MIAMI NIGHTS 1984: Accelerated!

Friend of the Disco Unchained family, Miami Nights 1984, just released the first track off his next album. We have very high expectations for this new album, because the last one MN1984 released was absolutely sick. The first track from his new album, ''Accelerated'', is pure outrun bliss. I felt a touch of nu-disco in it as well ( so it's perfect for late night drives). 

Track Premiere...Golf: All In All (ANORAAK REMIX)

If there's one person's taste in music we trust, it's Anoraak's. He just knows the right people to remix and the right time to do it. Aside from being a talented artist himself, he has an ear for good music. Anyway, he just finished his latest remix for GOLF's ''All In All'' (a cool EP definitely worth checking out). Anoraak's remix is both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. The track features a very synth-y Valerie era sound, so if you've been following him since then, you're in for a treat. 

Robert Parker: Interstellar Traveller (Exclusive Track Premiere)

To those of you that have been following us for a while now, you'd notice we've stayed away from synthwave for a while. There is a reason for this. Generally we've felt that the scene had become very saturated with numerous copy-cat artists making repetitive music with repetitive track names- you know what we mean. Robert Parker has not only re-inspired our faith in this genre, but he has shown us that true creativity within this sound still exists. His latest track, ''Interstellar Traveller'' features College quality synths and vocals that command chills. A true gem of a track. Be sure to grab it on bandcamp here.

Tetrahominoid: Convoy.

How about some synthwave for a change? Tetrahominoid, a brand new synthwave act from LA, recently dropped an interesting track worth taking a look at. ''Convoy'' features nostalgic synth reminiscent of early Maethelvin, and vocoder samples that sound like something from Daft Punk's earlier albums. An interesting blend of sounds indeed. Definitely worth a spin. 

EXCLUSIVE TRACK PREMIERE: Maethelvin- Waveforms (Live edit.)

Ah, Maethelvin. You just can't go wrong with him. All his tracks, from "Lost in a Big City" to his remix of "Continue" by Minitel Rose, are absolutely brilliant. Disco Unchained is proud to premiere Maethelvin's latest track, "Waveforms". "Waveforms" is a typical Valerie era track...beautiful, eerie synths with melodic 80s undertones. Be sure to give this a listen, Maethelvin is one of our original favorites. You can check his other stuff out here!

                                                                                   - Shazeb

Electric Youth - Runaway

Old-school italo-disco couple Electric Youth just dropped their newest hit "Runaway" via Secretly Canadian. "Runaway" is from Electric Youth's debut album INNERWORLD scheduled for release on 30/09/14. The track features typical Electric Youth "feel-good" modular synths, and their signature, eerily piercing vocals grâce à  Bronwyn.

Knits- Get Down (Track Premiere)

The latest single, "Get Down" produced by Stockholm- based electronic band, "Knits" completely took the crew here at Disco Unchained by storm! The track touches on an array of different musical styles, including; synth pop, synth wave and dark electro. Featuring bold vocals, and a unique backing track, "Get Down" is a good way to end a long and stressful day.

Follow Knits on SoundCloud!

Midnight Driver- Disco Dreams (Exclusive Premiere)

We recently came across Midnight Driver, an Electro-Synth artist from Bucharest, Romania, and we really liked his sound. We were able to get a glimpse of retro-wave genius through his latest single "Disco Dream". The artist has kept his focus on recreating 80's stereo Synth-Wave music, which sounds very authentic. Disco Dreams is bound to be an instant classic amongst all 80's inspired synth-wave fans.

Follow the artist HERE!!!

LeBRON- Angelis (Magoo Remix)

Magoo's spin on LeBRON's latest track "Angelis" has been ringing bells all week at Disco Unchained. In terms of vocals, the song features a very minimalistic approach, which only adds to the overall listening experience of the track. However, the beat is very bold and crisp, and could even please the pickiest of Disco Unchained fans; which makes the mix a prime example of Nu Disco at it's best!

The original is now available for download through Bonjour Bonjour Music on iTunes or Beatport.

Follow Lebron and Magoo HERE and HERE (Respectively)!!

Nola Wren.

We recently stumbled upon Nola Wren via Soundcloud, and discovered she was absolutely full of talent. Nola Wren's music is predominately synth based, and features unusually rhythmic beats and dazzlingly unique vocals. The track that really swept us off our feet though, was her masterpiece, "College". "College" (no, not David Grellier you cheeky bastards), is essentially about the (probably) very common question all immediate graduates must ask themselves; "Why did I go to college?" Be sure to give Nola Wren a listen here, and be sure to check out this rad interview we got with her as well.

Nola Wren a.k.a Kara Francavillo

1) Who is behind Nola Wren?

 That would be me, Kara Francavillo. I've been performing under the stage name Nola Wren for a little over two years.

 2) Where would you say your strongest musical influences have come from? Any particular songs, artists, genres, or movements that struck you particularly?

 For years, I was simply a girl with a guitar. I learned how to play a few Ramones and Nirvana songs when I first started out. I listened to mostly indie rock and folk music. But then I moved to New York City in 2008, and my entire sonic landscape was transformed. I dated a boy who introduced me to M83, and their album Saturdays = Youth quickly became the soundtrack to my life. Around that time, I was up alone late one night and the music video for Depeche Mode's “But Not Tonight” came on TV. Watching Dave Gahan twirling around with a mic stand, dancing like a fool, the blue lights… for some reason, it just made me cry. I was like, “I want to do that.” Since then, you could say I've been very inspired by “night music”, synthesizer driven, 80's-centric, nostalgic electronic pop. The soundtrack for the film Drive embodies this aesthetic. The tracks “A Real Hero” and “Under Your Spell” are mini masterpieces. Ironically, my latest song is called “College”, and College (the synthpop music collective featured on the Drive soundtrack) has greatly influenced me in the past few years.

3) Where do you see Nola Wren in 5 years time?

Touring, scoring films, collaborating with other songwriters, and most importantly: making beautiful, relevant music.

4) What is your all time favorite horror film?

 It's a toss up between Scream and The Silence of the Lambs. I actually watched both over the weekend on Netflix. Oh, the 90's.

5) This is tough, and we're known for asking this, but what is your all time favorite track?

No, don't ask me this question. I just can't. I'm afraid I'll say something like “I'm On Fire” by Bruce Springsteen.

 6) Aside music, what else do you do? Are there any other passions you have?

 I'm a visual artist, so I draw and paint quite a bit. I also run an Etsy shop called Skella, which I opened in 2012. I enjoy collecting vintage things and studding clothes. You can check out my collection here: http://etsy.com/shop/skella

7) If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be and why?

 In this day and age, if you don't have a massive online presence, nobody cares. I have less than 300 followers on Twitter, under 1,000 on SoundCloud, under 2,000 on Facebook. Artists and bands alike are required to have a built-in fan base before they are ever to be taken seriously. Frankly, I'm sick of watching mediocrity be rewarded from the sidelines. I fear that I'll slip through the cracks and never break out, remain invisible and eventually disappear into the abyss of the internet. I'm being kind of dramatic, but it's the truth. If I could change one thing about this business, it would be this weak, ass-backwards mentality that the mere appearance of online popularity equals success.

8) And here’s the question we’ve all been waiting for...Why did Nola Wren go to college?

I graduated from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University with a Bachelor Arts degree in Individualized Studies and a concentration in Neuroaesthetics. (I originally wanted to become a brain surgeon.)

Be sure to check our her track 'College" below!

Close 2 U ft. Joy- Young Franco

A track that beautifully infuses elements from Nu-Disco, Electro and House music. Produced by a 19 year old DJ in Brisbane, Australia. The song's funky bass-line and stellar vocals create a dangerous combination that would please the ears of even the pickiest listeners. The track is available for free download on Soundcloud, now!

Follow the artist HERE! 

Blondie - Rapture (ADN Edit)

We stumbled upon this recently, A Digital Needle's edit of Rapture by Blondie. The mix is very reminiscent of the Classixx remix of Psychic City (If you haven't heard it you can find it here). ADN's edit of Rapture is a great gem to add to your week-end disco playlist. Be sure to give it a listen!

Saturday Sitdown With Anoraak

It's like a dream come true! We here at Disco Unchained had the pleasure of meeting one of our all time favorite artists; Anoraak. In anticipation of his new work, we decided it was only right that we got him over for a Saturday Sitdown Session. 

1) How did Anoraak start? How on Earth did it all begin?

It started in my student room, at a time i didn't have a band anymore because i'd moved to another city for my studies. I had never tried to use a computer to make music before, so it took a little time to start to create something decent. No one really knew about my music, even my roommate, and at some point i decided to upload a couple of tracks on Myspace in 2007 or 2008, and it genuinely took off from my room thanks to that.

2) Is there any special meaning attached to the name "Anoraak"? What does it mean?

Basically it's the sound of the word that interested me. Also, an anorak was the jacket i used to put on when skiing when i was a kid, and at this time it felt like a cool reference to my childhood.

3) Tell us a bit about your new album! Whats it about? the "Night Drive With You" era was about summer love and heartache. What is your new work about?

The new album "Chronotropic" has more of a urban, nocturnal feeling. I'd say a little darker. I guess there will always be a summery touch in my work anyways, but this one has something deeper in the sound, in the composition, in the graphic design. It's more sharply contrasted, and it's a sum of the experiences of "Nightdrive With You", "Wherever The Sun Sets", and a lot from the tour with my band.

4) Where did Anoraak draw inspiration from musically? Any artists or bands in particular?

It's always hard to answer such a question. My musical background is extremely wide, and it would be too restrictive to pick just a few names. I think the most influencing musical currents to my music are: the 70's disco and funk scene, the mainstream pop music from the 80's, and the alternative rock ad electronic scenes from the 90's and early 2000's.

5) Tell us a bit about touring! Where will you be in the future in regards to performances?

The album release is planned for October 21st, and i'll be back on the road with my band on October 22nd Apart from a few gigs programmed in France and some djsets in the USA, i can't give a schedule so far, it's in the making. But i'm pretty excited, we've just finished a residency to put every single detail of the show together, and it's looking and sounding really great.

6) Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

To be honest, i absolutely don't think about that! Thinking about tomorrow is already way enough to me, i certainly consider that life is too short and too unpredictable to think like that.

7) All time favorite food and drink?

I love food in general, that's as hard as picking one favorite band! Maybe even harder... I'm really about fish and seafood, let's say the smoked haddock, i love it. And i'll definitely have a preference for a good red wine or a good whisky. By the way, red wine with fish is totally underrated


9) All time favorite song (this is a tough one, but try your best)

For sure it's a tough one! I'd say Antonin Dvorak's "Slavonic Dance Op.72" n°2, especially the orchestral version, it brings you to tears.

10) If you could change one thing about the world, absolutely anything, what would it be? anything at all?

The size of planet Earth!

11) Believe me when I say there are a lot of people that look up to you. What advice you have for newer artists?

It's a lot of responsibility to give advice about such an unpredictable activity. To my opinion, just keeping doing what you love and what you need to do is the only way. It's all about passion, all the rest has little importance.

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And there you have it folks! You can follow Anoraak here