DATE ARCHIVES : October 2019

Superheart – ‘2001’

UK-based producer Luke Batt aka Superheart has proven a ready and reliable source of comforting and dreamy electronic-pop over the past two years or so, and Batt is at it again. 

Marked by Batt’s flair for elegant, blissful and ethereal production, ‘2001’ is the latest in a long line of lush, dreamy and exquisite singles. ‘2001’ shifts over a soft shuffling beat and seductive, undulating melody as synths shimmer and twinkle amid a rich, slumbering atmosphere; a beautiful and exquisite backdrop for the ethereal, hushed vocals to shine as they gush through the haze, filled with warmth and richness. ‘2001’ is a glorious tune – ethereal and stirring in equal measure – it is quite simply flawless. Lifted from Batt’s latest EP Opening Credits, ‘2001’ is his finest work to date.

Check it out below:

Orouni – ‘The Lives Of Elevators’

To date, French indie-pop outfit Orouni have proven their propensity for brilliance when it comes to classic, melodic guitar pop music.

Orouni’s output has yielded three delightfully charming albums, with a fourth just having landed; Partitions continues this trend. Orouni’s carefully crafted arrangements are marked by an easy-going flow and a ear for melody and elegance – and none more so than new single ‘The Lives Of Elevators’. It elegantly flits between melancholic and beautiful, fragile but authoritative, with lush arrangements and irresistible parps of brass. Charming and sometimes bittersweet, this is the class of perfect pop-craft associated with the likes of The Kinks, Sweet Baboo and Tap Tap et al. This is ever so endearing, delightful catchy and dripping with melody, but be warned; it will get stuck in your head for days and days.

Listen to ‘The Lives Of Elevators’ below and if that is to your liking, may I suggest that you check out new album Partitions here.

HAVVK – ’52’


Formidable Irish outfit HAVVK will release their debut album Cause & Effect on November 22 and the alt-rock trio have been upping anticipation with a slew of scintillating singles – ‘Always The Same’, ‘Birds On A Wire’ and ‘Shifting Shape’ – and HAVVK have added another to the fold.

Written while living in London, new single ‘52’ exudes an ominous and tense atmosphere, reflecting the divisive nature of the Brexit campaign, as HAVVK attempt to make sense of the darkness and find a way through.
Front woman Julie Hawk’s distinctively impassioned vocal take centre stage, soaring majestically over the ethereal alt-rock backdrop before packing a punch as the chorus sets in, mirroring the anger for the situation at hand. It is raw and filled with anger, it is a song laced with ethereal beauty and finds a space where harsh and gentle can coexist. ’52’ is yet another majestic reason to look forward to the HAVVK’s forthcoming debut LP.

Listen to ’52’ below & HAVVK will be launching Cause and Effect on 6 December 2019 at the Bello Bar in Dublin.

Gang Starr – ‘Family and Loyalty’ ft. J.Cole

Gang Starr, the legendary hip hop duo consisting of the late Guru and DJ Premier, have returned with a first new single in 16 years, and first music since Guru’s passing in 2010.

The track, ‘Family and Loyalty’, features posthumous vocals from Guru and verses from J. Cole. Dripping with golden-era nostalgia; a mellow old-school hip-hop beat and of course rhymes from the late Guru and slick, pristine production as you would expect from Premier.

To say this came as a surprise is an understatement – it came seemingly out of nowhere – and it is a little strange but of the good variety, it just not something that was ever expected. Gang Starr will always be of huge importance to me, not only are Daily Operation and Hard to Earn two of my all time favourite records but Gang Starr introduced me to hip hop as a whole.

If that wasn’t enough, rumours are swirling about an entire LP but hey, that’s for another day – for now, check out ‘Family and Loyalty’ and video below:

JAK – ‘Imagination’

JAK is a collective ensemble of creativity driven by a motley crew of music lovers from somewhere amid the great expanse of the US.

As for a backstory, well, that’s it. While JAK might be tight lipped on info, there is plenty to be said about their debut single ‘Imagination’. For one, it is a blistering bout of seductive, swaggering and wholly irresistible hip hop. It struts its wares built on a low-toned synthesiser hook and bed of buzzy, bass-heavy electro as droning and whooshing synths fizz around the slick, rapid-fire lyrical delivery, that zips along with mechanised rhythm and precision, perfectly complimenting the beatwork (which is very Afrika Bambaataa, Kraftwerk inspired). ‘Imagination’ is a hell of an introduction.

Listen to ‘Imagination’ below:

Light Phases – ‘Energy Flux’

Light Phases is an electronic music project from Huddersfield-born, Rotherham-based musician and producer, Nick Staples.

With Light Phases, Staples explores diverse electronic sounds and sonic palettes grounded in the melodic, ambient, deep, and rhythmic, which evoke emotion, whilst never too far from the dance floor. With his sonic distillations Staples ekes out a balance between contrasting components; a proficiency in such matters is born out for all to see on debut EP, Low Wave Motion. This first musical foray under the Light Phases moniker is spearheaded by lead single ‘Energy Flux’. It strikes a perfect balance between the ethereal dreaminess and transfixing winding techno tendencies as it stitches together bright chimes, sputtering and choppy electronics and burbling synthesizers. Acid squelches are woven seamlessly with dreamy tones as we float away to a world of whispering tranquillity – it definitely veers more toward an air of slumbering meditation. 

Listen to  ‘Energy Flux’ below – and the whole EP is here too.