LISTEN: Jennifer Touch – ‘Chemistry’

A smoldering, dark electro-pop gem; Jennifer Touch‘s latest single ‘Chemistry’ is a seductive, bold new offering. Lifted from her debut album Behind the Wall, which is set for release via FatCat on 24th April, the Dresden-born, Berlin-based musician wrote the track in the midst of a depressive episode.

“’Chemistry’ is the base of all of the songs on the record” explains Touch. “It was created on a Sunday in my studio when I felt kind of depressed with everything, useless and alone. I knew I had the music inside, but it felt like it was stuck. I started by experimenting with some sounds from the Nordlead I had borrowed from a friend. I’m really happy with how it turned it out”

It’s this harnessing of Touch’s nervous energy that makes ‘Chemistry’ such an interesting listen. The restless, looping synths underscore her measured, confident vocal delivery, giving the track its slow-burning power. Touch blends elements of 80’s pop with the techno of Berlin’s underground music scene, creating moody, cinematic soundscapes.

Inspired by her father’s record collection, featuring Human League, Karat and Duran Duran, as well as the likes of The KLF, Karen O and PJ Harvey; Touch’s influences have filtered through into her own sound. Listen to ‘Chemistry’ below, and follow Jennifer Touch on Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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ALBUM: Wilsen – ‘Ruiner’

A collection of thoughtful songs that allow space for reflection and growth; Wilsen‘s latest record Ruiner is a deceptively quiet listen. Released via Dalliance Recordings, the album is soft in terms of volume, but lyrically it speaks loudly about overcoming and accepting inherent introversion, and self-doubt.

“Making this record was somewhat of a coming of age process,” guitarist & vocalist Tamsin Wilson explains. “We’re getting older and becoming more deliberate, less precious, less measured, trusting [our] instincts more.” Perhaps it’s this trust that led the band to partner with acclaimed producer Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Bon Iver) and mastering engineer Sarah Register (Protomartyr, U.S. Girls) on their new record.

“I can be a ruiner…” confesses Wilson on the album’s eponymous opening track. Written in a moment of “self-sabotage”, her vocals float beautifully over Johnny Simon Jr’s atmospheric, shimmering guitar sounds, belying the negativity that informed the song’s context. The gently tumultuous ‘Align’ follows, with more layered guitar and meandering lyrics about having the guts to go steady with someone.

The catchy refrain and Drew Arndt’s bass lines on ‘Down’ stick in the memory, while the gentle acoustics on ‘Wearing’ compliment Wilson’s lyrics about being worn down (“like a bag stuck in a tree / I’m helplessly clinging on”). ‘YNTOO’ flows in the same vein, before the guitars slowly swell for the final minute of the track.

The brief ‘Birds, Pt.1’ and the thoughtful, extended ‘Birds, Pt.2’ beautifully bookend each other, with the poignant ‘Wedding’ sitting in between. The infectious, full-sounding ‘Feeling Fancy’ celebrates the power of inherent shyness. As Wilson states in the song; “Everybody’s got a story”, and regardless of the volume it’s told at, it deserves to be shared and acknowledged.

The penultimate ‘Fuse’ looks forward with reassuring confidence, leaving you “ready to disco, baby”, whilst closing track ‘Moon’ is the most stripped back on the record. Tentative and delicate, it reiterates the idea that shyness and confidence can exist comfortably side-by-side.

A subtle, but powerful record that speaks to those who are trying to find the balance between being comfortable with themselves, and trying to refrain from being a Ruiner; Wilsen’s latest offering is a poetic, reverb-strewn, dreamy affair.

Listen to Wilsen’s new album Ruiner on Spotify.
Follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: CF Watkins

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: HMS Morris – ‘Babanod’

In a mesmerizingly glitchy new tune, Welsh psychedelia-smiths HMS Morris bring their listeners on an ethereal journey in ‘Babanod’.

With a swirling slow build at the song’s start, HMS Morris gracefully casts a spell made of warm synths and a pulsing back-beat that feels anthemic from the moment the haunting vocals begin. The mood established here is both adventurous and relaxing, providing a soundscape that can just as easily be danced to or studied to.

Branching across several sonic moods creates a captivating and accessible track, impossible to pigeon-hole into one genre. ‘Babanod’ has such rich tones impending from their entire instrumental mix, from explosive breaks at each chorus to dwelling atmospheres that linger throughout its verses, with dynamics playing a huge role in the soaring psychedelic sound. The never-ending layers of synth and a tasty use of sonic space is reminiscent of shoegaze but with a whisper of ’80s pop in its melodies throughout.

HMS Morris’ knowledge and creativity within the electronic-psych genre is expansive and satisfying. ‘Babanod’ is an odyssey that feels like an exciting exploration of self.

‘Babanod’ is out now via Bubblewrap Collective.

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn

Get In Her EarsLeave a comment

Get In Her Ears w/ Brix Smith-Start 20.02.20

Kate & Mari were back in the studio this week with plenty of new music from the likes of MAITA, MIRI, LegPuppy, Bad Bones, HMS Morris, Li Yilei, Am.I & Charlotte Spiral.

They were joined by the incredible Brix Smith-Start, who spoke about her last three albums with Brix & The Extricated, and her experiences over the years as a trailblazer in the music industry.

Listen back here:

Tracklist
Lizzo – Juice
LegPuppy (feat. Josefin Ohrn) – Secret Friend
MAITA – A Beast
DRAMA – Years
MIRI – Girls Just Want To Have Fun
MEI – I Don’t Know What’s Next
Lido Pimienta – Eso Que Tu Haces
Bad Bones – Beg
Desire – Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order Cover)
Alessi’s Ark – Woman
Shoulder Season – Clean Lines
Brix & The Extricated – Wolves
RUNAH – Same Face
Li Yilei – A Star Without Guidance
HMS Morris – Babanod
Hilary Woods – Orange Tree
Girl Ray – Friend Like That
Am.i – Millenial
Chloe Foy – Callous Copper
Charlotte Spiral – Wide Eyed
Nirvana – Heart-Shaped Box
Kate Tempest – People’s Faces

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