Latest Experimental Posts

Stage Hands – #unabomber (feat. The One and Only Matt Miller) [TMN PREMIERE]

Posted by Clayton Warwick - February 2, 2015

Stage Hands
#unabomber (feat. The One and Only Matt Miller)

If you’re anything like us, you’re constantly looking for musical escapes throughout your work weeks. You know the ones. The songs we’re looking for are something completely encompassing, possessing the ability to completely derail our train of thought with anything regarding the day-to-day minutia.

Stage Hands has served up one of those tracks today, exclusively premiering “#unabomber” here on TMN. The highlight of the forthcoming LP, this tune boasts all of the complicated, glitchy, jazz-informed electronica one would hope for when looking towards a musical escape. Members Brandon Locher and Gerald Mattis harness their past experiences with acts like The Meets to create an avant-garde mixture of multiple genres. The end result allows them to highlight a calculated pairing of electronic and acoustic, digital and analog, and abstract and accessible.

“#unabomber,” which features The One and Only Matt Miller, glows with nerdist musical intellectualism, slowly building with spattering drum kit hits, glowing synths, and calculated progressions. At time it reminds us of acts like Tycho, Bonobo, or Little People, all of which are some of our favorites in the game.

If you’re digging this tune, make sure to mark your calendar for Feb. 10th. This LP will be dropping via the art collective My Idea of Fun.

[Indie Electronic] Diveliner – Visit 1

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - February 1, 2015

Diveliner
Visit 1

Soundcloud

First off, I just want to say that “Indie Electronic” is a broad generalization for this tune, because it’s much more than that. Music that eschews traditional labels always prove to be the most intriguing, and “Visit 1” delivers on this exact premise. Diveliner is kicking off a new album, DS01 with this hazy, autotune focused track that would easily be right at home on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Oddly upbeat synths contrast the longing of the cello and rumble of the monstrous drums as Diveliner’s warbly vocals dance alongside the production with a wistful nature akin to that of Justin Vernon of Bon Iver.

There’s an intangible quality of this tune that draws you in, and it may only be two minutes long, but it feels much longer and developed than that. “Visit 1” is quite the departure from the previous three songs on his SoundCloud, so DS01 could result in just about anything at this point. Hopefully this dreamy soundscape carries on throughout the record, because this a wonderful first taste of what’s to come. Catch the accompanying video also.

[Hip-Hop] Bipolar Sunshine & Jazz Purple – Aesthetics 1.0 (Mixtape)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - January 29, 2015

The multi-talented vocalist Bipolar Sunshine initially caught our attention last year with a number of smooth releases finding the perfect intersection of R&B, hip-hop and electronic music. In preparation for what promises to be a breakout year, Bipolar Sunshine has teamed up with Jazz Purple, the producer behind the majority of his solo work, for a mixtape to hold fans over. The project, released on their Manchester-based label Aesthetics Sounds, features an incredible range of sounds melding elements of future electronic music with hip-hop, R&B and a broad range of cross-genre influences. As you listen, you’ll likely recognize unlikely, masterfully-spun tributes to and samples of Gary Jules‘s “Mad World” and Coldplay‘s “Fix You” among others. Aesthetics 1.0 proves a fascinating, engaging listen that’ll keep you intrigued from start to finish and is a great sign for what’s to come. Give the full project a listen below and keep an eye out for Bipolar Sunshine’s upcoming single, “Daydreamer,” due out on February 8th.

’Bipolar Sunshine & Jazz Purple – John McEnroe’

Soundcloud

’Bipolar Sunshine & Jazz Purple
Mad World’

Soundcloud

’Bipolar Sunshine & Jazz Purple – Battle’

Soundcloud

’Bipolar Sunshine & Jazz Purple – Dream A Little Dream’

Soundcloud

’Bipolar Sunshine & Jazz Purple – Dreamy’

Soundcloud

’Bipolar Sunshine & Jazz Purple – No Time To Waste’

Soundcloud

[via Okayplayer]

[Electronic] Shlohmo – Buried

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - January 27, 2015

shlohmo
BURIED

Buy

Widely recognized for his work on the alternative R&B front with artists like Jeremih & BANKS, it should not be forgotten that Henry Laufer, aka Shlohmo, can stand tall as a solo act. Lest you still have any doubt in his abilities, the gifted producer is gearing up to release a new LP titled Dark Red on April 7th. If that title isn’t ominous enough for you though, Laufer also decided to share his latest single, “Buried.”

Although it’s still January, we’re ready to declare “Buried” as one of the most incredible songs of 2015. On the surface, “Buried” epitomizes many of the qualities we’ve grown accustomed to from Shlohmo’s music–murky, eerie, visceral, foreboding–but it steadily builds into something more. Possibly his most ambitious record to date, “Buried” completely flips the script, as it hijacks the senses and takes the listener on a majestic journey through mercurial synths, grungy guitar riffs and crashing hi hats that will leave you gasping for air. If this expansive masterpiece doesn’t convince you to pre-order the album on iTunes, we’re not sure what will. Maybe a few words from the man himself might help:

When I started working on Dark Red about two and a half years ago, I had just moved back to LA and built a small studio in my apartment, mostly with my dad’s old gear from the 80s. I had just lost some people close to me and was dealing with another loved one’s health issues. I was all over the place mentally, and I think it reflects in this record whether I like it or not.

The only thing I did know going into it, was that I wanted this one to be loud, and not just loud but really really f***ing loud. I wanted the sound of the thing to be devastating and violent. Recordings that force you to feel something even if that something isn’t good. I’m proud to have made something polarizing, a record that’s strong and undeniable even in its moments of pure anxiety and confusion. It’s tragic and painful at times, but that’s all part of it and I want that to be heard and felt. You don’t have to like it, just listen to it.

Listen to the tune above, and check out the tracklist for Dark Red after the jump.

Continue reading →

[Trippy] Mouthe – Limitless

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - January 25, 2015

Mouthe
Limitless

Soundcloud

With a production style as jarring as the artwork that comes with it, the anonymous Mouthe just busted onto the scene with a massive tune. Finding a medium between Odd Future shock factor and an absolutely monstrous beat, this artist/group enlists a distorted and pitched down rapper who spits deadpan verses over a grinding and grating dystopian soundscape. While brooding and dark, Limitless sets out to accomplish one thing: to grab your attention. It definitely succeeds, and halfway through it really hits its stride, shedding the chopped vocals to allow the beat to ride out and the bionic rapper to spit more drug fueled binary bars.

Limitless is a trip and extremely exciting. Mouthe adds an air of mystery by having no other information on who he/she/they are and can be added to the ever growing list of enigmatic acts making a SoundCloud debut. For a first release, this is a highly developed and unique sound, so it will be interesting to see what Mouthe will be capable of in the future. This one isn’t for the faint of heart, but it bumps hard and we are hooked and ready for more.

[Electronic] Koloto – Fox Tales (Set In Sand Remix)

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - January 25, 2015

Koloto
Fox Tales (Set In Sand Remix)

Soundcloud

Glitch music has such a wide scope of possibilities. Set In Sand schools us in this train of thought with his newest remix of an older Koloto tune, Fox Tales. The original thrives on its own glitch elements as well, but Set In Sand has emphasized the unpredictable shift of this facet of music, ascending to a level almost on par with the Glitch Mob and their respective side projects. While Glitch Mob has had massive success with a higher energy, Set In Sand showcases his strength with a calmer approach.

This remix is chilling, inspiring, erratic yet pleasing, and an enjoyable overall listen. It twists and turns constantly, but manages to create an air of comfort with each shift of its rhythm as well. While it was released during the later part of last year, Bad Panda Records just recently added this remix to their SoundCloud. It was a pleasant reminder, and certainly merits a revisit.

[Future] Katuchat – Lonely Cloud (EP)

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - January 21, 2015

French based Moose Records recently released an EP that will be already be contending for one of the best of the year. Katuchat just made a statement with Lonely Cloud. Interweaving elements of Japanese influence, futuristic synths, and an air of unparalleled serenity, Katuchat cemented a spot as a prominent budding producer who should have your undivided attention.

From the plucks of Pink Lemonade to the final chimes of Pastel, this project carries a large potential of success to push electronic music in the right direction, not unlike Cashmere Cat‘s Wedding Bells EP. Calling on features from Andrea and his younger brother, Rusty Hook, Katuchat formulated a cold, but compelling world within these four tracks. He dives unwavering into an atmosphere intended for introspection and calm, and we definitely thank him for it.

’Katuchat – Pink Lemonade’

Soundcloud

’Watercolor’

Buy

’Call Me (ft Andrea)’

Buy

’Pastel (ft. Rusty Hook)’

Buy

’Katuchat – Pink Lemonade (Fresing Remix)’

Soundcloud