"Sally Shapiro's cover of this Pet Shop Boys classic keeps the original close to the heart. Emphasizing the baroque leanings of the chord progression, they take it further with a 8th note melody careening over icy pads. The result is a Synthwave skyline scraping the upper atmosphere in the never-ending race to survive the first of the month. It's a twisted tale of the politics of economy in relationships where the currency is love. Sally's crystalline coo glides over Johan's elegant Italo production as the bass line anchors the galloping rhythm section. Home is where the heart is...but shelter comes first in this game of love."
Johnny Jewel

Written by Chris Lowe/Neil Tennant. Vocals by Sally Shapiro. Produced by Johan Agebjörn, mixed by Johan Agebjörn & Johnny Jewel. Mastered by Tom Waltz. Thanks to Mikael Ögren for programming the JD-800 Schulze pad. Thanks to Chris & Neil for all the music. Photography by Mika Stjärnglinder. Artwork by Johnny Jewel.

https://sallyshapiro.bandcamp.com/album/rent 
https://idib.ffm.to/rent

Rent 12"

Rent

don't wanna go home

We’re often told to forgive and forget, but is that first part really necessary? Why can’t we just move on?

All sounds were produced using hardware synthesizers — no softsynths or samples or God forbid, AI.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FORGIVE
©2025 Brian Hazard (ASCAP)

You carry a heavy weight
Like a bag of stones
When fate throws a rock your way
Well then, in it goes
Weighing you down

Each stone is a scar you bear
From when you were wronged
A symbol of stale despair
You’ve held for too long
Dragging you down

You don’t have to forgive to let go
The sky is so blue
As far as the eye can see
Get what you deserve
You don’t have to relive every low
Surrender the past
See what the future brings

The burden is yours to keep
Or to throw away
To finally know real peace
Will it be today?
Lifting you up

COLOR THEORY
@colortheory
Bandcamp - http://colortheory.bandcamp.com
Spotify - http://spoti.fi/1UbfAWa
Patreon - www.patreon.com/colortheory
Twitter - www.twitter.com/colortheory
Facebook - www.facebook.com/colortheory
YouTube - www.youtube.com/colortheory
Instagram - www.instagram.com/colortheory
Official - www.colortheory.com

Want five of my best songs for free?
https://colortheory.com

Get two new exclusive tracks every month:
http://patreon.com/colortheory

You Don't Have to Forgive

Brothertiger Reimagines Iconic Albums of The Eighties 
Tears For Fears’ Songs From The Big Chair In A New Album 
(Reimagine Music)

In the mid 1980s new wave era, with feel good singles, such as “Love Shack” and “Footloose,” at the top of the charts, confessional songs of disheartening childhood experiences was the last thing one might expect from an aspiring young band. Yet it is newcomers Tears For Fears’ dark remembrances, supported by infectious melodies, that many rock historians now cite as having struck a chord with the young recession era generation causing their debut “The Hurting” to go to number one in the UK and the top ten in the US. 

With all the pressure a success of this kind can bring, including a mass of fans anxiously awaiting new material, their next recording sessions could have easily been a play it safe affair. Instead the band pushed themselves ever further artistically, with arrangements of a much greater level of complexity and musicianship. While the lyrics of much of what would become their second album, Songs From The Big Chair, would remain introspective, it may have been the more mature and universal, coming of age themes that contributed to the album having an even wider appeal than the first one. 

In any case, with yet another string of hits from Big Chair -- including "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," "Shout," "Head over Heels," and "I Believe” -- Tears For Fears would find themselves not only standing head to head with the best acts of the day, it earned them the status of having one of the most successful albums of the Eighties. Today these songs remain permanent fixtures on classic radio, and Big Chair is now considered among the most important albums of the decade. 

Brothertiger Plays Songs From The Big Chair pays tribute Tears For Fears’ influential gem by giving it a modern take. Brothertiger is the alias of electronically-fueled John Jagos, a musician and producer based in Brooklyn, NY. Jagos’ passion for making music started out of his college dorm room at Ohio University in 2010. The Vision Tunnels EP was his first proper release, and soon after, he signed with Mush Records to release 3 subsequent albums.  

"Covering this album was gratifying, challenging, and truly inspiring” John Lagos says of the process. “I never thought I'd ever get a chance to be able to cover an entire album, let alone an album I truly care about. I feel so fortunate to be able to cover one of my favorite records in my own style and my own approach."

Brothertiger’s style complies with the vision Tears For Fears had 32 years ago, and by working with Reimagine, Brothertiger Plays Songs From The Big Chair helps to shed new life and give new meaning to an iconic piece of music that should never be forgotten. 

Contact:
Cody Simmons at cody@reimaginemusic.com

Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Shout

Download & Stream: https://fanlink.to/aftertherain

After The Rain

from the single WITH YOU ft. Kotomi 
grmnygrmny.bandcamp.com

these are two more songs from Blank Mind Empty Heart, out July 16th, 2012.

Real Hero ft. Kotomi (College/Electric Youth cover)

Stream & Download: http://awal.lnk.to/BestCaseLife

Orbit

Melllo' s second collaboration with Nikonn.
listen/buy here: http://bit.ly/362TJdi

Disconnected

Melllo & Nikonn - "Disconnected"

Set on a beach in 1989 watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8NnAY7N_tg

From the forthcoming album WOLF HOURS

www.minutetaker.net
www.facebook.com/minutetakermusic
www.instagram.com/minutetaker

-----------------------------------------
Written & produced by Ben McGarvey

Ben McGarvey: vocals, synths, drum programming, SFX
Max Mawdsley: bass
Sergey Soloschenko: electric guitar

Mastered by Brian Hazard

The Darkest Summer

‘Neon Lines’ is a brand new synthwave collaboration for 2021, via 1981, between new Costa Rican composer/producer Walter Alienson, British singer-songwriter/producer Minute Taker (recent official remixes for Erasure & Yazoo/Yaz), & US mixing engineer Matt Aslanian (Jessie Frye, Timecop1983, Ollie Wride).  

After meeting in an online synthwave group, they joined forces remotely to create this irresistibly nostalgic synth-pop song that explores how we can feel disconnected from the modern world, yearning for the comfort and simplicity of the past. Furthermore, the song celebrates how retrowave music brings like-minded people from all over the world together in their shared love of all things 80s… “we dream tonight in neon lines”.

Artwork by Skin&Bones

Walter Alienson & Minute Taker - Neon Lines

Minute Taker, AKA Manchester-based singer-songwriter Ben McGarvey, is known for his nostalgia-fuelled synth-pop songs and haunting, ethereal vocals. 

His latest 80s-inspired album WOLF HOURS includes the singles Lead You Home, The Darkest Summer and After The Rain (featuring BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT) which has received airplay on BBC Radio 2. 

The album’s music videos are taken from an audiovisual show he toured in 2019-20, also called WOLF HOURS, which explores the psyches of gay men at different point in time. 

Aside from two previous acclaimed albums, official remixes for YAZOO & ERASURE, and collaborations with fellow synthwave artists COLOR THEORY, LAU, 3FORCE, WALTER ALIENSON & MEGAN MCDUFFEE, Minute Taker has gained a reputation for his inventive cover versions of classic songs by some of his favourite artists including Kate Bush, Madonna, Depeche Mode, Tori Amos & Pet Shop Boys. Many of these were recorded exclusively for Secret Songs, a series of homemade albums available for fans via a Patreon-esque subscription service.

The Darkest Summer

Minute Taker

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