JUNO//-All My Days

Having done an interview with the relatively fresh CO label Memory Network back in December, it’s nice to see that their artists are starting to crank out some new material to fill our ears and keep us dazzled well into the new year. Ever since I first caught wind of the italo disco inspired sounds of JUNO// via his debut cassette DUST, I’ve been constantly spinning his material. His tracks have a way of immediately cascading over you, enveloping whoever listens to them within waves of lush, oceanic soundscapes and gentle yet sturdy electronic pulses that coast delicately from ear to ear. “All My Days” is the latest single from JUNO// and though you may think of early Washed Out in the beginning, here there’s more of a focus on ambiance, texture, and vocal structure. The track sways inside of your head while rushing back and forth between retro sounding haziness, dreamwave vibrancy, and balearic pop harmonies, and JUNO// blends them all together to create an atmosphere that’s wonderfully resplendent and full of life. Hopefully this means that there’s another release in the works for JUNO// but even if there’s not, judging from the material that he’s been releasing, he’s steadily on the rise. Be sure to check out more tracks over on soundcloud and grab DUST via bandcamp for $5 (cassette) or a “name your own price” (digital).

GPSYMTH-Brewster

A few days ago when an email from Stars and Letters landed in my inbox I knew that I would be in store for something beautiful that would fully envelop both my mind and ears. Back when I was first starting this blog I posted about their first release, which was Black City Lights’ Parallels EP, and now here we are a few months later with the label’s third release and it’s definitely one that shouldn’t be overlooked. GPSYMTH (pronounced gypsy moth) is 20 year old Boston resident Peter Quinn and if you somehow missed out on his debut EP Craft then don’t fret because his first full length Ripostes is on the verge of being released and it’s a chance to get you even better acquainted with the charming dream popper’s captivating sound. GPSYMTH’s music is surrounded by a heavenly ambient nature and driven by Quinn’s airy, subtle voice and layers of breathtakingly dreamy soundscapes that seem to almost overflow with purity. Ripostes shimmers from beginning to end and as it progresses, you can’t help but to feel a sense of euphoria wash over you from head to toe. The album isn’t officially released until the 30th but you can preorder it now over on bandcamp for $8 and if you can’t wait for that preorder to arrive or you just need a little bit more convincing, then visit Stars and Letters soundcloud page to stream the album in it’s entirety. Also, don’t forget to pull out those headphones, you’re going to need them. Recommended for fans of BATHS, Summer Heart, and Washed Out.

Dreams West-Super Gran Turismo

Maybe I tend to get overly excited sometimes when I come across a new artist because I’ll take to every social network and share the same link and listen to every song I can find but I don’t think it can be helped. Now I may be a bit late when it comes to finding out about North Carolina producer Dreams West since he dropped his self titled album back in December but regardless, this guy is making music that’s sure to leave you astonished and asking for more. The sounds of Dreams West are chill in every sense of the word, from the samples and beats to the crisp, retro production value and everything in between. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy every track as much as I do but right when one ends I fall in love with the next one after it and even though it’s inevitable, I never wanted the album to be over. His style can be described as a mix of early 80’s disco and funk with a bit of pop and just the right amount of warm, laid back chillwave vibes that’s similar to artists such as Washed Out and Toro y Moi. You won’t see me usually hype an album up this much but this is one that definitely shouldn’t be missed. If you head over to bandcamp you can pick it up for yourselves for only $5 and Dreams West also has way more material available for streaming via soundcloud.

CASSETTE REWIND: WAVEY MIXTAPE

Here’s the tracklist for the first mixtape that I did way back in March when the blog first started. Though a lot of you may have already heard it, I re uploaded it so it could stream as a single mp3. Feel free to like and reblog and as always support the artists anyway that you can. Enjoy!

1. Com Truise-Hyperlips
2. Toro y Moi-All Alone
3. Giraffage-Visible
4. Chad Valley-Reach Lines
5. Blouse-They Always Fly Away
6. Twin Shadow-Yellow Balloon
7. Minks-Ophelia
8. Twin Sister-Space Babe
9. Washed Out-Lately
10. Keep Shelly In Athens-Lazy Noon
11. Corduroi-Crustacean
12. Neon Indian-Future Sick
13. McWolf-WAIT4IT
14. PEPEPIANO-Gym Mystique
15. Real Estate-It’s Real
16. Reading Rainbow-Let’s Dream Tonight
17. Stoner Showers-I WANT U 2 KNOW
18. Wild Nothing-Cloudbusting
19. Tearjerker-Focus
20. Teeel-Masterplan

Teen Daze-The Future

Sorry everyone for being away for a few days, sometimes I just take random breaks from the blog but I’m back and with some new tunes for you all. Since it’s a Saturday night I figured I’d kick things off with something that has a mellow, dance vibe to it. “The Future” comes from British Columbia chillwaver Teen Daze and it’s the third single from his forthcoming debut album All of Us, Together which is due out May 23rd. Having already released 4 EPs, this new album is seeing Teen Daze with a more mature style and it feels like this is where he’s completely come into his own. What sets Teen Daze apart from the growing number of artists with the “chillwave” tag is the way he blends spacey synths and unique sounding vocals with vast & tropical atmospheres and then tops it off by giving us something to dance to. You can stream the other two singles “Brooklyn Sunburn” and “Treten” over on his soundcloud page. Also, pick up his latest EP A Silent Planet over at bandcamp for $6 along with his other prior work. I definitely recommend this for fans of Teeel, Washed Out, or Blouse.

Hong Kong In The 60’s-Don’t Wake Me Up (With A Taut Line)

I’ve found a great track to start of the morning. It comes from London three piece Hong Kong In The 60’s. Drawing influences from early electro, italian film, and 1960’s chinese music this group is certainly one that stands out to me. Right from the start of the song I picked up a Caribou type feel with a few tendencies of early Washed Out tracks and it only got better from there. Blending together slick electronic beats with soft female vocals and a slight tropical vibe to tie it all together “Don’t Wake Me Up” sits at a little more than 6 minutes, though with the way it seamlessly flows together don’t be surprised if you happen to get carried away. The band released their debut album last year titled My Fantoms which is available on their bandcamp site for $9.56. To hear even more for Hong Kong In The 60’s just head over to their soundcloud page.