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Optimystical – Heaven

The five-member group Optimystical has released “Heaven,” a new single with flavors of experimental hip-hop, alternative R&B, and indie pop. Frontman Nutter Tut raps over a laid back drum track and dense synths skating back and forth between a buoyant and forewarning atmosphere. Nutter Tut ends his vocal blasting with a punch. “Will you learn to grow / heaven only knows / you grew up too fast / stop and smell a rose.”

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reviewed by
02-13-18

The Ghost of Helags – Anthem (We Came From the Stars)

The Ghost of Helags have just dropped “Anthem (We Came From The Stars),” a new single from the Scandinavian dream pop duo written to commemorate the city of Berlin as a multidimensional hub of aspiring artists, societal outcasts, and other sprites hovering in between the worlds. Björk-like vocals ride atop reverb drenched cello and thumping drum tracks that seem to burst from all corners. The atmosphere is wistful and daydreamy, as if grasping for something not quite in reach.

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reviewed by
02-07-18

Midsplit – Same Life (Feat. Wiz Khalifa)

Midsplit has released “Same Life,” the Montreal producer’s first single of the year. Driving guitar, scattered and panned beats, and warm synths sway from the background to the foreground. The EDM track is an upbeat mix featuring Wiz Khalifa. It’s a pop-infused bouncy house meant for fuzzy, sweaty nights.

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reviewed by
02-07-18

MEMBA – Middle Man

New York-based duo Memba have just dropped “Middle Man,” their first single to be released independent of any label. Chopped and screwed hip-hop gives a dark and misty feel when spun around bass-heavy electropop. Vibrant synths bounce atop vocals from British rapper Asher Don, the track’s featured artist. Bursting with battery-powered drive, the lyrics speak to the corruption of an industry of middle men profiting off hardworking artists.

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reviewed by
01-31-18

MTMBO – Mottingham

MTMBO, a London-based neo-soul singer/songwriter by the name of Richie Matembo, has released “Mottingham.” The single lives delicately on flower petals, swaying with falsetto vocals akin to a murky autumn evening. Lo-fi electric guitar and bass crowd the periphery. The singer’s voice takes on many forms in just over 3 minutes, swelling and subsiding in an earnest paragon of the mind.

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reviewed by
01-31-18

Emerson Leif x Golden Vessel – Hesitate

Brisbane artist Emerson Leif has released “Hesitate” with his friend and frequent collaborator Golden Vessel. The static and sampled humming of the single falls on you like a warm blanket. Scattered drums and synths emerge from the periphery with a stealthiness that transfixes. Alternative R&B and indie pop are coalescing in the same fish bowl, and it couldn’t feel more natural.

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reviewed by
01-22-18

Palehound – Sea of Blood

Palehound has released “Sea of Blood” as part of an upcoming two-track release titled “YMCA Pool”, scheduled to come out on January 26. Fresh female vocals dance atop indie rock pandemonium. The dissonant mash of compressed guitar and a seemingly 16-bit drum track flood my ears with the same eerie acoustics of a literal pool. Suddenly, I’m floating on my back at the YMCA—the squeals of wet tile echo in the distance as prepubescent progeny run along my periphery. The tune is care-free and jarring, making it perfect for those in search of a confused and ecstatic burst of energy.

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reviewed by
01-18-18

Boyo – A Social Death by Proximity (In Los Feliz)

This LA based lo-fi artist is hitting all the right notes in “A Social Death by Proximity (In Los Feliz),” a track recently released as a tease for his upcoming full-length album Me, Again. BOYO’s airy male vocals soar like indie rock sonnets over grungy guitar and drums. Lyrics spin like your high school bedroom after few too many beers. It’s a lazy day parade of Mac Demarco-esque thumping and mushy hypnagogic pop.

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reviewed by
01-18-18

Henryetta – Bite Your Tongue

The London duo Henryetta have just set foot on the indie rock music scene with their debut single “Bite Your Tongue.” It’s a demonic mixture of pop rock and alternative metal. The vigorous male vocals mingle with an onslaught of heavy drum and bass, only to cascade into a chorus of isolated harmonies and buoyant synths. The track feels like a charming cross between The Strokes and Thurston Moore before devolving into some delectable noise and muddled whispers. Check Henryetta out on Facebook and Instagram.

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reviewed by
01-10-18

“max” – Silence

There’s a new alternative R&B artist joining the ranks. Akin to Frank Ocean’s melancholic ballads dripping with pulsing high hats and panning vocals, “max” has released a new single with the same exhilarating dissonance. “Silence” is produced, mixed, and performed all by the artist. The track features jagged male vocals that take you high up into the atmosphere of an urban haze.

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reviewed by
01-05-18

Love Taps – Should I (Torn) (Feat. Gale)

Love Taps’ latest single has a fresh tropical swing to it. Amidst looped vocal samples from the featured Jamaican-American singer Gale, “Should I (Torn)” turns the volume up on clanging metallic percussion, fast paced maracas, and flares of high pitched synths. The track swells, subsides, and swells again. The vocals are chopped, skewed, and reworked to form a synthetic multidimensional choir. It’s time to get up and start twirling those shoulders.

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reviewed by
01-03-18

Triathalon – Sometimes

Who knew minimalist synthpop could be so delectable? Triathalon, a NYC-via-Athens, GA based group, have released the third single off their upcoming album Online. “Sometimes” offers a simple platter of sonic hors d’oeuvres. Waves of synth ricochet under a drum kit as an all-male harmony drops silky smooth verses. We wind up with an austere ode to frustration and angst. “You tried / to do what you must do / in time / just letting yourself know / you’re fine.”

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reviewed by
01-03-18