Browsing Tag

electronica

Nathalie King – More: A Sensory Trip-Hop Revelation

Posted on 5 June 2024

Toronto’s ethereal electropop enchantress, Nathalie King, has recently unleashed ‘More’; a sense-awakening cinematic score of scintillating trip-hopped electropop and deep house waves of euphoria that pull you right into the gravitational force of this paralysingly lush soundscape.

The track delivers vocal lines that are just as melodiously luxuriant as the pulsating progressions in a style that will never go out of trend. It’s safe to say King has broken the spell of throwaway pop culture with this seminal release The sensory staying power will stand the test of time as a monument to King’s ability to render catharsis into her staunchly accoladed serene productions, which reverberate with arcanely rendered audial bliss. Nathalie King’s music is noted throughout the industry for its cinematic gravitas which envelops her dynamic vocal range which is just as comfortable in a sultry low register as a soft and melodic upper range.

King is currently working on her new EP, PTSD, which is slated for release in 2024 and has become a therapeutic means to overcome childhood trauma and enduring depression. Collaborating with Bristol-born producer Joseph Snook, PTSD promises King’s fans a more electronic and UK-centric sound.  Away from her solo music, King has garnered attention with placements in commercials and TV shows; she also continues to contribute to Universal Production Music UK and perform throughout Toronto and Europe.

Watch the official music video for More on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Embers’ Breakbeats are as Hard-Hitting as Her Bite in ‘Teeth’

Posted on 2 June 2024

By anchoring the transcendent house elements with the forcefully resonant undertones of the bass that reverberate through the entrancing breakbeat production against techno beats and vocal pop hooks, Embers’ started a fire that will never go out with her latest single, Teeth.

Sensually sonorous in one breath and rhythmically liberating in the next, every progression is a revelation in stylistic motion in Teeth, which attests to the London-based singer-songwriter and producer’s triple-threat talent that is making waves in the UK electronica scene and tearing attention away from the likes of Sylvan Esso, Lapsley, and Maggie Rogers.

While the instrumentals deliver an expansive brand of alchemy, Embers brings the intimacy with her ever-ascending vocal lines, making Teeth fitting for late-night sessions of reflection, your after-party playlists, and whenever you need reminding of the transformative power of sound orchestrated by a visionary who knows exactly to stir the soul with melody.

Teeth was officially released on May 24; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

R34L dawned a fresh era of alt-electronica with ‘NEW WAYS’

Posted on 18 May 2024

Trippy, transcendent, and rhythmically compulsive, the latest artfully orchestrated installation of alt-electronica, NEW WAYS, from the producer duo, R34L, comprising Sarah Hartman and Cason Trager is a cultivated vessel to spiritual ascension, wrapped in the aura of Lynchian reverie.

Hartman’s vocal lines harmonise with the divine high above the leftfield mix of electronica that will heighten any Portishead and Caroline Polachek-orientated playlists. The sense of soul that Hartman brings to the release in synergy with the lighter textures of the luxe track allows tides of catharsis to wash over you as the strong glitchy backbeat juxtaposes the lush layers with a sense of gravity that you’ll want to anchor yourself to time after time.

Whether you find your body beat to it or use it to slip into a sense of serenity by following the dreamlike progressions as they exit material reality, NEW WAYS defies ambivalence with its potent alchemy, which is likely to be extended through R34L’s upcoming 13-track LP, Falling in Place, which promises to place the listener in the unchartered middle-ground of indie-pop & club music.

NEW WAYS was officially released on May 10th; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reach Nirvana with DJ Roko’s Slice of EDM ‘Heaven’

Posted on 12 May 2024

DJ Roko dialled up the disco dance-pop euphoria in his latest burst of beat-driven euphoria, Heaven; 90s disco nostalgia permeates the exhilarated EDM production that embodies the UK producer’s influence of David Guetta, Tiesto and Calvin Harris while leaving plenty of room for his signature style to ensnare the airwaves. If rhythm is a dancer, as Snap! proclaimed in ’92 it would get down to this hit that will maximise your lust for life.

The West Midlands-born, Glasgow-based artist and DJ first exhibited his talent for fusing kinetic rhythms with melodies that melt into the mind through his official debut release, Velocity, earlier this year, and has already attracted over 10k monthly Spotify listeners with the infectious intensity within his sound that will undoubtedly flood dancefloors throughout 2024.

With his self-produced debut LP, in addition to several other projects, ready to drop later this year, DJ Roko isn’t a name EDM fans will want to ignore for much longer.

Heaven was officially released on April 27; stream the single on Spotify.

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

Blonde Poulain rocketed through cosmic boundaries in ‘Objectivo la Tierra’

Posted on 26 April 2024

Blonde Poulain’s latest single, “Objectivo la Tierra,” catapults listeners straight into a celestial escapade, melding pop sensibilities with sci-fi synthetics. From the outset, spacey effects set an interstellar backdrop while the pop hooks orbit around hip-hop-adjacent beats.

The rhythmic foundation is robust, complemented by twinkling synths and a nod to 90s trance aesthetics that instil euphoria in the same vein as Faithless. Blonde Poulain embraces full creative freedom in this track, infusing his style, soul, and charisma to craft a universe that promises more than just a musical escape. By giving pop new life through the pulse of electronica, the innovative artist created a sound that’s both futuristic and deeply grounded in rhythmic tradition.

In essence, “Objectivo la Tierra” is an invitation to imagine and inhabit Blonde Poulain’s vibrant and upbeat cosmos—if Earth were to falter, his universe, as painted in this track, would be infinitely more accommodating.

This single marks the first release from his upcoming EP, setting a high bar for what’s to come as it skilfully combines real-world facts with the fantasy of science fiction.

Objectivo la Tierra will reach the airwaves on April 26th; stream the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

FCF’s U AND I is a dynamically exhilarant dancefloor catalyst

Posted on 21 April 2024

“U AND I” by FCF is a revolutionary dancefloor catalyst that ignited the sphere of alt-electronica and added intense anticipation around the producer’s upcoming LP.

The track launches with a tender progressive house pop prelude, where deep reverberating basslines and soulfully intoxicating vocal lines set the stage for the impending infectious aural oblivion to come. As the mix escalates, it transitions into a hypersonic entrancing hit that promises not just to bring listeners to the brink of euphoria but to climax with them through an exhilarating fusion of psytrance electronic layers and Spanish guitars. But don’t think the peak is reached here; before long, FCF introduces adrenalizing rap bars that evoke raw tribal energy, seamlessly interwoven with reprising female vocal harmonies. This blend is not just innovative; it’s evolutionary; while some artists are content with constructing floor fillers, FCF went one step further by dropping a track that could start a riot on even the most subdued dancefloor.

FCF, hailing from Lisbon and inspired by artists like Rosália and Travis Scott, has a proven track record of breaking boundaries in electronic music. His eclectic influence—ranging from techno and house to hip-hop and reggaeton—allows him to craft tracks that challenge the conventional frameworks of music production.

“U AND I” exemplifies FCF’s unparalleled ability to fuse fire, fervour, soul, and rhythmic magnetism into a coherent whole that resonates across diverse audiences.

U AND I was officially released on March 2nd; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Drum n Bass entered into a new evocative era with Joy Doc’s All of Me

Posted on 19 April 2024
https://soundcloud.com/joydocdnb/joy-doc-all-of-me-master/s-UmM63gn67rf?si=a4dd89fb1def497ca20fc0ff28693304&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Joy Doc’s latest single, ‘All of Me‘, is a compelling showcase of her multifaceted talent as a drum and bass producer, vocalist, songwriter, DJ, and pianist. Hailing from London, Joy Doc has been carving a niche in the UK’s electronica scene, and this track is an undeniable testament to her superlative prowess.

The track commences with an ornate orchestral introduction, setting an evocative stage for what’s to come. As Joy Doc’s vocals enter, “Oh Lorde,” will be the first thing on your mind due to the striking resemblance and depth in her voice. These vocals, layered over the sound of hammered piano keys, create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere, where you can contemplate the self-sacrifice of giving someone your whole essence only to transform into a shell of who you were before you surrendered yourself completely and knelt at the feet of romantic mercy.  The lyrics poignantly explore the transformation of self when consumed by love, painting a vivid picture of becoming a secondary character in one’s own love story.

The production, handled by Joy Doc herself, is flawlessly and meticulously crafted, ensuring that the listener is drawn in and remains captivated until the outro and then some; the crescendos of drum & bass momentum are tensile, perfectly timed to elevate the track’s emotional intensity.

Mixed and mastered by Jose De Mara, ‘All of Me’ is a declaration of Joy Doc’s potential to dominate the electronica landscape. Her previous accolades, including her debut E.P ‘Sunshine‘ and the recognition of her track ‘Been Here Before‘, are just the beginning.

All of Me will hit the airwaves on April 19th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ToleX unveiled a fiery reckoning with their hell-hath-no-fury poetic epiphany of an EDM release, Cry Baby

Posted on 14 April 2024

ToleX’s EDM-Chill Step hybrid, Cry Baby, dropped on April Fool’s Day to prove they’re nobody’s fool in the searing indictment of post-breakup epiphanies. Even with the catharsis of the Chill-Step aesthetics, it hits with the force of a hurricane.

From the opening artillery of lyrics, ToleX sets the stage for a raw, unfiltered dive into the emotional abyss left in the wake of lost love. The poetic justice in the lines “It shouldn’t have to be until I leave to make you love me”, and “It shouldn’t have to be the memories that makes you miss me,” doesn’t just create a haunting reminder of love taken for granted; the introspection filters the enraging phenomenon through a brand-new lens.

But Cry Baby is more than a mere lament; it’s a battle cry wrapped in a rhythm. The female vocals, draped over ToleX’s fiery beats, serve as a siren song, luring listeners into a whirlpool of raw emotion and unapologetic truth-telling, resulting in a sonic uprising against the all-too-common narrative of love appreciated too late.

ToleX doesn’t just push boundaries; they incinerate them, offering a track that’s as much a balm for the scorned as it is a wake-up call for the complacent. Cry Baby is a musical inferno, burning away the clichés of heartbreak songs to reveal a core of fierce honesty and emotional depth. This isn’t just another break-up anthem; it’s a revolutionary redefinition of what it means to turn heartache into art.

Stream the single on all major platforms including Amazon Music and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ari Khan warned of ‘The Art of Seduction’ in her experimentally meta electro-pop hit

Posted on 13 April 2024
Ari Khan

Inspired by the Robert Greene book, The Art of Seduction, the experimental pop artist and bedroom producer, Ari Khan, mused her latest single, which shares the same title and gives the mind’s perspective under the influence of passionate persuasion. The artfully disorientating drunk on love production efficaciously exposits how control is relinquished and our grip on material reality slips when we surrender to the lust-licked designs of another.

“I wrote this song when I was home (in Alaska) over the holidays because I had recently read the Robert Greene book and realized a certain ex of mine had followed it like an instruction manual. This same ex texted me on Christmas Eve trying to pull me back in. I wrote the first verse right after receiving his text, the lyrics are ‘Regrets, you have none. that’s just a card you play, to see if I am done.’ It was all so obvious to me from a distance. But I remembered how blinded I was when we first met. I was broke and trying to make it in LA, I was in a very vulnerable position. He promised me the world and built up all these fantasies.”

As the soundscape evolves and allows you to fall down the rabbit hole of Ari Khan’s hypnotic artistry, her lush vocals keep the dynamic pace, demurely arcane in one breath, dominantly ensnaring in the next. The vocal progressions are as mind-bending as the breakbeats, especially when the cybernetic distortions confluence the vocal melodies with the genre-fluid instrumental alchemy.

The Alaska-born artist with Iranian and Irish roots can attribute much of her distinctive sonic signature to her unconventional artistic journey, which took her from studying musical theatre in NYC to studying EDM production in LA. Yet, it is her determination to allow energy to take the lead and her complete disregard for genre constraints which sees her music resound with exhilaratingly infectious flair.

The Art of Seduction will be available to stream on all major platforms from April 12th via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast