Yola Fatoush - Celine

Starting out as what could be the intro to an M.I.A. song, London two-piece Yola Fatoush's 'Celine' turns into something far more dreamy and ethereal as it progresses - blending experimental electronic beats with delicate vocal layers to interesting and strangely trance-inducing effect. It's taken from a 7" due for release through Parlour Records on June 25. Here's hoping the other three tracks to feature on the EP are just as good.



.co.uk | SoundCloud

tenstoreys - Fhree

Surprises aren't always fun. One time, I went to the shop, and I was surprised to find that they had ran out of Butter Puffs. That certainly was not fun. But what is fun when an unsuspecting email from a band/producer/artist/whatever turns out to brighten up your day. The email from tenstoreys was modest and minimal, and the artist's SoundCloud page doesn't tell us much more - but, luckily, the music speaks volumes, reminding me of the weirdo electronic charms of Mozam Beaks.

Fhree by tenstoreys

SoundCloud |

New: Peepholes - Tunnels

Peepholes have announced news of an upcoming LP - Caligula will come out through Upset The Rhythm on November 28. To anyone who has heard the dark electronic sounds of the Brighton/London duo before this will be good news. Those less aware of their work need simply to hear 'Tunnels' - the excellent lead single to come from the upcoming release.


Peepholes - Tunnels

.co.uk | SoundCloud | Facebook

The Machine Room

The Machine Room shouldn't be good. They make music that could quite comfortably be labelled funk or disco, but we live in a world where things make no sense and, although your head says no, most other parts of your body will certainly be saying yes. While the Edinburgh group certainly straddle a very fine line - one where their next song could very easily cross it, quickly turning them into Nick Grimshaw-backed tripe - for now they sit on the right side of it; this is good, clean fun.

The Machine Room - Persistent Suitor (demo)

The Machine Room - Broken Love Game (demo)

Facebook | SoundCloud | Twitter | Tumblr

Pandr Eyez

Dropped today via the consistently excellent Cascine is the first single of London boy-girl duo Pandr Eyez. Entitled Eyes On You, it's a captivating and fascinating piece of work - interweaving dark synth sounds with some eery electronics and hypnotic dubstep-ish bass, topped off with vocals that'd sit pretty comfortably (by no means in no derogatory way) on daytime Radio 1. It feels like biting into a crisp apple, taking a sip from a cold can of Coke, stepping off the train late at night into a dark and deserted platform. Watch out for a full EP, also out through Cascine, October 25.

Pandr Eyez - Eyes On You

Saint Yorda

Saint Yorda are an interesting prospect. With songs that range from the dark and atmospheric (some might even stick the tag 'goth' on it, in the Zola Jesus kind of sense of the word, at least) noises of 'Death Ray', to the pensive, almost Richard Hawley-with-a-synth sound of 'Yr Bones', to the guitar-meets-electro slow-pop of Sakawa Bones, to the surf-influenced sound of (ahem...) Surf Song', the three-piece from Cork are taking on a lot - and pulling it off. So they might go a bit overboard with the cow-bell at times, and not all tracks are without their flaws, but these lot are pretty impressive. I'd definitely be interested to take a peek into their record collection.

Saint Yorda - Death Ray

Saint Yorda - Yr Bones

Saint Yorda - Sakawa Boys

Facebook | Bandcamp | SoundCloud

Shells

Something perhaps neglected on BF - an area of my tastes not so well represented here - is electronic music, and an artist that has certainly been impressing for a good while now is Khalid Rafique under the moniker Shells. Putting together that kind of woozy, subtle, and delicately structured electronica that we hear a lot of but that few do quite so well, Arctic and Spiders are two new tracks that the London producer has dropped today.

Shells - Arctic

Shells - Spiders

Facebook | Tumblr | SoundCloud

Youthfall

Dreamlike and luscious, Youthfall's distorted pop sound - laden with fluttering synth layers, reverberating guitar, semi-spoken word vocals and a lo-fi beating drum machine - feels both nostalgic and futuristic, taking influence from yesterday but moving it confidently into tomorrow. Stream and download Secular Child below, or hear more at bandcamp.

Youthfall - Secular Child

SoundCloud | Facebook | Bandcamp

Kita Akita

Although evidently still in the early stages of their life as a band, the lo-fi recordings of Kita Akita are eery and unsettling. Minimal both in sound and levels of production, with spoken word vocals sitting atop glitchy electronics and repetitive drum sounds, the music of the Bath two-piece is not one to be enjoying during social events but are more suited to lonesome late-night listens - eyes closed, fingers tapping, head whirring. I don't know quite where they're leading us, but I certainly want to follow.

Kita Akita - Another Night

Kita Akita - Cares

SoundCloud |

Trwbador

I have a confession to make. I have been ignoring Trwbador for the last few months on the basis of a (purely name-generated) theory that they were a dreadfully boring, entirely average, one-man-band acoustic folk act. They're certainly not that.

The duo, although certainly with folk influences, sit more comfortably with the experimental pop tag - blending electronic beats, acoustic guitar, and wonderful female vocals. This is interesting, enjoyable, and far from my silly prejudice.

Trwbador - Red Handkerchiefs

Trwbador - Sun In The Winter

Website | Tumblr | SoundCloud | Facebook

Acid Glasses - My Pale Garden

Good intentions are all well and good but until they're translated into good actions, they're kinda a little pointless. It's an obvious point, but one that I apparently refuse to take notice of time and time again.

Listening to the wonderfully unusual 'My Pale Garden' by Memphis artist Acid Glasses on an iPod in a pub in London last week, I had every intention of getting home that night and spreading the e-love. Then - being in a pub and all - I drank (impressively bargainous) beer, got on a train and inevitably didn't write anything that evening.

So here I am, 8 days on, finally moving this good intention into some actual-bloody-action, and in that time the song has already been impressively (and deservedly) well covered - The Pigeon Post, A New Band A Day, The Line Of Best Fit, Music Fan's Mic, and even the bloody NME all spreading the love.

For what it's worth - which frankly isn't much right now - I really like this song. Presumably somewhat like trying describe the flavour of a Big Mac to somebody who has never eaten meat, Acid Glasses' (aka Nick Burk) experimental take on psychedelia/pop/electronica/whatever-else-it-might-be-categorised-as on is very possibly unlike much you’ll have heard before, barring some crazy remix of some super catchy pop song. That it has been compared to bands spanning from Animal Collective to The Beatles is a decent insight to its tricky-to-pin-down sound. And whilst it is odd, it's not made with the aim of being kooky.

It's due to be released on 7" through Stroll On Records early Autumn but until then have a listen and download of it in digital form.

Acid Glasses - My Pale Garden

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Diamond Man

I'm a rubbish blogger, this is good music, recommended to me by the folk behind Hear Hums. Not especially new (the Diamond Man Travels EP was up on bandcamp from last October), but even less known it would seem, the sound of Diamond Man is swirling, kaleidoscopic electronics, guitar noises, and samples all worked together into one semi-coherent full wholly enjoyable sound. See for yourself below or download the full EP for free at bandcamp.


Diamond Man - Metamorphic Rock


Diamond Man - Bonesaw


Diamond Man - Leif Langford

Bandcamp |

Sumsun

So I've taken a step back into the good old days of posting about bands after a good deal of people already know about them. As well as the good old days of not posting new bands for an age. Blame a lack of self control, motivation, and general ability to be a useful human being. I am sorry. But if you don't know of Sumsun - WOOHOO.

Sumsun is looping, psychedelic, 'tropical' electro sounds coming from Florida, apparently. That's about all you really need to know. Oh, and it's good. Oh, and insert some cheesy line about the summer. Oh, and if you liked Mozam Beaks a few weeks back you'll like this. Oh, and if you like this and you don't know of Mozam Beaks, check them out.


Sumsun - Stay FRESH Young


Sumsun - Non-Menthol Dub


Sumsun - Ants

MySpace | Tumblr | Beaten comfortably by The Pigeon Post

David K Frampton

Apparently some sort of bedroom project from a Brighton based electronic musician who has been around for a while, to me this sounds more like some pretty great dark, synthy psychedelic sounds along Arc Light or Red Psalm lines, made by a newbie, weirdo social recluse. In my book, that's a good thing - its eerie, minimal, electro given a dark and odd edge with the spoken vocals. Listen below or find out more at the links underneath the tracks, such as the free 4 track EP over at bandcamp.


David K Frampton - Mask 4


David K Frampton - Window Seat

Bandcamp | MySpace

Jewellers

Speed is one of the names of the music blogging game. It's also something I lack. Heard about Newport electronic duo Jewellers a few weeks back, but it's taken me until the last few days to properly listen. What a fool I am. Incredible twinkling synth sounds that seem to me good enough for them to become pretty massive. This is intelligent, brilliant stuff. Don't leave it any longer to listen to these - below or at bandcamp where you can get the entire album for free.


Jewellers - You Don't Know


Jewellers - Weightless

Bandcamp | Facebook | Beaten by: yvynyl, Pigeon Post,
Music Fan's Mic, A New Band A Day and probably more

Gallops: New Single

Wrexham-based electro post-rock four-piece Gallops have stuck their upcoming single, due to be released through Holy Roar and Blood and Biscuits on May 23, up onto bandcamp for streaming.

Their self-titled debut EP was good (read me waxing lyrical about it over on The 405 here) but this new material could be another step up for the band. Listen below.


Bandcamp | Facebook | MySpace

Alpen

Apologies for constantly short blog posts. I’m rubbish and seemingly constantly in a rush. Stumbled upon Australia based Alpen on Bandcamp the other day and, although I haven’t had tonnes of chance to give it a proper listen, I’ve certainly enjoyed what I’ve heard.

Firmly electronic, there’s a really progressive and consuming sound built up through textures and layers of beats and guitar here that I find perfect for drowning out early morning bus journeys. I’m not going to call it ‘night bus’, though. That would be silly.

Listen for yourself below, check out more from the Feral Media label, or download the full EP for free at bandcamp.


Alpen - An Optimists Failing


Bandcamp |

Myrrh

So a few weeks ago I pretty much called Ryan Gabel a weirdo when talking about his music project Arc Light, in an introducing article over on ThisIsFakeDIY. I didn’t have much to base that assessment on, just an album or so of material under his solo work as Arc Light, but it looks like it may have been a fair assessment after all, with fresh evidence coming from his new project, Myrrh.

This time Ryan is working with a friend (named Landan, apparently), who seems to bring out an even weirder side. Myrrh has a similar lo-fi and psychedelic feel to his Arc Light work, only it’s even darker and spookier. Club (Drum Sound Life), for instance, opens with weird and echoing vocal samples which are then joined by fairly minimal bleeping and echoing synth lines which lasts throughout. There’s not much more to Way Body Moves, either – buzzing bass, random bleeping synth, wah-ing noise, and spooky vocal samples once more.

It’s hauntingly empty of any of the ingredients we usually associate with songs, but it just works. Listen and download two tracks below, or head to Myrrh’s website to download five-track N’ajzabi Beats for free.


Myrrh - Great Gathering


Myrrh - Club (Drum Sound Life)

Website | MySpace | YouTube

Milezo

When a certain kind of middle class folk talk of ambience, they mean how many working class or rowdy people there are in any given place – a restaurant, a cinema, a gig venue. When I talk of ambience, I mean this – the music of Austin-based artist Miles Kelley.

His free EP These Things I Know is five tracks of beautiful, laid back, wistful sounds, all of consistently high electro-ambient quality, with hints of folk and pop. These Things I Know, for instance, is 4 minutes of tender noise and crackles before a laid back and delicate bass-snare beat kicks in, with harmonic “aah”s, and Yr. Escape is of similar, though perhaps catchier, chilled out vain. Grey Skies and Ocean Girl are slightly less minimal; slightly faster-paced, more energetic, and with louder bass beats, but they still won’t stir you from your mid-noon semi-snooze.

It reminds me of Lemon Jelly, which I find awesome in itself, let alone the fact that this is generally just lovely, magical music. Listen and download below, or download the entire thing from bandcamp for free – which is also packed full of loads of other releases from Miles, including a sweet cover of Best Coast (also playable below). Brilliant.


Milezo - Yr. Escape


Milezo - Grey Skies



MySpace | Bandcamp

Conek4

I don't know much about drum and bass. In fact, I know hardly anything whatsoever, and to be honest, I don't like a whole load of it. Still, I wrote about Conek4 (real name John Barr, based in Cardiff) during my esteemed role as music editor of my student union newspaper a year ago and I like the music that he makes, in a kind of feeling drunk without drinking way. Some people who actually know stuff about music like it too, such as BBC Radio Wales' Adam Walton. Listen below and decide for yourself.

If you're interested to read the interview I did with John in December last year, head here. To hear more, visit John's Soundcloud. John also plays regularly at Clwb Ifor Bach, so check there for info of future happenings.

Conek4- Catharsis

Conek4- Chasing le Lotus