Tag Archives: synth pop

[Indie/Synth-Pop] GEMOLOGY – First & Last [TMN Premiere]

GEMOLOGY
First & Last

We’re starting this fine Tuesday morning with a beautiful bang in the form of a TMN Premiere for Brooklyn dream-pop duo GEMOLOGY‘s first ever single “First & Last”. The translucent and multifaceted pairing of Natasha Chitayat and Joanie Wolkoff, GEMOLOGY respires a new life into an often times saturated synth-pop genre while providing their listeners with a visionary brand of pensive and introspective pop assemblage. While Natasha is a multi-instrumentalist/producer with an unwavering pop sensibility with Joanie cutting her teeth as a songer/songwriter with credits on projects such as Foxe Basin, Safra Nikoto and a forthcoming project titled “Her Habits.”; it seems they’ve both found the perfect musical balance for each others’ strengths. “First & Last” is a brooding slice of Chitayat’s resolute pop sensibility coupled with Wolkoff’s penetrating voice and lyrics; pulling from us a sense of longing, but also simultaneous hope. They say art in its purest form makes its audience feel something; and “First & Last” delicately pulls its listener in a number of welcome directions.  This one from GEMOLOGY got us off on the completely right foot this morning. Let it do the same for you.

Related items:

[Synth/Dance-Pop] Mansions on the Moon – Somewhere Else Tonight

Mansions On The Moon
Somewhere Else Tonight

With So-Cal alt-pop troupe Mansions on the Moon‘s debut LP release right around the corner in October, our anticipation has been piquing towards the group like never before. A few weeks back, the tasteful pop purveyors dropped the first single from the album, “Don’t Tell”, and today they’re back with the latest offering from their impending self-titled long player: “Somewhere Else Tonight”. Whereas “Don’t Tell” rode a more subdued dance melody, “Somewhere Else Tonight” feels much more aimed towards the dancehall than almost anything we’ve covered from MotM in the past. Their cadence rides more agile and quick than most anything within their library thus far, feeding on an expansive synth and perhaps our favorite vocalist in the entire indie landscape to bolster the tune’s entire sonic atmosphere. Speaking about “Somewhere Else Tonight”, the crafty ensemble of skilled musicians stated: “We wrote Somewhere Else Tonight during our first few months in Los Angeles.  The chorus was inspired by our move from East to West Coast .  After we wrote the verses, the lyrics became a metaphor, not only for getting out of one’s comfort zone but also for returning to a childlike, imaginative perspective towards mundane everyday life.” That inspirative vibe is absolutely felt with every kick, clap and synth stab contained in this four-minute pop stride, so do yourself a favor and feel it above.

Related items:

[Soul/Synth-Pop] Mapei – Don’t Wait (Happy Accidents Vocal Remix)

Mapei
Don't Wait (Happy Accidents Vocal Remix)

Some songs are so beautiful they immediately stop you dead in your tracks. When we first were played Mapei’s “Don’t Wait”, which we featured all the way back in November of last year, we experienced that exact feeling in spades. Today, that beautiful single gets a lovely mid-tempo dance-pop remix from the nation spanning music project that is Happy Accidents. Currently made up of one artist, general musician and producer; the 90’s Britpop influenced, melodic-pop trio have authored the soulful dance sibling to Mapei’s touching original. The orginal recording’s instrumentation receives a complete overhaul in favor of sticky sweet melody and delicate synth work to take “Don’t Wait” somewhere only these three could. Happy Accidents’ remix has already received official support from both Mapei herself and Columbia & Downtown Records, and comes with our TMN stamp of approval all over it. About the tune they had this to say: “When we first heard the song, it resonated with us right away and inspired us to have our own take on it — reworking the vocals and instruments. We sent it to her team, who gave their approval and support to share it with all of you.” Grab the free download here and try not to cry as hard as we did when the first verse hits.

Related items:

[Synth-Pop] Olympic Ayres – Control

Olympic Ayres
Control

There’s no denying that here at TMN we’ve been huge fans of the Australian indie scene in general with one of our favorite writers even residing Down Under, and behind such prominent labels like Future Classic and Popfrenzy it seems like every day we’re exposed to more exciting acts, most notably of the indie and synth-pop persuasion. Recently, behind prim and polished singles “Magic” and “Take Flight”, Sydney’s Olympic Ayres, have assumed their place as the undisputed apple of this writer’s eye… or ear for that matter, and their latest effort easily has worked its way onto our office playlist. “Control”, Kamaliza Salamba and Nathan Mifsud’s second single from impending debut EP Leisureplex, plays like a breezy slice of funk and disco fueled pop music. Behind what sounds a Nile Rodger’s leaning lead guitar, and a beautifully swung 80’s synth and bass line, “Control” is slightly more restrained than their past offerings but with the same amount of aural and emotional impact we’ve come to expect from the talented pair. Olympic Ayres debut EP Leisureplex is set for release Sept 17th stateside and on the 18th in Australia, and we’re hoping to get at least one more taste before its anticipated release. Stream “Control” above, and pick it up on iTunes here before we get to hear Leisureplex in its entirety.

 

Related items:

[Chill/Indie-Pop] Wolf Colony – The One

Wolf Colony
The One

It’s always been a special treat when an act whom we had been previously unaware of completely sweeps us off of our feet. Adding themselves to that envious list of artists is NY to LA, coast spanning indie-pop duo Wolf Colony. While we were first tipped to their lush sonic landscapes and emotionally driven avant-pop sound a few months ago, we initially caught them in a lull of new material; so when lead vocalist, known simply as “Wolf” and producer Neal Sarin dropped us their latest tune, “The One”, we were a bit elated to say the least. The lead single from Wolf Colony’s debut long-player Unmasked; “The One”, plays out in defiance to the current wave of synth and indie pop. Whereas so many electronic artists today texturally clutter their sound with as many differing, and boisterous elements as will fit onto the arrangement, Wolf Colony offers their compositions  an alternately enlightened path, featuring  relatively bare arrangements dominated by a few, high-impact elements that offer a roomy, massive, yet intimate soundscape. “The One” shuffles its way to a breezy stride out of the gate, before an 80’s leaning synth kit and two-step percussive line open up a paradisiacal amount of space for Wolf’s melancholic, and deeply emotive vocal refrain to dictate a dark, graceful and positively catchy atmosphere. While just a short jaunt, Wolf Colony manages to hook its listener and leave us with nothing to do but simply set “The One” on an endless loop for the rest of the day. Let this one give you a few feels today, we sure did.

Related items:

[Synth-Pop] Carousel – My New Friend

Carousel
My New Friend

Something about L.A. duo Carousel and their pensive brand of brooding, but sticky sweet take on pop music has had a most resonant affect on much of the staff here at TMN since their debut EP 26 Allston. After recently wrapping up a much revered country wide tour in support of Cherub, the former Berklee School of Music students finally had the chance to pen another original, and once again we were struck by the simplistic beauty of Carousel’s sound. “My New Friend” gets behind a Jackson Phillip’s keyed synth line delivered with all of the careful bombast of an early 80’s Duran Duran hook, but with the type of indie sensibility that could be found on a Neon Indian composition. The pair’s subdued vocal incantations echo harmoniously off of each other, invoking the kind of contented nostalgia that has its listener harkening back to their first middle-school make out session, which depending on your experience should be a mostly good thing. It’s safe to say, the boys hit the mark, and with Summer nipping at our heels, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Related items:

[Synth/Indie-Pop] Little Dragon – Let Go

Little Dragon
Let Go

We’ve been following Little Dragon‘s every move leading up to the release of their fourth official long player, and this morning the Swedish dance-poppers have unveiled a third single off of Nabuma Rubberband. “Let Go” is a slow burning slice of melodic pop, leaning on a stripped down, sultry Yukimi Nagano vocal and subdued percussion; which to the delight of their purist fans falls more in line with the minimal dance sound of their debut self-titled album than the sticky-sweet electro-bounce the world at large has fallen for. Regardless, this one will no doubt find its way into the hearts of Little Dragon fans both old and new with its beautiful instrumentation and obvious crossover shine. We simply can’t contain our collective excitement around here for the album’s official release date of May 13 and subsequent live tour, so if you happen to vacate one of the lucky cities on their next jaunt, we highly recommend you don’t skip on the chance to be whisked into a gorgeous Little Dragon live set. Stream “Let Go” above.

Related items: