The Florida band Hundred Waters debuted the first song from their third record which they are currently finishing up as a trio. ‘Particle’ is typical of the band to meld electronic textures with more earthly tones. They say it’s “a deeply personal song that reflects a period of profound change within the band wherein the relationships of the members have shifted into unfamiliar territory, reflected in the song’s rapidly morphing textures.
This newest release from Anna Of The North is an ethereal sounding track that feels a bit like Brooklyn’s Wet meets a lower-key Chvrches there’s a sense of mounting energy and boldness as the track goes on, growing into something that generates enough heat to melt the ice. It makes sense once you know that Anna of the North is a collaboration between north and south Norway’s Anna Lotterud and New Zealand born producer Brady Daniell-Smith, who met in Melbourne. They made their first blip on the music radar in 2014 with the track “Sway” and then follow Up “Oslo” in early 2015 and now a third blip is here but it’s more of a roar, cementing Anna of the North right onto our festival wish list for 2016.
There’s a lot of candidates in the ‘electro-indie male’ category for 2015. Some of these have now gained major label signings and are starting to play internationally. They’re gaining chart positions. Some are releasing debut albums and topping polls. but one thing to say from the start is that camera-shy artists Huntar is far from just another notch on the music scene. Offering something darker than the likes of Jack Garratt, something less electro-pop than Years and Years and still more distinctive than Sohn.
I heard Huntar’s first track “Expectations” early last summer and was instantly struck by his crisp vocal that cut through his atmospheric, intelligently crafted production. I was hearing influences from the likes of future R&B crooners like Jacob Banks through to the prog-rock mastery of Muse all within one track. In the opening of “Naked Noises” I’ve got goosebumps in the same way Patrick Wolf would with his discography. In “Autumn” we hear quite the gear change, showcasing this artists as a world class indie-electro performer with stand out qualities that set him apart and above from his kin. His latest “Sk1N” (premiered just this week) is another such expression of talent, being an alternative power-ballad of sorts that evokes all kinds of emotions on it’s near 6 minute aural rollercoaster.
For just four public tracks and a performance at the BBC Introducing stage earlier this year we’ve already seen endorsements from industry, music lovers and home/international crowds alike. Already penciled into many’s top tips for 2015/16 polls for the end of the year it’s going to be a great journey to be on board with so early. Look out for rare but busy live dates, but be patient whilst this act takes his time in fully bringing his unique and rather splendid sound to life with producers and studio time in the diary.
The lush vocal harmonies and dark synth melodies of Syzzors’ beat driven dream pop won us over when we noticed them on the charts at CISM. Since their previous release, this Montreal-based band brought in an additional member, moving them to shift their songwriting style. These changes paid off, delivering six captivating tracks on their brand new, self-released album “Leo”.
Curxes are a blaze of energy. The Self-styling their music as ‘blitz pop’ the band’s all-encompassing approach fuses electro-pop with jittering rhythms and lavish arrangements, with echoes of Depeche Mode.
A trio formed mid-way between Brighton and Portsmouth, the south coast coast outfit have just completed work on debut album ‘VERXES’. Available to pre-order now, fans who pay up front can download new track ‘What You Want’. Packed with energy and lavish fluorescent tones, CURXES’ itchily melodic approach is something to be admired.
White Shadows new album Secret Of Life due out on the April 27
Another of last year’s returns from the brink, The Vines’ Craig Nicholls teams up Empire Of The Sun’s Nick Littlemore and a cast of Aussie musicians (Warpaint’s Stella Mozgawa and Jagwar Ma’s Jono Ma amongst them to try his hand at bright synth-pop instead of thrashy grunge.
Susanne Aartun Sundfør (born 19 March 1986) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter. She is the granddaughter of linguist Kjell Aartun. She was born in Haugesund and later moved to Oslo. Sundfør decided for music to be her profession at the age of 23. She said in an 2013 interview, ‘I think I only decided that this is something that I wanted to spend my entire life doing after I released ‘The Brothel’, ’cause that was the first time I really felt like I had ‘found’ a sound.’
NYC band Beautiful blend of Slo-mo Electro Pop, Wet’s self-titled debut EP, released last October on Neon Gold Records, has sold 1,000 copies to date, But several figures within the music industry seem to think that Wet’s first release is the first precursor to something much bigger.
http://www.soundcloud.com/wet , www.allwet.bandcamp.com
When bassist Mikey Goldsworthy and synth player Emre Turkmen first started what would eventually become elegant dance-pop practitioners Years & Years, they were missing a vocalist. As chance would have it Goldsworthy overheard the dulcet tones of actor Olly Alexander (you’ll recognise him from Skins and Stuart Murdoch’s film God Help the Girl) warbling his way through the Fugees’ Killing Me Softly in a friend’s shower and asked him to join the band. The earwigging paid off because it’s Alexander’s gorgeous, featherlight vocals that have dominated their output so far; from the keening Traps and clap-heavy Real (both released via respected French label Kitsuné) to the yearning, Disclosure-esque swirl of this summer’s bouncy Take Shelter and 90s house-indebted new single Desire. Now signed to Polydor, and with a nomination for the Brits Critics’ Choice under their belts, catchy, soulful dance pop.
Manchester Girl Boy duo art-soul twosome Bernard + Edith (Greta ‘Edith’ Carroll and Nick ‘Bernard’ Delap) have revealed their new deal with Bella Union and details of a debut single on the label, “WURDS”
Jamie Lee – MONEY’s frontman – has inked a lengthy silver-penned bio for the duo, from which you can read an excerpt: “Perhaps Bernard and Edith would think that what I’m about to say is going too far. But I remember drinking with vocalist Edith in a bar in Manchester and talking about how her and Bernard come to creating their songs. Edith observed: “Rather than say ‘let’s go out’ or ‘let’s watch TV’ I say, ‘should we make a cheeky song?’ And he says ‘Alright then’.” And that laughter I’ve come to know so well erupts from her maniacally, childishly, freely……It is my belief that whatever art is, it is the direct opposite of whatever money is. It is made by the maker to save oneself briefly from the inevitable and in doing so (where the craft comes in) may end up saving other people briefly too. Bernard + Edith make their music from home and (I cannot help but feel) predominantly for each other – a kind of covenant to their particular and special bond.”
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