Aug 3 2015

[Audio] Earl Grey’s ‘Arabian Nights’

We’re a bit late to posting about this one; although it’s been in our headphones for a while now we appear to have accidently had a little hiatus. Our weeks have been crammed with paid work stuff and our weekends full of fun adventures so the poor old ‘zine has been a little neglected. No matter though, we’ve never been that bothered about being the first to post about something (who remembers the days before Hype Machine when no-one cared about being ‘first’ and people just wrote about music they felt passionately about? Good times!). So anyway, here we are with the new(est) release from Danny Ashenden A.K.A. Earl Grey. Arabian Nights is the title track from his new(est) EP and takes us further down this one time Cosmic Disco don, as part of The C90s, ‘s journey into the realms of the dark and twisted.

With each release and reMix from Earl Grey we’ve seen him delve deeper into the world of stripped down, analog grooves. His initial releases giving a nod to his Cosmic Disco roots but opening up a moody Italo sound pallet, it was inevitable that he would end up with both feet firmly planted in the world of strobe-lit Acid. Now, we don’t pretend to hid out love of Acid House, a burbling 303 gets us going (we’re still waiting for Acid Disco to properly become a ‘thing’) so the Earl’s hypnotic synths are right up our street. Arabian Nights plays around with the forms a little, layering 303 lines for added Funk value and mixing up a little old school Electro and Detroit Techno into the mix Juan Atkins style. As ominous as it is groove, Arabian Nights brings the late night, exotic, mysterious, synthetic vibes hard.

♫ Earl Grey – Arabian Nights

Earl Grey’s Arabian Nights is out now.

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May 6 2015

[Video] PJU & Earl Grey’s ‘Call Me’

The amazing collaboration between Punks Jump Up and Earl Grey, Call Me Up, a retro slice of brilliant bassline House, have gone and got itself a fresh new music video. Peep this.

The clip was directed by STVN/STRM and has got that Punks Jump Up style to it with crazy, vintage looking animations.

PJU & Earl Grey’s Call Me Up is out now.

Buy PJU & Earl Grey’s music from:

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Feb 3 2015

[Audio] PJU & Earl Grey’s ‘Call Me Up’

In what must be one of the most exciting collaborations in recent years, London club giants Punks Jump Up have teamed up with one half of The C90s Danny Ashenden A.K.A. Earl Grey. The fruits of this meeting of minds is to be the début release on new Exploited sub-label, Exploited Ghetto, a single titled Call Me Up. These guys have known each other for a while and share a deep love of early Chicago House and analog synths; and if you a fan of either of their musics, or a fan of raw, synthesizer dance music, you’re in for a treat here.

Call Me Up kicks off with a low filtered bass playing a pattern that immediately let’s you know what you’re in for. Channelling warehouse sounds with a hint of Acid; Call Me Up is actually as Detroit as it is Chicago, with a strong Juan Atkins feel to some elements. The hard Roland beats, the robotic vocals, the utterly infections bassline; all this adds up to a track made for strobe lights in dingy clubs and sweaty dancefloors. Only time will tell if a track is classic, but Call Me Up has the chops to stand shoulder to shoulder with the tunes that influenced it; and that’s high praise indeed.

♫ PJU & Earl Grey – Call Me Up

PJU & Earl Grey’s Call Me Up is out 16th March.

Check out more from Punks Jump Up on SoundCloud.
Check out more from Earl Grey on SoundCloud.

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Nov 18 2014

[Audio] Earl Grey reMixes Tunnel Signs’ ‘Traxworks’

Here’s the latest slice of synthesizer goodness from The C90s’ Danny Ashenden in his Earl Grey guise. It;’s for Australian producer Tunnel Signs who’s teamed up with the half of Act Yo Age and awfully named Jerk Boy to release Traxworks, a pretty slick and rumbling Techno track that Earl Grey lifts into space-age House territory.

Earl Grey’s take on the tune is a glorious burbling House track that leans heavily both on Acid and Cosmic Disco with a sweet does of Bleep House thrown in for good measure (and seeing as Bleep House is one of our favourite forms of House music, that seriously endears the track to us). Danny keeps the track spacious and atmospheric, with layers of Sci-Fi soundscaping, but never looses sight of that tight tight warehouse vibe; delivering an out-of-body dancefloor experience.

♫ Tunnel Signs & Jerk Boy – Traxworks (Earl Grey ‘Tunnel Of Love’ reMix)

Tunnel Signs & Jerk Boy’s Traxwork is out 26th November.

Buy Tunnel Signs’ music from:

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Feb 4 2014

[Audio] Earl Grey reMixes Paul Johnson’s ‘Let Me See You Butterfly’

The latest work from electronaut Earl Grey comes in the form of his contribution to a collection of reMixes of Chicago legend Paul Johnson’s 1984 Traxmen tune Let Me See You Butterfly Released this week the single boasts a whopping nine different versions of the tune. Earl Grey keeps it deep and old school on his hypnotic mix.

With pulsating vintage synths, Earl Grey occasionally weaves into the realm of dark Italo with this one whilst keeping a true warehouse vibe. The bass is think, the vocals space, the apreggios subtly and mesmerising and above all, the beat ticks along in true Chicago House style. Earl Grey is developing quite the knack for delivering interesting electronic music whilst keeping things dancefloor orientated. It’s a fine balance between the experimental and the groovy, and Earl Grey walks the line well.

♫ Paul Johnson – Let Me See You Butterfly (Earl Grey reMix)

Paul Johnson’s Let Me See You Butterfly out now.

Buy Paul Johnson’s music from:

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Oct 30 2013

[Download] Earl Grey reMixes Iñigo & Kamizi’s ‘Foreplay’

You know when Earl Grey drops a new tune that you have to prepare your ears for something a little different, a little interesting, and it’s no different with his latest tune. It’s a reMix of Mexicans Iñigo & Kamizi’s forthoming single Foreplay, and it mines the depth of early Futurist SynthPop and 80s space-age Italo to deliver an enigmatic synthetic groove with nods to B-boy Electro.

Through the tune there’s a strain of distorted vocals that would have sat quite nicely on some mid-80s EBM, but the rest of the tune delivers an amalgamation of post-Kraftwerkian dance music. Taking in everything from a early Bronx beat to an epic Italo arpeggio line, this truly is a tune for connoisseurs of electronic music and one that highlights Earl Grey as a standout producer amongst his peers. Oh, did we mention it’s damn funky too, in a lonely broken robot kinda’ way.

♫ Iñigo & Kamizi – Foreplay (Earl Grey Sextrumental Mix)

Iñigo & Kamizi’s Foreplay is released 4th November.

Buy Iñigo & Kamizi’s music from:

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Sep 3 2013

[Audio] Earl Grey reMixes Decibels’ ‘Regulator/Moderator’

British Electro-Art-Poppers Decibels continue to plunder the rich treasures of the UK Nu-Disco and House worlds for reMix talent as this week they released their new single, Regulator/Moderator, whose list of reMixers reads like a whos who is the movers and shakers on the scene. Alongside work from the likes of Bufi, Tronik Youth and Discotexas head honcho Mr. Mitsuhirato and MiGHty mOUse comes this huge tune from Earl Grey. Hold tight!

Mr. Ashenden dives head first into left-field House with his work on this one. Playfully weaving a track around a pulsating bass beat, that gets kinda’ hypnotic by the end of the tune, the Earl of Grey braps out with intertwining waves of synth effects and snatched melodies. The Slo-Mo tempo carries over to the modulated vocals, taking on an almost eerie quality while the track transfixes you for it’s four and a half minute duration.

♫ Decibels – Regulator/Moderator (Earl Grey ‘Aurora Borealis’ reMix)

Decibels’ Regulator/Moderator is out now.

Buy Decibels’ music from:

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Jul 18 2013

[Audio] Earl Grey reMixes Clique Talk’s ‘Uncomfortable’

Here we have the latest slice of reMix gold from Danny Ashenden, A.K.A. Earl Grey A.K.A. one half of The C90s. Earl Grey has been serving up some of the more ecclectic synthesizer Disco in recent months and in one of his many reMixes due to see the light of day this month he tackles Chicago ElectroPop duo Clique Talk’s forthcoming single Uncomfortable.

Keeping things in a vintage SynthPop groove, Earl Grey mashes in a Dubby Disco and House foundation amongst all the piecing snyths to create something both Cosmic and down-to-earth. Dark and bass sounds playing up against dreamlike flourishes plays well with the half-diva/half-post-punk vocal style creating an all round late 70s/early 80s feel to this reMix. Not without it;s bright lead lines and energetic high points, this reMix mostly rests on it’s ability to deliver something fantastical and futuristic while keeping the dancefloor moving.

♫ Clique Talk – Uncomfortable (Earl Grey Vox)

Clique Talk’s Uncomfortable is out soon.

Buy Clique Talk’s music from:

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Apr 26 2013

[MP3] Earl Gray’s début EP (+ Thrillionaire reMix)

I never know whether to spell grey, grey or gray. Is there a difference? I mention this purely so you’ll forgive me if I spell it wrong at any point in this post, as Danny Ashenden, better know as one half of The C90s, has chosen to spell it grey in the moniker of his new solo project, Earl Grey. We’ve already heard a few of his reMixes in the months just gone, but it’s high time we turned out attention to his début EP, released next week on La Belle, which we have been rocking to in the past couple of weeks.

The EP’s titled Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea, which may be referencing Earl Grey’s departure from The C90s upbeat Disco sound into something a bit deeper, more thoughtful and, dare I say it, a little more avant-garde. But as you know this is a departure that is right up our street, so as Danny busts out the brooding space Italo and synthesizer prog. The EP kicks off with, we would say, it’s strongest track, Through The City. A track that blends SynthWave with the mood of Moroder’s more introspective material, vocoders and analog warblings blend together with rich chords to create an imposing, yet familiar, mood that flows into Jus Clap, a track with more House in it’s DNA. Jus Clap takes an intoxicating warehouse vibe to the extreme, slowing down the Chicago vibe until it’s utterly hypnotic. Regent’s Park’s blend of Tropical percussion and live electronics is nicely intersected with the occasional B-Boy beat in a track that calls to mind the freestyle synthesizer experimentalism of the early 80s. The EP plays out with it’s most accessible, and probably the most DJ friendly, tune Pong. Pong is an undulating slice of Cosmic Disco with hints on Minimal Synth and a sprinkling of House. Delivering a sound not dissimilar to Scandinavian Nu-Disco in it’s perfect blend of the galactic, and the very human. Pong balances icy tones with quirky, playful melodies creating something for your mind and your feet. Not Everyone’s Cup Of Tea is definitely worth investigation for pretty much anyone with an interest in electronic music.

♫ Earl Grey – Pong

While you’re here check out Earl Grey’s new reMix for LA’s Thrillionaire, and their single of last year, Wie Gehts? (a title that can’t help but remind us of GCSE German), for more of Danny’s warm, enveloping electronics. Folding the gently vocals into the track as another instrument, this reMix wraps the listener in waves of swirling, surprising, sounds.

♫ Thrillionaire – Wie Gehts? (Earl Grey reMix)

Earl Grey’s Not Everyone Cup Of Tea EP is released 29th April.

Check out more from Earl Gray on SoundCloud.

Follow @electronicrumor

Jan 8 2013

[MP3] Earl Grey reMixes Kido Yoji

Toady seems full of old track that are just seeing the light of day, and sound amazingly fresh despite their age. Check out this reMix from Danny Ashenden, better know as one half of The C90s, in his Earl Grey guise. It’s of Kido Yoji’s Won’t You Come Again? that, for one reason or another, didn’t make the single. It’s two years old (Kido’s not even realising solo track any more), but it sounds as fresh as anything you’ll hear this year.

Maybe the future Funk was just too futuristic for Yoji’s label? Who knows? What we do know, though, is this tune lays on the laid back synth Fun, thick. The Tokyo producer’s beloved talkbox vocals fit like a glove with Earl Grey’s blissful beats. Like a sunset on a alien shore, this reMix nicely combines a chilled beach groove with a touch of Cosmic Disco. If you like your synth sound spacey, and your Disco relaxed, then this is the tune for you.