Sep 5th, 10
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Raphael Gualazzi is a young Italian pianist from the small and picturesque city of Urbino, in the Marche region. Still relatively little known outside jazz circles, Gualazzi might be one of Italy’s best kept secrets!
After his 2005 debut album, Love Outside The Window, which featured 11 original tracks entirely composed and arranged by him and earned him a few great reviews, he was signed on Caterina Caselli’s label Sugar. Then came two singles: “Don’t Stop” and “Reality & Fantasy”.
Raphael Gualazzi- Reality & Fantasy (Gilles Peterson Rmx)
The latter was immediately spotted by French DJ Gilles Peterson, who then featured it on his show last January. This spellbinding and hypnotic track (here remixed by Peterson himself) is clearly reminiscent of the golden days of jazz music. Gualazzi’s voice, ethereal and gender-confusing, evokes both silky-voiced diva Nina Simone and operatic pop singer Antony Hegarty. Enhanced by simple piano chords and Peterson’s soft electronica arrengements, it works like a charm on this absolutely gorgeous track.
According to recent reports, Raphael Gualazzi is currently working on his soon-to-be-released second album. Keep an eye, and an ear, out for this promising young talent!
Find out more on Raphael Gualazzi’s official site and buy his music on 
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Aug 24th, 10
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Electronic dream pop band Au Revoir Simone is Erika Forster (vocals/keyboard), Annie Hart (vocals/keyboard) and Heather D’Angelo (vocals/drum machine/keyboard). Since 2003, the Brooklyn-based outfit have been making subtle, breezy, electrofolk and their sound has been praised by the likes of Q Magazine and NME.
On the heels of their widely acclaimed third album, Still Night Still Light (Moshi Moshi 2009), considered by many as their best work so far, Au Revoir Simone recently released a companion remix album called Night Light. The album takes the twelve tracks included on Still Nigh Still Light, mixes things up a bit, dismantles the original tracks and reassembles them in a multitude of ways. With guest artists such as Aeroplane, Jens Lekman, Neon Indian, Silver Columns and Deradoorian (Angel Deradoorian from The Dirty Projectors), you could hope for a strikingly brilliant album. And more often then not it is. But the remixes don’t always add much to Au Revoir Simone’s elegant synth-pop, which is already a delicate synthesis of many different musical genres. By making these influences more obvious, the remixes sometimes break the spell.
Night Light is still a very pleasant listen and some of the reworks are stunning. Let’s mention Clock Opera’s remix of “Tell Me”, Mack Winston’s remix of “The Last One” and Tanlines’ remix of “Shadows”.
Au Revoir Simone – Tell Me (Clock Opera Remix)
If you like what you hear, check out Au Revoir Simone’s profile on Myspace. Buy the album with bonus tracks on
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Jul 20th, 10
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Back in April, the first ceo video, simply titled “Prologue”, was launched on the internet. No one knew who or what ceo was and the blogosphere promptly started buzzing with rumors and stories. It was later established that ceo was a new solo project by Swedish artist Eric Berglund, one half of The Tough Alliance.
ceo’s music is generally upbeat, with good beats (live drums or very well programmed beats) and a clear 80s vibe. Each track is put together carefully, with melody and rhythm coming together in an overwhelming climax of sensory pleasure. Berglund and label mate Kendal Johansson played every instrument on the album, and there are a lot of them. From strings to keyboards to Japanese swords to vocal samples to tropical drums, ceo spares no effort to build this grandiose musical monument.
Ceo – Come With Me
The overall mood is definitely upbeat but, under the surface, there is always an emotional tension and a lingering sense of nostalgia. In the midst of the sometimes overwhelming orchestration, Berglund’s plaintive voice, laced with melancholy, is like a guide taking us on this journey. It’s easy to connect with the emotional side of the album since everyone can identify with Berglund’s struggle to smile in the face of a less than perfect world.
At only 28 minutes, White Magic is a short album but it really hits the spot. Every track has its purpose and all the pieces fit together. So enjoy the ride and lose yourself in the music…
The album is available worldwide on Berglund’s own label Sincerely Yours and you can buy it on
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May 16th, 10
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Austrian DJs / producers Kruder & Dorfmeister are almost an institution in the world of electronic music. Their mixes, flavoured with sampler-processed vocals, deep bassline dub, trip-hop elements and bossa grooves, have helped them build a reputation as top notch musicians. Although best known internationally for their remixing work (Bomb The Bass, Depeche Mode, Roni Size…), the duo gained their primary reputation in Europe for their live DJ performances and DJ Kicks album.
Lamb – Transfatty Acid (K & D Remix)
To celebrate the 16-year anniversary of their label, G-Stone Recordings Vienna, Kruder & Dorfmeister have recorded a new track and compiled for a selection of 25 tracks from classics to future, so from their beginnings all the way to 2010. On top of this release, K & D decided to give their fans a unique performance in Graz: a 2-hour show with two MCs and visuals by Fritz Fitzke.Standing in center stage, surrounded by no less than 12 screens, the two DJs distilled their beats to an eager audience. The show was definitely well thought out and executed with mastery. Two hours of pure aural pleasure with only one little drawback: the vocals that didn’t add so much to the songs and sometimes felt like they had been hastily pasted on top of preexisting tracks. Aside from this, amazing performance!
Bebel Gilberto – Tanto Tempo (Peter Kruder Remix)
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May 8th, 10
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Deadmau5 (pronounced “Dead mouse”) is the pseudonym of progressive house producer and DJ Joel Zimmerman. For the past couple of years this Canadian artist has been surfing a wave of commercial and critical success. His extensive discography includes numerous tracks which have been A-listed by the best DJs around the world, including Pete Tong, Tiësto or Kaskade.
Deadmau5 – Strobe (umstrum Radio Edit)
In 2008 he became the best-selling artist on Beatport with more than 30,000 digital downloads and the website named him “Most influential, forward-thinking and relevant person” of 2008.
Deadmau5 – Some Chords (Original Mix) [removed by request]
For more info, check out Deadmau5′s official website or MySpace. Buy his music on 
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May 7th, 10
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What’s in the mail today? Well, well, if it isn’t Monsieur Adi sending us another great remix… After remixing artists such as Marina & The Diamonds, Yelle, Noah or Reni Lane, this time Monsieur Adi is tackling a big 80s hit: “Back To Life” by British cult band Soul II Soul.
This remix is a clash of baroque and electro (bordering on new disco) that starts off with strings and harpsicord and builds up till the beat kicks in and takes the action to the dancefloor…
Soul II Soul – Back To Life (Monsieur Adi Remix)
In just over six months, Milan-based producer/remixer Monsieur Adi (aka Adamo Balbus) has really built a name for himself. With his slick dream house productions, influenced as much by Daft Punk and Justice, as by Björk and Mirwais, he creates a sophisticated dance sound with hints of classical music. His first EP, We Are The Romans, was released in April with remixes by Renegade, Wolfchild, Flashworx and more.
Monsieur Adi – We Are The Romans (Flashworx Remix)
But he’s got a lot more tracks up on his MySpace for your listening pleasure. While we wait for his first full length release, let’s enjoy a great remix of his track “Hedonism”, a hymn to Ballearic house music and subtle electronica..
Monsieur Adi – Hedonism (Ren Riz remix)
Check out Monsieur Adi’s page on MySpace and buy his first EP on
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May 1st, 10
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Mujuice is a Moscow-based artist who is at the forefront of electronica in Russia. In his music, he skillfully combines the robotic glitches of modern electronic music with dense layers of natural sounds. Working without a formal musical education, he started experimenting with electronica when still a teenager and released his first LP, Superqueer, in 2004. His early works were sparsely arranged electronic compositions akin to European minimalist electronica (think Berlin avant-garde).
Mujuice – Backward Running
Even though his music relies on sampling methods, Mujuice refuses to be labelled as a strictly electronic producer, believing that contemporary artists should use all available resources. Blurring the lines between genres, he borrows elements from acoustic jazz and pseudo-symphonic music but he also uses clicks’n’cuts, microsampling and glitch tech. His 2007 full-length Cool Cool Death bursts with energy, blending dark swarms of melody with vocals and pounding drum samples.
Mujuice – Mertviy Malchik
Mujuice recently joined forces with fellow countryman Xuman (see our post about him HERE), contributing one new track to Xuman Records new Tales compilation. Tales is now available on
You can sample more tracks by Mujuice and watch his videos on MySpace.
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Apr 26th, 10
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Brighton-based band Fujiya & Miyagi was formed in 2000. Strange name for an English band? As explained by David Best (lead vocalist but also guitarist and keyboardist), the name comes from the movie ‘The Karate Kid’ and a brand of record players: “Miyagi was taken from the film ‘The Karate Kid’ and Fujiya was the name of a record player. It just looked really nice written down. And it was the only name we came up with”.
Fujiya & Miyagi are self-described as being heavily influenced by 70’s krautrock bands such as Can and Neu! as well as early-90’s electronic music artists like Aphex Twin or Tom Tom Club, all filtered for modern times.
Fujiya & Miyagi – Paper Airplanes
With their eclectic sound and interesting use of lyrics as just another element of rhythm in their songs, Fujiya & Miyagi have won over the hearts of a legion of supporters, among whom may be counted DFA, Tiga, Chicken Lips, Damo Suzuki and BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson.
Fujiya & Miyagi – Collarbone
They have also done some noteworthy remixes for bands such as Mercury Rev, Bomb The Bass or Half Cousin. Check out more music by Fujiya & Miyaki on MySpace and vote for their tracks on Hype Machine. Download their music on
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