Apr 25 2013

[Audio] Kid Machine’s new EP

Manchester’s finest Italo export and one of the driving forces of the modern Italo scene Kid Machine is gearing up for the release of his next 12”. Looking forward toward a packed EP released through Red Laser Records, Kid Machine is promising to deliver some top quality Sci-fi Italo with these two sneak peak tracks, Hyperion and Il Militante.

Up first is Hyperion, which is as epic a track as the title suggests. Coming in just short of nine minutes, Hyperion uses it’s length wisely, sucking you in to it’s galactic soundscape and carrying you along with it on it’s retro future Disco odyssey. With a solid grounding in pounding machine beats and the phatest Italo bassline you’ll hear in a while, Hyperion has a solid core on top of which it can dance and swirl, crafting optimistic and mysterious synthetic moods. After the space age fantasy of Hyperion, Il Militante brings us slightly back down to earth with an urban electronic feel. A vintage dystopian soundtrack for a neon soaked city, the analog beats for footsteps, the sparking arpeggios for rain. We’re definitely looking forward to checking out what the rest of Kid Machine’s EP holds.

♫ Kid Machine – Hyperion

♫ Kid Machine – Il Militante

Kid Machine’s new EP is out soon on 12”.

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[Audio] Kid Machine’s ‘Prism’

I don’t think anyone who knows anything about Italo music could be in any doubt, Manchester’s Kid Machine is one of the top artists, not just in the UK, but in the world, producing records right now. In just a couple of short years, this exponent of a dark retro future has risen to the top of his game, even collaborating with the likes of the Legendary Flemming Dallum.

He’s got a new record out very soon, we’ll be featuring it in the coming weeks, but until them the Kid has dropped a track from his vaults. Prism hails from October 2011, which put’s it around Return To Space time. Prism is an energetic slice of dystopian dancefloor soundtracking. Part hyperactive synthetic groover, part haunting Sci-Fi soundtrack, Prism delivers on both counts. While your feet are moved by the relentless beat and cascading arpeggios, let your mind wander with the evocative leads and intricate, shuffling, little flourishes. Prism is a nice reminder of how good Kid Machine can be, ahead of his new release. Bring it on!

♫ Kid Machine – Prism

Kid Machine appears on the Space Consortium 12” alongside Casionova and Flemming Dallum, out soon.

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Oct 8 2012

Flemming Dalum & Kid Machine

Two of the worlds finest Italo minds have come together, at last, for an original recording. DJ legend, King Of The Cut, Flemming Dalum and Manchester’s new Italo godfather Kid Machine are gearing up for the release of their new collaborative 12”, titled Fantasmi.

Fantasmi is a futuristic thrill ride of a track. With in it’s five minutes it takes the listen on a journey, a narrative, that slide from one mood to the next whilst keeping solid time with the machine beat. From the offset you are presented with rapid fire arpeggios and Industrial percussion but soon the track eases you into, not a frantic tune, but a mid-tempo synthetic odyssey. mixing in a lot of Dubby elements into their brooding Sci-Fi synths, highlighting the offworld feel and acting as a nice foil for the piercing melodies, the human side of the Fantasmi. Fantasmi is the lead track from an EP highlighting Mantchester’s electronic talent, including work from Ste Spandex, Il Bosco, and Starion.

♫ Flemming Dalum & Kid Machine – Fantasmi

Fantasmi and EP1 will be out on limited edition 12” soon, via new Manchester label Red Laser Records.

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Sep 4 2012

Private’s Everywhere’, with Flemming Dalum & Kid Machine

Danish ElectroPop outfit Private is making a massive bid for worldwide appeal with their new single, Everywhere. Having scored a couple Euro hits a few years back, they are ready to unleash their massive Pop sound on an unsuspecting world.

Everywhere is a bit of a Frankenstein’s monster, made up of part from here and there all mixed into one big Pop beast. On the whole it’s a summery, slightly Indie-electro sounding hit that’s as catchy as it is slick. It;s an excellent example of contemporary ElectroPop. There is a ‘but’ thought, unfortunately the track is marred by some of the worst rapping we have ever heard. Both lyrically and in terms of flow, the rap, by someone called Genasis is just amateurish. But if you can ignore it, you’ll be rewarded with some summer fun. There’s tons of reMixes, but obviously the most exciting comes from the team up of Italo legend Flemming Dalum and Manchester’s finest Kid Machine who deliver the single package’s clear standout track, A shimmering Italo ElectroPop tune powered by space age arpeggios and haunting melodies. Flemming and Kid Machine bring a little retro cool to the single and make the vocals sound a bit more comfortable with themselves. Also amongst the host of versions of Everywhere are a massive Trance lead lead commercial dance mix from Aylen and JKF from MSTRKRFT’s noisy jump up Electro-House pit-bull-of-a-reMix.

♫ Private (Feat. Genasis) – Everywhere (Flemming Dalum & Kid Machine reMix)

♫ Private (Feat. Genasis) – Everywhere

♫ Private (Feat. Genasis) – Everywhere (Aylen reMix)

♫ Private (Feat. Genasis) – Everywhere (JFK MSTRKRFT reMix)

Private’s Everywhere is out now.

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Mar 23 2012

The Robot Scientists’ ‘Black Hole’

The Robot Scientists ft. Lisa

Up next is the first release from brand new Berlin based label Emerald & Doreen, a new collective dedicated to releasing new and interesting SynthWave and Electronic Disco. Their début record comes courtesy of German duo The Robot Scientists, and their Lisa featuring, ‘Black Hole’

‘Black Hole’ is a deep collision of the machine and the human. Robotic beats and post-Italo arpeggios fill a cold and regimented place in the song which is juxtaposed with some particularly Indie guitar work and Lisa’s timid, almost naïve sounding, but hopeful vocals. The electronic contains elements from all over, there’s a lot of ‘90’s dance music in there, some Balearic too and a pulsing analog groove. The reMix package has to be seen to be believed, it’s rammed full of excellent takes on the track, including Irregular Disco Workers’ Italo version which sounds like and EBM/Italo soundclash in a dark European nightclub and Electro master Alexander Robotnick surprisingly funky stripped back Tropical mix. You’ll also find work from our favourite Nu-Italo (is that a ‘thing’ yet?) man Kid Machine, who’s ‘Vocoder Dub’ is featured on the EP, but who’s ‘Vocal Mix’ and ‘Vocoder Mix’ we can present to you right here. His vocal mix is the core of his work here, and may be his best track to date. Like a cyborg Vangelis, Kid Machine conjures up synthetic sounds that in anyone else’s hands might sound distant or inhuman, but the Manc producer instils his Italo influenced arpeggios and sweeps with a rich emotional quality and an atmosphere that goes beyond synthesizer dance music. His ‘Vocoder’ Mix’ builds upon the foundations of his main mix but, with the addition of vocoded vocals, gives the track even more of a dark future vibe.

♫ The Robot Scientists (Feat. Lisa) – Black Hole (Extended Version)

♫ The Robot Scientists (Feat. Lisa) – Black Hole (Irregular Disco Workers Italo reMix)

♫ The Robot Scientists (Feat. Lisa) – Black Hole (Alexander Robotnick reMix)

♫ The Robot Scientists (Feat. Lisa) – Black Hole (Kid Machine Vocal Mix)

♫ The Robot Scientists (Feat. Lisa) – Black Hole (Kid Machine Vocoder Mix)

‘Black Hole’ is out today via Emerald & Doreen.

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Jan 21 2012

Kid Machine’s ‘Love & Magic Mix’

kid-machine

Kid Machine – Love & Magic Mix = Kid Machine’s in the house, and he’s brought a stack of Italo with him to play you an hour of retro electronic beats from dark future Disco to Sci-Fi Soul.

♫ Kid Machine – Love & Magic Mix

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Dec 9 2011

Tangerine Dream reMixed by Kid Machine

Tangerine Dream

All this week Manchester’s answer to someone who is damn good at writing atmospheric Italo tracks, Kid Machine, has been picking some of his top classic tunes for our ‘Goin’ Old’ School’ feature, so what better way to see him off at the end of his run than with his brand new reMix of Tangerine Dream’s ‘Unicorn Theme’.

Long time readers will know I’m quite a big fan of Tangerine Dream, especially when they are at their most energetic and cinematic. ‘Unicorn Theme ‘ comes from their soundtrack to Ridley Scott’s 1986 fantasy epic ‘Legend’, which gives me an interesting way to describe Kid’s track. Unicorn footage filmed for ‘Legend’ was inserted into Ridley’s 1992 Directors Cut Of BladeRunner (as a Replicant suggesting dream-sequence), and that is exactly what this reMix feels like, the unicorn footage from Legend inserted into BladeRunner. The magic and wonder of Tangerine Dream’s pipes and strings with Kid Machine’s Vangelis-esque rapid fire Italo synths. This reMix draws a line between the two genres of movie, and movie soundtrack, in a way the makes the geek in me really happy. It’s a killer Italo tune too!

♫ Tangerine Dream – Unicorn Theme (Kid Machine Mix)

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Dec 9 2011

Goin’ Old School (with Kid Machine!): Diana Est – Tenax

This week we are tuning over the Goin’ Old School reins to Manchester’s Italo/SynthWave guru Kid Machine:

Diana Est – Tenax from 1982 “This is a recent discovery through Magic Waves radio show. I love the naivety of Italo, the cover designs, labels and illustrations, and the whole sound and lighting. I like the fact she’s singing in Italian. Most of them sing in English with the charming Italian pronounced vocals…but this is special. The early 80’s; a prolific, inspirational era. Now, where’s my time machine?”

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Dec 8 2011

Goin’ Old School (with Kid Machine!): Space – Magic Fly

This week we are tuning over the Goin’ Old School reins to Manchester’s Italo/SynthWave guru Kid Machine:

Space – Magic Fly from 1977 "A record that initially really inspired me to to go retro with my projects. BEFORE Daft Punk, this guy Didier Marouni was dressing up like a robot and making amazing ‘ahead of it’s time’ music in 1977. Look out for the random dancing girl and amazing drum playing action.”

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Dec 7 2011

Goin’ Old School (with Kid Machine!): Clay Pedrini – New Dream

This week we are tuning over the Goin’ Old School reins to Manchester’s Italo/SynthWave guru Kid Machine:

Clay Pedrini – New Dream from 1984 “A short vid today but worth it and possibly another haircut for 2012. He’s got a great look, his dance moves remind me of ‘trying to spot a fly’’, and I like that!. He kinda’ reminds me of an 80’s Science Teacher, but he and his music are SO fucking cool. I’m told he still performs to this day, he’s a friend on Facebook, I need to hassle him more”