The man had done some of the greatest ElectroPop reMixes of the past few year, for some of Pop’s hottest artists, he has also produced and co-written some of the greatest Pop tracks of the last couple of years.
He’s one of the UK most talented and inspired producers of electronic Pop and Nu-Disco music right now, so why has it taken Starsmith so long to release his solo material?
Who knows, he’s a busy guy, but it’s finally, nearly, here. His début, double A-side 12” of ‘Give Me A Break’/’Knuckleduster’
Annie Mac dropped ‘Give me A Break’ on her show last week. It’s a hell of a lot more Fucked up than I was expecting, bit of it almost filter-House funky with a big soul sample. Frankly, this tune is going to be huge! The flip side, @Knuckleduster’ is more along the lines of my expectations, and it’s a thoroughly awesome, pumping, Nu-Disco epic! Sweet!
LexiconDon have come on in leaps and bounds, production wise, but haven’t seem to have lost any of their raw energy.
This week finally sees the release of their début long player, ‘Pink + Blue’. An album I have been listening to for around a week now and I’m still impressed how they have managed to distil numerous slants of ElectroPop into one rad package. Firstly there is the vibe of early LexiconDon tracks. I always thought they had quite a British, almost post-punky element to their tracks, a raucous, live feel. The first tracks we heard from them, both included on this album, ‘SWMY (Staying With My Girl)’ and ‘Heart Attack’ are almost ElectroPunk tunes with chant along choruses, and yet the recent songs to come from the LexiconDon camp ‘December Sunset’ and ‘Student Body’ revealed a slicker, more mature sound. From the dreamily introspection of ‘December Sunset’ to the smoother Disco sound ‘Student Body’.
So where does the rest of the album sit? Are LexiconDon a gang of rowdy Electro troublemakers or sharp dancefloor lovers?
The answer, thankfully, is both! And that’s the most impressive thing about this record. It flows, so effortlessly, from high energy, buzzsaw synth laden, anthems to smooth late night SynthPop jams without seeming in any way jarring. Thanks, in part, to Alex Koons vocals and lyrics. The man is a story teller, weaving tales of everyday lives and loves that, at the same time, feel relatable yet exiting (kinda’ like, and I’m sure this is no accident, watching an 80’s teen movie). This is done in such a distinctive stylistic voice that, whether the songs are related or not, it feels like a complete narrative.
Musically, there is something for every Electro fan, from the noisy synths of ‘Hollywood Sound’ to the synthesizer Funk of ‘Student Body’ to the retro SynthPop of ‘Boy Vs. Girl Pt. 1’. And, of course, there is a healthy dose of Dreamwave in the mix, ‘Hot Love’ in particular has some awesome huge Dreamwave-esq 80’s chords.
Honestly (and this is in no way meant as a dis to the early LexiconDon tracks) I really liked ‘Heart Attack’ and ‘SWMY’ when they first came out, but I would have never expected an album this good, this varied, this slick, to come from the same band. LexiconDon’s ‘Pink + Blue’ is defiantly one of the albums of the year.
The second single from Aeroplane’s ‘We Can’t Fly’ album will be ‘Superstar’ and will feature a special version of the track with a little help from Chromeo!
Returning the favour for Aeroplane’s rad reMix of their ‘Don’t Turn The Lights On’, Chromeo drop the funk and some smooth vocals over the track. Seriously, the pairing of Aeroplane and Chromeo is awesome, and the track sounds like the three of them just jamming out.
Who doesn’t love Minitel Rose? Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you do!
So check out this new reMix of ‘Wild Birds’ from their recent, and amazing, album ‘Atlantic’. It’s been a while since we featured anything by Build, the man’s been quiet of late but here he’s teamed up with fellow London producer Clancy to ElectroPop the hell out of this track. Smooth dancefloor electronic Pop production that could see the names Clancy & Build next to the likes of Grum, Russ Chimes & Starsmith in the future.
Check this track out, it’s Australian producer Muffin’s reMix of London based newcomers Them:Youth new single ‘Forever Rising’.
It’s a perfect slice of modern ElectroPop, the bassline and melodies harkens back to the 80’s but the production is bang up to date, that’s how ElectroPop should be done these days! It’s not the first time Muffin has graced these pages, and I doubt it’ll be the last.
OK, on to Alan Braxe’s gobsmackingly rad reMix, it’s got this fluttering little melody that you listen to and never want to end. It’s pure summery chilled goodness, like an ace dream, or the end credits tune in a move where it turned out everything was alright in the end and everyone fucked off into the sunset.
Not even the rain we’re having in the UK at the moment can kill the mood this reMix induces!
The reMix competition has finished, the winners announced. I, personally, must have listened to about 130 of the hundreds of entries. Some of them were amazing. Some of them were whack. Did I ever want to hear Kavinsky’s ‘Nightcall’ again in my life? Not right now…
But if there’s one guy who can twist my arm it’s Beaumont, had he submitted his reMix to the contest it would have surely been a contender. Probably one of the best (if not the best) ElectroPop/Nu-Disco version of the song that uses both Kavinsky’s and Lovefoxxx of CSS’s vocals to sweet effect over a mixture of retro synths and 8-bit melodies.
Sweeping in, like some kind of Funky-Electro-House valkyrie with her battle cry of “check mes tunes, cowboi!”, comes Amy Aubrac-Prince, otherwise known as TEEN, who crashed into the electronic rumors Inbox with a selection of original tracks and reMixes that really deserve your attention.
Based in Toronto, via France and New York, TEEN’s tracks straight-up late night party tunes, coated with massive doses of the ol’ French Touch. Able to give even the most seasoned Filter-House producer a run for their money Amy separates herself from the pack by mixing up the slick Disco of Filter-House with the raw party vibe of Electro-House. The result? Shaking asses!
Also becoming a bit of a reMix machine, check out a couple of TEEN’s reMixes to see what happens when Amy gets her mitts on some vocals. Valery Gore and Woodhands get the TEEN enhancement here:
The first single from French ElectroPop/Dreamwave pioneer Anoraak’s forthcoming album ‘Wherever The Sun Sets’ will be ‘Try Me’.
One of our most anticipated albums in the coming months, Anoraak’s début will be out at the end of this month with the single a couple of weeks ahead and if this track is any indication of what to expect from the album we are in for a treat. Upbeat and energetic, Anoraak has separated himself from much of the Dreamwave pack by incorporating swathes of New Wave guitar accompanying the trademark retro synth sounds and a damn catchy chorus.
French Indie synth wizards Housse De Racket are releasing their début album, ‘Forty Love’, for the first time in the UK later this month packaged up with an extra CD choc full of reMixes.
One of the reMixes on the ‘Bonus reMix Edition’ is this blistering tune from the north’s finest Dreamwave export Edwin Van Cleef. His take on HDR’s ‘Champions’ is a smooth, feel good, jam that immerses you in synth goodness.
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