Ego Death is one of the manifold projects of Noah York from Calgary, Alberta, experimental psychedelia with a spiritual touch, slowly unfolding melodies built with sampled dark ambient noises, meandering guitar and synth patterns and noises crackling in the distance, evoking an otherworldly and mind-altering listening experience. Stunningly brilliant.
Ego Death's self-titled debut album is available for free via his bandcamp.
Listen to E, an unsettled and bustling synth piece taken from Basketball Nightmare's latestæthær, available for free via their bandcamp. After some comparatively calm explorations onto chill territory on Nervous Energy, the Wellington Auckland, NZ project has obviously taken off to enter the dancefloor. Why not.
Uh. Lighting up our world from so far away, Melbourne's Pageants have just left us dazzled, speechless, and insanely happy since we've stumbled across their amazing jangle-infused tropical sun-drenched guitar pop anthem Drink the World over at our ever exploring friends that are Rose Quartz.
After listening to this beauty about 20 times and after regaining control over your face which will inevitably have been frozen in a smile, I'd suggest you head over to the lovely Night People to order Pageants' self-titled C-20 tape. Or you just push repeat once again. God this is perfect.
I don't know if this is an intentional backlash, but the frustrated and irate moods Providence, Rhode Island's Dream Boat is evoking with Your Beaches does sound like some furious attack on all contemporary surf pop joy, spit out by someone who wasn't invited to the party. So do us a favour, take your board and leave. Now.
Your Beaches is included on Dream Boat's latest free split EP PALM together with Λ.
You can download Dream Boat's equally summer-happy As I Lay Dying Mixhere.
While I can't see the direct link between Michael Ende's Neverending Story and exuberant, almost extravagant 80s synth pop, apparently a conversation about the former topic might lead to a very productive relationship concerning the latter, at least this is what happened when Aaron David Ross and Adam Griffin met in Chicago in the summer of 2006, leading to the formation of Night Gallery, a duo devoted to classic synth era sounds. In any case, this is what their debut album's press release is telling us - the only thing that puzzles me about this nice story is the fact that Night Gallery is a myspace member since February 2005, but maybe this detail shouldn't bother us too much, as Constant Struggle is full of lush wave sounds, dark and mysterious and beautiful.
Constant Struggle will be out August 10 on Rainbow Body Records as a 12 inch limited to 500 copies.
Moreover, head over here to download an excellent mix the guys did for Vice recently, 45 minutes of Golden Era synth glory.
Brooklyn's Byrds of Paradise have sent over the raspy yet pretty melodic and above all enthralling lo-fi garage tune Kids in the Hall, which is the b-side of their upcoming Rowena 7 inch, available for pre-order now via Vivian Girls' small imprint Wild World. In Bushwick, the good old DIY punk attitude is very much alive. Good to hear.
I Am The Dot is Zachary Tipton's solo endeavor when he's not performing as one half of Denver's outfit Young Coyotes. Since leaving Colorado to relocate in Georgia, Zach seems to have put focus on his new project, and I Am The Dot's kind of stripped-down experimental pop with some fine folky elements is indeed something instantly adorable.
Listen to Zach's latest single The Crown (released as a two-song EP The Royal Few b/w the equally splendid Liquid Gold via his bandcamp) and make sure you also watch the song's brand new video below, put together using footage from his own and his cousin's childhood. Sweet.
Just when you thought Wales was the last place on Earth to ride some chillwaves: In Prestatyn, on the northern shores of Cymru, David and Danny are making laid-back experimental pop as Under Alien Skies, and their latest tune Overseas is a beautiful reminder that summertime should be all about lying in the sand and watching the waves come in. The guys are recording their debut album at the moment, and Overseas leaves me longing for more.
