Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
Probably Mr. Howard Jones’s most well known hit, 1983’s ‘What Is Love?’
From 1979, because it was reMixed this week and it’s in my head, Yellow Magic Orchestra’s ‘Techopolis’
Nik Kershaw’s ‘Wouldn’t It Be Good’, really good video for the time, still looks fantastic, if dated. From 1984.
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‘A New Word To Say’ was one of the tracks that go us into Bright Light Bright Light way back when Rod was a potential Pop star, rather than an the actual Pop star he is now. So with the release of his début album we’re quite pleased that ‘A New Word To Say’ has been given the video treatment.
Hollie Newton directs this clip, which looks simple but must have taken ages to film, and longer to edit.
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We featured London Indie-Electro duo Bluebell and their forthcoming début single ‘Normal Heights’/‘Cinderella’ earlier in the month, now check out the brand new video for ‘Cinderella’.
Put together from footage submitted by fans, the clip is a heady mix of, well, everything.
Bluebell will be launching the single 20th June in a live show at Ballyhoo in London (formerly Bowery).
‘Normal Heights’/‘Cinderella’ is released 11th June on Killing Moon.
Check out more from Bluebell on SoundCloud.
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to hear five or six new tracks from our reigning ElectroPop princess Little Boots’ forthcoming new album, and believe me they were all strong contenders for single material. At a guess though, I would say this track, ‘Headphones’ will be next up for single treatment, being premiered on Radio1 is a big of a giveaway.
Produced with New York’s Disco duo The Knocks, when she played it live Victoria explained that the song was about going to a disco only to find out the music is shit, sticking your headphones on and having a boogie in your own little world (which leads to awkward moments when the disco music stops). To be honest, after a couple of amazing, but pretty underground singles, this is the track that is going to propel Boots back into the public consciousness. Classic DiscoPop and just shows victoria;’s talent for straddling the underground dance/shiny Pop line with ease, something now many can accomplish. This summer she’ll have us all singling!
♫ Little Boots – Headphones (Radio Rip)
‘Headphones’ will, we presume, be out soon. It’ll be interesting to see who is up for reMix duties.
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Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
Up first today, the mighty Cabaret Voltaire with 1980’ ‘Nag Nag Nag’, laying foundation for all electronic music that came after it.
Late ‘80’s Pet Shop Boys now with ‘Domino Dancing’ from 1988, with that post-Italo NRG bassline.
Oh, go on then. Duran Duran’s ‘Rio’ from 1982.
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So, we here at electronic rumors have been on-board with Welsh ElectroPop maestro Rod Thomas, A.K.A. Bright Light Bright Light, for a few years now. I think we first wrote about him back in early 2012 and have consistently followed his career ever since, so we are so happy for him that his début album his the stores (as we used to say) next month. ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’ work on two levels, both as a fresh new album and as a collection of Rod’s hits for long term fans.
About half of the records is the best of the past two years of Bright Light X2’s output, and it;s really nice to have them all collected together here. ‘A New Word To Say’ & ‘Cry At Films’, the tracks that introduced us to Rod’s works are present, the immense (and still our favourite) single ‘Love Part II’ is here alongside newer releases such as ‘Disco Moment’ and ‘Waiting For The Feeling’, and bundled together like this these tracks really show Rod’s decent into all things ‘90’s. Unashamedly a ‘90’s lover, Bright Light X2 has been slowly working a big ‘90’s dance sound into in songs and the progression from the almost Indie-Electro ‘New Word’ to pure 1996 DancePop of ‘Waiting’ is a an enjoyable ride. Whit a body of work together like this, it really is evident just how good a songwriter Rod is, I honestly think there are few people working as independent artists that can match his ability to pen a clean, catchy and emotionally resonant Pop song, and with his crisp SynthPop production, ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’ is a masterclass in how to make an electronic Pop album. So, how is the other half of the album, the new tracks? Well, the more than live up to the expectations raised by the singles. Rod revels in his love of the ‘90’s and you can just tell he’s having fun with the music, a rarity these days. The album’s opener ‘Immature’ is upbeat, infectious and epic, and sucks you straight into the record while the likes of ‘Feel It’ and ‘Moves’ are classic ElectroPop. There are even moments where Rod breaks the mould, like the ballad ‘Debris’, or ‘Grace’ with it’s shuffling industrial rhythms. ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’ is the kind of début album that people will take note of. SynthPop tends to be a genre outside of time anyway, but I can definitely see this being an album that will be listened to , and enjoyed, in 10 years time, or 20.
♫ Bright Light Bright Light – A New Word To Say
♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Love Part II
♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Disco Moment
♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Waiting For The Feeling
While we’re here, lets announce the lucky winners of our Bright Light Bright Light competition. These lucky folks have won guest list spaces for them and a +1 to the Bright Light X” album launch party in London.
Twitterers @benfromparis and @TheAndyEff take the prize.
Unlucky, don’t worry, you can go anyway, here are all the details.
Bright Light Bright Light’s début album, ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’ is released 4th June via The Blue Team.
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after a string of classy videos, Queen Of Hearts has seriously outdone herself with her new one.
The clip for ‘Neon’, directed by Between Man and Beast, is pretty a stunning journey though light and shade. it;s moody and beautiful and awesome stuff.
Queen Of Heart’s ‘Neon’/’Tears In The Rain’ single is out 14th May. Out now is ‘electronic rumors Volume 1’ on which Queen Of Hearts features.
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Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
One of the best synth riffs in existence, from 1988, Salt ‘N’ Pepa’s ‘Push It’.
Austrian Pop maverick Falco‘s ‘Rock Me Amadeus’ was an unexpected runaway hit in 1985.
In 1984 Mr. Billy Ocean released one of the smoothest songs of all time, ‘Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)’. Performed here on TOTP.
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Now this is what you need to ease yourself into the week after the long bank holiday weekend (if you’re UK reader, my stats tell me a good deal of you are from the US, sorry guys, I feel your pain), the second part of Queen Of Hearts’ seemingly BladeRunner themed new single. This flipside to ‘Neon’, ‘Tears In The Rain’.
This slice of ElectroPop beauty was produced by the awesome Mr. Stefan Storm from The Sound Of Arrows. Whist retaining the majestic quality of ‘Neon’ and shot through with the Queen Of Hearts particular band of melancholy, ‘Tears In The Rain’ is a rich and gentle track that envelops you in it’s warm musical embrace. Stefan’s twisting, hypnotic synths shows that signature The Sound Of Arrows’ optimism-against-adversity that perfectly mirrors The Queens’ smokey beckoning delivery, the combination of the two elevating the listener out of the darkness. Atmospherically layering the track with a hint of storm (the weather, not the dude) is genius, giving such a laid back track a sense of urgency adds to the drama of the song, giving ‘neon and ‘Tears In The Rain’ a appearance of narrative. There’s no doubt really that Queen Of Hearts is going to be a massive Pop star, that’s a given, but we believe she will constantly surprise her audience with how deep, how un-throwaway her Pop will be, and that’s what always makes a proper, true Pop star, one that sticks around. The video for the single A-Side, ‘Neon’, is coming soon, can’t wait for that!
♫ Queen Of Hearts – Tears In The Rain (Produced By Stefan Storm)
Queen Of Heart’s ‘Neon’/’Tears In The Rain’ single is out 14th May. Out now is ‘electronic rumors Volume 1’ on which Queen Of Hearts features.
Buy Queen Of Hearts’ music from:
The crushing electronic Power Pop of Dragonette’s new single ‘Let It Go’ is now available in video form.
Drew Lightfoot directs this series of medical experiments and Falshdance montages. This single is gonna’ be huge.
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electronic rumors 