Track Of The Day: anrimeal – ‘Elegy For An Empty Ocean’ (The Silver Field Mix)

An atmospheric, soothing re-work of her original track ‘Elegy For An Empty Coffin’, London-based, Porto-born electronic artist anrimeal has shared her latest single ‘Elegy For An Empty Ocean’. Mixed by The Silver Field‘s Coral Rose, this beguiling new offering is one of many soft, magnetic lullabies that form anrimeal’s latest album Could Divine, Remembered.

Devised as a companion piece for her 2020 debut Could Divine, this collection of re-workings was inspired by demos, reflections, confessions, rituals and anrimeal’s own heartbeat. The result is a truly immersive audio documentary that demonstrates anrimeal aka Ana Rita de Melo Alves’ intricate approach to creating music. All profits from the release will be donated to Plataforma de Apoio aos Refugiados – a Portuguese refugee support organisation close to Ana’s heart supporting refugees in Portugal and around the world.

In the spirit of heightening and truly getting the most from her musical experiences, anrimeal is also selling a limited homemade scented candle and offering an opportunity for a one-on-one bedroom music production tutorial with her too. All info can be found on her bandcamp page.

Watch the accompanying video for ‘Elegy For An Empty Ocean’ below.

Follow anrimeal on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: Stars & Rabbit – ‘Merry Alone’

Indonesian duo Stars & Rabbit reflect on isolation in the midst of a global pandemic with their new single ‘Merry Alone‘. Accompanied by a beautiful animated film, which features a character marooned in a candy coloured seashore, it’s an ode to human contact and connectedness.

As you might expect from Star & Rabbit, who are huge in their home country, ‘Merry Alone’ is twee indie-pop perfection. However, Elda Suryani’s otherworldly vocal and Didit Saad’s gentle, swooning guitar give the song a bittersweet quality too, evoking the sadness and longing that enforced solitude brought for so many of us. 

The song’s dream-like quality is cemented further through its lyrics, which ask “would you be, would you be, merry alone with me?”. It all feels beautifully magical, helping you to escape from the chaos and trauma of the last few months to a land of make-believe. It’s the musical equivalent of a big cosy cuddle with the people you love most, and I love it.

On Different Days, the upcoming new album from Stars & Rabbit, is out 25th June via Trapped Animal Records.

Vic Conway

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Track Of The Day: Maja Lena – ‘The Keeper’

Maja Lena is the latest moniker of Marianne Parish, formerly of Low Chimes. Following bewitching singles ‘Sacred Practice’ and ‘Birch’, she has now shared new offering ‘The Keeper’ – the title track from her debut solo album, set for release this summer. 

Maja Lena’s music is ethereal and beautiful, led by a haunting and unpredictable vocal melody. The song is meditative and introspective, as Parish explains: “…the song name ‘The Keeper’ to me resembles the keeper of the self…” She adds that it “… is about our relationship to ourselves and how we view ourselves. Whether we hold trust in ourselves and if the way in which we strive can ultimately lead to us feeling less satisfied in life.”

The instrumentation is folk-inspired, with nylon and acoustic guitars in conversation with an eerie double bass. Rachael Dadd’s backing vocals weave together with Parish’s lead, culminating in a psychedelic mantra-like chant. Rob Pemberton’s synth, warm and warbling, complements the classic folk sound alongside the haunting dissonance from the cymbals. Together, it creates a serene and natural ambiance oozing a spellbinding magic.

The video, with a witchy charm, was made together with Parish’s husband Luke Oakley-Smith and filmed on a ’90s VHS camcorder to reflect an eerie nostalgia. Abundant with pastoral imagery, beautiful animals and Kate Bush-like dancing, it captivates and reflects the introspection and curiosity inherent of the song.


The Keeper is out 23rd July via Chiverin Records. Save / pre-order the album here to find out what other magical realms it will take us to.

Jazmine Kelly
@surfjaz

Photo Credit: Aloha Bonser-Shaw

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ALBUM: Fears – ‘Oíche’

An intuitive artist who has transformed her darkest moments into graceful electronic soundscapes, Fears aka Constance Keane has shared her debut album Oíche. Released via her own label TULLE, the Irish-born, London-based musician balances her intense ruminations on trauma alongside delicate synth loops and tentative beats to shine a light on a personal metamorphosis.

Much like the coarse fabric she used to create her unique dress on the album’s artwork, Fears allows her lived experiences to take up space and permeate this record, which swells with unflinching honesty and elegance. Oíche – meaning “night” in Irish – is a graceful collection of shadowy lullabies that spans five years of emotional territory for Fears, and the result is a truly immersive and enlightening body of work.

Since it was written & recorded in the music room of the hospital she was once an inpatient in, opener ‘h_always’ has remained untouched. “I’m black and blue / on the inside too” she softly repeats, juxtaposing her emotions alongside ward paraphernalia and atmospheric guitar lines, capturing a mindset that is revisited, dismantled and rebuilt over the course of Oíche.

She taps into the fluctuating nature of her mental health with magnetic synths and soft percussion on tracks like ‘bones’, ‘daze’, ‘vines’ and ‘Blood’, each embellished with vocals that ache with gentle sincerity. Her cyclical, buoyant synth loops mirror intrusive or recurring thought patterns, whilst her lyrics capture the mental push-and-pull of processing, accepting and learning to let things go. This is epitomised on ‘Fabric,’ which resonates deeper each time it’s listened to.

Her moving account of gripping her knees tightly while confessing “I’m so sorry for the mess I a made” on ‘dents’ is deeply affecting and marks a change in the record’s tone. The instantly mood-lifting ‘Brighid’ – a home-recording of Fears’ sister and late Grandmother in casual conversation – invites listeners to share in an intimate family moment. It beautifully precedes ‘tonnta’, where Fears weaves memories of her Grandmother into her lyrics, crafting a fitting tribute to the person who originally taught her how to sew.

The resilience of her familial relationships are acknowledged on the album’s poignant closing track ‘two_’. Whilst it centres around Fears’ own experiences of self-harm, the repeated sentiment “If not for my family / I’d never have healed” is deeply moving. It’s this unwavering love and support – whether from others, or mined from deep within herself – that’s helped to shape Oíche and why it’s such a cathartic, cohesive collection of songs.

It is a privilege to listen to this considered, intensely personal record.

Order your copy of Fears’ debut album Oíche here

Follow Fears on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook
Follow TULLE on Instagram & Twitter

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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