Browsing Tag

dark pop

khokkosh. incited an industrial art-pop riot with ‘pelicaning’

Posted on 16 July 2024

Exhibiting the artistic freedom of a mind that knows no creative constraint, the 20-year-old dark electro-pop producer and visual artist khokkosh. used her seminal single, ‘pelicaning’, prised from her sophomore two-track release, ‘pelicaning./a duck, a bear, and I.’ to conjure a macabrely avant-garde aural installation that haunts the middle ground of Poppy and Billie Eilish.

By mainlining the harsh elements of industrial into a hypnotically warped earworm which sonically mimics the effects of a trance spiral, the Indian artist found her place at the vanguard of the art pop revolution.  The self-written, produced, mixed, and mastered computer-adjacent, thematically visceral synthesis of caustic beats and scathing synths explores the self-invented phenomenon of pelicaning; the act of caging words inside you until they are forced to erupt.

With this two-track release feeding into khokkosh.’s merciless agenda of piercing through the veil of inhibition, regardless of how ugly we may appear to others we expose our true unfettered autonomy, the revolutionary isn’t just one to watch, her fearless authenticity makes her an artist to admire and emulate.

Stream the official music video for pelicaning, which premiered on July 8th on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

STARR became queen of the femme fatales in her dark pop anthem, Die 4 Me

Posted on 23 June 2024

STARR usurped every femme fatale that came before her with her eagerly anticipated follow-up to her 2023 debut single, Novocaine. Her dark and sensuously debauched electro-pop-rock sophomore single, Die 4 Me, is a bass and seduction-drenched exploration of how luring the sinister side of love can be in a mind inclined towards fatal attraction. After all, what could be a more devoted gesture than a hypothetical willingness to die for the one you love?

Following a film noir-esque intro, STARR emerges as one of most striking sirens on the airwaves with her irresistible vocal lines before the spectrally decorated harsh reverberant beats transform Die 4 Me into an infectiously foreboding dance-pop track that makes Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance seem pedestrian at best.

Like the pop lovechild of In This Moment, STARR knows exactly how to infuse scathingly sultry energy into a rhythmically kinetic anthem that will leave you under her unfuckwithable spell.

Die 4 Me is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Excavate yourself away from anxiety with Jennifer Jess’ alt-pop tour de force, Evergreen

Posted on 18 May 2024

After hitting the 1 million Spotify streams mark with her debut single, Blue, in 2019 and building a loyal 18,000+-strong fanbase, Jennifer Jess has always been dangerous to underestimate. Yet, there was no anticipating what the Atlanta singer, songwriter and producer would bring with her latest single, Evergreen, which digs deep into how fear is the ultimate inhibitor, especially when it plasters a façade on our authenticity and locks us into the stagnation of paralysis.

The lyrical centrepiece, “I’ve been afraid before but more afraid of fear itself”, is all the more resounding when projected through the visceral soul of Jennifer Jess’ striking delivery which cuts as sharp as the orchestral strings which quiver over the dark and moody electronica aesthetic which sonically visualises the metaphorical storm Jess is breaking free from.

Strident, striking and artfully intense, Evergreen is far more than an aurally powerful alt-pop release; it forces you to accept that no one can help you break away from fear or keep your dog in the fight for you. The hurricane force of the production is formidable enough to convince you to create a defining point in your reality by excavating yourself away from anxiety, and that is exactly why Jess has a legion of fans behind her.

Evergreen will be available to stream on all platforms, including SoundCloud, from May 17th.

Discover more ways to connect with Jennifer Jess through her official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Raven Ives scribed dark poetry through her artful alt-pop installation, Reprieve

Posted on 20 April 2024

With her standout single, Reprieve, the self-sustained DIY artist Raven Ives delves into an introspective journey, channelling her creative vulnerability into a brooding synthesis of trip-hop, dark pop, and a touch of neo-classical ambience.

Reprieve pulsates with a lifeblood of nuanced emotions, each beat and lyric paving a path deep into the heart’s recesses. This single is a testament to Violet’s refusal to blend into the pop milieu, avoiding the pitfalls of sonic assimilation with a bold, unyielding voice. Her approach to music, deeply rooted in emotional and artistic exploration, avoids direct comparisons. Yet, if one were to draw a parallel, her poetic lyricism and the evocative depth of her compositions might nod to the likes of PJ Harvey, marking Raven Ives as a standout voice in this artistic generation.

The track itself serves as a canvas, painting a sombre and tender narrative of isolation that resonates universally. Here, Raven Ives manages to capture a universal sentiment—the profound sense of inner desolation that pervades even the most crowded spaces. The music sweeps across this landscape of a shattered psyche with elegance and a raw, piercing clarity.

Stream Reprieve with the rest of Raven Ives’ EP, Dancing Shadows, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ZERONIRVANA unleashed the alt-pop debut of the year with her arcanely affecting triumph, Lucid Drama

Posted on 13 March 2024

The orchestral alt-pop priestess, ZERONIRVANA has made her affectingly arcane debut with her single, Lucid Drama. The striking statement of artistic identity from the Bangalore-born, Boston-based artist defies the conventional boundaries of alt-pop.

The track opens with a haunting piano melody, each minor key striking a chord of introspective depth. The orchestral strings, sharp and poignant, weave through the layers of turbulent electronica, crafting a soundscape that cuts to the core of the melancholic themes explored. It’s in this complex musical terrain that ZERONIRVANA’s voice finds its home – a voice that carries the weight of classical training yet resonates with the relatable essence of a modern pop icon.

Lyrically, ‘Lucid Drama’ is a poignant exploration of resilience in the face of relational adversity. ZERONIRVANA navigates the nuances of emotional strength and vulnerability with a deft hand, her words offering both a mirror and a map for listeners grappling with similar struggles. The song becomes a beacon of empowerment, encouraging a steadfast hold on one’s ground amidst the tempests of life.

ZERONIRVANA’s artistic vision, as showcased in ‘Lucid Drama’, transcends mere musical performance. Her commitment to creating a therapeutic, almost theatrical experience for her audience is palpable. This track is a journey through the avenues of mental health and personal growth, set against a backdrop of captivating visuals and storytelling that ZERONIRVANA masterfully curates across her digital platforms.

In ‘Lucid Drama’, ZERONIRVANA doesn’t just launch her career; she invites us into a world where music is a catalyst for self-discovery and empowerment.

Lucid Drama was officially released on February 18th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Areeyedee’s latest single Insomnia is a waking industrial trap pop nightmare

Posted on 1 January 2024

With a sound as dark as the mise en scene from The Machinist, Areeyedee’s industrial trap pop single, Insomnia, conjures the disjointing and reality-warping nature of the depression symptom which creates 48-hour days where we’re left to replay twisted thoughts on a loop.

By capturing the nature of the beast and refusing to downplay the psychological downfall of the rabbit holes insomnia can take us down, the Kansas-born and raised, Darmstadt, Germany-based artist created a razor-sharp cutting exposition of mental disquietude in his lyrics and his aptly maniacal vocal delivery. With every line, he washes away the stigma while the branding of his sonic signature glows red hot through the release.

After fronting a rock band in the ’90s and landing the role of a hip-hop artist in a feature film, which made him fall in love with the genre, Areeyedee effortlessly melds the alternative with urban aesthetics in his discography, which includes tracks created with the multi-platinum producer, Freek Van Workum (21 Savage, Tech N9ne).

Insomnia will drop on January 1st; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Freyja Elsy embodied the sentiment that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned in her single, Over It

Posted on 23 November 2023

Freyja Elsy’s latest single, Over It, from her upcoming EP, Modern Artifice, is a mesmerising blend of trip-hop, dark pop, and innovative electronica that resonates with the chillingly arcane Southern Gothic air of Chelsea Wolfe.

The single, which premiered on BBC Radio Wales on Adam Walton’s Introducing show, has been aptly compared to the likes of Massive Attack and Portishead, with a nod to the acid house genre in its production. The multi-layered auditory journey reflects the despondency of being cast into the harsh realities of adulthood and forced to contend with the seemingly arbitrary monotony which stretches for decades before those coming of age. Elsy’s voice, both haunting and commanding, unravels this narrative against a backdrop of spiky dream pop and leftfield electronica, creating a sound that is as visionary as it is haunting as it oozes the divinity of female power.

Elsy, who has had a remarkable year, opening for acts like Death & Vanilla and Welsh artists Eädyth, Ani Glass, and Small Miracles, never fails to showcase her ability to create a cohesive and clear vision in her music. Her previous singles, Lungs, Requiem, and Golden Hour, have already garnered international attention and BBC recognition, setting a high bar for her upcoming EP.

Over It hit the airwaves on November 17; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Xther opened Pandora’s Box with the bloodlust in his experimental debut EP, A Disaster at Last

Posted on 8 November 2023

Pandora’s Box opened when Xther unveiled his seductively macabre standout single, Delicacy, taken from his debut release, which came in the form of his inaugural EP, A Disaster at the Least.

With bloodlust in place of the banality of lust, Xther, envisioned by the inventive Davin Casey, created the ultimate protest to the cultural quietude of Southwest Missouri; Davin’s musical metamorphosis stands as a vivid declaration of artistic tenacity and fervour.

After the stabbing piano keys tease a pop ballad, the throbbing synth lines send ravines of reverberance through the synthesis of dark electronic pop progressions and alt-rock manifestations of visceralism. If Deftones make you horny, I don’t even want to know what delicacy will do to you. The sultrily dark magnetism of She Wants Revenge creating friction against the future-ready production which highlights the dust on IAMX hits is a potent aural cocktail which will intoxicate you to Xther’s sonic reawakening which follows the dissolution of Davin Casey’s former hard-rock project, Story of a Ghost.

Stream Delicacy with the A Disaster at the Least EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Star-rove through the desolation in Othenic’s latest single, SUPERSONIC LIGHTSPEED

Posted on 5 November 2023

By using dark and spacey tones as a metaphor for the desolation of alienation and emptiness and pairing them with pensive lyrical iconography, Othenic proved his worth as an evocateur in his latest single, SUPERSONIC LIGHTSPEED.

The trappy nuances that bleed through the backbeat and the sharp delivery of his quasi-harmonised vocals become a sense of gravity in the reverb-swathed atmosphere of the star-roving single that instantly immerses you within the melancholy of the exposition of how inhospitable Earth can be when you’re forced to go through the motions without another soul as a compass.

Emanating the same sense of heart-on-sleeve deeply affecting appeal of Blue October and Porcupine Tree, the Kentucky/Cincinnati-hailing artist, who is quickly becoming our favourite discovery in 2023, is establishing himself as a song crafter with superlative tenacity when it comes to sonically locking into the darkest facets of the human experience.

SUPERSONIC LIGHTSPEED was officially released on November 2nd; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ojay put devil horns on their latest pop-rock earworm, Creep in the Night

Posted on 28 October 2023

This isn’t Thriller, but the Bad Guy by Eilish-esque swagger in the recently released macabrely magnetic pop-rock hit, Creep in the Night, from the prodigal sons of accursed experimentation, Ojay, is one of eeriest infectious earworms you will meet this year.

With their ability to bring the funk in the basslines, the grooves in the razor-sharp guitar cuts and wear the devil may care horns all too well in the vocal performance, the high-energy Australian outfit knocked it out of the seventh ring of hell with Creep in the Night.

Between the exemplary modern production which puts Highly Suspect to shame, the swathes of chilling charisma and the efficaciousness of the vocal hooks which seduce you into the dark heart of the release, I’m struggling to see how I will leave this hit alone.

Creep in the Night was officially released on Friday the 13th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast