Category: Introducing (Page 5 of 25)

Introducing LASTLINGS

LASTLINGS are a Japanese Australian sibling duo comprising of Amy and Josh Dowdle.

Hailing from Gold Coast in Queensland, they released their first EP ‘Unreality’ in 2016 before following up it a year later with another EP ‘Verses’. They also supported Northern Irish indie trio TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB on their 2019 Australian tour.

LASTLINGS’ recently released debut album ‘First Contact’ has been a while coming, but is a well-produced technological derived pop record with an organic presence, as exemplified by one of the singles ‘Out of Touch’ which recalled melodic 21st Century dance-friendly acts like San Francisco’s ANDAIN whose ‘Beautiful Things’ broke through in 2003.

While the album’s title is a reference to the thrill and despair of notable life milestones like first love and first heartbreak, the LASTLINGS name was inspired by a post-apocalyptic tale which Amy wrote in school and there is no doubt that there is a vulnerable melancholic resignation that comes from her rich alluring vocal style.

Inspired by the animated romantic fantasy film ‘Your Name’ directed by Makoto Shinkai, one of the standouts from ‘First Contact’ is ‘Take My Hand’, a fabulously hypnotic club friendly concoction like a more girly EVERYTHING BUT THE GIRL when they went clubby or a more dancey LONDON GRAMMAR.

Both classically trained, LASTLINGS apply a refined musicality to their technical curiosity and lyrical imagination. Meanwhile their sense of fashion and style makes for a thoughtful and striking visual aesthetic.

Other album highlights include the ethereal electronic drama of ‘Held Under’ and the rhythmically punchy but simultaneously haunting ‘Last Breath’. Then there’s ‘No Time’, a suitably futuristic disco tune that pays homage to the duo’s Japanese heritage via the dystopian sci-fi novel ‘Never Let Me Go’ by Kazuo Ishiguro and which comes accompanied by its own tragically sad Anime video.

Although ‘First Contact’ exhibits high production values, the tracks all had humble beginnings at home on a computer before being taken to studio to be completes. While mostly being of a four-to-the-floor format, some of the sibling’s classical instincts are revealed on ‘Visions’ although the album closer ‘I’ve Got You’ throws in more boisterous textures as a backdrop for some angelic vocals.

Inspired by the landscapes of Japan, it is not hard to imagine the music of LASTLINGS music used in modern cinema and instrumentals such as the wonderfully infectious ‘AI’ and the brooding interlude ‘9400’ only reinforce this possibility.

‘First Contact’ is captivating pop record that blows away most artists in the mainstream, but has enough cool artistic credentials to reach an audience beyond it. With backing from Universal Music via Astralwerks whose have the likes of DEADMAU5 and THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS on their books, LASTLINGS have a promising future in music ahead of them.


‘First Contact’ is released by Rose Avenue Records under licence to Astralwerks in the usual formats

http://www.lastlings.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lastlingsmusic

https://twitter.com/LASTLINGS

https://www.instagram.com/lastlings/

https://open.spotify.com/album/4dCgqMWPJuBmL0BHiXwIEf


Text by Chi Ming Lai
27th November 2020

Introducing PISTON DAMP

PISTON DAMP are the new electronic pop duo based in Norway compromising of Jonas Groth and Truls Sønsterud.

The classically trained keyboardist / songwriter / arranger Truls Sønsterud has been playing piano since he was a child while singer/songwriter/producer Jonas Groth has been making music for more than 20 years’ experience mostly connected to his older brother Stephan and his band APOPTYGMA BERZERK.

Also connected to acts such as industrial rockers MAGENTA who he helped out on their 2009 album ‘Art & Accidents’, Jonas Groth has slowly been moving towards the front in the last few years and sang lead vocals on ‘Nearest’, an ethereal electronic ballad from the most recent APOPTYGMA BERZERK EP ‘Nein Danke!’.

The debut PISTON DAMP single ‘Something In Me’ was written and recorded with Stephan Groth serving as pre-production supervisor, so perhaps unsurprisingly, it is reminiscent of the more immediate side of APOPTYGMA BERZERK

But ‘Something In Me’ is what APOPTYGMA BERZERK or AESTHETIC PERFECTION would sound like if they were in full synthpop mode. Catchy, bubbly, melodic and rhythmic with an emotively spirited vocal, when Jonas Groth hits falsetto, it provides a most gloriously optimistic lift. Meanwhile, its twin ‘Noget I Mig’ is ‘Something In Me’ sung in Danish and this element adds an extra air of mystery to non-native speakers and reveals the song’s likely Nordic folk influence more explicitly.

The B-side of this debut single is a ‘Blue Heart’ version of ‘Another Pain’ and affirms just as ‘Shout’ did for DEPECHE MODE’s similarly folk influenced ‘New Life’, that PISTON DAMP are likely to have quality first album in the can. Much sparser than ‘Something In Me’, the spacey arpeggio on this version of ‘Another Pain’ allows Jonas Groth to soar, expressing some heartfelt frustration that the love of his life hasn’t even noticed him. And when his multi-tracked vocal ab-libs join in, it starts to sounds like FREIHEIT or ELO or THE BEATLES, depending on your way of thinking!

Both ‘Something In Me’ and ‘Noget I Mig’ come in a number of remixes from the likes of PEGBOARD NERDS, TECHNOMANCER, KLEINMELKER and THE ANIX, although classic synth fans will be most interested in the Extended 12” Remix that comes in the nine-track bundle.

It is the right moment for Jonas Groth to emerge from the shadow of his older brother and PISTON DAMP is a fine vehicle in which take that journey.


‘Something In Me’ is released by Sub Culture Records, available as a download bundle from https://subculturerecords.bandcamp.com/album/something-in-me

https://www.pistondamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pistondampcom

https://www.instagram.com/pistondamp/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photo by Kine Jensen
15th October 2020

Introducing GLÜME

From the Italians Do It Better stable, home to the likes of CHROMATICS and DESIRE, comes rather a lovely eerie ‘Twin Peaks’ styled cover of ‘Come Softly To Me’ from the mysterious but glamourous Glüme.

Her bio says Glüme was born and raised in the City of Angels.

She worked as a child actress and then juggled her time between training her voice, exploring music and wrestling with her health, a situation that perhaps adds a vulnerable edge to her doll-like demeanour and leaves her feeling incompatible with the outside world.

Written and made famous by THE FLEETWOODS in an almost acapella rendition in 1958, GLÜME’s version of ‘Come Softly To Me’ (exec produced by Italians Do It Better head honcho Johnny Jewel) is more chilling and metronomic, capturing the innocence of forgotten yesterdays in the pursuit of today.

In some respects, the hypnotic arrangement with its lush but tragic Marilyn Monroe meets Julee Cruise delivery and the original acapella hook transferred to synth has the air of a 21st Century take on ‘I Know How You Love Me’ by THE PARIS SISTERS; it was used when Becky was being driven away by Steven in his Thunderbird convertible during episode 5 of ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’.

The first GLÜME single ‘Body’ was positively Autumnal, capturing an aural wash of fading colours with its mix of synths arpeggios, digital drum machine, distortion and six string strum in a manner not unlike COMPUTER MAGIC who herself covered ‘Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart Rockin’ from episode 14 of the original ‘Twin Peaks’.

Meanwhile, adopting a Marilyn does Britney approach, the B-side of ‘Body’ saw GLÜME perform a stripped down interpretation of ‘Baby One More Time’ with accompaniment from Johnny Jewel on guitar. As Glüme puts it herself: “…I’m Not Whispering…It’s A Scream!…”


‘Come Softly To Me’ and ‘Body’ are released as digital singles via Italians Do It Better

https://italiansdoitbetter.com/glume/

https://www.facebook.com/babyglume

https://www.instagram.com/babyglume/


Text by Chi Ming Lai
10th October 2020

Introducing SCINTII

Music needs some mystery every now and then, and that comes with SCINTII, the musical vehicle of Taiwanese singer and producer Stella Chung.

SCINTII released her first EP ‘Mica’ in 2017 which explored glitch and leftfield dance in a manner reminiscent to Dot Allison who made her name in ONE DOVE, particularly on its smoky title track. Meanwhile ‘Papier’ exuded the menace of GAZELLE TWIN although within a more chilled setting.

Her second EP ‘Aerial / Paperbags’ featured the gorgeous ‘Terminals’ and led to the Shanghai-based artist signing with Houndstooth, the independent label established in 2012 by the London superclub Fabric.

Comparisons are easy to make with the Beijing-born FIFI RONG as both have an exotic trip-hop influenced sound and ‘Deux’ could easily be mistaken for the Chinese YELLO and TRICKY collaborator with its eerie but accessible underground sound. SCINTII’s hypnotic new single ‘Times New Roman’ has been produced by Danny L Harle, best known for his remix of CHARLI XCX’s ‘After The Afterparty’ and his uplifting single ‘Super Natural’ in collaboration with Canadian starlet Carly Rae Jepsen.

The main melody came into SCINTII’s head while walking round a shopping mall. Using an interesting and intelligent analogy for the tune, she said: “Times New Roman is one of the main languages used in graphic design and this song is about finding that language for myself as an artist”.

The moody video for ‘Times New Roman’ has been directed by Kynan Puru Watt and produced by Dede Wen, capturing a deep icy austere. Alluring atmospheric with an understated rhythmic edge, ‘Times New Roman’ is beautifully elegant electronic pop and hopefully a sign of more to come.


‘Times New Roman’ is released by Houndstooth and available now in a digital bundle with remixes from https://scintii.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/scintii

https://twitter.com/sc_in_tii

https://www.instagram.com/sc_in_tii

https://soundcloud.com/scintii

https://www.houndstoothlabel.com/artist/scintii


Text by Chi Ming Lai
Photo by Hailun Ma
16th September 2020

Introducing THEO SAYERS

Compared on occasion to an electro Ian Dury and an urban Jona Lewie, Cambridge-based vocalist, producer and songwriter Theo Sayers was first spotted by ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK opening for KNIGHT$ at his 2019 Halloween gig.

He released ‘My Nose Is A Little Runny’, a SLEAFORD MODS styled musical response to the worldwide lockdown crisis that concluded “sleazes cause diseases” back in March.

But his latest video goes back to a highlight from his debut ‘Ado Perma’ EP that came out back in July 2019.

‘Impatient’ charmingly comes over like Edwyn Collins fronting a lo-fi KRAFTWERK and in an enjoyable video directed by Rhys Votano, Sayers plays himself and a female alter-ego Dora. Inspired by an unfortunate cycling accident that he once had, he told ELECTRICITYCLUB.CO.UK: “The music video is a fun and colourful representation of the song’s retro synthpop flavours.”

Sayer’s first showcased his music under the moniker of BLACK TIBET with the exotic pop of ‘Venezuela’ in 2017, before releasing a more distinctly electronic single ‘Goddess’ under his own name in 2018.

Ranging in style from hip-hop to electro, from crooner to rap, from chilled grooves to dancey beats, Sayers’ streetwise take on life exudes witty humour and a playful sense of fun. But despite this, there is also a heartfelt side as expressed on the lounge reggae of ‘Belly Slaps’ from ‘Ado Perma’ which attracted support from BBC Introducing.

Continuing his kinship with KNIGHT$, Theo Sayers recently contributed a new glitchy remix of ‘Dollars & Cents’ from the Britalo exponent’s debut album of the same name.


‘Impatient’ is from the ‘Ado Perma’ EP released by Procrastawerks via the usual digital platforms including Bandcamp at https://theosayers.bandcamp.com/album/ado-perma

https://www.facebook.com/theosayersmusic/

https://twitter.com/theosayers

https://www.instagram.com/theosayers/

https://open.spotify.com/album/6OaTeK2pz0DgPkk8O63FRt


Text by Chi Ming Lai
4th July 2020

« Older posts Newer posts »