Austria’s Filiah finds luscious moments on the sweet and strong ‘For Someone’. Confident vocals, lacking any studio sheen, lead songs of heartache over pretty acoustic instruments; guitar, bass, and strings. Opener ‘Goodbye’ has some mashed harmonies eventually finding each other over a steady bass line. ’27’ is a beguiling campfire number, carefully decorated withContinue Reading
There are many aspects of this album to appreciate, from the well-selected and chopped spoken world samples, to the eloquent sense of space created in the mix, Manu Propria is an enchanting listen from start to finish. After a pleasant opener, ‘Total Mosaic’ has a thoughtful drum and piano pattern playContinue Reading
photo by Andreea Chiser Zrangorn – Black Berlin Black Berlin is the title track of the most recent EP from Ballina’s Zrangorn (Conor Hickey). From the moment the sinister synth starts, you know you’re in for a sepulchral listening experience. An industrial drum machine, atmospheric electric guitars, and Hickey’s disgruntledContinue Reading
As twentieth-century composer Arnold Schoenberg said: “Intelligibility in music seems to be impossible without repetition.” and on Resistive Music Vol 1, Misha Panfilov has taken that maxim and run with it. Collaging a bouncy, gnarly synth with delayed piano lines, Panfilov takes Stratum fifteen minutes deep, bringing the listener through a trance-like state tillContinue Reading
Photo by kevin laminto Gaslight – Softcult indie rock/pop Gaslight from Softcult’s new EP Year of the Snake balances itself precariously on the line between pop and indie rock. With top-quality production and an obvious knack for melody, the inoffensive track is a joy to listen to. Textured drums keepContinue Reading
If home-produced, rough-around-the-edges indie-pop is your bag, then Quiet Safe Nothings by Gilboa could be right up your ally. For those who appreciate melody and intention over execution, tracks like opener ‘Quiet’ and ‘Away’ will please the most, while my personal favourite ‘Song in Open D’ will find fans with listeners who value honesty and vulnerability in theirContinue Reading
Photo by Alex Plesovskich In the Fade – The Lost Days folk In the Fade, the most recent single from Californian folkies The Lost Days, is a wholesome affair marked by heavily strummed acoustic guitar, loose tambourine, understated vocals, and sliding bass licks. The girl/boy harmonization of the vocals create aContinue Reading
The recent explosion of ambient music is making it hard to weed the great from the good (all music is good, objectively). Thankfully many resources exist as necessary sieves, one such is the always trustable A Closer Listen. A recent perusal of their site led me to stumble upon nocny, a ‘heavilyContinue Reading
Photo by Inga Seliverstova No Contact – Heart Shaped indie/pop Belfast based outfit Heart Shaped (the dream pop project of Texan native Kendall Bousquet) recently released the colourful single No Contact on Poison Moon Records and Unique Technique Records. Ethereal vocals delivered with equal measures of attitude and grace soar over the grittyContinue Reading
Canadian/Japanese electronic music label/website ADSR Collective have unveiled the first installment in their new ‘Sound Stories’ series. This carefully shot documentary is an intimate glimpse into the passionate pursuits of modular synth producer Hikari Instruments, who are based in Tokyo, and who offer some philosophical nuggets. It’s not easy toContinue Reading