Neonbunny is a South Korean electro pop artist, who has started to receive international attention through the release of a couple of singles through Cascine Records‘ singles imprint CSCN. Her latest single, “Romance in Seoul,” […]
Category: Indie Synth Pop
Comprised of Linnea Atieno and Joakim Buddee, the Stockholm, Sweden-based production and electro pop duo Heart/Dancer have received attention nationally in their native Sweden and internationally for an ambient and cinematic synth pop sound that has been favorably compared to the likes of Young Galaxy, Kygo, M83 and others — and similarly, the Swedish electro pop duo’s sound possesses elements of shoegaze and new wave. Adding to a growing profile, the duo recently completed a UK and European Union tour and have had their a number of their songs appear in a few Swedish blockbuster films and an American TV series.
“Under,” the duo’s latest single will appear on their soon-to-be released full-length effort, My Heart Is A Dancer, slated for release on November 27. The single is a nuanced pop confection consisting of swirling electronics, bursts of angular guitar chords, gentle layers of ethereal synths and soulful boy/girl duet vocals paired with subtly anthemic hooks that give a song that’s as intimate as sweetly whispered nothings in a lover’s ear, a larger-than-life feel.
Comprised of long-time friends and collaborators, the Sydney, Australia-born, Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist production duo Intergalactix have a long-held reputation behind the scenes producing material for a number of renowned artists including Jason Mraz, Heart, Earth, Wind, and Fire, Kelis, Allen Stone, Ariana Grande, The Fugees‘ Pras Michel, Cool & Dre, fellow countrymen Jimmy Barnes and PNAU, as well as Cash Money Records.
Last year, the production duo began to establish themselves as artists with the release of their debut EP I.W.S.O.M, which featured the single “Tuesday.” Building upon an already growing national profile, the duo toured extensively to support the EP — and it included a set at Firefly Music Festival. (Interestingly, the festival may have had one of the biggest and most star-studded lineups of this past year’s festival season as Intergalactix played a bill that included Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, Snoop Dogg, The Killers, Morrissey, and several others.)
Thursday marks the release of the Australian-born, Los Angeles-based duo’s sophomore EP S.T.S. – R.N.D. and the EP’s latest single “Right Next Door” featuring Capital Cities‘ Spencer Ludwig will further cement Intergalactix’s reputation for sleek, retro-futuristic synth pop that channels The Gap Band‘s “You Dropped A Bomb On Me” and “Outstanding,” Rick James and The Temptations “Standing On The Top” The Whispers “And The Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady,” and Cameo‘s “Word Up,”as well as more contemporary fare including Dam-Funk, Rene Lopez‘s most recent return to all things funk, Boulevards, ISHI, and a growing list of others.
Growing up listening to a ton of synth funk back in the 80s, it isn’t surprising that a number of contemporary artists have revived that sound — both eras specialize in slick production based around sinuous bass lines, shimmering arpeggio synths, four-on-the-floor drumming (or drum programming), anthemic hooks paired with an incredible sense of memorable melody and sensual vocals. You can’t help but recognize how sexy the song is — but it’s also a certified club banger, that should make you get up out of your seat and to the dance floor.
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Comprised of Karolina Komstedt and Johan Angergård, the Ahus, Sweden-based electro pop duo Club 8 have a long-held reputation for being incredibly difficult to pigeonhole since their formation in 1995. Initially, the Swedish duo began as a Bossa Nova-inspired guitar pop act with the release of their debut effort, Nouvelle. But with the 1998 release of their sophomore effort, The Friend I Once Had, the duo went through a complete and radical change of sonic direction, as that effort had the duo writing electro dance music. The duo’s next three albums, released between 2001 and 2003 had the duo switching things up with material that leaned towards indie soul.
Up until 2010, Angergård had served as produced — until the 2013 release of Above The City; however, Angergård takes up production duties on the duo’s soon-to-be released Pleasure slated for a November 20 release through Labrador Records. And as Komstedt explains in press notes, “Pleasure is an album about love, sex and jealousy. Musically, it is possibly our most focused release to date.” Interestingly, the album’s latest single “Late Night” is a swooningly wistful and melancholic song that looks at a love affair, viewing it as immediately exciting and passionate — that is until that initial excitement wanes and the bright colors of the relationship gently turn grey. At its very core, the song’s narrator clings to seemingly old-fashioned romantic dreams and notions, and their nostalgia, all while desperately wishing that feeling would come back. It seems to subtly suggest that while love is something that we all desperately desire, relationships with other people can be confusing and hellish — and yet, we want so badly that we’ll do anything for it.
Sonically, the song pairs wistful nostalgia with layers of glistening and undulating synths reminiscent of Stevie Nicks‘ “Stand Back,” and The Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me?” and Komstedt’s hushed coos to craft a song that’s a slickly produced pop confection — but from the viewpoint of someone who’s been in a number of love relationships and has seen them repeatedly fail and yet remarkably hasn’t had their hope beaten down.
New Video: Introducing Seoul, South Korea’s Electronic Production Duo Cumeo Project and Their Breezy, Summer Track “I Feel You”
Cumeo Project is a Seoul, South Korea-based electronic music production duo who have received international attention from the likes of XLR8R, Gold Flake Paint, Earmilk and others for a slickly produced, airy sound. The duo recently […]
New Audio: BASECAMP’s R&B Influenced “Watch My Back” Channels Timbaland-era Missy Elliot
Comprised of Aaron Miller, Aaron C. Harmon, and Jordan Reyes, the Nashville, TN-based trio BASECAMP have developed a reputation for an electro pop sound that draws heavily from R&B; in fact, “Watch My Back,” the […]
New Audio: Stereo Off’s Sleek, Seductive, New Single “Hotel Mirror”
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New Audio: Beat Connection’s Joyous Summer Love Track “So Good”
With the release of their critically applauded debut effort, Peace Garden, Beat Connection quickly became a blogosphere sensation for a slickly produced dance rock sound. Now, if you’ve been following JOVM for the last few months, you […]
New Video: The Powerful and Affecting Video for Cold Specks’ “Season of Doubt”
With the release of her critically applauded full-length debut, I Predict A Graceful Expulsion!, Cold Specks, the solo recording project of Canadian-born, UK-based singer/songwriter Ladan Hussein, quickly became an international sensation. In fact, in the […]
New Audio: Fake Tears’ Latest Single “Second Wind” Channels 80s Synth-Based Goth Pop
Comprised of Larissa Loyva and Elisha May Rembold, the members of the duo Fake Tears are extremely accomplished in their own right. Loyva has released two solo albums under the moniker, Kellarissa and has been […]
New Audio: Fine Print’s Latest Single “Can’t Lie” Is 80s Radio-Friendly Pop, Reconfigured For the 21st Century
Although they’ve been purposely mysterious, in order to let their music stand by itself without, the electro pop act Fine Print have captured the attention of a few blogs — including this one — for a […]
New Video: Check Out Ella On The Run’s Soulful Take on Electro Pop On Her Latest Single and Video, “Rodeo Clowns”
After studying at the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, London-based indie pop artist Ella On The Run began collaborating with the Los Angeles-based producer/co-writer Matthew Bang, who has primarily worked with Interscope Records […]