Latest Synth-pop Posts

[Dreamy] Royal – Passenger

Posted by Ivan Chung - January 13, 2015

Royal
Passenger

To start off 2015 with a bang, DC producer Royal released a sneak peek of his upcoming EP titled Cycles. Being the opener of the EP, “Passenger” showcases the extent of the diversity of Royal’s music. This tune has an overall feel-good vibe that is accompanied by a series of looping harmonizing vocal samples and uplifting synth. A light trap style is incorporated into the track, giving it a subtle drum beat without overshadowing it. It acts as the perfect sneak peek and first track to the highly anticipated EP, leaving you wanting more and guessing what the producer has to offer.

Make sure to grab a free download of this song off his website, and get your headphones ready for the January 26 as Cycles drops.

[NEW] Purity Ring – Begin Again

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - January 13, 2015

Purity Ring
begin again

Stream Only

When Purity Ring dropped “Push Pull” last month–their first original single in years–fans grew giddy with excitement at the possibility of a follow-up to Shrines. Well, the extended wait is finally coming to an end, as the band have announced a release date for their upcoming sophomore effort, Another Eternity. Along with the announcement, the talented Canadian duo have also revealed the tracklist for the 10 track album, and have decided to share yet another impressive new tune.

“Begin Again” is a hauntingly hypnotic affair more reminiscent of their earlier material than their previous single. There are similarities between the two songs though, as the duo’s recent output has shown more of a grandiose structure that presumably stems from the fact that band members Megan James and Corin Roddick spent time recording their music together in Edmonton for this project, whereas they were in different cities during the sessions for Shrines.

Check out the tracklist after the jump, and make sure to pre-order your copy of Another Eternity before it hits shelves on March 3rd.

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[Indie Electronic] Vallis Alps – Vallis Alps (EP)

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - January 8, 2015

This is an absolute beauty of a debut. Vallis Alps is a fresh face to SoundCloud, and while most new acts stick with a resounding single for a first release, this group has resorted to unleashing a masterful EP with four songs encompassing a myriad of emotions. This duo meshes delicate vocals alongside sweeping, ambient productions that ebb and flow with the powerful and unique nature of similar Australian artists and producers such as Hayden James and Chet Faker.

The self-titled EP begins with “Young,” a guitar assisted, futuristic tune full of yearning and constructed with a graceful groove supplemented by the group’s vocalist, Parissa. “Young” is as bouncy as it is beautiful. “Thru” gently eases in next and opts for an even more gentle approach with its spacey organ intro paving the way for Parissa yet again. Eventually “Thru” resolves into an exciting but not overbearing drop reminiscent of a song that could have been a b-side on Flume’s first album.

Halfway through, we reach “Oh!,” a track that juggles pitched vocals, a four on the floor rhythm, and acoustic guitar throughout. Being the more upbeat track of the EP, “Oh!” is sure to see some heightened success soon. We wrap up the stellar project with “Reprieve.” Pairing piano melodies with bitcrushed synths, Vallis Alps uses this tune as a perfect bookend to this cohesive EP.

No matter the setting, Vallis Alps is a necessary addition to your daily listening routine. David’s production teaming up with Parissa’s vocals are a dynamite combination. They are on track for a wonderful 2015 already. They’ve made all their songs available for download on SoundCloud here and on Bandcamp as well, so be sure to support them and grab your copy today!

’Young’

’Thru’

’Oh!’

’Reprieve’

[Pop] Black Coast- Enough (Feat. M Maggie)

Posted by Jake Balbes - January 8, 2015

Black Coast Official
Enough ft M. Maggie

Soundcloud

Stan Rapoport is Black Coast. He teams up with New York songwriter, Maggie Miller (M Maggie), for the emotional pop tune ‘Enough’. This one stirs up a lot of feelings. It’s about the challenging time in a relationship when partners wonder if they are enough for each other. Ultimately, it comes down to feeling love. “What you gonna do when you got it?”

Black Coast delivers production that sets the mood perfectly for M Maggie’s vocals. Her poetic style comes out in the dynamic lyrics, co-written by Rapoport. This song flows very nicely and the chorus really brings it home. Only their second release on Soundcloud which means a lot of work remains unheard. Be sure to tune in.

[Synth-Pop] POP ETC – Running In Circles

Posted by Matthew Bloss - January 7, 2015

POP ETC
Running In Circles

Soundcloud

While the synth & indie leaning side of pop music has become somewhat of a saturated wasteland in recent years, we’re still finding ourselves being moved by the choice diamonds from one of our favorite aural aesthetics. Some tunes still somehow manage to instill those nostalgic rumblings and transfixed periods of unfazed listening, and POP ETC, the one-time bedroom recording pet project known as Morning Benders turned N.Y. to San Francisco live band have turned in perhaps the most stirring revivalist pop tune we’ve heard in their entire library: “Running In Circles”. “Running In Circles” flirts with both brooding synth-wave effects and shimmering, sprightly plucked guitars which give the single a neon 80’s shine steeped in more contemporary foundation. Rarely do artists successfully inject such an accessible sound with the careful musical care of a classical composer; which is just lovely stuff. After recently unleashing a slew of covers over the past year, it seems as if POP ETC may be ready to attack the LP game again, and we’d have to be crazy to not want to hear more from their 2015 reincarnation.

Stream “Running In Circles” above and hit the jump below to watch the accompanying music video featuring some gorgeously choreographed classic and flashy Wushu (that’s Chinese Kung-Fu for ye unschooled martial artists) forms from Sifu Chen Ying.

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[Indie/Synth-Pop] Rose Quartz – Axis of Love EP

Posted by Matthew Bloss - January 6, 2015

Rose Quartz
Axis of Love EP

Soundcloud

A few weeks ago, we featured the warm, synthy, tonal reverberations from Rose Quartz and their single “Leaving Now”; along with a promise to cover their impending EP, Axis of Love the second it was made available. Alas, that day has finally come, and today we’ve got Rose Quartz’s brand new extended play in its entirety. Seeing Rose Quartz’s subtle shift into heavier, darker, analog instrumentation through the scope of their lurid take on synth-pop was nothing short of breathtaking to hear, as they’ve turned in yet another addictive triumvirate of tracks.

As we’d already consumed the polished and stellar “Leaving Now” ad nauseam since its release, we’d been chomping at the bit to hear the rest of Axis of Love, especially after a sold-out NYE eve performance in Denver which featured loads of unreleased tunes and only served to stoke our fire for the quickly rising four-piece. After leading with “Leaving Now”, Axis of Love tips even gloomier with the slow-burning “Medicine”. Ethan Converse’s soulful refrain reaches further into longing soul than we’ve previously heard, while a simply plucked and reverb heavy guitar washes through a sea of modulated synth-work to create a song which simply oozes sexy, while shining across a number of different listening mediums. Closing out their latest EP, Rose Quartz nudge us a little closer to the dancefloor with an acid-house trimmed pop gem, “Something To Believe”. The quartet infuses large, chunky bass with rousing percussive elements from wood-blocks to a driving drum kit for a superlative finish to one of the richest 17 mins of music we’ve featured all year.

Quite simply, we’ve been impressed and enamored with Rose Quartz since their early days as FLASH/LIGHTS, and seeing their wealth of potential and talent translate into an impressive release is exactly what we’d been waiting for from the young avant-poppers. The quartet is currently gearing up for a U.S. tour with Generationals, which you can find dates for below as well as the complete stream for Axis of Love.

01/30 – San Francisco, CA – DNA Lounge

02/04 – Phoenix, AZ – The Crescent Ballroom #

02/05 – Pioneer Town, CA – Pappy and Harriet’s #

02/06 – San Diego, CA – Casbah #

02/07 – Santa Barbara, CA – SoHo Music Club #

02/09 – El Paso, TX – Lowbrow Place #

02/10 – San Antonio, TX – Limelight #

02/11 – Austin, TX – The Parish #

03/05-07 – Savannah, GA – Savannah Stopover Music Festival

# = w/ Generationals

’Leaving Now’

Buy

’Medicine’

Soundcloud

’Something To Believe’

Soundcloud

[Dance] GEMOLOGY – First & Last (Glastrophobie Remix) [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - January 2, 2015

GEMOLOGY
First & Last (Glastrophobie Remix)

Soundcloud

Back in September we had the blissful opportunity to debut the first ever release (and one of our favorite singles in 2014), “First & Last” from Natasha Chitayat and Joanie Wolkoff’s stirring synth-pop project GEMOLOGY. The tune, with its schooled instrumentation and clinging assortment of eclectic electronic sounds was a sitting duck for remixers across all genres to try their hands at, and the first entry into GEMOLOGY’s remix catalog comes from another TMN mainstay; German born Glastrophobie, in the form of another welcome ‘TMN Premiere’. The clearly schooled dance-smith equips the tune with a delicate balance of the original’s alluring hook with another pattern of airy uplifting synths that wouldn’t seem out of place on a Kygo remix. Furthermore, Joanie Wolkoff’s vocals echo across as initmately as ever amongst Glastrophobie’s sonic sound kit; sounding as close as a shared conversation across a pillow. It’s lovely to see a tune’s original soul kept intact while also shifting cadence and mood simultaneously, which to us solidifies Glastrophobie’s grasp on a developing and unique sound. Stream Glastrophobie’s remix of “First & Last” above, and check out more sounds from the budding artist here.