Strictly electronic, yet humane and warm at heart, THE SWEEPS are easily as synthetic – and sweet – as their spaced out synth pop from Hamburg. The trio around dulcet-toned singer Kristina Brodowski and keyboardists Christoph Duwe & Niels Wesner continues to pursue the perfect pop song with a gentle nod to 1980s greats, analogue synths (mostly Italian string machines as CRUMAR or ELKA and monophonic MOOG Synths) and the seminal Fender Rhodes E-Piano. Glockenspiel, an acoustic guitar and even the melodica appear every now and then within the band context. However, the extended version of their track featured here - OPTIMISTIC MELANCHOLIC – (available only on vinyl so far) has been influenced by the Italo Disco heydays (think 1983 / 1984). Thomas Barrandon’s version may not be as optimistic as the original, but dramatically melancholic as it gets: There’s a creepy introduction that has The Cure return to „A Forest„ in a synthetic guise. The refrain kicks-in in with a vigor that is sweeping the 80s Italo-floor towards contemporary Nu Disco prowess. If "Italians Do It Better", they are put to the test with this remix. You can’t put more vintage nostalgia in a track than Flemming Dalum does with this remix ... He captures that Giorgio Moroder vibe without any reference to the 80s-styled tracks of the last decade. It rather sounds like an original from the vaults of the Munich Disco man which has now been dug out and remastered for the well-assorted DJ. A-typical to the overall vibe of the E.P., but typically go nogo, Fred Scholl and Eric Schemer take the original to another era: Imagine Saint Etienne and The Cocteau Twins in the early 90s, but also Tahiti 80 and Phoenix from ten years ago. There’s almost a rock vibe with the intro that bears a pounding bass along to a guitar lick that could be heard from the Smashing Pumpkins. Hot Hot Hawk deliver a contemporary execution that bounces off waves from back in the days. After two driving verses from the four-to-the-floor boutique, the refrain restores a great pop sensibility by broken beats and fractured bass arpeggios. This is a fine example of futuristic retro stuff that has both feet on the modern dancefloor. There’ll be more Hot Hot Hawk on Emerald & Doreen in the near future.