Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble (ft. Emika) – Pretend (zip file, direct link)

When Saints Go Machine have probably never been accused of sounding like someone else. Or if they have, that “someone else” was probably an ethereal choir made up of Arthur Russel reincarnated as a thousand teenagers in the suburbs teenagers. All this is to say that the new single “Parix” is weird, and good, and has a weird, good video to match. Lots of beautiful young people look at things and feel bored, or maybe nihilistic, or maybe pregnant. It’s tough to tell. One of them does some drugs that I’ve never seen before on a car ride. What is that?

Regardless, much like the rest of their album it’s very beautiful haunting stuff with some pop sensibility wedged in the middle. Grab it on iTunes or Rough Trade.

Bonus points if you pick out the brilliant “Face Off” tee with John Travolta’s name and Nicolas Cage’s image, a meme started by the hugely deserving-of-your-money African Apparel company.

Church And Law (FCAN Remix) by When Saints Go Machine

Philippe Sarde – Le Cortège Et Course (MCDE Extended Edit) (ge.tt)

New Look – The Ballad (Koreless remix) (ge.tt)

Some kind of collective consciousness thing going on about the use of the name “Kelly” in pop music in the past few years – Van She were the last ones to pen a summer anthem of sorts about budding teen sexuality (remember that video?), and now When Saints Go Machine have made a remarkably good summer anthem (presumably) about nervous kids making out with each other.

If there’s any justice in the world this track will catch on as the runaway infectious tech-pop jam of the summer. A bubbling nostalgia inducer, this track carries more sunshine and bounce than anything I’ve heard from WSGM or their dance-music centric alter egos Kenton Slash Demon for that matter. Of course, even though this may be their foray into full pop mode, the song’s most interesting and catchy points are the times where they wade into slightly more obscure territory with their formula, sticking some clanking distortion in between their verses.

But god damn is it catchy. “Make-a-playlist-with-solely-that-track-on-replay” catchy. The only criticism I can mount against this track is that it’s agonizing that they chose to fade the track out at only three and a half minutes in. Extended dance 12″ please? Hopefully, that vinyl will soon exist and this track will be blasting from commercial radio stations everywhere while fireworks go off over the horizon.

Download it from below, their album’s out on K7! in June.

Kelly by When Saints Go Machine

Wonderyouth Nicolas Jaar strikes a good balance between ambient and danceable on his reworking of of Denmark’s When Saints Go Machine. The track peaks about halfway through, where Jaar throws some handclaps on top of some steel drums and creates an atmosphere that’s simultaneously grooving and melancholy, pitching the tempo up and down in sync with the pacing of the track, reminiscent of some of Four Tet’s earlier work. When Saints Go Machine’s upcoming album “Konkylie” is set for a June release, and will surely bring more purgatory-step beats with it.

When The Saints Go Machine – Fail Forever (Nicolas Jaar Remix) (Mediafire)