Category: Electropop

The Killers – Shot At The Night

The Killers have gone and done electropop.

Tim: The obligatory new single from the upcoming Direct Hits singles collection, this is produced by M83.

Tom: Ooh, now that’s exciting. That’s a combination I hadn’t thought of.

Tim: Now I’ve told you that, you’ll hit play and about thirteen seconds later think “oh, yeah”.

Tim: So, The Killers have gone and done electropop, and they’ve made quite a decent job of it.

Tom: M83’s influence is obvious, although it’s not quite the full-on explosion of electropop that they’re known for before. It’s a much calmer track than I expected.

Tim: Yes – outside the chorus, it has to be said there’s not a lot going on, aside from a gradually increasing level of anticipation for what’s coming inside the chorus. Because that chorus is fantastic. It makes the song, though that does come with with a sense of disappointment: if the verses matched up to, this could have been one of the songs of the year.

Tom: I still reckon there could be more, even there – M83 are known for producing such massive tracks that even the chorus was a touch disappointing to me.

Tim: You think? Either way, this could be better, and “America’s biggest rock band changes direction and absolutely smashes it” has a nice ring to it; “…and does a manageable job” doesn’t so much. But still, for me, what a chorus.

Saturday Flashback: Osvaldo Supino – I Have A Name

I put my head up in surprise.

Tim: There’s a new Poptronik album out, a reliably decent electropop compilation that last year introduced us to, amongst others, Bright Light Bight Light. And now this, from an Italian bloke who brought it out in April.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFnBoVTXpg8

Tom: After living in London for four years, I reckon I can name every place used as a background in that video. It seems strange to film in so many iconic locations and reduce them to depth-of-field blur – but never mind. The music.

Tim: The music indeed, and what a lovely track it is, don’t you think? Things I like include: the occasional dropping of the American singing accent so we hear his normal voice, the strings, the bass note before the key change, the extra vocals after the key change, and the key change itself.

Tom: Especially that key change. I wasn’t convinced by that track before it came along.

Tim: Right, and it’s weird how suddenly hearing the key change made me pay attention to it – I was sat at work with this on in the background, not paying a huge amount of attention to it, and then when the key change came along I put my head up in surprise, thought “wow”, and definitely didn’t scrape a screwdriver along a replacement display I’d just fitted to a customer’s laptop.

Tom: Definitely?

Tim: Oh, definitely. Probably. Maybe. ANYWAY, it’s not that it necessarily makes it a better song, it just draws your attention to how good it already is. Admittedly it’s not perfect – the first chorus could perhaps be livened up slightly, just to give the impression of actually being the chorus – but by and large this is a lovely track.

Saturday Flashback: The Buggles – Elstree

What if you’d never heard “Video Killed The Radio Star”?

Tom: Here’s a question, Tim. What if you’d never heard “Video Killed The Radio Star”?

Tim: Erm, I don’t know, really. Why do you ask?

Tom: Well, it’s a cultural touchstone. The first record ever played on MTV. Number one in eight countries. Recognisable from its opening riff. But if it had never been a hit, and your brain wasn’t so used to it… what would you think of it?

Tim: I don’t know. I do know that it first came to my attention when it was covered, somewhat sub-optimally, by Presidents of the United States of America, so it was a sort of gradual discovery, but…I don’t know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUzU9sCbyTw

Tom: Well, now you know.

Tim: Huh. I do indeed. And never did I think there’d ever be a song devoted to a recording studio.

The Sound of Arrows – There is Still Hope (Fear of Tigers Remix)

“Bloody hell. That’s an amazing remix.”

Tim: The Sound of Arrows stuck a remix version of their still wonderful debut album on their website about six months back, and this wasn’t on it, because it only appeared online last week.

Tom: Bloody hell. That’s an amazing remix.

Tim: It’s not a proper release, but it is a damn good song almost reinterpreted, more than anything else. The original was good, but not as hands in the air, rave to the massive (yep) as this —

Tom: You know, I was going to argue with you about “rave to the massive”, but I reckon it’s actually the right phrase to use.

Tim: — more of a (very) slow builder that eventually reached this sort of level. I say reinterpretation because, well, the hope that there still is originally wasn’t so prevalent, what with it taking a while to arrive and stuff – yes, there’s hope, but we may well have a long journey ahead of us before things really improve. Here, though it doesn’t waste any time at all – it’s big, it’s bright, and things are getting better right now. As they should.

Though of course, I could be way overanalysing this and it’s actually just a jumped-up bigger version of the original. Either’s good.

Tom: It is indeed — and I hit the “download” button on SoundCloud pretty damn fast. Interestingly, the resulting file is “TISH 3.5.1.mp3” — implying that there are some other versions of this remix sitting on a producer’s hard drive somewhere. I’m glad this is the one that made it out.

Electric Lady Lab feat. Sukker Lyn – Broken Mirrors

“A cracking bit of electropop.”

Tim: We’ve not written about these guys for quite a while, despite them putting out a couple of fairly good tracks last year; nevertheless, here’s this, which is new and out now.

Tim: First question: why is that break in the middle so ridiculously long?

Tom: To stop people just ripping it off YouTube. Welcome to the future.

Tim: We’re really still on that, in the age of lyric videos? Oh well.

Second, third and all other questions: how brilliant is the rest of it? The messed around sampled chorus bit, the way they’ve laid their own chorus lines on top of it, the wavy singing in the verses, and the wonderful “and this is where the chorus goes”.

Tom: It’s a cracking bit of electropop; I’m not sure about the rap bit, but it’s brief enough and surrounded by so much top-quality production that I don’t really mind it.

Tim: Speaking of the rap bit, quite why Sukker Lyn starts out and finishes with a shout-out to over-50s holiday and insurance group Saga is beyond me, but I suppose if they want to increase their audience then using that and a fairly obscure 1980s track in the chorus (Broken Heart by White Lion, if you’re interested) is the right way to go about it, and the more success these guys get the better, as far as I’m concerned.

Tom: I’m going to ignore that deliberate misunderstanding of yours —

Tim: Oh come on, it was HILARIOUS.

Tom: — but yes, you’re right, they’ve done a damn good job with it.

Tim: Maybe more acts should do that in future – perhaps ARTPOP could begin with a song dedicated to all the fans of Alan Titchmarsh. That’d be nice. And suitably weird, I suppose.

Minnie-Oh – Step Up

“Oh my word. It’s just so happy. “

Tim: You’ll hopefully remember Minnie-Oh from the amazing harpsichord-infused explosion at a liquorice all-sort factory that was You & I, at last year’s Norwegian Melodi Grand Prix. Clearly one to captalise on the moment, she’s waited a mere fifteen months to bring out her second track.

Tom: Can I just say that’s a wonderful opening paragraph? Because it is.

Tim: Oh, thank you very much.

Tom: Oh my word. It’s just so happy.

Tim: So often, Scandinavian electropop (thought admittedly this is way over towards the pop end of that genre) is rather downbeat, and I’d just sort of accepted that as a thing.

Tom: The first verse sounded like it was going that way, so the chorus took me by surprise in the best way.

Tim: Exactly my thoughts – after that opening it quickly picks up into something much happier and jauntier, of levels almost approaching her previous. It’s very much in the same vein that I really enjoyed back then and really enjoy here, with the lovely flowing instrumentation in the background being a particular highlight.

Tom: It still feels odd to say “whoever programmed those synths did a good job”, but they really did.

Tim: Voice is good too, although I worry it has potential to be suited to ballads in the future, which really wouldn’t do for anyone, so let’s hope she doesn’t do that. In fact, let’s hope we just get more of the same, and slightly more frequently, please.

Tom: Agreed.

ColorKaleido – Magic Mind

“What on earth?”

Tim: Fairly new Danish duo; in October they put out a fairly dreary piano ballad (which I suppose is fine if you like that sort of thing), but this follow-up is actually worth listening to.

Tom: What on earth?

Tim: Well, yes – they’ve sort of got a ‘let’s all be happy with nature’ hippy thing going on in the video which let’s be honest is just a bit silly and always irritating, and there’s really no need for those masks, but the kids seem to be enjoying themselves so that’s something.

Tom: Yep, I had to put that video in the background so I wasn’t too grumpy about the whole thing. Without it, the song’s not bad – not my kind of thing, but there’s nothing wrong with it.

Tim: The music is nice, with a passionate chorus, drums beating nicely and chirpy guitaring going on. Happy verses, with talk of elephants and all sorts, and despite the “I watch you stalker” message it’s made a bit nicer with the “I love you so”, assuming it’s somewhat reciprocated.

And I shall assume that, because I like this song and I don’t want to ruin it.

Tom: Well, I’m reading it as a parent-to-child song, rather than a traditional ‘stalker’ or ‘partner’ one. Does that ruin it for you?

http://www.europlop.co.uk/?p=1293&preview=true

Tim: Oh. Oh, actually that makes it sound lovely. Oh, I like that idea, that’s nice. Hmm. Although I do worry for the children’s upbringing.

For BDK – New Ways Of Digging Deeper

“Keep with it.”

Tim: This is a lengthy one, and much as I’d normally say NO to a six-minute track, keep with it.

Tom: Crikey – when the main synth lines drop at about :48, that’s really quite something.

Tim: Certainly is, and let’s get the bad bit out of the way first: the verses aren’t great. There’s no real stuff behind them, especially the early ones, and if I’m honest I do find her voice on its own slightly grating. HOWEVER, that’s a very minor quibble, as that instrumental bit that pretty much forms the chorus really is quite lovely indeed, and not only makes the verses worthwhile, but also makes the tune worth every one of its six minutes.

Tom: It says something when you approve of an instrumental chorus. I’m not sure that the verses are worth that chorus – but it’s a hell of a chorus.

Tim: Lovely lovely, and if I was feeling in a florid mood I’d probably describe it as gorgeous.

Tom: I can see Avicii taking that chorus and setitng something else to it, and making the track a hell of a lot better.

Tim: You’re right, he probably could do a lot with it, but even as it is, the last two minutes, with the main singing, the backing vocals and the production beneath it just all combine to form something wonderful. You won’t hear me say this often, but this six minute track is enjoyable throughout.

CHVRCHES – Recover

“Basically, it’s lovely.”

Tim: I pre-ordered this debut single about a month ago, probably after hearing it on the radio, and promptly forgot all about it; on Monday I woke up and found it had downloaded, and I listened to it again and remembered why I’d ordered it.

Tim: Basically, it’s lovely. They’re a Glasgow-based band, and (despite not being remotely guitar-based) placed at number 5 on the BBC Sound of 2013 poll. I do hope that this time it’s accurate, I really do, because this really should do well, in a just world.

I don’t really know what’s going on in the video.

Tom: Nope, neither do I – it’s always a brave move not to include the actual band in a video when they’re not well-established.

Tim: True, although I think that might be them in the TV screens at the end. Still obscure, though. But anyway, I don’t watch the video when I’m walking around with headphones on – I listen to the music. And that’s just brilliant.

Tom: I felt almost breathless during some of those verses: there’s an intensity in the pacing of those lyrics, an odd pattern of pauses that don’t fit into traditional “lines” of lyrics.

Tim: Yes, and I reckon that disjointed vocal is a stroke of genius, as it works on two levels – firstly on its own to convey the relationship issues that are being sung about, but also with that synth backing, as it gives it the extra prominence it really deserves.

Tom: I’m not sure I have the same reaction to the music as you: I get restless listening to it, and I’m not sure it’s altogether an enjoyable experience. It is a good track, though.

Tim: This is a fantastically put-together song, and I can only hope for more like it.

Duvchi – Whole Life Tour

“Actually makes me sit up and listen.” (With BONUS PR Bullshit Bingo!)

Tim: Alright, three songs in three days.

Tom: Another one to compare to the Sound of Arrows?

Tim: I quite like that, so I don’t want to say anything nasty about it.

Tom: Out of our recent run of sort-of-electropop tracks, I’d say this is probably my favourite. It’s a track that actually makes me sit up and listen – unusual instrumentation, an ethereal voice, and deep bass percussion that keeps my attention on it. More like this, please – although possibly with a better ending.

Tim: Oh, don’t get me wrong – it’s quite good, but to be honest it’s a bit melancholy for the mood I’m now, though, so how about we have a bit of fun instead, with a nice game of PR Bullshit Bingo?

Standards to look for are:

  • ruthless over-enthusiasm.
  • an intense description of the artist’s almost superhuman abilities.
  • words that mean pretty much nothing.
  • potentially negative ideas presented as positives.
  • ten words when one would do.
  • the implication that no-one’s ever done this before.
  • the near-certainty that it will win everything.

Anything I’ve missed?

Tom: I think you’ve covered most of it.

Tim: Good good, so let’s see what his Facebook page says: “You know how people talk about uncompromising pop? Duvchi is just that – in it’s purest form. It is passionate and lavish, whilst fragile and unassuming. Boldly arranged tracks meets timeless harmonies and form a space of melancholic warmth that quickly spellbinds and becomes a kind of instant find. Music you could see chart-topping.”

Tom: Crikey, I can’t read that. My eyes keep skipping over it.

Tim: Special, isn’t it? Let’s count up.

I think “uncompromising pop in it’s purest form” satisfies counts 1 and 6, the use of “whilst” immediately brings us 4, “becomes a kind of instant find” answers 3, and in fact that whole middle sentence could be easily be cut by ninety percent, so that’s 5. And, obviously, we’ve got the last at the end. All we’re missing is something like this for item 2 and we’d have a full house, but six out of seven’s not bad.

Tom: Not a bad run at all.

Tim: Actually, scratch that – I’ve just noticed that he also describes himself as “the singing conductor”. HOUSE.