Dec 9 2013

[Audio] Curxes’ ‘Avant-Guarded’

We’ve been kept mightily amused by the Budgies over the last couple of months. That being the mundane adventures of a couple of giant budgie headed Curxes types. Have a gander at their Instagram account if you have no idea what we’re talking about. To soundtrack this searing insight into the parakeet world, the Brighton/Portsmouth Electro-Industro-Pop duo have released a new single, Avant-Guarded.

In contrast to their last single, the haunting Further Still, Avant-Guarded relentless noise assault. But unlike many forays into the realms of the experimental, Curxes manage to combine a left-field musicality with some surprisingly catchy ElectroPop. Post-punk in places, vocally, and musically a bit R&B at times, Avant-Guarded is a strange beast. Although with a title like that it;s probably to be expected. There’s an amazing sonic pallet being worked with here, new synth sounds and rhythms to keep you interested on repeated listens. What Curxes have done here, is take the far to often po-faced and taking-itself-seriously world of experimental electronics and made it fun. Quite the achievement.

♫ Curxes – Avant-Guarded

Curxes’ Avant-Guarded is out now.

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Dec 6 2013

[Audio] Hemingway reMixes Man Without Country’s ‘Catfish’

Torontonian Cosmic Disco master Hemingway is back with a brand new reMix. Welsh experimentalists Man Without Country are his latest target as he morphs their hazy slice of Indie-DreamPop, Catfish, into a space funk oddessy, loaded with that thick, thick synth bass we’ve come to love from this guy.

With a nice vintage brush, Hemingway paints an epic masterpiece of twisting leads, starlight keys and that in-your-face bass. Sounds swirly around your head as melodies intertwine and curl sound each other. the whole hazy, Sci-Fi Funk works perfectly with the original tunes vocals, making them sound like some distant message from the starts. Hemingway really is one of the best in the business right now.

♫ Man Without Country – Catfish (Hemingway Mix)

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Dec 5 2013

[Download] Wildarms’ ‘U Don’t Understand’

Electronic experimentalist Wildarms hails from, yes, you guessed it, Brooklyn. Question; does Brooklyn breed peeps who love synths, or do peeps who love synths all move to Brooklyn? It’s a conundrum indeed. We wonder if people in Rock bands in Brooklyn are marginalised? Anyhoo, Wildarms makes some heady Chillwave sounds and has just hooked up with, yes, you guessed it Cascine, to release his début EP, Just For Love. Here’s the first track.

U Don’t Understand serves up an almost Post-Punk take on the swirling moods of Chillwave. The gruelling bassline would, at first, seem at odds with U Don’t Understand’s ringing atmospherics, but somehow they all work beautifully together. Layers upon layers of sonic hazy is piled on, from cavernous synths of fragile violin, set amongst a booming beat and crazy pitched up R&B vocals. It’s like Wildarms threw everything against a wall and only the awesome stuck.

♫ Wildarms – U Don’t Understand

Wildarms’ Just For Love EP is out 17th December.

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Dec 3 2013

[Download] Avec Sans reMixes Ecstasy’s ‘FRNDS 4 LYF’

Amazing London ElectroPop duo Avec Sans are turning their hands to reMxing more and more these days, which is a good thing, they always seem to come up with something that’s both Poppy and interesting, as they’ve done again with this reMix of British Indie-Duo, and generic-band-namers, Ecstasy’s tune FRNDS 4 LYF from their Exhale EP.

Chopping up the vocals and layering them over a machine beat and a popping hook, Avec Sans create a driving, energetic track with nods to both the harsher and the more melodic ends of the SynthPop spectrum. The lead synth riff alone is worth the price of admission, backed up by the rest of the track stomp-worthy Industrial grind tempered by an irresistible groove and a hint of a Post-Punk bassline. It;s a melting pot of references that all works perfectly in the end.

♫ Ecstasy – FRNDS 4 LYF (Avec Sans reMix)

Ecstasy’s Exhale EP is out now.

Check out more from Ecstasy on SoundCloud.

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Dec 3 2013

[Video] Factory Floor’s ‘Turn It Up’

This is the official video for DFA’s Factory Floor’s Turn It Up, a hypnotic concoction of 808s, reverb washed vocals, live drums and distant soundscapes.

Dan Tombs put the video together, a kaleidoscope of suitably fitting video effects.

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Dec 2 2013

[Video] Techniques’ ‘Switch’

We first featured Preston ElectroPoppers Techniques’ Switch last August and have been awaiting it’s release ever since. It’s out next month via Kitsuné, who we can’t help but feel that along with a lot of their recent releases have dropped the ball on this one, both from a scheduling and promotional point of view. Remember when a Kitsuné release meant something? Now they just seem to let releases slip out unannounced. Ah well, at least it is coming out, definitely long overdue, it’s an excellent tune.

Here’s the video, directed by Tilly Shiner & Becan Rickard-Elliott, simple, monochrome, but quite effective.

Techniques’ Switch is released 2nd December.

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Nov 29 2013

[Download] Strangers’ ‘Divine’

So, y’know London SynthPop superheroes Strangers have been releasing a free track at the beginning of each month for the last few months? The last five months to be exact. Well, as we head into December, the guys have collected these tracks as the Close EP, due for release at the start of next month. I know what you’re thinking; ‘I’ve already downloaded those songs for free’, well just hold your horses, there’s more! The EP comes equipped with an exclusive new track, an acoustic version of Fires and a new reMix of Something New from Jack Robert Hardman. You can listen to the new tune right here, and you should, ‘cos it’s well good.

Divine features Lou Bird, and brings to the EP a swirl of lush synths set atop shuffling R&B-esque beats. Sounding distinctly ‘London’, Divine meshes Strangers typically majestic SynthPop with an electronic, urban feel. Strangers do everything big, and Divine is no exception, stuffed to busting point with rich tones and layers of backing vocals. They’re like HURTS, but better. Because HURTS turned into sad rock posers (thanks Dita Von Teese, we know that was your fault) and we have a feeling that Strangers will be (as they say in old London town) ‘keeping it real’.

♫ Strangers (Feat. Lou Bird) – Divine

Strangers’ Close EP is released 10th December.

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Nov 29 2013

[Audio] The Other Tribe’s ‘Nobody Else’

Here’s a brand new track from Bristolian party monsters The Other Tribe. We don’t know what it’s for. We don’t know if it’s going to be released. It’s just a new track OK? Sometimes having all the answers doesn’t matter. Just turn up the amp, and let Nobody Else invade your mind. (It is probably their next single though, this is, after all, a radio friendly Edit of the track, but shush, don’t worry about it).

Nobody Else is the guys current live set closer. It’s a good choice to end a set on too, it’s got that ‘just keep dancing’ feel to it, keeps the crowd wanting more. the track shows off The Other Tribes trademark combination of House grooves, manic tribal purcussion, Tropical vibes and an Indie sensibility. The result, as per-usual, is an exhilarating and tight House/Pop tune that is both intelligent and rowdy at the same time. Heartfelt vocals and some hands-in-the-air moments are just the icing on the cake.

♫ The Other Tribe – Nobody Else (Edit)

The Other Tribe’s My Girl single is out now.

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Nov 28 2013

[Audio] Lazyboy’s ‘Pica Disco’

The duo Lazyboy are far far from lazy, and to be honest, pretty far from being boys too. This team-up consists of our summer festival overlord, DJ and Sunday Best head honcho Rob Da Bank and London-based producer Dan Carey, a man who credits CSS, Lily Allen and Kylie Minogue amongst his musical conquests. Their new single, their first for years and years, Pica Disco, is set to inject a little Balearic sunshine into your winter (unless you live in Australia, in which case just chuck this in your hot weather jams pile, as you might chuck another shrimp on the you-know-what).

An artful mashup of Krautrock, Guitar funk and live dance beats, Pica Disco is a hypnotic groover which leans toward the Scandinavian end of Cosmic Disco, although slightly more Indified. Personally, we could have done with a little less guitar and some synths, but you know us, we’re picky as hell. Regardless, what you’ve got here is an infectious, rolling four minutes of good-time live Disco.

♫ Lazyboy – Pica Disco (Original Mix)

Lazyboy’s Pica Disco is out now.

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Nov 21 2013

[Audio] Maya Jane Coles reMixes Bonobo’s ‘First Fires’

The latest slice of all-encompassing musical warmth coming from the queen of all things Deep and Techy, Maya Jane Coles, comes in the form of this reMix of Ninja Tune’s finest Bonobo’s, Grey Reverend featuring, First Fires. The ghostly and bassy original comes from Bonobo’s recent The North Borders album. The track serves as the album’s intro and takes on a whole new life in Coles’ hands.

The vocal croon of the song is actually quite well suited to Coles’ smokey take on House, it’s low tones acting as another instrument in MJC’s deep arsenal. Capturing the intensity and atmosphere of First Fires, Maya looses none of it’s emotional resonance, if anything she adds to the tracks mood with a plethora of warm, rounded synths and grumbling basses. All set to a nice shuffling UK House beat. Sink into this one.