Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival

August 3, 2009

Flashmen

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT NYC
Flashmen are a new, if somewhat nostalgic electro band. Their mash-up stylings draw from sources as diverse as the Bee Gees to the bleeps and chirps of your old Nintendo 8-Bit. A combo of NYC’s Bradley D (of Famous Friends) and Chicago’s Daniel E., they embrace both east coast and midwestern mentalities, a mixture which has widened their appeal. The latest of their new singles is the “Flashmen Theme,” which features drilling basslines, vintage keyboard weavings, and Bradley’s sublime vocal repetitions. It’s a smooth trip down (memory lane), reminding us of a time when synthesized dance music first found its way into the hearts of the general public. Their other single “Little Wildkat” has Daniel switching over to vocals and taking on a New Wave vibe, silky horn sections toping each other off, while the racing beats shred down an electronic freeway. These two tracks are part of their Spy Hunter EP. Flashmen have honed their persona down to a T. Their neolithic computer designs by French artist Zonders perfectly compliment their sound. Now SXSW alumns, they are aiming at bigger audiences, and will be performing this year at the Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival down at The Old American Can Factory in Brooklyn. There, they’ll share a bill with Juan Maclean and Young Love.