Apr 1 2011

The Sound Of Arrows’ ‘Nova’ reMixes

Sweden’s ruling SynthPop act, The Sound Of Arrows, forthcoming 90’s-Euphoric-Trance sounding single ‘Nova’ s release date draws near we are getting out first plays of some of the reMixes.

It’s not my favourite Sound Of Arrows track, although I love the video and the song itself is pretty awesome, some of the big hands-in-the-air trance riffs sound really out of place in the 21st century. I’m hoping this is a one off song and not a new direction for the duo. One of the more interesting reMixes comes from II Figures, who turn in a spacey Chillwave-esq mix. This percussion heavy, atmospheric, version shows off what a brilliant song ‘Nova’ actually is.

♫ The Sound Of Arrows – Nova (II Figures reMix)

There is also a Tiësto reMix, which sends shivers down my spine a bit. The track is 90’s trance sounding enough, did they really need to pay someone something like £15,000 (or more!) to make it sound even more like 90’s trance? You can hear a bit here. Has everything Tiësto has made since 1997 sounded exactly the same? His reMix of this track is probably the most dated and irrelevant thing I have heard in the last six months…and I listen to a lot of 80’s music!

‘Nova’ is out 25th April on Geffen, The Sound Of Arrows have just finished recording their début album.

The Sound Of Arrows @ Beatport

The Sound Of Arrows @ Juno

The Sound Of Arrows @ 7Digital

The Sound Of Arrows @ Amazon

Mar 18 2011

Starfawn

Brooklyn based Electro duo Starfawn are pretty enigmatic, both personally and musically.

Amber Schaefer and Misha Mross’ lush, atmospheric sound takes cues from both 80’s ElectroPop and Minimal Synth but pads out the sound with heavily effected synths to create an instantly recognisably retro, yet strange and otherworldly, soundscape for the vocals dance in and out of. However, this is by no means ambient music, there are beats and riffs to get your head nodding and synth solos that will infect your brain.

Starfawn have just released their début EP, ‘Greenlight’, a powerful three track affair from which ‘Nothing Dead’ comes. A track that is one part 80’s ballad, one part effect heavy Dub track and one part BedroomPop. It’s refreshing to hear a band that revels in experimentation yet still understands the importance of actually having a song amongst the indulgence.

♫ Starfawn – Nothing Dead

Starfawn’s ‘Greenlight’ EP is available from Bandcamp:

Starfawn @ Bandcamp

Mar 18 2011

The Human League’s ‘Credo’

This coming Monday it’s finally here! The Human League’s ninth studio album, and the first since 2001’s ‘Secrets’, is released. It’s been a long time coming for League fans, and it’s been worth the wait.

In 1981 The Human League released ‘Dare’, the single greatest SynthPop album ever recorded, that was three decades ago. Three Decades! And in their generation spanning career, Phil, Susan & Joanne have never strayed from the path, never pandered to fashion (were they making Brit Pop album in the mid 90’s? No!), they are an ElectroPop act. They evolve as electronic music evolves, they can experiment with electronic music and songwriting, they can collaborate with contemporary artists, but they remain ambassadors for ElectroPop. While Depeche Mode were trying to be a Blues Rock band and Gary Numan was saying a prayer before every bedtime that he would wake up being Trent Reznor. The Human League stand proud as The Human League, the worlds greatest SynthPop band.

So, to ‘Credo’. The ElectroPop landscape is vastly different from the last time The League released an album, the last five years have been an amazing time to be an ElectroPop fan. From the explosion of Indie-Electro, the return of intelligent Electronic Pop to our charts to the awesomeness that is Dreamwave and the Minimal Synth scene growing and growing, there is so many talented ElectroPop artists pushing the boundaries of the genre these days how does ‘Credo’ compare?

Very well actually. ‘Credo, is probably the most ‘The Human League’ sounding album The Human League have made since the mid-80’s. Phil Oakey is as his droll finest. As with the best League tracks there are strong narratives that run throughout many of the tracks and, from a purely songwriting style point of view, this album is really close to ‘Dare’. But it’s not just in Oakey’s vocals that ‘Credo’ harkens back to THL of old, the synth sounds used over the whole eleven tracks conjure imaginations of early 80’s TOTP. The middle section of the album, tracks like ‘Into The Night’, ‘Egomaniac’, ‘Single Minded’ and ‘Electric Shock particularly have classic analog lead lines very reminiscant of the singles of The League’s pop explosion

♫ The Human League – Never Let Me Go

So, if the songwriting sounds like classic League and the sounds on the album are 1981 approved then does ‘Credo’ sound dated? Well, not really, and that’s down to the production, and the drums. Imagine The Human League of old with contemporary dance drums and modern, slick, production techniques and that’s pretty much ‘Credo’. To be honest I couldn’t ask for anything else from THL

♫ The Human League – Night People (Single Edit)

Highlights of the album, for me, include the new single ‘Never Let Me Go’, the closest The Human League are going to get to DiscoPop, which I think should have been the lead single over ‘Night People’. If ‘Egomaniac’ isn’t the next single I will eat my Pork Pie hat, it’s classic League, call and response vocals between Phil and the girls, a dry wit and a silky smooth sing-along chorus. ‘Electric Shock’ is another definite winner, pure Synthetic Pop that kicks into Acid craziness in the chorus.

If loved The Human League, but hated it when they tried to be R&B, or Trance, ‘Credo’ is 100% for you!

‘Credo’ is released 21st March on Wall Of Sound.

The Human League @ Beatport

The Human League @ Juno

The Human League @ 7Digital

The Human League @ Amazon

Mar 16 2011

Echoes’ ‘Love Won’t Save You Now’

Things are shifting into overdrive at camp Echoes, the guys are putting the finishing touches to a very special début single release. Exciting stuff indeed.

In the meantime they have dropped a brand new track, ‘Love Won’t Save You Now’. An awesome compelling track, in itself single material, reminiscant of early 2000’s Swedish SynthPop with more contemporary Indie-Electro overtones. That’s right, there’s an Indie flavour to ‘Love Won’t Save You Now’ that gives the track an driving energy, propelling the track onward. This track is going to be amazing live!

You’ll notice there’s a few bands we feature fairly regularly here on electronic rumors, we love them all but there is probably a handful that I would be willing to bet my hard earned cash on that they are actually going to be big. Echoes are defiantly one of them.

♫ Echoes – Love Won’t Save You Now

But it doesn’t stop there (I’m starting to wonder if Echoes ever sleep?), check this reMix they put together of Martin Solveig & Dragonette’s ‘Hello’, that’s how they get their bass heavy SynthPop on!

♫ Martin Solveig & Dragonette – Hello (Echoes reMix)

Echoes are playing their début live show alongside Penguin Prison and Matt & Kim on 23rd March at the Garage, London. Keep informed about Echoes happenings by ‘Likeing’ them on Facebook!

Echoes @ Facebook

Mar 10 2011

Parralox’s ‘I Sing The Body Electric’ video

Here we have the brand new video for Australian SynthPop torch bearers Parralox’s current single ‘I sing The Body Electric’.

There more than a couple of suggestions of Depeche Mode’s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ in the track and the video is similarly cloaked royalty and landscape based. However, Parralox blanket their influences with their own mark making both the track and video their own.

In fact, the way they have taken queues from ‘Enjoy The Silence’ and make it contemporary and distinctively Parralox sounding is actually a lot more impressive than the Myriad Depeche Mode sound-alikes that have dominated the Modern SynthPop scene for the last three decades.

‘I Sing The Body Electric’ is out now.

Parralox @ Conzoom Records

Parralox @ Amazon

Mar 9 2011

Monarchy won’t let go

So, what happened to super-secret ElectroPop duo Monarchy’s début album. Apparently it’s slated for release in the coming months and will be a lot different from last year’s promos.

In the meantime they have announced their forthcoming new single ‘I Won’t Let Go’. A full-on Monarchy epic that we haven’t seen the likes of since’ The Phoenix Alive’. Despite the fact that most people seem to have a good idea of who they are the duo are keeping their identities under wraps and letting the music speak for itself (as a side not, I’;m not sure if I believe who everyone says it is, the production style just seems different to me) and with this new single the music soars into the stratosphere to let the world know. 2011 is the year of Monarchy. If only they could get their record label shit together.

♫ Monarchy – I Won’t Let Go

‘I Won’t Go’ is released 11th April on Moda.

Mar 2 2011

Krystal Klear’s OMD reMix

It’s gotta’ be said, both The Human League and OMD are really upping their game in terms of their choices of reMix artists for their recent singles. Gone is their vague, yet uneducated, nod to modern electronic music to be replaced by a real insight into what is happening on ElectroPop friendly dancefloors these days.

Case in point; Krystal Klear’s reMix of OMD’s new single, ‘History Of Modern’ is a straight-up dancefloor Nu-Disco jam awash with New Jack Swing vibes. Dropping a deep jacking bass, vocoded vocals and huge 80’s Disco chords seems so far away from OMD’s SynthPop sound yet works so well.

♫ OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) – History Of Modern (Part 1) (Krystal Klear reMix)

The single will be released soon on limited edition 10”, CD and digital.

OMD @ 7Digital

OMD @ Amazon

Mar 2 2011

Icona Pop’s ‘Manners’

Big things have been happening for Icona Pop since we last wrote about them.

The Swedish duo have been championed by Kitsuné and are now releasing their new single on Neon Gold. If those two labels like you , you know you’re doing something right!

The new single, ‘Manners’ is more of the rough and ready SynthPop we love Icona Pop for. Débuted on Kitsuné Maison 10, the single is an anthemic power Pop track that is given an edge by a raw drum track the vitriol hidden within the sweet, sing-along, vocals.

♫ Icona Pop – Manners

Neon Gold release ‘Manners’ on 21st March.

Icona Pop @ Neon Gold

Icona Pop @ Puregroove

Icona Pop @ Beatport

Icona Pop @ Amazon

Feb 23 2011

HURTS’ ‘Sunday’ video

So, another chapter open up in the continuing saga of HURTS’ videos.

I’ve been waiting for ‘Sunday’ to be released, as soon as I heard the album I knew it was single material. The video, although I’m not sure what’s going on in bits of it, looks stunning, and as with all HURTS videos, you get the feeling someone’s tongue is planted firmly in their cheek.

‘Sunday’ is released 28th February

Feb 22 2011

The Human League & Aeroplane!!!

Here it is, the reMix we’ve been waiting for. Nu-Disco pioneers Aeroplane’s reMix of the forthcoming The Human League single, ‘Never Let Me Go’.

The original version is a Robo-Pop stomper that sees The Human League sounding more contemporary than their pervious single ‘Night People’, but this reMix takes it to another level. All Vito Aeroplane’s trademark filtered Disco grooves are in there alongside Phil, Joanne and Susan. Massive chords in the chorus work expertly alongside 80’s riffs in the verses. All-in-all, worth the wait. We’ll probably be hammering this most of the summer!