Sep 3 2012

Bright Light Bright Light’s new single

The next single taken from ‘90’s leaning ElectroPop hero Bright Light Bright Light’s excellent album Make Me Believe In Hope will be the ‘90’s House tinged Feel It. Just so you know, it’s pretty hard to talk about a Bright Light Bright Light release without saying “90’s” a fair few times, so that’s happening.

Feel It is definitely a good choice for a single. It kinda’ encompasses everything Rod Thomas’ work stand for. One the one hand it’s classic ElectroPop, beautifully written (Rod’s major talent is pure songwriting), and on the other hand it’s luscious early ‘90’s House, complete with dropping breakbeats, infectious piano hook and gospel backing vocals. And as with the very best Pop that utilises Gospel vocals, Feel It is epic and uplifting and destined for the dancefloor.

♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Feel It (Single Edit)

Bright Light Bright Light’s Feel It single is released 29th October.

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Jul 4 2012

Casio searches for the UKs best synth player

Believe it or not, Casio have made some classic synths in their time. Both the CZ ranges (I had a 101 myself) and the VL-Tones (particularly the VL-1) were pretty uncool when released but over the years have achieved cult status. Samplers to, like most people my introduction to sampling was the circuit benders favourite the SK-1 and there was a time when the FZ-1 was in a race with the Akais to become industry standard.

Casio are returning to the world of synth with the forthcoming release of their new XW range, lead by the XW-P1. The synth was launched last week in London along with Casio’s search for the UK’s best synthesist. Submit your best work to the Casio UK Facebook page to be in with a chance of winning an XW-P1 and a slot performing as part of the G-Shock Sessions at the Relentless Boardmasters Festival 2012 in Newquay, Cornwall. Also, you can strut around telling your friends you are the UKs best synth player and have a peice of paper to prove it!

Check the competition video featuring out good friends Queen Of Hearts and Bright Light Bright Light.

Check the Casio UK Facebook page for details.

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May 30 2012

Bright Light Bright Light’s ‘A New Word To Say’ video

‘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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May 11 2012

Bright Light Bright Light’s début album (& competition results)

bright light x2

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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Apr 26 2012

Bright Light Bright Light new single, new reMix, new competition

Bright Light Bright Light

Next week sees the release of the new single from Welsh ElectroPop sensation Bright Light Bright Light. Long time readers will know we’ve been following Rod’s career since the ‘olden days’, in the last two years he’s released some of the biggest, slickest, ElectroPop tracks out there. Every one of BLx2’s tracks to date have been modern classics, each one addictively catchy, and each one increasingly indulging Rod’s love of all things ‘90’s.

And ‘Waiting For The Feeling’ revels in it’s retro-ness. From it’s Darude-esque bass riff to the big Piano House riff, that could have come straight off MTV Europe circa 1994, it’s a celebration of the ‘90’s. A celebration of classic songwriting too, Rod’s vocal chops and his ability to write perfect Pop hook both shine through in the single, you’ll be humming it for days. Bright Light Bright Light’s love of the ‘90’s culminates in the reMix package for ‘Waiting For The Feeling’, it’s like a collection of all the names you found in the reMix credits on singles in the back then, I didn’t even know these people were still alive! K Klass put in an appearance. K Klass! Apparently they are still around and knocking out pretty awesome reMixes from the sound of their deep, almost tribal mix. And Trouser Enthusiasts! His reMix, which we are exclusively premièring below, is his first in a decade. Trouser Enthusiasts work for the likes of Sunscreem (Particularly), Saint Etienne and Pet Shop Boys we’re big parts of my life during that period, it really is awesome that Rod got him back in the studio to work on this. He’s lost none of his his flair, the mix is actually pretty ‘Trouser Enthusiasts’ (if that makes sense) but, despite being heavily ‘90’s sounding, really doesn’t sound dated. Massive and majestic, this reMix hopefully sees a return to production for Trouser Enthusiasts. A single this catchy will surely get Bright Light Bright Light the attention he deserves so much.

♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Waiting For The Feeling (Trouser Enthusiasts reMix)

♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Waiting For The Feeling

Bright Light Bright Light will be launching his new album ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’ on 13th June at the Camp Basement in London playing with his full band and supported by Sylver Tongue. We’ve got two pairs of tickets (well not tickets per-se, guest list spaces, which actually makes you look even more special!) to give away.

To win free entry for you and your +1 you must be following both Bright Light Bright Light, @brightlightx2, and us, @electronicrumor, on Twitter, then simply tweet the following:

Hey @electronicrumor, I wanna’ go to @brightlightx2’s album launch more than anything in the world! Hook me up! http://goo.gl/oEBWV

We’ll keep on listening until 11th May, then everyone who entered will have their name written on a scrap of paper, screwed up, and I’ll pick two out of my very fetching Pork Pie hat. The lucky winners will be notified on Twitter and announced right here, for those that fate doesn’t smile upon here are all the details of the show, you might as well go anyway!

Waiting For The Feeling’’ is out now ahead of the début BLX2 album, ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’, out 4th June.

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Mar 23 2012

Bright Light Bright Light’s new single

Fear not, Bright Light Bright Light hasn’t forsaken us, in fact he’s back with a brand new, insanely catchy, new single ‘Waiting For The Feeling’.

Check out the video, which is as pleasingly ‘90’s as the track itself. Alun Davies directs this clip which may or may not be about training for the Olympics.

‘Waiting For The Feeling’’ is out now ahead of the début BLX2 album, ‘Make Me Believe In Hope’, out 4th June.

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Mar 13 2012

Bright Light Bright Light’s MOS Mix

Bright Light Bright Light

Bright Light Bright Light – Guest Mix For Ministry Of Sound = Last Sunday night Bright Light Bright Light dropped a huge mix of ElectroPop, Dreamwave, and Disco on Ministry Of Sound Radio. If you missed it fear now, ‘cos here it is! Fourteen tracks and every on is killer!

♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Guest Mix For Ministry Of Sound

The tracklist:

01. Kelis Vs. Filthy Dukes – Filthshake (Bright Light Bright Light Bootleg)
02. Figure Of 8 (Feat. Sophie Galpin) – No One Cries For Me (Cyclist reMix)
03. Blue Pearl – Naked In The Rain
04. Oliver – I Need You
05. KiNK & Neville Watson (Feat. Kim Ann Foxman) – A Saturday In November
06. Marquez Ill (Feat. Bright Light Bright Light) – All It Takes (Radio Edit)
07. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know (Bright Light Bright Light reMix)
08. EBTG – Missing (Todd Terry reMix)
09. Disclosure – My Intentions Is War!
10. Moloko – The Time Is Now [Can 7 Soulfood Mix]
11. Kings Of Tomorrow – Finally (Original Mix)
12. Louis La Roché – Los Angeles
13. The Venus Stare – Close To You (Fear Of Tigers reMix)
14. Fear Of Tigers – Cossus Snufsigalonica

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Feb 7 2012

Figure Of 8’s new single

figure of 8

I’ve been dying to write about this for a while now, the new single from Figure Of 8, ‘No One Cries For Me’, out next week on On The Fruit Records.

Belfast’s purveyor of all things Pop and House enlisted the help of Bright Light Bright Light and Our Krypton Son and the sublime vocals of Sophie Galpin to create a deep , soulful slice of ElectroPop that will stay with you all day after just one listen. The track has a Balearic, sunrise feel to it, but without all the associated cheese, there’s also a strong streak of late ‘80’s dance, such as The Beloved, DNA in ‘No One Cries For Me’. The more I listen to it, the more I feel like this is a classic dance track, and one you will definitely be hearing a lot more of. An intensely emotional track, both vocally and musically you can’t help but be haunted by the memory of it.

♫ Figure Of 8 (Feat. Sophie Galpin) – No One Cries For Me (Radio Version)

‘No One Cries For Me’ is released 13th February.

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Jun 30 2011

Bright Light Bright Light’s ‘Disco Moment’ video

Bright Light Bright Light’s long (really, quite long) awaited new single ‘Disco Moment’ looks like it’s finally here with the premiere of the video.

It’s a really good choice for a single, upbeat ElectroPop with a hint of melancholy and the Jody Wilson directed video serves as a really good introduction to Rod Thomas for the masses who missed out on ‘Love Part II’.

‘Disco Moment’ is released 19th September.

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Jun 13 2011

Bright Light Bright Light reMixes James Yuill

As premiered on last weeks Fear Of Tiger’s ‘The Guestlist’ show this is Bright Light Bright Light’s reMix of James Yuill’s ‘Crying For Hollywood’.

Light and breezy ElectroPop is the order of the day here. Piling on the world’s most feel-good 90’s House piano riff in amongst dreamy arpeggios lifts James’ vocals and lets them do their job perfectly. The sun’s come back out this morning.