Since the beginning of this magazine that we have been receiving great electronic tracks. For some reason, we didn’t post about those submissions because we felt they should be integrated into a specific mood. We are now building that mood with a monthly post focusing on the best of indietronica. This is electromental – part 14.
Audio Dope – North
Audio Dope began his musical voyage crafting old-fashioned beats inspired by late 90’s hip-hop tracks. Subsequently discovering his passion for wider instrumentals, he carved out a unique musical vision, genre-hopping between trip-hop, down-tempo, electronica and lo-fi hip-hop. Now widely renowned after opening for several acts and playing a lot of festivals, he keeps crafting great electromental tunes in the best way we can describe a mix of electronic with contemplation that most times translates into an inner search for the listener. It’s definitely the case with a lot of tracks released this year, from where we highlit the short-but-gold “North“. Featuring Zois, this is a track that grows from etherial flows and epic orchestral starts into heavy electronics with gorgeous hooks and dark positivism.
Bayeux – Kismet
“Kismet” the latest track by Bayeux, was written off the back of a chance meeting with a long-lost friend. “We had talked about different life choices and what led us to where we are today. I often wonder how my life would’ve played out if I had taken a different road and I try to capture that feeling with a nostalgic 90s Garage feel and uplifting/haunting synths to emulate the highs and lows of where I was at and the feeling of missing out on something that could have happened but didn’t”. It is undeniable that when we listen to this track we feel melancholic and draw back into the memories to find a meaning or to support the type of sonority it gives us. However, there is something special with “Kismet” that also provides us with positive vibes and vibes that make us want to progress. Maybe is the fact that the track is so high pace in its more “flowy” moments, maybe is the type of instrumentals that make us stand outside our comfort zone just enough (the sort that turns the song into an electromental sonority). The artist describes it even better: “Ultimately, the nature of the song has a positive and uplifting effect and like to think that all the right choices were made“.
Brendan Void – Chill Out M8
“Chill Out M8“, one of the latest tracks released by Brendan Void (already 5 months ago) came along with a video that truly sums up city nightlife and the feelings that come with escapism and the electronic music scene. “I wanted to make a track that could be enjoyed on the dance floor, but also in a more soba setting“. There is a more aggressive vibe than what Bonobo and Floating Points do, but there is a similar power and capacity to innovate and be creative in the context of electronic music. There also is space for inner contemplation while we listen to this, making it a great track for dancing both with our mind and our body. The song ends in an apparent failure and we can’t help to think that wouldn’t be any proper way to shut up this kind of power. Sometimes good things end with an interference. The good part is that we can get back to this as many times as we want to.
This is the second time we highlight Brendan Void electronic mysticism after the gorgeous Interlude A.
Glimji – A Gem So Precious
Glimji is a 23-year-old Manchester artist based in London, UK. His emphasis on romantic groovy dance music stems from a passion and love for UK Garage and Trance stemming from growing up in the early 2000s, taking visual inspiration from this era as well. One of his latest singles got the attention of our team. Entitled “A Gem So Precious” this is like a Romantic Rave track focused around the moment in a club of connection between two anonymous rave-goers. The track is clearly centred around the late 90s, early 2000s y2k aesthetic with big hooks and an artificial voice that nonetheless gets the power into the listener quite easily. There is even a Kavisnky-like vibe that goes a bit into the 80s vibe but brings it with a lot of modernity to the dance floor. Super energetic and hooking.
il:lo – Soldiner
Comprised of producers Dejan Dejado and Andreas Schültz, il:lo creates an angular, yet airy deep house blend with expansive builds and mesmerizing textures. Their first single of the year “Soldiner” was probably the one that gave them the most listeners yet. At this moment with about half a million listeners the duo already released three tracks this year but we are still stuck into the first single sonority and airy feel. This is, possibly, the song that you can listen to throughout this year that will make you feel lighter. There is a sense of repetitiveness that only turns healthier and healthier the more you listen to it. A positive vibe that is somehow imprinted into the track. It’s like a blue sky and the feeling we have when we look up and see it.
“it stood out from previous releases and marked the beginning of a new era, a musical production resolutely turned towards deep house which is more on electronic elements. We wanted to grab the listener with powerful leads and soulful arpeggiators. This track is an emotional journey with a joyful start, intense body and final resolution.“
Mattr – Lando
Mattr is Matthew Clugston, a producer and DJ from Birmingham living in London. Having put on several of his own parties in his home town with artists such as Alex Banks, Maxxi Soundsystem and XXXY, Mattr moved to Berlin to study electronic music production before releasing several EPs picking up support from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Chris Fortier, Anja Schneider and many more. “Lando” is the title track of a two-track EP he released among several other singles in this highly productive year for him. The track takes no time to jump right into high beats and a sort of schizophrenic mix of electronic music. There is a constant but gentle build-up in it from start to end, and at some points, it’s hard to decipher when the changes start and end. This is like an electromental trip so you might want to close your eyes and get yourself going along and see where it takes you.
Noé Solange x Ross K – Time
“Time“ is a collaborative track between London-based electronic producers Ross K (we’ve talked about Ross before here) and Noé Solange. The track takes the listener on an introspective journey between finding solace in stillness whilst yearning for change: “It’s about feeling lost in a fast-paced world and taking comfort in slowing down, yet desperate to find direction and move forward”. This is a track that while not exclusively electronic – it encapsulates Noé’s gorgeous soul-based vocals – it still provides us with what we feel is the spirit of electromental. The track begins with melancholic keys and subtle bell sounds, a sort of a gentle trance. These naturally interweave with Noé’s textured synths and gentle strings that blissfully drift in, propelling the track forward with a glimmer of optimism. When Ross’s vocals are also felt we feel the track is reaching a sense of a full circle that only exists in dreams. And the 80s synth we feel growing throughout provides the necessary solace for feelings of nostalgia too.
suncream – Agonda
“Agonda” is named after a small fishing village in Goa, India, an area known for its bohemian, electronic music. A trip in 2019 (unknowingly at the time) became the inspiration for this track which carries the listener to this calm and special place. Following a simple recipe, blending the use of live instruments, samples, computers and tape machines, this lo-fi electronic exploration cooks-up soundscapes laden in ambient grooves and organic, sun-soaked textures. “Agonda” is the 4th release this year from suncream, an emerging artist based in Manchester (UK) blurring the lines between musician, producer, DJ and composer.
TIBASKO – Traces
Some songs just have overwhelming power. TIBASKO are being hyped on electronic music charts because of the way their sonority transmits at the same time a sense of escapism and the capacity to empower the user. “Traces” is part of a dual release and one of two of their latest tracks to date, and the perfect demonstration of the duo’s power. Mixing several electronic-infused genres like techno, house, breaks and bass with uncommon elements like Bulgarian Folk Choir samples, everything sounds modern in a track that makes us dive into somehow an electric desert. In their words: “Going back to our love of digging through worldly music, we’ve found Bulgarian Folk music has this incredibly captivating element to it. “Traces” features a beautiful sample titled “Pilentze Pee” which showcases intense and dissonant vocals. Paired with the big, dreamy synth elements we created, we feel it’s drawn out a mysterious and haunting feel to the track“.
If you’re not enchanted with the notion that’s because you still haven’t hit the play button on the video/song below. Just wow. They are about to release their self-titled EP in September, so you should really keep your eyes and ears on them.
Most of these tracks (and previous tracks featured in Electromental) are also in our Spotify Playlist: