Stream: Hideaway - Geowulf

Geowulf have just announced their forthcoming debut album Great Big Blue and along with it they have unveiled the first single to come from the album, Hideaway.

Having met on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, duo Star Kendrick (vocals) and Toma Banjanin (guitars/vocals) have actually spent all of their time since forming Geowulf separated by geography. With Toma in London, Star has divided her time between Sweden, Berlin and Australia whilst trying to relocate to London permanently. Describing that isolation, Star says:

”It's either been all on or me all of a sudden feeling really alone or isolated from the project. Initially it was really good [for my songwriting]. I'd never seen myself as a songwriter or doing music, so it gave me a chance to be a bit introspective. But now I'm feeling ready to integrate again."

At its heart, Hideaway is a 60s influenced pop record that on first blush Toma actively disliked:

"It was a pristine pop song and I personally really didn't like it.”

Having spent some time disassembling the track, the duo were able to rework it into a whole new track, now a highlight of their live sets:

”Hideaway is a favourite in our live set. The song is about feeling like you’ve been completely transparent with someone only to realize they haven’t truly let you in.”

Hideaway is a gorgeous intro to new album Great Big Blue, due out on 16 February on 37 Adventures. The band will play the Lexington on 28 February to celebrate the album’s launch - you can grab tickets here.

Stream: All Of Our Time - Amaya Laucirica

All Of Our Time is the first track I’ve really listened to from Amaya Laucirica, but it’s actually the second single to be taken from her forthcoming fourth album Rituals.

Amaya started working on Rituals in 2015 whilst living in Berlin. Following a period of playing live in Berlin and a solo tour of Spain she returned home to Australia where she assembled the band behind Rituals.

There’s a Cocteau Twins thing happening here, but it also reminds me of the Psychedelic Furs with a little bit of an added grain to it. That makes it kind of perfect for these Stranger Things times - whispery melodic vocals and a dreamlike sound make this feel otherworldly.

All Of Our Time is about the strengths and weaknesses that emerge over the course of long-term relationships. Amaya explains:

“The weakness is that the spontaneity disappears and the fire needs to be reignited over time. The strength is that their love has the patience to endure this time.”

Rituals is set for release on 2 March 2018 on Opposite Number. Look out for a UK tour supporting the album, with dates to be announced.

Stream: Dislocate - Age

Fabulous Irish / Australian duo Age are back with their follow-up single to their debut Peaks, and it is another piece of beautiful Balearic atmospheric audio.

Dislocate starts slow - soft keys, warm pads and low bass as David Dwight and Jen Cosgrave’s vocals gently skip along the surface. Things gradually build, a synth line appearing and forming the track’s backbone and, before you know it, what was a gentle piece has suddenly become something bigger and brighter: an optimistic love letter, determined to carve out its own narrative. “If you tell me, I’ll believe you”, the pair sing, not caring for any truth but their own.

I’ve a thing for happy sad records made for dancing to. This one is enough to make me full-on swoon. Those lyrics defy explanation, but there is a beautiful insistence their within them: “I don’t want to know, if you don’t want to go... we can always let them down”.

I've had one of those days that defies explanation, a number of ups and downs. Hard to pin down, just like this record. Sometimes things have a way of coming together in the end and in a way it feels like maybe everything will be okay. As I stood up on my train home to get off, Dislocate was still playing in my ears. I suddenly realised I was doing a little shimmy-like dance, all on my own to music no-one could hear but me. And I had a little smile and moved on... Because sometimes you gotta just go with what you feel.

Stream: Sick Burn - Mega Emotion

Sick Burn is the new track from Norwich outfit Mega Emotion, who are understandably fond of a quote from The 405 which describes them as “Part Pixies noise-fest, part 80s synth sunset.”

Personally I can safely say that the horizontal synth vibes and crunchy chaos of Sick Burn has swiftly made Mega Emotion my favourite thing about Norwich. And that’s a pretty sick burn on my brother, because he actually lives there. Sorry to all my family.

This track is an attempt put the incredibly unpredictable year that was 2017 behind us all. Having faced a tough period of illness, death and heartache, Mega Emotion created Sick Burn as a ‘hymn to friendship and optimism in a totally bleak world’. So buckle up and get ready to flash the world a v sign. I never liked the world much anyway (don’t worry, I’m totally joking here).

Catch the band on tour this week: 23 Nov - supp. Mammoth Penguins - The Owl Sanctuary, Norwich, UK 26 Nov - supp. Mammoth Penguins - The Lexington, London, UK

Look out for Mega Emotion’s debut album MOVE, M0THERFCKER* next year. And no, I have no idea if I need the asterisk, or the zero in the word ‘motherfucker’, nor what happens if I write it not in all caps. Frankly at this point, I’m just doing what I’m told. Enjoy it whilst you still can, because 2018 is just around the corner and frankly I have no idea what to expect. Love you, and goodnight.

Video: Love Liike This - Without feat. Essie

Back with a follow-up to their track Wanta Be from earlier in the year are UK production duo Without.

Love Liike This continues the pair's preference for wonky spelling and even wonkier soul-influenced electronic dance. Built around a big performance from Scandinavian vocalist Essie, Love Liike This has a real Disclosure feel about it - body music with heart.

Talking about their inspiration record, Without have said:

"We were listening to a lot of funk at the time, guys like Herbie Hancock and Carl Carlton. When writing we also found ourselves putting on a load of 90’s R&B girl groups just for fun, the melodies are so infectious. Those references just naturally found their way into this track and were a perfect spin on our usual style of beat-making. In the early stages of writing this track, we knew we had something special going on, but we didn’t want to rush it – so we just took some time to let it evolve, and when the bass line came through it felt like everything just fell into place."

Without's new single Love Liike This is out now on the duo's own label Peace. Check the video below, or Soundcloud further down.