79: Antilles - Longing For The Spring (2007)

Denmark, our next stop. A cold country with warm bands. As this young Danish duo, Antilles, devoted to classic analog synthesizers. With only one album released -the wonderful Something New (2008)- and a romantic attitude, this band let us enjoy fresh sounds in their nu-disco songs. At this point of the year we are fed up with the winter and the extreme cold of the recent European cold wave, aren't we? We need hot, good weather. We need this cheerful song, at more than 120 BPM, to provide us with energy. Yes, we need the spring. We are longing for it.

R.O.C.

80: Zedbazi - Zamin Safe (2009)

Iran is not exactly a country known for its music, but there we find the origin of Zedbazi. This band was the first one in Iran that used explicit lyrics in their music. Descriptions of sexual encounters, consumption of narcotics or violence are some of the usual topics that the five members of this band include in their lyrics. The best of their sound is the effective mix of rap, pop and electronics that characterizes their songs. A good example is Zamin Safe.

Civ

81: Goldie - Inner City Life (1994)

In the electronic music field, England has always been a referent, normally one step further than the rest. Drum & Bass style is an example of the experimentation of British DJs in the mid 90s, in which Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie, is of great importance. In 1994 he released Inner City Life, which can be considered a milestone in drum and bass genre. Let's enjoy the breakbeats in this slow and intense song, accompanied by the warm voice of Diane Charlemagne, the British vocalist behind this hit.

R.O.C.

82: Regina - Paras aika vuodesta (2007)

Now we take a big leap and land in Finland. Regina is a three-member band from Tampere, a largely industrial town that is often called "the Manchester of Finland" due to the disproportionate number of rock bands it has produced. They released their first album in 2005, but we have chosen a warm song from their second album (called “Oi miten suuria voimia!”).

Civ

83: Banda UÓ - O Gosto Amargo do Perfume (2011)

February, the Carnival month. Time to visit Brazil, one of my favourite countries, where cities and people are always bright and cheerful. With this song, in a joyful tecno brega style, the recently formed Brazilian trio Banda UÓ let us face the day in better spirits. Although the song actually ends at 2:30, the video continues with a romantic scene. Let's cheer up!

R.O.C.

84: Aux Raus - Wire (2006)

We stay in Europe, in Holland to be precise, to find the band Aux Raus. Full of energy, anger and punk attitude, the musical duo formed by Bastiaan Bosma and Luuk Bouwman has been dropping techno-punk bombs over our heads since 2006. Curiously enough, their first album, which included this song, was released earlier in Mexico than in their own country.

Civ

85: Dzeltenie Pastnieki - Sliekuteva Valasprieks (1984)

Back to Europe, we visit Latvia in 1984, a country member of the USSR by then. Sung in Latvian, it makes use of childish voices, possessive synthetizer chords and typical instruments of the country, including the most popular of all: clapping hands!. Another time, another culture. Very nice, anyhow.

R.O.C.