VNV Nation Special Week - Day 3/7: Gratitude

 

Taken from the album 'Automatic', released 16 September 2011, 'Gratitude' features a trancey but more upbeat vibe and the distinct feeling that the lyrics really mean something to Ronan, rather than simply having been crafted to fit the music. One of my fav' from this VNV Nation album, right after the classic, epic, emotional, 'Nova'.

VNV Nation Special Week - Day 2/7: Illusion

 

Probably their most known 'hit', 'Illusion' is taken from the album 'Judgement', released 5 April 2007. Although the tone of the album is quite depressing, Judgement is a beautiful album from VNV Nation, with many richly coated synthesizers and beautiful lyrics. An incredible song with great wisdom that can be played over and over again, without losing its power.

VNV Nation Special Week - Day 1/7: All Our Sins

 

As promised, here's the first video for our VNV Nation Special Week. Taken from their 10th studio album 'Noire', released 12 October 2018, 'All Our Sins' features some of VNV's strongest, most straightforward lyrics ever. The music recalls earlier tracks like “Kingdom” and “Honour” with a bit of orchestral flourishes. In my opinion, one of the best track from the album.

Within Temptation - Sinéad (VNV Nation Remix)

 

As an appetizer before our VNV Nation special week, here's a great remix by Ronan Harris for Within Temptation, the Dutch gothic/symphonic metal band founded in April 1996 in Waddinxveen. Taken from their fifth studio album, 'The Unforgiving', and released as single 15 July 2011, 'Sinéad' is a great dance track, highlighting Sharon den Adel's beautiful voice.

Accessory - No Man Covers (Neustrohm Remix)

 

Taken from the album 'Elektrik', released 14 June 2019, 'No Man Covers' is a great track by Accessory, the German based electro-industrial project formed in 1996 by Dirk Steyer, Kay Resch & Mike Koenigsberger, after changing their name from 'Voices Of Darkness'. The version here is the Neustrohm Remix taken from the 'No Man Covers EP', released 24 May 2019.

R.I.P. Fletch

 

Andrew John Leonard Fletcher (8 July 1961 – 26 May 2022), known as Fletch, was an English keyboard player, DJ and a founding member of the electronic band Depeche Mode. In 2020, Fletcher was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Depeche Mode.

In the late 1970s, Fletcher and schoolmate Vince Clarke formed the short-lived band No Romance in China, in which Fletcher played bass guitar. In 1980, Fletcher met Martin Gore at the Van Gogh pub on Paycocke Road in Basildon. With Clarke, the trio, now all on synthesizer, formed another group called Composition of Sound. Clarke served as chief songwriter and also provided lead vocals until singer Dave Gahan was recruited into the band later that year, after which they adopted the name Depeche Mode at Gahan’s suggestion. Clarke left the group in late 1981, shortly after the release of their debut album Speak & Spell.

Their 1982 follow-up album, A Broken Frame, was recorded as a trio, with Gore taking over primary songwriting duties. Musician and producer Alan Wilder joined the band in late 1982 and the group continued as a quartet until Wilder’s departure in 1995. Since then, the core trio of Gahan, Gore and Fletcher have remained active, most recently with the release of their 2017 album Spirit and ensuing world tour.

Fletcher died on 26 May 2022, aged 60.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power Of Love (Extended Version)

 

Released 19 November 1984, and taken from the album 'Welcome to the Pleasuredome', "The Power of Love" is the third single from Frankie Goes To Hollywood, the English synthpop group formed in Liverpool in 1980. This beautiful ballad was a top 10 hit in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New zaland, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and UK.

PS: This is the original extended version, but without the intro featuring actor Chris Barrie aping DJ Mike Read's banning of the single "Relax", because it didn't go with the rest of the video :)

X-Perience - Everytime

 

Taken from the album '555', released 21 August 2020, 'Everytime' is a brilliant cover by X-Perience, the German synthpop/eurodance group founded in 1994 in Berlin. Britney Spear's version was already very good, but thanks to Claudia Uhle's amazing voice, this version is simply a masterpiece :)

Secret Service - Flash In The Night (Long Version)

 

In 1979, Ola Håkansson teamed up with Tim Norell and Ulf Wahlberg as Ola+3 to write a few songs that they submitted for the Melodifestivalen, a popular contest which is the Swedish qualification to the Eurovision Song Contest. They did not win but the members decided to continue working together and changed their band's name to Secret Service. 'Flash In The Night', released as single in 1981 and taken from their 3rd album 'Cutting Corners', is their greatest success, hitting charts all over continental Europe (Top 10 in Finland, France, Norway and Switzerland - Top 20 in Belgium, Denmark and Sweden).

NamNamBulu - Guardian Angel (Distant Remix)

 

Taken from the album 'Distances', released 14 July 2003, 'Guardian Angel' is a brilliant track by NamNamBulu, the synthpop/futurepop duo formed by Henrik Iversen & Vasi Vallis in January 2002. A wonderful song (and I hope you'll like the video too) dedicated to all people out there who are still looking for their guardian angel.

A-Ha - The Sun Always Shines On T.V. (Extended Version)

 

Released in December 1985, 'The Sun Always Shines on T.V.' is the second successful single taken from the album 'Hunting High and Low' and also one of the most recognisable and popular songs of A-Ha, the Norwegian synthpop band formed in Oslo in 1982 by Paul Waaktaar-Savoy (guitars), Magne Furuholmen (keyboards and guitars) and Morten Harket (vocals). The song reached number one in Ireland and went Top 5 in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

Sero.Overdose - For You

 

Taken from their first album 'Serotonin', released 27 September 2002, 'For You' is a brilliant combination of highly emotional vocals, carrying synth melodies and dancefloor electro beats, by Sero.Overdose, the Berlin-based trio formed by Andre Hartung, Mike Johnson and Oliver Senger (and joined by René Meerkat in 2006). Still one of my fav' tracks, even 20 years after its release :)

DJ Visage - Formula (Hockenheim Club Mix)

 

Martin Sig, a Danish DJ, met Austrian music producer Norbert Reichart during a 1997 Formula 1 race at the Monza circuit. 'Formula', a Eurodance track released under the alias DJ Visage, is the result of is this meeting. The single became a worldwide hit, reaching Top 3 in the Netherlands and remaining at the 1st place for 5 weeks in Belgium (from March 21 to April 11, 1998).

In Strict Confidence - Seven Lies (Clubmix)

 

Released 13 December 2004, 'Seven Lies' is a great hypnotic dance track by In Strict Confidence, the German darkwave/electronic band founded by Dennis Ostermann, Stefan Vesper & Jörg Schelte (joined later by guitarist Haydee Sparks and singer Nina de Lianin). Their last album 'Hate2Love' has been released 4 years ago, so hopefully we will get a new one soon :)

Heaven 17 - Let Me Go! (Extended Version)

 

Taken from their second album 'The Luxury Gap', 'Let Me Go!' was released as single 30 October 1982 by Heaven 17, the English new wave and synth-pop trio formed in Sheffield in 1980 by Martyn Ware (keyboards) and Ian Craig Marsh (keyboards) (both previously of the Human League), and Glenn Gregory (vocals, keyboards). It reached #41 on the UK Singles Chart, the lowest chart placement among the singles from that album but their highest at the time of the single's release.

Nórdika Feat. Henrik Iversen - Like Stars

Taken from the album 'Hipnotik', released 10 December 2021, 'Like Stars' is a great collaboration between Alejandro Marin (Alex Nórdika) from Mexico and Henrik Iversen (best known for his NamNamBulu project, together with Vasi Vallis). Released as single 14 August 2021, this song was - and still is - one of my fav' synthpop song from 2021 :)

Coming soon: VNV Nation Special Week

I've spent a lot of time on this one, but I really wanted to make something special for one of my fav' band, VNV Nation. Starting 29 May 2022, I will post 7 brand new videos (one each day) to highlight some of my fav' tracks from the Irish alternative electronic project led by Ronan Harris...who has a lot in common with me. Ronan has worked as an IT manager and was a journalist and webmaster before founding VNV Nation. I have a licence in journalism, I've worked as webmaster (for dmremix.be) and I've worked several years as IT Manager, so I guess my next move should be to start a synthpop/futurepop band :) Anyway, bookmark the date in your agenda (first video is for Sunday 29 May 2022) and I hope that you will like the videos :)

Felix - It Will Make Me Crazy (Big Mix)

 

Released 12 October 1992 as the second single from his debut - and only - album '#1', "It Will Make Me Crazy" is a dance/electronic song recorded by British DJ and producer Francis Wright, known under the pseudonym of Felix. Featuring vocalist Steele, also known as Sam Brown, the song topped the chart in Finland and reached the top-5 in Switzerland, Ireland and Germany. Additionally, it was also a top-10 hit in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

Beborn Beton - Last Day On Earth

 

Taken from the album 'A Worthy Compensation', released 4 September 2015, 'Last Day On Earth' is a great track by Beborn Beton, the German synthpop group founded in 1989 in Essen by Michael B. Wagner, Stefan Netschio & Stefan Tillmann. They have released a couple remixes lately (for BlakLight and For All The Emptiness), but I hope they'll come back with a new album soon :)

Zynic - Land Of The Free

I'm a big fan of remixes and the last weeks have been very good for that, with new remixes albums from BlakLight, Cold Connection and Beyond Border, just to name a few. But hearing new songs is a different experience, especially when the songs are THAT good. In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm talking here about 'Best Before End', the new album by H.P. Siemandel, aka Zynic, released yesterday 13 May 2022. I decided to make a video for 'Land Of The Free', but I could have picked any of the other tracks, because they're all awesome, so if you haven't heard the album yet, I HIGHLY advise you to do that now :)

Mondträume - Whole

Released last week, 6th May 2022, 'Whole' is a great atmospheric track taken from 'The Unknown Path', the new EP by Mondträume, the Spanish synthpop/futurepop project lead by Pikotto VondMond, and now featuring a brand new lineup: Ivan Dervenev (Antilav, Himmash) and Madil Hardis (recently featured on Ashbury Heights’ “Wild Eyes” and “A Cut In A Place”). Please note that the video isn't available yet - it will be available today at 9PM CET, so join the premiere if you can :)

Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer (12" Extended Mix)

Released 30 March 1992, 'Rhythm Is A Dancer' is the second single taken from 'The Madman's Return', the second studio album by Snap!, the German Eurodance group formed by producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti. The song was an international success, topping the charts in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and UK. It also reached the top-five on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Edge Of Dawn - Siren's Call

 

Taken from the album 'Anything That Gets You Through The Night' released 21 May 2010, 'Siren's Call' is a sexy atmospheric track by Edge Of Dawn, the Mainz (Germany) based electropop act founded by Mario Schumacher in 1998 and joined by Frank M. Spinath in 2005. Not sure if the duo is still active or not but as far as I know they haven't released anything after this album.

Camouflage - The Great Commandment (US 12" Mix)

 

Originally recorded in 1983, 'The Great Commandment' was re-recorded in 1987 and released as debut single by Camouflage, the German synthpop band from Bietigheim-Bissingen. In their native country, the single went to number 14, but the song reached the top ten in more than twenty countries. The version here is the US 12" mix, released in 1988 and remixed by Gary Hellman & John Luongo.

Zero A.D. - Be My Eyes (Album Version)

Taken from their second album 'Consistency' released 20 December 2021, 'Be My Eyes' is a catchy electronic track from Zero A.D., the futurepop/darkwave Italian duo formed by Andrea Tomasich & Diego Bardari. If you haven't heard of them before, it's not too late to catch up :)

Fortran 5 - Heart On The Line (Voodoo Child Mix)

 

Taken from their first album 'Blues' released 21 October 1991, 'Heart On The Line' is a great electronic track by Fortran 5, the UK band made up of David Baker and Simon Leonard, who had previously worked together on I Start Counting. The version here is taken from the 'Heart On The Line' CDM and is remixed by Voodoo Child, aka Moby. In 1998, they changed their name again to Komputer and have released several albums and EPs under that name. Since 2015 the duo went on an hiatus.

 

The Frozen Autumn - Grey Metal Wings

Taken from the album 'The Fellow Traveller' released 3 November 2017, 'Grey Metal Wings' is a great atmospheric track by The Frozen Autumn, the Italian darkwave band founded in May 1993 by Diego Merletto. Hopefully Diego and Arianna, aka Froxeanne, will come back with new material soon :)

Cold Connection - Strange Kind of Paradise (Kim Lunner Remix)

 

Taken from the album 'Cold Connection Remixed' released today, 6 May 2022, 'Strange Kind of Paradise' is another brilliant atmospheric track from the Swedish synthpop duo, Cold Connection. Remixed by the Norwegian producer Kim Lunner, this one goes straight to my fav' tracks of the year :)

PS: The video isn't available yet. It will be public later today, so join us at 7PM CET to view it and for an opportunity to chat with Kim and the band :)

RRoyce - (It Smells Like) War (Eisfabrik Remix)

 

Taken from their second album 'Karoshi', '(It Smells Like) War' is a great synthpop track by RRoyce, the German electronic trio from Dortmund. The version here is the remix by Eisfabrik, available on the Deluxe Version of the album, released 27 October 2017.

2 Brothers On The 4th Floor - Dreams (Will Come Alive) (Extended Version)

"Dreams (Will Come Alive)" is a song by Eurodance group 2 Brothers on the 4th Floor formed by Dutch brothers & producers Bobby Boer & Martin Boer, and featuring D-Rock and Des'Ray on vocals. It was released in June 1994 as the fourth single from their debut album, Dreams, and is their most commercially successful single. It peaked at number-one in the Netherlands and also reached the Top 10 in Italy (number four), Finland and Belgium.

Sea Of Sin - You (Blume Extended Remix)

Taken from the album 'Unbroken' released 3 May 2019, 'You' is a great melancholic track by Sea Of Sin, the German synthpop duo formed by Frank Zwicker and Klaus Schill. The version here is a slightly extended version of the great Blume remix (the short remix is available on the album 'The Remixes' released 29 November 2019).

F.R. David - Words (Extended Version)

 

Released as a single in 1982 and taken from his debut album of the same name, "Words" is a synthpop song by the French singer Elli Robert Fitoussi, better known as F. R. David. The song was a huge European hit, peaking at number one in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, but 'only' number 2 in France. The song has been remixed multiple times but there wasn't any extended version for the original track, so here's mine...enjoy :)

Neuropa - Away (2004 Mix)

 

Taken from the album 'Born' released in 2004, 'Away' is a great melancholic track by Neuropa, the Australian new wave/synthpop band formed in Sydney by long time friends Jason Last & Albert Martinez. Formed originally in 1992 as Aura, they changed name in 1996 and have already released no less than 10 albums - the last one (Frontiers) was released in August last year.