Browsing Tag

Space Pop

mooncrüe have made their psychedelically existential debut with the spacey alt-electro hit, Animal

Posted on 6 March 2023

Alt-electronica originators mooncrüe went heavy on the philosophy which will be as euphonic to existential ears as the kaleidoscopic synth-pop beats in their debut single, Animal.

If you have ever looked at the lesser-aware species that roam this scorched earth with us with envy for their habitual simplicity; you will find visceral resonance in this mix. Animal leaves the highs to the instrumentals, and the realism within the lyricism that becomes even more astute with every listen to the spacey psychedelic score.

It isn’t every day that you discover a debut that leaves you desperate for the sophomore, but clearly, the indie psychonauts within this devilishly clever outfit are anything but your run-of-the-mill aural peddlers. They’re on their very own spacey plateau. Hit play and join them.

Animal is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Arlo Boe – Eclipsed: One small step for pop, one giant leap for the airwaves.

Posted on 19 August 2022

The Australian up-and-coming pop sensation, Arlo Boe didn’t just go lyrically interstellar with her latest single, Eclipsed. The stratospheric energy resounds just as much through the catchy, spacey 80s synth pop textures, modernised by Boe’s unique futuristic pop vision.

Beyond the spacey intonations, Eclipsed is dedicated to the people who don’t fall into the category of marriage material but are dynamite between the sheets. A bold concept, but with Arlo Boe’s signature cinematic yet casually cool style, it is impossible not to get hooked on the synthy grooves and her vocal dynamism, which asserts her authenticity on the airwaves.

Eclipsed will officially release on August 12th; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jack Wakeman & The Dreamstriders share the ‘Cosmic Fear’ in their latest single

Posted on 16 March 2022

It is easy to lament existing in this particular fragment of the space-time continuum. But at no other point in our history would we get to celebrate endearing alt-indie artists, such as Jack Wakeman & The Dreamstriders, and their tracks on apocalyptic optimism.

Cosmic Fear was written after a mental breakdown that left Wakeman overwhelmed by the magnitude of the sky. After the fear subsided, Wakeman was left adrift with existential confusion before he understood that it is ok to leave some things as a mystery. As meaning-makers, it’s hard to know where to draw the line and when to leave our curiosity behind; Cosmic Fear stunningly navigates the epiphany in true 80s synth-pop meets classic rock fashion.

If you like your existentialism sunny side up, the spacey indie pop rock earworm should be considered a playlist staple.

The official video to Cosmic Fear is available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

OneNamedPeter explores the pleasure-pain connection in his artful cosmic pop single, Hurts

Posted on 4 March 2022

Ahead of the release of his fifth 100% DIY album, Hurts, the alt-indie British singer-songwriter, OneNamedPeter, has given us a teaser by letting us taste the cosmic pop textures in the bitter-sweet title single.

If you took Prince’s solos, Elliott Smith’s raw songwriting style, the dreamy chamber pop style of Daughter, the spacey gravity of Bowie and threw them into an aural cocktail with orchestral motifs to boot, it would pour just like the intoxicating soundscape, Hurts.

Nothing about the high-fidelity production feels less than professional. OneNamedPeter knows just how to conjure enough alchemy to wrap around his lyricism that explores the pleasure and pain connection.

Hurts is one of those tragically rare releases that you immediately know you’ll want to dive into time and time again. We’re stoked to hear how the LP ensues after the title-single set such a blissful and accordant tone.

Hurts will officially release on March 4th, 2022. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Fountains of Paradise has made an interstellar indie space pop debut with Forgotten Man.

Posted on 28 October 2021

With their if-they-got-enough-exposure-they-would-probably-start-a-cult-and-it-would-be-the-best-thing-ever vibe, it is safe to say that we instantly warmed to The Fountains of Paradise through their single, Forgotten Man, which features on their debut album, Let the People.

The Yorkshire-born, Buckinghamshire-based singer-songwriter’s spacey indie bedroom pop track starts with uplifting ABBA-Esque chords before the sonic palette transitions into an avant-garde arrangement of orchestral strings pulling against the electro-pop instrumentals. Plenty of the accordance in the single comes from the singer-songwriter’s elegantly gentle vocals that tenderly relay the playfully melancholic lyrics.

Forgotten Man does little in the way of subverting reality; it becomes escapism music all the same for the way it leaves you caught up in the witty attack on nihilism and mortality redundancy. For four minutes, blackened souls will feel right at home.

You can add Forgotten Man to your playlists on Spotify, or you can check out the official music video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Television Of Cruelty go out of this world with ‘The Winchcombe Meteorite’

Posted on 18 June 2021

Eclectic is a word that gets overused in music reviews, but there are few that fit The Television Of Cruelty better; unexpected, often eerie and unsettling, ‘The Winchecombe Meteorite’ is a narrative tale telling the story of a big chunk of space debris which landed on the driveway of a house smack in the middle of Suburban England in February 2021, amongst the lockdown of the Coronavirus pandemic and the echoing divisions of Brexit and the Black Lives Matter protests.

Musically, there’s a mixture of folk, prog, and out and out rock; guitars, yes, and drums, but also flutes and a melodica. It sounds a little like New Model Army back in their ‘Vengeance’ and ‘Thunder and Consolation’ perfection heyday, mixed with ‘Space Oddity’-era Bowie and dashes of Pink Floyd and Yes. It’s gentle, poetic, storytelling folk-prog that’s a perfect introduction to the ToC’s new album ‘England’s Wyrding’. Stellar (sorry).

Check out ‘The Winchcombe Meteorite’ on Soundcloud; follow the Television of Cruelty on Facebook and Twitter.

Review by Alex Holmes

Troubled Traveller has released his psychedelically despondent art-pop debut, ‘the lucky ones’

Posted on 1 April 2021

Canadian singer-songwriter Troubled Traveller has made their debut with the all too resonant single ‘the lucky ones’, created in collaboration with Floridian space pop producer Brian Squillace and vocalist Amber Nicole.

With shimmering guitars cascading down melodies first heard in 70s psych-rock finding synergy with deadpan vocals, everything in the lucky ones pieces together like a perfect jigsaw that you never want to tear apart.

Troubled Traveller succeeded in lacing the lucky ones with the same despondence that we’ve all been in bed with recently without making it a self-flagellating melancholy fest. He’s set the bar with his seriously strong debut, but we’re more than assured he’ll exceed expectation with their upcoming releases. Don’t be surprised if Troubled Traveller ambles onto your radar when you hit play on their debut.

the lucky ones is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

”I Don’t Like You” from Space Pop leader Guy Bachelor, The Bachelorettes and Oliver Lee

Posted on 18 June 2020

”I Don’t Like You” is a new single from Guy Bachelor’s latest album and is off ”Never See Me Again”.

This is a pop tingled daydream and it is so well sung. The message is kind of sad. This is all about hiding a romance from friends and keeping things very private. A very common theme these days which can’t be healthy but happens anyway. The beat is quite chilled and simple with some impressive features from The Bachelorettes and Oliver Lee.

This is a song that will be played on radio and at friends BBQ’s this summer as an escape for all the seriousness in the world currently. I like the well sung vocals on this one and the chorus is very catchy and mellow. A pleasant single to vibe with- ”I Don’t Like You” ticks all the right boxes and is perfect to dance to on a Sunday afternoon while outside in the garden.

To hear this song and more be sure to head through to Guy’s Spotify music channel right now.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Discover the Quintessential Charm of Welsh Avenue’s Harmoniously Hypnotic Space Pop Single “Disco Moon”

Posted on 20 December 2018

Was it by chance that Welsh Avenue’s standout single “Disco Moon” was reminiscent of the hits by iconic Welsh outfit Manic Street Preachers? Whilst the connection to Welsh Avenue’s experimental Space Pop sound to the Manic’s Britpop Pensive aural magnetism may seem unlikely, the same strikingly soulful capacity was palpable.

Straight from the prelude of the electronically mastered single you sense the amount of passion which went into the orchestration and production of Disco Moon. Using plenty of spatial effects, the single slowly progresses through the slightly extended mix which gives plenty of time for you to slip into the soundscape before the vocals hit. If Disco is known for anything, it’s definitely not ethereally mesmeric vocals contained within the tracks, yet, Welsh Avenue layered the single with his harmoniously hypnotic vocal range; giving you one more reason to fall in love with the sound.

You can check out Welsh Avenues latest single Disco Moon for yourselves by heading over to Soundcloud now. Give the artist a follow to make sure you don’t miss out on his upcoming single “Holy Ghost” due for release on January 31st.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keplero – Dare to Go: Funk-Driven Space Pop

Posted on 15 December 2018

Moody electro pop tracks aren’t usually known for the high levels of Funk in their soundscapes, but it would appear that Keplero aren’t your average synth pop outfit. With their latest single Dare to Go they created a well-rounded sonically hypnotic arrangement. As you listen to the majestic work of electronic alchemy unfold, it becomes clear that the Italian powerhouse clearly possesses a maturity through the way they tie together electronic and acoustic arrangements.

With their 6th single Dare to Go they were able to create a pitch-perfect production which incorporates post punk elements into the nostalgically eighties sound. Fans of Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, Kraftwerk and New Order are all definitely going to want to check out the melodic pacing of this sweet and serendipitous single.

You can check out Keplero’s moodily melodic masterpiece Dare to Go out for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast