Another debut album for the debut month of 2015: Ghost culture'sGhost culture introduces electronica to the atmospherics and moodiness of post-punk and the romantics.
The best way I can describe it that it is, at times reminiscent of pared-back, jerky Aphex twin, and at others of The Smiths crossed with The Horrors' later work - Giudecca is fine example of this fusion.
This is the kind of music that gets better every time you listen to it. Sit back and put it on repeat.
The Foals inspiration is evident in the vocals of Til we ghosts and shadows. Come inside is an intoxicating marriage between Gorillaz' Dirty Harry and Tinariwen's flavour of soul (perhaps due to the African connection).
With the repetition of lyrics like "I'm not original" Petite noir's music is bound to resonate with the self-aware among us.
Torres is back! The excitement in the (this) room is palpable.
Singer songwriter Mackenzie Scott has announced her second album, Sprinter, set for a May release. In the meantime, she's given us a taste of what's to come with album opener strange hellos.
Strange hellos is stronger, angrier and darker than anything on her debut Torres. Is this a departure from her stoutly acoustic roots? A video she's shared on her site points to a more melancholy, brooding direction.
It's finally happened, All we are streamed their self-titled debut album via Noisey yesterday. I love the girl-boy vocals, the beats and the thoughtfulness of this release. I've said it before and I'll say it again, these guys remind me of The xx, but in a way that is appropriate for consumption today. And this debut is just as successful, with it's ebbs and flows, as The xx's. The album is officially released on the 2nd of Feb, until then I'll be glued to soundcloud. Required listening.
Forget sister duos, 2015 is all about twins. Ibeyi are twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz from Cuba via Paris.
It may be 6 years post-the-xx, but I still love undulating vocals, and these two do it so so well (they are twins after all). On top of this, their flavour of contemporary R&B is clearly punctuated by strong folk roots (see ghosts and oya).
Labelled an old soul by some, her music definitely harks back to a more magical time, with lingering vocals punctuated with harp and string arrangements.
Pages of gold is her debut single, with an album due to land this spring.
Ok, so this track from Sia's 6th album 1000 forms of fear is everywhere - it's video has racked up over 50 million views since it dropped 9 days ago. It's very popular, and with good reason, it's excellent pop music. From the video, to the songwriting and the production by Diplo and Greg Kurstin, it's all on top form. I'm more than slightly obsessed, and now need a Shia Labeouf - reigning king of all alternative music videos - t shirt in my life.
Electronica meets beating rays of sunshine in the latest offering from MNLTH aka Dave Monolith aka Monolith aka Aphex Twin (if some internet forum commentators are to be believed).
In his first release since Rephlex quietly shut up shop, MNLTH stays true to the thoughtful optimism that's become his calling card. I'm definitely intrigued to see what else this rave crowd-pleaser has up his sleeve with Belgian label WeMe.
MØ does it again, with this new years inspired track that is reminiscent of both Lana Del Rey and Imogen Heap at their best. I don't care if we're almost 2 weeks into the new year, this is a track I have on repeat, and will probably still be loving for months to come.
Following a tradition of my weakness for songs titled all I need, I am obsessed with this track from producer / DJ Adam Snow. Capitalising on the trend towards pitch shifting - who can forget Cyril Hahn's brilliant take on Destiny's Child'ssay my name - Adam has taken a few lines of vocal and transformed them into something really delicate and hypnotising.
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