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Schau=Essen 3 Is Out, Featuring Boogie Idol, C-Side Sea Site, Coffee And TV And More

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The ’80s…or at least sounds heavily inspired by the ’80s…are never going away. So let’s embrace the artists who know how to capture shiny wonder in all its glistening beauty? Last year’s Schau=Essen 2 did the neon-soaked sound well it landed in our top-15 albums list, and now here comes the latest in the series, Schau=Essen3. It’s a tidy collection compared to its predecessor — nine tracks, with no five-minute-plus radio interview segments — yet the charm and dashes of humor still show up (check “Schau=Rap” for a silly little rap smart enough to jet out at just over a minute total). It’s ultimately a bit moodier than what came before — Coffee And TV, responsible for the blown-out pop thrill of “Drive With Me” last time around, slows things down for burner “Angelina,” where the massive synth passages have been replaced by soaring guitar solos. Everyone is more relaxed this time around, but the bright-light vibe still comes through, whether via Boogie Idol’s pulsing opener “Gowan Sawan” or Hi-Channel!’s skippy finale “Urbanized.” The mood helps out instrumental numbers such as Bestseller’s “World Tour” and CrazyRomantic’s “Technology Of Hope” (dang, now that’s a combo), but ultimately it’s C-Side Sea Site who delivers the highlight with a number that reworks grocery-store-ready synthesizer into a smooth pop number made all the breezier by vocals. Get it here, or listen below.