R.I.P William Orbit

William Orbit, 2022 | Photo: Eva Pentel

R.I.P. William. Thanks for the amazing sounds.

https://www.williamorbit.com/

"Buzz and Tommy" by Mantaraybryn

English singer-songwriter Mantaraybryn has released "Buzz and Tommy," a joyous, thrilling song celebrating authenticity in the name of those who came before us. Called "Buzz and Tommy," he says the song "started as a list of advice to my younger self, but soon became me trying to throw a lifeline to those stuck in a deep dark closet, and also an homage to the real Buzz and Tommy." The sense of the song and the powerful words make me quite emotional ... and that coupled with a powerful, anthem-sounding banger of a tune makes me soar up high and want to dance like a man possessed. Amazing work, Mantaraybryn!

And here are the real Buzz and Tommy. This photo first showed up on internet at least as early as May 25, 2016 on the IG account lgbt_history. It shows two lifeguards, presumably from 1949, Buzz and Tommy. The inscription on the reverse is heartbreaking not for what it says but for the avalanche of things it doesn't--can't--say, all the things they couldn't at the time. Of course we don't know the actual story of this photo and who these two young men were (or still are? they could be alive in their 80s-90s) but the intimacy of the insciption indicates the strong possibility that they were secret lovers.

Tell me now, what do you dread
Are there monsters under your bed
You’re in the closet and they can’t see you,
So why are you scared

Scrolling through topless men
Reminding yourself again and again
They are paid to look like that
We all age and that’s a fact

And yes some of them hate you
But they’re dying off
So go out dancing
Get with someone hot

Do it for those who wouldn’t
And those who couldn’t
For Buzz and Tommy
Writing letters when they shouldn’t

Wallflower crawling off the wall
Sunflower standing nice and tall
Big Buster, now muster
All the nerve you lost before

Get yourself into a good book
Remember how those words took
All the pain that you felt away
Now it’s all the just the same

Are you a tired Atlas?
Are you holding up the world?
Stop, drop, and roll
And it’s a disco ball

And yes some of them like you
But that’ll wear off
Do you like who you are
Do you like what you’re not

Have you done the work?
Have you put in the time?
Broken the cycle
And the family line?

Wallflower crawling off the wall
Sunflower standing nice and tall
Big Buster, now muster
All the nerve you lost before

Could be a lover boy and Casanova
An overflowing supernova
I want you to escape
Be a know-who Houdini
Got chains for days
Are you even breathing

All the nerve you lost before

Wallflower crawling off the wall
Sunflower standing nice and tall
Big Buster, now muster
All the nerve you lost before

Here are what Mantaraybryn calls the main points of his list:

1. Do the things you did fearlessly as a child before you cared about external opinions.

2. Come out sooner.

3. Go out and dance like a man possessed.

4. Even though the future seems dark, you must keep dancing.

5. Feel lucky that you are hopefully in a better situation / timeline than these secret lover lifeguards [Buzz and Tommy] from 1949.

6. Remain kind despite the closet being painful.

7. Time and youth are fleeting. You must act now.

Thanks Big Buster! I've got the dance down now...

https://www.instagram.com/mantaraybryn

"Immortal Love" by Mika

Loving the driving, perpetual-motion sound on Mika's new song "Immortal Love" from his album "Hyperlove" out this January 23, 2026!

Mika is on tour this Spring! Look at his site for details and tickets.

https://www.yomika.com/home/

LGBT History Month: "Smalltown Boy" by Bronski Beat, Perfume Genius, and The Knocks

FOR LGBT HISTORY MONTH:

In honor of the 40th anniversary of synthpop trio Bronski Beat's landmark debut album "The Age of Consent," London Records will re-issue a special anniversary version on October 18, 2024, including this reworking of their classic 1984 gay rights anthem "Smalltown Boy" (previously here). It features the phenomenal Perfume Genius (the nom de musique of Mike Hadreas, previously here) on vocals, and additional music and production from The Knocks.

This song means a great deal to me and I admire this new take since it keeps true to the original source material while feeling updated. Perfume Genius' vocals are a nice reworking, honoring the beautiful falsetto of Jimmy Sommerville.

It is hard to exaggerate the historical importance of this song. Released in 1984, "Smalltown Boy" became an anthem for LGBT rights during that time. It addresses issues of homophobia, societal and familial rejection, bullying, and physical and emotional abuse. Although I was not rejected by my own family (thankfully), I was the target of years of bullying and physical assaults, so this song occupied and still occupies a special place in my heart. I remember the first time I heard it: I was at the Greek Theater in Berkeley waiting for Simple Minds to perform as the opening act for Eurythmics, and a roar of excitement and approval came up from the crowd when the first percolating notes of this song rang out. It really struck me, since I had never truly heard a song about me or my own experiences. It was a powerful moment. Bronski Beat recognized me, and validated the pain and confusion of having total strangers come at me with absolute hatred, neck veins bulging, screaming, sometimes wielding weapons, eyes popping as they spewed their own fear.

Thematically, it reminds me so much of the song "Flawless (Go To The City)" by George Michael in which he urges gay men and women to get out of their small towns and go to the city where a better life awaits (previously here). Or at least a more tolerant life, one that is not filled with daily hatred and attacks. There is a very long history indeed of gay men and women leaving small towns and small-minded areas for metropolitan areas where they are accepted. Gay ghettoes arose in cities precisely because of their proximity to centers of culture, literature, and the arts. It's a sad, heartbreaking reality for many men and women but often one must leave one's place of creation because it has turned into a place of destruction. For one's own safety, both mentally and physically, sometimes the best option is to escape.

Musically, the song is from a 1980s genre known as "synthpop," a term meaning music that was created solely or primarily by synthesizers or electronic keyboards, which in turn grew out of a 1970s electronic sound from Europe and groups like Kraftwerk. Groups like Depeche Mode, A Flock of Seagulls, and The Human League were part of this 80s sound. But despite the fact that "disco" had died a painful death just a few years earlier, Bronski Beat combined the synthpop sound with serious dance beats and a male falsetto, which was a direct and deliberate tribute to gay disco acts singing in falsetto, particularly the legendary Sylvester. Sadly, the only living member of the original Bronski Beat trio is Sommerville--Steve Bronski died in 2021 and Larry Steinbachek died in 2017.

But their music lives on. This new version holds all that history, paying homage to the original three members of the band, and is here to rally a new generation as we again face hatred, discrimination, and attacks. Thanks Perfume Genius, and The Knocks!

Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.

You leave in the morning
With everything you own
In a little black case
Alone on a platform
The wind and the rain
On a sad and lonely face

Mother will never understand
Why you have to leave
But the love that you seek
Will never be found at home
And the love that you need
Will never be found at home

Cry...

Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.

Pushed around and kicked around
Always a lonely boy
You were the one
They'd talk about around town
As they put you down
And as hard as they would try
They'd hurt to make you cry
But you never cried to them
Just to your soul
No you never cried to them
Just to your soul

Cry...

Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.

Cry, cry...to your soul, to your soul, to your soul, to your soul

Cry

Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.
Run away, turn away, run away, turn away, run away.

https://perfumegenius.org/
https://www.theknocks.com/

And here is the original, classic song and video. It remains as powerful and heartbreaking now as it was then.

https://www.bronskibeat.co.uk/

"DEEP HOLES" by Rahim Redcar

Wow, what a stretch of amazing music over the last several weeks and it just keeps coming. Here is "DEEP HOLES," the first song from "HOPECORE," a new release by Rahim Redcar (formerly known as Chris or Christine and the Queens). He has flirted with dance music for a while but it appears this new release is full-on 80s Hi NRG and 90s house. It sounds great!

Even the artwork for the album cover (available in hot pink vinyl!) screams of the airbrushed 70s-80s, referencing Nagel.

https://rahimredcar.com/

"Remedy" by Durante feat. Running Touch

Ah, this is how I like my dance music...sopping with melancholy and emotion. Here is the yearning, tugging symphonic swirl of "Remedy" by Durante with breathy, tender vocals by Running Touch.

"Some day soon..."

https://durantemusic.com/

"FLY" by Mura Masa feat. Cherish

"FLY" by Mura Masa (the nom de musique of producer and songwriter Alexander Crossan) with vocals by Cherish.

Oh, by the way, did I ever tell you I can fly?

https://www.instagram.com/the_mura_masa

"Last Night" by Romain Garcia

This new track, "Last Night" from Romain Garcia starts off as a typical electronic dance song but there is something about the chords, and the emotive, distorted vocal sample that swirls and whirls around my head, melting me...and it all ends up in a grand wall of sound. Quite lovely, actually.

https://romaingarcia.com/

"A Different Life" by Nordfold

A fun, thumping, pumping, humping track..."A Different Life" by Nordfold.

https://www.instagram.com/nordfold/

"Foz 5pm" by Maty Owl

Wow, I am loving this amazing, hypnotizing groove, "Foz 5pm" by Brazilian DJ/producer/multi-instrumentalist Maty Owl. A little dark, a little psychedelic, and little enigmatic...

https://www.instagram.com/matyowl/

"Never Stop" by Alison Goldfrapp

Here is another visualizer video for the track "Never Stop," from Alison Goldfrapp's debut solo album "The Love Invention" released today, May 12, 2023! Silky, sultry, bubbling electronic dance music...mmmm, yes.

Alison Goldfrapp - Photo by Mat Maitland

https://alisongoldfrapp.lnk.to/TheLoveInventionIN
https://www.instagram.com/alison_goldfrapp/

"I've Learned That (Jonathan Kaspar Remix)" by Dino Lenny

This amazing song, "I've Learned That" by Dino Lenny checks all the boxes for me. Dance beat? Check. Otherworldly electronics? Check. A dark melodic sense? Check. Profound lyrics? Check. And the musical build to that buzzy, hallucinatory center section, driving in dangerous rain (we are all fragile), is incredible. This remix features a truncated version of the lyrics but the tighter narrative works very well and makes the sense of the song more immediate.

Thanks, Dino!

Lenny says:
“My daughter Victoria is seven years old. Since she was born, I always felt I had to make sure she knew about me straight away. You never know how much time you have. At first, I was going to write a diary with all my thoughts and stuff like that. But if she’s a little bit like me, she’d probably pick up the book a few times and leave it there. So I decided to transform my thoughts for her into songs. ‘I’ve Learned That’ is one of those.”

Now all this stuff’s happening to me
What is the point now of doing something proper if you can’t live it
Was it lesson to learn
I haven’t learned anything here or maybe I have learned something maybe I knew already
I’ve learned that life is too short
I’ve learned that I’m fragile
I learned that...I learned that
I want to live every moment of my life now
I’ve learned that...I need balance
I’ve learned that everything matters—EVERYTHING matters
I’ve learned that

It’s raining it’s pouring I’m riding the road that leads down to my house

It's raining I'm sorry I’ve decided to ride on my own to my house

I don’t want to waste time I don’t want to waste time with time wasters
I want real stuff
It has to be real now
I’ve learned that
I still want to laugh, I wanna have fun
Laughing is serious, it’s a serious thing
I wanna leave something behind, I wanna leave something behind
I think I deserve it

Dino Lenny by Simona Tortolano

http://www.dinolenny.com/

"Social Dynamics" by Gai Barone

Regular readers know I have a soft spot for a very specific type of electronic dance music, one that has an almost undefinable quality of a floating, trance-like atmosphere with underlying emotion. And I am entranced with this song, "Social Dynamics" from Gai Barone. It creates an ethereal groove that shifts my consciousness...

https://soundcloud.com/gai-barone

"Do You Well" by Nakhane and Perfume Genius

Nakhane collaborates with Perfume Genius (previously here) to create a joyous, infectious dance song called "Do You Well."

"I want to see you out there, in the light!"

Photo by Vicky Grout for GQ

http://nakhaneofficial.com/
https://www.instagram.com/perfumegenius

"Dawn (Edu Imbernon & Clemente "Imbermind" Vision)" by Avidus

I am grooving on this remix of "Dawn" by Avidus. The version here certainly has dance cred but also an interesting rock vibe...

https://www.instagram.com/avidus.ofc/
https://soundcloud.com/avidus_ofc

"Free Yourself" by Jessie Ware

Having grown up in the days of disco, I am just loving the Neo-Disco moment that seems to be in the zeitgeist, fueled for a while now by Melvo Baptiste's Glitterbox show and all the young DJs and producers remixing classic tunes by the likes of Sister Sledge, Sylvester, and Gino Soccio. So of course I am LOVING this new release by Jessie Ware (previously here), the unofficial Queen of Neo-Disco. Yes, I know Beyoncé just released "Renaissance" and all 16 tracks are currently on the Billboard 100 but where Beyoncé is working in a 90s House tradition, this track by Jessie Ware seems to be a little more aligned with authentic, classic, late-70s disco. Called "Free Yourself," the lyrics and sense of the song feels as if it would be right at home in the freedom-seeking late 70s. I swear I could have heard this on the radio in 1978 right after Donna Summer's "Rumor Has It" and before Voyage's "Souvenirs." And I would have rushed to the record store to buy the 45 (what's a 45? Google it, kids)...

https://www.jessieware.com/

"Interstellar Cowboy (Gui Boratto Remix)" by Agents of Time

I'm riding the wave of this Gui Boratto remix of "Interstellar Cowboy" by Agents of Time (Italian DJs Andrea Di Ceglie and Luigi Tutolo). Boratto has added an ominous edge that the original needed. And I love the groove that kicks in at 2:17 and again at 3:48...blissy, dreamy, dance vibe.

https://www.instagram.com/agentsoftime

"Fade To Blue" by Ben Böhmer and "Kiki" by Fehrplay

New music out on Anjunabeats: "Fade To Blue" (substantial, grand dance music) by Ben Böhmer and "Kiki" (bottom-heavy percolating sounds that invoke House Music of the past) by Fehrplay.

https://www.benboehmer.com/

http://www.moodofmind.com/

"Return To Danger Bay" by Robert Mason

This is some deliciously dark, growling dance music: "Return To Danger Bay" by Robert Mason. I'd love to lose myself on a dance floor to this tune...flashing lights, sweat, hypnotized...it's the kind of music you'd dance to in The Matrix before Trinity and Neo come and tear up the place (welcome back T and N, missed ya, see ya soon).

Aluria

Amazing trance dance music from Aluria (the nom de musique of musician Juan Correa Lopez).

"Utica Vimana" has a slow build to a marvelous trance texture.

And "Life Loop" is hypnotizing right out of the gate.

http://aluriamusic.com/