Listen: Always Forever by Dance Yourself Clean

Having appeared on BlackPlastic.co.uk back in December with their thick, big room focused track Losing Focus, the Dance Yourself Clean crew are back with something a little different.

For those unaware, Dance Yourself Clean started as an indie-dance party in Seattle in 2013, before branching out with a touring party, and subsequently starting record label Lights & Music, a production outfit, and ultimately, a music and remix project.

Always Forever retains the no-nonsense, big room aesthetic of Dance Yourself Clean’s previous work, but in contrast to Losing Focus, it is imbued with a light playfulness. That comes from the muted guitar and angelic vocals of Donna Lewis’ 90s classic, I Love You Always Forever. Here it is combined distortion embracing bass and epic synth chords to create something emotionally resonant, amplifying the feelings of the original. It is, undoubtedly, the kind of obvious-once-you-hear it treatment that feels well-suited to wider mainstream success, and yet at the same time I love it all the same.

Listen: Imminent Danger by Hot Foxes

Hot Foxes simply describe themselves as, “Three friends, maybe we lived together at some point”. It’s a level of mystery I felt inclined not to dispel, and so that’s all you get to know, too.

Here on Imminent Danger, the trio channel 80s-hair-spray, synth-sheen and cinematic drums to create a sound both crisp and melodic. New wave chords open the song as a sole vocal charts its way through musical darkness, culminating in a chorus built on a big synth melody and powerful vocals.

The song charts a dual narrative that feels born to soundtrack a celluloid juxtaposition that would sit at home in an episode of Stranger Things… In one thread we see our heroes charting the upside down, danger around every corner, and in the other, we see some teens getting ready for a night out, the prospect of romantic liaisons on the cards. That’s because the imminent danger the song depicts is inspired by the alluring feeling of entering the unknown territory of uncharted love with another person.

Check out Imminent Danger below:

Listen: Slow It Down by Tropez

Tropez is the conclusion of 15 years spent touring the mainstream music market, and sharing the stage at major festivals that include Hangout Fest, Life is Beautiful, Sundance, and Made In America. That time was frequently spent feeling a sense of separation, of outsider status. In working through this with a therapist, Tropez represents a potential musical outlet for those feelings. In Tropez’s own words:

“The climate of the world we live in, the exponential growth of technology, and becoming a parent have filled my notepad with words to attach to melodies.”

The first single lifted from a forthcoming debut album, Slow It Down is produced by Grammy-winning producer Ben H Allen III, who is notable for working with Washed Out, Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley, and Neon Indian. The impact of that production is audible, without overwhelming Tropez’s own style.

Slow It Down moves with a sense of slow drama, a quiet disco style infusing the bass line, strings, and synths. Loose percussion still manages to deliver a punchy feel, and gently strummed guitars give the piece a relaxed, transportive feel. Tied together with a yearning vocal, the whole thing feels like the sunset on the beach… Eminently classy, yet instantly appealing.

Check out Slow It Down below. As well as that debut album, it will be followed by an official remix of St Lucia’s upbeat Gimme The Night.

Listen: Never Right — Sea Glass feat. Yes Kid

With gentle instrumentation, glistening synths, and delicately worn vocals, Never Right shimmers with the feelings of a holiday that failed to meet expectations. The strummed guitars in the bridge give this a loose, Hawaiian feel, and the result is as relaxed as it is introspective.

The first collaboration between Sea Glass and Yes Kid, Never Right is an attempt to convey the feeling of the heart betraying the brain. Occasionally, you want something you ultimately know isn’t right for you, as Sea Glass, real name Jake Muskat, describes:

“I decided to put it down into song, hoping to capture the feeling of nostalgia for someone, some place, or some time that you don’t really want to revisit, yet the sadness of the memory can wrap you like a warm blanket, making it all the more welcome for a brief moment.”

Muskat looked to Yes Kid, aka Yael Kaufman, whose vocal grants the song added humanity:

“I felt the song could use a partner to both present the other side of the story but to bring in the softness that’s inside of everyone, even those that have the ability to hurt you… Yael and I had talked for a couple of years about working together. I am such a huge fan of her voice, so when thinking of who could be my partner on this song, it was such a natural fit and such a relief that she was into it. She added the feminine counterpoint to my verse that sealed the song for me and made this a really special one.

Listen: Better — Divorce Court

Having appeared on BlackPlastic with his release of 140 back in March, Divorce Court (real name Lynden Williams) is back with the release of his album, Two Hours.

Better is one of Williams’ self-proclaimed favourite tracks from Two Hours, and was at one stage a contender for a single. Instead, it ushers in the album’s launch. Whilst this latest song doesn’t have the distorted synth bass of 140, it revels in the same hazy introspection and sun-drenched production of Divorce Court’s other work. It also has the same sense of personal reflection and vulnerability, Williams sounding like he is wrestling with his own sense of wellbeing.

Check out Better below, and find the album Two Hours on streaming platforms now.