Roby Benvenuto - Gringo (Extended Version)

 

It's been a while since I posted some Italo Disco here, so it's time to catch up. Released in 1987, 'Gringo' is a track by Roby Benvenuto, aka Roberto Bonizzoni. The song wasn't a massive hit, except maybe in Italy, but it's a typical exemple of Italo Disco: a catchy melody, electronic drums, overdubs and heavily accented English lyrics...and you'll quickly understand why the song never won the 'best lyrics' award ('Hey, don't shoot at me. My colt is dangerous because my hand is very fast') 😄😄😄

Zynic - My Personal Kryptonite (Bizarro Extended Mix)

 

Taken from his first album 'Fire Walk With Me', released 29 April 2011, 'My Personal Kryptonite' is a brilliant synthpop tune by Peter Siemandel, aka Zynic. The version here is the Bizarro Extended Mix, taken from the EP 'Dreams In Black And White', released 16 September 2011.

VNV Nation - Space & Time

 

Taken from their eight studio album 'Automatic', released 16 September 2011, 'Space & Time' is a catchy dance track by VNV Nation. A brilliant, building sound, punctuated by Ronan’s distinctive lyrics, and a stop-start harpsichord solo that’s simply brilliant.

Eric C. Powell + Andrea Powell - Need A Place (People Theatre Angel Remix)

Eric C. Powell + Andrea Powell - Need A Place (People Theatre Angel Remix)

 

Taken from the album 'True Remixed', released 21 February 2020, 'Need A Place' is a great synthpop ballad by Eric C. Powell & Andrea Powell, the US Indie duo formed by the founders of the early 90s synth band Turning Keys. The version here is the great remix by People Theatre, aka Peter Rainman.

Machinista - Angel

 

Taken from their third album 'Anthropocene', released 7 June 2019, 'Angel' is a haunting track by Machinista, the Swedish synthpop duo formed by John Lindqwister & Richard Flow. A great melody speeding up suddenly with percussive six string for some chantalong gothic disco.

 

Mesh - My Protector

 

Taken from the album 'Looking Skyward', released 26 August 2016, 'My Protector' is a fantastic track by Mesh, the Dark Synthpop band based out of Bristol. The opening track of their last studio album is a somehow-instantly-familiar-song, a neat little synthpop gem from a wonderful album.

Mördelin - The Forest

 

Taken from their EP 'Preface', released 28 June 2019, 'The Forest' is a great track by Mördelin, the Manchester based dark synthpop duo formed by Amy Williams & Pascal Carton. A brilliant track taken from a fantastic EP (only 6 tracks but they're all good), highly recommended if you haven't heard it yet :)

Norderney - Little Raven

 

Taken from their first album 'From Fiction To Reality', released 26 March 2018, 'Little Raven' is a haunting track by Norderney, the German synthpop duo from Rostock, Germany. The song begins like a lullaby with a few repeated piano notes, and grows in strength just like the little raven.

The Maxx - Cocaine

 

New beat originated in Belgium in 1987 and the most commercially successful new beat group were Confetti's, aka Belgian producers/musicians Dominic Sas & Serge Ramaekers. Together they are responsible for numerous releases under various aliases such as Atomium, B.B. Jerome & The Bang Gang, Highstreet, Techno Twins or The Maxx. It's under this last alias that they've released 'Cocaine' in 1988.

Reichsfeind - This (VDOC Remix)

 

Taken from his brand new EP, released today 23 September 2022, 'This' is a catchy track by Reichsfeind, aka Timo Cromm from Frankfurt, Germany. The version here is the great remix by Jan VDOC.

PS: The video isn't available yet, but join us today at 4PM CET for the Premiere :)

Harmjoy - We Keep Circling (Spin-Mix By Eisfabrik)

 

Taken from their EP 'Pain Decay', released 11 July 2014, 'We Keep Circling' is a great dance track by Harmjoy, the synthpop duo formed by Ølåf Å. Reimers (Tyske Ludder) & Dan von Hoyel (Titans). The version here is the catchy Spin-Mix by Eisfabrik.

Electronic Frequency - You & Me

 

Released only a few days ago - 16 September 2022 - 'You & Me' is a haunting track by Electronic Frequency, the German electronic duo formed by Christian Kossat & Oliver Schulz. Please note that this track has only been released as single (digital release) and is not available on their latest album 'Con:Trast', released 13 August 2022.

Iris - Take The Pain (Mesh Mix)

 

Taken from their last album 'Six', released 23 August 2019, 'Take The Pain' is a great track by Iris, the synthpop band formed in Austin, Texas, by Reagan Jones and Matthew Morris in 1993. The version here is the remix by Richard Silverthorn (Mesh), taken from the Deluxe Version of the album.

The Dignity Of Labour - Liquid (Silica Gel Remix)

 

Taken from the eponymous album 'The Dignity Of Labour', released in September 2005, 'Liquid' is a great electronic track by The Dignity Of Labour (TDOL in short), the solo project of American musician Kirk Taylor. The version here is the great remix by Silica Gel, the Spanish synthpop act formed by David Orensanz & Alberto Palazón.

 

Machinista - Picture Frame Eternity

 

Taken from the album 'Garmonbozia', released 15 June 2015, 'Picture Frame Eternity' is a great track by Machinista, the Swedish electronic duo formed in December 2012 by John Lindqwister (Cat Rapes Dog and at least 5 other bands) and Richard Flow (Vision Talk and other bands). If you like this band, we'll post a video from another song soon :)

Simple Minds - Theme For Great Cities

 

Taken from their album 'Sister Feelings Call', released 16 October 1981, 'Theme For Great Cities' is a fantastic track by Simple Minds, the Scottish band founded in 1977 in Glasgow. This instrumental proved so enduring a composition - in my opinion it's simply one of the best instrumental ever made - that it was later re-recorded in 1991 as a B-side to the single "See the Lights".

 

Howard Jones - Formed By The Stars

 

Taken from his brand new album 'Dialogue', released 9 September 2022, 'Formed By The Stars' is a beautiful haunting track by Howard Jones, the British musician who celebrated his 67th birthday in February. This album is the third in a set of four: Engage (2015) was the first one and Transform (2019) the second one. The fourth album in the set - his fifteenth studio album - Global Citizen is expected in 2023.

 

Chrom - Losing Myself

 

Taken from their second album 'Synthetic Movement', released 30 March 2012, 'Losing Myself' is a cool atmospheric track by Chrom, the German duo formed in May 2007 by Christian Marquis and Thomas Winters. A great song with a quite catchy melody, taken from one of my fav' futurepop album :)

Solitary Experiments - Stars

 

Taken from the album 'Phenomena', released 18 October 2013, 'Stars' is a great dance track by Solitary Experiments, the German futurepop band formed in 1994 by Dennis Schober and Michael Thielemann. This atmospheric song reminds me very much of the sound and composition of VNV Nation, so I guess that's not a bad thing :)

Elektrostaub - Anxiety (Prolog)

 

Taken from the album 'Birthday And Death', released 17 November 2017, 'Anxiety (Prolog)' is a really cool instrumental track by Elektrostaub, aka Patrick Knoch. Opening album tracks are often considered as 'fillers', but this isn't the case here, 'Anxiety' is a beautiful orchestral song with many layers and I hope you'll appreciate it as much as I do. Enjoy the track and make sure to read the message at the end of the video.

Electro Spectre - You Push For The World (Extended Version)

 

Taken from the album 'Bullets & Desert Blooms', released 1 September 2014, 'You Push For The World' is a haunting track by Electro Spectre, the Norwegian electropop duo formed in 2009 by Isak Rypdal and Alexander Björneboe. The version here is my own extended version, so I hope you'll like it :)

Raindancer - Come With Me (Extended Version)

 

Taken from their first album 'Audio', released in March 2005, 'Come With Me' is a catchy dance track by Raindancer, the electropop duo from Stockholm, Sweden, formed by Erik Skalin & Thomas Sandberg. The version here is the Extended Version, taken from the 'Come With Me (CDM)', released 27 March 2006.

 

Front 242 - No Shuffle (V2)

 

Taken from the second edition of 'Politics Of Pressure (12")', released in May 1985, 'No Shuffle' is one of the first big 'hit' for Front 242, the Belgian pioneers of electronic body music (EBM). The track was released a few months after their second album, 'No Comment'. During this time, Front 242 had some collaborations with Luc van Acker (founding member of Revolting Cocks). On one occasion, Luc brought his guitar and gear to the band's studio where samples of the session were used in composing this track.

Solar Fake - More Than This

 

Taken from the album 'Frontiers', released 22 July 2011, 'More Than This' is a great track by Solar Fake, the German electro act founded by Sven Friedrich (Dreadful Shadows, Zeraphine) in 2007. Driving beats and a great melody you can't get out of your head once you hear it, one of my fav' from Solar Fake for sure :)

Norderney - Message

 

Taken from the album 'Connected To Your Mind', released 19 April 2019, 'Message' is "a SOS for the mankind sent by the last human". A haunting track by Norderney, the German synthpop duo from Rostock, Germany, taken from a great album, highly recommended if you haven't heard it yet :)

Zynic - Slice Of Life (Morgan War Gestern Mix)

 

Taken from the 'Neon:EP', released 1 December 2017, 'Slice Of Life' is another little synthpop gem by Zynic. The version here is the extended remix by Peter Siemandel, using elements from famous tracks such as 'Our Darkness' by Anne Clark, 'People Are People' by Depeche Mode or the famous Alfred Hitchcock's sample 'Music to Be Murdered By'.

 

Mesh - Circles

 

Taken from the Bonus Disc of the album 'Looking Skyward', released 26 August 2016, 'Circles' is a little gem by Mesh. The track was initially called 'What’s Happening To Us' and was supposed to be the B-Side for the single 'Kill Your Darlings', but everybody thought it was too good to be a B-Side. In the end, 'Paper Thin' was removed from the album and became the B-Side, while 'What’s Happening To Us' later became 'Circles' and only appears on the Deluxe version of the album.

 

Colony 5 - Synchronized Hearts

 

Taken from their second album 'Structures', released 19 May 2003, 'Synchronized Hearts' is a really cool tune by Colony 5, the Swedish futurepop duo founded in March 1999 by P-O Svensson & Magnus Löfdahl (who left in 2001 and was replaced the following year by Magnus Kalnins).

 

The Echoing Green - The Story Of Our Lives

 

Taken from the album 'The Winter Of Our Discontent', released 14 April 2003, 'The Story Of Our Lives' is a great track by The Echoing Green, the American synthpop band founded in 1992 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by Joey Belville and Aaron Bowman. The song became somewhat of an anthem in the synthpop underground, and certainly a favorite off of this album.

Ultravox - Hymn (Extended Version)

 

Taken from Ultravox's sixth studio album 'Quartet', 'Hymn' was released as the album's second single (the first one being another brilliant track, 'Reap The Wild Wind'). The song reached #11 on the UK Singles Chart and the Top 10 in Germany and Switzerland. The version here is the Extended version taken from the 12" released 19 November 1982.

 

Covenant - Brave New World

 

Taken from the album 'Skyshaper', released in March 2006, 'Brave New World' is a fantastic track by Covenant, the Swedish electronic band formed in Helsingborg in 1988 by Eskil Simonsson and Joakim Montelius. A great song with its clever melody, hard beats and overall hit-feeling.