Confidence is a curious thing. Some days you might feel a quiet self-assurance, other days you are brash and bold to a fault, and others still your reservoir of certainty is completely drained. But sometimes – probably a rare occasion – you might wake up, put your clothes on, leave the house; all the while feeling a static buzz in the air around you. Suddenly you catch your reflection in a shop or car window. You meet your own eye with a knowing glint. It’s not vanity, it’s a corner of your mouth curling up into a smirk. It’s a complete unlearning of the word ‘hesitation’, even if only for a second. The world is yours. One can only suppose this is the shining moment that ALTA inhabit constantly. Their second EP Sincere does not fumble, it does not flounder, it does not falter. It is pure perseverance, running breathlessly to the edge of the world, constantly breaking new ground.

ALTA’s first release in 2015, Awake For Days, undeniably positioned them for excellence. The response – HypeMachine charting, over a million SoundCloud and Spotify plays, critical acclaim, and now a signing to record label Soothsayer – indeed appears to have injected the Melbourne duo with an unshakeable sense of confidence. To their credit, this never translated to ham-handedness or egotism; just restrained innovation.

Boundaries are pushed, broken, and revisited with a nostalgic tone. Lead single Plans, like the other songs on the release, is highly syncopated, driven by tuned percussion with nods to world music. It weaves in and out of various musical echelons, refusing to sit still for too long but maintaining a coolly calculated focus with a steely eye. Vocalist Hannah Lesser has a delicate yet sharply compelling timbre not unlike Little Dragons’ Yukimi Nagano, while producer Julius Dowson flirts with techniques favoured by those such as SBTRKT – but the finished product sounds nothing like either influence. Instead, Sincere is a fresh, unique development of ALTA’s sound, poised constantly and deliberately on a knife’s edge. Closing track Same positions itself as the perfect bookend to Plans, an extension of Dowson’s enlightened production methods.

Unbelievable and Company dip their toes into RnB and downbeat chilltronica respectively, proving ALTA are unafraid of inter-decade experimentation. Simply put, this EP is not the creation of a pair of music snobs. With layered, textured synth sounds borrowed from hallmarks of the 90s and 00s – all the way up to today’s innovative bedroom producers – Unbelievable is a breakup jam that sonically feels ready to jump straight back into bed for makeup sex. Where Company is understated and repetitive despite its trap/jungle influences, Unbelievable is a layered, textured slow burner.

All of Sincere feels like it belongs on a go-to playlist for an inhumanly early morning, when the hedonistic chaos of the night is less visceral but still very much present. Mess is the epitome of this, surely designed and crafted specifically for worn-out souls at witching hour with its soulful tumble towards building euphoria. And like the rest of the tracks on this EP, there’s an emphasis on Mess truly being a product of the sum of its parts. Every noise created is as essential to the songs’ narrative and emotional positioning as Lesser’s lead vocals, treated with utmost care and respect, polished like a prized trophy.

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Image: Mushroom Promotions

It’s Friday and that can only mean one thing: here’s your weekly playlist, featuring some of the best new tunes from across the globe. We try to cover as much as we can throughout the week, and here’s the best of anything we may have missed. We’ve got a slightly longer playlist today than usual – Enjoy!

  • Promises Ltd., Days of Lavender
    This is a really cool new collaboration from Chrome Sparks, aka Jeremy Malvin, and Charlie brand of Miniature Tigers. Days of Lavender is their first single and I adore it. A riveting, driving rhythm and an interesting, kind of psych-y melody lead the way. I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next.
  • Woodes, The Thaw
    Brisbane’s Woodes has returned with a slinky electro-R&B offering, blending a soft percussive rhythm with sensual atmospherics. All the while, a seductive, breathy melody carries it along. Stellar work from both Woodes and Lanks, who co-wrote and co-produced the track.
  • ALTA, Plans
    ALTA have just shared the exciting news that they’ve signed to Melbourne label Soothsayer, and with the news comes new single Plans. I love how interesting, funky, and most importantly, how unique this sounds. There are so many cool sounds coming together to create a great rhythm and vibe.
  • Ady Suleiman, Running Away (The Social Experiment Remix)
    Chance the Rapper affiliates the Social Experiment have left their mark on Suleiman’s track, which was already amazing to start with. This is a perfect song. Catchy and incredibly lush, we hear a sublime marriage of organic and electronic, of synth and trumpet, soul and electro.
  • Moonbase Commander, Greyhound
    Moonbase Commander are back, and how. This is a frantic beats-heavy track that’s begging to blast out at an all-night warehouse party. Drawing influence from drum ‘n bass and jungle, it’s really cool to hear new tunes coming out of Australia like this.
  • Elysia Crampton, Flora’s Theme
    This week’s Adult Swim single comes courtesy of Elysia Crampton, and it’s certainly the most unique and obscure that we’ve heard so far. Crampton seeks to explore and to experiment, toying with a myriad sounds and samples in just over two minutes.
  • Machinedrum, Angel Speak ft. MeLo-X
    Machinedrum has always held a special place in my heart, and this track is just so much fun. There’s a lot going on around the rhythm, interesting percussive sounds and spacey effects, samples and more. I’m looking forward to hearing what’s next.
  • Feki x St Albion, One of a Kind
    This is a wicked collaboration, absolutely one of my favourite electronic tracks this week. The beats are huge and the atmosphere is really hazy and warm – it’s a really interesting combination of each artist’s sounds, as it takes us through a number of variations on that core melodic loop.
  • Dreller, A Signal That Comes Back
    Since first hearing about Dreller earlier this year, he’s quickly become one of my favourite upcoming artists to watch. A Signal That Comes Back is Dreller’s third single, and it might be my favourite yet. There’s something so sneaky and seductive about the melody, while the instrumental layers blend so many kinds of sounds that every listen uncovers something new.
  • Julia Jacklin, Leadlight
    Julia Jacklin has just announced her debut album, out October 7, and this week released its first single, Leadlight. This is a really beautiful, emotive track, one that really showcases her stunning voice and lyrics, atop a bluesy rhythm that lazily swings from beat to beat. There’s something so real about this sound and this song. I love it. It might just be my favourite new Australian track this week.
  • Running Touch, Levitate (It’s All Too perfect)
    Running Touch’s new track is deep, dark and smokey, the scene is set with a late night house vibe, before a rich, velvety smooth vocal melody comes in. It continues to be chopped and spliced throughout, becoming something of an instrumental layer in itself. Listen here. 
  • Harts, Power
    Finally this week we have a new track from Harts, who among other accolades, has been personally endorsed by the late, great Prince. This is a big, bright, festival-ready song, with huge riffs and a stompy beat, showcasing his incredible guitar talents through a funkier filter than some of his earlier stuff. Listen here. 

In Australia particularly, there is definitely something in the water that seems to let us make some of the best and most pioneering sounds in electronic music. Post-Flume world domination, we seem to be pushing even harder to break down limitations in genres and styles, which in turn has heralded in a new era of artists.

I’ve heard these types of sounds pop up here and there before, but never have I heard them as solidified as Melbourne duo Alta and their latest EP, Awake For Days. In any other sets of hands, the sounds they work with could have turned into one chaotic mess, overbearing and overwhelming. But with Hannah Lesser and Julius Dowson, it’s controlled chaos – cool, collected and unpretentious.

The five track EP dropped last week, with the duo holding at successful EP launch in their native city a week later. I’ve not had so much FOMO for a gig in a while. I need to see these tracks live.The five track EP dropped last week, with the duo holding at successful EP launch in their native city a week later. I’ve not had so much FOMO for a gig in a while. I need to see these tracks live. From the bouncing, bassy, hypnotic opener Esses, with Lesser’s soulful croon and Dowson’s slow moving production filled with subtle intricacies that together make the track the stimulating and exciting listen that it is, I was immediately hooked from the first few seconds. From here, they move into their most recent single, Alive Again, a slow moving and gentle number using loops of Lesser’s voice to fill the track out with her eccentricities and emotions. Both tracks are incredibly different, showing just how versatile they are as a duo and a hint at what they really are capable of.

The title track is a chilled out samba style track, one that would fit perfectly in a dark lounge bar or a Latino dancefloor with it’s stuttered drum beats and synth swells. Once again, another side of Alta is revealed. How many styles can they fit on one EP?! Quite a lot more, as heard in the final two tracks. From the mysterious, creeping Stashing The Lot, with it’s mesmerizing vocals and peculiar production, to Moves – their first single off this EP and the reason I fell in love with their music in the first place, two more sides emerge in this now burgeoning body of work, but it’s all tied together nicely with a stylistic and controlled approach.

Over the last two years, we have seen the floodgates well and truly flung open, and just about every man and his dog is now a DJ of some kind. It has now gotten to the point where it takes something really different, really special to stand out, and that – in my opinion – is Alta. Fresh, new, and uncompromising, they work with a lot but they work it so well. Awake For Days should be on any electronic music fan’s “Must Listen To” list. In fact, it should be on everyone’s.

Tidal have mastered the playlist, and Spotify are honing in on the playlist action too. But there’s only one playlist you need to kick off your weekend: That’s right, here it is, the Howl & Echoes weekly playlist of the best new songs this week.

  • Tom Lee-Richards, The Wearing Kind
    Kicking off this week’s playlist with something extra lovely. Opening on a gorgeous guitar riff and stunning vocals, this is a really beautiful track from the upcoming artist. The track flourishes as it chugs along, with a subdued tropical beat and a great rhythm. Warm and inviting from start to end, you can really just melt into the track’s atmosphere.
  • The Parrots, To The People Who Showed Me Their Love While I Was Here
    Man, this track is cool. A stoned, sluggish bass sets the pace, before hazy guitars and occasional vocals really give off a dreamy vibe, evoking the absolute best kind of nostalgia. The Madrid trio will be releasing their new EP on June 22, and this is second track, following on from the wicked I’m Not Alone. 
  • The Bacchanales, Sandcastles
    Brisbane’s The Bacchanales are back with a brand new track, and it’s as catchy as it is cool. The progressive track opens with a kind of understated darkness, before opening up with a glistening, gorgeous chorus which infuses soft yet soaring vocals with the guitar layers. This cut is actually part of a full nine-minute version which you’ll be able to hear on their forthcoming EP.
  • B Wise, Prince Akeem (prod. Raph Lauren)
    Upcoming African-Australian hip hop artist B Wise has just dropped Prince Akeem, produced by Raph Lauren of Jackie Onassis. He’s got a liquid flow, and plays around really well with dynamics and dramatic delivery, this is a really fun track. The track is named after Eddie Murphy’s character in the comedy classic, ‘Coming to America,’ which is a big tick in my book!
  • ALTA, Moves
    Experimental electronic duo ALTA have just dropped Moves, and it’s such a trip. The sound effects used throughout are wacky and wonderful – the natural sounds, elephant roars, jumpy vocal echoes and more create a kind of escapist jungly vibe, topped off by the sexy, slivery vocals. It’s the first track off their forthcoming EP, set for release in the next few weeks.
  • AZEKEL, Mad About The Boy
    There’s something really interesting, and strange yet inviting about the extreme choppiness of the beats and rhythms scattered throughout this track. Every staccatoed beat and bass feels hasty and short of breath, completely contrasted against the velvety smooth R&B melody. Keep an eye out for the London artist’s EP, Raw, Vol 1, set to drop on July 12.
  • Lanks, Settle Down
    Lanks has always had a knack for delivering beautiful, sultry electronic tunes, and Settle Down follows in that vein. Angelic falsetto leads the way, giving way to a breathtaking trip-hop melody, evoking a stunning Massive Attack vibe. Incredibly sensual and so intimate, the Melbourne artist has really outdone himself this time. The track will be featured on his new EP Banquet, out July 3.
  • Espa, Orbit
    I fell completely in love with Espa’s last couple single, and Orbit is no different. The sensual atmosphere slides under the radar, with a thumping beat and smooth, seductive vocals. The vocals playfully dance with harmonies throughout, and little flickers of whirling synth sound effects embellish the track so perfectly; all in all, this is utterly cool.
  • Damien Ike, Even in War
    Damien Ike is a new London artist, and if Even In War is anything to go by, we’re going to be hearing a lot more from this wonderful producer. Drawn out beats, muffled synths and a shuffling beat create a lush soundscape, but it’s the vocals that really steal the spotlight. Rich and deep, there’s so much power in the melody. The kind of track you’re gonna listen to a few times in a row.

Here’s the whole playlist right here for you! Head over to our Soundcloud for all the playlists you could ever want.

Here we go again! A weekly playlist of the best new songs I’ve heard all week. We start off today with a couple of headier rock tracks before toning it down into some serious smooth electro-soul. We’ll hang there for a while before ending on a serious bang.

  • Art of Sleeping, Crazy
    One of the best bluesy rock tracks I’ve heard in ages, this Brisbane five-piece know exactly how to get you going. Gorgeous vocals, incredible riffs, billowing builds. You don’t get better than this.
  • Bernaccia, Darkness Walks
    Opening with feedback and growly guitars, this is one for the doom-y grunge lovers out there. Catchy riffs and a great voice. What it lacks in excitement, it makes up for in the satisfying crunch of distortion.
  • North Arm, Sometimes New
    Let’s tone it down a tad. Sydney’s North Arm have a new single out, and it’s a jingly, fuzzed out semi-psychedelic beauty. The melody is simple yet enchanting, with the guitar and vocals dancing around each other throughout.
  • Samm Henshaw, Only Wanna Be With You
    Samm Henshaw has a really wonderful voice and this song, simple as it may be, is one of those songs that just make me really happy. Catchy, clap-along and fantastically soulful. Not electro-soul, not future-soul, just good ol’ fashioned soul.
  • Snoh Aalegra, Bad Things (ft. Common)
    Another favourite discovery of mine. Snoh’s beautiful voice really stands out among other upcoming soul/R&B singers – it’s rich but crisp, demanding yet dulcet. Plus a bonus riff from Common. So. Good.
  • Alta, Hold Your Fire
    Subtle and seductive, this track by the Melbourne duo has me drawing instant Little Dragon comparisons. A gorgeous flow and a huge range of musical layers, there’s so much going on behind the melody.
  • Raye, Bet U Wish
    17-year-old Raye’s new single has an intriguing electronic basis, topped off with a great pop/R&B melody. It really kicks off in the chorus – big beats, big vocals, interesting samples and catchy as hell.
  • Adria, Pull Me Under
    Ohhh, that syncopation. This is one sexy track. Follows on from the Raye track, only brimming with sensuality. I love how intricate the percussion rhythms here, and the contrast between the driving bass and those occasional piano notes.
  • Natalie McCool, Wind Blows Harder (THUMPERS rework)
    We go further once again – heavy beats, choir-sounding vocals, flittering beats lead the way to a passionate melody. Some brilliant synth action at play here. It’s basically a combination of psychedelic haze with biiig trappy beats.
  • Slumberjack, Horus
    You’ve probably heard Horus by now, considering it’s already topped Hype Machine. The Perth duo go all out with the new single. That rhythm, man. Reminds me of Tipper. I just want to play this one over and over and over again!

That’s it for this week! Here’s ya playlist: