Feb 12 2013

[MP3] Final DJs reMix Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Germany’s finest, Final DJs, really know how to take a track you already love, and give it a spin that bring it right up to date without loosing any retro cool. They have delivered once again with this storming reMix of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s 1983 début, Relax. Trevor Horn produced slick 80s funk-Pop meets soaring synth Dreamwave Disco, a match made in heaven.

Frankie always had a somewhat Sci-Fi element to their brand, and Final DJs ramp that up considerable. This is Frankie Goes To Hollywood in the year 2019. A dance track that reaches the songs emotional core, bringing out this big chord progressions with layers of lush synths and a retro bassline, so powerful it moves you with each key change. The prefect platform of FgtH’s instantly recognisable tune, the track goes next level when the solo kicks in, from then on in the seven minute epic just soars, and you are helpless to resist being carried with it.

♫ Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax (Final DJs Relax On The Beach reMix)

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Feb 12 2013

[Video] Goin’ Old School: Kraftwerk & Laid Back

Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:

In honour of Kraftwerk’s Tate Modern series of shows, which we completely failed to get tickets for, here’s 1986’s Musique Non Stop.

And classic 1983 SynthPop from Germany’s Laid Back and White Horse.

You can buy most of this music from:

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Feb 11 2013

[Audio] Douglas J. McCarthy’s ‘Kill Your Friends’

It was released last November on CD and Vinyl, so it’s not exactly a new release, but it’s about to see a digital unleashing and it’s was on our playlist toward the end of 2012, so let’s have a little revisit with Kill Your Friends, the début solo album from one of our favourite artists of all time, Douglas J. McCarthy. Doug is, of course, one half of the legendary Nitzer Ebb, of whom we have been fans since we were crazy teens, having first seen them live in 1991. It’s not unconceivable to say that in some mirror universe where we didn’t discover Nitzer Ebb through Bong, the official Depeche Mode fanzine, that electronic rumors, the website, the record label, might not exist. They were, particularly the Showtime and Ebbhead albums, a massive influence.

That said, Douglas’ Kill Your Friends is actually a more satisfying record than Nitzer Ebb’s 2012 comeback album, Industrial Complex. Where Industrial Complex seems to be pandering to the expectations of black clad, stomping fans (something that Nitzer Ebb had never done, just look at Big Hit), Kill Your Friends feels like a much more personal and authentic affair. From the album’s opener, Death Is King, the album deliver what I would have like to hear from Nitzer Ebb, not trying to be Nitzer-Ebb-by-numbers, but producing something with real passion, and musically, making EBM for grown ups. Take The Last Time, one of the albums standouts. Fresh beats and shimmering stabs are paired with the expected synth growl allow McCarthy’s voice, probably one of the most recognisable in electronic music, to shine. And it’s his voice, the Essex-Americana drawl that made Nitzer Ebb so special, that ties the record together. Waxing lyrical on his favourite topics, control, religion, dysfunctional relationships, freedom, Douglas appears as a introspective co-pilot on a road trip through the seedy backstreets of electronic music. Backstreets that lead you through myriad influenced, from the Dubbed-out Evil Love to the Deep Acid House of Taken. Of course, the jackhammer EBM still rears it’s head in the form of All Kinds Of Wrong and Move On, both classic EBB, but on the whole Kill Your Friends is an album for everyone who grew up with, but grew out of, EBM. If you love Nitzer Ebb, but really can’t be bothered with distorted kick drums, arpeggios and shouting anymore then this is definitely the album for you.

♫ Douglas J. McCarthy – The Last Time

♫ Douglas J. McCarthy – Nothing After This

♫ Douglas J. McCarthy – Death Is King

♫ Douglas J. McCarthy – Taken

Douglas J. McCarthy’s Kill Your Friends is out now on CD and Vinyl and released digitally 18th February.

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Feb 7 2013

[Audio] Chvrches’ ‘Recover’

Every new release from Chvrches makes us a little nervous. there is so much hype surrounding this Glaswegian ElectroPop trio that we get concerned they won’t be able to live up to expectations. For now, at least, dipping into their third single, Recover, puts to rest any fears and they deliver another stunning slice of moody ElectroPop.

Awash with Numandoid synths, Recover does that thing all the best 80s SynthPop tunes do. Balancing a big, seemingly upbeat, optimistic tune with a melancholy running through it like a tear. Singer Lauren’s frail yet impassioned performance is almost heartbreaking and needs, to a certain extent, to be countered with all the shimmering synth work. We think we if heard the acapella we might cry. This prefect blend of optimism and pain is evident in, literally, every classic SynthPop act there is and Chvrches are on a fast track to joining some of them, we just hope all the hype doesn’t ruin it all.

♫ Chvrches – Recover

Chvrches’ new single is released 25th March with two new tracks, ZVVL and Now Is Not The Time, and reMixes from Curxes and Cid Rim.

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Feb 6 2013

[Audio] Yelle’s ‘L’Amour Parfait’

One of our long term favourite French artists, and one of the best live acts in the world Yelle are finally back with a brand new single. It looks like tEPr isn’t around anymore, leaving Julie and GrandMarnier to carry on as a duo with, in the case of this new tune, a little help from Aeroplane. What this has resulted in is quirky ElectroPop gold that brings Yelle back to their 80s Pop roots.

Big undulating synths and a booming 808 beat produce something vintage Pop but with a contemporary Electro sensibility, which was always the best of Yelle. Julie engaging French vocals have always transcended the language barrier, even in a live situation, and allow them free rein on a hypnotic electronic soundscape with and 80s hook and a B-Boy beat and you have the recipie for a Pop winner. The single will come with reMixes from by Baadman, Sticky K, The Phantom and Ruben Mandolini . The title means ‘The Perfect Love’ BTW.

♫ Yelle – L’Amour Parfait

Yelle’s L’Amour Parfait is released11th February.

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Feb 6 2013

[Video] Goin’ Old School: Casco & Soft Cell

Goin’ Old School isn’t a trip down music memory lane, it’s a mugging in the dark alleyway of nostalgia:

Today get your ears around Casco’s absolute Italo classic from 1983. Cybernetic Love.

And from 1981, Soft Cell ode to London, Bedsitter.

You can buy most of this music from:

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Feb 5 2013

[Audio] TEEEL’s new tune

It a new tune from our favourite New jersey based SynthWaver TEEEL! This new tune, Imperial, is only available on Mannequin Records’ new compilation album, The End Of Civilization. The release is available digitally, or on limited edition vinyl, TEEEL’s track is worth the price alone.

Imperial is a big, sweeping, SynthPop tune with all the power of a Sci-Fi epic. Keeping with the Brooklyn Lo-Fi SynthWave sound, TEEEL expertly crafts a blanket of lush analog sounds, fresh with pulsating bass and shimmering leads. TEEEL’s epic, anthemic song flows perfectly over the top and culminates in a gritty, but utterly soulful, synthetic love song.

♫ TEEEL – Imperial

You can pick up the The End Of Civilization compilation here.

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Feb 4 2013

[Audio] Only You’s ‘Reap The Voice You’ve Made’

Here’s the new one from retro Pop artist Only You. He’s released three songs so far, and earned three posts on electronic rumors, that a 100% conversion rate so far! This New Jersey based producer consistently impresses with his slick 80s style ElectroPop tracks. With a slight Americana twist, and heaps of nostalgia, his tunes always brighten out day.

Once again his latest track, Reap The Voice You’ve Made, shows off his rich, expertly crafted, songs. And epic vocal performance, introspective and intimate in the verses, powerful and anthemic in the choruses, raises this track up. Accompanied by authentically period drums and bassline and some shimmering synth lines, the whole track comes together to form an exciting, uplifting experience. Some of the best ElectroPop around.

♫ Only You – Reap The Voice You’ve Made

Check out more from Only You on SoundCloud.

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Feb 1 2013

[Video] Depeche Mode’s ‘Heaven’

So the big news this week, as you’ll probably guess from our Twitter and Google+ feeds, is the new single from one of our all-time faves Depeche Mode’s forthcoming 13th (and probably last) studio album Delta Machine, Heaven.

Heaven is a pretty unsurprising. An epic ElectroPop track injected with Dave and Martins blues influences The B-side, however, All That’s Mine, is a fantastic, moody, synthetic opus that harks back to late-80s Mode. Check the video for Heaven, directed by Timothy Saccenti, who revels in Depeche Mode’s religious iconography.

Depeche Mode’s Heaven is released 5th March

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Feb 1 2013

[Audio] Soldout’s ‘94’

94 is the first single taken from the new album More. The new record from Belgian ElectroPop outfit Soldout. The new single, which is out now, sees the duo going even deeper with their classic SynthPop sound, there’s even hints of The Good Natured’s style Goth-Pop in there amongst the infectious beats.

A brilliant balancing act between dark and poppy, 94 is less EBM’y than Soldout’s previous work. this has been replaced with an effortless Indie-ElectroPop hipness with relentlessly funky beats that play against the dramatic tension of plucked strings and a thick synthetic bassline. The song itself is quite whimsical, yet emotional, which adds the the sheen of detached cool. This could be Soldout’s big breakthrough moments right here.