‘Tis the season!

This’ll probably be the last post on electronic rumors before the new year, between now and then we’ll be working hard on our ‘best of 2009’ post.

We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our readers, especially those who stuck with us during our down time, to thank all those of you who email us to let us know what you like and don’t like, to thank all our regulars for helping to make us one of the biggest ElectroPop/Electro-House/Indie-Electro/SynthPop oriented blogs on the internet today and especially to thank all the bands without who we wouldn’t have anything to obsess over!

We hope you all have the greatest X-Mas ever!

As a gift we’ve put together 20 of the best electronic X-Mas songs, there’s some stuff we had to leave out but these are some of our favs.

So enjoy the music, eat, drink and be merry and we’ll see you in a week or so.

Happy X-Mas!

♫ Venus Hum – Let It Snow (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Nullsleep – Silent Night (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Somegirl – Santa Baby (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Tiger Baby – This Christmas (Single Version) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ James Yuill – Winter Wonderland (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Godlike – Happy Christmas (War Is Over) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Owl City – The Christmas Song (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Kurtis Blow – Christmas Rappin’ (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Basswood Dollies – Last Christmas (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ The Bird And The Bee – 12 Days Of Christmas (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Casiotone For The Painfully Alone – Cold White Christmas (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ The Echoing Green – Do They Know It’s Christmas? (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ James Pants – This Christmas Girl (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Lady GaGa (Feat. Space Cow) – Christmas Tree (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Max Headroom – Merry Christmas Santa Claus (You’re A Lovely Guy) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ of Montreal – Christmas Isn’t Safe For Animals (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Pet Shop Boys – It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Pristina (Feat. Alicia Luma) – Last Christmas (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Sally Shapiro – Anorak Christmas (Anoraak’s Christmas reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Venus Hum – The Christmas Song (zShare) (MediaFire)

And after all that, some videos. First up Run DMC bustin’ out with ‘Christmas In Hollis’:

Here’s an X-Mas message from Depeche Mode’s Martin L. Gore:

And a couple of X-Mas funtimes covers from Little Boots:

Right, that’s your lot! I’m off to watch Gremlins followed by Die Hard! It is X-Mas after all!I hope you all have a fantastic X-Mas and keep checking electronic rumors for our round up of 2009!

Peace!

Crash
electronic rumors
December 2009

Another new mystery band on the block?

So, yeah, not much to say about who Feathers are so let’s let the music speak for them. This US duo produce some dreamy SynthPop with Indie overtones. ‘Weird Summer’ is a chilled, floaty tune perfect for coming home to after a club on a summer’s morning…pity it’s December! ‘Small Rooms’ kick’s slightly harder with more of an eye on the dancefloor with some nice cheap synth riffs.

♫ Feathers – Weird Summer (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Feathers – Small Rooms (zShare) (MediaFire)

Feathers just could be a band to watch out for in 2010!

Go give Feathers some MySpace love.

Feathers @ MySpace

[Via DiscoDust]

Let the record state that I freakin’ love O.M.D. and synthpop in general. Sooooooo 80s. So me.

Electrical Language podcast UK feature show on Pixieguts including interview and program of music with her vocals by Max Waves, PIXSID, Cwtch, Northcape, Little Red Cottage and Baxandall IP.

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD SHOW

Gabor Kovacs, the show’s host, writes on the Electrical Language website:

“This morning I had a really enjoyable conversation with Marie Craven, the cybervocalist Pixieguts from Queensland’s Gold Coast, Australia. As Pixieguts, Marie collaborates with musicians from around the world to produce great music. In this podcast you will hear 6 excellent songs interspersed with our conversation.”

The songs:

Max Waves – Reflections (feat. Pixieguts)
PIXSID – The Sea
Cwtch – Something
Northcape – Star (feat. Pixieguts)
Little Red Cottage – I Go Easy feat. Pixieguts (Cottage Mix)
Baxandall IP & Pixieguts – Shiva Star

Here’s a Wednesday present for you, I knocked up this mix this week:

Track list:

Pop-Fu 05:

01 Fan Death – Reunited
02 Bertie Blackman – Black Cats (Calling In Sick reMix)
03 Performance – Reptile (Kiss In Cities reMix)
04 Ellie Goulding – Under The Sheets (Friends Electric reMix)
05 The Golden Filter – Solid Gold
06 CHEW LiPS – Seven
07 We Have Band – Honey Trap (Le Matos reMix)
08 Chromeo – Night By Night (Redial reMix)
09 Van She – (Don’t Fear) The Reaper (A B-LIVE Original) (Blue Öyster Cult Cover)
10 Marina And The Diamonds – Mowgli’s Road (Russ Chimes reMix)
11 Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream (Redial reMix)
12 College (Feat. Electric Youth) – She Never Came Back (Russ Chimes reMix)
13 Keenhouse – Deep In The Forest

Enjoy!

Silver Columns are one of those mystery bands, everyone will speculate it’s someone we’ve all heard of, but it probably won’t be! They’re French and their first single was reMixed by Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, that’s about all we know.

Anyway, the music is what should be doing the talking and Silver Columns make some sweet ElectroPop, almost as enigmatic and mysterious sounding as the band’s persona. Their second single ‘Yes, And Dance’ was released this month and featured reMixes from Silver Columns themselves and Weirdo Police.

Check out the reMixes below, Silver Columns are defiantly a name to keep an eye on if your a fan of electronic dancey Pop

♫ Silver Columns – Yes, And Dance (Silver Columns reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Silver Columns – Yes, And Dance (Weirdo Police Refix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

You can buy the ‘Yes, And Dance’ single now at Boomkat.

Silver Columns @ Beatport

Silver Columns @ Juno

Silver Columns @ Amazon

Cy Curnin, British vocalist with The Fixx

I have a couple of albums of the week in the works. In the meantime (remember the Spacehog song?! Good old song, leadoff track from their debut Resident Alien), here is a few albums I have been listening to lately.

July Black – The Black Book
Little Boots – Hands
Bad Religion – The Process of Belief
Kid Sister – Ultraviolet
Lights – The Listening
Fever Ray – s/t

Here’s a decent electro track from TZU. They’re a hip hop group from Australia, but this track has got a decent synthy feel to it – vocoder, funky bass line. The video is great too – lots of old style computer graphics.

Found it while looking at ‘The 80s are back‘ exhibition pages from the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. It covers anything 80s, including games, music and fashion. The exhibition runs from 13 December 2009 until late 2010.

It’s a little difficult to believe another whole year has passed since I started this blog – in January, CTRR will hit its second birthday. Once again, I didn’t make a weekly mix for every week this year, though I tried to make up for as many as I could. In this part of the series, there are mixes with themes of: lullaby/sleep, Scotland, colours, John Peel, work/unemployment, Valentine’s Day, underdogs, cover versions, synthpop, Wales, Ireland, dance, spring, paranoia, and science fiction.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my friend, Roland, who has kindly allowed me to use his ftp for these mixes (you might have noticed that since Halloween, I’ve been posting zip files of full mixes – thanks to this ftp).

On a Sunday – The Orchids

Love is a Rainy Day Sunday – Monday Sinclair

Weekly Mix #47 – Lullaby (Download)

Violet Tree – M83
Chanson de Toile – Emilie Simon
La Valse d’Amelie (Orchestra Version) – Yann Tiersen
Sarah – Trevor Jones
Stay Awake – Asobi Seksu
Somewhere Around Here – Chairlift
Hope, You Know – Celestial
Chinese Whispers – Brett Anderson
Leave My Dreaming – Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
I Love You, Sleepyhead – Lanterns on the Lake
Wall Poster Star – The Brunettes
Marine Thing – The Bridal Shop
A Sister’s Social Agony – Camera Obscura
Twilight At Carbon Lake – Deerhunter
Pink Shadow – Mary Goes Round
Falling Sky – Autumn’s Grey Solace
Space Whale Migration – The Daysleepers
The Experience of Swimming – Japan
Nothing Ever Dies – The Starlets
Andvari – Sigur Ros
Coast is Clear – Windermere
Not a Number – Apparat
Umbilical – Mazzy Star

Weekly Mix #48 – The Sound of Young Scotland (Download)

I Travel – Simple Minds
Burning Libraries – Stroszek
Blood In Your Eyes – The Retrosexuals
Number One – Salon Boris
Just Like Honey – The Jesus and Mary Chain
In the Gold Dust Rush – Cocteau Twins
Party Fears Two – The Associates
Sweet Suburbia – The Skids
The Greys – Frightened Rabbit
Blue Boy – Orange Juice
Sorry For Laughing – Josef K
Gunpowderkeg – The Close Lobsters
Profit in Your Poetry – Butcher Boy
Broken Bones – Sons & Daughters
These Wooden Ideas – Idlewild
Pillar to Post – Aztec Camera
Candyskin – The Fire Engines
Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying – Belle & Sebastian
Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken? – Lloyd Cole & the Commotions
Maybe I Should Drive – Trash Can Sinatras
Fields of Fire – Big Country
All the Rage – The Royal We
Son of a Gun – The Vaselines
The Sun on His Back – Camera Obscura
Sidewinder – Teenage Fanclub
Breaking Lines – The Pastels
Real Toys – Altered Images
Cherubs – Arab Strap

Weekly Mix #49 – Synesthesiac (Download)

Colours – Calvin Harris
She’s a Colour Scientist – Robots in Disguise
Red Paint – The Sound
Turquoise Days – Echo & the Bunnymen
Indigo Eyes – Peter Murphy
Mr. Brown – Puressence
Red Sleeping Beauty – McCarthy
Grey Streets – Felt
Blue – Kicker
Orange Car – Mary Go Round
Silver Sands – Stereolab
Blackout – David Bowie
Tell Me When My Light Turns Green – Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Gold Against the Soul – Manic Street Preachers
Purple Haze – The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Pretty in Pink – The Psychedelic Furs
Black White – The Raveonettes
Start Wearing Purple – Gogol Bordello
The Monochrome Set – The Monochrome Set
Silicone on Sapphire – The Clash
Blue Girls – Pulp
Saffron, Beautiful and Brown-Eyed – Trembling Blue Stars
Rainbow – Boris featuring Michio Kurihara
Bonus Track: Rainbow Connection – Kermit the Frog

Weekly Mix #50 – Long Live Peel (Download)

Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who
Complete Control – The Clash
Boredom – Buzzcocks
Are Friends Electric? – Gary Numan and The Tubeway Army
She’s Lost Control – Joy Division
O Superman – Laurie Anderson
Requiem – Killing Joke
Eat Y’self Fitter – The Fall
This Charming Man – The Smiths
Kangaroo – This Mortal Coil
Never Understand – The Jesus and Mary Chain
Frans Hals – McCarthy
Suedehead – Morrissey
Kennedy – The Wedding Present
Therese – The Bodines
Sexuality – Billy Bragg
French Disko – Stereolab
Babies – Pulp
If Fingers Were Xylophones – Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
Abba on the Jukebox – Trembling Blue Stars
Windowlicker – Aphex Twin
Painting and Kissing – Hefner
Chinese Whispers – Melys
Green Grass of Tunnel – Mùm

Weekly Mix #51 – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now (Download)

We Are All Prostitutes – The Pop Group
Take This Job and Shove It – Dead Kennedys
Seventeen (I’m a Lazy Sod) – Sex Pistols
Working For the Yankee Dollar – The Skids
Work, Work, Work (Pub, Club, Sleep) – The Rakes
Model Worker – Magazine
Welcome to the Working Week – Elvis Costello and The Attractions
Bright Future in Sales – Fountains of Wayne
Town Called Malice – The Jam
Career Opportunities – The Clash (Sandinista! version)
Frankly, Mr. Shankly – The Smiths
We Are All Bourgeois Now – McCarthy
Step Into My Office, Baby – Belle & Sebastian
I’m Going Slightly Mad – Queen
Businessman – Snog
Slave to the Wage – Placebo
Careful in Career – Simple Minds
I’m Not Working – Manic Street Preachers
Shangri-La – The Kinks
Ernold Same – Blur

Weekly Mix #52 – Love Me, Leave Me (Download)

Be Mine – 120 Days
Valentine – The Moths
The Lovecats – The Cure
Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
Casanova’s Last Words – The Go-Betweens
Love You So What – Lloyd Cole
The Love Gang – The Raveonettes
Mansun’s Only Love Song – Mansun
Fall in Love With Me – Japan
V – The Soda Stream
My Funny Valentine – Elvis Costello & The Attractions
Love Games – The Mighty Boosh
Love Turns to Hate – The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster
My Last Girlfriend – Snow Patrol
The State of Your Heart (Shit End of the Deal) – Apoptygma Bezerk
I Wanted Your Heart – Magazine
Kiss You Off – Scissor Sisters
Mass Romantic – The New Pornographers
Here Comes That Feeling – El Perro Del Mar
Anti-Valentine – The Very Sexuals
The Broken Paper-Hearts Club – Princess Niko

Weekly Mix #53 – I Hope Jarvis Cocker is Right(Download)

Strange Ones – Supergrass
Casual/Glam – Nicky Wire
Bruise Pristine – Placebo
Mis-Shapes – Pulp
All the English Devils – Luke Haines
Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads
Just For a Second – Orlando
(Here’s One For You) Underdog – Bedroom Eyes
The Boy With the Thorn in His Side – The Smiths
Outsider – Chumbawamba
One With the Freaks – The Notwist
Susan’s Strange – The Psychedelic Furs
Less Than Human – The Chameleons
Black Sheep – Sneaker Pimps
We Are the Pigs – Suede
You and I Are a Gang of Losers – The Dears
Single – Luxembourg
Spectators of Suicide (Heavenly Version) – Manic Street Preachers
“Heroes” – David Bowie

Weekly Mix #54 – Re-Make/Re-Model (Download)

I Wanna Dance With Somebody – David Byrne (Original: Whitney Houston)
Do the Strand – Scissor Sisters (Original: Roxy Music)
Wig Wam Bam – Gavin Friday (Original: Sweet)
Johnny and Mary – Placebo (Original: Robert Palmer)
Mama Told Me Not to Come – The Wolfgang Press (Original: Eric Burdon & the Animals)
West End Girls – We Have Band (Original: Pet Shop Boys)
Love Hangover – The Associates (Original: Diana Ross)
Relax – The Dandy Warhols (Original: Frankie Goes to Hollywood)
Only You – Freezepop (Original: Yazoo)
All Tomorrow’s Parties – Japan (Original: The Velvet Underground & Nico)
Jump – Aztec Camera (Original: Van Halen)
Are You Ready to Be Heartbroken? – Sandie Shaw (Original: Lloyd Cole and the Commotions)
Jolene – Strawberry Switchblade (Original: Dolly Parton)
Das Model – The Cardigans (Original: Kraftwerk)
Womanizer – Ladyhawke (Original: Britney Spears)
Party Fears Two – Heaven 17 (Original: The Associates)
Super Trooper – Camera Obscura (Original: ABBA)
Hoppipolla – We Are Scientists (Original: Sigur Ros)
Playground Love – Phoenix (Original: Air)
Don’t Look Back in Anger – Devendra Banhart (Original: Oasis)

Weekly Mix #55 – Run With the Dogs Tonight (Download)

Suburbia – Pet Shop Boys
Enola Gay – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
M.A.G.I.C. – The Sound of Arrows
Another Day – Strawberry Switchblade
Quiet Life – Japan
Send Me an Angel ‘89 (Dance Mix) – Real Life
Be Near Me (Munich Disco Mix)- ABC
Sub-Culture (12″ version) – New Order
Jump For Joy – The Passions
Don’t Go (12″ version) – Yazoo
Underpass – John Foxx
The Magician – Secession
Fang – Los Electricos
Sanctuary – New Musik
Love Action (I Believe in Love) – The Human League
The Ballad of Sexor – Tiga
I Wanted to Tell Her – Ministry
The Rules I Broke – Tim Scott
Doot Doot – Freur
Venus – Indochine

Weekly Mix #56 – Bore Da (Download)

Last Exit on Yesterday – Manic Street Preachers
Icarus Smicarus – Mclusky
Does Your Heart Go Booooooom – Helen Love
Extra Sexual Terrestrial – Hemme Fatale
King of England – The Hot Puppies
Sexbomb – Tom Jones and Mousse T.
You’ll Need Those Fingers For Crossing – Los Campesinos!
Little Bird – Threatmantics
Desperados – Sibrydion
Shame On You – The Darling Buds
Happiness – Freur
Merched Yn Neud Gwallt Ei Gilydd – Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
Skank Bloc Bologna – Scritti Politti
Gwn Mi Wn – Gruff Rhys
Would You Settle For Less – Silver Gospel Runners
Tom Waits Rip Off – Sweet Baboo
Ready For Drowning – James Dean Bradfield with John Cale
Right Before You – Volenté
Y Dŵr Yn Y Môr – Melys
Time Away With You – Cymbient

Weekly Mix #57 – Emerald Audiophile (Download)

B.C.T.T. – The Japanese Popstars
Twenty Tens – Virgin Prunes
Wasps – Concerto For Constantine
Kung Fu – Ash
Jake Summers – Fight Like Apes
Forget Romance, Let’s Dance – We Should Be Dead
The Sunnyside of the Street – The Pogues
After All – The Frank and Walters
What Else Could You Do? – The Stars of Heaven
Fee Da Da Dee – The Guggenheim Grotto
Blinded – Whipping Boy
Pride (In the Name of Love) – U2
Glimmer – JJ72
Blown A Wish – My Bloody Valentine
Kansas (Yellow Brick Road Mix) – The Hedge Schools
Little Death – One Day International
Lille – Lisa Hannigan
A Bear in the Hermitage – Sunken Foal
Medals – Halves
Hands Swollen With Grace – Dakota Suite

Weekly Mix #58 – What a Feeling (Download)

Testcard Girl – White Rose Movement
Bonne Nouvelle – Birdy Nam Nam
Teknoir – Kindle
The Melting Moon – VHS or Beta
25 Seconds (Gary Numan and Ade Fenton Remix) – Mandy Kane
This Rhythm – Filthy Dukes
State of Alert – Radio 4
The Magnificent Romeo – 2 Many DJs
Ares (Villains Remix) – Bloc Party
20th Century Boy – T.Rex (Hoshina Anniversary Remix)
Switchblade – HEARTSREVOLUTION
Into the Galaxy – Midnight Juggernauts
I’m Not Alone – Calvin Harris
I Feel Love – Donna Summer
Boy (Extended Mix) – Book of Love
The DJ’s Got a Gun (IAMX Remix) – Robots in Disguise
Turn It On – Ladytron
I Want Nothing – The Black Ghosts
Phantom Pt 2 (Soulwax Remix) – Justice
Extraball – Yuksek

Weekly Mix #59 – The Tulips Are Too Excitable (Download)

Run Into Flowers – M83
The Divides of March – Soundpool
Ouais – Stuck in the Sound
Country – Empire of the Sun
April Fools – Rufus Wainwright
Lisztomania – Phoenix
Language of Flowers – Pale Saints
Got Apprehension – The Close Lobsters
April and May – Eggstone
The Fallen Aristocracy – Northern Portrait
Printemps – Coeur de pirate
Frames on the Wall – We Swim You Jump
The Centre of My Little World – Another Sunny Day
Spring Came, Rain Fell – Club 8
Semi-Babe – Pop Levi
When You Walk, It Makes No Sound – Matt Kanelos
Maps – Peter Broderick
Hide and Seek (DVW Spring Remix) – Imogen Heap
In the Flowers – Animal Collective
Before the Storm – The Deer Tracks
Rain – Paniyolo

Weekly Mix #60 – Chicken Little Syndrome (Download)

I’m Afraid of Americans – David Bowie
Paranoiattack – The Faint
I’m Afraid of What’s There – Zombie Zombie
Price of Gasoline – Bloc Party
Panic Attack – The Sunshine Underground
Thoughts of a Dying Atheist – Muse
New Dark Age – The Sound
Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) – The The
London Calling – The Clash
It’s the End of the World As We Know It – R.E.M.
Waiting For the End of the World – Elvis Costello
Panic – The Smiths
God Made the Virus – McCarthy
Tiny Apocalypse – David Byrne
Acute Schizophrenia Paranoia Blues – The Kinks
Agoraphobia – Deerhunter
Paranoid Android – Radiohead
It’s Only the End of the World – Black Box Recorder
Fear Made the World Go Round – The Dears
The End – The Doors

Weekly Mix #61 – Bigger on the Inside (Download)

Doctorin’ the Tardis – KLF
It’s Always Nighttime Somewhere – Los Electricos
Totem on the Timeline – Klaxons
Knights of Cydonia – Muse
Sands of Time – Cut Copy
Astroboy – Indochine
Timebomb – The Whitest Boy Alive
Alien Monsters – Mikrofisch
Replicas – Gary Numan
Space Oddity – David Bowie
Strange News From Another Star – Blur
Space – The Beta Band
Satellite – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
Omelette From Outer Space – Adam and the Ants
Space Clown – Jobriath
Velvet Spacetime – Carter Burwell
Astronomy Domine – Pink Floyd
Space Cadet Apology – Birdy Nam Nam
On Planet Off – The Notwist
Alien – Japan
Satellite State – Jon Ryman
Invasion – Simon Bookish
Time Code – Bright Eyes
Breakfast on Pluto – Don Partridge

This is one of the greatest bands of the 80’s definitly not a one hit wonder. There is not a single song of their’s I don’t love. Annie Lennox is amazing.

Eurythmics -I Need A Man

The Band that opened my Eyes to Synth-Electronic Music.

Great song, fantastic melody, clean vocals and a spooky feel to it.

The synths in this song always sadden me.

Depeche Mode – Precious

Featured artist #3: La Roux

La Roux are
Elly Jackson (vocals/synths)
Ben Langmaid
signed by Polydor Records
from London, England
a electropop/synthpop duo

La Roux’s Official Website
La Roux’s Myspace
La Roux’s YouTube

La Roux – “Bulletproof”

Information source: Myspace, Last.fm
Picture source: Last.fm

On 7th December Depeche Mode will release the double A-side single of ‘Fragile Tension’ and ‘Hole To Feed’ which will include a whole host of reMixes including contributions from Laidback Luke, Hervé, Popof and Peter Bjorn And John.

Kris Menace also steps up for reMix duties both as himself and in his  Love On Laserdisc guise. We were really impressed with LoL’s début EP and here they provide one of the best Depeche Mode reMixes for a long time (DM reMixes can be a bit hit and miss!).

♫ Depeche Mode – Fragile Tension (Kris Menace Love On Laserdisc reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

‘Fragile Tension/Hole To Feed’ comes out on Mute Records Ltd.

Depeche Mode @ Beatport

Depeche Mode @ Juno

Depeche Mode @ 7Digital

Depeche Mode @ Amazon

Wow! I forgot about Infusion! A few years ago I was really digging the Australian Dance-rock/House act’s album ‘Six Feet Above Yesterday’, especially the tracks ‘Better World’ and ‘Natural’, they had a real interesting take on edgy vocal House.

Well, they are back with a new single, ‘Tri It On’, taken for their new album ‘All Night Sun Light’ and sees Infusion back on top form. Here’s the video:

The single also come with a bunch of reMixes, including this one by D.Ramirez which mixes up the Indie-Electro sounding original into a big room Deep-House banger.

♫ Infusion – Try It On (D.Ramirez ‘Knight Rider’ Club Mix (Edit)) (zShare) (MediaFire)

the album is out now digitally and on CD 26th January 2010.

Infusion @ Beatport

Infusion @ Juno

Infusion @ 7Digital

Infusion @ Amazon

To say that I’ve been keen on Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark lately would be a serious understatement. The band was one of the most amazing of the 1980s, delivering well crafted synthpop that was both uplifting and thought-provoking.

It is then nothing short of delightful that the original duo behind OMD have reunited, with Andy McCluskey and Paul Humprheys set to release a new album, appropriately titled History of Modern, in 2010. The two have been touring the United Kingdom and have even made a demo of a song available to fans from their Web site at www.omd.uk.com.

The song itself, “Sister Marie Says,” brings back the snappy synth rythyms of classic OMD songs, demonstrating the talent behind the decks still remains strong. I’m less than taken by the lyrical quality, however, but that would be a huge hurdle for me as I have a strong disdain for the overuse of overt religious imagery in media. The song is an overly ponderous reflection on what if the religious dogma of a nun are correct and what if those of the singer, an apparent non-believer, are wrong. Not exactly thrilling but perhaps reflective of a trend toward religious themes in synthpop, particularly in the late 1990s to early 2000s.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m totally excited about the album. This particular song may have to grow on me a little bit. After all, I’m a big fan of “Hymn” by Ultravox.

Meanwhile, however, McCluskey has been everywhere, eloquently describing the rise of New Wave synthpop (without directly calling it New Romanticism) in the terrific documentary Synth Britannia and casting misguided aspersions on new synthpop acts like La Roux, calling the band “a woman warbling over an old Depeche Mode record.” Someone with McCluskey’s talent and eloquence should do more to embrace the new generation of bands following in his footsteps, no?

This reMix of Ellie Goulding’s ‘Under The Sheets’ is actually a couple of months old but i felt like sharing. Cardiff newcomers Friends Electric are already causing waves and if this mix is anything to go by they have a bright future ahead of them. This is a solid reMix, a bass heavy floor filler!

♫ Ellie Goulding – Under The Sheets (Friends Electric reMix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Have they added backing vocals? Nice!

‘Under The Sheets’ is out now.

Ellie Goulding @ Neon Gold

Ellie Goulding @ Amazon

Greece’s undisputed queens of SynthPop, Marsheaux, have just got back from promoting their third album ‘Lumineux Noir’ here in the UK.

Released in September ‘Lumineux Noir’ possible the highest point in the Modern SynthPop right now. The clean pop production of the album just highlights the girls modern take on a retro sound, like old songs played on new instruments.

We previously raved about the track ‘Breakthrough’ when it first saw the light of day, but if you’re still not convinced check out another couple of tracks from the record:

♫ Marsheaux – So Far (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Marsheaux – Summer (zShare) (MediaFire)

…and now go buy! ‘Lumineux Noir’ is released by Undo Records.

Marsheaux @ Beatport

Marsheaux @ 7Digital

Marsheaux @ Amazon

Sweeden’s once again at the forefront of ElectroPop jams. Name The Pet is Hanna Brandén who has just dropped her self-titled début album.

Wonky Pop and quirky vocals are the order of the day here. It’s decidedly poppy, but comes across heavier with one foot always square on the dancefloor with touches of Acid and Nu-Disco.

Check it out and see what you think:

♫ Name The Pet – Club Kid (zShare) (MediaFire)

Name The Pet’s album is out now on Dolores Recordings:

Name The Pet @ 7Digital

Name The Pet @ Amazon

Over on their Official Website, SynthPop legends Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark are giving away a taster of their forthcoming album ‘The History Of Modern’ in the form of a demo of a track called ‘Sister Mary Says’.

It really does sound like classic OMD! More stripped down, minimal and 80’s than some of the 90’s albums. Rhythm, Andy McCluskey’s bass playing and vocals and a screaming lead line, pure OMD gold!

♫ OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark) – Sister Marie Says (2007 Demo.)

Go download it! OMD’s new album is slated for a 2010 release.

OMD @ 7Digital

OMD @ Amazon

It’s double album time for Greece’s Mikro! These guys have been busy!

Having just released their eighth studio album, ‘Upload’ the SynthPop/Dance-Punk act are already gearing up to drop it’s sister record ‘Download’.

Containing ten tracks of catchy electronic Pop with an edge, the album is something more than the usual Modern SynthPop fodder. Mikro have managed to make hard dancefloor rhythms and distorted synth work sound unbelievably sweet!

Check out these two tracks from ‘Download’:

♫ Mikro – Paradise (Dance Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

♫ Mikro – People (zShare) (MediaFire)

Upload’ is out now and ‘Download’ is released soon, both on UNDO Records:

Mikro @ 7Digital

Mikro @ Amazon

SYNTHYZER PARTY- trzecia edycja

5 grudnia 2009, sobota
START: 20.00
WJAZD: 5 zł

Impreza z muzyką: synthpop, futurepop, electro, EBM, industrial rock.

W setliście między innymi Depeche Mode, De/Vision, Diary Of Dreams, Covenant, Camouflage, F242, Placebo, And One, Wolfsheim, Diorama, Jesus On Extasy, VnV Nation, Frozen Autumn, Nine Inch Nails, Joy Division, IAMX i inne