Category Italo

Feb 2 2012

Max Action

max action

Max Action. You can only really say it in a deep, movie trailer narration, voice, with a pause in between. Max. Action. Max Action is the chosen moniker of , well, who know? Someone Canadian. They don’t write bios apparently, or attempt to promote themselves much at all. What they do do however, is write epic SynthWave tunes. So let’s focus on that for the time being.

‘Terminal Crazy’ is Max Action’s latest song, or should we call it a soundtrack, is over ten minutes long. This kind of length gives Max room to tell a musical narrative with what he’s doing and really create a mood. It’s a synthesized Sci-Fi odyssey combining layers of intense machine riffs with lush pads robotic melodies. The score to a retro futuristic galactic war, ‘Terminal crazy’ is as exciting and involving as the imaginary movie it sets the tone for. While you’re hear, check out his reMix of Fear Of Tigers’ ‘the Adventures Of Pippi Longstrump’, which gives the track a gritty, ‘80’s feel with some surprisingly funky percussion.

♫ Max Action – Terminal Crazy

♫ Fear Of Tigers – The Adventures Of Pippi Longstrump (Max Action Rmx)

 

Check out more from Max Action on SoundCloud.

Jan 31 2012

Chrome Canyon’s new EP

chrome canyon

France’s On The Fruit Records are killin’ it right now. They are pumping out quality release after release and the next up is no exception. Released today is the new EP from Brooklyn based futurist Chrome Canyon.

The ‘Body Music’ EP is space-age retro synth Funk paradise. The EP is summed up in the lead track ‘Computers Of Love’. What’s not to like in this track? It’s got everything you’d want from cosmic analog Disco. Funky slap bass, huge Sci-Fi synths, vocoded vocals and as the various melodies spin out into the galaxy you get the feeling that there is a not only pretty impressive musicality behind the tracks, but also a quirky sense of humour.  When the rockin’ Funk solo kicks in you know you’re in the right place. the track is reMixed by Melee Beats, and a man of consistent quality, Douze. Douze brings this nostalgia jam into the 21st century and adds a little French Touch to the mix, in a big way. The EP’s other original ‘Body Music’ is more of a brooding, ‘80’s soundtracky, peice. Like a meeting of Vangelis and Kraftwerk it’s the musical narrative of a robotic call to arms and could have featured on the best of early ‘80’s Sci-Fi flicks. Heroismo and Stavarsky both take a crack at reMixing ‘Body Music’, with the latter delivering a dark post-Italo dark future mix. If the original is the Sci-Fi movies theme, then Starvasky provides the backing for when adversity strikes. Great moody SynthWave. If you like vintage synth music and old school Italo and Disco beats, then this release’ll be something special for you.

♫ Chrome Canyon – Computers Of Love (Original Mix)

♫ Chrome Canyon – Computers Of Love (Douze reMix)

♫ Chrome Canyon – Body Music (Original Mix)

♫ Chrome Canyon – Body Music (Stavarsky reMix)

Chrome Canyon’s ‘Body Music’ EP is out now.

Buy Chrome Canyon’s music from:

   

Jan 28 2012

Awkoder reMixes Edgework

edgework

Released yesterday was the new single from French electronic act Edgework. the reMix package contains this gem from the awesome SynthWaver Awkoder.

So light and fluffy is Awkoder’s reMix, that’s it’s practically ElectroPop. There’s actually quite a strong strain of New Order DNA running through this track. The bassline, the bright shiny synths, the arrangement, all capture something of  New Order in the early ‘80’s, bits of ‘Blue Monday’ and ‘Shellshock’ spring to mind. This, of course, is all injected with Awkoder’s Nu-Italo synthesizer skills and results in a nice slice of retro synth nostalgia.

♫ Edgework – Night Mechanics (Awkoder reMix)

‘Night Mechanics’ is out now on Plastic Toy Records.

Buy Edgework’s music from:

Jan 27 2012

Giorgio Moroder’s ‘E=mc²’, a whole bunch of reMixes!

Giorgio Moroder

‘E=mc²’ is my favourite Giorgio Moroder track, so it was with great interest that I approached Sweedish Disco label MB Disco’s new collection of reMixes of the track. They released a ton of reMixes in the package and invited some legendary figures in Italo and Cosmic Disco to take part.

To run down some of the stand out versions let’s start with L.I.S., who turn in a deep analog Disco track, all rounded bouncy bass and sparse arpeggios. using similar instrumentation to Moroder let’s L.I.S capture a similar mood but with a much updated sound. Gomma’s Rodion drops a RoboDisco version of the track next which is almost exactly what I had in my head that this release would contain before I listened to it. Frantic, slightly retro, synthetic Disco that layers upon the original, making it more complex and full with an Italo twang.  Speaking of Italo, legends of the genre Klein & MBO deliver an unsurprisingly ‘80’s mix, raw 909 beats and Italo basslines are in order here that stays true enough to the original but adds an eighties euro dancefloor feel that could have easily seen it as a 12” release from the early ‘80’s. The release is also graced by Electro pioneer Alexander Robotnick who’s dark vocoding and Kraftwerk-on-steroids electronics create a completely different track, more of a homage to Moroder. Alongside theses tracks, you’ll find on the record work from Dionigi, I-Robots and Daniele Baldelli.

♫ Giorgio Moroder – E=mc² (L.I.S. Rework)

♫ Giorgio Moroder – E=mc² (Rodion Gran Manigheo reMix)

♫ Giorgio Moroder – E=mc² (No More Klein & MBO reMix)

♫ Giorgio Moroder – E=mc² (Alexander Robotnick reMix)

‘E=mc² – The Italian Connection’ reMix collection is out now.

Buy Giorgio Moroder’s music from:

     

Jan 27 2012

The Opiates’ reMix album

The Opiates

The double team of Miss Billie Ray Martin and Robert Solheim, The Opiates’ ‘Hollywood Under The Knife’ album was a pretty regular fixture on electronic rumors last year. Well, that momentum doesn’t need to stop. Next month The Opiates release ‘Hollywood Cuts (The reMixes)’, an album chock full of some big names reMixing some big tracks from ‘Hollywood Under The Knife’.

the list of reMixers is pretty impressive, Kim Ann Foxman, Doorly, Chris & Cosey, Drop Out Orchestra, Dan Beaumont and this track from Dalston’s Disco Bloodbath. Taking the lead track from the album, ‘Candy Coated Crime’, Disco Bloodbath lay down some deep electronic sounds. Their pulsating synthesizer Disco conjures a mood of late nights on dingy dancefloors, dark clubs and strange places. A perfect match for Billie’s sultry vocal. With a slight dark Italo feel this reMix is one for a dark future.

♫ The Opiates – Candy Coated Crime (Disco Bloodbath reMix)

The Opiates’ ‘Hollywood Cuts (The reMixes)’ is released 26th February on Disco Activisto.

Buy The Opiates’s music from:

      

Jan 24 2012

Mitch Murder reMixes Lazerhawk

Lazerhawk

Oooo, this is exciting stuff. SynthWave guru Lazerhawk is gearing up for the release of his ‘Arrival’ EP, the Jordan F reMix has been rocking our worlds for a while now but we finally get to get our ears round Mitch Murder’s take on the track.

We’re still reeling from Mitch’s new album ‘Current Events’ (which just missed the top spot in our top albums of 2011) so we know the man is on top for right now, but once again he blows us away with this soaring slice of pure synthesizer joy. Unlike some electronic music producers who sit in front of Abelton firing off arpeggios, Mitch is a true musician. His mastery of layering and melody and his ability to capture an emotional mood in a synth dance track is second to none. This is what it sounds like in my brain all the time. Vangelis would be proud.

♫ Lazerhawk – Arrival (Mitch Murder reMix)

Lazerhawk’s new EP is out soon also featuring reMixes from Miami Nights 1984 and Jordan F.

Check out more from Lazerhawk on SoundCloud.

Jan 23 2012

Pleasure Cruiser‘s ‘Small Town Boy’ Mixtape

Pleasure Cruiser

BREED Podcast 12 – Pleasure Cruiser‘s ‘Small Town Boy’ Mixtape  = Rex The Dog continues the build up to his next BREED night, at the Dalston Superstore on the 3rd February, with the next BREED Podcast, this time courtesy of Pleasure Cruiser who drop, in their own words, “a sexually ambiguous mix of gutter synths and 80s emotional panic. And a bit of Bronski Beat!”.

♫ BREED Podcast 12 – Pleasure Cruiser‘s ‘Small Town Boy’ Mixtape

Rex The Dog hosts the next BREED party on the 3rd February at the Dalston Superstore, details here.

Buy Rex The Dog’s music from:

Jan 21 2012

Flemming Dalum’s ‘Immortal Flight Of The ‘80’s’ mix

flemming-dalum1

Flemming Dalum – Immortal Flight Of The ‘80’s = The world’s foremost authority on all things Italo, Mr. Dalum delves into his collection once more for this new hour of awesome Italo, old and new.

♫ Flemming Dalum – Immortal Flight Of The ‘80’s

The tracklist:

01. Kid Machine – Night Freaks
02. Electric Shock– This Is The Beat
03. Kid Machine – Cold Planet
04. VIdeo Liszt – Ektakröm Killer
05. Casionova – Xenon Fantasy
06. Savage – Only You (New reMix)
07. Teknokrats – Basement Ouverture
08. Kid Machine – Return To Space
09. VIdeo Liszt – The Tube
10. RADAR – Una Splendida Emicrania
11. VIdeo Liszt – Photoflex
12. Casionova – 4M Operator
13. East River – We Need Protection
14. Fred Ventura – When I Let You Down (K&C Edit)
15. Mark Turner & Lorens Goodman – Live Your Life
16. De-De-Mo – Cause I Need You I Love You)
17. Tom Hagen – Atomic
18. Nemesy – You Can You Can
19. Savino – Lena’s Run (CR Edit)
20. Suzie And The Cubans– I Feel It
21. Mario Moretti – Safety Station
22. Üdytü Ützel Trúk And His Male Harem – Kairo
23. Firefly – Kiss Power
24. Daniela Alverman – Who Does? (Disco In 1982)
25. Salta & Dalum – Theme From Immortal Flight
26. Black Magic Disco– Axel Def
27. D.Carred – You’ll Be A Winner (Lectric Dub)
28. Boney Style– Sará Bello (Marcello Edit)
29. Infinity Night– Sequenzer Dream

Buy Flemming Dalum’s music from:

Jan 21 2012

The Sanfernando Sound reMixes R3set

r3set

The Sanfernando Sound’s latest reMix is his entry into R3set’s ‘Runaway’ reMix competition, and it set’s the bar pretty damn high.

TSS bases his mix around an driving Italo, almost New Beat, bassline, which gives the floatier, more retro Poppy elements, room to weave in and out of each other creating textures and melodies. This reMix’s combination of ‘80’s elements gives the vocals a new, The Thompson Twins-esque, lease-of-life which makes this version of the track stand out from the others. There’s some lovely solo work in there too. It feels like we’ve been watching The Sanfernando Sound grow and mature as an artist over the past year, both in terms of production and musical ability. I’d say he was ready for his final exam.

♫ R3set – Runaway (The Sanfernando Sound reMix)

R3set’s ‘Runaway’ EP is out now.

Buy R3set’s music from:

Jan 21 2012

Kid Machine’s ‘Love & Magic Mix’

kid-machine

Kid Machine – Love & Magic Mix = Kid Machine’s in the house, and he’s brought a stack of Italo with him to play you an hour of retro electronic beats from dark future Disco to Sci-Fi Soul.

♫ Kid Machine – Love & Magic Mix

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