Nov 17 2010

Human Life; Nightriders reMix

Here’s another track a couple of weeks old that I’m posting, just because.

All of LA’s favourite SynthPoppers Human Life’s latest single, ‘Wherever We Are’ is pretty awesome, the original and the well chosen reMixes make the whole package well worth your investigation. The Nightriders reMix is one of the highlights, a smooth Nu-Disco jam with an added deepness, this is a late night/early morning tune if ever I heard one. This mix is like your comedown from a night of hard Electro, when this is playing you’ve got no worries!

♫ Human Life – Wherever We Are (Nightriders reMix)

‘Wherever We Are’ is out right now!

Human Life @ Beatport

Human Life @ 7Digital

Human Life @ Amazon

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Nov 17 2010

Clock Opera ‘Once And For All’ reMix

London based avant garde Indie-ElectroPoppers Clock Opera’s single ‘Once And For All’ was released this month on Kitsuné.

One of the reMixes included on the EP is this deep Lo-Fi mix be Clive Tanaka, a man so illusive that even the label know little about him. Still, everyone loves a mystery these days init! This shadowy figure brings an atmospheric, relaxed take on the track with minimal synth and guitar work creating a hypnotic vibe for Clock Opera’s emotive track to ride over.

♫ Clock Opera – Once And For All (Clive Tanaka reMix)

‘Once And For All’ is out now on Kitsuné Music.

Clock Opera @ Beatport

Clock Opera @ Juno

Clock Opera @ 7Digital

Clock Opera @ Amazon

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Nov 17 2010

Pet Shop Boys…Grum…West End Girls…awesome!

Well, this is already vying for position as my favourite track of the year, it feels like I’ve been waiting all my life for this tune.

Nu-Disco über-producer Grum’s reMix of Pet Shop Boys’ ‘West End Girls’ features as B-side on the SynthPop duo’s new single ‘Together’ and, for me anyway, it’s an almost perfect meeting of everything I grew up with and everything I love now. I love the big analog bassline and the massive Dreamwave-esq pads and the fact that the song remains intact, but totally updated. This thing is one of the classics of the genre but sound fresh as fuck!

Pure, undiluted awesome!

♫ Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls (Grum reMix)

I swear I can hear a Korg Monotron in there too!

Pet Shop Boys greatest hits, ‘Ultimate’, and the digital single of‘Together’ are out now with the physical release, featuring the Grum reMix, coming soon.

Pet Shop Boys @ Beatport

Pet Shop Boys @ Juno

Pet Shop Boys @ 7Digital

Pet Shop Boys @ Amazon

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Nov 17 2010

Black Van Vs. The Glass

This week sees the release of New York/Berlin based duo The Glass’ début album.

Titled ‘At Swim Two Birds’, you can stream the album on the bands SoundCloud, is 10 tracks of cool garage Disco, raw and funky. Dark at times but always with a rad bassline. Better still is the reMix of of ‘Four Four Letter’ by Black Van (Kris Menace and KoweSix from Moonbootica) who layer up the huge synth chords in this killer Nu-Disco/House track.

♫ The Glass – Four Four Letter (Black Van reMix)

The Glass’ ‘At Swim Two Birds’ is out now on Plant Music in the US, us rest-of-the-world citizens will have to wait until early next year.

Nov 17 2010

Vice’s ‘The Producer’s series features Gareth Jones

Anyone interested in electronic music production should head on over to the Vice Broadcasting System and check out their new series ‘The Producers’.

Each episode of the series spends a little time in the studio with some of the UK’s most exiting producers and discusses their techniques and philosophies and how they approach making the ground breaking records they do.

The latest episode focuses on Gareth Jones, the legendary producer/engineer responsible for some of the classics of SynthPop including albums by Depeche Mode, Erasure, John Foxx, Wire, Einstürzende Neubauten and Mesh.

Check out the trailer for the series…

…and head on over to VBS-TV to watch the episode and catch the previous instalment featuring Sheffield producer Toddla T.

[Via Vice Magazine]

Nov 16 2010

Groove Armada reMix HURTS’ new single

HURTS’ new single is released this week and even though everybody seems to agree that ‘Sunday’ is perfect single material it is ‘Stay’, which is fair enough, it’s a pretty powerful track.

So, to the reMixes! The awesome surprise of the single is Groove Armada signing up for reMix duties, and the reMix doesn’t disappoint. Slightly less vocal than I would have liked the mix is nonetheless an enticing House track with an early 90’s feel to it. From it’s orchestral stabs to it’s floaty piano, to it’s killer digital bassline this is 1991 warehouse stuff!

♫ HURTS – Stay (Groove Armada reMix)

‘Stay’ and the album, ‘Happiness’, are out now.

Nov 15 2010

Woolfy; Looking Glass video

Here we have recent DFA signing Woolfy’s video for his new EP ‘Looking Glass’

Woolfy is LA based Londoner Simon James who’s new EP is a particularly epic, Post-Punky, journey through Dirty Disco and SynthPop and includes a reMix by Canyons.

The gorgeous video was directed by Collin LaFleche.

The ‘Looking Glass’ EP is out now.

Nov 15 2010

French ElectroPop from Echo

Echo is the ElectroPop/Indie-Electro project of Frenchman Rougier Armand who’s unique and raw take on the genre has been played a lot here at electronic rumors this past week.

Mixing up live instruments along with dirty sounding drum machines and old analog synth sounds, topped with Rougier’s wistful, floaty, vocals makes for a contradictory, but interesting, record. Listening to his just released third album ‘About To be A Man’ I find myself thinking of a more poppy version of Kevin McMahon’s Prick outfit, it’s that kind of combination of noisy, garage, electronics with the slightly otherworldly, slightly dreamlike vocals that is at once aggressive and calming.

Check out two tracks from the new album. ‘We Dance The Same’ is probably the track most likely to be dropped in Indie-Electro clubs and could do really well licenced to someone like Kitsuné. ‘Just Ask The Other Guy’ has, almost, touches of early IAMX about it and is a prefect example of Echo’s work.

♫ Echo – We Dance The Same

♫ Echo – Just Ask The Other Guy

‘About To Be A Man’ is available now over on Echo’s Bandcamp site and check your favoured mp3 store for his previous releases.

Echo @ Bandcamp

Echo @ Amazon

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Nov 13 2010

Listen to Chromeo & La Roux’s ‘Hot Mess’ team-up!

So here it is! The internet’s been chatting all week about Chromeo’s forthcoming single ‘Hot Mess’ which features a version of the track laid out as a duet with La Roux’s Elly Jackson and now we can finally hear it.

Annie Mac, in her awesomeness, premiered the song on her Radio 1 show last night and yours truly ripped it for you all to have a little taster. The back and forth vocals aren’t what I was expecting. I was expecting something simple and, almost, tacked on, but Elly’s parts seem both fresh and like they have been there forever. You wouldn’t necessarily think that Elly’s stark vocals would sit well with Chromeo’s slick Electro Funk, but it really does! Colour me impressed!

This might well be the last time we hear Elly’s unique vocals on an ElectroPop track. Despite riding high in the American dance charts with her US re-release of ‘In For The Kill’, Mz. Jackson has stated she wants to move on from synth music. Damn shame really, another one bites the dust, so enjoy this while you can!

♫ Chromeo (Feat. Elly Jackson From La Roux) – Hot Mess (Radio Rip)

The ‘Hot Mess’ single is out 17th January and along with the original and the new duet features reMixes from the likes Duck Sauce and Tiga.

Annie Mac’s show from yesterday is still available to listen to here.

Nov 12 2010

Fenech-Soler on the road

Fenech-Soler have just released this beautifully shot video showcasing their recent (and amazing) UK tour.

It’s set to their next single, ‘Demons’, I don’t know whether this will end up being the official music video, I doubt it, but it’s nice enough to be. It was shot and directed by Ben Thomas with editing by Gavin Kerr.