All posts tagged downbeat

Mothica – Visions

mothicaa

I got a little drunk the other night… the first time I’ve done so in a while. I’d bought some expensive vodka as a moving-in present to myself, forgot about it, and re-discovered it whilst listening to Visions, the new track by Mothica.

The musical project of New York based electronica artist McKenzie Ellis; it’s fair to say her reputation (and fanbase) have been growing rapidly ever since I first introduced her way back in January. To be honest, I would have happily written about any of the tracks she’s posted up since… but I didn’t want to come across as an obsessive. Stripped back with a minimalist production, her words seem more personal than ever before. Like most people I tend to get a bit emotional after a few drinks and Visions has really buried itself deep in my heart. It’s still there, calling to me softly before I fall asleep.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/142271543″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

https://www.facebook.com/mckzzz

Phill Young

Sounds From The Other City Preview: Face + Heel

sftoc-2014-red

face-heel

Given that I’m a closet wrestling fan, I was always going to be attracted to a band called Face + Heel. Consisting of Sinead McMillan and Luke Taylor, I discovered this Bristol based electronica duo thanks to stunning remix they did for my friends Ghosting Season. Having then got pretty much obsessed with a track called No Stars, I’ve stayed with them ever since. The self-released Chipped Tooth EP is a masterclass in intimate electronica, deep synths and lovelorn vocals building around a glitchy and yet soulful production. Face + Heel open up Sounds For The Other City for Now Wave at Peel Hall this Sunday.

Tickets are selling fast: grab one from Piccadilly Records, Common and online through Skiddle: http://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Sounds-From-The-Other-City-2014/21202/

http://soundsfromtheothercity.com/home/

Phill Young

Flo Fairweather – Walls

flo

“Your faith collapses in love again”

London’s Flo Fairweather is one of a handful of artists that I’ve found myself truly devoted to this year. With each new track she reveals, I see a growing confidence in her ideas. Heartbreakingly beautiful vocals combine seductively with the minimal and atmospheric electronica.

Walls is a revelation: closing in on 6 minutes long, its echoing beats and bleeps build patiently around that voice… at the centre of everything. Like the moon glowing in a cold night sky.

I feel a very real, unexplainable connection with Flo – I want others to feel the same way.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/121690777″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/115309931″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

https://www.facebook.com/flofairweathermusic

Phill Young

Cilocub – The Nuh

a0996803393_10

Say what you like about Manchester, it still has the power to surprise and extinguish all preconceptions.

Arriving four years on from his last release, Simon James Cookson’s (aka Cilocub) latest EP via Retronym is something to behold. In closer The Nuh, which clocks in at a not-overlong 10 minutes, he wrestles with a variety of drum sounds, both of the real and the crunchily electronic variety. As the decoration upon this slightly premature festive tree, there is much to soothe and invigorate; a dense and involving synthetic hum which, while offering a knowing wink to ambient landscapists Boards and Stars Of The Lid, cleverly curtails sitting in the pockets of either.

As a generous companion to this release, Cookson has also landed upon us a feast of golden unreleased nuggets via his Bandcamp page – the fidelity may be erratic but the quality most certainly is not.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/114303860″ width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

http://cilocub.bandcamp.com/

http://www.retronym.co.uk/

Mike Phillips