6 new songs you need to hear this week
Follow the Nialler9 New Music playlist on Spotify. This week’s additions include new songs from Darkstar, Justice, Swords, AikJ, Talos, Yuksek, Lapsley and more.
Check out the Songs of the week Soundcloud playlist.
1.
Kelsey Lu – ‘Dreams’
A minimal orchestral daydream.
Kelsey Lu is a North Carolinian cellist and singer/songwriter who has just released an EP (Church) of orchestrally-arranged ambient folk music on True Panther.
Comparisons to Alice Coltrane and Bat For Lashes, Lu’s music leans into the avant-garde spectrum yet she has collaborated with artists in the field of pop and R&B like Blood Orange, Kelela and Wet.
Church was recorded in one take at the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn with Kelsey singing, playing cello and utilising a loop pedal.
‘Dreams’, from the EP is a highlight from the EP and a spectacular intro to Kelsey Lu. The Alix Brown-directed desert video heightens the song’s unique daydream quality and marks Lu out as a visual artist too.
2.
Abra – Crybaby’
Rising artist on True Panther.
Once you get past the Irish fast food connection in the name (Irish reference only), there’s much to enjoy in the music of Atlanta’s “Darkwave Duchess.” ‘Crybaby’ is her most instant track – a meld of 808s with ’80s synth and basslines with the voice fluttering above. It’s from her Princess EP out now also on True Panther and Awful Records.
3.
Michael Sembello – ‘Gravity’ (Psychemagik remix)
Michael Sembello is the guy behind ‘Maniac’ from the Flashdance soundtrack so we have him to thank for Irish club cringey classic ‘Maniac 2000’.
‘Gravity’ was another film soundtrack placement, on Cocoon and it came with a Ron Howard-directed music video that couldn’t be more 80s if it tried.
The song has a big electro-funk beat to it so Psychemagik took it and made it sing for the club.
4.
GL – ‘Hallucinate’
The Aussie electro-pop duo just released their debut LP Touch.
Sleek danceable synth-pop is the name of GL’s game ever since I featured them back in 2014. The Melbourne duo of Ella Thompson and Graeme Pogson have just dropped their debut album Touch, a collection of synth pop, electro-boogie and funk. Pop dominates it and ‘Number One’ is one of my songs of 2016 so far.
‘Hallucinate’ isn’t far behind in the slinky stakes.
5.
Florian Kupfer – ‘Elle’
New electronica on a Ninja tune imprint
Berlin producer Florian Kupfer has released EPs via Ron Morelli’s L.I.E.S., Willie Burns’ W.T. Records and Rush Hour. For his sixth EP, he’s releasing via Ninja Tune’s singles label Technicolour.
‘Elle’ is the opening EP track, featuring an expressive cascading synth line dancing around a lo-fi drum machine beat that is more effective as ambient backdrop than it seems. The 12″ is out today and the digital version arrives August 5th.
6.
Francis Lung – ‘Dance 4 Sorrow’
Yet another Wu Lyf alumni.
Along with LUH and Dream Lovers, Tom McClung is another former Wu Lyfer who has picked up a new baton and sound. ‘Dance 4 Sorrow’, from the Mother’s Son EP, takes solace in sparking taut guitar pop.
