Category: Synth Pop

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Night Club Takes Alice in Wonderland to Hell in Video for “Dear Enemy”

2016 has been a rather big year for Night Club, a Los Angeles, CA-based electro pop duo comprised of Emily Kavanugh and Mark Brooks as they released the official soundtrack to Comedy Central’s Moonbeam City earlier this year and they quickly followed that up with their full-length debut Requiem for Romance, which not only had the duo aiming for a louder, club-friendly/arena-friendly electronic sound. And as a result, the album may be the duo’s most commercially successful, attention-grabbing effort to date as the album was the #2 Most Added and hit number 7 on CMJ’s PRM chart where its remained on the chart for over 10 weeks. Additionally, the album is a top 15 electropop best-seller on Bandcamp while UK-based electronic music site Electricity Club named “Pray” in their Top 30 Songs of 2016. Also, the duo wrote the score for the recently released feature-length film Nerdland starring Paul Rudd and Patton Oswalt.

Requiem for Romance’s latest single “Dear Enemy” pairs Kavanaugh’s breathily sultry vocals with an incredibly slick, propulsive and dance floor-friendly production featuring wobbling low-end, undulating layers of shimmering synths and skittering drum programming — but under the gleaming surface is bitter, vitriol-fueled recrimination and accusation, betrayal and vows to get revenge. As the band’s Emily Kavanagh explains in press notes “It’s been a pretty rough year for us personally, so making this record was our only form of therapy. It’s the angriest, most introspective music that we’ve ever made, while being ‘pop’ at the same time.”

The recently released music video borrows off a similar Alice in Wonderland motif as seen in Tom Petty’s “Don’t You Come Around Here No More” but with a malevolent air as it implies torture, mental and emotional manipulation and revenge fantasies.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Sylvan Esso Performs “Radio” on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”

Comprised of Mountain Man’s Amelia Heath (vocals, synths) and Megafaun’s Nick Sanborn (synths, programming, production) electro pop duo Sylvan Esso dominated the blogosphere two years ago — and in turn, became a JOVM mainstay for a sound that paired Heath’s coquettish vocals with a slick and somewhat sparse production featuring propulsive and undulating grooves, shimmering synths and big, tweeter and woofer beats that frequently made the material on their self titled debut sound as though it drew from the likes of Rubblebucket, Beacon and others.

Heath and Sanborn will be releasing their forthcoming sophomore full-length effort later this year, and the album’s latest single “Radio” has long been a staple of their live shows and a fan favorite. The song may arguably be the most brash song they’ve released while being a refinement and expansion of the sound that first caught attention as Heath’s sultry vocals are paired with a slickly propulsive and dance floor-friendly production consisting of layers of cascading synths, wobbling low end and stuttering drum programming. And as a result the song sounds as though it were nodding at Soft Metals‘ swooning and sensual Lenses and Giorgio Moroder.

Check out some live footage of the duo performing “Radio” on The Tonight Show Staring Jimmy Fallon. From watching it, it should give you a sense of what their live sets would be live, as they perform in front of an enormous countdown clock.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Dum Dum Girls’ Kristin Welchez’s Synth Pop-Based Solo Project Releases a Slickly-Produced, Primal Scream-Inspired B Side

Although initially started as a solo recording project, the renowned indie rock at Dum Dum Girls had been led for the better part of a decade and through a critically applauded EP and three full-length albums by its creative mastermind, primary songwriter and frontperson Kristin Welchez, best known by her stage name Dee Dee. Welchez’s latest solo recording project Kristin Kontrol not only finds Welchez shedding her previous persona and performing and writing under her real name; the project also is a decided change of sonic direction from Dum Dum Girls, as she ditches the guitars and moody post-punk with a slickly produced New Wave and contemporary electro pop sound of her latest effort, X-Communicate which was released to great fanfare earlier this year.

Interestingly, her latest single “Baby Are You In?” was initially recorded during the X-Communicate sessions and was left off the album. As Welchez explains “I really regret not including it on the album. It was super fun to make — Kurt Feldman and I left loose on the production, trying to pin down that nebulous aggression from Evil Heat-era Primal Scream but it let it cork off the party at the end. ” And although it was previously unreleased until recently, the single has become a staple of Welchez’s live sets. After listening to it a few times before writing this, I can see why — Welchez’s gossamer yet sultry vocals are paired with a slick production featuring layers of undulating synths, ominously swirling electronics and industrial clang and clatter with an enormous, dance floor-friendly hook. And while danceable, the song does retain Welchez’s introspective and deeply personal lyrics.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Uppermost Performs Reminder in Paris

Now, if you’ve bee frequenting this site over the course of the past month or so, you may recall that I previously wrote about Behdad Netjabakshe, Paris, France-based electronic music producer and electronic music artist, best known as Uppermost. Netjabakshe has received international material for material released through a number of renowned labels including Sony BMG, Ministry of Sound, BugEyed Records, Starlight Records and his own Uppwind Records. Adding to a growing internationally recognized profile, Netjabakshe’s “Equivocal” landed at number 3 on Beatport’s electro house charts back in 2009, his Biscuit Factory EP ranked first on the JunoDownload electro-house charts — and he’s had singles playlist by renowned artists and producers such as Tiesto, Armin van Buren and Steve Angello. Additionally, he’s received attention for remixing the work of Daft Punk, deadmau5, Burial, Crystal Castles, Jonathan Coulton, Syl Johnson, Congorock and countless others.

Netjabakshe’s forthcoming full-length effort Origins 2011-2016 is a massive 23 song LP that features some of the French electronic music artist and producer’s most popular songs such as “Flashback,” “Beautiful Light,” “Reminder” and “Mistakes” as well as a ton of new material including the shimmering and anthemic M83-channeling single “Thousand Colors,” that possessed a bit of muscle and forcefulness. The French electronic music artist and producer recently released live concert footage performing the cinematic, shimmering and funky “Reminder” in Paris. Interestingly, while the retro-futuristic gently nods at both M83 and Pink Floyd, the song manages to sound as though it should be part of the soundtrack of a sci-fi thriller.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Introducing the Radio-Friendly Pop of Up-and-Coming Canadian Pop Artist Dani

Up-and-coming Canadian indie pop artist Dani is a classically trained pianist and vocalist, who grew up in a small Alberta Canada town and upon realizing that being in her small town wasn’t going to help expand her career, she relocated to Toronto, where she spent as much time as possible to develop her own sound. The Canadian pop artist began receiving some attention with the release of her debut single “Love U More,” earlier this year, and building upon the attention she’s received, the Toronto-based indie pop artist recently released her latest single “Cruel,” a slickly produced and radio-friendly pop song that’s reminiscent of Phoebe Ryan, CAPPA and others — while being deeply personal.

As Dani explained via email “‘Cruel’ is the follow up to my debut single ‘Love U More.’ The lyrics were not only intended for myself, but also for others who may have experienced the strange and disconnected feeling of being addicted. The feeling of wanting to make excuses for someone who you are aware, deep down, is influencing your life in a negative way. Every so often you will get this glimpse of beauty from them and you just want to feel and relive that moment again.” And as a result, the song possesses the realization that a great deal of our relationships leave us feeling a conflicting and confusing array of emotions, even in the best of circumstances.

Directed by Chad Rook, the recently released music video for “Cruel” continues the up-and-coming pop artist’s burgeoning reputation for accompanying her songs with cinematically shot, stylistic visuals that nod at commercials and art films.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Tame Impala’s Jay Watson Releases Trippy Synth-based Psych Pop Paired with 80s-Inspired Visuals

Best known as a touring member of renowned indie psych pop act Tame Impala, Jay Watson has received attention with his solo recording project GUM, a psych pop project which bears some sonic resemblance to his primary gig, as well as Painted Palms and others. Watson’s latest effort as GUM Flash In The Pan was released earlier this year, and as you’ll hear from the album’s latest single “Gemini,” Watson pairs a slick and trippy production consisting of swirling electronics, stuttering drum programming, shimmering synths, wobbling low end with Watson’s ethereal vocals and an infectious dance floor-friendly hook — and the single will continue to cement Watson’s reputation for crafting slick and trippy synth-based psych pop.

Directed by Sam Kristofski, the recently released music video for “Gemini” is as Krisofski explains in press notes “roughly styled around old children’s fantasy shows, like The Neverending Story. I love the idea of people blaming their behavior on their star sign too, so I think that was the whole section around someone crying, and in deep thought then cutting to the symbol. Also Jay fighting his star sign was based around that whole Gemini double personality thing, in combat with your other half, I just did the 80’s Karate Kid thing as it mixed in with the theme and tone of the clip.

We shot the whole thing in LA on left over 35mm and 16mm film stock from CSI Las Vegas, which was a risk as the film was so old.” And as a result, the video manages to look as though it were shot in the 1980s, complete with some occult-like imagery.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Over the past couple of months  Stockholm, Sweden-based indie electro pop act Red Sleeping Beauty have added themselves to a growing list of JOVM mainstay artists. Initially comprised of Kristina Borg (vocalist), Niklas Angergård (guitar, vocals) of Acid House Kings, Mikael Matsson (guitar), of The Shermans and Carl–Johan Näsström (bass), the quartet originally formed in 1989 and with the release of two full-length albums Bedroom and Soundtrack, a number of EPs and singles, the Swedish pop quartet received both national and international attention before the quartet split up. After almost two decades of the renowned Swedish pop act’s members pursuing other creative and pursuits, the members of the band reunited as a trio featuring Angergård, Matsson and Näsström — with an occasional contribution from Borg, who was battling cancer during part of the band’s hiatus.

The reunited band quickly recorded a cover of Alpaca Sports song “Just For Fun” and “Merry Christmas, Marie,” a holiday-themed track, which caught the attention of fans and critics, who had been desperately awaiting both a reunion and new material from the act. Continuing upon the buzz, the act followed up with the release of the  “Always” 7 inch and “Mi Amor,” the first song the band recorded with a chorus completely sung in Spanish, as well as a live set at Madrid Pop Fest. And adding to the growing attention over the course of 2016, the band released their first full-length album in 19 years, Kristina, an album written as a sort of tribute to their friend and bandmate Kristina Borg. Now you may recall that I wrote about two of the album’s singles, “If You Want Affection” an 80s synth pop channeling single which had the band pairing a motorik groove with shimmering synth cascades, an infectious hook and chilly yet plaintive vocals while quietly undulating with an urgent, almost frantic need and “Cheryl, Cheryl, Bye,” a slow-burning, contemplative song in which the band paired layers of bass synth and shimmering keys with plaintive and aching vocals. And while both songs tackle slightly different themes — they do so with a

 

Interestingly, the album’s second and latest single “Cheryl, Cheryl, Bye” is a slow-burning , atmospheric and contemplative song in which the band pairs layers of bass synth and shimmering keys with plaintive and aching vocals; of course, that shouldn’t be surprising as the song is one part bitter farewell and one acceptance of a truth that the narrator doesn’t want to completely accept. After all, life pushes us forward no matter how much we want to deny it. In some way, sonically the song sounds as though it draws equally from Roxy Music — think of “Avalon” and “More Than This” in particular — as it does from Pet Shop Boys.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Now, if you’ve been frequenting this site over the past two years or so, Detroit, MI-based electronic music duo Gosh Pith have added themselves to a growing list of mainstay artists across a wild variety of genes and styles — all while receiving a growing national profile for a sound that seamlessly meshes elements of hip-hop, electro pop, stoner rock, indie rock, dub, trap music, drum ‘n’ bass and other related genres and for being rather prolific. In fact, over the past two years, the Detroit-based duo have been experimenting and expanding upon the sound that first caught my attention and that of the blogosphere.

Earlier this year, I wrote about “In My Car,” a single that had the duo pairing tweeter and woofer rocking beats, stuttering drum programming, swirling electronics and brief bursts of guitar. And while being one of the more sultry songs they’ve released, it was an ode to just fucking around without any particular purpose and seeing where the night could take you.

The duo’s latest single “Medu$a” continues on a somewhat similar vein as twitter and woofer rock beats and rumbling low end, stuttering blasts of synth, industrial clang and clatter and a sinuous yet infectious hook paired with Josh Smith’s plaintive vocals. Lyrically the song  describes a dysfunctional and unrequited relationship in which the song’s narrator is absolutely lovesick while the object of his attention is materialistic and treats him unfairly — and is only into the song’s narrator for money and the promise of stuff. And while the song’s narrator knows that this person isn’t good for him, he’s acknowledging that he can’t seem to get away from her mysterious pull. Interestingly, while the song seemingly draws from the personal experiences of the songwriters, it may arguably be the most straightforward and radio-friendly song they’ve released to date.

 

New Audio by William Ruben Helms

Initially comprised of founding member Al Jourgensen (vocals and guitar), Stephen George (drums), Robert Roberts (keys) and John Davis (keys), the renowned and influential Chicago, IL-based industrial metal/industrial electronic act Ministry began as a New Wave synth pop act that released several 12 inch singles through Wax Trax! Records between 1981-1984. And after a series of lineup changes that included a deeper focus on the band’s founding duo of Jourgensen and George, and a radical change in sonic direction that lead to the aggressive and abrasive sound that later inspired the likes of Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails ,KMFDM and others.

This Friday will mark the limited release of the long-awaited Trax! Rarities double album featuring rare, early tracks and versions of songs from Wax Trax! Records-era Ministry and unreleased material from Al Jourgensen’s related side projects including Revolting Cocks, PTP, Pailhead and 1000 Homo DJs through Cleopatra Records. And we’ve got three tracks from the Trax! Rarities collection — the A Flock of Seagulls meets Roxy Music-like demo version of “The Game Is Over,” which reveals that even with a completely different sound that Jourgensen, his late bandmate George and company had an uncanny ability to write an incredibly anthemic hook paired with shimmering guitars and a propulsive groove;  the mid 80s New Order and Depeche Mode-nodding “I See Red,” which is not only a dance-floor friendly song but manages to be a more conscious move towards something resembling industrial electronic music; and lastly, “Same Old Madness,” which strangely enough, bears an uncanny resemblance to Freedom of Choice-era DEVO. Of course, while the compilation will be a must have for die-hard fans and completetists, it’s a revealing look into how a band’s sound and aesthetic can morph from making them a mere footnote of a particular time into one of the more influential bands of their generation.

 

 

 

 

 

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: The Hallucinatory Visuals for Beat Escape’s “Seeing Is Forgetting”

Although they’ve cloaked themselves in varying degrees of mystery, the Montreal-based DJ and production duo Beat Escape have received attention across the blogosphere for a moodily atmospheric sound consisting of cascading layers of shimmering synths, swirling electronics, shimmering guitar chords and ethereal vocals paired with a propulsive, motorik-like groove as you’ll hear on “Seeing Is Forgetting.” And while evoking waking from a particularly vivid dream, in which reality and your dreams are hopelessly blurred, the song also manages to draw from 80s synth pop and contemporary dream pop simultaneously.

Created and directed by Sabrina Ratte, a video artist, who creates virtual environments using analog technologies, the video possesses a hallucinatory feel that’s punctuated by bursts of static. As Ratte explains in press notes “. . . the video was created using analog video tools and techniques, mixed with digital textures and 3D architectures. While depicting hallucinated landscapes, illuminated by electrical discharges, the timeless abstract environments undergo a metamorphosis, evolving in sync with the song’s hypnotic energy.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Ravi Vithal is an up-and-coming Melbourne, Australia-based bedroom producer, best known as North Elements, who has began to develop a reputation across Australia for a creative approach that draws from his homeland’s vast beauty — and for a sound that aims to create a perfect aural compliment for those embracing their own awe of the elements that surround them. Already, some of his work has received more than 1.5 million streams. And although very little known about him, Wayfarer // is a Melbourne, Australia-based multi-instrumentalist and producer, who has developed a reputation for meshing dusty, old school soul samples with live instrumentation and synths, and for a sound that draws from J. Dilla and dubstep among others. The Australian producer’s debut single together “Break” can trace their origins to a more casual collaboration between producers, who mutually dug each other’s work and with a contribution from denitia and sene‘s Denitia Odigie. Sonically, the song pairs a production featuring chunky and blocky yet shimmering cascades of synths, finger snaps, stuttering drum programming, swirling electronics and an infectious hook with Odigie’s breathily sultry and coquettish vocals — and in some way, the song sounds as though it channels denitia and sene’s critically applauded work but with the sort of urgency that can come about when the world feels as though it’s about to end.

As Odigie explains in press notes “I’ve been feeling extra intense lately, and these days, the world feels like it’s constantly caving in… when I find something I really want, it feels fragile and urgent. The pressure and the need to live truly in the moment when nothing else is ever promised.. it’s beautiful and scary all at once.. To find someone to fall apart with, it’s good company.”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: The Soulful Radio Friendly Pop Sound of Gibbz

Mike Gibney is a New York-born and-based singer/songwriter and producer , who spent the earliest part of his musical career as a sound engineer and tour manager for a number of internationally touring acts before decided that he wanted to get out from behind the scenes and start a solo career under the moniker of Gibbz back in 2014. And with the release of his debut EP Chardonnay, Gibney quickly expanded his profile through extensive touring throughout the US and Europe with a number of acclaimed artists including Gramatik, Cherub, Exmag, Ghost Beach and The Floozies before releasing his full-length effort Above Water earlier this year.

Gibney closes out a big 2016 with the release of his Oh My God EP and the EP’s latest single EP title track “Oh My God” pairs Gibney’s effortlessly soulful crooning with a minimalist and equally soulful production featuring thumping, boom-bap drums, twinkling keys, warm blasts of horns and an infectious hook, in carefully crafted yet swaggering song that nods at 90s hip-hop soul and contemporary radio friendly pop — while being incredibly seductive.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

With the release of “Ain’t No Use,” the first single and title track off the Cornwall, UK-born, London-UK-based singer/songwriter Matt Woods‘ recently released Ain’t No Use, Woods has received both national and international acclaim with major blogs such as Pigeons and Planes describing his sound as “dramatic,” and Blah Blah Science praising his songwriting as “top class hook writing.” And adding to a growing international profile, “Ain’t No Use” topped both Spotify’s Global Viral Chart with the EP’s second song “Nothing Less” topping Hype Machine‘s chart.

Ain’t No Use‘s third and latest single “Styrofoam” will further cement the up-and-coming British singer/songwriter’s burgeoning reputation for crafting sultry, Quiet Storm-inspired R&B-leaning pop in which his soulful falsetto crooning is paired with a sparse, contemporary production featuring shuffling drum programming, swirling and subtly droning electronics and a soaring hook in a song that clearly sounds indebted to late 70s and early 80s R&B — in particular bearing a resemblance to Midnight Love-era Marvin Gaye.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Starting her career as a member of Laveer, an act that split up in 2013,  the Brighton, UK-based singer/songwriter and electro pop artist Aimee Herbert-Smith spent the past couple of years focusing on her personal life — getting married, having children and dealing with tragic loss. Naturally, those experiences inspired her to reconsider her entire creative process. “I felt the need to start writing and recording in a different way to how I had done before. Somehow, going solo at this point seemed fitting with the content of the songs – more vulnerable and anxiety driven,” Herbert-Smith explains in press notes about her new songwriting and creative approach.

Herbert-Smith’s debut single under the Mere Child moniker, “Not Good Enough” was released earlier this year and received praise from the likes of blogs such as Gigslutz, I Heart Moosiq and Bitter Sweet Symphonies and was included in Spotify Australia’s “This Week Sounds Like . . .” playlist, thanks in part to a sound that nods to Cocteau Twins, Mirage-era Fleetwood Mac, early 80s Stevie Nicks and others. Her second and latest single “Jot of Joy” will further cement her burgeoning reputation for writing anthemic pop that manages to possess a visceral earnestness with slick, radio and club-friendly, cinematic production — in this case, Herbert-Smith’s yearning vocals are paired with enormous, tweeter and woofer rattling beats, strummed guitar, layers of cascading synths and swirling electronics, and anthemic, larger-than-life hook — all while possessing a swooning Romanticism at its core.

 

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Elijah Hook is a Berlin-based soul/pop artist, whose sound meshes elements of old-school soul, contemporary electronic production and R&B as you’ll hear on his latest Sugaboy-produced single “Lights 47” which pairs Hook’s ethereal crooning and Drake-like flow with hyper modern and atmospheric production featuring stuttering drum programming and malevolently swirling electronics in a song that reminds me quite a bit of Steven A. Clark‘s Fornication Under Consent of the King complete with a self-assured swagger.