POSTS TAGGED : synth-pop

The Metallic Cranes – ‘Animated Landscape with Cranes’

The Metallic Cranes is an Irish producer with a vivid imagination and penchant for slow-tempo house with a retro-futuristic slant.

‘Animated Landscape with Cranes’ is the producer’s debut single, and it is a doozy. Written based on an imaginary music video, where a boy is sitting in the back of a car on a long drive across an ocean causeway with cranes flying overhead, and watching the car drive by. Using the sound of cranes, wind, and granular synthesis to create the world the song lives in, they have created something memorable.

‘Animated Landscape with Cranes’ is a fascinatingly imaginative and richly developed electronic excursion; a hypnotic, slick and cinematic vision of downtempo house. It is propelled forward on a wave of soft beats, kicks, twinkly neon-synths and seductive grooves as it meanders along, all in its own time, while a robotic voice whispers in the wind and nocturnal air. A magnificent track masterfully pieced together from start to finish, colourfully creating an incredible sense of wonderment and bringing you under its hypnotic spell from the off.

Listen to ‘Animated Landscape with Cranes’ below now – it is simply magnificent!


Zoee – ‘Fountain’

London-based musician Harriet Zoe Pittard aka Zoee has recently released her debut LP Flaw Flower.

Two years in the making, the album ushers us on an offbeat exploration of playfully imaginative, off-kilter sounds with nods to the avant pop of the 80s. ‘Fountain’ is the latest wonder to be lifted from the record and it exudes all the aforementioned playful, experimental pop prowess and leftfield vibes. It glides over soft pattering electronic beat as flickers of guitars and shimmering synths flutter amid an ethereal swirl of atmospherics with dramatic sax solo adding a glowing intensity as soft spoken vocals deliver a focused stream of consciousness, seeping into every corner and cranny of the ethereal otherworldly backdrop.

Listen to ‘Fountain’ below – the debut album is here too, and well worth your time.

Ynys – ‘Aros Am Byth’

Ynys is the moniker of Welsh artist Dylan Hughes (formerly of Race Horses and Radio Luxembourg) who has dazzled us with his work to date; namely singles ‘Mae’n Hawdd’ and  ‘Caneuon.

Teaming up with the excellent Libertino Records once again, Hughes has returned with a super smooth and hypnotic new single; ‘Aros Am Byth’. It is yet another lavish psych-washed synth-pop beauty filled with starry-eyed wonder as Hughes brings together 70s Italian disco synths and power pop harmonies – a magical combo. ‘Aros Am Byth’ washes over you with ease as lush vocals flow above a slinking groove and seductive beats while woozy flourishes of synth ripple amid the psychedelic swirl. A beautiful hypnotic tune tinged with melancholy and swelling heart and soul – another dazzling display from Ynys.

Listen to ‘Aros Am Byth’ below:


High Tides – ‘Summer Reflections’

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The chill of winter briefly reared its ugly head here at the weekend, causing a fair bit of chaos in its wake but High Tides – the hazy synth duo of Warren Kroll & Steven Lutes – provide a different, more welcome type of chill.

From the coastal shores of the mind, by way of the Midwest, the pair have shared ‘Summer Reflections’, the latest single lifted from their forthcoming album Paradise Daze, a gorgeous, summery slice of chillwave, dripping with warmth and sunshine. Bringing all the elegant, chilled and blissfully euphoric vibes, it flits between a mild Balearic tone, shimmering sun-kissed synths and crisp, fresh an frosty elegance. This is tranquil escapism to a place of calmness, warmth and haziness, with a definite late night feel.

You can listen to ‘Summer Reflections’ below & their forthcoming album Paradise Daze, which will be released on March 8th via Rad Cult.

NOGYMX – ‘Nakatomi Plaza’

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It’s fair to say that Galway-based producer NOGYMX (pronounced no-gimmicks) has a slight infatuation with the synthesizer sounds of the ’80s and synth-based cinematic film scores.

Of course, this is not a bad thing at all, and it is from this base that NOGYMX’s sleek, slick and cinematic vision of synth-pop takes shape, as evidenced by ‘Nakatomi Plaza’. Retro yet futuristic, ‘Nakatomi Plaza’ is a fascinatingly imaginative and richly developed electronic excursion to a place where dreams and reality can coexist in the same space as ’80s video games, and sci-fi and adventure movie scores. Propelled forward on a wave of driving beats, kicks, slow-motion chord changes and neon-bright synths, it is smooth, oozes cool and feels a little dangerous. Masterfully pieced together from start to finish, colourfully creating an incredible sense of wonderment and adventure it excels unequivocally in producing a severe case of nostalgia while feeling forward thinking and futuristic too.

Listen to ‘Nakatomi Plaza’ below now & if you like what you hear, there is more where that came from on NOGYMX’s latest album NO EMPERORS – tune in here.

Maddie Jay – ‘Little Love’

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Maddie Jay is a Canadian musician, bassist, producer, writer and multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for jangle pop, experimental music, synthesizers and sloths.

Having grown up in the relative wilderness of the small mountain town of Smithers, British Columbia, Jay traded that for the warmer climes of Los Angeles, where she now spends her days making music in her bedroom studio. Jay’s latest single ‘Little Love’ is an absolute treasure; a warm, layered and laid-back patchwork of rich, technicolor sounds. It slowly slinks along, from a gentle whirlpool of shimmering and lush dream-pop origins, it remains steadfastly chilled and tranquil. Dripping with melody, ‘Little Love’s neon glow sprouts from an irresistible soft wave of hypnotising synths, slinky grooves, shimmering tones and frazzled electronics. This beguiling, textured haze of dreaminess shifts seductively, as subtle as shifting sands, providing a perfect backdrop for Jay’s soothing vocals. A lavish composition, one of breathtaking beauty, it will have you utterly transfixed, powerless under its spell.

Listen to ‘Little Love’ below:

O Future – ‘Smell You’

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O Future is the pairing of Katherine Mills Rymer from South Africa and Jens Bjornkjaer originally from Denmark, who both now reside in Los Angeles.

Working under the previous moniker of OOFJ, the synth-pop duo released two albums, but ‘Smell You’ the latest in a string of singles under their new handle – and is one of the finest and memorable of 2018.

Together, the pair cultivate colourful, imaginative and ethereal electronica that will get firmly lodged in your head, as evidenced by latest single. ‘Smell You’ draws you in with a deep magnetic rumble and disco-esque percussion as Bjornkjaer’s illuminating production dances with Rymer’s heavenly harmonies. Undeniably dreamy but energetic, lush strings a la ’60s James Bond movie scores emerge to add a final alluring touch of cinematic class and sweeping grandeur.

A stunning and seductive single that is made all the more palatable by its recently released visual companion. Inspired by Leos Carax, the video is about obsession, the ecstasy of expectation and denying yourself pleasure, for pleasure’s sake with a touch of the alien and spousal murder mystery – and was filmed, directed, and photographed by O Future themselves.

Check out ‘Smell You’ below:

Vanity Fairy – ‘Loverman’

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The cleverly named Vanity Fairy – musical alter-ego of Daisy Capri – has shared new single ‘Loverman’, the second offering from Capri’s forthcoming Lust For Dust EP.

In much a similar vein to debut single ‘He Can Be Your Lady’, we are ushered to an offbeat exploration of imaginative, off-kilter sounds – albeit with less of a disco-danceable vibe. The latter’s aesthetic maybe scrubbed somewhat but ‘Loverman’ glides along a slinking synth line with a glowing intensity as her eccentric and trembling vocals seep into every corner and cranny of the lush backdrop provided by her ethereal slo-mo disco-influenced sound. Suffice to say, it’s a catchy, fun, and just a little bit peculiar, in the best way possible.

Check it out for yourself below, and stay tuned for more from Vanity Fairy soon; a debut EP is expected before the close of 2018, or early in 2019.

 

Vansire – ‘Halcyon Age’

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Vansire are dream pop loving duo of Josh Augustin and Sam Winemiller who have been making music under various guises since school before joining forces.

Their latest single ‘Halcyon Age’ is an easy on the ear dreamy, laid-back and loungey synth-pop tune. A mellow, nostalgia-inducing song that is big on the warm, hazy slacker vibes and really soothes one’s mind. Focused around a warm bassline, dreamy guitar and earnest keys which cut a warm and hazy backdrop for the the silky vocals to breathe as the beat shuffles and sways, while remaining quintessentially dreamy and mellow. A really beautiful song imbued with warmth and nostalgia.

‘Halcyon Age’ is taken from the BIRP.fm compilation Vinyl Post and it features a host of other tunes from Foliage, MUNYA to Cody Ash. The project is currently being funded via their kick starter page and successful funding will ensure further releases.

Listen to ‘Halcyon Age’ below and you can also check out Volume 1 of Vinyl Post here.

Changelings – ‘Baby We’re Falling Upwards’

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Changelings is the solo project of 25-year-old Melbourne musician Jay Penaflor.

On the back of his 2016 debut Poppyfields, Penaflor established a reputation for crafting deeply infectious dream-pop tunes. Following on from that, Changelings has returned with a brand new album called From My Raygun With Love. Taking his cue from artists such as Mac Demarco, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Beach house, his second record explores a more mellow and hazy pop universe – something plain for all to see on ‘Baby We’re Falling Upwards’, the latest single from the record.

It is a meandering and shape-shifting musical journey through a world of dreamy synth-pop goodness. Reverb laden guitars, cosmic melodies and twinkling synths are shrouded in an atmospheric haze of spectral fuzz as an overwhelming sense of melancholic longing comes flooding to the fore. It’s a sweet, sentimental song that gently waltzes along with an endearing warm glow and punctured with some exquisite bouts of melancholy. Penaflor vocals (the melodies are particularly addictive) are impeccable hushed, soothing, and compelling.

Listen to ‘Baby We’re Falling Upwards’ below and while you are at it, why not try From My Raygun With Love for size? Listen here.