WAITING FOR A RIDE IN THE DARK.

“Midnight City” starts with an air raid and ends with an all-out deep space assault - what initially sounds like an intergalactic SOS is just the primer for an epic sendoff by the song's conclusion. Cue drum hits straight out of Phil Collin’s playbook and synth surges ripped from the clutches of our very own Neon Gold dreamcatcher, the kind of brilliant sonic flourishes that would make Mille or Sound of Arrows green with envy. Missing in action for a solid three years, M83 prove they weren't dead, just gearing up to bring the sexy back in a big way, as their signature ethereal vocal harmonies bring chills to the spine and play nice with that brazen sax sound that seems to have become the de rigeur in Big Pop Music in summer 2011. It’s a true return to form for the French stargazers, as we giddily await the October 18th release of their forthcoming fifth album, titled Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, which conveniently enough sums up our feelings exactly as we lose ourselves in the ether of "Midnight City".

MP3: "Midnight City" - M83

BREAK YOU DOWN.

We don't really know who this Seb fellow is, but hats off to him for having the presence of mind to get Mille involved on his new single "The Other Side". Seb's performance on the track isn't exactly going to have anyone scrambling to crown him the next King of Pop but that's irrelevant really, so severe is the heat Mille brings with his production. We can't decide if that massive synth riff in the chorus reminds us of the Wild Wild West or the Far Far East, but one thing's for sure: it's 1000% fire. Thanks to Discodust for the heads up.

MP3: "The Other Side" (ft. Mille) - Seb

UPLIFT.

Yesterday marked the release of our first record of 2010, the amazing Crysteena 12" (available for purchase here) courtesy of Sweden's new electro king Mille, and to ring it in we've got the unspeakably good Fear of Tigers remix for you. Fear of Tigers has been making quite the name for himself as of late, with his massive Sound of Arrows remix and debut album lighting up the blogs at the end of last year, and with his "Crysteena" remix he's taken things to a whole new level of HELL YES. Keeping the blueprint of the original firmly intact, Fear of Tigers just rolls up and turns everything up to 11, destroying everything in his path with an appetite for intensity only hinted at on the original. The pristine, emotive synth lead that makes "Crysteena" so amazing remains the centerpiece of the track and one of the most beautiful electronic riffs we've ever heard, but Fear of Tigers counters Mille's masterwork with a magical synth moment of his own in the bridge, taking the original to new heights we never thought possible. For real, this is seriously amazing stuff people. Fear of Tigers, you're cordially invited to remix our faces off any day of the week.

MP3: "Crysteena" (Fear of Tigers Remix) - Mille [exclusive]

I CAN MAKE RIGHT NOW ALRIGHT.

Having killed it on official Neon Gold remixes for The Sound of Arrows and Mille, London's Fear of Tigers is quickly becoming one of our favorite new electronic talents around, and now he's bringing forth more of the same hard-hitting, euphoric electro we've come to love him for on his debut album, Cossus Snufsigalonica.

Heavy on the samples and showcasing more of the next-level synth work that's become his trademark, the Tokyo-born, London-bred producer turns in a pretty stunning compilation of tracks on Cossus. Tracks like "I Can Make The Pain Disappear" and "What Did I Do?" fuck you up with big samples - especially that Robin Thicke one in "Disappear" - and even bigger synths, while instrumentals like "Study Hard Drugs School" showcase his knack for expressive electronic soundscapes and hooky pop melodies. Best of all, he's giving the whole album away for free, so enjoy a taster below or head over to Discodust where you can download the album from the free host of your choice. We're definitely trying to work with this dude in the future and will be unveiling his massive "Crysteena" remix next month, so keep an eye on this space if you like what you hear below.

MP3: "I Can Make The Pain Disappear" - Fear of Tigers

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

CRYSTEENA.

Word on the street was bangers are dead, but it seems Mille didn't get the memo. Coming off like the blue-eyed love child of Ratatat and Danger, Mille's synthed-out masterpiece "Crysteena" is a proper top down summertime JAM and we fucking love it. Look for him to start killing it in the remix game in the months to come, but for now feast your ears on "Crysteena" and get lost in the wrinkle in time that is its chiptune brilliance and commodore 64'd-out synth nostalgia.

MP3: "Crysteena" - Mille