Browsing Tag

sound designer

Nim – Avalon: An Expansively Intimate Exploration of Dystopic Ennui

Nim’s latest single, ‘Avalon’, is a testament to his evolution as a multi-instrumentalist and sound designer. From the outset, the track immerses listeners in a world where ambient electronica melds seamlessly with a cinematic synthesis of post-rock and trip-hop. The minor key arrangement, rich in ambient textures, sets an ethereal yet intensely emotive tone to maintain a melancholic undercurrent without becoming overwrought.

The lush reverb sugars the pill of the dystopic ennui, while the desolation in the vocals is so laden with solitude they feel as if they are reaching out from the vastness of space, seeking connection in their isolation.

Nim’s background as a pianist and singer is evident in the meticulous construction of ‘Avalon’. The track defies easy categorisation, drifting through the realms of post-rock, trip-hop, and ambient IDM with a fluidity that speaks to his versatility. The introduction of a trappy backbeat, both solid and glitchy, adds an unexpected yet mellifluous twist, intensifying the track’s introspective mood.

Hit play and journey through Nim’s dystopian vision, where the feel of the music takes precedence and the haunting exploration of malaise resonates long after the last note fades.

Stream Avalon on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mosa melodically sculpted the twilight in his latest electronic score, The Night Sets In

Mosa

Lose yourself in the dusky twilight of the latest electronic folk serenade by the Oxford-based sound designer Mosa. His scintillating single, The Night Sets In, is a plaintively compelling composition that could be easily compared to the artfulness of Radiohead, Mogwai, and Low; although those comparisons can allude to the diaphanously sonorous atmosphere of his sound, they don’t do Mosa’s intrinsic authenticity much justice.

His unique ability to infuse the dusty soul of blues into his sound design around the neo-classic keys and ethereal motifs establishes him as one of the most authentic artists around in 2023. We were hooked after hearing his single, Helicopter, earlier this year, after hearing The Night Sets In, which could easily rival the beguiling gravitas of any of the releases on the Westworld soundtrack, we are even more assured that Mosa is one to watch.

The Night Sets In will be officially released on October 7th. Hear it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Join Harry Bone in his ambient retro synthscape, Journey

After gaining a background in classical music and a conservatoire degree in orchestral percussion production, the Bristol, UK-based producer, composer, and mixing and mastering engineer Harry Bone started to take a more experimental and lo-fi approach to his sound after discovering that almost anything can serve a musical purpose.

His 2023 ambient album, Ambi, featuring the odyssey voyage of a single, Journey, is a cathartic exhibition of his freshly rendered explorative talents. The reverb-lavish keys weave cinematic melodies while still delivering a chill synthy lo-fi smorgasbord of nostalgic alleviation.

The single was constructed to depict the journey from naval-gazing self-pity towards gratitude and positive affirmative action. By euphonically visualising a trip through the woods while allowing elements of nature to coalesce with memories that still evoke positive emotion, Bone succeeded in crafting a consoling score that will set your imagination alight.

If you’re always on the hunt for soundscapes that facilitate tranquil mental repose, don’t hang around waiting to discover the quiescent gems in Harry Bone’s discography.

Stream the Ambi album on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PonyArt has unveiled his Avant-Garde IDM installation of sonic maleficence, Novum Stutter Sd

The artwork for PonyArt’s debut LP, Redundancy, which landed on August 3rd, is creepier than any scene in The Last of Us; when you open the sonic door to it by delving into the first single, Novum Stutter Sd, you’ll instantly note the sound designer and composer’s ability to sonically visualise the macabre into maleficent melodic soundscapes.

While I never thought I would use Otto Von Schirach and Glenn Branca references in the same review, PonyArt necessitated it with his Avant-Garde installation of IDM, which came into fruition when the composer, who day walks by the name of Joe Sheldrick, decided to orchestrate an expression of pure creative freedom and escapism from genres or expectations.

While there are visceral moments of phantasmally cacophonous etherealism, the LP, which was put out through Dachshund Records, is underpinned by melodic accessibility.

Stream the Redundancy LP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Steve Nicosia scored a scintillating ambient fantasy in his instrumental curtain call, End of the Event

Taken from his hotly anticipated Matter of Time EP, the standout single, End of the Event, from the eclectically inspired artist Steve Nicosia is a filmic sonic fantasy that invites you to lose yourself in the scintillatingly structured ambience.

Short of implanting yourself back in the womb, there are few sanctuaries on our intrepid scorched earth as cathartic as the one that unfolds under the duress of the cinematic sound designer.

Extended preludes may be becoming a thing of the past in the streaming era of music. Yet, End of the Event proves that they are anything but outdated. The gentle orchestral swells, classical guitars, and piano motifs gradually build from the mid-way mark in this daydream of a release that progressively rewards you for your immersion.

As the layered melodies gently crescendo, the sense of arrestive awe for Nicosia’s talent when weaving an instrumental narrative will viscerally heighten. I feel like I’ve just heard the curtains close on humanity, and it deserves a standing ovation.

The Matter of Time EP is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Out Of Control: Taihei defies the failed system and busts free on the electronic storm to save a Fallen Angel

Dropping his first track of the year to much strength and dance floor sliding, Taihei shows us the full force of that potently elevating Fallen Angel via a track so heart-soothing, it might leave behind a smile for days.

Taihei aka John Paul Reyes is a Chicago, USA indie EDM music producer/sound designer who makes expertly created heavy soundtracks to boost all heartbeats up a notch or two.

A musical and technical maestro since the 2010s, he has worked in multiple different genres such as Progressive House, Trance, Big Room, Trap, and other styles. After many years working behind the scenes, he established Taihei in 2018 as a nostalgia love letter to the genres, tech culture, as well as the video games and anime that inspired him.” ~ Taihei

Marking the territory and easing all stress away with a monumental mountain of discovery, Taihei is surely on all radars with a song to remember forever here. Fallen Angel feels like a real description to feel enlightened by. It’s that good.

Fallen Angel from Chicago, USA indie EDM music producer Taihei is a vein-popping pool of inspiring clues into how one flies away from those dark days and controlling mechanisms that somehow treacherously deplete humanity’s innocence.

Layered in a rather spectacular force, our ears are treated to a wake-up call similar to a 4 am party of much significance. Headache? Yes. Worth it? Oh yes.

Listen up on Spotify. View more news on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Oxfordshire sound designer Mosa has unveiled his poetically postmodernist score, helicopter

https://soundcloud.com/soundofmosa/helicopter/s-SzrHmsEv6VP?si=900e2a959dbd4e68829de9048b7cfe3f&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Game composer by day and sound designer by night, the Oxfordshire-based artist Mosa evidently has a talent for creating immersive worlds. If anyone can exhibit the intrinsic beauty in melancholy, it is Mosa; his latest single, helicopter, is the ultimate testament to his ability to build poetry and a bitter-sweet neo-classic electronica score from scorned emotion.

Juxtaposingly creating an even balance between etherealism and visceralism, helicopter is an achingly artful aural memoir of ennui. The postmodernist reflective piece enmeshes you within the lyrical and vocal vulnerability, while the intricately weaved cinematic layers conceptually depict curtains closing. It is the ultimate consolation for outliers through the sonic resonance and affirmation that whatever you’re sinking into has sunk many of the beautiful minds that came before you.

Helicopter will land on February 3rd. Get onboard via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Benjamin Digby soothes with piano-led electronica in ‘Cool Calm Nice’

Cool Calm Nice by Benjamin Digby

Producer and sound designer Benjamin Digby has released a nice new track ‘Cool Calm Nice’. 

‘Cool Calm Nice’ is about as self-descriptive as a song could possibly get. It’s a warm, piano-led piece that devolves into a darker, wider soundscape full of icy plinks and electronically warming warbles. Digby shows off his production chops nicely on the mix, letting it emphatically build throughout a six minute duration and dramatically descend into its final stretches. 

It’s cool, it’s calm and it’s a very nice track from this electronic producer who we hope to see a lot more from. Definitely check ‘Cool Calm Nice’ out if you’re a fan of warm, electronic music with a darker edge. 

You can listen to ‘Cool Calm Nice’ on Benjamin Digby’s Bandcamp page here.