THE BEST:
‘Shoganai’ – Jake
I’ve not heard an electronic
instrumental like this before. The level of sonic detail is impressive and yet
it still manages to remain fairly ambient and downtempo throughout rather than
being an Iglooghost-style claustrophobic assault. The track was inspired by the producer's travels to Hong Kong - hence the atmospheric oriental flutes.
‘Habitual Cold’ – Ohmfield
London producer Ohmfield delivers
an equally unique electronic sound on this new track ‘Habitual Cold’. There are all kinds of textures being thrown in from gloopy sub-bass to glossy synths and some really unusual warped vocals – in fact, I didn’t
realise they were vocals until the second time I listened. According to the
producer, it was created as a contemplative piece in response to the cold feeling
one gets after experiencing loss.
‘All of Our Friends’ – Linying
Singapore singer Linying has a
vocal style very similar to Taylor Swift. However, her songwriting and
production is totally her own. The sparkly synths and lovestruck lyrics create
an enchanting atmosphere that’s refreshing - there are far too many moody
electropop songs out there.
‘The Who’ – JPEGMAFIA ft. Eyas
What the hell is on those spoons? Probably
best I don’t know. This track didn’t make the cut on JPEGMAFIA’s 2018 album Veteran. It’s a lot more chilled-out and
melodic than the other songs on that record, which is the only reason I can imagine
it would be left off.
‘Bad Guy’ - Billie Eilish
The nosebleed was gross, but
otherwise I’m digging this new track from Bilbo Eyelash. Many of the singles I’ve
heard from her up until now have been overly morose and minimal, but this feels
a lot more playful and fun. The dark trap breakdown at the end was definitely unexpected.
THE WORST:
‘RIP Harambe’ – Elon Musk
I was convinced this was fake given that it dropped on April Fool's Day, but no - Elon Musk really did just drop a rapped eulogy to Harambe. I love the fact that we live in a world where this is possible, even if the song itself is auto-tuned trash. Elon Musk is the real world Tony Stark.