Single Reviews: 27 June 2023: Daniele Sciolla, Ryan Cassata, Your Heart Breaks, 13th Ward Social Club, The Family Battenburg

Daniele Sciolla - Magenta

idm

Italian electronic producer Daniele Sciolla spent several years working on his recent single "Magenta." Personally recording and processing every sound, Sciolla slightly detuned his notes to generate microtonal scales, processing them through analog effects before repitching them to create an organic, evolving sound. The result is a track full of play and mystery where disparate tones appear to be bouncing off of each other in chaos, rising and falling around their own capricious nature. While it may not be the most accessible or memorable track, it succeeds in warping the fabric of our perception to ensure a revelatory listening experience.

Ryan Cassata - Queer Love Outlaw

indie

LA-based singer-songwriter Ryan Cassatta may be as involved in the trans rights movements as he is in the alternative music scene, but that doesn't make his music overly political or too serious. In fact, his recent single, "Queer Love Outlaw," draws inspiration from the necessary rebellion required to be true to your identity in a world that would rather fit you into its boxes. Themes of social exclusion and proclamations of individuality ring out with melodic strength on this winning single, though the comprehensive vibe and mood achieved mean this single's serious message is delivered in a decorative and alluringly colorful package.

Your Heart Breaks - These Old Haunts

indie pop

Your Heart Breaks is a musical project centered around the low-key and literate musical stylings of Bellingham, Washington native Clyde Petersen. Featuring lo-fi luminary Kimya Dawson and David Christian, the artist's recent single, "These Old Haunts," is a thoughtful and introspective rumination on the passing of time and the geographical places that exist only in our memories. With deadpan vocal deliveries, careful electric guitar playing, dulcimer strikes, and unhurried arrangements, "These Old Haunts" is a slow-burning but highly flammable track that mixes odd-ball lyrics ("the humus has gone missing") with elegant country-tinged emotional maturity.

13th Ward Social Club - Chariots of the Gods

jazz fusion

A one-man sound orchestra from Providence, Rhode Island, multi-instrumentalist composer and producer Justin Catoni delivers sweetly manicured and instrumental jazz fusion mixes under the pseudonym 13th Ward Social Club. Featuring wobbling haunted-house keys, worldly rhythms, and an impossibly smooth bass line, the artist's single "Chariots of the Gods" has some loungey vibes to its otherwise straightforward, down-to-business grooves, and is just as capable of making your body move as it is shifting the listener's perception of reality towards the lighthearted and carefree.

The Family Battenberg - Runny Hunny

psychedelic rock

Cardiff-based four-piece The Family Battenberg are only three singles deep into their fledgling career; however, their latest, "Runny Hunny," is a polished and highly-characterized blast of irreverent psychedelia. With immaculate guitar tones, steadfast percussion, and impassioned vocals reverberated into oblivion, the group delivers a virulent helping of artistic-leaning and atmospheric rock music. With the memorable refrain of the chorus line ("give all your money to me"), "Runny Hunny" is not a song that can easily go unnoticed or unappreciated, and its contagious sense of slacker intentions is more galvanizing than placating.