Air is just GIVING pride away!
So… would you like some free electronic music? To celebrate Pride Month, the record label Astralwerks—home to Kylie Minogue, Röyksopp, and many others—is offering free downloads of Hey Boy, Hey Girl!, a compilation album that’s being marketed as a Pride Month accessory.
Hey Boy, Hey Girl!
These songs aren’t especially “pride-y,” and this collection’s gay rights angle is clearly just a ploy to make queer listeners more loyal to the Astralwerks brand. But as long as we’re clear on that, let’s enjoy some free music!
If you’re into electronica, then the collection will rock your world. There are tracks from Eric Prydz, Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta, and The Chemical Brothers, as well as up-and-coming acts like Morning Parade. (Morning Parade is actually an alternative band, but their track is a remix, so it’s all good, I guess.)
My favorite cut on Hey Boy, Hey Girl! is “Seven Stars” by Air:
Like so many songs by this brilliant French duo, “Seven Stars” delivers blissed-out majesty over a constantly evolving track. In less than five minutes, we get rolling piano chords, ethereal ladyvocals, techno swooshes, and a creepy countdown to (I’m guessing) a rocket launch. It’s like taking a hundred journeys in one song, but those disparate parts are united by their haunting energy.
It may not say “pride,” but a song like that is definitely worth listening to.
Previously: Andy Grammer is your low-key, singing boyfriend
Mark Blankenship tweets as @IAmBlankenship. He has written about pop music for the New York Times and NPR.
