Aussie electro types on Modular, whose ‘Shadows’ was a minor fave of mine last year, return with a slightly more muscular sound that doesn’t quite match previous heights. Works better without the blah-blah vocals, stripped of which it sounds like an extract from a recent Ladytron album.
Can’t really go anywhere with this one beyond repeating everything I said when discussing Remedy. After a false start with the uncharacteristic single and video for ‘New In Town’, Miss Boots is very much back in the game, playing to type with this synths-in-space video and another single that, well, sounds like Little Boots. All in all a very decent reminder of why we liked her in the first place, a cracking chorus and that’s really all you need to know. Some good remixes doing the rounds too. A few can be found here from Treasure Fingers and (even better) Yes Giantess. Video below the click.
Pascal Arbez, AKA Vitalic, creator of the decade-defining La Rock 01 and the equally ace debut album OK Cowboy in 2005, has been pretty quiet for the past few years. Back this year, finally, with a follow-up album called Flashmob, Poison Lips is pretty typical of the sound. Atmospheric, brooding, almost creepy electro that, while not moving tectonic plates to the extent that OK Cowboy often seemed to, hits the spot and sounds a class above anyone else still ploughing this particular furrow. The video complements the noises perfectly and is, as ever, below the click.
While the Raveonettes may have just about got over their thing for concept albums themed around a chord sequence, there’s no doubting they’re still in thrall to Spector girl group harmonies as filtered through the Jesus and Mary Chain fuzzbox handbook. The tunes just keep getting prettier though, and this track, out as a double-A with the even more delectable “Bang!”, is a good taste of their excellent new album In and Out of Control. Matthew Lessner’s blue-screen and wooden bird filled video is an additional treat.
Dutch trance dude Tiesto is generally better known for filling enormodomes (and Olympic opening ceremonies) as a DJ than for his own releases. New album Kaleidoscope should change that, packed as it is with chart-friendly tunes featuring big name guests like Nelly Furtado and Kele from Bloc Party, as well as a few more interesting choices from further leftfield. This first single is a decent slab of dancefloor friendly pop, but it’s especially worth looking out for the tracks featuring Emily Haines of Metric and Tegan & Sara.
