After a couple of teasers, SynthPop rising stars HURTS have débuted the video for their forthcoming first (proper) single, the anthemic ‘Better Than Love’.
It’s a pretty slick affair, it’s kinda’ got a Ultravox vibe going on and a pleasant return to the ‘80’s school of arty mini-movie music video making.
‘Better Than Love’ drops soon, very soon!
Residents of the Faroe Islands and recent Sunday Best signings The Ghost have been tipped as ‘one to watch’ by the NME for their unique mix of vintage ElectroPop and Indie.
Gearing up for the June release of their début album, ‘War Kids’, the duo are dropping their first UK single in May. ‘City Lights’ which is as anthemic as it is introspective. Amongst others the reMix duties are handled by none other than Mr. David E Sugar who presents a typically upbeat Electro-House mix with some pretty euphoric (in a good way) breakdowns. I’m also really digging The Deadstock 33s robo-Disco reMix, I could listen to that synth bass all day!
♫ The Ghost – City Lights (David E Sugar Wish reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ The Ghost – City Lights (The Deadstock 33’s reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
31st May sees the release of ‘City Lights’.
Amongst their number is one half of the Pearl Flash DJ crew, London based trio Luxury Living have been featured on electronic rumors previously with their stellar reMix of Penguin Prison’s ‘Something I’m Not’.
Their original material really does not disappoint. We can’t help buy get exited about their unique take on bouncy Space-Disco-SynthPop. This music is analog arpeggio heaven. Of the two tracks here I think I prefer ‘Kimberly’, with it’s real Robo-Disco vibe, although ‘Everything Is Going To Be Amazing’ is probably going to be a commercial smash!
♫ Luxury Living – Kimberley (Demo.) (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ Luxury Living – Everything Is Going To Be Amazing (zShare) (MediaFire)
Until the time comes to spend your dosh on Luxury Living’s début release go show them some MySpace lovin’
Hmmm, I’m not sure how I feel about French ex-Poney Poney-ers Jamaica’s new reMix of the forthcoming HURTS single ‘Better Than Love’.
I love the song, it’s been on repeat here for a while, and I like the reMix a lot, I’m just not sure the two go together,
Musically the track is awesome, big 80’s Disco chords and digital slap bass with a syncopated chorus you can’t help buy move to. It’s just that at times it seems as though Jamaica haven’t quite got to grips with the vocal rhythms of the song, to the extent that the vocals feel as if they are slipping out of time. It’s just that one nagging feeling that stops a great tune being fantastic.
♫ HURTS – Better Than Love (Jamaica reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
Still, the single is shaping up to be a monster reMix package with an absolutely flawless original.
Ever since Lo-Fi-Fnk dropped a teaser of what to expect from their return we’ve been waiting excitedly for news of a forthcoming release.
What we do know is the teaser, ‘Marchin’ In’, will be the lead single and the Swedish ElectroPoppers have got Astronomer and Silver Columns on reMix duties.
The Silver Columns reMix fattens up the original with some deep analog synth bass and subtle house piano and creates a laidback Electro-House vibe with the track.
♫ Lo-Fi-Fnk – Marchin’ In (Silver Columns reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
‘Marchin’ In’ will be released soon on Moshi Moshi.
It’s been a fair ol’ while since we wrote about The Good Natured, since then I’ve managed to catch her live a few times and have been pretty impressed with what I saw. Understated and almost unconfident on stage but a definite musical talent. I’m sure the stage confidence will grow with time, confidence that can only be bolstered when alarmingly hip record labels want to release the title track form your début EP as a single.
The re-release of the track comes with a whole host of reMixes of the kind you’d expect from an alarmingly hip record. Portmanteau bring the noisy distorted Disco to the single which is quite nicely balanced with Sarah’s distinctive vocals and vocal style. The original track is an absorbing three and a half minutes that is possible the first song ever to be haunting and catchy and Portmanteau manage to hold on to some of that quality as a sheen over that warping synth backing but The Aspirins For My Children really up thing in the chaos stakes with their raucous Indie-Electro noisefest.
♫ The Good Natured – Your Body Is A Machine (Portmanteau reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ The Good Natured – Your Body Is A Machine (The Asprins For My Children reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ The Good Natured -Your Body Is A Machine (Zebra & Snake reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
‘Your Body Is A Machine’ is released 21st June on, as I may have mentioned, an alarmingly hip record label.
Were still in the thick of our CHEW LiPS competition, in association with Topman CTRL, to win a limited edition T-shirt designed by the Tigs herself! There’s still a week to enter, find the info here.
As part of their stint as Topman controllers CHEW LiPS also hand picked the line up for a very special gig at the Cardiff Arts Institute, that was supposed to be on 16th April.
Well…certain Icelandic volcanoes had other ideas!
Stuck in New York and desperate to get to Cardiff (now there’s a movie I would go and see!) the band had to regretfully cancel the gig leaving troopers Party Horse to soldier on alone.
But have no fear ticket holders! The show has been rescheduled and tickets previously purchased will still be valid.
The new date is Wednesday 9th June at the Cardiff Arts Centre (support acts to be confirmed).
The good news is that gives you time to save up for that fancy hat you wanted to wear! Also, if you win a T-shirt in our competition it has time to arrive in the post so you can wear it with pride!
Maybe sometimes volcanoes are a blessing in disguise!
CHEW LiPS début album, ‘Unicorn’, and the current single ‘Karen’ are out now.
It’s less than a month now until London SynthPop genii Monarchy’s first proper single is released. We’ve already told you haw great it is, and how awesome the video is but we though you might need reminding with some reMixes and a listen to the B-Side.
The original is a piece of pure Electronic perfection, a beautiful meeting of Disco and Italo topped with gently, heartfelt vocals that weave in and out of the instrumentation effortlessly. You’ll have heard Kris Menace’s arpeggio led Electro-House reMix before which contrasts with Hot City’s glitchy, Garage beats and cut-up vocals. the B-Sire is ‘It Must Be Love’, a track that might not make it to Monarchy’s début album, slated for a June release, is a ballad with a real mid-80’s Scandinavian SynthPop feel to it and a chord progression that tugs at the heart strings.
♫ Monarchy – The Phoenix Alive (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ Monarchy – The Phoenix Alive (Kris Menace Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ Monarchy – The Phoenix Alive (Hot City Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ Monarchy – It Must Be Love (zShare) (MediaFire)
‘The Phoenix Alive’ is released 10th May on This Is London.
‘Better Than Love’ is a fantastic choice for HURTS’s first proper single (‘Wonderful Life’ bring an EP). I think most people were expecting the Spandau Ballet-esq ‘Blood, Tears & Gold’ but this tune, actually an old Daggers (HURTS previous incarnation) song, is probably a better fit for a breakthrough single.
The coolest band (and most hyped) in ElectroPop right now need to announce themselves with heir début and ‘Better Than Love’ does exactly that. Still sounding authentically 80’s Pop, without parody or cliché. The forthcoming single is, although described by the band as “dance music for depression”, and epic, somewhat uplifting slice of retro PowerPop, (verging on the Simple Minds at times even!). As melancholic as it is it can’t help but sound anthemic with all the drama and passion of the vocals sitting atop flying arpeggios and Italo beats. If the flavour isn’t dancefloor enough for you check out German House masters Tiefschwarz’s deep and dark reMix.
♫ HURTS – Better Than Love (zShare) (MediaFire)
♫ HURTS – Better Than Love (Tiefschwarz Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)
It is amazing to find a band who really are living up to the hype. I absolutely cannot wait to catch these guys live in May!
