Jun 18 2013

[Audio] Mitch Murder’s ‘Thanks For Playing’

Here to brighten up your day, it’s the latest tune from SynthWave master Mitch Murder. Mitch continues to steadily crank out some of the highest quality retro sounds in the world. Often imitated, never duplicated, Mitch Murder’s works capture the 80s soundtrack feel like no-one else. Rather than latching onto a couple of clichéd tropes of what people imagine soundtracks were like in the 80s, Mitch seeps himself in a real love of 80s Soundtrack music and as a result his pieces sound utterly authentic.

Thanks For Playing mixes homages to optimistic 80s Movies and very late 80s/early 90s 8-bit game console tunes. Like a breezy Sega game soundtrack composed by Vince DiCola, Thanks For Playing rolls along on forward pushing digital bassline, definitely the kind of driving force that keeps you playing. Replete with all the little infectious melodies that stick in your head to keep you coming back for more, Mitch has cracked the period game accompaniment formula and once again proven why he is at the top of his game/

♫ Mitch Murder – Thanks For Playing

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Jun 17 2013

[MP3] Bestrack’s new, free, album

Rad Parisian Disco producer Bestrack has just dropped a whole albums worth of tunes for free. The dude dropped some top reMixes recently but it sounds like he’s been saving the good stuff for this collection of original tunes. And what a collection it is! We would seriously pay money for this record, and it would be one of our top buys that months. Prepare for eight tracks of some of the best Electro-Disco around.

Workout 2000 is the title of the album (Bestrack calls it an EP, but c’mon, eight tracks? Far to generous) and it definitely is a workout. From the very start of the release, the opening bars of In Your Eyes it’s all high-octane dirty Disco. Cut-up funky shit supreme the opener is an almost perfect example of soaring peak-time Disco-House that immediately hooks you into the album, screaming solo and all. Don’t Quit brings a big retro feel to proceedings, with some massive nostalgic DiscoPop, that doesn’t quit for the whole record. This collection of track strikes just the right balance between 80s Pop, Nu-Disco and tough Electro. From the grinding dystopian SynthWave of Jaguar to the hi-energy EuroDisco of Stamina the album covers a myriad of styles, all tried together with Bestrack’s slick groove. The title track is definitely a highlight, bringing together Bestrack’s cinematic SynthWave side with a driving Italo feel and heaps of Disco swing. Summing up the album with it’s huge vintage chords and twisted vocal samples, Workout 2000 is a great ambassador for the whole release. This album would come highly recommended if it cost money, at this price it’s essential.

♫ Bestrack – In Your Eyes

♫ Bestrack – Workout 2000

♫ Bestrack – Don’t Quit

You can download the whole of Bestrack’s Workout 2000 here.

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Jun 17 2013

[Audio] Kavinsky reMixed by Surkin

It’s the second reMix to Kavinsky’s forthcoming Odd Look single. We introduced you to A-Trak’s reMix last week and next on the bill it’s fellow Frenchman Surkin. Surkin lends his deep French Electro sound to the originals haunting SynthWave resulting in a pounding slice of robotic emotion.

The chord progression of the original tune is one that is evocative and cinematic, and that plays nicely into Surkin’s hands as he delivers a bassy Electro-House floorfiller with enough raw beats to keep the kids happy and enough humanity to lift their spirits. We can see this one going down a treat at certain gatherings over the summer months.The EP is out soon, along with Kavinsky’s Dead Cruiser mobile game.

♫ Kavinsky – Odd Look (Surkin reMix)

Kavinsky’s Odd Look single is released soon, the OutRun album is out now.

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Jun 14 2013

[Audio] Garth Knight’s new EP

One of the top names in the new SynthWave scene is Glaswegian producer Garth Knight, has just released his new EP. Titled, Mandroid, the new record follows on from his slick Goliath album released earlier this year and sees Knight take his rough, cinematic, electronics to ever darker places.

The pulsating, synthesizer soundtrack to some long-forgotten Sci-Fi Horror flick, Mandroid oozes electronic menace as it ploughs though it’s five tracks. Kicking off with Construction, you can already feel an old school EBM influence infecting Garth Knight’s work as it lays down it’s rapid fire arpeggios and machine beats amidst a sea of haunting and abrasive tones. Escape works a little mid-80s Depeche Mode flavour into the EP with heavy synth bass and ringing chimes that builds up to a droning and evocative finale. The EP’s high energy centrepiece, On The Run once again shows of the EBM styling of the EP, right down to the Industrial purcussion, this is pure Front 242 territory, albeit updated for the SynthWave scene with lush cinematic chords. After the climactic onslaught of On The Run, the rest of the EP delivers a little respite with Sanctuary, a gentle and evocative synth piece where layers of melody wrap themselves around each other, and the EP’s outro, Shut Down a rousing, but ultimately final, cascade of deep synths. All in all, Mandroid is another settling body of work from Garth Knight and at a pay-what-you-like price, can;t really be beat.

♫ Garth Knight – On the Run

♫ Garth Knight – Construction

♫ Garth Knight – Escape

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Jun 12 2013

[Audio] Cinnamon Chasers’ new EP

Long time readers of electronic rumors will know that hands-down one of our favourite producers is the enigmatic Cinnamon Chasers. Spanning Dreamwave, Nu-Disco, SynthWave, Italo and House, Cinnamon Chasers has spent the last five years putting out some of the most consistently impressive records in electronic music. Here is a man who effortlessly juggles emotion and groove to deliver track that both compel you to dance and give you goosebumps. He’s gearing up to release his new EP, Time.Body.Tears, next week and we can give you an sneaky listen to some of it right here.

Time.Body.Tears serves up five tracks, each of them so washed in retro synth Boogie that it’s hard to pick favourites. The EP kicks off with Flight, an undulating tune that rolls along on thick 80s synth bass and a digital sax hook straight out of Jermaine Stewart’s We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off. It’s totally infectious and if anything is going to draw you into the rest of the EP it’s Flight. Body is up next and brings the release a dose off moody dancefloor vibes. A deep slice of piano led House, Body is washed in a hint of mid-90s Orbital-esque euphoria in it’s punchy bass, vocal instrumentation and dubby piano that makes for a pleasingly nostalgic experience. Just in case Body got you too Chilled, it’s swiftly followed by the high-octane Electro-Italo-Cosmic-Rock of Tears. Tears produces the EP’s energetic mid-point rocking an almost perfect combination of Italo bass, breakin’ beats, rousing chords and just the tiniest hint of Ultravox’s Midge Ure. Time brings us, stylistically, back from the 80s to the 90s once more with a slice of classic sounding dance, once again hypnotising us with a big piano hook on this slo-House Jam. Proving the EP’s nod to Tropical Disco, Time has one foot on the beach, the other in distant galaxies. The EP closes on Friends, a massive emotional finale, mixing up Cinnamon Chasers’ resonant chords with a layer of gritty, dirty Disco-House, all chainsaw synths and twisted vocoding. Leaving you with a truck load of Funk, Friends is pure heavyweight French style Nu-Disco with an 80s Electro-Soul heart. Cinnamon Chasers haven’t let us down yet, continuing to be one of the best in the game. Naturally, this is a highly recommended release.

♫ Cinnamon Chasers – Flight

Cinnamon Chasers’ Time.Body.Tears EP is released 18th June.

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Jun 12 2013

[Audio] Pyramid reMixes Elephanz

French Sci-Fi SynthWaver has unleashed another slice of dramatic Pyramid Electro. This time he goes above and beyond the call of futuristic duty as he busts out a dystopian soundtrack reMix of Nantes Pop-Rock duo Elephanz’s Time For A Change.

The master of cinematic analog Electro delivers once again. Part slow burn dancefloor stormer, part Dark Future Sci-Fi accompaniment, the reMix delivered unremitting waves of unnervingly beautiful synthesizer melodies befitting the main titles of a Gibson novel move alongside bustling Inner City New York beats. The snatches of the originals are a largely superfluous, but welcome addition as Pyramid rocks a raw synth groove like no-one else.

♫ Elephanz – Time For A Change (Pyramid reMix)

Elephanz’s Time For A Change is out now.

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Jun 11 2013

[MP3] Final DJs’ ‘Feel Your Breath’

Another new single from Final DJs?!?!? They just don’t quit do they? Whenever Germany’s finest release a new tune it;s always a guessing game as to whether it’ll be SynthWave Final DJs or Nu-Disco Final DJs, whether it’ll be sweeping cinematic synths or groovy Tropical riffs. This new tune, Feel Your Breath, featured on the We Re-Created Disco, is a little of both, but leaning toward mirrorballed dancefloors.

Before we talk about the rest of the song, we just have to mention the insane, emotional, spine-tingling breakdown in this tune. A shuffling, rich, build with gentle vocal tones that is prefect for winding up excitement on the floor. Feel Your Breath itself is pure Final DJs’ epicness. A bouncy bassline is set off with soaring synth solos that take you on a journey throughout the track. One of this duos finest to date, Feel Your Breath is every bit for your mind and your ears as it is for your feet. The complete package.

♫ Final DJs – Feel Your Breath

Final DJs’ Feel Your Breath is out now.

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Jun 7 2013

[MP3] Night Drive (+ Bit Funk reMix)

OK, so you know how the whole driving imagery in SynthWave has been done to death, especially night driving. There’s a real backlash against it brewing. Anoraak released Nightdrive With You back in 2008 and every permutation of ‘driving’ and ‘night driving’ has been covered and copies and played out in the years since, the originality of it dies a death a long time ago. With that in mind, Night Drive is a truly terrible name for a retro synth act. However, please don’t let that put you off checking out the début single from Night Drive, as the name belies some truly awesome music.

Name aside, these guys are doing everything right. The look good (finally, a SynthWave act who understands the need for promo photos!), their artwork is cool without being clichéd and they can play live. Oh, and their début single, Drones, is pretty amazing. Mashing up SynthWave, Indie-Electro and ElectroPop in a head on collision, Drones is a high octane four minutes that immediately draws you in with a powering Italo bassline and rich vintage synths. With a catchy vocal, this is definitely one that’ll be stuck in your head all day. reMixes on the single come from Crystal Vision,Glasnost and this monster from Bit Funk who takes the energetic ElectroPop of the original and works it into a smooth, synthetic Disco tune that keeps the effortless cool of the original but leads it by the hand to some slinky dancefloor. Definitely a recommended release.

♫ Night Drive – Drones

♫ Night Drive – Drones (Bit Funk reMix)

Night Drive’s Drones is out now.

Check out more from Night Drive on SoundCloud.

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Jun 7 2013

[Audio] Kavinsky reMixed by A-Trak

New is starting to come in about SynthWave pioneer Kavinsky’s new single, the first following Protovision and the excellent OutRun album. The subject of the single will be the album track Odd Look, which was the highlight of OutRun’s new material. Amongst the single reMixes will be this cut-up job from A-Trak.

Bringing a bit of an Electro Dancehall flavour to the track and turns the tune chord progression into a grinding chainsaw riff. The track is equal parts dancefloor igniting and sinister as hell. With brutal bass and cinematic leads, it’s the drums that really compel in this track. It’s a fine mix that leaves us with a taste to hear the rest. The EP is out soon, along with Kavinsky’s Dead Cruiser mobile game.

♫ Kavinsky – Odd Look (A-Trak reMix)

Kavinsky’s Odd Look single is released soon, the OutRun album is out now.

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Jun 4 2013

[MP3] Wolf Saga’s ‘Our Time’

Here’s Our Time, Canadian Chilly ElectroPopper Wolf Saga’s self-proclaimed summer anthem, and man is it summery! It;s probably Wolf Sags most upbeat tune to day, and not only is it full of sunshine goodness, but also sees the man picking up the mic alongside the keyboard. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Prepare for some blissful, laid back vibes with Our Time, as wolf Saga takes the first half of the track to ease you into some nothing-but-good-times SynthPop. Bouncy and quirky, the synths dance around the tune, playfully trailing their melodies when they do as the man himself gently croons summertime advice. About mid-way in the track the solo kicks in, and it’s such a soaring, epic, slice of synthesizer love that the tune takes on a whole new, cosmic, groove. This one’s for fun in the sun.