There is a ton of new music out today. You can find all of these tracks in my Spotify playlist, but I decided to put together this post to highlight some of my favorite finds.
Today is also Bandcamp day. The music platform is once again waiving its share of fees, so all proceeds go directly to the artists. Many of the artists below are on Bandcamp. I’m embedding Bandcamp links (if available) to encourage you to buy their music.
ionnalee – “MACHINEE”
Swedish synthpop goddess Jonna Lee has gone by many names, including mysterious audio-visual project iamamiwhoami, but her current iteration is ionnalee. She follows last year’s excellent album, Remember the Future, with a new single.
Wingtips – “Tears of Pearls”
Chicago darkwavers Wingtips have inexplicably covered a song by ’90s pop group Savage Garden. It’s a bit shinier than what we heard on last year’s Exposure Therapy, my #3 album of 2019, but Wingtips can make anything work.
Klack – “Faith in Me”
Wisconsin duo Klack have a new EP out today called Probably that continues to explore their interest in a variety of electronic genres from body music to ’90s techno. I even hear some elements of Pet Shop Boys in final song, “Hello, Let’s Go.” The Eric Oehler-led track “Faith in Me” might have the most traditional synthpop song structure.
Seeming – “Grief”
Monster is a companion album to Seeming’s recently released treatise on our difficult times, The Birdwatcher’s Guide to Atrocity. I haven’t had a chance to fully digest it yet, but the playful track “Grief” really stood out to me upon first listen.
Witch of the Vale – “Commemorate”
Scottish duo Witch of the Vale has a bewitching electronic-goth sound that I find extremely compelling. Their new single, “Commemorate,” is the title track of their forthcoming album and comes with remixes courtesy of Grendel and Zardonic.
Public Memory – Epigone
Lo-fi electronic artist Public Memory is releasing an album in November called Ripped Apparition. “Epigone” is the album’s first single, and it practically oozes hazy atmosphere from the speakers.
Nature of Wires – “Negative Resolutions”
“Negative Resolutions” is from last year’s Nature of Wires album Modus, and today it’s been remixed a whopping 11 times. Remix artists include Synthpop Fanatic favorites like Rotersand and Fused. This is divine modern synthpop.
Renard – “Travel in Time”
Renard is an exciting new project from former Wolfsheim composer Markus Reinhardt, and its debut actually came out last week. I didn’t post it then because this song was actually released 10 years ago under another name, and the singer is aping Peter Heppner pretty hard. I guess I was underwhelmed, though I’m still really looking forward to the full-length album.
Priest – “Beacon of Light”
“Beacon of Light” is the second taste of Priest’s new iteration, following the excellent first single “Dead Ringer.” This track relies heavily on autotune, and it shifts into an unexpected, operatic-like chorus that sorta reminds me of Queen.
Diorama – “Dark Pitch”
German synthpop veterans Diorama have finally released new music four years after their last album, and it is not what I expected. “Dark Pitch” is a low-tempo, guitar-led dirge.
