I'm listening to this song on repeat while doing my best to find some kind of background on the producers. Apparently, it’s a duo comprised of Mazego and Vitesse, two Parisian fellows with a few remixes to their respective names. Combine them and you get Saje, the moniker under which this song was released. The Saje Soundcloud dates back 6 months, while Mazego the solo artist seems to have been on the Facebook game since 2011. Despite this short timeline, the sounds these two are churning out are far from novice. With two songs to Saje’s credit, they’ve already been able to create a unique, recognizable sound in a musical climate of copycat-regurgitation.
To try and describe their music is to study the constant redefinition and meshing of electronic music genres. Deep-Electro-Trap-Chill-Dream-Step, if I may. Take Care of You is a hybrid of Tom Misch’s guitar-centric beats, with Odesza’s lingering synths and massive drops. Saje is now 2/2 with an uncredited male vocalist, whom I can assume is either one of the two, or simply an unnamed, golden vocal vessel. Regardless of genre definitions or background story, these guys are damn good. It’s refreshing to see two relative newcomers coming out with completely original material, while providing surprising well-written and appropriately themed vocals. I’m sold, and methinks you will be as well.
Ennui has come a long way. What was once a criminally underappreciated four-piece recently morphed into a criminally underappreciated solo project, and with that lineup change has come a sort of renaissance. A loss in member quantity hasn’t proven detrimental to music quality, and in fact Jim Doutrich’s solo transformation has rendered Ennui’s already shimmering soundscapes grander, the atmospheric loops even dreamier. Ennui may have shrunk in stature, but sonically speaking it is soaring to new heights.
While Doutrich’s wistful, often aching vocal lines continue to serve as the cornerstone of Ennui’s output, you’ll notice a marked difference in accompaniment: The fuzzy guitars and a sparse drum kit present on 2011’s (excellent) Formation Of Tides have been traded in for an endless procession of lush synths. It’s an interesting progression, given that this is Ennui’s third album. Typically, synth-driven projects incorporate more traditional instruments later in their discography, as though making a push towards becoming a *real band* through the introduction of a full-piece live show. Here Doutrich has done the opposite, paring down a tighter, more manageable package. In doing so, the album feels almost like a half-decade throwback—the style harkens to the Hipster Runoff-christened “chillwave” movement. I loathe to categorize it was such, given that Doutrich’s musicality far surpasses any given 19 year old bedroom producer, but if you’re looking for that golden oldie sound of 2009 cultivated by the likes of Washed Out and Toro Y Moi, well, look no further. Anyone in need of a soundtrack to a day at the beach should have Telepathic Beat (due out in September on Mush) at the top of their list.
Ennui’s new work might feel somewhat nostalgic, but Doutrich is clearly looking ahead. On the album’s first single, Circles, he laments “I’m wasting away my years”, before launching into a credo of sorts, ”Turn away don’t give up / All the lines that you’ve crossed…Turn away, drift apart / Don’t go back to the start.” Given the history of the band, and Doutrich now embarking solo, it almost seems as a call to action; a self-motivating rallying cry. Change is hard, but Ennui is doing it for the better. Have a listen and see if you don’t agree.
I just got back from my first SXSW, and I'm not sure I will ever be the same. At least, my liver won't. But really, it was my heaven--live music on every block, food trucks galore, and a never ending supply of cute scruffy boys in well-fitting jeans. But while those last two were nice perks, let's talk about the important thing here: the music!
I went to Austin with a stacked schedule, though I had been warned to use it more as a guideline than a rigid timetable. And indeed, I only say about a quarter of the acts I had intended, but caught some others I hadn't intended as a result, many of which ended up being pleasant surprises. Here's a few of the acts that stood out the most, both by my own personal experience and what I heard from others' reviews:
**Because I know there's a lot more songs here than usual, and not everyone likes the same things, I've included handy little [Genre] tags, so you can scroll to the type of music that appeals to you. Or just take my word for it, and download all. You're welcome.
Cloud Nothings have proven themselves to be the little indie band that could, and while I missed their Saturday set by 3 minutes, everyone I spoke to at the venue was blown away by their powerful and charismatic live show. And with hooks like those in Stay Useless, what's not to love?
You should all know that I'm absolutely crazy about White Denim--both musically and sexually. Their Saturday night set was stellar, and as they closed out their show with this old single, Austin's local boys proved that they're ready for the big time.
Kimbra was one of my most-anticipated acts of the weekend, and not only did she fail to disappoint, she absolutely blew me away. This Australian (who's only 21!!) has an absolute powerhouse of a voice, which sounded exactly the same--if not better--live as on her records. If the pop music industry knows what's good for it, this girl will be an international superstar by the end of the year. She deserves it, at least.
I've been trying to catch Youth Lagoon for a good six months now, yet something always ends up standing in my way. This weekend it was relentless, never-ending lines. While I wasn't lucky enough to make it into any of their sets, others raved. And here we thought Chillwave was just going to be a 2010 thing.
By happenstance I caught a few songs at two of Korallreven's shows, and what a joy they were. Swedes can do no wrong in my book, and this duo fits my stereotype nicely. The Elite Gymnastics remix of their single Sa Sa Samoa takes it up a couple notches, adding rich layers and even a tributary Whitney Houston sample.
It seemed that all weekend, every group of friends I met up with had "just come from a Horse Feathers show." In my alcohol-induced haze, I never registered what they meant, until I got back to Dallas, looked at my iTunes library, and realized "Oh shit, THESE GUYS are Horse Feathers?!" I've been somewhat obsessed with Fit Against The County for the better part of 2012. Turn it on when you're having one of those days, and you probably will be too.
Since indie-rock week is officially over, I thought I’d go out on a limb and try to post a song in a genre that’s definitely out of my comfort zone. Mikayla is the connoisseur of electronic, dance and chillwave tunes – I’ll be quick to admit I know little about the genres. However, I recently stumbled upon the music of Jim Smith, who goes by the musical moniker of Teeel. The New Jersey DJ’s debut album, Amulet, was released on Moodgadget Records last week. So without further adieu, I present Galilean Moons, a track that may have me rethinking my position on electronic, synthy, heavily ‘80s-inspired music.
Teeel’s debut has a lot of awesome tracks on it, albeit a couple sound the same (not necessarily a bad thing – Amulet really clicks when listened to from front to back). It was easy for me to quickly fall in love with Galilean Moons, as it holds the most weight as a stand-alone track. I feel listeners will hastily compare it to Head on the Door-era The Cure, New Order or The Psychedelic Furs. To me, the song is more in the vein of late ‘90s electronic-rockers Antarctica, which is probably why I connect to it. The catchy synth and drum beats work so well in their progressively layered structure that Smith's droning, minimalistic vocals are just an added bonus. I’m not really sure if that’s how all chillwave, electronic music works, but if it is, Teeel’s got it down. Also, the song’s length is where it’s at; it clocks in under the four-minute-mark, which is always a serious plus for me. While I’m off to find more stuff like this, enjoy the track and make sure to check out the entirety of Amulet - now available on iTunes.
