Browsing Tag

Ambient Electro

Chris Koehn processed grief following the loss of his brother in his ethereal elecro-pop single, Melancholia

Posted on 24 October 2022

Embracing the perpetual promise of change, Chris Koehn composed his most introspective single to date, Melancholia. If there’s any lyric that truly epitomises the proclivity of melancholy while advocating mindfulness, it’s the poignantly rendered line, “It’s only life, everyday we die”, that reprises through this gentle dream pop exposition of ennui.

The atmospheric layering of the male and female vocal harmonies above the swirling electronic synthetics and intense percussion creates a sobering soundtrack for reflection. But the sense of soul that matches the contemporary gravitas of Perfume Genius and Cigarettes After Sex ensures that the ultimate effect is an enlivening one.

Inspired by the death of his brother, Chris Koehn is helping others through their grieving processes while processing his own grief. As someone that has recently experienced the loss of their mother, I can attest to the efficacy of this stunning reminder to live in the moment; while we still have one.

Melancholia is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Graffiti Welfare tells his anxious coming of age story in the trippy meditative alt-electro album, Revolving Shores

Posted on 23 June 2022

Revolving Shores is the gravity-defyingly meditative debut album from the up-and-coming artist and producer Graffiti Welfare. After appearing on the airwave in 2018 through his EP, Into the Soul of Space, which has been extensively playlisted & lauded by critics, the Austin-born, Denver-based artist let the world in on his coming of age anxiety.

Regardless of your age, there is ample resonance in the LP that explores the profoundness of loss in context to perceptions of reality. As someone who has only recently lost their mum after a long illness, I’m pretty reasonably qualified to attest to the efficaciously comforting gentle tenacity in the 10-track release.

Revolving Shores gently eases you in through the minimalist melodic opening score, To Be It, which almost rings with neo-classic cinematic atmosphere, then cruises right on into my personal favourite, Just Follow, which reflects the feeling of unravelling as you lose direction.

DejaBlue picks up a little more melancholy through its genius titular metaphor for carbon copy ennui before Good News flirts with elements of coldwave EDM. What is easily the biggest experimental triumph the album, Synesthesia, dips into far more indie territory, with nuances of post-punk in the chilling, stabbing and distorted angular notes. SeaShell as the closing single was an all too efficaciously entrancing way of ensuring that Revolving Shores doesn’t leave you without sticking to your synapses first.

Graffiti Welfare Said

“Revolving Shores evolved from watching my childhood fade into the unknown as grandparents and friends passed away while I was coping with coming-of-age anxiety. By day, I was trying to finish my thesis and escape the clutches of graduate school with my sanity intact.

By night, I wanted to make sense of everything by creating something sincere, unique and tangible. Each track represents a lucid perspective that builds from the last, guiding a quiet meditation towards the unknown and back into waking life. Rinse, float, repeat – cause who knows where you will wake up next?”

Revolving Shores was officially released on June 17th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Spotify and SoundCloud.

To keep up to date with the latest releases from Graffiti Welfare, follow him on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Art Crimes Band bring the soul in their Guy Like You (Blakkheart Remix)

Posted on 28 March 2022
The Art Crimes Band

Guy Like You is the latest soft, sweet, and soulful feat of electronica from The Art Crimes Band. The Blakkheart Remix brings out the best in the reverb-laden 90s-inspired progressions as they well under the harmonic timbre that gives the hit of ego-less catharsis a tranquil dream-pop meets minimalist trance edge.

By taking inspiration from the lives of John Legend, The Roots, Gregory Porter and Nikka Costa and sticking to their ethos of ‘playing the music and loving the people’, Guy Like You is the kind of soundscape you have no issue falling completely into. It’s simple and sparse but still, it resounds.

The remix of Guy Like You will be available to stream from April 8th. You can check it out via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chords of Eve bring in the future of psych-pop with their intimately ambient single ‘Butterfly Machine’

Posted on 10 February 2021

Psychedelia comes in a spectacular array of guises, making the genre less about the sound and more about the sensation, under Chords of Eve’s nuanced prowess, it’s a meditative foray into electronically-crafted ambience complete with vivid sci-fi imagery.

The delicately inviting vocals meld into breath-arresting synth-led progressions, and despite the sonic quality of the soundscape, there’s a magnetic sense of intimacy which allows you to follow suit and feel without pretence as you listen.

Chords of Eve may have only been conceived in 2019, but the American multi-instrumentalist, Atlas Cage, is already making massive waves with their unique fusion of alt-electro-pop and trip hop.

Butterfly Machine is available to stream via Spotify.

Follow Chords of Eve to stay up to date with news of the forthcoming LP of the same title which is due for release in Summer 2021.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Malmo – Bladerunner Memories, Pt. 4: Neo-Noir Ambient Electro

Posted on 9 March 2019

Bladerunner and Ambient Electro fans alike are sure to appreciate what Norwegian-based artist cooked up with “Bladerunner Memories, Pt. 4”. Vangelis may have orchestrated an eerily ethereal score for the original Bladerunner theme, but what Malmo created with their score will allow notes from the original to resonate in a far more hypnotic capacity.

Around clever film samples which set the transcendentally ominous tone of the mix you’ll find plenty of catharsis in the minimalistic progressions of the single. The sonic Sci-Fi effects are stripped back, and instead, you’re treated to the lush lucid notes of the synth around the soft kicks of the drum pads. The momentum ebbs and flows throughout the arrestive mix which stands as a testament to the up and coming artist’s ability to construct a flawless score.

You can check out Malmo’s latest single Bladerunner Memories, Pt. 4 for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SLEEPER//MUSCLE – OFF CENTRE: The Melodicism of Experimental Ambient Electro

Posted on 8 October 2018
DANAE by SLEEPER// MUSCLE

Through equal parts of experimentalism and ambience SLEEPER//MUSCLE’s single “OFF CENTRE” was born. Whilst the progressions of most electronica tracks are predictable, there’s nothing I can say which will quite prepare you for the ingenuity of the Washington-based acts use of vocal melody.

The resounding swells of synth reverb match the melodic non-lexical vocals with such synergy it’s almost difficult to tell where the electronic effect ends, and the vocals begin. But for those of you who like your traditional vocables, there’s a sweet offering of those too, which allows the track to almost veer into the Indie arena. Whilst putting a label on SLEEPER//MUSCLE’s sound isn’t easy, sinking into the catharsis offered by the soundscape is an inevitability.

You can stream and download SLEEPER//MUSCLE’s single OFF CENTRE from the 2018 album “DANAE” by heading over to Bandcamp.

Keep up to date with the latest releases and news by following SLEEPER/MUSCLE via Facebook

Review by Amelia Vandergast