Browsing Tag

trip-hop

iisaac channels hypnagogia in his debut lo-fi single, ‘Tired of You’

The title to iisaac’s debut single, Tired of You, might be cutting and direct, but sonically, it’s a totally different story. The melodic lo-fi indie trap release sticks to the dreamier tones on the palette while iisaac feeds his whispered gentle vocals into the soundscape.

If Elliott Smith used 808s, the aural result wouldn’t be a far cry from what you can expect to sink into you when you hit play on the hazily cathartic release. There’s also an artful touch that almost strikes reminiscence to art-rock artists such as Thom York yet, with the originality, iisaac poured into this expression of exhaustion, nothing feels assimilative. Everything resonates with a sincerity that leaves you eager to hear more from the candidly soulful artist whose sound is sure to be a hit with fans of Portishead.

Tired of You is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lucasso – Let it Go: Trippy Urban EDM

Electronica artist and producer Lucasso is continuing to garner acclaim and rack up streams with his constraint-less mixes. His refusal to acknowledge the demarcations between the electronic genres shines through in his recent dynamic release, Let it Go, which allows you to do just that.

The visceral yet ambient experimental hit incorporates elements of trippy urban EDM and pulsates through energetic grooves. By sticking to the warmer end of the tonal palette, Let It Go comes with a blissfully euphoric downbeat swagger which your summer EDM playlists will thank you for.

Let It Go is now available to stream on Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lajze – Glue: Meet the Lydia Lunch of this Generation

London-based British/Polish singer-songwriter and composer Lajze has released her latest indulgently obscure, avant-garde trip-hop EP, Red Sea. Any fans of Lydia Lunch, David Lynch’s phantasmal aural works and Marc Hurtado will want to experience the mesmerizingly dark soundscapes for themselves.

The best introduction to the electronically-crafted no-wave release is the lead single, Glue; that is exactly how it will stick to your synapses as you drink in the haunting atmosphere and feel the chill of the ominous droning bass around the glitchy beats. The sensual vocals add even more ethereal ambience to the single as they work around striking meta poetry which serves as lyricism.

Glue is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ludy doesn’t need no ‘Favors’

You can take the girl out of the Midwest, it seems, but you can’t take the Midwest out of the girl; what you can do, however, is mix that with the palm trees and art deco stucco of Miami Beach, and end up with a fiercely independent, upbeat and upfront sound and bold, bright production. Marrying smooth deep cuts jazz, stylish vocal harmonies, and old-skool beats and bassline, all backing Lucy’s silky smooth, vocals and fresh, feisty lyrics.

‘Favors’ is that perfect mix of souful, poppy, R&B with a little dash of hip hop and some smoky jazz-club cool, all married to some seriously stylish, glamourous visuals. It’s a perfect cocktail – cool, smooth, and over way too soon.

Check out Ludy on YouTube and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Louie Tha Profit proves why he’s ‘The Don’ of hustler hip hop with his latest single

Taken from his smooth jazzy trip-hop EP, Born to Win, Louie Tha Don’s lead single, ‘The Don’ is a compelling, candid release that shines a light on the darker side of the music industry.

For decades, we have witnessed the rise and fall of artists whose mental health took a hit courtesy of the music industry, and we still have the audacity to act surprised when we watch another artist in the spotlight burned by it. Louie Tha Profit challenges the normalisation of industry-induced PTSD in the mellow feat of nuanced hip hop. His sound couldn’t be smoother, and his lyrics couldn’t be sharper. If Louie Tha Don isn’t already on your radar, make some room.

The Don is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mined Music extends an invitation of intimacy with ‘Let Me In’ featuring Amanda Power.

Munich-based singer-songwriter, artist and producer, Mined Music’s latest single, Let Me In, featuring Amanda Power, is a trippy feat of indietronica that extends an invitation of intimacy that you’ll find impossible to decline.

Through dark yet delicate synth-driven progressions and glitchy percussion, Mined Music created a hypnotic atmosphere for Amanda Power’s spoken word vocals to command. Despite the deadpan tone of the vocals as they verse the lyrics that capture the beauty of closeness and the subsequent danger of trust, you will still feel the vulnerability that manifests around intimacy. It’s a stunningly seductive single that is more than worth a spot on your ambient electronica playlists.

Let Me In is now available to stream on Spotify.

Connect with Mined Music via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Atlanta indie artist Sarah Rae explores the multifaceted nature of love with her new single, ‘Poison Ivy’.

Sarah Rae

With her latest alt-indie single, ‘Poison Ivy’, Sarah Rae explores the contrasting layers of love, melodically shifting between light and dark transitions in the Shoegaze single that will undoubtedly be a hit with fans of Hooverphonic, Portishead and Slowdive.

It is singles like Poison Ivy that remind you that there’s no such thing as a realistic ‘happy’ love song. They’re about as true to life as superficially stretched smiles in social media posts that are aimed to deceive people into believing that your life is a 24/7 soirée of aesthetic euphoria.

Poison Ivy starts with chilling angular notes that feed into the stylish trip hop-style soundscape that allows the vox to find perfect synergy with the reverb-swathed instrumentals as they bleed into them, still allowing the poignancy of the lyrics to haunt the progressively enthralling track that gets better with every listen.

Poison Ivy is due for official release on June 9th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prince Jonez has asserted his authenticity through his tribally entrancing instrumental mix ‘Planet Balloonz’.

Singer-songwriter and producer, Prince Jonez has released his debut album, Lovechild of XII Eraz, delve in and you’ll see how intense and atmospheric instrumental hip hop can be when left in the hands of an artist committed to ensuring that synapses fire at the request of their experimental trip hop.

Sunny staccato rhythms gently coalesce with tribal drum rolls and glitchy beats that weave a little trip-hop into the mix as it steadily gains momentum and picks up discordant alt-rock nuances along the way.

What Porcupine Tree is to alt-rock, Prince Jonez is to hip hop. They may be fresh from their inception, but the Chicago-based artist already exhibits an enviable ability to construct all-consuming aural experiences.

You can check out Prince Jonez’s instrumental mix for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dedicated to Grandpa Bob: Inspiring Indiana emcee Doe Dillinger sends fitting tribute on the powerful ‘Things Ain’t The Same’

With his family tight and in inconsolable mourning, Doe Dillinger raps with that emotionally-charge motivated edge on his top shelf new single called ‘Things Ain’t The Same‘.

Doe Dillinger is a quality alt trip-hop artist with those wise eyes, who has seen it all after 12 music projects, as he makes that rare soul-clenching and pure music with a true message.

This is the sad story about losing someone close and rising above to make sure you live your life and reach your dreams, how they would want you to. Life is up and down, with constant obstacles and dead ends, so by standing your ground, never faltering from what you stand for, you unlock your greatness by grabbing the ultimate key to staying true to oneself.

His effortless rap style grabs you soulfully by the heart and shows you into a man’s ever-evolving mind that has really lived, as he courageously tells us stories of how life is and was, always looking to elevate and inspire others to reach their dreams too.

Things Ain’t The Same‘ from tremendous Indianapolis, Indiana USA trip-hop emcee Doe Dillinger, is that real track that was made out of so much love for his loving Grandpa Bob who sadly passed away recently. The raw raps and excellent visuals give you an inside look into how down you feel after a loss like this, but have the strength to give out a track in his memory, that would make him so proud.

Things will never be the same but you can always remember those special moments that you had together, keeping them locked away in your soul to remember forever.

See this top notch track on YouTube and mesh your socials together on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

The sleepless nights: Melbourne’s Echolily transforms our curious consciousness on timeless experimental wonder ‘Under The Clocks (Stay)’

While her exquisite voice swims deeper within your healing soul with true mind-bending brilliance, Echolily, somehow controls our swaying body for four minutes and ten seconds, on the fascinating story about meeting a future lover just before this torrid lockdown struck on ‘Under The Clocks (Stay)’.

Michelle Chong aka Echolily is a thought-provoking electronica downtempo artist/producer and courageous front line Doctor/Anaesthetist based in thriving Melbourne, Australia. She consummately creates that pure type of superlative music love letters, that awakens your willing senses, rising deep from within to stir your startled mind, into a new and exciting galaxy.

Her stylish trip-hop influences simmer in so warmly, with a touch of lofi and synth pop excellence, to pulsate your veins into feel alive again after the cold darkness.

You meet by the clock as the hourglass freezes for a moment as your eyes meet, your beating heart takes over and you wonder if it was all real, or if it was just your imagination running wild with adventure.

The alluring vocals gaze into your whole body, her wholesome abilities are quite electrifying at times, as you feel her sadness portioned with hope and love, to create a marvelous track that has you so lost into the fleeting moment of wonder.

Under The Clocks (Stay)’ from the genre-defying Australian spiritual soul Echolily, is that extra special song that fills you up with replenished energy, as you wonder if they are together now, or if this meeting was meant to guide them into a new direction to learn from.

This world is a hard place to find love at the moment as so many of us are too frightened to come outside to play like we did before. Through this incredibly crafted music, we can be inspired again to try and find that real person, that gets you and loves you, for who you really are.

Hear this stunning single with love on Spotify and immerse yourself into her world on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen