Willis Earl Beal’s self-released album Noctunes is a chill, simplified marriage between R&B, raspy blues, and indie folk. Beal achieved indie stardom a few years ago, and after some struggle with his label, he is back. The bluesy, lo-fi soul sound that Beal has is ageless and minimalistic, making Noctunes engaging yet fleeting. Noctunes is ubiquitous folky R&B in that it […]
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Hudson Mohawke (aka Ross Birchard) is a wild, melody-obsessed producer whose beats engulf listeners in an environment of his own creation. His sophomore release, Lantern, is organized chaos at its finest; it has a frenetic energy emphasized by textural synths and bass. Sonically, Hudson Mohawke is maximalist, with overproduced electronic beats that hit hard with little […]
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From the very beginning of his career, Active Child (aka Pat Grossi) swept us into his own universe. Mercy is the sophomore album from Grossi, and is in a similar style to his debut You Are All I See, but there are some stylistic changes that Grossi made in the four years between albums. Mercy effortlessly moves between ambient […]
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After the break up comes the make up. Songs To Make Up To is the follow-up to 2013’s Songs To Break Up To by electronic artist Ta-ku (aka Regan Mathews). Two years ago Ta-ku was categorized as a producer that made hip-hop-esque beats, that then dipped into R&B and experimental territory. STMUT moves away from […]
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Lil NoiD hasn’t really made music in over 20 years. The Memphis native was growing in the local scene in the early ’90s and was discovered by Juicy J, a member of Three Six Mafia at the time. As a result of a limited release of cassette tapes, Lil NoiD’s debut, Paranoid Funk, became a rarity, until now. […]
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Shamir is a lanky queer kid from north of Las Vegas with a septum piercing, dreads, disco beats, an impeccable falsetto, and an absolutely stellar debut album. His new album, Ratchet, is made up of deep house dance tracks, intimate ballads, and pop anthems that give insight into the 20-year-old’s persona through his unique singing voice […]
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Snare drums and bass aren’t often paired with soulful lyrics and sensitive vocals, but Barbarossa’s new album doesn’t see why not. Imager is the second album from Barbarossa, aka James Mathé, following up his 2013 album Bloodlines. Before his full transformation into solo artist Barbarossa, Mathé was a folk musician in more background roles. He worked […]
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Noisy, bass-heavy, glitch-ridden tracks swell on Tundra, Lakker’s latest album. The Dublin-based electronic duo, composed of Ian McDonnell and Dara Smith, mixes more ambient and subtle electronica with aggressive composition and nuanced percussive elements. Tundra’s unique sound presents distinct beats, but lacks enough luster to leave an impression; while the tracks are captivating in the moment, they […]
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Send Two Sunsets is the debut album from Berlin-based Gacha. His style is ephemeral; each track floats in a mist that engulfs the listener in complex, lo-fi drums, delicate guitar picking, and layers of ambient synths. Send Two Sunsets creates a dreamy atmosphere that carries the album from the first track through an array of different […]
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“Oofj” is the sound one might make after an initial listen to the new electronic album Acute Feast by OOFJ (short for Orchestra of Jenno). The LA-based Danish/South African duo of Jens Bjørnkjær and Katherine Mills Rymer has an entrancing, eerie, and cinematic sound. Rymer’s voice is simultaneously operatic and sultry, and Bjørnkjær’s instrumentation is […]
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Pale Blue is the new solo project of Mike Simonetti of the label Italians Do It Better. For Pale Blue’s powerful debut, The Past We Leave Behind, Simonetti has collaborated with Elizabeth Wight, the sole vocalist on the album. The duo’s music resonates long after it’s over—the product of a beautiful collaboration. Wight’s ghostly voice is surrounded by Simonetti’s beats, […]
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Unlikely production and bizarre rhythms will catch listeners’ ears on Young Fathers’ new album White Men Are Black Men Too. The album is the trio’s follow-up to its Mercury Prize winning Dead. Critics and listeners alike try to put Young Fathers in a box, saying it’s one genre or another, always landing on some hip-hop/punk/pop/rock hybrid. Young Fathers is really […]
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