Tag Archives: Portishead

Weekly Gems 40

kidsun – Keep It To Yourself

kidsun

kidsun (aka Ben Kidson) is a vibrant young electro-pop producer from the UK.

Going against the grain of his peers, kidsun decided he would forge his own musical path, by skipping class to teach himself drums and write music in a similar vain to Sigrid and Twenty One Pilots.

His latest result is ‘Keep It To Yourself’. Listen below.

Sounds like: Twenty One Pilots

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Madge – How To Play

Madge - How To Play

Who is Madge? Well, you’re about to find out. Possibly.

Madge is a DIY-pop project from L.A, who creates candy-licked songs about dark emotional matter. her single ‘How To Play’ is more literal and fun than her usual endeavours, “something simple, repetitive, and literal.”

Sounds like: LCMDF, Annie

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CUB – Obsessed

CUB by Matt Stephens

CUB by Matt Stephens

Wow, we cannot get enough of CUB‘s new single, ‘Obsessed’ featuring Clara Hurtado.

Naturally slotting into the pop and electronic dance realms, Clara’s smooth vocals float between a quirky guitar hook and pounding bass line to create a club-infused pop cocktail.

Sounds like: Jake Alder, Diplo, Mura Masa, Zedd

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Country Line Runner – Wide Eyes

County Line Runner

Country Line Runner writes ballads with heart and meaning.

‘Wide Eyes’ is about that pivotal moment when you realise going back is harder than moving forward. The pain, but also the revelation.

Sounds like: Bruce Springsteen, Ten Fe, War On Drugs

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New Spell – Like Water

New Spell

New Spell is an electronic duo comprised of singer-songwriter and trainee therapist, Leanne Kelly, and drummer Jacob Frautschi.

They enjoy using music to heal whilst they discuss topics such as relationship challenges, mental health, and the digital age.

Sounds like: Phantogram, Portishead, Hundred Waters

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Deliah – Infinite

Deliah

Deliah, is the collective name for a group of four musicians and producers from Liverpool and London with a unique and distinctive fusion of cinematic, almost musical sounds, taken from influences within soul, electronica, funk and indie.

Speaking of their new single ‘Infinite’, the band say,

“Infinite: focuses on the next part of the journey – mastering a craft. The time and effort put into creating, and achieving, potential can be lost through a struggle and ambition that can have no definitive end point.Who defines something as ‘good’, or a success? Who defines someone as ‘good’, or a success? When is the artist, or craftsman, finished in this endeavour? And, was the finished product worth the struggle.”

Sounds like: Madonna

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BEFFROI – Jade

B E F F R O I - Jade

Meet ​​BEFFROI, a downright dark and downtempo electronic duo comprised of Rori and Valentin.

Their new single ‘Jade’ has an overall pop feel, combined with a slight touch of some bass-laden beats.

Speaking about the track Rori says,

“When Val first sent me Jade’s instrumental, I was driving by one of those red-light districts Belgium is famous for. Watching all those lonely souls interacting in hopes of finding instant satisfaction got me inspired. I then came up with those lyrics about this guy feeling numb & empty; desperately seeking answers about love & feeling mechanisms. The only time he finds closure is when he enters the ‘Jade’, but it never last long.”

Sounds like: Phantogram, GEMS, Kate Boy, Portishead

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PEAKES – Saint

PEAKES

Meet Leeds-based band PEAKES.

Having used a lot of Far Eastern-inspired synths and percussion in their previous single, ‘Pray For You’, ‘Saint’ takes a slightly different tack with more country-edged riffs. The song is another great example of PEAKES’ ability to write confessional lyrics whilst maintaining an overall soft approach in their production, which all in all creates a highly atmospheric setting.

‘Saint’ is out now.

Sounds like: Massive Attack, Portishead, London Grammar

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Playlist: Saro

SARO

SARO

Los Angeles-based artist, Saro, tells us not to fall in love on his SoundCloud page, but it’s too late as we already have.

He has just dropped his ‘In Loving Memory’ EP (produced by Robin Hannibal (Rhye, Jessie Ware, Jamie Woon, Quadron) and it’s seven tracks of well-crafted pop, and to celebrate, we’ve asked him to put together a playlist.

His chosen theme is “Sleepwalking & Daydreaming”.

Katie Dey – Fear O’ the Light
I learned about the mysterious Katie Dey this past summer and she has become one of my favorites. Her album Flood Network is perfect.

Okay Kaya – I’m Stupid (But I Love You)
Kaya gives me everything I’ve ever wanted lyrically and melodically. I’m an addict.

Temples – Certainty
I love the psychedelic production and sweeter than candy melodies. Temples puts on the best live show too.

Jenny Hval – Period Piece
I get lost in the beauty of the vocal pads. I also love how the guitar is reminiscent of Morse Code.

iamamiwhoami – Sever
Iamamiwhoami has given me endless sonic and visual inspiration over the years. They have 3 full length visual albums that every artist must see.

Moses Sumney – Seeds
Moses has the voice of a god. It can melt butter, too.

TR/ST – Sulk
TR/ST has been one of my favorite bands for years. I have a man crush on Robert Alfons.

Darondo – Didn’t I
So much pain and longing in his falsetto. I can’t decide whether to dance or cry.

Wild Nothing – Chinatown
An all time favorite. “We’re not happy til we’re running away”.

Portishead – Machine Gun
Probably the most riveting production I’ve ever heard. Beth Gibbons performs a haunting vocal that moves me to the core.

Listen to Saro below.

Sounds like: Aquilo, Jack Garratt, Draper, Clean Bandit, Years & Years

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Keroscene – I Can’t Do A Thing

Keroscene

Keroscene

London band, Keroscene, are back with ‘I Can’t Do A Thing’.

Whilst their last release channelled some Massive Attack/Portishead vibes, ‘I Can’t Do A Thing’ is a generous nod to 90’s indie and shoegaze.

With this in mind, you’d expect the video to be filmed in black and white, but it’s refreshingly colourful!

Watch below.

Sounds like: Wolf Alice, Peace, Massive Attack, Portishead, UNKLE, Plastic Flowers, Man of Moon

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Rob Bravery – You Take Half

Rob Bravery - You Take Half

Rob Bravery – You Take Half

What’s half of nothing? Well, “nothing” you might answer, but that isn’t strictly true with our next act, Rob Bravery, who is altering perspectives on ‘You Take Half’.

Idiosyncratic in nature, and already drawing comparisons to Porishead and Massive Attack, the video for ‘You Take Half’ follows Rob as he battles with the desire to succeed without compromising in some form or another.

Warning. The scenes in the video will be very familiar to those who have witnessed, or been party to, a disintegration of some sort.

‘You Take Half’ is the lead track from his upcoming EP, out on 2 September via Insanity / Sony Music an available for pre-order on iTunes here.

Rob has worked with Sneaker Pimps‘, Liam Howe (FKA Twigs, Lana Del Rey) on the EP.

Sounds like: Portishead, Radiohead, Massive Attack

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Keroscene – Just Like Zero

Keroscene

Keroscene

Keroscene are a dark synth pop from London who like to blitz up genres of electronica and rock.

‘Just Like Zero’ is a heady mix of synth melodies together with lyrics that resonate both a deep and light hearted energy simultaneously.

The band recently signed to Insanity Group (Sigma, Shy FX, New Pharaohs, Icarus, DJ Fresh).

Sounds like: Massive Attack, Portishead, UNKLE, Plastic Flowers, Man of Moon

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LIR – Chasing

Lir

Lir

New Melbourne/Tel Aviv based electronic duo LIR (aka Luke Maton and Liron Tru) releases down-tempo, debut track called ‘Chasing’.

“Chasing was written in a moment where I felt everything and nothing at the same time. Where leaving and being left out is the same, like chasing and being chased is the same” says Liron of the new single.

Soft balearic vibes fill this simple track, along with glitches of drums.

Sounds like: Portishead, Sade, Broods, Susanne Sundfør, Massive Attack, First Aid Kit, Noosa

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Zola Blood – Grace

Zola Blood

Zola Blood

Zola Blood is the latest signing to Pond Life Songs, the label synonymous with Talk Talk’s 1991 album ‘Laughing Stock’ and more recently Liverpool’s avant-pop trio Ninetails. Despite a 22-year hiatus, Pond Life’s passion for bold, inventive new music remains strong, as proved by their newest signing.

First track ‘Grace’ combines R&B with ambient electronica and haunting vocals similar to the that of Foals’ Yannis Philippakis.

Zola Blood’s intricate arrangements were developed over a year on a Hackney Wick industrial estate, dissecting mobile phone recordings and programming synthesisers.

Despite the allure, Zola Blood is a competent group with a bright future ahead.

Sounds like: The Foals, Portishead, Talk Talk, Ninetails, Elbow, New Navy, Mogwai, SOHN, James Blake

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Indiana – Mess Around

Indiana

Indiana

Indiana. Singer of songs, raider of arks. Or so it says on her facebook.

Indiana is a self-taught Nottingham-born singer/songwriter, who first started playing piano when she accidentally stumbled upon her sister’s dusty piano in storage.

She played ‘Blind As I Am‘ at her first gig in the Old Market Square in Nottingham as part of the Future Sound of Nottingham semi-finals. We were there and it was truly amazing to watch Indiana combine her powerful vocals with beautifully delicate piano and electronica.

With ‘Blind As I Am’ announced as one of BBC Introducing Picks of 2013, Indiana’s new single ‘Mess Around’ is no exception.

The video for ‘Mess Around’ is dark and mysterious. Indiana switches between playing an ice queen and a wicked witch, both of whom are taunting what we can only assume is an ex-boyfriend. This is one dark electronic fairytale. All that is missing is the poisonous apple.

The ‘Mess Around’ EP has an expected release date of 27 October 2013 via Sony Music, but you can pre-order it on iTunes now. The single will be backed by remixes from Le Youth, Etherwood, Raider and Hucci.

Sounds like: OH Land, Portishead, Alex Clare, Jamie Woon, Zola Jesus

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