Browsing Tag

Avant Garde Pop

NÍNIVE – Aleluya: Celestial Permission to Shed the Weight of Emptiness

Posted on 9 February 2024

After making one of the strongest debuts of 2023, the Ecuadorian Alt-Pop conduit of cinematic experimentalism, NÍNIVE, has returned to the airwaves with her sophomore single, Aleluya, created in collaboration with the world-renowned producer, Enrique Gonzalez Müller.

There’s not just something in the ethereal atmosphere of Aleluya; the intricate complexities within the explorative instrumentals as they oscillate, glitch and melodiously flow are dynamite to the rhythmic senses as they create a beguiling platform for NÍNIVE’s celestial vocal timbre.

As the deeply confessional single professes the weight of internal emptiness, the transcendence within the production is permission to free yourself from that feeling and let light and colour into your soul through resilience, love and awareness of inner beauty. The sonic meditation is the ultimate antidote to the agony of our current era, which makes it so hard to find meaning and fulfilment. We can’t wait to hear what the superlative songstress constructs next.

Aleluya was officially released on February 2nd; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nicholas Dante incited a sonic insurgence with his harsh electro-art pop debut, Rebellion

Posted on 10 February 2023

The Brooklyn-based artist, Nicholas Dante, brought the uprising we’ve all been waiting for in his electro-art pop debut single, Rebellion.

The hyper-pop elements melded with harsh electro synthetics allow industrial tones to go pop in the insurgently promising debut that the world is already paying attention to. After making light work of putting momentum behind the debut, the Avant Garde originator will undoubtedly become a landmark fixture in the future of pop.

Beyond the cinematic production, the experimentalist holds reverence to pop pioneers, naming Britney Spears, Madonna, and Janet Jackson as his main aural influences, which goes a fair way in explaining the hooky proclivities of the track that will push your speakers to their limits.

Jump on the sonic insurrection by streaming Rebellion on Spotify, Bandcamp, and Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Berlin’s Raluca brought depth to dance-pop in her latest single, Could I

Posted on 24 March 2022

In the Berlin-based singer-songwriter Raluca’s latest single, Could I, nothing is black and white; melancholy melds with euphoria in the zeal of the orchestrally scored EDM pop progressions.

As the lyricism tackles the vulnerability that comes hand in hand with affection, the 80s and 90s-inspired beats veer through the unpredictable Avant-Garde hooks. It isn’t your average earworm, but with the depth of the lyricism paralleling the intensity of the experimentalism, Could I isn’t a dance hit that is easily forgotten.

Vocally, Raluca made no attempt to hide behind pop archetypes. Instead, she confidently ran with her own distinctively electrifying vocal lines that make Could I. Even at this early stage in her career, Raluca is proving to be one to watch.

Could I is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

VITA has dropped one of the most ensnaringly Avant-Garde debuts of the year with BADBADBAD.

Posted on 28 February 2022

With her debut single, BADBADBAD., the icon in the making VITA is pushing alternative attitude and avant-garde textures into the mainstream, which is all a part of her mission to break society’s boundaries, and encourage her listeners to do the same.

If you could imagine the fierce feminine ferocity of Peaches paired with the earworm appeal of Rihanna and the extreme multidimensional artistry of SKYND, you will be able to get an idea of what the Sydney-hailing artist delivered in her arrestingly promising debut.

If the sonic gravitas isn’t enough to leave you enraptured, her determination to carry the power of her ancestry in her rebellious modern sound will be more than efficacious. Vita was named after her great aunt who died in the Holocaust; once you register the sheer juggernaut power in BADBADBAD. with that in mind, it is enough to leave you with goosebumps.

BADBADBAD. is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Marilyn Joy is ‘Superfine’ in her latest polyphonic lo-fi alt-pop single.

Posted on 18 February 2022
Superfine by Marilyn Joy

The matchless London-based singer-songwriter and artist, Marilyn Joy, has released her eagerly-awaited eccentrically Avant-Garde single, Superfine. She’s officially on top expressive form after her stint away from the airwaves and notable London venues.

With the same playful polyphonic tones that Grandaddy used to win over the masses in the 90s, the keys lead you through the lo-fi production that explores the weight we can take off other people before reminding you to shake it off for your sanity.

Marilyn Joy’s melody-driven, effortlessly distinctive style is always a refreshing change from the artists that veer away from their originality to find uniqueness. As always, we can’t wait to hear the confessional alchemy that follows.

Superfine was officially released on February 18th, 2022. It is now available to stream and purchase on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Indie-pop goes baroque in Millaze’s standout single, Viscera.

Posted on 2 January 2022

The first thing that grips you with the standout single, Viscera (I’m Saying You Can Still Have Me), from Millaze’s 2021 album, A Note on the Author, is the vibrant deep-rooted originality. In the same way that Bjork and Kate Bush ran with their avant-garde authenticity, the Oakland-hailing singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is making strides in her own direction.

While plenty of artists struggle to find confidence in their authentic voice – especially at the outset of their career – Millaze’s confidence allows her to defy harmonic convention. Instead, she offers visceral outbursts of passion that *actually* reflect human emotion.

With song titles as endearing as Courtney Barnett’s, her unapologetic candour and frankly alchemic melodies, the aural world is at Millaze’s feet. If the Billboard charts were based on ingenuity and distinction alone, we have no doubt that Millaze would be riding high at the top.

Viscera is now available to stream on Spotify, along with the rest of Millaze’s seminal album, A Note on the Author.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dandy artfully demands an end to ableism with her single, In Their Shoes.

Posted on 22 September 2021

The Anchoress recently spoke out in her article in the Guardian about the ableist nature of the music industry that has ostracised her from live music; a similar experience is shared by the Shropshire, UK-based artist, Dandy.

Driven by the determination to see fair representation and visibility of disabled artists in the mainstream music industry, Dandy recorded a demo of her debut album, The Cycle, in 2020. The standout single, In Their Shoes, attacks the injustices that consistently happen due to the fundamentally broken fabric of our society as the piano melodies that will score well with Nick Cave fans support Dandy’s beguilingly baroque vocals.

In Their Shoes has the power to leave you as sobered as a Ken Loach film, while the demure artful grace of Dandy draws you deeper into the reality for the disabled and chronically ill.

In Their Shoes is available to stream along with Dandy’s debut album on Spotify.

Follow the artist on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris Sunfield goes in for the kill with his latest avant-garde production, ‘Predator’

Posted on 9 June 2021

With the dark sensuality of a She Wants Revenge single, theatrically macabre lyrics, and cinematic film noir feel, Chris Sunfield’s latest single, Predator is an intoxicating mash of baroque folk, pop, jazz, electronica and hip hop.

Just when you’re starting to think that you’ve got the soundscape figured out, Predator throws fierily slick rap verses from Ya Favorite Lightskin into the mix that will be a hit with any fans of Banks and Steelz. With avant-garde instrumentals contorting free from constraint under the bars, Predator absorbs you just as much as you absorb the soundscape.

Predator is one of those tragically rare singles that you could listen to a thousand times and still feel assured that you would take something new from the next listen. The artistry on exhibition here is practically unparalleled. We can’t wait to hear what Chris Sunfield unleashes next.

The official music video to Predator premiered on May 28th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alexis Naylor is ‘Stealing Moments’ in her avant-garde pop rock track

Posted on 26 April 2021

Soft, arpeggiated piano, big, gated snare, and emotional, reverb-soaked vocals are the order of the day here for Perth-native Alexis Naylor’s ‘Stealing Moments’, a story of love and loss and the easy, open-ended social media world of single-click engagements. It’s a compelling track, made more potent still by the excellent narrative video which accompanies it. Naylor’s voice is powerful, alternating between soft and sorrowful and angry and accusative, the lyrics telling a tale of trust, tears, and uncomfortable truths.

Taken from her debut album ‘Pages From A Past Life’, and fully in the best traditions of solo female singer-songwriters, there’s elements of Delta Goodrum and Dido in Naylor’s vocal, the track melancholy without ever over-stepping into maudlin, emotive without ever becoming over-earnest. There’s elements of ‘rock ballad’ sneaking in there from the production, but it’s by no means worse-off for that, the big drum sound adding to the punch of the track and contrasting nicely with the softer piano and Naylor’s downcast vocal performance, adding to the evincing of heartbreak and pain from a relationship that just can’t, quite, let go.

You can check out the superb video for ‘Stealing Moments’, including the excellent choreography of Peta Coy and the narrative moves of dancers Lockie Ransom and Madeline Dona, on YouTube; follow Alexis Naylor on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Tim Kohler has released their archaically avant-garde pop hit ‘Typewriter’

Posted on 13 March 2021

While many artists play it safe by allowing synths, guitars or piano keys to take the lead, archaic pop singer-songwriter, Tim Kohler boldly opted to create a ‘cello-driven love tribute’ with their latest single, Typewriter which was released on February 12th.

Even though Kohler’s influences reach as far back as the 40s and the visceral pulls of the cello strings fill the soundscape with a theatrically cutting edge, the massive hooky choruses could give contemporary mainstream pop earworms a run for their money.

If you love pop which comes with an avant-garde twist, Typewriter will be just your type(set). The Dresden Dolls definitely have new competition.

You can listen to Typewriter via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.