Welcome back to the second installment of our new Monthly Favourites Remastered series. After reviving this passion project of mine last month, September has rolled in with a fresh batch of songs, all selected as part of my favourite songs of the month. I must have been in an electronic music mood at the time, as there seems to be a definite sound to the tracks and artists on this list. As always, the full playlist can be found at the bottom of the article for your listening pleasure.
Review by Jane Howkins. Photo of Chroma Noir
Chroma Noir – Endless Highway
Chroma Noir open things up with a high gear on their 80s-infused song, Endless Highway. It’s a synthwave single that actually feels custom-built for listening to whilst driving on empty midnight roads, as neon-lit city skylines drift by in the background. Endless Highway has a suitably spacey tone to it, perfectly setting the atmosphere as the tension slowly builds, punctuated by strong singalong sections and electrifying guitar solos. Chroma Noir have managed to create their own unique brand of 80s synth-metal, and I’m here for it baby!
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EGGER – Get Up
Now it’s time for something slightly different from Austrian electro-experimental project EGGER. Get Up actually has a similar sort of vibe to the previous tune on this list, due to its retro-futuristic lens and the pulsating synths EGGER uses here. It’s a really compelling piece of music, as the beat creates a hypnotic tempo, driven by occasional spoken word messages that act almost as a vocal line would here. One thing’s for sure – Get Up is a bold piece of work that proves that modern electronic music can be both intensely physical and deeply cerebral, all at the same time.
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Asta Bria – Virus (KØLA Remix)
Asta Bria is another York Calling newcomer, bringing her fabulous new tune Virus (KØLA Remix) to these pages. Here, Asta has created a euphoric piece of electronic music from a track she originally penned over two decades ago, turning it instead into a vibrant dancefloor weapon. It’s an absolutely amazing tune, full of throbbing beats and sultry melodies, getting deep underneath your skin until you’re well and truly dancing. The vocals repeat the main refrain occasionally, adding further to the hypnotic feel of the song, using an array of subtle string arrangements and a funky bassline to breathe new life into Asta’s archive.
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Max Macready – The Hunt
Our final tune is from British electronic duo Max Macready, plunging us into yet another dystopian electronic song on their cinematic new single The Hunt. On The Hunt, the band blend together elements of darkwave, synthwave, post-punk and gothic rock into one amazing package, making for a track that keeps the tension high throughout. It’s as atmospheric as the other songs in this review, but it’s also got a crisp sense of style, blending the uncertain feeling of navigating mixed signals within the world of modern digital communication. It’s obviously an electronic song, but there’s also some cool guitar licks in there too.
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Monthly Favourites – playlist by York Calling | Spotify