Jun 27 2013

[MP3] Arcade High’s ‘Pixel Passion’ album

It was a year ago, almost to the day, that we reviewed Pittsburgh SynthWaver Arcade High’s début début album The Art Of Youth. We’re not sure if that’s a coincidence but this week, via the medium of label Telefuture, Ryan Boosel has unleashed his latest long player, titled Pixel Passion. Coming digital and physical formats (with the limited edition CD coming in a fancy, hand-crafted case mode from repurposed Nintendo cartridges) in packages that include treasures such as glossy posters and badges., Arcade High has really pulled the stops out for this release.

So, to the album. We really enjoyed his first outing, and especially his material with vocals, which luckily there is a few lurking about on Pixel Passion. In the last year or so Arcade High have risen to the top of the SynthWave pack, and that’s partly due to his originality. Rather than playing the same old Italo basslines and pseudo-80s tropes, Arcade High carves out a sound all of his own. Rolling ChipTune (in abundance), IndiePop and SynthPop into the SynthWave mix to create something instantly recognisable. As soon as the albums opening, title track launces into it’s retro synth/8-bit mixture, with frantic bitcrushed bass, gentle vocals and soaring vintage console leads, you know what you;re in for with the rest of the album. As the record moves onto One Year Ago you’re treated to how well Arcade High uses these influences. Where as the ChipTune crowd are content with recreating video game music of old, Arcade High takes those sounds and weaves them into beautiful, emotional, ElectroPop songs that take full advantage if the unique character of that sound pallet. But never lets the sounds control the songs, it’s always songs first. Without You, the Hannah Edwards featuring album centrepiece, is an epic, rousing slice of ElectroPop euphoria which a cool Indie vibe running through it, which leads into Outrun This! which seems to lean more toward the arcade cabinet than the genre. Running To You bring us back to more familiar SynthWave territory until Ryan busts in with some sweet vocoded vocals to deliver one of the albums highlights alongside the brooding, cinematic Electro of Night Of The Genesis. If you love the SynthWave sound, but are becoming a little burnt out on it and crave the same atmosphere but with a little originality injected into it, or if you love ElectroPop and have a fondness for 80s video games, or if you just love electronic music, well crafted with love, then you should definitely take this album out a spin.

♫ Arcade High (Feat. Hannah Edwards) – Without You

♫ Arcade High – One Year Ago

♫ Arcade High – Running To You

Arcade High’s Pixel Passion is out now via Telefuture.

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Jun 26 2013

[MP3] MiGHty mOUse’s ‘Feel Alright’

So, as you know, London’s Cosmic Disco guru MiGHty mOUse and Van She bassist Matt Van Schie have been busy releasing Moody DiscoPop tunes as Du Tonc and setting up their own label, Nightfilm Music. Well it seems Mr. mOUse is pretty pleased with his accomplishments as he’s put together a new MM tune in recognition of a stunningly successful few months. And here it is.

Feel Alright pretty much does what it says on the tin. It’s a sweet slice of sample based Disco, fit for sunshine and good friends. Floaty beats, head nodding bass, MiGHty mOUse’s trademark swirling galactic synths deliver a groove that is hard to resist. Top that with a fun times vocal sample and you got a party tune set for the summer. Seriously, if you can’t crack a smile to this one, you might just be dead inside.

♫ MiGHty mOUse – Feel Alright

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Jun 26 2013

[Audio] Little Boots’ ‘LBD Edit’ of ‘Motorway’

Little Boots Discotheque is ElectroPop princess Little Boots’ new dancefloor oriented live experience. Basically it’s LB and crew doing the ‘hunched over Ableton thing’, so if you get the chance to catch LBD live expect to be dancing your ass off to live edits and reMixes of Boots’ material. They are headed to Glastonbury this weekend, then the world!

To get a taste of what to expect, Vicky is giving away the LBD Edit of her recent single Motorway. Taking the spacious, Kraftwerkian original, this Edit makes the room even bigger and mixes up Dub and House for a hypnotic, intoxicating (nearly) eight minutes. Interestingly most of the vocals are kept intact (expect live vocals from a LBD performance) and now roll over a ebbing tide of noir beats and enigmatic synths. Bring the strobe lights.

♫ Little Boots – Motorway (Little Boots Discotheque Edit)

Little Boots’ second album, Nocturnes is out now.

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Jun 26 2013

[Video] Goin’ Old School: Alphaville, Cee Farrow & The Neon Judgement

Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:

First up, from 1986, is German SynthPop heroes Alphaville with Dance With Me.

Cee Farrow‘s Soul tinged SynthPop début, Should I Love You, from 1982.

And finally Belgian EBM outfit The Neon Judgement’s Chinese Black, from 1987.

You can buy most of this music from:

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Jun 25 2013

[MP3] Rebeka’s ‘Melancholia’ reMixed

This week sees the release of a sweet collection of reMixes of Polish quirky ElectroPop duo Rebeka’s Melancholia single. Their label, Brennnessel, has pulled together some of the top names on raw electronic Disco to deliver three hefty versions of the tune. Moullinex, Shindu and Brennnessel bosses Kamp! all weave their dancefloor magic with Iwona’s epic vocals.

Moullinex’s reMix is instantly recognisably his. An energetic, Cosmic Disco take on the song, that borrows a few tricks from Dub and gets quite dark at times. Put together on all analog equipment, Moullinex’s offering blends his rough ‘n’ ready Disco sound with Rebeka’s soaring ElectroPop to great effect. Belgium’s Shindu get enigmatic as they tackle the tune. Working around a deep synth bass and sparkling 80s leads, Shindu turn in a reMix that is a dancefloor intoxicant yet reminiscent of the best in 80s Pop. Once you get drawn into Shindu’s bass and keys, it’s hard to get out again as the track envelopes you in it’s warm layers of sound. Brennnessel’s own Kamp! take the energetic route with their version, opting for a French House influenced floorfiller. Big beats, big riffs and a piano hook to get lost in are the order of the day here. This is definitely one for the crate, indeed they all are. Check em out, did we mention that they are free?

♫ Rebeka – Melancholia (Moullinex reMix)

♫ Rebeka – Melancholia (Shindu reMix)

♫ Rebeka – Melancholia (Kamp! reMix)

Rebeka’s Melancholia reMixes are out now.

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Jun 25 2013

[Audio] Joe Goddard & Boris Dlugosch

Some deeply funky piano vibes right now from Hot Chip and The 2 Bears’ Joe Goddard new track, Step Together. His second solo outing this year features Boris Dlugosch and, like She Burns before it, once gain comes from the forthcoming Taking Over EP, out this week on Goddard’s own Greco-Roman imprint

Like the previous track, Step Together is a smooth, if a little left-field, Deep House groover with ElectroPop overtones. Rolling along on a hypnotic piano riff, Goddard and Dlugosch weave an intricate tapestry of sparking synths and pleasing vibes. Goddard’s soft spoken vocals, and message of togetherness, surfs the beat, flowing across the track like water, tying everything together into relaxed summer soundtrack. Goddard had admitted the EP is “an attempt to make synthesizers sound nice”, well, synthesizers already sounded nice, but his efforts are appreciated.

♫ Joe Goddard & Boris Dlugosch – Step Together

Joe Goddard’s Taking Over EP is out now.

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Jun 25 2013

[Audio] Peter & The Magician’s ‘On My Brain’

The next offering from Yuksek’s Partyfine label was released this week. It’s the pretty eagerly awaited new single, and third collaboration, from Peter & The Magician. The duo, which of course consists of talented Electro producer Yuksek and mixtape creator The Magician, have previously given us Twist and Memory, both amazing tunes, how does On My Brain stack up?

Featuring the vocals of Sophie Galpin, the voice of Figure Of 8’s No One Cries For Me, On My Brain sees Yuksek adding a little 90s House vibe to his sound. Still instantly recognisable as Yuksek, especially in the tracks piercing leads, there’s an added warehouse vibe in the bass section and rave drones. Along with Galpin’s resonant vocals, that really makes the track what it is, it’s all neatly tied together by Yuksek’s not-inconsiderable production skills as he takes these disparate elements and creates a cohesive, and funky, whole. This one’s going to fill dancefloors.

♫ Peter & The Magician (Feat. Sophie Galpin) – On My Brain

Peter & The Magician’s On My Brain EP is out now on Yuksek’s Partyfine label back with the JD Samson featuring Peter Pan.

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Jun 25 2013

[Video] Phonat’s ‘Ride The Prejudice’

Here’s the video for Phonat’s complex and soulful electronic groover, Ride The Prejudice, taken from his current, and quite acclaimed, EP, Identity Theft.

A cavalcade of images and geometry, the video actually plays really nicely into the tracks shuffling beats and glitchy soundtrack.

Phonat’s Identity Theft EP is out now.

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Jun 25 2013

[Audio] Black Magic Disco’s ‘First Avenue’ reMixes

It’s been quite a while since the release of Black Magic Disco’s Downtown single, over a year in fact. The release came equipped with a storming B-side track, First Avenue, that this week gains single status of it’s own with the unleashing of BMD’s First Avenue reMixes on Pole Position Recordings. Pulling together talent such as Final DJs, Viper Strike, Phunktastike and Tom Eales, alongside BMD himself, this release covers a nice chunk of dancefloor ground.

The obvious track of most interest in the collection comes from Pole Position’s own Viper Strike who have teamed up with Mr. Patrick Baker to create a slick vocal version of the track. All sweeping synths and lazy piano hooks, Viper Strike’s mix a pure poolside bliss. A proper late summer nights groove with a smooth voice, these guys nicely weave together Disco and House. Germany’s Final DJs, the most prolific guys in Nu-Disco it seems, get into a bit of an SynthWave/Boogie crossover groove with their reMix. Mixing up Bronx beats with Acidic squeals and Sci-Fi synths, this duo roll their own genre and give it a Disco twist. Black Magic Disco’s own reimagining of First Avenue replaces the originals midnight funk with some full-on Chicago House sounds. Revelling in it’s early 90s heritage, BMD’s mix is a total white gloves moment. Also holding reMixes from Phunktastike and Tom Eales, this reMix package is definitely worth checking out.

♫ Black Magic Disco – First Avenue (Viper Strike (Feat. Patrick Baker) reMix)

♫ Black Magic Disco – First Avenue (Final DJs reMix)

♫ Black Magic Disco – First Avenue (Black Magic Disco reMix)

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Jun 25 2013

[Video] Sunglasses Kid & Dana Jean Phoenix’s ‘1980s Summer Breakup’

This is the new video for 1980s Summer Breakup, a SynthWave collaboration between retro influenced songstress Dana Jean Phoenix and producer Sunglasses Kid. An authentically 80s sounding Pop epic.

Directed by PHATT al, the clip plays into the track’s nostalgia with a soft focus array of good times.