A totally random, whatever came to mind first, selection of the latest additions to our New Independent Music Friday playlist
Music reviews written by Tobi Davis
Artist: Camp Crush
Track: “Gymnasiums” (Feel Something EP)
New Wave Pop Duo Camp Crush delivers an intoxicating landscape of cinematic synths and epic vocals with new EP Feel Something and the new song, “Gymnasiums”.
Bit-crushed beats crackle, smack, and grind. Vocals drift ambient, distant, elusive and yet persistent. Synth-sonics toll, great electronic bells; the ambient thickening into fizzing rises of an amped fuse. Synthesizer riff chime in gloriously odd modulation and compelling melodic hook. Drums erupt in gated tight reverb, beating and pounding; machined-tribal, surging in pulse and shudder. A bass thickens and drives in a great shifting slab of monophonic low frequency.
The lead vocals stand tall and epic; a great theatrical performance in voice. The stage a multi-dimensional construct of electro-phonics; pad and lead, expansive and brassy. Lyrics projected as though spotlight lit; a world of music hewn from electrical current, exploding and cascading all around; a great globe set real in melody, word, rhythm, and harmony.
“Gymnasiums” is an intoxicating montage of compelling songwriting and vocals, framed by a vast territory of synth-sonics; romantic and awesomely cinematic. It not only draws you into its magical world; it lifts you up and propels you, outwards from this oft dreary life, and away into the heavens; to where the stars dwell. Camp Crush are not just musicians, they are magicians too.
Facebook.com/campcrushmusic
Twitter: @campcrushmusic
IG: campcrush
Artist: Aimée Steven
Track: “Better Off Dead”
Independent Artist Aimée Steven delivers a wondrously rowdy and willfully unrefined mess of raucous drum, blistering guitar saturation, and super cool vocal with new single, “Better Off Dead”.
Gruff and grinding electric six-string riff spanks and rusts, overdriven and gloriously rude; cymbals smash, metallic eruption. Kick landing big, bold, and boomy; the snare, in the room and deliciously distorted on the transient; bassline chugging and grooving in thick, heavy-set footsteps of deep, low-frequency SPL. Guitars rattle, spit and burst in fuzz, grunge, and gut.
Aimée Steven’s vocal strolls, nonchalant and smokey cool, through the great and glorious mess of distortion and noise. Her voice thickening around the lyrics, crafting weight and depth to the words; resulting in a physical listening experience.
“Better Off Dead” is an instantly and deliciously satisfying composition. The production feels grounded and bedded in; tones are fat and massive. The intentionally unrefined recording and processing of the instrumentation create the perfect contrast for Aimée Steven’s uber-cool vocal performance. A bluesy, smoldering, old school soul number delivered in great waves of distortion and fantastic noise. More, please!
Facebook.com/aimeestevenmusic
Twitter: @AimeeSteven
IG: aimeesteven
Artist: Sam Johnson
Track: “Lost in the Mail” (Eastcote EP)
Singer-Songwriter Sam Johnson crafts compelling drama and inspired musicality in great waves of instrumentation and soulful vocal with a new song and opening track, “Lost in the Mail”, from his debut EP, Eastcote.
Vocal harmonies land tall and theatrical left/right; six-string acoustic spank, Morricone cool; electric wail set distant and ambient; a great surge of instrumentation and wondrous noise. The 3-minute 38-second track breaking and rising in massive waves of sound and open spaces of percussive force and ambient depth. At the center of it all, a kick punches deep and thick with weight and gut; the bass line moving in tightly-controlled turns and runs, holding groove and line. Guitars electric and acoustic burst and pulse in incredible eruptions of percussive force, or rattle and gently spank in palm mute and riff. The production lurching and strutting like a mighty animal of melody and sound.
Sam Johnson’s vocals draw the ear into the depths of the great arena of noise, with soulful grace and well-judged pace, emphasize, and projection. Smart and accomplished producing and mix engineer craft space and breath for Johnson, among the mass of inspired instrumentation.
Impressive musicality and songcraft, framed by well-thought-out production/mix and master, stand, “Lost in the Mail” apart and above the great din of en masse upload. A composition of the highest quality, that both succeeds technically and creatively; successfully marrying the fundamentals with striking originality and imagination. Sam Johnson is very much an artist to watch.
Facebook.com/hellosamjohnson
Twitter: @hellosamjohnson
IG: hellosamjohnson
Share your music via Thursday’s #Musichouruk 8 pm – 9 pm (UK Time) for considering on our New Music Monster Playlist and review as one of our New Music Picks!
About Tobi
Tobi is a mastering engineer and remixer via Tobisonics. As well as writing music reviews for Brash and running various Independent Music playlists, he also hosts Thursday’s #Musichouruk on Twitter.
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Facebook.com/tobiproducer
Twitter: @masteredbytobi
IG: masteredbytobi