Jul 18 2013

[Audio] Classixx reMixes The Preatures’ ‘Is This How You Feel’?’

Getting an airing in yesterday’s Verando mixtape from Goldroom was the sunkist sounds of the new remix from Classixx. Still riding high on the success of their amazing début album, Hanging Gardens, the LA duo have turned their attention to Australian Indie-Pop outfit The Preatures and their new single Is This How You Feel?

The original is quite raucous guitar fuelled nonsense, but in Classixx’s hands it becomes a supremely laid back Acid Disco. we’re dead keen on the recent introduction, from the likes of Goldroom and Classixx, of burbling Acidic 303 lines into chilled Tropical Disco, it makes for a lush summer sound with a little excitement. Both smooth and sleazy. Classixx temper the Acid lines with slick vintage chords and blissful leads with take the vocals from Indie-cool to by-the-pool.

♫ The Preatures – Is This How You Feel? (Classixx reMix)

The Preatures’ Is This How You Feel? is out now.

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Jul 17 2013

[Video] Austra’s ‘Painful Like’

Painful Like is the second single from Toronto based Avant-ElectroPopper Austra’s excellent new album Olympia., Raw beats, razor sharp synth bass and passionate vocals, what more could you want?

A video? OK then. this clip was directed by Exploding Motor Car (really!) and brings to mind all kinda of 80s straight-to-video epics.

Austra’s Olympia is out now.

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Jul 17 2013

[Audio] Monsieur Adi reMixes Mikky Ekko’s ‘Kids’

Our favourite Frenchman Monsieur Adi is on such a roll these days. Finally getting some of that attention we’ve been saying he should be getting for years now, some big names are starting to look Adi’s way, not least due to his recent production stint for Seal. Up right now is his reMix of American singer Mikky Ekko’s single, Kids.

This is Adi at his ElectroPop finest. Despite having a massive track record with big Electro tunes and Symphonic Dreamwave, Adi really knows his Pop, and proves it right here. Raising the track higher than is ever was originally, Adi, drops hugs beats and retro synths, washing the track in a nostalgic sheen that flows with the vocals perfectly. This sounds like it should have always been this was. The Parisian strikes again.

♫ Mikky Ekko – Kids (Monsieur Adi reMix)

Mikky Ekko’s Kids is out now.

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Jul 11 2013

[MP3] Hot Hot Hawk & Julia Marks’ ‘Let’s Do It’

Russian Synthwaver Hot Hot Hawk comes storming back after his Space Traveller single with a storming summer ElectroPop smash. Featruing the vocals of Julia Marks, the track, Let’s Do It, is a huge slice of sunshine nostalgia.

It’s another pulsation retro Italo tune from Hot Hot Hawk, with a distinct Pop twist. Marks’ vocals perfectly capture an optimistic 80s style that really soars over our Russian friends thick production. It’s a track with everything you want from retro Pop, an Electronic Soul groove, driving Italo synths and bright, shining, leads, wrapped up in an ultimately, incredibly catchy song. The Future of SynthWave.

♫ Hot Hot Hawk (Feat. Julia Marks) – Let’s Do It

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Jul 3 2013

[Audio] The Swiss reMix Breakbot

OK, so we quite like Breakbot, the early singles were mind-blowingly good at the time, but his début album was a little samey, if solid nonetheless. His latest single from the album is You Should Know, which came out last week and contains reMixes from the likes of Busy P & Boston Bun, Homework, Le Family and this cut from Australian groovers The Swiss which, frankly, blows the original out of the water.

This time the laid back live Disco is replaced with a storming bassline rolling underneath a huge Disco House tune that’s all about Rukazoid’s vocals and the piano. A killer piano hook and a brain melting synth solo are dangerous weapons in the right hands, and The Swiss certainly weld them with skill. The intertwining piano/synth solo is the track highlight in a track that is the highlight of the single itself. The Swiss really made this one their own.

♫ Breakbot (Feat. Ruckazoid) – You Should Know (The Swiss reMix)

Breakbot’s You Should Know is out now.

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Jun 27 2013

[MP3] Arcade High’s ‘Pixel Passion’ album

It was a year ago, almost to the day, that we reviewed Pittsburgh SynthWaver Arcade High’s début début album The Art Of Youth. We’re not sure if that’s a coincidence but this week, via the medium of label Telefuture, Ryan Boosel has unleashed his latest long player, titled Pixel Passion. Coming digital and physical formats (with the limited edition CD coming in a fancy, hand-crafted case mode from repurposed Nintendo cartridges) in packages that include treasures such as glossy posters and badges., Arcade High has really pulled the stops out for this release.

So, to the album. We really enjoyed his first outing, and especially his material with vocals, which luckily there is a few lurking about on Pixel Passion. In the last year or so Arcade High have risen to the top of the SynthWave pack, and that’s partly due to his originality. Rather than playing the same old Italo basslines and pseudo-80s tropes, Arcade High carves out a sound all of his own. Rolling ChipTune (in abundance), IndiePop and SynthPop into the SynthWave mix to create something instantly recognisable. As soon as the albums opening, title track launces into it’s retro synth/8-bit mixture, with frantic bitcrushed bass, gentle vocals and soaring vintage console leads, you know what you;re in for with the rest of the album. As the record moves onto One Year Ago you’re treated to how well Arcade High uses these influences. Where as the ChipTune crowd are content with recreating video game music of old, Arcade High takes those sounds and weaves them into beautiful, emotional, ElectroPop songs that take full advantage if the unique character of that sound pallet. But never lets the sounds control the songs, it’s always songs first. Without You, the Hannah Edwards featuring album centrepiece, is an epic, rousing slice of ElectroPop euphoria which a cool Indie vibe running through it, which leads into Outrun This! which seems to lean more toward the arcade cabinet than the genre. Running To You bring us back to more familiar SynthWave territory until Ryan busts in with some sweet vocoded vocals to deliver one of the albums highlights alongside the brooding, cinematic Electro of Night Of The Genesis. If you love the SynthWave sound, but are becoming a little burnt out on it and crave the same atmosphere but with a little originality injected into it, or if you love ElectroPop and have a fondness for 80s video games, or if you just love electronic music, well crafted with love, then you should definitely take this album out a spin.

♫ Arcade High (Feat. Hannah Edwards) – Without You

♫ Arcade High – One Year Ago

♫ Arcade High – Running To You

Arcade High’s Pixel Passion is out now via Telefuture.

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Jun 26 2013

[MP3] Sally Shapiro reMixes from Tommy and Tony Carrasco

The goodies just keep coming from Sweden’s finest ElectroPop duo Sally Shapiro, over the last few months we’ve had a brand new album, a handful of singles and remixes and videos, then, last month, a full reMix album. But wait, there’s more to come. Here’s two more new reMixes of tracks from the Somewhere Else album. the two coming from French SynthWave genius Tommy and House producer Tony Carrasco (Klein & MBO, Plastic Mode).

Tommy mix really nails the spirit of the album, delivering a head on collision between Italo basslines and 80s Pop riffs. Turning Lives Together into a full-on vintage floorfiller. You can imagine this one playing out to under lit dancefloors illuminated by rotoball disco lights. The whole package works perfectly, even braking into a little SynthWave emotion for the bridge. Sally’s vocals, Tommy’s synths, it’s a dream. Tony Carrasco ends up turning If It Doesn’t Rain into a hypnotic Deep House tune with serious 80s overtones. Bringing a little B-Boy Electro into the mix alongside some early Techno influences Carrasco creates a, sometimes weird, mostly compelling tune loaded with retro future synth sounds and warehouse beats.

♫ Sally Shapiro – Lives Together (Tommy reMix)

♫ Sally Shapiro – If It Doesn’t Rain (Tony Carrasco (Klein & MBO, Plastic Mode) reMix)

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Jun 24 2013

[MP3] Ride The Universe edit-up Analog People In A Digital World

Heartbreakers, beat makers and Funky superstars Ride The Universe are dipping into their personal supply of Disco battle weapons to deliver you something special for a limited time only. It’s their edit of the DJ Sneak Mix of Analog People In A Digital World’s 2009 floorfiller Walking In Harlem, in all it’s Acid Jazz, rough House glory.

Playing up both the horn riff and the Acidic burbling, Ride The Universe keep it dancefloor tight. There’s something a little gruffer, a little tougher, and little darkly groovier in Ride The Universe’s edit over the kinda’ flim-flam original. I can imagine these guys dropping this one’s big beats and hypnotic 303 twisting in the middle of a mix set’s the place on fire. Fingers crossed more of their crate will show up soon.

♫ Analog People In A Digital World – Walking In Harlem (DJ Sneak Mix) (Ride The Universe Edit)

The track is a free download for a limited time only.

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Jun 14 2013

[MP3] The Penelopes reMix Back Back Forward Punch

London based French duo The Penelopes are fast becoming one of the more prolific acts in ElectroPop. You’d have thought after the release of their Never Live Another Yesterday album last summer they would have taken a break, but no. With a constant schedule of touring, monthly mixtapes and a stream of top quality reMixes these guys have just kept the pressure up. Check out their latest offering, it;s a reMix fro Australian DiscoPop duo Back Back Forward Punch, an act we’ve been hearing some good things from in the past few months, and their new single Don’t Stop Now.

The Penelopes bring a bright and airy Disco groove to the track. Something that is both body moving and a heady castle-in-the-air of a track, utilising severely punchy bass and hazy synths to create a dancefloor dreamscape to loose yourself in. But the starlight synths and the half heard swirling sax belie what is a pretty hard hitting floorfiller. The Penelopes have delivered a multi-layered crate essential.

♫ Back Back Forward Punch – Don’t Stop Now (The Penelopes reMix)

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Jun 7 2013

[MP3] Night Drive (+ Bit Funk reMix)

OK, so you know how the whole driving imagery in SynthWave has been done to death, especially night driving. There’s a real backlash against it brewing. Anoraak released Nightdrive With You back in 2008 and every permutation of ‘driving’ and ‘night driving’ has been covered and copies and played out in the years since, the originality of it dies a death a long time ago. With that in mind, Night Drive is a truly terrible name for a retro synth act. However, please don’t let that put you off checking out the début single from Night Drive, as the name belies some truly awesome music.

Name aside, these guys are doing everything right. The look good (finally, a SynthWave act who understands the need for promo photos!), their artwork is cool without being clichéd and they can play live. Oh, and their début single, Drones, is pretty amazing. Mashing up SynthWave, Indie-Electro and ElectroPop in a head on collision, Drones is a high octane four minutes that immediately draws you in with a powering Italo bassline and rich vintage synths. With a catchy vocal, this is definitely one that’ll be stuck in your head all day. reMixes on the single come from Crystal Vision,Glasnost and this monster from Bit Funk who takes the energetic ElectroPop of the original and works it into a smooth, synthetic Disco tune that keeps the effortless cool of the original but leads it by the hand to some slinky dancefloor. Definitely a recommended release.