Label: Columbia
Country: United States
Release Date: 2012.01.24

“Something” is the highly anticipated second album from Brooklyn based duo, Chairlift. Songs like “Ghost Tonight” and “I Belong in Your Arms” will remind fans what initially drew them to Chairlift and kept bringing them back. The album’s general sound is one of rich reverberating harmonic textures, interesting sonic pairings and lyrical adventures. Caroline’s vocal delivery comes through in perfectly delectable cadence with displays of technical prowess and raw emotional outbursts which are still artfully controlled and not in any way abrasive.

Label: Paper Bag
Country: Canada
Release Date: 2011.05.17

Despite taking the name of the Latvian goddess of light, this Canadian trio craft dark and turbid moods. And while singer Katie Stelmanis’ roots connect to fellow Canucks Owen Pallett and Fucked Up, her band’s seedy synth pop more often recalls Kate Bush’s dramatic art songs and the Knife’s ghostly techno-pop (and more specifically, the soured vowels of frontwoman Karin Anders-son). But from surging, operatic opener “Darken Her Horse” to closing piano ballad “Lose It,” Stelmanis’ voice and vision are mostly her own. (by andy beta)

Label: AMP Music
Country: Sweden
Release Date: 2010.09.13

The Amplifetes are a brand new 4-piece band from Sweden. Being accomplished songwriters and producers on their own, the members have worked with names such as Kelis, Madonna, Grandmaster Flash and Peter Bjorn and John. While having occasionaly crossed paths during the course of their careers, they have existed as a unit for about a year. The band think of themselves as a dreamteam collaboration of their influences – listing 60s Psychadelia, The Electric Light Orchestra, The Ramones, Elvis Costello, David Bowie and Chicago Trax Records House releases.

The highly addictive result can be heard in The Amplifetes debut single “It´s my life”, a spitting image of urban life and a happy three-part marriage between garage pop, electro and punk. It was featured recently in a promo campaign for Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli, starring a lightly dressed Milla Jovovich, creating quite a stir over europe. The intriguing cajun electronica of the follow up, “Whizz Kid”, has seen the band continue to get much love from radio stations and the blogosphere. Now their third single, a feverish road-trip psychadelia called “Somebody New”, lies ready to carry the torch along.

Label: Mercury
Country: Canada
Release Date: 2010.08.30

Dandilion Wind Opaine and Marta Jaciubek-McKeever are the exotically named duo that are Fan Death. Fan Death first released ‘Veronica’s Veil’ back in 2008 on Erol Alkan’s Phantasy label. A stunning debut, it’s signature string motif lit up dancefloors and quickly marked Fan Death out as one of the most original and exciting new duos. Based in Vancouver, they’ve since released the critically-acclaimed ‘Reunited EP’, toured with Florence & The Machine and Vampire Weekend, and are now ready to release ‘Womb Of Dreams’, their debut long player. Fan Death have created their own world with ‘Womb Of Dreams’. Star-gazing, fantasy, fashion and film inspire them as much as the classic synth pop of the 80s. ‘Womb Of Dreams’ is a dramatic, cinematic album that draws on 80s synth pop, disco, Polish cinema, fantasy films and fashion. (by altsounds)

Label: Mute
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2010.03.22

‘Head First’ is the fifth studio album from British electronic group Goldfrapp. Having wandered into the realms of pagan folk for their highly-acclaimed 2008 release ‘Seventh Tree’, the band have once again drawn from the synthpop style of 2005’s ‘Supernature’, while maintaining much of ‘Seventh Tree’s subtle nature. Alison Goldfrapp’s vocals are as heavenly and bright as ever, while the synths of Will Gregory compliment her perfectly, as evident on anthemic single ‘Rocket’

Label: A:larm Music
Country: Sweden
Release Date: 2010.03.01

RebekkaMaria udgiver nyt feminint album 1. marts. ”Sister Sortie” er titlen på albummet – en plade, hvor den danske sangerinde hylder mangfoldigheden blandt kvinder og ikke mindst i den enkelte kvinde med musikalsk portrættering af forskellige kvindeskikkelser. Som optakt forærer hun et remix af hendes aktuelle single ”Oh Solitude væk gratis. Remixet er skabt af ét af Hollands fornemmeste elektroniske pop duoer – Anderson.
Fornyelse er overskriften for RebekkaMaria i 2010. Med udgivelsen af ”Sister Sortie” fornyer hun sig ikke kun fra eksperimenterende elektrodronning til feminin fuldblodssolist – prefikset ”As In” er nu slettet for at illustrere, at RebekkaMaria for alvor skyder sin solokarriere i gang med et sanseligt og soulet album. ”Sister Sortie” er lagt an som en række bemærkelsesværdige kvindeportrætter – komplet med karriere, hjemmebag, småbørn og blomstershopping.
Albumtitlen ”Sister Sortie” er ment som et frontalt kvindeangreb, en feminin mission, en søsterlig offensiv med RebekkaMaria i rollen som både bannerfører og hornblæser for et kæmpekor af kampklædte hverdagskvinder.

Label: Naïve
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2010.04.05

London-based trio We Have Band’s debut album ‘WHB’ will be released through French label Naïve. The record will come out on 5th April, preceded by single ‘Divisive’ on 22nd March, and was recorded throughout 2009 with producer Gareth Jones.
Pounding drum machines, dirty basslines, even dirtier synths and a neat line in hypnotic, Hot Chip-style vocal hooks, We Have Band’s sweaty electro is simply irresistible. An adventurous & modernist concoction of post-new rave DIY sambapunkdisco jiggery-pokery that’ll come as a shot of distorted filth in the arm for an overflowing UK electro-pop scene… They got band. We found heroes.

Label: Atlantic Records
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2009.06.08

The weight of expectation sits heavily on the shoulders of Victoria Hesketh, but a synthesised shrug makes light of the hyperbole as the 25-year-old unassumingly blends Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk’s minimalist charm, to produce gently pulsing gems like No Brakes. Running through Hands like Blackpool in a stick of rock are Mathematics and Symmetry. The former thunders along to a cavernous drum and keyboard motif with undeniable numerical logic, and the opening sequence of the latter recalls the frosty glacial splendour of early Human League. As if by magic, enter Mr Phil Oakey, as though the past 28 years never happened. Like much else here, it could easily have gone cheesy, but the duet soars in minor triumph. Little Boots has the tunes to make this more than a nostalgia trip, throwing down challenges on the dance floor and thrashing out pop hooks by the dozen. (by scotsman)

Label: Out Of Line
Country: France
Release Date: 2009.06.01

One of the most prolific and unique musical projects in the electronic music scene returns with a long-awaited new long-playing album that marks one of the strongest works Die Form has ever created. Elaborately combining mesmerizing and disturbing photo art, experimental sound scapes, classical influences, heavenly voices and a rather healthy dose of relentless club sounds, Philippe Fichot and Éliane P. weave a sonic web on “Noir Magnétique” that is nothing short of enthralling. It is seldom that music works in both a club context and as a work of art. Die Form have achieved just that… while “Noir Magnétique” is one of the group’s most accessible and dance floor compatible releases, ever, easily matching their most successful club hits, it still sports an absolutely unique sound and artistic vision. The album expertly continues the path Die Form took with last year’s smashing single “Her(t)z Frequenz” (which is also featured on the album in a dazzling new mix) with strong beats, enticing melodies, cold sounds and a constant tug-o-war between harsh emotional coolness and pure, innocent beauty. “Noir Magnétique” will be released as a regular CD version and a lavish collector’s set, limited to 999 copies, and containing the album plus the special exclusive 7” single “Kobol” and a deluxe large-size booklet with the album photo art in an elaborate 7”-sized box. “Noir Magnétique” is not only driving Die Form’s unique sound to perfection – it is also an instant classic that shows the French Art Electro project at its very best. Electronic Club Sounds as an art form!

Scene Release: Die_Form-Noir_Magnetique-Retail-2009-FWYH
Release Info: 67Mb / VBRKbps

Label: Great Stuff Recordings
Country: United Kingdom
Release Date: 2007.10.29

Coburn are the producer/DJ duo of Pete Martin and Tim Healey. Together, they represent that space between rock’n'roll and dance where pretty much anything goes. As producers they are at the cutting edge and in demand, with their original material and dance cuts frequently topping charts (Cool Cuts, Beatport, Buzz) and getting regular radio play. They have single-handedly pioneered the “crossover” indie/dance sound and all but given birth to the dance-style currently hailed as: electro-house. Thanks to their releases and legendary Rock Da World/Dirty Beat All Stars events, as DJs, they have headlined clubs and festivals from the UK to Japan. They are currently some of the hardest working jocks in the UK, who when not touring are on permanent production duty in their west London studio. Years ago, they kick-started the mash-up/remix/re-edit movement in the UK with their re-edits of The White Stripes, The Hives and Nirvana. Even to this day, their highly sought after strictly limited releases change hands for big cash on ebay. Their critically acclaimed label: Frontier Recordings continued to showcase their talents as dance producers, until, in 2005, their monster dance anthem: We interrupt this programme, turned the modern commercial house track formula on its head and was signed to Ministry of Sound, and championed by Radio 1’s Zane Lowe and Jo Whiley (among others). Their follow up, the Moroder-esque Give me love (2006), continued to tear up dance-floors across the globe. (by funky soul)