Track Of The Day: Vive Le Void – ‘Red Rider’

Known for playing keyboards for Moon Duo, Sanae Yamada has now shared the first taste of her new solo project, Vive Le Void.

Inspired by the strange and objective nature of memory and perception, ‘Red Rider is propelled by a glitchy, whirring soundscape, with shades of ’80s electro pioneers Kraftwerk. As Yamada’s luscious, haunting vocals flow effortlessly alongside ethereal swirling vibes and a deeply infectious groove, something truly beguiling is created. You’ll be swept away by ‘Red Rider’s hypnotic synth-filled haze on first listen. Of the track, Yamada explains:

“The lyrics were a way of reckoning with my own memories and also of trying to process my reactions to the human situation… I wanted the voice to have a kind of ghostly quality, to emerge from and recede back into the song, or to pass over it like weather. It’s one of many layers of sound, which are meant to blend together in such a way that on one listen you might hear one thing, and on another listen you might hear something else, so the music seems to change even as it stays the same.”

Vive Le Void, the self-titled album, is due for release 4th May via Sacred Bones.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Ripley Johnson

 

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Track Of The Day: Stay South – ‘If You Leave LA’

A gentle, lo-fi delight, independent artist Stay South has shared her latest single If You Leave LA’. Born in Vancouver, Canada, her simple ambition is to write music that she wants to listen to, hoping her efforts will have a similar affect on her listeners.

Stay South is pretty elusive, but she’s on GIHE radar we’ll be keeping our eyes and ears on her in the near future. Listen to ‘If You Leave LA’ below and follow Stay South on Facebook for more updates.

‘If You Leave LA’ is available to download from all digital platforms now.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LIVE: Fever Ray – The Troxy, London 20.03.18

There are plenty of reasons to admire Fever Ray (aka Karin Dreijer) after her sold out show at London’s Troxy last night, but not all of them are based around her electrifying music.

In Fever Ray’s space, she takes care to make sure no-one is an outsider: everyone is welcome in her warped and wonderful world.

Before the gig, signs around the venue explicitly stated she wanted fans not to use their phones to document the evening and immerse themselves in her performance. The same signs requested that women come to the front and taller people stand back if obscuring a shorter person’s view. Outside of the toilets, another sign indicated that for the duration of the night, toilet facilities were trans-friendly spaces and trans fans were free to use the bathroom they felt aligned with their gender identity.

Emerging from the lights in her trademark “I heart Swedish girls” t-shirt and bare scalp, she plunged in to ‘An Itch’ as her crystal clear vocals swept across her excited crowd. From start to finish, the sound was flawless: each lyric, synth sequence, and drum beat distinct and easily discernible from the next. She delivered only a simple “Hello” or “Thank You” between songs – scarcely interrupting the torrent of sound.

She tore through ‘A Part Of Us’ and ‘When I Grow Up’, before performing ‘Mustn’t Hurry’ and ‘This Country’ with full fervor. The politically charged lyrics on the latter: “Free abortions and clean water / destroy nuclear / destroy boring” were echoed back by the crowd, and erotically charged line “this country makes it hard to fuck” was passionately reciprocated too.

Plunge‘s lead single ‘Wanna Sip’ sounded every inch as intense live, followed by ‘I’m Not Done’, the superb ‘Red Trails’ and the ominous ‘Concrete Walls’. The luscious “To The Moon & Back” came next, with it’s upbeat electronics buoyant lyrics, bleeding into the infectious ‘IDK About You’. The eerie ‘Keep The Streets Empty For Me’ was a fitting penultimate track and prepared fans for a powerful encore of ‘If I Had A Heart’ and ‘Mamma’s Hand’.

Fever Ray’s fierce, focused, full-on performance at the Troxy proved she’s an inimitable talent with a vision, generosity and energy unlike any other. Simply put: if you weren’t there, you missed out.

Support came from the the fluorescent and fabulous Bunny.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Raindear – ‘Sky’

Swedish electro-pop artist and producer Raindear (the musical project of Rebecca Bergcrantz) has shared her wondrous new single, ‘Sky.’ It is another excellent sample of her individual styling of bohemian electro-psychedelia and samurai sounds. ‘Sky’ fills every space with its swirling, layered sounds, and is inspired by an inner world of escapism and self-determination after a lover has let you down.

Opening with a synth beat, reminiscent of late ’80s Fleetwood Mac, Raindear’s dusky voice enters: “It’s not the first time I am giving you my all and you are already gone.” The song offers a bird’s eye view of the lover, almost as if the sky itself is singing at night, taking us to a fairytale landscape – “How are you sinking my love? I’m only melting on the moon you’re dreaming of.”

 

The lyrical texture of the song is enhanced by the symphonic, electronic effects, as Raindear’s voice swoops and soars towards the mid-point of the song, where the sonic effects are paused for a few breathtaking seconds before ascending again. As Raindear’s vocals reach a resolve (“Get with the sky..the secret saviour of this town”), the song ends on cloud nine, leaving us with a sense of optimism and pure escapism that Raindear’s atmospheric colours create.

Any artist offering such a delightful mix deserves your immediate attention and ‘Sky’ is sure to stay with you for some time.

‘Sky’ is out now.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

Photo Credit: Kitty Lingmerth 

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