Browsing Tag

Nu Disco

Garfield Mayor shredded inhibition with soul in his nu-disco pop hit, Foolish Feet

Hot on the blazing heels of his critically acclaimed single, Been Thinking, the British singer-songwriter Garfield Mayor, grooved the bar even higher with his lush self-produced summer anthem, Foolish Feet.

Knowing exactly how to command the mic with magnetic soul, Mayor ensures that being drawn into Foolish Feet hook, line and sinker is as obligatory as giving into the compulsive beat and surrendering to the melodies which reach the epitome of infectious fluidity.

Equally as sweet as the sonics which subvert the expectations of summer pop hits are the lyrics which tenderly implore the listener to throw away inhibition and self-consciousness. The lyric, “Who cares about cliches, let’s dance like the old days, we’re all the same species” exemplifies the essence of the single which advocates for living in the moment and casting aside self-preservation to make room for rhythm-led euphoria.

“I was the designated driver at a party. Get Lucky by Daft Punk started playing. I wanted to dance but it had been a while, and I was self-conscious… I went for it anyway, and I remembered how much I’d missed it. It reminded me what a valuable part of life dancing is.”

Coincidently, Foolish Feet is the perfect hit to get footloose with. The echoes of Nile Rodgers’ funked-up guitar and Daft Punk’s kinetic rhythms filtered through a vibe-driven nu-disco lens allow the release to hammer home the razor-sharp propensities of Mayor’s songwriting chops.

Foolish Feet hit the airwaves on August 9th; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lose your head and your heartbreak on the dancefloor with Sam Macdonald’s nu-disco hit, I Wanted More

80s synth pop vicariously lives and breathes through Sam Macdonald’s latest nu-disco hit, I Wanted More, which is a testament to the artist and producer’s cultivated talent, honed while studying music production at Leeds Conservatoire.

Hit play and be force-fed ear candy through the synthesis of the rhythmically compulsive disco grooves and the 80s Madonna-esque vocals that don’t stop at soaring above the production; the passion within them wraps around the track like an incandescent aura you will want to bask in time and time again.

The euphoria within the fiery neon-lit tour de force, which finds a vindicating way to address the dejection of not being able to meet unrealistic romantic expectations ensures that anyone who has been burnt by that particular old flame before will be able to lose their head and heartbreak on the dancefloor with this flawless hit.

I Wanted More was officially released on May 10th and is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pearl Poet – At the End of the World: Apocaloptimist Electro Pop

At the End Of the World by Pearl Poet

If the end of the world is nigh, we may as well follow the human proclivity to romanticise tragedy; there’s no better track to look at the apocalypse through an affectionate lens than the latest single, At the End of the World, by the Floridian producer duo, Pearl Poet. The pangs of euphoria as soon as you immerse yourself in the nu-disco landscape of melody, sincerity and harmony could turn up the heat in the bitterest soul.

As the lyrics and effect-imbued vocals euphonise on a thin line between existentialism and exuberance, the thematic duality of At the End of the World will take the reigns of your rhythmic and emotional impulses; relinquish control and you’ll find yourself in the safe hands of a gifted duo of apocaloptimist electro-pop producers.

The 80s pop aesthetic may continuously be revisited in 2024, but few artists are better placed to modernise the lush neon-lit synthetics as Pearl Poet. Wherever their creative journey takes them next, we want to be there for it.

At the End of the World will be available to stream on all major platforms from May 31. Stream and purchase the single now on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK producer, Audio Jacked has revealed another soulful floor-filler with Not Me That’s Broken, featuring Jessie Wagner

You only need to look at the title of Not Me That’s Broken to know Audio Jacked isn’t your average electronica grifter. By building his big room house track around emboldening substance and soul; he allowed emotion to drive the momentum just as much as the monolithic basslines and powerful breaks that rhythmically knock you off-kilter before the hooks pick you back up again.

Jessie Wagner had her work cut out for her keeping the progressive pace; between her vocal dynamism and the clear connection to the lyricism, she was arrestingly triumphant.

This may only be Daniel Puddick’s third release as Audio Jacked but the experienced UK musician and songwriter has been enriching the EDM scene since the 90s, and his finger is just as firmly on the big melody pulse as it ever was.

Not Me That’s Broken is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MACY looks at heartbreak through a sticky-sweet prism of optimism in her latest single, Pink Bandana

Nu-disco meets funk-pop in the latest single from the UK pop luminary, MACY.Pink Bandana’ pops the bubblegum pop bubble with the overdriven guitar riffs, funk-laced bass guitar and vocals that will leave any Marina and the Diamonds fan with the inclination to make the perennial pop earworm a playlist staple.

Pink Bandana, which was produced by Owain Felstead, runs you through the early stages of heartache, seen through a sticky-sweet prism of self-empowered optimism. The emboldening energy reads through the high vibe hook-filled instrumentals and MACY’s playfully fiery vocal charisma. Together, they’e a powerfully infectious combination.

Pink Bandana is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jennifer Jess has changed the perfect pop formula in her latest convictively electrifying earworm, Imagine You

It’s getting impossible not to get caught up in the hype amassing around the Atlanta-raised pop singer-songwriter Jennifer Jess and her demurely modernist nu-disco sound. Equally as affable is her tendency to bring mental health advocacy into her electrifying 80s-inspired sound.

Her latest release, Imagine You, comes after garnering 700k streams on Spotify for viral hits such as her 2019 earworm, Blue. The Shiny Toy Guns fan in me couldn’t be more enamoured with the ensnaring percussion, jangly indie pop guitars and Jess’ emotionally vulnerable yet convectively powerful vocals.

Imagine You is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bad Wolf peeks behind closed doors in his latest nu-disco single, ‘Curfew at the Disco’

While plenty of us sulked about the inaccessibility of dancefloors and lack of like-minded community, Philippines-based artist and producer Bad Wolf imagined what went on behind closed doors while creating his latest melodically tropic single, Curfew at the Disco.

After the release of his debut single, If I Can Make You Dance, in January 2021, he was scouted by MojoHeadz Records and inspired to release at least ten new singles in 2021. Based on Curfew at the Disco, we can expect plenty more soul-oozing DAW-created grooves from the artist who is quickly becoming renowned for painting with metropolitan strokes and with kaleidoscopically urban colour.

Curfew at the Disco unravels as a mix of euphoria-evoking nu-disco and roots deep techno that allows Bad Wolf to invite you into his imagination where you can explore the intimacy of the house parties which happened while dancefloors and venues gathered dust. The air of hedonist rebellion runs right through Curfew at the Disco, right next to the influence from indie dance and 80s Japanese City pop.

Curfew at the Disco officially released on May 3rd; you can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud. Connect with Bad Wolf via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

There’s quite literally ‘No End’ to the talents of Quite Vice

Catchy, hooky, easy-singalong-y (is that a word?), ‘No End’ – from debut album ‘Bedrock’ – is airy, dance-y shimmering electronic (as distinct from electro-) pop that sticks in your head from the first line of the first verse and refuses to leave again for a significantly long time.

If we say ‘a funky Lightning Seeds with maybe a touch of the Bluetones’, maybe even adding the song-writing perfection of Paul Heaton and the Beautiful South, you’ll immediately get the ball-park we’re in here; that instantly recognisable yet utterly fresh summery feel of irresistible, well-crafted timeless pop. That’s not to downplay it – it takes a disproportionate amount of skill to create something that sounds as effortless and easy-going as ‘No End’, with an instant familiarity that makes it sound both exciting and up-to-date and as comforting as a visit from an old friend, all at once.

Stylistically, the synths bring an obvious electronic vibe here – Daft Punk spring to mind – but there’s also heavy funk, disco, and 70’s pop influences, the Nile Rodgers staccato guitar and old-school Rhodes piano parts adding to the groove and loungey, nu-disco feel. Quite Vice might have just written the first perfect pop song of Summer 2021.

You can hear ‘No End’ on Spotify, and follow Quite Vice here or on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

 

Tribal EDM explosions of goodness with Lauretta Rua’s debut release ”Purity”

https://soundcloud.com/laurettarua/purity-edm-trance-tribal-funky-july-2020

Upcoming producer/beat badass Lauretta Rua impresses on new earthy Nu Everything track called ”Purity”.

This is perfect to chill with, groovy it up in the lounge, find that funky rhythm outside, get your drums and keep it tribal, rip up the rules and get trance-y, keep the volume up on EDM or you can do what is best and Nu Disco-it up until the sun starts shining bright. The point is that this is music to be enjoyed and I love the pureness and different genres all rolled into one here like a great night out.

Purity” is the perfect name for the new producer Lauretta Rua’s debut release. She is still new in the music scene and will hopefully stay away from all of the negative elements that plague it at times. This is a coming out song that strides up and pricks your ears back with interest.

Check out Bandcamp for this epic tune.

Stream this new song right here on Soundcloud.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen