Browsing Tag

dark trip hop

Case Watson spins a phantasmal fairy-tale in her folky art-pop single, Hollow Tree

Posted on 17 March 2022

In her latest single, Hollow Tree, the ethereal art-pop artist Case Watson, well and truly came into her alchemic stride. With cinematic electronic obscurity nestled against folkish mysticism and a few caustically volatile elements thrown in for good measure, Hollow Tree moves beyond an aural experience. Its arcane air sets your imagination alight and tears you away from realism in the process.

If you could imagine what it would sound like if Emilie Autumn opted for nuance instead of archaic hysteria, you will get a good idea of the phantasmal bliss found in this darkly electrifying lyrical fairy-tale. We’re officially obsessed.

Hollow Tree is now available to stream on Spotify. Or head over to Case Watson’s official website for more info.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Close to Monday – Guns (Biicla Remix): Indulgently Dark Trip Hop

Posted on 30 October 2021

The rising trend in dark trip-hop seems to be a damning sign of the times, but the breaking electronica artist, Close to Monday, made our bleak human experience worth it with her ethereally powerful single, Guns.

The Biicla Remix of the single will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Portishead, Beach House and Hooverphonic, but there’s plenty of authenticity pulsating with the beats in this indulgently morose track. The vocals are under just enough reverb to ensure the synergy with the driving downtempo beats, but not enough to stifle the evocative power of her dark yet soulful vocal timbre.

The Biicla Remix of Guns is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Aiko Aiko became the definition of etherealism with their latest release, Al Lat.

Posted on 7 October 2021
Aiko Aiko

Prepare your dark ambient trip-hop playlists for the latest release, Al Lat, from the alt-electronica duo, Aiko Aiko; it proves just how readily we bound around the word ‘ethereal’. When you’re confronted with a soundscape as phantasmal as AI Lat there are few ways to aptly allude to just how ensnaring the delicately commanding textures are.

The artist has been infusing their alchemic mash of soft synths, organs, driving electronic beats and intricate piano melodies onto the airwaves since 2012. With a brand of emotionally intellectual catharsis similar to Warpaint, Portishead and Widowspeak, it comes as no surprise that they have captivated an international fanbase with their psychedelic reprising progressions.

Al Lat will officially release on October 7th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to the artist’s website or SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lajze – Glue: Meet the Lydia Lunch of this Generation

Posted on 8 July 2021

London-based British/Polish singer-songwriter and composer Lajze has released her latest indulgently obscure, avant-garde trip-hop EP, Red Sea. Any fans of Lydia Lunch, David Lynch’s phantasmal aural works and Marc Hurtado will want to experience the mesmerizingly dark soundscapes for themselves.

The best introduction to the electronically-crafted no-wave release is the lead single, Glue; that is exactly how it will stick to your synapses as you drink in the haunting atmosphere and feel the chill of the ominous droning bass around the glitchy beats. The sensual vocals add even more ethereal ambience to the single as they work around striking meta poetry which serves as lyricism.

Glue is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast