Carpenter amongst the synthetic Disco sounds, The Devil’s Dancer is both funky and creepy rolled into one. the B-Side, Danse Macarbre, is surprisingly upbeat. Build on a foundation of Moog Funk, Danse Macarbre weaves it’s way through layers of intricate melodies and mood setting textures which end up being more Cosmic than Gothic. The single is a departure of Grey, but one that shows he has more than one string to his bow.