Therapies Son: Touching Down

Italian now L.A. based Dumbo Gets Mad has a delicious vintage sound on their track Eclectic Prawn, which makes sense as they ditched the fancy tools of blogosphere rock in favor for the roots of electro-pop via tape machines and analog synths. The track starts out deceptively soulful with a quick snap of the snare drum and a funky guitar hook that delves into sultry territory with slow moving vocals. Things transform and pickup tempo mid-song with the arrival of a powerhouse tenor and a frenzied electro beat. Just as quick as it began, Eclectic Prawn moves right back into its original sensual vibe. The track continually trades feverish with possessed styling before ending on an explosive note.

Teengirl Fantasy is a electronic chill-wave duo out of the depth of ohio. Mixing live electronic abstraction with groovable electronic music to make a great kinda of post trance vibe to it. Utilizing Samples with their own ethereal vocals they are not afraid to blend techniques from live dj sets with the current wave of live electronic music. 7am, the acts newest release out of Panther Sounds Merok records, is a great display of their classy Dance prowess.

Los Angeles is the home to a whole collection of electronic/noise musicians, who all seem  to share a affection for the eighties, the golden era of electro. Dam-Funk takes to the essential sound of classic r&b, Nu-shooz, Zap & Rodger, the true pioneers of the genre. Joining Him is Nite Jewel, the space disco songstress, for the song ” It Goes Through Your Head”. The Funk filled bass line in this track matching Nite Jewels Dreamy Melody, this song will take you back to 1986. The song is from the It Goes Through Your Head 12”, a classic collaboration.

Spelunks: 2 of a Kind
Lo-fi, slightly electro rock outlet Spelunks off of Sleepout Recordings offers contemplative tracks thanks to the meandering bass vocals and simply crafted mix of guitar/bass/drum/synth. Tracks like 2 of a Kind offer a lulling effect with standout instrumentals and simple, relatable lyrics. The solely instrumental Cchhuurrnn sees the group getting a bit more post-rock with plenty of guitar feedback. Head over to the bandcamp page and see for yourself with the free three track download off of their album Midpointing.

Rites Wild – “Rites Wild Theme”

The debut cassette EP from Adelaide solo lady Rites Wild was released all of 9 days ago. So I guess this is what it sounds like to have your face thrust in and out of some oily, stellar vortex. Distorted vocals and engorged keys and bass meld and unfurl like a subterranean monster pulling you into a gloomy crevasse. That echo is your eardrums ringing as the submarine implodes.

One of the great things the last few years has offered on the indie music scene is an outpouring of small record labels to match alongside all the innovative musicians pouring forth from MySpace and bandcamp. A prime example of this DIY method is the almost six-year old New Zealand labels Crystal Magic, which is comprised of a group of artists putting their material out via a bedroom, their blog, and communal passion. The label currently hosts a smattering of eight different groups, all whom fall under the electro-pop category in varying degrees. The upbeat and happy-go-lucky sounds of artists like Tweenie Pop Giggle Choir and Futuresports induce images of sun and days at the beach, while artists like Golden Axe recall the fun soundtracks of videogames from our childhood.

The multi electronica genre bending act of Laurel Halo is nothing but joyful bliss. These tracks smear lines in the clubs between pulsating Idm and Shoegaze-chill out proving theres no fear in gems. Wobbly bass lines behind shimmering synth leads tinge of all sorts of genres, utilizing Dub, Drum n Bass, and Electro techniques. Check out her video for the track Embassy above, and also her guest vocals on a track from  Games called Strawberry Skies below.

Nervous: Pikachunes

The Breaks and Slippery 80s dance that seaps through Games, Music is full fledge electronica with silk new wave production. These tracks are as catchy and playlist worthy as they are lost in time, a sound caught between the abstract beat groups of Baths, Daedelus, And Tokimonsta but still holding down the chill wave front. Synthetic textures more than likely created via analog synth capture the enviroment of the vocal arrangements in these songs. Alot of the awesome retro techniques of the presentation remind me of CFCF, and Kavinsky. Games is an act is not to be written off, truly mergin the Toro Y Moi & Neon Indian Fans With the Brainfeeder, Beat Scene fan base. Please make time in your day to listen to some of their tracks, legit production & arrangement. it takes real originality to stand out in a genre, and these guys bend the expectations of multiple genres.

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kim ki o: Vize

VALERNA

We’ve just rung in the New Year and we’re here to present the emerging electro acts to watch in 2011.  2010 was a great year in music and these acts have made the electronic music scene stand up and take notice.  In the US, Los Angeles still has the reigns when it comes to propelling the electronic and indie music scene forward and our first act is no exception.

Erleen’s spacey dance pop is meant for the dance club, they need it. Her atmospheric spacey vocals overs the hard house electro beats is a serious headtrip. Audio seduction and enchanting is the key to her aesthetic, and it works. The charisma on the track is enough to make you curious what could bring from her live show. With very catchy dancefloor ready beats straight from the memory banks of Redone, Diplo, And various other quasio electro-hip hop producers, her tracks are prepared for the saturday nite crowd. Her vocals and effects add the character to this songstress, making a effect of a kind of cosmic siren. you can check out her playlist below to get ready for your weekend.

Phone Tag- Let it Go

As 2010 wraps up, everyone is busy analyzing the past year with top 10 to top 100 lists being complied. Although 2010 was certainly a stellar time for music (ushering shoegaze back to the forefront and the whole chill wave phenomenon) I prefer to focus on the future, and the December 6th release of Phone Tag’s EP Look and Feel makes me very hopeful for 2011. The core of Phone Tag is Gryphon Graham (Bodhi Landa and Eliza Walton are brought into the mix for live performances) and his tenor faintly recalls Small Black, but Graham posses a sweeter, more ethereal quality to his voice.

British duo autoKratz have released their “Opposite of Love“ video, from a single due January 24th, 2011, off their second album, the upcoming “Self Help for Beginners” (March 2011).  The pair have also announced the launch of their own label “Bad Life“ which will be home to their music.  So far the two have gotten enthusiastic reviews for their upcoming single “Opposite of Love” which has a more commercial dance feel than their previous work.

Running Like a Man

What is in New Zealand’s air that makes this tiny island continuously produce superb and innovative music? Wellington’s Wet Wings can defiantly be added to the cannon of stellar New Zealand music thanks to their debut EP Skin to Soil (Infinity Tapes), a hauntingly breathtaking collection of atmospheric indie electo-folk goodness. Wet Wings’ core contiues the trend of male/female harmonies, and the looping blends of Lucy’s soprano with Darian’s tenor creates a richly full and intimate sound. The instrumentals vary from more electronic, bass heavy tunes like Keep it Together to stripped down electro-folk on Whisper Always (which brought to mind traces of Animal Collective’s Campfire Songs), but the theme of dream-like strangeness threads throughout each of their six songs.

Picture provided by The Dairy

Kruxe-Tremors

“David”

As if I needed another motive to move to Sweden, The Radio Dept. pop up out of nowhere (and by nowhere I mean they’ve been around since 1995 yet somehow have slid under my radar this entire time?!) and increase my love for the Nordics tenfold. The Stockholm based trio encompass elements of shoegaze, pop, and electronic that result in beautifully rich melodies.  They released their third album, Clinging to a Scheme in April and ever since then the nearly flawless pop album has garnered proper praise from nearly every critic (this one included) who listen to the versatile record.

In August, indie legends !!! released another fantastic, vibrant stomp through dance rebellion: Strange Weather, Isn’t It?.  The album’s infinite ability to conjure the best of !!!’s earlier efforts has not gone unnoticed in the time since, but much question looms over Strange Weather; we talked with lead singer/funkmaster Nic Offer about the new release and the band’s other recent happenings.

SOTR: Your new album was released in August, but you haven’t released anything since 2007.  What have you been doing in the mean time?

“Starfield”

Italo Disco. Its been awhile since I heard a reference to the slightly arcane (well in America) genre that is responsible for the majority of 1970’s to 1980’s European electronic dance music. Although Italo Disco has faded in the past few decades, its’ influence holds strong in contemporary electronic music, as Los Angeles’ The New Division proves in their futuristic, ambient sound. The quartet produces a wide ranging catalog, encompassing both upbeat and dreamy electronic music that showcases their musical diversity. “Starfield”, a chilled out dance song serves as a middle ground for the group’s spectrum of sound. The synth serves as a focal point as a steady drum beat and guitar riff branch out from it. The seamless melding of synth and drum create an intriguing mid-tempo beat that one could either chill out or dance too.