Pyramid’s ‘Troubles’

Pyramid

Pyramid is going from strength to strength, every time he releases a new slice of Sci-Fi electronica it’s even more awesome than the last.

The French SynthWave genius’ latest tune ‘Troubles’ is a slow burning synthesizer delight. Building layers upon layers of machine melodies and arpeggios Pyramid carries the listener away to some futuristic dystopia. I immediately want to compare to Vangelis or Jarre, but out of the two I think Pyramid leans toward the Jarre side of things, he seems to be able to capture the same kind of moods, the same contradictory optimistic melancholia, in his tunes.

Pyramid – Troubles

Pyramid’s album, ‘Lost In Space’ is out now.

Buy Pyramid’s music from:

Silenx’s new tune

Silenx

Portuguese SynthWave producer Silenx’s new tune, ‘Space Love’ is an almost perfect slice of epic Nu-Italo.

There’s so much going on in this tune, it’s like a Russian doll, once you’ve absorbed one layer there is more to get out of it. Silenx is easily one of the best retro synth producers out there right now and ‘Space Love’ is a perfect example of why. It’s a deep , emotional groove that carries you along with it’s story, from the Italo bassline to the sweeping, involving pads the track has something to say. I can’t wait for a whole album of Silenx tunes!

Silenx – Space Love

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Pelifics & Electric Youth

Pelifics

This week sees the release of Pelifics’s first of two incoming ‘Lifetime’ EPs on Toronto’s Brilliantine records.

We previewed one of the EPs tracks in January that saw Norway’s Pelifics teaming up with Human Life, now you can have a listen to what is arguable the most eagerly awaited track on the EP, his collaboration with Electric Youth, ‘Wish It Could Last’. The track is pretty awesome,  a bouncy retro ElectroPop track. Just slightly minimal and just slightly melancholy but all fun. Built on Bronwyn’s classic sounding vocals and Pelifics’ amazing grasp on big, lush synth sounds and textures, ‘Wish It Could Last’ is exactly how retro Pop should be sounding.

♫ Pelifics (Feat. Electric Youth) – Wish It Could Last

The ‘Lifetime Pt 1’ EP is out now with part 2 coming in March.

Buy Pelifics’ music from:

     

Electronic Rumors Volume 1 – Out now on CD & Digital

05_ electronic_rumors_digital_cover

Well, it’s finally out in the wild, the last seven months of my life have come to fruition as we are amazingly proud to present ‘electronic rumors volume 1’.

I won’t go on about it, it’s possible that i would have a hard time reviewing it objectively, so take a listen to Ride The Universe’s awesome minimix of the compilation featuring all 15 tracks.

It’s almost weird that it’s real now and if you like physical media I would really recommend the CD, it comes in a stunning DigiPak designed by Sebastian Bentler.

♫ Electronic Rumors Volume 1 MiniMix (Mixed By Ride The Universe)

electronic rumors & Ninthwave Records
Present
electronic rumors Volume One

Available 13th February 2012 on CD and Digital Download featuring the best in new ElectroPop, Dreamwave, Nu-Disco and Indie-Electro.

For the past four years music blog electronic rumors (electronicrumors.com) has been serving up the latest and greatest news and tracks in the world of Electro/Disco/Indie/Dreamwave/Synth/Stuff/Thing/Pop and now they have teamed up with respected Us ElectroPop label Ninthwave Records (Heaven17/White Town/The Modern) to release electronic rumors Volume 1, featuring of some of the best artists making Dreamwave, Nu-Disco, ElectroPop and Indie-Electro in the last twelve months including exclusive tracks from Ride The Universe (Dreamwave supergroup acclaimed, for their reMixes, with their début original), the much hyped Show Your Shoe, Futurecop!, beaumont, Substatic and Echoes and the first time on CD for Queen Of Hearts and Ronika, both tipped by the mainstream press for chart dominance in 2012. They feature alongside some of the most exciting electronic music that broke out in 2011.

01. Vanbot – Make Me, Break Me
02. Fear Of Tigers – The Adventures Of Pippi Longstrump (Diamond Cut reMix)
03. Queen Of Hearts – Where Are You Now? (StardonE Radio Mix)
04. Echoes – Second Best
05. Ronika – Wiyoo
06. Cosmonaut Grechko – All I Hear (Cosmo Black reMix)
07. Ride The Universe – A Little Better (Feat. Jane Elizabeth Hanley)
08. Substatic – Gold
09. LexiconDon – December Sunset (Keenhouse reMix)
10. She’s The Queen – Waiting Game
11. Futurecop! – Me & U
12. Kid Kasio – Not For Turning
13. Show Your Shoe – Krokodil
14. Short Circuit – Let Go (NightWaves reMix)
15. beaumont – Reptile Blaze

Both the CD and Digital release happen Monday 13th February and will be available from most stockists.

Purchase links:
UK & EU
[Dig:]
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/electronic-romors-volume-1/id498760696
http://www.junodownload.com/products/1903189-02.htm
http://www.beatport.com/release/electronic-romors-volume-1/864460
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electronic-Rumors-Volume-1/dp/B0072QVHM0
http://www.amazon.de/Electronic-Rumors-Volume-1/dp/B0072N17VE
http://www.amazon.fr/Electronic-Rumors-Volume-1/dp/B0072K70H2/
http://www.djshop.de/Download-Various+Artists-Electronic+Rumors+BVolume+1/ex/s~details,u~8400017349,p1~mp3/xe/details.html
[CD:]
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007219PJ2

US
[Dig:]
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/electronic-romors-volume-1/id498760696
http://www.junodownload.com/products/1903189-02.htm
http://www.beatport.com/release/electronic-romors-volume-1/864460
http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Rumors-Volume-1/dp/B0072I8WD0
[CD:]
http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Rumors-One-Various/dp/B007219PJ2

ROW
[Dig:]
http://www.junodownload.com/products/1903189-02.htm
http://www.beatport.com/release/electronic-romors-volume-1/864460
http://www.djdownload.com/mp3-detail/Various/Electronic+Rumors+Volume+1/Ninthwave+Media/4909476
http://www.amazon.co.jp/Electronic-Rumors-Volume-1/dp/B0072I6EV2
[CD:]
http://www.ninthwaverecords.com/electronicrumorsvolume1.html

SPOTIFY:
http://open.spotify.com/album/3J3DLBwTHYUpgsB9rnvTLP

And most other usual stockists!

Shelby Grey’s new single

shelby grey

Taken from his fantastic album of last year, ‘Chains Of Love’ is Shelby Grey’s new single, released next Monday (the day for awesome releases!!!) by ‘the ever-awesome Holographic People’.

‘Chains Of Love’ is the amazing Balearic Acid Space Disco musical journey that graced the ‘The Music Is On His Side’ album and one of the tracks that made that record uncategorizable. This is a track with a Mediterranean beach vibe that works perfectly in synth with Acid burbling. Both relaxing and exciting ‘Chains Of Love’ is one of those tracks that shows off what a talent Shelby Grey is. The reMix package come loaded with fine work, chief amongst them is Clancy’s standout take on the track, bringing his Disco fuelled Dreamwave flavour to the single. With an absolutely massive Italo bassline, Clancy completely commands the track, letting waves and waves of lush retro synth wash over it. Vicknoise take a different approach, with a hypnotic slow building track who’s machine like order belies an optimistic soul.

♫ Shelby Grey (Feat. Wallace & Guzman) – Chains of Love

♫ Shelby Grey (Feat. Wallace & Guzman) – Chains of Love (Clancy Rework)

♫ Shelby Grey (Feat. Wallace & Guzman) – Chains of  Love Vicknoise reMix)

‘Chains Of Love’ is released Monday and also features a reMix from Hal Incandenza, the new alter ego of Henry Saiz.

Buy Shelby Grey’s music from:

       

Lazerhawk’s ‘Visitors’ album

Lazerhawk

To say Lazerhawk’s second album, ‘Visitors’ had been long, and eagerly awaited is a bit of an understatement. For a while now the Austin based SynthWave wizard has been teasing us with EPs and tracks, hinting at what the full thirteen track galactic odyssey would hold. Well, the wait is over.

And ‘Visitors’ was worth the wait, it’s a retro synth soundtrack masterpiece, and one of those records that should be taken in as a whole, the overriding thematic structure of this collection of Sci-Fi instrumentals works as a definite narrative. A journey on a cosmic scale played out amongst the sweeping synths and Italo beats. I don’t usually like reviewing albums track-by-track, it makes for boring reading and is a bit lazy, but there are a few songs on ‘Visitors’ that i have to mention. The album kicks off with ‘Lazaerhawk’s Theme’. I can’t remember the last time I heard an album opener so perfectly chosen, the track both introduces you, in majestic fashion, and sets you up for the rest of the records. It’s a big, powerful opener with a sense of the ominous, which is just the right way to send the listener on their way through the album. This is a more mature album that Lazerhawk’s début, ‘Redline’, not only is the production stronger but the whole record feels more considered, this isn;’t just a collection of songs, Lazerhawk is trying to do something here. Of course, in amongst all this space age scoring there is still enough kick-ass Outrun Electro to keep you dancing. ‘Shoulder Of Orion’ is particularly full-on post-Italo SynthWave awesomeness, while ‘Disco Planet’ pays a visit to synthesizer Disco of the late ‘70’s and ‘Star Hustler’ is a pure Italo gold experience.. More than that though, ‘Visitors’ is about the story it has to tell, and what that conjures in the listeners imagination.

♫ Lazerhawk – Lazerhawk’s Theme

♫ Lazerhawk – Visitors

♫ Lazerhawk – Shoulder Of Orion

♫ Lazerhawk – Beyond The Infinite Void

♫ Lazerhawk – Star Hustler

‘Visitors’ is out now on Rosso Corsa Records.

Buy Lazerhawk’s music from:

New music from Final DJs

finaldjs

Final DJs are so kind, they know we’re all waiting for their début single, but they don’t want to see up kept waiting, bored. So they keep dropping new tunes, and we stay happy.

‘NEON’ is their latest creation, a tune that drinks deep from the wells of both Italo and Disco. A futuristic, robotic, jam who’s machine arpeggios are tempered by soulful solos. It’s sweeping filers moving the track to rise and fall. This is night drive music with a difference, unfortunately no-one can yet get the full effect of this track, as the complete ‘NEON’ experience would involve a night drive, but through a future dystopia in a hover-car. I‘m defiantly keeping ‘NEON’ around until we’re flying around holographic billboards in Spinners.  Final DJs have also dropped their rework of Bee Gees’ ‘E.S.P.’, which is actually a pretty inspired Edit, the original track really lends itself well to a a rework. it’s such a good choice, and done so well, I’m surprised no-one has done this before.

Final DJs – NEON

Bee Gees – E.S.P. (Final DJs Higher And Higher Rework)

Final DJs’ début single is out soon on On The Fruit.

Check out more from Final DJs on their SoundCloud.

Keenhouse’s new EP

keenhouse

In March, one of out favourite musicians (note, I said musician, not producer!) Keenhouse is back with a new EP, ‘Better Days’.

The new record is four tracks of Keenhouse’s freeform Disco that, once again, perfectly display Ken’s exceptional talent both as in instrumentalist and an arranger. The last few years have seen Keenhouse move more and more into an almost Jazz take on Nu-Disco and ‘Better Days’ is no exception. It’s a melting pot of ideas, effortlessly shifting from style to style, from riff to riff, everything held in place with a deep disco groove. the second part of ‘Better Days’ is a more raw House track that owes a lot to Chicago House and Beep House of the late ‘80’s/early ‘90’s, it’s got that mixture of robots beats and a raw experimentalism that could have seen it released in the early days of Warp Records.

♫ Keenhouse – Better Days (1)

Keenhouse – Better Days (2)

‘Better Days’ is released 5th March on Beatport and 12th March  worldwide.

Buy Keenhouse’s music from:

      

Goldroom X Citizens!

citizens

Once more Josh Legg has knocked it out of the park with his latest Goldroom reMix. I would say the constant quality is getting tedious if it wasn’t for the fact that his reMixes rock.

this time around it’s Kitsuné’s Citizens! turn for a ride on the Goldroom train as their ‘Reptile’ gets and almost Italo workout. Check out those bright, shimmering synths, like something straight out of an optimistic ‘80’s Sci-Fi movie, a new feature to Goldroom’s arsenal, but one that slips in effortlessly with the laidback funk we’ve come to love. Mixing that with Citizens! track actually results in the most ‘80’s Goldroom track to date, an interesting, but not in the slightest unwelcome, development.

♫ Citizens! – Reptile (Goldroom reMix)

‘Reptile’ is released 19th March with reMixes from remixes by ATTAR!, Cosmic Kids & Tony Adams, Matthias Zimmermann and ColeCo.

Buy Citizens!’s music from:

     

Alpha Boy & Jowie Schulner

Ooooo, an Alpha Boy and Jowie Schulner collaboration! That’s the kind of get together worth of an issue of Marvel Team-Up! Two of the most talented players in on the SynthWave scene getting together is like a meeting of retro-minds. You know how in the ‘70’s when two acclaimed Prog Rock guitarists met on the battlefield of the stage, you just know it’s going to be a technical solo extravaganza, well that’s what this is like, with synths.

And it’s totally epic, retro synth work with a musicality of the highest order. The solos are stratospheric and completely allowed to shine by a stripped down Italo backing. I like to thing Jowie and Alpha Boy took turns with the solos, kinda’ like a soaring synth lead battle. Can you imagine this performed live on keytars? That’d be awesome!

♫ Alpha Boy (Feat. Jowie Schulner)- Lost In Space

Buy Alpha Boy’s music from: