Mar 21 2011

A-Ha’s ‘The Blue Sky’ reMixed by DannielRadall

We featured DannielRadall and her latest EP of 80’s ElectroPop inspired Chillwave last week, and as thanks Danniel has sent on over her reMix of A-Ha’s ‘The Blue Sky’, from 1985’s hit packed ‘Hunting High And Low’ album.

Here she tackles A-Ha with the same approach she has to her own music. The song shifts from bouncy, crisp, 80’s Pop to reverb drenched Chillwave with funk. With samples from the original expertly manipulated into new grooves, ‘The Blue Sky’ is reinvented for 2011.

♫ A-Ha – The Blue Sky (DannielRadall reMix)

DannielRadall’s new EP can be picked up on her Bandcamp page. A-Ha’s ‘Hunting High And Low’ can be picked up, well, everywhere!

A-Ha @ Juno

A-Ha @ 7Digital

A-Ha @ Amazon

Mar 18 2011

The Human League’s ‘Credo’

This coming Monday it’s finally here! The Human League’s ninth studio album, and the first since 2001’s ‘Secrets’, is released. It’s been a long time coming for League fans, and it’s been worth the wait.

In 1981 The Human League released ‘Dare’, the single greatest SynthPop album ever recorded, that was three decades ago. Three Decades! And in their generation spanning career, Phil, Susan & Joanne have never strayed from the path, never pandered to fashion (were they making Brit Pop album in the mid 90’s? No!), they are an ElectroPop act. They evolve as electronic music evolves, they can experiment with electronic music and songwriting, they can collaborate with contemporary artists, but they remain ambassadors for ElectroPop. While Depeche Mode were trying to be a Blues Rock band and Gary Numan was saying a prayer before every bedtime that he would wake up being Trent Reznor. The Human League stand proud as The Human League, the worlds greatest SynthPop band.

So, to ‘Credo’. The ElectroPop landscape is vastly different from the last time The League released an album, the last five years have been an amazing time to be an ElectroPop fan. From the explosion of Indie-Electro, the return of intelligent Electronic Pop to our charts to the awesomeness that is Dreamwave and the Minimal Synth scene growing and growing, there is so many talented ElectroPop artists pushing the boundaries of the genre these days how does ‘Credo’ compare?

Very well actually. ‘Credo, is probably the most ‘The Human League’ sounding album The Human League have made since the mid-80’s. Phil Oakey is as his droll finest. As with the best League tracks there are strong narratives that run throughout many of the tracks and, from a purely songwriting style point of view, this album is really close to ‘Dare’. But it’s not just in Oakey’s vocals that ‘Credo’ harkens back to THL of old, the synth sounds used over the whole eleven tracks conjure imaginations of early 80’s TOTP. The middle section of the album, tracks like ‘Into The Night’, ‘Egomaniac’, ‘Single Minded’ and ‘Electric Shock particularly have classic analog lead lines very reminiscant of the singles of The League’s pop explosion

♫ The Human League – Never Let Me Go

So, if the songwriting sounds like classic League and the sounds on the album are 1981 approved then does ‘Credo’ sound dated? Well, not really, and that’s down to the production, and the drums. Imagine The Human League of old with contemporary dance drums and modern, slick, production techniques and that’s pretty much ‘Credo’. To be honest I couldn’t ask for anything else from THL

♫ The Human League – Night People (Single Edit)

Highlights of the album, for me, include the new single ‘Never Let Me Go’, the closest The Human League are going to get to DiscoPop, which I think should have been the lead single over ‘Night People’. If ‘Egomaniac’ isn’t the next single I will eat my Pork Pie hat, it’s classic League, call and response vocals between Phil and the girls, a dry wit and a silky smooth sing-along chorus. ‘Electric Shock’ is another definite winner, pure Synthetic Pop that kicks into Acid craziness in the chorus.

If loved The Human League, but hated it when they tried to be R&B, or Trance, ‘Credo’ is 100% for you!

‘Credo’ is released 21st March on Wall Of Sound.

The Human League @ Beatport

The Human League @ Juno

The Human League @ 7Digital

The Human League @ Amazon

Mar 16 2011

Echoes’ ‘Love Won’t Save You Now’

Things are shifting into overdrive at camp Echoes, the guys are putting the finishing touches to a very special début single release. Exciting stuff indeed.

In the meantime they have dropped a brand new track, ‘Love Won’t Save You Now’. An awesome compelling track, in itself single material, reminiscant of early 2000’s Swedish SynthPop with more contemporary Indie-Electro overtones. That’s right, there’s an Indie flavour to ‘Love Won’t Save You Now’ that gives the track an driving energy, propelling the track onward. This track is going to be amazing live!

You’ll notice there’s a few bands we feature fairly regularly here on electronic rumors, we love them all but there is probably a handful that I would be willing to bet my hard earned cash on that they are actually going to be big. Echoes are defiantly one of them.

♫ Echoes – Love Won’t Save You Now

But it doesn’t stop there (I’m starting to wonder if Echoes ever sleep?), check this reMix they put together of Martin Solveig & Dragonette’s ‘Hello’, that’s how they get their bass heavy SynthPop on!

♫ Martin Solveig & Dragonette – Hello (Echoes reMix)

Echoes are playing their début live show alongside Penguin Prison and Matt & Kim on 23rd March at the Garage, London. Keep informed about Echoes happenings by ‘Likeing’ them on Facebook!

Echoes @ Facebook

Mar 14 2011

The Human League’s ‘Never Let Me Go’ Video

Here’s the video for The Human League forthcoming new single ‘Never Let Me Go’.

It’s mirror creepy, I warn you, if you find symmetry, and octopuses, creepy that is, which I do.

Defiantly one of the standout’s of the album (review incoming), personally I would have led with this single before ‘Night People’ and as with ‘Night People’ the last third is amazing.

‘Never Let Me Go’ is out now and the new album,‘Credo’’s release has been brought forward to next week.

The Human League @ Beatport

The Human League @ Juno

The Human League @ 7Digital

The Human League @ Amazon

Mar 12 2011

Ellie Goulding covers The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’ in the Live Lounge

This afternoon Ellie Goulding was featured in the Live Lounge on Jo Wiley’s BBC Radio 1 show, on top of performing her new single ‘Lights’ she also covered The Knife’s ‘Heartbeats’.

It was a pretty sweet acoustic cover too, the song lends itself well to Ellie’s voice. I’m probably going to get a bit hypocritical here though ‘cos I absolutely hate Jose Gonzalez’s dull-as-shit version of a song I love, but when Ellie does it acoustically I quite like it. Maybe I just hate Mr. Gonzalez’s dreary voice, or maybe I just love Ellie’s. Either way, I enjoyed this cover.

♫ Ellie Goulding – Heartbeats (The Knife Cover (Live @ BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge))

You can listen to the whole show here, and Ellie releases ‘Lights’ as a single 11th March.

Ellie Goulding @ Neon Gold

Ellie Goulding @ 7Digital

Ellie Goulding @ Amazon

Feb 23 2011

HURTS’ ‘Sunday’ video

So, another chapter open up in the continuing saga of HURTS’ videos.

I’ve been waiting for ‘Sunday’ to be released, as soon as I heard the album I knew it was single material. The video, although I’m not sure what’s going on in bits of it, looks stunning, and as with all HURTS videos, you get the feeling someone’s tongue is planted firmly in their cheek.

‘Sunday’ is released 28th February

Feb 22 2011

The Human League & Aeroplane!!!

Here it is, the reMix we’ve been waiting for. Nu-Disco pioneers Aeroplane’s reMix of the forthcoming The Human League single, ‘Never Let Me Go’.

The original version is a Robo-Pop stomper that sees The Human League sounding more contemporary than their pervious single ‘Night People’, but this reMix takes it to another level. All Vito Aeroplane’s trademark filtered Disco grooves are in there alongside Phil, Joanne and Susan. Massive chords in the chorus work expertly alongside 80’s riffs in the verses. All-in-all, worth the wait. We’ll probably be hammering this most of the summer!

♫ The Human League – Never Let Me Go (Aeroplane reMix)

The ‘Never Let Me Go’ single is released 21st March alongside the new album ‘Credo’ also on 21st March.

The Human League @ Beatport

The Human League @ Juno

The Human League @ 7Digital

The Human League @ Amazon

Feb 19 2011

Kid Kasio’s new track (+ video)

Kid Kasio has done it again! The guy is a one-man SynthPop machine!

It amazes me that Nathan Cooper (Kids’ alter ego) can churn out sweetly written and slickly produced tunes with clever videos with no label backing (yet)!

His latest track is ‘The Reason’, pure 80’s Pop with a riff so infectious I had been humming for weeks before the song was released based on a 30 second studio clip! Kid Kasio’s knack is writing 80’s inspired songs without falling into any (not one single one) of the clichés so often , and easily, slipped into by other ElectroPop artists. Kids’ music doesn’t try to sound 80’s, it just naturally is. Amazing.

♫ Kid Kasio – The Reason

Also amazing is the video for ‘The Reason’ which works on a similar level to the music. a Bruno Brooks introduced Top Of The Pops video (complete with TOTP title graphics!) which shows not just a vague fashionable 80’s nostalgia but a deep understanding of the music and visuals of the time. Noting more can be said about this video but ‘genius’.

I suggest you all go ‘like’ Kid Kasio on Facebook right now!

Kis Kiasio @ Facebook

Feb 16 2011

I Am Noxious’ début single

I Am Noxious finally got label backing and is gearing up to drop his first single.

‘Flashback Tears’ will be released on Easy Tiger Records and in preparation Mr. T has premiered the video.

The song is a confident and impressive début. A reworking of an old IAN tune it’s suitably upbeat and catchy to hook new listeners in yet still maintaining the I Am Noxious quirkiness we all love.

The video, too, is a really well edited three minutes of quirk.

Here at electronic rumors we’re really pleased that things are starting to happen for I Am Noxious and are expecting great things in the coming year.

‘Flashback Tears’ is released 21st Febuary in Denmark and digitally, until then check I Am Noxious out at Facebook

I Am Noxious @ Facebook

Feb 15 2011

OMD’s new video

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark have premiered the video for their next single, the title track from their ‘history Of Modern’ album.

The video is the wining entry in a competition run by OMD on genero.tv, It was produced by Lapantafilm from Sweden.

OMD said "The sheer volume of work that has gone into this is incredible. So many different film animation styles. A very creative mixture of stop frame animation, modelling, drawing, film capture. A serious collection of OMD references… some of which are incredibly subtle, some not. The ideas are a varied and effective as the many different techniques. There were several really strong entries but this is the clear winner."