With a first release on vinyl in December 2006, this remarkable piece of Electroclash has developed from being an underground hit to a mainstream phenomenon.

How this came across is actually no secret. While the song is of decent quality and may stand for its own, the “last bit of success” was added by extensive promotional airplay, as backdrop on on-air promotion, commercials and TV series jingles.

The title was used on…

• Channel 4’s The Paul O’Grady Show
• E4 as on-air promotion background music
• five on programming related to the tenth birthday
• the London Marathon
• BBC1’s show boating
• Soccer AM
• Match of the Day 2.
• the Editors played a cover version of the song on Radio 1’s Live Lounge
• in a Norwegian commercial for Miami Vice on Viasat4
• and currently it is used on commercial-break inserts accompanying Germany’s Next Topmodel, Cycle 3.

It was acceptable in the 80s
It was acceptable at the time
It was acceptable in the 80s
It was acceptable at the time

I’ve got love for you
If you were born in the 80s, the 80s
I’ve got hugs for you
If you were born in the 80s, the 80s

Cubase: available in various Pro, Prosumer and Lite versions (Cubasis VST 3.0, Cubase SE 3). One of the first software suites available and still the standard in todays producing environments.

Logic: initially developed by a small German company, the now Apple owned Cubase-rival was originally a more pattern based sequencer. Today Logic is available as Logic Studio and Logic Express while the underlying audio engine also propells Apple’s GarageBand.

Cakewalk Sonar: as with most recording software, CS is available in different versions: Cakewalk SONAR Producer Edition, Cakewalk SONAR Studio Edition, SONAR Home Studio XL, SONAR Home Studio. Although some things are a bit odd at first - coming from Cubase myself, this elegant software is currently my personal choice.

Pro Tools: The only DAW solution that interweaves software and outboard hardware equipment. Due to Digidesign being a subsidiary of Avid, the software has a huge folowing among professionals in film and music. Available as a lighter version,  Digidesign’s Music Production Toolkit (Pro Tools LE) and as Pro Tools Free, kind of an appetizer.

Ableton Live: Ableton live has become a cult applet, as many artists used its loop based nature to use it in live environments. The stylish interface does the rest. Ableton Live is available as Ableton Live and Ableton Suite, and as a lite version Ableton Live 6 LE.

FL Studio (FruityLoops): once shareware, the system has developed into a full sequencer/audio editor with an intuitive feel and a nice GUI. Available as Frootyloops Edition FL Studio 7 - Producer Edition and FL Studio 7 XXL.

Be sure to check out Wikipedia’s comparison of multitrack recording software.

Besides numerous well-established commercial software suites to write, record and mix music, there is a whole slew of free tools available to produce your next masterpiece - or at least get you started with basic functionalities.

Here is a quick overview without any claims to be complete:

• Audacity, an audio editor
• Beast, linux, a music composition and modular synthesis program
• BuzzMachines, software sound synthesis
• GunGirl, an audio only drag-and-drop sequencer
• Hydrogen drum machine with intuitive pattern-based programming
• Kristal, multi-track audio recording software. ASIO, VST FX support,16 audio track limit (only free for personal use)
• Linux MultiMedia Studio (LMMS), linux, audio and MIDI sequencer
• Mad Tracker, tracker supporting ASIO, VST, ReWire,
• Mixxx, a DJing tool
• MusE, linux, audio and MIDI editing and recording software
• ProTools Free, freeware version of the ProTools suite
• Psycle, a tracker-type sequencer
• Reaper, audio and MIDI sequencer, free in older versions
• Rosegarden, linux, a full MIDI and Audio sequencer
• Schism Tracker, a tracker sequencer
• Seq24, a simple loop-based MIDI sequencer, best for live performances
• SuperCollider, a sound-synthesis and sequencer cross-brew
• TrakAx, tracker without VST support

More software titles in Wikipedia’s Music Software overview.

Free audio software, also on Wikipedia.

More Free software reviews here.