EDM – Get In Her Ears

A sultry blend of jazz, dance and classical elements that explore the fine line between fantasy and reality, EDM artist and composer S.A.A.R.A has shared a video to accompany her new single ‘Forest’. Treating her musical output as a “fantastical playground” that allows her to explore these boundaries, her new visuals are a hazy reflection on the juxtapositions we encounter in both our real, and our online lives.

“I have quite a visual approach to song-writing and production,” S.A.A.R.A aka Sara Belle explains. “I want to create atmospheres and experiences for the listener which can be transposed into the arrangement.” Through her lush synths, dancing beats and smooth vocals, S.A.A.R.A captivates her listeners and transports them into the dreamlike state reflected in the video for ‘Forest’, directed by Emily Seale-Jones.

“I wanted to create something that captured the magical and haunting quality of the track whilst also acknowledging S.A.A.R.A’s unapologetic approach to making music,” Emily comments. Through her use of slow motion and kaleidoscopic transitions, Emily compliments S.A.A.R.A’s intoxicating rhythms, as she comprehends what it means to connect and disconnect from technology and bring ourselves back to the moment.

Watch the video for ‘Forest’ below.

Follow S.A.A.R.A on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: James Chegwyn

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

If you love The Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’, Tokky Horror’s latest EP I Found the Answers and Now I Want More is the exhilarating debut you need to hear. Hailing from Liverpool, London and Manchester, the virtual hardcore collective made up of Zee Davine, Ava Akira and Mollie Rush layer growling guitars with EDM. The result? A cyber goth masterpiece that hits you as hard as MDMA.

Kicking wormholes through genres, the queercore group mix rave and rock to produce a record that emulates the same intense and futuristic energy of The Matrix. This is the kind of special EP you need to listen to through both earphones to fully appreciate.

Dragging us into a new dimension is the brazen, pulse-racing opening track ‘Girlracer’, which launches listeners into punk-infused drum and bass. Lyrically tearing apart the pop culture bond between masculinity and fast cars, the song revs its engine angrily at the expulsion of women from hyper-masculine spaces, which Davine notes often includes “dance culture itself.”

The beats on ‘Simulate Me’ pulse at levels that could match a Love Honey vibrator. Laced with laser synth sounds and erotic imperatives like “touch me / love me”, the song frankly takes on the topic of virtual love and dating, particularly fitting for the pandemic restriction era we are living in. Next up is ‘Godliness’, which stands out against the others and offers a slightly mellower take on electronic rock. As Davine says, “I think we show our more expansive side on ‘Godliness’…it’s us letting our guard down a bit for something more genuine.”

With croaking, shrieking vocals and distorted heavy guitar sounds, ‘Eden on Acid’ is probably the most punk-sounding song of the EP (and my favourite track too.) It’s only one and half minutes long, yet has an edge and intensity to it that reminds me of the intro of My Bloody Valentine’s ‘Only Shallow’. Finishing with ‘Sleeper’, Tokky Horror strips the opening riff from The Beastie Boys ‘Sabotage’ and creates an exhilarating build-up to a hypnotic refrain. A strong end to an EP that shows off the trio’s instrumental momentum and individuality.

Listen to Tokky Horror’s new EP, released via Alcopop! Records, here.

Follow Tokky Horror on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Jay Mitra
@punkofcolour

Tag: EDM

WATCH: S.A.A.R.A – ‘Forest’

EP: Tokky Horror – ‘I Found The Answers and Now I Want More’