Right, so we told you about Erasure new version of ‘A Little Respect’ earlier this week, but the streaming track was a no go and I didn’t even want to ask for permission to offer the track as a download ‘cos, y’know, its a charity record. A song and a cause that deserve some of your hard earned.
Anyway, you can listen to it now, and, indeed, watch it courtesy of the just released promo clip.
Interestingly, this new ‘HMI Redux’ was mixed by none other than Kap10Kurt!
‘Fade to Black’ was actually the first MNDR track I heard, way back when it was part of the ’E.P.E’ EP, it was the track that really got me into this New York ElectroPop duo.
Great news for us in the UK then, as ‘Fade to Black’ is being released as a double A-side with fellow ‘E.P.E.’ track ‘I Go Away’ on limited edition 7” via Trouble Records.
Despite most of the UK knowing Amanda Warner’s unique vocals from Mark Ronson’s storming ‘Bang Bang Bang’ her voice seems much more suited to her raw SynthPop. MNDR’s music is stripped down enough to be Minimal Synth but catchy and funky enough to be DiscoPop, weird huh? But it really works. If you didn’t like the Ronson track (and if you didn’t you need help!) don’t write off MNDR, ‘cos their own material is some of the best SynthPop being produced right now. Just check out the anthemic ‘Fade to Black’:
Out this week is a brand new version of SynthPop legends Erasure’s classic ‘A Little Respect’.
Originally from their ‘The Innocents’ album this new version sees all the proceeds from sale going to The Hetrick-Martin Institute, a LGBTQ youth service organization. In their own words “In the wake of all the gay bullying and related suicides that have been reported in the US over the past several months, Erasure wanted to do something special to spread a message of tolerance and to raise money for an organisation that engages in the fight on a daily basis and, because it has become something of a gay rights anthem over the years, it seemed only fitting to release a brand new version of ‘A Little Respect’.”
The ‘HMI Redux’ is a nice update to the original. In keeping with modern production methods its a lot fuller sounding, and just as damn catchy!
As you are probably aware, Depeche Mode have just released their long awaited ‘Tour Of The Universe’ DVD sets.
Filmed at two sold out nights in Barcelona during their 2009 ‘Tour Of The Universe’ the DVD features 21 songs spanning the Mode’s 30 year career. Anyone who’s seen DM live know how flawless and exiting their live spectacle is and the DVD captures the experience perfectly.
Check out the trailer:
The DVD comes in three flavours, Super, Deluxe and Blu-Ray and we have, for one luck winner, not only a copy of the Deluxe edition, which includes the DVD and a double CD set of the concerts, but also a limited edition, numbered lithograph featuring the cover artwork.
To grab yourself a chance of winning what is an amazing show in an amazing DVD set, just answer the following question:
Ex-Depeche Mode member Alan Wilder recently reunited with the band onstage, what song did he perform with Martin Gore?
Email your answer to electronicrumors@gmail.com with the subject line ‘Depeche Mode Competition’ before 23rd December. I’ll put the correct answers in my pork pie hat, pick a winner at random, and announce the results on X-mas eve!
Due to it being a DVD and stuff, this competition is only open to residents of the US.
We dug his funky ElectroPop way back then so when he turned up in the electronic rumors inbox we were pretty interested to hear what he was producing these days.
Two tracks graced our mailbox. The first, ‘Little Bottle’ (which is a collaboration with Young Monday) is our favourite of the two, it’s an upbeat SynthPop track with a touch of Soft Cell around the drum programming and some nice vintage synth sounds. Sitting somewhere between Minimal Synth and Lo-Fi SynthPop, ‘Little Bottle’ is a confident Pop song that harkens back to to days of the Futurist pioneers. The atmospheric ‘Falling’ is more of a lament than a ballad, being borderline Spoken Word over an evolving Synthesizer backing. The French lilt of the vocals creating evocative imagery.
♫ Preston Park (Feat. Young Monday) – Little Bottle
The likes of we haven’t heard since the 80’s this tune has got all the elements in place. The bells ringing out, the uplifting melancholy, the sleigh-bell hi-hats, the power drums in the chorus. It’s pure HURTS too, it’s like all HURTS’ career has been leading up to a full-on X-mas song!
There’s some soulful ElectroPop going down in Southend-On-Sea in the form of The Vanity Clause, a band who’s name may be familiar to live music lovers in the south east of England and a band who have just released their début album.
Titled ‘Fractured’, the record is 12 tracks of pure SynthPop with an, almost, Motown twist courtesy of Louisa Strachan, who’s ballsy vocals ride the wave of analog synthesis in a way that hasn’t been heard since the days of Alison and Vince (Yazoo).
Formed by Russell Harris, David Woods and a collection of vintage synth gear (Russ has a white Moog Liberation (who’s control panel makes up electronic rumors banner)! Jealous!), the band gigged around a bit for a few years before recruiting Lou, last year, to complete the sound laid out on their new album. The music is entirely Sci-Fi electronics, with a raw edge. This is possibly due to Russ and David’s rock background which seems, in combination with the vintage equipment, to give the machine-music a live, slightly garage, vibe. It walks the line between slick SynthPop and something a bit more grungy. Which, in turn, makes Lou’s powerful voice so much sweeter as the glue that hold everything together. There’s even hints of New York Disco and Italo as the album progresses.
Check ‘Mr. Fairweathered’ for those vocals at their ‘Aretha’ best over some moody and shuffling ElectroPop.
New York based ElectroPop act The Mystic Underground return this week with a brand new single, ‘Pride Of St. Marks.
Produced by Super Buddha (Debbie Harry, Rufus Wainwright, Franz Ferdinand) the track is pretty anthemic for TMU with it’s bouncing bassline and chant along chorus, defiantly worth checking out and a welcome comeback for the duo. ElectroPop with huge production, this is one track you can’t help but nod along to. The reMix package includes this mix by fellow New Yorker and THISISNOTANEXIT artist The Dark Esquire who brings the track to a slightly darker, slightly more minimal place with the lightest of sprinklings of Post-Punk guitar.
We told you it was coming, and now it’s here! The brand new video from SynthPop legends The Human League for their eagerly awaited new single ‘Night People’.
We’ve already let you know what we though of the single, we loved its combination of ‘Sound Of The Crowd’ style old League and an epic second half. The video does what it says on the tin, a voyeuristic look into the lives of some wildly different night people!
Still loving it when the song goes all impassioned toward the end!
As previously mentioned, amongst the reMix package is this little gem from Villa who layer the track with frantic strings and and Acid burbling to give the tune a new sense of nervous energy. If the Leagues original is the soundtrack to an amazing night out the Villa’s reMix is the soundtrack to a dark and dangerous evening!
The Human League are back! And they’re taking names and kicking ass!
Ever since the announcement that The League has signed to Mark Jones’ Wall Of Sound label we’ve been eagerly awaiting the fruits of that union, and here we have it! The first single from their upcoming ‘Credo’ album, ‘Night People’!
We were right in our previous assessment, there is something of ‘The Sound Of The Crowd’ about it. It’s sounding both really 80’s, and pretty contemporary too. Almost like a modern reMix of a classic The Human League track. The second half of the song is particularly epic when it evolves from early THL sounding chants to a sweeping finale.
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