It has, let’s be honest, been quite some time since we posted with anything approaching regularity. In the weeks and months since our last flurry, many many wonderful songs have been released. A great number of which we thought to ourselves, ‘we’ll write about that’. Time passed and still no writing came. Though we remained determined, ‘we’ll get to them, eventually’ we thought.
Well, it looks like eventually has finally come. There’s no time like the present they say, so here we go with a series of What’s In The Box? specials as we play catch up with some of our favourites from the last few months.
Leon Else – “The City Don’t Care”
First on our look at what we’ve missed is an eighties synth-dream courtesy of Leon Else and Oliver from about four months ago.
It’s been ages since we last featured Else, back when he was looking at the world through broken glass with his dark debut. Now his specs appear to have neon lenses as “The City Don’t Care” is a brightly lit, leather jacket sleeves rolled up, shoulder pads wearing blast of colour, keys and beats. It’s much more poppy and danceable than when we last featured him, and fantastically so. It’s groovy and danceable without ever being brash or overwhelming. It’s a Fab ice-lolly of a track, bright colours, lots of fun and enjoyable enough to make you want another.
Get to know Leon Else: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Transviolet – “The Hamptons”
Next up is possibly the most infectious and catchy tune we’ve heard all year. It is certainly the one we have been entertaining the other occupants of ABHQ with the most by playing it on repeat the last few days.
We’ve loved Transviolet since their debut back in 2015 and they’ve just got better and better ever since. Taken from their latest EP, Kaleidoscopes, “The Hamptons” is a remarkably contagious little pop delight, getting under your skin and giving you a severe case of the ‘hook-hums’ while you find yourself absent-mindedly dancing from side-to-side in the kitchen.
Get to know Transviolet: Facebook / Twitter
Roma Ocean – “About You”
Something altogether more dark and twisted that Leon Else and Transviolet now, courtesy of the debut track from Roma Ocean.
Hailing from the Ukraine, Roma’s obsession with sound and music began at the age of three when he smashed his parent’s fridge because he was hungry and liked the noise it made. “About You” showcases a dark and sinewy electronica that creeps menacingly along. His voice are low and coarse, laced with foreboding and a danger that comes to life as a high pitched, terrified, vocal rears up. The beat continuing its death march atop a twisted synth line, moving stealthily along to its, and your, end.
Get to know Roma Ocean: Website / Facebook / Twitter
SHE Major – “Je Ne Sais Quoi”
The second single from SHE Major was released much more recently, just last week in fact, and already it has us lost in a whirl of soft and sumptuous vocals and mellifluous melodies.
“Je Ne Sais Quoi” is elegant and beautiful. From the piano opening to the subtle insistence of the synth swirl that accompanies it. From the unquantifiably Prince like vocal lines to the utterly compelling and gorgeous use of a bi-lingual chorus. The whole thing is divine. The strings soar and twist to the sky above this stunning monochromatic soundscape that is as majestic as it is picturesque.
Get to know SHE Major: Website / Facebook / Twitter
MXMS – “I Revenge”
Back to the darkness now, a place where we tend to find some of the best pop music, and here, lurking under a lace veil of black is where we find MXMS. It stands for ‘Me and My Shadow’ which is how Ariel and Jeremy see each other as they make music from the twisted underbelly of the soul, or ‘funeral pop’ as they call it.
Their most recent track, “I Revenge”, is a tumultuous storm of drums and piano, throwing the ships of transgressors against the rocks of retribution. It’s a boiling fury in musical form.
Ariel’s voice drifts delightfully between the light and dark, at times siren-esque, floaty and hypnotic but mostly dripping with malice and threat. This is not the voice of someone who will go quietly into the night, this is a voice of strength, of uprising and freedom. It’s rousing and iron-willed, moving from a place of pain to a place of anguished satisfaction.
Get to know MXMS: Website / Facebook / Twitter
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