Still Sound-Cool Tears

Sometimes I’ve got to stop myself from going through my dashboard on soundcloud because I’ll come across way too many tracks that I like and then I’ve got to figure out what to fit into the day and then it just becomes a mess. With that being said, all it took was just one listen to “Cool Tears”, the latest track from Japan’s stillsound, and I knew as soon as it ended that it had to go up today. Taking his alias from Toro y Moi’s hit track off of Underneath The Pine, the 17 year old steadily delivers gem after gem, with every one being doused in either deep funk vibes, subtle r&b harmonies, lush chillwave, or all three. stillsound is another example of the growing number of young artists in the scene who are showing that they can clearly hold their own and with “Cool Tears”  it’s evident that this up and comer is only getting better with time. stillsound recently collaborated with Juan Avila (imprintafter) on the opening track of Avila’s second EP which is titled Cliffside and you can pick it up for 50 cents or free (through a mediafire link) by heading over to KEATSCOLLECTIVE’s bandcamp page. Also, don’t forget to hear even more funk filled material from stillsound by visiting him on soundcloud. 

Rich Engli$h-Paths

With all of posts that I’ve done thus far, there have only been a few that come from artists that are anywhere near my area or my hometown to be exact. Maybe I just haven’t found them yet or maybe I’m just picky when it comes to artists from South Carolina but regardless, there is some noteworthy talent coming out of my area and I feel like those names deserve to be heard. Among the slowly growing producer scene in Greenville is 23 year old hip hop & chillwave producer TJ Clark who goes by the moniker Rich Engli$h. Though Clark has been making music under the alias for some time now his first mixtape, In Visions, was just released earlier this year and it proved that the young producer had finally come into a style of his own. Since that release Rich Engli$h has been hard at work developing his follow up ep, Natives, and it’s evident after hearing what he’s had to offer from the the ep so far that he’s wasted no time improving on his already extremely smooth yet vibrant sound. “Paths” is the second single from Natives (the first being “RIV3RS”) and it could easily be one of the most laid back tracks that Rich Engli$h has ever delivered. The track surrounds listeners in a hypnotic daze right from the start and as it flows along you may even begin to think that you’re in a dream. A warped sample of Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack” helps to set the mood and that, along with the array of slick beats in tow, can easily make you wish that the song would go on even longer than its four minute duration. There’s no release date for Natives just yet but we can hope that it comes soon. While you wait, you can head over to soundcloud to stream more material and visit bandcamp to grab a copy of In Visions for free.

Blackbird Blackbird-All

Mikey Maramag, better known under his alias Blackbird Blackbird, has been one of few artists in the chillwave genre who’s been steadily evolving since day one. Maramag has grown to become known for constantly delivering musical bliss that transports listeners to far off places surrounded by overwhelming beauty and delicacy and in doing so, he has stepped outside of and exceeded the expectations that people may have formed about chillwave. Yesterday Blackbird Blackbird dropped the first single from his highly anticipated upcoming EP Boracay Planet titled “All” and if it’s any indication of what else is to come then we can all expect another solid release that’s going to be incredibly hard to put down. “All” is grand to say the least. The track is layered with hazy and colorful effects and carried along on the back of gleaming synth lines, gentle guitars, Mikey’s light, soothing and an overall mellowed vibe that slowly inches its way into your head and refuses to leave. That’s a good thing though because I don’t want to forget anything about this track and listening to it just once surely isn’t enough. There’s no word as to exactly when we can expect Boracay Planet to drop but when it does you can bet that I’ll be rushing to grab a copy.

BETAMAXX-DEERHEAD/LIONHEART

Around this time last year Newcastle duo BETAMAXX won me over with their two track EP Wild Foxes, a short but very sweet ride full of sensational dance worthy melodies and deeply routed funk vibes. I knew from then on that this band would continue to dazzle my ears and keep me wanting more and now it seems that they’ve got me in a trance once again. Staying true to their style of electrifying glo-fi and smooth vocal harmonies, the guys have just dropped their latest release titled DEERHEAD/LIONHEART, whichconsists of the title track and the equally groovy “I Miss Joan”. Though BETAMAXX just put out their EP DELOREAN MEGACLUB back in May, the two tracks on DEERHEAD/LIONHEART just go to show that they’re able to develop their sound in such a short amount of time and crank out more quality ear magic for all of us to enjoy. If you ask me, they’re only just getting started and this is only a slight indication of what’s to come from Thom and Euan. The release is available for €1 or $1.58 through bandcamp along with all of their other material, which is available for a “name your own” price. Also, don’t forget to stop by their soundcloud as well to hear some other great tracks.