Browsing Tag

80’s Pop

Ell South hit the ground ‘Running’ with her sophomore 80s synth-carved pop single

Posted on 28 July 2023

For her latest single, Running, the endlessly accoladed singer-songwriter Ell South fused ethereal artfulness and synth-carved 80s nostalgia to invite her audience into an aural chamber of honesty, vulnerability, and clarity.

Anyone who has ever known how brutal a battle of wills can be when you are going up against your own mind will see themselves reflected in a crystal-clear mirror when they allow the all-consuming vocal harmonies to take control of their psyche.

The stabbing synth lines with 80s-esque massive percussion and driving basslines give the track the same sense of resilience that radiates from the lyricism, while the lashings of reverb in the poetically illuminating atmosphere will sell sanctuary to the soul – especially the ones weary with ennui.

A certain degree of the authenticity within Ell South’s sound stems from her Welsh and Slovenian roots. She saw music as a right of passage after coming of age in a musical family and clearly came into her own while leaning on an eclectic array of influences.

Since making her debut, her music has featured on BBC Radio Wales, and her debut single launch was performed to a capacity crowd. She’s perceptively on the rise, but something tells us that won’t stop her from reaching out to her fans to lift them when they’re down.

Running hit the airwaves on the 25th of July; you can hear it by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Misty Drinx went back to the golden era of pop via his debut space odyssey, Oh I Love That Song!

Posted on 3 July 2023

Knowing that there is no better feeling than falling head over ears for an infectiously funk-laden pop hit, the up-and-coming artist Misty Drinx brought about a brand-new era of electro-soul with the release of his debut single, Oh I Love That Song!

Going back to the golden era of pop via a space odyssey, the single sweeps you up in a nostalgic 80s atmosphere, constructed by the oscillating synth lines, polyphonic keys and swathes of reverb that aid the transcendent euphoria of Oh I Love That Song!

Lyrically, the single may pay an ode to the feeling of hearing a song and wishing you wrote it, but the sentiment will undoubtedly be the same from the moment you greet the melodious earworm. We’re already stoked to hear the sophomore hit from Drinx now he’s found his euphonic calling.

Check out the debut single from Misty Drinx on Spotify.

Keep up to date with future releases via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Realer started the simulation with his bass-driven retro wave hit, Turn Me On Again

Posted on 22 June 2023
Turn Me on Again by Realer

The Scottish bassist turned one-man powerhouse Realer started the 80s synth pop simulation in his latest single, Turn Me on Again, which cuts right to the core of our contemporary proclivity to lose ourselves in the dopamine of our favoured procrastination-inspiring time vacuums.

Ingeniously, the reprise of Turn Me on Again can be taken as plugging into the digital domains that are becoming all-consuming, and with the funky 80s pop synthetics at play, it can similarly be deciphered as a cry into the void for a shot of visceralism derived from the real world. It is so easy to tell people to go out and touch grass, but when everyone is too addicted to their phones to venture out and experience verdant pleasures, it’s easier said than done to find connection away from the fake fray of online mediocrity.

Bass solos may not get the rep they deserve in the mainstream consensus, but if anyone has what it takes to advocate for them, it is Realer, with his trailblazing technical rhythms, which disrupt the sticky sweet synths, and are enough to make the most euphoric hits from the Human League sound positively melancholic.

Turn Me on Again is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nightcars are dancing by themselves in their indie-soul-pop-rock amalgam, On My Own

Posted on 9 June 2023
Nightcars

With swathes of sugar on the vocal lines as they soulfully cut across the angularly sharp guitars and scintillating synths, the latest single, On My Own, from the Venezuelan powerhouse, Nightcars, is a reinvention of 80s nostalgia you will undoubtedly want to savour.

Adding to the amalgamated mix of indie, soul, pop, and rock are the deep funk-carved groove pockets that give the addictively affectionate release a distinctive dimension, setting Nightcars easily apart from the indie landfill fray.

On My Own is Grammy-worthy for the lyric, “should I pop another pill or is this how I should feel”. In such an evocatively succinct capacity, Nightcars encapsulated how we over-medicate human emotion to stop ourselves from feeling anything at all. If you needed any inspiration to rawdog your heartbreak, there it is.

It comes as no surprise that the band’s former releases have enabled them to build an international fanbase. Away from the conflict and turmoil in Venezuela, Nightcars now safely reside in Madrid, where they are working on their upcoming third EP, Extended Play Vol. 3, which is set to release later this year.

On My Own will officially release on June 9th. Check it out on Spotify and the artist’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Forget your ex, fixate on Good Time Locomotive’s debut new wave pop-rock hit, Lines of Symmetry

Posted on 13 May 2023

The London-hailing prodigal sons of jangly new wave pop-rock, Good Time Locomotive, put the silver lining on your last sanity stripper of a relationship with their debut single, Lines of Symmetry, which allowed them to more than stay true to their moniker.

If you thought that Stranger Things delivered a potent shot of 80s nostalgia, you’ll be wishing your hair was bigger from the first time the crooned-over chorus hits in Lines of Symmetry. This wholly relatable dance-worthy hit is the nearest thing to closure that most disenfranchised hopeless romantics out there will get; consider the absolute earworm of a melody as bonus material.

Good Time Locomotive may be a fresh-faced outfit, but it comprises a collective of seasoned musicians who have enough musical chops between them to officially dub themselves as a powerhouse. We can’t wait to roll with the emotional punches in their forthcoming EP, due for release this summer.

Lines of Symmetry will officially release on May 13; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Max LaMont captured the vibe of Hollywood in the summer with his latest single, The Last Day of June

Posted on 8 April 2023

LA alternative artist, Max LaMont, didn’t hang around bringing the summer vibes this year; his latest single, The Last Day of June, which traverses bitter-sweet teen romance tropes through an alt-bubble gum pop tonal palette, debuted on March 31.

Fans of The 1975 and the Weeknd won’t want to miss out on the intoxicating 80s RnB pop vibes that are superlatively synthesised in the intoxicating hit, which teases what is to come from his forthcoming EP.

The magnetically shy artist’s charisma is undoubtedly a major part of his appeal; everything he turns his talents to is raw and definitively the real sincere deal. Beyond his relatability lies his classically trained virtuosic flair; he is trained in operatic and musical theatre; as a result, he’s been in a myriad of live productions, including Oklahoma, La Boheme and MASS.

Stream The Last Day of June on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ninali reached the pinnacle of ‘Smooth’ in her latest feat of jazzy soul pop nostalgia

Posted on 17 February 2023
Ninali

There was no forgetting Ninali after hearing her affectionately wanderlust track, Tokyo, which hit the airwaves at the end of 2022. To start 2023 with a sultry bang, she’s amalgamated a sentimentally demure cocktail of pop, jazz and RnB.

The mid-tempo piece, Smooth, was co-produced by the legendary producer M. Shanks, who also applied their deft touch to the tantalising timbres in Tokyo, which marked the first release for Ninali in over a decade.

With Smooth, sensuously 80s-nostalgia-soaked instrumentals swell and tropically groove around the aphoristically harmonised vocal lines, which simultaneously put you in the mood while facilitating the purer purpose of reminding you how sweet it is to meet someone that defines serendipity. It is worth falling in love just to fully appreciate this delicious track.

Smooth will officially release on February 17th. Hear it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

B!TEZ advocates uninhibited authenticity in her alt-pop hit, Be Like You

Posted on 17 February 2023
https://soundcloud.com/bitezhearts/be-like-you/s-x2BfzMy4Je3?si=5ef857d702054d8abca2db5663d4b746&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

It’s time to let the dust settle on the archaic records from New Order and The Stone Roses and lock into the viscerally fresh talent from Manchester-based artist and poet B!TEZ, who has been taking the rainy city by storm.

For her latest single, Be Like You, B!TEZ (Princess Arinola Adegbite) reinvented the 80s pop wheel with her afro-futuristic edge that is sharper than any papercut. The infectiously melodic earworm is a stellar hit based on the instrumentals alone. When the socially conscious lyrics are thrown onto the stabbing synth lines, it is impossible not to get wrapped up in the vindicating euphoria.

“The first single on Vintage Destiny is ‘Be Like You’. A self-love disco pop anthem integrating rock, and funk elements encouraging listeners to be their authentic “exceptional” selves despite living in a comparison-driven world.”

After finding influence from a broad range of artists, including Nina Simone, Mazzy Star, FKA Twigs and Bjork, the songstress carved out her niche and thrived in every arena she threw her multi-faceted talent into.

The multi-award-winning poet, filmmaker and BBC Words First artist has won Manchester Young Creative of the Year and been commissioned by Selfridges, the BBC and the University of Cambridge. In addition to performing in  Manchester’s most iconic venues, including Blues Kitchen, Soup and Band on the Wall. She’s definitely one to watch.

Honestly, I’m inspired by her after just one hit on Be Like You. Eat your heart out John Cooper Clarke.

Be Like You will officially release on February 17th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Transcend gravity with Marcus Liuzzi’s spacey 80s synth pop serenade, No One Better Than You

Posted on 30 January 2023

There was no forgetting Marcus Liuzzi after his lasciviously hooky 2022 single, 2 Night Stand. He’s swooned in with the Chris Isaak 80s vibes once more in his proclamation of enduring passion, No One Better Than You. The synthy, spacey pop tones push the single beyond the earth’s atmosphere, transcending gravity and every pop archetype that came before it.

No feeling quite matches the sensation of earnestly upholding someone as the reflection of perfection in your eyes – especially when their own self-image is dimmed with doubt, leaving you compelled to celebrate them to put back the shine in their tear-streaked aplomb.

“you feel as though you’re broken, you’re not the only one, you put your trust in someone else, and look what they’ve done” may just be the most compassionate lyric penned in the last decade.

Listen to No One Better Than You on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Umberto Bravo pulled the purity out of salaciousness with his sophomore synth-pop single, Sacred Sinner

Posted on 15 January 2023

Italian independent singer-songwriter and composer Umberto Bravo has unleashed his synthy sophomore single, Sacred Sinner, which modernises the 80s pop tonal palette with explorative vision and lavish layers of soul.

The mid-tempo ballad embellishes the 80s pop sound with gospel traditionalism through the vocals as the instrumentals push lush synth cords against consistently evolving guitars, which know just where to transfuse the gritty and transcendent tones to make the peaks and valleys of the emotional rollercoaster infinitely steeper.

Some view lust as a cardinal sin, but if anyone can make the case for the purity of salaciousness, it is Umberto Bravo in this carnally magnetic earworm that could rouse even the most sexually repressed puritans.

“Sacred Sinner is not a love song, let alone musical pornography. But it certainly goes against the traditional dynamic of the relationships of equality that exist between two people dealing with intimacy.”

Sacred Sinner was released on January 14th across all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast