Space-pop and psychedelia? Ed Wood and Burt Bacharach? LE MANS and STEREOLAB? Science-fiction and lounge music? Stories about robots and magnificent orchestral arrangements? George Gershwin analogical synthesizers? Where have you ever seen such a cocktail? “Fantasías de Un Robot Psicodélico”, the debut album from MODULAR, Argentine duo founded by Mariana Badaracco and Pablo Dahy in 2000, pulls all this together and much more, in an experiment that identifies them as one of the most peculiar bands in recent years. Fruit of recovering some of the songs included on the four demos they’ve released over their more than nine years of existence, “Fantasías de Un Robot Psicodélico” is an exercise in spatial and colorful pop that is bright and optimistic and is the worthy heir of the Space Age Bachelor Pad Music led by Mexico’s Juan García Esquivel in the late fifties. Songs like “Perdidos en El Espacio”, “Playa Biquini”, “Hombre Hormiga” or “Flasheando” show their knowledge of science-fiction, B-series, the sixties’ spatial, psychedelic esthetic, the sophistication and elegance of Henry Mancini, as well as their mastery of arrangements, the analogical playfulness of bands as far in time but as close in spirit as THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE HIGH LLAMAS or BROADCAST. They are the vertex of a personal and unique sound, addictive and simultaneously surprising and groundbreaking. And the thing is, we never imagined that a robot could have such incredible fantasies.

So much time gazing out over the Atlantic, observing Salvador de Bahia from the other side of the ocean, when it turns out that the most exotic sun shines on this side of the Mediterranean, in Italy, where Giorgio Tuma has just released his second, marvelous album, “My Vocalese Fun Fair”.
Starting with fibers as solid as the delicacy of Caetano Veloso at his most Bahian, the elegance of Burt Bacharach, the jazzy approximations of Antonio Carlos Jobim, the circus-like psychedelia of the BEATLES at their highest, the Californian soft pop and a touch of sweet soul in the style of Terry Callier or Marvin Gaye, Giorgio Tuma builds a source of imagination with “My Vocalese Fun Fair” that makes his inseparable band mates, OS TUMANTES (as a tribute to the Brazilian psychedelic pop group OS TUMANTES), reach their highest level. This album is able to bring together the different influences of all these artists and fit them together with their own personality. Sunny melodies, bright arrangements, a production with echoes of the sixties, deep Brazilian influences, and above all, a highly inspired artist with clear colorful inclinations, as the album cover, designed by the internationally renowned artist, Davide Zucco, perfectly portrays. And the lysergic aspect, the one required by music with so many tonalities, the one which painted the submarine yellow, is found in lyrics that are authentic space voyages, a spirit that is perfectly defined in the lyrics of “Musical Express”, where it says “I’ve singable dreams”. Giorgio Tuma is the artist that turned the daily journey of the summer sun into music. But it is not a yellow, monotonal or monotone sun, but a sun that has a complex shine, complete, full of nuances, one we believe in and that, as such, manages to irremediably affect our state of mind. Giorgio Tuma, the man who turned the colors into notes.

Their second album demonstrates a solid maturity. “Nuevo Futuro” shines with the fantastic production of Ibon Errazkin, who is responsible for other classic albums on the Elefant label like NOSOTRÄSH’s “Popemas”, Carlos Berlanga’s “Impermeable”, ANA D’s “Satelite 99” or the albums of SINGLE and LE MANS. Additionally, there are stellar collaborations from Teresa Iturrioz (SINGLE) and Malela Durán (NOSOTRÄSH, GRANDE-MARLASKA) on the choruses, or Rafael Guillermo of POP TOPS on the piano. Errazkin achieves a jeweled masterpiece with varied and distinct sounds and original textures, looking for spaces to make the songs special with details and extraordinary arrangements. But the best thing about the album are the twelve superb songs. The compositions are outside the limits of any one style, they are full of elegance and good taste – delicious pop with charming harmonies that could sound like standard light music with someone else’s voice. It’s all feeling, with beautiful and sincere lyrics. CORAZÓN dares to make classic melodic pop, bolero-pop and sentimental melodrama; they reinvent the artistic spirit of VAINICA DOBLE with their own originality and baroque arrangements and give us radiant soul-pop hymns worthy of LA CASA AZUL. It’s an album that will go down in history as one of the great classics of Elefant records.

LA MONJA ENANA is not your typical group with a defined path. Throughout their long, and at times, slower than usual career, they have played in Sweden, Russia, Paris and they put out a compilation in France and Mexico. The band has also been Single of the Week in Melody Maker. All of this happened without much effort from the group. LA MONJA ENANA is relaxed because they know that every once in awhile, without having to move a finger, something un-heard of happens and changes their career. Perhaps its largely due to their scientific-literary-paranormal theme in their music or it could simply be that when you listen to their music without preconceived notions, you appreciate all of the wonderful tunes with a catchy melody, a crystal and natural voice, together with surprising sounds.

The fact is, LA MONJA ENANA has numerous fans in Spain anxiously awaiting for the release of their album, “Humo y Espejo.” We are folks who sell out their concerts, sing along to their songs and know the perfect gestures which go along with each line.  We understand the references of Philip K. Dick and Jack Clayton in their older songs and with their brand new songs, we’ll catch on to the references of Lemony Snicket in “Café Kafka” and of Jorgen Leth in “Humano Perfecto.” We are people who admire how all of this may convert into a song and sound so great, catchy and melancholic at the same time. We are people who are elated that a group like LA MONJA ENANA exists, because, someone finally has written a song like “Heróes del Pasado” about the glorious oldies and because they dare with one of the most unusual songs by Jonathan Richman, “I’m a Little Dinosaur,” offered as a bonus track on the album. Text by Belén from L-KAN

There are few figures as representative of the Scottish pop sound as Duglas T. Stewart and his BMX BANDITS (who have had members of THE VASELINES, TEENAGE FANCLUB and THE SOUP DRAGONS pass through their midst). They have a cult status, are admired by all kinds of artists (even the Gallagher brothers and the very Kurt Cobain were part of their fan club); their way of using pop as a medium to transcend styles, epochs and trends has been an example to follow for generations of bands like TEENAGE FANCLUB, NICE MAN, THE WEDDING PRESENT, CAMERA OBSCURA and many more. Here at Elefant, we have always greatly admired them and have tried to show what we admire about them through a catalog full of hard to find songs, singles and EPs, which have been published on independent labels half the world over. Which is why we are doubly congratulating ourselves now. First, for being able to increase our catalog with one of their albums. And second, because this album lets us recover many of those lost songs (some even unreleased). Yes, “The Rise & Fall of BMX Bandits” is a compilation. It has those great hits like “Disco Girl”, “Your Class” and “Whirlpool”, but it’s not a greatest hits album. It has hard to find songs and B-sides, but it’s not a compilation of B-sides and hard to find songs. It is simply a BMX Bandits album, with songs chosen by Duglas T Stewart himself, a new way of dealing with the best pop possible. And even the impossible, too.

Audio HERE [DEEZER] and SPOTIFY

Many of us were left mesmerized by the precious melodies and the elegant pop which "Doux-amer" had, LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE’s debut album from three years ago. After an intense period and recent change in lineup with the incorporation of Charles Gasqué, the second awaited album of the Catalonian band, "Rougeole", has arrived.
"The title, "Rougeole" (“measles” in French) makes reference to something that only time can heal. Time means life and death all at once, something out of human control which inexplicably advances to a particular destiny. "Rougeole" talks about the end of a vital stage, from disappointments to obsessions and desires, from hope to desperation, from excitement to anguish, reliance, nostalgia and indifference.” There is no better way to describe an album which finely depicts the most human and exciting details to talk about the contradiction of existing, always with an upbeat tone and vital hope, characteristics which describe each one of the songs of "Rougeole". An album that Françoise Hardy would adore and Jacques Brel would save a special place on his CD rack for and Serge Gainsbourg would give to Jane Birkin, and THE BYRDS would pack this album to help pass the time in the tour van. The best part is that all of these influences, all classical, sober and inspired, LES TRÈS BIEN ENSEMBLE formed their own plan, within the same distance from the past as the present, but above all, full of personality. There is a reason that time is the protagonist of this fantastic second album, "Rougeole".
 

It’s hard to imagine a better declaration of principles than the first phrase that you read on the website of the Swedes SPEEDMARKET AVENUE; it’s a self-definition which goes as follows “a pop music collective led by a little guy who looks like a cross between Charles Manson and Marc Bolan.” The fact of the matter is that this Swedish band is going to be, without a doubt, one of the musical references of 2008 for all POP lovers in capital letters, with a perfect concept of melody, putting them in the same ballpark as THE AISLERS SET and THE FAIRWAYS; jangle-pop with precious wind arrangements, played with freshness and emotion. Their second album, “Way Better Now,” produced by Jari Haapalainen (member of HEIKKI and THE BEAR QUARTET, but also producer of ED HARCOURT, INTERNATIONAL NOISE CONSPIRACY, THE CONCRETES and CAMERA OBSCURA, with whom these Swedes collaborated on their last album, “Let’s Get Out of This Country” ) is a demonstration of inspiration of a band able to aim in the same way the girl-groups of the 50’s did (THE RONETTES in “The State of Harmony”) and the shoegazers (“Sirens” evokes memories of SLOWDIVE), managing immediately with intelligent melodies, intensity and textures ("Way better now," "Accident" and "Don’t fall in love" are inevitable singles). In conclusion, similar as to how one can read a book over and over again in different ways, the new CD allows the listener to apply his or her own form of listening to the album: the patient way, the urgent, immediate, energetic or melancholic way...This richness is what makes the second album of SPEEDMARKET AVENUE so grand.

There´s a limited edition of this album for vinyl lovers.

Only 5,000 copies of this special limited edition were produced

With this album, Guille Milkyway makes a big step forward in the evolution of his sound and the concept of one of the more successful records we have ever released in Elefant Records.
Musically, the songs are based in the same patterns that turned them into world cult artists: melodic pop songs, with catchy choruses that are easy to strum and singalong. High class pop music, that here shows itself as intentionally artificial, more made in Shibuya than ever. Songs are here maybe more complex than before, but always keeping the timeless classic pop influence that, along with its coups d'effect, sudden changes and surprising twists, describe the magical touch of the songs by LA CASA AZUL.
In the music by LA CASA AZUL live together without any problems 50's doo wop and 60's easy listening and 60’s bubblegum, 80's technopop, 70's disco and 90's shibuya-key and europop; references to such different yet close bands and artists as ELO, PILOT, Hugo Montenegro, PIZZICATO FIVE, Jean-Jacques Perrey, DENIM, Jacno, Enoch Light, Lio, Silvetti, The Jetset, Scoobydoo... Or to mention more contemporary names: APRILS, YMCK, PLUS TECH SQUEEZE BOX, CAPSULE, Andreas Dorau, STEREOTOTAL, HELEN LOVE, THE GO! TEAM, THE BRAN FLAKES, SCISSOR SISTERS, OPTIGANALLY YOURS...

Limited edition [White Vinyl]

"Planeando en tu Azotea" is a cd, musically speaking, more luminous, direct and immediate, perhaps less Baroque than their last album, with the majority of songs hardly going over two minutes of duration, following the norms of classical pop. As always, in the proposal of the Tamarit siblings, we find references to popular music across the decades, from easy listening (Ennio Morricone, Henry Mancini, Antón García Abril, Esquivel, Augusto Algueró), soft pop (Margo Guryan, LOVE GENERATION, OCTOBER COUNTRY, CHAD AND JEREMY, HARPERS BIZARRE), folk pop (THE GENTLE SOUL, PETER PAUL AND MARY, THE SEEKERS), bossanova pop (Claudine Longet, Chris Montez), psychedelic pop (THE BEATLES, Syd Barret, SAGITTARIUS) even French pop (Coralie Clément, Françoise Hardy, Marie Laforêt), melodic Italian pop (Pino Donaggio, Fabrizio De André) and above all, Spanish pop from the 60's and 70's (VAINICA DOBLE, SOLERA, JOSÉ Y MANUEL, NUEVOS HORIZONTES, Cecilia). Moreover, the new work catches glimpses of soundtracks by Danny Elfman and the music of Él Records (Louis Philippe), passing over North American bands from the 90's such as THE LEGENDARY JIM RUIZ GROUP and Scandinavian pop (early CARDIGANS, CLOUDBERRY JAM, SUPER). Therefore, in songs like “El Universo” or “Ven, Siéntate” we can delight in pop from the sixties, while in songs like “Yo que Hago Aquí” we taste the folkier aromas. “Tan Fácil” is delicious soft pop and “Dos o Tres Meses” and “Querido Miedo” are samples of the best Swedish pop. On the Baroque and cinematographic sides, we have “No Sé Por Qué” and “Mañana,” songs which introduce us to an ambitious group with a proposal completely original, one that distinguishes this band from the other musical artists of this country.

"I will never forget the interstellar high I got when I first bought and played “Punk boy” by HELEN LOVE, their third single, on my record player. The first time the needle made contact with the single, it became my single of preference of all time. Although this was more than 10 years ago, it’s still my favourite. I finally discovered what it was like to not be alone in the world knowing that there were other people out there who understood punk, who “got” the RAMONES, who appreciated bubblegum the same way that I did and would never want it to cease to exist. Each and every HELEN LOVE album gives me another chance to experience this instant euphoria over and over because their albums still tend to be the best albums of the year. The new songs could all possibly be immediate classics. Jam-packed with colourful pop icons and brilliant endless nostalgic memories of the history of pop: 60’s bubblegum pop personified, the omnipresent Joey Ramone, a tribute to “Jet” by the WINGS, referencing Rodney Bingenheimer and countless others.  The product has scintillating melodies, poetic fun, biting guitars and playful synthesizers.  Although it sounds like such a cliché, I must say that the new HELEN LOVE album sounds just like HELEN LOVE. Without a doubt, this makes the latest HELEN LOVE release, my album of the year". Text by Guille Milkyway [LA CASA AZUL]

There´s a limited edition of this album for vinyl lovers. [600 copies / pink colour]

In October it will be ten years since we released one of the most uniquerecords we know of. A kind of cosmic-melodic chanson that had never been done before and hasn't been done ever since. Ana D has become since then a legendary name, and we want to celebrate the tenth anniversary of her only official album as it deserves: with a full re-release that rises to its condition of lost classic album, joining an extra bonus album.
Today, "Satélite 99" sounds as fascinatingly weird and beautiful as it didthen. On this album Ana D and her companions, producers and arrangers(Ibon Errazkin and Javier Corcobado) used vintage instruments and forgottenbeat boxes to create their own kind of "acoustic synth-pop", with referencesthat ranged from Kurt Weill and Serge Gainsbourg to Astrud Gilberto and SUICIDE. Since the very moment when it was released, the album received unanimous acclaim: Dean Wareham (GALAXIE 500, LUNA, Dean & Britta) chose the album among his favourites that year, and international film star Pedro Almodóvar chose a song by Ana D to be included in a personal compilation.

The album was also released in Argentina and in the USA. On an American tour Ana and Ibon recorded a live session for renowned LA radio show "Morning Becomes Eclectic" (other artists recording sessions on those dates were THE FLAMING LIPS, Billy Bragg or THE BETA BAND). Those songs, naked skeletons that had the only accompaniment of Ibon's elegant, folkie guitar playing, are now available as the core of the extra record with which we enhance this very special re-release: apart from the five songs from that radio session, on this new candy for the fans we have featured the two songs recorded by Ana D for our Singles Club, and the three songs she recorded in 2003 with Sergio Fernández (Kamamuri). An already known track of her own ("Andrómeda") and two cover versions, one of fellow Elefant recording artists (and fellow one-album-wonders) FAMILY and a previously unreleased version of Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos.The perfect gift to go along with a record that after ten years keeps hypnotizing its listeners with its timeless magic. Don't be afraid of magic and dive deep in it, you won't regret it.

This six-piece from Greenwich (UK) led by Ali Howard’s charming vocals is to be the next white great wonder due to its sophisticated, nostalgic pop. Catchy, fresh songs influenced by Dusty Springfield, Tamla Motown or THE RONETTES, specially for the ones in love with two-and-a-half-minutes pop songs with simple structures and unforgettable choruses.

"The last holy writer" is the sixth album by TREMBLING BLUE STARS, thesecond one released worldwide through Elefant Records. This album is dark,intimate, melancholic and cloudy, but every now and then there are rays ofsunshine coming through the clouds, riding sunny melodic breezes. SLOWDIVE and THE CURE are still good references for this music, but they are toolimited to describe the unique sound of TREMBLING BLUE STARS, a sound that\'sready to mingle melodic, sensitive pop with many electronic sounds,distortions, noises, static and even field recordings that envelope thesongs with a nostalgic halo. On one song, percussion is provided byfootsteps on dry branches and shingles, and on another song a recording of dawn on the Romney Marsh provides the backdrop. THE RAIN PARADE, MAZZY STAR and GALAXIE 500 come up here and there: on this album there\'s folk, andthere\'s electronica and 80\'s influences and avant country and, of course,there\'s the best pop music you can hear. There\'s no doubt you will fall inlove again with Bobby Wratten\'s music. They have hit the target again.

"The last holy writer" is the proof that one of the most influential bands in indie-pop is at its most creative, daring and inspired, now more concentrated than ever in writing the most beautiful popsongs you\'ve heard for ages.

After the two first EP's, we can at least announce the release of the debut album by SINGLE. Fifteen songs of an unusual, mysterious beauty; fifteen different worlds, united by a common thread of creativity, modesty and decision. Wrapped in a beautiful art nouveau cover artwork (again, as usual, by Javier Aramburu), "Pío Pío" is a much varied album, which under the common umbrella of what we can call pop music hides such assorted styles as reggae, country, soul, easy listening, hip-hop, drum'n'bass or R&B. Teresa Iturrioz's capacity to create, with the help of her producer Ibon Errazkin (both ex LE MANS, one of the most important bands ever in Spanish pop), a sound of their own that is both original but popular and absolutely modern, is based in an exceptional flair to choose the best among the most diverse possibilities, following the path from (and going much further beyond than) where LE MANS had left it after their fabulous farewell trilogy.

"Pío Pío" is a multi-coloured, multi-layered collage created by cutting and pasting all kinds of miniatures, blending impossible melodies and beats that sound all new. Classic-tinged songs are formed over broken rhythms, song patterns are deconstructed and reconstructed from the roof. This is modern, intelligent pop music. Classic pop turned upside-down.

Four of the songs on the album had already appeared on the EP's (only the cover versions have been left out); but from these four, the new version of "Honey" puts the accent on the reggae lovers rock production, with a vocal cameo by Japanese DJ/toaster Rootseeker. And talking about covers, there is one: "Recuerdo escolar", by flamenco-prog stars Lole y Manuel.
Fans of LE MANS will be glad to discover again the voice of Jone Gabarain, and there's also vocal contributions by Spanish pop artist ANTI. Pianos and keyboards have been played by Antonio Galvañ (PARADE) and Rafael Guillermo (POP TOPS), and there's other collaborations by Eduard Alarcón (ASTRUD, VANGUARD), and Enrique Godino and Rodrigo Cortillas (both from COHETE). For all vinyl lovers we are releasing a deluxe limited edition.