Mar 22 2009

College never came back

College

College are back with some brand new 80’s synthesized Electro-House goodness.

As to be expected with anything bearing the Valerie stable seal of approval, College’s ‘She Never Came Back’ is a soaring Electro odyssey that wraps you up in layers of FM synthesis featuring vocals from Electric Youth Here treated to reMixes by fellow Valerie crew members Russ Chimes and The Outrunners.

♫ College (Feat. Electric Youth) – She Never Came Back (Russ Chimes reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ College (Feat. Electric Youth) – She Never Came Back (The Outrunners reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

I love the fact that, along with Kavinsky and Danger et al., the Valerie lot seem to be putting the musician ship back into Electro-House.

Love all The Zonders artwork too!

You can also catch the video for ‘She Never Came Back’ here.

Go check out some College, then work your way through the rest of the Valerie gang:

Mar 21 2009

No shit, Sherlock!: Eskimo Disco – Japanese Girl

No shit, Sherlock!: A chance to enthuse about music from the last few years that pre-dates electronic rumors, this stuff has probably already been blogged to death years ago, but we need a chance to get how much we love it off our chests. We already love it, you already know and love it…and are probably bored of it, but we’re going to blog about it anyway…

EskimoDisco

Eskimo Disco, eh? A bit chameleonic. Sometime Indie band, sometime Electro band. The describe themselves as ‘”Party Music”, and that’s probably as good a description as any. From their début single ‘7-11’ each release held something new.

But we’re here to talk about ‘Japanese Girl’, their third single from 2007. ‘Japanese Girl’ is pretty close to being perfect. For me, personally, it’s got everything I’m looking for. It’s electronic. It’s SynthPop, but the live drums and analogue synths give it a raw edge. It’s Indie-electro without the need for jangly guitars. It’s got vocals you can sing along too and vocoded vocals. It’s catchy and it’s got Ooooo Ooooo’s!

What more do you want?

Oh yeah…

♫ Eskimo Disco – Japanese Girl (Radio Edit) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Whether you like ElectroPop, Electro-House and Indie-Electro, there’s something for everyone in this song and the single came with a reMix by none other than Fred Falke!

The singles and their album, ‘Robots And Laptop Dancers Make Good Friends’ are still available:

Eskimo Disco @ 7Digital

Eskimo Disco @ Amazon

Mar 21 2009

We Have Band cover Pet Shop Boys

WeHaveBand

London’s We Have Band continue to turn out interesting electronic music, this time they have covered Pet Shop Boys classic ‘West End Girls’.

For an oft-covered song they have done a bloody good job. Keeping a similar bass sound was a good idea, the opening three notes of the bassline are integral to the track and We Have Band have made the song their own whilst retaining that signature bass. The rest of the track is very well done, the band have managed to conjure the atmosphere of the original, something I don’t think any other cover I have heard has managed to do.

♫ We Have Band – West End Girls (Pet Shop Boys Cover) (zShare) (MediaFire)

What do you think?

We Have Band @ Beatport

We Have Band @ Amazon

Mar 21 2009

Frankmusik gets the funk

Frankmusik3

This tune hit the electronic rumors Inbox a few days ago buy I’ve only just got ‘round to listening to it.

Here we have Frankmusik’s latest single ‘Better Off as Two’ as reMixed by producer UtTeRs when he heaps on the 80’s synthesized funk. It’s got a Five Star thing goin’ on, pretty cheesy, but clocking in at just under three minutes it’s pretty fun also.

Get it on!

♫ Frankmusik – Better Off As Two (The Better Off With Uttermix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Still waiting to hear the vocal version of the Fan Death reMix, though!

‘Better Off As Two’ is out April 2nd.

Frankmusik @ Beatport

Frankmusik @ Juno

Frankmusik @ 7Digital

Frankmusik @ Amazon

UPDATE: Reader StereoMover has mashed up the Fan Death Instrumental and the Accapella to create a kinda’ bootleg Fan Death Vocal Mix, it’s good stuff. Check the comments for this post for the download link.

Mar 19 2009

Calvin Harris Vs. Deadmau5

calvinharris1

So…Calvin Harris’ new single then? All a bit hands-in-the-air trance really.

This reMix by Deadmau5, however, takes it in a pleasing plinky-plonky Electro/Progressive House direction. Oh, it’s still got the euphoric chord progression, there’s just not so many big stacked pads going on.

Pretty chilled for Deadmau5 really.

♫ Calvin Harris – I’m Not Alone (Deadmau5 reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘I’m Not Alone’ is released April 13th. There’s a Hervé reMix too!

Calvin Harris @ Beatport

Calvin Harris @ Juno

Calvin Harris @ 7Digital

Calvin Harris @ Amazon

Mar 18 2009

Alice In Videoland

AliceInVideoland

Sweden’s Alice In Videoland easily rank as one of my all time favourite bands, describing them isn’t easy as no-one is doing anything quite like them.

A lot of bands use the term Electro-Punk, but it seems to mean something different to each if them. If you ask me, the band that really deserves the title is AiV, Rather than just being some sort of shock-Electro or Minimal-Techno-with-funky-hairstyles act, they actually make Punk songs (well, Pop-Punk) with electronics. Take the best in female fronted Pop-Punk, from No Doubt all the way back to Blondie, give the band synths instead of guitars and you’re beginning to get the picture.

The music is as Danceable at it is pogo-able, noisy synths and frantic drums are cut through with poppy 80’s-esq lead lines and Toril’s sweet & sour vocals.

Their first album, 2003’s ‘Maiden Voyage’, was 10 tracks of absolutely perfectly crafted Electro-Pop-Punk. every time I hear it I always think that, if AiV were promoted more outside Scandinavia or their label had bigger distribution and marketing budget, this record would have been huge!

♫ Alice In Videoland – Got To Go (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Alice In Videoland – Lay Me Down (zShare) (MediaFIre)

Their 2005 follow up, ‘Outrageous!’, had a rawer, punkier sound whist retaining the Pop melodies and hooks. Again, this could have been a hugely popular record, with more exposure Alice In Videoland would have quickly been embraced by the Modular loving Indie-eEectro crowd.

♫ Alice In Videoland – Emily (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Alice In Videoland – Ladykiller (zShare) (MediaFire)

Their most recent album, ‘She’s A Machine!’ from last year, was quite a low key release. It saw a move toward a heavy electronics, almost EBM sound, displaying more club influences than previously.

♫ Alice In Videoland (Feat. Maja Ivarsson) – We Are Rebels (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Alice In Videoland – Weird Desire (zShare) (MediaFire)

Alice In Videoland have meshed Punk/Rock attitudes and songwriting with electronic music in a way that no one else has, and arguably more successfully. Unfortunately, the place AiV have had the most success is the EBM/Industrial scene, which is a musical ghetto and almost a death-mark when it comes to wider exposure. Alice In Videoland deserve better.

So…that’s the point of this post, hopefully some of you Electro kids will give these track a listen, believe me, you won’t regret it.

The band have some new material on the way, keep reading electronic rumors for news.

A fantastic live band, although the one time they visited the UK (back in 2004) seems like so long ago, all three of their albums come very, very highly recommended:

Alice In Videoland @ Alice In Videoland Store

Alice In Videoland @ Amazon

Mar 18 2009

TheRGBs

Prepare to enter a world of crazy.

East London’s TheRGBs are a live ElectroPop four piece. ‘Live’ being the operative word as it is live where the girls (and guy) really shine…literally. It’s all spangles, shiny leotards and keytars (and you know how electronic rumors feel about girls with keytars!) and the kind of energy most bands can only dream of.

The music is as smooth as the live show is energetic, a lot deeper than the throwaway ElectroPop dittys they first appear to be. Don’t be blinded by the shiny outfits and madcap presence, underneath that is a bucket-load of songwriting talent.

Becky’s versatile vocal style is just right for her delivery of some emotive…some satirical lyrics over the refreshing kind of stripped down synthwork that can only be written by an act that plays live. Somehow the sound ends up being bigger than the sum of it’s parts.

Wrap your ears ‘round this deep Elelctro mix by Roboticist:

♫ TheRGBs – Up & Down (Roboticist reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

You may recognise TheRGBs as featuring on Groove Armada’s current single ‘Drop The Tough’ that has had a couple of huge reMixes, by Van She and The Twelves, doing the rounds the last couple of months. Incidentally, ‘Drop The Tough’ was released March 15th.

♫ Groove Armada (Feat. TheRGBs) – Drop The Tough (Van She B-Live reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

TheRGBs are currently in the studio recording their début album which should be ready to drop in the next few months, we may even have a taster for you soon.

Until then, show the girls (and guy) some MySpace love and pick up the Groove Armada single:

TheRGBs @ MySpace

Groove Armada (Feat. TheRGBs) – Drop The Tough @ Beatport

Groove Armada (Feat. TheRGBs) – Drop The Tough @ 7Digital

Groove Armada (Feat. TheRGBs) – Drop The Tough @ Amazon

Mar 17 2009

Peaches returns

Peaches

May 4th will see the release of Peaches’ new album, ‘I Feel Cream’, her first in three years. It sees working with a roster of producers that reads like a who’s-who of Electro. Names include Soulwax, Simian Mobile Disco, Gonzales, Digitalism and Drums Of Death.

The first single from the album will be the double A-side ‘Talk To Me’/’More’, produced by Soulwax and Simian Mobile Disco respectively.

The tracks sound just as you’d expect, the Soulwax one sounding like Soulwax featuring Peaches and the SMD one sounding like SMD featuring Peaches!

‘Talk To Me’ is an Electro-Rock riot whilst ‘More’ is a thumping club affair.

♫ Peaches – Talk To Me (Produced By Soulwax) (zShare) (MediaFIre)

♫ Peaches – More (Produced By Simian Mobile Disco) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘I Feel Cream’ is out May 4th on XL Recordings.

[Via LA Friendly]

Mar 15 2009

The Teenagers reMix giveway

TheTeenagers

French/English Indie SynthPop rabble rousers The Teenagers must be in a generous mood. Over on their MySpace they are giving away five reMixes of their anthemic ‘Feeling Better’.

Here is one of them, Minitel Rose using their trademark soaring synths to full effect:

♫ The Teenagers – Feeling Better (Minitel Rose reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

All five are available for download in one .zip file and includes the Build reMix we wrote about here.

If you like what you hear, go check out The Teenagers album, ‘Reality Check’.

The Teenagers @ Beatport

The Teenagers @ Juno

The Teenagers @ 7Digital

The Teenagers @ Amazon

Mar 15 2009

The Filthy Dukes’ album is out tomorrow!

Filthy Dukes‘ début album, ‘Nonsense In The Dark’ hits the shops tomorrow and it’s a seriously exiting prospect.

Featuring guest vocals from the likes of Sam Dust of Late Of The Pier, The Maccabees’ Orlando Weeks, frYars, Plastic Little & Tommy Sparks it should be a clubby Electro monster with an emphasis on proper songs.

We already raved about the single ‘This Rhythm’ here, so now you can check the video.