Category: songs

[song] Francis of Delirium – First Touch

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Photo by Holly Whitaker

Having shared the lovely “Real Love” back in the summer, Luxembourg-based artist Francis of Delirium returned today with another sweet and sun-kissed single “First Touch”.

It is one more great offering from the young musician that adds a dreamy aesthetic to her sound which works very well, making it an astonishing listen. Speaking about the track, Jana says:

“‘First Touch’ was a bit of a departure from our usual approach of writing with heavy electric guitar and drums. Instead, Chris and I decided to start experimenting with acoustic guitar and drums. During that time, I started listening to a lot of Sheryl Crow’s music, particularly her song ‘Soak Up the Sun,’ which became a source of inspiration for the song. I wanted ‘First Touch’ to have a kind of ‘sun-rock’ vibe. The core of ‘First Touch’ is about looking back at love with a sense of nostalgia and idealism. I wanted to capture the youthful feeling of being completely consumed by someone and believing everything would work out, even if that is naive. But, I also wanted to emphasize the beauty of that sentiment, the hope and trust that come with really believing in the authenticity of love”.

Stream below.

[song] Activity – Department of Blood (Xiu Xiu Remix)

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Fresh after the release of their latest album Spirit in the Room, Brooklyn’s Activity have dropped a new Xiu Xiu’s remix of “Department of Blood” from it.

Xiu Xiu are widely known for the unique and experimental approach to music, and their remixes are no exception. Here they infuse the original (which is already quite a haunting track) with their signature nightmarish sound, making it a 7-minute horror marathon. A brilliant piece that takes you on a journey through the darkest corners of your mind.

Listen below and get the track here.

[song] deathcrash – Duffy’s (Mandy, Indiana Remix)

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An excellent combo for today’s listening — Mandy, Indiana (who have released a fantastic debut this year) remixed “Duffy’s”, a song by London post-rock quartet deathcrash. The result is interesting, to say the least, and it feels like witnessing two different worlds colliding, with the Manchester band essentially reworking the deep slowcore number into the aggressive, exciting noise cut.

The song would be a part of Less+, an expanded version of deathcrash’s recent LP, set for release on November 3 via untitled (recs) and Fire Talk. It would also include previously unreleased tracks alongside some more remixes by Lauren Auder, Water From Your Eyes and nomorewillroam.

Check it out below and pre-order the record here.

[song] Dorvin Borman – Stop Wasting Time

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Photo by Baxter Bailey

“Stop Wasting Time”, a new single from Dorvin Borman, strikes hard immediately. It finds him shifting a bit from his blissed-out psychedelic pop to the new, more electronic trajectory. The music is still very groovy, but now you can also lose your head while dancing to it!

Inspired by an LCD Soundsystem lyric and his decision to move to New York City, Dorvin expertly builds and sustains the energy throughout the duration of the track, keeping listeners engaged and captivated. The carefully curated arrangement takes the audience on a sonic journey, seamlessly mixed with his ethereal reverberating vocals.

Listen below.

[song] automan – Peace

acute.pop
Photo by Lily Doidge

London’s automan share their new song “Peace” today, a punchy piece that refers to both grunge and gloomy shoegaze, neatly wearing some classic influences while sounding very modern at the same time. A last preview of their debut EP Vegetables (out October 20), it sounds acute yet melodic and accessible, instantly getting right inside your brain.

Lyrically the track touches on the topics of paranoia of an exhausted, sleep-deprived brain, as well as one’s vulnerability at trying to confront it, as songwriter Freddie Brown explains:

“Peace channels that feeling of when your brain is so loud that you can’t sleep; in the middle of the night, your thoughts are at their worse, and that acute sense of paranoia can quickly spiral out of control. I wrote it in the middle of the night, thinking I was copying Morning Bell by Radiohead. I got hooked on this two chord sequence, addicted to way they don’t quite solve each other – just the right amount of uncomfortable”.

Check it out below.