I found this duo on one of my favourite blogs, by a French label called Valerie that keeps catching my ear. A funny thing happened yesterday when I visited this foreign site, I discovered Electric Youth, who are apparently from my hood: Hamilton and Toronto. Where I've stuck my head all this time, or wherever they've been hiding, I have no idea, but the thought of this Debbie Gibson-loving pair living in my backyard is just too good to fathom.
Electric Youth make syrupy electro pop that owes more to the '80s than just their name. Comprised of an adorable couple named Austin and Bronwyn (together for nine years, there's even a photo of them cuddling when they were 13 awwww!), I can only assume the two have a major thing for stuff like Stock Aitken Waterman's assembly line production style (Kylie, Mel & Kim, Divine even?), Saint Etienne and perhaps even Miss Gibson herself. If this was 1986 all over again, they'd be on Top of the Pops in a heartbeat, that I know.
But it's not. Still, there's plenty of love to receive from the blogosphere, which has given lots of TLC to like-minded artists like Annie and Sally Shapiro, and though it might be a little too sugary for those who never liked SAW hits the first time around, Electric Youth have that secret weapon. "Perspective" is their oddball hit, ignoring the obvious pop flavour for something a little more warped. Austin tweaks the layered synth tones to hit a number of minor notes and gives the electro beat some added distortion, dirtying their oft clean sound while Bronwyn uses her cherubic pipes to maintain the sweetness. As skewed as it is, it's a gorgeous song that shows they've got tricks up their sleeve.
Also check out this delicious mix they threw up on Valerie, where they expose all their influences, including Nu Shooz! Classic.
Electric Youth "Perspective"
Electric Youth make syrupy electro pop that owes more to the '80s than just their name. Comprised of an adorable couple named Austin and Bronwyn (together for nine years, there's even a photo of them cuddling when they were 13 awwww!), I can only assume the two have a major thing for stuff like Stock Aitken Waterman's assembly line production style (Kylie, Mel & Kim, Divine even?), Saint Etienne and perhaps even Miss Gibson herself. If this was 1986 all over again, they'd be on Top of the Pops in a heartbeat, that I know.
But it's not. Still, there's plenty of love to receive from the blogosphere, which has given lots of TLC to like-minded artists like Annie and Sally Shapiro, and though it might be a little too sugary for those who never liked SAW hits the first time around, Electric Youth have that secret weapon. "Perspective" is their oddball hit, ignoring the obvious pop flavour for something a little more warped. Austin tweaks the layered synth tones to hit a number of minor notes and gives the electro beat some added distortion, dirtying their oft clean sound while Bronwyn uses her cherubic pipes to maintain the sweetness. As skewed as it is, it's a gorgeous song that shows they've got tricks up their sleeve.
Also check out this delicious mix they threw up on Valerie, where they expose all their influences, including Nu Shooz! Classic.
Electric Youth "Perspective"