Foxy Digitalis
5k candle perfectly captures the combination of neon whimsy and shaded sonic treachery that makes “Shrimp Dance” so good. Matt Robidoux weaves a gentle, rhythmic flow through hypnotic xylophone patterns. Melodies bounce in all directions, intersected by blown-out frequencies tugging at the seams. “Shrimp Dance” has a purposeful randomness reflected in the video’s imagery and heightened […]
If “Angst” is the sonic calling card for someone dreaming of being someplace else, that other world must be a wild, riveting rollercoaster. GAŁGAŁ (Michał Krajczok) formulates multidimensional odysseys from synthetic, glassine sounds and frenetic rhythms. At times, there’s no rhyme or reason to “Angst,” but as its glitching forward march continues, we can’t help […]
Stephen Vitiello and Andrew Deutsch’s collaborative history is a long, winding story of lovely music and visual elegance. On Soundtracks for Andrew Deutsch, Vitiello shares a selection of these pieces. While they may carry a different spirit without the video work attached, they still take our imaginations down countless pathways. The subtle movements and slight, shadowy […]
I already wrote about Nick Turner’s lovely single, Under Dark Pines, so I don’t want to repeat myself and rehash what I’ve already said. However, the two videos by Toby Kaufmann-Buhler for the songs on the record add an interesting twist to the sonic context. Turner’s music is ephemeral and emotive, along with a spirit of curiosity, all […]
David T. Little’s Black Lodge project is a wild trip. “It was 113° in the Mojave when we arrived to capture the long shadows cast by the setting sun,” Little shares. The extreme environment perfectly lends itself to the music itself. An all-encompassing, overwhelming performance from Timur and the Dime Museum, along with Isaura String Quartet, punctuates […]
In the hazy neon hues of “Kepler Wells,” Lily Taylor spins a lullaby into the celestial sprawl in collaboration with Black Taffy. Slow movements heighten the emotive, cascading melodies as her voice drips with an elegiac gracefulness. “I wanted to capture a story about remembering our journeys in life, about when we feel lost,” Taylor shares, […]
I swear, every time I listen to Another Dark December’s “Lockdown Drones (Case Study #4),” it messes with my brain chemistry. Caustic frequencies flicker in and out, swirled around cryptic samples and globular electronics. It’s disorienting, fueling the underlying horror of the piece’s message blaring through nd dentico’s excellent video: The Anthropocene is Ending. Pixelated […]
Stare at something long enough and the surface begins to disappear. Underneath, hidden worlds reveal themselves. Stockholm-based composer Shida Shahabi explores these secret meanings through ephemeral atmospheres and emotive cello arrangements on the stunning “Deep Violet of Gold.” “[It] explores complexity in certain materialeties; the things you perceive when you look or listen to something […]
Dax Pierson’s music rides a line that cuts deep while still holding anyone listening close. “For 2_24” spills glossy synth arrangements across a roughed-up, bare floor. Climbing sequences create inviting sonic architecture, crystalizing faded memories into wistful glances and neon silhouettes. Handsmade’s video heightens each note with compelling imagery and movement, heightening the vivid imagery […]