Browsing Tag

80’s Pop

Rodney Pemberton has made his synthpop debut with Rendezvous (Reboot)

Posted on 13 July 2021

Caribbean-born, US-based pop artist Rodney Pemberton has unleashed his debut synthpop single, Rendezvous (Reboot); the tropic and passionate release runs in the same vein as no other.

Most pop artists unashamedly wear their inspiration on their sleeves only for it to become the entire essence of the sound; Rodney Pemberton certainly can’t be accused of the same. The independent artist has had a lifelong affinity for music, but it is only when lockdown hit that he turned his attention to making his official debut.

The feel-good pop hit comes with Abba-style infectious high vibes paired with dancey synths that strike on the darker side of the tonal palette to create plenty of atmosphere in the promising debut,

Rendezvous (Reboot) is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Antonio Didiano pays ode to 80s pop with his RnB single, ‘I Want You Baby’,

Posted on 22 May 2021
Antonio Didiano

RnB meets 80s Pop in Canadian-born artist Antonio Didiano’s latest single, I Want You Baby, which pays ode to the lyrical, vocal and production styles of Antonio Didiano’s biggest influence, George Michael.

The sonic reminiscences may be plentiful in the synth-driven track but Antonio Didiano still manages to put his signature sound into the mix with the entrancing deep house beats that groove along with the infectiously amorous melodies. As much as we appreciated the serious talent on display in I Want You, Baby, we would still like to hear Didiano finding a more even balance between his own sound and his icon’s.

I Want You Baby is due for release on May 28th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Antonio Didiano’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jake Inzerra blasts off with his 80s dance pop track, ‘Rocket’

Posted on 1 May 2021
https://youtu.be/M2cyvGFDvhk

Plenty of pop artists explore the interstellar with their sound, but with Jake Inzerra’s grooving single, Rocket, you’ll feel the ascension as your dopamine levels get a top-up and the 80s-influenced infectious melodies choruses take hold and bring the energy.

The Connecticut-born singer-songwriter and producer takes inspiration from pop icons from across the ages, and it shows through the timeless euphoric vibes in Rocket. But there’s plenty more to Inzerra’s connectable presence on the airwaves than his influences; he turned to music and dance after receiving homophobic abuse in his narrow-minded hometown before moving to NYC and finding the freedom to be inspired by 80s-style androgynous male glamour and harness his own creativity.

As a firm believer that androgyny is the future, there’s nothing more satisfying than encountering an artist bold enough to defy convention and be unapologetically, authentically sensational. Inzerra’s music is an irresistible invitation to live your own life, not a life of downtrodden assimilation that the illiberal prescribe.

Rocket released on April 23rd; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Pat Girondi & The Orphan’s Dream – soul-funk-pop with new single ‘I Did My Best’

Posted on 21 April 2021

70’s Motown, funk, soul, and tinges of early 80’s pop-rock combine on ‘I Did My Best’, the second single from Pat Girondi & The Orphan’s Dream’s fifth album ‘Orphan’s Return’. There’s obvious links to Chic, The Temptations, KC and the Sunshine Band, or the Gap Band, but there’s also that oh-so-cool-again 80’s groove – Scritti Politti, Blow Monkeys, or Curiosity Killed The Cat – that makes it sound totally on point and up-to-date.

Pat Girondi is originally from the South Side of Chicago, and – aside from being an Italian-American singer-songwriter – is also the founder of a Gene Therapy company; the five albums recorded so far by the Orphan’s Dream focus around – as the name suggests – orphan diseases, and around Pat’s fight to cure Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease. In ‘I Did My Best’, Girondi tells the story of injustice within the healthcare system, and of over-prescribing and mis-representing patient’s best interests. It’s also a killer little soul/funk/pop tune in its own right, and while the subject matter is serious that doesn’t stop ‘I Did My Best’ being utter fun.

You can hear ‘I Did My Best’, and the rest of the ‘Orphan’s Return’ album, on Spotify. Check out Pat Girondi & The Orphan’s Dream here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Swipe right on Coupdekat’s latest synth-pop single, ‘Love Online’.

Posted on 13 April 2021

UK-based singer-songwriter Coupdeka brought narrative pop to the next level with her latest single, Love Online, which optimistically captures the potential for love during Covid times, even if it has to be digital.

Under the influence of 80s indie icons such as Mazzy Star, The Slits and Blondie, Coupdekat brought a comforting feeling of familiarity to the track as she runs through the dystopic pitfalls of dating in 2021; if you know, you know. And if you know, you’ll undoubtedly find plenty of resonance in lyrics such as “we only make love online”.

Any fans of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Shiny Toy Guns will appreciate Coupdekat’s indie approach to contemporary pop with Love Online.

You can hear Coupdekat via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Emporers introduce themselves in no uncertain terms with ‘We Are The Emporers’

Posted on 10 April 2021
Emporers

Well, all of a sudden the 1980’s turned up, kicked in the door with a lacy sleeve-cuff and some Adam Ant eyeliner, popped their pixie-booted feet up on the table, and announced their intention to stay with a New Romantic frock-coat thrown firmly onto the back of the sofa. And, with ‘We Are The Emperors’, what an entrance it is; a three-piece electro-pop beaut writ large in gated, reverb-heavy snare beats, chocky guitar, and driving bass.

Drawn together by legendary Killing Joke bassist Martin ‘Youth’ Glover (producer for everyone from Bananarama to Pink Floyd, Edwin Collins, Siousxie and the Banshees, and The Verve), there’s some serious writing skills and musicianship behind the frills and blusher; touches of Pet Shop Boys and Yazoo electronica mixed with Spandau Ballet, Kate Bush, Gary Numan, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, and The Human League, but there’s some serious pop sensibilities too – Bananarama, again, Fun Boy Three, Go West, A-Ha, and Duran Duran, for sure. You get the picture – a United Colours of Benetton picture, framed in Black Ash and lit with neon, at the same time bang up to date and spectacular, pop-driven, and absolutely explosive. Make no mistake – there’s a retro-tinged influence here, for sure, but this is no simple regressive homage to the past; it’s cutting edge, stellar, and absolutely right now – with a superb video to match, ‘We Are The Emporers’ is simply a fabulous pop record.

Check out Emporers on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Georgia Polyniki – Shadows of Brightness: an operatic ode to 80s electro-pop

Posted on 5 April 2021

With slight reminiscences to Enya, Bjork and the Human League echoing throughout Georgia Polyniki’s latest uplifting pop track, the aural nostalgia defined by decades gone by is instantly perceptible. By switching between operatic and pop vocals, with Shadows of Brightness, she stamped down her radiating signature sound on the airwaves.

With her unique take on synthy electronica complemented by her empowering piano melodies, Georgia Polyniki ensured that no other 2021 pop track could lift you higher. It’s a perennial pop earworm that you’ll never want to leave.

Shadows of Brightness released on March 8th; you can hear it for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Project Rod Williams have released their synth-driven 80s pop serenade ‘Spin Me’

Posted on 24 March 2021
https://soundcloud.com/projectrodwilliams/project-rod-williams-spin-me-feat-ben-dial-mixb-master-1?in=projectrodwilliams/sets/spin-me

‘Spin Me’ is the latest track to be released by Washington-based electro dance-pop outfit, Project Rod Williams, any fans of the 80s retro vibe won’t want to let the euphorically animating track pass them by.

The disco and synth pop fusionists succeeded in bringing a fresh slice of lascivious pop to the airwaves while allowing their sensual synth-driven serenade to pay ode to acts such as Dead or Alive and Wham. The single is a promise of big things to come from Project Rod Williams in 2021 and beyond.

Spin Me is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Manchester’s smoothest synthpop outfit MODELS will send you swooning back to the 80s with their latest single ‘Thriller’

Posted on 3 March 2021

Manchester-based newcomers, MODELS’, latest single, ‘Thriller,’ will send you swooning right back to the 80s. With glassy synths, RnB-style romanticism and intimate indie vibes, the three-piece were successful in creating a sweetly elysian soundscape which would have dancefloors swaying – if they were accessible right now. But the extended sax solo and the smooth rock n roll crooning is just as enamouring when hitting you through a pair of headphones.

The level of passion contained in Thriller could convert cynics into hopeless romantics. It’s a stunning release which will undoubtedly stand MODELS in good stead when venues in Manchester are safe to house their honeyed retro sound once again.

Thriller was officially released on February 14th you can check it out via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Calvyn Cass – Me, Myself & I: A semi-retro feat of sensual self-loving pop

Posted on 19 February 2021

Vancouver-hailing singer-songwriter, Calvyn Cass, has extended the conversation around self-love with their single ‘Me, Myself & I’ which explores our complicated relationships with self-acceptance and poignantly points out that life leaves us under-prepared to deal with the pitfalls of insecurity.

Spend all day listening to the radio, and you’re likely to be bombarded with pop tracks longing for affection from an external source, Calvyn Cass delivers a nuanced reminder that you wouldn’t be quite so desperate for that validation if you could find it within yourself.

The semi-retro feat of sensual self-loving pop drips with the same amorous soul as you’ll find in hits from the likes of George Michael which celebrate the beauty of authenticity.

You can check out the official video to Me, Myself & I via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast