Latest Synth-pop Posts

[Denver Event Preview/Ticket Giveaway] TMN Presents: Fenech-Soler @ Lost Lake – 5/16

Posted by Matthew Bloss - May 15, 2017

The U.K. based duo consisting of brothers Ross and Ben Duffy, Fenech-Soler, have supplied our highly sensitive Ninja ears with some of the most danceable, tasteful, and wistful electro-pop for years. First appearing on our hallowed pages all the way back in 2009, Fenech-Soler have fashioned an even tighter grasp on their cheery synth-pop iterations in the time since. This year, the pair have already unveiled two full releases in the form of their LP Zilla, and the appropriately titled cover EP The Covers; which both sound of a band confidently coming to terms with their sound while steadily refining it. Loaded with personality and excellent fits of experimentation, their latest releases have been straightforward, unashamed pop music fusing indie sensibilities with grandiose synths and razor-sharp electronic production that we know will play wonderfully in a live scenario. Yet another reason we are thrilled to be presenting their next live date in beautiful Denver, CO at Lost Lake Lounge.

Of course we had to get our Ninja faithful involved as well, so we’re giving away a pair of tickets rather simply and painlessly! As always, entering is beyond simple (click on this post header if you’re still on the TMN front page), just follow our two easy steps below, and for those who would rather guarantee their entry into the show, tickets can be purchased here as well. Best of luck Ninjas!

How to Enter

1) “Like” us (The Music Ninja) on Facebook here:

2) Comment below this post with your favorite Fenech-Soler song (we’ve included FOUR below, c’mon!) and BOOM, you have been entered!

There are a few rules, of course:
– Must be 18+
– You are responsible for your own transportation.
– You must bring a valid form of ID to guarantee entry at the Lost Lake door.
– 1 Winner will be announced May 16th, the day of the show.

Enjoy our mini-playlist in anticipation of the show, and we will see you on the 16th Denver! Start commenting below!

’Fenech Soler – Grace’

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’Fenech Soler – Cold Light’

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‘Fenech Soler – Last Forever’

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’Fenech Soler – Maiyu’

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[Synth-Wave] Pr0files – Money

Posted by Matthew Bloss - April 18, 2017

Pr0files
Money

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The Los Angeles based synthesis of Lauren Pardini and Danny Sternbaum, known more widely under their stage moniker Pr0files, have returned with their first, darkly-tinged piece of synth-pop to pace 2017, “Money”. While it’s unfortunately been a bit of a lengthy gap since we last checked in with the genre-busting pair, “Money” has us once again ready to devour their every aural sentiment.

Coming off of their debut LP Jurassic Technologie last year, Pr0files are clearly keeping their warranted buzz afloat. Anchored by a slickly dark & synthetic, shoegaze-y backbone bolstered by Pardini’s sonorous yet fitting reverberations; Pr0files create a simultaneously gloomy and uplifting 3:00 minutes of music. On “Money”, Pardini speaks to the duo’s arduous journey as a truly independent project, creating a sort of weighty anthem for those who have experienced those sky-high peaks and deep valleys associated with committing to your art (“I took a xanax in a milkshake just to get me through that day”); while Sternbaum’s seemingly effortless, full production sblimely rounds out “Money”‘s vocal-centric aesthetic. Needless to say, we’ve got our ears perked up towards Pr0files as they unveil more layers to their 2017 iteration and will be right there with them every step of the way. Stream “Money” above.

[Denver Event Preview/Ticket Giveaway] TMN Presents: Great Good Fine OK @ Larimer Lounge – 1/25

Posted by Matthew Bloss - January 17, 2017

Brooklyn based electronic-pop auteurs Jon Sandler & Luke Moellman -better known as Great Good Fine OK -first landed themselves amongst the heaps of fine music here at TMN all the way back in 2013, and have found themselves supplying our listeners time and time again with a lush brand of heartfelt, synth-driven ditties in the years since. Outside of these Ninja confines, the duo have found themselves racking up countless moments of acclaim; from music video premieres on MTV, features in Billboard, and appearances at some of the world’s most notable festivals, GGFO have established themselves as a forceful live act blessed with the ability to fill eager rooms wherever their sound careens through a loaded set of live monitors.

Great Good Fine OK find themselves marching into 2017 armed with a new EP, III , (stream “Take It Or Leave It” & “Always” from III below) which lead vocalist/songwriter Jon Sandler noted as housing “…some of the best songs we’ve ever written…”, a hefty upcoming North American tour, and a more polished, mature aesthetic. On the heels of all that hype, we’re feeling like some rather eager beavers to be presenting their Denver stop on January 25th at the Larimer Lounge, and we wanted to get our readers equally as excited by giving away a couple pairs of tickets. Entering our contest is as always, beyond easy. Just “like” The Music Ninja on FB, click on this post header if you’re still on the TMN front page, then comment below with your favorite Great Good Fine OK song, and boom, that’s it! (We even provided a few below if you need!) And of course, we want as many people as possible to come dance with us, so for our friends looking to secure their spot, advance tickets can be purchased here.

There are a few rules, of course:
– The event is 16+ Be sure to tell all of your friends to increase chance of winning!
– You are responsible for your own transportation.
– You must bring a valid form of ID to pick up your tickets at the Larimer Lounge door.

Check out our preview mini-playlist, start commenting below and best of luck ninjas!

Great Good Fine OK – ‘Take It Or Leave It’

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Great Good Fine OK – ‘Always’

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Great Good Fine OK – ‘Already Love’

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Great Good Fine OK – ‘Something To Believe In Ft. St. Lucia’

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Great Good Fine OK – ‘You’re The One For Me’

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[Video] Joe Goddard – Lose Your Love

Posted by Matthew Bloss - December 1, 2016

Easily one of the most influential architects thriving around the edges of dance & electronic music today, Joe Goddard seems to carry a certain gravitas whenever his name is attached to anything. Known by most casuals as one of the chief patrons behind almighty indie-tronica troupe Hot Chip, and co-founder of Greco-Roman Records (the same label which helmed debut releases from the likes of Disclosure, Roosevelt & TEED), Goddard has also quietly carved out quite the tastemaking assemblage of admirers over the course of 20 years worth of high profile remix work as a solo artist. Goddard’s latest single to come from the aforementioned Greco-Roman camp, “Lose Your Love”, received its visual counterpart today, and quite honestly, it’s one of the more polished and funnier music videos we’ve seen over the year.

On its own, “Lose Yourself” is a soulfully lovely, throwback house ditty propped up by robotic synths, but through the execution of director Fred Rowson, it takes on even more personality. In line with Goddard & Hot Chip’s playful nature, Rowson crafts a quite honestly hilarious homage to modern-day, cultish ‘healing’. Pacing things off in what looks to be a rec-center based yoga class before delving into offbeat 80’s VHS tapes, a street recruitment of followers, and climaxing with a Shakers type religious group convulsion on the floor, Goddard’s created a cheeky accompaniment to a catchy tune, and done it well. Really, I don’t even know what I just watched but I laughed and loved pretty much every second of it. Have a play for yourself below.

[TMN Exclusive Interview] Goldroom Delves Into West of the West & Musical Metamorphosis

Posted by Matthew Bloss - November 22, 2016

Unless this is the first time you’ve trekked through the hallowed grounds of TMN, you’ve no doubt ran into at least a song or two from L.A. based producer Josh Legg and his solo remix project turned nationally touring live act Goldroom. He, and the rest of Goldroom’s live iteration just recently wrapped an expansive, 30 date live co-headlining tour with fellow TMN regulars Autograf, and before quite a memorable show in Boulder, CO, we had a chance to catch up with Josh on the heels of Goldroom’s debut long-player West of the West, and ended up having one of the more in-depth conversations regarding music we’ve had in some time. Enjoy our interview with Goldroom below.

The Music Ninja (TMN): Alright… Matthew Bloss of The Music Ninja here with Josh Legg, the mastermind behind the Goldroom acclaim. First off, thanks so much for taking the time before your show to sit down with us. Firstly, you just recently released your first full length LP under the Goldroom name, West of the West, which we’ve had the chance to listen to a couple times and I really, really enjoyed it. After talking to friends around the music industry who know you, and from following your social media accounts, this was something that has been years in the making. Can you speak a little more to that? How long has West of the West, been coming together, and how does it feel now that it’s finally out?

Josh Legg (JL): Yeah, I mean there was a moment in time, probably in 2013, right after we started to tour with the live band for the first time, that it was just really clear that at some point if things went the right way that at some point I was going to need to put a record out. And I’ve always lived my life, sort of through albums of other people’s. So, I started thinking about it right then… I was thinking about the first Goldroom record as early as January of 2013, so I’ve kind of been writing for it for three years now. But, I don’t know, it’s weird… You were saying earlier, that you guys have been paying attention for along time. But, if I walk into a radio station or something like that, I’m going to talk about it (West of the West) like it’s my first statement, but in a lot of ways it feels like my sophomore record because the Embrace EP took me all around the world twice, and I got to play Coachella this year, and I released that independently… and that EP did all of this. It’s a seven song EP, and for a lot of purposes it worked as my debut full-length record, so this is actually closer to my sophomore record from sort of a traditional perspective. But, I wasn’t thinking about that EP in the same way that I was thinking about West of the West. I wasn’t thinking like, “Hey, would I be proud of this if I died?” But, I have been thinking about that with this record. I wanted this record to be so good that, when I die, I’m going to be like “I have this at least. At least I did this, and I’m proud of it.” hahaha. And, I don’t know, as things went a long, I started to feel more and more strongly about certain things about the way producers in my world were making records. And I was getting more and more discouraged with the fact that it was just this endless cycle of people throwing acapellas to each other, and getting random features and finsing out that the artists, that you think that you love didn’t even write the song that you loved. And, I want a glimpse into people’s hearts I guess. And so, the only thing that I promised with this record is that for better or for worse, it would really be me.

’Goldroom – Silhouette’

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Read the rest of our interview with Josh Legg after the jump!

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[Event Review] Lido gives it Everything in his return to Bay Area

Posted by Dominic Powell - November 11, 2016

As a trailblazer in the field and a posterboy to the new electronic movement, Peder Losnegård is far beyond needing introduction. Abandoning previous musical incarnations, Lido emerged as a preeminent producer a few years back, co-creating Halsey’s Badlands LP and touring around the country in support of his own works. While also gaining some notoriety for credits on works with Chance the Rapper, Alison Wonderland, and Banks, his star continued to grow brighter by the month. Over the course of 2016, Lido has made major headway in cementing his place among the dominant producers of the era – along with the likes of Flume, Hudson Mohawke, Cashmere Cat, and Jack Garratt.

Bringing his North American fan base a much anticipated step away from reality, the prodigal record producer, songwriter, and occasional rapper embarked on an ambitious 14-date tour in support of last month’s wildly popular sophomore release, Everything.

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[Video] Black Marble – Woods

Posted by Matthew Bloss - October 20, 2016

Perhaps the singular album in the last five years with the most profound impact on this writer’s favored aural aesthetics came in the form of Black Marble‘s 2013 dark-wave meets lo-fi pop opus, A Different Arrangement. Chris Stewart’s subtle manipulation of simple pop structuring, goth-punk undertones, reverb-entombed incantations and a foundation of stripped down, new-wave drum kits struck an internal chord so deep, that it all at once ushered in a frame shift in taste moving forward, and a simultaneous return back to my youth punk, consumer days. And so (and forgive me for the long-winded intro), after a bit of a dormant writing state and with the recent release of the second Black Marble long-player, It’s Immaterial out now on Ghostly, I’ve been roused to return to covering music that truly moves my personal soul.

One of the first three singles to be released from It’s Immaterial, “Woods” (along with the stellar “Iron Lung” & “Frisk”) has just brandished its visual accompaniment from director Theo Sixou, who also directed Black Marble’s 2013 video for “A Great Design”; and it quite wonderfully enhances its haunting infrastructure. It’s darkly verdant backdrop and visual themes tie in fluently with “Woods”‘ longing nature, twisting up its viewer in the process. Black Marble is currently a few dates into a mini-tour supporting It’s Immaterial, and we would highly advise our wise readers to check them out in the flesh if they’re coming to a city near you. Until then, enjoy the official music video for “Woods” below.