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Perfume Genius

Chris Koehn processed grief following the loss of his brother in his ethereal elecro-pop single, Melancholia

Embracing the perpetual promise of change, Chris Koehn composed his most introspective single to date, Melancholia. If there’s any lyric that truly epitomises the proclivity of melancholy while advocating mindfulness, it’s the poignantly rendered line, “It’s only life, everyday we die”, that reprises through this gentle dream pop exposition of ennui.

The atmospheric layering of the male and female vocal harmonies above the swirling electronic synthetics and intense percussion creates a sobering soundtrack for reflection. But the sense of soul that matches the contemporary gravitas of Perfume Genius and Cigarettes After Sex ensures that the ultimate effect is an enlivening one.

Inspired by the death of his brother, Chris Koehn is helping others through their grieving processes while processing his own grief. As someone that has recently experienced the loss of their mother, I can attest to the efficacy of this stunning reminder to live in the moment; while we still have one.

Melancholia is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Brikcs has released his dark genre-bending work of neo-classic melancholia ‘Coffers’

With its Cigarettes After Sex and Perfume Genius-level of artful magnetism, the cold ambience in Brikcs’ latest neo-classically-scored single, Coffers, is a rare reminder of just how sonorously beautiful music can be.

We scarcely felt that there was room for improvement the last time we heard Brikcs in December 2020 with his single, Water, but Coffers exceeded all expectations. With the lyricism falling into the sombre side of poetry and the grand piano melodies within the lush layers of reverb, Coffers is as elegant as it is haunting.

The extended instrumental interlude towards the outro is enough to affirm that Brikcs is one of the most criminally underrated artists of our generation. The beguiling mix of grandiosity and raw, gorgeously bleak emotion is nothing short of breathtaking.

The Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and electronica producer, Brikcs, cut his teeth in the music scene in rock and metal bands before turning his attention to genre-bending works of melancholia; a move that we will be endlessly grateful for.

Coffers is now available to stream on Bandcamp and  Spotify.

Follow Brikcs on Facebook 

Review by Amelia Vandergast