PREMIERE: Stream Oslo-based Ē’s debut EP

If you identify as an introvert or you’re a fan of lo-fi or “lo-pop” sounds; then Oslo-based Ē‘s debut EP is going to resonate with you. The group are set to self-release their four track record on June 14th via Bergen-based indie label Eget Selskap, but we’ve got exclusive access to the EP ahead of its official release date!

Formed in the summer of 2018, Ē consists of Ingvild Nærum, Chiara Cavallari, Ingvild Nærum and Sigrun Sæbø Åland. The band’s musical and lyrical sensibilities are influenced by the relatable fears of loneliness and abandonment, which have culminated in the band branding their sound as “lo-pop”. Drummer Ingvild Nærum explains further: “Sonically, “lo-pop” is essentially lo-fi pop music.Thematically, it indicates a sense of feeling small in society and just not being able to mask our pop sensibilities, both of which we reluctantly embrace”.

Ē’s reluctance translates in to moody, but infectious tunes that smolder with angst-driven energy. Mixed and mastered by Simen Hallset of Gold Celeste, the four tracks on their debut self-titled EP are designed to “explore things from a new perspective…[and] just to run with what feels cool and exciting, and even a bit silly.”

We’re hooked on Ē’s debut EP, which you can stream exclusively below! Follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Premiere: Kerry Devine – ‘Ariel’ (Oscuro Remix)

Having received acclaim from the likes of BBC Radio 2’s Marc Radcliffe and BBC Radio 5 Live, East Anglia artist Kerry Devine (The Baby Seals) has now shared a brand new remix of her captivating single ‘Ariel’.

Using the poetry of the Fenland landscape to inspire her work, Devine captures sounds and conversations to weave beautifully poetic stories, as exemplified in this latest offering. Remixed by fellow East Anglian Oscuro, this version of ‘Ariel’ flows with swooping beats and ethereal chiming hooks accompanying Devine’s soaring, rich vocals. Creating a twinkling, swirling soundscape, it’s a truly dreamy slice of effervescent alt-pop that demands multiple listens.

Of the remix, Oscuro explains:

“I really wanted to create an engaging sonic backdrop to support the vocal, I am always interested in the relationship between vocals and music and like to explore different ways to enhance the meaning of the lyrics with sound choice and processing.”

Watch the euphoric new video for the Oscuro remix of ‘Ariel’, for the first time, here:

‘Ariel’ (Oscuro Remix) is out tomorrow, 14th June, via Trapped Animal Records and Cargo Records UK.

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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Track Of The Day: Miss June – ‘Best Girl’

Sometimes you just want to hear some scuzzy, grungy rock music by people with scruffy clothes and messy hair. Miss June, who hail from Auckland and have just finished supporting Idles on their New Zealand tour, have recently signed to Frenchkiss Records and released the track ‘Best Girl’. It is a surly take on the inbuilt need for female overachievement amongst young women.

Singer, writer, musician, skateboarder, model and doctor (!), Annabel Liddell, has an understated, deadpan style that is reminiscent of Kim Gordon and ‘Best Girl’ is “an anthem for anyone who has been misled from birth into battle for a spot that doesn’t exist.” It’s one for the Heathers-watching, black-wearing, cussing dispossessed amongst us. The band will release their first full record in September, so ‘Best Girl’ is by way of being a taster track for what is to come.

Double A-side ‘Best Girl’/’Twitch 7’ is out now via Frenchkiss Records. Catch Miss June live in the UK at the following dates:

12th June (tonight!) – The Windmill, London
15th June – Bushstock Fest, London

Cazz Blase
@CazzBlase

Photo Credit: Nicole Brannen

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EP: Ghum – ‘The Coldest Fire’

London based quartet GHUM have been organically fusing post-punk with grunge for over three years, resulting in dangerously dark pop that is often as hostile as it is haunting. Their ghostly sound has continued to evolve during this time; from the brooding atmosphere of their  2017 self-titled EP, to the raw emotion of their 2018 double A-Side single: ‘I’m The Storm / Undone’.

After numerous musical endeavours across England, Spain, and Brazil, vocalist Laura Guerrero Lora, bassist Marina MJ, drummer Vicki Butler, and guitarist/vocalist Jojo Khor formed GHUM through a shared love of The Cure and PJ Harvey. Yet, despite their similar interests in alt/gothic rock, each member of the band is a distinctive personality – the band as a whole being self-described as a mix of “passion, anger, logic, precision, timidness, volume and emotion, all at the same time.” Their upcoming EP, The Coldest Fire, is the band sharpening the edge of their knife – an ever evolving, always mysterious, brutally honest sound, that perfectly encapsulates all these elements.

Opening track ‘Saturn’ was the first song to be recorded, and it is immediately apparent that GHUM are not afraid to explore darker territories. The combination of Vicki’s technical drum strikes, Marina’s rhythmic basslines, Jojo’s expansive, borderline psychedelic guitar, and Laura’s mesmerising vocals are reminiscent of early Warpaint. ‘Saturn’ is an atmospheric track with dark pop sensibilities that completely immerses the listener throughout.

‘Get Up’ introduces itself with a bewitching, dark bassline that propels the scuzzy, whirring guitar riffs and rumbling beats that follow to a climax of anger and isolation. Echoing the track’s title, Laura’s determined, ardent voice bellows out the hauntingly anthemic, indignant chorus with such fierce emotion – and a delicate use of Spanish – that you will soon find yourself brooding on the dancefloor. “What I felt is what you feel / Tu me lo hiciste una vez [You did it to me once] / Now I want to see your tears…”

Halfway through The Coldest Fire, and no less hostile than the previous two tracks, ‘1000 Men’ is a textured guitarscape of abrasive, crushing rhythms and piercing bass. The vocals leading the melody move gradually through grunge to an eerie finale that left me with chills down my spine – “A thousand men can’t keep me safe.”

By the closing track, ‘In My Head’, I was left reflecting upon the whole sombre experience of The Coldest Fire; an intense four-track extended play about unpredictable love. The band themselves have described The Coldest Fire as “a re-introduction to GHUM,” and I’m inclined to agree. The EP displays the confidence of a band expanding, but not compromising on their grunge/pop sound or post-punk identity.

 

The Coldest Fire is out on 28th June on Everything Sucks Music. Pre-order via Bandcamp now. And catch GHUM live at the EP launch at The Shacklewell Arms on 13th July. 

Ken Wynne
@Ken_Wynne

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