Browsing Tag

Darkwave Electronica

Dust has delivered an electronica mix as dark and dystopic as 2020 with ‘Bravado’

Posted on 31 December 2020

Dust is the latest moniker for Richmond, VA-based artist and professional drummer, Chris Farmer, after sharing stages with the likes of Fishbone and Hootie & the Blowfish, his talent turned to producing heavy, bass-riding electronica which showcases his rhythmic precision and ability to entrance though mind-melting layers of insurgently powerful electronica.

Their latest release is the highly-anticipated 4-track EP ‘Bravado’. The best introduction to Dust’s domineering instrumental Alt Electronica is undoubtedly the title single. With some hints of And One-era Industrial within the monolithic drum n bass mix, it’s as dark and dystopic as 2020 and far more entrancing through the producer’s rhythmic command which allows his sound to boast psytrance style danceability.

You’ll have to wait a little longer before you can check out Bravado for yourselves. In the meantime, head over to Spotify where you’ll be able to check out their previous releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

RawFall – A Thousand Thoughts: A Stark Aural Portrait of a Disquiet Mind

Posted on 24 December 2020

RawFall’s latest single, A Thousand Thoughts, doesn’t just lyrically play with the concept of disquietude, within the intricate layers of the Darkwave Electronica single, agitation and restlessness reside in the soundscape as a perfect aural depiction of a tumultuously anxiety-ailed mind. That should be anxiety-invoking in itself, but with the consoling yet sonorous vocals, any such emotion will be efficaciously quelled.

With the duo’s influences including everything from Psych to Blues to Alt Electro, there’s a dynamic non-assimilative feel which fleetingly carries reminiscences to Empathy Test and Blue October, but you’ve never heard anything quite like A Thousand Thoughts before. I was beginning to wonder if any Dark Electronica artist had the ability to produce without sounding like a Trent Reznor carbon copy, but RawFall, with their conceptual fraught masterpiece of a single well and truly proved me otherwise.

You can check out A Thousand Thoughts for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Dresden Persuasion – The Stars Have Faded: Phantasmally Consoling Darkwave Electronica

Posted on 20 December 2020
I Am the Skeleton King by The Dresden Persuasion

Any fans of Bowie, Empathy Test, Bauhaus and Type O Negative will want to jump on the latest album ‘I Am the Skeleton King’ from The Dresden Persuasion.

Track 1, ‘The Stars Have Faded,’ is a faultless introduction to the mesmerising German artist. From the first verse, it’s perceptible that their soundscapes are crafted to offer the listener just as much catharsis as they experienced when creating their hypnotic feats of Electronica.

The Darkwave single pairs phantasmal instrumentals with Craig Dickerson’s sensually absorbing vocals which ensure that with each progression, you’re immersed even deeper in the evocatively multifaceted release. The Stars Have Faded captures the complexity of nihilistic emotion while allowing your own emotions to slip away as they’re replaced with the consoling ones relayed to you in resounding whispers.

You can check out The Stars Have Faded via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LearningToDive prescribes Alt Electro catharsis through their superlative sophomore single ‘Falling Leaves’

Posted on 15 December 2020

‘Falling Leaves’ is the entrancingly melodious sophomore single from New Zealand-based Alt Electronica artist LearningToDrive, if it doesn’t leave you transfixed, you may want to check if you’ve still got a pulse.

The artist, composer and producer used an intoxicatingly sublime blend of Alt Rock, 80’s Pop and Post Punk within their expressive sound to create an absorbing platform for their introspective-laden lyrics to fall into.

Their ability to connect the dots of the human experience while quashing malignant emotion under swathes of lush reverb and searingly reverberant bass is unparalleled.

With a debut EP in the pipeline for 2021, you’ll definitely want LearningToDrive on your radar.

You can check out Falling Leaves for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lose control of your rhythmic pulses with Riesenradler’s fiercely sonic electronica single “The Unsung Hero”

Posted on 2 November 2020

“The Unsung Hero” is the sonically-enticing recent release from Austrian artist and video game developer Riesenradler, with passions for both classical music and Electronica, the artist electronically achieved what composers have been doing for decades; orchestrating soundscapes which become so much more than an aural experience. ‘Mesmeric’ doesn’t seem to cut it when it comes to Riesenradler’s production style, you’re practically vexed by the visceral futurism contained in their releases.

The Unsung Hero is just one of the mind-melting mixes which you’ll find on their sophomore album Under the Nanorain which is due to drop later in November. If The Unsung Hero is anything to go by, you definitely won’t want to miss it.

You can check out The Unsung Hero which dropped on October 20th for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Laceouss has released their progressively entrancing Alt EDM Pop single “Love”

Posted on 30 July 2020

With more artists releasing music than ever before, it’s getting increasingly harder to find a truly authentic sound. But every now and again you’ll encounter artists such as Laceouss who remind you how mind-blowing the feeling of striking aural distinction is.

Laceouss has recently released their album Platinum Spce. Eery track is a masterfully crafted immersive gem, yet the best introduction to their sound is undoubtedly Love.

While you’re still wondering which genre hole Love falls in, you’ll realise that you’ve already been captivated by the entrancing mix. By the time the progressive soundscape fades out, you’ll realise that Laceouss’ sound transcends the notion of genres whilst flirting with elements of Pop, Hip Hop and Darkwave Electronica.

Despite the smooth, polished and radio-ready production, there’s a dark and gritty feel to Love which sets Laceouss leagues apart from any other artists I’ve heard this year.

You can check out Laceouss’ standout single Love along with the rest of their 2020 release on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast