Blue Christmas – a festive indie mixtape

1 December 2009

XO for the Holidays Vol.2 The shops may think that Christmas starts in mid October, but we all know that in reality you should only start preparing on 1st December with that first choccy in the advent calendar.

So as a way of starting off the musical advent (and I’m in no way religious, but enjoy a reason for a gluttonous festival as much as the next man), we have a little Christmas/winter indie mixtape from the kind folk over at XO Publicity. A little change from the Slade/Wham/East 17 that you”re all hearing elsewhere.

We’ve always done a little bit to spread the festive spirit in the four years we’ve been going, but rest assured that our normal duties of finding the best emerging talent takes no breaks. It’s just we might find time to slip in a few festive gems on top.

Blue Skies For Black Hearts – Wishing You a Merry Xmas
Jessie Torrisi – Christmas Don’t Be Late
The Backsliders – Christmas (Doesn’t Have To Be So Bad)
The Very Foundation – All Lit Up (For Christmas)
The Winter Sounds – The Anthem Is A Gift
Drew Grow – Tennessee Christmas
Transient Songs – Santa
Piney Gir – You Make Me Feel So Young
Sleepwalk Kid – Snowed In
Caravan of Thieves – The Grinch
Team Five – New Years Eve

Or download the whole thing as a zip file
XO for the Holidays Vol.2

Clap to the Electricity Vol.11 with Good Luck at the Gunfight, Pony Pony Run Run, Milke, Discobot, Bloody Beetroots

By: Tim

7 August 2009

In: Mixtapes, News & Leaks

8 comments

Clap to the Electricity 11 It’s finally here. a full six months since the last one here is a few more electro wonders to throw at everyone.

Good Luck at the Gunfight have been one of my favourite finds of the last couple of months, with a distinctly summery Daft Punk-esque sound going on in their debut (and free) EP.

Filthy Dukes have produced some more eminently danceable synthpop from there wonderful Nonsense in the Dark

James Rutledge does the remix job on Fever Ray to make Triangle Walks sound a little like La Roux coming up.

Fear of Tigers turns in some synth dramatics to turn Ghost in the Water‘s Dodging Lazers into pure pop electro.

Tesla Boy have more familiar electric goodness that makes you want to dance.

Pony Pony Run Run have been remixed by StereoHeroes remix on Hey You to bring in straight to any disco floor that wants the kids jumping.

TBW favourites Magic Wands have been remixed by Kitsune‘s Crystal Fighters who have added their fucking amazing electro-spanish dance work making this my favourite remix. Thanks to Mac for the tip on these guys back when I was at Edinburgh – you were very very right.

The Bloody Beetroots do their electro-disco-pop workout on Bugo‘s La Mano Mia. Yes is pure pop, but it doesn’t pretend to be anything else and will bring a smile to any face.

Milke‘s Love get out of my way has been given the Designer Drugs treatment (and I would say their best remix work to date) as it turns into a indie-electro track that should get anybody to move.

Mottorama‘s Far Better has been remix by Brazil’s Subtropics label-mate Discobot. This (and the rest of the free Subtropics EP) has been in very heavy rotation here since it turned up just after our last mixtape. Brazillian electro-punk at its best. The whole EP is just fucking fantastic.

Cryptonites come in with something a bit heavier and a load of distortion with Boots Electric

Automatic Panic has been remixed by Trash Yourself in their typically distorted banger-esque style. It needs to be loud and but when it drops really really pushes forward.

Dance favourite Mr Oizo has been given the remix treatment by Arveen & Misk with a distorted disco-like bassline and a little synth masterclass.

Trash Yourself and Toxic Avenger‘s Die has been worked over by Jesse Jamz to continue things heavy with distorted vocals covered in beautiful beeps and squeeks.

Clap to the Electricity 11 Clap to the Electricity vol.11 - back cover

You can also download the whole mix as a zip file:
Clap to the Electricity vol.11

The Darker Side of Synths with Pegase, James Rutledge, Future Islands and Ben Sollee

By: Tim

17 July 2009

In: Mixtapes, News & Leaks

6 comments

With the cold spell and the rain coming back to our shores, now seems a perfect time to showcase a few of the artists that showcase the other, slower, deeper and darker side of electronic music.

Pegase starts of the mix with a track that has soundtracked some of my more personal and introspective moments over the last few months after Bec over at Electrorash picked him up. Slow epic and atmospheric electronic movements demonstrating his skill makes Pegase one of the most exciting electronic artists of the moment.

Shark Speed offer a more positive note, but slower and more precise synth piece, with what sound like reversed drum crescendoing throughout to help the song build. Beautiful.

The Deer Tracks have a more chaotic sound to them that in parts remind me of Meursault, but this is all bedtime story electronic rather than moving in the folk direction.

James Rutledge seems to be getting a good amount of well deserved attention at the moment, as he lends his expansive electric atmospheric soundscapes that meander around its theme

Fever Ray offer a very simple song structure with constant reverberating bass and slow rhythm with that builds itself into your consciousness.

Future Islands here display their softer side in this ballad that could almost be Sigur Ross if it wasn’t for a vocal line that could be from a song from the 50s.

The Thrills have been remixed by the wonderful Sebastien Tellier to turn their pure pop ballad from a year or two ago with smooth sweeping synth gestures which brings a new emotional depth to the song.

Alaska in Winter keep a repetitive drum thump throughout this track in which the vocoded vocals blend into the synth melody which is one of my favourite songs for the 6am comedown shift.

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone were previously featured on my summer playlist but here they play a ballad love lost with distorted drums to maintain their disjointed sound and keeping the song relatively upbeat.

James Delay picks up the rhythm a bit, with plenty of brass samples but staying with the slower and more relaxed feel that would be called “chill out” if that hadn’t become such a dirty term over the past couple of years.

Ben Sollee‘s abilities of penning lyrics and vocal melodies with depth and yet catchy are demonstrated to fantastic effect in this Computer v Banjo Remix.