Mar 22 2013

[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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Mar 20 2013

[Audio] Les Rythmes Digitales reMixes A-Trak

Do you love Les Rythmes Digitales? Do you rank Darkdancer as one of the top five best albums of all time? A bit disappointed with much of Stuart Prices new Tracques output? Just wish he’s make LRD music again? Well, other than being me, you’re in luck…sort of. Whist we’re pretty sure, at this point Price has no intention of going back to Les Rythmes Digitales, especially with the Tracques album looming, but he has brought the project that started it all for him out of the woodwork, maybe one last time, to contribute a reMix to A-Trak new Tuna Melt reMixes EP.

The Les Rythmes Digitales of Tuna Melt really does do it’s best to capture LRD of old. Everything’s there, the DX bass, the chopped up vocal sample melodies, they synthesizer slides. It’s digital Funk, in that way only Stuart Price can do. We’re loving it, both as a massive slab of frantic synthetic Disco, and for nostalgic reasons, it really does sound like a LRD track, and that bassline is amazing. We’re (probably futilely, hoping this means a return to the LRD brand for Price, but if this is Les Rythmes Digitales swan song, we can be glad it sounded like this.

♫ A-Trak – Tuna Melt (Les Rythmes Digitales reMix)

A-Trak’s Tuna Melt reMixes is out now.

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Mar 20 2013

[Audio] Little Boots’ ‘Broken Record’

This week ElectroPop goddess (yup, she’s been promoted) Little Boots released her new single, and second post-album-announcement taste of what we can expect from her new long player, Nocturnes. Broken Record once again give is a hint that the new album is going to be full of surprises. Free from major labels and expectation, this feels like a more comfortable Victoria, just a Pop but free to explore what that means to her.

With DFA founder Mr. Tim Goldsworthy at the helm for most of the new album, with contributions from Simian Mobile Disco’s James Ford and Hercules And Love Affair’s Andy Butler, the new record promises to be more of an introspective, experimental affair. Broken Record is a bewitching slice of deep, Housey, ElectroPop. With it’s throbbing bassline and swirling mist of synths, cut through with Victoria’s vocal, this time portraying a sense of urgency, Broken Record delivers the prefect four minutes of danceable DreamPop, then goes a bit Acid.

♫ Little Boots – Broken Record

Broken Record is out now. Little Boots’ Nocturnes is released 7th May.

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Mar 20 2013

[Audio] College’s ‘Révélation’

Révélation is the first track to break ground from Valerie head honcho and Dreamwave/SynthWave pioneer College. Yes, there’s actually a new College album on the way, because y’know, it’s not all about Drive. Heritage is released in April and, a few testers aside, Révélation is out première glimpse of what to expect from the new record.

Révélation definitely has a classic Valerie sound to it. A dreamier side to SynthWave we haven’t seen in a while, the haunting chimes and low rolling pads don;t really crop up in the genre these days where it’s all about driving fast, or whatever. Révélation goes a different route and reminds us what moods SynthWave originally crafted. Nostalgic, but fresh, this track carries you along with it’s pulsating bassline into it’s hazy clouds of ringing melodies. We’re very interested to discover what the album holds.

♫ College – Révélation

College’s Heritage is released 2nd April worldwide, but you can pick up the very limited edition white vinyl right now.

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Mar 20 2013

[Audio] Kisses‘ ‘Huddle’

Huddle is the new single from LA SynthPop duo Kisses, the second to be released from their forthcoming sophomore album, Kids In LA ( to be released on Cascine in the US, Splendour in the EU). The album’s been produced by Pete Wiggs from Saint Etienne and Tim Larcombe, who’s worked with the likes of Sugababes, and is set for release mid-May.

There a nice contrast, on Huddle, between smooth Californian SynthPop and B-Boy Beats that at times feels apart, sometimes together. Leaning on the strength of Kisses songwriting, rather than flashy production or big room beats, Huddle weaves a hazy, Dreamwave, mood of nostalgia while presenting it on the kind of rhythm that should have you headspinning on Lino. We’ve been lucky enough to have already been listening to Kisses’ The Hardest Part, and believe us, you’re in for a treat.

♫ Kisses – Huddle

Kisses’ The Hardest Part is released 14th May.

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Mar 19 2013

[Audio] Juveniles’ ‘Strangers’, with reMixes from Jupiter & Le Crayon

French ElectroPoppers Juveniles are back this week with a brand new single and some tasty reMixes. Strangers was released yesterday, this first since last November’s Through The Night re-release, and is taken from the duo’s forthcoming début album. reMixes in the package come from the stellar line-up of Jupiter and Le Crayon.

Strangers is a rollicking slice of Indie-Electro produced by none other than Yuksek, and you can tell. The track has a bit of that Yuksek raw Disco sound. Heavy on the bass, Strangers works subdued verses in order to deliver the anthemic good in the choruses. Fellow French duo Jupiter’s take on the tracks is hypnotically basslined Space Disco epic where strange synth melodies intertwine around each other and the vocals. In contest, Le Crayon bring the proper laid back vintage Disco vibe to the song, using spacious electric piano and a warbling bass tone to roll-out an solid groove. All-in-all, we think the Jupiter version is out favourite, but the whole single is good work.

♫ Juveniles – Strangers

♫ Juveniles – Strangers (Jupiter reMix)

♫ Juveniles – Strangers (Le Crayon reMix)

Juveniles’ Strangers is out this week.

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Mar 18 2013

[Audio] Tesla Boy’s ‘1991’

Russian crew Tesla Boy are easily one of the best ElectroPop acts around today. Since their emergence in 2008 with a demo EP on their MySpace site they have been champions of a retro 80s sound. With overtones of Disco, Indie and SynthWave, these guys have always kept it 80s. Until now. their new single, cunningly titled 1991, is loaded with early 90s musical references. A new direction for Tesla Boy, or a one-off? Only time will tell.

1991 is all Hip Hop beats, samples vocal snatches and a Pop House vibe, and ‘y’know what? It works. Mainly due to Tesla Boy’s talent, these guys are master songwriters and performers, it’s not surprise that when they break their meld they can still deliver the goods. With their interpretation of the Soul II Soul Back To Life beat and big House synths, Tesla Boy still manage to sound like Tesla Boy and deliver an optimistic song that probably mirrors a new found sense of optimism in Russia in 1991 with the birth of the Russian Federation. The reMix line-up for the single it pretty impressive too. Portuguese Disco guru Xinobi takes his time with the track and delivers a smooth, slick Disco-House rework before dropping in some sumptuous Dub grooves and making thoroughly intoxicating summer dance track. Fellow Russians 7he Myriads go with a live sounding vibe and put the 80s back into Tesla Boy, while Fon.Leman turns-in a complex big room tune with hints of Disco and Progressive House in it’s massive euphoric sound and some hands-in-the-air Trance overtones. Along side these three sit further remixes from Tonefiction, DZA and SoundSam in a stunning, recommended, reMix package.

♫ Tesla Boy – 1991

♫ Tesla Boy – 1991 (Xinobi reMix)

♫ Tesla Boy – 1991 (7he Myriads reMix)

♫ Tesla Boy – 1991 (Fon.Leman reMix)

Tesla Boy’s 1991 is out today on Gorby Records.

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Mar 18 2013

[Audio] Soft Riot’s ‘No Longer Stranger’

Recently released, was the new record fro London based Minimal Synth artist Soft Riot. No Longer Stranger was originally conceived at an EP, but expanded into an eight track mini-album for this release and serves as an interim before Soft Riots next album proper, Fiction Prediction, due in a couple of months.

No Longer Stranger is a collection of moody, atmospheric tracks, driven by vintage machine beats and warbling arpeggios. Combining late 70s synthesizer cinema music (the kind of stuff in horror and Sci-Fi movies in the years just before the music the SynthWave scene adores kicked off) and the metronome sparsety of early Cabaret Voltaire, with a little whispered Soft Cell sleaze, Soft Riot deliver something, not to make you move on the dancefloor, but to soundtrack your walk home after the club has shut, through dark city streets. Pulsating analog basses and white noise snares provide the basis for haunting, glowing melodies and Soft Riot’s enigmatic growl, from the Numanoid Your Secret Light Shines At Night to the acid nightmare SynthPop of Your Strange New Career via the dystopian psychedelic of Tragic Magic, No Longer Stranger isn’t always comfortable listening, but ultimately rewarding. Check out A Simulation, the album’s one dance tune, that works a little early Skinny Puppy and a hint of Electro Boogie into the mix.

♫ Soft Riot – A Simulation

Soft Riot’s No Longer Stranger is out now.

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Mar 18 2013

[Audio] Forgotten Illusions’ ‘Crystal Contour’ EP

There is, apparently, a new EP from Dreamwave pioneers and Valerie O.G.s The Outrunners on the way. In the mean time check out this amazing four track EP from Forgotten Illusions. Forgotten Illusions is the new side project from PDLT, on half of The Outrunners, and on the Crystal Contour EP he puts even last drop of his SynthWave credentials to the best use.

The Crystal Contour EP was released as the third volume in Valerie’s Composer Series and it’s four tracks make up some of the best SynthWave we’ve heard in a while. The EP’s title track is a masterclass in emotional Italo. Driving synthetic basslines and powerful retro chords build the tracks core, creating the prefect canvas for some galactic synth sweeps and truly rousing melodies and leads. Twelve, our other favourite of the four, is another example of pure brilliance in the felids of Italo and Dreamwave. The mixture of relentless arpeggiated basslines and beautiful electronic melodies is pitch perfect here. It’s a track that’s equally haunting and groovy, which is all you can ask for really. Forgotten Illusions début EP sees the return of a major talent to the genre, we suggest you pick up all four tracks right now.

♫ Forgotten Illusions – Crystal Contour

♫ Forgotten Illusions – Twelve

Forgotten Illusions’ Crystal Contour EP is out now.

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Mar 15 2013

[Audio] IV

IV (we’re not sure if that’s ‘4’, or ‘Intravenous’) is anew Parisian Horror Disco (their words) duo featuring one half of Kitsuné releasers Logo. They’ve just released their début EP, titled The Place Where We Were Hidden on Mental Groove Records. In the tradition of some great atmospheric movie synth in France right now (think: Pyramid) IV bring beats, synths and a cinematic tension.

The EP is three tracks, two originals and a reMix (which, really, makes it a double A-side single), the originals being Alaska and Doppelganger. These guys create a brooding atmosphere of dread whilst keeping things pretty upbeat. Taking cues from the likes of John Carpenter and grooves from Moroder, IV build undulating waves of vintage synths to fill you with fear whilst making you dance. Alaska combines the best in dark Italo beats and late 70s/early 80s synthesizer soundtrack music, with a compelling rhythm section and haunting melodies it really sets the tone for IV’s work. Doppelganger delivers a more pounding beat and leans slightly more in the direction of what you might expect from French Electro, with one foot in the Ed Banger camp, whist keeping all of it;s eerie Horror soundtrack credentials. Check out something dark and different, that still makes you dance.