The first sound of Slagsmålsklubben (SMK) was made by mistake in November 2000 when the leadsinger of The Solbrillers didn’t show up for rehearsals and a faulty installation produced some sound that inspired the musicians present at the rehearsal… Before sunset three songs were made in which everything (the drums, the bass and the melody) came from that faulty toy keyboard/amp set up. One of those tracks, “Hit Me Hard”, was later released as the first single from SMKs debut album Den Svenske Disco (2003).
SMK gradually added members until reaching their current lineup of six. Björn, Frej, Hannes, Beebop, Joni and Kim each bring their own influences and musical backgrounds to the project and their music is all the richer for it.
Last night at springten, SMK swept festivalgoers off their feet with a dazzling performance at Orpheum theatre. The swedes proved that they really are one of the best live electronic acts around. With their synths and beatboxes they managed to breathe life into the electronic beeps and bops that make up their songs. Hypnotic melodies and thumping basslines inundated the theatre and the crowd couldn’t have been happier. Wow!
Check out Slagsmålsklubben on MySpace or go to their official site for more detailed information. To buy all their music, head over to
Fenech Soler is a new electro band from Kings Cliffe, UK. Known for their punchy synthpop tunes and their remixing work (Marina & The Diamonds, One Night Only, Mimó, etc…), they have been gaining attention in the past few months and they’re now gearing up for the release of their new single: “Stop and Stare”
To date, they have released two singles: “The Cult Of Romance” and “Lies,” which have been remixed by artists such as Alan Braxe, Alex Metric or Wolfchild.
The band is currently in the middle of a massive tour. Check out the dates and find out if they’re playing at a venue near you on MySpace. Buy their music on Beatport or
After releasing two acclaimed singles on hip Parisian label Kitsuné, British electro-pop trio Chew Lips finally released their highly anticipated debut album in January. Unicorn is a consistent pop album packed with catchy tunes and impeccable synth melodies. On this album, Tigs (vocals), James Watkins (bass, synths) and Will Sanderson (guitar, synths) teamed up with Bat For Lashes collaborator, David Kosten, who helped them craft ten slices of pitch-perfect stylish pop.
Taking cues from the 80s (think KRAFTWERK), Chew Lips is part of the current wave of girl-fronted electro bands (La Roux, Robyn, Little Boots) but their strong songwriting displays more serious ambitions that you can sense on tracks such as “Too Much Talking” or “Piano Song”, revealing a much more sensitive side of the group.
If you’ve been following this blog, you will remember Chew Lips’ first single “Solo”, which was included on U R MY DISCO // vol.3 and their subsequent hit “Salt Air”, which was given the remix treatment by French electro geniuses Jupiter…
Check out the video for their new single “Seven” just below and don’t forget to visit MySpace for more info, more music and tour dates. Unicorn is available now on
Manchester trio Delphic are finally releasing their debut LP on Kitsuné/Coop, thereby joining Kitsuné’s busy roaster of cutting-edge electro acts.
The band came together in 2008 as a laboratory where the three members could explore the seemingly endless dimensions of music made with guitars, with a keen eye on the future and a dab handle on technology.
James Cook (vocals), Matt Cocksedge (guitar), Richard Boardman (multi-instrumentalist) and Dan Hadley (joining them on drums in the live setting) draw their inspirations and ideas not only from music, but also from abstract art, Russian avant-garde cinema, literature and existentialism.
For their debut record, Berlin-based producer Ewan Pearson (The Rapture, Goldfrapp, M83) worked with the band. Delphic’s first album is out now. Buy it on
Just below is the video to their new single, the excellent track “Halcyon”. To find out where you can catch Delphic live and to listen to more of their music, head to their MySpace.
Hailing from Bangor in Northern Ireland, Two Door Cinema Club‘s energetic indie pop has enough slick guitar progressions, infectious baselines and hum-along choruses for them to come across as a logical contender for the “Best New Act of 2009″ title. They are part of this recent trend in indie-rock, which incorporates a wider embracement of electronica and dance, with the mastery of more established bands like Phoenix and the same energy as early Bloc Party.
The band – Alex Trimble (drums and vocals), Kevin Baird (bass) and Sam Halliday (guitar) – have been together since early 2007, giving up on university places after things starting bubbling over on MySpace.
The energy that one feels when listening to tracks such as “Cigarettes in the Theatre” no doubt helped get them signed to indie label Kitsune. Now, one can expect the fantastic songwriting of Two Door Cinema Club to carry them to great heights. All we have to wait on is their full-length debut, which the trio promises is in the making and could be released in early 2010. In the meantime, go to iTunes to purchase their first single “I Can Talk”…
The first sound of Slagsmålsklubben (SMK) was made by mistake in November 2000 when the leadsinger of The Solbrillers didn’t show up for rehearsals and a faulty installation produced some sound that inspired the musicians present at the rehearsal… Before sunset three songs were made in which everything (the drums, the bass and the melody) came from that faulty toy keyboard/amp set up. One of those tracks, “Hit Me Hard”, was later released as the first single from SMKs debut album Den Svenske Disco (2003).
Manchester trio Delphic are finally releasing their debut LP on Kitsuné/Coop, thereby joining Kitsuné’s busy roaster of cutting-edge electro acts.
