Negative Field - Stack V
experimental
The uncompromisingly intense sonic explorations of Texan artist Negative Field may be simply constructed, but they are multivariate in the impressions they make. On the recent single, "Stack V", the producer, real name Brad Angotti, serves up what sounds like a ping-pong kick drum guiding reversed static distortion and haunted sounds. Part of Death Stacks, an eight-part suite released on Spain's Arthropoda Music, the track bubbles up into frenzied percussion and sirens-as-music surrealism.
Dame Zina - Douce Lune
neoclassical new age
French father and daughter duo Dame Zina are quite prolific, having landed on multiple singles, eps, and now, their second album House of Zina all since they formed in 2019. There's an inextricable link between parent and child, and on their recent single, "Douce Lune", the two harvest unconditional power to create a soothing if not confuddled world of new age synths, eerie vocalizes and ambient bedding.
Quiet Sonia - Sparks
chamber pop
Fronted by singer-songwriter, Nikolaj Bruus, Quiet Sonia are a smashing seven-piece group of Copenhageners who bring a rough-around-the-edges charm to their off-beat, joyful tunes. This joy is evident in the group's single "Sparks", which is taken from their debut album QS, and brings a human quality to the detached cool of its indie rock stylings by way of personal vocal performances and folksy strings that add a pop to this moneyed chamberlain's soirée.
Oliver Say - Breathe
pop
Londonite performer Oliver Say deals in direct songwriting with a pinch of the otherworldly on his recent single "Breathe". His jazz-leaning songs incorporate elements of pop, but genre aside, there is passion and undeniable skill in the vocals, and Say creates a track that luxuriously drifts towards its focus of emotive communication.
The Illustrative Violet - Clockwise
math rock
The Californian four-piece band The Illustrative Violet has produced a perplexingly wonderful track called "Clockwise" on their album Live From The Mandala. The band's tight-knit collaboration results in an impressive take that doesn't contain any hint of errors or missteps. They convey their epic energy through intricate guitar lines and pulse-raising percussion, delivered with the same enthusiasm as an 80s synth rock band on speed. Despite its initial off-the-wall sound, "Clockwise" is a guilt-free pleasure from a band who aren't afraid of having fun.
