Dec 7 2012

[MP3] New Arcades

New Arcades are a London based SynthPop duo who are making some delicious retro Pop noise. Dean Canty and Adam Sullivan released a single a few months back and are now dropping a brand new track in anticipation of an EP in the coming months. Expect some sweeping, emotional, synth tunes.

Sitting just a tad too far into SynthPop to be SynthWave, New Arcades still retain some of SynthWave’s nostalgic optimism in their shimmering melodies, but layer that with a particularly British vocal and Pop structure. Remember The Nights, their new tune, counterpoints it’s anthemic sing-a-long vocal and bouncy lead line with some deep vintage electronics. The result being an all-round winner, catchy and upbeat with an underlying richness. That’s some impressive SynthPop right there. Their previous single, Echoes Of A City, strikes the same note with a little more of an Italo drive that would sit better with the Outrun crowd. these guys are definitely a name to keep an eye on in the SynthPop world.

♫ New Arcades – Remember The Nights

♫ New Arcades – Echoes Of A City

New Arcades’ Echoes Of A City is out now.

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Dec 7 2012

[Video] Parralox’s ‘Sharper Than a Knife’

Here’s the video for Australian SynthPop outfit Parralox’s Sharper Than A Knife, a tune that’s been around for a while now. The track has been reworked slightly for a new 2012 release.

In all honesty, we kinda’ prefer the original version, it’s a lot warner and more original. No-one needs to add circa 2007 Pop-Electro sounds to a track these days. Still, it’s awesome to see the track in video form.

The original of Sharper Than a Knife can be found on Parralox’s 2008 album Electricity.

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Dec 7 2012

[MP3] Figure Of 8 covers Sonic Youth

Belfast’s finest export Figure Of 8 has been busy holed up in some dark studio somewhere working on his forthcoming album. Actually, it could be a really brightly lit studio for all we know, we’re just paining a mental picture here, he could even be recording al fresco. Anyway, in between putting the finishing touches to the new record he’s snuck in this cheeky cover version of Sonic Youth’s Dirty Boots with Irish acoustic crooner Our Krypton Son.

The cover is insanely deep, groovy and pretty unrecognisable for the original. It’s actually pretty hard to produce an electronic version of a guitar track without sounding cheesy, but Figure Of 8 pulls it off with style. I think he makes it work by not trying to substitute the guitar, rather working around a low down bass riff and shuffling beat and keeping this pretty spacey and cosmic. A nice Musical interlude from Figure Of 8.

♫ Figure Of 8 (Feat. Our Krypton Son) – Dirty Boots (Sonic Youth Cover)

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Dec 6 2012

[Audio] Ronika & Mylo!

If there’s a bunch of tracks in the past few months we’ve been dying to hear it’s the fruits of the collaboration between Ronika and Mylo. As soon as we heard these two would be working together, Dance legend Mylo has personally chosen our girl Ron to ‘mentor’ as part of Bacardi’s Bacardi Beginnings project that teams up-and-coming artists with veterans, we’ve been itching to check out the result. We know there’s more than one track incoming, and here is the first Dance (The Modern Way).

Weirdly enough, it does actually sound like Ronika And Mylo working together. It’s essentially very much a Ronika track, but in some respects swaps her jagged retro DiscoPop for Mylo’s warmer, more rounded Dance sound. So, without mentioning Ron or Mylo anymore, the track itself is pretty awesome and despite sounding like a stripped down, hypnotic track, has a hell of a lot going on in it. A long, rich, string and vocal led intro lays down a sense of drama as the tune gradually introduces pulsating arpeggios and a classic House riff, winding up the listener like a rubber band until, just before you snap, launches you into a deep House groove. Loaded with Italo overtones, Dance (The Modern Way) juggles Robo-Pop slickness and euphoric 90s House with ease topped of with Ron sounding sultrier than ever. Ronika and Mylo in the same room is definitely not disappointing so far, can’t wait to hear what’s next.

♫ Ronika Vs. Mylo – Dance (The Modern Way)

No word yet about release dates or when the other tracks will surface. We’ll keep out ears to the ground. If you;re in London this weekend you can catch Ronika DJing at the launch of new Disco clubnight West 54th Street.

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Dec 6 2012

[Audio] Aaron Alexis’s new single

One of our favourite introspective ElectroPop artists Aaron Alexis is about to drop a new single, Kill The Lights, at the beginning of next year. The very beginning in fact, Kill the Lights is released January 1st, which seems like an odd time to release a single, let hope it doesn’t get ignored in the entire worlds post-NYE hangover, as it would be a shame for these two beautiful tracks to go unheard.

Kill The Lights is a lush, enveloping wash of sound interspersed with gentle electric piano and a vintage beat. Accompanying the reams of buzzing synths and piercing chimes, Aaron’s instantly recognisable croon weaves in and out of the track like smoke. The B-side, Scars shows off more of Aaron’s BedroomPop skills. A hunting industrial ballad that sees Aaron’s lament echoing through shivering rhythms and starfall leads encased in a thick fog of synthetic tones. the two tracks are a little slower paced that we are used to from Aaron Alexis and would have probably been better served alongside one of his more upbeat numbers, nevertheless this side of Aaron is always a pleasure to visit and he carries the release well. The single also comes equipped with a reMix from Kyson, which is, unfortunately, pretty uninspired Downtempo-by-numbers, but luckily that doesn’t distract one bit from these two new lush offerings from the talented Mr. Alexis. Definitely worth checking out to soundtrack these cold winter months.

♫ Aaron Alexis – Kill The Lights

♫ Aaron Alexis – Scars

Aaron Alexis’ Kill The Lights is released January 1st 2013.

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Dec 6 2012

[Video] St. Lucia’s ‘September’

St. Lucia’s amazing September single finally gets the video treatment. A long overdue accompaniment for one of the best ElectroPop tracks of the year.

It;s a visually stunning, dreamlike affair with more than a hint of rabbit hole going on.

September is out now.

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Dec 6 2012

[Audio] Only You’s ‘The Starchild’

A couple of months ago we featured New Jersey retro Pop artist Only You, who came from nowhere, with just one song, but impressed the hell out of us with his slick, personal, take on vintage Pop music. Now here comes track number two which is, dare we say it, even more catchy and a hint more anthemic.

The Starchild continues Only You’s quest to capture the best of 80s American SynthPop. It’s got everything you’d want in a retro Pop track, punchy drums, appreciated bass, shimmering lead lines and razor sharp chords, with Only You’s vocals, this time round, taking on a big, stadium Pop, quality. You can just imaging rows of screaming teens in big hair singing along on old VHS concert footage. There’s only really a handful of artist who get 80s Pop completely right. Kid Kasio, Patrick Barker and the like, Only You has definitely joined their ranks.

♫ Only You – The Starchild

Check out more from Only You on SoundCloud.

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Dec 6 2012

[Video] Chela’s ‘Full Moon’

We wrote about Chela’s beach funky tune Full Moon last month. Well now there’s a video too, and excusing one.

Directed by By Chela & Chase Burns it features the Fifteen singer getting her groove on all over Melbourne.

Check out more from Chela on SoundCloud.

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Dec 5 2012

[Video] Sally Shapiro’s ‘What Can I Do?’

Sally Shapiro’s easy-breezy, 60s sounding, new single What Can I Do? has not got itself an equally whimsical video.

Jarett Sitter put together this animated clip, looking just as dreamlike and the song sounds.

Sally Shapiro’s What Can I Do? is released out now on Paper Bag Records followed by the new album, Somewhere Else 26th February next year with contributions from Anoraak, Le Prix and Electric Youth.

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Dec 5 2012

[MP3] White Blush’s début EP

White Blush is the pseudonym of LA based artist Carol Rhyu. originally from Chicago, Carol began playing in synth bands when she was in film school in LA, culminating in her launching her White Blush project earlier this year. She’s just released her début, self-titled, EP, and it makes for engrossing listening.

White Blush is a record of many sides, Carol’s music walking a line between hazy Dreampop and Minimal Synth. Stripped down and personal, the six songs on the EP quickly equate you with Rhyu’s ethereal tone and a sparse collection of vintage synth sounds. True Luv, the EP’s opener confronts you with a melodic barrage of ChipTune, raw Drum Machines and waves of dreamlike vocals that swim around the robotic cacophony, a melding of beauty with harshness that is evident throughout the EP. Carol site’s Julee Cruise as an influence, and it’s one she wears on her sleeve. If Cruise was locked in a room with only a TR808, a C64 and an array of broken vintage synths, and sleep deprived, the result may be similar. Mirror matches pulsing arpeggios with a toy-town melody to sound like a fevered dream version of the Blade Runner end titles while Jolene presents imposing industrial drums that are soon tempered with lush synths and some truly epic vocals. 808 Myst is the music from Myst played on an 808, and yes, it is a weird, and downright eerie, as it sounds and lease into the closing track. Juice Of My Heart is rapturous electronic Shoegaze that’s it’s easy to get lost in. White Blush’s début is an impressive, and involving piece of work. An otherworldly journey that leaves you reeling once it finishes and you’re back to reality.