Janosch Troehler
Editor
reLISTEN #7: Electronic Excitement
The 7th edition of reLISTEN features tracks that create excitement with their electronic soundscape. Prepare to dance!
There are some people who despise electronic music. "It's just a laptop," they say, neglecting the craft of creating said sounds. Admittingly, it's not the spectacle that a full-blown orchestra or rock band provide. However, electronic music also requires creativity and inspiration to become truly great. More so, many electro-acts started to incorporate more live elements into their shows.
For quite some time, I was also dismissive (or not paying attention) to electronic music. Recently, I enjoy the sounds again regularly—from concrete-hard techno to dreamy electro-pop. These tunes have an unmatched potential on the dancefloor, cathartic qualities that lift your spirit, and generally evoke excitement.
Today, I'll share five tracks that time and time again create said electronic excitement. So turn up the volume, prepare to dance, and enjoy the sonic sunshine.
Best,
Roosevelt – Fever
Roosevelt is one of those artists that heavily rely on live performance and pop structures to create his synth-driven electro-pop. The sound of this 31-year-old German musician surely feels more like very soft indie rock than anything else.
Can you really classify Roosevelt as electronic music? I say yes, but it's the kind that anyone can enjoy thanks to his pop influences. And no other track exemplifies this powerful sonic seduction better than Fever. The song starts with a jumpy piano that already builds suspension, the beat kicks in, and then, the craving melody appears; pushing everything else out of the spotlight.
And dammit, Fever is just an incredible banger that brings together the very best of different genres—from rock's groove to electro-pop's addictive nature. It's the blueprint for electronic excitement.
Klain Karoo – Don't Talk
Unfortunately, Klain Karoo ended way too early. The Swiss band only released only two EPs: Lights Down Low with original songs and Remixes with… yeah, you know. Gladly, the angelic voice of Carla Fellinger is back in her solo project Nola Kin whose single Not What You Think a couple of weeks ago.
Back in 2017, I had the honour to host the video premiere of Klain Karoo's single Don't Talk. To this day, the song—together with Stefan Tschumi's psychedelic video—remains an impeccable caleidoscope of electro-pop. Don't Talk, this slightly melancholic love song stands as a monument to Klain Karoo's unfulfilled potential, but also as a staple of the quartet's talent.
But that's also the beauty of music: Despite the fact that Klain Karoo faded away years ago, we can still forever enjoy what they've created. Don't Talk is the perfect opportunity for all romantic hearts and minds out there.
Half Time
After 20 editions, it‘s time to reflect on the past months.
Usually, I spend my Friday nights listening to newly released tracks. However, the summer break is here, and I wandered hungry through London's urban canyons while my headphones rambled the same hotline music for about two hours. It turned out the bank had an IT problem and couldn't process payments.
But while waiting with hundreds of others whose credit cards also stopped working, I reflected on the past six months of Weekly5.
2022 started on a high note; I introduced the Weekly5 membership. So far, eleven people have decided that this platform is worth supporting not only with their time but also with a bit of money. I'm incredibly grateful for that. You guys rock!
The member-exclusive format of reLISTEN also kicked off in January, a regular curation of five older tracks. I've written six editions so far, with five discoveries I've made in Berlin being the latest post.
But of course, the regular Weekly5 editions are the backbone. Since January, you've received 20 of them, featuring 100 tracks I deemed worthy of your attention. How I create these curations I've described in this behind-the-scenes article.
Janosch Troehler
Looking back on these 100 selected songs, I'm pretty satisfied with my choices. But, naturally, some tracks stuck a bit more than others with me.
Before Summer Breaks
The last edition before the summer break brings you new tracks by Tim Freitag, The Haunted Youth, Soft Captain, Juan Ithemba, and a collaboration between Gina Été and DJ Real Madrid.
One last time before the summer break, I will recommend five new tracks to you. The Weekly5 will return on the 28th of August with freshly curated music sent directly to your inbox.
Before the summer break actually starts, you can expect a look back on the past months where I underline some of my personal sonic highlights.
Thank you very much for sticking around during this first season in the second year of Weekly5. I appreciate your attention, feedback, and support for this newsletter.
As far as today's selection goes, you can expect some thoughtful tunes, summer vibes, dreamy soundscapes, and melancholic melodies. Basically, everything that the Weekly5 provides week for week. We revisit previously featured artists and dive into new discoveries.
Enjoy,
Tim Freitag – Brick by Brick
Fate has dealt the Swiss indie band Tim Freitag a difficult hand. After realizing a handful of astonishing singles, their debut record, Monsters Forever, came out on the 13th of March 2020. The pandemic hit them with full force.
They played some gigs in the past months, but fans couldn't enjoy any new material. That changed finally last week when Tim Freitag dropped Brick by Brick. It's a beautiful, thoughtful indie-pop track about the inevitable but complex process of letting your parents go and building your own life—brick by brick.
Retrowave
Synthwave is the peak of 80s nostalgia. We dive deeper into the genre's origins and its cultural impact in this special edition.
Nostalgia is essential to Western pop culture. Connected to a sentimental longing and yearning for the return of an idealized and "mythical past," as Svetlana Boym describes in The Future of Nostalgia, nostalgia trickles through every cultural media—from movies, tv-series, fashion, and music.
And the 1980s have been the principal source of reference in the past decades—primarily kicked off by the Miami Vice-inspired video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, published in 2002. A wave of 80s-driven media followed with reboots like Tron: Legacy or Blade Runner 2049 and new outputs such as the movie Drive or the popular Netflix series Stranger Things.
Alongside the cinematic resurrection of the era, a whole stylized universe began to form; a world in blue and pink. And naturally, the world needed a soundtrack. Introducing: Synthwave.
