Dark and cinematic production meets with intriguing vocals and piercing poetic statements. The energy builds, the ambience engulfs, and meanwhile, the song slowly but surely tightens its grip with vivid, unignorable imagery.
Italy’s OP reflects artistically on the emotional and societal weight of global turmoil – war, elite profit making, and the moral stance of the many.
Lush and hypnotic old-school trip hop vibes bring mellow ethereal mixing alongside organic guitar riffs and softly spoken melodies. Germany’s ATOMIC FRUIT capture a sense of alternative brilliance, in my view, with the humility and dark melodic stylings of Medicine.
Ambient post-punk escapism of short rhymes and tuneful refrains – Manchester’s Lucigenic bring through a dreamy and rather anthemic indie hit, for the mighty Shine On.
Indie music raising the bar as ever for the true and expressive creative freedom that drives things forward. Zuko Sian captures something cool and artistic, a sound rhythmically dancing between alt-folk festival vibes, hip hop, RnB and alternative pop or trip hop.
From the ambient and cinematic, to the lo-fi jazz café and smooth, soulful indie pop vibes – counterglow follow instinct and emotion, throughout the colourful highs and lows of the intimate, immersive and rather classic album echoes of self.
Just 18 years old and already capturing the hearts and attention of tens of thousands of listeners, Makaio Huizar has achieved a uniquely introspective and ambient original style with his music. That style appears to culminate for the end of a busy year, with the release of his honest and heart-breaking alternative Christmas song Merry … Continued
Svartsengi emerges at just the right time it seems, when it can often feel as if music has lost its way, lost its depth, lost its magic. OUTER and Arve Henriksen capture something profound and powerful with this composition and song. The subtle artistry is phenomenal. An easy highlight from the year.
Retro electronic production and deeply consuming ambiance, a gentle vocal paired with a colourful, confronting electronica aura – something like the dawn of electro pop and trip hop, with a twist of complex, contemporary lyrical wonder… Close to Monday take the wheel for modern electronic rock, with the enchanting depth and direction of Breakdown Simulations. … Continued
To coincide with the launch of one of this year’s most interesting, unusual and compelling original debuts, we sat down with songwriter, artist and performer Shereen Suleiman, to talk about the complexity and power of Ghareeb. Here’s how it went. * * * Hi Shereen – great to meet you, I’m so excited to talk … Continued
Guitarist and producer Davide Rizzo lets pure creativity drive – arranging original compositions around dreamy guitar tones, light rhythms, and a genre-free kind of playfulness that’s endearing, and a pleasure to let play.
Featuring an equally fuzzy set of visuals, representing the sheer joy and unity of the track, this is easily one of the most unorthodox but interesting and likeable new releases of the summer so far. J_basco rolls through the stages of the track with fearless attention to evolution and detail, but the opening moments far from depict that intention.
Intoxicating tones and an intricate balancing of complexity and simple warmth – the enchanting and euphoric single Deflector marks a rather divine and thoughtful introduction, to the unique stylings and sentiments of Vancouver-based producer Chamber Glow.
