tiananmen square dance //

CROZET - “BEFORE TOMORROW, NOOKA”

The more we hear by Philadelphia’s Crozet, the deeper we fall in love with their sound. This choice cut is lifted straight from the Noozik compilation, a collaborative effort showcasing the feel of a New York fashion design company called Nooka with the tones from Synth Records. Noozik also features artists that channel that driving new wave vibe like Onthe88, Soft Lighting, and Teeel, but “Before Tomorrow, Nooka” is what we’re most head over heels about so far. Despite how hi-fi the lion’s share of John Helmuth and Sean Lee’s work is, none of it ever sounds overproduced, but instead perfectly encapsulates the overflowing emotion presented unabashedly in every other hit from the 80’s. Impassioned vocals gel smoothly with a serious synth bassline and light, rippling keys, resulting in a very uniform-sounding John Hughes-esque experience that could put acts like The Ice Choir or M83 to shame. What a brilliant way to capture the hearts of a very loyal target audience, Nooka. Well played. Do tha right thing, and grab a free MP3 download of Crozet’s “Before Tommorow, Nooka”, the shining synthwave star on the Noozik compilation. Afterwards, grab the aforementioned mix for free here, and buy everything Crozet has ever made, ever.

MP3 Download of “Before Tomorrow, Nooka”, by Crozet (from Noozik)

PURR TAPES’ STATIC SPECTRUM

Officially released today in both physical and digital form, Purr Tapes’ most recent seasonal mix is one hell of a ride. Specializing in limited cassette releases of independent bedroom VHS-wave and synthwave artists, the label is possibly best known for hosting Tours’ debut Stay EP and reissuing Teeel’s University Heights in cassette form. They also really, really, really like cats. Like, these guys could give Best Coast a serious run for their money in the arena of feline affiliation. Static Spectrum, a twenty-eight track playlist jam-packed with the best of the best in today’s running of DIY electronic music, is actually a project in which we had the genuine pleasure of being involved. Though just a lowly non-profit collection of hardcore synthwave fans, we were approached about helping put the mixtape together, and we reached out to our small circle of friends and landed a few really good jams. With this post, we want to officially express our joy in meeting Hunter and Krystal and thank them for letting us be a part of their exciting artistic dream. Also, we’d like to give serious propers to all musicians involved en masse, and strongly recommend that you, reader, purchase a copy of Static Spectrum here. For only $5, you get a hard copy of the cassette with its lovely cover artwork, a Purr Tapes sticker, and a download code for the .zip file. Not only is that a lot of bang for your buck, but theirs is probably the best little label to invest in right now, due to the sheer uncapped quality of their output so far. We’ve listened to Static Spectrum constantly for the past week or so, and it is easily the single best mix we’ve heard in at least a year. Do tha right thing, and buy it now.

MP3 Download of “M4CH1N3 L0V3”, by TAPES (from Wildlife)

MP3 Download of “2GETHR”, by YUME (from the Dreamt of U EP)

TEEEL REMIXES

Okay, I realize the embedded video is of a track that was just recently showcased via TSQ VOL NINE, but don’t hate; it’s one of the better ones. In this writer’s opinion, Teeel is one of the most distinctive artists involved in the current microgenre of retro-infused downtempo and IDM music that seems to be gathering steam, thanks to the likes of artists such as Anoraak, Com Truise, Starfawn, and a few others. Teeel’s music was originally introduced to me with the release of his first track (at least according to Soundcloud), being “Goodbye”, which was featured on the iso50 exclusive Com Truise guest mix “Dry Waves”. I have always appreciated the vintage, in-your-face beats, the prominent basslines (with occasional subtle inclusion of clean bass guitar), and of course, the thick, heavy layers of synth-infused nostalgia. Like other artists of his ilk, Teeel’s talent never lacks in the remix department. For having broken into the collective hipster consciousness for only a year or so, he has already amassed a small, but priceless collection of remixes that I strongly urge you take advantage of via his Soundcloud right now. At least three of these phenomenal re-imaginings have been put to good use by the writer on mixes and playlists before, so I personally attest to their quality. Do tha right thing, and mosey on over to Teeel’s Soundcloud and bag these great free remixes he’s done, and then fund the Teeel jam-making enterprise in Outer Space, USA, by purchasing a copy of his debut album Amulet, if you like what you hear.

MP3 Download of “Everything Good (Teeel remix)”, by Jensen Sportag

MP3 Download of “IWYWAW (Teeel remix)”, by Com Truise

Perhaps I understated several days ago how paramount it is that you download this mixtape. LYFSTYL music blog’s free “Blissful Allusion” mix’s main selling point to me originally was that it featured hi-fi emotional synthpop artist Teeel, but after giving the carefully crafted playlist several listens, that’s hardly its only high point. Ten tracks long, meticulously arranged to best evoke the specific feelings of bliss and saudade, if you will, and featuring an excellent selection of ambient, IDM, and downtempo electronic music, “Blissful Allusion” is a must download. Do tha right thing and get it here or just check the free MP3s after the bump. The first song, the one in the video, is a dark but warm ambient piece in the vein of Port-Royal or Telefon Tel Aviv.



The second is more of a haunting trip-hop croon, with more than a hint of Machinedrum or Phantogram. Also, follow LYFSTYL on Tumblr for more great recommendations!

MP3 Download of “Ysalamiri 95”, by Yojimbo Billions

MP3 Download of “Call My Phone”, by Dominic Pierce

After being heckled long enough by my girlfriend to stop listening to Star Slinger day and night, I decided it was time to continue exploring the vast universe of retro-esque electronic music. Recalling the recently posted exclusive Teeel remix of Com Truise’s “IWYWAW”, along with other particularly hip and pleasant Teeel tunes I had experienced before (mostly via iso50), it was a fact that I had to see what more material the Moodgadget artist offered. Upon visiting his very user-friendly site, I was greeted with the alluring album artwork of most recent outing “Amulet”, which I had previously seen described on iso50.

As soon as I noticed that “Triangle Waves”, a song previously featured on “TSQ VOL ONE” was the opening track, I instantly began searching for a hard copy. Alas, Teeel’s “Amulet” is available primarily as a download via Amazon or iTunes, but I took it like a man. Boy, am I glad I did, because I will always lovingly remember this short, but very hi-fi and emotional synthpop mini-album. Taking the dark, hard-driving feel (feeel?) of Telefon Tel Aviv’s best work and melding that with the vintage savoir faire of Com Truise’s melodies, Teeel’s “Amulet” pleases both hipsters and electronic music aficionados alike with its ability to take a song to the brink and back with less than six tracks in three minutes flat. Do tha right thing and pay for a copy here or download this mix or that mix, both of which feature this brilliant musician prominently.

MP3 Download of “Sweet Camaro”, by Teeel

MP3 Download of “Galilean Moons”, by Teeel

This video is for Teeel’s remix of Com Truise’s “IWYWAW”, from Com Truise’s debut mini-LP “Cynanide Sisters”. This song was originally posted as an exclusive download for iso50 readers, but here it is on Youtube and The Square Dance for your listening pleasure. While both artists kinda have that computer space eighties sound going on, Teeel is able to flesh out the original jam and add a little stereo friendliness to the mix. If you like this, consider visiting Teeel’s site or Com Truise’s site and picking up a record or two. Com Truise’s sophomore effort “Galactic Melt” will be out July 5th, so do tha right thing!

MP3 Download of “IWYWAW (Teeel remix)”, by Com Truise

MP3 Download of “Goodbye”, by Teeel