SubmitHub – Page 149 – Queen City Sounds and Art

Dvanov Gives Voice to the Spirit of Restlessness and Discontent in Suburban Russia on “древолюция”

Utilizing an array of sounds that gives the impression of a flurry of images glitching and a disordering of the senses, “древолюция” (Drevolyutsiya, the Russian word for “revolution”) by Dvanov embodies a time of confusion and chaos with an eerie precision. The arrangements are like a hip-hop track but the noises and the urgency of Ivan Beletsky’s vocals are more in line with industrial music aesthetics making what you hear more comparable to Death Grips and Sleaford Mods than something that will hit you immediately like hip-hop. The collage of samples, synths and drum machines is a raw expression of the angst and anxiety of the suburbs that are the subject of a good deal of Dvanov’s material informed by a desperate desire for change that you see even in the most mundane of contexts whether you’re in St. Petersburg or Chicago. Listen to “древолюция” on YouTube and connect with Dvanov at the links provided.

“waves” by sine language Embraces the Hurt of Heartbreak With Questions and Not Anger

The sorrowful tone of “waves” by sine language seems at odds with the playful percussion, introspective vocals and layered synth melody. But when the guitar comes in it brings with its tracing the line of rhythm a touch of melancholic tones reminiscent of a late 80s Cocteau Twins song. It would be difficult to say exactly what the song is about but it delves into issues of something having gone wrong in a relationship and an accidental betrayal of trust where one person is held to account for some transgression of which they are kept in the dark and the shame and confusion that comes with trying to process the fallout. And while it might be normal to react to that situation with anger this song explores more the feelings of hurt and a desire to understand what went wrong and ponders whether the relationship damaged by a mistake can be rehabilitated and that emotional bond be found once again. What makes the theme of the song interesting is that it is mostly questions and no answers affirmed. In a time when most people using social media have what they think their opinions are on hand and strong in the resolve of their righteousness, the songwriting here offers a far more believable and relatable expression of what it feels like to be heartbroken and not wanting to hurt back but rather to comprehend. Watch the video for “waves” on YouTube and connect with sine wave at the links below.

sine language on Apple Music

sine language on Instagram

“Keep Me Safe” by DJ Chillz is a Soothing Mantra of Self-Protection in a Time of Deep Vulnerability

DJ Chillz produced and wrote “Keep Me Safe” after a Kemetic Yoga session and the contrast of a warm, simple guitar figure with acoustic percussion and vocals that seem to shimmer from an otherworldly space or from deep within has an intimate quality like a mantra to keep yourself in the proper frame of mind. Repeating the simple request in a vulnerable way as a sign of trust to another or the universe in both English and Yoruba enhances that multidimensional feel of the song so that its spare elements gather together and create an environment when being at one’s most vulnerable and open feels safe and the reception nurturing. The gentle tone of the track too makes what might sound like something from another world inviting and accessible. Listen to “Keep Me Safe” on Soundcloud and follow DJ Chillz at the links provided.

DJ Chillz on Apple Music

DJ Chillz on Facebook

DJ Chillz on Instagram

DJ Chillz on YouTube

Paul Cousins’ “Afterimage” is an Entrancing Bit of Improvisational Analog Sound Design

Paul Cousins set up reel-to-reel tape machines with a fifty-eight inch tape loop running between them to craft the warm yet otherworldly sounds for his composition “Afterimage.” It is a whorling tone that sounds like it’s breaking up as it ripples outward and repeats at unexpected intervals like an extended sample but one which has slight changes with every iteration due to the physical quality of the tape running and underneath are what sound like the mechanism of the tape machine captured on the recording like a built in counting of the passage of time rather than a more traditional beat. The gorgeously repetitive dynamic is reminiscent of the work of ambient band The Kevin Costner Suicide Pact and as gifted at creating music that suggests cinematic aesthetics of collage images and improvisational sound design. Listen to “Afterimage” on Bandcamp and connect further with the London-based composer at the links provided.

Paul Cousins on YouTube

Sanctuary Transforms the Tragic Into the Epic With the Orchestral Ambient Song “In Absolute”

The orchestral ambient soundscape of “In Absolute” flows into your ears and immediately conjures a mood and a cinematic experience of sound. It may make you wonder if Howard Shore is a secret member of Sanctuary because the orchestration of elements and the evocative arc resonate with that master composer’s flair for dramatic, impactful atmospherics. The elegant build to a peak of sorrowful emotions, of a brooding realization of tragedy is stunning in its beauty and the way the song carries you along to a conclusion of that wave of feeling followed by a quick resolution that doesn’t feel like it could be an end but ultimately could be nothing else is an impressive feat of songwriting. Listen to “In Absolute” on Soundcloud, look for the project’s double EP Sanctuary Vol. 1 and Sanctuary Vol. 2 out on Safari Riot and connect with the artists at the links below.

Safari Riot on Facebook

Sanctuary on Instagram

Suzy Callahan Encourages Us to Manage Our Romantic Expectations on “Maybe”

Suzy Callahan imbues “Maybe” with more mystery and complex emotions and offbeat observations than entire albums by many artists. Is there a key change in the song? Yes, but the hypnotic, spare guitar riff is the perfect accompaniment to her melodiously expressive voice and her simple story of the aspirations people have when they cut away ;pretentious and unrealistic expectations and a conditioned needs rooted in the myths of romance and a life in which one needs to be super excited about everything all the time. The story comes across like a series of observations and contemplation on such while people watching. When Callahan sings “ The chances are zero that the next person by will be my hero but they might me later for a beer, though” the clever word play is a standout in the song but it also poignantly describes how you can avoid disappointment in life. And if you get more out of life count that as a great thing but if you get what you need recognize that as a positive and not a loss. Fans of Edith Frost will definitely find much to love in Callahan’s catalog of music. Watch the video for “Maybe” on YouTube, listen to the rest of the album Focused Mind on Spotify or Bandcamp and connect with Suzy Callahan at the links below.

Suzy Callahan on Twitter

Suzy Callahan on Instagram

Suzy Callahan on YouTube

moodring’s “Poison” is a Hearbreaking Lo-Fi Dream Pop Reminder to Let Go When the Love is Gone

moodring packs a lot of surprises into its song “Poison.” In the beginning it sounds like a modern version of a slackery, lo-fi indie rock song. But Charli Smith reflects on the ways in which one has conflicted feelings about the person you love. The gentle, ethereal guitar work and minimalist percussion and lingering, melodic drones coupled with Smith’s laid back delivery give the impression of someone walking leisurely through a gallery of memories, many of them painful, while trying to maintain a sense of cool, of composure, while laying out a litany of heartbreaking thoughts like a goodbye letter to a relationship that has worn to nothing. Yet sometimes even those awful relationships are hard to let go when it’s one of the only things in your life giving it steady meaning. Smith’s lyrics speak directly to those complex feelings even when you know it’s over. When she sings “You’re breaking me down, you’re drying me out” it sounds like that final realization that you have to move on if you’re to make it through even as melodramatic as that may seem to you in that moment. Brandon Brewer’s production casts it in the musical equivalent of washed out lo-fi colors but that in some ways makes the song hit harder like you’re hearing your own words through an AM radio like a ghost of your old self reminding you of where you’ve been and don’t want to go again but may follow those bad habits and instincts without having your own words as a reminder to do better for yourself. It’s like a diary entry or a letter to the offending party you never send but have to write out for yourself to see as a form of self-therapy. Listen to “Poison” on YouTube and connect with moodring at the links below.

moodring on Instagram

Tishmal Finds Glimmers of Hope in a Deeply Uncertain Present on “On My Way Up”

“On My Way Up” resonates with a dreamlike tone as though its melody is coming through a light fog. It comes from a place of melancholic contemplation but one striving for the things she sees as possible in the future. It’s not the sort of song informed by a grind-y bravado. Tishmal acknowledges the uncertainty and relative lack of control in which she’s existing with patience and acceptance waiting for events and opportunities unfold as they often do. The line “I’m drifting through now, I’m on my way up, I’ll never come down” speaks directly to this state of being as is “I’m on my way to make better days.” These are words that come from a place of making your own sense of hope when there seem to be none knowing no situations are permanent. It is interestingly enough a song of faith and hope but one without a naive outlook. It hearkens back sonically to the peak of chillwave but the vocal range and nuance of emotional expression is striking and soothing in a powerful way. Rachel Brockbank took on the name Tishmal from the Luiseño word for “hummingbird” (a nickname she was given as a young girl) which is fitting for the subtle grace, energy and vulnerable power found in her songwriting and singing on this debut solo project for the artist in collaboration with producers Christian Medice and Daniel Pashman. Listen to “On My Way Up” on Soundcloud and connect with Tishmal at the links provided.

Tishmal on Facebook

Tishmal on Instagram

Tishmal on YouTube

“Midnight Star” is the Epic Synth Pop Glam Rock Title Track to the New Album by David Lynch Collaborator Chrystabell

“Midnight Star” is the title track to Chrystabell’s forthcoming, fifth full length album. The singer, songwriter, model and actress came to prominence for her work with David Lynch starting in the late 90s and for her role as FBI Agent Tammy Preston in Twin Peaks: The Return. With the new record Chrystabell has set aside guitar and drums in favor of synths. Her layers of atmospheric melodies and tonal accents has resulted in music that has cinematic quality like a synth pop glam rock song. “Midnight Star” showcases the singer’s finely honed, expressive vocals and an impressive command of a broad range of singing styles. Fans of Eurhythmics will appreciate the strong, confident and controlled aspect to Chrystabell’s performance throughout “Midnight Star” and the way she sync’s perfectly with the swirling progression of sounds the way Annie Lennox did in the synth pop heyday of her own band. The mix of soulfulness, grit and ethereal dreaminess gives the song as well as the soon-to-be-released single “Suicide Moonbeams” an immediately compelling presence. Listen to “Midnight Star” on Spotify and connect with Chrystabell at the links provided.

Chrystabell on Facebook

Chrystabell on Instagram

Chrystabell on YouTube

Qwiet Type Celebrates Setting Boundaries for Users and Abusers on “Uninvited”

Calling Qwiet Type’s “Uninvited” a diss track from his new EP of the same name might be a bit dramatic. But it does outline how someone went from a friend or more to someone who isn’t welcome in the songwriter’s life once it’s discovered that person only really wants him around when times are tough as an emotional crutch. And in the end it’s a song celebrating setting boundaries and sticking to them and not regretting doing something for the sake of your own sanity but yes declaring that the offending party is uninvited from when times are good. Musically it’s like an indie rock pop song in the vein of early 70s Todd Rundgren, Walter Egan and Sniff ‘n’ The Tears drawing on their sense of humor and irony as well a knack for genre-bending and in this case a nod to New Wave and disco. And in typical Qwiet Type fashion, songwriter Matt Powell turns the heartbreak and anger into something fun as a way of creatively transforming what could be hurt and negative emotions into a party. Listen to “Uninvited” on YouTube and connect with Qwuiet Type at the links below.