10 new Irish songs you should hear this week
A lot of Irish music comes Nialler9’s way and there’s little time to feature everything we think is worthy of a thumbs up or more ears. Every week, we collate the songs that pass our writers that deserve to be heard by you. For more extensive Irish coverage, follow our Spotify playlist or hit up the Irish section.
1.
Mix & Fairbanks
Shergar’s Revenge
Mix & Fairbanks are riding a good wave right now. Playing almost every Irish festival and having some stand-up releases over the summer, these boys are going from strength to strength. This latest release ‘Shergar’s Revenge’ was dropped by House of Disco Records as part of a four-track EP by Irish artists.
If your sets are missing a nice half-way slow burner that takes your performance to the next level, look no further. These wavey synths and whooshing keys build through the song creating a space-disco atmosphere. Accompanied is a snappy calp sample and tambourine rhythm to keep this track grounded in its disco roots. Nice touch.
– Donal Corrigan
2.
Paddy Mulcahy
How To Disappear
Limerick producer and composer Paddy Mulcahy treated us to the first track off his forthcoming LP. ‘How To Disappear’ is a sweet blend of modern electronica and contemporary classical aesthetics. A six and change minute track, ‘How To Disappear’ is progressive. The tune unwinds, unravels and evolves – adding layers of percussive elements, skewed synth bass notes and warm arpeggios. The playoff between the electronic elements and the piano sound makes for added layers of emotional depth.
– Luke Sharkey
3.
Lighght
The Sun Splitting the Cold Stones
Lighght continues his run of one Ireland’s busiest producers with ‘The Sun Splitting The Cold Stones’, a contributed track to Collapsed Structures’ upcoming Frozen Ashes compilation. ‘The Sun Splitting The Cold Stones’ simultaneously manages forboding industrial heaviness and intricate summery melodies. Melding sickly sweet trance with moments of overwhelming claustrophobia, it’s full of left turns and experimentalism. Lighght is a master of club intrigue and never ceases to surprise.
– Kelly Doherty
4.
Sinking With Love
By Your Side
Italian/Irish indie band Sinking With Love produce some shoegazey indie rock on new single ‘By Your Side’. New vocalist Valerie Hely delivers an excellant performance, hushed tones wrapped up in reverberation. There are a few small issues here and there, a bass part that jars against the rest of the arrangement during the chorus and later verses. These are forgivable sins, ‘By Your Side’ is a compelling listen.
– Luke Sharkey
5.
Hammer
Entropy
This artist has shown us many times that he should not be overlooked. Hammer’s latest EP Parabola is no different. Released under Bicep’s label, the latest three-track EP is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish.
We’ve selected Entropy as our stand out track because it’s raw energy. The first two minutes of the song teases out with an airy kick drum and synths flowing in and out. When the electronic keys are brought in full whack and the kick drum is released, you will inevitably find your head bouncing to the beat.
– Donal Corrigan
6.
Donnacha Costello
Twice Broken
Prolific Irish producer and composer Donnacha Costello is returning to the world ambient with his upcoming album People Make A Mess and ‘Twice Broken’ is the first release cut from the project. ‘Twice Broken’ builds a beautiful wall of sound from ambient synth layering and reverberating peaks. Whilst there’s an overall feeling of blissful submersion, whispers of a growing baseline in the mix lend the track tension and work as eerie suggestion that something darker is to come.
– Kelly Doherty
7.
Moon Paw Print
Floating Ocean
Irish producer Mon Paw Print offers up the most unique hip-hop beat we’ve come across this week. ‘Floating Ocean’ is a striking combination of chillwave and lo-fi hip-hop. Not quite subdued enough for the former and too abstracted for the latter. It’s a superb little track. Dreamy & suggestive.
– Luke Sharkey
8.
Orla Gartland
Did It To Myself
Orla Gartland makes a speedy return with ‘Did It To Myself’ after the recent release of her lovely Why Am I Like This EP. ‘Did It To Myself’ plays to Gartland’s strengths, marrying emotionally open, confessional lyricism with clean, poppy instrumentation. Gartland has a huge propensity for writing instantly infectious choruses and ‘Did It To Myself’ is yet another single that’ll leave you humming to yourself for hours.
– Kelly Doherty
9.
Van Panther
The Cutters
Limerick city post-pop/post-punk band Van Panther offer us some electronica heavy gloomy-rock on new single ‘The Cutters’. There’s an infectious quality to the groove, carried between the bass and drum parts. The vocals and guitars are delivered like so much of the NY indie music of the 2000s, the synths, whirling leads ensure the track has more than enough character to land itself on this week’s list.
– Luke Sharkey
10.
Cheba Yamina
Sidi Mansour (Moving Still Edit)
Moving Still is a name that you swiftly should make yourself familiar with. We’ve been eagerly awaiting his edit of Cheba Yamina’s ‘Sidi Mansour’. It’s a fantastic twist on an Arabic ballad. Moving Still gives it a funky kick and electronic twist, supplying us with an unexpected dancefloor filler.
But how have we’ve been waiting so long for this edit? This track has been teased to us by some major players in the game such as Hunee and Palms Trax. Not to mention that Palms Trax played Moving Still’s edit at his mainstage slot in Dekmantel. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us.
– Donal Corrigan
