New Thieves Like Us

ThievesLikeUs

Taking their name from the New Order track, Thieves Like Us had reasonable success on ‘07 with their (now classic) ‘Drugs In My Body’ on Kitsuné Music and with ‘Your Heart Feels’ in ‘08.

Now they are back for ‘10 with ‘Never Known Love’, the first taste of the forthcoming full length album ‘Again And Again’. ‘Never Know Love’ displays it’s mixed French Electro/New Order influenced but the raw synth bass, hushed vocals and gangly guitar stabs bring it down firmly on the side of New Wave.

Thieves Like Us – Never Known Love (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Again And Again’ is out later this year.

Thieves Like Me @ Beatport

Thieves Like Me @ Juno

Thieves Like Me @ 7Digital

Thieves Like Me @ Amazon

The Dark Esquire

TheDarkEsquire

Bringing a dark, early 80’s SynthPop, vibe with him comes Brian Repetto A.K.A. The Dark Esquire. Ex-of Garage-Pop band Dumbwaiters, Brian decided to go it alone and experiment with his love of SynthPop and the New Romantics culminating in his début release, for THISISNOTANEXIT records, ‘Situation’

If you listen to the 7” version you have hear him wearing his influences on his sleeve, it’s a perfect blend of Dance-Pop with a New Wave bassline and ominous chords reminiscent of the earlier, more experimental, pioneers of SynthPop.

reMixes are supplied by Liquid Vega who turn in a deep, downtempo, almost Trip-Hop take on the track and Night Plane with their minimal synth slow-jam.

The Dark Esquire – Situation (Liquid Vega Rmx) (zShare) (MediaFire)

The Dark Esquire – Situation (Night Plane Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

The Dark Esquire – Situation (7” Version) (zShare) (MediaFire)

The ‘Situation’ 12” will be limited edition (screenprinted and handnumbered 300 copies) and feature reMixes from Crimea X and CFCF (which should be great!)

The Dark Esquire @ Beatport

The Dark Esquire @ Juno

The Dark Esquire @ Amazon

UPDATE: Simon from THISISNOTANEXIT has stopped by to let us know you can order the 12″ here.

Goldfrapp are finally back (*really* this time!)

Goldfrapp

For various reasons I was kinda’ putting off posting this, but the internet is awash with it so just in case you readers haven’t heard it yet here it is, the new Goldfrapp single.

Just to be clear, I really didn’t like the last album, ‘Seventh Tree’, the whole pseudo-pagan Folktronica thing just didn’t float my boat, which was a pity as I loved Goldfrapp previously.

So, are my Goldfrapp back? Hell yes!, ‘Rocket’, the forthcoming single, is a sweet slice of Electro/Pop/Disco that is pure classic Goldfrapp. A huge sing-a-long chorus hangs on this late 70’s/early 80’s-esq sci-fi Disco tune with its big synth strings and New Wave bassline.

Goldfrapp – Rocket (zShare) (MediaFire)

It seems the rest of the internet loved ‘Folkfrapp’ and is disappointed by this track, but then again, the rest of the internet also appears to be American strokey-beardy indie/folk blogs who wouldn’t know a good dance tune if it smacked them head first onto the dancefloor, so fuck ‘em! This track rocks!

‘Rocket’ will be the first single from the album ‘Head First’.

Goldfrapp @ Juno

Goldfrapp @ 7Digital

Goldfrapp @ Amazon

P.S. I’m still not convinced iamamiwhoami is a Goldfrapp thing, despite denials I still kinda’ think it’s Christina Aguilera!

Billie Ray Martin does Cabaret Voltaire

BillieRayMartin

OK, so Billie Ray Martin has a couple of new EPs/mini-albums coming out in the next couple of months. There are a couple of interesting angles to this story but one in particular that got my  interest.

Billie Ray first came to my attention back in ‘80ish with her work with Electribe 101, since then she has amassed a large body of work including both Dance hits and more experimental electronic tracks For her latest EPs she is taking the pioneering step of releasing tracks officially through the Torrent site Mininova in the lead up to the official release.

What got me though, was the tracks themselves. Ms. Martin is dropping her reworkings of Cabaret Voltaire’s double A side ‘Just Fascination’/’Crackdown’, two of my favourite tracks by one of my favourite bands. So it was with some trepidation that I checked the tunes, and they are good! Not only are they reworking but ‘Crackdown’ features none other than Cab’s vocalist himself Stephen Mallinder.

Here we can present, for you, two reMixes of the tracks. ‘Just Fascination’ by Celebrity Murder Party who take a more semi-experimental approach turning the track into a danceable noisescape while ‘Crackdown’ is reMixed by David Harrow who’s Oicho mix is a deep,  analog synth laden, dubby take on the track.

Billie Ray Martin – Just Fascination (Celebrity Murder Party reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Billie Ray Martin – The Crackdown (Oicho reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

You can hear the original here on YouTube. The first EP is out 15th February on Disco Activisto

Billie Ray Martin @ Beatport

Billie Ray Martin @ Juno

Billie Ray Martin @ 7Digital

Billie Ray Martin @ Amazon

Russ Chimes Vs. Ellie Goulding

EllieGoulding03

I was gonna’ post this last night but I was so tired when I got in. This morning though, it’s all over the Blogosphere! And well deserved attention too!

Débuting over at Neon Gold’s blog this match of Ellie Goulding and Russ Chimes really is a match made in heaven, rivalling even his, frankly amazing, reMix of Marina And The Diamonds’ ‘Mowgli’s Road’.

Tackling ‘Starry Eyed’ is no mean feat, it’s a genius song to begin with and Russ achieves the impossible by giving it more energy and more epicness! Y’all know Russ’ style by now, well imagine his particular band of French House/Dreamwave/Nu-Disco turned up to 11 with the huge sing-along ‘Starry Eyed’ over the top, it really is that good!

OMG! The piano breakdown and kick back in! Shit, man, I got goosebumps!

Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed (Russ Chimes reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Starry Eyed’ will be released on 22nd February with reMixes from Penguin Prison, Jakwob & Monsieur Adi, followed by Ellie’s album ‘Lights’ on 1st March.

Ellie Goulding @ Neon Gold

Ellie Goulding @ Amazon

The Golden Filter ask us to open our eyes…

The Golden Filter have been teasing us with various flash animations and movies, over at their official website, in preparation for the release of their début album, ‘Voluspa’ including this video:

The album drops 26th April, until the keep an eye on http://www.thegoldenfilter.com/.

The Golden Filter @ Beatport

The Golden Filter @ Juno

The Golden Filter @ 7Digital

The Golden Filter @ Amazon

Curry & Coco

French duo Curry & Coco make some real raw, analog, ElectroPop. The partnership of Thomas and Sylvain strip down the Electro sound and add a bucket of nervous energy.

They are about to release their EP “Sex Is Fashion’ which features the lead tracks ‘Who’s Next’ and ‘Sex is Fashion’ and they have just dropped the video for ‘Who’s Next’:

The EP also features reMixes of ‘Sex Is Fashion’ from The Emperor Machine and We Are Enfant Terrible. I’m lovin’ the The Emperor Machine reMix with it’s big funk bass and huge synths and, er, bongo solo!

Curry & Coco – Sex Is Fashion (The Emperor Machine  Extended Vocal Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Curry & Coco – Sex Is Fashion (We Are Enfant Terrible reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Curry & Coco release the EP this months ahead of their album ‘We Are Beauty’ at Peermusic.

Curry & Coco @ Peermusic

Monarchy Vs. Marina

MarinaAndTheDiamonds04

Well, we kinda’ expected a flood of reMixes of Marina And The Diamonds forthcoming single, ‘Hollywood’, and y’know what? that’s no bad thing. Especially when they are of the standard set by Monarchy here!

I’m loving the heavily modulated synth bass, it’s got a really retro, really ‘harsh & warm at the same time’ tone. When the song kicks in proper it takes on a different flavour, all arpeggiated basslines and syncopated leads. Actually, it sounds like a heavily sidechained 80’s TV theme song!

Keep ‘em coming!

Marina And The Diamonds – Hollywood (Monarchy Gliese reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Hollywood’ is released 1st February 1st followed by Marina’s début album, ‘The Family Jewels’, which drops on 15th February.

Marina And The Diamonds @ PureGroove

Marina And The Diamonds @ 7Digital

Marina And The Diamonds @ Amazon

The KiWi’s

TheKiWi's

Hehe, The KiWi’s, what’s that all about then, eh? don’t even try to wrap your head around what you are hearing here! OK, so we start off with plucked stings and chimes with an almost oriental soundtrack feel, but then, what’s this? Enter some serious synth axe work and marching drums…and is that children playing I hear in the background?

It’s beyond description really, but you know what? I like it! Give it a few listens (‘cos it’s pretty short) and I guarantee it will draw you in, although I can’t guarantee you’ll ever get out!

The KiWi’s – Vovenciatra (zShare) (MediaFire)

Their EP ‘14 years Old’ is out on On The Fruit Records on 30th January, until then show these guys some MySpace love:

The KiWi’s @ MySpace

Love Concept

LoveConcept

Chicago’s Love Concept are a weird one, they sound kinda’ like a garage SynthPop band. The songs themselves are very 80’s, in line with the current crop of Dreamwave or Chillwave bands, but there’s something really raw about the recording that sets them apart from the crowd. Like a real synth jam session, it’s a refreshing sound.

Love Concept – Quarter Century Boy (zShare) (MediaFire)

Go give Love Concept some props over on their MySpace:

Love Concept @ MySpace