SHREM'S CAROUSEL OF ÜBER NERDINESS: May 2016

Monday, May 30, 2016

CHOON OF THE DAY: "CLOUD 9" - Kasper Bjørke feat. Urður (Earth) + Remixes

Urður Hákonardóttir, previously known as Earth, Iceland's prime electronic soul vocalist whose flawless vocals have embellished some of Gus Gus' most celebrated songs to date ("David", "Over", "Need In Me", "Call Of The Wild", "Arabian Horse", "Another Life" to name just a few), has just joined Scandinavian electro efforts with the one and only Kasper Bjørke. The Danish producer's collaborative singles with fellow Nordics have been a success story for a while, the exceptional "Apart" with Sísý Ey and "TNR" featuring Jaakko Eino Kalevi being only the most recent examples. Bjørke and Urður team up for "Cloud 9" - a slickly produced, melodically affluent, melancholic synth pop moment echoing some 90's vocal house gems. Urður delivers another stellar vocal performance, proving yet again to be one of the most distinctive and impressive singers of the Old Continent. The single, accompanied by effervescent remixes from Weval and Marvin & Guy, is the first teaser taken from Kasper Bjørke's upcoming mini-LP "Fountain of Youth" which drops 10th June via hfn.

Here's what we read in the official press release: "Fountain of Youth" is a mini-LP drawing on Kaspers 15 years immersed in club culture and inspired by some of the genres he plays in his own DJ sets around the world; house, classic electro, post disco and techno. It’s exceptionally executed, a masterclass in exquisite sound and production - and a innate knowledge of dance floor dynamics.

Thursday, May 26, 2016

SHREM'S LIST OBSESSION: "If You Ever Wanna Change Your Mind" + Top 20 Greatest Sally Shapiro Moments

One of my most beloved musical acts, Sally Shapiro, have decided to call it quits. The talented pair of Swedes (Sally Shapiro & Johan Agebjörn) who have been reinventing the sweetest sounds of Italo Disco so passionately for the past 10 years, gaining a well deserved cult status among electronic musos globally, announced that "If You Ever Wanna Change Your Mind" is in fact their last single.

Here's what they had to say in an official press release:

"Our musical tastes don't overlap that much anymore. Johan is more into 90s-style electronica these days, and Sally is into non-electronic pop. In three years, we've only managed to record these two songs as Sally Shapiro, so with this single we have decided to call our musical project a day, and we would like to thank everyone who followed us on this journey."

Adding the following words on their official Facebook Page:

"We are moving into different musical directions and we don't want to bore you with music made for any other reason than a commonly shared inspiration and love for the music. We want to thank you all for your support through the years."

The single was out on a rather special day, marking exactly 10 years since the release party of Sally Shapiro's debut single "I'll Be By Your Side".

To celebrate 10 years of Sally Shapiro's colourful synth anthems, I have compiled the following list of my very own, most treasured songs by the Swedish duo:

20 "Starman" - with Electric Youth (2013)

19 "What Can I Do (Com Truise Remix)" (2012)

18 "Why Did I Say Goodbye" - Tommy '86 & Sally Shapiro (2014)

17 "This City's Local Italo Disco DJ Has a Crush on Me (Little Boots Discotheque Remix)" (2013)

16 "Architectured Love" - Sally Shapiro & Le Prix (2013)

15 "Hold Me So Tight" (2006)

14 "I Dream with an Angel Tonight (Lovelock Remix)" (2013)

13 "Save Your Love" (2009)

12 "Love In July" (2009)

11 "I Know" (2006)

10 "Find My Soul" (2006)

9 "My Fantasy" (2008)

8 "If You Ever Wanna Change Your Mind (Ben Macklin Remix)" (2016)

7 "I'll Be By Your Side" (2006)

6 "Looking At the Stars" (2013)

5 "Time To Let Go (CFCF Remix)" (2008)

4 "All My Life" (2013)

3 "Miracle (Bogdan Irkük Remix)" (2009)

2 "Moonlight Dance" (2009)

1 "If It Doesn't Rain" (2013)

Oh and Johan and Sally... If you ever wanna change your mind... We would certainly be ok with it...

Monday, May 23, 2016

SHREM'S DOUBLE TROUBLE: "LAST" - Rainbow Chan /// "GRIP" - GL

It's quite fitting that I would revive my blogging duties with a song by an artist of Chinese descent, considering the past 3 weeks' hiatus was caused by my travels to Hong Kong and mainland China. Rainbow Chan is no stranger to my carousel of sounds, her last appearance was in March when I was raving about her oddball synth-pop moment "Nest". With "Last" this Sydney-based "fervent collector of sounds" extends her eager exploration of the alternative Pop territories, escaping mainstream's mundanity and embellishes her signature eclecticism with sumptuous layers of unexpected electronic beats. I've had the track on repeat since it dropped via Silo Arts 2 weeks ago. I am also particularly fond of the series of artworks which accompany Chan's singles this year.

I have paired Rainbow Chan with GL today as both acts are based in Australia. My favourite cosmic funk Melburnians revitalise the sweetest synth sounds of the 1980's with complete success yet again. GL's distinctive oldschool productions combined with perfect glitter pop melodies make them one of the most exciting duos globally in my nerdy music books. The impossibly addictive "Grip" begins with some apt reminiscences of Madonna's "La Isla Bonita" in its full 12" mix glory. The track announces the release of the band's debut LP "Touch" which comes out later on this year via Plastic World / Midnight Feature. Heavenly good and ridiculously catchy!