Author Archives: Matthew Bloss

[Music Video] Son Lux – The Fool You Need

Posted by Matthew Bloss - May 11, 2018

Son Lux, the genre-skirting synthesis of Los Angeles composer Ryan Lott along with the help of New Yorkers, Rafiq Bhatia on guitar and drummer Ian Chang, have stormed into both this year and this writer’s headspace like a symphonic speeding bullet. Coming off of the heels of an excellent 8th album, Brighter Wounds, which saw release in February, the hyper-talented trio has been garnering loads of worthy critical acclaim in the months since; while touring internationally almost constantly since its release.

Recently Son Lux unveiled the visceral visual accompaniment -directed by Jean-Paul Frenay- from one of Brighter Wounds‘ standout tunes, “The Fool You Need”. The video, which opens with some rather jarring imagery, fits like an unlikely puzzle piece atop Lott’s cleverly fractured drum patterns and aching vocals. When asked about his work, Frenay relayed that he visually interpreted the track to mirror the endless circle of life, love, and death that it so tragically captures. Son Lux will be maintaining their presence on the road, getting ready to kick off a co-headlining tour with indie-pop princess Kimbra come May 12th. Stream the video for “The Fool You Need” below and check out their forthcoming tour dates after the jump.

[Synth-Pop/Experimental] John Maus – Episode

Posted by Matthew Bloss - April 5, 2018

Avant-pop visionary John Maus has lurked around the edges of alternative pop and indie for over a decade. From being Ariel Pink’s roommate at the California Institute of the Arts in ’98, to serving as keyboardist for Pink’s critically lauded Haunted Graffiti band, and performing as touring keyboardist with both Animal Collective and Panda Bear; Maus’ musical credits stretch far beyond most artists operating within the realm of pop.

Maus is getting set to release an already sold-out, career-spanning 6 LP box set on vinyl which includes his latest offering, 2017’s Screen Memories, as well as all three previous studio albums (Songs, Love is Real, We Must Be Come the Pitiless Censors…) and a rarities compilation which will see release later this month. Maus’ latest LP, his sixth full length, Addendum –originally set to be a part of Maus’ forthcoming box set only- will now see a standalone release on May 18th. A collection of B-sides and new tunes, Addendum features 12 additional recordings nestled alongside the tracks that solidified into last year’s excellent Screen Memories LP. Giving us a bit of a taste of things to come on Addendum, Maus has also gifted us with “Episode”, an intoxicating synth-pop movement in which his melodiously vamping vocals float across arpeggiated beats and icy analog synth lines.

Stream “Episode” above, pre-order Addendum here, and check out John Maus’ impending tour dates after the jump.

[Hip-Hop] Deezie Brown – Drive

Posted by Matthew Bloss - March 28, 2018

Most writers within these hallowed grounds of The Music Ninja tend to have a few lesser known albums in their back pocket in which they keep on heavy rotation. One such album in this writer’s library comes from thought provoking Austin, Texas based artist Deezie Brown, who is riding high, fresh off the heels of the release of debut long-player Judith. A 12-track offering delivering a rebellious synthesis of alternative hip-hop and electronic pop, Judith features more than a few high points for listeners to sink their teeth into.

Standing tall among the excellent sea of Judith’s ciphers, is the sterling single “Drive”. “Drive” runs off the fumes of burbling, synthesized two-step drum patterning, crispy snares and of course Brown’s gritty vocal cadence anchoring it all down. About the album Brown shared: “The lyrics throughout the album paint a picture of my addictions and the things that the industry place in front of us as a disguise on what success is supposed to look like.” Deezie Brown clearly has a progressively fresh mind aimed towards his art, and it’s always refreshing to hear an artist in the realms of rap and hip-hop with a true message to share. Judith is available on all major streaming services, so before you dive in, check out “Drive” below.

Hip/Hop

[Video] Porches – Find Me (Baba Stiltz & Samo DJ Remix)

Posted by Matthew Bloss - March 22, 2018

Back in October, we featured Porches’ lead single from the then impending LP The House: “Find Me”. The original tune itself is a clear standout on an album that never quite seems to find its mark as a cohesive statement, and with its boisterous percussion, humming synth work and simple yet sugary sweet pop structure, it was ripe for the good ol’ fashioned remix treatment.

First in line to apply their own glossy coat of paint on top of Aaron Maine’s original mix was the duo of Baba Stiltz & Samo DJ. The pair brilliantly manage to marry their own disco tinged house aesthetic to “Find Me” while clearly maintaining Porches’ original integrity. The result is a hooky earworm of a tune, which buoys Maine’s unmistakable refrain on top of their aural re-tooling. Baba Stiltz & Samo DJ’s remix is accompanied by its own shiny music video with footage directed by Denim Dean, which you can see below. Porches is currently wrapping up a North American tour this weekend, with three NYC shows – March 23rd @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, March 24th @ Bowery Ballroom and March 25th @ Elsewhere, so for our NY friends, be sure to catch them live and watch the video for Baba Stiltz & Samo DJ’s remix below.

Uncategorized

[Indie-Pop] Yoke Lore – Fake You

Posted by Matthew Bloss - March 14, 2018

YOKE LORE
Fake You

Soundcloud

Brooklyn based multi-instrumentalist, dancer, visual artist and indie-pop auteur Adrian Galvin (formerly of Walk the Moon) has flitted around our hallowed pages for over two years now. Much to this writer’s unwavering glee, Galvin has routinely spun lush webs of synth-soaked indie-pop under his Yoke Lore moniker since its inception. At the tail end of 2017 Yoke Lore kept his fans satiated with the release of an excellent EP, Goodpain (which included a remix companion as well), and is now following that up with the impending release of another extended play: Absolutes.

“Fake You” is our first taste from Absolutes, which as a collection of songs aims to explores the grey areas between black and white ideas while building upon the lush, sonic palette of his past works. “Fake You” toys within Galvin’s established aural foundation, including rapturously popping snares and bouncy two-step percussion, but emotively speaking digs much deeper than nearly all of the surface level synth-pop we routinely get bombarded with. Accompanying the release of Absolutes, Yoke Lore will also be joining FRENSHIP on the road for a North American tour. Stream “Fake You” above and check out Yoke Lore’s tour dates after the jump below!

Uncategorized

[Electronic/Techno] George FitzGerald & Bonobo – Outgrown

Posted by Matthew Bloss - February 28, 2018

Earlier in November, we featured an excellent slice of blissed out techno from superstar tastemaker George FitzGerald: “Burns”. Near the end of the article, we promised to solidify any rumors of a 2018 full-length LP from the British producer, and alas, that day has come. Just last month Fitzgerald announced the impending release of a brand new long-player, All That Must Be, confirming our excitement and gifting a few more slices of the album in the process. The latest from All That Must Be to trickle out in single form is an all-star collaboration with fellow British electronic artist, Bonobo, “Outgrown”.

One of the many collaborations from All That Must Be (including tunes with Lil Silva, Tracey Thorne & Hudson Scott), “Outgrown” showcases FitzGerald’s trademark aural aesthetic which bounces intricate electronics on top of his emotive piano tones, culminating in one of the central moments of the record. We’re getting all geared up for the rest of the world to hear All That Must Be in its entirety, but until then, listen to another piece of FitzGerald’s forthcoming LP below, and check out his recently announced worldwide tour dates after the jump.

[Dream-Pop/Indie] Mt. Si – 911 EP

Posted by Matthew Bloss - February 21, 2018

Throughout every corner of music, “supergroups” are all too often hyped to an unthinkable degree; resulting in music that sounds forced together failing to live up to lofty expectations. Such is nowhere near the case for electronic-pop project Mt. Si, who have been quietly authoring an excellent palate of sonic expressions.

Mt. Si is the tasteful union between friends Michael David of Classixx, Jesse Kivel of Kisses and Sarah Chernoff formerly of Superhumanoids –now creating music as a solo artist. The trio first began collaborating during recording sessions from Classixx’ excellent LP Hanging Gardens, and discovered together they wielded quite the creative chemistry. Their latest release, the 911 EP, a follow up to their Limits EP in 2016, recently saw release via Cascine and features three new tracks from the group.

Mt. Si’s 911 EP follows the group’s blueprint, which is the effortless ability to brush pop sensibilities into a dreamy brand of low-key dance music. Title track “911” is an addictive electronic gem featuring Chernoff’s weightless vocals vaulted against a bed of alto-saxophone, gentle harmonies, and rolling percussion. B-side “Annie” is another earworm of a pop diamond that excellently rounds out the EP after the Reed Mix of “911” has run its course. Perhaps the term side project will gradually be taking a backseat behind releases like this from Mt. Si, and you can be sure that we’ll keep you in the loop until then.

’911’

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’911 (Reed Mix)’

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’Annie’

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