Dec 9 2010

Erasure’s ‘A Little Respect’ HMI Redux

Out this week is a brand new version of SynthPop legends Erasure’s classic ‘A Little Respect’.

Originally from their ‘The Innocents’ album this new version sees all the proceeds from sale going to The Hetrick-Martin Institute, a LGBTQ youth service organization. In their own words “In the wake of all the gay bullying and related suicides that have been reported in the US over the past several months, Erasure wanted to do something special to spread a message of tolerance and to raise money for an organisation that engages in the fight on a daily basis and, because it has become something of a gay rights anthem over the years, it seemed only fitting to release a brand new version of ‘A Little Respect’.”

The ‘HMI Redux’ is a nice update to the original. In keeping with modern production methods its a lot fuller sounding, and just as damn catchy!

♫ Erasure – A Little Respect (HMI Redux)

The ‘HMI Redux’ of ‘A Little Respect’ is out now.

Dec 8 2010

Win Depeche Mode ‘Tour Of The Universe’ goodies!

As you are probably aware, Depeche Mode have just released their long awaited ‘Tour Of The Universe’ DVD sets.

Filmed at two sold out nights in Barcelona during their 2009 ‘Tour Of The Universe’ the DVD features 21 songs spanning the Mode’s 30 year career. Anyone who’s seen DM live know how flawless and exiting their live spectacle is and the DVD captures the experience perfectly.

Check out the trailer:

The DVD comes in three flavours, Super, Deluxe and Blu-Ray and we have, for one luck winner, not only a copy of the Deluxe edition, which includes the DVD and a double CD set of the concerts, but also a limited edition, numbered lithograph featuring the cover artwork.

To grab yourself a chance of winning what is an amazing show in an amazing DVD set, just answer the following question:

Ex-Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder recently reunited with the band onstage, what song did he perform with Martin Gore?

Email your answer to electronicrumors@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Depeche Mode Competition’ before 23rd December. I’ll put the correct answers in my pork pie hat, pick a winner at random, and announce the results on X-mas eve!

Due to it being a DVD and stuff, this competition is only open to residents of the US.

‘Tour Of The Universe’ is available to buy now!

Depeche Mode @ Beatport

Depeche Mode @ Juno

Depeche Mode @ 7Digital

Depeche Mode @ Amazon

Dec 2 2010

New tracks from Preston Park

Remember, literally, years ago we wrote about a MySpace find called Preston Park?

We dug his funky ElectroPop way back then so when he turned up in the electronic rumors inbox we were pretty interested to hear what he was producing these days.

Two tracks graced our mailbox. The first, ‘Little Bottle’ (which is a collaboration with Young Monday) is our favourite of the two, it’s an upbeat SynthPop track with a touch of Soft Cell around the drum programming and some nice vintage synth sounds. Sitting somewhere between Minimal Synth and Lo-Fi SynthPop, ‘Little Bottle’ is a confident Pop song that harkens back to to days of the Futurist pioneers. The atmospheric ‘Falling’ is more of a lament than a ballad, being borderline Spoken Word over an evolving Synthesizer backing. The French lilt of the vocals creating evocative imagery.

♫ Preston Park (Feat. Young Monday) – Little Bottle

♫ Preston Park – Falling

Check Preston Park’s MySpace for more.

Preston Park @ MySpace

Nov 30 2010

HURTS X-mas record

This is HURTS X-mas single!

This is a proper X-mas single!

The likes of we haven’t heard since the 80’s this tune has got all the elements in place. The bells ringing out, the uplifting melancholy, the sleigh-bell hi-hats, the power drums in the chorus. It’s pure HURTS too, it’s like all HURTS’ career has been leading up to a full-on X-mas song!

♫ HURTS – All I Want For Christmas Is New Year’s Day

The single is released 14th December…for Free! That’s HURTS X-mas pressie to you!

Nov 25 2010

The Vanity Clause

There’s some soulful ElectroPop going down in Southend-On-Sea in the form of The Vanity Clause, a band who’s name may be familiar to live music lovers in the south east of England and a band who have just released their début album.

Titled ‘Fractured’, the record is 12 tracks of pure SynthPop with an, almost, Motown twist courtesy of Louisa Strachan, who’s ballsy vocals ride the wave of analog synthesis in a way that hasn’t been heard since the days of Alison and Vince (Yazoo).

Formed by Russell Harris, David Woods and a collection of vintage synth gear (Russ has a white Moog Liberation (who’s control panel makes up electronic rumors banner)! Jealous!), the band gigged around a bit for a few years before recruiting Lou, last year, to complete the sound laid out on their new album. The music is entirely Sci-Fi electronics, with a raw edge. This is possibly due to Russ and David’s rock background which seems, in combination with the vintage equipment, to give the machine-music a live, slightly garage, vibe. It walks the line between slick SynthPop and something a bit more grungy. Which, in turn, makes Lou’s powerful voice so much sweeter as the glue that hold everything together. There’s even hints of New York Disco and Italo as the album progresses.

Check ‘Mr. Fairweathered’ for those vocals at their ‘Aretha’ best over some moody and shuffling ElectroPop.

♫ The Vanity Clause – Mr. Fairweathered

The Vanity Clause’s ‘Fractured’ is our now:

The Vanity Clause @ Amazon

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Nov 24 2010

The Mystic Underground’s new single

New York based ElectroPop act The Mystic Underground return this week with a brand new single, ‘Pride Of St. Marks.

Produced by Super Buddha (Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Franz Ferdinand) the track is pretty anthemic for TMU with it’s bouncing bassline and chant along chorus, defiantly worth checking out and a welcome comeback for the duo. ElectroPop with huge production, this is one track you can’t help but nod along to. The reMix package includes this mix by fellow New Yorker and THISISNOTANEXIT artist The Dark Esquire who brings the track to a slightly darker, slightly more minimal place with the lightest of sprinklings of Post-Punk guitar.

♫ The Mystic Underground – Pride Of St. Mark’s (Radio Edit)

♫ The Mystic Underground – Pride Of St. Mark’s (The Dark Esquire Re-Version)

‘Pride Of St. Mark’s’ is released this week.

The Mystic Underground @ Juno

The Mystic Underground @ 7Digital

The Mystic Underground @ Amazon

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Nov 23 2010

The Human League; ‘Night People’ video premiere & Villa reMix

We told you it was coming, and now it’s here! The brand new video from SynthPop legends The Human League for their eagerly awaited new single ‘Night People’.

We’ve already let you know what we though of the single, we loved its combination of ‘Sound Of The Crowd’ style old League and an epic second half. The video does what it says on the tin, a voyeuristic look into the lives of some wildly different night people!

Still loving it when the song goes all impassioned toward the end!

As previously mentioned, amongst the reMix package is this little gem from Villa who layer the track with frantic strings and and Acid burbling to give the tune a new sense of nervous energy. If the Leagues original is the soundtrack to an amazing night out the Villa’s reMix is the soundtrack to a dark and dangerous evening!

♫ The Human League – Night People (Villa reMix)

Night people is taken from the (almost unbearable) anticipated new album ‘Credo’ is due out in March 2011 preceded by the ‘Night People’ single.

The Human League @ Beatport

The Human League @ Juno

The Human League @ 7Digital

The Human League @ Amazon

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Nov 19 2010

The Human League: ‘Night People’ is here!

The Human League are back! And they’re taking names and kicking ass!

Ever since the announcement that The League has signed to Mark Jones’ Wall Of Sound label we’ve been eagerly awaiting the fruits of that union, and here we have it! The first single from their upcoming ‘Credo’ album, ‘Night People’!

We were right in our previous assessment, there is something of ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’ about it. It’s sounding both really 80’s, and pretty contemporary too. Almost like a modern reMix of a classic The Human League track. The second half of the song is particularly epic when it evolves from early THL sounding chants to a sweeping finale.

It’s so good to have them back!

♫ The Human League – Night People (Album Version)

‘Credo’ is due out in March 2011 preceded by the ‘Night People’ single which will feature reMixes from Cerrone, Mylo, The Emperor Machine and Villa.

Stay tuned, the video is premiering on Monday.

The Human League @ Beatport

The Human League @ Juno

The Human League @ 7Digital

The Human League @ Amazon

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Disclaimer: The Human League are probably my favourite band of all time, haha…

Nov 17 2010

Pet Shop Boys…Grum…West End Girls…awesome!

Well, this is already vying for position as my favourite track of the year, it feels like I’ve been waiting all my life for this tune.

Nu-Disco über-producer Grum’s reMix of Pet Shop Boys’ ‘West End Girls’ features as B-side on the SynthPop duo’s new single ‘Together’ and, for me anyway, it’s an almost perfect meeting of everything I grew up with and everything I love now. I love the big analog bassline and the massive Dreamwave-esq pads and the fact that the song remains intact, but totally updated. This thing is one of the classics of the genre but sound fresh as fuck!

Pure, undiluted awesome!

♫ Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls (Grum reMix)

I swear I can hear a Korg Monotron in there too!

Pet Shop Boys greatest hits, ‘Ultimate’, and the digital single of‘Together’ are out now with the physical release, featuring the Grum reMix, coming soon.

Pet Shop Boys @ Beatport

Pet Shop Boys @ Juno

Pet Shop Boys @ 7Digital

Pet Shop Boys @ Amazon

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Nov 17 2010

Vice’s ‘The Producer’s series features Gareth Jones

Anyone interested in electronic music production should head on over to the Vice Broadcasting System and check out their new series ‘The Producers’.

Each episode of the series spends a little time in the studio with some of the UK’s most exiting producers and discusses their techniques and philosophies and how they approach making the ground breaking records they do.

The latest episode focuses on Gareth Jones, the legendary producer/engineer responsible for some of the classics of SynthPop including albums by Depeche Mode, Erasure, John Foxx, Wire, Einstürzende Neubauten and Mesh.

Check out the trailer for the series…