Catching Flies - She Goes Out Of Focus

Catching Flies first came on the radar in 2012, the year his first two EPs were released. Since then he has received a steady stream of positive press for a steady stream of impressive singles. It’s only last month that he released his debut album Silver Lining. His reasoning behind the long wait is wholesome:

“It's taken me a while because I didn't want to speak until I had something to say. I wanted to make something positive, hopeful and colourful...The world isn't in the best place at the moment, and the last thing it needs is another dark and moody electronic record. I wanted ‘Silver Linings’ to be a scrapbook of the last three years. It’s definitely eclectic, and it’s supposed to be.”

Silver Linings is certainly a positive and optimistic contribution to this year’s electronic releases. Full of light, airy synths, hip-hop and house-inspired beats, enticing soul samples, this is an album that obviously took time. Perhaps because of that, it is an album that is unified in purpose but that puts together songs you may not expect to see on the same release – "Yû", "New Gods", and "She Goes Out Of Focus", are three very different tracks. The album is probably best conceptualized in the way Catching Flies describes it: as a series of diary entries.

This album will appeal to fans of artists like Bibio and Jon Hopkins and Bonobo (whom Catching Flies has toured with extensively). My favorite among the tracks is “She Goes Out Of Focus”; it ebbs and flows, rises and falls, at just the right moments; it is expertly paced; it has an  idyllic, atmospheric energy that calls to mind the best of chillwave and will appeal to fans of Teen Daze and Brothertiger.

Brothertiger- I've Been Waiting

Brothertiger has become well known for remixing the songs of his Chillwave contemporaries, including and especially Teen Daze. Now they have teamed up again, except this time it is Teen Daze who has remixed "I've Been Waiting" off Brothertiger's Golden Years EP. The result is a terrifyingly awesome, earth-shaking, burgeoning explosion of Chill-tsunami.


Got a little carried away there. It's a good remix though.







 MushRecords

Eyedress - Nature Trips

Eyedress is the project of solo artist Idris Vicuña. Last month he released an EP, Nature Drips, for which he received praise and the the respect of many aspiring lo-fi artists. The EP makes use of hazy synths, washed out vocals, and bright melodies. The tracks are held up by slow, deliberate beats which are retrained enough as to not bury the other sounds. I'll be looking forward to hearing more from this young  producer. 



 Nature Trips by eyedress

his: BLOG / BANDCAMP

Bon Iver- Perth (Teen Daze Remix)

Teen Daze has just dropped a remix of one of the great Bon Iver tracks, "Perth". Like pretty much everything that Teen Daze releases, it is awesome. If you're detecting some bias, it is only because Teen Daze is a legend of electronic music and people who disagree are wrong. But seriously, this is a great track. He doesn't distort the original enough to make it at all alien, but he still undeniably manages to infuse his own "Chillwave"-inspired influence into the mix. It can be appreciated by diehard Teen Daze fans and Bon Iverians alike.

On a related note, Bon Iver has just started a remix competition. You can remix any of his songs from Bon Iver, Bon Iver and submit your remix here. If you are selected you can win some money and get your remix in Bon Iver's upcoming remix album. I was thinking about submitting something...then I heard Teen Daze's remix.

Purity Ring

Last week Canadian electro-pop duo Purity Ring released their new album, Shrines. The presence of the album has now become more or less ubiquitous across the music blogosphere so, in the interest of fitting in, I may as well post about them as well.


 On the whole, this album is very impressive. Corin Roddick creates twitchy hip-hop inspired beats with finesse. He expertly employs light glitchy hooks surrounded by layers of pulsating ambience to create dream like, atmospheric environments. Megan James sweet, innocent vocals give us the impression that she might as well be singing a nursery rhyme, so you are probably likely to do what I did, ignore the words she is singing. Don't make that mistake. The lyrics throughout these eleven tracks vary from eerie surrealism to downright creepy. One prime example is "Fireshrine", in which Megan sweetly invites us to "Get a little closer, let it fold, cut open my sternum and pull my little ribs around you". (shudder)


Purity Ring have succeeded in creating a album that is widely listenable and is also distinctly, unequivocally their own. That is something they can be proud of. They have firmly secured their place in my itunes folder, (on my shelf would've been a more engaging metaphor but it's the year 2012), alongside The Knife and Crystal Castles.

Toro Y Tyler ?

Finally, we catch a glimpse of the long rumoured collaboration between Toro Y Moi (Chaz Bundick) and Tyler The Creator. A raw version of their song, "Hey You", leaked prematurely a "couple of months ago", according to Bundick, but it was only popularised last wednesday, when Tyler linked to the leaked song on the Odd Future tumbler. They confirmed that they were working on a song together as early as November of 2011, and there was twitter hype about a possible collaboration even before that. Still, Chaz tweeted to "stay tuned for the studio version". Now I'm just waiting for a joint tour.  Please let there be a tour.

Blank Mind Empty Heart

Germany Germany, the musical name of Canadian producer Drew Harris, has just released a new album. The much awaited album, called "Blank Mind Empty Heart", is a great addition to his work. In the album he wanders from the boundaries of chillwave and introduces dance and experimental elements to songs, while keeping the hazy vocals, ambience, and hypnotic, glitchy synths that create the trademark calming atmosphere of his songs. In his own words:

 “Blank Mind Empty Heart is a collection of songs I’ve been working on for the past year. Rather than get comfortable with the sounds I made on Adventures, I wanted to branch out, try some new things and try to create something unique. I’m really happy with Adventures, but I’d rather take some risks and craft something different.”

Buy it
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