#noisesforears

[noisesforears]

Sevdaliza Marilyn Monroe

I am a huge fan of Sevdaliza a.k.a Sevda Alizadeh, an iranian-born former Netherlands international basketball player. I was desperate for her album, Ison - released at the end of April this year - to come out, and it doesn’t disappoint. Probably one of the most mature debut albums I can recall, it burns with an emotional depth that immediately draws you in, releases you at moments of uneasy lightness, only to pull you back in even further than before. This track, Marilyn Monroe (which features on the album), was the first music I heard from Sevdaliza, and it stopped me in my tracks. The sparse arrangement combined with the close-harmony vocals feels simultaneously close and distant, warm and cold, and always full of mystery. Enjoy.

[noisesforears]

Tallisker Salanfe

Eléonore Melisande, a.k.a Tallisker, has totally taken my by surprise with this. Sounding like an even darker and dramatic Purity Ring, it moves between string samples, vocal nodes, and a club-worthy beat all with a combination of ease and drama. The vocals also tread the fine line of abrasive frailty, with strength and suggested weakness taking turns as the track twists and contorts. It should probably come as no surprise that the Paris resident’s latest EP is littered with the weight of baroque imaginings, but it’s this track that for me is the greatest sign of intent to create something very exciting - anchored in a elegant yet cold history but bristling with futuristic eagerness - and already making that happen. Enjoy.

[noisesforears]

Moscow Youth Cult Lux Excellent new single from horrortronic duo/trio Moscow Youth Cult. It's been a while since 2012's Happiness Machines, so it's great to hear some new stuff that really highlights the emotional machine timbres of their earliest work. Released on the ever-excellent I OWN YOU records, Lux is the first track from the eagerly-awaited Lux EP, and it doesn't disappoint. Drawing on subversive 80's vibes and their love of VHS wonk, Jon Dix and Dan O'donnell-Smith pull out something new and refreshing here, while also ramping up the claustophic and nocturnal impressions that has become their calling card. It's a real treat for the ears, and seems to destined to appear in a low-budget horror film during a slow-motion scene where an attractive teen lead has their head removed from their body. I can't wait. Also, the video is great. Enjoy.

[noisesforears]

Mick Jenkins Jazz Some excellent rap here. Great arrangement too. Enjoy.

[noisesforears]

[noisesforears]

[noisesforears]

Weval is a collaboration between two pals from the Netherlands – Harm Coolen (b. 1986) and Merijn Scholte Albers (b. 1989).

[noisesforears]

Illangelo ft. Phlo Finster Clockwork

Nothing is quite as enjoyable as the moment you hear a song that you have absolutely zero expectation of enjoying, only to have it almost tear your ears clean off your head with goodness. I must admit the video was the reason I even listened to this in the first place, having never even heard of Canada’s illangelo (Carlo Montagnese) or London’s Phlo Finster before (although I realise I really should have). The track and video burst with an over-the-top visceral drama that makes it feel like a trailer for some sort of strange offsrping of Tarsem Singh’s The Fall and The Fifth Element. I mean this in the best way possible. A freakish venn diagram of electronica, soul, R&B and a whole bunch of other genres, I can’t stop playing this track. Excellent work (on both audio and visuals), and really excited to see what comes next. Enjoy.