Summer
is here, and a song like this is what we need to enjoy it completely. Nightlife
is a two-member band (Darin Rajabian and Caroline Myrick) from the U.S.A. which
has only released two EPs (both last year). The angelic voice of Caroline,
together with the minimalist electronic sounds, make this song a real pleasure
for the senses. Time for lying in the sun.
After 50 consecutive songs from 50 different countries in our tour around the world, it's time we revisit a country: Belgium. In this case, the disco-styled band Aeroplane founded in 2007 by Vito De Luca and Stephen Fasano, who left the project in 2010. The chosen track is a wonderful remix version of a special song, Without Lies, both included in the single launched in 2010. In this Black Van Remix we can taste characteristic nu-disco sounds and the angelic female voice -so Swedish!- of American beautiful singer and model Sky Ferreira.
Let´s
listen now to my favorite band from Puerto Rico: Calle 13. This very popular band, formed by two
stepbrothers known as Residente and Visitante, released their first single in
2005 and since then their success has increased exponentially. Their eclectic
style features elements from jazz, salsa, cumbia, tango, electronics or reggaeton, but always cultivating an unmistakable sound and taking risks in
their music proposal. This time we can enjoy their most electro side.
Trick (Трик, in Bulgarian) is a trio from Bulgary. Although it might be a known band in their country, we know little of the trio, perhaps because they focused on the Bulgarian market, singing in Bulgarian. In 1984 they released a homonym album, with a predominant disco style and which I do not like except for this track, Elektronnoto Kuche (The Electronic Dog, in English). A very good synthpop song, mysterious and obscure in essence, with powerful vocals and nice ryhthm, synths and guitar riffs.
Judith
Daines Wambura Mbibo, known as Lady Jaydee is one of the most respected singers
from Tanzania. She has won numerous awards in her home country and she also has
the distinction of being one of the first women to sing modern music in Swahili.
This song mixes delicious African sounds with disco rhythm. A perfect beat for
dancing.
Michael Cretu is one of the most well-known Romanian musicians in the eighties. He started in late 70's composing good ballads and later, in the eigthies, good synthpop songs for him and for her German wife, famous Sandra Cretu who obtained relatively high success during that decade. Later, he started the succesful chill-out Enigma project, in which Sandra often contributed vocals. As solo artist he only got a minor hit with the excellent Samurai. In his second album, Legionnaires (1983), released both in German and English languages, he proved his skills with the synths, creating tracks with nice melodies, among which Today, Today (Total Normal, the German title) and the chosen song, the space-oriented Targets (Zeitlose Reise in German), stand out. Uplifting track, somehow, despite the lyrics.
In
Panama we find one of the most weird bands in their country, as their name
suggests. Their mixture of dance, pop or electroclash, and the use of modulated
lo-fi voices, make them a really interesting band. The chosen track shows their
most festive side.
We go back to Africa. South Africa, this time. A country where synthetizers are not very widely used. Among the few synthpop bands we find Silicon 39, a one-member group (Ian Wilson) with a peculiar futuristic name. Happy tune for a sad, intense song, the title and lyrics refering to the devastating period (murders, anarchy, bombing,...) suffered in South Africa from 1988 till the elections of 1994. Since the past is over, let's just enjoy the wonderful synths and voice of this superb song, highly inspired in the 80's.