quick audio picks: 123
Throwback single from Air! After a couple albums filled with ill-thought out pop experimentation ("Surfing On A Rocket"??), "Cherry Blossom Girl(1)" was a breath of fresh… no, wait, let me start over. "Cherry Blossom Girl" is classic Air, a lush and beautiful...
expand review track that came out of nowhere during a really stale period in their career, and which could easily be mistaken as an outtake from Moon Safari or their Virgin Suicides soundtrack. But of course, you're buying this for the seldom heard Simian Mobile Disco remix(2). You're in luck, 'cause that happens to be a burner, too, proving that SMD have been doing this Daft Punk-y electro house thing since way back in… 2004. Everything about this mix is cool: the glitchy sound kits, the electrified (and hella sped up) riff from the original track, and especially the big breakdown / build-up in the middle. Also included is "Fanny(3)," a gentle, stripped-down demo version of "Cherry Blossom Girl" that's totally worth listening to on its own. A-side plays at 45; B-side plays at 33. Recommended. -Chris Lemon-Red
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"They hear the bass and they say 'whoa'..." Been loving this track(1) from Mr. Macklovitch ever since it popped up on his mix for Nike over the summer. It was designed as a perfect high-energy running/workout jam, but those hyper synths and...
expand review punchy beats speak just as loudly to the dancefloor. Kitsune stacks the B-side with two big remixes from Sinden(2) (MONSTROUS bass!) and Boys Noize(3), whose skronky version doesn't make me think so much of jogging on the treadmill as running from the cops on PCP. I like the Kitsune icon for A-Trak, very Max Headroom. Recommended. -Van Hammersly
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Kitsune's baaaack. It hasn't been long has it? They seem to consistently be pumping out releases. This here is the second one from London's indie electro outfit, Autokratz. "1000 Things(1)" is the harder of the two tracks - more of
the fist...
expand review pumping variety. The video game generation is going to be amped on this one, with lost of blips and bleeps. You get a nice little vocal hook and your set. Almost sounds like a Klaxons remix. "Last Show(2)" is a bit more calm, but still built for the dance floor. It sounds like what those new Depeche Mode tracks I imagine would sound like in a better world, if Timbo moved to Germany for a year and lost a bunch of weight and muscle mass through measured anorexia. A nice guitar line at the end adds an extra dimension to the band that you might not find with a lot of the newer electro groups. -Rezound
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Now available on vinyl! I really haven't heard anything like this since I stopped listening to Swamp Terrorists and Frontline Assembly back in high school. Black Strobe aren't as hard as those dudes (more of an electronic house feel) but this is...
expand review still a great listen. Check out "Blood Shot Eyes(1)" and "Not What You Need(2)." Yeah, I know you're thinking what I am: where were Black Strobe's parents? They totally let their kids listen to too much KMFDM and Killing Joke. Then again, if they hadn't, we wouldn't have tracks like "Lady 13(3)," would we? "Shining Bright Star(4)" is the lead single off this album and is basically a reworked Ministry track. Fifty bucks goes to the customer who can guess which one. Get at me. Anyways, spring is here and yes it is ok to wear all black, go to the park, and lurk out while listening to this. -David Pitts
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Woah -- Bloc Party on Kitsune? Kinda wacky, but who's gonna argue when the output is this good? Alex Ridha (aka Boys Noize) deconstructs the barnstorming "Banquet" (the best track off of Bloc Party's Silent Alarm LP) and turns it...
expand review into a stomping, disco-tinged anthem with dirty synths washing over top. The flipside features a hot dub with handy chunks of vocals left intact. FULL REVIEW COMING SOON. -Chris Lemon-Red
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Boys Noize's "Feel Good(1)" starts off like some weird performance art thing (leaning toward "annoying"), but if you can get your crowd into it, there's a great electro payoff about a minute in. Think of it as a DJ challenge. Edit(2) with...
expand review shorter intro by Shinichi Osawa (Africanism). -Van Hammersly
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They just released a 12" of this song featuring some hot remixers (Vicarious Bliss, Streetlife and Autokratz) but truthfully I don't know what's more appealing than the original. You can digitally chop something to death but it's kinda like stretching out the...
expand review ingredients in a recipe, don't ya think? The original has the youthful energy of the band, and although it may not be as dancefloor friendly, it still bangs. Here you have the original track(1) and the bonus track "Both Sides (Version 1)(2)" on the flip. Both songs are prime examples of the guitar based rock energy this band holds. Hype basslines, crispy drums and raw guitar riffs make the backbone, with a vocalist that'll turn the underground's ears as well as pop-minded peeps.
-C'mish
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Don't know if you keep up with the guitar bands overseas, but these London dudes are causing a stir with their tight, sharp licks, addictive melodies, and dance energy. This is their second appearance on Kitsune since their "Poor Innocent Boys" track...
expand review on Maison 2, and it seems they've only gotten more potent. Check their heavy chords and riffs on "To Cut A Long Story Short(1)." They've got monster sounds! To follow that up you've got Vicarious Bliss doing two remixes(2, 3), that slow it down and add a dense instrumental touch. Pure fire for the French-Electro minded. Streetlife, who did a sick remix for CSS' "Let's Make Love And Listen To Death From Above" earlier this year, also turns in a vox chop ballistic missle of a remix(4) that deserves an stadium sized audience. Autokratz turns in a choppy 80s flavored remix(5) that's a little more jammin’ than his tasty 12" earlier this year. All in all, a powerful original track with some insane remixers on wax can't be a bad look. Break out the strobe lights and cigarettes, it's party hardy time! -C'mish
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New domestic pressing! Brand new remixes of CSS' seemingly unfadeable single, "Let's Make Love and Listen To Death From Above." The original album version is a bit stale by now, so these big name remixes are more than welcome. Simian Mobile Disco(1)...
expand review chop Lovefoxxx's vocals to shreds and turn in a vicious "new rave" remix, while the Hot Chip boys turn in a decidedly more restrained mix(2) filled with haunting harmonies and lush Italo synth work. Calvin Harris rounds it out with the most entertaining remix(3) of the bunch - check the 80s electro boogie bass and squiggly Zapp keys! -Chris Lemon-Red
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From the Avalanches, to AC/DC and especially to Kylie Minogue, Australian exports always manage to capture my man Roger Yamaha's heart. So when we got in this "Future(1) " single by Melbourne's Cut Copy, it wasn't hard to guess who would be...
expand review first in line to cop one. I can't blame him though. The quartet's slightly electro, synth-pop sound is incredibly catchy. They manage to subtly incorporate 80's production techniques while maintaining a sound that stays futuristic, thus avoiding the throwback label that many groups find themselves trying to escape these days. They further separate themselves from the pack by coming with lyrics that are interesting and a vocalist who can actually sing (as opposed to shriek), making an instrumental version unnecessary. To insure they get their point across they enlist three different groups/producers from three different countries for remix duties. The "Zongamin Remix(2) " is the most appealing, finding its sound in the simplicity of late 70's dance-rock. If you're a fan of Chromeo's Cameo-laced funk you'll appreciate their remix(3) ; and the fellas from !!! (Chk Chk Chk) offer another viable option on their almost entirely instrumental version (4). With four mixes that go in four separate directions, this is a pretty easy one to cop. -JMS
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Big remix action for Digitalism. Jens & Isi let other producers take control of the boards on 3 tracks off their Idealism full length for some party rocking results. Turbo representers Proxy go for the abrasive, grinding electro sound on their version...
expand review of "Home Zone(1)," Fred Falke turns "Apollo-Gize(2)" into a certified disco banger, Breakbot gets kinda Daft Punk with it on his rework of "Apollo-Gize(3)," and Siriusmo gives us an arpeggiator happy version of "Echoes(4)." This should hold you over till the Digitalism boys release some new material. -suicide bangs
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Lucky bastards. You get another shot at this Digitalism heater from last year. "Idealistic(1)" is textbook electro: big drum intro, new wave vocals, and Digitalism's patented synth weave. This duo is some of the best when it comes to putting synth...
expand review sounds together; also check out those drums, they mix in a natural kit for extra feel. There's two additional remixes(1,2), both sick, as expected. Digitalism does no wrong. -the mgmnt
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