Browsing Tag

trip-hop

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

Posted on 18 March 2021

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

Pop meets trip-hop in COHLCANTRECALL’s hypnotically sultry single ‘H.D.H.T.K.’

Posted on 16 March 2021

Pop meets trip-hop in COHLCANTRECALL’s hypnotically sultry latest single ‘H.D.H.T.K. (he don’t have to know)’ which dropped on January 15th.

If you’re constantly noticing the duality between relationships in love songs and relationships in real life, you’ll appreciate how COHLCANTRECALL bridges the gap. Her straight from the soul single captures the emotions which come to fruition when you’ve been mistreated and you’re compelled to take back ownership of your own body and pleasure. Kathleen Hanna couldn’t have said it better.

H.D.H.T.K. may be lyrically gritty, but the mellow and hazy beats are as smooth as they come as they pull in hints of contemporary RnB.

H.D.H.T.K. is available to stream and purchase via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Up and coming electronic pop Lara offers us a lifejacket with her latest single, ‘Drifting’.

Posted on 20 February 2021
Lara

After spending a year torn between countries and familiar faces, Australia’s up and coming alt-pop artist and producer, Lara, penned and produced her latest single, ‘Drifting’.

If you’ve been feeling like sentient flotsam and jetsam recently, you’re sure to find resonance and catharsis in the hauntingly ethereal mix which pulls in nuances of RnB, pop, trip-hop and alt-electronica.

Lara may lend from an eclectic array of genres, which for many artists results in an inaccessible smorgasbord of mismatched textures thrown together for the sake of ‘innovation’, but at the heart of her transcendentally melodic sound is accessibility. Drifting is the perfect testament to her ability to ooze commercial potential while avoiding assimilation.

Under the tutorage of Berklee Music college, Lara became adept in the art of bringing her sonic visions to life. Any fans of Portishead, Massive Attack and Hooverphonic will want to pay this release some serious attention.

Drifting will be available to stream on Spotify from March 5th. In the meantime, you can check out her earlier releases and connect via Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Frank Michaels showcases their constraint-less charisma with their alt-indie electronica debut ‘2 Weeks’

Posted on 12 February 2021

If you’ve lost all concept of time, Frank Michaels’ single, 2 Weeks, may not be able to help in that regard, but it does provide 2:19-minutes of alt-indie electronica experimentalism which will set your synapses alight, and let’s face it, dopamine is hard to come by these days.

By fusing elements of trippy indie hip hop, electronica and funk-driven pop into atypically galvanising and glitchy progressions, the Toronto-hailing songwriter and producer created the perfect platform for their dream pop-Esque vocals which bring a sense of tranquillity and soul.

COVID-19 may have a lot to answer to for, but the inspiration it gave so many artists to take the bull by the aural horns and make their debut is definitely a silver-lining. Frank Michaels can discernibly count himself amongst the artists making these bleak times a little brighter with their constraint-less charismatic sound.

2 Weeks is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dark Electro Pop duo Anaté have debuted their emboldening single ‘Confusion’

Posted on 19 December 2020

‘Confusion’ is the darkly beguiling standout single from lockdown-born multi-national alt-electro-pop duo, Anaté’s forthcoming debut album, ‘Confessions’. It serves as the perfect introduction to the European artist’s empoweringly soulful style. Given the state of collective uncertainty which 2021 has instilled in psyches across the globe, it has ‘playlist staple’ written all over it.

Confusion opens up the conversation about duality and the conflict which courses between our intrinsic desire and the desires we sate because of societal expectation. There’s been plenty of talk in recent years about ‘living your best life’, Anaté put the emphasis on *your* with their exhilaratingly polished track which allows layers of overlapping vocals to trip over themselves, illustrating the essence of the track.

Confusion also lingers in the trippy downtempo production which mimics the disjointing nature of doubt and uncertainty. The glitchy beats are efficacious enough to resonate with your own experiences of confusion and offer consoling validation by the affirmation that the rest of the world feels exactly the same, despite pretences of togetherness.

With their ability to paint a picture of agitation while also allowing the listener to indulge a track which is powerful enough to remove the shackles of societal pressure, we’re all too eager to hear what the rest of the Trip-Hop-inspired album delivers.

Any fans of Hooverphonic, Morcheeba and Massive Attack will undoubtedly want this trailblazingly emboldening artist on their radar.

Anaté’s single, Confusion, is available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Take a trip with LA Indie Electro Pop duo Orange Dream’s hard-hitting new release ‘Twisted’

Posted on 16 December 2020

Orange Dream got Jazzy with their latest Indie drop ‘Twisted’, which is exactly what it says on the tin. The solid feat of psychotropic Electronic Indie also doctors in a nuanced Trip Hop edge to give the multifaceted hit yet another mind-melting texture to solidify the ingenuity.

As Josie Rose Molasky’s vocals find the perfect balance between harmony and attitude, the energetic yet carefully contorted Hip Hop beats make sure you stay hooked in the melody right from the intro while lush synths give you plenty of atmospheric reverb to sink into. If you feel like getting nostalgic about your hedonistic days, Twisted will happily send you a postcard.

Twisted may be an independent release, but it is hard-hitting enough to leave a serious mark on the airwaves. The LA duo is undoubtedly one to watch.

You can check out Twisted for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Temperature Falls revived the Alt 90s sound with their Trip Hop track “Cut the Wire”

Posted on 30 October 2020

Temperature Falls’ 2020 single “Cut the Wire” is an Alt 90s dream wrapped up in an Urban Pop earworm.

If the tantalising tones as used by the likes of the Deftones send your synapses into overdrive, you’ll find the very same spark in Cut the Wire which oozes with feminine sensuality. There may be reminiscences to the likes of Portishead, but the modernity, the hunger, and the sheer level of contemporarily-contorted emotion will ensure that Cut the Wire sticks with you long after it has faded out.

The Oslo-based Alt Trip Hop duo offers more than just ingenuity or a fresh new sound. They achieve what so few bands do, they reignite rhythmic nostalgia while leaving you transfixed by their own signature sound.

You can check out Cut the Wire for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blac Owms trip hop onto the stage with ‘Pole Party’

Posted on 10 September 2020

Blac Owms are from San Diego in the United States and they show us mad skills on their new single called ‘Pole Party‘.

These are just two siblings coming back to America from Japan who have put all their faith in Daniel Jacobs to see past the horizon. This track was produced by Baltimore based underground producer Donnie Katana who has produced tracks for artists such as Wiz Khalifa, YBN Nahmir, $not, Ugly God, Comethazine, Night Lovell, Project Pat, Haroinfather, Big Baby Gucci, and many more.

This is a fun trip-hop track that is quick in execution and the flows are quite nice. Hip Hop like this is rare to hear, these two are so talented and rap with vigor. The song is about those nights at the club and how the vibe is, sometimes up and sometimes down.

‘Pole Party‘ from Blac Owms is a fire track that shows the growing maturity of the talented rap duo.

Here is the Soundcloud link.

Click here for the Insta page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Real Clothes – Taiping Rebellion: Aurally Alchemic Avant-Garde Dark Pop

Posted on 7 August 2020
Real Clothes

Brooklyn-based Dark Pop artist and producer Real Clothes is set to release their chillingly hypnotic track “Taiping Rebellion” as part of their 2020 EP “Precaution”.

The EP addresses the instability and authoritarianism which seems to be slowly tearing apart the fabric of our society.  The EP was also orchestrated as an outlet for the grief which anyone with an ounce of empathy and compassion is undoubtedly feeling right now.

You’ll find plenty more than just lyrical resolve when you hit play. The indulgent infusion of Dark Pop, Trip Hop and Avant Pop pulls together as an entrancingly immersive single. Around the solid bass-driven beats, the chiming notes add plenty of depth to the instrumentals which Nico Fox’s vocals alluring find synergy with.

You’ll be able to find Taiping Rebellion along with the rest of the artist’s 2020 EP “Precaution” on all major streaming platforms including Spotify from August 7th.

To keep up to date with future releases head over to Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jase Emeka has dropped their trippy and playful high-vibe Hip Hop single “The Dream”

Posted on 28 July 2020

UK-based experimental Hip Hop artist Jase Emeka has dropped their most playfully inventive single yet with “The Dream”. It can be hard to find authenticity amongst up and coming artists, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an artist offering as much soulful charisma as Jase.

The Dream kicks off with an extended trippy and hazy instrumental prelude before Jase comes in with his humility-soaked spoken word vocals. Of all the Hip Hop intros I’ve heard as of late, none allowed me to feel as endeared as The Dream did.

When the slow tempo smooth Rap bars kick in, you’re hooked by the lyrical melodies which find perfect synergy with the light, warm and grooving beats. For my sanity’s sake, I’ll definitely be placing The Dream on my playlists and Jase on my radar. If dreamy melodic Hip Hop which oozes soul is your bag, I’d highly recommend that you do the same.

You can check out Jase Emeka’s single The Dream via Spotify.

Keep up to date with their latest releases by heading over to Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast