Marina And The Diamonds - Radioactive

When Marina Diamandis released her 2010 record The Family Jewels in 2010, she was riding the wave awash with countless female contemporaries. Fast-forward to 2011 and you can't move for a female singer-songwriter puveying their own brand of catchy pop hits.

The challenge then, is for Marina to prove she deserves her place amongst this premier league of songstresses. And with one listen to new single Radioactive, a first-class shot of sparkly dance-pop, it's plain to see she does.

Tapping into the Euro-Dance influences that seem to have seeped into the consciousness of so many fellow hitmakers this year (J-Lo, The Wanted etc.), the Marina that surfaces on Radioactive is a very different one than the quirky individual of I Am Not A Robot.

Her voice remains as hauntingly ethereal as ever, but now it posesses a drive, a passion, a force that comes from being strapped to a dizzyingly good synth-heavy beat.

'My heart is nuclear, love is all I feel' she sings in the track's chorus as she 'heads for a meltdown' - it's that same brand of apocalyptic, end of the world pop that mega-star Rihanna has sent her career to stratospheric heights with. Tying the two singers together - production whizzes Stargate. These guys are everywhere at the moment, and going by Radioactive, their creativity is far from spent.

Marina herself tells of how Radioactive was inspired by New York's nightlife, the 'fizzing white energy' of the dancefloor - indeed, everything about the song and what it promises is more adventurous and wide-reaching than her previous material.

In her new transatlantic incarnation, Marina has hit upon a goldmine of pop magic - and in doing so, quite possibly nabbed her first UK Number One.

Radioactive is released on the 3rd October.

Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix)

A few weeks ago we had the absolutely stellar Alex Metric mix of Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus, and now we have another, this time from Stargate. Clocking in at 3.58 and laden with glossy synth riffs, it's very radio friendly, hence what seems to be the 'Personal Jesus 2011' single cover art they seem to be marketing this under.

What's most interesting though is how this is the most 'modern' Depeche Mode have ever sounded. You see, Depeche Mode's charm is that even on their most contemporary of albums, they retain that dark beauty of their 80s beginnings, carrying with them the legacy of all their years in music. But with this mix, that is stripped away to a degree and replaced with a super-commercial dance mix. I have to admit I prefer what the Alex Metric version did, keeping the original guitar hook intact, but this is nice too. Oh, and it's very Pet Shop Boys-esque too, which is always good.

Personal Jesus (The Stargate Mix) by dmremixes8111

And if you're looking for something really different, then check out the Eric Prydz mix of Never Let Me Down Again. This was one of the other mixes I was instantly looking forward to from the remix album as soon as it was announced - when you get a big-name remixer on board like this, there's always going to be high expectations. Again with this, as with the Stargate mix above, it's very modern sounding. The guitar riff from the song's beginning is stretched out, elongated and tweaked to encompass the whole track; all laid over an infectious bass hook. It works amazingly well, and I guess my only wish is that this version contained more of the track's vocals.

Never Let Me Down Again (Eric Prydz Remix) by dmremixes8111

Remixes 2: 81-11 is released on the 6th June and can be pre-ordered here.

Depeche Mode - Remixes 2: 81-11

Now this is what I call a fantastic CD tracklisting:

1. Dream On - Bushwacka Tough Guy Mix Edit (2001)
2. Personal Jesus - The Stargate Mix (2011)
3. Suffer Well - M83 Remix (2006)
4. John The Revelator - UNKLE Reconstruction (2006)
5. In Chains - Tigerskin's No Sleep Remix Edit (2011)
6. Peace - SixToes Remix (2009)
7. Tora! Tora! Tora! - Karlsson And Winnberg (from Miike Snow) Remix
(2011)
8. Never Let Me Down Again - Eric Prydz Remix (2011)
9. I Want It All - Roland M.Dill Remix (2011)
10. Wrong - Trentemøller Remix (2009)
11. Puppets - Röyksopp Remix (2011)
12. Everything Counts - Oliver Huntemann And Stephan Bodzin Dub
(2006)
13. A Pain That I'm Used To - Jacques Lu Cont Remix (2005)

Those new Personal Jesus and Never Let Me Down Again mixes in particular really excite me. As two of Depeche's best tracks, I can't wait to hear what contemporary spin has been put on them. Now, you might all cry that Depeche Mode only put out a remix compilation seven years ago, but to be honest, when you've been in the game as long as they have and got such a consistent back catalogue, you're pretty free to do whatever the hell you want. And as a massive Depeche Mode fan, I'll be first in the line to lap this up. Last year's Tour of the Universe was breathtaking, and with every album release Depeche bring out, I can only marvel again and again at the sheer force of power in their music. True icons.

Remixes 2: 81-11 is released 6th June.