Friday, April 11, 2008

Favorite eMusic Synthpop

I buy most of my synthpop from A Different Drum, the great synthpop label and online store that has led the way for the underground synthpop movement since the early 1990s. But my second-favorite source of synthpop is eMusic. Here are my top eMusic "finds":

#1 Mesh--"We Collide" (Also "Original 91 to 93")
WOW. (See my first review for details.)

#2 Lavantgarde--"Inside Out"
Almost perfect.

#3 Beborn Beton--"Tales from Another World"
What a find! The CD itself is very expensive, but you can get the music almost free on eMusic.

#4 And One--"Bodypop"
Great stuff.

#5 Iris--"Reconnect," "Wrath," "Hydra," "Awakening," "Disconnect,"
Why isn't Iris a huge hit in U.S.?

#6 Wolfsheim--"Spectators," "Casting Shadows," "55578," "No Happy View," etc.
Lots of incredibly good synthpop.

#7 Conetik--"Carbon Elektriq"
Songs are so catchy and fun.

#8 Soil and Eclipse--"Archetype," "Meridian," "Purity"
They have some stunning songs in my opinion. My favorite: "Whispering Trees."

#9 Minerve--"Breathing Avenue" and "Sensefiction"
Basically unknown band with some fantastic songs. Favorites: "Escape" and "Take Me Higher."

#10 Leiahdorus--"Parallel Universe"
Beautiful, creative, original synthpop.

#11 B! Machine--"The Evening Bell"
eMusic only has one album by B! Machine, but it's got their best song: "Forget." It's one of the most haunting and unforgettable (no pun intended) songs I've ever heard. In my experience, B! Machine takes some time before it grows on you. Give it time, though, and you'll find a lot to love.

#12 Dignity of Labour--"The Dignity of Labour"
Very fun old-school synthpop with great vocals. They shouldn't have called it quits.

#13 Neuroactive--"Fiber-Optic Rhythm"
This is really good music, but "Transients" is even better. Pick it up from A Different Drum.

#14 Sero.Overdose--"No Time for Silence"
Really energetic, mostly fun synthpop. I did find one song with serious swearing in it. I forget which one, because I deleted it.

#15 De/Vision--"Subkutan," "Remixed"
Not their best work, but still very good. Pick up their best stuff from A Different Drum.

#16 Raindancer--"Audio," "Response"
It's fast, energetic music. Interesting vocals. To get the gist, listen to "Come With Me," "Sleepless," "Regret," and "Falling Stars."

Honorable Mentions:
#17 Resurrection Eve--"Rapture," "Ascension"
Similar to Soil and Eclipse. Just a small step down from them in my opinion.

#18 Melotron--"Propaganda"
At least get "Broken." It's a brilliant synthpop song. One of my all time favorites. Most of the rest of their work is in German.

#19 Camouflage--"Motif Sky"
This is just a single, but it has Camouflage's best song in years: "Conversation." It's a must-have for Camouflage fans.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

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