Tag Archives: Dreamwave

Sep 5 2012

Noosa reMixes Cinnamon Girl

Cinnamon Girl

Camilla Roholm A.K.A. Cinnamon Girl’s Devil In Me is the first track we’re really feeling from this Danish songstress, but we are really feeling it. It looks set to be her breakthrough tune, and with it will come a host of reMixes. One that has caught out ear right now is this version from New York DreamPop outfit Noosa.

Noosa tame the raucous post-ElectroClash of the original, smoothing it out for a totally different, but no less fun, vibe. Gone are the chainsaw synths in favour of dreamy guitar and easy going synths. Held together with a dancefloor beat, this carefree reMix is just the ticket for summer parties. Cinnamon Girl’s vocals work amazingly well in both contexts, but right here it’s time to just give in to the swirling DreamPop of this take on the song.

♫  Cinnamon Girl – Devil In Me (Noosa reMix)

Devil In Me is out now, available from Cinnamon Girl’s Bandcamp.

Buy Cinnamon Girl’s music from:

Sep 4 2012

Tommy’s ‘Outer Space Adventurer’

Tommy

Yesterday Frenchman Tommy, one of the leading lights of the second wave of SynthWave producers, and hands down one of the best SynthWave producers out there, released his début full length album, Outer Space Adventurer. With a handful if singles and EPs behind him, Tommy’s body of work has always impressed and seen this prolific producer rise above his contemporises both in terms of musicality and production.Now his album is here we are glad to report, it was worth the wait.

The soundtrack to an imaginary space opera epic, Outer Space Adventurer is a musical journey, one track flowing effortlessly to the next, sliding from one mood to the next, as it lays out a narrative of interstellar exploration. Did we mention it was long too? Twenty tracks of blissed out Sci-Fi SynthWave ranging from high energy Italo workouts to dreamy introspective mood pieces. The whole album is quite the masterpiece, there’s far too much awesomeness to catalogue it all right here, so hear are four of our favourites from Outer Space Adventurer. Blast Off Into Space is the first proper track on the album and where the Italo vibe really gets going. Punchy arpeggios create a rock solid groove for Tommy’s shimmering space age synth line to dance atop. The combination of the rhythm section, steady and mechanical and the keys exuding a sense of wonder realty sets the scene for the album’s story. Destination Ultime is the kind of track where Tommy let’s his Vangelis-esque side shine. A beautifully atmospheric piece, layers of synthesizer goodness and soaring lead lines convey a total futuristic fascination. The Hour Has Come To Fight is, I suppose, the albums action set piece. Far from brutal though, The Hour Has Come To Fight is a bright slab of retro ElectroPop. Energetic and euphoric it really feels like the album’s kinetic high point. The duelling square and sine lead lines are pure synth joy. Fugitives And Hunters is another of Tommy’s more introspective works. Pounding ‘80’s drums and an ominous ambience are tempered with some optimistic sounding keys that seem to soar over the lush tonal pallet below. If you are at all a fan of synth music, of ‘80’s sounds, or even Sci-Fi, then Tommy’s Outer Space Adventurer is an essential album, and a benchmark for the new breed of SynthWave.

♫ Tommy – Blast Off Into Space

♫ Tommy – Destination Ultime

♫ Tommy – The Hour Has Come To Fight

♫ Tommy – Fugitives And Hunters

Tommy’s Outer Space Adventurer is out now,

Buy Tommy’s music from:

Sep 4 2012

Alpha Boy’s ‘Heroes On Tape’ album

Alpha Boy

Berlin based SynthWave producer Norman Knight, better known as Alpha Boy, is fast becoming one of he most prolific artist on the scene. It was only April that he released his last compilation of work, the Blockbuster Album, and he’s already set with a brand new LP. Released today, Heroes On Tape cements Alpha Boy’s status as one of SynthWave’s unsung heroes. How does he keep the quality up?

From the second the album begins, with an intro piece titled Crus’n In 1982, it;s clear that despite his high quantity output, Alpha Boy isn’t just chucking out any old tracks. Heroes On Tape is fourteen track of some of the best ‘80’s inspired Electro around. The album is built around tributes to classic TV shows and movies of the decade. With titles like Master Of The Universe, Macgyver, Harold F., Flux Capacitor, BMX and Starman, the album is is the music equivalent of a night in with a stack of VHS tapes. Continuing the trend seen on Blockbuster, Heroes On Tape keeps the retro soundtrack feel, but moves itself away from standard SynthWave fare with musical nod to classic SynthPop and Pop of the era with rolling drum fills and catchy lead lines. Various tracks take on audio cues too, like Danielson [sic] (as in Daniel San), a homage to The Karate Kid, which gently covers the post-Italo electronics with an oriental feel and the tense sense of urgency found amongst I’m Coming To Get You. Highlights of the album have to be the warm Sci-Fi Italo melodies of Master Of The Universe, which dips and builds and never looses it’s dancefloor excitement. Harold F., a track so full of soaring synth leads that just listening to it is uplifting. Flux Capacitor, which powers along in rapid fire arpeggios, keeping things danceable amidst the hypnotic synths and evocate tones, and the nostalgic electronic pump of BMX. Alpha Boy has delivered another amazingly good body of work here, how he keeps up the pace is anyone’s guess, but he never seems to let the high output damage the music’s quality, in terms of either arrangement or production. Definitely recommended SynthWave.

♫ Alpha Boy – Master Of The Universe

♫ Alpha Boy – Harold F.

♫ Alpha Boy – Flux Capacitor

♫ Alpha Boy – BMX

Heroes On Tape is released today at Alpha Boy’s Bandcamp.

Buy Alpha Boy’s music from:

Aug 31 2012

Arc Neon’s ‘Night Heat’ EP

Arc Neon

‘Night Heat’ is the new EP from London SynthWave producer Arc Neon. His second since moving on from Indie-Electro outfit Wolf And Yeti into the realms of ‘80’s soundtrack inspired electronics. Whereas his last EP, Wet Dreams, was very focused on samples from news reports etc… this new collection is much more a self contained imaginary soundtrack.

Kicking off with Prey For Your Life, the EP immediately sets itself up as an ominous musical narrative. This headmost track droops you right in the thick of it, with Italo basslines and stabbing lead synths conjuring feelings of oppressive city nights and the shady, desperate, lives of those within. Arguable the EP’s lead track, Night Heat Theme is a definite cop show classic, this is where Arc Neon shows if his musical chops. The track is five minutes of intertwining melodies, intricately crated, SynthWave, based on a vintage drum machine beat, that adds layers and layers of hooks lead lines until it reaches it’s emotional peak. At this point the the EP, you really start to feel how Arc Neon sets himself apart from a lot of the SynthWave pack. His retro influenced go beyond the standard soundtrack fare, with elements of Electronic Soul and B-Boy Electro permeating all of his track, not just in terms of arrangement, but production style too. It’s a refreshing take on the genre.  Midnight Madman is a chaotic mid-point of the EP, juxtaposing hard Industrial beats with euphoric leads to produce a schizophrenic aural assault. This a nicely followed by the moody respite of Breaking In By Moonlight, loaded with lush atmospherics and an urban bassline and The Golden Rule, the EP’s most standard SynthWave track, rich in progressions that inspire. The EP ends on perhaps it’s strongest track, Femmé Fatalé (Ending Theme) (although, soundtracks ending themes being their highlight isn’t exactly unusual). Femmé Fatalé revolves around a haunting melody that will be stuck in your head all day, it’s a unique production in the world of SynthWave, placing raw Electro Funk alongside heartfelt synth soundtrack work to brilliant effect. The SynthWave scene feels like it’s due for a shake up soon, the danger is there of it becoming full of copycats, and growing stale, Arc Neon is amongst those who could do the shaking.

♫ Arc Neon – Femmé Fatalé (Ending Theme)

♫ Arc Neon – Night Heat Theme

♫ Arc Neon – Breaking In By Moonlight

Arc Neon’s Night Heat EP is out now.

Buy Arc Neon’s music from:

Aug 31 2012

Kelek reMixes Freedom Fry

Freedom Fry

Coming up right behind Starcadian’s amazing reMix of NYC Indie-Electro duo Freedom Fry’s Summer In the City, comes this mix from one of our favourite German producers Kelek. Where as Staracadian took a lush, urban approach to the track, Kelek goes all out 80’s Italo. No lazy, smooth electric pain here, this is aimed squarely at the dancefloor.

Kelek really knows how to work a melody, his reMix of Summer In The City works layers of synthesizer hooks into one powerful whole. A killer Italo bassline underpins the track, immensely energetic, providing a rock solid core for rich chords, sparkling leads and just the right amount of vocal to make this track a proper retro smash. Whereas Starcadian’s reMix was a chilled out, introspective vibe, this version of the track is all about dancefloor euphoria. It’s uplifting as hell, and catchy enough to stick in your heal all day.

♫ Freedom Fry – Summer In The City (Kelek reMix)

Summer In The City  is out now.

Buy Freedom Fry’s music from:

Aug 30 2012

Visitor reMixed by Viceroy

visitor

Generally we don’t like to be all smug music writers and go on about how we get records before you grubby lot do, but in this case we kinda’ have to quickly mention that we have Visitor’s forthcoming double A-side single package, Coming Home/RNB, and it’s amazing. An easy contender for one of the releases of the year and loaded with reMixes so good it’s hard to pick a favourite. This Viceroy reMix is just one of the all killer tracks on the single.

San Francisco’s Viceroy is in good company amongst Lifelike, FM Attack, Bestrack and SymbolOne. Their reMix may be the funkiest, and most energetic. Coming Home is a true anthem anyway, and Viceroy takes that and runs with it.  This is a real peak time track, working Visitor’s epic vocals into a track that is pure dancefloor joy. Rapid fire arpeggios, pin-point sharp melodies and synth pads that ring out couple with a couple rich organ drops that just accentuate the power of the track when it kicks back in. This release really is all killer, no filler. I can’t wait for you lot to hear it.

♫ Visitor – Coming Home (Viceroy reMix)

Visitor’s Coming Home/RNB is released 10th September.

Buy Visitor’s music from:

Aug 29 2012

Shiny Toy Guns’ ‘Fading Listening’

ShinyToyGuns

Are our favourite Electro-Rockers Shiny Toy Guns finally getting the Dreamwave fever? Their new single Fading Listening, the second to be taken from their forthcoming album III is funky as hell, and that’s not necessarily a thing you usually say about Shiny Toy Guns. Neither are ‘tropical’, ‘beach Funk’ or ‘laid back groove’, but these things might have to be said now.

Fading Listening is a surprising track from these guys. It’s also very good. It’s so surprising, I still can’t believe it’s them. Adding a little Tropical flavour to their music, as is fashionable, I could get my head around, but Fading Listening is is full-on Binary style Dreamwave. Mixing up a little beach Funk with their duet, Shiny Toy Gun deliver a laid back groove, full of nostalgia and good vibes. We were pretty interested in their upcoming new album, if it’s full of vintage Pop like this, we’re pretty excited.

♫ Shiny Toy Guns – Fading Listening

Buy Shiny Toy Guns’ music from:

Aug 27 2012

Alfa’s ‘Final Project’

Alfa

We don’t get to hear nearly enough from Binary crew member Alfa. New tracks are few and far between, but when they do come along it just reminds us why we need to hear more form him. This latest track to surface is titled Final Project, we’re hoping that’s just a title, and not a description.

Final Project is probably the smoothest track Alfa has delivered. From the retro beats and low-down bump of the bassline in the tracks initial bars you know this is going to be a slick ride. The track is laced with warm synths and a groove that’s just right for late night dancefloors. It’s one of those carefree, get lost in it, tunes. The kind that, whist you;re getting down to it, you forget about the world. Sprinkled with little vocal and guitar flourishes, Final Project takes us back to those exciting days of Dreamwave’s formation. Just let it soar.

♫ Alfa – Final Project

Buy Alfa’s music from:

    

Aug 24 2012

Silenx’s ‘Hyperion’

Silenx

A new track from from Portuguese funky retro SynthWave guru Silenx is always cause for celebration, and Friday is just when we like them, it;s something to funk out way into the weekend with. So today is Friday, and Silenx has released this little synthetic groove monster, prefect timing.

Hyperion warbles along on a spikey, rolling Moogy bassline full of funk flourishes laying the groundwork for a cosmic array of ringing chimes and inspiring chords. Silenx has dropped another one of his galactic Disco tunes, once again soundtracking a wondrous journey through deep space. Everything in this track is Sci-Fi evocative. The grumbling bassline the ships engines, the resonant chords the depth of space and the twinkling melodies…well, you can guess where we’re going with this. Silenx always manages to make his tunes both funky as hell and dreamily atmospheric. That’s no mean feat and we salute him for it.

♫ Silenx – Hyperion

Hyperion is out now at Silenx’s Bandcamp.

Buy Silenx’s music from:

 

Aug 24 2012

Lenno’s Summer Mix part 2

lenno

Lenno – Summer Mix 2012 Pt. 2 = Finland’s finest is back with the second part of his Summer mixtape series. Just as huge as the first one, Lenno drops some of the biggest Electro, Disco and House tunes of the moment.

♫ Lenno – Summer Mix 2012 Pt. 2

The tracklist:

01. Breakbot – One Out Of Two (Oliver reMix)
02. Bit Funk – It’s My Love
03. Gigamesh – Your Body
04. Eumig & Chinon – This Fang
05. Sohight – Get It Right (Patchwork reMix)
06. Koobra – Only You feat. Joanna
07. Aston Shuffle – Won’t Get Lost (’96 Bulls reMix)
08. Strip Steve – Hood
09. Justice – New Lands (Falcon reMix)
10. Anna Lunoe & Touch Sensitive – Real Talk
11. Gracias – 40k Volts (Lenno reMix)
12. Foster The People – Don’t Stop (Oliver reMix)
13. Roman D’Amour – Make Love Tonight (Lifelike reMix (Lenno Re-Edit))
14. Pryda Vs. The Temper Trap – Mighty Love & Sweet Disposition (Lenno Mashup)
15. Russ Chimes – Back 2 You
16. Timo Juuti & Hector 87 – Cheap Bad Moves

Buy Lenno’s music from: