Vice and Intel’s The Creators Project just goes from strength to strength. The project is not only a showcase for creative innovation but also is designed to facilitate content creation form some of the hippest music and arts creators around right now. This month workaholic producer Mark Ronson takes some time out to put trumpets all over the project. check out his video here, http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/en-uk/creators/mark-ronson, where the man speaks on producing Lily Allen & Amy Winehouse, his love of analog synths and 60’s recording techniques. It’s an interesting watch for any musical gear geeks! While you’re there check out some of the other creators spotlights on the likes of Diplo, N.A.S.A., Phoenix, Brodinski, CSS and Peaches.

When you’ve watched your fill, why not come on back and check out Kissy Sell Out’s 2007 bootleg of Ronson’s ‘Stop Me’:

♫ Mark Ronson – Stop Me (Kissy Sell Out’s True Romance reMix)

Mark Ronson @ Juno

Mark Ronson @ 7Digital

Mark Ronson @ Amazon

[Via Vice Magazine]

Jun 4 2010

The Human League UK tour 2010

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The Human League have confirmed the schedule for their UK tour later in the year. To promote their forthcoming new studio album, on Wall Of Sound the ElectroPop legends will be hitting the road for the first time since the 2008 Steel City tour, and for the first time in a long while will include new music in their set.

The League are slick as hell live so it would be in your best interest to check them out them when they pass near you, here’s the dates:

29th Nov – Norwich @ UEA
30th Nov – Halifax @ Victoria Theatre
01st Dec – Sheffield @ City Hall
03rd Dec – Bristol @ The Colston Hall
04th Dec – Wolverhampton @ Civic Hall
5th Dec – St. Albans @ Alban Arena
6th Dec – Folkestone @ Leas Cliff Hall
7th Dec – Liverpool @ Philharmonic Hall
9th Dec – Stoke @ Victoria Hall
10th Dec – London @ The Royal Festival Hall
11thDec – Cambridge @ Corn Exchange
13th Dec – Gateshead @ The Sage
14th Dec – Edinburgh @ Picture House
15th Dec – Manchester @ Academy
17th Dec – Lincoln @ The Engine Shed
18th Dec – Leicester @ De Montfort Hall

electronic rumors will be front and centre for the Bristol show, maybe catch you there?

Celebrate this exiting news with this track from a few years back, Richard Stone’s reMix of the classic ‘The Things That Dreams Are Made Of’:

♫ The Human League – The Things That Dreams Are Made Of (Richard Stone Radio Edit)

Tickets go on sale tomorrow and are bound to sell out pretty fast!

The Human League @ Beatport

The Human League @ Juno

The Human League @ 7Digital

The Human League @ Amazon

Jun 2 2010

Broken Bells’ ‘The Ghost Inside’ video

Broken Bells (being Danger Mouse and James Mercer from The Shins) premiered their new video, ‘The Ghost Inside’ today over at The Guardian.

The song is quite a cool, laidback, Big Beat/ElectroPop tune that really grown on you with repeated listens, but the video is awesome as hell! A cool and quirky Sci-Fi story starring the smokin’ hot Christina Hendricks (Firefly/Mad Men) with a punch-in-the-gut ending. Just watch it:

Broken Bells self-titled first album is out now.

Broken Bells @ Juno

Broken Bells @ 7Digital

Broken Bells @ Amazon

Jun 2 2010

Alan Braxe reMixes Visitor

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London’s SynthPop rising stars Visitor’s Diamond Cut produced forthcoming single ‘Los Feeling’ is being eagerly anticipated by anyone with even a passing interest in electronic music.

The ex-Cobra Dukes produce, with this single, a perfect balance of the retro and the new, as if modern equipment and production techniques were transported back to the 80’s. ‘Los Feeling’ is powerful and passionate with node to both the intimate ElectroPop of Pet Shop Boys and OMD to the stadium rock of Simple Minds or U2. The much anticipated Alan Braxe reMix has been on Youtube for a while now and has had more than a few repeat listens. Braxe really takes the track to another level creating an intense, multi-layered Nu-Disco track that deserves to blasted loud on a summer’s night!

♫ Visitor – Los Feeling (Alan Braxe Radio Edit)

♫ Visitor – Los Feeling

With more reMixes from Designer Drugs, Fear Of Tigers and Monsieur Adi, waiting for this single to be released is almost painful, until then give the guys some massive MySpace love!

Visitor @ MySpace

May 30 2010

Kamp!; Polish SynthPop

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Kamp! are a Polish SynthPop act who have just released their new single, ‘Heats’, on Brennessel.

The single is an impassioned classic SynthPop tune with a touch of Nu-Disco in it’s bassline. ‘Heats’ is an intricate retro styles Pop song with a little hint of Spandau Ballet about it. The B-side, ‘Distance Of The Modern Hearts’ is more upbeat and an awesome collision between classic, pure 80’s Pop and Nu-Disco. Defiantly a band to keep an eye, or ear, on!

♫ Kamp! – Heats

♫ Kamp! – Distance Of The Modern Hearts

‘Heats’ is out now.

Kamp! @ Amazon

May 29 2010

HURTS cover Diana Vickers’ ‘Once’

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This afternoon HURTS appeared on Jo Whiley’s ‘Live Lounge’ on BBC Radio 1, as well as well as an epic acoustic performance of their current single ‘Better Than Love’ the guys also covered Diana Vickers’ recent single ‘Once’.

Citing an underlying sadness in the Cathy Dennis & Eg White penned track as the reason for their choice of cover, the band (complete with, not only their opera singer, but cello and violin) belted out an intense rendition. The song had previously sent Diana Vickers (who has also worked with Ellie Goulding and Starsmith) to number one in the charts.

The band also talked about summer festivals, influences and not having a title for the August released album yet.

♫ HURTS – Once (Diana Vickers Cover (Live @ BBC Radio 6 Music)) (Radio Rip)

You can listen to the whole performance and interview on the BBC iPlayer or at the Live Lounge site.

HURTS @ Beatport

HURTS @ Juno

HURTS @ Amazon

May 25 2010

More Heaven 17 news

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SynthPop legends Heaven 17 are continuing their current busy schedule, adding to the recently announced tour dates and DJ appearances with a bunch of radio slots.

First up, yesterday they performed alive session, consisting of two tracks from ‘Penthouse And Pavement’ and ‘Temptation’, for Absolute Radio. you can check out a podcast of the session here. Then, on 12th June Glenn Gregory will be the special guest on The Liz Kershaw Show on BBC 6 Music speaking about the 30th anniversary of ‘Penthouse And Pavement’. Finally, on Absolute Radio’s sister station, Absolute 80’s, both Martyn Ware and Glenn Gregory will be hosting the Happy Hour show between 12:00 – 13:00, Monday 31st May to Friday 4th June. the guys will be picking their favourite songs from the electronic 80’s, you can listen in here.

♫ Heaven 17 – Penthouse & Pavement

Keep an eye out for news of the special 30th anniversary reissue of ‘Penthouse And Pavement’, full of extras!

May 25 2010

DEVO finalise tracklist for forthcoming album

After their exhaustive Song Study ElectroPop pioneers DEVO have finalised the track list ing for their forthcoming album ‘something For Everybody’. Their first full studio album for almost 20 years is compiled from tracks from the study as voted for by the fans.

Here what DEVO themselves had to say at their ‘press conference’:

These are the tracks that made the grade:

01. Fresh
02. What We Do
03. Please Baby Please
04. Don’t Shoot, I’m a Man
05. Mind Games
06. Human Rocket
07. Sumthin’
08. Step Up
09. Cameo
10. Later Is Now
11. No Place Like Home
12. March On

‘Something For Everybody’ album is released 14th July.

May 23 2010

Monarchy drop their Kelis reMix!

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After teasing us on Twitter, London SynthPop masters Monarchy have finally dropped their reMix of Kelis recent smash ‘Acapella’!

From the offset you can tell it’s something special, instantly transporting you to Planet Monarchy as the duo effortlessly work their futuristic synth magic for their take on the track. Actually, ‘Acapella’ is a really fitting song for Monarchy to reMix, the vocal track itself has a kinda’ 80’s space-age Disco feel to it so when combined with the music of these two stargazing ElectroPoppers it becomes this amazing soundtrack to the best 80’s Sci-Fi movie you never saw.

I’d love to see a video for this cut out of bits from ‘Battle Beyond The Stars’ or something!

♫ Kelis – Acapella (Monarchy Urania Club Mix)

Kelis’ ‘Acapella’ single is out now:

May 22 2010

2010 tour from OMD

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Another classic ElectroPop act hitting the road this year is Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark who will, in last October and November, take in most of the UK and a big chunk of Europe.

The ‘History Of Modern’ tour will feature the classic line up of Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper and Malcolm Holmes and will showcase the bands forthcoming new album, again, titled ‘History Of Modern’ which Andy McCluskey has called “our best album since ‘Architecture And Morality’”.

Here’s one of our favourite OMD tunes, ‘Electricity’:

♫ OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) – Electricity

The tour will take in a gruelling 17 nights in November across Europe.

UK
29th Oct – Brighton @ Dome
31st Oct – Bristol @ Colston Hall
01st Nov – Nottingham @ Royal Centre
02nd Nov – Glasgow @ Concert Hall
04th Nov – Liverpool @ Arena
05th Nov – Ipswich @ Regent
07th Nov 11 – London @ Hammersmith Apollo
08th Nov – Birmingham @ Symphony Hall

EUROPE
11th Nov – Cologne @ E-Work
12th Nov – Hannover @ Capitol
13th Nov – Leipzig @ Haus Auensee
15th Nov – Stuttgart @ Theatrehaus
16th Nov – Munich @ Tonhalle
18th Nov – Berlin @ Tempoddrom
19th Nov – Hamburg @ Docks
21st Nov – Luxembourg @ (venue TBC)
22nd Nov – Brussels @ Ancienne Belgique
23rd Nov – Amsterdam @ Paradiso
25th Nov – Casino De Paris

OMD @ 7Digital

OMD @ Amazon