Rhythm & Booze An online music webzine created by music lovers for music lovers.

14 March, 2012

Simian Ghost-Youth

Filed under: chill wave,electronic,indie,lo-fi,pop,Recorded Reviews — Tags: simian ghost, youth — willmunn @ 17:54

Not so long ago I got a little excited by the debut (UK release) EP, Lovelorn by Swedish three-piece Simian Ghost, well since then the mainstream press seem to have sat up and taken notice with everyone from The Guardian to The NME and Clash lavishing praise on the dreamy electro indie outfit and whilst the band have been lapping up the attention they’ve also found the time to write and record a brand new album.

Lovelorn was something of a living room electronica project, mainly helmed by front man Sebastian Arnstrom, this time round Youth is more of a collaborative affair with the rest of Simian Ghost adding their individuality to Sebastian’s original vision and whilst the electronics are still evident they’ve added more guitar to the mix, adding greater textures and layers to an already heady, infectious sound.

Youth see’s the band develop from the glorious chill-wave and electro sounds into something unique and inspiring, sure there are still all the elements of old but now the addition of dreamy vocal harmonies, shimmering electric guitar and heartfelt strummed acoustics have given the band a new and contagious dreamy pop edge that should help Simian Ghost appeal to an even larger spectrum of music fanatics.

The album opens with Curtain Call, a wonderful if brief opener, that begins with a clatter of drums and a jangly guitar before developing into a beautiful slice of dreamy, indie pop complete with sunny hazy vocals, lush harmonies and a wonderfully infectious melody that instantly hooks the listener and sets the mood for the remaining nine tracks on Youth. From there the band move onto the stunning near six minute title track, a song that welds together those former chill-wave influences to those new found twinkly guitars to create a simply stunning mantra that’s simply impossible to deny.

From the highlights come thick and fast from the shimmering, hook-laden fizzy pop Wolf Girl to the delirious delicate guitar picking and warm hum-along harmonies of Sparrow, to the lifting contagious poppy vocal refrain that compliments the driving riffs and drums of Automation to the albums stunning, swirling finale, No Dreams with it’s soaring vocals, chiming and intricate guitars.

Youth is quite simply a dazzling album that buzzes, sparkles and fizzes majestically, a a beautifully sophisticated, late night intimate record, for music lovers everywhere. If I got a little excited by Lovelorn, I’m practically frothing at the mouth over this one.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.simianghost.com

21 February, 2012

Decibels-Lesser

Filed under: chill wave,electronic,indie,lo-fi,Recorded Reviews — Tags: decibels, lesser — willmunn @ 18:23

What can I tell you about Decibels? well not much really, they’re a five-piece that first formed after a rave in a Northampton wood, they’ve got a track featured on a forthcoming compilation on Warp and they’ve released perhaps the single of the year thus far.

Lesser is a stunning combination of glitchy beats, wonky synths, indie riffs, glorious harmonies and stunning soaring falsetto lead vocals. The track opens gently with subtle bleeps and beats before emerging from it’s serene cocoon to reveal itself as a dance floor friendly, modern day indie anthem with scattered beats and vocal hooks aplenty.

Trying to explain the appeal of Decibels visionary mix of indie, electro, lo-fi pop and ambient bliss would be akin to me attempting to put down in words my love for music period, Lesser is instant, it’s both beautifully chilled and upbeat, the single is a contradiction of styles and substance that Decibels have somehow meshed together to create something wonderful and down right essential.

If you want find out more about Decibels there’s a blog on this very site to read or more importantly checkout their website where you can view the video to Lesser and similar beauties.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.decibels.tv

11 October, 2011

Victoria & Jacob-Festival

Filed under: chill wave,dance,electronic,indie,lo-fi,pop,Recorded Reviews — willmunn @ 14:04

Last year I reviewed a lovely little single by duo Victoria & Jacob, a beautiful lo-fi combination of indie folk, pop and subtle electronica, the band picked up plaudits from the likes of Steve Lamacq, Tom Robinson (6music), Word Magazine and Time Out, among others. The band then went on to share stages with the likes of The Mystery Jets, Jeremy Warmsley and Big Deal, wowing audiences across the UK with their mesmeric sound.

Festival is the band’s follow up single and once again Victoria & Jacob offer up a stunning laidback lo-fi affair complete with bubbling synths, gorgeous languid vocals and hazy pop hooks that’s just perfect for those lazy autumn days and sweet intimate nights in.

The single is backed with the scattered beat friendly, Franz Kirmann remix, a track that up’s the tempo of the track whilst still managing to retain the warm organic sound of the original.

Festival is a wonderful relaxed affair that should equally find favour with fans of chill wave and lo-fi indie pop, whilst the glitchy remix on offer showcases a more electronic dance friendly direction that could open the band to an even wider audience.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

11 September, 2011

Letting Up Despite Great Faults-Paper Crush

Filed under: chill wave,electronic,indie,Recorded Reviews,shoegaze — willmunn @ 16:40

Letting Up Despite Great Faults is something of a sonic diary of founding member, Mike Lee, hailing from Los Angeles, the band have already made a major splash stateside with rave reviews from such heavy weights as Pitchfork an Rolling Stone among others.

Paper Crush is the UK’s introduction to the wonderful sound of Letting Up Despite Great Faults, combining an intoxicating mix of  lo-fi indie rock and hushed shoegaze to form a glorious, dreamy take on infectious indie pop that instantly hooks the listener in, both lulling and captivating from the opening few seconds of Repeating Hearts all the way to the closing moments of Helium.

The aforementioned opener, Repeating Hearts sets the mood with lo-fi jangly strummed guitars, delicious synths, laidback beats and gorgeous half whispered, understated vocals that hook you in and demand your fall attention right from the off. From the beautiful opening track, Letting Up Despite Great Faults continue to weave their magical spell of blissed out beats, hushed pop hooks and soft delicate vocals on the equally mesmeric Sophia In Gold, before the band turn up the amps slightly for the addictive debut UK single Teenage Tide, a stunning, catchy affair that brings to mind the contagious alternative pop of (the criminally underrated) Joy Zipper.

I Feel You Happen seems to continue the theme of adding to the band’s sound as the mini album progresses, the band add driving bass and a fuzzy feedback drenched guitar to proceedings to create a wonderful lo-fi noise element to proceedings, whilst the mostly instrumental Aurora wouldn’t sound out of place on the recent Chill Wave classic Piano Player by Memory Tapes.

The six track affair is completed in the same rich vein that runs throughout the disk only this time the band add more beats and pepper their sound further with their take on electronica whilst still maintaining the dreamy pop melodies and charming vocal hooks.

Paper Crush is the second release on Hit Or Heist Records (checkout the Simian Ghost Review) that is something of essential purchase for anyone who enjoys hushed indie, dreamy shoegaze, infectious glitch pop or lo-fi, it’s a brilliant bewitching, inviting affair that seduces the listener into blocking out the outside world, surrendering their hearts and allowing the record to take hold.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.lettingup.com

6 September, 2011

Simian Ghost-Lovelorn EP

Filed under: chill wave,Recorded Reviews,shoegaze — willmunn @ 19:48

Simian Ghost is the new Electro-pop project by Sebastian Arnstrom of Swedish band Aerial, the band the released their debut album in their native country towards the tail end of last year to great enthusiasm and critical acclaim, topping critics charts. Simian Ghost (as a live trio) have already support the likes of Mount Kimble, SBTRKT and Niki & The Dove among others.

Lovelorn is the band’s debut single here in the UK, a seven-track affair that has (like the debut album) been written, recorded and produced by Sebastian Arnstrom alone. The idea of behind the EP is a completely DIY affair all conceived in Sebastian’s messy living room with the likes of Gently Submissive beinbg deliberately quiet and restrained due to being recorded at night as not to wake the neighbours.

The EP opens with Free Agent a stunning combination of addictive electro-pop, eighties synth’s and gorgeous blissed out vocals bringing to mind a laid back Hot Chip or perhaps a more electronic Memory Tapes. Note To Self, follows in the same chilled out manner only with more glitches, loops and cut & paste falsetto vocals, it’s a delicious slab of pure electro-pop complete with a massive hook and enough of a dance influence to seduce the dancefloor of any forward thinking club, or perhaps used as a sun-kissed set closer to gently bring the revellers back to earth whilst still maintaining the eurphoric rush of the nights festivities.

As You See Fit is perhaps more influenced by shoegaze indie as dreamlike vocals and rich harmonies combine, twinkling instrumentation and the omni-present deep pulsating beat to create an infectious dreamscape evoking calm, lulling imagery as Simian Ghost provides the perfect floaty soundtrack.

I suppose if you were bang upto date with your music classifications you would probably say that Simian Ghost slot nicely into the current chill wave scene that seems to be gaining momentum and tracks such as the beautiful bubbling and shimmering Poolside Glow and the aforementioned hushed grooves of Gently Submissive further enhances these initial musings. However there’s more to the grooves of Lovelorn than just a current trend, the vocal harmonies at times nod towards The Beach Boys (especially notable on the stunning acoustic assisted finale Take My Hand And Lead Me Home), you can also hear a M83 influence in there and perhaps even the folktronica of Adem buried amongst the chilled out grooves.

Lovelorn is a dazzling release that seduces the listener with it’s blissed out instrumentation and Sebastian’s dreamy vocals, a gorgeous blissed out release that fans of electronica, 80’s pop, chill wave and even abstract indie should seek out and snap up greedily.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 10

www.simianghost.com

Powered by WordPress