Tag: New Music Review

BVSMV, A Lush Form of Electronic Music That’s Dreamy, Retro and Well Polished

Posted on by Simon Irvine

BVSMV, A Lush Form of Electronic Music That’s Dreamy, Retro and Well Polished

Synthwave Music

BVSMV – Escapism

Triplicate Records is on a roll recently – compilation albums Green Shift and Red Shift, along with releases from Beefus B, Suncastle and more have been consistently excellent. Released on September 4, “Escapism” by Milwaukee-based producer BVSMV, is yet another fine addition to the label’s catalogue.

 

Broadly best described as synthwave, BVSMV makes a lush form of electronic music that is dreamy, retro and well polished. From the wistful first bars of opening track “Daybreak”, through the neon-drenched nostalgia of “Quantum Variations”, to the shimmering synths of the closer, “System Testing”, this is an EP that is immediately listenable.

 

I must admit, that despite being a fan of most electronic music, the synthwave sound is one that I don’t generally pay much attention to. The pink, blue and black aesthetic and the repetition of sounds I first heard as the credits rolled in eighties action movies mostly leaves me cold. BVSMV moves beyond the formulas here though, adding more to the sound than I have heard before, and in so doing, manages to create something that is both familiar and new.

 

For these reasons, I suggest seeking this album out. Available now on Triplicate Records, “Escapism” is well worth your time.

Simon says 4.5 out of 5 stars.

4.5 Star Rating

LINKS TO BVSMV

Bandcamp: https://triplicaterecords.bandcamp.com/album/escapism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/triplicaterecords

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/triplicate_recs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bvsmv_music

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BVSMV

BVSMV, A Lush Form of Electronic Music That’s Dreamy, Retro and Well Polished

Catchy, Melodius Folk Music with Lyrics Of Substance from Brook Kelly

Posted on by Simon Irvine

catchy, melodius Folk Music with Lyrics Of Substance from Brook Kelly

Electronic Music

Brooke Kelly – Sun Gilded Clouds and the Angry Sea

I have said before that the music available in the world is best compared to an iceberg – what we hear on radio and in the charts is merely the tip – there is so much more to be found below the surface. All it takes is a small amount of effort to seek it out.

 

So it was that I discovered the wonderful EP, “Sun Gilded Clouds and the Angry Sea” by West Australian Artist, Brooke Kelly, whilst searching the artist-friendly platform that is Bandcamp. The music on offer here mixes alt-country, folk and elements of rock to produce a set of five tracks that demonstrate strong song-writing and superb production. Acoustic guitars and brushed drums form the backbone of the sound, and organs and cellos add subtle flourishes.

 

Over the top of this are catchy melodies, delicate harmonies and lyrics of substance – lyrics that seem to go to the heart of what it means to be human. Favorites for me were the introspection of “Getting Old” (“I’m getting old and so are you”) and the sweeping strings of the closing, title track.

 

So, to paraphrase the songwriter, “let us be cultured, cunning and wise” and support this artist. Dig deeper and be richly rewarded when you listen to “Sun Gilded Clouds and the Angry Sea” by Brooke Kelly.

Simon says 4.5 out of 5 stars.

4.5 Star Rating

LINKS TO BROOK KELLY

BANDCAMP: https://brookekelly.bandcamp.com/album/sun-gilded-clouds-and-the-angry-sea

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/solonesomemusic

Catchy, Melodius Folk Music with Lyrics Of Substance from Brook Kelly

Belial Pelegrim Releases New Electronic Album Masterpiece

Posted on by Simon Irvine

Belial Pelegrim Releases New Electronic Album Masterpiece

Belial Pelegrim – Fluorescent Mastodon Alliance

Do you ever get the feeling that some people just exist on a different level to the majority of us mere mortals? Are you ever left wondering how on earth some people are able to do what they do? These are the thoughts that always cross my mind when I listen to the music of Belial Pelegrim.

 

Hailing from the USA, Pelegrim makes some of the most sophisticated and thoughtful electronic music around. Not only that, but he is incredibly prolific – rarely a day goes by when he doesn’t release a new masterpiece (always accompanied by superb cover art) that demonstrates to the rest of us electronic producers how it is done.

 

On “Fluorescent Mastodon Alliance”, all of the elements that make Pelegrim’s music so exciting are on display. After the relatively “safe” start of “Travel By Thought”, the album moves from spooky fairground melodies in “An”, to orchestral dissonance in “Interlude” and on to “Latin”-style beats on “Wax”, before finishing with the big, chilled beats of “Unnatural Shadows”.

 

Linking the disparate styles is a production approach that would be schizophrenic in lesser hands – fractured/disintegrating beats mix with warped synthesizers and old radio (?) samples – orchestras meet funk grooves and choral flourishes. In Pelgrim’s hands though, these seemingly unrelated sounds mix to create a sound that is simultaneously dark and light, challenging and familiar and always engaging.

 

I was a bit late to the party on this – “Fluorescent Mastodon Alliance” was released on 28 August – but it is a case of better late than never. This is an album that deserves to be heard by all, and so…

Simon says 5 out of 5 stars.

5 Stars

LINKS TO BELIAL PELEGRIM

 

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/pelegrim

SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/belial-pelegrim

BANDCAMP: https://belialpelegrim.bandcamp.com/album/fluorescent-mastodon-alliance

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/belial.pelegrim

Belial Pelegrim Releases New Electronic Album Masterpiece