Producers have been really into the 90s throwbacks lately, and for good reason. I myself am a diehard 90s fanatic. I can’t get enough of throwback Nickelodeon and slowjams, so I was really stoked to see WMNSTUDIES throw out a 90s bootleg. INOJ was sort of a one hit wonder, and her hit “Let Me Love You Down” is probably not that memorable to our readers. I remembered the track after queuing up the jam, but had no idea the name of the artist. What WMNSTUDIES has done, is created a memory that took me back to singing to this song with a hairbrush in my mirror. WMNSTUDIES has managed to speed up the jam, and make it more danceable. From the sound of their bootleg, why would anyone ever listen to the original? They have breathed life into an otherwise forgotten wonder. Slap on your slap-bracelets and secure your velcro LA Lights, because this tune is going to take you back to memory lane.  The duo hails out of  Vancouver, and might be one to watch.

Hyboid is the first highlight i would like to make. Sebastian Hubert, german producer and founder of Astro Chicken, is all about analog synthesisers and deep space soundscapes. Last year he made a mixtape for the one and only Valerie Collective that immediately caught my attention. Well crafted, excellent track selection. The moment you press play until the one you click stop you will not be on planet Earth. That i will assure you. You can easily lose yourself on his soundcloud (in a good way) but my selection goes to ‘Antoni Maiovvi – Fingerprints (Hyboid Remix)‘ (you can buy it here). I cannot count the times my brain was “adbucted” by the beautiful synth melodies and intergalactic arpeggios. Press play and close your eyes for almost seven minutes. This is where your sound therapy begins.

Antoni Maiovvi – Fingerprints (Hyboid Remix)

Second in line, also with releases on Astro Chicken, comes Sternrekorder. Martin Home, who lives in Leipzig, Germany, takes you back to the era of the late 1970s and 1908s when electronic music was still so playful and innocent. Again, his soundcloud is like a treasure chest, wished to be open. I took this golden piece out of it: Sternrekorder – Sugarshaker. It’s an uplifting and energetic jam made with a ROLAND Jupiter-4 (main synth). Simple but very effective. Whenever i listen to this i feel like my inner child is free again and happiness runs through my veins. This original is part of Sternrekorder 12″ Mini LP “Weissensee” and you can buy it here.

Sternrekorder – Sugarshaker

You probably have heard about Stephen Falken, since we often share his music on Golden Scissors (yes, we have a crush for Valerie). Aside from taking his pseudonym from the enigmatic nuclear-holocaust computer game programmer from 1983 movie Wargames, Falken is also a member of The Outrunners, a duo who relish their Italo Disco and have two feet firmly planted in the 80s. Falken is the mid 80’s movie score you never heard. Cruising (buy link here) is my next choice for today.

Stephen Falken – Cruising

You can’t go much more cosmic than this. Steve Moore has become a reference when you talk about synthesizers today. This never released remix of Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed is a hymn for the universe. Chilled, galactic sounds everywhere, ‘to die for‘ melodies, classic. You’re in heaven. Since this version is not on retail, you can have it for free.

Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed (Steve Moore Galaxy-Class Remix) [free download]

Last, but not the least, i’d like to present you The Tapeaters. They are a russian duo, Vadim Pukhov (vocals, synthesizers, guitars) and Dimitri Kozlow (synthesizers, talkbox) who decided to join forces in 2009 after years of participating in various projects. Their music varies between vocal pop, disco and electro. They have this 10 minute instrumental that that i’ve fallen in love with: Dancer. I lost the play count on this. It’s magical, outstanding, transcendental, everything i like on a music. Lots and lots of variations, the track progresses as it was build by different parts, like Act I, Act II, Act III and so on… This is my last pick for this Cosmic Trip 101. Hope you had a magnificent journey flying through space with me. See you in the next trip!

The Tapeaters – Dancer (Instrumental)

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“It has been said that looking at history by dividing it into decades or centuries doesn’t really make sense. History doesn’t work that way. (…) But the 80′s did have some incredible moments and saw some changes that will shape our world in decades to come.”

This friday i present you Mitch Murder, a retro futuristic producer from Stockholm, Sweden. Johan Bengtsson, the man beyond the name brings you the sounds of a golden decade for today. Heavily influenced by legends like Paul Hardcastle, David Frank, Harold Faltermeyer,Vince Dicola, Jan Hammer and Giorgio Moroder his new and chill wave style and smooth production are somewhat of a rarity these days. His songs have a refreshingly clean sound, traveling from slow-jams to more electro bass driving music.

A quick research about Johan tell us that his tracks are produced with a step-based sequencer, a process known as tracking. According to a description on Rosso Corsa Records (his label), about production techniques, he says: “I’ve used tracker based sequencers for about 15 years now, and have no intentions whatsoever of ever switching over to a piano roll based daw such as cubase or ableton.”

Mitch Murder’s music speaks for itself and i am sure that it will capture you the moment you start to listen. The best way to know some of his work is to visit his soundcloud page. Just be prepared to “lose” some time. I prefer to say ‘to invest’. You will not regret it for sure.

Current Events is Johan’s second album, release on Rosso Corsa Records. In a recent interview Mitch Murder told Synconation.com that “Current Events, is all about everyday life during the 1980′s in general to major events that defined the decade. Most of the time it’s pretty subtle though. I just enjoy working around a set theme.” Check the full interview here. Worth the read!

Mitch Murder – Galaxy Train 1989 (feat. eel)

Mitch Murder & Snow – Fashion Girls (free download)

Mitch Murder – Breaking Waves

Be sure to show some love by following Mitch Murder on Facebook and Soundcloud.

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Sometimes to go forward one has to go back first…It’s summer and everyone is outside, the ones who make “it” and the ones who listen to “it”, but music is infinite and there’s always something to discover.

I’d say this post is more a Delay Lane, ’cause my journey back is short. It happened in 2009 though, honestly it sounds much “older”.

All is the common word of these two songs posted here today, but isn’t the only link among them. They were both released in 2009, by french producers and have both have sense of magnanimous and catharsis which seems quite suitable for the 70′s as well as for NOW!

Krikor l’enfant terrible of french house has, after 10 years, in the scene gone out of his own skin to produce an originals work along with imaginary friends (Dead Willbillies)- The Land of Truth, released in 2009 by Tigersushi. From this album comes the amazing “God will Break it All”, built around crisp guitar riffs and an overall post-punk air of defiance, it also counts with the dark powerfull voice of Nicholas Ker from Poni Hoax to make it perfectly “out of time”. The percussions are awesome and even though there’s an old tape delay all over it, i can actually see it as a dancefloor killer.

“See you All” is another extraordinaire song, this time by Koudlam as part of Goodbye album released by Pan European Recording in 2009. To write 2 or 3 lines about Koudlam is outrageous and absurd, since his work extrapolates extensively music production. He’s a man using all his energy and diverse skills to keep alive worldwide culture and sub-culture as well as to fight against the expanding emptiness of present societies. Of course one can’t expect less than to see all this motives and emotions expressed in his music. Guess “See you all” is just a wonderful example of it. He’s underground influenced and his music is past, present and future sculptured. He melts in the same pot symphonic and psychadelic and what we get is a genre defying exquisite music. Overall i’d say it’s really hard to get “See you all” out of your years…i haven’t tried yet!!!

If you’re against every kind of addiction don’t touch any PLAY button!!!!

Krikor and The Dead Hillbillies – God will break it all (original)

Krikor and The Dead Hillbillies – God will break it all (A La JC Edit)

Koudlam – See you all (original)

Koudlam – See you all (Vondelpark rework)

Koudlam – See you all (Acid Washed remix)

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Lyrics…some stick on you like an invisible tattoo for a lifetime, even if it’s only a sentence…this is what this post’s about! RELAX there’ll be music!

Let’s go back to early nineghties, a time when electronics started to fuse to many other genres, among these there was Acid Jazz (or any combination of words like electronic, soul, funk, jazz or rap you want to make). You may not recall this too well either because you’re too young or just because it really didn’t kept the spotlight that long (unfortunetly). Bands like Brand New Heavies, Smoke City, Galliano , Us3 where pimping clubs. They had the groove, consistent musicality and the “electronic” loops as well as interesting lyrics some in rap format. Songs like “Cantaloop” (US3) and “Slack Hands” (Galliano – main theme of “187″ movie) made their way up in many charts.

But, the really reason of this post is OUI3! This one full album shot band was composed by Blair Booth, the american singer, songwriter and programmer along with the swiss programmer Philipp Erb and the magnificent british rapper Trevor Miles. Together they’ve  produced Oui Love You! This album never rested in any shelf at my house for the last 17 years…i like to believe that it’s just because it’s terrific and not because i’m the kind of person that  stucks on repeat!

The entire album is full of creativity, at certain points (even more, after so many years) you may find some weirdness in music composition, but lyrics and the combination of Blair and Trevor’s voices makes it perfect.

OK LYRICS now! I won’t say too much ’cause you can read it ahead if you feel like …the only thing for me to say is that they’ve never stopped to make sense, and not talking on personal basis …it’s world, human and social basis…

The lyrics i’ll expose here are from “For What it’s Worth” single. This song has an additional detail…it is sampled from the Buffalo Springfield 1966 hit with the same name, that song was made after the band witnessed police actions against the crowds of young people who had gathered to protest agains the closing of Pandora’s Box nightclub…besides that …it was Vietname time…and in 1993 it was Kuweit time…and after that it is whatever you see!!!!

Bottom line:

You’ll never get to heaven with an AK47  and in relations you need to make breaks in the old routines because love is truly and end in itself!!!

For What it’s Worth

Let us not allow another dream to turn sour
Dismissed by cynics as the son of flower power
We don’t know how and we don’t know why
But we can still retain love in our mind’s eye

And I know bitterness is never a solution
Cos deep in my soul I had a silent revolution
As a means to an end I may choose wealth
But love is truly an end in itself

And I see George hand in hand with the dragon
Loading contraband upon the same band wagon
Pinball machines have a sign say tilt

But in life it’s difficult establishing guilt
So it won’t be me to cast the first stone
Cos I’ve got far too many hang ups of my own
And further more if the truth be known
I want mercy when my cover gets blown

There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I’ve got to beware

I think it’s time we stop!
Children what’s that sound
Everbody look what’s going down

And it sure is quiet on the western front
A high, high, high priced media stunt
The tabloid headlines, they keep me feeling happy
Cos they’re feeding me a slogan
That’s punchy and snappy
And when I look inside I never get tense
Cos it tells me what I want to hear
bout the world events
The “just war” is the latest trend
But let this good thing come to an end
And tell me a little more about your new world order
Does this mean your gonna open up your border?
Open up your heart, open up your mind,
Eradicate the poverty you left behind?
Open up your job to the last Mohican
Open up the hospital you closed last week?
And then, if so, you can open up your
Stock exchange in Moscow

Now there are 5 billion people plus upon this planet
The place cannot be totally without love can it?
The very first time in my life I stood still for a second
I found more pain than I previously reckoned
And it hurt and it hurt and it hurt like pain does
And I discovered that’s OK because
There was a very good reason for the pain to be there
Pain is a way of reminding us we care!
The first time my soul came into focus
And my soul said “let the pain provoke us”
And I felt safe, and I felt warm inside
And I felt the waves of pain subside
And I saw then what I’d always been seeking
The light of love shining out like a beacon
And I stopped listened, looked around
And now I’m dancing to a whole new sound

I think it’s time we stop!

Hold your fire, put down your weapon
You’ll never get to heaven with an AK47

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZP0pzDRtQw

Oui3 – Break from the old routine

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My ears are tired… they’ve became a spoiled princess that can’t be pleased, so …I GO HOME! Searching for a safe harbor (External Disk) i end up landing on a lunar landscape where Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes multiply themselves intensively playing hypnotizing patterns long  before Ratatat doing it with parrots (“Neckbrace”)… I’m with “My People”.

“Apocalypso” was an amazing work, among the best of 2008. With tracks like “My People”, “Kicking and Screaming”, “Talk Like That” and the beautiful kinda of “self” exposing “If I know You” The Presets, have cracked the world…there has never been a better “preset” not for Windows not for Mac …

If one digs further, there’s much more of Presets then Apocalypse. This Australian duo have been drawing cards since 2003 and have catched attention from many producers that have remixed their tracks. And this is when “I Go Hard, I Go Home”! This 2006 EP has 4 versions of the same track including a club mix, a nu-disco flavored version by Juan MacLean, an upgraded indie dance one from Ascii Disko and the electro  dub cut from Dj Hell . I’m pleasantly enjoying this EP that i’ve somehow ignored until now. That’s what happens when you let your ears get tired. If that’s the case for you GO HOME, lay back and enjoy this PRESETS!

I wonder if The Presets have been burned by a hole in ozone layer or maybe been eated by dingos or even swallowed by a crocodile. 3 years are already gone since the amazing Apocalypso and silence maintains. But, there’s stil hope for 2011 Christmas since i’ve heard they’re releasing a new album late this year. YEAAAHHHH!

I Go Hard, I Go Home – Original

Kicking and Screaming – Original

Talk Like That – Miami Horror Remix

If I Know You – Original

BONUS:

[MP3] I Go Hard, I Go Home – Juan MacLean remix

[MP3] I Go Hard, I Go Home – Ascii Disko remix

[MP3] I Go Hard, I Go Home – Dj Hell remix

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Enjoy!

Bonus:

After Laughter Comes Tears – Original (mp3)

After Laughter Comes Tears – N. Jaar Remix (mp3)

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