Mar 10 2011

Mason & Róisín Murphy reMixed by Human Life and Oliver $

Mason and Róisín Murphy’s ‘Boadicea’ is finally out! It seems like ages it’s been slated for release.

The reMix package for the single boasts an awesome line up, including the amazing Evil nine and this killer mix by some of our favourite LA ElectroPoppers Human Life, who appear to have gone for the full on Chicago House workout, complete with massive stabs and acid burbling. If anything can be said about this reMix it’s that it’s fun as hell and commands you to move your feet!

♫ Mason (Feat. Róisín Murphy) – Boadicea (Human Life Dub)

While Oliver $’s reMix is a deep, deep, deep techy House track that is aimed squarely at late night dancefloor action.

♫ Mason (Feat. Róisín Murphy) – Boadicea (Oliver $ reMix)

‘Boadicea’ is out now and taken from the album ’They Are among Us’

Mar 9 2011

Teenage Bad Girl’s ‘Keep Up With You’ video

Teenage Bad Girl have dropped an awesome video for their current single ‘Keep Up With You’.

Right now I’m going to tow the party line and tell you all that this video is the original video for the track from 1982.

Like you’d think any different!

The ‘Keep Up With You’ EP is out now on Citizen Records.

Teenage Bad Girl @ Beatport

Teenage Bad Girl @ Juno

Teenage Bad Girl @ 7Digital

Teenage Bad Girl @ Amazon

Mar 9 2011

Bullmeister (+ Lifelike & Gooseflesh)

Berlin’s Bullmeister are an Indie-ElectroPop trio, who list Phoenix, Goose and Fenech-Soler amongst their influences and seem to put on a crazy live show.

Taking the best of French -House and cramming into some noisy ElectroPop on their new single ‘Baby’ Bullmeister have created a powerhouse Pop jam with all the right riffs and breakdowns. Roping in Nu-Disco genius Lifelike and Electroheads Gooseflesh for the reMixes was an awesome idea. Lifelike turns in a chilled Disco tune with some rad massive synths in and his usual flying arpeggios while Gooseflesh get Ravey with the B-side, ‘It’s Okay’.

♫ Bullmeister – Baby

♫ Bullmeister – Baby (Lifelike reMix)

♫ Bullmeister – It’s Okay (Gooseflesh reMix)

The trio have just been signed to Universal, so expect things to blow up soon.

Bullmeister @ Beatport

Bullmeister @ Juno

Bullmeister @ 7Digital

Bullmeister @ Amazon

Feb 28 2011

ZX, now Zedex, reMixes Fenech-Soler + free EP

Electro-House duo ZX have been a bit quite for a while now, since we last wrote about the them have changed their name (well, spelling at least) to Zedex (which I think is better) and, if their new reMix of their friends Fenech-Soler new current ‘Demons’ is anything to go by, have been developing a smoother, slicker sound.

The reMix rocks more of a Disco vibe than their previous, more distorted noisy House, offerings, showing a defiantly maturing of their sound. This track almost goes Cosmic in places with big, lush, synth pads washed with reverb siting atop deep, deep bassline. there is certainly something unique about Zedex’s tunes, I can’t put my finger on it, maybe there’s a little Chicago House influence in there or something. Whatever it is, it’s Nu-Disco with a twist, and I can’t wait to hear more.

♫ Fenech-Soler – Demons (Zedex reMix)

On top of all this, Fenech-Soler are giving away, or the small price of an email address, an EP of stripped down session versions of four of their best tunes. The White Versions EP is available here.

‘Zulu X-Ray’, Zedex’s awesomely titles second EP is out in April, Fenech-Soler’s ‘Demons’ is out now.

Fenech-Soler @ Beatport

Fenech-Soler @ Juno

Fenech-Soler @ 7Digital

Fenech-Soler @ Amazon

Feb 25 2011

Substatic’s reMix EP

Our favourite Bristol based Electro outfit Substatic rock back next month with the reMix flipside to their amazing ‘Days go On’ EP of last year.

The ‘Days Go On: the_reMixes’ EP contains five blistering versions of those tracks which, should you have bought the EP, have been in your head for the last six months. With a definite Dubstep and D&B slant, the collection ranges from Junk’s D&B powerhouse take on ‘Closer’ to Koudbreak’s deep, almost Trip-Hoppy mix of the same It seems Substatic have chosen their reMixers well, the whole EP flows nicely without any one act sounding too much like the next. Highlights of the EP have to be the aforementioned Junk mix, Lightfires’ string heavy House/Pop clash version of ‘Wild Horses’ and the broken beats Dubstep of Sismique ‘s mix of ‘Edge Of Your Love’.

♫ Substatic – Wild Horses (Lightfires reMix)

♫ Substatic – Edge Of Your Love (Sismique reMix)

Would have like a massive French-House/Nu-Disco mix of ‘Closer’, but you can’t have everything, can you?

‘Days Go On: the_reMixes’ is released 1st March, the original ‘Days Go On’ EP is available now.

Substatic @ Juno

Substatic @ 7Digital

Substatic @ Amazon

Photo by Mark Davis

Feb 18 2011

Binary Week: The Kids Are Radioactive

The Kids Are Radioactive, A.K.A. Jordan Elliot, is they guy who brings a touch of rave to the house of Binary.

There’s no mucking about with TKAR, he wants to see you dance ‘til you drop.
I first notice TKAR on the forth volume of the free Masters Of The Universe compilation, back when the Dreamwave scene was a nameless thing that seemed to spend most of it’s life on MySpace. Since then he has always impressed with they way he brings bangin’ Electro-House tunes into the more melodic, musical realms that his Binary peers inhabit.

With a seemingly flawless knack for knowing what works on the dancefloor, as proved by his string of blog teasing reMixes, and as the youngest member of the Binary family, his productions show surprising musical maturity.

Also, Jordan is an internationally renowned Saxophonist, and if you’re going to play an instrument that doesn’t require electricity, the Sax is defiantly the coolest!

Let’s hear what the man has to say:

ER: First off, many thanks Jordan for chatting with us.

J: The pleasure is all mine.

ER: How did you start getting involved with making music?

J: Hmm let’s see.. The first instrument I learned how to play was the saxophone in elementary school. I studied both jazz and classical growing up¼ From there I learned to play several other instruments and I eventually got into recording my own music.

ER: who are your heroes and influences, both musical and otherwise?

J: My heroes list looks something like this: John Coltrane, Quentin Tarantino, Bob Dylan, Michael Crichton, John Lennon, Alex Ridha, John Bonham, George Orwell.

♫ The Kids Are Radioactive – Cult Classic

ER: When did the Binary crew enter the picture?

J: I remember when Binary wasn’t anything more than an idea! haha. When they hit me up about starting some kind of music collective in 2007 I was just a junior in high school. Josh and Kyle did an amazing job putting the whole thing into motion, eventually it grew into the sick label and company it is now. Looking back on it I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time!

ER: Your music leans more toward Electro-House than the rest of Binary’s roster, are you flying the French-House flag in the Binary camp?

J: Maybe I was at one point, when I first started out that’s exactly what I was going for. It seems my taste changes every other week now. I just try to make tracks that will make people shake it on the dance floor.

♫ The Kids Are Radioactive (Feat. LexiconDon) – Higher

ER: What’s in The Kids Are Radioactive’s studio?

J: A bunch of stuff.. I’ve got a Moog Little Phatty, Studio Electronics SE-1, some guitars and amps, an acoustic jazz bass, a saxophone, a trumpet, some midi controllers, a couple tape recorders, a talk-box that i built out of an old shoe box, some CDJ’s, an electronic drum kit, another real drum kit, and a couch (which is also my bed).

ER: And how much of your studio come out with you when you play live?

J: Usually just the laptop and some controllers.. although I’ve been thinking about starting to play live with more of my analog gear. Actually I’m working on a new live project with a friend of mine who designs lights and visuals.. so maybe more will be coming out soon haha. We’ll have to wait and see how that goes.

ER: If money was no object, what would your dream synth be?

J: It would definitely be a pure analog version of Native Instrument’s plugin “Massive”. That thing is a beast. I use it in pretty much everything.

ER: If money was no object, what synth would you like to get your hands on?

J: It would definitely be a completely custom modular system.. and it definitely would need it’s own room haha.

♫ Lady GaGa – Bad Romance (The Kids Are Radioactive reMix)

ER: What does being part of the Binary family mean to you as a musician?

J: To me being part of the Binary family is always being able to go back to LA and call it home, from chilling on the streets in the Cali sunshine to the best parties and people all night. Croosh tunes and chill vibes all day.

ER: What can we expect from The Kids Are Radioactive in the future?

J: You can definitely expect more new music! Actually, I’m working on a new ep right now for a tune I finished a while back called “Sahara”.. it’s gonna’ have
some desert inspired tent music, haha. And hopefully more gigs out on the east coast while I’m finishing up school too.

ER: Is The Kids Are Radioactive more of a cereal or pile of pancakes for breakfast kinda’ act? Would that change the night after a show?

J: Definitely cereal! I’m a creature of habit.. and I have a certain ritual of eating Jack In The Box after every show no matter what. It’s cheap and it gets the job done. I guess I got into the habit from partying in high school.. it was the best restaurant open at 3 am every day!

♫ Mark Knight & Wolfgang Gartner – Conscindo (The Kids Are Radioactive reMix)

Jordan is working hard on the new The Kids Are Radioactive EP, keep an eye on Binary for news.

The Kids Are Radioactive @ Beatport

The Kids Are Radioactive @ Juno

The Kids Are Radioactive @ Amazon

Feb 17 2011

Binary Week: Alfa

Zak Aldridge, better known to you as Alfa, is Binary’s go-to guy for heavy Electro.

Keeping the sweeping lead lines and melodies of Dreamwave and infusing them with the chainsaw synths of French Electro, Alfa makes music for when you are in the middle of the dancefloor with your hands in the air and your brain not available right now.

An LA native, Zak is the Electro-House Powerhouse of the Binary stable, but don’t think for a moment that means his tunes are unsubtle. Meticulously produced, each Alfa track is not the noisy mess many heavy Electro tracks end up. Clean and crisp, with each gritty synth sound cutting through the mix Zak keeps it hard but never gets lost.

Alfa hooked up with the newly formed Binary crew after receiving some attention for winning The Cryptonites’ ‘Can’t Give You Up’ reMix competition and releasing his own ‘LA Passion’ EP and since the hasn’t looked back.

Here’s what he had to say:

ER: First off, many thanks Zak for chatting with us.

Z: Your welcome 🙂

ER: How did you get into music production?

Z: My life started in ‘99 when I picked up my first guitar. Then a few months later I played drums for the first time and something clicked. That 8th grade summer my destiny was locked—I had found my passion. From Punk, Ska, and Reggae, to Pop-Punk, Indie Rock and Classic Rock, I was going CRAZY trying to find the most suitable music scene for me. Then age 17 came around and I was infatuated with the Hardcore/Grindcore/Death Metal scene. I also had a great interest in dance music. While in my Death Metal band I would venture to the clubs 3 or 4 nights a week. I was 20 and my best friend at the time introduced me to vinyl and sent Reason 3 my way. It was over—I had lost almost all interest in making death metal. If you know anything about good, epic Death Metal, you would know that it’s very complicated and mathematical. So when I made the complete switch over to electronic music, it came very naturally. I was finally satisfied and content with the capabilities of the sequencing.

ER: Who were your heroes or influences, both musical and otherwise?

Z: As of now my heroes and influences are the 6 other binary artists. Every binary artist influences me in their own unique way. SHORT CIRCUIT is the tech guy. I’m not too big of a reader so when it comes to learning something new about the program I’m using, he’s always the guy to go to; he constantly reads up on how to use the software the right way. FABIAN continues to come out with the freshest, cleanest electro. Super complete and full of life. His music never ceases to amaze me and sends me in the right direction when I’m in need for some inspiration. LEXICONDON is the front man—he gives me the inspiration to stay alive out there and to “get weird” when performing. He is the crowd starter and has grown so much in the past 2 years. NIGHTWAVES, the soul of Binary, always reminds me with their music and posts to bring back the emotion, to bring the feeling back to the music. THE KIDS ARE RADIOACTIVE. He is one in a million. The kid can play saxophone like a god. He brings out the heavy in me. Whenever I see him mix live he compels me to be a better DJ and bring the power to the crowd. The one and only KEENHOUSE—I can truly say that Keenhouse has inspired me more than anyone in my lifetime. His talent has pushed me to be a better producer and musician. Every time I see him play keyboard my jaw drops to the floor. I hope to have him stay with us in LA forever. Aside from Binary guys, Nobuo Uematsu and Minoru Akao are my favorite producers of all time. They produced the entire Final Fantasy VII soundtrack. Current favourites: Siriusmo, Hemingway, lovelife, Aeroplane, Holy Ghost!, The Chase, Kansk, and Jupiter.

♫ Alfa – Nerve

ER: When did the Binary crew enter the picture? Were you a fan before you got involved?

Z: I actually never heard of Binary before they asked me to join. I had been producing for about 2 years before I met Josh and Kyle. From what I remember they were a big fan of LA Passion and really liked the fact that I previously won the Cryptonites remix contest. Before KEENHOUSE joined Binary, Josh and Kyle sent me a message via MySpace, showed me all the artists they had recruited, and asked me to join. It’s kind of weird ‘cause at that time I was looking for/wanted to start a crew to DJ and produce and share music with—sort of an Ed Banger, but in LA, and what do you know, they came to me.

ER: How does being part of Binary help you as a musician?

Z: All the Binary artists are always coming out with fresh new material for me to compete with. They make me consistently say to myself, “I need to get better.” I value the feeling of being pushed and pushed to be the best. As long as the Binary family continues to feed off each other, we’ll continue to create better music.

♫ Alfa – Turismo

ER: That’s a fine moustache, does it have a backstory?

Z: Ever since I laid my eyes on my booking manager’s blog “Moustache Wars,” I’ve been obsessed with the “stache.” Gotta’ check it out: http://mustachewars.tumblr.com/

ER: What’s in the Alfa studio studio? What are your favorite bits of kit?

Z: My studio is very basic, I use Reason 4 and Ableton 8. I run my audio through an M-Audio Fast track pro and play all my synth on an M-Audio Axiom 49. I have a Banshee Rocktron talk box and a couple random guitar pedals. I have an electric guitar, an acoustic guitar and I have 2 phantom powered mics in which I record acoustic guitar, vocals, whistles, claps, snaps and any other random sounds I have the hots for. My favourite drum machines right now are: Oberheim DMX, Roland CompuRhythm 1000, Roland TR-505, Roland D-10 L.A

ER: How does your live set up work?

Z: My new live set consists of my girlfriend and I playing synths, talk box, guitars and drums over a backing track. We also have guest vocalists and guest musicians randomly added to the picture. I’m striving for a complete live band within the next year or so.

♫ Alfa – Sky Patrol

ER: Do you prefer playing live or DJing?

Z: At the moment I prefer DJing. I like to express myself with music greater than my own and show the people of LA the amazing new music I constantly discover. I enjoy the fact that i can mix it up between Vinyl, CDJs and Serato. I love collecting records and would prefer to mix straight vinyl any day, but you cant get everything on vinyl these days so I find it fun switching from Vinyl to CDJs in a set.

ER: What’s the best show you’ve performed to date?

Z: I’m going to have to go with the Holy Ghost/Classixx/LexiconDon/Alfa rooftop pool party Binary and DubFrequency recently threw on June 5th this year. It was an absolutely beautiful day, sunny with a mild breeze. In my opinion the best party of the summer.

♫ Keenhouse – Deep In The Forest (Alfa Rmx)

ER: If money was no object, what would be your dream synth?

Z: Price wise I would love to get my hands on a Roland Jupiter 8. The synth that I have my eyes on right now is the Yamaha CS 01 with the breath controller. Amazing.. If you type in, “JAPAN SYNTHESIZER BAND COSMOS,” on YouTube and click the first link you can get a little preview of what the breath controller does with the Yamaha CS 01.

ER: What does Dreamwave mean to you?

Z: Three words….”Costa del sol” youtube it!!

ER: Is Alfa more of a cereal or pile of pancakes for breakfast kinda’ act? Would that change the night after a show?

Z: I’m more of an omelette with spinach kinda’ guy, with lots of ketchup… I don’t think it would change the after hours but it would definitely help my hangover the next morning 🙂

♫ NightWaves – Sweet Carrie (Alfa reMix)

Zak is working hard on the new Alfa EP, until then check out his previous releases:

Feb 17 2011

Teenage Bad Girl Vs. Kartell

We dropped the new Teenage Bad Girl single on you a couple of weeks ago, well it’s out now and to celebrate Citizen Records are giving away this exclusive reMix of the track by Kartell, not featured on the EP!

Less heavy and noisy as the the original, Kartell takes the groove and the smooth vocoded vocals from the track and invited them down the Disco. Thrown into the mix are the occasional electro tom and hand clap just to remind you of where you are. The original track was an awesome buzzsaw noisy ElectroPop tune, this reMix is a more sophisticated beat altogether.

♫ Teenage Bad Girl – Keep Up With With You (Kartell reMix)

The ‘Keep Up With You’ EP is out this week on Citizen Records.

Teenage Bad Girl @ Beatport

Teenage Bad Girl @ Juno

Teenage Bad Girl @ 7Digital

Teenage Bad Girl @ Amazon

Feb 17 2011

Cassius’ new EP

The latest EP release by French Electro team Cassius is a reMix EP of their already legendary ‘I ❤ U So’.

Out now on Ed Banger the EP has hit the ground running and taken the dance music blogs by storm, particularly Dubstep master Skream getting his tempo on with a D&B reMix of the title track. Also part of the package is this mix of ‘Les Enfants’ by Turbo artist Gesaffelstein who turn in a deep techy Electro track. Seven minutes of epic spacy electronics awaits you”