Browsing Tag

Dream-Pop

kidd noir – gravitational; a séance of semi-lucid seraphic reverie

Posted on 28 November 2024

kidd noir’s single ‘gravitational’, taken from her hotly anticipated debut EP ‘Year 19’, is a séance of semi-lucid seraphic reverie with a palpable sense of emotional turbulence woven within its ambient aesthetics. In contrast with the transgressions in the indie dream pop production, kidd noir’s honeyed-in-harmony vocal lines never falter from their soft, almost reticent register.

As intimate as a nocturnal diary entry, ‘gravitational’ pulls you through the corridors of kidd noir’s psyche as the instrumentals caress you with their candid touch and the stream-of-consciousness vocal delivery reaches the epitome of unfeigned expression. Her ability to console coming-of-age pain within her debut EP abstracts the alienation commonly associated with trying to figure out the world and where you fit within it. Yet, the appeal of kidd noir’s sound extends beyond a younger audience; the meditations within gravitational speak a universal language.

The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist picked up her first guitar at age nine and never looked back; by 18, she earned her stripes as a producer, ensuring that no one else’s touch graces her sound, which synthesises alt-RnB, pop and indie influences with personal experience. With Year 19 as the crowning point of her career so far, there’s never been a better time to sink into her discography.

Stream kidd noir’s EP, Year 19, on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Girl Annual sparked a flicker of folky melancholic serenity with their dream pop debut, Ember

Posted on 11 November 2024

With the single Ember, the enigmatic independent artist Girl Annual steps into the indie scene by setting an exquisitely reflective tone, merging folk-esque lyrical storytelling with the ethereal aesthetics of dream pop. The debut single is a seraphically melancholic invitation to lose yourself in the bitter-sweet chasm of reverie and let Girl Annual’s mournfully sublime vocal lines spellbind as they wash over you and pour raw vulnerability into the sonic atmosphere.

The diaphanous instrumental elements amplify the sense of introspection that flows from the poetic candour within the vocals, building the perfect soundtrack for an intimate autumnal scene. With a commercial appeal reminiscent of First Aid Kit, Girl Annual holds the potential to cut through the static of the oversaturated alt-indie dream pop sphere.

It’s an aural experience of oceanic depth, inviting listeners to drift within the serene textures that cascade and intertwine. This release doesn’t just play out – it envelops, and with each ebb and flow, it gently pulls you further in. All industry eyes should be on Girl Annual, anticipating their next move.

Ember was officially released on September 27; stream it on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Effy Wang: Bridging Dreamscapes and Beats in ‘Da Di Da La’

Posted on 5 November 2024

In her debut single, Da Di Da La, the up-and-coming alt-pop siren Effy Wang juxtaposed the etherealism of dream pop with the rhythmic momentum of EDM by doctoring a pulse-pounding backbeat into the arcane atmosphere of the soul-driven production.

The rush of emotions that each progression manifests couldn’t be more visceral; the way the diaphanous elements intersect with the rhythmic intensity will undoubtedly leave plenty desperate to hear more from the icon in the making who is no stranger to beguiling audiences with her live performances. Now, she’s set to take over the airwaves with her effortlessly distinctive sonic signature, which is scarp enough to etch her name into the legacy of alt-electro pop.

Da Di Da La was officially released on October 21; stream the single on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keep your soul warm with Daniela Galasso’s slice of indie folk-pop reverie, Comfortable

Posted on 1 November 2024
Daniela Galasso

With an emotional richness and resonance that puts her in parallel to the most introspective works of First Aid Kit, Daniela Galasso, with her seminal single, Comfortable, radiates vulnerability and tonal warmth

Aside from the cinematic sonic sublimity, the real beauty of Comfortable resides in how the Italian-born, California-based singer-songwriter turns becoming comfortable in a relationship into something profoundly poetic. While so many people would perceive that as the moment the romance dies, Galasso flips the script with her ethereally tender, orchestrally scored single, allowing listeners to see comfort in a relationship as something just as sweet as the initial butterflies.

As an award-winning artist who has clearly mastered the art of textural alchemy within her productions, Galasso has stepped out of the shadows of her influences in the vein of Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding and Imogen Heap and irrefutably come into her own through her installations of vulnerable reverie.

Comfortable will be available to stream on all major platforms from November 1st. Find your preferred way to listen via the artist’s official website.

Keep up to date with news of new releases from Daniela Galasso on Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gravity: Millar’s Love-Induced Descent into Dream Pop

Posted on 21 October 2024

With her latest single, Gravity, London-based singer-songwriter Millar has fortified her discography with yet another fearless vignette of introspection. Drenched in raw, unfeigned emotion, Gravity offers a glassy, neon-lit dream-pop soundscape where love becomes a force of nature, pulling you into a spiral of intoxicating vulnerability. Millar’s tender vocal lines swirl in hazy, retro-futuristic synths, creating an irresistible sense of fragility that leaves you feeling exposed to both the sweetness and the inevitable scars of love.

From a young age, Millar began crafting her melancholic sound, first writing songs at 16 before honing her skills at a Stratford music college. It was there, after years of artist development, that she discovered the core of her creative identity, one steeped in the bittersweet duality of love and nostalgia. Her voice carries the weight of these themes effortlessly, with each note steeped in a chilled-out melancholy.

Gravity is a sonic collision of worlds, imagining The Weeknd and First Aid Kit sharing a sonic continuum. The ethereal quality of Millar’s vocal delivery contrasts beautifully with the retro, synth-driven instrumentation; the fragility she conveys is palpable, yet it’s clear that Millar is in control of her artistry. The synaesthesia-inducing blend of lush synths and vulnerable lyrics in Gravity demonstrates that Millar is carving out her own space in dream pop, and if she continues down this path, her success seems as inevitable as gravity itself.

gravity became a new force in the pop scene to be reckoned with on October 4th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Caleb X ticked all the right dream trap boxes in ‘Ricky Hoodie’

Posted on 6 October 2024

Caleb X’s standout single, Ricky Hoodie, drawn from his third LP, Dreams of Rodeo, introduces listeners to a dreamscape where the trap genre isn’t just revisited; it’s reinvented. The track embodies a dreamy trap aesthetic that could lift the heaviest souls to ethereal heights with its light, transcendent tonality. The instrumental work is nothing short of entrancing, setting a cloud-like stage for Caleb X’s vocals.

His verses meld the sticky sweetness of pop harmonies with the sharp cadence of hip-hop, demonstrating his unique flair for bridging genres. It’s a polyphonic exploration that promises to peel back layers of the mundane and add a fresh sound to any vibe-out playlist. Ricky Hoodie ticks every proverbial box for what dream trap can aspire to be—polyphonic, innovative, and utterly mesmerising without resorting to cliché.

Caleb X, hailing from Atlanta, continually defies the ordinary, shaping sounds that refuse to be shackled by the conventional boundaries of trap music. With each new release, he distinguishes himself from his contemporaries by bending sonic boundaries towards his creative will.

Stream and purchase the 3rd LP from Caleb X on Apple Music and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Step into the ethereal with Slender Dan’s leftfield trip-hop release, Field of Reeds

Posted on 16 August 2024

In their latest single, ‘Field of Reeds,’ the breakthrough duo, Slender Dan, affectingly intertwined ethereal strands of pop with the gritty undercurrents of leftfield electronica and the rhythmic complexity of trip-hop.

From the outset, this melodiously rendered explosion of style and beguile sinks its teeth into your senses, weaving shadowy notes with luminous beats to create a soundscape that spans the full emotional spectrum. The deep and resonant hooks pull listeners into a weightless, transcendent production, showcasing Slender Dan’s potential to hold dominion over the alt-electronica scene.

You couldn’t listen to the arcane yet soulful production half-heartedly if you tried. The glassy celestial vocals demand undivided attention as they drift through the soundscape which oscillates between chilling and warming the soul by echoing the intricate balance of light and dark.

Behind Slender Dan are Heather Dickson and Patrick Ahern, a duo whose previous collaborations have seen them grace stages and studios from Los Angeles to Nashville, alongside notable names like Portugal. The Man and David Z. The band first caught the public’s attention with a debut on KEXP in early 2021 and has since expanded their discography with the full-length album ‘GESTALT’, along with several impactful EPs.

The official music video for Field of Reeds premiered on August 9th; stream the video on YouTube or check out the track on all major streaming platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Seraphic Soulstress, Cati Landry, Struck Again with Her Sophomore Single, Riptide

Posted on 18 July 2024

Cati Landry defied the confines of material reality with the rush of euphonic etherealism in her sophomore single, Riptide, inspired by an equilibrium of the timeless music she grew up on and the rugged beauty of her coastal Canadian upbringing.

Ensuing from the ring of acoustic guitar chords which tinge the intro with 90s nostalgia, the single quickly oscillates into a diaphanous, quasi-hymnal ballad which reminisces on the most tender and mystifying-on-the-heartstrings facets of a relationship while conjuring a seraphic sense of serenity.

Landry’s crystalline vocal lines take the dreamy indie pop meets alt-country soundscape to a whole other celestial level; you can’t help but surrender to her otherworldly command when immersed in Riptide, which doesn’t stop at washing over your rhythmic senses; the single permeates the soul to implant the reverie rendered into the release.

Cati Landry set the bar high with her 2023 debut single, Mind’s Eye, but she reached nirvana with Riptide and sits alongside Beach House, Mazzy Star, and Chayr in the dream-pop pantheon.

Prior to focusing on her solo career, the Vancouver Island-born-and-raised artist lent her talents to various bands and performed in jazz clubs, bars & theatres. After studying Literature at the University, she pursued a Master’s in Songwriting at Berklee, where she wrote her debut single, which was brought to life in an LA recording room and polished by producer Neil Wogensen.

The dream-folk daytime lullaby arrived on the airwaves on July 11, distributed via Foundation Media, stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s introspective indie pop icon, Gemma Felicity, struck again in ‘10 Million Dates’

Posted on 13 July 2024

Our adoration for Gemma Felicity remains unflinching after the release of her intimate indie pop single, 10 Million Dates. With her latest right-on-the-euphonic money release, the London-hailing singer-songwriter captured the collective frustration within the modern dating scene, detrimented by the illusion of endless choice.

The sense of disillusion in the lack of real, raw, and pure connection resounds throughout the artistically profound, poetically bitter-sweet lament which acts as the ultimate consolation to anyone who is losing the motivation to keep searching.

By delicately touching on themes of people pleasing, loneliness, fear of the future, emotional baggage, and the ennui which follows pinning hopes on a transient character in our lives before they disappear within the folky dream pop reverie of the polished production, Gemma Felicity delivered one of the most affecting singles of 2024.

As the introspectively candid icon gears towards the release of her 5-track EP, Baggage, there’s no doubt that she’s inching towards the zenith of her career.

10 Million Dates was officially released on July 5th; stream the single on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergas

EmiTQM has made an ethereal debut with his installation of Latin indietronic pop, IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE

Posted on 5 July 2024

Latin pop sensation in the making, EmiTQM, has made an indelible mark on the Latin pop scene with his dreamy indietronica debut single, IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE, which arrests with ethereal melodic waves in the same vein as Cigarettes After Sex, and originates via tenderly warm and exploratively 8bit-adjacent sequences which envelop you in a sonic world of kaleidoscopic colour and soul.

Translating to ‘maybe you thought of me’, IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE is a reticently sweet embodiment of hope and yearning to reverberate around the mind of the person who ceaselessly occupies every waking thought.

The single is an affectingly unforgettable introduction to the Mexican pop singer-songwriter and producer’s unique style which has already seen him amass a loyal army of fans who relish in his ability to visualise universally resonant facets of the human condition.

The emotions that will flood through you as you follow EmiTQM’s lead through this future-forward earworm reach the pinnacle of visceralism. The hazy love-drunk hues translate with perfect articulation as the lines between reality and imagination blur.

One of the only things with more promise than his music career is that the sun will rise tomorrow. We are already stoked to hear what he has in store for his sophomore release.

IGUAL Y ME PENSASTE was officially released on June 27; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast