LIGHTS + MUSIC 003: RUSS CHIMES + STARSMITH

Sure, Popshop may be tonight and all but let's face it, we're an insatiable bunch. So without further do, we present the third installment of our new Lights + Music rave. The third time's the charm and you'd be sorely mistaken if you think we're gonna drop the ball on this one, as we're coming correct with a hail mary of a lineup for a very special Friday Night Lights + Music this time around. Getting things started on the ground will be our very own Smash and Riggins in J-Patt and B-Roc of The Knocks on the decks early, before London's finest Starsmith and Russ Chimes take things into overtime as the double threat main event.

As per usual, we're posted up at Tammany Hall, consistently giving your night and early morning a welcome shock to the system. And as Lights + Music has become synonymous with free drinks and great life choices, this time around we're partnering up with Stoli Vodka to introduce you to their latest flavor, Chocolat Razberi, which we'll be mainlining into your bloodstream with a free-for-all OPEN BAR from from 10pm-11pm. Perhaps the best news of all for those of you chained to the 9-to-5 is that this one's going down as a rare Friday night Neon Gold show, so there's absolutely no reason to miss out on this one. Glowsticks? Check. Killer bill? Check. Free booze? Check. As is the new standard, we'll have an extremely limited number of $10 early bird tickets for sale before the price goes up to $13 in advance and then $15 day of show. Don't miss out on another epic night to remember, cop your tickets HERE before it's too late.

The Knocks // DOWNLOAD: "Sunshine"

Starsmith // DOWNLOAD: "Hang With Me" (Starsmith Remix)

Russ Chimes // STREAM: "Starry Eyed" (Russ Chimes Remix)

ALL THINGS GOLD 003: RUSS CHIMES + MNDR

DC, we love you. It's been incredible the love you've shown our new All Things Gold concert series - both of our first two shows sold out with over 500 tickets sold - and we're all set to keep the streak alive with one of our biggest shows yet next week as we import another huge lineup to the nation's capital. On the DJ side of things, we've got Russ Chimes headlining as he makes his triumphant return to the America for his first US dates since late 2009, with support coming from our main man Starsmith as he makes his long awaited stateside debut alongside his good friend and sometime collaborator Mr. Chimes. Then headlining the live stage we've got superstar-on-the-rise MNDR returning to the DC live circuit after opening for Chromeo at 9:30 Club earlier this year, plus support from Miami newcomer Nicky Blitz getting things started early.

It all kicks off with doors at 9pm and Heineken drink specials galore, and for the low low price of $10 advance tickets (or $13 on the door), it's not really the kind of thing you can say no to. Advance tickets available are HERE, but move fast as this isn't a show you want to miss. Set times and streaming mp3s below, you know what to do.

09:30pm: Nicky Blitz // DOWNLOAD: "Summer Sinner"

10:30pm: MNDR // DOWNLOAD: "Cut Me Out"

11:15pm: Russ Chimes // DOWNLOAD: "Mowgli's Road" (Russ Chimes Remix)

12:45am: Starsmith // STREAM: "Radioactive" (Starsmith Rework)

GOLD020: STARSMITH

We've been driving the Starsmith bandwagon for as long as we can remember, so it's with great pleasure that we finally announce his hotly-anticipated debut solo single on Neon Gold, coming this October 18th. Two sides of scorching club electro, his debut 12" features lead track "Give Me A Break", a massive, club-swallowing anthem built around a huge Richie Family sample (from their track of the same name) that would have lit the clubs up all summer long had it seen a release six months ago. On the flipside we've got "Knuckleduster", an aggressive instrumental that provides the perfect compliment to it's A-side counterpart. Together they're the perfect teaser for his more vocal-based and pop-oriented solo work, set to drop in the new year with his debut album as he readies his debut album for release in 2011. From what we've heard from it, it's shaping up to be one of the fiercest debut albums of the year, so cop this 12" while you still can as Starsmith looks set to be killing the game for many, many years to come.

MP3: "Give Me A Break" (Radio Edit) - Starsmith [exclusive]

The record is available for preorder from the Neon Gold Shop and Puregroove now, and to celebrate the release Starsmith's curated an amazing line up for his single launch party, being put on by Scandalism at The Queen of Hoxton on October 23rd. Featuring a live set from Neon Gold favorites Clock Opera, as well as DJ sets from the amazing Russ Chimes and Alan Braxe - not to mention Starsmith himself - this looks like one of the best lineups London will see all fall, so anyone in town would do best to get involved. Full line up and ticketing information can be found at the Facebook event page for the night here.

FOLLOWING YOUR EVERY MOVE.

The third and final installment of Russ Chimes' Midnight Club mini-film has arrived and it doesn't disappoint, wrapping things up in an epic finale soundtracked by EP highlight and next single "Targa", featuring a killer vocal from our main man Cass Lowe. The EP will be available for purchase soon, but for now revel in its accompanying mini-film directed by Saman Keshavarz, the finale of which is above.

NEVER LOOK BACK.

Russ Chimes upcoming Midnight Club EP and its accompanying short films have us besides ourselves with excitement, and now that the first installment has dropped we're pleased to report it doesn't disappoint. Brilliant non-linear filmmaking from director Saman Keshavarz set to another absolute burner from Monsieur Chimes. We seriously can't wait for parts two and three to arrive in the coming weeks, loving everything about this project.

GOLD015: PENGUIN PRISON

We're pretty sure Penguin Prison is the best thing to happen to electronic music since electricity itself, so to say we're thrilled to be bringing his next single out on Neon Gold in March would be a significant understatement. His album is shaping to be all kinds of amazing, and this next single is an exciting first taste of things to come. A piping hot AA-side release out March 22nd and featuring "The Worse It Gets" and "Something I'm Not", it's a serious departure from the lighthearted pop fare of his debut and an accurate indicator of the eclectic diversity that's to come on his hotly-anticipated debut LP later this year. "The Worse It Gets" comes off like an incredible pop smash from MJ's paranoid phase, while "Something I'm Not" lights up the flipside with a speaker-busting onslaught of immense bass sounds and ominous synths. Together, they comprise one of the more exciting releases we've ever brought out, and we're thrilled to bring you an exclusive first taste with "Something I'm Not" below.

MP3: "Something I'm Not" - Penguin Prison [expired]

Sporting another handsome round of artwork from the brilliant FRAUGRAU, the single's available to preorder now and you can do so from the Neon Gold Shop or are UK friends over at Puregroove. With remixes coming in from our dudes Starsmith and RAC, as well as a few other friends, watch this space for those and much much more Penguin goodness in the coming weeks.

LEAVE IT AT THAT.

We alluded to the huge remix package that's come together to support the upcoming release of Ellie Goulding's debut single proper "Starry Eyed", and last week we unveiled the jaw-dropping first effort from Russ Chimes. This week we shift our gaze from London to NYC, where the city's best new producer and hottest young rap sensation have teamed up to take the original to new levels of AMAZING. Stripping the original of Starsmith's synth-laden pop production, Penguin Prison transforms the track into an after hours disco burner, complete with a huge feature from Brooklyn hip hop phenom Theophilus London. Penguin, Ellie and Theo are already three of the most hyped new names in music in their own right, so much so that we fear this union of the three in a holy trinity of pop perfection could potentially be enough to throw the earth off its axis, but fuck it, we can't bear to keep this under wraps any longer.

MP3: "Starry Eyed" (Penguin Prison Mix ft. Theophilus London) - Ellie Goulding

AND MY BODY GOES.

"Starry Eyed" first lit up the blogs last spring in its original demo form, but now it's back with a new makeover for 2010 as Ellie Goulding gears up to release it as her debut single proper on Polydor next month. With a few tweaks here and there and a glossy new paint job from Starsmith, the track is bigger than ever and we're breathless in anticipation of the havoc it's sure to wreak on the charts when it drops February 22nd. The single is already pretty much the total package, but sweetening the deal considerably is an amazing new OneInThree-directed video for the single (viewable in all it's next level glory above), as well as a flurry of shit hot remixes supporting the release, the first of which we've got for you here today.

Proving once again why he's the most underrated remixer in the game, Russ Chimes comes through with his finest effort to date on what's sure to go down as one of 2010's biggest club tracks. Russ first sent this through to us last spring when the demo first surfaced, and nearly a full year on it still hasn't lost any of its luster, consistently slaying us with its unrelenting house piano brilliance and that massive drop that never ceases to send us into paralytic shock with its sheer immensity. Seriously people, get ready to hear this on the regular in every club west of the iron curtain this year, Russ Chimes just owned 2010.

MP3: "Starry Eyed" (Russ Chimes Remix) - Ellie Goulding [exclusive]

GOLD 012: MILLE

We've had a pretty busy release schedule in 2009 putting out some of our favorite artists around, and after a little break this December we're ready to get back in the game and go twice as hard in 2010. We're not only talking new singles from some of the hottest new talents around (Monarchy, Penguin Prison, Yes Giantess, et. al), but also EPs and longplayers. Yeah, shit's about to get really real all over again. To kick it all off we've got a white-hot 12" release from one of the freshest new faces on the electronic scene, the unstoppable electro force that is Sweden's brilliant Mille.

We first featured Mille back in September with the demo version of "Crysteena", and now we're back with the real deal, all polished up with a slick mastering job and a few tweaks to make it even more amazing then it already was. For the uninitiated, "Crysteena" is one of the biggest tracks you'll hear all year, with a glorious synth lead in place of a vocal that makes for one of the most expressive and emotive synthetic compositions we've ever heard. Already championed by DJs the world over including the likes of Starsmith and Russ Chimes, Mille is quickly making a name for himself in the international electro scene and this here is his official coming-out party. Following on the heels of our first-ever 12" release with The Sound of Arrows last September, the Crysteena 12" not only boasts the immense original, but new track "Stargazers" and some killer remixes courtesy of Fear of Tigers, Edwin van Cleef and Justin Faust. Below is the shiny new version of "Crysteena" in it's all it's extended glory, as well as a streamlined radio edit for the ADD generation.

MP3: "Crysteena" (12" Version) - Mille [exclusive]
MP3: "Crysteena" (Radio Edit) - Mille [exclusive]

As per usual, the 12" will be available from the Neon Gold Shop for our stateside friends and exlcusively from Puregroove for our international shoppers. The package is out January 11th featuring handsome cover artwork from Sweden's DW Design, but is available for preorder now. We've also got a lovely little Christmas sale currently underway at the Neon Gold Shop, with 25% off selected items in our back catalogue. Sale ends after Christmas though so act fast. And finally, we're currently developing a line of t-shirts for unveiling in early 2010, so get ready to get some Neon Gold merch all up on your body in the new year. Yes mate? Yes. Mate.

ONE DREAM ON REPEAT.

We've done our best to get Marina & The Diamonds ready for the worldwide superstardom that no doubt awaits her, but after two indie singles on Neon Gold it's time to watch homegirl step out into the world with her major label debut under the watchful eye of Atlantic. The single's a familiar favorite, "Mowgli's Road", which fans will remember as the thunderstealing B-side to last February's sold out Obsessions 7". The new and improved single version will be out November 16th, the first step on what will no doubt be a rapid ascent to fame for Ms. Diamond. We're mighty proud to have helped her along thus far, and we hope you'll continue to show your support as she takes the leap to the next level.

We've done our part, advising on the remix side of things on this release, with the fruits of our labor emerging as two rather brilliant (if we do say so ourselves) from Mille and Russ Chimes. Mille's remix is Marina's personal favorite she's ever received, while Russ' mix is just monstrously huge with a drop that is downright earthshattering. There's even a rave whistle, shit is FOR REAL. Seriously, they're both balls-out amazing. Enjoy.

MP3: "Mowgli's Road" (Mille Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds [exclusive]
MP3: "Mowgli's Road" (Russ Chimes Remix) - Marina & The Diamonds

NEON GOLD UPCOMING PT. II

We've got an absurd amount of Neon Gold events on in the weeks to come, but if you've only got room in your life for one night of Neon Gold raging, this should absolutely be it. In what we hope to establish as a monthly occurence in the months to come, Neon Gold Presents makes its proper London debut at Notting Hill Arts Club next Tuesday 21st July.

Starring our very own superstar-in-waiting Marina & The Diamonds playing live with support from hotly tipped experimental pop whiz Clock Opera, the live portion of the night alone is enough to warrant the negligible £4 entry fee. We’ve also got a sterling DJ lineup beyond the live stage though, highlighted by sets from Frankmusik, Russ Chimes and Starsmith, who together ride high as the three kings of London's electronic pop scene. With only £4 entry and this likely your last chance to catch Marina and co. in such an intimate setting, this is truly a can’t miss event. BE THERE.

Marina needs no introduction by this point, but Clock Opera is a brand new name on the scene and an extremely special talent in his own right. With his own unique "chop pop" approach to composing sample based pop masterpieces, he sounds like nothing we've ever heard before. "Once And For All" is his debut track and statement of intent, a swirling opus of chopped up samples and shimmering instrumentals that steadily builds before exploding into a climax of pulsing, emotive energy. Rumor has it the live show is something of a spectacle and you better believe we're over the moon to have him supporting Marina at Neon Gold Presents next week. Yes mate.

MP3: "Once And For All" - Clock Opera