Dublin’s The Murder Capital has been one of the main buzz bands of post-punk of recent years and its Tapetown Sessions video of “For Everything” gives you a little taste of why. The group builds a brooding, seething, abrasive-yet-entrancing mood. The guitar bends and stretches into disorienting shapes while percussion and bass build a tense momentum that unleashes and releases a third of the way into the song. Echoing slashes of sound flash through the song and the hollow, forceful vocals haunts the sound with a commanding critique of a political and economic system that is failing everyone. But it is not didactic, it is visceral and comes from a place of genuine pain and frustration, of disappointed aspirations that need to be channeled into something productive and emotionally fulfilling. The song is six minutes long but it’s so electrifying and compelling you forget the time and get swept along in the shared catharsis.
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Akkor’s “An” is like the Slow Motion, Somber, Psychedelic, Modern Classical Soundtrack to a Looming Tragedy
Akkor’s upcoming album Durma came out on 3/13/20 but now you can listen to the atmospherically rich single “An.” Akkor is Üstün Lütfi Yildirim, a Turkish composer who used piano to create the through line to the song but used digital processing and samples to assemble an experience of traveling backwards and forwards through time with reverse delay and a processional rhythm for a feel like some inevitable misfortune ahead. It is not easy or soothing listening but its layers of texture and drones is nevertheless compelling in the way it envelops you and commands your experiencing of the melancholic moments it conveys so well. It’s like a mixture of modern classical music and noise, some of which draws much of its influence from the former. It is a song that might be described as the slow motion, somber, psychedelic, modern classical soundtrack to a looming tragedy and all the more beautiful for that mix of aesthetics. Listen to “An” on Spotify and connect with Akkor at the links provided.
soundcloud.com/akkor
open.spotify.com/artist/2hpjVFRumhcw0oQiYTfZjx
youtube.com/AkkorOfficial
akkor.bandcamp.com
twitter.com/AkkorMusic
facebook.com/akkorAV
instagram.com/akkorofficial
ANFA Blasts the Uniformity of Social Media and Internet Culture on “Fukk It”
ANFA’s frustration with meaningless experience and social rewards is visceral on her track “Fukk It.” It blasts into your ears in the beginning like an industrial rap song. The touch of autotune on the vocals give it a surreal quality that jibes well with when the song goes into its more melancholic, melodic passages with a little bit of Middle Eastern flavor in the tonal choices. The Swedish-born Iranian/Balochi packs a lot of sound and several ideas into this relative short song (2:33) giving it a dynamism and depth that augments its hard hitting critique of social media and its handmaiden consumer culture. The fiery chorus of “Everybody, same shit” highlights how social media and internet culture has also eroded cultural differentiation that made for a more diverse world so that it can seem that people are repeating, sharing and being influenced by the same viral content and concepts without taking the time to cultivate something truly their own and enriching their own lives and that of others in the process. Listen to “Fukk It” on Soundcloud and connect with ANFA at the links below.
soundcloud.com/thisisanfa
open.spotify.com/artist/6YVHFtqryv3KWS1mYxTqCf
facebook.com/thisisanfa
instagram.com/thisisanfa
Turista Examines the Ways Social Dynamics Often Get in the Way of Emotional Intimacy on “All of Your Cards”
The lush production of Turista’s “All of Your Cards” gives it the hazy, soft lighting quality of an early 80s pop music video. But as the song progresses to the end the through line dissolves into pure, abstract bliss. An interesting way to end a song that seems to be about being open and learning to trust and dispensing with the games people play with each other like you need to compete with people you know or with whom you might become involved or are involved. That dynamic puts up barriers to understanding and real intimacy, the kind the vibe of the song embodies. Fans of vaporwave generally will enjoy this song’s chill tones and almost meditative pace but Turista weaves in a bit of chiptune composition here and the key changes and lo-fi flourishes give the emotional coloring of the track something darker and more enigmatic than is immediately obvious. Listen to “All of Your Cards” on Spotify and follow Turista on Instagram.
ST3PH and Karl Williams Contemplate the Dissolution of Authoritarian Power on “Babylon”
ST3PH teams up with Karl Williams for the track “Babylon” for a song that critiques compromising one’s values to fit in line with the values and culture of the power and economic elite. The beat utilizes some trap production but pairs it with a phasing, slow bouncing synth line and an intro that sounds like music one might hear at a mass transit station late at night—that lonely yet clear arpeggio intended to soothe rather than alert. Using the term “Babylon” as Rastafarians used for the same socio-cultural phenomenon in a variety of contexts, the video shows a figure who resembles and presumably represents Boris Johnson being kidnapped and shown out of the places of power alongside other authority figures. Not violently but in a way that leaves him and them confused like they never anticipated being put out of power without knowing how it happened or when that process started when in fact it starts in the consciousness of the oppressed who are tired of fake populists and authoritarians making all the decisions impacting their lives and coming to realize that all power is granted and can easily dissolve if people decide to place that power elsewhere. ST3PH’s more contemplative trading off with Karl Williams’ more angular, hard delivery is an interesting contrast showing how hard and soft power can work together to deliver an important message both in a song and in life. Watch the video for “Babylon” on YouTube as well as the debut episode of I AM ST3PH “Feels like its gonna go Bang!” where you can learn more about the story of the songwriter. Connect with ST3PH at the links below.
I AM ST3PH, Episode 01: “Feels like it’s gonna go Bang!”
soundcloud.com/st3phofficial
twitter.com/st3phofficial
facebook.com/st3phofficial
instagram.com/st3phofficial
Beverly Moon Dissolves and Heals a Sense of Deep Loss on the Dreamy and Breezily Cathartic “Ocean Eyes”
Beverly Moon’s debut single “Ocean Eyes” was written for a family member not long after their passing. This person spent their whole life near the ocean surfing, diving and sailing and the sort of idyllic existence one imagines from that is captured well in the perfectly drawn out strums into hanging notes and hazy atmospherics of the song and the way the vocals sound wistful in memory of a person who always seemed strong and supportive but carefree. The way chords roll off the main progression and rhythm suggests easy waves and better times. But the melancholic mood of the song is undeniable and the sense of loss at the center of it is undeniable. But like some of the more poppy songs of Slowdive or Beach Fossils “Ocean Eyes” floods that pain with transporting energy and a sense of uneasy acceptance of what we feel has been taken away from us so soon. Listen to “Ocean Eyes” on Spotify and connect with Bournemouth, UK-based Beverly Moon at the links below. The single was released at the end of February 2020 through Canadian Label LHM Records and Norwegian label Brilliance and can be purchased here.
facebook.com/beverlymoonmusic
instagram.com/beverlymoonmusic
The Non-Linear Structure of Mukura’s “As Long as There is Time” Charts the Mind’s Proclivity for Spontaneous Tangents in Thought
There is a sense of drifting through time and space contemplating life’s challenges and possibilities in Mukura’s single “As Long as There is Time.” The song starts off like a collage of Mellotron warble, Casio tones and piano and Mukura’s vocals both carrying the melody and accenting the rhythm. Near the two minute mark the song takes on a different character, drones warp and bend, Mukura’s vocals are more spoken internal dialogue for several moments before floating off into ethereal territory and coming back into the vivid, focused vocals from the beginning of the song. The song appears to outline how one’s mind can feel like it can run on and on through tangents that strike one’s fancy and how that can be both interesting, illuminating and fruitful provided one has the time to indulge those multitudinous detours but also that it can be a way to get lost in oneself. Though the song has the luminous melodies of a dream pop song, its structure is decidedly unconventional to reflect the way one’s mind can shift gears and moods spontaneously in a way that makes sense to the non-linear aspect of consciousness that transcends standard logic. Watch the dynamic video for “As Long as There is Time” on YouTube.
Strawberry Generation Entrances You With Its Elegantly Irresistible Melodies on “When You Were Here And I Was Sad”
The wistful melancholy that runs through Strawberry Generation’s single “When You Were Here And I Was Sad” floats on an irresistible melody. The song recalls something that could have come out at the tail end of C86 or from the Sarah Records roster—think Heavenly or The Field Mice. Valerie Zhu’s melodious vocals sit vividly among filigrees of guitar work and spare rhythms. When the song goes into the dynamic swells there is a clarity of all the sounds working together that is easy to get lost inside and caught up within. The songwriting itself has an exquisite grace and balance that draws you in and when the time signature change hits, in particular in the outro, it is so seamless that the shift in emotion you feel syncs perfectly with a subtle change in the rhythm. None of the elements seem to compete for attention but rather serve the song well giving it an endless listenability. Watch the video to “When You Were Here And I Was Sad,” shot in the UK while the band was on tour playing at Indietracks 2019, on YouTube and connect with Strawberry Generation at the links below. The group’s latest album Afloat was released February 14, 2020 on Sunday Records and is not short on songs of a similar appeal and quality.
strawberrygeneration.bandcamp.com
twitter.com/strawbbG
facebook.com/strawberrygenerationband
instagram.com/strawberrygenerationband
Hanna Ojala Takes Us Into The Realm of Deep Personal Psychology With the Ritualistic and Mythical “Earthquake”
The sound of walking and a tinge of throat singing tones introduce Hanna Ojala’s single “Earthquake.” The footsteps create a unique beat, a textural percussion alongside the sound of ocean birds and Ojala’s almost meditative, plaintive vocals. The sound of water flowing in the background conveys the sense of Ojala performing and recording the track in a sacred, hidden, seaside cave to which she is whispering unconscious thoughts ritualistically. She repeats the words “You knocked me down and made me crawl, crawl crawl” three times with her voice on emotional edge. Then considers motivation with the second set of full lyrics with “Did I know you were keeping me unharmed in an earthquake?” Ojala’s voice quakes with emotion seeming to contemplate being brought what seemed low but which allowed her to weather an even worse circumstance. It suggests multiple interpretations of events in our lives and how we react to them and what we do with the energy that enters our orbit every day and to learn to be adaptable. As usual, it’s all but impossible to put a genre tag on Ojala’s works of sound art but yet another example of using one’s imagination to give a potential listener a different experience than is usually possible with more conventional music. Listen to “Earthquake” on YouTube and follow Ojala at the links provided.
soundcloud.com/h_mo
youtube.com/channel/UCOciWsXO_7cDSrveFlwSmkA
B1GJuice’s IDM-Inflected “CHAPTER3.humility” Concisely Expresses Coming to Terms With Your Limitations While Remembering to Keep Dreaming
The luminous, nearly impressionistic keyboard line in B1GJuice’s “CHAPTER3.humility” and the syncopation of its electronic beat is reminiscent of something out of late 90s Boards of Canada. Like an assemblage of samples layered in collage to give a sense of a deep and tranquil mood. Though the track is short, B1GJuice packs in some interesting poetry to pair with the melancholic yet soothing beat. He speaks of “bumping UGK” and references some aspirational daydreaming with saying he was told he was going to “make a play like Jordan in his day.” But what perhaps distinguishes the song from what might seem obvious is that it lacks in bravado. The warping vocals and references to using medical cannabis to stay sane puts into perspective the dreams as things that Tyreek Phillips (aka B1GJuice) might have had within his grasp before being diagnosed with an incurable heart disease in 2013 as a former NCAA Football Player at Furman University and the expectations attendant with that. This song doesn’t exactly capture reconciling a new reality with the possibilities you saw for yourself. But it does channel that pain into something that allows you to find an outlet for your feelings and the way limitations often force you to be more creative than you thought you could be despite obvious challenges. The title of the song is the key to interpreting where the words are coming from and perhaps how tragedy humbles even the strongest of us and though it would be preferable to not be humbled in such a way, gaining the level of self-awareness thrust upon you deepens your appreciation of things and perchance a greater empathy for those who struggle in other ways too. Since B1GJuice melded IDM and hip-hop style production so well here on a song fans of cLOUDDEAD and Anticon artists might appreciate it’ll be interesting to see where his songwriting and soundscaping go next. Listen to “CHAPTER3.humility” on Spotify.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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