Here are the best new songs we’ve heard in the past week, tried, tested and ready for your ears.
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1.
Princess Nokia
Harley Quinn
American MC/vocalist/producer Princess Nokia dropped two albums on February 26th. Both Everything Is Beautiful and Everything Sucks showcase two very different flavours of Nokia’s artistic approach, with the former delving into R&B soundscapes and the latter far more rooted in hip-hop/trap.
‘Harley Quinn’ is the opening track from Everything Sucks, a densely produced trap song laden with swagger and braggadocio.
2.
Von (DJ_Dave Remix)
Dealer’s Gone
The DJ_Dave remix of ‘Dealer’s Gone’ is lifted right from the cutting edge of contemporary electronica, though it’s not something you might pick up on immediately. It’s not in its choppy vocal samples, cut over a pummeling synth bass arpeggio.
It’s in the composition of the remix’s arrangement. While NY pop artist Von’s original feels spiritually rooted in PC Music, with its oscillating tempo changes, all of the instrumental parts to this remix came from code.
Applying a phenomenon called Algorave to a more pop centred sensibility, the ‘Dealer’s Gone’ remix is pure generated from coded algorithms.
It’s also banging, which always helps.
3.
Empress Of
Give Me Another Chance
LA pop artist Empress Of‘s third album, entitled I’m Your Empress Of, is out on April 3rd.
We still love Us, a winner of a pop record that heard release in 2018. If ‘Give Me Another Chance’ is anything to go by, this new record is going to strive for bigger, more boisterous productions and sound designs – a clear contrast to the low fidelity charm of Us.
‘Give Me Another Chance’ is a dancefloor anthem, pulled off with perfect vocal delivery and classic house synth stabs.
4.
Lethal Dialect
Get To My Dreams (ft. Maverick Sabre)
The new Lethal Dialect project was the best album put out anywhere last Friday.
Alwright returns to the LD moniker older and wiser, though the drive and lyrical insight remains. ‘Get To My Dreams Part 2’ is the closing track on the project, golden bars with a hook provided courtesy of New Ross man Maverick Sabre.
5.
Big Yawn
Negative Trigger
Melbourne group Big Yawn dance between no wave, industrial and vaporwave on this new instrumental track. It’s lifted from the band’s new LP No!, a record well worthy of your time and attention.
6.
Powfu
Death Bed (ft. Beabadoobee)
Ok so I’m technically cheating with this one, as the Youtube version of Powfu’s ‘Death Bed’ has been online for a year, but it was only recently added to Spotify where I stumbled across it.
It’s easy to hear why ‘Death Bed’ is getting the praise that it is, it’s a charismatic hip-hop tune with a Rex Orange County styled indie arrangement.
7.
The Vision
Mountains
Scintillating disco-house from production/DJ duo The Mountain on new single ‘The Vision’.
8.
R.A.P. Ferreira
Leaving Hell
The artist formerly known as Milo returns under new moniker R.A.P. Ferreira on new single ‘Leaving Hell’. While the instrumental does feel more rooted in jazz than some of Milo’s previous material, it’d be impossible to mistake the American MC’s signature vocal timbre and flow, that’s no bad thing.
9.
Caroline Rose
Do You Think We’ll Last Forever?
My top pick from Caroline Rose‘s new LP Superstar is the sharp ‘Do You Think We’ll Last Forever?’. Electronic pop music punctuated with an angular bassline and a catchy call & response vocal refrain.
10.
Róisín Murphy
Murphy’s Law
Róisín Murphy returns with her first single of 2020, ‘Murphy’s Law’ is a lovesick disco tune.
Though the track didn’t grab me immediately the way ‘Incapable’ or ‘The Rumble’ did, ‘Murphy’s Law’ is still an infectious, groove-laden single boasting some tight production throughout.
