Browsing Tag

The Human League

80s euphoria grooved back around through Electraverb’s debut LP, NEON

Posted on 23 July 2024

In their debut LP, NEON, the synthpop duo, Electraverb, crafted a euphoric gateway to the 80s dancefloors. I Feel the Music, the standout single, ensnares through delicious grooves, neon-dripping chords, and sensuously magnetic vocal lines; each element ties together not just to revisit an aural era but to fuel it with contemporary fervour.

From the ashes of their previous project, Stoneblue, the founding members, Chris and Mazdak, seamlessly transitioned their synergy, catchy melodies and intricate guitar work which resounded through London’s synthpop scene in the 90s into their new project which marks their maturity as earworm architects.

The addition of esteemed backing vocalists Jo Garland and Shirley Lewis, known for their work with icons like George Michael and Elton John, is a testament to Electraverb’s determination to push their sound to the heights celebrated by their influences.

If you envisioned an aural love child of The Human League, Kraftwerk and George Michael, you’d conjure a reflection of the scintillating soul which oscillates through I Feel the Music which delivers hypnotic rhythms as the harsh snares pierce the lush reverb under the harmonised to the nines vocals.

NEON was officially released on June 14th; stream the LP in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Slender Dan dawned an electro-pop awakening with ‘Every Morning the World is Created’

Posted on 10 May 2024

In their latest single, Every Morning the World is Created, Slender Dan captured the essence of electro-pop while infusing it with a soul-stirring spiritual motif. From Nashville’s avant-garde scene, the duo channels their fascination with the psychedelic facets of life into this track.

It’s a tribute not just to personal transformations such as motherhood and rebirth, as Heather of Slender Dan shares, but also to the musical forebears who have sculpted the landscape of synth-pop.

The autotuned vocals climb ceaselessly, crafting an ethereal canopy above the dense, moody beats. This striking contrast grounds the listener, even as the melody seeks to lift them into a transcendental state. Slender Dan adeptly navigates through the shadows of Radiohead and the luminescent arcs of Electric Light Orchestra, with nods to the digital heartbeats of The Human League and the introspective harmonies of Boygenius.

As we approach Mother’s Day, this single serves as a reflective medium on the cyclical nature of life and the continuous giving of our planet. Hit play, and let Slender Dan guide you through a musical exploration that encourages appreciation of our ever-giving world.

Stream Every Morning the World is Created via Spotify when it reaches the airwaves on May 10th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Roubix & Ollie King painted the night in neon euphoria with their definitively 80s synthpop track, In Your Head

Posted on 11 April 2024

Roubix & Ollie King’s latest collaboration, ‘In Your Head’, is a vibrant homage to the golden era of 80s synthpop, masterfully blending our collective appetite for nostalgia with contemporary production. Following the viral success of ‘Atlantis‘, this dynamic duo continues to captivate the European disco scene, and ‘In Your Head’ is poised to be their next chart-topper.

The track is a kaleidoscope of upbeat, synth-carved rhythms that instantly transport listeners back to the neon-lit dancefloors of the 80s. Fans of Erasure, Gary Numan, and The Human League will find themselves in familiar territory, yet there’s a freshness to Roubix & Ollie King’s approach that prevents the song from being a mere pastiche.

The way the duo embrace their pop roots is completely unapologetic. Rather than reinventing the wheel, the single unadulteratedly nods to the 80s era of pop as it professes to be head over heels under the reflections of a disco ball. The harmonies are sticky-sweet, the lyricism impassioned, and the instrumentals perfectly calibrated to evoke both memory and emotion. This isn’t just an earworm; it’s a track that transcends time, offering an exhilarating escape into a world of neon euphoria.

With Spotify already confirming its inclusion in one of their official playlists and an impressive line-up of gigs across Europe, Roubix & Ollie King are poised to reign synthpop supreme throughout 2024.

In Your Head will be available to stream on all major platforms from April 11; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spirits of Saturn – Transfigured: A Synth-Pop Remedy for Souls Unbounded by Earth’s Orbit

Posted on 1 March 2024

Spirits of Saturn, a band that emerged like a comet in the musical cosmos, has graced our auditory senses with their latest single, Transfigured. The synth-pop odyssey that transcends the mundane unravels as a vibrant fusion of synth and strings, weaving a star-roving tapestry of influence from Kraftwerk, Todd Rundgren, and Daft Punk to submerge synth-pop fans in a constellation of future-perfect disco-pop sonics and vocals that can croon your soul out of kilter.

The beat-bolstered synth-pop ballad explores the mental labyrinth navigated during post-relationship dissolution; It’s a narrative of emotional metamorphosis, where even the most visceral feelings disintegrate through transmutation. The song’s structure, with its stabbing synth lines and euphoric beats, creates an atmosphere that will bring you down to earth and beyond its atmospheric remit. As Transfigured plays, you can’t help but feel unshackled from earthly constraints while simultaneously being in tune with the ache only humankind will know through our romantically masochistic tendencies.

If any outfit has what it takes to dominate the synth-pop scene in 2024, we’d put our money on Spirits of Saturn. They’ve already graced some of the most renowned venues in the UK with their decadently transcendent tones and proven their neon songwriting stripes.

Transfigured will land in Earth’s orbit on March 1st; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jessie Berkshires – Enough: An Ethereal Synth-Soaked Lesson in Self-Discovery

Posted on 29 February 2024

Jessie Berkshires’ latest single, Enough, is a masterful blend of alt-pop finesse and 80s nostalgia, wrapped in a neon glow of modernity and soulful conviction. The single opens with Berkshires’ ethereal harmonies which weightlessly drift across the stabbing synth lines.

The intro’s melodic foundation sets the stage for a rhythmically compelling backbeat that kicks against the rest of the reverb-swathed instrumentation to create an immersive experience reminiscent of a neon-drenched dreamscape.

Berkshires’ vocal delivery is a study in artful beguile, echoing the haunting allure of Kate Bush. Her voice, a serene yet strident force, weaves through the track, delivering catharsis and conviction with equal measure. The lyrics, a poignant reflection on independence and empowerment, resonate with a poetic clarity that strikes at the heart.

The track’s production is a deft mix of contemporary magnetism and retro charm. Imagine pouring Warpaint’s style into The Human League’s mould, and you’re close to the unique cocktail that is ‘Enough’. It’s a sound that’s as deliciously poured as it is thoughtfully concocted.

In ‘Enough’, Jessie Berkshires offers a lesson in how to blend past and present, pain and hope, into a track that’s as empowering as it is enchanting.

Enough arrived on the airwaves on February 16. Stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Holly Lovelady alchemised around the rough terrain of reality in her scintillated by synths folk-pop ballad, Helvellyn

Posted on 16 February 2024

Holly Lovelady’s latest folk-pop single, ‘Helvellyn‘, is a meticulously crafted piece of aural alchemy. Lovelady, with her arcane vocal harmonies reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and synth lines echoing The Human League, brings a fresh, artful approach to the genre.

‘Helvellyn’ is a scintillatingly spiritual modern ballad that seamlessly blends electro-pop with folk melodies while delving into the highs and lows we’re all fated to traverse. Her enchantingly ethereal vocal timbre effortlessly weaves through the melodies, allowing you to instantly feel at home in her profound presence.

Lovelady’s musical roots, nurtured in the cosy embrace of her grandparents’ home, are evident in the depth and authenticity of her sound. Her journey from covering classics to creating her own path in the music industry is reflected in the song’s metaphorical exploration of the rough terrain of reality.

The single stands out for its balance of artfulness and accessibility. It resonates as an ornate feat, an affecting blend of modern and traditional, without falling into the trap of becoming a dusty relic of bygone eras. Lovelady’s skill in modernising the ballad form while maintaining its soulful core is nothing short of remarkable.

With support from BBC London, BBC Merseyside, and Radio 6, and following a year of personal and creative growth, Lovelady is poised to make a significant impact on the alternative pop scene. ‘Helvellyn’ is more than just a feather in her cap; it’s a bold statement of her artistry and a beacon for the future of modern ballads.

Helvellyn was officially released on February 6th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ELSKA delivered synthwave redemption in her latest single, Flashback

Posted on 14 October 2023

With an 80s edge as sharp as the one carved by The Human League paired with the same spiritual zeal of Stevie Nicks, the latest single from the ever-ascending Australian pop icon, ELSKA carries enough of the nostalgic new wave feel-good factor to leave you exhilarated by the swells of retro aesthetics, but Flashback is so much more to an ode to seemingly everyone’s new favourite era.

The juxtaposing lyrics reminisce on crying on the bathroom floor – yea, we’ve all been there – while the shimmering aesthetic of the track affectingly attests to how we all have to write our own redemption story, which also goes for survivors of sexual abuse and assault. If the sticky-sweet hooks in the stellar four-to-the-floor bop don’t convince you that dark days don’t set a blueprint for your future, just wait until the harmonies start to layer into a synthesised choir.

Prior to the release of Flashback, ELSKA performed at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, collaborated with the world-renowned Brad Hosking on a track, and became a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. She has come a seriously long way since she made her debut in 2018. We can’t wait to see her make more Olympian strides.

Flashback was officially released on October 6; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ireland’s most experimental luminary ReHumanise has unleashed his monolithically surreal love song, Elemental

Posted on 11 June 2022

After a psychedelically soulful introduction to Irish multi-instrumentalist and producer, ReHumanise through his 2020 debut, our eyes and ears have been firmly affixed to the sonic maverick.

In his latest single, Elemental, he stormed in cooler and infinitely more visceral than Editors did when they unleashed Munich; it is a percussive electronic masterpiece with the acoustic snares snapping over the weight of the heavy electro beats. Juxtaposing-ly, every volatile fixture serves to contrast the soulful beckoning of the vocals as they project the canderous outpour of emotion in the celestial love song. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if he had to travel to a parallel universe to write it.

Inspired by the likes of Depeche Mode, Radiohead and The Smiths, any true romantic with an affinity for unpretentiously humanistic experimental music will want to save space on their playlists.

Polished by the Grammy-award-winning mastering engineer, James Auwarter, Elemental is set to take ReHumanise to even greater heights after he released a top 5 hit in Ireland in 2017 under his real name, Damian Brady, and racked up over 90k streams on his seminal single 2020, Hu Man.

Check out Elemental on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s Lemonade Sin defied gravity with their elevated dream pop single, Melanie Nods

Posted on 7 June 2022
Melanie Nods by Lemonade Sin

Following the saturated-in-tape-delay indie dream pop intro, Lemonade Sin’s latest single, Melanie Nods, unfolds as a transcendentally playful aural crumble of the definitive UK sounds from the 80s to the 00s. The hazy shoegaze textures, chilling nods to post-punk and the Manic Street Preaches-Esque riffs in the middle eight pull together to form a sonic trajectory that you will want to follow time and time again.

With vocal reminiscences to Joy Division’s Atmosphere and the Human League’s Mirror Man happening simultaneously, Lemonade Sin is for every 80s fan out there looking for artists innovative enough to pull new aesthetics out of the synths, unmistakable percussion, and vocal layering.

Melanie Nods is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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