Track Of The Day: Errunhrd – ‘Rain (Sun Is Gone)’

An evocative electronic soundscape that deals with emotional burnout, Niagara Falls based multi-instrumentalist and producer Errunhrd has shared her latest single ‘Rain (Sun Is Gone)’. Laced with melancholy vocals, cinematic synths and sparse, clicking percussion, the track embraces a difficult topic but is underscored by Errunhrd’s hope that things will eventually improve.

“‘Rain (Sun is Gone)’ is about being emotionally overwhelmed during the pandemic while my grandma got diagnosed with colon cancer and is still going through treatment,” Errunhrd aka Shirin Ghoujalou explains. “It’s also my way of letting everyone out there struggling right now know that I hope we’ll be okay and get through this, while keeping the anger and frustration of the situation in there.”

Influenced by the likes of New Order, Grimes, Daughter and London Grammar, Errunhrd creates music that has “some kind of melancholy hope” and writes lyrics directly from her life experiences. ‘Rain (Sun Is Gone)’ epitomises her creative outlook, diving deep into her vulnerabilities and fears about her own well-being, as well as extending an olive branch to her Grandmother and to her listeners who are struggling to tread water in these testing times.

Watch the video for ‘Rain (Sun Is Gone)’ below.

 

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

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: ĠENN – ‘Liminal’

Made for playing loud, Brighton-based genre-blenders ĠENN have released Liminal, an extended play that takes us on an audible journey of post-punky psychedelia. Following the release of their debut record, 2018’s Titty Monster (released under their previous name, Cryptic Street), ĠENN left their Maltese archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea to shoegaze at the British seaside, crafting six tracks that clearly define their transition to a more free-flowing sound, whilst still staying intrinsically true to their DIY punk-rock ethos.

Opening with ‘Feel’, Leanne Zammit’s funky basslines and Leona Farrugia’s ethereal vocals build to a hypnotic hazy, wavy kaleidoscopic conclusion of psychedelic instrumentation; perfectly encapsulating all the elements of seventies acid rock such as The Doors. Next up, Janelle Borg hooks us in (pun intended) with a cacophony of melodic guitar riffs on ‘Mackerel’s Funky Mission’, whilst Leona’s seductive spoken word escapism is steeped in mesmerising, rolling percussion, courtesy of Sofia Rosa Cooper. It’s fun to pretend you’re something else, so why not pretend to be a fish?

’23rd March’ – a date we here in the UK will not reflect upon with any warmth – forces us back to reality with passionate lyrics concerning the current political landscape, written in the style of Maltese expression. Leona prays for the souls of an inept Government and their failure in handling Covid-19, Brexit and Black Lives Matter. “I’m just gonna say a lil’ prayer for your soul / Yeah, we ain’t gonna stop ’cause you told us so!”

Chants for revolution see ĠENN exploring darker territories with the more politically direct and raw ‘Catalyst’; a furious combination of scuzzy guitar riffs, rumbling beats, and anthemic, indignant Riot Grrrl lyrics rallying for change: “We’re awake now / Stay awake now!”

‘Just Another Sad Song’ follows with a slow burn of emotionally-driven melody, making way for Janelle’s guitar to flourish – a tender moment further showcasing the versatility of the band – before ‘Falling Out’ concludes Liminal with an upbeat fusion of fuzzy basslines, grungy guitar licks, disco-influenced percussion, and a catchy Warpaint-esque chorus that will stay with you long after the needle is lifted.

With Liminal, ĠENN have produced an infectious record that frequently flirts with psychedelia and flows with pop sensibilities; 22 minutes of raw, escapism-fuelled post-punk – worthy of repeat spins – that displays the passion and confidence of a band not afraid to experiment with their sound without compromise. “Take me to my destination / You know where I wanna go!”

Liminal is out now via Everything Sucks Music.

Ken Wynne
@ken_wynne

Photo Credit: Bridie Florence

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LISTEN: Evan Greer – ‘Surveillance Capitalism’

A rallying cry against the un-nerving nature of Spotify’s increasingly pervasive developments in user-monitoring technologies, Boston-based indie-punk artist Evan Greer has shared her latest single ‘Surveillance Capitalism’. Taken from her new album Spotify is Surveillance, released via Don Giovanni Records and queer-run independent label Get Better Records, the track also marks the launch of Greer’s StopSpotifySurveillance.org campaign with digital rights platform Fight for the Future.

The campaign calls on Spotify to drop reported plans to use artificial intelligence and voice recognition software to spy on listeners’ conversations, conducting emotional surveillance and manipulation to target music and advertising. Greer, who is also a journalist & a pro-active voice for trans rights and equality, will be donating all the profits from her single to the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) to support their #JusticeAtSpotify campaign.

“We all want to be seen / but behind the screen / there’s a nightmare dressed up as a dream,” Greer sings, a sentiment that will resonate deeper with listeners who have endured a year of increased screen-time due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic’s on-going lockdowns. The idea that Spotify could be spying on and profiting from people’s privacy via new technologies is abhorrent to Greer, and she wants listeners to push back against the platform’s plans too.

“The fact that Spotify filed a patent for this type of emotional surveillance and manipulation is beyond chilling,” she explains. “It’s not enough for them to say that they have no plans to use this technology right now, they should publicly commit to never conducting this type of surveillance on music listeners. Surveillance capitalism as a business model is fundamentally incompatible with basic human rights and democracy, regardless of whether it’s being employed by Facebook, Amazon, or Spotify.

The song and video highlight the fact that the Internet has the potential to profoundly transform our society for the better, abolishing false scarcity and enabling universal access to human knowledge and creativity, while ensuring marginalized and independent artists and creators are fairly compensated for our labour. But if we allow a small handful of companies to dominate the web and the music industry with a parasitic business model based on surveillance and exploitation, we’re headed for the opposite: a dystopian future where algorithms decide what we see and hear based on profit, rather than artistry.”

Listen to ‘Surveillance Capitalism’ below.

Follow Evan Greer on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter & Instagram

Photo Credit: Kayana Szymczak

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Fightmilk – ‘Overbite’

Following last year’s ‘If You Had A Sister’ and ‘I’m Starting To Think You Don’t Even Want To Go To Space’, GIHE faves Fightmilk have now announced the release of their second album, out next month via Reckless Yes.

Taken from the album, ‘Overbite’ marks a maturing in sound for the band whilst maintaining their trademark anthemic power-pop energy. Propelled by jangling melodies and the endearing, refreshing honesty of its lyricism, the track oozes a subtle romanticism and tongue-in-cheek wit. As the raw emotion and distinctive smooth-yet-husky charm of front-person Lily’s vocals deliver a heartwarming sentiment (“You don’t have to smile if you don’t want to darling, you’re perfect as you are”) alongside scuzzed-out riffs and an infectious, shimmering energy, Fightmilk have created the perfect, alternative fuzzy love-song, complete with their distinctive, quirky charisma and a comforting warmth. A gently uplifting, twinkling slice of blissful indie-pop showcasing a band that are continuously refining their sound and, in the process, consistently continuing to win my heart.

Of the track, the band explain:

“We decided to double down: synths, gang vocals and pick scrapes, oh my! This is one of the most uplifting, happy songs we’ve written, and by bookending the album with big joyful explosions, maybe it’ll do something to soothe the collective woe we’ve all been living through.”

‘Overbite’ is accompanied by a super cute animated video created by Jono Ganz, portraying a narrative about perceptions of beauty. Watch it now:

‘Overbite’ is out now. Contender, the upcoming new album from Fightmilk, is set for release on 14th May via Reckless Yes. Pre-order via bandcamp now.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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