M83 "Fantasy"
From M83:
“M83 announces the details of his new forthcoming full-length album, FANTASY, that will see release on March 17th. In addition to this news, M83 has shared the sweeping, transformative first cut “Oceans Niagara”. Accompanying the track is a video directed by his long-time creative collaborator, filmmaker (Knife + Heart, You And The Night) and brother Yann Gonzalez.
“BEYOND ADVENTURE”, Gonzalez sings into a trademark M83 swirl of synths & guitars. These are the only two words in the entirety of “Oceans Niagara”, a proclamation with an ellipsis, and the most apt tone-setting for the evocative, sense-amplifying journey that is Fantasy.
For Gonzalez, Fantasy‘s direction and aesthetic was immediately clear. “I wanted this record to be very impactful live,” he says. “The idea was to come back with something closer to the energy of Before The Dawn Heals Us. The combination of guitars and synths is always in my music, but it’s maybe more present on this new record than on the previous ones.”
Reserved in nature, Gonzalez also sought to continue a trend that has become more prominent in his recent albums. “I wanted to be more present lyrically and vocally even if that was daunting at first,” he states. “I thought if I could achieve that, this album will be more personal than those that came before.”
Fantasy, M83’s 9th studio album, proves a towering sensory delight and marks his most personal album to date, an alternate world that Gonzalez has created as an escape from the disconnected world we live in today. ”
Fever Ray "Radical Romantics"
Radical Romantics, Fever Ray’s first new album in five-plus years, is out now. In conjunction, Fever Ray unveils their arresting music video for album highlight, “Even It Out.” A tribute to the campy universe of John Waters, the “Even It Out” video draws influence from Susan Sontag and Divine’s portrayal of Dawn Davenport in Waters’ cult classic movie Female Trouble. Keen eyes will spot cameos from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who co-produced and performed on “Even It Out,” as well as the song, “North.”
Fever Ray first started on Radical Romantics in fall 2019; working in the Stockholm studios built with brother and fellow The Knife member Olof Dreijer after the former completed the last Fever Ray tour in 2018 and the latter returned from living in Berlin. Some time in mid-2020, Olof joined Dreijer in working on Radical Romantics, co-producing and co-writing album opener “What They Call Us,” released in October to a wealth of praise, plus three further songs. These tracks on Radical Romantics are the first time the siblings have produced and written music together in eight years.
Other co-producers and performers include the Portuguese DJ and producer Nídia, Johannes Berglund, Peder Mannerfelt and Pär Grindvik’s technicolor dance project Aasthma, and the aforementioned power duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails) and experimental artist and producer Vessel. Long-time collaborator, Martin Falck, joins Dreijer in creating the all encompassing visual world of Radical Romantics-era Fever Ray.
Vosh "VESSEL"
Originally the trio of Chris Moore (Repulsion, Coke Bust, The Rememberables), Carson Cox (Merchandise, Death Index), and Josephine Olivia (Blacksage), VOSH was built to explore an amalgam of influences that range from Bauhaus to early Ministry to Sisters of Mercy to Zounds to Killing Joke to latter day titans Nine Inch Nails. And while a wide reaching and generic term such as “synth pop” or “darkwave” could be applied to the effort in broad strokes, the drama, intensity and excellent songwriting evokes something much deeper, more sinister, and darkly beautiful. Stretching across twelve original tracks, VOSH’s debut album Vessel doesn’t just slither, it bangs and bursts with explosive energy, juxtaposing an icy goth cool with red hot heightened drama and muscle.
Vocalist, lyricist and front person Josephine Olivia is the musical centrepiece for VOSH, mixing the dreamy and ethereal approach of Hope Sandoval or Alison Shaw (Cranes), the versatility of David Bowie, and the commanding power of greats like Siouxsie, Diamanda Galas or Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance). Olivia’s vocal sails above it all, presenting haunting melody after haunting melody in a dramatic and forceful manner that nods to voices from goth, dream pop, indie and elements of traditional pop music.Recorded at Moore/Olivia’s shared home in the greater Washington DC area, Moore looped in longtime collaborator/producer/engineer Kevin Bernstein from Developing Nations in Baltimore for an assist on the mix with Magnus Lindberg (Tribulation, Russian Circles, Lucifer, Hellacopters, Frida Hyvönen, etc) mastering the effort.
Can't Swim "Thanks But No Thanks"
New Jersey rock band Can’t Swim is releasing their 4th full length studio album called ‘Thanks But No Thanks’. Self-produced by Danny Rico, the band’s guitarist, the band is returning to their roots of gritty, dirty, DIY instrumentals accompanied by some of the best lyrical concepts of their career.