David Harks – ‘Mists’

David Harks is a name that should be familiar to long standing patrons of the site.

The British-born, Berlin-based artist and singer has been the recipient of much deserved lavish praise for his work with Safetalk, varying collaborative projects and of course, his solo work – and it is the latter that are concerned with on this occasion.

Harks has returned with a softly lit, seductive serenade entitled ‘Mists’; a cinematic sojourn into blissed-out lofi ambient pop, awash with soaring harmonies and dubbed-out synthesis. It slinks and gently bubbles along a seductive groove as soft beats patter below the colorful swirling textures, crunching guitar riffs and computer game tones while Harks’ hushed, mellow and incredibly easy on the ear – all dripping with melody. It’s always great to hear from Harks and this is an incredibly beautiful, blissed-out and seductive – this up there with Hark’s best work.

Listen to ‘Mists’ below, you are in for a treat:

English Teacher – ‘A55’

English Teacher Share New Single ‘A55’ and Announce Debut EP ‘Polyawkward.

Trading in meaty and razor-sharp sprawling post-punk alchemy English Teacher introduced their wares with ‘R&B’ and ‘Good Grief’ last year and now, the Leeds outfit are back with new single ‘A55′ and news of a debut EP ‘Polyawkward’.

Centred around the trademark enigmatic wordplay from Lily Fontaine, ‘A55’ is a cathartic exploration of waking up with ‘The Fear’ the morning after the night before. Musically it consumes us as the shifting tension builds and builds, mirroring the introspective and intense lyrics – guitars burn and churn while drums rumble amid the fuzz as momentum grows and grows to explode. It is yet another massive tune from English Teacher; extremely excited to hear the EP when it arrives.

Listen to ‘A55’ below:

Maida Rose – ‘I Remember’

Maida Rose is dream-pop pairing of Roos Meijer and Javièr den Leeuw from Dutch seaside city the Hague.

Having introduced themselves with ‘Harmony of Heartache’, ‘Where Do We Go’ and ‘Every Day Is Blue’, the pair are back with another wonderful single, ‘I Remember’ and news that Maida Rose will release their debut LP ‘Tales Of Adolescence’ on March 25th. The new single is a real gem; it is three minutes of pure pop perfection. A gentle and somber wander, it is oozing with a sense of nostalgia and melancholy as sighing vocals and heartstrung melodies coiled around a gentle piano led waltz amid a sea of lavish fuzz, woozy tones and dreamy air. A truly beautiful,rich and wistful track, simple as that.

Listen to ‘I Remember’ below and keep an eye out for debut LP ‘Tales Of Adolescence’ in March.

Sprints – ‘Little Fix’

Dublin-based post-punk outfit Sprints have released another single from their forthcoming A Modern Job EP; and quelle surprise, it is a cracker!

The new single ‘Little Fix’ is the latest in a line of brilliant tunes from Sprints – it is a fast-paced, spiky and frantic three-minute post-punk thriller. In keeping with Sprints’ raucous and defiant, yet fun, potent post-punk sound, ‘Little Fix’ is fuelled by short, snappy, repetitive bassline duking it out with a biting guitar riff laying a powerful, memorable and catchy foundation for lead vocalist, Karla Chubb to thrive and soar.
We’ve been keeping tabs on Sprints for a while now and they have impressed on each and every time of asking – ‘Little Fix’ is bursting with explosive energy, swagger and an in-your-face attitude. Take a bow. 

A Modern Job, which is due out via Nice Swan Records on March 11 2022.

DYR – ‘Dysko Mystik’

DYR is a Minneapolis-based DJ and producer who embraces a wide range of genres, weaving eclectic selections of techno, house and disco, creating an innovative, hypnotic and thrilling sound designed for elevating dance floors.

DYR’s latest track ‘Dysko Mystik’ encompasses all the aforementioned attributes and more.

Residing in a space between techno, house and electronica ‘Dysko Mystik’ whisks us off to a futuristic world of subtle, nuanced and transfixing, dancefloor minded, techno influenced music. Heavy on mood, texture and atmosphere with relentless oscillations, driving techno beat and pulsating synth. Although everything is delivered with a pin point accuracy, it has a murky, industrial feel, as we are entranced by relentless repetition and groove, leaving us utterly powerless to resist it’s tempting allure. Driving, pulsating and relentless – a triumph.

Listen to ‘Dysko Mystik’ below:

Fleur bleu.e – ‘Sun’

Fleur bleu.e are Paris-based dream-pop pairing of Delphine and Vladimir who met in 2019 and bonded over a mutual love of The Smiths, Beach House, Françoise Hardy and Elli et Jacno among others, and a desire to craft music that was emotionally ambiguous while being fueled by their teenage myths. And thus Fleur bleu.e came into being.

The pair introduced their woozy indie-meets-dream-pop stylings back in April with ‘STOLT 89’ and they are back with another bewitching beauty in ‘Sun’. A dreamy, mellow and hazy sojourn to a world of blissful atmospheric splendor, rich dreamy vocals purr with melodic allure atop a gentle waltzing undulating groove while guitars shimmer, twang and flicker while bathed in a warm blanket of mild fuzz. It is beautiful, dreamy and hypnotic dream-pop perfection – yet again.

Listen to ‘Sun’ below now – guaranteed to brighten up your day and wash away any January blues.