Scion and Kitsune Are Pioneers

Another month rolls by and another essential compilation is released by Scion. I don't know if they're selling cars in this economy, but they're doing one heck of a job at cranking out records that are more important than life itself. Their 23rd volume of the series features the uber brilliant French label Kitsune and eleven artists from their roster.

Is it any good? You betcha. Kitsune Pioneer is another chapter in the amazing legacy that is both the Scion Series and Kitsune. Kitsune Pioneer is a masterful compilation that runs the gamut of today's electro/house/whatever scene. The eleven tracks here are the equivalent to an hour long sweaty dance floor work out that features pretty much every amazing dance tune that should be filling floors across this land. From laid back groovers from artists such as Ted and Francis to massive monsters from the likes of Heartsrevolution, Guns and Bombs, and Fischerspooner there honestly isn't a duff track in the bunch.

To think this compilation is free is just ridiculous! Kitsune Pioneer is just one electronic battle weapon after another and if you DJ then this unmixed CD is like a treasure trove of uber-cool tracks that need to be played...repeatedly. Having listened to this on repeat for the last three days, It's hard to pick out which track is the best. The 80's guitar soundtrack pop of Heartsrevolution's, "Ultraviolence (Dubka Remix)", the adrenaline rush of Shinichi Osawa's rework of Cazals, "Poor Innocent Boys," or the mindwarping pulses of the Para One remix of Guns and Bombs, "Riddle of Steel," all stand out as brilliant tunes, but the other eight tracks that make up Kitsune Pioneer are just as good, if not better.

My advice to anyone reading this is who likes electronic music is find a way to get this compilation. Whether it's visiting Scion or Toyota or whatever, if you like to move to a beat then you need this compilation in your life. Seriously. Kitsune Pioneer is beyond highly recommended.

Atari Teenage Riot Return

In thinking back, I don't think there has been a day in Atari Teenage Riot's existence where they've ever been content, happy, or calm. For nearly 20 years, if not more, ATR have been making extremely angry, political, and intelligent music for the cyberpunk generation. With today's current global political climate, financial situation, and the countless wars scattered around the world it only makes sense then that they continue that tradition on their "comeback," album, Is This Hyperreal.

An album for the Google generation, the record is brutal and ready to fight for every inch of soil it can lay its hand on. Covering everything from human trafficking, internet regulation, Wikileaks, hacker activism and everything in between...if the Matrix were a record this would be it. Pretty much redefining what cyberpunk is, yet again, ATR crank up the drum machines, destroy a few synths, scream their guts out and create one of the most urgent records of the year. This is the sound of music fighting the power and coming away victorious.

While not quite as fast or gut wrenching as the first few ATR records, let there be no doubt that Is This Hyperreal is anything less than brutal. This is pure electronic mayhem that is designed to cause a panic and chaos wherever it is heard. (As if to prove my point, several of my co-workers are currently hiding under their desks as I listen to this record.) Is This Hyperreal is the sound of angst in the 21st century...it's urgent, aggressive and guaranteed to cause fear in the hearts of those who don't understand it.

No Surrender For Medicine Babies

No Surrender's sophomore album, Medicine Babies, steers so far clear of being a victim of a sophomore slump it might as well be their third album. Evolving out of a series of parties and gatherings, No Surrender gathered to fuse hip hop, electro, synth pop and the end of the world into a devastating combination of beats, rhymes, and killer songs. To this date they've succeeded as No Surrender's songs are near legendary to those in the know and with the release of Medicine Babies this reputation is sure to grow.

A lot of groups nowadays have jumped on the band wagon of throwing the idea of genre out the window, and just throwing anything together to come up with something new. As one might suspect, few succeed at coming up with anything good. No Surrender, on the other hand, just about creates a masterpiece. With hooks so desperate to latch on they attack you, synths so raw they bleed, rhymes so sharp they'll stab you and songs so good Medicine Babies hits you like a ton of bricks. This, simply put, is an electronic trip through the dark side of New York complete with all the bumps, bruises and thrills one might expect.

Don't think that all of Medicine Babies is up in your face though, the record does offer some subtlety and as the album comes to a close it becomes apparent. In fact as the album winds down, the record gets progressively darker and darker; sounding more and more like a twisted take on trip hop. It's further proof that Medicine Babies can’t be pigeon holed and shows No Surrender successfully combines it all into one heck of a formula that you don't need a prescription to fill.

Handsome Furs Cash In Their Sound Kapital

The Handsome Furs are a husband wife duo who channel their inner Reid Brothers, their inner goth, dabble with synths, and put it all together into the form of life changing pop songs whose distorted hooks will linger with you for an eternity. Their third album, Sound Kapital is a brilliantly put together work of pop that's slightly dark and yet optimistic. It's an album packed to the rafters with tales of innocence and experience that clearly lives for the moment.


Sound Kapital is a rich pop record whose hooks are far from subtle and manage to reel you in within seconds of their refrain. It's a sugar coated darkly delicious treat that sounds raw and rough but allows it's songs to shine through. This is the sort of record that begs the question, if Mates and States are the cuddly couple of indie rock, does that then make the Handsome Furs the dysfunctional, screwed up couple who are stuck in counseling?

Recorded exclusively on keyboards the album apparently forced the band's hand by challenging them to write songs outside of their comfort zone and after about fifteen minutes into Sound Kapital you realize this was a very good thing. In fact, this record is so good here's hoping that they never pick up a guitar again. Sound Kapital is a great record that probably shouldn't be but The Handsome Furs are so proficient at what they do, it can't help but be anything but good. From the pseudo-industrial hit, "What About Us," to the noisy disjointed nature of, "When I Get Back," Sound Kapital rarely disappoints. And that’s capital you can bank on!

Fever Ray Gets Cold

Fever Ray, aka Karin Dreijer Andersson, better known as the girlie half of the Knife has just released her debut self-titled album and strangely enough it sounds like err...The Knife. Well sort of, if the Knife were on lithium and listened to a lot of downtempo records then Fever Ray would be the new Knife. Fever Ray is a slow, methodically distant record that's as bleak as the winter sky and as dark as Sweden in the winter.

Fever Ray is a broodingly beautiful record that uses electronics and traditional instrumentation in the same breath to create the unique atmosphere this record is all about. It's minimal nature and barren soundscapes paint wide open scenes of dark pop that are alluring and calmative. Karin creates spellbinding songs with such ease and aloofness that it's as if the songs are just dying to get out of her head. "Grow Up," for example, is a stirring combination of guitars, minimal beats, and her otherworldly voice that sounds like a song from the great beyond; it is hauntingly chilled stuff that sounds like she's exercising her inner demons.

Stark and dramatic, Fever Ray will give you chills as it mesmerizes your ears and slowly takes over your soul. While you can't help but compare Fever Ray to The Knife, it's downtrodden nature takes it just one step below Karin's other band. If you can't get around the comparison (it's hard trust me), you can think of Fever Ray as a supplemental release to Silent Shout and it works pretty well as such. Fever Ray is a fantastic daydream that is an enjoyable listen from start to finish. The soundtrack to winter has arrived.