Listen: Something You Said by Sasha & The Bear

Channeling an emotive synth pop sound, Something You Said rides the kind of celluloid-soaked 80s-vibe I find so infectious. Big kick drums and snares pulse, as dark chords and arpeggiated melodies rise, slowly enveloping the vocal duet at the centre of Sasha & The Bear’s latest song.

Depicting the challenges and irresistible force of love, Something You Said is an exploration of the wild, unpredictable feelings that flow in the wake of desire and attraction. The song’s melodies and atmosphere are a deliberate reflection of that feeling – both epic and intense.

Sasha & The Bear is the musical pairing of singer, songwriter, and producer Sasha Daniel, and songwriter, producer, and singer Dov Igel. Having both created music individually, the duo came together in Brooklyn under this new guise, back in 2016. The pair subsequently took a break to work individually, with Dov moving to Tel Aviv. Following the tragic death of Dov’s mother, however, they became closer still, travelling to Scandinavia together to make music depicting “nature, loss and friendship”, and more recently to the suburbs of Madrid, where they worked on their debut EP.

Listen: Guestlist by Bulgarian Cartrader

Bulgarian Cartrader, or BCT for short, is the musical persona of Sofia-born singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer Daniel Stoyanov.

In his first year as Bulgarian Cartrader, Stoyanov has made appearances on stages and at festivals across France, the US, Bulgaria, Austria, and Germany. Ahead of his first European headline tour, and as a prelude to a forthcoming EP that is scheduled for February 2024, BCT is unveiling his latest single, Guestlist.

Self-produced, and mixed by the Grammy-nominated Stephen Sedgwick, who has worked with Gorillaz, Lana Del Rey, and with Amy Winehouse, Guestlist glistens with a distinctive energy. With the kind of experimental-yet-glamorous drama that reminds me of alt-indie-R&B of Jai Paul, Guestlist is built around the interplay between a simple synth refrain and classical guitar. Fluid drums and rapid hi-hats give the sound a modern feel, as Stoyanov belts out a clearly personal vocal about his experience of guest-listing music industry professionals.

The resulting song is a little staggering – the creative briefly on display during Guestlist’s short two-and-a-half-minute duration is impressive. Bulgarian Cartrader has engineered a distinctive sound, accessible and yet wholly his own, and in doing so, hints at the potential for great talent for the future.

Listen: Fun At Parties by The Dying Seconds

With an eclectic and expansive sound that draws inspiration from artists as diverse as Phil Spector, Animal Collective, Warp Records, and Radiohead’s Kid A-period, The Dying Seconds have just unveiled their latest single Fun At Parties.

Blending conventional instrumentation like a Fender Rhodes together with granular synthesisers, there is a flavour here of the kind of nostalgic futurism popularised by Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear. This is something described in the release accompanying Fun At Parties as classic pop songwriting, but depicted through the lens of a less hopeful time.

On Fun At Parties, The Dying Seconds slowly layer together elements to create a beautiful, rousing feeling of dream-like possibility. Following a brief interlude, the song’s closing minute breaks into the kind of sprint that you can’t help but join in with… A dramatic, inspiring conclusion to a song that feels more epic than its short duration would suggest. Check it out below:

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.