In the world of electronic music, 2014 was a banner year for the ladies. Kitten, Kimbra, Kiesza, Lindsey Stirling, Dev, Lana Del Rey and La Roux all released new music. There were new releases by electronica/EDM staples like Tycho, David Guetta, Tiësto, Example, Skrillex and Deadmau5. House fans saw new releases by Simian Mobile Disco and Booka Shade. Pioneers of the genre came out in force with Brian Eno & Karl Hyde, Bryan Ferry, Morrissey, Echo & the Bunnymen and Midge Ure releasing albums. The LCD Soundsystem and Röyksopp said their goodbyes - at least in their current incarnations - in the form of farewell albums. And I've discovered a few unsung treasures like Voxmirage, Faded Paper Figures, Flight Facilities and White Hex.
My Top 20 list includes a few albums that have achieved critical success. You will surely recognize those picks if you're keeping up with these kinds of things. Quite a few of the albums speak to my personal fondness for post punk, electro pop and disembodied robotic voices without consideration for acclaim. Check it out!
Aphex Twin Syro
This album can be found on many a "Best of 2014" chart and with good reason. This is UK based Richard D James' 6th studio album under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, and the first in 13 years. It's contemporary and on point.
Arca Xen
Xen is the debut album of Venezuelan born producer Alejandro Ghersi who is best known for working with Björk and FKA Twigs. All futuristic and stylistically interesting, this album is a critical darling.
Audit Division Audit Division EP
Maybe it's because they vaguely remind me of The Juan MacLean by featuring a male and a female vocalist with a retro synthpop sound that I like this little sleeper EP no one has heard of.
Banks Goddess
American Jillian Banks has pop appeal, but the soul laid bare lyrics and synthpop sound on her debut album garnered some positive attention among electronic music fans.
Broods Evergreen
This is New Zealand brother and sister duo Broods debut album, which is a follow up to their self titled EP. They have a broader pop appeal that will eventually get them some Top 40 airplay.
Caribou Our Love
Another album that has made it's way onto many "Best of 2014" charts, Our Love by Canadian musician Caribou is a feelings album. There are moments of real loveliness on this album.
Diamond Version CI
Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys makes a vocal appearance on this album, but I am most taken with the deconstructed Orwellian vocal samples like on "Science for a Better Life."
Röyksopp & Robyn Do It Again EP
Norwegian duo Röyksopp and Swedish songstress Robyn can do no wrong in my eyes. I especially like the cheeky "Sayit."
Gazelle Twin Unflesh
British producer Elizabeth Bernholz brings us her dark and chilling second album. She was influenced by heavy subject matter like feral children and euthanasia, and the results sound a bit like the soundtrack to a nightmare.
Hundred Waters The Moon Rang Like a Bell
Hundred Waters hails from Florida and some of the members have been making music since middle school. This album has an emotive electro folk sound, Check out the single "Cavity."
The Juan MacLean In a Dream
There is a certain something that just works in the collaborative efforts of American house master Juan MacLean and former LCD Soundsystem member Nancy Whang. This album has been on repeat play for me since its release.
Liars Mess
Known for being experimental, Mess is the seventh studio album for the US band. It's quirky and provocative and a bit of a style change from their previous albums.
Mr Little Jeans Pocketknife
Norwegian Monica Birkenes is Mr Little Jeans. "Mercy" is the essential song on the album, although she does a cover of Arcade Fire's "The Suburbs."
Museum of Love Museum of Love
Like The Juan MacLean, this is another offering from the DFA label. Pat Mahoney of LCD Soundsystem pairs Dennis McNany for a retro synthpop sound.
Phantogram Voices
In another male and female pairing with some shared vocal duties, American duo Phantogram has pop appeal.
Starwalker Losers Can Win EP
French Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Icelandic Bardi Johannsson collaborate on this stylistically spare but intriguing EP.
St. Vincent St. Vincent
The eponymous 4th album by American St. Vincent has that irreverent and wry art rock style that she does so well.
Trust Joyland
Toronto based Robert Alfons was on his own for the second Trust album with Maya Postepski having returned to her duties with Austra. Alfons vocals are incredible and throwback influences like Kate Bush, Cocteau Twins and bygone video game soundtracks give it that synthpop flavor that I love.
Tying Tiffany Drop
Italian Tying Tiffany seems to fly under the radar in the US, but she has that art school dropout DIY style that deserves a listen.
Wild Beasts Present Tense
This is the 4th studio album for Wild Beasts. Honestly, there is no other band who sounds quite like them, so it's best to just listen for yourself.
Showing posts with label EDM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label EDM. Show all posts
Friday, February 6, 2015
Sunday, October 5, 2014
New Electronic Releases You Shouldn't Miss - Fall 2014
There's so much music out there, how does one find their way to the good stuff? I've culled a few new releases from the multitude for your listening consideration.
Aphex Twin - Syro
There hasn't been an Aphex Twin (also known as England-based Richard David James) studio album since 2001. This one is pronounced "Sigh ro" which is apparently a word his kid made up.Example - Live Life Living
Englishman Elliot John Gleave's 5th studio album. He's calling out some old school gods as influences (Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Underworld, Faithless), so you know I'm into it.Busy P - Rainbow Man 2014 EP
French DJ Pedro Winter brings back the track Rainbow Man for 2014. Did you know he used to manage Daft Punk?Faded Paper Figures - Relics
Fourth album from these indie electronic Californians. Synthpop sound. What's not to love?The Juan MacLean - In a Dream
Namesake John MacLean and former LCD Soundsystem member Nancy Whang. "A Place Called Space" is long for radio play, but I played it anyway.Audit Division - Audit Division EP
They're American, but they sound like Brits in the mid 80's New Order realm. Especially on songs like "Tear Me Apart."Diamond Version - CI
An collaborative effort by Germans Byetone and Alva Noto. Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys supplied vocals for "Were You There?" CI stands for "Corporate Identity" for those in the know.Fenech-Soler - Rituals
The second album for this UK duo. A special version with 4 tracks from their first album hit the US this summer.Starwalker - Losers Can Win EP
French Jean-Benoit Dunckel of Air and Icelandic Bardi Johannsson of Bang Gang collaborate on this strangely pleasing EP. Check out the Bloodgroup Remix of "Bad Weather" should you get the chance.Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again EP
Norwegian duo Röyksopp partner up again with Sweden's Robyn. You remember "The Girl and the Robot" on Junior. One of my favorite albums in life.Sunday, January 12, 2014
Danny Blu
I recently had the opportunity to interview artist Danny Blu on The Knix Mix in support of his album "Do Your Worst." Danny calls his combination of the industrial sound he grew up with and danceable electronic beats "Industrial Pop." He blends the theatrical make up and costumes of glam rock with the intentionally provocative flair of shock rock for an overall effect he describes as musical theater. Danny Blu, the character, was created in 2010 during the writing stage of the album. "Big Blue" was a childhood nickname that Danny modified to "Blu" to denote a loss of innocence. Danny's rallying cry is "Remember to live life without hate or regret and without fear of the Freak within."
In exploring Danny's website and online videos, it is apparent he is multi talented. In fact, Danny has experience as an actor and attended the NYU Tisch School of The Arts in 2009. The Danny Blu team includes an artistic director and a creative director in addition to the band and sound director, which serves him well in an era where the Internet makes having a consistent and visually appealing web presence a necessity for music acts. It also doesn't hurt that most of the actors and dancers in his music videos are beautiful people in various states of undress. Check out his video for the song "Sebastian" to understand what I mean.
Danny is very visible in the LGBT community and is a strong advocate for LGBT rights. Danny has also given tremendous support to anti-bullying, a topic that has repeatedly been in the headlines in recent years. High school can be a place where a bullying culture flourishes, and we have seen tragic consequences in the proliferation of school shootings and teen suicides. There is an increased risk of being the target of bullying for LGBT teens.
Danny describes the track "Set Me on Fire" as an anthem against oppression. The video for the track is a visually stunning short film that forces viewers to confront the issue of bullying by using religious imagery and theatrics. "Set Me on Fire" takes the story of the betrayal of Jesus, and the role of Pontius Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to be crucified, as a metaphor for the misfits who are persecuted as outsiders in high school. Danny experienced the ultimate revenge fantasy of the left of center kids by returning to the scene of the actual New Jersey high school he once attended to make the video. Danny was happy to have gained the support of the school administration in his efforts.
I grew up in homogenized Brewer, Maine; the sister city of Bangor, the second largest city in Maine and hometown of Stephen King. High school in the late 80's was very much like The Breakfast Club without the kumbaya Hollywood ending. Groups were separate but not equal, and the jocks and cheerleaders ruled the school with relish. Teen suicide and school shootings were not yet de rigueur on the evening news and the word "bullying" wasn't on our radar, but misfits (which I was) were not well tolerated and homophobia was prevalent. In 1984, the year I was 14, Bangor was the scene of a dark moment in history that galvanized the community to begin to take a stand against intolerance.
Charlie Howard was a 23 year old Portsmouth, NH native who was bullied in high school for his sexual orientation. In 1984 he was living in Bangor and was harassed by three teens as he was walking downtown with a companion. The teens chased the pair and threw Charlie off the State Street Bridge into the water below, even as he pleaded that he couldn't swim. He drowned. The incident didn't have the national attention that the death of Matthew Shepard would have, but in Maine there was a strong reaction. EqualityMaine grew out of the aftermath of the incident.
Things have improved since the time that I was in high school, but there is far more work to be done. Danny Blu is exactly the kind of unconventional role model that LGBT teens are apt to look to for navigating the angst of self discovery, and he takes the role seriously albeit in a very Danny Blu way. Danny responds to fans personally, and he recently heard from a teen who credited Danny with being an inspiration in broaching the subject of sexuality with family and friends. Danny described that exchange as the best Christmas present he could have gotten.
Danny's eleven track debut album "Do Your Worst" was originally released on a smaller scale in 2011 and is in wider release now with a second album, "Saint," planned for a spring 2014 release. Danny Blu performs in the NYC area frequently and is hoping to plan a tour in Japan. Check The Factory Blu website frequently for updates. In the meantime, take a cue from Danny Blu and let your freak flag fly!
The Factory Blu
Danny Blu Facebook
Danny Blu YouTube Channel
In exploring Danny's website and online videos, it is apparent he is multi talented. In fact, Danny has experience as an actor and attended the NYU Tisch School of The Arts in 2009. The Danny Blu team includes an artistic director and a creative director in addition to the band and sound director, which serves him well in an era where the Internet makes having a consistent and visually appealing web presence a necessity for music acts. It also doesn't hurt that most of the actors and dancers in his music videos are beautiful people in various states of undress. Check out his video for the song "Sebastian" to understand what I mean.
Danny is very visible in the LGBT community and is a strong advocate for LGBT rights. Danny has also given tremendous support to anti-bullying, a topic that has repeatedly been in the headlines in recent years. High school can be a place where a bullying culture flourishes, and we have seen tragic consequences in the proliferation of school shootings and teen suicides. There is an increased risk of being the target of bullying for LGBT teens.
Danny describes the track "Set Me on Fire" as an anthem against oppression. The video for the track is a visually stunning short film that forces viewers to confront the issue of bullying by using religious imagery and theatrics. "Set Me on Fire" takes the story of the betrayal of Jesus, and the role of Pontius Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to be crucified, as a metaphor for the misfits who are persecuted as outsiders in high school. Danny experienced the ultimate revenge fantasy of the left of center kids by returning to the scene of the actual New Jersey high school he once attended to make the video. Danny was happy to have gained the support of the school administration in his efforts.
I grew up in homogenized Brewer, Maine; the sister city of Bangor, the second largest city in Maine and hometown of Stephen King. High school in the late 80's was very much like The Breakfast Club without the kumbaya Hollywood ending. Groups were separate but not equal, and the jocks and cheerleaders ruled the school with relish. Teen suicide and school shootings were not yet de rigueur on the evening news and the word "bullying" wasn't on our radar, but misfits (which I was) were not well tolerated and homophobia was prevalent. In 1984, the year I was 14, Bangor was the scene of a dark moment in history that galvanized the community to begin to take a stand against intolerance.
Charlie Howard was a 23 year old Portsmouth, NH native who was bullied in high school for his sexual orientation. In 1984 he was living in Bangor and was harassed by three teens as he was walking downtown with a companion. The teens chased the pair and threw Charlie off the State Street Bridge into the water below, even as he pleaded that he couldn't swim. He drowned. The incident didn't have the national attention that the death of Matthew Shepard would have, but in Maine there was a strong reaction. EqualityMaine grew out of the aftermath of the incident.
Things have improved since the time that I was in high school, but there is far more work to be done. Danny Blu is exactly the kind of unconventional role model that LGBT teens are apt to look to for navigating the angst of self discovery, and he takes the role seriously albeit in a very Danny Blu way. Danny responds to fans personally, and he recently heard from a teen who credited Danny with being an inspiration in broaching the subject of sexuality with family and friends. Danny described that exchange as the best Christmas present he could have gotten.
Danny's eleven track debut album "Do Your Worst" was originally released on a smaller scale in 2011 and is in wider release now with a second album, "Saint," planned for a spring 2014 release. Danny Blu performs in the NYC area frequently and is hoping to plan a tour in Japan. Check The Factory Blu website frequently for updates. In the meantime, take a cue from Danny Blu and let your freak flag fly!
The Factory Blu
Danny Blu Facebook
Danny Blu YouTube Channel
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