It's the Supersound

We've been hinting at it for a while, but - in case you didn't already hear - a new era is upon us here at Neon Gold. That's right, it's time to put out some albums. So without further ado, we're over the moon to announce our first ever albums signing, the one and only St. Lucia. We'll be bringing you his immaculate debut EP this March and a debut album later this year, but first we're kicking things off with a remix 12" for EP standout "We Got It Wrong", a euphoric time-bending masterpiece that allows you to escape into the beaches of your imagination.

Beautifully packaged on widescreen 12" vinyl and in all good record stores on Valentine's Day, it comes complete with a star-studded supporting cast of remixes from some of our favorite electronic talents around. Finnish boy wonder Lenno molds the original into a nu-disco force of nature like an apprentice of the highest order, while the master puppeteer Starsmith adds layer upon layer of synth varnish like an OCD Gepetto on speed. Elsewhere Xaphoon Jones, the dark wizard of the bunch, summons up black magic from the spirit world with teeth-baring synths and just-make-it-clap beats on what can only be described as a festival massacre just waiting to happen. It's all out physically on February 14th, but you can preorder the full package from the Neon Gold Shop HERE. But wait, there's more... for the first time ever, we've also got the release available for purchase digitally from iTunes NOW, a highly dangerous experiment in immediate gratification that's sure to yield only the sexiest results.

MP3: "We Got It Wrong" (Xaphoon Jones Remix) - St. Lucia [exclusive]

DC, don't think we forgot about you. In what has become another monthly family tradition, we're teaming up with our All Things Go bros yet again to bring you our last All Things Gold showcase of 2011. This time, we're back with even more international starpower, featuring a double threat of British club maestros hitting the east coast for the first time ever. Headlining live will be Monarchy, taking the Neon Gold stage for the first time in a moment we feel like we've been waiting for our whole lives. Then headlining the night on the decks will be the hotly anticipated US debut of Edwin van Cleef, storming DC with an arsenal of bangers (see: this, this, and this) so dangerous we're just hoping homeland security even lets him into the country.

Rounding out what just might be our strongest bill yet are Xylos live and Xaphoon Jones on the decks, taking this month's Popshop lineup on the road down to DC for an encore performance at All Things Gold. It's all going down at DC's finest venue, U Street Music Hall, Thursday December 8th at 9pm sharp, with $10 tickets available for purchase HERE. You better believe this will be a special one, so come out and join us for an end of the year celebration not soon to be forgotten.

09:30pm: Xylos // STREAM: "X-Ray"

10:30pm: Monarchy // DOWNLOAD: "Gold In The Eternal Fire"

11:00pm: Edwin Van Cleef // DOWNLOAD: "Listzomania" (ft. Jane Elizabeth Hanley)

12:45am: Xaphoon Jones // DOWNLOAD: "Dreamers" (Xaphoon Jones Remix)


Finally, those of you not in DC next week but still desperate to see Monarchy, fear not. You've got the consolation prize of the century coming when Monarchy make their NYC debut at Highline Ballroom on December 10th, with support from none other than our dearly beloved St. Lucia. Tickets are available HERE but, as expected, they're going fast.

And just like that, our first year of Popshop NYC is coming to a close. While 2012 will see Popshop spreading its wings overseas with regular events in London and Paris, our first love will always be New York. And to say thanks for such an amazing inaugural year, we're doing POPSHOP012 as a FREE ENTRY end-of-the-year blowout, bringing you four amazing live acts and the almighty Xaphoon Jones as the main event on the decks. Headlining live are the brilliant Xylos, fresh off a sold out US tour supporting Trentemoller, with main support coming from our beloved Emil & Friends, whose brand new Lo & Behold LP shines as one of the year's most exciting debuts. Then opening things up we've got Ben Bronfman's massive new project TEACHERS and the international live debut of new Brooklyn pop sensation Ghost Beach. EXCITING TIMES AHOY.

It's all going down Thursday, December 1st at our home away from home Tammany Hall, and as we may or may not have mentioned before, it's 1000% FREE ENTRY, you just need to shoot an RSVP over to RSVP@neongoldrecords.com and you'll be all sorted. And as if that wasn't enough, we've got our usual hour of open bar magic in the mix courtesy of Absolut, so come one, come all, and let's ring out the year in style.

09:00pm: Ghost Beach // STREAM: "Empty Streets"

10:00pm: TEACHERS // DOWNLOAD: "GOLD"

11:00pm: Emil & Friends // STREAM: "Crystal Ball"

12:00am: Xylos // STREAM: "X-Ray"

01:00am: Xaphoon Jones // DOWNLOAD: "Lights" (Xaphoon Jones Remix)


FREE ENTRY WITH RSVP: RSVP@neongoldrecords.com

We've been waxing poetic on our undying love for Savoir Adore's "Dreamers" since first announcing it last month, but the B-side - a rightfully ambitious Xaphoon Jones remix - plays in a completely different ballpark, one where there's no such thing as gravity or limits. This re-imagination is "Dreamers" on steroids, starting with the crescendoing whirr of interstellar rocket engines powering up and Paul Hammer's swooning vocals setting the scene for a 2011: A Space Horn Odyssey. Then, just as you're bracing yourself for the laser beam synths of the original to drop in, Xaph drops those motherfucking SPACE HORNS on you and the rest is history. So cop your 7" here, get your download on below and celebrate the "Dreamers" release day in style. It's 11.11.11 y'all, the dream is real.

MP3: "Dreamers" (Xaphoon Jones Space Horn Remix) - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

We've been on about Savoir Adore for quite a while now, who in the past twelve months have gone from one of our favorite new bands in Brooklyn to our absolute favorite boy-girl duo in the game, swiftly overshadowing your Mates of States and even your Matt + Kims of the world. And that was even before they unleashed "Dreamers", their masterstroke of a new single and arguably the best song we've heard all year. It's a SPECIAL track, so it's with great pleasure that we bring it into the world next month on Neon Gold, just in time for it to become your most essential track of autumn 2011.

It opens innocuously enough, as the crescendo emerges gradually from the ominous mists of the intro, before the synths drop with the full centripetal force of a rollercoaster, swooping in and around staccato guitar picks and frontman Paul Hammer's ethereal vocals. Then at the chorus, it's lady vocalist Deidre Muro's turn, as the synths let up and give her center stage before returning with all the emotional gravity of a thousand heartbreaks in the second verse. It all reaches a fever pitch in the middle eight, as this palpable combination of dreamweaving harmonies, self-assured handclaps, and textured synths come together to play out like a slow-burning cinematic threesome. From there, "Dreamers" builds and builds like a stairway to synth heaven and once you've reached the top, there's just no turning back.

It's a timeless slice of ethereal pop brilliance and one of our absolute favorite tracks of the year, and we hope it'll be yours too. Limited to 300 copies worldwide, "Dreamers" comes true 11.11.11, complete with an empire-toppling space horn remix from Xaphoon Jones on the B-side. Preorder is available from the Neon Gold Shop now, but as were strong believers in instant gratification, you can find a free download of the mp3 right here, no waiting required. Go ahead, live the dream.

MP3: "Dreamers" - Savoir Adore [exclusive]

Our love for Grouplove truly knows no bounds, and we've had their debut full length Never Trust A Happy Song (released TODAY) stuck on repeat on the office stereo since they sent it through earlier this summer. Now, as a proper salute to the finest group of musicians on the left coast, we're throwing their official album release party Wednesday night after the band headline their biggest NYC play to date at Bowery Ballroom. Immediately after the show's conclusion, we'll be taking things back to our second home at Tammany Hall around the corner to indulge in a well-deserved celebration for the ages, complete with DJ sets from Xaphoon Jones, Captain Cuts and Grouplove themselves.

Furthermore, we'll also have the live debut of a brand new band by the name of Stay Gold, an oven fresh project from Kris Menace and Max Cooke, former mastermind behind the UK's late great GoodBooks and essential fixture in Ellie Goulding's touring band. Joining him on live drums will be everyone's favorite beatsmith, Xaphoon "You Crazy" Jones, before he swaps the sticks for the decks to close out the night on the ones and twos. And to top it all off, it's completely FREE. All you have to do is show up with your rageface on and a government issued ID saying you're 21+.

And in case all that wasn't exciting enough, to ring in the occasion we've got another very special exclusive from Xaphoon for you. Many of you may remember the "Colours" remix of Grouplove we premiered in June, but in an effort to come up with "something to scare people at festivals with", he went back into the lab and created a whole new beast of a bootleg edit "scrounged from the chasm-like depths of [his] hard drives". The result is the brand new MEGA EDIT of the mix that he's been tearing crowds in half with all summer long, complete with earth-shattering new bass surges in the chorus, dancehall snares and new vocal effects. Harder. Better. Monster. Stronger.

MP3: "Colours" (Xaphoon Jones' MEGA EDIT) - Grouplove [exclusive]