Now It's Time For You To Meet Sunrom

I am loving these tracks from Paris-based electronic artist Sunrom (the nom de musique of Romain Nouhi) off his new EP entitled "Everlight."

https://www.instagram.com/sunrom/

Messengers

Once upon a time, a young man who loved synth-based New Romantic music went to a concert at the Kabuki Nightclub in San Francisco to see one of his ultimate favorite bands, Ultravox, fronted by the amazing singer-songwriter Midge Ure, on their 1983 Quartet/Monument Tour. It was a magical night but what remained an enigma for this young man was the opening act whose name he never did get: two men on synths who sounded eerily similar to Midge Ure himself. He really liked all he heard, and the lyric of one song in particular leapt out, a song about a Dancing Bear. After this opening act and before Ultravox took the stage, a friend of this young man said he thought perhaps the song was a metaphor for Russia.

Over the next many decades, the young man aged, but every now and then he would recall this concert and think wistfully of the mysterious opening act. If only he could find some information about them, maybe he could find their music. Eventually, there was an electronic medium that spanned the world and connected people in ways never dreamt of. He decided to cast a net out onto this electronic medium and immediately found what he had been dreaming of all those years.

The band he heard over forty years ago was Messengers, a Scottish duo of drummer Colin King and guitarist Danny Mitchell. Their music was produced by Ure, explaining the resemblance to that unmistakable, heart-stopping tenor and the soaring sound of Ultravox. He found their music on a worldwide electronic video encyclopedia called YouTube. In 2004, twenty years after recording songs for an album, the duo released "It's Been Twenty Years...Let's Try Turning Up The Volume." The now-older man reveled in hearing familiar sounds, in particular, "Art," "Departure," and "T.D.P." He is so grateful for finding these sounds, the sounds of his youth, sounds that inspire him to this day.

Thus, after decades of yearning and searching, the enigmatic melodies that had once filled the Kabuki Nightclub on that fateful night were no longer a mystery. They were brought back to life, rekindling the spirit and passion of a time long past, and adding a melodious chapter to the story of a man and his eternal love for music. And he lived happily ever after. The end.

And here is "The Dancing Bear" that stuck in his mind...

L to R: Colin King, Midge Ure, Danny Mitchell

"New York, London, Paris, Munich..."

After all these years, M (the nom de musique of Robin Scott) has posted a video of his 1979 Top of the Pops version of "Pop Muizk." Seeing it through a 2025 lens, and seeing the cast of characters on stage, and the fact that they are wearing photo I.D. badges like he did in the original official video here (as though they all must show their key cards to enter the studio), it is clear to see that Scott was ahead of his time as this is actually some genius conceptual performance art...

https://www.facebook.com/robinscottuk

"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/

"Ritual" by Jon Hopkins

Simply extraordinary music... "Ritual" by Jon Hopkins, his new release.

His website says:
"By turns devotional, empowering and nurturing, Jon Hopkins’ forthcoming RITUAL is a 41-minute ceremonial epic built from cavernous subs, hypnotic drumming and transcendent melodic interplay.. Tense, immersive and ultimately triumphant, it is a culmination of themes explored throughout his 22-year career, and acts as the kinetic counterpart to 2021’s Music For Psychedelic Therapy.

A single piece unfolding over eight chapters, RITUAL is personified by depth and contrast. Taking ceremony, spiritual liberation and the hero's journey as inspiration, it taps into an ancient and primal energy."

Clear vinyl copies of this album are available for order on his website!
https://www.jonhopkins.co.uk/

"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

robrobrob

I have just discovered the music of robrobrob (the nom de musique of Robert Taylor) and I am smitten. Regular readers know I have a soft spot for dreamy electronic music that has a glitchy sense, with choppy snippets of woozy vocals that seem to be reaching out, yearning to be understood...

Here is "Bystander."

"Still Alive" has a joyous build...

And "Close Behind" has a sort of rushing...a buoyancy that feels exhilarating.

Amazing work robrobrob. Keep 'em coming, please!

https://www.instagram.com/robrobrobmusic/