SCINTII — TIMES NEW ROMAN (PALMISTRY REMIX)

⌾ LISTEN TO SCINTII, TIMES NEW ROMAN (PALMISTRY REMIX) ⌾

---

---

Firstly an undulating wash of post-trance sound, the static sea of scathing synths and hiss that marks the start of this track feels panoramic, witch house-tinged, maybe, but less pentagrams, more amorphous futuristic mode of transport. This harsh, nebulous swirl becomes the backdrop for a restless scuttle of garage-tinged beats — the propulsion at the heart of Palmistry's remix treatment for 'Times New Roman' by Shanghai-based Scintii.

Leaving its electrified cosmic cloud behind, the track dives into a glimmering shuffle of percussion and gloopy bass, pitched clangs simultaneously rooting it somewhere physical while also darkly ringing in a metaphysical realm, a club night on another plane of existence.

While Scintii's original 'Times New Roman' sees her voice creep amid a lurching forest of synth, Palmistry's reworking fragments the vocal and scatters it like silly putty throughout, adding human — if warped — warmth to its cold, kinetic vessel. The change tempo towards the end is natural, satisfyingly so, like a train slowing for a station, further emphasising the propulsive power of the track as the track draws to a fizzy, ethereal close.

---

• 🔔 This track is out now via Houndstooth. You can stream it and purchase it as your heart desires from this list of services.
• 🔔 The original 'Times New Roman' was the result of a recording session with Danny L. Harle. "The main melody came to me while wandering round a shopping mall," Scintii says of the track "but I wasn’t sure what to do with it. Then I had the session with Danny and it just worked with the beat he was making. It really started to become about me feeling sure of myself as a musician and producer, going in a new direction and really being able to maximise my own voice."

---

📠
☟ Scintii Internet Presence ☟
facebook ⚘ soundcloud ⚘ twitter ⚘ instagram

☟ Palmistry Internet Presence ☟
facebook ⚘ soundcloud ⚘ bandcamp ⚘ official site ⚘ twitter ⚘ youtube ⚘ instagram ⚘ spotify

---

CHARLES MURDOCH WEATHERED STRAIGHT EP

What a nice way to start September. I know it's the third already but I haven't done a post about music yet so this is like the 1st September in a way. In a way, it's not, because it's really not the 1st anymore but in a way I'm saying that here is a great start to September. If you have school or university to think about going back to, well, I feel for you.

Here is a set of songs that is going to cushion any wooly heads today, relax any frantic minds, easy up on life and have a little sleep on the sofa kind of music. Maybe that's just the lazy side of me coming out. I think it is. Because not all of this music is as chilled and relaxing as I am making it out to be. What is "this" I keep talking about? It's the Weathered Straight EP by Charles Murdoch of course. From Brisbane, he's released this EP through independent Australian label, Future Classic - who don't seem to be letting up when it comes to associating themselves with very tasty music - and it is a good EP.

Although there's no particular similarities amongst Future Classic artists, not that I can name anyway, there seems to be a fresh future feeling effused from each artist's work. The case is not different with Charles Murdoch. The last song on this EP for instance, 'No Lungs', is a good example. Vocal samples break through the mists of ambient synth that vary between shallow, still, thick and agitated; glittering cascades make themselves known; an urban beat - something akin to UK garage I guess - flits along with glitchy taps.

That beat is something that links all four songs on this album, but its spiritual partner I suppose would be 'Dekire', which features Oscar Key Sung. In what capacity he features exactly, I have no idea. Perhaps he provides the vocals, whose falsetto is gloriously backed by thick layers of harmony in places and lashings of clinical reverb. There's that garagey beat again, here adorned with additional frazzling crackles. Sub bass doomly rumbles. Synth chords pulse and then go absolutely crazy in the last section, an intense and rich wall of sound that cannot help but be admired.

The chord work is particularly lovely in first track, 'Why', too. In this instance it's a gradual build up to the frenzy of synth noise, supported here by strings that give it a sampled feel, something a little more old school. Vocal samples are in the mix too, like whispering ghosts whipped into a cake mix. There's something a bit retro about this one: perhaps it's in those strings. The beat is harsher, more trebly, and a little glitchy. It's urban spiritual.

Then there's the beauty that is 'Light Words VOA', featuring vocals from LA singer Steffaloo. The beat of this song, in a skiffly, offbeat, odd-timed rhythm, sets it apart from the others and helps give the song a dreamy quality. That's not the only thing though: Steffaloo's vocals are quite lovely and dreamlike, an innocent song crooned in aching tones in a tunnel of reverb. There's a real theta wave vibe to this song, something relaxed and drowsy. Maybe it's also in the altered samples of the vocals that sound like yawns, the phasing-in-and-out synth. I dunno. There's also a sound that sounds like Sonic (Mega Drive era) jumping.

There are many lovely nuances to get your teeth around on this EP - so many delicious flavours. Please listen to it and share it with your friends.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Like Charles Murdoch on Facebook
Listen to Charles Murdoch on Soundcloud
Follow Charles Murdoch on Twitter
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
⌾

TOURIST PEAKS

Might be late on this one but it's on my to-write list and by gor am I gonna write it. I mean, who cares anyway. It's new enough for me. It's my site and that's that. Sorry.

So yeah anyway this is some music from Tourist, aka the real life person William Phillips (probably) who is from London. The song is called 'Peaks' and it was released on XLR8R (it's a site and NOT a number plate, apparently) like a month ago so I am sorry about the lateness. Tourist as a general artist been on my list ever since a friend recommended I listen to it but all the other stuff on his SoundCloud is 5 months old or more, boohoo. In this instance I do heartily suggest listening to basically everything on his SoundCloud. It's very good.

What genre of music does Tourist make? What genre of music is 'Peaks'? Nice, that's what. Simple as that.

However, in all seriousness the music of 'Peaks' is inlaid with a garage beat, reflecting a typically London sound with skipping hi-hats and occasional claps - yet the music itself is something else. I guess you'd call it "future garage" or something like that. The synth work is quite experimental, switching from low register saw-waves to higher hollow chords and pitch-bent screamers. To back this up there's some subtle synth bass, too. This provides a nice bed on which a vocal sample is played with like a piece of yielding Play-Doh, stretched in especially wonderful ways at around the 4:30 mark. By the end the beat is bigger and less fractured, leaving you almost reeling from the soft offensive on the ears.

Lovely shtuff. I am interested to see what will come next from Tourist - could be this year. Who knows. I don't.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Like Tourist on Facebook
Listen to Tourist on Soundcloud
Follow Tourist on Twitter

DISCLOSURE FT. ELIZA DOOLITTLE YOU & ME [VIDEO]

I quite like Disclosure. I've heard a few of their songs, not from online or anything, but on the radio as I've been just living my normal life. A deeper look tells me that it's a band made up of two brothers, Guy and Howard Lawrence, who come from Surrey in the UK - that's the area I come from. Huzzah! Anyway I really enjoy their music so I was pleased to find that a new song, or rather a new video for that song: 'You & Me'. It features vocals from English singer-songwriter, Eliza Doolittle.

And my my is her voice suited to the luscious garage sound lovingly provided by the fraternal team of Disclosure. Yes, in amongst the tangle and complexities of the garage rhythm, delicate hi-hats offset against punchy kick supporting that gorgeous snap of a snare, there is Doolittle's voice, clear and dynamic, jumping all the time from high to low. Lovely, really. Who would've known she would do something like this? It's pretty much a perfect fit.

Watch and listen just below.

Video reflects the song. I'm not sure why. Obviously that's why it's the video for the song and not something else, duh. However, as with many garage songs - even those of the future garage variety - it is the beat that is supposed to shine through more than anything else. Or is it? I dunno. Maybe it just seems that way, like it's the norm for the vocals in this style to be of a certain type. In any case, they are effective, and whilst not extremely ear-catching or definitively characteristic of Doolittle, they do WORK. And that's the point. The song is a whole thing. Start breaking it down into who's done what bit the best and which brother made the hi-hat sound the way it did blah blah blah... know what I mean?

It's a catchy tune, one that certainly injects more than a little rhythm into the veins. The minimalistic complexity of Disclosure is something that really excites me, and the wom-wom deep synth of the chorus (as with their other recent songs I know of, 'Latch' - whose vocals, I think, are much more stand-out - and more similarly, 'White Noise' - same story with the vocals, actually) is just perfect. This song is more of a 'typical' garage vibe than their other two, but one that demonstrates their skill with beats and sounds nonetheless - I still really enjoy it.

Their debut album, called Settle, is out June 3rd on PMR Records.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Like Disclosure on Facebook
Listen to Disclosure on Soundcloud
Visit Disclosure official site
Follow Disclosure on Twitter
Learn about Disclosure on Wikipedia

Learn about Eliza Doolittle on Wikipedia