Browsing Tag

Ambient Electronica

Acrid Key has ‘Nothing to Lose’ in their Lynchian synth-pop meets electronic rock single.

Posted on 23 December 2021

“Nothing to Lose” is the latest Lynchian feat of soothing alt synth-pop from the up and coming experimental luminary Acrid Key. Once the Twin Peaks vibes in the intro are out of the way, the wavy distorted guitar tones continue to hammer and shine through in the downtempo instrumental mix in an indulgently hypnotic fashion.

The US-based artist and producer released Nothing to Lose as an entrancing showcase of his alt-indie inclination. Instead of following fads and making attempts at assimilation, Acrid Key follows his own vibe and lays them out in trippy synth-laced grooves. With that in mind, the hazy discordantly-tinted soundscape becomes all the more efficacious in aiding aural escapism.

Nothing to Lose is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Eastern rhythms meet blackened ethereal trip-hop in Arula’s latest single, Alive Now.

Posted on 4 December 2021

Alt singer-songwriter, Arula’s latest single, Alive Now, is powerful enough alone, but considering it followed on from the imploring, ethereal remix of her single, How Long, the defiance in the statement made in the dark, trippy soundscape is made so much more strident.

With Eastern influences feeding into the artfully blackened trip-hop track, Alive Now became one of the most invigoratingly experimental tracks that we’ve heard this year. It borders on ambient industrial while keeping hold of celestial textures that you’ll want to tune into time and time again.

Alive Now is available to stream and purchase on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Future bass fuses with classical in GASP’s ethereal electronic single, Qualified.

Posted on 1 December 2021

Electronica artist and producer GASP has released his ethereal debut album, CHILL FOREST MIX, which takes aural escapism to a whole new level. The Tampa-based artist fused his love of future bass, funk and classical into the ambiently explorative works that are quite literally a breath of fresh air for their embodiments of nature.

The standout single, Qualified, sets itself leagues apart from the predictable dystopic tracks that have flooded onto the airwaves recently. Qualified keeps its humanity and autonomy through the quiescent vocals which sporadically appear between the uniquely structured progressions. If you can imagine what Hozier would sound like if they became a ghost in the machine, you’ll get an idea of just how soulfully haunting the vocals are in Qualified. Instrumentally, it breaks a new aural boundary with every new evolution in sound.

Qualified is now available to stream with the rest of CHILL FOREST MIX via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Trip hop got trippier with the release of Bi&nka’s reverb-drenched seminal single, Loves a Wall

Posted on 14 October 2021
https://soundcloud.com/jtsdimensions/overdose-mp3?si=458ce152c28a44c49a52fc2c8e763646

Any fans of Banks & Steelz will find the same amount of infatuation for the trippy ground-breaking tones in Bi&nka’s latest alt electronica single, Loves a Wall. The shoegazey reverb paired with the urban grit in the electronic mix opens up a mellow spacey soundscape for the spoken word rap vocals and the listener to fall into.

On the basis f Loves a Wall alone, it comes as little surprise that the independent Luton, UK-based artist and producer has received airplay from BBC Introducing and has amassed a loyal fan following with her indulgent, experimentally-layered mixes.

With her debut EP in the making, there has been no better time to place Bi&nka on your radar.

Loves a Wall is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bodisaffa Music has released his cinematic chillwave single, Down.

Posted on 1 October 2021

The collective need for ambience and catharsis has never been greater; on that basis, up and coming electronic artist and producer Bodisaffa Music’s latest release, Down, can be considered serendipitously timely.

The downtempo lo-fi piano soundscape is intricate enough to keep your attention; the ease of the cinematic chillwave progressions means that you will quickly surrender your rhythmic pulses and unwind with the atmospheric and meditative soundscape. Placing this track on your playlists is practically a method of self-care.

Down is just one of the tracks which feature on the artist’s Chill Tracks EP; it is now available to stream in full on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alice Payne – Visions: The Ultimate Chillwave Playlist Staple

Posted on 18 September 2021
https://soundcloud.com/alicepaynee/visions-radio-edit

‘Visions’ is the latest dreamily psychotropic dance-pop release from the independent Australian artist and producer Alice Payne. After releasing her debut synth-pop track, Drive, earlier this year, the hype is steadily garnering around her emotionally charged, sonically cathartic style.

The reverb-swathed soundscape starts with an ethereal indie trip-hop prelude before the downtempo four-to-the-floor beat starts to kick in to create a solid structure for the ensnaring track to capture you within.

With the teasing progressions, aural curveballs and enigmatic sense of intrigue in Visions, you couldn’t ask for a better chillwave playlist staple.

Visions is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get a taste of tranquillity with Steve Nicosia’s latest ambient electronica single, Cotton Candy Sky.

Posted on 28 July 2021

Toronto-based ambient electronica artist Steve Nicosia has released his latest cinematically transcendent single, Cotton Candy Sky, which immortalises the sunset that inspired the tranquil melodies.

The accordant guitars cutting around the melodic chiptune beats ensures that Cotton Candy Sky possesses enough momentum to pull you through the progressions and keep you engaged with the rhythmic ambling of the instrumentals. It is a rarity that we can call instrumental electronica soundscapes soulful, but in Cotton Candy Sky, the energy and emotion of awe at natural beauty truly resonate. Nicosia weaves soft, colourful hues throughout the delicately tropic single; to resounding effect.

With plenty more releases planned, Nicosia, who made his debut with the release of his EP, Retrospective, in October 2020, is undoubtedly one to watch.

Check out Steve Nicosia on Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lorenz System has released his ambiently absorbing electronica debut EP, Sonne.

Posted on 23 July 2021

The highly accoladed artist and electronic composer Nathan Maurice has started his new project under the moniker Lorenz System. His latest release is the 4-track EP Sonne, which delivers deconstructed downtempo EDM beats with ambient lo-fi hip hop kicks.

The perfect introduction to his ambiently absorbing electronica style is the lead track, Yobuko which starts by spilling choral guitar tones before the beat kicks in and carries you through the cathartically sun-kissed instrumental soundscape. The soul that emanates from the release is practically unparalleled in the realms of ambient electronica; vocals are surplus to requirement with the evocative pull of the melodies.

Lorenz System’s debut EP is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Catherine Duc serves synth-crafted ambient nostalgia with, ‘Remember When…’, featuring Jonas Isacsson.

Posted on 16 July 2021

For her latest release, ‘Remember When…’, GRAMMY-nominated composer, multi-instrumentalist and remixer, Catherine Duc, teamed up with guitarist Jonas Isacsson to create a synth-crafted ambient nostalgia hit that will allow you to drift back to the 80s via the soaring guitars and delicately arranged glassy synths.

So far in her career, Catherine Duc has received a GRAMMY award nomination for Best New Age album in 2016, scooped the award for instrumental artist of the year during the Los Angeles Music Awards in 2006, and remixed for the likes of the Corrs and XYLO.

With her intrinsically connectable sound and the emotions she’s able to evoke through instrumentals alone, we’re sure that the accolades won’t end there.

Remember When… is now available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kattacomb ambiently explores loss in their downtempo single ‘Now You’re Away’

Posted on 30 June 2021
https://soundcloud.com/kattacomb/now-youre-away?in=kattacomb/sets/sleepless-ep

Maryland, US-residing artist and producer Kattacomb has released his ambient EP, Sleepless, capturing the delirium of those sleep-deprived hours that seem to stretch beyond time or reason.

Now You’re Away may not use narrative lyrics or even vocals that still bear any humanistic resemblance. But with those three words in the title paired with the bright melodies, you’re drawn into a soundtrack that compassionately connects with you through the relatability of  loneliness that creeps into bed beside you when your mind refuses to sleep before daylight.

The conceptual use of birdsong around the glitchy, trip-hop minimalist instrumentals was nothing short of ingenious. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Now You’re Away may just be the most stunning feat of electronica since Apoptygma Berzerk’s ‘Until the End of the World’.

Now You’re Away is now available to stream via Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast