It’s another one of the awesome Glass Candy’s enigmatic videos. This one’s for the track Redheads Feel More Pain, their contribution to the Italians Do It Better compilation After Dark 2.
Once again the clip uses footage shot by Alberto Rossini, actually test shots for a photoshoot in Ibiza earlier this summer.
Redheads Feel More Pain is taken from After Dark 2, out now.
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Next week sees the new release from a man who is rapidly becoming one of the more prolific producers around right now. Ali Jamieson’s release schedule is becoming something to be admired, or decried, depending on your viewpoint, but let us assure you, quality control isn’t about to slip just yet as his latest release, for Noenized, will prove to you.
His new single is called Undisclosed, it’s a shuffling Italo beast that exchanges Jamieson’s usual left-field Funk for some good old-fashioned Boogie. But don’t worry, in amongst the whip-cracking digital bassline sits Ali’s ecclectic vintage Disco stylings as the track soon descends into an epic solo-fest with electric piano, synths and bass all vying for attention. The B-side, Pepper, is actually our favourite of the two tracks. A relaxed slice of Robo-Disco with elements of Moog Funk, Italo, Cosmic Disco and even a little Torpical all coming together with a philosophically mind-blowing vocoder line to create a slice of synthetic relaxation that’s right up our street. The single also comes correct with a reMix od Pepper from French Discomeister Moustache Machine.
♫ Ali Jamieson – Undisclosed
♫ Ali Jamieson – Pepper
Ali Jamieson’s Undisclosed is out 6th August.
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We’ve got to be honest, two albums in one year always raises alarm bells for us. There’s a big danger of quantity over quality with such a packed release schedule, and the feeling that there’s no self-editing going on at the production end. In a day and age where everyone just throws up every single thing the do on the internet, for artists trying to create a buzz there’s a strong chance that releases become so commonplace that no excitement exists anymore. That said, we are big fans of Pittsburgh based SynthWaver Betamaxx, who album Interface from January this year we are still loving, and he has just released a new full length record, titled Sophisticated Technology, on Telefuture.
We were pleasantly surprise to find that Betamaxx has kept up his high quality productions throughout 2013 next 13 tracks. The album launches itself on a collaboration with French synth wizard Tommy, Breakthrough, a track that wears it’s more robotic side of the 80s influences on it’s sleeve. A cavalcade of tweaking arpeggios and laser beam synth lines that, whilst futuristic, leans on the side of the optimistic. Dolby Dance and Zenith are next, a chilled Beach vibe slice of retrowave and a hyperactive Italo Pop tune respectively, both showing off slick arrangements but featuring a slightly out of place muted guitar. Maxximum gets things back on track, a pulsating slab of instrumental RoboPop that is as emotionally resonant as it is playful with it’s twisting lead lines. When Redlining 6th kicks off there’s a slight feeling that it;s all over the place, but that soon reveals itself to be organised chaos as the track descends into pinpoint precision, multi layered, driving SynthWave with a hypnotic solo. The enigmatic synthesizer squeaks of Inside Information lead us to Reel To Reel, featuring Mike McG. A heavy Synth Funk tune that pairs B-Boy beats with ghostly vocoded vocals and a storming lead line, sprinkled with just the right amount of metal dance to give it a machine groove. Chrominance and Memorex Discotheque are both frantic, Outrun style tunes that drive the album toward it’s conclusion of the synthesizer relaxation of New Horizons and hopeful euphoric mood of the album’s final, cinematic, track, Remembrance. Overall Betamaxx has beat the odds and delivered a second amazing album in one year, sure there are some really jarring guitars here and there on the record that largely feel tacked on, and some of the hi-octane tunes are a tad by-the-numbers, but on the whole Sophisticated Technology is more killer than filler and well worth your investigation.
♫ Betamaxx (Feat. Mike McG) – Reel To Real
♫ Betamaxx (Feat. Tommy) – Breakthrough
♫ Betamaxx – Maxximum
♫ Betamaxx – Redlining 6th
Betamaxx’s Sophisticated Technology is out now.
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Well, it really has been quite a while since we heard an original tune from Nu-Disco producer Bxentric. Apart from the wonderful Foolishness, which featured on Aeroplane’s In-Flight Entertainment compilation last year, you have to go way back to 2010 and tunes like Complete and Vice (awesome tracks) to grab a bit of Bxentic goodness. Keeping busy he seems to have dropped the ‘-‘ and the ‘!’, grabbed Bristolian songstress Emily Breez from Vents, and lines up a storming release for the always top Glasgow Underground.
Surrender is an atmospheric and evocative slice of huge sounding Italo Pop. Actually, surprisingly so. It’s a far more straight-up ElectroPop track than we would have expected, but we like being surprised, and we were certainly pleasantly surprised by the classic 80s sound of Surrender. Breez’s borderline Goth croon curls it’s way around the track like smoke, whist Bxentric delivers pulsating basslines, ghostly arpeggios and razor sharp retro leads, but despite all these robotic elements, Bxentric injects the track with a nostalgic warmth too. reMixes on the single come from Cosmic Kids, Kevin McKay and a couple of versions from Kevin McKay & Phil Kelsey, including their Club Mix, which serves up the track with a side order of burbling Deep House groove.
♫ Bxentric (Feat. Emily Breez) – Surrender (Original Mix)
♫ Bxentric (Feat. Emily Breez) – Surrender (Kevin McKay & Phil Kelsey Club Mix)
Bxentric’s Surrender is out now on Beatport, everywhere else follows 12th August.
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It’s Basti from Germany’s finest Synth lovers Final DJs’ birthday! To celebrate this auspicious occasion the duo have whipped up this luscious reMix of Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks’ Stand Back. It’s an epic vocal that fits in nicely with Final DJs epic synth ethos. Expect hazy electronic vibes.
Loaded with dreamy synths, as thick as you like, this reMix is a multi layers wave of electronic goodness. Waves of rich tones and nostalgic hooks crash over Stevie Nicks husky vocal. With just a hint of Cosmic Disco and Italo amongst the slick SynthWave styled ElectroPop, Final Djs make the track both hazily nostalgia and futuristic at the same time. Retro future beauty from Germany with a soulful American vocal, what more could you want?
♫ Stevie Nicks – Stand Back (Final DJs reMix)
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Well, it looks like the rest of the world is catching up to what we’ve been trying to tell them for the last four years; Sweden’s SynthWave king Mitch Murder is one of the greatest musicians recording today, and now maybe he’s on his way to getting the recognition he deserves courtesy of Diplo’s Mad Decent label and their Jeffree’s sub-imprint. Mr. Murder’s forthcoming single for them is titled The Touch, a gloriously 80s tunes as only Johan does best. The single package comes loaded with top quality mixes from the likes of Nite Sprite and Lifelike, here we present the version from French Touch legend Lifelike.
Life like gets lots to work with here, the original has a driving arpeggio pattern and swathes of lush chords, so Lifelike takes that to the max, amping the arps into dancefloor overdrive. Leading more toward the originals SynthWave sound that Lifelike’s usual Disco influenced groove, here he plays with the Italo synths, crating a SynthWave/French Touch hybrid that’s both floorfilling and retro styled. We’re even treated to some soaring solo that slot effortlessly into the sparse arrangement. Although no stranger to the SynthWave scene, this is Lifelike’s furthest journey in that direction, it suits him.
♫ Mitch Murder – The Touch (Lifelike reMix)
Mitch Murder’s The Touch is released 25th July.
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Far Gone is Torontonian Nu-Disco producer Hemingway’s follow up to his amazing Ace Neptune single of earlier this year. Once again supplied by Brilliantine, Far Gone sees James Harris sliding into slightly Housier, more intricate territory without loosing any of his warm Funk.
Loaded with Dramatic vintage synth stabs and warbles, Far Gone treads unusual ground with an almost Techno complexity to it’s rhythms set amongst inspirational Cosmic Disco soundscapes. The rhythm’s shuffle and the deep vocal snatches lend the track a Chicago groove, making the track a veritable Frankenstein’s monster of dancefloor vibes. It’s all wrapped up in a relaxed Disco blanket, perfect for lazy summer evenings.
♫ Hemingway – Far Gone
Hemingway’s Far Gone is out now. You can pick it up for 45¢ (that’s about 29p in real money) from here.
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July had been a busy week for London based Italo synthesist Chris Flatline A.K.A. Mild Peril. With two releases, on different formats, in the space of a week, Mild Peril in on the approach vector to deliver the culmination of this particular phase of his Cosmic Italo journey. One limited edition, on Vivod Records, and one digital release should whet people appetites for of this lush, evocative, electronic soundtrack.
Firstly, there is the limited edition 12” release of Alpha Zone and Gamma Zone. Both to be found in their original form on the Unknown Zones, First Survey EP, here slightly reworked but no less fantastical. These two tracks are amongst Mild Peril’s best, robotic yet emotional, mysterious yet comforting, utilising machine beats, razor sharp lead lines and heady swirls of synthesizer sounds to create moods for your head and your feet. Owning these two tunes on vinyl is a pretty interesting prospect for the discerning Italo DJ. The second release, Unknown Zones Vol. 2, contains two new tunes, Outer Zone/Sigma Zone and Crisis In Gamma Zone, both built upon existing themes but honed through the last couple of years of releases and live shows into two epic electronic narratives. At around quarter of an hour each, there is much scope here for ushering the listener through a variety of moods that weave together to tell the tale of the whole. Haunting chimes and cascades of electronic warmth will give way to pulsating arpeggios and pulsating FM bass, and back again, as the voyage though Italo, Cosmic Disco and late 70s soundtrack vibes progresses. A definite recommendation for any lover of synthesizer music that should be seeing a physical release later in the year.
♫ Mild Peril – Alpha Zone
♫ Mild Peril – Crisis In Gamma Zone
Mild Peril’s Unknown Zones Vol. 1 and Unknown Zones Vol. 2 are both out now.
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The new track from Cosmonaut Paulie, his follow up to the incredibly well received Spread Love. Showing off a totally different style to Spread Love, Paulie proves himself to be no one-trick-pony. The singe gets a proper release, with reMix package, in the coming weeks but for now you can grab the original in all it’s glory for free.
Paulie draws on his background in Cosmic Disco for the spaced out and Dubby Want You. Whereas with Spread Love you were wrapped in deep, hypnotic, House sounds, Want You is an airy slice of vintage Disco with a solid analog-esque Italo groove and an extra layer of subtle, but potent Dubby effects. On top of all this rides a slowly building vocal track that begins blending vocal snatched with a rich vocoded topline and ends up with a powerful vocal crescendo. This one’s going to do the biz, can;t wait for the full single release.
Paulie Want You is out soon.
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Russian Synthwaver Hot Hot Hawk comes storming back after his Space Traveller single with a storming summer ElectroPop smash. Featruing the vocals of Julia Marks, the track, Let’s Do It, is a huge slice of sunshine nostalgia.
It’s another pulsation retro Italo tune from Hot Hot Hawk, with a distinct Pop twist. Marks’ vocals perfectly capture an optimistic 80s style that really soars over our Russian friends thick production. It’s a track with everything you want from retro Pop, an Electronic Soul groove, driving Italo synths and bright, shining, leads, wrapped up in an ultimately, incredibly catchy song. The Future of SynthWave.
♫ Hot Hot Hawk (Feat. Julia Marks) – Let’s Do It
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electronic rumors 