Fiercely delivering a slice of iconic indie hard rock, with a twist of alternative grunge and something evocatively soulful, New Zealand four-piece Powder Chutes achieve a near-orchestral fullness with their heavy riffs, guitar solos, and faultless structural unity.
Music
Carefully walking the line between intimacy and vastness, Elaine Yu guides with moving piano melodies and subtle strings, rhythms and other classical instruments, throughout the evocative journey of the Timeless EP.
An alluring modern musical composition, soaked in the sentiments of an 18th-century Venetian composer, inspired by progressions allegedly recued from the ruins of a bombed Dresden library – Adagio is an expansive multi-track production, with a live orchestra and leading vocal performance that ultimately brings together two worlds of artistic expression, under a modern, cinematic and all-consuming creative light.
Inspired by the great people and scenes of the Cocoon Club in Frankfurt, from the country that first adopted and popularized the power of techno, producer and DJ Kai Seibert masters the craft with his latest intoxicating album, blending emotional and passionate intentions with a clear sense of progression and technical expertise that resounds.
Futuristic progressive house champion Lord Conrad delivers a cinematic video and single that euphorically celebrates the meeting between fantasy and reality.
Returning with a gorgeous organic groove of classic acoustic guitar to full-band vibrancy, Ehson Hashemian delivers an absolute earworm of an anthem from his brand new album, with the angelic vocals and indie-anthemic charm of Anything.
Dark alternative vibes in strong supply but a beating heart of effective, engaging songwriting always provided as the centrepiece – pMad excel themselves with this album, and NineFortyFive is the fascinating and rather addictive new single that’s easily one of the most interesting, ambient and enjoyable post-rock tracks to hit the scene this year.
Blues rock and grunge in the guitar tone and rhythms, post-rock in the echoing, theatrical to gritty vocals, and something like alternative and explosive indie freedom at the forefront. French band Quintana Dead Blues eXperience get the chemistry just right, with the fiercely independent charm and passion of their brand new album Ashes.
Without question, you’ve not experienced an album quite like this before, and the musical vibrancy, the fullness and colour, the stories and sentiments, all hold you captive and calmed throughout a brilliantly extensive 27 tracks of sheer imaginative escapism.
An enchanting debut, a breath of fresh air from nostalgic origins – Swedish/Canadian duo FUSES bring a folk-rock charm and fluidity back to modern music, with songwriting and stylistics that appear to draw influences ranging from Larkin Poe to the mighty Fleetwood Mac.
Unexpectedly evolving twice throughout its lifespan, End And The Start lights up the space with humility and charm, offering memorable riffs, a long-form chorus expression, a brilliantly unique placement of the title – at the end of an exciting then mildly dizzying lyrical and melodic downpour – and it captures affection for its softness and passion carefully intertwined.
Deeply introspective lyrics seamlessly blend Spanish and English with identity and depth, as moonlaw delivers an ethereal and quietly captivating new hip hop single, in the form of the boldly unique GLOSARIO.