Author Archives: Matthew Bloss

[Indie-Rock/Shoegaze] Forebear – People’s Champ [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 18, 2015

| Forebear |
People's Champ

L.A. four-piece Forebear have been quietly carving out a special place in many a critic’s heart since unloading their first four tasteful, genre straddling and cinematic indie-rock tracks over the last year. Consisting of some of the Los Angeles area’s most prolific professional musicians -who as individuals have worked with everyone from Feist & Bastille to Randy Jackson & even Keith Urban- Forebear consists of ex-Wise Club frontman Scott Goldblaum weaving melodic guitar and sharing vocals with the rangeful Molly Rogers (who herself also adds carefully strung viola and keys), rounded out by the methodical rhythm section of Nick Chamian’s bass and Mike Musselman’s directed drumming. The quartet’s forthcoming EP, Cody, from which we have the distinct pleasure of debuting its first single “People’s Champ”, carries with it some lofty expectations as famed producer Scott Gordon (Alanis Morissette, Ringo Starr) has taken lead production reigns for what is quite the exciting pairing of notable engineer and burgeoning indie act. “People’s Champ” is a wonderful first taste of Forebear’s impending EP -a poignant and dazed track narrating the story of lost love through a drizzling and reverb soaked vocal, hazy guitars and melodic hooks and we can’t wait to consume even more of their uniquely detailed sound. We’re getting all primed and excited for the rest of Cody, but for now, revel in all that is Forebear’s shiny and new ‘TMN Premiere’ “People’s Champ” above.

[Synth-Pop/Dark-Wave] The Familiar – Patience [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 17, 2015

The Familiar
Patience

Soundcloud

While many synth based pop structures seem to produce a bevy of sunnier, joy inducing sounds; it is the darkest, murkiest corners of the genre which constantly draw this writer’s attention. With acts like Black Marble, Gang Signs, Young Prisms and Craft Spells consuming the majority of my limited ‘pleasure listening’ time; the unlikely duo of Brooklyn-based singer Ruth Mirsky and Norwegian-based producer Mads Martinsen known better as The Familiar -who by the way have never actually sat in the same room to make music- have earwormed themselves deeply into heavy rotation around the TMN pool. With a haunting cover of Hozier’s “Take Me To Church”, and a stellar debut EP Rooms most recently pacing the pair’s current ascension into alt-pop circles the world over; The Familiar’s latest single “Patience” dives into more personal territory. Mirsky weaves a vocal-central aesthetic through a plea for patience to her lover over Martinsen’s pulsating, synth-driven beat and rhythmic, foggy pop hooks for a tune that swallowed us up from our first listen. The Familiar’s deft yet subtle use of rolling staccato synths played off a lush set of vocal reverberations also has us drawing up comparisons from the gloomiest of Kavinsky tunes to College’s wonderful Heritage LP and even a touch of Johnny Jewel laden synthetica. And in case you weren’t aware, those are all very lofty associations. Hop on The Familiar wagon with “Patience” before literally anyone else on behalf of a TMN premiere above.

[Electronic/Future] SMLE – With Me Ft. Hype Turner & Mary Ellen

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 14, 2015

SMLE
With Me (ft. Hype Turner & Mary Ellen)

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Since we first came into contact with them over a year ago, enigmatic production troupe SMLE have been consistently churning out some of the most tasteful midtempo, genre-blurring electronic music we’ve heard since a young chap by the name of Harley Streten took the scene by storm in 2011. We’ve already featured a pair of tunes, “Every Chance You Get” and “It’ll Be Okay”, off of their forthcoming EP Reasons To and today they’ve delivered us yet another carefully crafted soundscape which fuses pop arrangements, a heavy dose of soul, and skampering beats. “With Me” features syrupy vocal work from Hype Turner & Mary Ellen, and subtly combines nuanced percussion, murky rhythms and a huge, future-leaning synth which swallows up its listeners at will. SMLE’s darker instrumentation on this one bounces wonderfully off of Hype Turner & Mary Ellen’s playful vocal work, which has all resulted in another song we couldn’t wait to share with out TMN faithful. Stream “With Me” above.

[Video] Digital Farm Animals – True

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 13, 2015

Back in April we had a chance to feature a piece of the club-ready sound evolution of London based electronic savant Digital Farm Animals on his single “True”, and judging from our review, we’ve been completely enamored with the savvy producer’s directional shift. Today, Digital Farm Animals has released a debut visual piece in the form of “True”‘s official music video, and its visual aesthetic works just brilliantly with his synthetic sonority. From the video’s protagonists pulling heists in pig masks (see DFA’s above logo) to the actual levity portrayed through wolf-cops; there’s a certain playfulness underlying a very serious tonality that echoes DFA’s simple, yet layered and complex instrumentation. Nick Gale’s DFA project has certainly come a long way since its earliest rumblings, and seeing everything come full circle and begin to take shape in the form of a complete concept is like a music writer’s dream. But, as we can’t do the video justice with words, we’ll go ahead and leave it right here for our Ninjas to enjoy.

[Indie-Pop] Memoryy – Feeling Sinister [TMN Premiere]

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 11, 2015

Memoryy
Feeling Sinister

Soundcloud

Last landing on our pages in February with effervescent synth-pop single “Eternal Sunshine”, Brooklyn based Memoryy has once again set his wings down behind another slice of indie-tinged alt-pop. “Feeling Sinister” is the latest from Memoryy, and just one listen to the 80’s dipped synth work, subdued horn section and fleeting hooks had us falling all over again. Memoryy effortlessly rolls on midtempo pop structures injected with a contemporary blast of tasteful shoegaze and dream-pop; which has us dialing up comparisons to artists as current as Tanlines & Twin Shadow to as far back as New Order and even Peter Gabriel’s art-housiest expressions. “Feeling Sinister” doesn’t end just instrumentally either, featuring a soaring refrain played off of subtle pop backing harmonies, acting as the glue drawing all of “Feeling Sinister” together as a single movement. With Summer temperatures rising stateside, Memoryy’s dropped a perfect addition to all of our roof, pool and beachside parties, and it’s be more than wise to follow suit.

About the tune, Memoryy shared with us: “Feeling Sinister is a song that just reminds me of hot summer nights. It’s also the first Memoryy song to have a horn section on it – an inspiration I’m not ashamed to chalk up to one of my fave guilty pleasure pop songs, Go West’s ‘The King of Wishful Thinking’…. Although they used synth horns & co-producer Brothertiger got his trumpeter buddy Dave Levy from Bombrasstico to come into the studio… Every time I hear the song now I’m transported back to the feeling of hearing that solo for the first time – breathless & magical.” It certainly is. Stream “Feeling Sinister” above ahead of an official August 14th digital release through iTunes (preorder link here) and before anyone else in the form of a shiny ‘TMN Premiere’.

[Ambient/Dubstep] Allies For Everyone – All Gone (Kodomo Remix)

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 10, 2015

Allies For Everyone
All Gone (Kodomo Remix)

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Sometimes with the copious amounts of music being released digitally nowadays through an exponential number of online retailers and publications -maybe even all too often- a sonically textured soundscape which may require a bit more active listening gets passed over for a quick and catchy melody highlighting whichever genre-du-jour may be the hippest to write about at the moment. However, some tunes break through the mold and command attention through their own set of aural rules. The latest from genre-skirting electronic producer Kodomo falls into such a category, finding the New York based artist taking Allies For Everyone‘s (who premiered his own remix of his single “Bunker” with us last month) latest single “All Gone” into his own realm of silky, two-step melodica. From the careful droning of delicate drums to precisely pinned piano, and the reverb laden use of AFE’s original vocal track; Kodomo’s crafted a completely alternate view into “All Gone”. Deep and rich t extures are both built and torn down all at once by Kodomo, encasing a hermetic heart at its his revision’s core. For our seasoned electronic listeners, and fans of Boards of Canada, early Emancipator and Baths we’re highly recommending Kodomo’s remix to cut right through the Summer heat. Get more of Allies For Everyone from his busy Soundcloud here, and check out Kodomo’s “All Gone” remix above.

[Electronica/Chill] Laura Marling – Divine (Olugbenga Remix)

Posted by Matthew Bloss - August 6, 2015

Laura Marling
Divine [OLUGBENGA REMIX]

Soundcloud

While most of us are probably familiar with U.K. alt-pop troupe Metronomy, we’re pretty sure most of our Ninjas out there may not be as familiar with their bass player Olugbenga and his incredibly textured solo electronic project. Just last week Olugbenga dropped a luscious mixtape, Olu’s Omniverse #2, which featured a number of unreleased tunes including a brand new remix of UK folk singer Laura Marling and her single “Divine”. After having to settle on listening to this breezy revision as part of Olugbenga’s aforementioned mixtape, today we had the pleasure of receiving the single in its entirety and couldn’t have asked for a better way to start our Thursday. Certainly the eclectic beatsmith (as so many bass players seem to be), Olugbenga dips “Divine” in multiple pools of influence from world beat to chill-step and dance behind crisply laid toplines, thumping drums which hearken the raw emotion of Chicago footwork and of course Laura Marlings inimitable vocal track. Just go ahead and wrap yourself in this one, you’ll be happy you did.