Browsing Tag

Cosmic Pop

Spotlight Feature: I, Harappan. unveiled his celestially unshackling dance pop meets folk single, THE FREE ONES

Posted on 24 September 2022

Splicing ancient spirituality with dance-pop, the London-based experimental artist, I, Harappan. describes his upcoming debut album, The Harappan & The Devil, as a genre-bending epic, combining cosmic horror storytelling with funk, disco pop and RnB.

The celestial single, THE FREE ONES, is an unforgettable introduction to his strident mystique, which uses traditional progressive house structures around a folkish sense of beguile, which resonates through the soulfully beckoning lyrics and the profound command of his vocal timbre which scarcely seems of this century. While the beats appeal to your rhythmic pulses, the lyricism unshackles you from the illusory chains that keep us all grounded in antipathy. It is a sonic awakening like no other.

Here’s what I, Harappan had to say on his debut release:

“A long ago, in the forgotten city of Harappa, in the land of river and stone, there was a child forged of bronze. The tribe of the Unicorn lived amidst the broken and beautiful Himalayas, birthing fortress worlds of twisted screens and dead white light; though lost to time, their stories live on.

Free Ones is the first release from my debut album, “The Harappan & The Devil”, an uplifting cosmic pop experience about never giving up, inspired by ancient mysticism, Tolkien & Diana Ross.”

THE FREE ONES is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brighton’s most cosmic collective, Tidal Rave, took us on an ‘Astral Escape’ with their neon pop-rock opera

Posted on 6 June 2022

Forget the phallic space race between Musk and Bezos, no one has gone deeper into the cosmos than the Brighton-based collective Tidal Rave in their latest single, Astral Escape (Adventure of a Lifetime), which stirs the soul in a quaintly imaginative style that we could more than get used to. I mean, existence has become synonymous with absurdity; you may as well live it through the oxytocin offered by an act that starts cuddle puddles at shows.

They call it whimsical insanity; we call it sticky-sweet ingenuity decorated in their enthusiasm to better the world through their space rock opera theatrics paired with kaleidoscopically colourful indie-pop hooks.

Astral Escape is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jack Wakeman & The Dreamstriders share the ‘Cosmic Fear’ in their latest single

Posted on 16 March 2022

It is easy to lament existing in this particular fragment of the space-time continuum. But at no other point in our history would we get to celebrate endearing alt-indie artists, such as Jack Wakeman & The Dreamstriders, and their tracks on apocalyptic optimism.

Cosmic Fear was written after a mental breakdown that left Wakeman overwhelmed by the magnitude of the sky. After the fear subsided, Wakeman was left adrift with existential confusion before he understood that it is ok to leave some things as a mystery. As meaning-makers, it’s hard to know where to draw the line and when to leave our curiosity behind; Cosmic Fear stunningly navigates the epiphany in true 80s synth-pop meets classic rock fashion.

If you like your existentialism sunny side up, the spacey indie pop rock earworm should be considered a playlist staple.

The official video to Cosmic Fear is available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Matt DeAngelis takes us a ‘Mile Down the Road’ in his crooned spacey piano pop ballad

Posted on 2 March 2022

Southern New Jersey singer-songwriter, Matt DeAngelis, is fresh from the release of his eagerly anticipated EP, World I’m Comin’ for You’. Judging by the standout single, Mile Down the Road, he has already arrived.

By taking influence from David Bowie, Elton John and Billy Joel, the piano-led ballad carries the same style of absorbingly escapist narrative that wraps you up in the theatrically tinged emotion that effortlessly flows from DeAngelis’ timeless crooned pop timbre.

The jazzy instrumental interludes, orchestral strings and intricately clever piano motifs defiantly stand in the way of Mile Down the Road as resonating as just another cheesy show tune. This track is definitely for the audiophiles – as is the whole EP, how could we just stop at one track? The concluding single, Maybe I, makes it almost impossible believe that it was created by a 23-year-old singer-songwriter and released in 2022.

Check out Matt DeAngelis on his official website, Spotify, Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Conor Latcham gets into the insidious underbelly of manipulationships with his self-deprecating disco track, Running

Posted on 1 March 2022

The Cardiff-based luminary, Conor Latcham has crooned his way back onto the airwaves with his latest spacey, synthy indie-disco pop track, RUNNING. The single was remotely recorded during lockdown with Marc Hughes (Lewis Capaldi, Tom Odell) on drums and Barry Grint (Beatles, Madonna, Prince) behind the mastering desk.

With the surfy angular guitar motifs around the mash of cosmic pop 80s nostalgia paired with Conor Latcham’s cooler than Alex Cameron vibe and the Arcade Fire-style catchy hooks, Running is infectious from the first hit. Despite the euphoria that effortlessly bleeds from Running, the essence of the single is far darker as it delves into the insidious underbelly of one-sided relationships. It is a masterclass in how to use your wit for closure. Grab a notepad and hit play.

You can feel the self-deprecating disco love for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Country hooks up with 70s cosmic pop in Marcus Liuzzi’s latest single, 2 Night Stand

Posted on 4 February 2022

Country meets 70s cosmic pop in the Massachusetts-hailing singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marcus Liuzzi’s latest single, 2 Night Stand.

The deeply candid and narrative track spins the whiskey-soaked tale of a hook-up that left the hook firmly embedded itself far beyond the hungover sunrise. If there is any definitive proof that the loss of the object of our lust is as crushing as the loss of love, it is this humbly honest track. It wears its heart on the shimmering guitar progressions, Americana-influenced basslines, psychedelically warm keys, and the occasional orchestral sing motif.

There are hints of R.E.M. in the vocals that rest atop the country twang and influence from ELO, Bowie and the Beatles. Only an insanely talented artist could pull that off in such an endearing fashion. It is safe to say that we are pretty hooked.

You can get down with a 2 Night Stand for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Space pop goes baroque in J.T. Rogers’s latest single, The Cycle of Orbit, featuring Carter Costello.

Posted on 9 November 2021

After the successful release of his 2021 debut album, All Through Time and Space, J.T. Rogers teamed up with Carter Costello for his latest alt-pop hit, The Cycle of Orbit. After hearing the synthy-sweet hooky chorus, I’m fairly sure I surrendered a significant proportion of my soul to the mesmerising collaborative duo.

I don’t make Peeing Tom reminiscences lightly. Yet, the Seattle-born, LA-based artist warranted it with his uniquely evocative mix of vocal vibrato and reverb atop of the baroquely twisted instrumentals.

J.T Rogers took space pop to a fairly dark place, but those who find their minds in the shadows regardless will find plenty of salvation in this gorgeous amalgamation of bedroom pop, lo-fi and emo which is just as psychedelic as the most Avant work from the Legendary Pink Dots.

Costello adds a gorgeous dynamic single with his commanding debonair-vibe vocals. It comes as little surprise that J.T. is starting to amass so much traction in his career. We can’t wait to hear what he pours onto the airwaves next.

The Cycle of Orbit is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Fountains of Paradise has made an interstellar indie space pop debut with Forgotten Man.

Posted on 28 October 2021

With their if-they-got-enough-exposure-they-would-probably-start-a-cult-and-it-would-be-the-best-thing-ever vibe, it is safe to say that we instantly warmed to The Fountains of Paradise through their single, Forgotten Man, which features on their debut album, Let the People.

The Yorkshire-born, Buckinghamshire-based singer-songwriter’s spacey indie bedroom pop track starts with uplifting ABBA-Esque chords before the sonic palette transitions into an avant-garde arrangement of orchestral strings pulling against the electro-pop instrumentals. Plenty of the accordance in the single comes from the singer-songwriter’s elegantly gentle vocals that tenderly relay the playfully melancholic lyrics.

Forgotten Man does little in the way of subverting reality; it becomes escapism music all the same for the way it leaves you caught up in the witty attack on nihilism and mortality redundancy. For four minutes, blackened souls will feel right at home.

You can add Forgotten Man to your playlists on Spotify, or you can check out the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alice Payne – Visions: The Ultimate Chillwave Playlist Staple

Posted on 18 September 2021
https://soundcloud.com/alicepaynee/visions-radio-edit

‘Visions’ is the latest dreamily psychotropic dance-pop release from the independent Australian artist and producer Alice Payne. After releasing her debut synth-pop track, Drive, earlier this year, the hype is steadily garnering around her emotionally charged, sonically cathartic style.

The reverb-swathed soundscape starts with an ethereal indie trip-hop prelude before the downtempo four-to-the-floor beat starts to kick in to create a solid structure for the ensnaring track to capture you within.

With the teasing progressions, aural curveballs and enigmatic sense of intrigue in Visions, you couldn’t ask for a better chillwave playlist staple.

Visions is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ernesto Carlos has released their eccentric feat of cosmic pop, ‘Ontem eu matei trinta pessoas’

Posted on 3 April 2021

After releasing their 2020 single, ‘Silencio’, Brazilian artist Ernesto Carlos has continued to enamour listeners with their eccentric sound that proves expression doesn’t have to be serious to add nuance on the airwaves.

The standout track, ‘Ontem eu matei trinta pessoas’ from his debut album ‘Jorge’ exhibits the best of Ernesto Carlos’ high vibes and disregard for creative constraints. With all of the aural insanity of the Talking Heads, the easy rhythms of ska reggae and a futuristic infusion of 8-bit, it’s safe to say that you’ve never heard anything like the smorgasbord of euphoria on offer here. There’s even the echo of the 60s psych-pop within Ontem eu matei trinta pessoas to ensure that it unfolded as vibrantly as possible.

Unilingual English minds unable to decipher the lyrics will still be able to take plenty away from this energetic feat of cosmic pop.

Ontem eu matei trinta pessoas is available to stream with the rest of Ernesto Carlos’ debut album via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast