Latest Electronica Posts

Jolympix – Let it Go [TMN PREMIERE]

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 19, 2015

Jolympix
Let It Go

Getting out of bed on a Wednesday morning isn’t always the most pleasant feat but today we’ve got a premiere that should alleviate some of your mid-week stresses. “Let it Go” is the debut single from Swedish four-piece, Jolympix, and serves as the perfect introduction to their minimal, yet emotional, electro-pop sound. Backed by a peaceful piano progression, textured percussion and sprinkled psychedelic elements, vocals from Jolympix’s Johanna Nordström shine from the very start possessing a Jonsi-esque tranquility. Around the 1:40 mark, though, the instrumentation subtly erupts with glimmering synths complementing the stripped-down beauty at the song’s core. That understated contrast results in a captivating, immersive listening experience.

Less can often be more with music, and fans often don’t realize the painstaking process it requires to successfully achieve minimalistic bliss. Jolympix have been fine-tuning their craft for quite some time now in their hometown of Gothenburg and it truly shows on this cut. Their debut, self-titled EP is due out near the end of this year but, in the meantime, let your problems melt away with this soothing tune above.

[NEW] Odesza – Light (feat. Little Dragon)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 17, 2015

ODESZA
Light (feat. Little Dragon)

Soundcloud

It feels like every week Odesza have exciting new material to set the interwebs ablaze–whether it be enormous remixes, releases through their Foreign Family Collective or even fan videos of yet-to-be-released songs from their acclaimed live sets. This week proves no different as the Seattle production duo announce the upcoming release of a deluxe edition of their 2014 album In Return. Along with that announcement, they let loose a brand new original track featuring the Swedish electro-pop geniuses of Little Dragon.

The unconventional, yet enticing, crooning of Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano feels like a natural pairing with the shimmering instrumentation of Odesza. “Light” slightly tones down the intense percussion we’re used to from the duo, though, rather gliding beautifully and relying more on the radiant elements of their sound. Even with a more stripped down approach, the chorus proves irresistible as Odesza inject just enough of the enormity we’ve come to expect from them. It’s a truly mesmerizing collaboration that we hope results in more new music between the two pioneering acts.

The deluxe edition of In Return is out on September 18th via Counter Records and can be pre-ordered here.

[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)

Buy

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.

14 Unforgettable Sets from Outside Lands 2015 [Festival Review]

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 13, 2015

It’s been nearly a week since we first stepped into Golden Gate Park for Outside Lands, but with the return to the daily grind it feels like even longer for most of us. This year’s festival, yet another record-breaking one by attendance, featured all the amenities that make OSL special–amazing food, craft beers, a star-studded comedy lineup, the beautiful backdrop of Hellman Hollow and of course a top-notch bill of musical performances. With its rapid expansion came some growing pains as well, though, and our main gripe was the inaccessibility of the Heineken House, which featured some great DJs, due to overcrowding. At the same time, the greater depth of the lineup made the previously overlooked Panhandle stage the place to be and when the crowd came together at shows, the energy was unbelievable.

In the stupor that follows music festivals, it can be easy to allow your precious experiences to fade in the rearview of your memory bank, but there will always be sets that you’ll never forget. We’ve recounted 14 sets that have been stuck in our minds all week and also tried something a bit new with this review by asking random fans to review our favorite sets. If you were in attendance this year, we hope this brings you back and, if not, it might just make you want to check out OSL next year.

All images by Ninja Dominic Powell. All writing, unless otherwise noted, by Ash.

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[Electronic Bliss] Kenton Slash Demon – Harpe

Posted by Ash El Gamal - August 13, 2015

Kenton Slash Demon
Harpe

Soundcloud

The capacity for emotional power within an instrumental composition should never be underestimated–a sentiment interestingly, and perhaps ironically, shared equally between fans of electronic and classical music. In fact, it could be argued that undeciphered abstraction leaves more room for personal and spiritual connection to a song. This couldn’t be more evident on “Harpe,” the latest single from Danish production duo Kenton Slash Demon, which is also one of their first official releases as recent signees to Australian juggernaut Future Classic. The label’s roster already boasts one of the most diverse collections of pioneering artists (Flume, Chet Faker, George Maple, Ta-Ku, Hayden James, Jagwar Ma and the list goes on) and their latest addition proves no different.

“Harpe” spans nearly seven minutes utilizing a stuttering, psychedelically-altered vocal sample backed by atmospheric pads and a steady house tempo to completely engross the listener with a repetitiveness that, at least for me, evokes a feeling of unrelenting reincarnation. That groove hits an interlude of suspension before returning with even more intricate textures. It’s an absolute musical odyssey that simultaneously elicits euphoria and darkness in a way that’ll connect with you in ways few tracks can.

Looking back at Kenton Slash Demon’s Soundcloud page, it’s clear why Future Classic chose them as their next project. If you’re digging this, we’d also highly recommend giving their Skydancer EP a listen.

P.S. Check out the heart-warming video for “Harpe” below.

[TMN Interview] How to be Hard Headed: GANZ on his Vision and Path to Success

Posted by Dominic Powell - August 11, 2015

The ever shifting musical landscape of today lends itself to short memories and drastic overstatements. Albums are placed in the upper echelons shortly after their debuts, and claims of dominance fly constantly, portraying musicians as the literal godfathers of their respective genres. Part of the blame is shouldered by writers; an over reactive bunch who tend to go a bit overboard in backing their favorite artists. “Godfather” might be a bit of an embellishment, but in the case of Dutch producer Jordy Saamena, it would not be entirely hyperbolic to claim that he spawned an entirely new production style two years ago – one that has sparked a new wave of artists emulating his early success.

Saamena, who has situated himself as a internationally known producer under his stage name GANZ (pronounced gans), took the attention of the electronic music world through the release of his unique remixes – coined as “flips” – dating back to February of last year. While at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco on the first of an 8-stop North American tour, Jordy and manager Dennis Saamena (his older brother) were gracious enough to take some time after his performance and give The Music Ninja a run down on what the past two years have been like, the release of his label, and what he sees for the future of GANZ.

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