After wowing us with their gorgeous single “Shooting Stars”, which was on heavy rotation for months at umstrum||music, Bag Raiders are finally ready to deliver their long overdue and lovingly anticipated debut self-titled album. To help us wait for the aforementioned album, scheduled for release next month, the duo recently releases their massive new single “Way Back Home”, unleashed to radio on August 9. This swirling anthemic affair is a dancefloor call to arms (or hands in the air), with a beautifully moody performance by Martin Solomon from Sydney band Wim, who broods his way through a poignant display of affection, percussion and ecstasy.
Bag Raiders are the combined talents of Jack Glass and Chris Stracey. Together, they have become one of the most sought-after electropop act in Australia. Their aural gems and sonic booms have won them the endorsement of Sydney-based label Bang Gang 12s, sister label to Modular Recordings. Their reputation grew as they were commissioned to remix tracks by Cut Copy, Midnight Juggernauts or Kid Sister or it just went through the roof upon the release of their signature track “Shooting Stars”. With their DJ gigs all around the world, they reached every dangerous, dark and smokey corner of the world, making them a household name among in-the-know indie kids and club-bound urban youth.
For their debut album, Bag Raiders enlisted a handpicked selection of guest artists: Dan Black, Rhys Taylor (Ted & Francis), Simon Jones (The Holidays), Gisselle Rosselli (the voice behind Flight Facilities’ hit single “Crave You”) and Martin Solomon (Wim). The record spirals into a matrix of colour full of sing-a-long choruses, deep-breath anthems, blissful chill and pure dancefloor energy.
Find Bag Raiders on MySpace. Buy all their music on
Time for a little Cut/Copy update! After their acclaimed sophomore abum In Ghost Colours Modular, 2008), the Melbourne-based band embarked on a lengthy world tour and then decided to take some time off to work on new material. While they still occasionally came under the spotlight with some remixes they did for bands such as Cansei De Ser Sexy, Ladyhawke or The Juan MacLean, Dan Whitford, Tim Hoey and Mitchell Scott were keeping a relatively low profile.
Now Cut/Copy are back in the eye of a storm with a brand new song “Where I’m Going”, taken off their as-yet-untitled third album (due early 2011). The song was premiered on Australian indie radio Triple J last month and was then made available for free download on the band’s website.
The song will also be released on vinyl this month. It will be available as a strictly limited, one-sided etched 7″. To celebrate the release of their new song Cut/Copy are now back on tour playing some new tunes and old favorites to festival-goers and clubbers alike (US in August and Australia in October).
[download "Hearts On Fire (Aeroplane Pop Remix)" HERE]
We will have to wait a few months for the new album to come out. It is currently being mixed with the help of Ben Allen, who has worked with Gnarls Barkley and Animal Collective amongst others. Stay in touch with Cut/Copy on MySpace and buy all their music on
Jonathan Boulet is the newest addition to trendy Australian label Modular‘s busy roster of young talents!
A precociously inspired 21 year old skate rat from Sydney’s northwest suburbs, Jonathan Boulet makes a brand of ceremoniously uplifting, deeply colourful pop that sounds like something for which you’ve been searching but never thought you’d find. True to his Jack-of-all-trades reputation, Boulet wrote, recorded, produced and played almost every instrument in his tiny garage studio, using whatever means necessary to record his triumphant self-titled debut album (released worldwide on Modular in December 2009).
Despite what you might think after listening to “North To South East To You”, most of Jonathan’s compositions are cheerful folksy indie songs that bring that make you feel alive and bring a smile to your face. “A Community Service Announcement”, the first single off Jonathan’s debut album, is an inspired call to arms for 21st century dreamers who still believe life is worth living, and living fully…
The single has received some serious airplay at alternative and community radio stations, unleashing a kind of unbridled joy that is matched only by the riotous natural and digital destruction in its accompanying video, directed by New Zealand duo Special Problems.
To hear more music by Jonathan Boulet checkout his MySpace or go to his official site. Buy his music on
It’s been a while since we last heard about Norwegian electropop princess Annie but the wait is over and we’re in for a treat today. It turns out Annie is back with a new release, available for download now on
Although technically “Songs Remind Me Of You” is not a new track, it has been remixed by Australian disco band The Swiss and Sydney-based veteran DJ Donnie Sloan and the result is just mind-blowing! Annie’s soft vocals are carried by strong drums and shooting synths that will make your head bob and your feet tap.
For those of you who don’t know Annie yet, she is a chart-friendly electropop singer songwriter who got her breakthrough in 2005 with her unforgettable single “Heartbeat”. Her first album, Anniemal, was, as Annie likes to call it, ‘pop with strange edges’ and it was praised by critics and bloggers alike.
On her second album, Don’t Stop, this ‘pop with strange edges’ is also pop with twists and eccentricities so surprising that the tunes persistently demand a double take. With collaborators including Richard X (Róisín Murphy, M.I.A) Paul Epworth (Tracey Thorn, Friendly Fires) or Xenomania (Kylie Minogue, Sugababes), Annie has put together a solid collection of schizophrenic pop numbers that blend all the genres she is so fond of. Check out how Skatebård reworked Annie’s awesome cover of 80s cult disco pop track “Two Of Hearts”…
Pretty cool, huh? Well, The new remix of “Songs Remind Me Of you” keeps the same disco mood but has this really upbeat happy vibe to it that makes it a perfect summery tune. Get it on
To finish off this weekend nicely, let’s introduce Sarah Blasko. Some indie pop music straight from Australia is what you need to have a smooth transition back to normal life…
Sarah Blasko took her first steps as a solo artist back in 2002, with the release of her first EP, Prelusive. This independently released record was followed by her debut album, The Overture And The Underscore, in 2004. The album met with critical acclaim and received platinum accreditation in Australia. In the next few years she went on to release two more albums: What The Sea Want, The Sea Will Have (2006) and As Day Follows Night (2009). The latter was produced by Bjorn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John) and reached #5 in the Australian charts.
Now here is an unexpected collaboration between Sarah Blasko and Australian electro kings The Presets. Taken off As Days Follows Night, the song “Hold My Heart” has been given the remix treatment by The Presets and, as per usual, the boys nailed it. The smooth guitars and subtle disco beat perfectly suit Blasko’s vocals.. Give it a listen and see what you think.
To find out more about Sarah Blasko, you can head over to her official website or you can sample more of her music on MySpace. You can buy her music online on
After Telefon Tel Aviv or Radicalfashion, here is a new addition to Hefty Records’ roster of minimalist experimental electronica: Victor Bermon, a very talented musician from the land down under. This Australian electronic composer released his debut album, Arriving at Night, over two years ago but it never really got the attention it deserves. In the vein of Prefuse 73 and Four Tet, Bermon’s jazz-infused instrumental beats pervade the 13 tracks of his engrossing first LP and offer a perfect soundtrack for a nice rainy evening at home with a good bottle of wine.
VictorBermon packs each track with simple melodic motifs that all find their position in his precise architecture. Never does one single note burst in to dominate the mix…
Standing somewhere between ambient electronic music and instrumental hip-hop, Arriving At Night sustains the listener’s interest through every song. Bermon conducts his listeners gently and humbly, and it’s this humilty, mixed with the artist’s expressiveness, that gives a result as eloquent as any good work of art.
Sneaky Sound System is a Sydney-based dance act consisting of Black Angus (guitars and production) and Connie Mitchell (vocals). The original line-up included MC Double D but the band announced in September that he had dediced to split from SSS to pursue other interests. During live shows they are joined by Donnie Sloan (from Empire Of The Sun) on bass and keys and Shaun Sibbes on drums. The band cite Hot Chip and Cut Copy as the inspirations to their sound.
Their self-titled debut album, put together mainly in their Bondi Beach studio “The House of Whack”, was a collection of high-kicking kitsch electro-pop numbers that had all media raving about them. After this initial success, their second album, 2, went straight to #1 in Australia upon its release. This follow-up spawned more typically hook-filled, inventive singles: “When We Were Young”, “16″ (listen to it HERE) and “It’s Not My Problem”.
Angus and Connie are currently busy working on some new material. They have already started on the third Sneaky album and there may even be a taste of it before the end of 2010. In the meantime, here’s a mean remix of “Kansas”. It’s pure Lifelike: glittery dance pop and its best. Enjoy!
It’s been a long wait but Sydney-based duo Flight Facilities have finally released their first single! We’d been waiting for “Crave You” for over two months now and expectations were high. All the stories surrounding their identities did help build up the hype around the duo, but it was mainly their music that got every blogger quivering with excitement. Their remixes for Sneaky Sound System and The Lowbrows were simply excellent and “Crave You” is genuinely an amazing track!
The single is out now via Bang Gang 12 Inch and it comes packed with 7 (seven!) remixes by some of the best producers around: The 90s, Cassian, Ted & Francis.
This weekend also saw the release of the first unofficial remix of “Crave You”. Bxentric, known for his participation in the Moda Parties, dropped a very polished new version of the track, which gives it an even more chilled and groovy vibe…
Let it be said that the sweet vocals on “Crave You” are provided by Giselle Rosselli, another very talented aussie, who will soon get a post of her own…
Visit Flight Facilities on MySpace and buy the “Crave You” on (as a teaser, listen to Cassian’s remix just below)
Let’s get the weekend started with some pulsating house music! Moonchild is a one man disco machine coming straight from the vibrant Australian electro scene. His blend of nu-disco, filtered French house and deliciously danceable club bangers has pushed him to the forefront of the party circuit and he is now a mainstay of Sydney’s best parties. You may be aware of some of his work already, under his other alias, Dorkatronique.
The remix below is MC’s take on Michael Jackson’s “Say Say Say” and, even though I’m not a sucker for anything Jackson, I have to say this remix is pretty excellent and extremely effective. So if you’re burnt out on all the different “Billie Jeans”, “Thrillers” and “Beat It” and you want a taste of something different, check this one out!
Moonchild’s equally funky original debut “Girl” is expected to be released on Vamp Music will be released in coming months. The buzz is already building around this release and Moonchild is getting a fair amount of attention around the blogosphere.
The identity of the artists behind Flight Facilities remains mysterious… Rumour has it that this project is the brainchild of Jimmy 2 Sox and (possibly) U-Go-B, two Sydneysiders affiliated with Australian electro labels Bang Gang 12 inches and Modular. Their page on LastFM says they met at a Holy Ghost! DJ set in New York and immediately hit it off, sharing loves in music, literature and movies. Plans to work together were formed then but didn’t really take off until the following year when they met again at the secret Bang Gang Runway party. This time, real plans were formed and and they started doing some remixes for a bunch other artists such as Toecutter, Bag Raiders, The Lowbrows and Sneaky Sound System.
They are just about to release a fantastic single, “Crave You”, that will be out in a couple of months (get it HERE). In the meantime, you can check out the song just below. They are also planning to release an album called Taking Flight some time in 2010. For more info and updates visit Flight Facilities on MySpace…
After wowing us with their gorgeous single “Shooting Stars”, which was on heavy rotation for months at umstrum||music, Bag Raiders are finally ready to deliver their long overdue and lovingly anticipated debut self-titled album. To help us wait for the aforementioned album, scheduled for release next month, the duo recently releases their massive new single “Way Back Home”, unleashed to radio on August 9. This swirling anthemic affair is a dancefloor call to arms (or hands in the air), with a beautifully moody performance by Martin Solomon from Sydney band Wim, who broods his way through a poignant display of affection, percussion and ecstasy.
