review: Eklin - Lydl Tellet / Onwa

From the ashes of Dutch elektro-noise act Adept came Eklin. Eklin is very different in sound as this previous project. To give an idea I might call this experimental indie pop, or ambient pop. This are there are pop structures and sounds to be found but most tracks have this edgy feeling. It is never on the save side of pop but neither on the abstract or academic side of most experimental music.

When poppy there is always an element that makes the song stand out in between your regular indie pop. When experimental the music keeps easy to consume without you needing to understand any music theory.

Many tracks are rather ambient... dream like soundscapes but not boring at all. The organic sounds float in and out of your living room and leave this nice warm feeling... Because of the mix of these more ambient pieces and some more song structured tracks the records are pleasant to listen to. They are very well put together with just the right dynamics for your listening experience.

Both records are self published by the band. "Lydl Tellet" is a 4 track EP and "Onwa" is an 10 track album. Both are highly recommended!

You can see Eklin live on stage at the next Enfant Terrible event, Soirée Enfant Terrible on April 2 in Theater Kikker in Utrecht, Holland. See here for all details on that night...

Videoclip for upcoming Kim Ki O debut vinyl (Enfant18)

At the end of August the official debut by Kim Ki O from Istanbul will be released on Enfant Terrible.

The two girls were already present on the "Radio Resistencia" compilation from last year.

Here is the videoclip for the track 'Herkes Evine' from the upcoming record. More information soon...

review: Digital Leather - Warm Brother

I came to know Digitial Leather as a one man synth punk project. Some of the songs I liked, some did not really stuck to me. But I kept an eye and a ear out for this project as still the good tracks are very enjoyable. So when I read about a new record I had a quick pre-listen and was suprised to hear (and see on youtube) a band with drums and guitars. Apparantly I missed out on some changes around Digital Leather. Changes that are for the better if I might add...

The latest release, "Warm Brother", is playing for some time now here. Due to the band sound I find the songs and the album as a whole much more interesting as some of the older material. Synth punk has changed to indie pop/rock and punk pop... but all for the better. The synths are still there in the background with some rocking melodies but all is much more lo-fi pop orientated now. Maybe the band even sounds like a Green Day that never became too poppy and too chart orientated. I know this might sound like a strange comparison but in a way it is quite fitting I think.

Just listen to excellent tracks as 'Your Hand, My Glove', 'Kisses' and 'Bugs On Glue' they will get you moving for sure. The most oustanding track is 'It Hurts So Bad' which comes quite close to some Patrik Fitzgerald... but has a nice wierd pop twist to it.

Digital Leather has become a much more interesting band with their band sound and current line-up. I am looking forward to get a change to see them live. Also if they keep their sound like this without moving further into pop terrority I am really curious about the next recordings.

review: Warpaint - Exquisite Corpse

A few weeks ago I came across the video for the track Stars by Warpaint. Instantly I was captured by this amazing song. Its dreamy sequences and melancholy mood really touched me in a way like not many songs are capable of.

After a few seconds of searching the internet I came to know about a self released 5 track EP on cd and a very recently 6 track 12 inch vinyl EP. Which I ordered straight away.

This vinyl is playing almost non stop here now. These 6 tracks are making up a record which will be high on my year list of favorite records, even surpassing some of the releases I released myself this year.

What makes Warpaint so good is that they have references popping in and out but still they have their own style and sound. The songs are very strong and have surprising hooks, original structures, excellent song writing and beautiful melodies.

Think about Cranes that stripped away all gothic clichés and adding some psychedelic 60's pop to the mix of new wave melancholy, shoegazer energy and heavenly voices beauty.

I am tripping away here with this, and on this record. Songs like the truely mind blowing Elephants and the Cure echoing Krimson are more then you could ask for when it comes to quality indie pop.

This 12 inch vinyl is released in US based Manimal Vinyl label but I just read the band signed to Rough Trade very recently. So maybe there will be an re-issue or a full album coming up... I don't know...