Browsing Tag

UK electronica

Drum n Bass entered into a new evocative era with Joy Doc’s All of Me

Posted on 19 April 2024

Joy Doc’s latest single, ‘All of Me‘, is a compelling showcase of her multifaceted talent as a drum and bass producer, vocalist, songwriter, DJ, and pianist. Hailing from London, Joy Doc has been carving a niche in the UK’s electronica scene, and this track is an undeniable testament to her superlative prowess.

The track commences with an ornate orchestral introduction, setting an evocative stage for what’s to come. As Joy Doc’s vocals enter, “Oh Lorde,” will be the first thing on your mind due to the striking resemblance and depth in her voice. These vocals, layered over the sound of hammered piano keys, create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere, where you can contemplate the self-sacrifice of giving someone your whole essence only to transform into a shell of who you were before you surrendered yourself completely and knelt at the feet of romantic mercy.  The lyrics poignantly explore the transformation of self when consumed by love, painting a vivid picture of becoming a secondary character in one’s own love story.

The production, handled by Joy Doc herself, is flawlessly and meticulously crafted, ensuring that the listener is drawn in and remains captivated until the outro and then some; the crescendos of drum & bass momentum are tensile, perfectly timed to elevate the track’s emotional intensity.

Mixed and mastered by Jose De Mara, ‘All of Me’ is a declaration of Joy Doc’s potential to dominate the electronica landscape. Her previous accolades, including her debut E.P ‘Sunshine‘ and the recognition of her track ‘Been Here Before‘, are just the beginning.

All of Me will hit the airwaves on April 19th; stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Meet the Einstein of IDM in Bitvert’s latest soundscape, wasted states

Posted on 1 April 2024
Wasted states by bitvert

Bitvert’s latest offering, ‘wasted states‘, is a testament to his profound understanding and innovative approach to electronica. Trained as a painter and skilled in music production, projection, 2D artwork, and visuals, Bitvert brings a unique perspective to his musical creations, evident in this captivating track.

‘wasted states’ draws listeners into a monochromatic techno landscape that is as dark and harbingering as it is transcendently liberating. Bitvert’s mastery in creating a soundscape that is both oppressive and enchanting is unparalleled. The backbeat, demanding and unyielding, forms the backbone of this auditory experience, compelling submission with its rhythmic magnetism.

As the instrumental progresses, haunting violin strings weave in, adding an exotic beguile that juxtaposes the track’s oppressive nature. This element of contrast is a reflection of Bitvert’s ability to allow his audience to profoundly feel what he visualises sonically.

Bitvert’s background in various artistic disciplines enriches his music, allowing him to create multi-dimensional experiences. His work with The Light Surgeons and performances at The Big Chill and Glastonbury Festival’s Gas Tower stage, as well as a groundbreaking VR set at The Lost Horizon Festival, showcase his versatility and commitment to pushing the boundaries of electronic music.

Wasted states was officially released on March 15; stream the single on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MJSB spilt sonic synaesthesia into the deep house grooves of her latest single, Bright Green

Posted on 22 June 2023

With her recently released EP, From Nothing, to Rushing, the UK artist and producer MJSB reconstructed the house genre by weaving a tonally sublime tapestry of sub-genre signatures.

The standout single, Bright Green, is a synaesthesia-spilling triumph of an instrumental hit, which paints verdant hues across the intuitively deep progressions that know just how to key into your rhythmic pulses and transport you through MJSB’s sonic visualisation of infectiously high-vibe energy and emotion. Tranquil and tantalisingly momentous in equal measure, hitting play on Bright Green is cheaper than therapy but can be as equally advantageous to your chi.

MJSB has been contributing to the airwaves since 2017. Since, she has received the support of BBC Introducing, been spun on the BBC Radio 1 Dance Show and worked with labels such as 1980 Recordings, 33 Music and Eton Messy Records. Her hit records have become a staple on Spotify editorial playlists, including UK House Music and Housewerk. With plenty more material in the pipeline, she has exactly what it takes to become one of the biggest names in the domain of UK house.

Bright Green is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Last Clouds epitaphed society in their debut LP, Illuminism

Posted on 20 January 2023
The Last Clouds

After a string of emotionally wrenching singles, The Last Clouds’ first album, Illuminism, has finally arrived. Bringing with it proclamative liberation from the idea that alienation makes you an outlier in 2023.

Short of being prescribed a trip to the seaside with a bottle of laudanum. I couldn’t think of a better way to find sanctity as our era is epitomised by the descent of truth, meaning, refuge, and connection.

With poetically forlorn lyrics that push the chill of modernity through light and dark malleable elements to reflect our increasingly arduous associations with our disunited society, the LP kicks off to a phenomenal start with track 1, Becoming.

Track 2, Origin, is instrumentally reminiscent of the latest LP offering from Editors. While Matt Schott endeavours with his harbingering vocal lines that effortlessly gel with the turbulently distorted bass around the scintillatingly futuristic synths.

Track 3, Empty Room, starts with a cinematically cavernous ambience to set a tone of Lynchian isolation before the interstellar lyricism drifts across the detachment-reflective instrumentals that are pushed far enough back in the mix to conceptualise the titular allusion.

Track 4, Earth’s Light, starts with an arcane neo-classic electronica score before bursting into a fervid outpour of future pop; the ardent backbeat rails through the reverb as the vocals and lyrics run through in a similar visceral vain to Nova by VNV Nation.

In the same way War of the Worlds is an apocalyptic narration of the end of the world, track 5, Turnpike, chronicles the uncertainty that perturbs even the most resilient minds as we anticipate the future after the everyday disasters we have numbed ourselves to through over-exposure.

Track 6, Another Way to Fall, is a ruminative masterpiece. Rich with romanticism and abjection in equal measure. Definitively proving that few things are true in this world without bitter-sweet duality.

The previously released single, Damage, is by far one of the most poetic accounts of the repercussions of living in a post-truth era I will probably ever hear. The Covenant-ESQUE synths give way to an exposition of how far the mainstream media is willing to let us sink under divisive propaganda.

The concluding single, Fog of Lies, is another sonically disassociated depiction of where we collectively lie in a society that is as glitchy as the artfully jarring orchestration. It’s the perfect continuation from Damage, which will undoubtedly be the most poignant aural memento of how we came to disaffectedly be.

Considering that protests are now effectively banned, this is as close was we are going to get to objection. The fear-encompassing LP is a boldly vulnerable dissent against the forces that are working together in perfect design to welcome us to our worse than Orwellian future. For your own sake, get your resonance fill from it.

Illuminism will officially release on January 20th. Hear it on all major platforms via this link.

Follow The Last Clouds on Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stave off existential burnout with James Greenfield’s alt-indie electro single, Turn it Off

Posted on 2 December 2022
https://soundcloud.com/user-93978067/turn-it-off/s-MX2xNnDZDtU?si=f2294089a37a420b8a960ec8c4255b92&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The Southcoast, UK Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, James Greenfield, released the most essential electronica single of the year with Turn It Off.

With soul bleeding equally through his vocals and the organic indietronica-meets-EBM rhythms, the impact of this single isn’t to be underestimated. You get a real sense that he’s harmonising from a position of experience when he verses on the pervasive negativity being too much.

“Not giving up, just rising above” is a mantra we would all benefit from taking in our stride. Nothing about Turn it Off feels preachy and holier-than-thou. It is clear that his warning comes from a place of deep compassion.

With 20 years working in the industry, Greenfield was primed to create a resoundingly empowering hit with Turn It Off. I, for one, will be heeding his advice to curb my doom scrolling and let more positivity shape my mentality.

“The demands being put on people these days are relentless. On any given day, we are exposed to huge amounts of disproportionately negative news and are constantly targeted and manipulated to buy more stuff.

We also have demands from other people’s expectations and how they want us to behave. We also live in a world where a never-ending stream of addictive content keeps us glued to our devices.”

For your own sake, place the efficacious reminder that you owe it to yourself to turn off and tune out now and again before you existentially burn out firmly on your playlists.

Check out Turn it Off from December 2nd on SoundCloud. For more info, check out his website. 

Follow James Greenfield on Facebook and Instagram. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Night Movies got orbital in their cinematic downtempo trip-hop instrumental, Once Around the Sun

Posted on 15 April 2022

Once Around the Sun is an orbital teaser of what’s to come from the highly anticipated album from the UK alt-electro collective, Night Movies. The instrumental downtempo trip-hop track flirts with the brashier tones of trap while the moody yet dreamy cinematic production ensures that your trip around the sun is a cathartically immersive one.

The competition in the electronica field may be fierce but Night Movies, with their dystopically transcendent dark teeth and stellar line up of contributing artists have exactly what it takes to leave an impression.

Once Around the Sun will be available to stream from April 15th worldwide. The album which it was taken from, Dreamish, will be available from August 5th. Check out Night Movies via SoundCloud. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prepare Your Playlists for the Phantasmal Candour in The Ninth Configuration’s Latest Single, Ghosts Around My Bed

Posted on 25 March 2022

Fans of Depeche Mode won’t want to let the latest single, Ghosts Around My Bed, from The Ninth Configuration pass them by. The monochromatic synth lines teasingly flirt with the post-punk and darkwave while the beats infuse the melancholic candour-swathed single with danceability.

With the pensive sting of the Verve’s earlier material and the no holds barred lyricism that cuts to the same core of fraught emotional disillusionment that we are all susceptible to during our lives, Ghosts Around My Bed is as unifying as it is darkly destitute. In the best possible way. The Ninth Configuration simply projected the sense of cold claustrophobic harrow that surrounds us in the wake of lost pieces of our lives.

The official music video premiered on March 9th. You can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Poetry and Electronic Post-Punk Collide in The Ninth Configuration’s Latest Single, Love is a Want of Reason

Posted on 20 November 2021

If artists climbed the charts on the poetic intrigue of their track titles alone, the UK-based outfit, The Ninth Configuration, would never leave the top of the billboard charts with their latest single, Love is a Want of Reason.

Even before you hit play on the track, you’re desperate to hear what introspective gold is nestled inside. Hint, you definitely won’t be disappointed. The dark electronic post-punk single has exactly what it takes to win over Alex Cameron and Jack Ladder fans with the crooned indie post-punk vocals that effortlessly fall into the synthesised pool of relatable melancholia.

The official music video for Love is a Want of Reason is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sentry takes us to Yesteryear with his latest future bass production.

Posted on 28 September 2021

If any up and coming electronica artist has what it takes to create a new trajectory in the evolution of future bass, it is the 21-year-old UK pioneer, Sentry.

By using natural elements in his ambient work that cuts with an atmospheric chill, despite the warm organic textures weaved into the production, you can’t help but be arrested by the cinematic flair exhibited in Yesteryear.

The first drop is a harsh and scuzzy descent into discord; from there on out, the basslines tear away at any ambience the prelude offered and leaves you galvanised by the alchemic synthesised momentum.

Yesteryear is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

WHITING proves that optimism and euphoria are still in trend with their progressive DnB mix ‘Cyan Nights’

Posted on 6 March 2021

To tease their forthcoming EP, Bristol-based alchemist of electronically-crafted euphoria, WHITING, has released their progressive drum n bass record, ‘Cyan Nights’.

After a moody ambient prelude, Cyan Nights transitions from artfully intricate to a bass-drenched danceable feat of future-pop with a few alt-rock inclinations thrown in for good measure.

‘High vibe’ music may not be in short supply in 2021, but WHITING has a unique way of conjuring organically optimistic imagery and energy within their sound. You can’t help but fall into the infectious grooves, especially when the soaring 80s-style guitar hooks sink their teeth in.

Cyan Nights is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast