Browsing Tag

Indie Electro

Atlas Castle – Falling Slowly: Artfully Serene Downtempo Electronica

Posted on 25 February 2020
https://soundcloud.com/atlascastle/falling-slowly

“Falling Slowly” is the latest hypnotically track to be released from Copenhagen-based producer Atlas Castle. Any fans of transcendental Electronica are going to want to check out.

Atlas Castle found the perfect balance in tone with Falling Slowly. Allowing it to dark enough to be poignant, explorative and reflective, yet never allowing the track to reach the point of disconcertment for the listener.

There’s plenty of distinction to be found in Falling Slowly. But instead of the track resonating as experimental or alt electronica, it falls into the realms of artful ingenuity through the way Atlas Castle deftly toys with melodies, emotion and layers of aural aesthetic.

You can check out Atlas Castle’s latest track Falling Slowly for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Simon on the Moon – Milk: Genre-Defying Aural Magnetism

Posted on 3 December 2018

Simon on the Moon has recently released his most infectious indietronica hit yet. “Milk” is a genre-defying smorgasbord of sound ranging from Indie to Electro to R&B. The infusion of sounds creates a dizzying cocktail of viscerally light arrangements similar to what we heard from the up and coming artist’s first single “Hooked”. Yet, despite the melodicism of Milk, the ambient beat still carves out plenty of funk. If there are any up and coming artists you should be putting on your radar in 2019, it’s Simon on the Moon. His ability to create lyrically smooth soundscapes is matched by his pitch-perfect vocals which feed into the melody with layers of harmony. Whilst Milk is undeniably experimental and shows plenty of curve-creating prodigal flair, it’s still accessible enough to slip into from the first verse.

You can check out Simon on the Moon’s latest single Milk for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Drakmah – 26: Hauntingly Concordant Indie Electronica

Posted on 8 November 2018

The tear-jerking capacity of the vocals from Drakmah’s latest single “26” hit me from the first verse whilst the intellectualism behind the instrumental arrangements added further insult to emotive injury.

With elements of Post Punk the Indie Electro Pop track progresses with experimentally immersive arrangements and a complete disregard for the usual structures of sound. The end result is an ethereally captivating soundscape which you won’t forget in a hurry. Mainly due to the fact there are very few up and coming artists with the ability to get this inventive with their sound and still create a track that is so much more than the novelty of hearing something new. The multi-layered mix of acoustic and electronic effect comes together with such concordant synergy to describe the energy behind 26 as haunting almost seems like an understatement. If you haven’t noticed by now, I can’t say enough good things about the London-based ensemble, so check out the live recording of Drakmah’s single 26 for yourselves by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

POLITIK – Rage On: Arrestingly Hypnotic Indie Electro

Posted on 14 October 2018

London Grammar fans, you’re in for an absolute treat. With such a stark vocal reminiscence between Hannah Reid and POLITIK’s vocalist Nicola Mayer with their latest track “Rage On” it was hard not to become instantly consumed by the arrestingly hypnotic Electro Pop composition.

What was orchestrated instrumentally in Rage On transcended the empyreal melodicism which even the chart-topping artists can muster. The Cape Town, South Africa-based trio use their cinematic style to build a momentous amount of potent energy with subtle yet anthemic build ups by mixing elements from a myriad of different genres. I have no doubt that POLITIK can unite fans of ambient electro pop and alt rock simultaneously with their gripping visceral sound.

If practice makes perfect, I can’t wait to hear what POLITIK create in the future with their honest, raw and celestial sound. Considering Rage On was released back in 2017, I’d say it was definitely time we were treated to another ethereally stunning release.

You can check out the official video to Rage On by POLITIK by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Big Jens and the Boy – Mine: Sticky-Sweet Indie Electro Catharsis

Posted on 18 August 2018

Finding an Indie track as anthemically indulgent as Big Jens and the Boy’s latest single Mine would be like finding a needle in an aural haystack. With the punchy, sticky sweet melodies of Alt Indie and the cathartic waves of reverb hit you hard enough to carry you with the tide of the seamless progression. By the second chorus you won’t fail to appreciate the lucid ingenuity that went into creating Mine. Their mix of acoustic and digital arrangements almost allowed you to dare to imagine what Gary Numan would sound like if he got experimental with a Shoegaze-inspired Indie track. The haunting notes from the synth pierce through the sludgy reverb curtesy of the guitars whilst the vocals effortlessly synergise with the rest of the mix. There really is no overstating how transiently beautiful Big Jens and the Boy’s latest single is. Any fans of emotionally honest Alt 90’s music are sure to appreciate the soundscape on offer from the up and coming artists.

You can check out the slightly disturbing yet highly fabulous official music video to Mine yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Since November release moving track ‘Star System’

Posted on 7 August 2017

Bright pianos and organic strings don’t always get grouped in with lively breakbeat influences. After hearing Star System by Since November, you’ll be asking why this is the case. Soft vocals that would be expected to fit into more electronic settings become the perfect glue for awe-inspired arpeggios and reverent string arrangements. This track defies convention and expectation. In its wake is unadulterated possibility.

To call this song uplifting would be a grand oversimplification. This song may bring a sense of freedom and even a smile to your face, but this song has more than a good time in store. There is beauty here and it’s worth dwelling on. It’s repetitive but never boring and every time the loop breaks, it feels as if you’ve discovered a completely new outlook on the world around you.

Star System shows you the door to frontiers that aren’t always accessible. This is what so many people love about music in a general sense. It rekindles our nostalgias, enhances our good times, and understands us when we’re down. Since November has something different in mind though. The mission here is to move people.  Mission certainly accomplished. One can only hope more artists take notice of the style exuded on this track. If not, we can eagerly anticipate more from Since November.

-Paul Weyer

A&R Factory Present: B O K E H

Posted on 18 February 2017

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, raised in Wellington, New Zealand, Chloë Lewer grew up too shy to ever sing in front of anyone. Instead, she spent her childhood and university years working as an actress. At age 21, she met a filmmaker who persuaded her to start a ukulele busking adventure with him in Berlin, which quickly developed into a touring band called ‘Charity Children’ with two albums under their sleeves over five years.

As the relationship turned to friendship and the band went into hiatus, Chloë sought new artistic endeavours. Teaming up with Dutch writer/producer Wouter Rentema, also the drummer of ‘Charity Children’, the pair spent the Summer of 2016 locked inside various studios about the German capital and recording synths in a disused chapel in The Netherlands, developing what would become Chloë’s artistic alter-ego: B O K E H.

‘Don’t Leave The Fire’ feels like the diary no one was ever meant to find. The highs and lows of life and love lost are explored over a six track EP, in what is clearly a very personal musical letter. Intimate, sincere vocals, charged by an epic Electropop production with obvious 80s influences, expose B O K E H’s world and all the colourful, beautiful and painful spots of her imaginarie.

‘I Know You Know’, the first single from the EP, is scheduled for release Feb 17th, 2017.