Jan 23 2013

[MP3] Clancy’s ‘How To Hold On To You’

The one and only Clancy’s back in the production hot seat with a brand new track. We always tend to love it when this dude drops a new track, and so far he hasn’t disappointed. His new tune, How To Hold On To You, can be added to the ‘hasn’t disappointed yet’ pile.

How To Hold On To You continues on Clancy journey from Dreamwave hero, to Nu-Disco groover, to House jackmaster. This one’s all about pulsating deep basses, infectious piano riffs and snatches of diva vocals. Soundtracking a late 80s Chicago warehouse, How To Hold On To You, rises and falls with swells of emotion as to hooks you in and keeps you entranced until the end. It’s track like this that make us glad the Chicago House sound came back.

♫ Clancy – How To Hold On To You

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Jan 22 2013

[Video] TNUC takes on Steve Moore

there’s a brand new video from Uncle TNUC! The originator of the edited up Dreamwave video is back, and this time he;s tackling Steve Moore’s beautiful Dawn Of Primordial Life.

TNUC goes with the flow on this one. Mixing up an 80s caveman (not sure of source) and some plains nature, TNUC tells a pretty compelling narrative.

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Jan 21 2013

[Audio] Collins’ début album

Let’s talk about Collins. This guy first came to out attention back in September 20122 with his entry into Feat Of Tigers’ the Adventured Of Pippi Longstrump reMix competition. We highlighted his contribution as one of our favourites and since then have been following this Brazilian based Irish producer as he dropped a succession of class singles over the past two years. Well, that time has come, as it does in every musician’s career when they just have to bite the bullet and release an album. A declaration of intent, a manifesto. Collins’ Animal Magnetism lays down the law on why he’s different from the pack, and why is forward thinking attitude makes him one to watch.

Animal Magnetism opens with the dreamlike Heartbreaker, and there’s immediately something different goin on here. Whilst the track shares much of it’s DNA with Kavinsky’s Nightcall, it also let’s you know that the preceding album isn’t going to be your standard SynthWave. Listless, ominous vocoded vocals wash over the entire track and it sets a mood of eerie beauty that the rest of the release follows through with. Serenade continues in the same mysterious vein, albeit it with an EBM bassline and hushed female vocals the drag the track into 90s Elektro Industrial realms, a realm that isn’t entirely untouched by the tracks predecessor, The Sacred with it’s imposing robo vox. Fallen is a weird best, fifty percent laid back beach Disco, fifty percent a moody cover of Julee Cruise and Angelo Badalamenti’s Falling, it’s a take on an oft covered track that we hadn’t heard before. The album continues in this enigmatic style, punctuated by the likes of Italo monster If Looks Could Kill and the slightly ChipTune Coping Mechanism. Animal Magnetism is an impressive début collection, showing both a variety of moods from Collins, but also his ability to capture the darker side of life in rich, evocative music.

♫ Collins (Feat. Ana Gabriela Accioly) – Serenade

♫ Collins – If Looks Could Kill

♫ Collins – Coping Mechanism

♫ Collins – Fallen

Collins’ Animal Magnetism is out now, you can pick it up here. It;s available as a digital download, or as a limited edition cassette/video package.

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Jan 21 2013

[Audio] Mr. Pteez’s ‘Radio Vice’

Mr. Pteez, one of Russia most interesting, unsung talents, recently released a collection of his work to date. The Radio Vice album showcases this producers SynthWave skills, and his ability to slip from B-Boy Electro, to blissful retro soundtrack work with ease. There’s a track for every mood.

The albums title track get’s things going here. Pteez’s most straight-up SynthWave track to date, all shimmering chords and Italo basslines. Followed by new track, Street Is Watching, which brings us back to Pteez’s fusion of retro electro and B-Boy styles. Street Is Watching delivers everything we love about Pteez’s music, the Electro Boogie grooves mixed with an 80s soundtrack sheen is everything ‘needed to make us feel nostalgic. And the whole of Radio Vice doesn’t disappoint in this department, taking us on a journey through the inner-city 80s, urban vibes and aspirational moods in a head on collision. Highlights include on of our faves, When Night Falls, a lush, building, track which we’ve raved about before and the pure 80s dancefloor awesomeness of Workout ‘83, loaded with Electro Soul grooves and popping percussion. Mr. Pteez is definitely one of Russia’s top SynthWave talents, and with the recent explosion of Russian retro synth producers that’s no mean feat. If we had one criticism, it would be that Radio Vice sound unmastered, we’d love to hear these tracks after a workout be a professional mastering engineer. Oh how they would shine. Regardless, the Radio Vice album comes highly recommended from us.

♫ Mr. Pteez – Radio Vice

♫ Mr. Pteez – When Night Falls

♫ Mr. Pteez – Workout ‘83

♫ Mr. Pteez – Street Is Watching

Mr. Pteez’s Radio Vice is out now.

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Jan 18 2013

[Audio] Betamaxx’s ‘Interface’ album

Pittsburgh based SynthWave producer Betamaxx has just dropped his début album, Interface. We’ve been following Nick Morey tunes for a while now, and as far as the current crop of emerging SynthWave artists go, he’s up there with the best. He’s also not afraid to go off track either, injecting his work with sometimes surprising elements.

Interface kicks off with You Can’t Catch Me, a pseudo-Intro piece before launching into the album proper with Contra. Contra sets the tone for the record with its jackhammer Italo beats that play against bright pads and starlight leads. Betamaxx goes further down the path of melody with this release, each track, rather than a collection of layered arpeggios, delivers intertwining melodies, beautiful moods and a surprising array of influences. Of course, there’s your typical ‘80’s movie soundtrack inspired pieces like East Coast Summers and The Sure Thing, but there’s a smattering of Electro-Funk on Betamaxx’s ode to Yamaha’s DX7. DHHeaven and Nu-NRG of Silicon Dreams. On the whole what impresses the most about this album is the musicality of it, just check out Adrenaline Lust for some seriously deft fingered soloing. Not just for lovers of 80s revival music, but for all synth music fans, this album should definitely be investigated. If there’s one criticism I could apply to Betamaxx, it’s this, and to be honest this doesn’t just apply to Betamaxx, but the current SynthWave scene at large. Interface comes just four months after Betamaxx’s last album, Lost Formats. These two albums could have really been cherry picked and merged into one truly stunning piece of work. And that happens a lot on the SynthWave scene, people releasing albums of everything they do every five minutes. I guess the message is, you don’t need to release every single track you write, exercise extreme quality control and only release the best of your best, and give your releases time to breathe. One album a year is a lot for most artists. Right now the SynthWave scene is descending into a by producers for other producers mind-set, which is great fun and all very nerdy, but for the scene to gain the wider recognition it so badly deserves. Still, Betamaxx’s Interface is an excellent example of forward thinking SynthWave right now.

♫ Betamaxx – Contra

♫ Betamaxx – DXHeaven

♫ Betamaxx – East Coast Summers

♫ Betamaxx – Adrenaline Lust

Betamaxx’s Interface is out now.

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Jan 17 2013

[MP3] Black Magic Disco & Tom Eales

Some Deep Housey vibes right now from Black Magic Disco, as his new track sees him teaming up with Tom Eales for some growling groove action. So Serious is a free download courtesy of Pole Position Recordings and features a slightly different vibe than we are used to from BMD, but one that is bound to move you.

A head on collision between early ‘90’s warehouse sounds and Nu-disco, we can actually hear an ominous Acid House undercurrent to So Serious. It’s like Stakker Humanoid suddenly got all light and dreamy. Layering that typically ‘90s rolling Acid bass with a sprinkle of funk and a Housey riff give us the best of all worlds, and the vocoded vocals are just the icing on the cake. Time to get dancing.

♫ Tom Eales & Black Magic Disco – So Serious

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Jan 16 2013

[Audio] Garth Knight’s ‘88 MPH’

Glaswegian SynthWaver Garth Knight is back with another new single. We’ve begun to really look forward to Garth’s released in the past few months, he’s really showing himself to be a couple of steps ahead of the retro electro pack when it comes to the professional sound of his production.

His new one, 88 MPH, obviously an Outrun homage to Deloreans, is a pumping classic SynthWave tune. Driven by a slamming Italo backing, Knight lets the forward momentum of the track guide him down intricate musical roads. Layering sweet retro chords and intertwining synth melodies 88 MPH delivers a pedal-to-the-metal four minutes of nostalgic, electronic, goodness.

♫ Garth Knight – 88 MPH

88 MPH is out now.

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Jan 15 2013

[Audio] Final DJs’ ‘One Day In The Sun’

Released at the end of the month is the new single from Germany’s finest, Final DJs. This time round we are treated to a vocal track from these guys, enlisting the smooth tones of Stee Downes. The mere idea of Final DJs doing a vocal track is enough to get us excited, and the track doesn’t disappoint.

The single is titled One Day In The Sun, and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Final DJs have conjured up a laid back, summery, slice of synth love. Drawing on all their talents in Dreamwave, Nu-Disco and House, the guys have delivered a track that covers all those bases. The floaty synth pads of Dreamwave, the funky licks of Nu-Disco and a storming House undercurrent all work together prefect with Stee’s good-time vocals being the icing on the cake. It’s all about the endless summer.

♫ Final DJs (Feat. Stee Downes) – One Day In The Sun (Extended Mix)

Final DJs’ One Day In The Sun is released 28th January.

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Jan 14 2013

[Audio] Monsieur Adi & Aaron Alexis

Even more from Monsieur Adi now, with his new track, featuring the vocals of none other than Aaron Alexis. We heard word these two were working together a while back, but we didn’t know the track was already done. A nice surprise for the start of the week.

You is big, moody tune. Adi whips up a dark future soundscape, loaded with chainsaw synths and a steady machine beat. The most French Electro sounding track Adi has produced for quite a while, You shares some of it’s DNA with the likes of Kavinsky and Justice, in that slow, pounding, musical Electro vein. Aarons hazy vocals tempers all the ominous overtones, curling in and out of the track like smoke.

♫ Monsieur Adi (Feat. Aaron Alexis) – You

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Jan 14 2013

[Audio] Televisor’s ‘Starlight’

Out now on Monstercat is the latest release from London based Televisor. Starlight was released last week and it really does exactly what it says on the tin. This is an uplifting beam of starlight with a beat. This international duo seriously get their groove on for this new single, a peak time floorfiller.

Starlight sees SynthWavers Televisor moving even further into big room Nu-Disco territories. Exploring a Madeon/Lenno sound Televisor hit just the right notes, bringing big beats, funky cut-ups and layers upon layers of thick synths. And no big Nu-Disco track would be complete without a rocking solo, and Televisor take it stratospheric. We can see this tune getting a lot of play in the coming months.