FPU

FPU is best known for their 2002 cover of the synth classic "Crockett's Theme". They do a good job working with that ice-cold new millennium style. Their cover was very influential in the early electroclash scene and helped introduced a whole new generation to a quintessential television show of the '80s. 2002 suddenly seems like a long time ago, but FPU's cover still sounds fresh.

The man behind the project was Swede Peter Benisch. Judging from his discogs profile and the other alias he used he was active in the late '90s and early '00s but hasn't done much after FPU's releases. It's a shame.

Little did I know that Mr. Benisch/FPU also released just one full length album of material in 2003 called Traxxdata, which includes "Crockett's Theme". I immediately grabbed this, expecting a whole album of gems in the vein of Jan Hammer. I was initially terribly disappointed, but upon re-listening tonight I've definitely appreciated the album more now. FPU was only paying homage to a synth great with their cover. They had no intention of replicating the formula over and over. Instead, the rest of Traxxdata is edgy alterna-technoid beats more along the lines of Aphex Twin and CFCF. There are no overtly retro moments here, although some songs are definitely in the best spirit of new wave. Some songs also have the overused vocoder, a slight misstep, but it works within the songs.

Benisch betrays his heritage with sounds as fitting of the snowbanks of Scandinavia as they are of Miami Beach. Everything is cool and slick but never simplistic. Highlights include "You Don't Pay My Bills", "Time Safari" and "Eastside Protection", the latter two which were extra tracks on the Crockett's Theme single.

I highly recommend adding this forgotten release to your collection. It's a great document of the early neo electro era from a mysterious talent we may never hear from again.

Un-Glum With Grum

Grum is the stagename for Scottish musician Graeme Shepherd.

He is a prolific remixer but 2010 saw the release of his first and so far only album, Heartbeats.

The minute I first heard "Through the Night" I knew it borrowed something from someone but I couldn't figure it out where until I shamefully had to google it and discovered it used part of the chorus melody from Toto's "We Can Make It Tonight", which I was into many years ago and loved.

The real highlight is the title song, this insanely catchy and simplistic dancefloor rave up where Grum remixes the chorus from Don Johnson's first foray into pop music for maximum ear pleasure. It is SO good. Grum's formula is taking the exact euphoric moment of an '80s soft rock song, even sometimes just a phrase or one word, and then adding a hardcore, hi-tech production to cushion it, and repeating it over and over. Off the top of my head, Adeyhawke has also done this well with "Groove". It works here too. Grum's songs are so cool, so giddy and well done you really can't help but shut up, smile and dance.

Oh, and the cover art was kinda cool too.

Grum accompanied Heartbeats with a ton of singles and remixes, but we haven't seen anything new from him since. Here's hoping we do.

Catching Up With Miami Nights '84

Miami Nights 1984 is the stage name for Canadian Michael Glover, whose obsession with the synthesizer led him to start Rosso Corsa records, a huge pusher of this great stuff. I had no idea MN84 started that label and am doubly impressed with his profile now.

His first project was called Actrazer, which I've never heard of but will definitely check out now. His second project is  Miami Nights 1984, no doubt taking inspiration from all things Miami Vice. Miami Nights is characterized by big disco beats, huge washes of synths and melodic leads.

His first album was the appropriately titled Early Summer released in 2011.

The standout track for me is "Elevator of Love"; even MN84 himself cites this as one of his favorites. He nails a memorable synth melody right away, although he hesitates to fully flourish it. He definitely needs to revisit this song and give it the full extended treatment it deserves. Buy it here. I bought it on itunes years ago I was dying to hear it so bad.

Fortunately he has just followed up that album with a new one released this past March 2012 called Turbulence. It's even better than his first album and has become one of my top neo electro albums yet. I absolutely love "Clutch" and "Ocean Drive". MN84 has expanded his palette to include jittery Tangerine Dream-esque sequencers, orchestral clashes, and sharp drum patterns that give the album an ever so slightly more modern edge. He aces the feeling of pure hi-tech speed and adrenaline with "Clutch". When I play the song while driving my little Honda Civic practically transforms into an Lamborghini Countach. Not really, but almost. I also like the amazing melancholic ending synth coda, which comes way too late, but still good nevertheless. Buy it here.

MN '84 also had a brush with a different kind of fame when he officially remixed Gotye's excellent Sting-soundalike "Somebody That I Used To Know."

Here's hoping the future brings more music from this excellent artist and that he continues to oversee Rosso Corsa.

I'm back...

Upcoming Kolour Kult Performences!

Attention everyone! The Kolour Kult have listed two NEW upcoming shows this winter:

• December 30, 2011 at The Salon in Providence, RI
• December 31, 2011 at AS220 in Providence, RI

Merry Christmas from Neo Electro

New Mitch Murder Album!

Mitch Murder is the morbid stagename for Swede Johan Bengtsson's moody synth project, taking inspiration from Deloreans and practically everything '80s.

In 2010, Mitch Murder released his first full-length album, Burning Chrome, a collection of bright synth instrumentals, with a slight funk edge a la Paul Hardcastle. The highlight for me is the beautiful "Beach Interlude". I think Mitch's definite strength is Jan Hammer-like slow jams that are hypnotic and lulling.

Just this month, Mitch Murder has released a follow-up which is even better - much more concise and focused.  Mitch has moved beyond the Delorean and Back to the Future obsessions and into "new" territory. Current Events is centered around major trends and events of the 1980s, complete with evening news soundbite samples mixed in - including the rich, avuncular voice of none other than Mr. Ronald Reagan himself, albeit eerily announcing his failed "Star Wars" missile program, officially known as the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). But it's Mitch's selection of soundbites that are truly excellent and actually deeply enhance the music and his message.

Sampling started in the 1980s (when else) and is all but cliche now. Mitch manages to make it interesting again because he's selected some genuinely interesting sound bites, such as the opener, "Looking Back", when a reporter, I assume in 1989, cleverly notes at the end of the decade how the second half of the 20th century was so neatly packaged into clear eras every ten years, culminating in the very distinctive 1980s, which did end rather neatly on January 1, 1990 (though one could argue it had an extended stay until 1992 when George H.W. Bush was kicked out).

The best example of Mitch's chilling use of soundbites is on the magical "Palmer's Arcade". The song is a lush, dreamy, emotional slow groove that builds to a fascinating mid-section sample, where he interjects a reporter (Dan Rather? Tom Brokaw?) interviewing a presumably young teenage man about video game arcades. "Did it change your life Greg?" the reporter asks. "Oh yeah. Now my life centers around the game. Right now that's my thing," answers the young guy, enhanced by an echo Mitch has added on for extra effect. I've never heard that interview and it's truly fresh, honest and insightful. I was caught off guard by how innocent it sounded. People having fun, playing, living, just enjoying their time on planet earth. Mitch Murder has done it - he's captured the 1980s in an album, and it's not forced over overblown but subtle and reflective. It was a special time.

It will be hard to top Current Events, complete with it's SDI-inspired artwork (Mitch and I must be on the same wavelength as I just watched a vintage youtube vid on SDI this past week, where I'm positive the image he used came from). But it's been fun to watch a neo-electro artist outdo themselves. I look forward to whatever Mitch Murder has planned next.


Buy the album here and check out his soundcloud page here, including a promo mix in support of Current Events.