Browsing Tag

indietronica

Seductive Synths and Industrial Grit: Silverlake Digs Deep with ‘X (I Should Be Digging)’

Posted on 27 October 2024
Silverlake

Synthesising the demure magnetism of Garbage, the arcane aura of Bjork, and a visceral indietronica pulse, Silverlake electrifies the senses with strobing synths lighting up the polished production in their latest seminal single, X (I Should Be Digging), taken from their third LP, Exotic Metals Ltd.

There’s a seductive power in every second, with sharper-than-razorwire hooks, luxe guitar licks, and siren-esque vocal lines courtesy of Sally-Ann Parker, whose performance is nothing less than hypnotic.

The track’s descent into pure leftfield chaos, guided by oscillating synths and pummelling bass, leaves a lasting impression, securing Silverlake’s place as one of the most scintillating indie-pop outfits on the UK underground circuit.

Drawing on their West Midlands roots, ‘X’ reflects their unique ability to fuse industrial influences with ethereal sublimity. Industrial electronica doesn’t frequently veer into the remit of otherworldly tonality, but as X proves, when it does, the result is nothing short of alchemic and starkly cinematic.

X (I Should Be Digging) was officially released on September 20; stream the single on SoundCloud and Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MINERVA SYSTEM synthesised an installation of stylistic sublimity with their alt-rock/trip-hop hybrid, Undermind

Posted on 9 October 2024

MINERVA SYSTEM is a fractured yet symbiotically tight collective, threading their diverse life strands into the dense fabric of their latest single, ‘Undermind’. With members scattered from London to Devon, from St. Petersburg to the indeterminate coordinates of their drummer, the online outfit crafts sonic installations that are as expansive as their geographical spread.

‘Undermind’ is a descent into the ethereal, echoing the otherworldly aura of Bjork with an execution that plays havoc with rhythmic pulses. MINERVA SYSTEM manipulates time signatures with trip-hop precision while maintaining a mellifluous melodicism that binds the chaos into coherence. Discernibly, few artists know how to create equilibriums of sonic serenity and visceral intensity as adeptly as MINERVA SYSTEM with their skill in soaking sounds with raw emotion.

As the track progresses, it metamorphoses; midway, it shifts gears into a 90s-alt-rock-tinged crescendo that wouldn’t be amiss in a Garbage tracklist. This crescendo is a stark, gritty counterpoint to the track’s smoother beginnings, illustrating the band’s versatile command over their sound palette.

If they continue to produce hits in the same vein as Undermind, their rise from the underground is inevitable. They’ve clearly mastered the dark art of sonic scintilaltion; watch this space.

Stream Undermind on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sink into the seductively psyched-up grooves of amoklove’s sophomore single, Brown Eyes Red

Posted on 1 October 2024

The mind-bending juggernaut of a powerhouse, amoklove, has struck again with their latest seductively Avant-Garde single, Brown Eyes Red. The saturated in delay wavy grooves of funked-up indietronica melt into your consciousness like a sonic trip.

The woozy hypnotism of the crooning vocals works in synergy with the instrumentals, pulling you deeper into the undercurrents of the kaleidoscopic bliss of the warm, psych-soaked melodies; the cold, angular post-punk guitars cut through with surgical precision, leaving a jagged edge in an otherwise hazy reverie.

It’s as if amoklove has figured out how to bottle euphoria and unease in one hit. With grooves that slither straight into the soul, the up-and-coming multicultural collective is the ultimate purveyor of obscure magnetism. With a similar tonal palette to IST IST, it’s only a matter of time before amoklove reaches the same heights.

Stream Brown Eyes Red on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Addenium synthesised the intimate heat of ‘Summer Nights’ in her futuristically finessed debut single ft Rowa

Posted on 12 August 2024

Addenium has officially arrived with her debut single, Summer Nights, created in collaboration with Rowa, to prove how far you can push the boundaries of RnB while never losing grip of its soul essence.

The vibe-heavy indietronica edge oscillates through the influence of icons in the vein of Flume, FKJ, and Masego. Yet, Addenium conjured a sonic vision that could only have been rendered by her tender volition.

This track invites you to experience the heat and intimacy of its thematic nature, perfectly accentuated by hints of stylishly executed indie elements. The expressively artistic motifs gave Addenium a significant advantage as she charts her career to the top of the charts as a curator of vibes and an innovator of sound. The trip-hop textures within the release amplify the mysticism, while the seraphic vocal layers ensure that soul envelops the track, casting an addictively scintillating aura.

Lyrically, the song reflects on the finite nature of summer situationships, yet the release pulsates with an enlightened undercurrent, which alludes to the sanctity of knowing there is always something greater to gravitate around, as it ripples through the polished production.

Summer Nights was officially released on August 2nd; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: ‘Find Out’ and Fall in Love with Dilly Dally Alley’s Indietronic Jazz Infused Earworm

Posted on 19 July 2024

As lightness meets lyrical depth, Dilly Dally Alley’s latest feel-good earworm, Find Out, opens a doorway to rhapsodic bliss with a juxtaposing key of edgy off-beat style and an all-consuming sense of jazz-collective-next-door soul.

Straight out of Minneapolis, the ensemble, led by Sophia Spiegel, spun every-day awkward moments into sonic sugar for the soul; the single pulsates at the crossroads of indie-pop and jazz-inflected alchemy and unravels as the ultimate affirmation that you’ll always be free to shed your inhibitions and embrace your idiosyncrasies in front of the people who matter.

If there was any definitive formula for indietronica pop perfection, Dilly Dally Alley found it with Find Out; the kinetically weightless rhythms pull together to form a dance-worthy anthem that is equally as liberating for the mind and soul.

With Find Out, Dilly Dally Alley doesn’t just step into the limelight—they grab it, twist it, and weave it into a tapestry of infectious grooves and raw, emotive energy. The track is a testament to their journey from late-night jam sessions to becoming the heartbeat of Minneapolis’ vibrant music scene.

Dilly Dally Alley Said:

“Find Out is about the silly, clumsy moments in a relationship that grow to be the very reasons why you fall in love. It’s a song about running into your crush when you’re too drunk at a bar, or the grocery store without your makeup on or being completely tongue-tied trying to ask them out.

It’s about the love that nevertheless persists between two people because it’s meant to work out. This tune is to dance to – maybe a bit clumsily – so long as you’re doing it with someone you’re crushing on.”

–

Find Out will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from July 19; shortly followed by the next single in Dilly Dally Alley’s line of sonic succession, This Just In, on August 23.

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

Starleen alchemised the key to self-liberty in their electronic alt-pop salve for the soul, Let Me Go

Posted on 23 May 2024
Starleen

Starleen’s latest single, Let Me Go, marks a must-read chapter in the San Antonio duo’s career, showcasing a transcendent synthesis of alt-electronica, trip-hop, soul, and pop, which elevates the listener into a state of auditory bliss and liberty.

From the outset, the track envelopes you in a cocoon of lush dream pop, slowly intertwining with elements of serene yet visceral avant-garde trip-hop to deliver a fusionist sound that is as revolutionary as it is ethereally beguiling. Once the single reaches its full rhythmic momentum, the backbone of Let Me Go becomes its robust and fiery backbeat, which propels the track forward, complemented by layers of sonorous synths that build a crescendo of sound, mimicking the uplifting process of self-liberation.

The masterful production sets the stage for the vocal mettle of Starleen Holmes, whose voice shifts effortlessly between crystalline harmonies and powerful outpours of emotion, matching the sonic complexity crafted by Zachary Holmes, whose production skills shine luminously throughout the track. Each note and beat in Let Me Go is skilfully placed, leaving the listener wide open to the message of the sanctity of freedom; especially when that freedom is by your own hand.

The official music video accompanying the sanctifying ritual of a release mirrors the song’s themes of freedom and self-discovery and is likely to add another accolade to Starleen’s collection of music video awards.

Stream Let Me Go on all major platforms, including Spotify, from May 23rd.

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

Mild Horses unleashed avant-garde chaos in his genre-defying electronica release, Eye of the Behemoth

Posted on 25 April 2024
Eye Of The Behemoth by Mild Horses

Mild Horses, the experimental brainchild of Matthew Leuw, previously known for his roles in various underground bands, including Norwich’s Crest and Brighton’s Coin-op, has returned with ‘Eye of the Behemoth’.

The single seizes the listener with its lo-fi synth melodies grounded on a solid backbeat, before erupting into a drum n bass rhythmic firestorm. Not merely content to rest here, it pushes the boundaries further with sharp horn stabs, marking a bold foray into avant-garde territory. As the track progresses, the intense energy momentarily retreats into more subdued, jazzy grooves that infuse the piece with psychedelic tranquillity, setting the stage for a climactic resurgence. The finale of this instrumental odyssey is a masterclass in musical composition—returning full circle with a powerful beat that perfectly encapsulates the track’s dynamic range.

‘Eye of the Behemoth’ is not just another experimental track; it is a statement of artistic integrity from Mild Horses. This single does exactly what it promises—immersing its audience in an artfully crafted storm of sound that resonates long after the last note fades. It’s an assertive piece that boldly declares Mild Horses’ niche in the eclectic landscape of contemporary music. For fans of genre-defying soundscapes, this release is an essential experience, offering both challenge and reward in its complex layers.

Stream and purchase Eye of the Behemoth ahead of its official release date of May 10th on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Shashaa Tirupati turned off the gaslight anthem and played her own indietronica masterpiece, ‘All About You’

Posted on 23 January 2024

Shashaa Tirupati has unveiled an installation of hypnotic indietronica that instantaneously seduces you into its gravity.  In the same way a narcissist’s magnetism is irresistible, the world-renowned singer-songwriter pulls you into her artfully beguiling exposition of the sanity-smothering experience of dealing with narcissism after being lured in by a gaslighting lothario.

Shashaa Tirupati’s aura in All About You is intoxicating in the same vein as Warpaint, Still Corners, and Widowspeak. Every vocal harmony and instrumental melody finds a new facet of your soul to stir as the demure vocal performance fights fire with avant-garde glamour.

The artist’s journey, from a multilingual playback singer to an independent music maven, is reflected in the intricate layers of this track. Trained in various Hindustani classical styles and proficient in over a dozen languages, Shashaa’s musical prowess is evident in every note. After following her passion, she broke into the industry under the mentorship of the legendary A. R. Rahman. This collaboration marked the beginning of a series of successful projects, including the National Film Award-winning “Vaan” from ‘Kaatru Veliyidai’.

All About You is a reflection of Shashaa Tirupati’s artistic evolution and her commitment to exploring new musical territories. With her roots in classical music and wings in the indie scene, Shashaa stands out as a multifaceted artist, continually pushing the boundaries of her craft. This track is a clear indication that her journey in music is one of constant innovation and heartfelt expression. With 9 million monthly fans on Spotify backing her, she’s an unreckonable force in the music industry.

All About You was officially released on January 19; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast