DATE ARCHIVES : April 2019

Death Hags – ‘Oublie Moi’

Death Hags is the multifaceted project of Los Angeles-based, French electronica artist, Lola Jean. Working mostly from the secluded hideaway hills of East LA, Jean crafts hypnotic, futuristic and minimal electronica inspired by the likes of Brian Eno, Björk and Twin Peaks .

The latest release from the enigmatic creative force that is Death Hags, is new single ‘Oublie Moi’. Amid a moody atmospheric world, like predecessor ‘Electrochemical Communication’, it is a hypnotic, futuristic and post-industrial-themed track. Fuelled by driving synths and industrial beats, ‘Oublie Moi’ is imbued with a nervous tension that expands, contracts and then evaporates to reveal a sparse shadowy futuristic post-industrial world. It is a hypnotic, transfixing and moody track with Jean delivering an internal monologue, softly spoken entirely in French, from the perspective of character Josie Packard. This is just magnificent, and with ‘Electrochemical Communication’ and now ‘Oublie Moi’ has fast become one of my favourite new finds of 2019.

Listen to ‘Oublie Moi’ below and while your at it, ‘Electrochemical Communication’ comes highly recommended also.

Super Paradise – ‘6:30’

London-based Milanese outfit Super Paradise fuse shoegaze, dream-pop and garage rock elements, to forge an edgy, gritty and powerful sound of their own, brilliantly showcased by brand new single ‘6:30’.

‘6:30’ is a furious and arresting four-and-a-half minutes of ever-evolving, tight and restless instrumentation of razor sharp garage guitar riffs that shoot off at a frenzied pace, leading the charge towards a full on out of control spiral to a plateau of distorted, murmuring bass, meandering guitars and feedback. Amid the squall, you can just about make out the feint slightly distant vocals from Francesco Roma’s. This is garage-influenced psych-rock of epic proportions – a colossus of a tune! Super Paradise are one to keep an eye on for sure.

6:30 is out now via Spring Chicken Records – tune in below:

Crimes Against – ‘Dirty River’

Crimes Against is the solo project of Dublin musician and producer Daniel Doherty (formerly of the Ghost Estates parish).

Working from his Darklands Audio studio in the capital, Doherty has been busy producing for artists like Munky, Galants and Fontaines D.C. to name a few, but has also found time for his own work under his Crimes Against guise.

‘Dirty River’ is the first track lifted from a so far unnamed forthcoming debut album, written, performed, mixed and mastered by Doherty and featuring ELM cellist Gary Molly, it is inspired heavily by Phil Spector’s productions for girl pop groups the Ronettes & The Crystals, with a nod to the Beatles, The Jam, The Ramones & Joy Division to name a few. Brimming with an air hopeful optimism, ‘Dirty River’ swoons and sweeps as it is fuelled by crashing cymbals and chugging guitar as rich melodies and sumptuous strings coalesce to form an exquisite and chic blend of beautiful textures permeated with richness. ‘Dirty River’ purrs gorgeously as it waltzes on its way, as Doherty strains against the rising tide of lavish sound which swells to a rapturous conclusion. An utterly loveable and lavish tune – beautiful stuff.

You can check out ‘Dirty River’ below now:

Devon Gilfillian – ‘Get Out And Get It’

Raised on a a steady diet of R&B, hip-hop, rock, blues, and soul music, it is hardly a great surprise that Philadelphia’s Devon Gilfillian own sound gravitates to one that ignited the mind while making the body move.

Gilfillian already has a number of releases to his name but with a forthcoming debut album on the horizon, he has shared new single ‘Get Out And Get It’ – an exuberant blend of neo-soul, psych, funk and Afrobeat. ‘Get Out And Get It’ is a radiant, jaunty and joyously infectious cut, with some soulful psych-pop leanings. It is bursting at the seams with colour and vitality as it shifts along a fabulous funky strut, that swaggers and sways amid the warm groove, bubbling basslines and is given an added level of supreme coolness by the utterly smooth, soulful vocals from Gilfillian. A soulful funky groover, this is utterly irresistible and compelling listening – this is powerful stuff.

Listen to ‘Get Out And Get It’ below – hopefully we’ve more detailed news on the album soon.

Pale Moon – ‘Waiting for the Sun’

Pale Moon is an Icelandic/Russian indie-pop duo comprised of Árni Guðjónsson and Natasha Sushchenko, which began life upon meeting in the Catalan city of Barcelona.

Together, the pair embrace a shared love of bright psychedelic-pop brimming with warmth, sweet melodies and joyous harmonies – to craft an alluring psych-pop brew all over their very own. By way of an example of their wares, the pair have just recently released debut EP Dust Of Days, which like lead single ‘Waiting for the Sun’, is divine. ‘Waiting for the Sun’ is a sweet and gently melodic slice of alluring sun-kissed psych-pop heaven. Beautiful breezy vocals drip with melody as they melt their way through this lush blend of swirling hazy textures, rich melodies, syrupy harmonies and irrepressible hooks, you know, the ones you could hang your hat on. ‘Waiting for the Sun’ is simply one of the most irresistible pop sings you’re likely to hear this year – it is pure psych-pop perfection.

Listen to ‘Waiting for the Sun’ below – the EP is here in its entirety too.

The Pickled Onions – ‘Room’

Dublin indie-pop outfit The Pickled Onions aka Paddy McGovern has quite a knack for bright, breezy and joyous bouts of effervescent indie-pop.

Back in 2016, debut EP The Woods was brought into the world and close to three years on, McGovern’s project returns with news of a new EP The Mines, and accompanied by taster track ‘Room’. A charming and melodic two minutes of garage indebted indie-pop, ‘Room’ is both scuzzy and sweet, as it whizzes and fizzes through a blend of rumbling guitars, rambunctious and rattling percussion, smiley melodies, lashings of fuzz and McGovern’s soothing and breezy vocal floating up top. This is an infectious, sun-kissed sound dripping with melody, overwhelming sense of nostalgia and sparking with an irresistible charm – just divine.

Listen to ‘Room’ below and keep an eye out for new EP The Mines later in the summer.

SACRE – ’10:00PM FIRE IRAE’

Parisian pair SACRE appear to have a flair for bubbly, infectious and elegant synth pop and their latest single, ’10:00PM FIRE IRAE’ is a perfect exponent of this spirit.

The duo are prepping the release of the follow-up to their 2018 debut album, entitled Love Revolution, it will be released later this year and is preceded by lead single ’10:00PM FIRE IRAE’. It is an utterly entrancing track the seamlessly encompassing parts electronica, electro-pop and house under its fluid spell. Shuffling along an irresistible, swaggering groove, crisp neon beats collide with phasing bursts of frazzled electronics, winding synth and squelching basslines creating a transfixing three-minutes of infectious, neon-bright and beautiful electronica. Brimming with breezy, chillout vibes, ’10:00PM FIRE IRAE’ truly flourishes as the elegant, crisp, airy vocals come to the fore.

Listen to ’10:00PM FIRE IRAE’ below:

Low Hum – ‘Strange Love’

Low Hum are a revolving around the talents of Hawaiian guitarist Colin Desha, now based in Los Angeles.

Both places are well noted for surfing, so it comes with little surprise that surf-rock is the bedrock with which the Low Hum’s sound is built but refusing to be one dimensional, it runs a gamut of other vital influences; namely psychedelic pop, space-rock post-punk and a touch of Krautrock. Loosely inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, ‘Strange Love’ is hypnotic and heady brew of swirling soundscapes and danceable grooves. Harnessing its power from a vital blend of propulsive beats and krautrock-esque rhythms, it thunders onward with hypnotic effect as fuzz-filled crunchy riffs and bubbling basslines pummel through the swirling haze of fuzz and distortion. Amid an electrified vitality, driving intensity and incandescent glimmer, there are some similarities here to early Toy, or ‘Primary Colours’ era Horrors – and that is never a bad thing at all.

Listen to ‘Strange Love’ below – it is quite something, no question.

Chloe Foy – ‘Oh You Are Not Well’

Chloe Foy a Manchester-based singer, songwriter and folk artist drawing inspiration from a deep well of folk, psychedelia and classical music influences, to craft songs of carefully constructed arrangements that delicately compliment cryptic lyrics.

With a debut album in the pipeline, Foy’s latest single ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ is a stunning encapsulation of this sound and provides a perfect introduction to her delectable talents. This is beautiful, expansive, fragile and melodic folk, with ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ feeding off delicate yet intense atmospheres, backed with sweeping spectral tones, spurts of stomping but cushioned bass drum and rhythmic guitar strum. This exquisite textured sound is imbued with emotional sadness and honesty, resilience and defiance, creating an elegant yet intense atmosphere as with her strikingly beautiful voice, runs the gamut of shades too with bewitching results. ‘Oh You Are Not Well’ is exquisite, experimental and intense – it is simply stunning and will bend you to the power of its whim.

As mentioned earlier, a debut album in the offing, but before all that it is time to become acquainted with the engrossing splendour that is ‘Oh You Are Not Well’.

Diabolic & Vanderslice – ‘Think of That’

Emcee Diabolic and producer Vanderslice have joined forces for a new album called Collusion, which was released over the weekend on April 13, coinciding with Record Store Day.

Leading the charge to the shelves, the duo shared new single ‘Think Of That’ as a little taste of what’s ahead, and the pair have come out swinging. ‘Think Of That’ provides a strong dose of hard-hitting hip hop with tough bars over a mellow backdrop comprised of a rugged riff and haunting vocal sample. Propelled forward by hard beats, Diabolic goes on a verbal rampage clearing all in his path and the chemistry between these two artists is clear for all to see. The combined forces of sharp lyricism and neck snapping production; is compelling and radiates an aura of threat and danger.

You can listen to ‘Think of That’ below and make sure and keep an eye out for the album too.