Another week, another week’s worth of songs to listen to. Don’t worry though, as we’ve once again narrowed it down to ten of the best songs you need to hear! Enjoy!
BUOY, Clouds & Rain
Sydney artist BUOY finally makes her return with this latest single. Following on from her astounding EP, Immersion, last year, I’ve been eagerly waiting new music from BUOY thanks to her impressive beats, incredible voice, and impossible knack for tying together elements that wouldn’t work anywhere else but under her guidance. Clouds & Rain once again sees her delve into a multitude of styles and sounds, throwing parts and fragments together to create a beautiful arrangement. From the sombre, slow opening to the garage-y, bouncy hook (I guess you could call it a hook?), BUOY is the master of controlled chaos and Clouds & Rain once again shows that off.
KUCKA, Honey (Time Pilot Remix)
Time Pilot make some of the biggest tunes in the country, but are sorely not yet receiving the cred or hype that I truly believe they deserve. However, with each release they slowly creep onto more and more radars, and soon I hope they’ll achieve the recognition they should. It helps when their releases sound as good as this latest one. Remixing fellow Perth native KUCKA, Time Pilot take her Honey and turn it into a futuristic jaunt with booming thick bass, shuddering synths and huge drops. In a time where the electronic scene is absolutely saturated in acts believing the bigger the drop, the better, Time Pilot stick to their guns and it’s this integrity that will see them through. Yet another impressive remix from these guys!
Peter Bjorn & John, Breakin’ Point (Miike Snow Remix)
Ahead of their return to Australia later this year for Splendour In The Grass, Peter Bjorn & John have now shared their second single from their forthcoming new album (their seventh), of the same name. In the same day, fellow Swedish maestros Miike Snow also released their own remix of this latest tune. The two bands are in the same artist collective, INGRID, and they were both using the same studio to make their respective new albums. A coincidence or not about this outpouring of creativity, but Miike Snow’s take on Breakin’ Point just about takes the cake for my favourite track of the week. With a moog bass line and grooves amped up more than a few levels, they take Peter Bjorn & John out of the pop environment and into alternative dance, and it sounds great.
Samm Henshaw, Our Love
Melding R&B, soul, gospel and more, Samm Henshaw gets better and better with each release. Our Love is a liberating, expressive, emotional celebration of love between two people, and will have you dancing around the room within seconds. It’s big-band feel practically guarantees it will be an outstanding number to see live, and Henshaw’s almighty voice gives it even more of a soulful feel. With a catchy riff, splashy drums, euphoric screams and good vibes a-plenty, Our Love is up there with one of the best Henshaw tracks we’ve heard, and – as always with his music – has us so excited to see what he does next!
Golden Vessel, Never Know (Ft. Lastlings)
Brisbane up-and-comers Golden Vessel and Lastlings have teamed up for this beautiful new track. Golden Vessel is a rising star as a producer/solo act, whilst Lastlings are forging their own path as an electronic duo, and both shine so bright on Never Know. With beautiful, swirling production and blooming atmospherics, oriental influences and shimmering guitar, Amy Dowdle’s voice is gentle and enticing, and matches up perfectly with Golden Vessel’s intricate production. Inspired by the drive out to the Gold Coast Hinterlands, the three make some real magic here. We’re predicting big things to come from both artists in the next few months, and if this is anything to go by, they’re sounding like they’re about to prove us right!
LUCIANBLOMJAMP, The Overman (Ft. Lower Spectrum)
Having just toured around the country together on a joint headline tour, it’s only fitting that one would remix the other when it comes to LUCIANBLOMKAMP and Lower Spectrum. The former being from Melbourne, the latter from Perth, the two are at the top of the game when it comes to left field electronic music in Australia. With their own unique brands of electronica, involving dark and brooding sounds with hypnotic tendencies, the two sound even better when on the same track with Lower Spectrum reworking LUCIANBLOMKAMP’s stand out tune, The Overman. Already serving as a highlight on Lucian’s latest album, Bad Faith, Lower Spectrum puts his own spin on it to make it a trance-inducing, break neck tune that is as unpredictable as it is impressive – just like both of these artists are. Sublime.
Elk Road, Lights (Ft. Oly)
Another Perth producer, Elk Road returns with a brand new song, this time teaming up with Oly for added vocals. The result is yet another step up for the upcoming producer as he continues his stellar run of releases. Elk Road said of the track, “I wanted to make something fun and energetic that contained all my favourite elements – soaring guitars, pounding basslines, steel drums, vocal melodies and so on. It started out as a really chilled track and as I worked on it over 6 months it progressively became more and more dance-floor.” “Dance floor” indeed. Lights is an upbeat floor filler with sensational vocals from Oly and a drop that will bring you to your knees. Elk Road works best in the big room sounds, and Lights is a perfect example not only of where he is heading, but where he belongs.
Miel, Deep Water
Brisbane alt-pop band Miel have released their latest single this week, titled Deep Water, and it takes the prize for smoothest track of the week. Drawing heavily on influences like Hiatus Kaiyote, the band lay down some succulent grooves here. Meticulous guitar, sublime vocals and jazz influences to take it over the edge, Deep Water is an impressive release from an impressive band. Front-woman Adelina describes the song as “dripping with metaphor, toying with tension and release to immerse the listener in themes of religion, loyalty and friendship,” and all is this is represented beautifully here. Quickly becoming a staple in the live scene of their hometown, it’ll be exciting to watch these guys continue to grow!
Stay At Home Son, Tired
Stay At Home Son has shared his second single, Tired, this week via Japanese Wallpaper‘s own label, Neat Lawn. Following on from the success of Bluffs and Blocks, Tired coincides with Stay At Home Son’s self titled, debut EP (which also serves as the first release from the Neat Lawn label), and sees real name Jesse Martin-Allan delve even further into the emotional side of electronic music, with intimate lyrics and gentle arrangements that carry his vocals. A really beautiful song, Tired is a calculated and considered song that Martin-Allan has clearly spent some time working on and honing. It’s an impressive song, not just from an upcoming artist, but from an upcoming label too, and should serve both parties very well for the near future.
Loyle Carner, Stars & Shards
Loyle Carner fuses a lot of genres together to get his own, unique and fresh sound and it works so well every time that he makes it all sound easy. Stars & Shards once again shows off his storytelling lyrics and his amalgamation of East Coast hip-hop and South London jazz, tied together with his soulful influences. Raw and honest, he keeps it light whilst discussing dark topics over a breezy guitar riff and drum beat. Debuting on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show as her Hottest Record, Carner is set to have an even bigger year this year, even though last year saw him embark on two sold out tours and acquiring a loyal and rapidly-growing fan base. It’s no surprise though, as his real rhymes and easy-going flow would do it for just about anyone – us included.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGNMTGh6JZY
Weeks get away from you, as last week did for me. However, if you missed your weekly fix of fresh tunes then you don’t have to worry any more! Below are ten brand new tracks you need in your life right now, full of electronic goodness, some Australiana, psych disco and so much more. Enjoy!
Dro Carey, Grow Lithe
Recently signed to Soothsayer and set to play at this year’s Splendour In The Grass, Dro Carey has arrived in style and is making everybody know it with this lively percussion led new single, Grow Lithe. It’s a jam from start to finish, with footwork beats and intriguing synth lines. Sounding like a jungle rave mixed with a UK underground rave, it’s a frenzied groove with a lot to give. Grow Lithe is one of those songs that you can listen to on repeat for a long, long while because with each listen something new reveals itself- a trick which makes Dro Carey absolutely one to watch!
Foreign/National, Tristesse
I love Foreign/National, and Tristesse is just another example why. What can only be described as psych disco, this sounds like the kind of song you’d maybe hear at a blue light disco – if you were on acid. Like a wonderful, shimmering trip, their nostalgic tendencies are as evident as ever with old school harmonies and indie rock guitar riffs, but it’s their individual element they bring to the fray that makes them as great as they are. Taken from their debut album, I can’t help but get really excited for that when I hear this tune. Melbourne fans can get down to their album launch on April 28th too!
PUMAROSA, Cecile
These guys came on my radar earlier this year with Priestess, and it seems the huge hype that was surrounding them has been confirmed with the release of Cecile. Dramatic, theatrical, thunderous and intricate, Cecile is a thrilling ride. Ebbing and flowing from hectic to calm, then back to hectic again and then finally calm when it finishes, it’s all over the place in the best way possible. Capitalising on what they do well, Pumarosa are sounding really damn good and it will be exciting to see where they go next. We might just need some time to brace ourselves.
Stay At Home Son, Bluffs and Blocks
Stay At Home Son is a wander through the weird and wonderful, slightly off reality of Jesse Martin-Allen. The most recent signing to Gab Strum aka Japanese Wallpaper‘s new label, Neat Lawn, Bluffs and Blocks is disjointed, peculiar and captivating. Full of ambience but also intentionally sluggish vocals, Stay At Home Son slowly adds more and more to his bubbling mix of slacker synth pop until he’s left with a fully fledged song in all its glory. It’s an exciting move not only for Martin-Allen but for Strum too, who is jumping on the boutique label train and arriving in style with this release.
MOSSY, Ginsberg
I OH YOU’s Mossy released another stellar single with Ginsberg. Showcasing off his vocal range, his penchant for big, crashing drums and a flair for the theatrics, Mossy builds on his debut Electric Chair with this slightly mad, spiralling tune that is a little dark and unsettling but reassuring somehow. Taken from his debut EP which will be out next month, we are slowly getting to piece together the puzzle that is the mysterious Mossy, and it’s looking really good. Sydney fans can attend his first ever show to get even more of an idea as to what this guy is all about at the end of May, but with the way he’s going, he won’t be able to keep this all a secret for too long!
Lostkeyz, SLWDWN (Prod. Droptail)
Lostkeyz returns in a blaze of glory with SLWDWN. It’s been a long while since we’ve heard from the young wordsmith, but this track shows it was more than worth the wait and he hasn’t exactly been taking a holiday. Clearly having honed his craft and his sound, he’s jumped on a beat from Droptail to create this self-asserting, confident and reflective track about what he’s done so far- and where he still needs to go. Lostkeyz possesses an almighty flow, and puts out some incredible lyrics, so it’s been an exciting ride to watch him grow and learn. Whilst this song might talk about the need to “slow down,” I get the feeling that Lostkeyz is nearing the end of his slow period, and is ready to get right back into it. That is something we can’t wait for!
LANKS, Golden Age (Wayfarer Remix)
I’ve been secretly obsessed with LANKS’ Golden Age since it came out. There is something about the weird synth sounds and upbeat direction he went in that I just can’t get enough of. However, I must admit I was slightly sceptical to see a remix as I wasn’t sure how it would fare against the original. Well, I am eating my words and Wayfarer does it more than justice. Up and coming in his own right, the fellow Melbournian has turned LANKS’ Golden Age into a brooding and dark number that sneaks up you and takes over completely. It’s huge, and I never thought I would hear LANKS’ voice over a track like this but it works so well I find myself actually hoping for more. Well done Wayfarer, this is a banger in the best sense of the word!
Shining Bird, Helluva Lot
Embracing some Australiana flavour, Shining Bird are back in a big way with their latest single. Considering they describe their own sound as “Eucalyptus dream pop,” the band are building on from their stellar 2015 with Helluva Lot. Like a warm breeze on a hot summer’s afternoon in Australia, the song cruises by with subtle melodies and intricacies here and there, easy going as it meanders along. But don’t let that fool you, as Helluva Lot actually paints quite a dismal picture when you listen to the lyrics, of how much we have to lose with our changing climate. A kind of relaxed call to arms, almost hypnotising you into heeding it’s message. I’m okay with it though, because it sounds so good.
The Invisible, So Well (Ft. Jessie Ware)
Anything that Jessie Ware lends her honeyed voice to is already a winner in my books, but The Invisible really take it to the next level with this forlorn lovesick tune. So Well is just so nice. It’s smooth and soft, falling gently without ever being overpowering. Ware sounds at home with the soft soul The Invisible provide, and with the precise instrumentation and production, it makes for just such a nice tune. It’s the second taste we have of The Invisible’s forthcoming record out in June, and judging from this, we are really in for a treat.
Lewis CanCut, Say Ok (Ft. TIGARAH)
Lewis CanCut, NLV Records alum, wraps things up for us with this straight up banger. Super sweet, it’s the NLV Records crew meets PC Music with Say Ok, as CanCut teams up with TIGARAH for this slice of bubblegum electronica, complete with big bouncing beats, skeeting synths and huge bass. It’s a fresh take on his sometimes downright filthy bangers that he’s capable of, but that doesn’t make it any less danceable. Instead, it shows an interesting potential direction for CanCut to head in, and I am actually excited to see where he goes from here!
Image: Stereogum