Whipping It Into A FevrPitch

Dubstep, drumpstep DJ/producer/remixer extraordinaire Kill Paris, and British dance music DJ/producer Mark Okoh, first collaborated on a remix of Mark's club hit, "Illegal" after connecting through SoundCloud. They came together once again a year later, on the track "Let Me See Your Hands", a song inspired by a trip to the legendary Coachella music festival in 2010. This time some anthemic vocals came courtesy of singer/song-writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Marty Rod. After the success of “Let Me See Your Hands” the idea of combining their differing styles of music (dance, dubstep and rock) to create something new, was an opportunity these three producers could not resist, and FEVRPITCH was born.

FEVRPITCH is like a Nick Hornby novel...fricking fantastic.  Super slick and ridiculously catchy, these guys create electro that takes everything they know and fuses it into something better than the sum of their parts.  Just listen to, "Running Away."  It's the type of song you can imagine being on the radio, in a TV show, packing out a dancefloor, and everything in between.

FEVRPITCH will hopefully be more than a minor side project for those involved.  The songs are too good, the talent is to great, and the potential is limitless.  They're so good, they'll work you into a err...fever pitch.   

Download: Running Away (via Sendspace)
Watch: Running Away


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Time To Get Hyper

As a hugely talented producer, remixer, DJ, label boss and composer Hyper has excelled building a loyal and global fan base as well as commanding huge respect from his peers. Having shot into the consciousness of almost every dance head and aficionado ten years ago with the eponymous Y3K compilation series, he has since released two critically acclaimed albums, remixed everyone from Foals to Futureheads, Pink to Paul Van Dyke and released some of the biggest compilation series’ over the last decade.

Now he's back with his new single, My World and as one might expect it's a frickin' whopper of a tune.  Processed guitar's power over precision drum-break edits, chunky synth lines whir and buzz and slabs of sub bass hold the foundation tight below the guttural bars of Dread MC and Genesis Elijah.   Throw in a whole host of remixes that cover ever possible sub genre known to man and you have one hell of a welcome back.  Hyper in the course of one single not only proves how and why he got his name but also why he's still respected to this day as one of the finest producers in all of Britain.

Download: My World (Brioski Remix)
Listen: My World (Original Mix)
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Jaswho Gets Re:Droided

After the release of his Nudroid Musik album back in November 2010, Jaswho was approached by a number of producers interested in remixing tracks from the album. Over the past six months, Jaswho has been in contact with artists from everywhere getting remixes together for his follow up release titled, Re:Droid Musik.

The Re:Droid Musik CD features remixes by Miles Dyson, Santiago/Bushido, Cold Blank, Calvertron, Aniki, Larry Fives, Hollywood Rox, Aaren San, George F, DJ Fame, 40 Thieves, Sunshine Jones, Ben Tom, Soulspin & more. With remixes in a number of different genres ranging from Electro, Dubstep & Tech House, there is sure to be something for everyone. 

Download: Solar Future (Cold Blank Remix)
Download: Alive (Aniki Remix)
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Ursula 1000 Goes Mondo Beyondo

Ok...I'm a bit biased on this one.  I know Ursula 1000.  Back in the 90's his band, 23, was one of the only bands in Miami that channelled Ride and wanted to be popstars.  We were part of the scene that had no name...and had no fans.  There were like ten of us who liked Britpop, indie pop and the like and we all kind of hung together.  So much so that after I left Y&T Records, Alex (Ursula 1000) and I used to go over faxes every week from Go Ahead London and order the weeks coolest records from his secret lair at BAM! Comics.  Eventually, I left Miami and well Alex adopted his secret identity and sort of became world famous.  And so did his former band mates who wound up forming The Postmarks.  And well Miami...now it has a scene with a ton of fans; but sixteen years ago there were like 10 of us.

Sentimentality aside, Ursula 1000 has a new record coming out on August 19th.  From retro tinged spy themes, disco, electro, go-go pop ... he never stops evolving.  Drenched in snarling fuzz, heavy-hitting drums and his signature ominous organ stylings, this new collection of tracks sees Gimeno getting back in touch with his roots but channeling it through a new set of kaleidoscopic eyes.

As per usual, Alex takes 60's Swinging London, runs it by Peter Sellers, puts it on a plane, sends it around the world, electrifies it and then lends his own sense of humor to it all.  The results are quirky electronic dance pop that's just plain fun!

Download: Répétez Le Repetoire (feat. Isabelle Antena)
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US Royalty Welcomes Us Back

Gooooooood Morning Viet Nam! Or should I say blogosphere. After six weeks of being away, The POP! Stereo has returned to make your life a bit more tolerable. And while that may be, you might be wondering what the hell took you so long. That's a long story that involves, hospitals, doctors, PET scans, CAT Scans, blood work and the like. This all led to me being on Family Medical Leave for almost three months and while I was posting during that time, I new at the drop of a hat I would have to return to care for my family. And I did.

But as time passes, life slowly but surely resumes normality no matter how emotionally altering it may all be. After everything I've been through and will continue to go through, I will say this...spend time with your family, they're important. In fact, they're THE MOST IMPORTANT thing you are part of and never forget that. No matter what the scene is, what's cool, or who talks shit about you, your family will always be there. (even the Jersey Shore cast knows that)

If you're 20 something you probably don't realize that because you just got your freedom from your parents and it feels good...but as you grow older you'll realize that they were/are the single most important influence on you. And when they come calling to ask for help, don't hesitate, just remember all that they've done for you and the advice they gave as you were growing up.

Ok...that's my e-parent pep talk of the day.

Anyway, with that being said, on to the resumption of posts. We kick it off with a band that has a sort of funny name...US Royalty. No, they're not a roving band of Kennedy's and they're not even royalty. They are a bunch of scruffy looking dudes who happen to right some damn fine stuff though. While I'm not generally a fan of the pastoral folk pop thing, this kind of has something more to it that rocks in a rough and shoddy way and almost sounds something like a poor mans Doves or Elbow (UK Royalty, no doubt).

Of course if the pastoral indie rock isn't enough there's always the Flosstradamus remix of their latest single, "Equestrian," which forces the band to get loved up and lost on a dance floor. There are always exceptions to the rule and the sweeping nature of US Royalty's songs grabbed me right between the ears and made me understand. This is good stuff.

Download: Equestrian
Download: Equestrian (Flosstradamus Remix)

Holy Ghost!

Known around the globe for their party starting singles and their unparalleled ability to get bodies moving on the dance floor, Holy Ghost! have developed from an in demand DJ duo to a full live band crafting disco-tinged pop songs that satisfy equally on the dance floor and in a car. "I didn't want to limit myself to making an album that could only be played in clubs," says Alex. Nick adds, "We were trying to make something that people would want to listen to front to back at home."

The 10-song LP will include a few guest appearances from the likes of Luke Jenner from the Rapture, Chris Glover from Penguin Prison, and Michael McDonald…and yes, it is that Michael McDonald!

And despite having some of the worst lyrics on the planet (they rival Noel Gallagher's words of wisdom) the tunes are ridiculously catchy. The day dance music learns how to be literate it'll cease to be booty shaking fodder and cross over into a serious art form. Until then give praise to Holy Ghost! and give tithing's in the form of album purchases.

Download: Do It Again

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Peo De Pitte Returns...

After the lauded success of his much sought-after remixes (Sidney Samson's Riverside and Telepopmusik's Beathe); Peo De Pitte has picked up and resprayed arguably the biggest hit of the year.... Congorock's inimitable Babylon!

The original, for whom has missed it, is off A-Trak's Fools Gold label!

Twisting and re-imagining the beats into something new that explodes out of the box into a dance floor consuming beast that will devour you. Chopped, filtered, and bangin' from the get go...it's a nice rework.

Download: Congorock - Babylon (Peo de Pitte featuring Chronz RD Remix)

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We Were The States

We Were The States had nearly completed the recording of its new album Rasa when the Nashville floods came. With two feet of water in the basement of Coat of Arms studio, the band went from euphoric to discouraged, thinking the record they had worked on for two years would be indefinitely derailed.

Regrouping at Nashville’s Club Roar studio, the Murfreesboro-based five-piece quickly prepped for very long hours on a very limited budget, but ultimately persevered. The resulting album captures all of the energy and precise abandon of the band’s much-loved live show while also reflecting the realistic frustrations of their situation. It’s a tense record, but still a joy to listen to.

Judging by single, "Gold," the band are reaching for the stratosphere and might just make it. Take a bit of the Stereophonics and Americanize it and you have a good idea where We Were The States are coming from. Soaring, far reaching, and catchy as hell, "Gold," is a terrace anthem waiting to happen. Floods be damned, this is a band that's headed for the stars.

Download: Gold

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Sistol Looks On The Bright Side

Under the moniker Sistol, Sasu Ripatti just released his most club-friendly album yet, On The Bright Side fuses the thump of 4/4 tech-house with the sound palette of the contemporary post-dubstep movement.

A welcome return for his Sistol moniker, the new album has been getting great reviews and his works are being reinterpreted by some of today's finest young producers. This November, Halo Cyan will release two 12-inches of singles from the OTBS album and remixes called On The Brighter Side.

On The Brighter Side Vol. 1 (out 11.9)
A1 (Permission to) Avalanche
A2 (Permission to) Avalanche (Redshape Remix)
B1 Contaminate Her
B2 Contaminate Her (Jori Hulkkonen Remix)

On The Brighter Side Vol. 2 (out 11.16)
A1 On the Bright Side (Scuba's Brighter Side Remix)
A2 Hospital Husband (FaltyDL's 90s Bleep Mix: When Purple Was Green)
B1 Funseeker (Oneohtrix Point Never's Rainbro Remix)
B2 A Better Shore (Walls Remix)

Download: On The Bright Side
Download: Funseeker (Oneohtrix Point Never Rainbro Remix)
Download: On The Bright Side (The Brighter Side Scuba Remix)

Sub Swara Have Itchy Trigger Fingers

I'm still playing catch up from being on vacation over the last two weeks and rather than spend time writing loads and loads, I figured I could cut to the chase with some of the stuff I'm posting.

With that in mind, here's what Sub Swara had to say about their latest mixtape, "When we set out to create a series of mixtapes around “Triggers,” we wanted to do more than the standard re-arrangement of the album track list, with features by some of our favorite artists. The Sub Swara live sets have grown from a shared-DJ-set program into an amalgam of a lot of things: our own original material is the foundation, to which we add live percussion, sampled elements, field sounds, horn sections… all presented as a 90-minute spontaneous, dance floor journey though a myriad of tempos and genres, tied together by intense basslines and relentless percussive energy. We wanted to showcase these things–but with more of a mixtape vibe than a live show."

Here's the track list to the mixtape...
Triggers Volume 1
1. Sub Swara – Steam
2. Distal – Coke Bottle
3. Sub Swara – Bend You
4. Moldy – Embrace the Filth
5. Julio Bashmore – Batak Groove
6. Sub Swara – Vagabond Knowledge
7. Sub Swara – In Ether
8. Kraddy – Minotaur
9. Tinie Tempah – Written in the Stars (Starkey Remix)
10. Sub Swara – Schemes
11. Sub Swara – Future Fresh
12. Ultragamma – Stars Collapse
13. Big Boi – Shutterbug (Sub Swara Remix)
14. Stuart Bogie (Antibalas & Superhuman Happiness) – Horn Interlude
15. Sub Swara – October
16. Sub Swara – Bird of Paradise


Download: Triggers Mixtape Volume 1

The Japanese Popstars Let Go

In between live shows at BBC Radio 1’s Ibiza Weekend, Reading, Leeds, Bestival, Rockness, Creamfields, and beyond, The Japanese Popstars are finishing their second album. They’ve just remixed Gorillaz’ ‘Melancholy Hill’, and are drip-feeding a series of club tracks to satiate those eagerly awaiting the long-player’s release in early 2011.

Following the Destroy EP, a sonic appetiser that saw them joined by Jon Spencer (he of the Blues Explosion), the next release is Let Go, featuring the madcap legend that is Green Velvet. Hailed as the rightful heirs to Underworld, Leftfield, The Chemical Brothers, and Orbital, The Japanese Popstars’ debut album, We Just Are was championed by The Guardian, Word, Artrocker, NME, Clash, Popjustice, Mixmag, DJ, Radio 1, XFM, and beyond.

Pick up the new single at Beatport

Download: Let Go (Luke Walker Remix)

Sub Swara Pull The Triggers

As they move closer to the the November 9 release of their second album, Triggers, the Brooklyn duo, Sub Swara flips an electric soul-drenched twist on Big Boi's Shutterbug, mixing equal parts Curtis Mayfield-era piano and string layers with the group's dynamic bass weight.

While the first single off the new album, 'Bend You' (download for free from subswara.com) showed the dance floor-smashing upbeat dubstep angle, this remix is indicative of a different pulse that still embraces Sub Swara's signature melding of lush melody laced around a core of earth-shaking rhythm.

And hopefully it will hold you over until next month...

Download: Shutterbugg