Tuesday, July 30, 2013

The New Division - "Devotion" (The Sanfernando Sound Remix)




The Sanfernando Sound's remix of The New Division's "Devotion" holds true to the classic English 80s synth pop that I now associate with SFS- fantastic percussion, a tight mix, and dark brooding synthesizers.  The track crescendos with an awesome vocal melody, but tricks you as it dies out, only to return even bigger for another refrain.  The screaming lead at the end of the track is particularly ace.

Starsmith - "Clockwork"




Starsmith's newest single "Clockwork" is here, which is the first of a set of tracks coming this year from the Ex-Ellie Goulding producer.  "Clockwork" is not the shimmering pop dance sounds you might expect from the 25 year old pop producer, whose discography includes Kylie Minogue and Marina and the Diamonds.  Nevertheless, the track is fantastic, a call back to pure house style, wild synth lines, and big beats.  The track begs for you to nod your head, and is sure to hit the euro clubs for the rest of the summer.  Hopefully Starsmith's upcoming tracks are as fresh as this one!

Monday, July 22, 2013

She's the Queen release new single "Cold Heart/I Don't Wanna Know"




She's the Queen's new dual single "Cold Heart/I Don't Wanna Know" dropped yesterday, and the two new tracks mark the most professional recording and catchiest songs for the group yet.  "Cold Heart" features pumping beats, an uplifting chorus, and a brilliant string outro.  "I Don't Wanna Know" has a soaring bass and great pop hooks.

Be sure to grab the single in your favorite online retailers (iTunes, Amazon).

Dan Black's video for "Hearts" features impressive 24 hour human time lapse



Dan Black, who is an incredibly friendly fellow and former interviewee of the blog, has premiered his new video for "Hearts", which includes an incredible 24 hour time lapse of Dan on a rooftop.  This is no easy feat, as he had to sit around for pretty much an entire day mouthing a song.  The video is a couple months old at this point, but is simply too cool to not post.  Check it out, and the making of video below.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Korg Volca Series finally hits consumers' hands!


After a long blog break, I'm back, and ready for more.

The Korg Volca series seems to be out and about in Japan, and possibly the UK as well, so if you're been keeping an eye on these highly anticipated modules, the wait should soon be over.  The easiest way to track the new videos if you're still deciding is to use YouTube's newest uploads (linked here for quick access).  This way, you'll get a sense of how they actually sound in the hands of the users, and not the official Korg videos-- while the official videos are cool, they of course can't show the full dimensions of this, or any synth.

If you're looking for more info on specifications or using a Volca, you can read the manual on the official Korg site.  Overall, these look like a ton of fun for a great price ($150 street each).  If you have one, tweet at me (@TheSynthSymp) and let me know how it is.


Above is someone's review of the Bass.


Here is someone doing a cover of Daft Punk on a Beats and Bass.