Wednesday 26 February 2014

FEATURE: Tracks of the Week - 21/2/14

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (21/2/14)

Every week we trawl through masses of new music to bring you the best of the rest. Here’s our pick of the most exciting new tunes over the last seven days. 

As all eyes were on the Brits, some lent their ears to Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio One show for Jungle’s latest offering, “Busy Earnin”. Rather than continue on a placid groove, the elusive soul/funk-pop duo dropped one hell of an anthemic brass blowout, embellished with big bass slaps, jewelled synths and smug harmonies. It’s now more important than ever to keep an eye on them.

Leeds-based five-piece Goodbye Chanel knew exactly how to transport us to warmer climes this week with the tropical-pop goodness of “Foreva”. Its effervescent rhythms and sparkly math guitars sit somewhere between Foals' sound of yore and US quirk-pop experimentalists GIVERS; a layered, escapist sound that is more than welcome at this bleak time of year.

Returning to the funk furrows of Jungle’s sound, JUCE dished-out the unbelievable catchy, “Call You Out”. Recalling the late 70s disco vibes of Donna Summer, the track is at once modern and old in its sound, brightened by swoon synths and soft harmonies. An exciting debut offering.

We were lucky to premiere the sonic new track by Still Corners/Hush Arbors music man Leon Dufficy, under the guise of Winter Drones. “Towns Alight” is relentless with its guitar drone and urgent motorik rhythms, basking in dream-pop murmurs and weighty multi-layers. His debut album is out this April.

Lastly, Oxford quartet Glass Animals unveiled their latest sultry experiment, “Gooey”. With frontman David Bayley’s lascivious falsetto, undulating rhythms and sketchy electronic whips, it’s an idiosyncratic offering from the band who were the first to sign to Paul Epworth’s (Adele, Florence And The Machine) Wolf Tone label. Bring on their debut album.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best new music below:

LIVE: Metronomy, CHVRCHES, Angel Haze – The Hospital Club, London 18/02/14

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (21/2/14)

One of the few delights during the bleak winter months is the awards season. From star-studded film ceremonies, to big music awards like the Grammys and the BRITS, it’s a treat for avid culture vultures and the entertainment industry alike. The first of many (October’s 2013 Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize) crowned James Blake a worthy winner for his LP Overgrown, nicely warming us up for a fruitful spell of events that help us digest the year in its various art forms. To keep the Mercury flame alight, and to celebrate live music, there is also a series of one-off gigs featuring nominee alumni and other acts – and tonight’s debut instalment of Barclaycard’s Mercury Prize Sessions boasts a fine line-up. 

The Hospital Club’s basement studio isn't packed to the rafters with the expected tastemakers. No, making up the majority of the crowd in the modest space are competition winners – and it shows. As New York-based rapper/lyricist Angel Haze runs onto the stage, there’s giddy, tangible excitement: all hands in the air and beaming faces.

It’s clear to see why Haze has been so welcomed. What follows is a 20-minute set of some of the most provoking live music to reach these shores; Haze spitting rhymes over an extremely tight and vivacious backing band. New song, “Sing About Me”, and debut album-closer, “New York”, are so well executed they sound like they’ve been ripped straight from the studio, if only to be shaken up by Haze’s riotous spit and lurches into the crowd.

Before long, rising Brooklyn soloist LOLO jumps onstage to sing on “Drunk In Love” and Haze’s new single, “Battle Cry”. It’s a good, though not brilliant performance: LOLO’s solid, soulful vocal not quite carrying above the bulge of the rhythm section. The song that most comes into itself on this opening set is “A Tribe Called Red”, bustling with bright keys, motif aahs and oohs and huge, pneumatic beats.

Next up, CHVRCHES. Admittedly, the juxtaposition between Haze’s rap snarl and the Scottish trio’s balmy brand of electropop is all too sharp, with vocalist Lauren Mayberry getting lost in Iain Cook and Martin Doherty’s fuzzy synthesisers. “Lies” soon sees the meek-n-mild Mayberry connect with the audience, punching the air on every synth clap and lifting her chin to the crowd.


Bodies later throw to the beat of “Recover”, with a stunning blue hue blanketing the band at its breakdown, but “Under the Tide” unfortunately jars against it with Doherty’s awkward take on frontman duties: flailing his arms around like an excitable child. At this moment, the slightly sanitised nature of the gig (which is being filmed for later broadcast) becomes most apparent; the crowd stifled by Doherty’s urgent performance to camera. “Two more and then you're done”, Mayberry says afterwards, as if to roll out the red for headliners Metronomy. Set closer, “The Mother We Share”, sounds somewhat small with its live bass guitar, but is thankfully saved by glorious, syncopated vocal melodies at the end.

The most anticipated act of the night is evidently Metronomy, with conversations about their new album, Love Letters, hanging heavy in the air. For those lucky enough to have heard their third release, tonight is the perfect litmus test for the new numbers. But a couple of songs in and it’s clear there will be no golden oldies for the eager crowd.

One such example is “Month of Sundays” – a quirky slice of pop with gospel overtones that sounds wonderful with its humid harmonies and a tender, free-flowing guitar solos. The second single from the London-based six-piece’s new LP, “Love Letter” – complete with statement honky-tonk piano, hammering beats and 60s-indebted choral singing – is almost perfect live, if not impaired by frontman Joe Mount’s weak harmony line.

Where “Call Me” is flaccid and disengaging, 40s doo-wap single “I’m Aquarius” is mercifully sleek and slick, finally placing Mount as the bandleader centrestage. Some of the earlier tracks, such as the instrumental, “Boy Racers”, add little to the set. But these are excused by the snappy, “Reservoir”, and the frankly brilliant, “The Most Immaculate Haircut” (a funny ode to Connan Mockasin’s lid) which sees the band at their most unified: flitting between Mount’s solitary verses and a choruses ripe with bold group singing. 

Although all the performances tonight have their inconsistencies – of course part and parcel of the nature of live music – it was a special and quietly momentous evening that celebrated all that is good and varied about contemporary music. Raise your glasses, and bring on the next.

LISTEN/WATCH: The Acid, The Night VI, Labyrinth Ear

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (17/2/14 - 20/2/14)

The Acid - "Basic Instinct"

The one that nearly got away: this breathtaking video for “Basic Instinct” is an audio-visual triumph, and a statement piece of art from the get-go by burgeoning three-piece, The Acid.

Comprised of Australia-via-LA producer/artist Ry X, grammy-nominated British DJ and producer Adam Freeland and Californian native producer/composer Steve Nalepa, the band came together quietly in early 2013 with the simple aim of making music together. What has emerged is something so spectacular, so untimely, and so down-right intriguing that their genesis is more than a blessing.

“Basic Instinct” – the first we've heard from the band – refuses to be categorised with its wiry acoustics, scuzzy talkbox vocals and house music sentiments. Add to the mix the dystopian-inspired visuals, featuring surrealist, uniformed performers (from notable dance/art group WIFE) jumping slow-mo amongst mountains and lakes, and you've got something all together the more mystifying.

“Coming up for air/coming up for air, air” Ry stutters intimately into your ear, as stunning visual close-ups on the textures of the characters’ creased costumes and mopped hair become at once comforting and discomforting. Dotty synth claps and lyrical repetition flirts with something more dance-lead, if only to be snatched back down to earth by multi-layered acoustics and perturbing oohs. The song isn’t a million miles away from the eclectic and syncopated sounds of latter-day Radiohead – and yet, nothing really like it at all. 

The Acid play their first live show at Chat’s Palace, London on 31 March. Their debut self-titled four-track EP is released on 14 April via Infectious Music.



The Night VI - "Thinkin Bout You" (Frank Ocean cover)

After last year’s elegant debut, “Thinking Of You”, London-based six-piece The Night VI return today with a similarly titled follow-up in the form of a lilting, understated Frank Ocean cover.

Built of warm acoustics, fluttering harp lines, silky harmonies and Sophie-Rose Harper’s gorgeous hum, “Thinkin Bout You” extracts the heavy melody from Ocean’s original and makes it the track’s centerpiece. Subdued, comforting and perfectly executed, it’s a good day to have the band back in our ears.




Labyrinth Ear - "Crescent Moon"

An exclusive taste of what’s to come on their debut full-length, London electronic duo Labyrinth Ear present stunning escapism in their new track, “Crescent Moon”. 

Opening with tumbling drum pads and motorik clicks, the song soon swings into play with glassy house bloops, warm synth kisses and vocalist Emily’s beautiful, husky coo. Equally at home on a balmy Balearic isle than accompanying a contemplative late-night drive, “Crescent Moon” will nicely wrap you up in its intricate polyrhythms and glistening electronic blushes. 

The Orchid Room is released on 14 April, with pre-order available soon.
 

Sunday 16 February 2014

FEATURE: Tracks of the Week - 14/2/14

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (14/2/14)

We’ve done the rounds again and picked out the best new music from the last seven days. Consider your Valentine’s playlist sorted. 

Appropriately, we kick things off with Bella Union’s latest signing, Ráj, and his debut, “Let Me Love You”. Don’t be fooled though – this is no happy ending. Sheer heartbreak over empty guitars and spooky percussion, Ráj’s soul repeatedly bleats, “let me love you, ’till it hurts”, and we might just hurt a bit too. An exceptionally promising debut from the LA-based artist. 

Another heart-tugger, “1955″, from new London-based dream-poppers Anto Dust was too hard to ignore despite its imitative dreamgaze composition. Walls of reverb, echoed vocals, humming psych organs and dampened beats combine to make a song that never starts nor ends; an endless loop of expansive, otherworldly sounds.

Woman’s Hour treated us to the first fruits of their labour since signing to Secretly Canadian with “Her Ghost” - a soft, progressive number that glows with confidence. Thankfully, the London-via-Kendal four-piece haven’t lost their knack for keeping musical components at arm’s length: synths skittering at their own accord and guitar lines darting. Fiona Jane’s gentle Northern burr nicely blankets the track, snatching you away from February’s cold winds.

Perhaps it was all the attention on Prince over the last week that got us hooked on Meanwhile's funk-pop debut, “Luvletta”. Ignoring the obvious musical comparisons, the song is so buoyant it could blow the roof off any raucous house party. Horn-sections, big synth barks, colourful vocals and a vivacious rhythm section make for a surefire weekend winner.

Last but not least, Cornwall-based sister duo Hockeysmith dropped possibly the best thing we’ve heard this year: “But Blood”. Where previous demos were mesmerising, if not a little distracted, “But Blood” is the sound of a band truly beginning to hone their craft: angled on brooding sub-bass, skewered acid hooks, fluid drone and opulent vocals. The stunning video is also worth a peep.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best tracks below:

INTERVIEW: Farao

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (13/2/14)

Girl + guitar? Yeah, we’ve heard it all before. But you haven’t, not quite the way Norwegian singer-songwriter Kari Jahnsen, aka Farao, writes music. As if thumbing through ancient tomes, this newcomer has quietly mastered the basics of great, emotional songwriting whilst allowing her affection for contemporary music to pervade; a beautiful conflict of old and new. That is, of course, if her wonderful debut EP Farao is anything to go by.

But it’s not just an acoustic guitar at the helm of Farao’s music. She plays almost every instrument under the sun in an array of other bands, from drums in London/Brighton lo-fi lot Hella Better Dancer, to bass in Norway-via-London’s Anna Lena & The Orchids. Perhaps this vast knowledge and experience with music, the wealth of which belies her age, is what makes her alternative brand of folk-pop so rich, so crisp, so compelling.

Now based in London after relocating from Norway, those chilly landscapes never sound too far away from Farao’s cutting melodies and deeply moving lyrics, aided no less than by Iceland serving as the backdrop for the recording of her aforementioned EP. Like the enthusiasm embroiled in learning new instruments (viola is next on the agenda), Miss Jahnsen will literally move shores for her music.

We try to decipher where this drive comes from, learning that being bred isolation can be more a blessing than a curse, and that Radiohead are her true inspiration.

What was it like growing up in Norway? 

Norway is a sheltered place to grow up, and I had a very good and stable childhood there. I grew up in a small place called Valdres where there aren’t that many opportunities, specifically within the arts. I could really notice that in a negative way when I moved away at the age of 19 and had never been in a band before. Although I love where I’m from, I’m much better suited in a city. I become very restless if I don’t have something to do and people to meet and gigs to attend all the time.

When did your affair with music begin? 

I started really caring about music in my early teens. I went to as many music festivals as I possibly could every summer, and often drove with my friends to Oslo (3 hour drive from my home town) to go to gigs, and drive back in the night in time for school the next day.

What music did you grow up listening to and what do you like now? 

It all started out with punk/rock and grunge for me. Dave Grohl was my Justin Bieber, and early Foo Fighters and Nirvana was a big thing in my life. After my rebellious punk rock period I discovered Sigur Rós and Radiohead, and that’s when I knew I wanted to become a musician. Right now I listen to stuff like Warpaint, Poliça, Wild Beasts, Emilie Nicolas, James Blake, Atoms For Peace, Angelica’s Elegy and Samaris.

How many instruments do you play and how did you learn them? 

Hard to say…I play guitar obviously, started when I was around 17. I have been singing all my life. I started playing drums after college, when a friend asked me to join her band. I said yes, not knowing how to play drums but figured it out eventually. I play bass in my band mate’s solo project, Anna Lena & The Orchids. I am trying to learn the viola too; it no longer sounds like a dying cat when I play it, but I am definitely not good. I can also make it sound like I know how to play piano to someone who doesn't know how to play piano.

Where do the drone sounds that feature so heavily on Farao come from?

I used an old synth, a Russian beauty called Elektronika EM-25. It’s pretty awesome. I combined that with my Casiotone MT-65. Those two together are a big part of the sound on the EP.

   

You moved from Norway to London, England. Does landscape have much of a part to play in your writing? 

Not intentionally, but I think the wild and dramatic landscape of where I'm from has definitely influenced the Nordic sound and that, in turn, has shaped the music I make. London is pretty much the exact opposite and that contrast is inspiring.

Do you write from experience or just from what you read/hear about relationships, life etc.? 

I write mostly from my own experience. I write about any kind of relationship I have with other people, be it professional, friendly or romantic. I enjoy putting myself in their shoes and writing a song from the other person’s perspective, so I am kind of singing back at myself. It makes me view myself from outside.

How did playing drums for Hella Better Dancer come about? 

I met them when I did a gig in Cambridge a year and a half ago, we were on the same bill and ended up getting the train back to London together. I love playing with them, but unfortunately there’s less and less time for that now that Farao is kicking off.

What do you want to achieve with your music? 

When I hear a truly amazing song, I think to myself that that song must have always existed somewhere. It seems impossible to me that songs like “Paranoid Android ” at one point didn't exist. I want to work as I hard as I can to write a song like that, where my listeners would not be able to imagine ever having been without it.

Why is music so important to you?

I write music to express myself, and process my thoughts and emotions. The best way to get something out of my head is to put it in a song and leave it there, so I can move on.

Future plans? 

Record my debut album in February, tour in the spring and play as many festivals as I possibly can in the summer!

Farao’s self-titled debut EP is due for release on 10 February via Something Nothing Records. She headlines The Waiting Room, London on 25 February.

Saturday 15 February 2014

LISTEN/WATCH: Reptile Youth, Volcanoes, Anto Dust

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (11/2/14 - 12/2/14)

Reptile Youth - "JJ"

An exciting new offering from Danish duo Reptile Youth – “JJ” is an impeccably infectious debut. 

Bouncy rhythms and swirling, My Bloody Valentine-indebted guitars spin over five minutes of hypnotic shoepop, paired with stunning black and white videography. “Testing out your immortality”, vocalist Mads Damsgaard Kristiansen shoots from the back of his throat as we peer in on him and co-member Esben Valløe suitably sacrificing themselves to icy seas. As joyful basslines pop and guitars crunch, we are constantly awaiting their next move, if only to get swallowed by the track’s attractive, patterned melodies. 

“JJ” is out now, and the band’s new album, Rivers That Run For A Sea That Is Gone, is released on 10 March.



Volcanoes - "When We Melodise"

Sheffield four-piece Volcanoes reveal a charming, imaginative video to accompany their breathtaking new single, “When We Melodise”, premiering today on Best Fit. 

Comprised of paper puppets and abundant with symbolism, the video sees a young wanderer on a quest to find a key to unlock a happiness. Like the songs’s building kinetics, it has a natural flow that slowly gathers momentum. 

The track itself is some of the most promising music we’ve heard from a young band this year: brimming with frilly guitars, murmuring strings and glowing, call-and-response harmonies that would prick up the ears of many a Fleet Foxes fan. “When We Melodise”'s strength lies it its gentle composition, with layers of folk melodies playing tag and falling just short of one another. Truly wonderful. 

“When We Melodise” will be available for sale and download on 9 March and is taken from Volcanoes’ debut album, Radiogeist, to be released later this year.



Anto Dust - "1955"

Sometimes you chance upon a band that speaks to you right from the offset and there’s no absolute way to explain why. Step forward London five-piece Anto Dust and their spellbinding new track, “1955″.

Reverb-saturated guitars, whirring psych keys, breathy vocals, looped melodies – sure, there’s nothing remarkable about the track’s distinctive dream-pop makeup, but that doesn't matter. Founded last summer by Sardinian songwriter Anto Cossu, Anto Dust were conjured for one thing only: to “fulfil her vision of her music”. Brought up on a diet of Slowdive and The Velvet Underground, it’s clear to see how that vision has been met via ethereal walls of sound and beefy atmospherics.

A song that demands to be replayed – even when looped melodies render no strict beginning nor end – is a song that deserves to be shared. All hail, “1955″.

FEATURE: Tracks of the Week - 7/2/14


*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (7/2/14)

Fresh music to sink your teeth into: our selection of the week’s best new music from the last seven days.

Hitting us with her poppiest cut to date, burgeoning Swedish/Barbadian artist Naomi Pilgrim dropped the immediately catchy, “Rainmakers”. Retaining her velvet RnB coo whilst opting for a more washed-out electronic sound, the track is the last piece in the puzzle of her self-titled debut EP (streaming now) and another exciting, upfront track.

It was all doom and gloom when we heard “Dust Hung Heavy” by new Manchester duo Shield Patterns, but we welcomed this beautiful melancholia. Blushing with dark synths, banshee vocals, electronic blinks and rumbling percussion, “Dust Hung Heavy” nicely straddles the line between the synthetic and the organic – enthralling from start to finish.

Another purveyor of the alt. RnB that’s currently dominating music blogs (our hand goes up too) was SLK’s debut follow-up, “Be”. Proving that she’s not just a one off, “Be” is one helluva song, bulging with gallantly slow beats, nipped samples and polished vocals. Though it takes a bite of the neo-soul that Jessie Ware and Laura Welsh produce, it makes its own kind of impact by turning down the tempo.

Elusive Manchester producer Oceaán can hardly put a foot wrong. His latest track, “To Lose” (a taste of what’s to come on his forthcoming debut EP), showed off his self-styled brand of subtle, slow-mo electronic music: its fingers in future garage, neo soul and, yet again, that omnipotent alt RnB. With clouded synths and misshapen croons fidgeting over crisp beats, there’s a wee nod to Jai Paul’s mysterious and warped creations, and we love every bit of it.

Lastly, the opening beats and heavy-loaded vocals on Cyril Hahn and Javeon’s ”Breaking” were an early weekend tease, bristling as they do with undulating, deep house rhythms. A warm chorus carried by Javeon’s husky voice swells with buzzy, tumbling samples – a sound not shy to Hahn’s PMR labelmates, Disclosure.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best new music below:

INTERVIEW: Febueder

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (5/2/14)

Ascot trio Febueder couldn't better defy expectations. All aged 18, the boys may fill their time with skateboarding and music, but there’s none of the slacker rock so synonymous with that lifestyle present in their writing.

No, there’s something far more precocious about Febueder’s sound, like the trio – Kieran Godfrey (vocals/guitar), Harry Summersgill (bass), Samuel Keysell (drums, sample pad) – have old heads on young shoulders. And the biggest curveball of all? Their challenging, eccentric music couldn’t sound further away from the Home county they live in.

November’s Soap Carve EP was experimentation at its most joyous: vast, stirring and playful, devoid of big stumbling blocks. Though composed on a simple bed of guitar, bass, drums (and the odd sample), the trio somehow made a parcel of intricate sounds, wringing each component out over Alt-J-esque vocal lines. The EP struck that rare and beautiful balance between leftfield music and pop, deservedly praised by critics and radio DJs.

We had a chat with the band to see what this new attention has brought, discovering in the meantime their love Canadian music and gangster noire 80′s swing. Oh, and Ascot doesn’t have a music scene.

How do you feel about the response to your music so far? 

We feel chuffed from what responses we get. It definitely makes us feel comfortable with what we are doing.

What’s it like to be compared to bands like Alt-J and Animal Collective? 
Both of the bands are extremely different, especially when compared to each other. It’s a nice comparison that we take from that. It’s kind of like an intelligence meets a madness. We like that “two opposite ends of the spectrum meeting in the middle idea”. It’s a heart-warming sentiment.

How would you describe your hard-to-pigeonhole sound? 

We believe an onset description is that we are experimental, playful and connective to the listener.

Tell us about Febeuder’s beginnings? 

It began without our own awareness. Songs were being made spontaneously. The three of us played our own instruments and it then bloomed into our own roles within the music. It was an instinct to try something new, exciting, something we didn’t really know much about.

How did you come up with the name? Does it mean something? 

The name, Febueder – it is this completely made up thing/creation. We want the songs to form meaning and for the name of the band not to interfere with these meanings.

You guys all live in Ascot. What’s the music scene like there?

Ascot doesn’t have a music scene. There’s a jazz orientated venue, but that’s it.

“Alligator” is the first track we heard from you. What’s it about and when did you write it? 

Alligator was written about communication with one another and falling into something magical, or of bad fortune. It’s about learning and reading from each others’ lives. It was written in December 2012 (that seems like quite some time ago) and we recorded it around February last year.


What are your musical and/or artistic inspirations? 

Musically we are inspired by a wide range of artists, such as Graham Van Pelt (Miracle Fortress/Think About Life), Zach Condon (Beirut), Sandro Perri, Dan Snaith (Caribou) (to mention a few). At the moment with our next EP, which we are currently recording, our inspiration is that of a slow grooving gangster noire 80′s swing, with a jungle of the city at the heart.

What does writing and performing music mean to you? What do you want to get out of it? 

Writing and performing is internally rewarding. It means that we are more than satisfied with what we are doing. To do this for a living is what forms the motivation. To be able to have the freedom of time to create and perform music is what we’re doing this for.

Future plans? 

In the near future we are eager to finish recording and release a second EP. An album is also in our minds to follow. We’re working to blossom more.

Soap Carve EP is out now on Tape Club Records.

LISTEN: Shield Patterns, Circuit Diagram, Over Sands

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (5/2/14 - 7/2/14)

Shield Patterns - "Dust Hung Heavy"

Electronic duo Shield Patterns reveal “Dust Hung Heavy”, the dark and emotive lead single off their forthcoming debut album.

Keys drip, samples loop, and beats drag their heavy feet on this stunning new cut from Manchester-based pair, with Claire Brentnall’s sensual vocals weaving between all the doom and gloom. There’s a real mix of the natural and synthetic: primal-like beats and intermittent breaths meet with unsettled synths, slowly but steadily bewitching the listener.




Circuit Diagram (feat. Touchy Mob) - "Motown"

Germany-based electronic act Circuit Diagram premiere “Motown” today on Best Fit, featuring doped-out vocals by underground Berlin-based singer Touchy Mob.

The urgency of the track’s live pulse hints at influences of Krautrock, whilst lush-layered synths bust neo-psychedelia with buzzy, buoyant bass lines. Touchy Mob’s dreamy, monochrome vocals simmer just above the surface, allowing the song’s weighty rhythms to carry them through until the end.

Circuit Diagrams Motown EP is out via No Counter Records on 31 March.




Over Sands - "Tune Out"

“The song below was written in a beach house, situated in a nature reserve in Essex”, begins an email from London-based duo Over Sands. “We collected field recordings from the area and used them to create some of the layers of synthesised sounds you can hear.” Let’s give it a try, then.


In short, within seconds “Tune Out” reveals itself as a stunning, majestic debut from the two brothers. Guitar lines flutter amongst lilting, earnest vocals; synths heat and cool; shuffle-pop rhythms hover, and a transient collection of sounds glide in their own natural directions.

Not a far cry from MONEY’s distinctive celestial makeup, “Tune Out” will transport you to somewhere in the heavens. We’re excited to hear more.

REVIEW: Farao - Farao EP

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (3/2/14)

If ever there was a record to turn on the water works, it’s the self-titled EP by Norwegian singer-songwriter, Farao. An exploration of deception, love, lust, mortality and life through candid lyricism and fierce melodies, Faroa is powerful, back-to-basics songwriting minus the tedium of predictability. And it’s remarkable for a debut effort. 

“Tell A Lie” opens with cascading, finger-picked guitar and a bed of drone forged from an old Russian synthesiser. Kari Jahnsen’s stunning vocal cuts right to the core, delicate and rich, kissed with Nordic tones. Syncopated beats clap their hands beneath throws of, “I thought we weren’t meant to tell a lie” and it’s very difficult to resist your eyes welling at its sheer beauty.

The impeccable melodies and melancholic harmonies on “Skin” were many listeners’ first introduction to Farao, and what a welcome one that was. “All the words I want to hear/you said that I had nothing to fear/but she’s the one who’s taken your name”, Ms Jahnsen gently coos over frilly, folk-pop guitars and humming keys. She tells Best Fit that she writes “mostly from my own experience” but also enjoys “writing a song from the other person’s perspective”. We all know whose perspective she’s coming from on this one.

Moving from Valdres, Norway to the country’s capital and later settling in London for her solo work and to play in friends’ bands (Hella Better Dancer, Anna Lena & the Orchids to name a few), Jahnsen admits the contrast between the “dramatic landscape” of Norway and it’s antithesis of London has helped shaped her music. This is most apparent on “The Hours”; full of apocalyptic pondering “I would give all my time for the day but the hours they fly away/and the end of time is coming your way” that is most suited to the sparse, cold and beautifully dark landscapes of rural Scandinavian. Majestic guitar hooks, commanding bass and percussion that carries a heavier heart unite to become an emotive, wicked force of nature.

“To Sleep Apart” hears Jahnsen’s more stripped-back brand of songwriting, pulled from the front by sleepy bedroom acoustics. Nautical drone again bathes with the vocal, though never tires, working to embrace frail keys and intermittent Radiohead-inspired samples. It’s the most progressive of the four tracks on the EP and certainly hints at a more experimental future for the songwriter.

Farao EP is an absolute delight to hear, if only to get lost forever in Jahnsen’s inimitable vocal. It’s stylised, highly melodic music that defies you to simply shrug it off as yet another person armed with a guitar and a voice. Jahnsen is bringing some different into the mix, something quietly arresting and extremely moving, and it’s too hard to ignore.

9/10

Saturday 1 February 2014

FEATURE: Tracks of the Week - 31/1/14


*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (31/1/14)

Another batch of sterling music has come our way. Here’s our pick of the week’s best new music from the past seven days. 

Alhough we first heard his bedroom demo back in October, 18-year-old Londoner Shivum Sharma dropped a re-touched version of his breathaking, “Flicker”. On this new cut, forlorn sax and bold percussion make an appearance at the close, nicely supporting his unruly, delicate falsetto. A simple and stoic composition, “Flicker” is a track that will stay with you all day long.

London house producer KAASI dished-out, “Caroline Street” – a release thick with undulating synth pads and glitchy electronics that are so synonymous with the genre. It’s a cosy, mellow track begging to be played on loop as you wind down from the week.

As far as debuts go, mysterious duo Gold Spectacles couldn’t have impressed us more on “Steal You Away”. Rolling drums, lively bass hooks and elegant male/female vocal pairings combine to make a colourful patchwork of sounds that become more vibrant upon each listen. Like the above, they’re also from the big smoke, but that's all we know. Let’s hope we can find out more.

Twosome Alpines made a welcome return after a year’s break away from creating their irrefutably catchy brand of electronica. “Oasis”, the act’s brand new track, boasts tropical bleeps, lazy beats and Catherine Pockson’s confident, studio-fit vocals. A strong offering.

Last up – and moving away from UK capital – was Canadian popstress Lowell with her powerhouse smash, “Cloud 69″. Bringing to mind the brattish attitude of Sleigh Bells minus the full-throttled discordant noise, the track comes packed with ricocheting drums, girlish vocals and punchy guitars that hit you square in the gut. It follows Lowell’s recent signing to Canadian label Arts & Crafts, and the track harps in celebration.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best new music below:

Friday 31 January 2014

LISTEN/WATCH: Shivum Sharma, Orthy, Menace Beach, Madeline Mondrala


*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (29/1/14 - 31/1/14)

Returning with a new version of his stunning bedroom demo, 18-year-old London soloist Shivum Sharma shares the unforgettable, “Flicker”.

A predominant composition of piano and voice, “Flicker” hears keys ponder, muted beats and Sharma’s falsetto crystallising upon its own breath. The demo that caused quite a stir last year has now been re-touched with lonely sax trails and bolder percussion at the close, making for a much more confident creation overall.

“Flicker’s” minimalism is charming, its melodies are cutting and it’s our Song Of The Day.




Menace Beach - "Fortune Teller"

Following the release of their debut EP earlier this month, Leeds fuzz-rock duo Menace Beach unveil the new video for “Fortune Teller”, premiering today on Best Fit.

Brimming with psychedelic imagery – from spinning aliens to neon flower flashes – the video is faultlessly suited to the track’s alluring, slacker-rock sentimentality. Dissonant guitars melt into one another and Ryan Needham and Liza Violet’s distorted vocals clash over languid drum pumps. We’re really quite mesmerised by it.

The band’s EP, Lowtalker, was released in January on Memphis Industries



Orthy - "Oasis"

Continuing the melodic makeup of “Night Touch”, Texan electronic five-piece Orthy present “Oasis”, premiering today on Best Fit. 

Taken from E.M.I.L.Y. EP, out now on NYC imprint Dither Down, the track is another nod to frontman Ian Orth’s love of multifarious tones and quintessentially bouncy house beats. It’s one blissed-out haze of grumbling bass, balmy vocals, shimmering synth and plucky guitars – welcome respite from January’s sharp bite.




Madeline Mondrala - "Busy"

Arts school student and New York soloist Madeline Mondrala reveals the video for her playful new track, “Busy”, premiering today on Best Fit.

Prancing ballerina-like in a vine-hugged abandoned space, Mondrala behaves like a true performer, matching her classical-meets-pop creation with smart visual poise. Solid piano notes bed themselves beneath Mondrala’s playful and erratic vocals, which in turn chase fleeting stringed instruments. The song brings to mind the kind of pop music Regina Specktor makes, but by all means Mondrala sounds like a popstar herself.

“Busy” is taken from Madeline Mondrala ’s debut CLOUD EP, which is streaming in full now and is available as a free download on Bandcamp for a limited time.

LIVE: Warpaint - Oxford O2 Academy 25/1/14


*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (27/1/14)

Warpaint’s new self-titled album has received more contentious reception than their 2010 debut, The Fool, despite it debuting at number 9 in the UK charts this week. As is the case with many bands who don’t quite fit the norm, there’s an almost cult-like loyalty amongst fans that perhaps answers the record’s early success – you either “get them” or you don’t. Some say their brand of dark, atmospheric music simply washes over them.

But what is so special about the LA four piece is precisely that. They make music to swallow you whole, to nestle on the back of your brain, cradle you as you drift off to sleep. Their music has never been about huge pop hooks, it’s about the mood it manifests and the almost otherworldly spiritual connection it brings. Warpaint’s latest effort more than rewards patient ears.

This takes us to the band’s eagerly-awaited set at Oxford’s O2 Academy on Saturday, full to the brim with devoted followers – from Colin Greenwood of Radiohead to twenty-somethings who know every word to The Fool. Like every Warpaint gig personally attended to date, the same thing happens; the first two or three songs are muddied by misjudged sound levels. This allows Jenny Lee Lindberg’s bold bass and Stella Mozgawa’s powerhouse drums to completely drown any intricate melodies fashioned by Theresa Wayman and Emily Kokal’s trio of guitars, vocals and synth. Thankfully, “Hi” – a trippy, lounged-out track from the new album – marks the start of recovery, Wayman creeping witchlike about the stage with warm tones flooding the room.

Bathed in a pink hue, the fourpiece really start to come together on “Composure”. With its transient basslines, gaunt guitar notes and Kokal’s sharp, emotive husk, it’s so tight it sounds like it’s been plucked straight from the studio. Like the rewards offered from patient listening, this is a glorious payoff for a tedious start.

After being treated to an upbeat new song, the girls proffer the brooding lead single of the new album, “Love Is To Die”. A song that sounds impossibly better live than on record, the chorus hits everyone square on, its melodic bass line and audacious key changes cutting straight through the crowd. Again, it’s Wayman who connects most with the audience, flanking the edge of the stage as Kokal and Lindberg’s hazy harmonies waft. A signature Warpaint improv also begins to bite at its heels.

It has to be said that Mozgawa is a force of nature behind her kit, binding all the band’s disparate tonal elements together. Never will you see a drummer more elated – from her brattish blasts on “Disco//very” to the smooth, slo-mo brushes of “Biggy”.

With its minimalist backbone, ethereal synth and subtle vocal camaraderie, “Drive” is the undisputable dark horse of the new record and a killer live. It’s the track that just keeps on giving, Kokal’s dreamy “Into the eye, into the storm” resounding across the O2′s shallow roofing. It pulls every listener into its wake.

“Undertow” is a explosive number at the encore with little room for zip-lipped punters; every audience member is in their element singing along to its haunting melodies, meandering bass and jagged guitars. The song’s magnetic effect is still remarkable four years on.

Set closer “Elephants” is the crux of the evening. Militant drums, warped vocals and fluttery guitars burst forth with energy, before being taken down to a whisper. Just as the confused crowd think it’s all over, the girls hoist all the components upwards, playing expertly with texture and tempo. It’s like peering in on a private jam session, watching four talented and unswerving musicians at work, and is the perfect ending to a night full of immersive music. Yet again, you’ll thank your patience.

FEATURE: Tracks of the Week - 26/1/14


*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (26/1/14)

What a quick week it’s been, and with it came a whole host of great new music. Here’s our pick of the best tunes from the past seven days.

Mysterious Parish bunch ANTHEMS brought breezy pan pipes, golden synths and daydream vocals to take us a million miles away from Blue Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, heck, all week. Doused in tropical sounds, “Up In Mine” is musical escapism at its finest.

Swapping the exotic for the chilly climes of Norway, new ambient/electronic soloist Sea Change presented the breathtaking “Let’s Dance” and we fell instantly in love. Beats creep, synths shatter and Ellen Sunde’s husky vocal cuts through lush, downbeat layers. Last year’s debut “Bursting” was a welcome introduction to Ms Sunde’s writing, but “Let’s Dance” is Sea Change, well, changing and growing in sound.

In sharp juxtaposition, Danish songstress repudiated any suggestion of flailing one’s limbs in new pop killer, “Don’t Wanna Dance”. Admittedly, it lacks the edge of previous tracks like “XXX 88″, but it shows MØ’s determination in hitting the mainstream via bright and creative pop music.

Funk lines, cloudy harmonies and glassy synths combined to impress us on Fever Kids' new track, “Holding Grass”. Hailing from the Greece capital, the pair known only as Σtella and Alex seem to have a firm grip on how to pen tunes with groove and melody. Surely that’s the best kind.

Finally, London’s Years & Years dished out their latest ode to electro-soul, handled by rising produced Lxury (of affiliated Disclosure fame). Replete with a soaring chorus, audacious bass throbs, solid vocals and vivacious percussion, “Real” is ready to hit radio speakers.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best new music below:

INTERVIEW: Warpaint


*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (17/1/14)

“We want our music to be universal, something people can be in the mood for at any point in time”. 

A personal, spiritual connection to a piece of music is a difficult bond to break. A shared one is something else. For the hundreds piled into Brixton’s O2 Academy in October, many were reminded of Warpaint’s effortless ability to spark numinosity, stimulated by their brand of dark, atmospheric music. The LA quartet’s writing has always been about creating a mood – albeit an indefinable one – but one that swallows you whole and makes you feel connected to anyone else similarly wired into their music. The air floating amongst Brixton’s high ceilings that autumn night hung heavy with an unusual, spiritual feeling of shared emotion.

“That was a really big moment for us”, says Warpaint bassist/vocalist Jenny Lee Lindberg down the phone. “We were excited to play our new songs and I was so shocked by the reaction. I felt a strange sense of comfort which was the opposite of what I expected.”

Though the nature of the band’s signature erratic sound can be unnerving, Warpaint’s songs are frequently comforted by walls of warm ambience, the latter thread that bound their 2010 debut, The Fool, so well together. Of course, this unity between songs has the potential to soothe many a heart and ear, perhaps a “universal” sound Lindberg so desires. ”If [our music] evokes any kind of emotion that people enjoy, then I’m happy”, she says.

But Warpaint’s beautifully perplexing musical dichotomy of repulsion and attraction will always lend itself to healthy discussion. The nub of everything, actually, is: what is it that makes them so special? Perhaps it’s their own worldly-wise understanding of who they are, how they sound and how they work together as a group. As Lindberg explains, it’s not like they care too much about what people think.

“I do not read reviews, there’s nothing you can do change what you’ve done. I don’t want to care, though obviously I do a bit, because I’m human. But really we just want to make our art.” Indeed, Warpaint just want to get on with it.


This strength of conviction can in part be attributed to the band’s longevity in the face of adversity. Formed in LA in 2004 after Lindberg’s sister, actress/drummer Shannon Sossamon, invited childhood friends Emily Kokal (guitarist/vocalist) and Theresa Wayman (guitarist/vocalist) to start a new band, it took just a few line-up jumps to delay their first album by half a decade. After various drummer changes following Sossamon’s departure for her acting career, the stars at last aligned when Australian drummer Stella Mozgawa stepped-in for The Fool in 2009.

These ambitions, meetings and uprootings to LA were a blessing, particularly for Lindberg who had left home in Nevada with little idea of what to do next.

“I was 19 when I moved to LA. My sister was modelling and acting there and then I did a bit of modelling too. I just dabbled. I had a lot of energy when I was growing up – I had ADD. My mom would say ‘try something new’ and I would and most things just did not resonate with me. I’d never thought about playing bass before.

“I definitely listened to music by myself a lot, though. I’d sit in my room, write my journal and listen to bands like The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and Kate Bush.”

Just before The Fool came out, the girls worked in cafes or on artistic projects. Lindberg worked at a vegan cafe and as a vintage clothes buyer/maker. Kokal worked in cafes and babysat. Theresa made and sold raw chocolate, as well as helping her boyfriend with his clothing designs.

Since their debut release (produced by John Frusciante, who was dating Kokal at the time), Warpaint have become the cream of the critics’ crop, thanks to their inventive songwriting and mesmerising live shows. In March 2012, they paired-up with celebrated producer Flood and long-term Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, swapped the city for the stunning landscapes of California’s Joshua Tree and recorded Warpaint in a month. Never has the band’s confidence and empathy been more apparent than on their long-awaited follow-up.

“The biggest difference between this album and the last is the simplicity of the music and everyone integrating with each other”, Lindberg says. “For the first time we actually have songs within the record that were written by one person.”

There are certainly changes: from instrument-hopping (Lindberg clarifies that it’s her who plays the guitar on “Feeling Alright”, with Wayman on bass), to each member having a much more assertive role. To name but a few examples: Mozgawa penned “Feeling Alright” and “Go In”, Lindberg wrote “CC” and “Son” is Wayman’s baby, completed by Mozgawa’s drum composition.

“It can be tough being in a band with your best friends”, Jenny adds. “It takes work and it needs nurturing and it needs love, kindness and compassion. Doing your favourite thing with some of your favourite people in the world is amazing, but mixing business with pleasure can also get pretty heady. The most important thing is compassion.”

That understanding of each other’s individual creativity is what allows the band to remain open to new ideas, which is more so the case than ever on Warpaint.

On the menu this time round is trippy lounge (“Hi”), dreamy synthpop (“Biggy”), piano balladry (“Son”) and even some off-the-wall alt hip-hop (“Disco//Very”). Guitars are less the bedrock, the songs are more wholesome and vocals loom larger at the fore. However, amid what sounds like a big change, isn’t a big change. Somehow, just somehow, the record carries all the band’s original juxtapositions: their mismatched coherence, their knack for pulling you in and spitting you out. Ultimately it’s the stuff that makes Warpaint, well, Warpaint.


“I think it’s a sexier record and has more groove. The grooves are more meditative and transient than on The Fool. The (writing/recording) period was really easy and pretty fluid, moving at a faster pace than The Fool which took us a couple more years. This time we had been touring for two or three years, so when we were on the road I did a little bit of writing. We were all ready to write and play new stuff. I remember there was a new line that Emily would play over and over on tour, the one for “Keep It Healthy”. That kept going around and we would get all excited and groove around to it.”

When the time felt right to record, the band “wrote every day” in a Geodesic dome in the California desert. Their creative movements were filmed by Lindberg’s husband and British visionary director, Chris Cunningham, who started popping his head in after working on other projects nearby. The result is Love Is To Die, to be released later this year.

Lindberg adds: “It never felt like we were being filmed, it was really organic. (Chris) wasn’t in our face and, you know, when the sun went down, the pot came out…it was fun.”

The new year now sees the band releasing the record, trying to “perfect” their live show and utilising the down time they have in between schedules. “I just want to keep gathering content all the time, keep on top of writing”, Lindberg concludes.

And so while we’re still trying to get to the heart of what makes the four-piece so unique, it seems Warpaint have got themselves all sussed-out. Musically and individually, they are free, unbounded, if only to bind listeners together through art. But as a group, they are firmly rooted, if only by their immovable friendship. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Warpaint is out now on Rough Trade.

[Photography by India Whiley-Morton].

LISTEN/WATCH: Sea Change, Pillar Point, Dustin Tebbutt


Sea Change - "Let's Dance"

Dreamy Nordic electropop artist Sea Change has unveiled her new single, the brooding and delicate, “Let’s Dance”. 

It’s another cold chill down the back of your neck. Building upon debut single “Bursting”‘s icy electronica, “Let’s Dance” already embodies a maturer sound from Ellen Sunde, who moved from Norway to Berlin to help develop her music. Whilst there’s a hint of wider influences, there’s still something intrinsically Scandinavian in its sound with spacious synths, tip-toeing beats and Sunde’s crisp husk.

The track builds slowly with the added appearance of gentle piano taps and forlorn synths, coming to a head in a thousand layers. Stunning.

 “Let’s Dance” is available as a limited 7” vinyl or can be sourced digitally via her website.
 


Pillar Point - "Cherry"

Shedding the skin of alt-pop act Throw Me The Statue, San Francisco’s Scott Reitherman returns under the guise of Pillar Point – this time armed with the shimmering “Cherry”. 

Set against a backdrop of scuffling beats, Krautrock bleeps and sunshine synths, “Cherry” has all the right ingredients for an assured summer hit. But Reitherman’s mournful, nostalgic vocal bites against any inferences of a joyful sound, resulting in an unnerving and attractive type of dozy electronica that’s oddly fitting for this time of year.

Following on from 2013’s “Eyeballs”, “Cherry” is the second track taken from Pillar Point’s self-titled debut full-length, released on 3 March via Polyvinyl Records.





Dustin Tebbutt - "White Lines"

Taken from his debut EP release, Australian artist Dustin Tebbutt premieres the hypnotic new video for “White Lines” on Best Fit. 


Two years ago, Tebbutt crossed the seas from down under to Scandinavia to write music. The results are four comforting, emotive songs best suited to warm colder months – more so the case than ever on “White Lines”.

The brainchild of Tebbutt and video editor Marcus Coblyn, “White Lines” sees minimalist stop-motion images loop just behind the track’s tender beating heart and aching synths, working to lull you into a rhythmic trap. It perfectly accompanies the audio – patterned melodies that slowly climb atop each other – if only to bed itself amongst these sounds than divert attention away from them. 

The Breach is out now and Tebbutt plays Servant Jazz Quarters, London on 25 February.

FEATURE: Tracks of the Week - 17.01.14


*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (17/1/14)

2014 continues to bring us new musical goodies. Here’s our pick of the best music from the past seven days. 

First up, we premiered the lush electronic pulses of “Night Touch”, the new single by Texan outfit, Orthy. Wood blocks chatter and thick melodies waft around layers of house synths and beats, whilst heady vocal harmonies escape from a Beach Boys blueprint. A track to get lost in and lost to.

Norwegian singer/songwriter Kari Jahnsen, who goes under the pseudonym of Farao, yanked once again at the heartstrings on, “The Hours.” Ms Jahnsen pens deeply calm, emotional music; the type that makes you avert a stranger’s glance for the sheer embarrassment of welling up in public. This track is yet another impressive piece, with pump organs, frilly guitars and Janhsen’s unparalleled vocal beating at the core.

At the other end of the spectrum was the latest cut by rising Chicago songstress, Jean Deaux. Pulling BBC Sound Poll man Sampha onto the boards and co-vocals, Deaux delicately pours her soulful voice over layers of fidgety RnB. It’s an upbeat affair that in some ways sounds more like a pure Sampha creation, save for Deaux’s gorgeous chants of “I’ve gotta find you”.

Portland band Rare Monk let us reveal their new single, “Splice”. Its measured percussion and piles of hazy vocal make for slow-burner soon turned on its head by colossal tom rolls and sonic reverberations.

Finally, Liberian/Nigerian/Scottish trio Young Fathers unleashed the mighty, “GET UP”. Preceding the release of their new album, DEAD, “GET UP” knocks itself around jabs of dissonance and consonance, replete with warm afrobeat rhythms, rap barks and vehement foghorn blasts. Just try to get your head around it.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best new music below:

REVIEW: I Break Horses - Chiaroscuro

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (17/1/14)

“My last year and this year was really a roller coaster emotionally for me,” said Maria Lindén of I Break Horses in late 2013. “I got so tired of myself being this sad person all the time…When writing music, I use it a lot as therapy.”

With its ominous song titles (“Cancer”, “I Kill Your Love, Baby”) and arresting walls of melancholic electrogaze, the outfit’s 2011 debut Hearts was a certain surrender to the pressures of being human. Created after the pairing of Lindén and Fredrik Balck – two hypochondriacs who met on an online medical forum before a chance meeting in person – Hearts was a gem in a sea of the year’s many mediocre releases. Though the album’s themes dwelt on the inevitability of death, its creative and emotional depth made it eternal.

But darkness can only weigh heavy for so long. The band’s follow-up, Chiaroscuro, sees Lindén and co. perforate shadows of self-doubt with bursts of light, heeding to the album’s definition: ‘the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting'.

The astonishing confidence of “You Burn” is thus a welcome and brave start to the record. Pentatonic piano chords clutch onto Linden’s cold breath, which amongst icy synth snaps and meddling percussion is the clearest vocal we’ve heard to date. It’s seductively simple and a perfect precursor to the ever-more-startling “Faith”; the latter’s menacing synth lines, insightful lyrics and addictive dance foundations inducing repeated listens.

By the time “Weigh True Words” and “Ascension” are digested, it’s obvious I Break Horses were never going to write another Hearts. Here, the outfit have shed their skin of heady electronic drone in favour of more immediate synthpop; the tracks boasting anthemic pop choruses and sunny conversations of beats and bleeps.


Perhaps an aspect of writing music that is overlooked by the casual listener, but lends itself to the most heated in-studio debate, is the structuring of an album. Rather shrewdly, the band have sandwiched the record’s weaker points (the tiresome balladry of “Denial” and the disengaging, slow-mo techno-pop of “Medicine Brush”) between mesmerising songs, as if to leave you wide-eyed at the start and the end. “Disclosure” is one of those later delights, pulled forward by sensual guitar lines and driving, multifarious rhythms. The hope evoked by the track’s burgeoning melody and bright pulse is cleverly contrasted by Lindén vocals, which always lie just out of reach. Once again, the contrast of light and dark rears its head.

Album closer “Heart To Know”‘ is at once devastating to the ear and limitless in its beauty. “It’s heart to know, babe / It’s hard to know babe / It hurts to know, babe” Lindén cries out (or so it sounds) from the swathes of rattle breaths and decomposing synths. The song firmly places its hand on your chest, as if to force you to live in the moment. It doesn’t want you to dwell on the past or worry about the future; this is you dealing with your emotions in the present.

Lindén has spoken about not feeling “at peace” with anything she does and yet, with her bandmates in tow, she has made some of the most strangely comforting and life-affirming music of the past few years. Rest assured, young worrier, Chiaroscuro is triumphant.

8/10

LISTEN/WATCH: Orthy, Pixel Fix, Lion Bark, Young Fathers, We Are Shining

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (13/1/14 - 16/1/14)

Orthy - "Night Touch"

Texan electronic outfit Orthy give us a taste of what’s to come on their new EP via the warm, melodic house sentiments of “Night Touch”.

Sounding like the opening to a Wild Beasts song with its sharp wood blocks snaps and rumbling percussion, “Night Call” soon finds itself lost in high energy harmonies, relentless beats and swirling, hallucinogenic layers.

The five-piece, headed up by bedroom musician Ian Orth, count The Beach Boys amongst their influences and that love of rich vocal alliances sits tight at the track’s centre.

It’s immersive stuff, so just sit back and let its lush layers wash over you.

E.M.I.L.Y. EP is out now via Dither Down, with an album to follow.

 

Pixel Fix - "Fall"

Oxford fourpiece Pixel Fix return with “Fall” and prove that guitars and electronics still make a healthy pairing. 

On last year’s releases “Rosa” and “Rome”, the band seemed to be testing the waters of this fusion, consistently marrying the two musical families with a film of ambience. On “Fall”, the band have picked up from where they left off, but this time radiate a brighter, poppier sound. Funk guitars intelligently nit-pick at rewound samples and buoyant rhythms, and soft vocals sit nice and tight in the mix.

Live, the band exude an energy that swerves towards the old math-rock leanings of fellow Oxfordians Foals, but on this song there’s a strange, active calmness that’s simply a pleasure to hear. Fall EP is out on 24 February.




Lion Bark - "Longhorns"

Brighton quintet Lion Bark have pricked up tastemakers’ ears with their perfumed dream-pop. Now they unveil the new video for “Longhorns”, premiering today on Best Fit. 

The visuals explore a young man’s paranoia seemingly imposed through self-exile, set amid cascading guitars, breezy percussion and gorgeous off-kilter croons.

Director Ben Pender explains: “Longhorns is a song about coping and coming to terms with absence. This void can quickly lead to you shutting yourself off from the outside world, seeking comfort only in mundane activities, instead of confronting your problems head on. “The result is a sequence of nightmarish reactions from a gritty and somewhat surreal reality, which leads Guy to find strength in accepting the reality he faces, and then acting upon it – knowing this perception is temporary."

“Longhorns” precedes an EP release this year.



Young Fathers - "GET UP"

Ahead of the release of their next album, DEAD, Liberian/Nigerian/Scottish trio Young Fathers drop meteoric new track, “GET UP”. 

Hitting you square on with dissonant foghorn blasts, giant beats and spits of “I’m the catalyst for the revolution”, “GET UP” knows no bounds in its impact. The trio almost refuse to be pigeonholed – yes, on the rap sections there are clear parallels with Massive Attack – but there’s something much more alternative here with smatterings of afrobeat and upfront pop. Though the track’s dissonance can unsettle you upon the first listen, you’ll soon be pushing repeat.

DEAD is out on Anticon/Big Dada on 3 February.




We Are Shining - "Killing" (feat. Eliza Doolittle)

Previously releasing tracks on Young Turks under the guise of The Shining, new London duo We Are Shining have now flipped record labels, penned chunks of their debut LP and hoisted Brit songstress Eliza Doolittle aboard for new single, “Killing”.

It’s thus a fresh start for established DJ/producer Acyde and Morgan Zarate of Hyperdub, and "Killing” sounds like they’re ready to take on the world.

Following their startling debut, “Wheel” late last year, this new track is just as impressive and eclectic; afrobeats tug at an ostinato bass line and Ms Doolittle’s bright vocals bounce along syncopated rhythms.

Brass interjections are heard amongst watery guitars at the close – notably the only big change in the song’s loop-lush character – boldy reminding you why they can’t be ignored. Much like Young Fathers who we featured yesterday, We Are Shining style a world music of their own.

 “Killing” is taken from the duo’s new mixtape.

FEATURE: Tracks of the Week - 10/1/14

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (10/1/14)

Well, 2014, you’ve already delivered on the music front. Here’s our pick of the best new music from the past seven days. 

London crooner Kwabs teamed up once more with Vienna-based producer SOHN and the results were startling. Where the earthy vocal gushes of “Last Stand” were a welcome listen for fans of either, “Wrong or Right” has the potential to reach a much wider audience. SOHN’s impossibly crisp production nicely heats up Kwabs’ vocals, allowing them to soar above the track’s huge digital flames.

This week also saw the return of Watford songstress Kyla La Grange and arguably her most assured track to date. “Cut Your Teeth” hears dubby bass throbs and cold harmonies cut through ghostly wah-oohs and synths, suggesting a new direction for the artist who’s set to release her second album this spring.

Whilst Kwabs and La Grange made their sweet returns, London newcomer Molly Beanland dropped her stunning debut track. We were lucky enough to premiere the 80s dream-pop-indebted, “Night Dreams” – three minutes of sparkle synths, echoing guitars and Ms Beanland’s sumptuous vocal. Fan of Cocteau Twins? Tune in.

Liverpool artist Lapsley’s minimalist, pitch-dropped track “Station” was one of the most powerfully understated tracks we’d heard in months. Contemplative, beautiful and very original. Amazing to think she’s just 17, too.

Last up, Dublin quintet Girl Band unveiled their incredible ode to noise, “Lawman”. An “anti-single” bursting at the seams with industrial beats, nasty guitars and other noises we dare not decipher, “Lawman” is brave, ballsy and utterly brilliant.

Listen to our selection of the week’s best tracks below:
 

LISTEN/WATCH: Girl Band, DENA, LOLO, Cheerleader & Rare Monk

*Originally published for The Line of Best Fit (6/1/14 - 10/1/14)

Girl Band - "Lawman" 

Dublin noise quartet Girl Band unleash a sprawling, six-minute beast of a song in “Lawman”. Oh, and they’re not girls. 

In early 2013, the band’s barmy-but-brilliant cover of Blawan’s “What You Do With What You Have” chomped down on the original’s techno beats and spat it out as a new creation. The band’s new “anti single” has the same beating heart at its core, paired with industrial stomp and dissonant guitars that meet in a dirty cacophony of sound.

The track builds slowly amid schoolboy vocals (“I used to be good-looking”) and bolstering high-hats. It’s anyone’s guess what effects are used or where the boys draw their inspiration from, but they clearly value channelling energy into every available nook. By its nature “Lawman” will likely split opinion, and that’s part of its charm.
 


DENA - "Bad Timing" [Video Teaser]

Berlin-based artist DENA builds excitement towards her debut album with a smouldering video teaser for “Bad Timing”. 

Set against a backdrop of distant city lights, Denitza Torodrova (DENA) glows in UV as if to seek her lover out amidst the frantic pace of urban life. “When you think about it what we’ve got/ is bad timing”, she chirps in the full song (listen here) whilst sleepy hip-hop beats and sharp hand-claps loop. Vocals tumble on top of each other, shedding themselves of the urgency heard on upbeat offerings “Thin Rope” and “Games”.

The teaser works exactly as it should by getting us a bit too excited for her debut, “Flash”, released on 3 March (via Normal Surround).



LOLO - "Gangsters" (feat. Giggs)

Tennessee via Brooklyn popstress LOLO returns with her most soulful song to date. 

Recalling Amy Winehouse’s revival of 60s soul with its no bones vocal, tottering rhythms and blasts of brass, “Gangsters” is one polished slab of pop music. Accessible without lacking imagination (save for the superfluous mid-section rap by Giggs), it’s clear to see why she is joining the likes of pop newcomer John Newman on his upcoming UK tour.



Cheerleader - "New Daze"

Philadelphia-based quintet Cheerleader unveiled their indie-pop track “New Daze” last summer. Now they’ve released the accompanying video, created at the hands of Vondelpark filmmaker Ciaran Wood. 

In truth, you’d be pushed to find a more suited video for Cheerleader’s gorgeous lo-fi sound. With its nostalgic home-video makeup and slow-mo scenes of summer driving, the visuals pair up all too nicely with the track’s dozy vocals and shuffle-pop sentiments . Hypnotic, cyclical imagery works to keep you watching right until the end.



Rare Monk - "Splice"

Portland band Rare Monk kick off 2014 with a limited release of “Splice” and show us a thing or two about crafting near-perfect indie rock.

Armed with zippy guitars and steady percussion, “Splice” at first travels slowly, lifted by dreamy vocal harmonies and subtle electronic hues. This melodic slow-burn could carry on quietly, but the troupe decide it’s not enough and abandon all expectations for one unabashed, thunderous blow-out. Their sonic sound only leaves the heart yearning for more.