Listen: Paradiso by Echo Thrills

Echo Thrills is the musical outlet for Stockholm native Oskar Jennefors, who takes inspiration from a variety of genres, including soul, disco, and psychedelic rock. With debut single In A Dream picking up over 100,000 streams in the first two months of release, Echo Thrills has just unveiled debut EP, Destination Utopia, and alongside it the new track Paradiso.

Paradiso rides an easy, laid-back groove, crisp synth tones combining with lively bass notes to create something that brings together breezy summer vibes with a distinctive Nordic sense of cool. The song depicts an idealistic utopia — a nightclub where people are free to lose themselves in music and the exuberance of their surroundings. Describing the song, Jennefors says:

“For me, this track, in a way, goes full circle when it comes to my personal musical development. With a background as a house music producer and DJ when I was in my early 20s, it felt natural to go back to the roots on this song. Combining the old school house sound with lo-fi elements, soul, and psychedelia, I felt that I found a sound that really encapsulates the genres that inspire me.”

By leveraging retro late-nineties dance but combining them with a fresh aesthetic, Echo Thrills successfully creates something that feels familiar yet fresh. Check out Paradiso below, and the EP, Destination Utopia, here.

Listen: Nightlife by Morning Silk

With big slow drum beats and gentle falsetto vocals, Morning Silk’s Nightlife feels like it picks up where Tame Impala left off… Hip-hop’s percussive influence meets psychedelic instrumentation as Morning Silk takes us on a stroll through the strangeness that is New York City at night.

The musical project of Frank Corr, Morning Silk first emerged in the NYC music scene, writing and producing a number of artists, including Middle Part, and a personal favourite of mine, Anna Shoemaker. Having unveiled his eponymous debut EP in late 2022, Morning Silk is set to release his second EP, Dark City Silence, later this year.

Nightlife looks to evoke the city of New York’s energy, whilst at the same time depicting the transient connections and sense of isolation that can exist within the city. The chunky, synth-heavy sound employed by Corr conjures images of high-rise buildings and steam tumbling out of drains, the mystery, hope, and excitement of New York in my ears as I play it on repeat.

Watch: We Can’t Keep Running Away by Nathaniel Paul

With tight-but-muted drum beats and a melodic bass line, Nathaniel Paul’s We Can’t Keep Running Away has a crisp, cool, introspective feel to it. Paul’s vocal takes sits at the centre of the song’s production, jangly guitars gently floating in the background.

As We Can’t Keep Running Away moves towards its conclusion, Nathaniel’s overdubbed vocals are further embellished with individual pieces of instrumentation that begin to create additional harmonies. The layering applied to the closing run through of the chorus is subtlety beautiful, providing a sense of gentle resolve to Paul’s assertion that “We can’t just keep running away.”

In creating his latest song, Nathaniel Paul was looking to create the sound of a full band with synth pop overtones. Whilst writing the song, he was thinking about death, and how that really helps put the mistakes we make into perspective, as he describes:

“Don't be afraid of the mistakes we make — life is short and sweet as it is. So be bold, keep living, loving, and believing that tomorrow will be better than today.”

Listen: 2 Late by Dance Yourself Clean

Fresh off the release of their Donna Lewis-sampling big room release, Always Forever, indie dance collective Dance Yourself Clean are back with their latest release, 2 Late.

2 Late brings together Dance Yourself Clean’s trademark enthusiasm for breathless vocals and chunky electronics to create something effortlessly cinematic. Warm, bubbling sounds and big drum patterns evoke the soft-focus aesthetic of the 80s, whilst background synths give this just a touch of dark drama.

Dance Yourself Clean claim this latest song as “the best song we’ve ever made”, and there is an element of polish here that lends some weight to the hyperbole. Check out 2 Late below:

Listen: More To Say by Banyan & LeyeT

Opening with muted piano keys and soft electronics, More To Say has a delicate sense of introspection from the get go. Rounded synth sounds pick out a gentle melody as vocalist LeyeT sings about the personal growth that can come from pain and heartbreak.

Banyan are a musical duo who have built up a following with their remix work for a collection of artists. With a focus that places more emphasis on the emotions their music stimulates than genre, they are looking to bring a unique vision to the electronic music space.

On More To Say specifically, Banyan and LeyeT have looked to create something that inspires hope, as LeyeT describes:

“For me, like for all of us, there have been tough seasons in life. Reflecting on them, I’m proud of the resilience I’ve had to keep going, whether that be in love or in the pursuit of my dreams. The choice is always ours to let what’s difficult hold us back or drive us forward. It never gets easier, but singing these lyrics are a sort of mantra for me to remember that nothing is ever for nothing and to always keep moving forward.”

I’m left with a sense of warm compassion in listening to More To Say, and the production has a subtlety I appreciated. Check it out below: