Australian SynthPop outfit Divine Knights have a new single in the offing. The retro flavoured Let’s Get Started is released today, and here’s the music video to support it.
Glossy and glamorous, the video is a slick performance clip that takes it’s inspiration from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
Divine Knights’ Let’s Get Started is out now.
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Bristol’s finest SynthWave export Miles Prower is back in business with two new tracks. Both recently revealed tune are taken from the forthcoming new Prower EP, Azurea. Azurea is due to drop this spring, but you can check out these two track, These Waves Between Us and the Dana Jean Phoenix featuring Local And Load right now. Check ‘em out.
These Waves Between Us is a departure from Prowers previous 80s-influenced sounds into something that sound pretty authentic. A lot of SynthWave has the 80s heavily in it’s DNA, but by no means actually sounds like something from that decade, These Waves Between Us starts to creep slowly in that direction. It’s got that 90s Trance arrangement that seems to be central to the SynthWave sound, but makes it more organic with Electro Soul beats and a Boogie bassline. However, the Prower is at it’s best with vocals and Lock And Load puts Dana Jean Phoenix’s voice to work hard for a dramatic and haunting electronic excursion. A theatrical tune that brings together 80s Sci-Fi soundtracks and 90s Pop to keep the listener enchanted.
♫ Miles Prower – These Waves Between Us
♫ Miles Prower (Feat Dana Jean Phoenix) – Local And Load
Miles Prower’s Azurea EP is out this Spring.
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This week Jerry Bouthier’s awesome label, Continental, released the new double A-side single from fresh French ElectroPop outfit Bleu Toucan. The duo is made up of Léo Becerra (The Victorias) and Emmanuel Bonzé (Made In Taiwan) and have already released one slab of DiscoPop via Profil de Face Records, now this second release kicks things up a notch. The single comes equipped with the relevant quota of reMixes, including this dreamy gem, of the track Imagine, from our favourite Parisians, Reflex.
Reflex serve up something a little different to their normal output with this one. Less Tropical, more deep and groovy House. The French duo show off their dreamy side with a hazy production of warm tones and atmospheric pads over a bed of shuffling House beats and pumping and subby bassline. It’s awesome to see this other side to Reflex as the twosome flex their musical muscles. You should check out the whole single, it’s top stuff.
♫ Bleu Toucan – Imagine (Reflex reMix)
Bleu Toucan’s Imagine is out now.
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Tokyo’s Cuushe has joined the ever expanding roster of one of the labels we respect the most, Cascine. Not that our respect counts for much, but if we were to hold up an example of an independent label doing it right it would be Cascine. For her latest EP, Cuushe is combining the mighty forces of Cascine and Japanese label flau to release Night Lines, a four track “noir storybook” out in April on digital and limited edition 10” vinyl. Check out the records first track, Tie.
Cuushe serves up a sumptuous and beautiful swirling synthetic soundscape. It’s an unusual mix of modern, shoegaze, electronics, and oddly nostalgic arrangement. The drums spin and roll layered over with waves of smokey pads and pin-prick lead arpeggios. It’s an otherworldly soundtrack to Cuushe’s 80s-tinged ethereal vocals. intoxicating stuff.
♫ Cuushe – Tie
Cuushe’s Night Lines EP is released 7th April.
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Out next month is the first various artists compilation EP from Clair De Lune Records. This Belgian label hits the ground running with it’s inaugural release featuring work from Leach & Lezizmo, Lumoon & Rob!n and this luxurious tune from one of our favorite deep and dark producers, ATTAR!. ATTAR! weaves Deep House, Disco and EBM through his tunes and this new one, Love, displays all three with a silky finish.
Love serves up some classic House sounds; and then drags them to a mysterious, enigmatic, Sci-Fi space with haunting sounds reminiscent of early Detroit Techno. Amidst all these sweeping futuristic tones and tension building synth strings ATTAR! keeps things from getting to lost in the darkness of space with an infectious House groove. Deeper than Deep House, Love is a House oubliette, one in you’ll never get out.
♫ ATTAR! – Love
Clair De Lune’s Various Friends EP is released 13th March.
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Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to music; her past works have included an album of Tom Waits cover version and a collaboration with Pete Yorn that drew it’s influence from Serge Gainsbourg. The next feather in her music cap comes in the form of her new girl-group, The Singles. Featuring Holly Miranda, Kendra Morris and Julia Haltigan alongside Scarlett herself, and Este from Haim on studio drums, The Singles is Johansson’s take on saccharine Indie-ElectroPop. Or as she calls is “super-pop”. Colour us intrigued.
Although topically Candy is as saccharine as it gets, musically it;s actually a lot more ecclectic than it’s ‘super-pop’ alignment hints at. It’s a perfect Pop three and a half minutes that seems to draw a line between Robyn-esque ScandiPop and that particularly American brand of summery Indie-Electro that rears it’s head as soon as the weather gets warmer. With an EBM bassline. And it all works, amazingly well; Candy ends up being an irresistibly catchy, mature slab of ElectroPop with an optimistic vibe and a a weirdly haunting lead line. We definitely want to hear more.
♫ The Singles – Candy
The Single’s Candy is out soon.
Buy The Singles’ music from PledgeMusic
French wunderkind Madeon is like a proper Pop star now, with a proper video and everything., Here’s the clip for his new single with Passion Pit, Pay No Mind.
Well, someone’s investing in Madeon. This video is a glossy and expensive special effects laden blockbuster.
Pay No Mind is take from Madeon’s début album, Adventure, our soon.
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Earlier this month we unveiled he new tune from LA Dreamwave master Let Em Riot; buy while that’s been going on, the other project, Moderns is still ticking over. They’ve just released a brand new single titled Terrestrial. This one sees relative newcomer Rosie taking up full vocal duties and a shift from the retro nostalgia of past releases to something that boarders on SynthRock. Check it out below.
Rosie’s voice sound super powerful on this one (and not unlike Annette Strean from Venus Hum in places) as she belts out a huge tune set to hammerfall kicks and buzzing arpeggios. The song is majestic and bombastic in a way that previous offerings weren’t; it’s a tightrope to walk as more introspective, personal productions give way to epics. Earlier Dreamwave based production seems to have given way to this new stadium sound, but as long as they don’t add in some rockin’ guitars we’re all good.
♫ Moderns – Terrestrial
Moderns’ self-titled début EP is out now.
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North-London’s ElectroPop songstress Pawws is back on the scene, following up on her awesome Sugar EP of last year. She’s got a brand new track in the offing, this one comes courtesy of Kitsuné Music’s latest compilation album, Kitsuné New Faces II, released later this month. Welcome back Lucy Taylor’s particularly enchanting brand of sweet SynthPop with Turnaround.
The track launches with some particularly 80s synths before pairing them with a quaint 60s vibe, a-la Saint Etienne. Both bittersweet and tongue-in-cheek, Pawws presents a decidedly British taken on ElectroPop whilst delivering something with universal appeal. Sparkling leads and waves of warm synths form a lilting backing for Lucy’s introspective and relatable vocal. She’s working on her début album right now, we can’t wait.
♫ Pawws – Turnaround
Kitsuné New Faces II is released 23rd February.
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Glaswegian ElectroPopsters and Blog Sound Of 2015 shortlisters Prides have a new single on the approach. Higher Love is an epic SynthPop ditty that pits blippy keys against a majestic anthem. The best of both worlds!
Check out the video directed by Ian Greenhill and Jordan Laird. Best gig ever!
Prides’ ‘Higher Love’ is released 23rd March.
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electronic rumors 