Zebra and Snake Together Create Healing Music

Zebra and Snake are Finnish-born Tapio (Vocals/ synths) and Matti (Bass/ Backing vocals/ synths) - two friends who've converged from very different starting blocks to unite in gloriously warm, electronic technicolour.

Shot through with shimmering, 80s electronic inflections, but with a core that's tangibly human and filled with the wide-eyed awe of stepping into the big city, Zebra and Snake's debut, Healing Music, is danceable and catchy, but with an audibly beating heart.

"It's pop but then it's healing music - that's an idea that's carried through every song" say the band. "In the background there's always something healing or comforting. The atmosphere in our music connects with that phrase; it's like a beautiful place that's happy and safe but where there are hidden tragedies."

The result of two years work - recorded in the snatches of time available at Berlin's Kaiku Studios and constantly evolving - Healing Music is both a labour of love and an impressive marker of just how far the Finnish duo have come.

Download: Money In Heaven (Kashii Remix)
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Luke Walker Doles Out Tough Love

To celebrate 60 (yes, 60 releases!) Gung-Ho! Recordings chose no one other than Luke Walker to claim that landmark catalogue number. Luke has been releasing on the label for sometime now producing tracks and remixes for label mates alike. The likes of Him and Greg Churchill have been there since day one and have only gotten better ane better over the years.

Tough Love is a proper, bonafide club tune in the purest sense fully loaded with the necessary verve to get you moving without a second thought. Backed up with two mixes from the likes of Attaque and the aforementioned Greg Churchill as well as another original, "Pressure," the four songs are utterly amazing. In a world of trendy electronic wobbles, it's nice to know that someone out there still knows how to make amazing choons. 60 releases in and it's a record like this that proves why Gung-Ho! Recordings are still around and will be for a long time. Essential stuff.

Download: Tough Love (Greg Churchill Remix)
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Tristy Nesh Gets Dark and Insane

The Croatian wonder boy Tristy Nesh is back on Absolut Freak Records, with elektro frau Xenia Beliayeva and together they've come up with a beast of dark tune called, Acting Sane.

Sounding something like a well medicated Siouxsie the tune saunters it's way across the dance floor covered in a cloud of Clove smoke.  It's dark, subdued, and fantastic. 

The single, out now, features a whole host of mixes featuring, John Lord Fonda, (the French sensation from Vitalic's label Citizen Records), Latvian producer(!!) Max Brannslokker, and Nicolas Chenard brings the techno.

Throw in the B-side, "Turkish Bass," and you have a pan-European/Balkan tour de force that covers all it's bases and then some.

Download: Acting Sane
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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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Acid Pauli Kicks Off The New Year.

After his rather menacing vision called World's End (Hometrainer/Acid Pauli 12", Dec 2010) Acid Pauli pulls another two more typical tricky tracks out of his musical drawer. But, to confuse right from the scratch, he gave them polarizing names such as "Like It" and "Don't Like It". Has he possibly planted something on us?

"Gefällt Mir" (English "Like It") becomes proudly led by a vivid Flamenco melody. It starts right swiftly to enter eagerly into an Acid-Paulish play with tensions. A few peaks must be crested before the barge steers over to in twilight's dazzling Andalusian haven.

"Gefällt Mir Nicht" (English "Don' Like It") gets a little more time to build up. Guided by a springy beginning the track builds up brick by brick, until a noise emerges and changes things completely. This noise – let's name it violin screaming – becomes something to remember because the magic violin pops up unpredictably whilst the track constantly maintains its melacholic ways.

So that's his latest release in a nutshell...the guy seems to put these things out in an assembly line fashion with the highest quality. Check out the versions below and buy them here.

Download: Gefallt Mir
Download: Gefallt Mir Nicht

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