THE ALMOST PREDICTABLES 2015 NO.4 - E.P. OF THE YEAR

E.p's are wonderful things. 3 or ideally 4 choice cuts featuring a lead track and 2 or 3 others that are above the level of a standard b-side as throwaway tracks on an e.p. simply won't do. This year, there have been a number of e.p's that have been fantastic and, in the tradition of end of year post type things, here are my top ten e.p's of 2015, starting at number 10 with....

10. Leitbur - The Moment That I Knew You
The blog expanded its borders this year to take in electronic music from all over the world. Leitbur are a Los Angeles based duo who produce 80's influenced synthpop that is quite marvellous in places. Stranger in LA, the lead track from this e.p. is the one to listen to
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/leitbur-moment-that-i-knew-you.html

9. Gus Harrower - Mystery e.p.
Gus is a 17 year old singer/songwriter from Edinburgh with a voice that belies his years and a remarkable knack for a tune. The Mystery e.p. was his first release and it promises much for the future
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/gus-harrower-mystery-ep.html

8. Tuff Love - Dregs e.p.
Tuff Love are getting better and better with each release and Dregs is their standout release thus far. They have limitless potential this band. Get into them now.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/tuff-love-dregs-ep.html

7. Turtle - Colours e.p.
I love Turtle. He is a hugely prolific electronic writer who followed this e.p. with an album of entirely new work. Colours is a mix of mellow electronics and clever production that you won't fail to love
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/new-bands-2015-no-8-turtle.html

6. Wozniak - Auster
Wozniak make noise that would scare a jumbo jet and it's marvellous. Auster was a a storming release and one that I've played over and over again this year.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/wozniak-auster-ep.html

5. Okraa - Vultur e.p.
Released on one of my favourite labels Hot Gem, Colombian artist Okraa's Vultur e.p. is a superb slice of dancefloor friendly electronica. One to watch.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/okraa-vultur-ep.html

4. MG - MG e.p.
MG is of course Martin Gore. Martin Gore can do no wrong. This remix e.p. featuring two tracks left over from the MG album was naturally brilliant.

3. Eyes Of Others - Nightwalking e.p.
I really got into Eyes Of Others this year. It's synthpop fused with a DFA type feel that is endlessly enjoyable. The Nightwalking e.p. is spot on from start to finish.
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/eyes-of-otehrs-nightwalking-ep.html

2. Rolemodel - Claire e.p.
Rolemodel are on the Toronto based Hand Drawn Dracula label which I've become obsessed with this year. Claire is as good as you'll get and is basically perfect. Rolemodel are up to something very special indeed
http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/rolemodel-claie.html

1. Machines In Heaven - Displacer e.p.
Ah Machines In Heaven. They never fail to disappoint and Displacer displayed new sides to their sound which continues to evolve quite brilliantly. It rightly wins the Almost Predictable for E.P. Of The Year. Here's the review http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/machines-in-heaven-displacer-ep.html and here's what the band had to say about their year:



APA: Congratulations on winning the Almost Predictable for Best E.P. of 2015. How's the year been for you?

MIH: Thanks very much! Pretty good, quieter gigs wise than 2014 but we've had our own studio for the first time and it's been great fun recording the second album together. It's the first time the three of us have recorded an album from scratch together and big fun it is too! The album is shaping up nicely - we can't wait for you to hear it!

APA: What have been your highlights of the year?

MIH: Playing the Sunday Circus party at the Fruitmarket was a blast; a gig at London's Shoreditch House was awesome and quite a different one for us and we played our first ever boat party at Loch Lomond in the "summer." We were so loud we cut off the P.A. In terms of other people's stuff, favourites have been Grimes, Luke Vibert, Tame Impala and Arca's new record Mutant.

APA: Displacer was an e.p. I really loved and the title track is a cracker. Tell us a bit about the song

MIH: Thanks again! The last release (Hindu Milk) was a 5 track e.p. so this time we decided to do a more traditional "single." It snowballed into an e.p. however after the remixes started coming in. Writing Displacer was probably the most democratic and organic process yet. We were quite busy at the time so we worked on it separately. Davey came up with the pulsing chords and string parts first. Greg then took over, rearranging it and adding all the weird synth bits. Finally, Connor got his hands on it and added smoothness - guitars and ambience, Davey then came up with the lyrics in one take which is pretty standard. When we got together to mix it, Davey commented that it had evolved beyond all recognition. It sort of took on a life all of its own...

APA: I thought some of the remixes released on and after the e.p. were great. What was your favourite?

MIH: Can we polite and say all of them? (APA - aye go on then). We were very lucky to get mixes from four producers we love. The Drvg Cvltvre one was great because he was actually very faithful to the song, replacing the strings with that dirty synth line. We were sitting around listening to it thinking "shit - that's better than our version!" We loved the Revenge dub version because he just left a ghost of Davey's vocal in there which sounded great. And Nightwave took a similar approach but with that distorted electro sound she does so well. Our pal James from Errors did a glitched out, dreamy, beat laden version which is Davey's favourite, under his Infant Telekon moniker.

APA: Your recent live sets have seen you play experimental sets. Is this a hint of what's to come from you?

MIH: We've always been experimental, even on our poppiest stuff. Displacer, our poppiest song, has that weird, melting synth at the end which takes it somewhere different. But in essence, that's exactly what we're trying to do - make catchy music that has all sorts of experimental stuff bubbling underneath. And that's what you can expect from LP2 - albeit spacier and a bit darker.

APA: What are your plans for 2016?

MIH: The second LP (still untitled, though we finally have a shortlist!) will be out in early 2016 with a single first. A lot more live shows and hopefully some festivals. We'd also love to play the rest of England and make our mainland Europe debut.

APA: Finally, given how this blog began, there's an obligatory Depeche Mode question. What's your favourite DM track?

MIH: very tough call as there are so many, but let's stick our necks out and say Only When I Lose Myself and, somewhat inevitably, Enjoy The Silence.

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Fine Depeche choices there! Thanks very much to Machines In Heaven for the interview. I can't wait to hear the new stuff which you'll be able to read about here early in the New Year.

Machines In Heaven - https://www.facebook.com/machinesinheaven/?fref=ts

THE ALMOST PREDICTABLES 2015 NO.3 - BEST SINGLE

2015 has been a year when my ears have been stuffed with outstanding new tunes both from seasoned artists and from new ones.  One of the many wonderful things about writing this blog is the number of tunes that artists send me to listen to, so Best Single focuses on songs that have been sent to me or that I've stumbled upon online.  That means Everything Everything miss out for No Reptiles and Hot Chip miss out for Hurrache Lights but they'll cope. This isn't going to be a top twenty however as I don't want to miss anything out from what has been a great year for music - instead, it'll be a review of sorts followed by the virtual handing over of the virtual award.

Electronic music is this blog's main thing and a number of acts I've got to know and whose music I love have released a number of singles this year and they are all worth listening to if you haven't already. Leading the way are Tongues who's three singles (Anymore, Religion  and You Never Knew Me) have all been on heavy rotation round here this year. Check out Tongues Soundcloud page other them all. What makes Tongues stand out is the sheer digital perfection of their take on electronic pop. At the other end of that spectrum, you'll find the "melancholitronica" of Shards three singles ( Just To Get Something Started, Afterwards and Sad Sayonara, Goodbye) fit the band's self anointed description perfectly. Clever, thoughtful electronic music that, like Tongues, won't fail to move you. Again, check out Shards Soundcloud page to enjoy the music yourself.

Apache Darling are another band who've rightly grabbed a lot of attention this year. Firebird  was an example of powerful synthpop that really caught my ear this year. Their powerful love performances are always worth catching too. Also on the pop front, Kloe's Grip and Touch were highlights this year. You suspect that big things await Kloe. One of my real favourites this year were Twi§ted, the Glasgow based duo who are going to be huge next year. Everything they've released this year has been superb and Scunnered  was a close runner up to the event winner of this award. Here's the video for the track that the band released last week



Continuing the electronic theme, Shona Brown had a superb year with her 10 in 10 project which saw her release a single a month from November 2014 onwards. This year's Your Silence Is So Loud was my favourite of the bunch. Fiona Soe Paing's Heartbeat and Analog Angel's Your Breath  showed new exciting sides to acts, both of which promise much for the future.  Let's not forget HQFU too whose Dust & Dirt  and Ca$hle$$ Lip$ have already seen an Almost Predictable head her way. YuTaNi gave us one of this year's great tracks with Mt. Minakami. Away from Scotland, synthpop singles by Rodney Cromwell, High Jinx and the superb Priest were also highlights. Death Of Hi Fi's superb Swim Away is also a track you really have to catch from 2015.

It wasn't all synthpop though. Edinburgh's Gus Harrower produced confident, insanely catchy pop with Girl I Didn't Know and the marvellous Mt Doubt's Soak was a towering beast of a song. Wozniak and Kill The Waves also produced some superb material and Woodenbox gave us one of the songs of the year with More Girl Than Friend.

There's only one Almost Predictable however and this year, the Almost Predictable for Best Single goes to The Insomniac Project for their frankly perfect debut single In And Out (Of My Head) which this blog was proud to exclusively preview in August. This band is surely bound to get bigger and bigger. Their music is infectious and their live performances already have something of a celebratory air to them that should only see them play to bigger and bigger audiences as they develop. One to keep and eye on for certain. I caught up with Debz and Andy from the band for a chat. Before we get to that though, have a listen to the track


APA: Congratulations on winning the Almost Predictable for Best Single for In And Out (Of My Head). How's 20125 been for you?

Andy: It's been a great year, put simply. Even though we launched as a band in late 2014, we feel that this has been the first year that we can look back on and appreciate what we've done. We've hit a few milestones that we wanted to hit and, most importantly, we are on the up and pushing forward with more exciting things. We're played some great shows and still have a couple more to play, so for me, personally, having the connection and energy on stage and seeing it rub off on the crowd has been a highlight.

APA: What have been your highlights of this year?

Debz: There are two highlights for me. Our single launch at Sleazy's was mega. The venue was packed and the atmosphere was amazing. (APA: I was there and it was). I have to say though, our recent gig at King Tut's with Crash Club and Our Future Glory was something else! I've seen so many of my favourite bands play there, so I felt a bit giddy. It was a wicked night, although I think I'm still feeling the effects of the overzealous lighting man and his extreme strobe action!

APA: How did you find the reaction to the single? It seemed to go down extremely well.

Debz: We were a bit overwhelmed with the reaction to the single, so many kind words from bloggers and journalists. It was definitely what we wanted for the first single, but it's certainly not what we expected. In fact, we got quite a few emails that we were looking at thinking "Is this spam? Because if not it's AMAZING!"

APA: Your live shows are fast developing a reputation for being something special - how have you found the reaction to your gigs this year?

Debz: We've only played a small number of gigs, so to see people dancing and singing along to stuff is brilliant. I'd like to think we always bring loads of energy to the live shows, so it's amazing to see the audience getting into it too. We're definitely going to try and play a lot more next year.

APA: What are your plans for 2016?

Debz: As well as getting a few more gigs under our belt, we're working on a new single. I get the feeling 2016 will come with as many surprises as 2015. We've got a bit of a plan in mind, but the exciting thing is seeing what unexpected things happen along the way.

Andy: Yeah, as Debz say, we do have a plan in mind, however, ultimately we just want to keep growing as a band and keep having fun. We feel we've only just scratched the surface as far as exploring sounds and writing material is concerned so there will be plenty of time spent creating new songs and, critically, letting our fans hear them live and on record.

APA: Finally, given how this blog began there's an obligatory Depeche Mode question. What's your favourite Depeche Mode track?

Andy: Got to be honest, I'm not the biggest DM fan (sorry) (APA - that's ok...) however they do have a couple of cracking songs. Personal Jesus is really tribal and has a great drive to it - out of their big hits that's definitely my favourite. As a more left field option. The Things You Said from Music For The Masses is a really nice song. It screams 80's New Romantic, however it does have a sense of timelessness about it and some of the synth lines and lead parts are beautiful. It's a sort of lullaby almost, similar to Asleep by The Smiths which is another song I love

----------------------------------------

Basically, picking The Things You Said forgives any suggestion of not being a big DM fan - easily one of the band's most wonderful tracks. Anyway....thanks very much to The Insomniac Project for taking part and I look forward to hearing what the band has to come for 2016. As for all the other bands who've sent me songs this year, thank you too and please feel free to keep sending as much music as you want next year and beyond.

Congratulations to The Insomniac Project - well deserved!

The Insomniac Project Facebook https://www.facebook.com/The-Insomniac-Project-330344370464489/?fref=ts 

SHARDS - SAD SAYONARA, GOODBYE

One of this year's most interesting new Scottish electronic bands Shards have returned with their third track Sad Sayonara, Goodbye (Errant Media) which is available as a free download from their Soundcloud page.

Shards continue their foray into the sound they have dubbed melancholitronica with Sad Sayonara, Goodbye and, to be honest, that's as good a name for this type of sound as any, Experimental, but with a pop twist, the song is a haunting track that builds and builds to a wonderful climax. As with Shards' previous two releases, Just To Get Something Started and Afterwards, Sad Sayonara, Goodbye has the ability to hook you in and keep you returning, time after time. As I said above, it's a free download too, so you really have to check it out.

Shards Sad Sayonara, Goodbye is releases on Errant Media and is available now as a free download

Errant Media Twitter https://twitter.com/errantmedia

KLOE - TOUCH

One of our New Bands of 2015, Kloe, (http://almostpredictablealmost1.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/new-bands-2015-no-6-kloe.html) has released a new track today called Touch. 

Building on her two previous tracks Grip and Feel, Touch is a synth driven pop masterclass that has a real depth to it a huge sound and a superb chorus. It's only going to add to the Glaswegian's reputation and a song like Touch displays a real knack for electronic pop, which is always going to be a good thing. Check it out below:

Kloe Facebook www.facebook.com/mynameiskloe
Kloe Twitter www.twitter.com/kloemusic

TRACK OF THE DAY: TEEN - ALL ABOUT US

Teen are a four piece from New York who are about to release their third album Love Yes. All About Us is the lead single from that and it's a cracker. A combination of breathless, excitable vocals, a superb harmony part, a pop melody that will lodge itself in your brain and, most pleasingly, a riot of synths that are as bleepy and beepy as you'd like.

Balancing perfectly with the song's catchy, poppy vibe is its theme which deals with everyday misogyny and, as singer Teeny Lieberson says, it "(E)xplores a situation that I have dealt with many times; if sexism is not in your face and one isn't saying it outright, then it couldn't possibly be happening." 

Have a listen below and I'm sure you'll quickly agree that this is a superb track. The album Love Yes will follow on 19 February 2016.

Teen Facebook https://www.facebook.com/teentheband/?fref=ts
Teen Twitter https://twitter.com/teentheband

EYES OF OTHERS - NIGHTWALKING EP

I've already highlighted Eyes Of Others as one to watch both on here and on one of my other homes, Scottish Fiction. Proving that Edinburgh is as fertile a ground for electronic music as Glasgow is, Eyes Of Others produce striking synthpop mixed with a dancier feel and it just works. Their new e.p. Nightwalking is released today (6 November) and from beginning to end, it's a joy.

Opener When It Suits moves from 80's influenced synths to the type of soaring, slightly melancholic pop the Pet Shop Boys once specialised in and it sets the e.p. off on the right tack immediately. Rugged Bunch Of Hunks, which is the most Pet Shop Boys title the Pet Shop Boys have never used, is another superb track. Again, there's an 80's feel to the synth sounds but there are also distinct New Order like vibes, almost sounding like a lost Power, Corruption & Lies track in places which is ace. It's followed by the laid back synthpop meets dreampop Vibrates Inside You which is in one moment all floaty atmosphere and then in the next a powerful, guitar led wall of melody that is quite magnificent. We then end on Middles Meet which has a definite feel of early Depeche Mode to it both musically and lyrically, and, from this blog, that is nothing more than a high recommendation.

Nightwalking is an impressive addition to what is already an impressive back catalogue and it highlights the talent Eyes Of Others have for atmospheric, thoughtful synthpop. Definitely one you want to hear

Nightwalking e.p. by Eyes Of Others is out now on Club Fandango/INgrooves and is available from all the usual digital retailers including ITunes

Eyes Of Others Facebook https://www.facebook.com/myeyesofothers/?fref=ts
Eyes Of Others Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/eyesofothers

TUFF LOVE - DREGS EP

Glasgow duo Tuff Love really are quickly becoming a favourite of mine. I still regularly play their previous two e.p's Junk and Dross and Dregs has already joined them on heavy rotation. All three are released through the excellent Lost Map label by the way - it's a label you should all check out. Anyway, to Dregs itself.

The opening track Duke is a wonderful start to the e.p, perfectly displaying the band's ability to merge laid back, summery, lo-fi vibes with fuzzed up noise that brings to mind The Pixies somewhere between Doolittle and Bossanova. The vocals and harmonies are, as ever, spot on too and the change of pace around 2 minutes 20 seconds in a beautiful thing. Crocodile focuses more the harder side of Tuff Love's sound, balancing the louder approach with the pop like vocal melody and then Threads increases the pace more and sounding like a track you know will be superb live. Amphibian and Carbon round off the e.p. with both tracks more reflective in sound and tone than their predecessors, yet they still fit the e.p. perfectly. 

With Dregs, Tuff Love have once again shown that they are band who really are up to something special. It will be a welcome addition to any music collection and, given that their stock is bound to rise sooner rather than later, I'd recommend you investigate Tuff Love right now. You'll want to be able to tell your friends that you knew them first

Dregs is available now on Lost Map Records download and 10" yellow vinyl

Tuff Love http://www.reallytufflove.com/
Lost Map Records http://lostmap.com/products/tuff-love-dregs-ep

GUS HARROWER - GIRL I DIDN'T KNOW

Edinburgh singer/songwriter Gus Harrower releases his debut single Girl I Didn't Know today, following up his well received Mystery e.p. which popped up on Soundcloud earlier in the year. The song is a full on pop cracker that has many layers to it, with Paul McCartney in his Wings pop phase like guitar lines and melodies running throughout the song. It's as catchy as anything you'll have heard in a while and it's certainly worth checking out.

The single is available on ITunes and Spotify (links below) and it's accompanies by Stuck On You which you can hear below. 

Girl I Didn't Know is a remarkably confident debut single and it's testament to the talent Gus clearly has as you can hear for yourself at the launch show at The Mash House in Edinburgh tomorrow night (7 November). On the evidence of this single, it's safe to say we'll be hearing a lot more about Gus in the very near future.

Girl I Didn't Know by Gus Harrower is available now on ITunes (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/id1055385188?app=itunes), Spotify and other digital retailers.

Gus Harrower Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gusharrowermusic/?fref=ts

BELIEFS - LEAPER

Toronto's Beliefs release their second album Leaper on 13 November on the ever impressive Hand Drawn Dracula label. Leaper is an album of shoegaze influenced indiepop that pays homage to the likes of The Pixies, Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine and even The Wedding Present, who are a personal favourite of mine, so all the signs point to something very good. What you ultimately get is an album that is as fresh as a daisy, full of fuzzy guitars, great washes of noise and superb melodies, leading to an album that is surely bound to make Beliefs pop up on many people's radars.

Opener Tidal Wave is as good an example of what's to come as anything. An opening feedback squall leads to an MBV like drone of distorted guitar and your attention is grabbed from the off.  I don;t know if it was deliberate or not, but the Dinosaur Jr referencing lyrics ("You're living all over me") are a nice touch. It's a superb start, yet it's trumped by the simply outstanding 1992 which is one of the best things I've heard in ages. Part Pixies, part joyous guitar pop, 1992 is a track you HAVE to hear and you can so below - you can't fail to love it.  Colour Of Your Name comes next sounding like The Wedding Present circa Seamonsters but having fun. It's a summery feeling track albeit one masked in wonderfully fuzzy guitars. Drown and the title track take the pace down a notch, focussing more in atmosphere albeit with added feedback and aggression in the latter which compliments the mood nicely before the excellent pop like Ghosts arrives, wrapping you up in its loveliness.

The album is basically a succession of impressive tracks that doesn't relent at all. Morning Light is another noise encased pop gem and it's followed by Go Ahead And Sleep which reminds you of Ride at their most intense before they let Andy Bell have too much influence. The penultimate Leave With You perhaps suffers by comparison to the breathless opening nine tracks of the album but, that said, it still impresses. The record then ends on the brilliantly titled Swooner which starts off quieter than you might expect but builds to a booming, echo laden climax that ends the album perfectly.

As I said at the outset, Beliefs are band you are bound to hear a lot about soon given the quality of Leaper. There is no harm at all in making a record that pays homage to your influences, as long as there is enough of you in the record itself. Beliefs more than achieve that with Leaper and it is an album that you really have to get your hands on.

Leaper by Beliefs is released on 13 November on Hand Drawn Dracula. It's available on download an a limited edition of 300 translucent green vinyl. I've managed to get one.

Beliefs Facebook https://www.facebook.com/weareBeliefs/?fref=ts
Hand Drawn Dracula Beliefs Artist Page http://handdrawndracula.com/artists/beliefs/

OKRAA - VULTUR E.P.

Hot Gem Tunes is one of the labels I keep banging on about ( see also Night School Records and Hand Drawn Dracula. Oh and Mute - always Mute) as each release on the label is a joy. Following on from releases by Machines In Heaven, Fiona Soe Paing and YuTaNi, Hot Gem has now released Vultur e.p.  by OKRAA a.k.a Colombian producer Juan Carlos Torres Alonso and it's a cracker. The combination of South American electronics and Glasgow based record label seems like a match made in heaven.

The e.p's four tracks are a glorious riot of beats, electronica and melody that is spot on from the off. The opener and title track starts proceedings off perfectly, combining 2 step with some big analogue sounds quite wonderfully and then the e.p's highlight, the sublime Utica lands, with vocals reminiscent of Jonsii from Sigur Ros over a shimmering, euphoric backing. It's brilliant. Aalasu follows, mellower in tone with beats and bleeps in all the right places, before we end on Trianae featuring Amilie which is the most dance orientated track here and it finishes the e.p. with a proper flourish. 

Vultur is a fascinating release and one that immediately grabs you. It sounds fresh, modern and keeps on eye on hooks throughout, meaning that you're extremely likely to find something you want here. Well worth checking out straightaway.

Vultur e.p. by OKRAA is available now on Hot Gem Tunes via Itunes, Amazon, Juno and Bookmat with physical formats available from Rough Trade and others.

Hot Gem Tunes http://www.hotgem.co.uk/OKRAA.html

Rough Trade http://www.roughtrade.com/albums/97975

MT. DOUBT - SOAK

Regular readers will know that Edinburgh's Mt. Doubt is something of a favourite of this blog's. My Past Is A Quiet Beast is one of this year's outstanding debut albums and Mt Doubt's live performances add new layers to the intricacies of the recorded versions of the tracks, giving them a Springsteen/Eddie Vedder/The National hybrid feel that doesn't fail to impress.

Showing that they're not resting on any laurels, the band have released a new single Soak which is free to download from the Soundcloud link below. Soak starts off sounding more confident that Mt Doubt have ever sounded, combining a chopping guitar riff with Leo Bargery's standout vocals before opening up and welcoming you into a delightful chorus which adds a superb harmony and vocal from Annie Booth. Like all Mt Doubt's music there are many layers to explore here and it's yet more proof that Mt Doubt are onto something special.

Soak by Mt Doubt is out now and is available as a free download.

Mt Doubt Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MtDoubt/?fref=ts

HIGH JINX - CLOSE TO THE SUN

Today we once again look beyond Scotland, venturing to wonderful Toronto where we find synthpop duo High Jinx. Comprising Ranny Lee on vocals and Mark Moby Holman on musical duties, the band produce a bang up to date take on classic synthpop with songs that you simply can't get out of your head once you've heard them. Their new single Close To The Sun is a prime example as you can hear below. Clean, hook laden electronics mix with superb vocal melodies, producing a near perfect example of modern synthpop - it's quite wonderful

It's not all about Close To The Sun  however as High Jinx have already produced a back catalogue of hugely impressive electronic pop. Check out the Cut And Run ep for example - it's a real gem and displays the many facets to High Jinx work perfectly.

One of the many joys of writing this blog is discovering new music and 2015 has already been quite a year for that. High Jinx are yet another band to add to the list of new discoveries for this year and, believe me, you're going to like them.

Close To The Sun is available on High Jinx Soundcloud page and Cut And Run is available now through ITunes.

High Jinx Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/highjinxmusic

High Jinx Official http://www.highjinxmusic.com/

High Jinx Facebook https://www.facebook.com/highjinxmusic?fref=ts

HQFU - CA$HLE$$ LIP$

It's been nothing short of a spectacular few months for Glasgow based Sarah J Stanley a.k.a. HQFU. Her debut release, Dust & Dirt, rightly got a lot of attention both on here, many other blogs and on radio and that led to a support slot with Chvrches at their album release show in London in September this year. At this rate, HQFU will be headlining T In The Park next year. 

All the attention on HQFU is entirely justified and new single Ca$hle$$ Lip$ only serves to confirm that HQFU is a very special talent indeed. Built around an insistent 90's rave like feel (think Orbital's first couple of albums), the track brings that influence bang up to date, adding layers of glimmering electropop that positively radiate with confidence to produce a single that many bands several singles and albums down the line would kill for. You simply have to hear it.

As I've mentioned several thousand times already, Glasgow is, as far as I am concerned, producing the best and most diverse electronic music that you'll find anywhere at the moment. HQFU is yet another superb example of that and Ca$hle$$ Lip$ is as good a track as you'll hear from that scene or any other. 

Ca$hle$$ Lip$ is available now from HQFU's Bandcamp page and ITunes

HQFU Bandcamp https://hqfu.bandcamp.com/album/ca-hle-lip

HQFU Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HQFUHQFU?fref=ts

DEATH OF HI FI - SWIM AWAY

Oxford's Death Of Hi Fi have returned with a new single Swim Away, their first to feature new member and vocalist Lucy Cropper. The single sees the band show a softer, more melodic side to their sound with a mix of reverb laden guitars, their trademark beats and electronics and Lucy's vocals producing one of their best tracks yet. As the lyrics suggest, the song has a floaty, almost dreamlike feel - indeed it verges on a dreampop feel in places which is a new direction for the band. 

The single comes with a remix of Swim Away called The Truck Mix which is a really cool take on the track which tweaks rather than overhauls it to impressive effect. One of the band's earlier tracks Lazarus also features on the release. 

Swim Away is available now. To get your hands on it, head to the band's Bandcamp page (http://deathofhifi.co.uk/) or ITtunes and all other digital retailers. 

Death of Hi Fi Facebook https://www.facebook.com/deathofhifi?fref=ts

TURTLE - IT'S A GOOD THING

Hot on the heels of May's Colours E.P, Glasgow's Jon Cooper a.k.a Turtle has just released his debut album It's A Good Thing through Bandcamp. To these ears, it's a huge leap on from Turtle's previous releases, stripping the music back and going for a more minimal, lo-fi feel in places, which helps the raw emotions of certain songs shine through. Cooper's vocals are prominent which makes tracks like the superb Adverse Effect and Just A Test stand out, giving the songs a Thom Yorke like feel which is a delight. The latter track's instrumental last minute and a half is pure electronic heaven too.

Fans of Turtle will recognise all the elements that brought Turtle to so many people's attention from the off with clever electronics merging with genuine songwriting talent throughout. For a debut album though, there's an impressive degree of confidence here and justifiably so. Slower instrumentals like Point Of Change,  an Eno like piano led piece, merge happily with dancier tracks like Solar or Bruce Lee, and the album flows nicely from beginning to end. 14 tracks is maybe a track or two too many but that's a minor quibble - when there are hazy, gorgeous songs like Body and Daytime Television to lose yourself in, you can easily forgive that. All said and done, It's A Good Thing is an album that is bound to appeal to electronica fans of all types as there is an awful lot here to love. It's an album I'd highly recommend.

It's A Good Thing by Turtle is available now on Turtle's Bandcamp page at http://iamturtle.bandcamp.com/releases

NEW BANDS 2015 NO. 17 - OUR FUTURE GLORY

Our Future Glory have already played the T Break stage at this year's T In The Park, so once again this post is more of a new to me thing than anything else. I first saw them last Friday (4 September) supporting The Insomniac Project at Nice N Sleazy and their set was quite remarkable. The band are a three piece from Dundee and their take on alternative pop covers all bases from indiepop  to huge dancefloor dominating tracks. Perhaps the best starting point is their recent single Battleheart:

Soundwise, think Bloc Party had they not gone off the boil and instead continued their experiements with dance music. It's powerful stuff an the whole set they played on Friday was filled with equally superb tunes. Head to their soundcloud page to hear the rest (link below) and then try and catch them live - it's something well worth expeirencing. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.

Our Future Glory http://www.ourfutureglory.co.uk/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ourfutureglory?fref=ts
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/ourfutureglory

NEW BANDS 2015 NO. 16 - SMASH WILLIAMS

So this is a very new band. As far as I can tell, Glasgow's Smash Williams haven't been going that long at all and, thus far, they only have one song up on Soundcloud. Fortunately, that song, A Splash Of Colour is an upbeat marvel: a riot of synths, guitars and melodies so lovely that you want to listen to it again, again and again. 

I was alerted to it by CHURCHES own Twitter feed and, let's face it, they know their way round glorious music. Have a listen below and keep an eye on Smash Williams. When I have more information and more tracks, I'll pass them on.

Smash Williams Twitter https://twitter.com/_smashwilliams

NEW BANDS 2015 NO. 15 - HQFU

OK, strictly speaking this is a solo performer rather than a band per se, but it means I get to keep these new acts in a sequential order which will be important come the end of the year.

Anyway, the newest act to come across my radar is HQFU, the musical project of Glasgow based Sarah J Stanley. She produces quite marvellous eletronica that displays influences as diverse as straightforward synthpop, experimental electronica and even 90's dance music, an influence of Sarah's from tapes she used to nab from her brother. Here's the superb Dust & Dirt as a taster:

There are currently 4 tracks to have a listen to on the HQFU Soundcloud page (click). I'd particularly recommend Dust & Dirt and the excellent Sunburst which you can hear below.

HQFU's debut e.p. form which Dust & Dirt is taken will be released on 6 November. Catch HQFU live in Glasgow this Friday too at The Hug & Pint and keep an eye out for more dates via the links below. I'll have a review of the e.p. up here as soon as possible - I can't wait for this particular release.


HQFU official http://www.sarahjstanley.com/HQFU.html
HQFU Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HQFUHQFU?fref=nf

INTERVIEW - APACHE DARLING

As regular readers will know, I'm something of a fan of Glasgow's synthpop duo Apache Darling, having first fallen under their spell last year when I heard their superb debut single More Than Me. I'm not alone in this as the band's fanbase has steadily grown since that song's release through a series of much talked about live shows, radio appearances (including an appearance on Radio Scotland's Janice Forsyth show this week) and their second single Firebird. Big things are surely about to happen for Apache Darling and this Saturday they take their first steps towards whatever those big things may be with an appearance on the T Break Stage at T In The Park. That will swiftly be followed by an appearance at Glasgow's King Tut's on 21 July as part of that venue's Summer Nights 2015 month of gigs. I caught up with Apache Darling, who are Stefanie Lawrence (vocals) and Andrew Black (synthesizers), to have a chat about T in The Park, King Tut's and more.

APA: You've got some fairly high profile gigs coming up, starting with your appearance on the T Break Stage at T In The Park. Daft question I suppose, but are you looking forward to it?

Stefanie: YES! We honestly can't wait. Although Apache Darling is just over a year old, I've been wanting to play T In The Park for years. For this to be our first U.K. festival show, and with it being the 20th anniversary of T In The Park, it feels like a perfect start.

APA: What can we expect from your T In The Park show?

Andrew: People who have seen us playing live before can expect a totally new experience with this show. We've ditched all trace of backing tracks, which was something we felt strongly about doing, and the band has a much greater energy as a result. Expect huge electronics and pop writing, but with the feel of a pretty heavy rock band. Mixed with the atmosphere of T, it should be an epic sound!

APA: Hot on the heels of that you have King Tut's on 21 July with AmatrAnt, Miracle Strip and Le Thug. That's a rather cool line up - you must be excited?

Stefanie: Yes again! We're really just excited to unleash this new live sound and I think that the line up for Tut's will make for a really exciting night. We still have some tickets available for this one which you can buy via our Big Cartel store for only £5 (http://apachedarling.bigcartel.com)

APA: King Tut's obviously has quite a status as a live venue. What are your thoughts about playing there?

Andrew: We love it. It's of course a very famous venue, but it really does live up to the hype. It's kind of the perfect size and when it's full of people, the energy is amazing on stage. We've played there once before. We've played there once before, but it was a last minute thing and our band weren't involved, so it'll be fun to play there with live bass and drums, and in front of a crowd who know our sound.

APA: You recently played in Toronto at NXNE - how was that?

Stefanie: Toronto was a really special one. We're unsigned and don't even have a manager, so the trip was fan-funded, something we're immensely grateful for. We played two packed out shows in one night and gained a lot of new fans. Canadian audiences are great fun and take live music very seriously: they really have a sincere respect for musicians and Toronto especially is a great artsy town.

APA: What are you plans for the next few months? Can we expect an album?

Andrew: We've just spent a week working on our live show with a musical director from England. He's worked on stadium shows for guys like Robbie Williams and currently tours with Bryan Ferry, so he really knows what he's doing and has really helped us enhance our sound. We're aiming to record some new material in Autumn and start putting out new tracks by the end of the year. We also have some more shows coming up that we'll be announcing soon, so follow our socials for updates on those shows (links below).

Thanks very much to Stefanie and Andrew for sparing the time to chat. As you've read above, keep an eye on the band's Facebook page (Apache Darling Facebook) and follow them on Twitter at @APACHEDARLING for all upcoming gig info.

NEW BANDS 2015 NO. 12 - MIRACLE STRIP

My ability to miss Glasgow based electronic bands never fails to amaze me. Rather than speaking to my failings however, I think it speaks more to the city's current remarkable stream of electronic or electronic influenced bands the most recent of which to grab my attention are Miracle Strip. I was delighted to be a guest on proper Scottish music blog Scottish Fiction's radio show on Pulse 98.4 on Thursday this week and, as I sat in silence watching Neil Wilson run around doing several hundred things at once including hosting a radio show, I heard Took A Running Jump by Miracle Strip which blew me away. Listen to it right now...

Combining hook laden music with deep, almost soulful vocals, Took A Running Jump is an instant hit and the whole Magic Milk ep is filled with similarly wonderful tunes. The duo, comprising Fergus Christie on vocals and synths and Malcolm Bruce Jack on synths, guitars and programming, have something quite special about them and, as belated as my discovery of them might be, they are yet another hugely welcome addition to this blog's New Bands 2015 section. They'll be appearing with blog faves Apache Darling, Le Thug and AmatrAnt at King Tut's on 21 July as part of that venue's Summer Nights programme and that is surely bound to be a marvellous evening, especially when topped off with a DJ stint from Podcart. Go and check out Miracle Strip immediately.

Magic Milk by Miracle Strip is out now and is available from their Bandcamp page https://miraclestrip.bandcamp.com/

Miracle Steip http://miracle-strip.co.uk/
Miracle Strip Facebook https://www.facebook.com/miraclestrippp?fref=ts