Browsing Tag

electronic pop

SonicFluxx – Nomad: The Ultimate Synthscape for the New Generation of Wanderers

Posted on 5 November 2024

Blazing the same trail as Depeche Mode, The Human League and Pet Shop Boys, the independent breakthrough artist SonicFluxx exhibited his ability to craft neon-lit melodic hooks that pierce euphoria straight into the soul with his latest single and music video, Nomad.

With the 80s aesthetic incorporated into the synthscape and official video, Nomad is a retro-future odyssey of pure euphony; just one hit and you’ll be hooked on the earworm which celebrates the freedom of unchaining yourself from geographical anchors and giving into wanderlust.

By allowing his listeners to live vicariously through the eyes of a wanderer, SonicFluxx didn’t just explore the phenomenon of nomadic culture, he imbued it within every strobing synth-driven progression, attesting to the beauty of living by your own liberty.

Stream the official music video for Nomad on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jaco Painted a Pop Portrait of Love’s Duality in His Latest Single, ‘Gioconda’

Posted on 22 October 2024

In his third single and first Italian release, ‘Gioconda’ the electro-pop icon in the making, Jaco, tracked the highs and lows of love, painting a sonic picture as ambiguous and complex as the Mona Lisa’s smile. As the bass kicks momentum into the disco-funk-tinged indietronica beats, the pop production draws you into an intoxicating kaleidoscope of emotion which shimmers with reflections of love’s beauty and inevitable fragility.

Having made waves across the UK and Italy, Jaco’s latest release ensures nothing is lost in translation. Even if you don’t speak the language, the sticky-sweet melodies and euphoric reverberations will resonate. The warm tones offer a sense of familiarity, while the layered production reveals a depth that lingers beneath the fresh, summery exterior.

Prior to introducing his latest single to his staunch fanbase, Jaco hit international stages, brushed shoulders with Eurovision and X Factor alumni, and found a distinct way to maintain a unique sonic signature by channelling his classical training and Italian roots into British pop sensibilities.

Gioconda was officially released on October 11; stream the single via all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sonia Stein became pop’s most scintillating conduit of soul with her single, Blooming Season

Posted on 14 October 2024

When she’s not flitting between Warsaw and London, the icon of soulful pop hooks, Sonia Stein, is honing her sonic signature, which scribes through nuances of RnB, electronica and pop while writing a legacy that the music industry would struggle to lose to history.

Her latest single and the title single for her upcoming LP, Blooming Season, sees her vocally find the middle ground between Swift and Lady Gaga as synth lines strobe beneath her arcane vocal timbre and the syncopated beats kick adrenaline into the mix which is wrapped in an aura of pure scintillation. Equally as affecting as the production by Duit, are the lyrical underpinnings, which explore the bliss of finally letting down your walls and letting love in without the fear of losing everything you’ve emotionally invested in.

My only complaint is that Sonia Stein isn’t sitting at the top of the Billboard charts after unleashing this earworm which even the most rhythmically steadfast will feel themselves melting into.

Sonia Stein’s single, Blooming Season, was officially released on October 8th; stream the single on Spotify.

Follow the artist on Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with news of the upcoming Blooming Season Part 1 LP.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Al Coffey became sad boy synth-pop royalty with his latest single, I Get Sad

Posted on 4 October 2024

The UK’s most evocative icon of queer sad boy synth-pop, Al Coffey, overloaded the airwaves with mesmeric melancholy with his latest single, I Get Sad. Each vocal note reverberantly hums as it drips honey over the nostalgia-soaked synth hooks that take you back to the 80s via a route never taken.

Imagine the chord progressions of Nick Cave fused with a Chris Isaak-esque atmosphere lit up by the neon lights of The Midnight and The Weeknd, and you’ll be close to getting an idea of how much of a sanctuary I Get Sad delivers as it runs through the reprise, ‘I get sad and you’re the reason why”.

Just as sharp as Josh Savage’s hits, I Get Sad is the ultimate attestation to Al Coffey’s ability to paint striking vignettes with his synth strokes. With his mission to make 2024 his breakthrough year, now is the time to transplant the affecting ingenuity of Al Coffey on your radar. Following the release of I Get Sad, there are teasings of live performances and more hits in the pipeline.

Stream I Get Sad on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Step into the ethereal with Slender Dan’s leftfield trip-hop release, Field of Reeds

Posted on 16 August 2024

In their latest single, ‘Field of Reeds,’ the breakthrough duo, Slender Dan, affectingly intertwined ethereal strands of pop with the gritty undercurrents of leftfield electronica and the rhythmic complexity of trip-hop.

From the outset, this melodiously rendered explosion of style and beguile sinks its teeth into your senses, weaving shadowy notes with luminous beats to create a soundscape that spans the full emotional spectrum. The deep and resonant hooks pull listeners into a weightless, transcendent production, showcasing Slender Dan’s potential to hold dominion over the alt-electronica scene.

You couldn’t listen to the arcane yet soulful production half-heartedly if you tried. The glassy celestial vocals demand undivided attention as they drift through the soundscape which oscillates between chilling and warming the soul by echoing the intricate balance of light and dark.

Behind Slender Dan are Heather Dickson and Patrick Ahern, a duo whose previous collaborations have seen them grace stages and studios from Los Angeles to Nashville, alongside notable names like Portugal. The Man and David Z. The band first caught the public’s attention with a debut on KEXP in early 2021 and has since expanded their discography with the full-length album ‘GESTALT’, along with several impactful EPs.

The official music video for Field of Reeds premiered on August 9th; stream the video on YouTube or check out the track on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

EmiTQM has made an ethereal debut with his installation of Latin indietronic pop, IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE

Posted on 5 July 2024

Latin pop sensation in the making, EmiTQM, has made an indelible mark on the Latin pop scene with his dreamy indietronica debut single, IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE, which arrests with ethereal melodic waves in the same vein as Cigarettes After Sex, and originates via tenderly warm and exploratively 8bit-adjacent sequences which envelop you in a sonic world of kaleidoscopic colour and soul.

Translating to ‘maybe you thought of me’, IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE is a reticently sweet embodiment of hope and yearning to reverberate around the mind of the person who ceaselessly occupies every waking thought.

The single is an affectingly unforgettable introduction to the Mexican pop singer-songwriter and producer’s unique style which has already seen him amass a loyal army of fans who relish in his ability to visualise universally resonant facets of the human condition.

The emotions that will flood through you as you follow EmiTQM’s lead through this future-forward earworm reach the pinnacle of visceralism. The hazy love-drunk hues translate with perfect articulation as the lines between reality and imagination blur.

One of the only things with more promise than his music career is that the sun will rise tomorrow. We are already stoked to hear what he has in store for his sophomore release.

IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE was officially released on June 27; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

STARR became queen of the femme fatales in her dark pop anthem, Die 4 Me

Posted on 23 June 2024

STARR usurped every femme fatale that came before her with her eagerly anticipated follow-up to her 2023 debut single, Novocaine. Her dark and sensuously debauched electro-pop-rock sophomore single, Die 4 Me, is a bass and seduction-drenched exploration of how luring the sinister side of love can be in a mind inclined towards fatal attraction. After all, what could be a more devoted gesture than a hypothetical willingness to die for the one you love?

Following a film noir-esque intro, STARR emerges as one of most striking sirens on the airwaves with her irresistible vocal lines before the spectrally decorated harsh reverberant beats transform Die 4 Me into an infectiously foreboding dance-pop track that makes Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance seem pedestrian at best.

Like the pop lovechild of In This Moment, STARR knows exactly how to infuse scathingly sultry energy into a rhythmically kinetic anthem that will leave you under her unfuckwithable spell.

Die 4 Me is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Excavate yourself away from anxiety with Jennifer Jess’ alt-pop tour de force, Evergreen

Posted on 18 May 2024

After hitting the 1 million Spotify streams mark with her debut single, Blue, in 2019 and building a loyal 18,000+-strong fanbase, Jennifer Jess has always been dangerous to underestimate. Yet, there was no anticipating what the Atlanta singer, songwriter and producer would bring with her latest single, Evergreen, which digs deep into how fear is the ultimate inhibitor, especially when it plasters a façade on our authenticity and locks us into the stagnation of paralysis.

The lyrical centrepiece, “I’ve been afraid before but more afraid of fear itself”, is all the more resounding when projected through the visceral soul of Jennifer Jess’ striking delivery which cuts as sharp as the orchestral strings which quiver over the dark and moody electronica aesthetic which sonically visualises the metaphorical storm Jess is breaking free from.

Strident, striking and artfully intense, Evergreen is far more than an aurally powerful alt-pop release; it forces you to accept that no one can help you break away from fear or keep your dog in the fight for you. The hurricane force of the production is formidable enough to convince you to create a defining point in your reality by excavating yourself away from anxiety, and that is exactly why Jess has a legion of fans behind her.

Evergreen will be available to stream on all platforms, including SoundCloud, from May 17th.

Discover more ways to connect with Jennifer Jess through her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Policy Orchestrated the Ultimate Shadowed Symphony of Alt-Electronica with Lunella in ‘Lights Out’

Posted on 7 May 2024
Policy

With his latest single, Lights Out, the award-winning producer, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer, Policy, exhibited how his three decades in the industry have culminated through his heart-wrenching cinematic soundscape which paralyses with power from the first ominously reverberant synth stroke.

The dark and stormy instrumentals feed delicious disquietness until the dawn of the single breaks with Euro House nostalgic euphoria. Through it all, Lunella’s vocals keep an even heart-breaking keel, channelling ephemeral grace in the same vein as Bjork. Her voice, steady yet heartrending, navigates the complexities of quasi-heartbreak with a finesse that mirrors the track’s richly layered instrumentals. The refrain, “You only love me with the lights out,” acts as a raw nerve, exposing the pain of love that lingers in the shadows, never fully revealed.

Policy’s synthesis of trip-hop, house, and dystopic avant-garde synth-pop will leave you ensnared in the beautifully crafted chaos of heartbreak. Every note and lyric is meticulously woven to explore themes of love, rejection, and the introspective shadows of the human experience. For fans and new listeners alike, Lights Out promises a sonic experience that captivates and haunts in equal measure.

Lights Out will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from May 7th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Slip into the hypersonic vortex of Peach Giraffe’s latest experimental track, Intertwined

Posted on 21 March 2024
https://youtu.be/naEFngCu_2w?si=RpNo9ZUkg64hUqLS

Peach Giraffe’s new single, “Intertwined,” is a masterful blend of skate punk, hyper-pop, trap nuances, and a touch of Arcade Fire, creating a vortexical kaleidoscope of avant-garde electronica. The grungy and antagonised vocal lines sink into this eclectic mix, stitching “Intertwined” with a mind-altering amalgam of aural aesthetics.

This daring combination cements Peach Giraffe as one of the most bold, indomitable, and fearlessly innovative artists in the alternative music scene. As genre lines blur in “Intertwined,” Peach Giraffe’s commitment to sonically visualising emotional themes shines through. The single is a lyrically poetic exposition of a relationship where distance doesn’t necessitate disconnection, despite the ambiguous parameters that could easily send the mind into a spiral with too much contemplation.

Peach Giraffe’s approach to music is an unforced journey of experimentation, spanning over a decade. His process involves piecing together a puzzle of sounds and ideas, driven not by genre constraints but by spontaneous inspiration. “Intertwined” is a testament to this organic and free-flowing approach to music creation. It’s a track that doesn’t just fit into the alternative music scene; it stands out as a bold statement of Peach Giraffe’s unique and unbridled creativity.

Intertwined reached the airwaves on March 10; stream the official music video on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast