Aug 23 2010

Frankmusik’s tribute to Charlie Haddon

In the wake of Friday’s tragedy, the news that Charlie Haddon lead singer of Oú Est Le Swimming Pool, one of the UK’s most promising SynthPop acts, had taken his own life after the bands show at Belgium’s Pukkelpop festival, Vincent Frank A.K.A. Frankmusik has recorded a soulful piano tribute in the form of a cover of Oú Est Le Swimming Pool’s biggest hit ‘Dance The Way I Feel’.

♫ Frankmusik – Dance the Way I Feel (Oú Est Le Swimming Pool Cover)

Thank you Vincent.

Frankmusik @ Juno

Frankmusik @ 7Digital

Frankmusik @ Amazon

Oú Est Le Swimming Pool @ Beatport

Oú Est Le Swimming Pool @ Juno

Oú Est Le Swimming Pool @ 7Digital

Oú Est Le Swimming Pool @ Amazon

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Aug 21 2010

Title track from HURTS début album

Over at Amazon.co.uk they’re giving away the title track from HURTS, insanely eagerly anticipated, début album, ‘Happiness’. But if you can’t be bothered to go grab it you can have a listen to it right hear.

Having heard the whole album I would have to say it’s nothing short of stunning, practically encompassing every influence I’d want to hear on a record. It’s very 80’s. but never once does it feel like some kind of cheap retro sideshow, just genuinely harkening back to a time with a different style of songwriting.

The title track is a bombastic Pop epic, listen and watch the hairs on your arms stand up!

♫ HURTS – Happiness

‘Happiness’ is released 6th September. Not Long now!

Aug 20 2010

The Ting Tings get ElectroPoppy

IndiePop twosome The Ting Tings are gearing up to release their second album after the massive success of 2008’s ‘We Started Nothing’ and those singles it spawned.

It looks like this time round the duo have taken a more ElectroPop route, the results are actually really cool. Check out the first single from the new album, ‘Hands’, it’s a pretty slick slice of danceable electronic Pop injected with a dose of The Ting Tings’ feisty quirkiness and their trademark sing-a-long choruses.

♫ The Ting Tings – Hands

Retro/Grade have done an excellent job with their reMix, a nice retro version complete with electro toms and two finger basslines. I almost thought it was turning into ‘Smalltown Boy’ at one point!

♫ The Ting Tings – Hands (Retro/Grade reMix)

‘Hands’ is due for release 10th October.

The Ting Tings @ Juno

The Ting Tings @ 7Digital

The Ting Tings @ Amazon

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Aug 13 2010

OMD video premiere ‘If You Want It’

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark have premiered the video for their forthcoming single ‘If You Want It’.

The first single from their ‘The History Of Modern’ album, their first studio album in 14 years, the track sees a return to a more classic (and right now, very in-vogue) OMD sound.

The ‘If You Want It’ single is released 6th September on limited edition yellow vinyl 7” and a digital reMix bundle with reMix from the likes of French Horn Rebellion, We Have Band and VillaNah, with ‘The History Of Modern’ slated to be released later this year.

OMD @ 7Digital

OMD @ Amazon

Aug 6 2010

Bright Light Bright Light’s new video

Now signed to PopJustice’s PopJustice Hi-Fi label, the amazing Bright Light Bright Light can have proper videos and everything!

And, flipping hell, is his new single, ‘Love Part II’ good or what? It’s proper electronic Power Pop. I’ll say that again, it’s PROPER ELECTRONIC POWER POP! Right? I always said he was a good songwriter, bit this track exceeds every expectation. Remember how powerful Pop was in the 80’s?, how you would get chills when the chorus kicked in? That’s what we’re talking about here.

The video is cool too, nicely shot and full of angular abstractness, as all good videos should.

Did I mention we quite like this here?

‘Love Part II’, Bright Light Bright Light’s début single is released 12th September, until then your MySpace love is required:

Bright Light Bright Light @ MySpace

Aug 6 2010

The Electroscopes

The Electroscopes are, or is, a one man act (backed up by a live drummer) from Northampton.

A relative newcomer to the game, having kicked off The Electroscopes last year, main-man Paul has already had BBC Radio airplay and was featured as their ‘uploader track of the week’, back in September 2009, with this track ‘Harder Each Day’ which Paul is gearing up to release as a single.

It’s a pretty deep sounding slice of ElectroPop styled Electronica. Vocally and lyrically it can stand alongside this years hippest Bedroom Pop producers, such as Penguin Prison and I Am Noxious, but musically has more of a progressive electronics slant to it. In keeping with the ‘sound’ of this summer the tune is pretty chilled, carried along by intricate programming and melodies.

The Electroscopes is defiantly a name to keep an eye on.

♫ The Electroscopes – Harder Each Day

Once this track is mastered and slapped on a CD it’ll be slamming! It’s coming out at the end of the month on TTR (Through The Roof) Records, until then give the man some MySpace love:

The Electroscopes @ MySpace

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Aug 5 2010

‘Smoke & Mirrors’ video from Ali Love

Ali Love’s awesome single ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ was released last week and, thankfully, it’s now got itself a video.

The ElectroPop goodness is now accompanied by visuals the feature not only smoke…but mirrors too!

the whole thing looks pretty slick though, and works well with the track.

‘Smoke & Mirrors’ is out now, Ali’s forthcoming album, ‘Love Harder’ should be dropping in August.

Aug 4 2010

Starsmith reMixes Robyn’s ‘Hang With Me’

Robyn = Awesome. Starsmith = Awesome.

Robyn + Starsmith = Awesomer!

‘Hang With Me’ is the first single from Robyn’s ‘Body Talk Part 2’, we dropped the video last week. It’s a cute SynthPop ballad that is a good sign for the forthcoming album. That ElectroPop producer extraordinaire Starsmith is providing one of the single’s reMixes is just too good to be true!

And the track lives up to expectations. Pure uplifting electronic Pop goodness that makes expectations run high not just for Robyn’s second ‘Body Talk’ album but Starsmith’s soon-to-be-released EP too!

♫ Robyn – Hang With Me (Starsmith reMix) (Un-Mastered)

‘Hang With Me’ is taken from the ‘Body Talk Pt. 2’ album and is out 5th September.

Robyn @ Beatport

Robyn @ 7Digital

Robyn @ Amazon

Aug 4 2010

VillaNah reMix the new OMD single!

We previewed September’s new Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark single ‘If You Want To’ a while back and found it an ace return to classic and bombastic OMD.

The single, taken from ‘the History Of Modern’ OMD’s first studio album on 14 years, will also feature a reMix from Finnish SynthPop heroes and sometime OMD support act VillaNah who layer the track with their own brand of retro electronics. Amazingly, VillaNah have managed to make the song sound more retro than OMD themselves, that’s quite an achievement!

P.S. Synth brass is awesome!

♫ OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) – If You Want It (VillaNah reMix)

The ‘If You Want It’ single is released 6th September with ‘The History Of Modern’ slated to be released later this year.

OMD @ 7Digital

OMD @ Amazon

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Aug 4 2010

Roni Size’s first reMix in three years; Lauren Pritchard’s ‘Painkillers’

I’ve been a big fan of Roni Size for years, both with Reprazent and Breakbreat Era, so I was pretty hyped to hear this, his first reMix in three years.

London based American Singer/songwriter Lauren Pritchard is the lucky subject of the reMix treatment with the title track from her ‘Painkillers EP’, released this week. Featuring guest MCing from Taleb Kweli, it turns the soulful, gospel vocals of the original into a temporary reprieve from the frantic beats and bass. Excellent stuff.