Alchemy 1.5 Review: New Update for a Huge Synth

Alchemy is one serious piece of music software.  Although it's more than 3 years old at this point, the recent release of version Alchemy 1.5 has brought some new additions to the table for Camel Audio's flagship instrument.  Just last year, it was rated as one of the public's favorite plug-ins on MusicRadar.  So what is Alchemy, and does it still stand up to the hype now?

Ride The Universe (Feat. Jane Elizabeth Hanley) - "A Little Better"

Here's the newest track from Ride the Universe, released on the Electronic Rumors label.  Clive knows how to pick 'em, and this one is no exception.  The track features Jane Elizabeth Hanley, who wowed everyone with her "Lisztomania" cover a couple years back, and again impresses here.  "A Little Better" has a great grooving bassline and catchy vocals.  We can also look for some great remixes ahead,  including one from Frankmusik.

Watch out for this one on November 5th on Juno, and the 19th for the rest of your outlets.

Press release below:

"The long awaited début single from Dreamwave supergroup http://soundcloud.com/ridetheuniverse is finally here!

After a string of acclaimed Nu-Disco reMixes http://soundcloud.com/ridetheuniverse are now ready to drop their première original single. A Little Better is a summery, funk fuelled, synth Disco juggernaut that features the sweet vocals of Jane Elizabeth Hanley from http://soundcloud.com/kidsatmidnight (Vulture Music) and is the first step on a wonderful galactic beach-party journey.

With reMixes from legendary Electro & Pop producer http://soundcloud.com/frankmusik, rising stars of the Nu-Disco scene http://soundcloud.com/patlok andhttp://soundcloud.com/dublinaunts, analog Disco guru http://soundcloud.com/auxmasterfader and Disco-House master http://soundcloud.com/melee, A Little Better is going to be rocking dancefloors in the coming months. Get involved."

DopeDOD & MiniBrute

"Peter Songolo, producer for the critically acclaimed Dutch Hip Hop band "Dope DOD", shares his love for the MiniBrute analog synthesizer as it perfectly fits his needs for raw, aggressive urban & Dubstep basslines."

Chrome Brulée

So I'm still in the process of decoding what Chrome Brulée is, but I already love the name and style.  The video above shows what appears to be several artists (each coming from their own tape) in a quick demonstration of what this new collective is about-- synths, retro sounds, and an almost spooky masked man-- reminding me a bit of the 80s horror movies with great synth soundtracks.  But the main thing here is that these guys absolutely get it-- they show off awesome vintage gear, and judging by the audio above, make great sounding tracks.  I'm already wanting more.  Here's hoping we can some tracks sooner than later...

"In a world where music has become irrelevant, in a time where quantity comes over quality...a new force rises from within...armed with magic machines of ancient times...driven by pure passion and devotion.....fueled by the craft and skills of their forefathers....they will fight to make music free again...they will rage until the spirits of old will have their revenge....they go by the name....Chrome Brulee
https://www.facebook.com/ChromeBrulee"

Casette Club - "Body Lights (Nude Disco Remix)"

Sweet little remix here.  Relaxes me, and has some great sounds.

80s Saturday

Here are a couple tracks sent to me over the past few days, courtesy of Only You and Orange Trickster.  80s synths and sounds happening here.  Thanks for the submissions!

Excellent set of Ableton Live Tutorials via Future Music

Looking for new ways to get creative with Ableton Live?  Future Music has you covered.  They've uploaded some recent tutorials from their magazine as a free playlist on YouTube, so you can get a visual explanation of some great ideas, from DJing and sampling to MIDI tricks.  Check out the playlist above.