Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards: ROUNDUP – The electronic rumors Awards 2011!!!

2011 Roundup

Wow! I’m speechless. As the third annual Electronic Rumors Awards draws to a close my mind is still spinning with this year’s revelations. Some went home on top of the world, some left disappointed and angry, but I think we can all agree electronic music will never be the same again…

So, as we …once again… loosen out collective bow-ties and sip the last of the champagne, let’s look back on the drama, the tears and the ecstasy of the electronic rumors awards 2011…

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The electronic rumors Awards: BEST SONG – electronic rumors’ top 20 songs of 2011!!!

Winner: She’s The Queen – Waiting Game

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The electronic rumors Awards: HALL OF FAME – electronic rumors’ Hall Of Fame inductee 2011!!!

Inductee: The Human League

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The electronic rumors Awards: READERS’ CHOICE – electronic rumors’ most downloaded tracks of 2011!!!

Winner: La Roux – Bulletproof (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

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The electronic rumors Awards: BEST ALBUM – electronic rumors’ top 20 albums of 2011!!!

Winner: Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost

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The electronic rumors Awards: BEST VIDEO – electronic rumors’ best video of 2011!!!

Winner: Com Truise – Brokendate

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The electronic rumors Awards: BEST REMIX – electronic rumors’ top 20 reMixes of 2011!!!

Winner: Ronika – Only Only (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

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Right, 2011 done! the end of level boss has been cleared. Bring it on 2012!

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Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards: BEST SONG – electronic rumors’ top 20 songs of 2011!!!

2011 Best Song

So here we are.

After a year when the current wave of ElectroPop, Nu-Disco, SynthWave, Nu-Italo and Dreamwave all seemed to find a maturity, seemed to suddenly become a lot more confortable with themselves and their groove, we find ourselves with a nearly impossible job for picking the top twenty songs of the year, and a winner.

To those we missed, or forgot, we’re sorry. We’ll be beating ourselves up about it for weeks to come as some awesome track from January slides back into our brain, but it’s time to stop worrying and just go for it. So here it is.

And our top song of the year comes from She’s The Queen, it’s the lead track on their self-titled début EP and it’s one of the slickest ElectroPop tracks you’ll ever hear. Because, over the year just gone, I have grown to call She’s The Queen’s Drew and Emily friends I actively tried not to place them in the top spot. So concerned was I about bias that I sought out tracks that had more of an impact on me in 2011, anything that could reaffirm my sense of integrity and make me not give the number one place to mates. But I just couldn’t. Whether friends or not, there is no two ways about it, ‘Waiting Game’ is the track I have rocked to the most this year, the track I have been most impressed with, the track that is, without doubt, electronic rumors’ Best Song of 2011.

electronic rumors’ best song: 2011

01: She’s The Queen – Waiting Game

♫ She’s The Queen – Waiting Game

…and the rest of the list:

02: Vanbot – Make Me, Break Me

♫ Vanbot – Make Me, Break Me

03: M83 – Midnight City

♫ M83 – Midnight City

04: Cordova – Paradigm

♫ Cordova – Paradigm

05: MiGHty mOUse – Between The Pavement And The Stars

♫ MiGHty mOUse – Between The Pavement And The Stars

06: Queen Of Hearts – Shoot The Bullet

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Shoot The Bullet

07: Holy Ghost! – Wait & See

♫ Holy Ghost! – Wait & See

08: Ronika – Wiyoo

♫ Ronika – Wiyoo

09: The Magician (Feat. Jeppe) – I Don’t Know What To Do

♫ The Magician (Feat. Jeppe) – I Don’t Know What To Do

10: Monsieur Adi – Fire Fire Fire

♫ Monsieur Adi – Fire Fire Fire

11: Electric Youth – Coming Right Back To You

♫ Electric Youth – Coming Right Back To You

12: Peter & The Magician – Twist

♫ Peter & The Magician – Twist

13: Jordan F – Definitely Miami

♫ Jordan F – Definitely Miami

14: Short Circuit – How We Speak

♫ Short Circuit – How We Speak

15: Clancy – Panther

♫ Clancy – Panther

16: Substatic – Gold

♫ Substatic – Gold

17: LIGHTS – Toes

♫ LIGHTS – Toes

18: Bright Light Bright Light – Disco Moment

♫ Bright Light Bright Light – Disco Moment

19: Justice (Feat. Ali Love) – Civilisation

♫ Justice (Feat. Ali Love) – Civilisation

20: Xeno & Oaklander – The Staircase

♫ Xeno & Oaklander – The Staircase

As always, you should definitely pick up some of these songs, they are all highly recommended and most can be purchased here:

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Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards: HALL OF FAME – electronic rumors’ Hall Of Fame inductee 2011!!!

2011Hall Of Fame

This was a no-brainer really. Last year’s entry into our Hall Of Fame was a toss-up between Kraftwerk (who ended up being entered) and this band. The band that practically invented SynthPop and in their decades long career have never once wavered from the path of electronic Pop music.

If you are at all into synthesizer music with a Pop edge then everything you listen to owes a debt to The Human League. Sure, the building blocks were being put in place by numerous musical movements in Europe (including The League’s own electronic experimentalism as part of the late ‘70’s scene in Sheffield, from the moment founders Martyn Ware and Ian Marsh recruited Philip Oakey to sing over their avant-garde soundscapes) but it took the disassembling of The Human League Mk1, the inclusion of the schoolgirls Susan Ann Sulley and Joanne Catherall, and a new band with the legendary Martin Rushent on production to allow all the pieces of the SynthPop puzzle to fall into place and one of the greatest albums of all time, ‘Dare!’ to be released. I consider ‘Dare!’ to be the first proper, and deliberate, SynthPop record made. Oh, I know there was music that came in the couple of years before, but it all had airs and graces of being something else. Whether Gary Numan’s happy fluke, John Foxx’s dark avant-garde, or Ultravox trying something new, they were, although creating awesome music, just finding their footing. The Human League were a proper SynthPop band. Unashamedly synth. Unashamedly Pop .

And Phil, with Susan and Joanne ever at his side, has never lost sight of what he wanted to make. Electronic Pop music. Moving with the times through the late ‘80’s Electro Soul of the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis produced ‘Crash’, the Mid-‘90’s Pop-Trance of ‘Octopus’, to the current Electro sound of ‘Credo’ (on Wall Of Sound), The Human League have, while their early ‘80’s contemporaries morphed into AOR acts, always produced fresh electronic music. Their latest offerings roping in the likes of Aeroplane and Plastic Plates for reMix duties, another indication of the band’s continued relevance.

The music and career of The Human League inspire everything music related I do, most importantly this website. As far as I’m concerned that are the godfathers, the royal family, the Mr. Miyagis and the Yodas of ElectroPop, and deserve their place, no question, in the Hall Of Fame.

the human league

♫ The Human League – Love Action (I Believe In Love)

♫ The Human League – Empire State Human

♫ The Human League – Human

Buy The Human League’s music from:

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Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards: READERS’ CHOICE – electronic rumors’ 10 most downloaded tracks of 2011!!!

2011 Readers Choice

Next we come to what we have optimistically called the Reader’s Choice award.

This was quite a last minute idea, we liked the idea of having an open category but really, who wants to run a poll at X-Mas? No us! So this award was given based on the number of downloads the track received, which is quite a nice representation of popularity. Of course it doesn’t take into account streaming only tracks, or videos we’ve shown, or tracks readers may have dug that we didn’t feature, but we think it nicely represents what readers have been excited about this year.

And we have a winner, the track most downloaded from electronic rumors in 2011. Fear Of Tigers’ reMix of ‘Bulletproof’ by La Roux. First given away be Mr. Tigers as a thank you to everyone who sponsored his London marathon run this year, to raise money for WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals). It’s an storming reMix that really should have made the official single. With a huge big room take on ElectroPop it’s no surprise that this mix as so popular.

electronic rumors’ readers’ choice: 2011

01: La Roux – Bulletproof (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

♫ La Roux – Bulletproof (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

…and the rest of the list:

02: HURTS – Better Than Love (Marsheaux reMix)

♫ HURTS – Better Than Love (Marsheaux reMix)

03: Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (The Magician reMix)

♫ Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers (The Magician reMix)

04: Madeon – For You

♫ Madeon – For You

05: Gypsy And The Cat – Jona Vark (Starsmith reMix)

♫ Gypsy And The Cat – Jona Vark (Starsmith reMix)

06: RüFüS – Paris Collides

♫ RüFüS – Paris Collides

07: Dirty Vegas – Electric Love (Cassette Club reMix)

♫ Dirty Vegas – Electric Love (Cassette Club reMix)

08: Avril Lavigne – What The Hell (Robots With Rayguns Mix)

♫ Avril Lavigne – What The Hell (Robots With Rayguns Mix)

09: Chromeo (Feat. Elly Jackson From La Roux) – Hot Mess (Duck Sauce reMix)

♫ Chromeo (Feat. Elly Jackson From La Roux) – Hot Mess (Duck Sauce reMix)

10: The Human League – Sky (Plastic Plates reMix)

♫ The Human League – Sky (Plastic Plates reMix)

As always, you should definitely pick up some of these tracks, they are all highly recommended and most can be purchased here:

Follow @electronicrumor

Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards: BEST ALBUM – electronic rumors’ top 20 albums of 2011!!!

2011Best Album

With fewer and fewer albums being released in favour of more cost-effective EPs and singles the Best Album category becomes harder and harder to preside over, luckily for us there were some choice cuts this year and some amazing records dropped.

The winner was very nearly going to be Mitch Murder‘s recently released ‘Current Events’. Which, to my mind, is the best SynthWave/Outrun/Dreamwave album ever made. However, the album that has kept us constantly rocking this year has to be Holy Ghost!’s self-titled début. Although I had loved the previous singles I really didn’t expect the album to be this damn good throughout, it was fresh, well written, and sounded like nothing else. It’s a record that is crammed full of potential singles and does an seriously good job of mixing up ElectroPop and New York Disco with a hint of Indie-Electro to make something that appeals to Indie Kids, SynthPopsters and Disco Heads alike.

electronic rumors’ best album: 2011

01: Holy Ghost! – Holy Ghost! (DFA)

♫ Holy Ghost! – Do It Again

…and the rest of the list:

02: Mitch Murder – Current Events (Rosso Corsa Records)

♫ Mitch Murder – Telefuture Theme

03: Cinnamon Chasers – Science (Modus Records)

♫ Cinnamon Chasers – Tattoo

04: Monarchy – Around The Sun (Hacan Sound /100% Records)

♫ Monarchy – Maybe I’m Crazy

05: Johan Agebjörn And Friends – Casablanca Nights (Paper Bag Records)

♫ Johan Agebjörn & Ercola (Feat. Queen Of Hearts) – The Last Day Of Summer

06: Fabian – Say Goodbye (Binary)

♫ Fabian – Last Flight

07: Com Truise – Galactic Melt (Ghostly International)

♫ Com Truise – Ether Drift

08: Yelle – Safari Disco Club (V2 Records International)

♫ Yelle – Que Veux-Tu

09: Shine 2009 – Realism (Cascine)

♫ Shine 2009 (Feat. Paula Abdul) – So Free

10: The Sound Of Arrows – Voyage (Skies Above)

♫ The Sound Of Arrows – M.A.G.I.C.

11: Vanbot – Vanbot (Lisch Recordings)

♫ Vanbot – Lost Without You

12: Shelby Grey – The Music Is On His Side (Holographic People)

♫ Shelby Grey – April’s Legacy

13: Soft Metals – Soft Metals (Captured Tracks)

♫ Soft Metals – Psychic Driving

14: M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Mute)

♫ M83 – OK Pal

15: Washed Out – Within And Without (Sub Pop Records)

♫ Washed Out – Amor Fati

16: The Human League – Credo (Wall Of Sound/[PIAS] Entertainment Group)

♫ The Human League – Sky

17: Mirrors – Lights And Offerings (Skint Records)

♫ Mirrors – Into The Heart

18: Noir Deco – Future To Fantasy (Playmaker Ent.)

♫ Noir Deco (Feat. MPM Soundtracks) – Journeys

19: Ladytron – Gravity The Seducer (Nettwerk)

♫ Ladytron – White Elephant

20: Camille R – Last Limit (Self Released)

♫ Camille R – 100 $

As always, you should definitely pick up some of these albums, they are all highly recommended and most can be purchased here:

Follow @electronicrumor

Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards: BEST VIDEO – electronic rumors’ best video of 2011!!!

2011 Best Video

There we a lot of cool videos that premièred in 2011, but we fell in love with this year’s Best Video winner instantly, and so did everyone we showed it too.

Com Truise’s ‘Brokendate’ is a brooding slice of SynthWave that’s manages to be both robotic and soulful and it’s retro synth sound is perfectly matched by it’s Will Joines directed mini-movie accompaniment. Paying homage to every classic ‘80’s Dystopian Sci-Fi movie you can think of, the clip captures a Cyberpunk vibe effortlessly but keeps it’s tongue firmly in it’s cheek. It’s a video that makes us nostalgic for weekend VHS rentals.

Buy Com Truise’s music from:

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Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards: BEST REMIX – electronic rumors’ top 20 reMixes of 2011!!!

2011Best Remix

Let’s kick things off with one of the biggies. Best reMix.

Compiling 03-20 was tough, this year has been amazing for reMixes, it seems like every release in 2011 came loaded with quality versions. There were so many singles released this year that it was nearly impossible to choose your favourite mix off of. As ever, I’m sure there are tracks we have forgotten, and tracks we will be kicking ourselves for not including when they are pointed out to us, and tracks we will remember tomorrow.

The winner though, and the runner up, were always destined for the top slots from the moment they dropped. In the first half of 2011 I would have said that Ride The Universe’s reMix of Chromeo’s ‘Hot Mess’ was definitely going to be number one, and that was only very closely snatched away when Madonna Of The Midlands™ Ronika released ‘Only Only’ complete with Fear Of Tigers take on the track. Both mixes are jaw-droopingly good, light years ahead of the competition, with Fear Of Tigers just taking the top spot with nostalgia points for weaving elements of late ‘80’s Dance Music into it’s Electro tapestry and making us go all glassy eyed. Combining a Bomb The Bass vibe with contemporary ElectroPop and Nu-Disco, Fear Of Tigers created a vibrant, exciting, make-you-jump-out-of-your-seat track for Ronika’s get-down vocals, it’s the prefect package. While Ride The Universe’s talk-box Funk was my hottest track for most of the year. Innovative and fresh, their reMix of ‘Hot Mess’ is easily the best out there.

electronic rumors’ best reMix: 2011

01: Ronika – Only Only (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

♫ Ronika – Only Only (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

…and the rest of the list:

02: Chromeo – Hot Mess (Ride The Universe reMix)

♫ Chromeo – Hot Mess (Ride The Universe reMix)

03: Housse De Racket – Roman (Oliver reMix)

♫ Housse De Racket – Roman (Oliver reMix)

04: Fenech-Soler – Demons (Yuksek Vocal reMix)

♫ Fenech-Soler – Demons (Yuksek Vocal reMix)

05: Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (Gigamesh reMix)

♫ Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks (Gigamesh reMix)

06: Yuksek – On A Train (The Magician reMix)

♫ Yuksek – On A Train (The Magician reMix)

07: Yelle – Que Veux Tu (Madeon reMix)

♫ Yelle – Que Veux Tu (Madeon reMix)

08: Chilly Gonzales – You Can Dance (Walter Sobcek reMix)

♫ Chilly Gonzales – You Can Dance (Walter Sobcek reMix)

09: Futurecop! – Starworshipper (MPM Soundtracks reMix)

♫ Futurecop! – Starworshipper (MPM Soundtracks reMix)

10: Queen Of Hearts – Where Are You Now? (StardonE reMix)

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Where Are You Now? (StardonE reMix)

11: Kimbra – Cameo Lover (Shook reMix)

♫ Kimbra – Cameo Lover (Shook reMix)

12: Kamp! – Cairo (Moullinex reMix)

♫ Kamp! – Cairo (Moullinex reMix)

13: Worship – Find You (Justin Faust reMix)

♫ Worship – Find You (Justin Faust reMix)

14: AXXE – Sweet Stuff (Ride The Universe reMix)

♫ AXXE – Sweet Stuff (Ride The Universe reMix)

15: Mustang – Shooting Love (Fat Club Mix)

♫ Mustang – Shooting Love (Fat Club Mix)

16: The Good Natured – Skeleton (Grum reMix)

♫ The Good Natured – Skeleton (Grum reMix)

17: Gypsy And The Cat – Jona Vark (Starsmith reMix)

♫ Gypsy And The Cat – Jona Vark (Starsmith reMix)

18: Tyson – After You’re Gone (The Magician reMix)

♫ Tyson – After You’re Gone (The Magician reMix)

19: Niki & The Dove – Mother Protect (Goldroom reMix)

♫ Niki & The Dove – Mother Protect (Goldroom reMix)

20: The Human League – Never Let Me Go (Aeroplane reMix)

♫ The Human League – Never Let Me Go (Aeroplane reMix)

As always, you should definitely pick up some of these reMixes, they are all highly recommended and most can be purchased here:

Follow @electronicrumor

Dec 29 2011

The electronic rumors Awards

Awards01

If we’re done with the pre-awards chat over on our Google+ page? OK.

Let’s get this thing started!

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Dec 28 2010

The electronic rumors awards: electronic rumors’ best video of 2010!!!

Although there were a few videos shortlisted for this accolade, so many stunning, clever clips made this year, there was only ever going to be one winner. Or three.

So, it might be a cop out to have a trilogy of videos win a best video award, but these three clips really need to be viewed together. As much as the three work as well cut, pacey promo videos on their own, it’s together where the non-linier storytelling shines through and you get a real since of the plot, as well as the supernaturally tight editing and beautiful eye.

The winner of electronic rumors best video of 2010 is…

Russ Chimes – Midnight Club trilogy (Never Look Back, Tertre Rouge & Targa)

Directed by Saman Keshavarz and produced by Francis Pollara, the team that had previously brought us the award winning video for Cinnimon Chasers’ ‘Luv Deluxe’ who have this way of capturing the tension in the beautiful.

Accompanying the visuals are the three tracks from Russ Chimes’ ‘Midnight Club’ EP, one of the best releases of the year. It’s three tracks of forward thinking, innovative Nu-Disco that leaves his competitors in the dust.

Russ Chimes @ Beatport

Russ Chimes @ Amazon

Dec 28 2010

The electronic rumors awards: electronic rumors’ Hall Of Fame 2010!!!

As soon as we had the notion to do a yearly Hall Of fame award it was a pretty forgone conclusion as to who would be the first recipient (actually, the first four years were pretty obvious!). There was never any doubt.

If you read electronic rumors, if you’re into electronic music, whether it’s some brand of Pop, whether you’re a Dubstep fiend, whether your preferred method of musical enjoyment is stroking your beard to the latest experimental release, whether you’re all glowsticks and euphoria or a Funk loving lover, the music you love probably wouldn’t exist without Kraftwerk.

To call them electronic music pioneers seems like an understatement. Were they the first to make music from synthesizers? Of course not, but pre-Kraftwerk the synth was either the tool of pompous Prog Rock banks or noise mongers who cared little for songs. While Kraftwerk resided heavily into the world of the latter the difference they made is the unison of experimental electronics and repetitive rhythms and melody. Which is essentially electronic Pop. They were a direct influence on the first generation if SynthPop artists and synthesizer Disco and Hip Hop producers who, in turn, went on to influence everything we know and love.

Four German technicians, who had no interest in becoming music stars, are signally the most important band I can think of.

♫ Kraftwerk – Showroom Dummies

♫ Kraftwerk – Metropolis

♫ Kraftwerk – Radioactivity

Kraftwerk’s back catalogue has an album for everyone, from the early, more abstract material, to the mid-period ElectroPop, to the Techno-Pop of recent years, all of it is essential.