- Drahla – ‘Faux Text’
The Leeds’ art-punk/post punk trio Drahla, consisting of Luciel Brown (vocals, guitar & bass), Rob Riggs (vocals, guitar, bass & keys) and Mike Ainsley (vocals & drums), already captured our attention with their recent beautiful debut 7” ‘Fictional Decision’ on the glorious German indie label A Turntable Friend Records, but the forthcoming new single titled ‘Faux Text’, out at the end of April via the Too Pure Single Club, is even hotter.
The band’s compelling blend of DIY post-punk freshness and urgency and 90’s fuzzy noise sharpness is flavoured by the introduction of such an amazing sultry saxophone, played by Christopher Duffin, I haven’t heard since the early John Foxx’s Ultravox! days, that makes the recipe even more appealing.
“Is it real? Is it real?” talks/sings Lu throughout the song, yes it’s real and cool as f**k’!
Fabrizio Lusso
- Chastity Belt – ‘Different Now‘
‘You’re hard on yourself
Well you can’t always be right
All those little things that keep you up at night
You should take some time to figure out your life
But you’re stuck indoors and thinking poorly
You’ll find in time
All the answers that you seek
Have been sitting there just waiting to be seen
Take away your pride and take away your grief
And you’ll finally be right where you need to be
Take all of it, take everything you’re owed
‘Til you finally feel okay being alone
Yeah it’s different now
Yeah it’s different now, you’re old
And you try and you try and you try and you try‘
This is indie at its best; combined with top-quality lyrics straight to the heart of the listener. Chastity Belt go mature(?) and we simply cannot wait for their ‘I Used To Spend So Much Time Alone‘ via Hardly Art. Close your eyes, take a deep breath and let yourself loose.. And if you feel tears falling, let them flow my friend. This is music to feel and dream…and forget…and forgive… Love!
Christos Doukakis
- Selofan – ‘Shadowmen’
Selofan let out the official video for ‘Shadowmen‘ out of their new ‘Cine Romance‘ LP (out on 12 April by Fabrika Records) and as they say “once you enter Cine Romance you will never want to leave again, you will be transferred in a new-wave world of playful irony, electronic melodies and experimentation”.
So, once again they got my pulse! It’s an up-tempo new-dark wave shot, a little old school and arranged in their trademark style. The video is by Dimitris Chaz Lee in their typical, very interesting artistic view. So I chose this tune for the week’s mixtape awaiting for their new LP, dance to the waves dear people, and listen loud!
Mike Dimitriou
- San Jua – ‘Laid To Waste‘
After years and years of digging deeply into music, it’s is becoming increasingly difficult to be still surprised by something really innovative, but fortunately from time to time you come across a song that beautifully ‘flips the switch’ of your heart and leaves you emotionally involved.
‘Laid To Waste’ is the debut single by the enigmatic Swedish-English ‘dreampop’ duo San Jua and also one of those cases when it’s hard to remain indifferent.
Three magical minutes of atmospheric nocturnal beauty together with sultry and fragile leading female vocals and mesmerizing sonic waves constructed from multiple synth layers and guitar melodies, suggesting those late night bewitching moments when you are alone with your thoughts and the beating city’s nightlife surrounds you and fades away in your dreams, soon to be dissolved into the first rays of lights.
Immaculate modern ‘soul music’.
Fabrizio Lusso
- Monocube – ‘Sehnsucht’
The fledgling label Eighth Tower Records delivers their second compiliation, ‘The Great Architect‘. This time around the focus is on the God creator of Gnostic tradition. The opening track ‘Sehnsucht‘ by Monocube delves deep into the mystery, bringing forth a ritual ambient track which is truly worthy of the cause. Blackened drones sweep through the cathedralic halls. There is an unnaturally brilliant ritual darkness on ‘Sehnsucht‘, in the highest form, which should be a given now for fans of Monocube.
Michael Barnett
Compiled by Fabrizio Lusso, Christos Doukakis, Mike Dimitriou, & Michael Barnett