Is Tropical unveil "Cruise Control" video

Following the release of the first instalment of "Black Anything" in December 2014 titled "Crawl/On My Way" 10", IS TROPICAL have released the second part, "Cruise Control/Say" via the band's new label, NYC based Axis Mundi Records. Their new video was directed by IS TROPICAL's own Simon Milner and Gareth Phillips, video was chorographed by Navala Chaudar.

Is Tropical reveal new track "Cruise Control"

Following the release of the first instalment of Black Anything in December 2014 titled "Crawl/On My Way", IS TROPICAL release the second part, "Cruise Control/Say" today via the band's new label NYC based Axis Mundi Records.

Since the band returned from their epic trip to Mongolia, they've had this whiff of spacey electro-pop, and the latest offering certainly has a atmospheric feel to it!

Listen / [SOUNDCLOUD]

IS TROPICAL announce UK and EU tour dates

IS TROPICAL are releasing their modular third LP Black Anything via the newly founded, New York based Axis Mundi Records, in a unique series of five 10” vinyls, with the next instalment due in March. They have announced a March tour that will see them play in the UK as well as in many European countries. More dates to be announced soon.

17 March - The Joker - Brighton, UK
18 March - Shapes - London, UK
19 March - Fleche D'Or - Paris, France
20 March - 106 Club - Rouen, France
23 March - Club Banhof Ehrenfeld - Koln, Germany
25 March - Teatro Quirinetta - Rome, Italy
26 March - Tunnel - Milan, Italy
27 March - Covo - Bologna, Italy
28 March - M4Music Festival - Zurich, Switzerland
30 March - Flex - Vienna, Austria
31 March - Rock Cafe - Prague, Czech Republic
01 April - Privatclub - Berlin, Germany
02 April - Uebel & Gefarhlich - Hamburg, Germany

IS TROPICAL release new video "On My Way"

IS TROPICAL have released the new video for "On My Way", along with the announcement of a UK and European tour this spring. The first glimpse of the band’s new album, "Black Anything", the video for "On My Way" is just below.

IS TROPICAL are releasing their modular third LP Black Anything via the newly founded, New York based Axis Mundi Records, in a unique series of five 10” vinyls, with the next installment due in March.

Watch / [YOU TUBE]

Is Tropical announce new album "Black Anything" + stream two new tracks

Is Tropical are set to release their modular third LP "Black Anything" via the newly founded, New York based Axis Mundi Records, with the first two songs from the album, "Crawl" / "On My Way", released as the first of five 10" vinyl's on 8th December 2014.

"Black Anything", will be released in five 10" transparent picture disc instalments, containing two tracks per vinyl. The artwork is a visual representation of both the recording process and the release, with each 10” vinyl displaying the continent in which the tracks were recorded.

Listen / [SOUNDCLOUD]

Is Tropical remix Glastonbury Emerging Talent winners M+A's "When"

Fresh from their début show at Glastonbury at the weekend, and another two to boot! The festival’s Emerging Talent Competition Winners are set to release their upcoming single "When" on August 4th through Monotreme Records.

The lovely chaps at Is Tropical have put their unique spin on the band's latest single, the single itself features pianos, soulful beats and vocals similar to Metronomy's. The remix however is a different affair, just think a bit weirder and with some jangly glass jars draped over, yea trust me!

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Is Tropical & Rose Elinor Dougall cover "When I'm With You" by Sparks

Is Tropical open their musical account for 2014 by unveiling a cover of Sparks' "When I'm With You". They got some extra help from their friend Rose Elinor Dougal to give the track the extra dimension.

Click play on the track below and enjoy!

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Musicians Tips for 2014 // Featuring tips from As Elephants Are, Is Tropical and Elephant

In a new yearly segment we chat to some of our favourite bands about artists they're tipping for 2014.


MMX:

Picked by // Robert James Waters of As Elephants Are

"Just because they're a great band, with a great sound and I'm really looking forward to hearing their début album as they have not released anything I have not loved so far!"

Drugz'N'Dreamz:

Picked by // Gary Barber of Is Tropical

"Drugz'n'dreamz will expand your mind to new levels! It's like eating fly agarics for breakfast.

MT:
Picked by // Gary Barber of Is Tropical

"MT are like the strokes with the danceable side of LCD soundsystem. Every track has huge choruses, and they have the sexiest drummer in town."

Shy Girls:
Picked by // Christian Pinchbeck of Elephant

"There are way, way too many bands, we have by far reached saturation point with a pool of copycats and over inspired forget-me-nots. Shy Girls could be one of those, but at least they get it right."

Daily Download... Is Tropical - Lover's Cave (T.W.i.N.S. Remix)

T.W.i.N.S. have remixed Is Tropical's "Lovers Cave" and announced the free song yesterday, the duo have put their own qwerky take on the song.

Download the funky remix below!

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Ones to watch at Reading Festival 2013 - Top 10

The same as last year, but all rammed into one gorgeous post! Here we choose the best 10 bands to watch at this years festival (same for Leeds obviously).

1 - As Elephants Are

They've got a lot of hype around them on the back of their last single "Lucifer" and "Youth Blood". with a new single coming up that's surely going to be played on the Radio all over the UK this is going to be a prime place to check out one of the hottest bands around!

Where? BBC Introducing Stage
When? Sunday




2 - Casablanca

We're so in love with this band we've even booked them for a show back in January! While most bands hide behind a façade Casablanca are one of those bands that play great music and are awesome guys to be around. If you imagine Phoenix crossed with early Bloc Party and the upbeat Bombay Bicycle Club songs then you (in a nut-shell) have Casablanca. You can download their latest track "We Could Forever" below!

Where? BBC Introducing Stage
When? Saturday




3 - Saint Raymond

We've mentioned him here before, and Callum Burrows band shall be gracing the stage this year at Reading. Quite an achievement for him considering how young he is!After being touted as the next Jake Bugg, touring with Gabrielle Aplin and Lewis Watson and performing at such festivals as The Great Escape he is certainly a talent to keep an eye on! Check out his track "Everything SHe Wants" below.

Where? BBC Introducing Stage
When? Saturday




4 - Fenech-Soler

We've been banging on about Fenech-Soler since day one of this blog/website, and after seeing them five or so times we still enjoy their sound. What's more is that they'll be showcasing new material from their forthcoming album "Rituals". With VERY favourable reviews coming in regarding their latest single "Magnetic". They're unafraid to embrace their pop side, the band marry big bouncy beats, chanting vocals, epic guitars and Hoover-style synth rushes that make you feel like you're on a rollercoaster.

Where? BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage
When? Friday




5 - Stay Positive

We've dubbed them the new Crystal Castles, but that may be a bit unfair as Stay Positive have much more going for them. The London producer is a classicaly trained violinist but that doesn't hold him back from making massive dance tunes that'll wake you up from the dead! The track below is what we love about them the most, get ready for a messy start to your day!

Where? BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage
When? Sunday




6 - Is Tropical

After they've revealed their masks the band have (if anything) become a whole lot better! This point is made with their track "Dancing Anymore". After the massive hype around their first album and the worldwide success of it, they're now going to be playing tunes off their 2nd LP. After being booked to play in Mongolia this appearance might be a bit too straight forward for them! But one thing is for sure, it's going to be fun to see the trio again!

Where? BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage
When? Friday




7 - Jaws

Jaws, a band I've been into since the demo CD, and I'm not saying that, I actually do have it! They've been rising with the B-Town scene, but recently they've been lagging behind. But this performance will push them back into the spotlight, with their "Milkshake" EP already out and their single "Gold" out as well, now is the time to jump on the band-wagon, check out "Gold" below to see why we've been following them for so long! Summer loving!

Where? BBC Introducing Stage
When? Friday




8 - Post War Years

After seeing them support White Lies and Wild Beasts back in 2010 we've been keeping a close eye on the Leamington-Spa band. And when "All Eyes" dropped last year we knew that they were going to strike gold with their album.

Where? BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage
When? Saturday




9 - Childhood

A band that has suddenly appeared on our radar a few months ago, the London band have caught the eyes of everyone in the music industry. They comprise of four fresh-faced young lads who master the art of shoegaze summer rock. Their live show is full of melodies and woozy innocence akin to The Stone Roses but with less swagger. Again like Wolf Alice, being advertised as one of the hottest guitar bands around and with little to give on the internet, they have a lot to give at their live shows and it’s not to be missed.

Where? NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage / AND / BBC Introducing Stage
When?  Saturday




10 - Peace

The B-Town scallywags finally hit up Reading, this is going to be one of the hottest sets of the weekend. Do be sure to check them out as they'll no doubt be playing their Binary Finary cover "1998".

Where? NME/BBC Radio 1 Stage
When? Friday

Is Tropical share demo of album track "Toulouse"

Is Tropical have now reached the 50,000 likes mark on facebook, and because of that they're thanking all of their followers by giving away a demo of "Toulouse", which features on their latest album.

All you need to do is head over to their facebook page, like, and click on 'track give-away'. Congrats chaps!

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Other / [OFFICIAL SITE]

 

Stream the new Is Tropical album "I'm Leaving" in full!

Thanks to The Line Of Best Fit you can now listen to the 2nd album from the London based electronic trio. The band have racked up millions of views on their videos and are well known to be outrageous when it comes to them. Their last video got blocked within the hour on youtube due to 'nudity'.

None the less, you can now check out the whole album in the link below!

 

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Stream / Is Tropical - I'm Leaving

Is Tropical share NSFW video for "Dancing Anymore"

Having toured the world in support of their début "Native To", Is Tropical return with "I’m Leaving" - the band's new album for French record label Kitsuné, due out 20th May 2013.

You can watch the NSFW video for the highly addictive song just below!

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Is Tropical to release "Flags EP" on Kitsuné

Whilst busy in the studio putting the finishing touches to their second album due out later this year, IS TROPICAL have found the time to get together with a few friends to record FLAGS EP, released on the 21st January 2013 on Kitsuné/Cooperative Music.

"In the weeks leading up to us starting work on the second album, we decided it would be a good idea to set aside some of the more electronic songs that were rattling around inside IS TROPICAL laptops and being fucked with in tour vans. Amalgamations and cousins to some of the demos that will end up on the next release, 'Flags' was about exorcising some of these dancefloor-based demo(n)s so we could go on to work on our record with fresh ears"

 You can check out a track off the EP below!

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Daily Download... Is Tropical - Land Of The Nod (Xinobi Remix)

Xinobi has remixed the stunning song from Is Tropical, their take on 'Land Of The Nod' is a real party anthem that I can easily see being on a Kitsune album!

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Daily Download... Is Tropical - Maria's Colombia (Kebab Edit)

Last week two new Is Tropical tracks surfaced, one that will feature on the 14th instalment of the Kitsune Compilation, and the second this song. 'Maria's Colombia', as the title suggests this may just be a remix or simply an edit. However, it's free to download!

 

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Listen to two brand new Is Tropical tracks here!

Is Tropical, famous for being the masked Electro-Rock band that started off the mysterious-band-look are back with not one but two tracks!

The first track is a collaboration with Get People which is going to feature on the new Kitsune Maison Compilation and the second is a free download which you can get from here!

 

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Track of the year is ... New Ivory - A Knight

New Ivory have smashed their way to the top spot on our 'Track of the year' for 2011. They first caught our eyes way back in early June, here is the original post.



They won with 345 votes out of the 1045 cast. A close second place is the best performing international act for the second year running, and third was a close battle between two bands that are very close to each others hearts, Safari and VOWS.

Here is a run down of the top 5:
2nd - In Golden Tears - Urban Emotions
3rd - Safari - So I See
4th - VOWS - Colours
5th - Films Of Colour - Actions

The rest (in no particular order)
The Spires - Fireworks
Is Tropical - South Pacific
Peace - Bblood
Rapids! - Littleblood
Waylayers - Hear No Lies
I Heart Sharks - Neuzeit
Hey Sholay - Wishbone

This has been a fantastic year for me and all of my contributors.

We all wish you a very happy new year and have a great 2012, I know I will.

Fred Bambridge (Editor, Founder, Admin, Promoter and all round good-guy)

New Ivory - A Knight With A Sword Killed His Own Son by DimMakRecords

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New Ivory - A Knight (Audionite Remix)

News: Is Tropical video and live dates

Is Tropical are set to release a new single on KITSUNÉ /CO-OP on the 31st of October 2011, the song is called 'Lies', and it's already got us in a daze! We will have a review up of that song very soon! 'Lies' is the follow up to the recent 'The Greeks' single with its now legendary video and is the third single to be lifted from the band's début album 'Native to', which was released in June this year.



The video is directed by Jonathan Leder, the creative director of 'Jacques' Magazine which is America’s only new luxury erotic magazine.Formed in 2009, the IS TROPICAL line up of Gary Barber (Vocals / Guitar / keys), Simon Milner (Vocals / Guitars / Keys) and Dominic Apa (Drums) have developed a worldwide reputation for their stunning live shows.

Taking to the stage in their trademark masks, and cloaked by self-made video projections, they improvise constantly changing soundscapes, effortlessly swooping from raw pop anthems to lo-fi dance songs with fantastic results.

Remaining tour dates:
10/20/11 New York, NY, Good Units (Kitsune' Party) - 8.30PM
10/21/11 New York, NY, Santos Downstairs - 8.30PM
10/21/11 New York, NY, Brooklyn Bowl - 12AM
10/22/11 New York, NY, South Paw - 8.30PM
10/22/11 New Work, NY, Cameo - 12AM
10/24/11 Vancouver, BC, Fortune Sound Club
10/25/11 Los Angeles, CA, House Of Blues
10/26/11 San Francisco, CA, Mezzanine
10/27/11 Los Angeles, CA Echoplex
10/29/11 Mexico City, Pasaguero (Kitsune' Party)
03/11/2011 Holland – Amsterdam - Paradiso
04/11/2011 Belgium - Brussels - Botanique
06/11/2011 Germany - Hamburg - Molotow
07/11/2011 Germany - Cologne - Gebaude
09/11/2011 Switzerland - Lausanne - Bleu Lezard
10/11/2011 Switzerland - Zurich - Stall6
11/11/2011 Italy - Milan - Plastic
17/11/2011 Germany - Berlin - Magnet
18/11/2011 Denmark - Copenhagen - Rust
19/11/2011 Sweden - Stockholm - Debaser Slussen
20/11/2011 Norway - Oslo - Venue TBC

LIES (Leopard Of Honour RMX) by ISTROPICAL

Hidden Gems... Is Tropical - Man Tan

This funky electro golden nugget of a song is found on the 'South Pacific' 7" This track doesn't have any vocals, yet it does have a strange video with Olsen Twins, odd combo, but it kinda works in a strange way...!



'Man Tan' is a funky electronic track with dancable beats thrown into it. One of the songs that didn't make it onto the album, but I prefer it this way. A 'Hidden Gem', I am going to hunt down the 7" and make sure I buy it as soon as I can get!

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Is Tropical - The Greeks