Hurts with a Wonderful Life

We've only featured the great new U.K. band Hurts with remixes before by Fred Falke and Jamaica, that's a bit of a shame for us and hurtful. But now we will give you Hurts big time.

Hurts are a preppy duo from the UK consisting of Theo Hutchcraft and Adam Anderson. They make synth pop in a tremendous way. It's beautiful, got soul and it got the big inspiration of the 80s synth era of Depeche Mode and similar bands.

We'll start with their new single "Wonderful Life" that is released on August 23 and will be available digitally, on CD and vinyl. The track has been floating around in cyberspace for quite a while, but not in high quality, so I suggest you preorder the release. If you order the CD you will get a bonus track named "Affair" that aren't available anywhere else.

Here is the new video shot at Ibiza:



A remix of "Wonderful Life" by electro hip-hop legend Arthur Baker was also featured on Kitsuné 9. My favourite remix is however Freemasons, very good remix.

Hurts - Wonderful Life

Hurts - Wonderful Life (Freemasons Club Mix)

Hurts - Wonderful Life (Arthur Baker Remix Kitsuné Edit)

Hurts - Wonderful Life (Mantronix Remix)

And we finish off with a little something for you who haven't tuned in properly with these fine gentlemen. Here's your chance, where I have gathered a bunch of Hurts tracks.

Hurts - Better Than Love

Hurts - Unspoken

Hurts - Blood Tears Gold

Hurts - Mother Nature

Hurts - Silver Lining

Kitsuné Maison 9

I almost never listen to full albums. A part of it is because I basically have stopped buying records and to the extent I buy music it's almost always just single tracks. Another part of it is because I listen to a lot of club music that isn't built around album releases anyway.

An album I have listened to a lot since we got it a couple of weeks ago though is the forthcoming Kitsuné Maison 9 compilation. The French label's catalogue is epic and they're still among the coolest there is. The ninth instalment of the Maison compilations have been heavily influenced by the addition to the Kitsuné family of little Yumé ("dream" in Japanese). Indeed, making this compilation with the toddler being breastfed in the next room has, by their own admission, made this album into the most snugly, peaceful and motherly Kitsuné release yet. And I love it.

Unfortunately we're unable to share any of the actual tracks, but here are some promo goodies. First up you can hear a few snippets in this video, while the Kitsuné "Ivy League" Autumn/Winter 10 collection is being showcased.



Next, JBAG has mixed the album into a 5:16 long mini-mix:

JBAG - Kitsuné Maison 9 MiniMix

Anyway, my favourite track is Holy Ghost!'s "Say My Name" which is just a beautiful piece of well-written pop music in a nu disco suit. The ghosts are going to be the next big (or bigger rather) thing in 2010. Just listen to their Friendly Fires cover:

Holy Ghost! - On Board (Friendly Fires Cover)

Fenech-Soler's "Stop and Stare" is a 90s rave-infused indie dance/post punk hit. They've also made this great track a few months ago.

Fenech-Soler - La Love

Poney Poney has recently been re-formed as Jamaica, and they have been produced by Xavier de Rosnay of a certain French duo called Justice (you might have heard of them). Check out their video for "I think I Like U 2", made by Ed Banger's in-house designer So-Me (who also have made the band's cool merc t-shirts):



"I Think I Like U 2" is, as you can hear a lot more indie pop than what all those ties to the French electro scene might have you believe, and so is "Short and Entertaining" on the album.

Jamaica - I Think I Like U 2

Even Crookers have mellowed down. It might be Yelle who has had a cooling effect on them. You might have heard the original already, but here's a bootleg remix just in case.

Crookers ft. Yelle - Cooler Couleur (Junkie XL Remix Jesse's Bootleg Edit 2)

The most interesting track on the whole album might very well be the remix of Hurts' "Wonderful Life" by the electro hip-hop legend Arthur Baker. It's not my favourite track, but what the hell do I know, I'm not the one who produced Afrikaa Bambaata or this classic from 1982:

Planet Patrol - Play At Your Own Risk

Kitsuné Maison Compilation 9 is out April 26.