Sep 22 2011

More from Queen Of Hearts’ début EP

queen-of-hearts

Queen Of Hearts has been regal enough to let us have a listen to another track from her forthcoming début EP, ‘The Arrival EP’. This one is ‘Black Star’.

With a little help from Beatrice Hatherley (Kylie/Zoot Woman) and produced by Olly & James from Devil’s Gun ‘Black Star’ is a strange intoxicating beast. Powerful and ominous post-DubstepPop electronics that sees Liz sounding a little like Vicky Hesketh (both musically and vocally) in the verses, and a little like t.A.T.u in the chorus (complete with pitch shifted duet). I am actually really diggin’ the fact that not everything to come out of The Queen’s camp has been pure upbeat Pop of late, sure those singles will definitely be something to look forward to I think it’s these tunes, showing she has more than one string to her bow, that will stick with people. ‘Black Star’ is pretty cinematic too, if there was ever a QoH track I would want to see a really good video for it would be this.

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Black Star (Produced by Devil’s Gun)

Queen Of Hearts’ ‘The Arrival EP’ is out 3rd October, until then check out more from Queen Of Hearts On SoundCloud.

Follow @electronicrumor

Sep 5 2011

Queen Of Hearts’ ‘Spanish Sahara’

queen of hearts

Massive Disco tunes are all well and good. They’re what gets out blood pumping, they’re what gets our hearts racing, but sooner or later an artist has got to prove there is more to them than dancefloor euphoria. Queen Of Hearts has just done that.

Her latest track, ‘Spanish Sahara’, is a Dreamtrak produced classic SynthPop song. Powerful, emotional, haunting and passionate but tempered with that feels like a little of that British dry humour that works so well in SynthPop (a le Pet Shop Boys), ‘Spanish Sahara’ is on repeated listenings in incredibly sophisticated song. Just take the narrative advancement from the “I’m the fury in your head” refrain to “choir of furies in your head”, a subtle shift that drives the drama of the song. A drama that Dreamtrak’s production follows with a contemporary take on Depeche Mode epics that is perfectly designed to show off The Queen’s impassioned vocal. ‘Spanish Sahara’ comes from Queen Of Heart’s début record, ‘The Arrival EP’, which we’re starting to get pretty excited about round these parts.

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Spanish Sahara (Produced by Dreamtrak)

Also, how cool is the imagery of “like a Lilo loosing air”?!

–Edit– Thanks to The Guardian (who apparetly are confused as to the meaning of ‘exclusive’) I now know that this is a cover of a Foals track. *Shrug*. So it seems many of my compliments should be directed at the Foals’ lyricist. Nice job Dude, pity you can’t do anything interesting with your verse. I’ll take digital bass and Queenie over gangly guitars and gut-wrenchingly bland vocals any day.

Queen Of Hearts’ ‘The Arrival EP’ is out soon, until then check out more from Queen Of Hearts On SoundCloud.

Follow @electronicrumor

Jul 27 2011

New Queen Of Hearts track, produced by Monarchy.

queenofhearts

If you keep an eye on Queen Of Hearts’ Twitter (which sounds a bit like stalking when you say it outloud?) you’ll know she recently tweeted about being in the studio with ElectroPop geniuses Monarchy. An exciting prospect I’m sure you’ll agree. Well, here’s the result.

I think vocally ‘Perfect Mistake’ is the most intimate performance we’ve heard from QoH so far, the subtleties in her vocals make the track feel more personal. It’s a pretty classic SynthPop tune, in it’s content and arrangement, but given a contemporary sheen by the Queen and Monarchy resulting in a perfect meeting of the retro and the new. And this is just a demo! I can see Queen Of hearts gathering momentum and things picking up the pace very soon. There are rumors TOTP is coming back, might be just in time!

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Perfect Mistake (Demo.) (Produced By Monarchy)

Check out more from Queen Of Hearts On SoundCloud.

Follow @electronicrumor

May 31 2011

Johan Agebjörn & Ercola & Queen Of Hearts AND Dreamtrak

Johan Agebjörn & Ercola’s ‘The Last Day Of Summer’ from Johan’s ‘Cassablanca Nights’ album featuring vocal stylings from Queen Of Hearts has gone and got itself a single release with reMix duties performed by Agebjörn collaborator Le Prix, Le Matos, Ercola himself and sometime Queen Of Hearts producer Dreamtrak.

Dreamtrak brings in a deep Pop/House groove with a nice early 90’s feel in the bassline and piano with the kind of FM bassline not heard since D50 and M1 rigs on TOTP played by dudes with floppy hair. All-in-all Dreamtrak has got a perfect grasp on the 90’s DancePop thing, wrapping up those influences in a modern package that sounds nostalgic, without being a pastiche. The Queen’s vocals lend themselves well to his style too.

♫ Johan Agebjörn & Ercola (Feat. Queen Of Hearts) – The Last Day Of Summer (Dreamtrak Diamond Sound reMix)

‘The Last Day Of Summer’ is out now.

Buy Johan Agebjörn’s music from:

May 24 2011

Johan Agebjörn & Queen Of Hearts’ video

Johan Agebjörn & Ercola & Queen Of Hearts’ ‘The Last Day Of Summer’, we’ve listened to it quite a lot. Now, we can watch it quite a lot too! It’s only bleedin’ gone and got itself a music video ain’t it!

At some point director Stuart Hall made the correct decision to tell Misters Agebjörn and Ercola to take the day off and just to film the Queen saying goodbye to past loves in some fields. Also, there probably wasn’t room in the crew transport for Misters Agebjörn and Ercola with all the Queen’s various costume changes and you’ve got to prioritise these things properly.

‘The Last Days Of Summer’ is taken from ‘Casablanca Nights’, out now on Paper Bag Records.

Buy Johan Agebjörn music from:

May 20 2011

Johan Agebjörn & Queen Of Hearts

As you’ll know by now Johan Agebjörn’s ‘Casablanca Nights’ is an ElectroPop masterpiece, than man has really picked out some excellent collaborators, riding with the likes of Sally Shapiro, Le Prix, Lovelock, CFCF, Legowelt and Wolfram, just for starters.

The album was released earlier this months and if you haven’t picked it up yet maybe this will convince you? For ‘The Last Day Of Summer’ Johan has teamed up with Ercola and the UK’s next big thing Queen Of Hearts for this laid back groover. With a blissed out Nu-Disco vibe, some sweet analog synth strings and a solo that rocks this tune is prefect for…well…the last days of summer.

♫ Johan Agebjörn & Ercola (Feat. Queen Of Hearts) – The Last Day Of Summer

‘Casablanca Nights’ is out now on Paper Bag Records.

Buy Johan Agebjörn’s music from:

May 12 2011

Queen Of Hearts Vs. Daft Punk…on the Grid!

Singing over a Daft Punk track is a brave move, could be good, cloud be cheesy, could be sacrilege! Thankfully ElectroPop goddess Queen Of Hearts pulls it off with class and style.

Taking Daft Punk’s ‘End Of Line’ from their Tron: Legacy soundtrack The Queen gets all deep and majestic with a smokey vocal that not only show off her vocal chops but quite a knack for arrangement too. ‘The End Of Nothing’ is incredibly listenable. Does it imporve on a Daft Punk song? Er…kinda’…but I’m not going to admit it!

You may remember recently I questioned The Queen’s authenticity. I’m taking that back now, she recently tweeted this: “If it ain’t electro, I don’t wish to know.x”, which kinda’ sold me. The more I hear about her the more I an convinced she is a genuine ElectroPop lover, not some manufactured, blog friendly, product. I don’t mind admitting I was wrong, and I was. I’m now looking forward to following her career with interest, and my dancing shoes on.

♫ Queen Of Hearts Vs. Daft Punk – The End Of Nothing

Go give Queen Of Hearts some of your finest Facebook love:

Queen Of Hearts @ Facebook

Buy Daft Punk’s music from:

Apr 6 2011

Fear Of Tigers reMixes Queen Of Hearts…all hail Queen Of Tigers!

I’m starting to think that Fear Of Tigers tracks are like busses. You wait ages for one then a few come along at once!

The anthemic sweeping Pop of Queen Of Hearts’ ‘Where Are You Now?’ has had a Fear Of Tigers going over. There are a few acts out there that seem to be destined to be reMixed by FOT (I’m still waiting for a FOT reMix of Bright Light Bright Light’s ‘Love Part II’!!!) and Queen Of Hearts feels like one of them. Her accessible classic Pop voice is the perfect accompaniment for Fear Of Tigers’ sparkling retro power Pop. The track is pure ElectroPop genius with an added sprinkling of Disco licks to give it that funky edge before bringing you back to the huge Pop chorus.

Y’all know how much I love Diamond Cut and StardonE? Well, don’t tell them, but this might be my favourite version of ‘Where Are You Now?’…

♫ Queen Of Hearts – Where Are You Now? (Fear Of Tigers reMix)

I’d also like to add that last time I wrote about Queen Of Hearts I questioned both her authenticity and the hype surrounding her. These were comments she took in the spirit in which they were intended and was pretty, well…regal, about it (i.e. she didn’t get shitty about it). People who can take not-necessarily-100%-positive comments about themselves in good humour are people I immediately warm to. She seems like good peeps.

She’s playing her début show tonight at Madame Jo-Jo’s in Soho. So good luck to her and continued good luck to Ben Fear Of Tigers in his charity marathon run.

Props to Robot & Pigeon for getting the premier on this one.

Queen Of Hearts @ Beatport