Review: Army of God's 'Salvation'' back in 2012 soon became a cult coldwave cut. It was the one and only release by the pair of Aroy Dee and Miss Jagroe... until now. More than ten years on they are back with 'Endless Skies' which is a new EP full of analogue warmth, signature synth designs and aching strings. Of course, Jagroe's unique voice features and brings extra allure to the beats. Aroy Dee steps up with an edit of the title cut and lays in some more form drums and pairs back the vocals to make things even darker. On the flip you'll find the throbbing bass and off-kilter keys of 'Fear the Night' with a dark version going even more into the shady unknown.
Review: Dandy was the alias of choice of Italian singer Alessandre Persone, who collaborated with a string of producers to craft Hi-NRG and 'Eurobeat'-powered synth-pop hits between 1987-91. 'For Your Heart' dates from 1989. Rooted in the kind of sing-along, Hi-NRG pop pioneered by Bobby Orlando but developed commercially by Stock, Aitiken and Waterman, the song is a genuine earworm and comes complete with weighty, arpeggio-driven bass, echoing drum fills and classic Italo-disco style stabs. The killer version is the EP leading, extended 'Mix version', though plenty will also reach for the jaunty and heavy instrumental take. The short bonus 'MYOM version' is a DJ tool that cycles through various riffs and echoing vocal snippets.
Review: Ruben Benabou marks out and identifies another sonic constellation; this is a rapid indie trance-dance four-tracker of galactic ambition and scale. Drawing inspiration from sci-fi soundtracks, and the warmer currents of electro, leaders 'Message To Nowhere' and 'Words In A Void' also recall the gladdened awe of space disco, with twinging leads skirting about the stereo like passing shooting stars. The Hacker's version of the title track plays back like an 8-bit minigame version of the main mission, with its pocket-generated drums, while 'A Thousand Nights' is a prime exercise in retro synthwave, and the perfect closer.
Review: For its ninth release, Gamine knocks it out of the park again with Konerytmi's new five-track EP. This release is a heartfelt tribute to the 80s, but it offers more than just nostalgia-it's an interpretation of the era's distinct musical style. The tunes capture the iconic timbres, drum sounds, melodies and harmonies of the 80s so take you back to that time on a wave of killer electro rhythms that are both vibrant and fresh but driving and club ready. If you're longing for the 80s but don't have a time machine, this 12" is the perfect way to relive the music of that decade.
Review: 22Recordings' latest dystopi-lectro outing takes the form of Lachina's second self-titled EP volume, bringing six edge-of-the-map microchip malfunctions to the replicant ear. Spanning every trace influence from chiptune to outrun to Italo, 2024 debutant Lachina continues to explore their very own brand of phlox purple electro, beginning on the twizzling opener 'Sogni E Ombre', marking the midpoint with the synthetic bass guitar pluckers '05.11.93' and 'What Is Love', and ending on the sampler vox-shot cheese-oozing that is 'The Violet Season'. Every track faithfully adheres to the sensibility of 80s synth music, while also getting away with things that only a contemporary artist of Lachina's calibre could.
Review: Queen of Coins unleashes a six-track journey into electro, Italo-disco and Detroit techno brilliance here that serves as a masterclass in dancefloor psychedelia. It's been crafted for DJs blending innovation with homage to legends like Legowelt, Drexciya and Francisco. From the hypnotic pull of 'Head Tension' to the electrifying pulse of '16K Cal,' this BPM adventure bridges past and future. Elsewhere 'Bring it to the Top' delivers rawness for every powerful sound system, while "Damaged Souls" offers a heartfelt reflection on life's haunting "what ifs."
Review: More musical "tricks that never fail to amuse at parties" (as the Party Tricks label describes its output), this time courtesy of Argentinian producer Tobi. Showcasing his deep love of 1980s Italo-disco, Hi-NRG and formative Eurodance/Italodance, Tobi delivers a quartet of cuts that wouldn't sound out of place on Dutch label Bordello a Parigi. Check first 'The D Spell', a vocoder-sporting fusion of fizzing synth sounds, colourful electronic riffs, electro-disco drums and jaunty Hi-NRG bass, before admiring the razor-sharp, late 80s synth-pop-goes-Euro-disco sounds of 'Abradanzabra'. Over on side two, the Random Access Memories era Daft Punk-influenced 'What We Yell' is joined by the kaleidoscopic synth sounds, bustling breakbeats and memorable organ riffs of 'Dias Mejores'.
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