Hermidgets finds the seduction inside self-destruction on ‘Like Moths’
There’s a crucial difference between wanting to escape a destructive relationship and wanting to disappear inside it, and ‘Like Moths’, the new single from Hermidgets, is more interested in the second possibility. The song approaches emotional dependency as something disturbingly seductive, where surrender isn’t simply a consequence of the relationshipContinue Reading
Futurecop! turns nostalgia into motion on ‘One Last Time’
Futurecop! has always understood that nostalgia works best when it is moving. And on new single ‘One Last Time’, Manchester-based producer Manzur Iqbal takes the emotional pull of memory and pushes it through French electro, indie-dance and shimmering synth-pop, creating something that feels euphoric on the surface while carrying aContinue Reading
JJ Ryan finds beauty in the wear and tear on ‘Life May Take Its Toll’
Five years in the making, Life May Take Its Toll has the satisfying sprawl of a record allowed to find its own shape. The six-track debut EP from Brisbane songwriter and producer JJ Ryan moves freely between alt-rock, indie, punk, folk and more experimental textures, but its real strength lies in theContinue Reading
The Lunar Keys put morality on trial with ‘Sinner’
The Lunar Keys have always favoured songs with scale, and ‘Sinner’ gives that instinct a particularly sharp subject to work with. The Guildford alt-rock band’s latest single takes aim at morality, public identity and the uncomfortable gap between appearing good and actually being good. Built around the pointed refrain, “SaintContinue Reading
Mali turns five years of love, change and self-discovery into dazzling new album ‘Where Was I?’
Award-winning singer-songwriter Mali delivers an ambitious and emotionally rich exploration of identity, belonging and personal transformation with her sophomore album ‘Where Was I?’. Written following her return to Mumbai in 2022, the record captures five years of uncertainty, adventure and self-discovery, transforming life’s unexpected changes into an expansive collection ofContinue Reading
Gweilo transforms the pain of an absent father into ethereal synth-pop on ‘Bitch Father’
Liverpool’s Gweilo delivers a deeply personal and beautifully atmospheric exploration of family, loss and identity with his striking new single ‘Bitch Father’. Marking his third official release following ‘Mwmd (Now Its Died)’ and ‘Perfection Isn’t Hard!’, the track introduces another fascinating dimension to the emerging artist’s adventurous retro-futurist pop sound.Continue Reading
Def Nettle explore music as release on ‘Trauma Removal Machine’
‘Trauma Removal Machine’ finds Def Nettle using the language of therapy, spirituality and self-help as the basis for a tightly constructed piece of post-punk-inflected indie dance. The Irish outfit have always drawn from a wide range of influences, and this single continues that approach without sounding overly busy. New wave,Continue Reading
Atomic Cherry examines the cost of fitting in on ‘Social Skills’
‘Social Skills’ is a restrained but pointed second single from Istanbul-based artist Atomic Cherry. Following the dreamier alt-pop of ‘Somewhere in Between’, this new track moves into darker alternative hip-hop and neo-soul territory, using a moodier backdrop to explore people-pleasing, social performance and the pressure to appear comfortable in environmentsContinue Reading
Peppermint Heaven reframe ‘Disco Lights’ through Mark Lower’s nu-disco lens
Mark Lower’s remix of ‘Disco Lights’ gives Peppermint Heaven’s retro-pop instincts a cleaner, more overtly club-oriented setting. The LA duo have long drawn from 80s pop and electronic music, and this version keeps that foundation intact while moving the track towards contemporary nu-disco. Mark Lower’s production is focused less onContinue Reading
Kontai Ensemble explore the possibilities of violin and cello on ‘Trost’
Trost is a concise but thoughtfully constructed debut EP from Munich-based Kontai Ensemble. Built around violinist Teresa Allgaier and cellist Juri Kannheiser, the four-track EP brings together new works by Annamaria Kowalsky, Ralph Heidel, Friederike Bernhardt and Matīss Čudars. Each composer arrives from a different musical background, and that range givesContinue Reading