NEW TRACK: Circe – ‘Riot Of Sunlight’

A commanding, euphoric rush of cinematic dark-pop, London-based musician Circe has shared her latest single ‘Riot Of Sunlight’. Taken from her upcoming EP, Drawing Wings From The Light, which is set for release on 19th July, the track is a delightfully disorientating blend of reverb-heavy riffs, dizzying synths and seraphic vocals, all delivered with Circe’s distinctive and vivid charm.

“I wrote ‘Riot Of Sunlight’ when I was a teenager, now 10 years later I’m finally releasing it in its final form – all because of some magic I was blessed enough to encounter twice,” Circe explains about the context of her new track.

“When I was 15, completely by chance, I watched Jez Butterworth’s + Mark Rylance’s critically acclaimed play Jerusalem [now hailed as the greatest play of the century]. A week prior to this, I was disregarded by a frustrated science teacher as an ‘ungrateful fantasist obsessed with glamorising the occult’ — so when my wide eyed teenage self was witness to Jerusalem — a play and performance of such colossal, glorious, gigantic magic — my heart was completely derailed, and by the end of the play I existed on an entirely different plane to the one I walked in on. The next morning I wrote the first incarnation ‘Riot of Sunlight’ – a disciple-like sonic ode to Jerusalem.

Skip forward 10 years I was feeling disillusioned, suffocating under a soulless corrupt government when Jerusalem — like the fucking marvel it is — unexpectedly returned to theatres and I watched again, as ‘a rainbow hit the earth + set fire to the ground’ and I finished the song.”

Inspired by this collision of her past and present, Circe has created another passionate, rapturous offering on ‘Riot Of Sunlight’, which becomes more addictive each time it’s listened to. “Take my blood instead of wine” she offers, as the track builds to its blissful conclusion. This single is the opening track to her upcoming EP, and we can’t wait to hear the record in full.

Listen to ‘Riot Of Sunlight’ below.

Follow Circe on Spotify, bandcamp, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Zak Watson

Kate Crudgington
@kate_crudge

 

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NEW TRACK: O Hell – ‘it heals so quick’

Following on from their previous singles ‘pixel‘ and ‘I Watch The Women‘ – which made our Tracks Of The Year list in 2022 – Brighton-based artist and producer Lucy Sheehan aka O Hell has shared their latest offering, ‘It Heals So Quick’. Underscored by their desire to explore the duality of past and present, and the inner processes of emotional relapse and recovery, O Hell delivers their extrapolations on sexuality, ritual and sacrifice with compelling and gritty conviction.

After years spent touring and recording music in alternative bands around the UK (including Brighton trio PROJECTOR) Sheehan ventured into fresh sonic territory under their new moniker O Hell back in 2021. Influenced by a love of the eclectic sounds of PJ Harvey and Mark Lanegan, Sheehan’s music sees them explore and deconstruct themselves over brooding electronics, twitchy beats and crystalline vocals. On ‘It Heals So Quick’, they continue this dismantling, taking inspiration from Irish modernist literature as well as their own experiences.

“The song was inspired by the novel At Swim-Two Birds by Irish author Flann O’Brien,” Sheehan explains. “Aside from being completely surreal and hilarious, I love how it pushes together gritty modern life in contemporary Dublin with the strange, colourful mythology of ancient Ireland, Gleann-na-nGealt – or ‘the valley of the mad’ – I guess I was exploring my past through that structure, where the past and present are always intertwined.”

‘It Heals So Quick’ is also accompanied by a captivating video, which Sheehan directed and edited by themselves. “I was interested in the idea of human sacrifice, and how ancient cultures prepared willing victims with a combination of love and cruelty,” they explain about the context of the visuals. “Some victims were force fed hundreds of sloe berries, had their hair cut off, were dressed in their best clothes…I wanted to explore that strange duality.”

Watch the video for ‘It Heals So Quick’ below.

Follow O Hell on Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Bridie Florence Cummings

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Heart Shaped – ‘Felt’

An effervescent, uplifting offering full of soothing vocals, hazy guitar sounds and tender lyrics, Heart Shaped has shared her latest single ‘Felt’. Following on from her previous release ‘No Contact’, the Houston-born, now Belfast-based songwriter has provided her listeners with another cinematic slice of dream pop, inspired by the self-deception that can underpin some romantic relationships.

Influenced by the likes of Selena Quintanilla, The Cars, Orange Juice, Faye Wong and Go Sailor, Heart Shaped creates bittersweet, heart-on-sleeve tunes that give a rose-tinted sheen to life’s more affecting moments. “It feels like a movie” she sings at the beginning of new single ‘Felt’, before gently unraveling her thoughts about the duplicitous nature of a tumultuous relationship. Her reflections are softened by a disco-inflected backbeat and shimmering synths, with her vocals delicately floating above both.

Produced and recorded by Declan Legge at Analogue Catalogue studios, ‘Felt’ is accompanied by a music video, shot and directed by Jamie Neish (Broken Film) in the beautifully retro Belfast working men’s club. The video pays homage to many of Heart Shaped’s passions and interests, including Houston punk legends the Mydolls in the film Paris, Texas, the movie Goodfellas and Sade’s expansive visual catalogue.

With the help of her bandmates Kendall Bousquet, John Ahern, Rónán McQuillan, Amy Nolan and Shannon O’Neill, and with the support of Belfast’s Kickstart Programme and Chordblossom, 2023 looks set to be a bright year for Heart Shaped.

Watch the video for ‘FELT’ below.

Follow Heart Shaped on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Aaron Cunningham

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Hazel Mills – ‘Enclosure’

The first offering from her upcoming EP The Embrace, multi-instrumentalist Hazel Mills has shared her new single ‘Enclosure’. A beautiful blend of lilting synths, altruistic beats and evocative vocals, the Bristol-based artist has created a gentle hypnotising soundscape that feels more affecting each time it’s listened to.

Set for release on the 19th of May, Mills’ EP The Embrace is informed by many things. Inspired by the contrasting, yet unifying forces of the natural and the synthetic worlds, Mills experiments with elements of both to create her atmospheric offerings. Throughout the EP, sounds of whirling water, clinking metal and knocking on wood are matched with analog synth textures and urban-tinged beats to create a majestic sonic world.

“The battle of nature vs modernity is ever present, and I’m largely drawn to the tactile and the dramatic of both sides of the coin,” Mills explains about these inspirations. “Perhaps my eco-anxiety also just wants to find a way to unite them”. Working alongside producer and engineer TJ Allen (Portishead, Bat For Lashes, Hannah Peel), Mills has woven these thoughts into the narrative of the four tracks that make up her new record.

Following an ongoing long-term tenure as keyboardist and backing vocalist for Goldfrapp and Florence + The Machine – and alongside her solo efforts – Mills will be heading to Australia to perform with Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory and The Australian Chamber Orchestra in early May for a celebration of Classic synth-led film scores (including Vangelis’ Blade Runner).

Listen to ‘Enclosure’ below.

Follow Hazel Mills on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & her Official Website

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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