By Keith Walsh
Just in time for celebrations of the Lunar New Year Of The Rabbit 2023, we gathered some of the friskiest electronic tunes that have caught the attention of our super sensitive rabbit ears. Five out of six artists here are from the U.S, though of course their influences are of the world.
Darwin “Don’t Tell A Soul” Julian Shah-Tayler Mix
From his sonically pristine new EP Everything Gone’s Green, Darwin turned over mixing reins on one tune to his frequent collaborator Julian Shah-Tayler for this new mix that puts a stylish, somewhat upbeat twist on “Don’t Tell A Soul,” which was released in its original form as a single in 2021. Darwin still comes across as vulnerable in this version, with his vocal surrounded by glossier, dancier elements than the darkly minimal original. Darwin is located in Northern California.
Links for Streaming Everything’s Gone Green
Darwin Meiners dot com
Spektor Baal “Outcasts”
“Outcasts” is a catchy darkwave earworm with minimal production and a message for those who might feel excluded. Baal is an occultist and a tarot card reader, facts that don’t preclude him in any way from presenting something that can shatter the darkness with sonic brilliance. Baal is an American artist located in NY.
Spektor Baal On Bandcamp
Spektor Baal On Facebook
Astari Nite “Bowie In Daydreams”
Of the many elements from David Bowie’s career that were borrowed by goth musicians, a sense of cool detachment, affected vocals, androgyny and dark electronic beats are just a few. Located in Miami, Florida, Astari Nite combines all of these and more into an exhilarating darkwave groove, and the video is very special, portraying a dynamic club performance. Mychael Ghost does a cool job of emulating his hero, and there are Marilyn Manson vibes too.
Astari Nite On Bandcamp
Astari Nite On Facebook
Kontradikshn “Excess”
From three U.S. artists, we go halfway across the globe to Slovenia, where Petar Stojanovíc works in his Implicit Division Studios. From an upcoming album, “Excess” is a synth rock jam, featuring Stojanovíc’s edgy vocals, live drums, electric guitar, and cool pulses of synths. The song itself breaks the pop format, pulling away from chord progressions and lyrical melodies. Nevertheless, it’s a cool groove for the dance floor. I’d say an excessive 10-minute dance remix is called for.
Kontradikshn On Facebook
The Screaming Pope “Accomplished Mugician”
Located in Boston, The Screaming Pope is a project of studio whiz George Bolton, a restless electronic musician who finds himself moving from hardware synths, to software synths, to loops and found beats, in a quest for the ideal form of expression. From his album of the same name, “Accomplished Mugician” is a dreamy electronic soundtrack with pop and ambient stylings.
The Screaming Pope On Spotify
George Bolton On Soundcloud
The Screaming Pope On Youtube
Rob Kovacs “Star Forge”
This tune is from a 10-track soundtrack to the upcoming virtual reality video game Straylight. Located in New York, Kovacs utilized a vintage Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 to create this trippy little ditty imbued with analog warmth. It’s far from the 8 bit sound of early video games, and in fact Kovacs also releases music under the brand name 88bit. Straylight is reported to be an innovative new VR experience, and it’s created by Dr. Bloc. We can’t wait!
Rob Kovacs Dot Com
Rob Kovacs On Facebook
Dr. Bloc On Facebook
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