Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
Nitzer Ebb’s Control, I’m Here from1988. Classic Ebb, before they went a bit funny.
The Shamen 1988 Indie hit Jesus Loves Amerika. Not moving any mountain now are we? The Shamen, post-Industrial, pre-Mr. C.
1981 saw Duran Duran’s chart breakthrough with Planet Earth. It stared a revolution.
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London gloomy ElectroPop duo Evokateur are about to release their new EP. Chime Hours is the follow up to the awesome Crow’s Wedding record. The new release joins the dots between Evokateur’s Gothy beginnings and their more Poppy recent output. Not only that, but there is a reMix by my friend and yours, the one and only, Mr. Fear Of Tigers.
Chime Hours kicks off with 1684, a swirling, lush tune that neatly sits in a place between robotic and ethereal. Hector laying down his usual beats, arpeggios and Industrial flourishes whist Sarah delivers an dramatic, gothic vocal. this opening track is actually pretty straight forward ElectroGoth, but Post, which follows, is a track with a lot more depth, both musically and vocally. There’s less pomp and more feeling in the vocal in Post, and the music is more surprising, more intelligent. The arrangement is actually quite Rocky, but the eclectic use of sounds and a quiet authenticity in Sara’s voice really lift this tune. White Horses, with all it’s EBM distortion and Glitchy, hides a powerful song underneath it’s Numanoid sheen. An infectious stom underpinning a really catchy tune. The cinematic lament of How Long plays out the EP, leaving room only for Fear Of Tigers’ reMix of White Horses. Is there anything Ben has touched that didn’t turn to gold? This time the Fear Of Tigers treat comes in the form of a Indie tinged Dreamwave tune that digs the song out of White Horses and lets it find it’s feet. Lifted by Fear Of Tigers rich layers of synth nostalgia the vocals are lifted to a whole new place. Ending the EP on a euphoric high. We kinda’ get the feeling that, right now, Evokateur is in danger of going from something quite special, to being another ElectroGoth band. And that’ll probably be the last we hear from them. It hasn’t quite happened yet, Chime Hours is a beautiful, immersive listening experience, and one we would recommend, but the warning signs are there. We have out fingers crossed that that doesn’t happen.
♫ Evokateur – White Horses
♫ Evokateur – White Horses (Fear Of Tigers Rmx)
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Calfskin is a hard ElectroPop project from Belgium. The solo work of Konstantin De Winter, we’ve actually been debating whether to feature Calfskin for the past week, it’s pretty EBM/FuturePop, which tends to make out toes curl a bit in 2012, but Calfskin managed to win us over in the simplest of ways. By having some damn good songs.
So, upfront, it does sound a little dated. FuturePop had it;s peak in the very early 2000’s, and Calfskin does sound a bit like like it’s stuck in a timebubble. But here’s the good news, if you’re going to sound dated, sound like the good dated stuff, and Calfskin does, having more in common with the intelligent talents of the scene, such as Neuroticfish and Seabound, than the tedious “I can use an arpeggiator” bands that killed FuturePop. Calfskin has just released a new EP, Standing Eight, containing five emotionally charged, driving ElectroPop tracks. The easy standout of the EP is One Step Over (also released as a free single), which is catchy as hell, the chorus will stick in your head all day. Accompanied with rich layers of evocative electronic and a pounding beat. And that really sums up Calfskin’s Standing Eight, you may feel like you’re dancing in an Industrial club in 2001, but the songs are so good, and so infections, you probably won’t care.
♫ Calfskin – One Step Over
♫ Calfskin – Soul Searching
Calfskin’s Standing Eight EP is out now, you can grab the free single of One Step Over here.
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Well here’s an interesting treat for a Tuesday morning. A previously unreleased track from legendary avant-garde SynthPop act hardCORPS. Bravo was a live staple for the band around the mid to late ‘80’s but never made it’s way to release.
From around 1986, Bravo, is a sublime, pulsating, slice of ‘80’s Futurism. A post-Industrial robotic march tempered by swelling, evocative, synth chords. The soundtrack to a dystopian metropolis, hardCOPRS have always blended a raw brutality with pure beauty. Regine’s vocals drift across the track like smoke curling through the city, guiding the listener through the musical dark alleyways. No-one really does futurism like this anymore, which is a pity. All-in-all this track has really made my day.
♫ hardCORPS – Bravo (Unreleased)
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Purveyors of perverted Disco In Flagranti return this month with a new single on Codek. Aside from desperately needing some kind of web presence (MySpace page is all that’s working? Really guys?) In Flagranti have been responsible for some of the most infectious tracks in the past five years. This new single, Interdisciplinary, sees the Swiss duo heading in a deeper, more synthetic, direction.
Built around a sample from Peter Gordon & Love of Life Orchestra’s classic ‘Don’t Don’t’ from 1980, Interdisciplinary, still has that In Flagranti Disco pump but folds into it a, dare I say it, old school EBM metallic twang alongside some of the best use of vocal samples you’ll hear in a while. Originally released in 2011 after loads of play and a spot on the Gildas’ Kitsuné Club Mix album the track finally sees a decent release with a packed reMix collection. Included in the line up are MODE, who turn the track into a late ‘70’s Disco epic, all wicked licks and big dramatic piano. I’d say Renkas’ mix was most up our street. It’s a deep synth heavy DiscoPop track with added deadpan ElectroClash vocal. It almost sounds retro now! Marius delivers the cosmic end of Disco that works the vocal samples to theatrical effect and builds his reMix to a funky crescendo. Bear Damen’s reMix is, well, lets face it, its’ actually an EBM track, a pretty good one too. Heavy 242 basslines and electronic noodling ahoy! The single also includes word from the likes of Jaguar Trax and is a surprising slice of dark Disco from these guys, but very welcome.
♫ In Flagranti – Interdisciplinary (Original Mix)
♫ In Flagranti – Interdisciplinary (MODE Mix)
♫ In Flagranti – Interdisciplinary (Renkas Mix)
♫ In Flagranti – Interdisciplinary (Marius Mix)
♫ In Flagranti – Interdisciplinary (Bear Damen Mix)
In Flagranti’s Interdisciplinary is released 25th June.
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Released this month is the new single from Belgian Indie-ElectroPop collective Superlux. Tired Of You is the the outfit’s first release for quite while, their Wildness & Trees album from 2007 was their last outing.
Kicking off like an avant-garde cover of The Human League’s Being Boiled, the track soon evolves into a haunting, Lo-Fi ElectroPop jam. Superlux have a stripped down, raw sound that will go down well with the Minimal Synth crowd looking for something slightly less Gothy. The combination of elements in Tired Of You lend themselves to an almost old school EBM sound, maybe that’s the Belgian heritage coming through? the machine beats and rigid analog synths play nicely against the floaty female vocal. Not sure the guitar really adds anything though, probably best to leave that out.
♫ Superlux – Tired Of You
Superlux’s Tired Of You is out
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Madeon – Minimix (Annie Mac Radio 1) = So, give 17 year old wunderkind 5 minutes and he’ll give you more than most DJs with twice or three times his years experience. This 5 minute minimix for Annie Mac BBC Radio 1 show is pretty much Pop Culture part 2. Just jaw dropping.
♫ Madeon – Minimix (Annie Mac Radio 1)
The tracklist (not 100% in order, and I’m pretty sure there some stuff in there that isn’t listed):
Madeon – Shuriken
The Beatles – A Day In The Life
M83 – Intro.
Surkin – Ultra Light
Groove Armada – Look Me In The Eye Sister
Madeon – Icarus (Minimix Edit)
Røyksopp – Happy Up Here
The M Machine – Immigrants
Daft Punk – Outlands
Julian Perreta – Wonder Why (DatA reMix)
Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed (Russ Chimes reMix)
Phonat – Set Me Free
Justice – New Lands (A-Trak reMix)
Skrillex (Feat. The Doors) – Breaking A Sweat (Zedd reMix)
Yuksek (Feat. Amanda Blank) – Extraball
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (Gigamesh reMix)
Oliver – Dirty Talk
Sebastian – Greel
Anoraak – Nightdrive With You (Grum reMix)
Martin Solveig – C’est La Vie
BWO – Sunshine In The Rain
Knife Party – Tourniquet
Para One – Wake Me Up
Feed Me (Feat. Gemini) – Whiskers
Michael Gray – The Weekend
ABC – The Look Of Love
Woodkid – Iron
Gorillaz – Feel Good Inc.
Pendulum – Hold Your Colour
Chic – Stage Fright
La Roux – In For The Kill (Danger Ocean reMix)
Dirtyloud – Needle
Black Kids – Boyfriend (The Twelves reMix)
Kanye West (Feat. Rihanna & Kid Cudi) – All Of The Lights
Justice – Let There Be Light
Sub Focus – Rock It
Kill The Noise – Talk To Me
Capsule – More More More
Justice – Helix
Kavinsky – Nightcall
Madeon – For You
Radiohead – Paranoid Android
Porter Robinson – Say My Name
Muse – Hysteria
Sebastian Ingrosso & Alesso – Calling (R3hab & Swanky Tunes Mix)
Daft Punk – Da Funk
Zedd – Slam The Door
Volta Bureau – Alley Cat
Alan Braxe & Fred Falke – Intro
Wolfgang Gartner – Flexx
The Ting Tings – Shut Up And Let Me Go
Justice & Simian – Never Be Alone
Michael Jackson – Beat It
Rihanna – Russian Roulette
Clock Opera – Once And For All
The Paradise – In Love With You
Clock Opera – Belongings
Madeon – Finale
Lifelike & Kris Menace – Discopolis
Deadmau5 – Raise Your Weapon (Madeon reMix)
Queen – We Will Rock You
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean
Miike Snow – The Wave (Thomas Gold reMix)
Martin Solveig – The Night Out (A-Trak reMix)
Lady Gaga – Bad Romance
Yelle – La Musique
Metronomy – The Look (Camo & Krooked reMix)
Danger – 3h11
Nari & Milani – Atom
Unicorn Kid – Lion Hat
Daft Punk – Short Circuit
Yuksek – On A Train
Kylie Minogue – Get Outta My Way (Penguin Prison reMix)
Martin Solveig – The Night Out (Madeon reMix)
Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You
The Killers – Bones
Russ Chimes – Back 2 You
Madeon – Icarus (Original Mix)
Chic – You Are Beautiful
Perfume – Take Off
Earth Wind & Fire – Let’s Groove
Deadmau5 & Wolfgang Gartner – Animal Rights
Frankmusik – Confusion Girl (Russ Chimes reMix)
Wolfgang Gartner – Illmerica
Daft Punk – Revolution 909
Calvin Harris – The Rain
Mylo – In My Arms
Kanye West – Power
The Killers – This Is Your Life
Kanye West ft. Jay Z – H.A.M
Green Day – Are We The Waiting
The Killers – A Dustland Fairytale
Green Day – 21 Guns
The Clash – London Calling
Alphabeat – What Is Happening
Let’s not forget the astounding Pop Culture itself.
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OK, you either know what I’m talking about with S.P.O.C.K., or you don’t. S.P.O.C.K. are Sweden’s greatest Sci-Fi SynthPop export, with an awesome live show they are probably the most fun band in the galaxy.
They haven’t released a new studio album since 2001, but next month sees the release of a compilation of their output during their time of their own co-owned SubSpace Communications label, which actually includes most of their best years and the best of their huge space-age anthems, such as ‘Where Rockets Fly’.
‘Another Piece Of The Action: The Best Of The Subspace Years’ is released 5th June on limited edition transparent vinyl, CD digipak and digital.
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Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
First up is some seriously smooth early ‘80’s, 1982 to be exact, electronic Soul from Imagination and their classic ‘Just An illusion’.
In the starkest contrast possible we have Front 242, with arguably their Poppiest song, ‘Tragedy For You’ from 1989.
And finally some relaxing, experimental, tones from Tangerine Dream’s ‘Tiergarten’ from 1985. Actually the flip side to ‘Le Parc’, one of the greatest synth tracks ever written.
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In the second of his reMixes for New York singer Matthew Duffy, Manchester’s The Sanfernando Sound turns his power ElectroPop production up to 11. TSS has been getting increasingly dark and abrasive in his tracks, and his reMix here may be the epitome of his direction.
I mean, this isn’t ‘a bit like an EBM’ track anymore, this is just flat out EBM, albeit with an Italo influence. The burbling arpeggios and juggernaut beats are straight from the darkest German dancefloors and work as a nice juxtaposition to Duffy’s emotive vocals. Military cyborg beats against the human fragility of the vocal. Well, that’s until the track hits 2m46s, then we are treated to a whole new beast, a ear melting, passionate, soaring solo drops, as does a new cut-up version of the chorus vocal that elevates the song high above the moody robot-factory grind.
♫ Matthew Duffy – Clever Lover (The Sanfernando Sound reMix)
‘Clever Lover ‘ is out soon.
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electronic rumors 