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.
Jim Dollard
M.I.D.I.
We discovered Jim Dollard earlier this year through his single ‘No Mail Today‘ and we’re very glad that we tripped across him. The Kilkenny artist makes lo-fi R&B tracks with trapped percussive rhythms and compliments them with syncopated rhymes. His new single ‘M.I.D.I.’ (was indeed likely created using mainly MIDI) is more upbeat than previous releases and features a forefrontal piano melody that gets warped as the song progresses. We like a lot.
2.
Blue Niall
Sorry
We featured Blue Niall‘s last single last month and he hasn’t been long producing its predecessor. ‘Sorry‘ address adjusting to change through self-care and a struggle to “existing in the space left by the departure of someone else, coming to terms with yourself within that space”. Instrumentation is sparse and limited to autotuned vocals with percussion and bright guitar strums but is arranged cleverly enough to keep its listener attentive throughout. The track is the second release from Blue Niall’s upcoming EP Blue Summer and he we’re excited to hear the rest.
3.
Mai 麦
Pure Light
‘Pure Light’ is the debut track from Irish artist Mai 麦 (AKA Steve McCourt), originally from Dublin but based in Shanghai. The song is cinematic with sparse soundscapes that wouldn’t feel out of place on a wide-screen; guitar arpeggios develop into a theme that is mirrored by electronic instruments as the song progresses, before the drums eventually enter and raise the octane. It evolves organically, shifting between lighter and darker sonic elements but always maintaining a certain buoyancy. The perfect way to ease yourself into the day.
4.
Ev Carm
Moonlight
‘Moonlight‘ is the debut single from Ev Carm, a new Irish artist that piqued our interest earlier this week. The track is a gentle ballad with organic instrumentation and vocals, proving that less can indeed be more. Carm is in good company with Uly (who we’ve featured here before) on mixing duties and Native Ensemble providing backing vocals. The track dies away very softly and gradually, leaving you grasping for more.
5.
Grün Glas
Cell
Grün Glas is an Irish, Berlin-based electronic music producer that brightened up our inbox this morning. His new single ‘Cell‘ was created through samples of public domain cassette recordings from the 80s and 90s, which he successfully warped into a modern and cohesive sound. The song is composed of variable patterns that Glas fleshed out painstakingly from an array of recycled melodies and drum loops, and the result is a swirling concoction of electric samples brought to life through fresh, innovative flair. Hopefully more of this is 2019.
6.
Bobby Basil
She Don’t Know The Cost
Last week, Bobby Basil AKA Isaac Mcguinness announced that his debut album Isaac Nelson is set for release on January 11th (we can’t wait to hear), and he’s given us a taster of what’s to come with ‘She Don’t Know The Cost’. The track is dripping in texture with grainy synths juxtaposing smooth bass lines rendering head bobbing an automatic reflux. The Dublin-based hip-hop musician has been establishing a name as a solo artist for the past two years following his departure from Dah Jevu and if his album sounds anything like this track, we’re in for a treat indeed.
7.
Fí
Feel Better
Fí is a Dublin based, Monaghan originating artist that first appeared in 2016 with ‘Éalú‘ before disappearing to work on her songs and artistry and this week, she re-emerged with the fruits of that break in her new single ‘Feel Better’. The track opens with swelling synths and ambient percussion before an explosive chorus, complete with relentless trapped hi-hats and soaring vocals and all the troupes that make a great pop song. The track totally renders Fí as part of the burgeoning new generation of pop artists in Ireland. More of this please.
