We raved about this track on Twitter the other day, now a bit more of it has hit SoundCloud we can present it right here. Straight up, this is probably our favourite Gigamesh track to date, not least because it samples the hell out of Wham!’s 1982 début single, and ode to being unemployed, Wham Rap (Enjoy What You Do). This is a full-on party starter.
Even ignoring the vocal samples, this tunes is loaded with big Italo sounds. The huge synth bassline will suck you straight into the tune. This direction, which seems to be becoming increasingly common amongst producers, of injecting frantic Italo into Nu-Disco (in post Dreamwave world) is one we wholeheartedly support, and the likes of Gigamesh and Punks Jump Up are leading the charge. Enjoy is everything we’d want from a Disco tune. Synth heavy (and we mean heavy), doesn’t take itself to seriously, very moreish. We’re really feeling Gigamesh on this one, the single also holds a reMix from Oliver, we can hardly contain ourselves.
♫ Gigamesh – Enjoy
Gigamesh’s Enjoy is released 12th Feb as a Beatport exclusive, and 26th March elsewhere on Nurvous Records.
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Representing Wales amongst the Dreamwave crowd is one of the UK’s most underrated producers, we think so anyway, Aminova. Last years Variants EP cemented Aminova’s reputation as one of the leading lights of the second wave of SynthWave producers, and with this new tune, he’s showing us he has no intention of letting up.
Coconut Hologram sounds like a bizarre title for a track, but when you think about it it’s perfectly apt. The track weaves in a few tropical influences into it’s Sci-Fi sounds, resulting in a 31st century Disco tune with an extra layer of atmosphere. There a bit of Nu-retro-House in there too, which leaves you with a track that could be slotted, quite nicely, into almost any set. A Disco beat, and Italo bassline, big SynthWave leads and Tropical and House hooks, what more could you want to start the party?
♫ Aminova – Coconut Hologram
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Dutch Disco guru Auxiliary Tha Masterfader is returning to On The Fruit Records very soon for a brand new EP, Music For Discotheques, and our first taste of what to expect from the analog groovemeister comes in the form of this reMix if one of the new EP’s track, Rule The Night, as reMixed by Argentina producer Phunktastike.
Phunktastike’s reMix of Rule The Night is as driving as the title suggests. A powerful slice of 80s DiscoPop in the vein of Moonlight Matters recent output, but with a little more swing. It’s arpeggio fuelled dancefloor gold with some big big vocals. All neon lights and mirrorballs, Phunktastike’s take on Rule The Night pounds out of the speakers as a gift to anyone who enjoys Italo influenced, dramatic Disco tunes.
♫ Auxiliary Tha Masterfader – Rule The Night (Phunktastike reMix)
Auxiliary Tha Masterfader’s Music For Discotheques EP is out this spring.
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Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:
Canadian SynthPop legends Rational Youth third single from 1982, Saturdays In Silesia.
And Italo trio My Mine’s début single. Blurring the line between Italo and SynthPop is Hypnotic Tango from 1983.
You can buy most of this music from:
Disco Modernism records have got something a bit special lined up for their next release. Italo pioneers Rago and Farina are set to, once again, unleash their classic Decadance track On And On (Fears Keep On). Originally released in 1983, the track has achieved near-legendary status amongst Italo fans. here it is presented re-produced for 2013 with Italoconnection and a little additional vocals from Vik. Featuring on the release is a fresh remix from none other than the King Of The Cut, Flemming Dalum.
Flemming delivers a absolutely blinding reMix here. Thick with pulsating synths, Flemming’s reMix is a Sci-Fi epic. The original stood it’s ground as early 80s futurism, and this reMix delivers the same attitude. The bassline alone is so full and deep that you’re looking over your shoulder, half expecting our robot overlords to be arriving. Add to this the growling vocoder work and that amazing arpeggio progression from the original and you’ve got yourself the soundtrack to a rainy near-future dystopia and a track that compels you to hit your local Italo dancefloor.
♫ Decadance Vs. Italoconnection (Feat. Vik) – On And On (Fears Keep On) (Flemming Dalum reMix)
Decadance Vs. Italoconnection’s On And On (Fears Keep On) is released 1st February.
Check out more from Decadance Vs. Italoconnection on SoundCloud.
Sally Shapiro’s, Electric Youth featuring, Starman is officially released today. Ever since we wrote about the track earlier this month we’ve been pretty excited about the release coming out, not least because it is backed with this track. A reMix from electronic rumors favourite and one of the leading lights of the SynthWave scene, Miami Nights 1984.
Sally Shapiro’s swirling, 60s inspired, cute ElectroPop and MN84’s driving Outrun and retro leads, how will that sound? As it turns out, amazing. Kicking things off with an Italo bassline and heavy, heavy, drums, MN84 creates a moody synthetic groove as we enter the song, but it’s the choruses where MN84 really let’s himself go. Taking advantage of the big vocals MN84 revels in the drama and throws all manner of big synth lines at the listener, and suddenly, Sally Shapiro is performing on Top Of The Pops circa the mid-80s. the other highlight of the tune, is MN84 introducing the SynthWave build, combine a big build with SynthWave soloing and something truly magical happens. just Listen.
♫ Sally Shapiro (Feat. Electric Youth) – Starman (Miami Nights 1984 reMix)
Starman is released today. Sally Shapiro’s Somewhere Else album is released next month on Paper Bag Recordings.
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Dust are a pretty fantastic Nu-Italo/Avant Pop trio from Brooklyn who have just released their new 12”. A three track affair that leads with the amazingly haunting and infectious shrill Disco assault Past Future.
Check the video, directed by video manger Luke Wyatt, who’s slightly eerie retro visually capture the song perfectly.
Dust’s Part Future 12” is out now, as is the digital.
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Let’s talk about Collins. This guy first came to out attention back in September 20122 with his entry into Feat Of Tigers’ the Adventured Of Pippi Longstrump reMix competition. We highlighted his contribution as one of our favourites and since then have been following this Brazilian based Irish producer as he dropped a succession of class singles over the past two years. Well, that time has come, as it does in every musician’s career when they just have to bite the bullet and release an album. A declaration of intent, a manifesto. Collins’ Animal Magnetism lays down the law on why he’s different from the pack, and why is forward thinking attitude makes him one to watch.
Animal Magnetism opens with the dreamlike Heartbreaker, and there’s immediately something different goin on here. Whilst the track shares much of it’s DNA with Kavinsky’s Nightcall, it also let’s you know that the preceding album isn’t going to be your standard SynthWave. Listless, ominous vocoded vocals wash over the entire track and it sets a mood of eerie beauty that the rest of the release follows through with. Serenade continues in the same mysterious vein, albeit it with an EBM bassline and hushed female vocals the drag the track into 90s Elektro Industrial realms, a realm that isn’t entirely untouched by the tracks predecessor, The Sacred with it’s imposing robo vox. Fallen is a weird best, fifty percent laid back beach Disco, fifty percent a moody cover of Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti’s Falling, it’s a take on an oft covered track that we hadn’t heard before. The album continues in this enigmatic style, punctuated by the likes of Italo monster If Looks Could Kill and the slightly ChipTune Coping Mechanism. Animal Magnetism is an impressive début collection, showing both a variety of moods from Collins, but also his ability to capture the darker side of life in rich, evocative music.
♫ Collins (Feat. Ana Gabriela Accioly) – Serenade
♫ Collins – If Looks Could Kill
♫ Collins – Coping Mechanism
♫ Collins – Fallen
Collins’ Animal Magnetism is out now, you can pick it up here. It;s available as a digital download, or as a limited edition cassette/video package.
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Pittsburgh based SynthWave producer Betamaxx has just dropped his début album, Interface. We’ve been following Nick Morey tunes for a while now, and as far as the current crop of emerging SynthWave artists go, he’s up there with the best. He’s also not afraid to go off track either, injecting his work with sometimes surprising elements.
Interface kicks off with You Can’t Catch Me, a pseudo-Intro piece before launching into the album proper with Contra. Contra sets the tone for the record with its jackhammer Italo beats that play against bright pads and starlight leads. Betamaxx goes further down the path of melody with this release, each track, rather than a collection of layered arpeggios, delivers intertwining melodies, beautiful moods and a surprising array of influences. Of course, there’s your typical ‘80’s movie soundtrack inspired pieces like East Coast Summers and The Sure Thing, but there’s a smattering of Electro-Funk on Betamaxx’s ode to Yamaha’s DX7. DHHeaven and Nu-NRG of Silicon Dreams. On the whole what impresses the most about this album is the musicality of it, just check out Adrenaline Lust for some seriously deft fingered soloing. Not just for lovers of 80s revival music, but for all synth music fans, this album should definitely be investigated. If there’s one criticism I could apply to Betamaxx, it’s this, and to be honest this doesn’t just apply to Betamaxx, but the current SynthWave scene at large. Interface comes just four months after Betamaxx’s last album, Lost Formats. These two albums could have really been cherry picked and merged into one truly stunning piece of work. And that happens a lot on the SynthWave scene, people releasing albums of everything they do every five minutes. I guess the message is, you don’t need to release every single track you write, exercise extreme quality control and only release the best of your best, and give your releases time to breathe. One album a year is a lot for most artists. Right now the SynthWave scene is descending into a by producers for other producers mind-set, which is great fun and all very nerdy, but for the scene to gain the wider recognition it so badly deserves. Still, Betamaxx’s Interface is an excellent example of forward thinking SynthWave right now.
♫ Betamaxx – Contra
♫ Betamaxx – DXHeaven
♫ Betamaxx – East Coast Summers
♫ Betamaxx – Adrenaline Lust
Betamaxx’s Interface is out now.
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electronic rumors 