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EP: Weather Balloons by DORA LACHAISE & JONNI SLATER

Akram Soliman
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EP: Weather Balloons by DORA LACHAISE & JONNI SLATER

Dora Lachaise and Jonni Slate are Glasgow-based singer-songwriters who English music producer James Sanger contacted to create a new project comprising five songs that combine the duo’s fascination with UFOs and Neo-Noir films. The result was the fantastic EP ‘Weather Balloons’ available on Bandcamp now, while the singles are available on Spotify and other platforms. The duo also performed these singles in the past with video projections/backdrops meant to simulate a forgotten TV station that plays grainy and distorted films. I will describe each of these tracks on its own and review them for you now, so brace yourselves for a strange and experimental journey.

1- Weather Balloons

The track has an ominous synth/keyboard line that repeats for almost the entire song’s duration and feels very reminiscent of artists like Nick Cave and Nine Inch Nails. Dora starts singing a bit earlier than Jonni, but the moment Jonni starts singing he is accompanied by some clean guitars that add a touch of exploration and adventure in the middle of the horror/fright overtones of the sound. The most attractive element of the song for me was how harmonious and how magical both their voices work with each other. The track gave us a general idea of how the rest of the tracks will sound, but you’re wrong if you think this is the only trick these guys have up their sleeves.

2- Braver Than You

This is a slightly more hopeful and uplifting track, thanks to the brightness and clarity that the duo shows in their voices. The arrangement is slightly simpler than the previous track, as it mainly focuses on the acoustic guitar, the bass, and the drums. There’s an overall familiar sense of folk music in this track which made it all the more enjoyable.

3- Sign On The Door

My favorite track of the entire EP, and probably one of the best songs I’ve ever heard in my life, period. The synth is the only thing playing with the vocals for the first half of the song, and then there’s a sudden transition where the drums and guitars join and Dora’s voice turns into a scary Broadway/operatic style which made my jaw drop to the floor and my eyes open wide. The horror element returns here and it somehow channels the same energy as the first track, but they’re still vastly different.

4- Bluer Skies

As Neo-Noir as the duo promised, this song feels like it was composed for a David Fincher movie. I’m really in love with the warmth of the vocals and how well they match the darkly-toned clean guitars. It really felt like such an effect belongs to the 60s and early 70s, but with the modern production and the dissonant electronic synth, the feeling of unsettling darkness remained. It really helps connect the track to the rest of the album too, cause you don’t know whether it’s emulating the grainy TV or a rainstorm or what…I’d have to ask that question directly to Dora and Jonni to know.

5- Keep It In The Dark

This is the closing track which encompasses the elements that came before it perfectly. Whenever Dora sings a melodic line, Jonni follows her in a lower pitch and slightly darker timbre, representing different perspectives of the same vocal melody in a perfect and homogenous way. The pre-chorus and chorus are sung by both vocalists together, to put emphasis and accentuate the meaning behind the lyrics even more. This track samples the grainy TV sound and has a guitar chord progression, but it also uses an exotic instrument that sounds similar to a kalimba/xylophone to add more subtle horror to the mix…I really couldn’t name this instrument at first listen but it highly strengthened the notion that this is a film soundtrack.

In conclusion, Film Noir and Neo-Noir lovers will enjoy this EP so much, and when you tell them it’s five different soundtracks for five different movies you won’t be lying as they were all created with supporting video projections. The way no two songs sound the same on this record, all while sounding coherent and familiar, will always be a mystery to me. I can’t tell if it’s just production magic, the God-given amazing voice, the impeccable songwriting, the hard work supporting the talent, or if it’s just a mix of all these elements that helped this record become the masterpiece that it is. Grammy-worthy records like this sadly exist outside the top 100 and 200 charts, but I promise you they are worthy of your time, money, and recognition…and they aren’t that far of a deviation from what a mainstream fan would want to hear. So please, help me get this new masterpiece more views and more recognition to make it as popular as it deserves to be. 


https://jonnislater.bandcamp.com/album/weather-balloons

 

 

Album: Neverberator (2023 Remaster) by AUTISM

Hamza Sharkas
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Album: Neverberator (2023 Remaster) by AUTISM

Autism, the New York-based electronic music act just released a remaster of one of their older albums “Neverberator”…a very charismatic album and an album that we need today as it never aged one day even.

Autism was so ahead of its time when they released “Neverberator” that it still sounds relevant and feels like it was born today.

“Neverberator” is filled with bold charisma…these guys were not and are not afraid to go into uncharted sonic territories…like scientists, they don’t shy from experimentation, and through trials and tribulations, they come out the other side with something very new, and fresh like this album.

“Neverberator” has 11 instrumental electronic tracks…but to say that is an understatement.

The music of Autism is nothing that can easily fall under an umbrella, like saying electronic music…well, yes, technically yes…but how they craft it has so much more to it than putting a one sticker label with the words “electronic music” on it.

Autism creates hypnotic electronic mantras that take you from wherever you’re listening and into a huge and deep trance…they create small waves that turn into tsunamis for your soul.

“Neverberator” starts with 3 very experimental tracks that instantly hook you and take you to that place…” Old Tape Monofreak”, “The First Drunk on Mars” and “Science-77”…very hypnotic, very experimental, very avante-garde, and full of storytelling elements…

…but that is not to say that they don’t go to the melodic worlds…they do…with a track like “Upper Stream” they go into the melodies and explore it in a very unique way…

…they also examine and explore the percussive nature of the body movements and brain through their track “Catching Up with Electricity”…with a very wide range of percussive elements and interesting beats…they also explore the cinematic approach with some areas of this track.

Speaking of the ultimate hypnotic experience, you should try the seventh track titled “Like a River Inside the Ocean” and the next track “Steel Breath”…which actually ties in together perfectly…the end and the beginning of these tracks are a continuation of each other…talk about an experience…these guys do experiences.

…and they finish off on a high note with the last track, “Acute Angles”…

This track has all of their signature explorative approaches and combines the experimental with the melodic. A track that has it all.

Autism is offering us a very new musical approach that cannot be missed, it is a highly recommended listen to all explorers, whether musical or non-musical…this album “Neverberator” is a mind opener…and to listen to it, you have to go in with an open mind that you want to expand a bit more.

Wishing Autism all the best in what they do…they are masters of their craft and we cannot wait to listen to what new experiences and journeys they have planned…

Cheers!

 

Alone 2night by VALLAC

Hamza Sharkas
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Alone 2night by VALLAC

I’m born in 1988, so basically I grew up in the 90s…and oh the 90s…and the sounds of the 90s, I’m like a bee to honey when anything from this period pops up in front of me, whether it’s fashion, colors, movies or music…and when experiencing Vallac’s latest single “Alone 2night” I got instantly transported to the time I was growing up and starting to experience music…and what a trip “Alone 2night” is…

Vallac is a well-established electronic music producer and DJ from Milan, Italy, and his latest creation “Alone 2night” is the closest thing to a time machine that you can get right now.

From the very first couple of seconds of “Alone 2night” you already know what you’re going into…you’re physically going back in time to the 90s…

The vocals…the reverb and the delay effects on those soaring vocals…

The synth sounds…

The bass…

The beat…

…and of course, the melodic hooks that are full of character and charisma…

Vallac was really able to give us a musical adventure that is completely out of the box and take us to a completely different musical age with all the details that entail…everything is 100% masterfully crafted to give us the full ‘back to the future experience.

…one could actually argue that “Alone 2night” could be more 90s than actual music that was created in that time period…

…let me suggest a very outlandish premise…if we actually go back in time to 1995 and play this song, no one would even consider it was made in the future…

It’s a very sci-fi concept, sure, but this is how authentic this song is.

“Alone 2night” is an extremely enjoyable and anthemic walk down memory lane…and we needed it.

Thank you Vallac for the awesome experience, we can’t wait to hear more from you.

Wishing you all the best. You deserve it.

Cheers!

 

Love Party by REHYA STEVENS

Moataz Gwaily
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Love Party by REHYA STEVENS

 The award-winning Rehya Stevens is back with an energetic synthpop banger that straddles the line between Dance and EDM in celebration of Pride Month and Juneteenth. ‘Love Party’ is loud, confident, and definitely party-friendly.

 Based in Los Angeles, Rehya Stevens is probably most known for her seasonal Christmas releases that have piled up into a healthy catalog of Christmas songs. Stevens was raised in a small town in Northern California to a Ukrainian immigrant father, and her sheltered upbringing is to be credited for her open-mindedness, which she displays on ‘Love Party’.

 The new single sees the award-winning artist teaming up with two-time Emmy Award-winning composer Jamie Dunlap on co-writing and co-production of ‘Love Party’. The results are a confident song full of dynamic charisma that is displayed through Rehya Stevens’s challenging and high-flying vocal melodies. The stabby synths are dancy and sound so familiar like hundreds of other party hit from the past two decades, which makes the song even easier to enjoy.

 ‘Love Party’ spreads the universal message of inclusivity and acceptance in the light of dance-pop. Easy, loud, bombastic, and fun. 



Norwegian Summer by TODD & KAREN

Moataz Gwaily
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Norwegian Summer by TODD & KAREN

The fifth single from Norwegian-Irish folk-pop duo Todd & Karen comes in a summery guise of upbeat acoustic folk that’s warm, soothing, and eloquent.

 The Kongsberg-based Todd & Karen is composed of neither Todds nor Karens. Instead, the twosome is Øyvind Berge from Norway and Ina Verdi-Ruckstuhl from Ireland, two schoolteachers who got to know each other through work, and after a period of writing jingles for friends and singing at birthday parties, the duo decided to up their game and start making music and recording it professionally. The results are delightful pop tunes that graciously flow between grandiose acoustics and impassioned vocals, usually sung by Øyvind Berge.

 Their latest single ‘Norwegian Summer’ is already featured on the official Spotify ‘Nordic Folk’ playlist, and it is not hard to see why. The Beatles-esque arrangement is delicate and sweet and is the first time that Ina Verdi-Ruckstuhl takes the lead vocal duty. The emotion evoked harkens back to Joni Mitchell’s soulful folk-pop in the flower power era. The chorusing effect on Verdi-Ruckstuhl’s vocals in particular carries a lot of that retro value. The lyrics, about the brevity of the Nordic summer, are a call for everyone to enjoy the time at hand while it lasts, whether it be summer or winter.

 With a nostalgic composition that features airy chord moves and easy-to-sing-along melodies that get interjected by the haunting section sung by Berge, ‘Norwegian Summer’ is a summertime delicacy that would be just as nice come spring, fall, or winter. 

 

EP: Wonderful by FISH AND SCALE

Moataz Gwaily
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EP: Wonderful by FISH AND SCALE

Fish and Scale’s anticipated EP ‘Wonderful’ has dropped, and at a perky length of 13 minutes, full of soulful and upbeat acoustic folk attenuated by Roland Wälzlein’s heartfelt singing, the short album hits home as sweet, reaffirming, and musically wholesome.

 Based in the Bavarian haven of Nuremberg, Fish, and Scale is the solo musical act of singer and songwriter Roland Wälzlein whose acoustic and vocal warmth penetrates through his simplistic but lively arrangements to create his unique brand of thoughtful folk pop. While pop-ish in sound, Fish and Scale’s music is considerably deep and thought-provoking, often with stirring messages being told about finding one’s value and happiness through immaterial means, and with Wälzlein’s hearty and forest-like yelps, he sure brings dedication to the delivery of those messages, giving them even more gravitas.

 The EP starts with the previously released ‘Stay!’, a jangly piece of optimistic folk that goes smoothly from the prickliest of fingerpicked passages all the way to rocked-out belts out. All the while Fish and Scales utilizes an earthy arrangement of creamy organs, a dry and wooden drum kit that’s bombastic and in-your-face. Wälzlein’s acoustic guitar is just as intimate and warm as the organs and the drums, and the playful vocal harmonies on the second cut ‘Don’t Care’ are a delightful addition to the song’s more country-inspired rocking sound. The song comes loaded with a delicious Honky-tonk piano solo and a short lead guitar solo that’s tightly overdriven and tastefully phrased. The third song of the EP is ’Feel’. This intimately voiced stunner makes use of slick vocal harmonies and an embracing groove that progresses with the song’s composition through its shapeshifting singer-songwriter atmospheres. Starting with a driving section with more reaffirming lyrics about finally getting connected with your true identity, once you manage to rid yourself of enough external distractions to be able to see what truly matters. The song’s electric guitar arrangement is exceptionally beautiful, mirroring the soft and driving grooves with their delicate arpeggiated chords and comfortingly suitable tones. A sublime song that sounds close and reassuring. The jazz-folk vibes carry along from the third to the fourth -and titular- song. Starting with Wälzlein and a retro-voiced upright piano that soon gets accompanied by an ever-dramatic bass part on a double bass that’s beautifully performed. Jazzy, quick, passionate, and restrained, ‘Wonderful’ is deserving of the title of the EP. Standing out and easily stirring, the song also contains some of the album’s most challenging vocal passages, as well as some of the prettiest lyrical lines.

 Fish and Scale’s EP ‘Wonderful’ is very short, allowing it to be condensed, delicious, and filler-free. Each moment of each song is carefully and lovingly calculated, with details and nuances that keep on giving with repeated listens. It is also sadly short because we could all easily use some more of Wälzlein’s Wonderful music.  

 

 

 

ForceGhost by JERALD COPP

Moataz Gwaily
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ForceGhost by JERALD COPP

ForceGhost is the output of one man so creative that he faced the need to release music under two different pseudonyms, thus created the cinematic, classical, and smooth ÍKORNI a decade ago, and then created the synthpop enigma that is Jerald Copp in 2022. Enter Stefán Örn Gunnlaugsson.

 Based in the Icelandic Capital Reykjavik, Stefán Örn Gunnlaugsson is a musician and veteran producer with a varied, layered, and unique voice to his arrangement and compositions. Mainly driven toward the cinematic side of things, Gunnlaugsson is also inspired by modern folk greats Bon Iver and Rhye, which might show in his fragmented vocal arrangement that seems to intertwine through the rest of the instrumentation rather than standing in front of them as usual, a technique that Bon Iver is masterful at.

 Mind you, ‘ForceGhost’ is not in any way similar to either Bon Iver or Rhye. Instead, ‘ForceGhost’ is a cinematic, grandiose affair of synths, classical-music chord movements, powerful electronica, and impactful production. Utilizing both his alter egos, Gunnlaugsson credits the cinematic, melancholic, and subdued parts to ÍKORNI, and the strong and heavy-hitting ones to his later alter ego Jerald Copp, maintaining a fresh contrast throughout the song that induces the arrangement with liveliness and a perpetual sense of motion.

 Dazzling synths in a warm production tapestry are a mainstay of ‘ForceGhost’, whether via the input of the dancy Jerald Copp, or the darker undertones of ÍKORNI. ‘ForceGhost’ is a testament to the charming chemistry between them. It is as if they were one man.  

 



Combien by LA BICHE

Moataz Gwaily
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Combien by LA BICHE

La Biche returns with one more of her sensual chamber pop delicacies. ‘Combien’ shimmers and stuns with ethereal textures, meaningful words, intricate rhythmic shifts, and a lot of drama.

Based in Paris, France, La Biche has been involved in music and dance since her childhood, being born to a music-teaching father who is a pianist and accordionist, and having studied dance at the Ballet Junior de Genève before settling in Paris.

La Biche’s latest single ‘Combien’ comes across with its intricate arrangement that goes through multiple phases of building momentum that always gets dissipated in the most tasteful ways. The song is a thorough exercise in building and releasing tension. With the airy pad textures and La Biche’s writhing vocal delivery that effortlessly bring a challenging melody with style and grace. ‘Combien’ is at once delicate and fierce.

A show-stopping affair of very French chamber pop, ‘Combien’ from La Biche is warm and rich, and well thought out. A delightful single with arresting textures and haunting colors.

 

Sugar Pie by T-FINNY

Moataz Gwaily
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Sugar Pie by T-FINNY

T-FINNY’s music elegantly bridges the gap between the street-conscious sensibilities of Arctic Monkeys and the pristine, modern pop of The 1975, and his latest single ‘Sugar Pie’ is sufficient representation of this sound he’s been honing now for years.

Based in Livingston, Montana, T-FINNY is the stage name for writer, artist, and producer Tal Finny who has something to say with his latest single ‘Sugar Pie’. Borrowing a page from Harry Styles’s ‘Watermelon Sugar’, T-FINNY’s latest is a warm and peppy summertime banger. With its steady beat, confident singing, crisp production, and essential modern pop sound, it is a song that is extremely easy to fall for. 

T-FINNY’s ‘Sugar Pie’ is rhythmic, a pleasure to dance to, with a chic sound to its instrumentation and arrangement. The chords are delivered via stabby synths and shimmering keyboards, the driving beats are simplistic and groovy, the sweet-slash-sleazy words are sure to find a sizable audience among both mature club goers and innocent teens looking for a summertime hit to blast on roadtrips.

A song with all the essential components of a pop stunner. T-FINNY’s voice truly stands out among his peers, and on ‘Sugar Pie’, his impressionistic songwriter does the same. ‘Sugar Pie’ is a trap that will keep you in a loop replaying it for quite some time. It is catchy like that.

 

8-bit by Morning Trips

Hamza Sharkas
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8-bit by Morning Trips

All the way from Northwest Florida, Morning Trips graces the world with their unique genre-bending songs, delving into real world challenges through their unique witty writing with their latest single “8-bit”.

First things first…let’s get to meet the awesome people behind Morning Trips…

Brady Lynch

Logan Clinkingbeard

James Amos

Noah Townsend

…together, they challenge social norms with their thought provoking lyrics and very unique musical approach…

The music that Morning Trips crafted for “8-bit”is a very avant-garde punk/rock/pop…with of course 8-bit elements in the mix, they don’t shy away from trying stuff from the uncharted musical territories…and they make it work…actually rather nicely.

“8-bit” talks about modern day challenges, specifically with the digital age that we’ve come to live in and how it is affecting us and how social media makes us think we need to be perfect…these challenges were never to be found before this age we live in…and with their witty lyrical approach, they send their message loud and clear.

 

Morning Trips is a band that is coming strongly and with a lot of charisma and unique character, they could easily navigate their way to stardom.

Wishing the awesome guys at Morning Trips all the best…and hey, for all the people out there, make sure to check their latest song “8-bit” and see how many modern day references you could find in there.

Cheers!

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