It seems we are on a roll with Swedish music this week. There must be something in the water!
DNKL is a Swedish trio who are sharing their first ‘Draft’ – the result of being locked up in a studio for a year.
With it’s beautiful build up, ‘Draft’ is a magical journey of bright synths and elegant piano keys. Let’s hope it is a sign of things to come.
It’s out now via Different Recordings.
Sounds like: Lucas Nord, Rüfüs, Shy Luv, Honne, Boxed In
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Norde
When two Swedes team up, it is dynamite.
Norde has been vibing off of Lucas Nord‘s sound for some time, so decided to make a collaboration happen.
The result is ‘Missing You’; an upbeat electro pop track that remains tireless, regardless of how many times you play it.
Sounds like: Disclosure, Boxed In, Tove Lo, Years & Years, Banks, Jack Garratt, IYES, Le Youth, Sabella, Seinabo Sey
Norde
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Lucas Nord
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SG Lewis
Well, this is a brilliant collaboration.
London based producer, SG Lewis shares ‘Holding Back’, featuring accomplished, Los Angeles vocalist, Gallant.
‘Holding Back’ is reminiscent of the upbeat tones of ‘All Night’, and both artists are feeling the outcome of working together.
SG said of the collab: “I’d been listening to Gallant for ages when I wrote the track, and sent it over to see if he’d be into it. He flipped the meaning of the song completely, which was so exciting.”
Gallant also commented: “I’m a huge fan of SG. I think he’s one of the most talented rising producers around right now. He’s making incredibly special music that’s unique and stylish.”
It’s released via Jasmine Music and available for purchase on iTunes.
Sounds like: MNEK, Alex Vargas, Jack Garratt, TENDER, Wølffe, Lucas Nord, Great Good Fine Ok, LANY
SG Lewis
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Gallant
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Luka Sol
Following the huge success of Luka Sol’s last release, ‘Unknown’ (featuring Natalie M and as premiered on Indietronica), Luka has shared the equally as impressive ‘Suddenly’.
Luka Sol is the project by Los Angeles-based Shawn Day. He’s worked with Courtney Ballard on the track.
Sounds like: Honne, Goldroom, RAC, Boxed In, Pink Feathers, Hotel Garuda, Lucas Nord, Brolin, Le Youth
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NAO
NAO is a London-based singer, who’s got a busy summer lined up, jam packed up with festivals.
The video for ‘Fool To Love’ features Ashley Walters (Top Boy).
‘Fool To Love’ is out now via Little Tokyo Recordings. Purchase on iTunes.
Autumn Dates
Tue 25th Oct Manchester The Ritz
Wed 26th Oct Glasgow Arts School
Thu 27th Oct Leeds University
Sat 29th Oct Brighton All Saints Church
Sun 30th Oct Birmingham O2 Institute 2
Tue 1st Nov Bristol Motion
Thu 3rd Nov London Shepherds Bush Empire
Sounds like: Lucas Nord, Disclosure, Aluna George, XO, Mura Masa, DemoTaped, Bedlam
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Luka Sol
Luka Sol is an electronic solo project by Los Angeles based artist Shawn Day.
The well-travelled Day has a knack of combining European house beats with layers of lush indietronica, which he aptly describes as “future” music.
Day has been recording with Courtney Ballard (Madden Bros) and Jared Poythress (Vindata) at Courtyard Studios.
His latest release is called ‘Unknown’ and features the additional vocals of Natalie M. It has been mixed by D Shuts.
Sounds like: Honne, Goldroom, RAC, Boxed In, Pink Feathers, Hotel Garuda, Lucas Nord, Brolin, Le Youth
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Gallant
Gallant is a rising Los Angeles-based star, who has already found fans in Elton John, ZHU and Sufjan Stevens, and now Indietronica. Not bad for a newcomer.
His latest release, ‘Bourbon’, is a smokey and robust track. It stirs with soulful vocals, all topped up with ice blocks of 80’s-inspired synths.
Recline back. ‘Bourbon’ is the perfect nightcap.
Gallant’s debut album, ‘Ology’ will be out on 4 April.
Sounds like: Alex Vargas, Jack Garratt, TENDER, Wølffe, Lucas Nord, Great Good Fine Ok, LANY
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Alex Vargas
He is one artist on many ‘One’s to Watch for 2016’ lists, and Indietronica is honoured to be premiering his next single.
It’s Alex Vargas with ‘Wear Your Demons Out’.
Alex has a knack of building passion from the get go. He does this by creating inventive and explorative layers of sounds that are perfectly captured by those ghostly vocals of his. It’s seriously spine tingling stuff. And effortless as well.
The guy is a musical genius, and no wonder he’s a one to watch for 2016.
The EP is released on 22 January via Copenhagen Records / Locomotion Entertainment. Listen to some more tracks from the EP, below.
Sounds like: Gallant, Jack Garratt, TENDER, Wølffe, Lucas Nord, James Blake, Boxed In, Action Child, Rationale
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NIMMO by Fiona Garden
Nimmo are a unique electronic five-piece who can be traced back to the decade-long friendship of co-vocalists (and football-obsessives) Sarah Nimmo and Reva Gauntlett.
Citing 80’s and 90’s pop influences from the likes of Tears for Fears, New Order, and Everything But The Girl, as well as jungle, and drum n bass, Nimmo have immersed themselves not only with the sounds of the club culture, but also located the moods of aggression, energy and heartache within that which would add depth to their songwriting.
Having already collaborated with Tim Goldsworthy (DFA) and Maya Jane Coles, they have now teamed up with Boxed In (aka Oli Bayston) for more of an infectious pop track with ‘UnYoung’.
Lyrically, the band describe ‘UnYoung’ as “a song about the fear of our parents or loved ones in general dying, and only being remembered in photographs on a mantelpiece. As the instrumentation progressed, ‘UnYoung’ became a celebration of your family and just being alive.”
Nimmo have been shortlisted for MTV Brand New 2016. The annual showcase for MTV Brand New 2016 will be at the Electric Ballroom, London on 27 January.
‘UnYoung’ is out early 2016 via Columbia Records.
Sounds like: Boxed In, Years & Years, Everything But The Girl, Lucas Nord, Honne, Sivu, Jata
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Lucas Nord
Sometimes we listen to an artist and automatically assume that he or she is already well known, but it’s not until we look at their social media accounts that we realise the travesty of the situation.
One artist in this boat is Swedish producer and R&B pop artist, Lucas Nord.
Nord has music in his blood; he is the grandchild of legendary Swedish jazz musician, Putte Wickman. A producer, expanding into singing, Nord’s new single, ‘Faking’, details a relationship that is not what Nord thought it was and is his most personal song to date.
Nord has once again managed to successfully combine indietronica-styled vocals with dance-based bass lines; something that we haven’t really seen since the emergence of Disclosure.
He is going to be huge in 2016.
The track is the first song from Nord’s forthcoming mini LP, ‘Company’, due to be released in 2016 through Swedish indie label Cosmos Music (Say Lou Lou, Naomi Pilgrim).
Sounds like: Disclosure, Boxed In, Tove Lo, Years & Years, Banks, Jack Garratt, IYES, Le Youth, Sabella
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