Tag: Darkwave

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 35 – John Serrano, Mayflower Madame, Mock Deer, Quizboy & Marc Schuster

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

There continues to be lots of great music being released, which means it’s time for another installment of my Fresh New Tracks series. Today I’m featuring four recently-released tracks by acts from four different countries – Spanish singer-songwriter and musician John Serrano, Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame, English folk artist Mock Deer, and American singer-songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Quizboy and Marc Schuster. I’ve recently written about John Serrano, Mock Deer and Mark Schuster, whereas this is the first time I’m featuring Mayflower Madame and Quizboy.

JOHN SERRANO – “The day I met the sun”

John with an injured arm and his new rescue kitten

Hailing from Málaga, Spain is John Serrano, a prolific singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who I cannot heap enough praise upon. Not only is he a versatile and talented musician with a beautiful singing voice, he’s also thoughtful, kind, handsome and incredibly supportive of other independent artists. Drawing from a wide range of influences, including alternative and progressive rock, blues, electronica, synthwave and jazz, he’s recorded and released an extensive, colorful and eclectic catalog of music over the past 10 years, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians. In March, I reviewed his poignant singles “Oh, well” and “Better Times”, which he’d released back to back over a two-day period. He quickly followed with two more singles, then on April 24th he dropped his album Alive, dedicated to his grandmother who passed away in March at the age of 92.

A week after that album’s release, John severely injured his left arm, requiring surgery and rendering him unable to play guitar for the time being. Undefeated, he decided to make what he’s calling a “full electronoir experimental retro futuristic jazz-noise album”, recording entirely with synthesizers. Thus far, he’s released two singles for the new album, the latest of which is “The day I met the sun“, a brilliant and haunting track that’s a significant departure from the languid and pleasing songs on Alive. The song starts off with a dreamy ethereal feel, accompanied by John’s angelic falsetto vocals, then abruptly transitions into a much darker, almost frightening song with grinding fuzzy reverb, ominous drumbeats and tortured synths. His vocals also shift into a much more menacing tone, unlike anything I’ve heard from him previously. He said he’s been throat singing for a few years, and to get the desired effect, he “panned the vocals and cut the EQ Filter right when they kick in.” Along with the first track “A wee house upon the hill”, “The day I met the sun” offers a foreboding peek into what we can expect to follow. The tracks are only available on Bandcamp at this time.

John’s socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

MAYFLOWER MADAME – “A Foretold Ecstasy”

Mayflower Madame (what a great band name!) is a psych-noir/post-punk band from Oslo, Norway, comprised of Trond Fagernes (vocals, guitar, bass) and Ola J. Kyrkjeeide (drums). For studio recordings they are joined by Kenneth Eknes (synth), and for live performances, additional musicians are brought in to form a full band. They’ve released a fair amount of music since 2015, including two albums – Observed in a Dream in 2016 and Prepared for a Nightmare in 2020, as well as an EP Premonition in 2018 and numerous singles. Ironically, Prepared for a Nightmare now seems to have indeed been a “premonition” to the Covid-19 pandemic that followed the album’s release.

I just learned about Mayflower Madame yesterday when their PR rep reached out to me about their new single “A Foretold Ecstasy“, which I loved the moment I heard it. As I do for all artists and bands I write about for the first time, I listened to as much of their music catalog as time permitted so I could get a good feel for their sound. And I can emphatically state that I really like this band’s music, which has been compared to that of Sisters of Mercy, Jesus and Mary Chain and The Cure. Their compelling sound, which they describe as “the perfect soundtrack for the nightly walks of restless city dwellers“, is a masterful blend of post-punk, darkwave, psychedelia and shoegaze, featuring pulsating rhythms, lush atmospheric synths and reverb-drenched guitars.

About “A Foretold Ecstasy”, band songwriter and vocalist Fagernes said the lyrics speak about “constantly chasing some sort of elation or intoxicating sensation to relieve one’s inner turmoil, while still being aware that it’s just a passing state followed by an inevitable downfall”. The song is a gorgeous darkwave gem in the vein of The Cure or Depeche Mode, two of my favorite bands from that genre. Fagernes’ vocals are intoxicating as he breathily croons “Well, I’m just glad you made me feel something. But it won’t last, I still believe it’s all or nothing.“

Mayflower Madame’s socials:  Facebook / Instagram

MOCK DEER – “Smudge”

Mock Deer is the music project of London-based singer-songwriter and musician Ricky Damiani, whose sound can generally be described as indie folk/singer-songwriter with elements of alternative rock. He’s released a fair amount of music over the past 12 years, including his debut album The Art of Loneliness in 2020, several EPs and numerous singles, as well as composing original music for TV programs and theatre. Last month, I featured his haunting and powerful single “Harbinger” on a Fresh New Tracks post. Now he returns, with “Smudge”, a wonderful song and the second track from his forthcoming EP Pilgrims. 

As with “Harbinger”, for “Smudge” Damiani sang vocals, Mat Martin played lead guitar, Jayden Pegler played bass, Will Inscoe played keyboards, Aaron Carpenter played drums, Matthew Herd played saxophone, and Lola Hepper sang backing vocals. The track was produced by Scott Fitzgerald and mastered by John Nicholls. Written during the first Covid lockdown, the song touches on themes of mental illness, alcoholism and friendship. The song has a darkly beautiful, meandering melody, with a melancholy feel reminiscent of some of Radiohead’s songs of the 90s, featuring gorgeous shimmery guitars, warm saxophone, spacey synths and soaring choruses. Damiani’s vibrant, emotive vocals run the gamut from quiet introspection to impassioned lamentation as he addresses a troubled friend: “You play that part of tough guy so well, but we all know it’s just a show. So lets be random, let’s be odd. Let’s turn this normal on its head. Let’s go there, for one last jolly. You’re well aware it’s all just folly. Just one more, for the road I swear.”  

Mock Deer’s Socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

QUIZBOY & MARC SCHUSTER – “All the Same to You”

Quizboy is an enigmatic yet highly sociable artist who, in his own words, creates “dirt-made rock and roll from the Pacific Northwest“. Based in Portland, Oregon, the insanely busy guy also occasionally records music under his dark and sludgy post-hardcore project Never Say Never (NsN), as well as runs an online radio station Audio Mirage Studios, where he hosts Marc Schuster’s Tweetcore Radio Hour. As if all that’s not enough, he also has his own music blog, also titled Audio Mirage Studios.

Marc Schuster is an even busier guy with his hands in so many projects it literally makes my head spin! It’s all I can do to write 2-4 posts per week for this blog, and I’m now mostly retired. At any rate, I’ve written about him and his music many times, most recently when I featured his song “Paul Giamatti (Is Everywhere Tonight)” on a Fresh New Tracks post, but to summarize, he’s a creative and multi-talented Renaissance man from the Philadelphia area who’s an educator, author, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. Over the past decade, he’s recorded quite a bit of music, both as a solo artist and in collaboration with too many other artists and bands to mention here. In addition to hosting the aforementioned weekly Tweetcore Radio Hour program, where he features songs by talented indie artists he’s met through Twitter (now X), he also has a terrific blog called Abominations, where he writes about music and interviews indie artists. He also broke his right shoulder a few months ago, but still managed to put out his latest album Arguably.

The two recently collaborated on their first song together, “All the Same to You“. Released May 3rd on Bandcamp, (and most other streaming services except Spotify on May 17) the song was co-written, recorded and produced by them both, with Quizboy playing acoustic and electric guitar and singing vocals, and Schuster playing drums, bass, electric piano, synths, acoustic guitar and singing backing vocals. The release also includes a master by fellow musician Brian Lambert. Over a mellow groove, the guys layer crisp, reverb-drenched jangly guitars and sharp, colorful synths to create a jarring, yet somehow pleasing backdrop for Quizboy’s raw, melancholy vocals. Lyrically, the song is a bit of a downer, and seems to speak to the futility of life: “Miss me when I’m gone. Suffer me while I’m here. Pain has led me home. Whatcha say won’t do. They place these chains on me and you to break. Honestly, I can’t wait. If it’s all the same to you, I forsake.” Good job guys!

Quizboy’s Socials: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / Threads

Marc Schuster’s Socials: X (Twitter) / Instagram / Threads

KIFFIE – Album Review: “The Product”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews18 Comments

British artist Kiffie (the music moniker of Daniel Paul Kiff) is a creative and fascinating singer-songwriter, composer and producer of electronic music based in Norwich, England. Drawing from a wide range of music genres including electronica, hip-hop, rock, folk and classical, his arresting songs are inspired by current events, as well as the oft-covered topics of love, lies and betrayal. Kiffie records and produces all his own music at home using hardware instruments, synthesizers and drum machines. In a space of less than three years, the incredibly prolific artist has released an astonishing 13 albums, six EPs, two compilation albums, two CDs, and numerous singles. His songs have received critical acclaim, and garnered airplay on BBC Radio 6 and other internet radio programs.

His latest album, The Product, which he released exclusively on Bandcamp last Friday, July 21st, really struck a chord with me. In his remarks about the album, Kiffie wrote: “Evil things happen when good people say nothing. This album asks a lot of questions…. it’s up to you to work out the answers.” Accordingly, the songs touch on such timely issues as creeping authoritarianism, income inequality, misinformation and fake news, anti-science/conspiracy mongering, and political corruption – all things of great concern to me. He originally wrote the songs for his participation in the Lights & Lines Album Writing Club, and the album represents the final updated version.

The album opens with “Thank You For The Hope“, a melancholy, yet almost cinematic track, with introspective keyboards and wobbly, atmospheric synths. The spare lyrics are directed to a loved one who’s support offers a glimmer of light in the darkness: “Although the sky looks dark, the future looks grey for us, and it no longer feels like home, it doesn’t mean there is no hope! You are with me!” “New Enemy” speaks of cynical, soulless politicians who seek to divide us by scapegoating others, making them into our enemies: “History, it teaches you to be a little wary, of men, who’ll say anything to convince you to vote for them. History, it teaches you to be a little wary, of them, who blame anyone to create a new enemy.” Kiffie’s ominous soundscapes nicely convey the sinister forces at work here.

On “Leadership“, he laments about those who only want to hear what they want to believe, whether it’s truthful or not: “I don’t think I can deceive you, the truth is on my side. And I won’t lie to try to save you, what is there to hide?” The songs starts off with a simple piano riff, but eventually builds into an unsettling track, accompanied by Kiffie’s somewhat disconcerting, echoed droning vocals. And on the melancholy “Small Boats“, he sings of refugees of political unrest making the hazardous journey across the sea (the Mediterranean, I assume), in search of a better life, encountering resentment and hate by some, but empathy and assistance by others: “You’re welcome to stay. I promise you wont be a burden on the state, but don’t read the headlines today.“

“Being Patriotic” touches on how some politicians use ‘patriotism’ as a cudgel to keep us in line while claiming that government cannot afford to provide public services, yet are eager to give tax breaks to the wealthy: “They don’t know how to speak the truth, they only need to mesmerise you. They don’t have a lot of money to look after you, but they’ll find it when their friends ask them to./ They cant keep a single promise if it means their shares go down in value. They count on you being apathetic. they count on you being patriotic.” Musically, the track has a rapid, skittering trip hop beat, overlain by a droning synth bass groove.

“Independent Examination” speaks to those who subscribe to fake news and conspiracy theories, refusing to accept scientific verification: “Truth is based on fact. It doesn’t rely on lies, I can assure you of that./ Science follows an enquiry process. Your ideals might not align with that. Facts aren’t open to interpretation, they stand up to independent examination.”

The title track “The Product” is a dark and unsettling instrumental piece, featuring ominous buzzing synths accompanied by a repetitive percussive beat, creating a palpable sense of impending doom. “Reparations” addresses income inequality, and how the rich and powerful strive to maintain the status quo: “How did you come to be so powerful? How did things come to be so unequal?/ Should you pay back the profits? Should you recompense? Should you give up the titles? And should you start again, With nothing, like we did, like we did?” The hauntingly beautiful track is dominated by contemplative piano keys and a mournful keyboard organ riff, punctuated by languid drumbeats, all of which create a kind of dirge-like atmosphere. Kiffee’s droning vocals are at once both soothing and accusatory.

On “What Was Promised“, Kiffee ponders about our purpose and role in this world, and whether our actions and efforts make a difference: “Why do we try to change our lives? Why do we want the world to be better after all? Could it be we don’t see what was promised anymore? Could it be it’s time for love to rule forevermore?” The minute-long instrumental piece “Resolution” closes the album on a rather portentous note, with droning, ominous-sounding synths.

While not always an easy listen, given its bleak subject matter and instrumentation, The Product is compelling nevertheless, offering us glimmers of hope and beauty throughout. Kiffie makes a bold and impactful statement with this album, and I for one am glad to see artists having the courage to speak out about these issues facing society today.


Connect with Kiffie on Twitter / Facebook / Instagram

The best place to find all his music is Bandcamp, but some of it is also available on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

ANTIPOLE & PARIS ALEXANDER – Album Review: “Crystalline”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews8 Comments

The music industry has long thrived on the collaboration of talented songwriters and musicians, and one of the most successful collaborations I know of is the one between Norwegian coldwave/post-punk project Antipole and British electronic music artist Paris Alexander. Antipole is the music moniker of guitarist and composer Karl Morten Dahl, who’s based in Trondheim, Norway, whereas singer-songwriter, composer and producer Paris Alexander is based in Brighton, England.

Antipole (aka Karl Morten Dahl) & Paris Alexander

While each has released music as solo artists, the majority of their output consists of albums they’ve recorded together or with other musicians and vocalists. I’ve followed them both for quite a while, and have written about some of their previous works – in 2017, I reviewed their collaborative album Northern Flux, and in 2021, I reviewed Alexander’s album Renaissance, featuring his partner Eirene. On May 12, they dropped their latest album Crystalline, featuring eight outstanding tracks.

The music was co-written by Antipole and Alexander, and lyrics written mostly by Alexander, with the exception of the songs “Marble” and “Infractions”, which were written by Eirene. Antipole’s guitar parts were recorded at AGV63 studio in Trondheim, while Alexander’s programmed synths and vocals were recorded at his Blue Door Studio in Brighton. Eirene sang additional vocals on “Marble”. Alexander also produced, mixed and mastered the album. The beautiful artwork for the album cover was created by Anne-Christel Gullikstad.

Listening to Crystalline, I hear strong influences by iconic darkwave and synthwave acts like Joy Division, New Order and The Cure, with a bit of Depeche Mode for good measure. Antipole’s jangly and shimmery guitar work is pretty spectacular throughout, and together with Alexander’s hypnotic beats and dreamy cinematic synths, create darkly beautiful and mesmerizing soundscapes. I also love Alexander’s rich baritone vocals, which have a haunting yet sensual quality, reminding me at times of David Bowie, most notably on “Midnight Shadows” and “Marble”.

Most of the songs have a somewhat similar sound and feel, certainly not a bad thing, as they’re all quite arresting and beautifully-arranged. At 30 minutes and 45 seconds in length, the album seems to pass by quickly, always a sign of a quality work in my book. I like every track a lot, but will touch on some of my favorites. Opening track “Perceptions“, features a strong pulsating groove, overlain with lush industrial synths and Antipole’s intricate jangly guitars. Alexander’s breathy vocals are wonderful, both mysterious and sensual. The video, filmed in black and white and at night, shows Antipole making magic on his guitar outdoors on a cold night in front of a church in Trondheim, while Alexander walks through the abandoned streets of Bath, England.

Perhaps the darkest song on the album is “Bleached“, a beautiful but brooding track for which the guys have also fortunately created a video showing them performing the song, superimposed over rather bleak footage of a large English industrial city filmed along a railroad line. The lyrics speak of a desperate existence in an urban wasteland, which Alexander sings in ominous whispered tones: “Take me. Houses full of lost dreams. Structures gripping the sky. Roads leads to hope, but walking is tiring. Reality is the end. Dead end streets and turnarounds. Windows gaze down upon me. Wandering these city streets, struggling for breath to nourish the blood. Stuck on an island, gotta get off. Get me off my phone, get me off my phone…“

“Marble” is an especially lovely and melodic track, with a rapid, pulsating beat, sharp percussive synths, and marvelous jangly guitar notes. Alexander’s comforting vocals are nicely backed by Eirene’s ethereal harmonies. “Infractions” has a wonderful psychedelic vibe, thanks to a greater use of spacey synths, while “Sentiments” is a gorgeous four-minute-long tour de force of hypnotic beats, dreamy atmospheric synths and jangly guitars, accompanied by Alexander’s brooding but hopeful breathy vocals.

With Crystalline, Antipole and Paris Alexander have gifted us another stellar collection of exquisite darkwave songs. I continue to be impressed by the consistently high quality of their output.

Crystalline is also available on vinyl and CD through Young & Cold Records

Connect with Antipole: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube

Connect with Paris:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music 

 

JOHN ROJAS – EP Review “Amongst the Glass Trees”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

I seem to be on an electronic music kick lately, and today I’m pleased to present another artist making interesting and innovative music in that broad genre – Los Angeles-based John Rojas. The singer-songwriter, engineer, producer and multi-instrumentalist has been a fixture on the L.A. music scene for more than a decade as part of techno-punk band MACHINEKIT (originally founded as Dharma in 2012), whose 2022 album I AM JACK’S LONELY HEART CLUB BAND I reviewed nearly a year ago, as well as his work with the bands La Bella, Brainfreeze and Badmouth. He created his own recording studio MachineHouse Audio in 2020, and if all that’s not enough, he’s also a terrific writer who does reviews for the website Tourworthy. 

In late 2022, Rojas decided to start recording music as a solo artist, and released a two track electronic instrumental EP IN THE THICK OF IT last December. Now he returns with his second EP Amongst The Glass Trees, featuring four new electronic tracks in which he further explores his love for electronics and composition, creating a raw sense of overwhelming tension in the process. As I alluded to earlier, he’s a talented wordsmith with a gift for describing his music in much greater detail and with more colorful language than I possibly could, so I’ll simply quote his own words about the new EP:

“The sequential trip across the instrumental tracks needs no vocals to convey their lyrical and poetic content as the dark ambient tones submit to elegant arpeggiations layered over earworm bass throbs, and succumb to minimalist piano hiding underneath the skittering programmed beats. This EP is split into four-parts as it embraces vicious modalities that indirectly illustrate the fundamental theme of confusion. The only semblance of the subject is the name of each track that surreptitiously creates one elaborate, yet ambiguous sentence to pose as animated thesis. This four-piece epic is an ambivalent mood changer that non-verbally tells the tale of a lonely man lost within the chaos of fake love, while being influenced by his own skepticism and vanity.”

The EP opens with the title track, which starts off tentatively, slowly building with a subtle throbbing synth bass groove overlain with glitches and bleeps, accompanied by occasional gentle guitar strums. At around two minutes, they’re joined by more pronounced sharp percussive sounds as the track evolves into a fully-formed, dissonant soundscape of otherworldly synths, snappy drumbeats and wobbly bass. Late in the track, the music turns more melodic with the addition of haunting piano keys as we transition into “Inside The Rabbit Hole”. A gentle pulsating groove ensues, punctuated by distant horn-like sounds and occasional jarring blasts of harsh alarm-like sounds, giving a sense of impending danger ahead. Halfway into the track, the tempo increases to a near-frantic pace as the industrial synths become darker and more harsh. Everything comes to a dramatic climax as Rojas adds a heavy percussive EDM beat for the final minute of the track.

The third and fourth tracks – “Lovers Paradise Is” and “An Ocean Full of Brains” – are a sort of couplet with a strong Nine Inch Nails vibe. “Lovers Paradise Is” starts off with a quick, head-bopping beat overlain with more of those trippy glitches and bleeps, which are eventually joined by hypnotic pulsating synths that lend a sense of urgency to the proceedings. Around the three-minute mark, some lovely keyboard synths are added as the tempo calms a bit. The music immediately segues into “An Ocean Full of Brains”, which has a more relaxed, introspective vibe, though the glitchy reverb, ominous synths and rather unsettling piano keys still convey an edgy undercurrent. Halfway into the track, the tempo increases to a EDM dance beat as the droning, glitchy synths continue. The tempo calms down in the final minute of the track as the music gradually fades away, leaving us feeling relieved yet still somewhat uneasy.

With Amongst The Glass Trees, John Rojas has created a darkly beautiful and brilliant little masterpiece. In its 20-minute-long run time, he takes us through a sonic journey that’s both beautiful and bleak, filled with an arresting array of sounds and textures to startle our senses and waken our imagination.

The EP artwork was designed by longtime collaborator, graphic designer Jaydee Perales at Wire Mark Design Studio.

Find John’s music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud

DARKWAYS – EP Review: “Neon Lights”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews10 Comments

I’m a long-time fan of darkwave and synthpop music in all its forms, and so are millions of others it seems, given the enduring popularity and influence of such legendary acts as The Cure, Depeche Mode, Joy Division/New Order, The Psychedelic Furs, Echo & the Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, Gary Numan and Clan of Xymox, to name but a few that come to mind. Another lesser-known, but every bit as good, act is Darkways, a rather enigmatic act from Barcelona, Spain that’s the solo project of a singer-songwriter and musician named Marc. His music is influenced by his love of synthwave, darkwave and all 80s music.

I first learned about Darkways way back in 2016 when he followed me on Twitter. He’d just released his debut eponymous album Darkways, and as I did for all musicians and bands who followed me back then – when I only followed a few hundred accounts – I listened to his album and messaged him about how much I liked it. He replied with a thank you for having listened to his album and enjoying it. Fast-forward to six and a half years later, he messaged me a few days ago that he’d recently released a new EP Neon Lights, asking me for feedback. Well, it was love at first listen, and I’m thrilled to share it with my readers.

Whereas Darkways had a somewhat more garage rock vibe, with lyrics sung in Spanish, Neon Lights is beautifully-crafted darkwave, with a more polished sound and lyrics sung in English. The EP features five excellent songs, the first of which is the title track “Neon Lights“. The song is darkly beautiful, with swirling industrial synths layered over a sensuous, pulsating dance beat, all of which create a lush cinematic soundscape evocative of a few songs by the Pet Shop Boys (who I also love). The lyrics speak of casting off the bonds of oppression and enforced conformity in order to live a freer, more honest existence “They scorned us and now we want to set the world on fire. They have belittled us. It’s time they see the flames in our eyes. We will not obey.”

https://youtu.be/rqrrhnYDudk

“I like the night (and the night likes me)” has a faster tempo, led by an urgent driving beat and overlain with shimmery chiming guitars and mysterious percussive synths. Marc’s vocals have a somewhat ominous, drone-like quality that perfectly complements the song’s moody vibe as he sings of embracing and finding comfort in the darkness and danger of the night: “I like the night. Darkness is my only friend.” Along a similar vein, “Dark & Light” speaks to the evil and good that exists within each of us, albeit to varying degrees: “They don’t understand the beauty of dark & light inside us.” With it’s deep, pulsating groove and spacey shimmery synths, the song has a strong Joy Division vibe.

“Young Again” is classic darkwave at its best, with a throbbing synth bass beat and beautiful icy industrial synths. Marc’s vocals call to mind those of Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs, only with a Spanish accent. The final track “More than dreams” features a chugging synth bass groove, overlain with swirling cinematic synths and wonderful jangly guitar notes. I really like Marc’s vocals here, particularly the exuberant harmonies in the chorus.

Neon Lights is a marvelous, immensely enjoyable little EP. Darkways recently signed with the RetroReverbRecords label, which will hopefully help bring him the notice he so deserves.

Connect with Darkways:  Facebook / Facebook / Instagram

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube