Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
'Drive' Soundtrack featrues neo-electro artists!
Here is some big news regarding some of our favorite neo-electro acts, and the underground electro movement as whole.
Songs by Kavinsky, Electric Youth and College were featured in a major Hollywood movie called Drive and were included on the soundtrack too!
Drive is a 2011 thriller that was released this past September, directed by Nicholas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt car driver by day and getaway driver by night.
Shame on me, but I haven't actually seen the film yet. I vaguely remember hearing about the film, then forgot about it and wouldn't have remembered it until a friend recently mentioned he saw it the other day, and then I saw an advertisement for it on the Valerie Collective website. Since they have few ads otherwise, the ad for Drive stood out and I immediately wondered if there was any direct connection to Valerie Collective. Sure enough upon further investigation I discovered that several Valerie Collective artists had songs used in the film and were featured on a soundtrack.
This is huge. What was only just a few years ago an independent, internet-oriented electronic music movement has now moved to the big leagues. Who knows how this well effect those artists, the Valerie Collective label, and the future of the movement. Heck, at this pace, other very talented and deserving artists like Michael Cassette and Anoraak should be electronic superstars. But then that would probably change them for the worse - hence the conundrum here. At the very least, some moderate sales and exposure are a great thing. I'm rooting for them.
I'll definitely have more to say when I experience both the film and the soundtrack, but since I know little else I'll leave this at that but encourage people to get the DVD when it comes out and buy the soundtrack! Knowing these artists, you will not be disappointed. The movie? I have a feeling there could be worse ways to spend two hours.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Whatever Happened to Soviet?
No, not the Soviet Union. We all know what happened to them.
Soviet, the neo-electro band.
Soviet just may have been the band that started the whole neo-electro craze at the beginning of the new millennium ten years ago.
It all began with the April 2001 release of their album We Are Eyes, We Are Builders. Soviet was a New York City act and there was a budding "electroclash" movement (so it was named then) centered there around the same time. We Are Eyes was released right before the last free summer of 2001, before the terror attacks later that September. The key track on their debut album was "Candy Girl", a truly original, bubbly, sweet-sounding new wave pop song, complete with the singer's adoring chrous ode to "my candy girl" and that amazingly innocent synth whistle accent on the chorus hum-la-la. It's so charming and great sounding I can instantly conjure up images of friends running, screaming and dancing in water pouring down from an open fire hydrant on hot New York City pavement, or later melting ice cream cones and eventual awkward kisses on the pier underneath a scarlet sunset, even though I was never there. That's how vivid and successful "Candy Girl" and that whole album is.
Soviet jump-started a whole new genre of music. While mainstream music of the 1990s was centered on so-called "alternative" rock (in which the "alternative" was the mainstream), the truly independently-produced Soviet had a clear and unwavering fondness for synthesizers, drum machines and sensitive lyrics, all of which recalled the glory days of new wave in the 1980s, which had also started in New York City. So by 2001, Soviet's old-new sound was ripe for exposure and appreciation. It was time, after a decade of angsty rock, to bring back sleeker, more introspective, more fun music. Soviet filled the void, and then some.
It took over a year for We Are Eyes to catch on with the masses, however. Being an independent label, the original release was small and relatively obscure by the time the song "Candy Girl" actually caught on. So much so, it was re-released in the summer of 2002, but by then the world had changed. Still, it garnered more exposure and even more appreciative reviews (read one here and another here). "Candy Girl" was also featured on several compilations, perhaps most notably Ministry of Sound's This is Tech-Pop compilation from 2002.
Yet after Soviet fever died down, and dozens of similar bands rose to carry the torch on, nothing else was heard from them beyond live shows. In fact, by the time I had belatedly discovered We Are Eyes just a few years ago, they still hadn't released a follow-up. Their discogs.com file was depressingly stark and empty, featuring only a listing for We Are Eyes, but no singles, no EPs and no compilations. Not even any remixes. What happened? Even with today's second wave of more vigorous neo-eletcro, artists keep in touch with their fans and release music one way or another, even if it's just one mp3 at a time. But all was silent on the Soviet front for way too long.
Fortunately they do have a website, and I eventually did discover a follow-up called Spies in the House of Love, which was released in 2009, eight years after We Are Eyes, but, according to the website, was actually delayed since 2003. I eagerly obtained Spies giddy with excitement about what this now-legendary band had created following their debut. Sadly, it's not at all what I expected and wanted to hear. Spies is more rock-influenced than synthesized, and the vocals sound totally different, more, dare I say, "emo". Since emo was in high-gear in 2003, I'm guessing the band suffered from a classic case of retro-guilt and wanted to sound more fresh and up-to-date, even though the neo-electro genre they helped launched was as fresh as anything. Disappointed, I wrote-off their debut as a one-hit wonder never to be touched or duplicated again. And how 80s is that?
Today, it seems like too much time has passed for Soviet to capitalize again on their whimsical independent electronic music credentials. More importantly, maybe they don't want to. Their website has no other news or updates, although there is mention of a rarities compilation that maybe has some "vintage" We Are Eyes-era leftovers and b-sides. I'd definitely give that a try, if I could find it.
What will never change is the impact their debut had, and the delightful listen it remains a whole decade later. For all the talk of "80s" and "new wave", Soviet's contribution to the music world is looking pretty timeless to me. Thanks guys.
Soviet, the neo-electro band.
Soviet just may have been the band that started the whole neo-electro craze at the beginning of the new millennium ten years ago.
It all began with the April 2001 release of their album We Are Eyes, We Are Builders. Soviet was a New York City act and there was a budding "electroclash" movement (so it was named then) centered there around the same time. We Are Eyes was released right before the last free summer of 2001, before the terror attacks later that September. The key track on their debut album was "Candy Girl", a truly original, bubbly, sweet-sounding new wave pop song, complete with the singer's adoring chrous ode to "my candy girl" and that amazingly innocent synth whistle accent on the chorus hum-la-la. It's so charming and great sounding I can instantly conjure up images of friends running, screaming and dancing in water pouring down from an open fire hydrant on hot New York City pavement, or later melting ice cream cones and eventual awkward kisses on the pier underneath a scarlet sunset, even though I was never there. That's how vivid and successful "Candy Girl" and that whole album is.
Soviet jump-started a whole new genre of music. While mainstream music of the 1990s was centered on so-called "alternative" rock (in which the "alternative" was the mainstream), the truly independently-produced Soviet had a clear and unwavering fondness for synthesizers, drum machines and sensitive lyrics, all of which recalled the glory days of new wave in the 1980s, which had also started in New York City. So by 2001, Soviet's old-new sound was ripe for exposure and appreciation. It was time, after a decade of angsty rock, to bring back sleeker, more introspective, more fun music. Soviet filled the void, and then some.
It took over a year for We Are Eyes to catch on with the masses, however. Being an independent label, the original release was small and relatively obscure by the time the song "Candy Girl" actually caught on. So much so, it was re-released in the summer of 2002, but by then the world had changed. Still, it garnered more exposure and even more appreciative reviews (read one here and another here). "Candy Girl" was also featured on several compilations, perhaps most notably Ministry of Sound's This is Tech-Pop compilation from 2002.
Yet after Soviet fever died down, and dozens of similar bands rose to carry the torch on, nothing else was heard from them beyond live shows. In fact, by the time I had belatedly discovered We Are Eyes just a few years ago, they still hadn't released a follow-up. Their discogs.com file was depressingly stark and empty, featuring only a listing for We Are Eyes, but no singles, no EPs and no compilations. Not even any remixes. What happened? Even with today's second wave of more vigorous neo-eletcro, artists keep in touch with their fans and release music one way or another, even if it's just one mp3 at a time. But all was silent on the Soviet front for way too long.
Fortunately they do have a website, and I eventually did discover a follow-up called Spies in the House of Love, which was released in 2009, eight years after We Are Eyes, but, according to the website, was actually delayed since 2003. I eagerly obtained Spies giddy with excitement about what this now-legendary band had created following their debut. Sadly, it's not at all what I expected and wanted to hear. Spies is more rock-influenced than synthesized, and the vocals sound totally different, more, dare I say, "emo". Since emo was in high-gear in 2003, I'm guessing the band suffered from a classic case of retro-guilt and wanted to sound more fresh and up-to-date, even though the neo-electro genre they helped launched was as fresh as anything. Disappointed, I wrote-off their debut as a one-hit wonder never to be touched or duplicated again. And how 80s is that?
Today, it seems like too much time has passed for Soviet to capitalize again on their whimsical independent electronic music credentials. More importantly, maybe they don't want to. Their website has no other news or updates, although there is mention of a rarities compilation that maybe has some "vintage" We Are Eyes-era leftovers and b-sides. I'd definitely give that a try, if I could find it.
What will never change is the impact their debut had, and the delightful listen it remains a whole decade later. For all the talk of "80s" and "new wave", Soviet's contribution to the music world is looking pretty timeless to me. Thanks guys.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Seeking More Midnight Club
So far Midnight Club have released just one debut EP of excellent instrumentals called The Machine in 2010. Much like their name suggests, they have a dark, glittery, late-night club sound that really grows on you the second and third time around. Despite their strong EP, there is very little information about who Midnight Club is and when or if they ever plan on releasing a follow-up, though I very much wish they do. I particularly liked "The Machine (Worship Remix)". If don't know much about Midnight Club, I really don't know much about Worship. According to discogs.com they are a Swiss-based project that has remixed tracks for Grum and My Luminaries, but that's it. At the very least I like their work with Midnight Club.
If anybody has any information on them, let me know. Hey, maybe Midnight Club will see this.
Personal Favorite: Flashworx
Flashworx is a duo from Switzerland who burst onto the neo-electro scene in 2010 with an astoundingly fresh and engaging all-instrumental EP called Two Guys in Japan. Clearly drawing inspiration from italo-disco and Giorgio Moroder's classic instrumentals, Flashworx is all thumping dance music odysseys that are by turns flashy and flamboyant (especially with that electro-slide synth wine) and yet also moody and atmospheric. I really love the pulsating opener "Love is Anywhere", with its slow-building intro and a ponderous glass-twinkle key accent on the verse section.
I have special memories of listening to Flashworx while I drove my friends to a Japanese stakehouse in the middle of a blizzard last winter. There is something about icy synth music and cold, snowy weather that just go together. The exotic, far-off sound of Flashworx was perfect for the night, and I've never forgotten it.
Flashworx has captivated myself and my friends ever since. Fortunately, they promise more to come. In fact, they've just released a new EP this past month, and according to this interview they gave here, they have TWO more EPs and additional projects to come. Whatever they do, I hope it remains in the spirit of their now-classic debut EP.
Catching up with Keenhouse
Keenhouse is a vibrant synth-pop act created by Ken Rangkuty. Though they have no full-length albums, Keenhouse does boast several terrific EPs, such as the first I experienced, 2008's Civic Transit, featuring standout tracks like the title song as well as my personal favorite, "Deep in the Forest". According to their official website (click here), Keenhouse helped kick-start the "electro" craze among U.S. youth after Europe. I think Keenhouse's particular variety of neo-electro is bright, colorful, funky and playful. It's state-of-the-art party music.
Keenhouse's latest release is an EP that came out in September 2011 called The Summer Society.
New Futurecop! EP
Futurecop! is a UK-based act that has a small but promising discography of unabashedly retro 80s-inspired disco. To date, they have only one full-length album, It's Forever, Kids from 2010 (which was only released in Japan, sadly) featuring a healthy 14 tracks of highly energetic, pulse-pounding, sparkling synth rave-ups. Highlights include the frenetic opener "Transformers (Into the Future)", the epic ode to California summer "Venice Beach", and the synth-soaked emotion of "Street Hawk I".
Fortunately they're out with a new release his past October 2011, an EP named "The Adventures of Starpony", continuing in their theme of vintage animations.
From Death Comes New Life
I start this new blog with an entry about an ending of sorts: Elegant Machinery, a lesser-known synth-pop band from Sweden, has broken up.
Elegant Machinery are unknown to the masses but had cultivated a devoted following over the years to become one of the most successful synth-pop acts out of Sweden and Scandinavia.
They started their career in 1988 as Depeche Mode clones in a sea of Depeche Mode clones like Camouflage, Seven Red Seven and Red Flag, who all flirted with brief success in the late '80s and early '90s. But that's not a bad thing - I for one love Depeche Mode and have found the unabashed imitators to be quite good on their own terms.
Unfortunately, Elegant Machinery did not have great timing, as they released their first album in 1991, just when synth-pop was falling fast out of flavor in America and soon in Europe as well. That didn't stop them, however, as they continued to release albums of solid synthesizer-driven dance music for the rest of the '90s.
I'll never forget the first time I heard Elegant Machinery. It was a dark and cold winter night and I was driving my friends around in my car when an extended version of "Process" came on. The vocals only sang the emotional chorus line, and the verses were all caverns of deep, dark house grooves. We were blown away. It's since become a classic among my friends and it will always take us back to that time.
But what really makes Elegant Machinery special and why they warrant a mention here is because in 2008, what should have been well past their prime, they released an incredible album called A Soft Exchange that qualifies as thoroughly neo-electro. Using the same sensitive lyrics coupled with new millennium sonics, Elegant Machinery had not just brilliantly updated their sound but created a new high standard in neo-electro, standing tall in a very different musical landscape then when they started. Elegant Machinery proved that longevity can win the day, and to never count out an old horse. They put their original inspiration, Depeche Mode, to shame with A Soft Exchange. Depeche Mode hasn't had a good album since Violator from 1990. But Elegant Machinery, who started relatively weak around that time, were putting out work that was better than ever in the late 2000s.
Their split this year makes A Soft Exchange even more bittersweet. It will probably be their last album. But I can definitely say they went out on a high note.
So, from the ashes of Elegant Machinery, one of the few surviving synth-pop acts left from the '80s, comes a whole new generation of electronic artists devoted to bringing us similar music, but with a whole new twist. And that's why I'm here.
One small look back, one giant look forward.
First post!
Welcome. This blog is devoted to bringing you the best new electronic music from the new millennium and beyond. There is NO file sharing, but there will be plenty of reviews, inspirational images, news about upcoming releases, links to other sites and more. I'm excited to start!
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