Jun 4 2013

[Audio] Pet Shop Boys’ ‘Vocal’

Vocal is the second full track to see daylight from SynthPop legends Pet Shop Boys’ highly anticipated forthcoming new album, Electric. The Stuart Price produced LP will be the duo’s thirteenth studio album and from all accounts eschews your usual PSB ballad tracks for a short, sweet, collection of dance tracks.

What we’ve heard so far from the album has been pretty modern Italo sounding. No so with Vocal, this drags Pet Shop Boys SynthPop into Euphoric Trance territory and as such is unsurprisingly being championed by Armin Van Buuren. Neil Tennant’s ode to vocal dance tracks glides over a backing of big stabbing synths and warbling lead lines. Proving once and for all the Pet Shop Boys can still crank out a blistering, relevant, Pop song, Vocal is a fine precursor to the album. reMixes are on their way.

♫ Pet Shop Boys – Vocal

Pet Shop Bot’s Electric album is due out in 15th July. Vocal is available from today.

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Jun 3 2013

[MP3] Queen Of Hearts covers Chris Isaak’s ‘Wicked Game’

We’ve gotta’ admit, we do have a soft spot for Chris Isaak’s Wicked Game, but then, doesn’t everybody? It;s just one of those songs. So the idea of Isaak’s Californian croon being replaced by Queen Of Hearts’ husky voice is a pretty exciting one, made doubly so by the presence of electronic music legend Mark Reeder on production duties.

It strikes us as probably being quite a hard song to get right electronically, being all hazy acoustic guitar and stuff, but these guys pull it off with style. Reeder takes the best route and goes deep and subtle with the soundtrack, burbling synth bass and atmospheric tones phase in and out over a beat with a machine soul. But it’s Queen Of Hearts vocal here that is the real star, I don’t think there’s many vocalists who could have does this song as much justice as she does. Her smokey, passionate, lament is almost too perfect for this song. Chris who?

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Wicked Game (Chris Isaak Cover)

Queen Of Heart’s Warrior single is out now, her début album is set to drop in August.

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Jun 3 2013

[Video] Acid Washed’s ‘Fire ‘N’ Rain’

Here’s the video for French duo Acid Washed’s new single Fire ‘N’ Rain. A deep retro vocal House track that draws you in with each listen.

The clip pays tribute to one of the greatest films ever, The Breakfast Club in dance form and was directed by Lemonade.

Acid Washed’s second album House Of Melancholy is released 29th July.

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Jun 3 2013

[Audio] Icona Pop’s new single

Swedish mega-duo Icona Pop have unleashed their forthcoming new single on the world, or possibly new single. The girls claim it’s a ‘taste of what’s to come’, but it sure sounds like single material. We say that because it’s probably the most accessible thing these two have done to date, not that their previous offerings weren’t accessible, but this is pure summer Pop.

Borrowing the chorus from 2Pac’s Me & My Girlfriend, Girlfriend starts off in a typically Indie-Electro vein, before launching into unadulterated, big and bolshie, power Pop. The unrelentingly energetic vocals, ring out like a call to action over some of the slickest produced chainsaw synths this side of 2009. This is going to be on the radio. A lot. I’d learn to deal with it if I were you.

♫ Icona Pop – Girlfriend

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May 31 2013

[Audio] Lifelike & Tommi Bravo’s ‘Urban Sex’

Here’s an awesome new slice of Electro Boogie from the team-up of a master and a newcomer.French Touch pioneer and all round dance music legend Lifelike has got together with London based fresh face Tommi Bravo to drop Urban Sex, on Nurvous Records, next month.

The track, which is already getting spins from the likes of Kavinsky, Pyramid, A-Trak and Aeroplane, is a massive slice of retro Pop-House. Taking cues from B-Boy Electro, Electronic Soul and 80s Pop, Urban Sex applies them to a solid House groove. This one’s all about big , stabbing synths, driving kick drums and sweeping flourishes. If you like your dance music loaded with 80s references, but with a chunky big-room feel, then this one’s for you. Lifelike does the business again, and Tommi Bravo jumps onto our radar. Check it out.

♫ Lifelike & Tommi Bravo – Urban Sex

Lifelike & Tommi Bravo’s Urban Sex is released 4th June on Nurvous Records.

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May 31 2013

[Audio] John Foxx reMixes OMD

Here’s two absolutely legendary heavyweights of electronic music in one track. How is that not amazing? We introduced you to 80s icons Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’s new single, Dresden, earlier in the month, well here it is as envisioned by SynthPop pioneer John Foxx, here in his John Foxx And The Maths guise.

Pulsating robot-synths and machine beats are the order of the day here as Foxx brings his cold, futuristic, SynthPop to OMD’s more human take on the genre. Shuffling, noisy rhythms and relentless synth bass craft out a core for the track to unleash a combination of icy vintage synth drones and Andy McCluskey’s passionate vocal. To pillars of 80s music, who have both been delivering quality, intelligent, synth sounds consistently over the past two decades, here show why they are innovators, why they are so respected, and why they are still forces to be reckoned with in 2013.

♫ OMD – Dresden (John Foxx And The Maths reMix)

OMD’s Dresden is released 17th May, pre-order here.

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May 31 2013

[Video] Disclosure’s ‘When A Fire Starts To Burn’ (+ Patrick Baker vocal reMix)

If you haven’t already, you definitely need to check out UK House duo Disclosure new single When I Fire Starts To Burn, the pre-cursor to their stunning, forthcoming début album Settle. It;s deep, techy, Chicago goodness.

Here’s the video, directed by Bo Mirosseni. It’s testifying madness.

While you’re here, get on-board with ElectroPop artist Patrick Baker’s funky vocal edit of the track, layering the original with a few choice snatches of his own talented vocal. Adding a subtle new dimension to the track, Patrick drags When A Fire Starts To Burn even further into the 90s.

♫ Disclosure – When A Fire Starts To Burn (Patrick Baker Vocal Edit)

Disclosure’s début album Settle is released 3rd June.

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May 31 2013

[Video] Katy B’s ‘What Love Is Made Of’

This is the video for Katy B’s really quite excellent new single What Love Is Made Of. A cracking retro House-Pop tune with some big rush moments.

Emil Nava directed the clip, which is all urban and boy-racer, or something. Really nicely shot though, with gritty cinematic flair.

Katy B’s What Love Is Made Of is released 8th July

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May 31 2013

[Video] Charli XCX’s ‘Take My Hand’

This one was out last week, but I was busy, so fuck you, posting it now. Charli XCX’s track Take My Hand, from her awesome True Romance album, in video form.

Long-time XCX collaborator Ryan Andrews directs the clip that quite nicely captures the all-night haze of the song.

Charli XCX’s album True Romance is out now.

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May 30 2013

[Audio] Com Truise reMixes Charli XCX

We always love it so much when two of our favourite artists, and one who we though would never be working together, end up releasing something. It’s gotta be said, left-field ElectroPop princess Charli XCX seriously knows how to pick her reMixers, Goldroom, Lindstrøm, St. Lucia now dark futurist master Com Truise, who lends his Terminator synth work to Charli’s current single, What I Like, from her pretty awesome début album True Romance.

Truise applies his retro Sci-Fi synths to What I Like, completely flipping the mood of the track until it reeks of dystopian romance. Swirling BladeRunner synths and vintage drum machine beats rise and fall amongst soaring leads and Charli’s whimsical vocal. Com Truise’s music has a certain seriousness to it, which counterpoints the XCX flippantness to create something entirely new. Great beats, great synths, great vocals. Great reMix.