Posts Tagged ‘Electronic’

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Swedish singer/songwriter and Eurovision 2012 winner, Loreen, has really caught my attention with the new video for We Got The Power. Written by Ester Dean and produced by Patrik Berger and Easter Berger (Icona Pop/Rihanna/Robyn), the video (directed by Loreen herself) is captivating and striking.

Says Loreen, when speaking on her direction: “I always have a clear picture of what I want to convey in my artistry and feel a great responsibility for the things I release. Moving images, for me, creates an extra dimension to the music. In addition, we need more female directors in the industry. More women who dare to take place, just like the video for ‘We Got The Power’ is doing.”

Girl power!

Watch the visual feast unfold below.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

ROB BRAYL: First things first, you’ve really surprised me with the direction of your new single Love War. I’m hooked! I love that you’ve broken the mold of American Idol. Was it always your intention to steer towards electronic music?

ANOOP DESAI: Not consciously, no. It was really a process of musical evolution for me. Going to shows, being around music as a professional, advancing as a writer, etc. It was an organic process for me, just trying to find my voice within the genre for the past three years. People may have a memory of me from “Idol” that seems different from the new sound, but it’s really just filling a niche in EDM that I felt was there for the taking. My rule when making this latest record was that I could only make music that I personally liked. It was a decision that seems to have led to a wider appreciation of my music, which I’m thrilled about.

RB: The video treatment for the song is incredible. I’m really impressed with everything your doing at the moment. Can you tell us a little about the visuals in the clip? (I’ve noticed some horses and country scenes which I think are cool, meshing with your North Carolina upbringing.)

AD: We filmed parts of the video in the North Georgia mountains, parts of it on a white backdrop with cool lighting, and of course there’s the military footage in there. It’s meant to be jarring but also visually clear. And you sort of hinted at it, the idea is that the song is referencing a past gone by while really trying to express the reality that struggle still plays in everyday life. Essentially, no one comes out unscathed from a Love War.

RB: What artists have you been inspired by with regards to this new sound/style?

AD: This answer really changes weekly for me, but I think at the time I was writing Love War I was listening to a lot of Bassnectar, The Weeknd, the first Ellie Goulding record, and because I was a recent Atlanta immigrant, LOTS of hip hop. I’m in a space right now where I’m really into James Blake, Kishi Bashi, Purity Ring, Active Child, M83, etc. (and still a lot of hip hop), so we’ll see how that affects the next batch of stuff I’m working on.

RB: You must be stoked about your debut album? Any idea/timeframe as to when it might drop?

AD: So stoked. I think I owe it to myself and my fans to make sure that it has everything behind it that it deserves, so there’s of course a financial and promotional element there that we need to set up when it’s done. We’re already done with half of it, and I’m personally aiming for late this year or early next year. In the meantime, I’m releasing a new remix package of Love War in June.

RB: Like most girls and soccer moms, I loved you on American Idol! [Laughs] What I don’t love is hearing that you experienced some racism after the show. That sh*t really bothers me. But major kudos to you for being able to be vulnerable and real and open about it. I think that type of honesty encourages change.

AD: Thanks. It’s nothing new, although it was new to me at the time. I don’t think it’s headline news that there are dumb people in the world, but it’s always weird when that kind of stuff is directed at you. I’m fully aware that I don’t get as much of that stuff as a lot of other people. As messed up as it is, sometimes people have to be peer pressured into acceptance. (I hate the word “tolerance”.) Hopefully, the kind of mainstream success I am working towards can be part of that pressure.

RB: Do you feel like your experience on the show pushed you in a way to break away from the more safer styles/genres the show seems to embrace/push winners towards? Meaning, there’s not many artists from the show who are doing what you’re doing right now, which is making really rad electro music!

AD: In a way… I tried to do the “safe” thing at first and it just didn’t really work for me. On a critical and personal level. Like I said earlier, my rule for the new sound was that I had to like everything that I was putting out there. I didn’t have that rule before, and I think it showed. At first, I pushed myself towards that bubblegum ideal because I felt like that was what my audience wanted. Whether that was smart or just pandering, I don’t know, but it definitely didn’t get me where I wanted to go. As I’ve begun to write more and really focus on the craft above anything else, I’ve evolved as a musician and as a fan of music. And, of course, that will never stop.

RB: This is a staple in questions I ask artists: What’s a few of your current guilty pleasures? Music or non?

AD: The new will.i.am album, bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts, and peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

RB: Last album you purchased.

AD: James Blake – Overgrown. It’s just complete mastery. I went to his show at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC the other night and it was literally awesome. Although I’m also a fan of the new Charli XCX, Django Django, and Major Lazer records.

RB: Are you planning on touring with the upcoming album release?

AD: This fall, but no dates are set in stone yet.

RB: Finally, I wanted to say that BiggerThanBeyonce focuses a lot of energy spotlighting incredible indie artists like yourself. Although difficult at times, do you feel a sense of personal triumph and victory being free to make the music you love?

AD: Of course! It is difficult at times, but that’s going to make what’s ahead even sweeter.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Electro meditation coming your way!

Some days you need to plug in and let music do the thinking for you. When your brain is up in the aches there’s nothing better than submitting yourself to a sound that strays into the ethereal.
Today, Two Chapels is the numbing agent for my emotional toothache.

This downtempo duo consists of Jenn Grossman and Marc Wilhite, both electro composers with a yen for sensual audio entanglements. Jenn takes to the recording studio with singing while the both of them work together to produce a dream-like instrumental backdrop. Think Massive Attack with female vocals: trance-like, responsive, a template of internal, emotional movement. If they hope to shake the boat while simultaneously quelling the storm, their new single Forgotten does just that.

I found this song subtle but effective. I had to keep it on a continuous loop before realizing the depth of its composition. Forgotten is evocative, haunting, yet altogether calming. The sound ossifies all organs until everything inside you is still. Jenn’s voice strikes out against the murky swamps of sound, acting as your spirit guide through a landscape that is both aimless and beautiful.

Some modern acts leave me cold, but right now I’m nothing but warm.

Do you feel it?
　

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Obsessed! Obsessed! Obsessed!

Saturday, Monday’s video for The Ocean (featuring Julia Spada) is absolutely amazing. It’s a hidden gem that defies gravity, space and time. Its beauty is electric and cool. Undoubtedly, it won’t be long until this Swedish band is on everyone’s radar.

Directed by Maceo Frost and Robin Günther, the video was shot at -10C by the shore of the island Öland in the middle of the Baltic Sea. If that’s not gorgeous enough, the video captures Saturday, Monday’s dramatic strings over minimal techno, paired with Spada’s poetry and haunting vocals, spinning a dark, sublime tale of lost love.

The Ocean is the title track of Saturday, Monday’s new four track EP that was released worldwide on February 27.

Stunning!

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Is it just me, or is this music magic?

This is Aradia. She’s phenomenal. A gypsy-cloud of atomic bombs, an electro lollipop.

Not only is she a master of audio, but she’s also the queen of style. Her music knows exactly what it wants to do. It’s precise and striking though surreal.

She sings the songs; she writes the material; she plays the guitar and the synth and programs the beat.

Am I noticing a trend here? More and more I’m running into musicians who not only write their own music, but perform every instrument! They redefine the concept of a one-woman show, meriting an excellent performance while lacking the complex (and sometimes tiresome) dynamic of a group.

Are one-person bands the new musical frontier?

If so, Aradia’s got a hand in electronic history. With existential lyrics and reverberating effects, she gives Wonderland a killer remix and dons Alice in a spacesuit. If you give her your hand, who knows where she’ll take you?

Her most recent release is from 2012, a short-and-sweet CD wrapped up in mystery. Possibilities: Dark is a black hole- it drags you into new worlds, musically and otherwise. I’d recommend Dream, a song which inspires you to do just that.

Click for a journey to the stars.

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Like it murky, love it hot? The kind of beat that stains a lung? Inhale a gust of Rooftop Runners.

Benedikt and Tobias are brothers in both the genetic and spiritual sense. Rooftop Runners was conceived between them in Berlin, and they quickly proved to be an enriching pair. These boys are adept at original creation. They hitch addled fizz to a sleep-deprived mind, coaxing whispers from the shadows. They’ve been described as “a Cain and Abel act”, and I wouldn’t dare contest that. Their music, a chilly concoction of electro and indie, depicts both the yin and yang of our vibrating world. It mellows you out while simultaneously turning you on.

They’ve been busy- their first full-length album is in the anticipating stage of post-production. But these bees had to keep on buzzing! They’ve gone and made a music video to Energize, a song which was originally released on their 2012 We Are Here EP. The track’s been endowed with extra kick while the video sits in satisfied simplicity.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Polish pop alert! Sexy guy in red alert!

Meet Natalia Lesz, a rising pop star in Poland whose making a dent with her latest single Beat Of My Heart. The electro track was co-written by Hannah Sidibe (Nas) and Nico Hartikanien (Flo Rida, Far East Movement) and comes backed with a killer (literally!) video. Oops, spoiler alert!

(Sorry for all the alerts, I’m in an alerty mood!)

Basically, the girl (in the video at least) visually reads as Amy Winehouse but sounds a bit more Kylie Minogue-ified. It’s a cool combo.

No stranger to the spotlight, after graduating from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Lesz began working on her debut album, Natalia, with John Poppo (Michael Jackson, N*SYNC), Heather Holley (Christina Aguilera), Rob Hoffman (Quincy Jones), Greg Wells (Elton John, S Club 7), and Glen Ballard (Katy Perry, Paula Abdul). The single Power Of Attraction was ranked 24th on the list of 2008′s Best Songs Of The Year by Billboard Magazine.

After that bundle of goodness, she competed on the 8th season of Poland’s Dancing With The Stars, taking second place overall.

And that my little squids, is Natalia Lesz in a nutshell.

Check out the video for Beat of My Heart below.

Oh! And PS: Watch until the very end. I was seriously like WTF’ing!

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Meet Norwegian singer Monica Birkeness, also known as Mr. Little Jeans. According to Guardian writer Paul Lester, Monica got the name of her musical alias from a character in Wes Anderson’s film Rushmore. But really, that’s besides the point.

The point is that her music is the sh*t. No backstory needed really.

With one listen of the lush electro-pop tune Runaway, it’s apparent that Mr. Little Jeans is a noodle that sticks. Bad analogy? Yes. But whatever, I’m feelin’ its weirdness.

The sick single also comes backed with a cool yet borderline creepy video.

Check it!

By: Caitlin Hoffman
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

I’m oggling at what happens when folk meets electronica and that genius gets re-mixed.

Jason Garriotte started with no more than an acoustic guitar and self-sewn lyrical content like many folk artists before him. It’s what he did with that ammunition that makes him so intriguing. From those minimalist roots he conjured up Chords of Truth, taking the wholesome tones of acoustic folk and partnering it up with dizzying distortion.

Chords of Truth: Remixed is two discs crammed with trancey goodness. Jason collaborated with FOURTEEN different producers for this project. That’s a lot of cooks, but surprisingly the broth comes out unspoiled. Seven original songs were blended, bulldozed and re-stitched to merit twenty-six varying musical approaches. The result is a staggering if not eye-opening journey into the heart of the creative process.

Jason speaks of the transformation found in the re-mixes: “It is truly amazing how a different perspective on even a song can change almost every aspect of the experience.”

Folktronica is born. Who said every musical frontier was mapped?

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

These girls deserve an exclamation point!

Imagine if every day was the glitterbomb ending of a Victoria’s Secret runway show. This is just one image that comes to mind when listening to electropop duo Icona Pop.

Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo create pop music laced with sparklers and Pixy Stix. It’s straight-up fun, people!

Time to hit the catwalk! (At least that’s what I pretend to do, blaring this song while walking around Manhattan. Don’t hate!)

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Passion Pit’s sophomore effort, Gossamer, is my favorite album of 2012. Hands down. There, I said it. Quite a meaty proclamation, I’m aware. But this album is simply exquisite, taking the electropop outfit to a whole ‘nother level of music-crafting bliss.

On top of the sheer elegance of this project, comes the fact that these boys are seemingly normal and real. Men yearning for something genuine in this messy world. (I met the band a few years back, and they were great guys. Yes, I’m being that person by dropping this factoid. Whatever. I f*cking love this band!)

First video release from the album was Take A Walk, which I simply adored. And now, the just-released cinematic clip for new single Constant Conversations. Directed by Dori Oskowitz, the video features a slew of familiar faces: actor/director Peter Bogdanovich (The Sopranos), actress Analeigh Tipton (Crazy, Stupid, Love), actress Taryn Manning (8 Mile, Hustle & Flow) and actor Roger Guenveur Smith (American Gangster).

The clip is depressingly sexy, vulnerable, honest, and slightly intoxicating.

Enjoy the buzz + my favorite track from the album following.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

It’s been five long years since Lisa and Jessica of The Veronicas dropped their insanely infectious sophomore LP Hook Me Up. But with the release of their new single Lolita, the wait is finally over. (About damn time, you two!)

The Toby Gad-produced single from their upcoming third album, Life on Mars, is The Veronicas at their finest. The girls set out on a tour of their poetic darker side, creating a brooding dance pop record that’s both current and radio-friendly.

Welcome back, ladies.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Imma little boy crazy lately, so excuse my while I swoon… Ok, I’m good.

Pete Wentz is back, y’all. Yup! With his new band, Black Cards, an EDM project consisting of sick synth-electro-dubstep beats. Basically, it’s gooey pop yumminess. With Wentz holding down the bass/lyrics, and a helping hand from Spencer Peterson on drums, the group has just released an EP titled Use Your Disillusion.

The track you’re about to hear is End of Pretend, a dancefloor banger that feels kerosene soaked. That’s code for “It’s fire, people.”

Singer Matthew Koma completes the track’s package, tackling Wentz’s recognizable vocals with ease.

The EP is out today (July 17th)!

Listen to the fierce, slick beats below.

Black Cards’ End of Pretend, an obvious contender for song of the summer.

By: Rob Brayl
For BiggerThanBeyonce.Com

Can I just say that I LOVE this f*cking video?! It might just be my favorite video so far this year.

In Passion Pit’s new video for Take a Walk, the always sly indie pop/rockers take to the skies. The vid opens with frontman Michael Angelakos slumbering in the middle of the street with a blue ball in hand. After his dog wakes his cute sleeping face, Michael then throws the ball and things get real, real quick, y’all!

Using this new cool helicam technology (whatever the hell that is), the video tracks the ball bouncing all over the damn place! AKA it’s genius.

Take a Walk is taken from Passion Pit’s sophomore effort, Gossamer, set to drop July 24th.

Cannot wait!

Again, LOVE.