Neon Neon

Neon Neon is a collaborative project from producer Boom Bip and Gruff Rhys, who is best known as the frontman for Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals. They began work on the project in October 2006 originally under the moniker Delorean .[1] In March 2008 the duo, by now calling themselves Neon Neon, released a full-length album entitled Stainless Style to generally positive reviews.

Neon Neon - I Lust U

Neon Neon - I Told Her on Alderaan

Im sure you guys have heard I Lust U but I Told Her on Alderaan is pretty impressive in its own right. Neon Neon infuses an early 90's pop feeling to both singles. With its airy lyrics, basic drum loop, and synthy chorus its pretty fun. I'm a pretty big fan of Super Furry Animals but this side project is completely different.

Passion Pit

Passion Pit has been all over the Internet receiving accolades for their fresh sound and cheery vocals. Even we have posted about them before. Their single "Sleepyhead" is a great indie pop song, but this remix changes it into a pit more of an electro one. From the beginning, this song has a punch missing on the original. Not sure which I prefer, but I figured it was worth posting.

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead (Wallpaper Dio Remix)

Gigamesh

Making up one third of acclaimed remixers Discotech, Gigamesh really shines as an excellent producer. I say producer rather than remixer because he really recrafts the songs in such an excellent and precise way that I see him getting a bunch of work as a producer based on these tracks. The first is a Lykke Li song that was one of the most popular of the year. While I do enjoy the original, the dancey additions that Gigamesh includes really change the dynamic of song and, in my opinion, for the better.

Lykke Li - Little Bit (Gigamesh Remix)

I hadn't heard this song by Estate before hearing this remix, so I have little basis of comparison, but it's hard to imagine the original being better. The grimy and continuous bassline and the punch of the percussion are amazing.

Estate - Write to Make (Gigamesh Remix)

Finally comes by far his best work. As an avid Radiohead fan (that pretty much goes without saying), I am obviously a big fan of Kid A. A standout track on the album is its opener, "Everything in its Right Place." The dreary electronic keyboards wander up and down, perfectly accompanying Thom Yorke's flawless voice. Gigamesh decides to give this track what I will call the Deadmau5 do-over. Substituting the keyboards for a more thumping, but beautiful house melody, Gigamesh really adds a new dimension to this already perfect song.

Radiohead - Everything in its Right Place (Gigamesh Remix)

Fever Ray

Fever Ray, aka Karin Dreijer Andersson, one half of The Knife, made this album of the culmination of work that began in 2007 when Karin and Olof, the brother-sister duo who are The Knife, decided to take time off from playing live shows. 

After having her second child and eight months of the most productive daydreaming later, Karin had a batch of new songs and the raw materials for the production of Fever Ray. Unsure how to get them over the finishing line, she took half to Christoffer Berg (who mixed The Knife’s work) and half to Stockholm production duo Van Rivers & The Subliminal Kid for a final mixing.

The result is Fever Ray, an album that, while recognizably the work of the same artist, is dramatically different from The Knife. It’s still constructed on electronic foundations and embellished with traditional instrumentation (guitar here, congas there).

‘If I Had A Heart’ is the first single from Fever Ray: an eerie stirring mantra with a boundless loop, creating an intense haunting feeling reinforced  by Karin's chanting. A dark single from their already dark album. I highly recommend checking out the haunting music video, which is sure to send chills to any listener. The rest of the album is also noteworthy. 

Fever Ray - If I Had a Heart

Fever Ray - If I had a Heart (Fuck Buttons Remix)

Fever Ray - If I Had a Heart Music Video

Some people have been raving about the Fuck Buttons' remix. I'm not too wild about it but I'll leave that up to you to decide.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had as good a time on New Years as I did. Unfortunately my internet was down, so I couldn't get this up sooner.

We went to Together as One here in LA at the Sports Arena. Armin Van Buren played an impressive 9 hour set from 7 - 4. Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy his set too much because a bias towards pop and not nearly enough bass. He is a good showman though. The true story, as always, was Deadmau5. I have never heard bass like I did when he came on at 1. The bass simply destroyed the crowd. Not only were his songs phenomenal, but the sheer force of the bass made everyone in the crowd dance around as if they were being controlled. This crowd video does a good job of showing the power, although the sound was obviously a bit better.

When Kaskade and Deadmau5 team up, beautiful things happen. Her heavenly voice is featured on my favorite track off of Random Album Title, "I Remember." This is another classic, with a very dancey beat and Kaskade's vocals looped on top nicely.

Kaskade feat. Deadmau5 - Move For Me (Santiago & Bushido)

Studio

Studio is a Scandanavian electronic band with a soft and melodic sound that makes them an easy listen. Their CD West Side was well received last year, but the remix of the title track is a great electro song with their vocals overlaid nicely. The remixer, Klumpfisk, really should have chosen a better name, but do a great job of treating the vocals as an instrument. The "solo" at around 3:30 makes the song pretty memorable.

Studio - West Side (Klumpfisk Remix)

This is one of their singles from last year. It demonstrates their sound at its best.

Studio - No Comply

The Robot Ate Me

On Vacation, released in 2004, was Ryland Bouchard's third album under the moniker The Robot Ate Me. It's slow and dreary, from the rainy Pacific NorthWest, but if you get it going loud, makes for haunting winter ballads. Even though the album predates The Eraser, songs like The Rupublican Army might remind you a bit. Maybe not. Low-fi drums and interesting use of nostalgic vinyl sounds. Check it out:

The Robot Ate Me - The Republican Army

The Robot Ate Me - Jesus and Hitler

Traveling

 Here's some electro I've been listening to:

Air France-

A Swedish band whose music has been described as "post-rave bliss", "beach foam pop", and "balearic disco". Also Pitchfork has rated their newest album an 8.6.

Collapsing at your Doorstep

No Excuses

June Evenings

Boat Club- (Pictured Above)

Another band from Sweden also Gothenburg This Duo of swedish electro hounds has just released a two track ep:

Warmer Climes

Spanish Castles

Jupiter-

Starlighters

Chip

Walter Meego-

A good export from Chi town

Forever

White Lies-

Unfinished Business

Let me know what you guys think about this new stuff. 

Bob Dylan

I know posting old Dylan tracks isn't very characteristic of this blogatorium, but that's a damn shame. I guess the point is that there's already far too many Bob Dylan connoisseurs out there, lord knows. Still, this particular track deserves to see much more daylight. It comes from a bootleg set called "The Minnesota Tapes," a practice session recorded in 1961. The low-fi hum you hear is, regrettably, the bassist learning to play along. Nonetheless, it's one of my favorites of all time, a Woody Guthrie cover.

Bob Dylan - Pastures of Plenty

(If you can find it, try to get the whole 3-disc set. It's pretty astounding, especially for a rehearsal. He even tells some jokes about New Jersey)

...and some old Cut Copy (like totally before they were famous)

These tracks are from Cut Copy's debut EP "I Thought in Numbers," which was released in 2001 on Modular Records - home of the heavenly Yeah Yeah Yeah's, some old Klaxons releases, and even MSTRKRFT. The EP makes greater use of samples and house loops than their current stuff, with less vocals. Good for DJ kicks or whatever if you're sick of hearing "In Ghost Colours" everywhere by now...

Cut Copy - Drop the Bomb

Cut Copy - Glittering Clouds