Jun 12 2016

[Audio] Avec Sans’ ‘Heartbreak Hi’ album

What I can I say about Avec Sans that I haven’t already? Probably not a lot; but they’ve just gone and released their début full-lengther so let’s give it a go, eh? To call their new album, sharing the title Heartbreak Hi with their first single, long-awaited would be an understatement. I’ve always seen The Sans as an album band, so the slow trickle of singles over the past four years has been tantalizing in the extreme and now that time has come I can well and truly say that a large body of Avec Sans work feels as satisfying as I’d always thought it would.

To bring you up to speed (insert American TV voice here: “Previously on Avec Sans…”); Avec Sans are, without question, amongst the top tier ElectroPop artists the UK has ever produced, and definitely one if, if not the best in the past decade. Striking the perfect balance between machine music and deep emotion in all elements of their sound as Jack St James offers up a deft combination of spiky, jagged synths and lush, evocative arrangements while Alice Fox’s voice flits between icy aloofness and heartfelt passion. This blending of cold and warm, dark and light, is what makes Avec Sans’s music such a rich experience. And it’s pretty groovy too! They serve up something for the heart, the head and the feet.

Heartbreak Hi is a both a culmination of the past few years of work and an introduction to new, sometimes surprising, material. All the singles are present and correct from their premiére tracks Perth and Heartbreak Hi, through The Answer, Hold On, Shiver, All Of Time,and Resonate to When You Go. So, rather than going over the singles again, we thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and re-visit our first impressions of the tracks. Here’s a rundown of Avec Sans’ previous singles, featured on Heartbreak Hi, via the medium of quoting our original thoughts:

♫ Avec Sans – Heartbreak Hi

Heartbreak Hi: “The track itself is glorious, rousing slice of razor sharp ElectroPop. With a very slight Industrial quality to it, that is tempered by Alice Fox’s impassioned vocals. It’s rare for a new ElectroPop act to come along and sound so polished and mature from the get-go.” (June 2012)

Shiver: “Catchy, but in an intelligent way, the tune is a cavalcade of buzzing synths and dance beats. Ms. Fox’s vocals sound more epic than ever, set to a sweeping, driving, slice of ElectroPop gold.” (November 2013)

When You Go: “Swoosh! That’s how When You Go begins. Once suitably swooshed you’ll be treated to a booming and majestic tune that sees Jack playing with an almost Dubby groove, albeit it a Dubby groove run through his humming RoboPop machines while Alice’s smoky vocal delivers that particular gloomy optimism that only she can.” (July 2015)

Hold On: “Hold On delivers compelling beats, a swirl of biting synths and a chorus that’ll stick in your head all day. What more could you want?” (June 2013)

The Answer: “If you said to me that this was a track created by a guy who has experimented with many different forms of electronic music and a vocalist who cut her teeth on the Indie band circuit, I would say that’s exactly what it is.” (November 2012)

Resonate: “Resonate is a thumping mid-tempo ElectroPop epic that it’s hard not to get swept up in as the starlight arpeggios swirl around an intimate and intoxicating vocal performance, all set to a hammerfall kick.” (April 2015)

All Of Time: “…a rousing, emotional SynthPop track with a surprising and powerful Indie sensibility. Piercing synths and Alice’s passionate vocal delivery wash over some tight dance beats on this one.” (August 2014)

Perth: “…a seriously classy cover of Bon Iver’s Perth” (June 2012)

All of which goes to show two things. Firstly that I am a terrible writer (but we knew this anyway, right?). Secondly that Avec Sans have been offering up the finest of tunes consistently since 2012; and by ‘consistently’ I don’t mean quantity, I mean consistently high quality. There’s a craftsmanship (and craftswomanship) and attention to sonic detail going on here that I’m sure some other acts would have found exhausting to keep up.

♫ Avec Sans – Shiver

All of that is precluded by the album opener, Even The Echoes, which layers on the atmosphere in true album intro style. The track actually sets up the album really well, all the Sans elements are in place. Jack’s sample manipulation and growling tones, Alice’s slightly sad anthems. All just a little reined in, tempo-wise, to ease you into proceedings. To the trained ear (and when I say trained, I mean: have listened to a lot of Aves Sans on busses in the past four years) the evolution and increasing musical confidence throughout their carrier is apparent in Heartbreak Hi’s catalogue; and damn, We Are is an evolved and confident tune. A sublime Pop track with beats and a hook that are surprisingly early-90s. I mean, seriously, it’s synth horns and hushed vocals could have easily been featured on the early days of MTV UK. A proper Pop anthem.

History, for me anyway, is the unforeseen standout of the new album tracks. A departure from Avec Sans’ crisp and regimented SynthPop into something with a gentle, almost R&B swing at times, a thick dancefloor bass and an IndiePop refrain. Which is an odd combination but when put into musical context, with Jack’s production and Alice’s delivery, is a combination that both works as an Avec Sans track, and give the duo a chance to flex their musical muscles slightly outside of the comfort zone (with total success!).

Gun to my head; Close My Eyes is my least favourite track on the album. Not a bad song by any means, I particularly like the lyrical imagery and the little squirly (that’s a word damnit!) bit in the riff, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of it’s album mates. The album closer, Mistakes, however, is perfectly placed to ease you out of the record. A song full of regrets and reflection that pairs a hushed lament with a hazy swirl of rising keys that eventually breaks, like tension snapping, for the track’s, and album’s, beat driven finale.

♫ Avec Sans – When You Go

Which leads us to one last point of order. What’s my favourite Avec Sans song then? Well, now there is a large enough body of work out there I can safely say that it’s Hold On, for various reasons. Musically it speaks to my love of abrasive sounds made into something beautiful; an emotional and warm track comprised of chainsaw synths and piercing leads with a catchy as hell hook. Lyrically I find it totally relatable. I’ve no idea what Alice wrote the track about, but in the finest tradition of the listener interpreting the song, it is scary how it could have been written about a certain time in my life (more than any song I’ve head in the past decade or so!). Thankfully a time long in the past, still gives me goosebumps hearing a song about it though. Especially one that makes me want to dance!

♫ Avec Sans – Hold On

To sum up, in case you haven’t been paying attention. Just go and buy this album. A ‘summing up’ paragraph seems a little redundant at this point, if you read this website then you will love this album, without a doubt. It’s been a long time coming and doesn’t disappoint. It also feels a bt like the end of Aves Sans chapter one, and we are already excited about what Jack and Alice will bring us for chapter two.

Avec Sans’ Heartbreak Hi is out now on digital and CD, you can pre-order the vinyl here.

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Mar 14 2016

[Video] Ladyhawke’s ‘A Love Song’

There’s definitely a soft spot in my heart for New Zealand’s finest Indie-Electro export Pip Brown A.K.A Ladyhawke. Although her sophomore album, Anxiety, was a tad too Rocky for my tastes; her self-titled début (from way back in 2008) was the bomb. A slick and personal combination of funk-fuelled breezy ElectroPop with a dusting of New Wave layered over some truly catchy songs that spanned deeply heartfelt to party anthem. That album was in our headphones for a long time. And the reMixes, oh the reMixes! Modular really delivered, getting the top ‘Blog House’ producers of the day to work on the 12”s.

As mentioned, the second album was very good, just not-so-much my thing. A little too much emphasis on the guitars, a little less emphasis on the synths. There was some good songs in there, but the sound didn’t do much for me. So it was with a mixture of excitement and nervousness that I greeted the news that Pip was back with a third full length record.Titled Wild Things, the new album is due out on 3rd June via Polyvinyl and the first single from the LP is A Love Song. And it’s good.

A Love Song is upbeat and purely electronic, two things I wasn’t anticipating from Ladyhawke. The massive Pop chorus is unexpected, but not unwelcome ,making the synth bass heavy verses sound almost low-key in comparison as Pip quiet vocals deliver bittersweet lyrics over subtle beats and a slow build. Then the chorus happens; a big sing-a-long over huge sidechained leads. A Love Song has definitely got my attention again.

Check out the lyric video below. While I hate, hate, hate lyric videos, this one is kinda’ neat; featuring animation by Paul Robertson who Pip got in touch with after seeing his pixelated take on the Simpsons intro with it’s psychedelic couch gag.

Ladyhawke’s Wild Things is released 3rd June.

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Mar 4 2016

[Audio] Let Em Riot’s ‘Programme’ EP

Do I need a disclaimer at the beginning of an article about Let Em Riot? I mean, he has graced electronic rumors records with his SlashWave EP way back when and Alan is considered electronic rumors fam around these parts; so yeah, there may be bias. But look at it this way, I sunk my own hard earned cash and personal reputation (although that second one is pretty worthless!) into Let Em Riot, I was that convinced of how awesome they were. When did you last invest in an artist ‘cos you were so excited by them, huh? Exactly. So shut up and let me write.

And why did I invest in Let Em Riot? Well it’s simply because Alan Oakes is the single most talented singer/songwriter working in the SynthWave/RetroWave scene. Hands Down. In fact, he’s one of the most talented singer/songwriters working on ElectroPop or Indie-Electro, as a whole, today. Big words maybe, but just listen to one of his EPs, c’mon! I can’t even.

Speaking of EPs, Today sees the release of Let Em Riot’s latest EP on his Bandcamp page. The Programme EP is Let Em Riot’s fourth and, like the rest of his catalogue, see Alan exploring topics of love and loss to a soundtrack of sumptuous nostalgic synths. Dig in!

The EP kicks off with In Between. The thing with Let EM Riot songs is, no matter how melancholic they might be, they are always quite cheery and upbeat. You feel like even the tales of heartbreak have a happy ending somewhere. In Between dishes out the longing in spades between stabbing synth riffs and heavy duty drums (the drums are beefed up for this EP).

What sets Alan apart from some of his contemporaries is that, although he is making pure SynthPop, his songwriting and vocal style draws more from Indie and Alt-Rock than classic electronic music; and that’s a sweet combination. Rich synthesizer music and deeply emotional croon fit together perfectly. Saying that, though, I Don’t Want To Fake It is pure retro Pop. This tune could have easily charted in the mid-80s with it’s sparkling keys and fist-pumping earnest chorus. Kept fresh with just the tiniest injection of a Tropical groove. It.s even got some distant “Whoa-oh”s giving it a Nik Kershaw-goes-Tropical vibe.

Stranger Places’ Depeche Mode-esque post-Industrial rhythmic hammerfalls pin down this sweeping instrumental. It’s Sci-Fi soundscape ripe for cinematic visuals; Stranger Places is more nuanced and intricate than many of it’s peers, drawing as much from Jarre and the aforementioned Mode as it does from period soundtracks to delivers it’s melodic but tense package.

Want some unadulterated Let Em Riot? Upbeat beats, digital bass, heartfelt verses and big chant-a-long choruses, a nostalgic sheen? Well, Waiting For You has everything you need right here. This tune is the euphoric apex of the EP with relatable lyrics and some truly special synth riffing, this one’ll put a spring in your step.

The EP closes on Home Again, a beautiful, optimistic, heartfelt slice of ElectroPop. It’s raid fire bassline driving the track but never overtaking the considered delivery of the vocals, which seem to reign the machine gun synths in. Home Again brings to EP to it’s end but leaves a good taste in your ears.

See! That’s wasn’t to bias was it? Seriously though, if you like the three E’s, Electronics, Energy and Emotion in your music then you need to be at the very least investing Let Em Riot and you could do worst that starting with the Programme EP.

♫ Let Em Riot – I Don’t Want To Fake It

♫ Let Em Riot – Waiting For You

♫ Let Em Riot – Home Again

Let Em Riot’s Programme EP is out today via his Bandcamp page.

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Dec 15 2015

[Audio] Computer Magic’s ‘Davos’ album

So here’s an album that we’ve been meaning to write about for a while now. Coming up to X-mas we’ve had less time to devote to writing but we have been determined to post a little noise about this record before the end of the year; so here we are.

Brooklyn based Danielle ‘Danz’ Johnson has been firmly on our radar since around 2010 with a host of self released EPs. We were immediately taken with her introspective DIY take on SynthPop, kinda’ filling the hole in our hearts left by a lack of Ladytron. Loaded with vintage synths and simple, yet blissfully effective hooks the music felt raw and heartfelt, and when paired with Danz’s reflective vocals and Sci-Fi tinged lyrics the combination is easy to get lost in.

Following the self released EPs Computer Magic came a handful of EPs on the likes of Kitsuné Music and White Iris and three full length albums in Japan that compiled tracks from various sources. Davos, however, is Computer Magic’s first proper full-length studio album; and one we had been looking forward to for a long long time. It does not disappoint.

Computer Magic’s work on Davos transcends SynthPop or ElectroPop, or even Indie-Electro. Whilst the instrumentation is that of a Lo-Fi SynthPop album, the arrangement, songwriting and the actual mood of some of these songs spans numerous genres. We’re hearing synth based Shoegaze, synth based Punk, synth based Indie as Danz throws the rulebook out of the window on this ambitious twelve track record.

Davos exemplifies this with it’s opening salvo. Fuzz, if synths were swapped for guitars, could quite easily be an underground British Indie hit. That kind of songwriting, but chock full of analog synths rather than dirty guitars make Computer Magic something special. Fuzz is a sweet and playful track that contrasts a distorted riff with Danny’s sweet vocals and is about as anthemic as Computer Magic gets. That Ladytron (well, early Ladytron) comparison comes to light on When You See Me which plays with a similar live, garage ElectroPop feel that Ladytron’s first recordings had. Slightly haunting and otherworldly without being alienating Computer Magic, in just two tracks, can completely suck you into her futuristic, yet intimately personal, world. Secret, again, is written like a 90s Indie smash. With it’s subby verses Danny weaves a mysterious atmosphere before reeling you in with a chorus of subtle Pop brilliance.

Sorry if we keep saying that there are catchy Indie tunes made with synths, but Be Fair, c’mon, it’s a catchy Indie smash made with synths; complete with “do do dos”. Give Me Just A Minute brings out Computer Magic’s more robotic side with it’s Kraftwerkian rhythms and Casiotone-esque leads leading to spacious Numaniod pads. The vintage electronic notes continue with the Tangerine Dream keys on Hudson (probably the album’s closest track to traditional Indie).

The second half of Davos is led by the RoboPop of Save Your Life, a track which harkens back to those quirky Indie-SynthPop bands coming out of America in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. This kind of slightly Folky, quaint bands like Venus Hum, with Danny’s own galactic twist.

Then comes All Day, one of our favourite tracks on that album and something of a departure from it’s fellows. Playing with 80s Pop, and a hint of Snyth Funk, Danz turns in the albums grooviest tune. All Day is a buoyant and rich slice of exhilarating ElectroPop that you could easily slip into a best of the 80s compilation. The use of digital bass really makes the tune stand out on Davos.

Bionic Man is also an album highlight. A space age epic rocking the kind of live drums, piercing synths and anthemic vocoding that make up the finest Progressive SynthPop. The rest of the album brings the mood back to that of Danny’s imitate beginnings. Chances is a chirpy and stripped back track full of synthetic optimism while Zuma feels like the emotional outro for Davos. A hazy ballad that, in keeping with the Davos’ second half, has a slightly proggy feel. Spaces, fittingly for a Computer Magic album, closes the record. An six minute opus that sends off Danielle’s science fiction soundtrack in true cosmic style.

If you’re looking for something a little unique, and love synths, Sci-Fi and things of quite brilliance then Computer Magic’s début album, Davos, comes recommended.

♫ Computer Magic – All Day

♫ Computer Magic – Fuzz

♫ Computer Magic – Bionic Man

♫ Computer Magic – Secret

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Nov 9 2015

[Audio] Kate Boy’s ‘One’ album

Those fine folk at Fiction Records must have read my big blog rant, or at least have some common sense, as they sent over the promo of Scandinavian ElectroPop heroes (and now slimmed down from trio to duo) Kate Boy’s début long player in enough time for us to spend a while with it and actually write a review to post in release week! It makes a change from the ‘here’s a new album that’s out tomorrow; can you post about it now?’ attitude of most. Ironically, although we’ve had a week or so with this album; this is one record that we could have safely said, on the first day we got it, was fucking awesome.

But we’ve been waiting for Kate Boy’s album for a long time now; and considering half the album is either songs we already loved from their string of amazing singles, or songs we already loved (and surprisingly knew all the words to) from their string of amazing live shows; us loving One was to be expected. It would have been very hard for Kate Boy to mess this one up.

Speaking of live; we hate to talk about Kate Boy without mentioning just how flippin’ good they are. Easily one of the (arguable the) best live ElectroPop acts around right now. Their live shows are energetic, engaging and as musicians the are unbelievably tight. More than that, though, Australian born Kate Akhurst herself has got a hell of a voice on her. If you get the chance to catch them, do yourself a favour….

It been a few year’s road to the album release. First causing a stir back in 2012 with Northern Lights, Kate Boy immediately became music blog darlings. We fell instantly in love with their mixture of Nitzer Ebb-esque post-Industrial percussive synths and warm, anthemic Indie-Electro vocals (with a hint of R&B) and while some outlets haven’t stuck around for the ride we think they’ve raised the bar with each release since.

Most of those releases are featured on One; kicking off with the album’s recently released lead single, Midnight Sun; a track that is perfectly placed as the first thing you hear. Midnight Sun sums up Kate Boy to a tea, driven by relentless big attack bass synths and hammerfall drums that underpin and array of icy, but somehow comforting, keys alongside Kate’s powerhouse vocals. This is Kate Boy’s perfect combination of aggressive and compelling with bubbly and inviting. Midnight Sun leads into the aforementioned Northern Lights, the more low-key affair that hooked us in the first place. A woozy bassed, stuttering anthem that still sends tingles down the spine. Lion For Real is a track that, despite being presented her on record for the first time, is a track well known to Kate Boy fans. A live favourite (the first of many), Lion For Real is an odd metaphor, but a sweeping anthem that works as a prime example of Kate’s vocal range; gliding from moody crooning in the verses to epic call-to-arms bellowing for the chorus. Human Engine, again, is a live staple that gets it’s first studio recording outing here. One of our personal live highlights, Human Engine wears wears it’s industrial influences in it’s sleeve underneath the passionate lament that is Ms. Akhurst at her most vocally expressive. At the end of side one Kate Boy give you a breather from all the abrasive euphoria with the darkly beautiful Burn, which makes for a nice palate cleanser before the track that is, for the most part, the peak of their live show. Higher, Akhurst’s equality anthem usually sees her at her most interactive with the audience, and that is recreated here with the reproduction of that optimistic energy and inclusive mantra amid a sea of rapid fire synths and wobbly bass.

If we had to pick, we would probably say that Self Control was our favourite Kate Boy track. It’s the closest they get to actually funky, thanks to an infectious and fluid bassline that give the song the most organic groove on the album. When I Was Young is, for the most part, our choice pick of the brand new tracks on One, we were unsurprised, then, to hear that it will be the band’s next single (due out in January). Easing in with a rumbling Acidic synth line, Kate growls her vocals over a selection of nostalgic sounds before When I Was Young launches into Kate Bush-esque rhythmic battle cry that stands out on side two as a personal and intoxicating opus. The Way We Are, another acclaimed single from 2013, brings some welcome familiarity; showcasing Kate Boy at their most Industrial with some melodic sampling that would have made Art Of Noise proud. This is paired side-by-side with Open Fire, Kate Boy’s other factory-floor-funk single from 2014 and it’s big sing-a-long chorus. The Album closes on Run As One, a slow grinding song which feels both introspective and, in the choruses, and epic closer with Kate’s vocals taking on a Post-Punk anger.

The bonus track on the extended version of One are In Your Eyes, from the Northern Lights EP, an epic tune that felt missed on the album proper (but, we guess, there isn’t room for everything) and the incredibly uplifting, yet quite biting, Temporary Gold. A tune which sounds weirdly like an Industrial Marina And The Diamonds, covering the same ground for topics too.

So there it is. We feel like we’ve been waiting years for the album’s release (mainly because we have) and not one second of it disappointed. Which, apart from being amazing, was a massive relief. Needless to say Kate Boy’s one comes so, so, so highly recommended. As does seeing them live if you can; that’s where the real Kate Boy experience shines the most.

♫ Kate Boy – Self Control

♫ Kate Boy – Midnight Sun

♫ Kate Boy – Open Fire

Kate Boy’s One is out now.

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Oct 29 2015

[Audio] Du Tonc’s ‘We Can Hold On’

The duo of Du Tonc coming together was one of those moments in music that is just so exciting. We’d longtime been fans of Aussie Indie-Electro outfit Van She, probable the most guitary band we are fans of, who rode the crest of the 2006/2006 Electro explosion with both a string of catchy as hell ditties and some storming Van She Tech reMixes. And post Van She the guys have done the business too; Touch Sensitive, Arithmatix!, Tear Council have all been at the top of their game, as was Matt Van Schie peddling his solo line in silky smooth SynthPop that was both glorious and intimate.

So you can imagine how badass it was when, back in 2013, when Matt teamed up with another Matt to form a Matt themed double-act. MiGHty mOUse (no, we’re never going to stop writing it like that!) is a powerhouse on the Nu-Disco scene. The UK finest purveyor of Cosmic and Left-Field Disco (and more recently some Houseier offerings) MiGHty mOUse has not only been at the top of his game, producing, editing, reMixing and DJing, for the best part of a decade but also curated the Disco Circus series which are absolutely essential for anyone interested in modern dance music. His burbling analog Boogie productions are always something to look forward to.

These two Matts, together as Du Tonc, have released a string of amazing tunes in the years since they exploded onto the scene. Weaving breezy Indie-ElectroPop melodies into space age dancefloor grooves Du Tonc have consistently delivered atmospheric and intoxicating sunkissed tracks that you can just sink into. It’s no wonder the duo ended up on Belgian fine-taste label Eskimo.

So their new single has just been released, and We Can Hold On is a woozy excursion in psychedelic island Funk. The dual juggernauts of thick synth bass and a slap riff make for a rock solid core that practically compels you head to nod in time. Spacious pads and bubbling hooks intermingle with subtly guitar to form a swirling and mysterious soundtrack for Matt’s comforting vocals. No Du Tonc track would be complete without a hint of nostalgia; and We Can Hold On certainly brings it with just enough of a hint of a mid-80s summertime dream. Du Tonc have released enough material now for us to be able to say, with some certainty, that their forthcoming album should be a killer. It would be very hard to fuck it up!

♫ Du Tonc – We Can Hold On

Du Tonc’s We Can Hold On is out now.

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Oct 26 2015

[Audio] Kickstarter Lovestarrs’ new album and EPs

UK band Lovestarrs are the Rocky Balboa of the SynthPop world. They keep getting knocked down, and keep getting back up again. Sarah Mackintosh rose to critical acclaim as The Good Natured; starting with her Grandma’s old Yamaha keyboard and ending up as one of Britain’s most hotly tipped Indie-Electro acts. Juggling moody lyrics and a Gothy aesthetic with catchy and rousing ElectroPop tunes, The Good Natured were one of the more interesting and unique acts in a saturated mid-2000’s scene.

The the setbacks begun. Signing to Parlophone seemed like a good thing at the time with the backing of another EP and the announcement of the forthcoming album, to be titled Prism. A good thing short-lived though with the news, after a period of quiet, that The Good Natured had been dropped from the major and had spent the previous few month trying to secure the rights to the Prism masters; to no avail. The album was buried, and The Good Natured died.

In our opinion, this is the biggest dick move a major label can pull. We’ve seen it happen before and we’ll see it happen again. We don’t understand why, if you’re dropping an artist, you can’t just let them release their recordings. Sure, you’ve paid for them; so let them release them themselves and take a cut (surely that way at least you get something back for the recordings you paid for rather than nothing at all). It makes no sense to us and largely just comes across as spiteful.

Anyhoo, you can’t keep a good act down; and with almost a middle finger to the music industry, Sarah came bursting back on our radar as the bombastic Lovestarrs. Backed by her brother Hamish, Sarah’s new output was buoyant and optimistic. Pink replaced back and exuberance replaced gloom; and their début single, Get Your Sexy On, was a party fuelling manifesto proclaiming that Lovestarrs was a different beast to The Good Natured, keeping the lush SynthPop textures but washing them in a lavish, colourful nostalgia (epitomised by 80s Love Song, one of our top tunes of 2014).

Now staunchly DIY (and who can blame them) despite working with indie label Defdisco, Lovestarrs have set up a Kickstarter campaign to cover the release of their next two EPs and début album. The plan is to pay for the releases themselves, and licence them to Defdisco. The desire to pay for, and own, their own records is completely understandable coming from a band who had the last album they recorded held hostage. It’s one of the worthier Kickstarter campaigns we’ve come across. These guys deserve to own their own music, we can imagine how heartbreaking it was to record your début album and then have it disappeared by gangsters.

Lovestarrs are serious about this too; one of the rewards (in exchange for a shit ton of money!) is Sarah’s Grandma’s aforementioned Yamaha keyboard!

The duo have been releasing teasers of what to expect from the releases, you will hopefully find it in your heart it help out with, on their SoundCloud page in the past couple of weeks. From the chant-a-long fun of WTF to the robotic rabble-rousing of Frank Sinatra the album sounds like it’ll be wearing it’s 80s influences on it’s sleeve. Tracks like Somebody Like You sound classic Sarah Macintosh (whether The Good Natured or Lovestarrs) while the likes of Good Girls sound like the will bring something new, and more contemporary, to the table.

Just do it. Go and contribute. Lovestarrs deserve this and, goddammit, we want this album released.

♫ Lovestarrs – WTF (Demo.) (Snippet)

♫ Lovestarrs – Frank Sinatra (Demo.) (Snippet)

♫ Lovestarrs – Somebody Like You (Demo.) (Snippet)

♫ Lovestarrs – Good Girls (Demo.) (Snippet)

Get on board with Lovestarrs’ Kickstarter campaign here.

Buy Lovestarrs’ music from:

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Oct 19 2015

[Audio] Goldroom’s ‘Waiting To Ignite’

Stop what you’re doing, there’s a new Goldroom track in town. This is always a cause for celebration round these parts. Our history with Goldroom stretched back to the very beginning, and then keeps going. Josh’s previous outfit, NightWaves, turned in a track for the album that kicked off our record label, electronic rumors Volume 1 and before then we were staunch supporters of Josh and crew’s O.G. Dreamwave output. We even ran Binary Week, a seven day celebration of Josh’s record label. That Josh is the toast of the town these days makes us feel a little proud. It couldn’t happen to a nicer, or more talented and hard working, guy.

Speaking of NightWaves; as Josh is no stranger to re-recording his own songs, as evidenced with the recent Embrace version 2.0, we’d love to hear a Goldroom version of NightWaves’ Sweet Carrie. That would be so rad!

Anyhoo, on the Goldroom’s new single. Released on Friday (still hate Friday release dates, make no sense to anyone but the American music industry…) the track is called Waiting To Ignite and we co-written by American singer/songwriter Tinashe. As is customary, Josh as enlisted an up-and-coming vocal star for warbling duties, and this time it’s the turn of fellow LA resident Ren Farren to take a deep breath and step up to the mic.

Possibly the most Pop-House tune Goldroom has ever done, Waiting To Ignite might offer Goldroom his biggest commercial hit to-date. Jubilant, and incredibly optimistic, Waiting To Ignite spins all around it’s easy piano hook and raucous digital Disco bassline. The first Goldroom track that truly strays away from the nostalgia heavy beach Disco track we are used to and embraces glitzy, mirror-balled dancefloors. Ren’s vocals are just the right kind of engaging, really working the songs idealism while riding over Josh’s slick and easy going Disco-House soundtrack.

♫ Goldroom (Feat. Ren Farren) – Waiting To Ignite

Goldroom’s Waiting To Ignite is out now.

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Oct 12 2015

[Audio] MNDR’s ‘Kimono’

Has it really been three years since the release of MNDR’s Feed Me Diamonds? It really doesn’t seem that long since Amanda Warner and Peter Wade pushed the boundaries of Electronic Pop music with what is still one of our favourite albums of the last ten years. Following on from a handful of singles and EPs that left us slathering for a long player, Feed Me Diamonds didn’t disappoint. Delivering on the previous release’s promise of intricately crafted, left-field SynthPop tunes, Feed Me Diamonds neatly melded knob tweaking experimental sounds and abrasive with catchy Pop hooks.

Warner and co have been pretty quiet since that 2012 release, she’s been writing and producing behind the scenes for the likes of Charli XCX, Clean Bandit and SOPHIE. There have been a few collaborative records out, but none that really grabbed us much, to the point that we feared for future MNDR tracks. But that fear seems to have been unfounded as MNDR unveils her first original track since the album, and it’s good.

Still with WonderSound Records, MNDR released Kimono over the weekend and is our first taste of what might be to come from MNDR’s sophomore LP. Amanda is still in the process of writing and producing the new album, in-between similar duties for other artists, but we should have more news about the forthcoming record soon.

Hitting the ground running with some spiky, modulated beats Kimono makes a few more nods toward the dancefloor than much of MNDR’s previous output. Not that past releases haven’t been dancefloor friendly, but Kimono’s angular digital bass and nostalgic claps make for a slightly Italo, robotic Disco groove. Amanda taken on a hushed tone for her vocal delivery in the verses this time, with a more recognisable holler in the chorus. There’s an enticing enigma to Kimono, a warm and inviting mystery that is unusual to MNDR’s music, a certain smoothness that’s a welcome addition to Amanda’s arsenal. Dare we say Balearic?, in mood if not in sound. All-in-all a pretty amazing tune, and one that once again as stoked out interest in MNDR’s second album.

♫ MNDR – Kimono

MNDR’s Kimono is out now.

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Sep 30 2015

[Audio] Maya Jane Coles reMixes Nimmo’s ‘Dilute This’

Nimmo And The Gaunttlets are now just Nimmo, although the gauntlets appear to still be around. Confusing, right? We thought Sarah Nimmo might have gone solo, but nope the gang’s all there, Reva Gauntlett is still around. This crew are one of the best live outfits in the UK right now. We’ve been lucky enough to catch them a few times and they have an odd introspection onstage that, rather than alienating a crowd, seems to draw the crowd in and their high energy, upbeat Indie-Electro anthems definitely keep an audience rocking.

Their intense, but fun, ElectroPop seems like a pretty good match for the reMixing talents of Maya Jane Coles, who we’ve made no secret of the fact that we think she is one of the best producers of the last decade. Coming from Bristol we do have a soft spot for our electronic music being bassy and mysterious and Maya superbly wraps that Sci-Fi Dubbyness into infectious House tunes in a way that is just intoxicating; and when she weaves vocals through her tracks the results are right up our street.

Nimmo’s infectious and edgy ElectroPop single Dilute This was released late last month and has been swiftly followed up with a small collection of reMixes featuring Maya’s track, a mix from David Mayer and an Extended version from Nimmo themselves, the Nimmo Night Edit.

MJC’s reMix keeps that enigmatic vibe while introducing the track to a nice peak-time House flavour. Maya’s undulating and shifting beats keep things steady without loosing it’s little Garage skipping. Cole’s premiére talent is her user of atmospheric sounds and pads to create unique grooves. Many people can utilise moody tones to create an ambience, but MJC builds those soundscape layers into something darkly funky. Here that deep and intoxicating pallet turns the sections of Nimmo’s vocals that Maya chose to use from energetic IndiePop hollers to smokey and haunting croons. The perfect lazy afternoon listening that would work equally as well rocking an enchanted dancefloor.