Singles of the Week (39//22)

1) Dukla - Moře

 

 

 New video from Prague, Czechia synth / indie pop 

EP Moře vnitrozemí released April 7, 2022 

Director: Štepán FOK Vodrážka DOP: Šimon Dvořáček Written and recorded by Dukla (Josef Hradilek, Lukáš Vydra, Jáchym Krohe) 

Lyrics written by Lukáš Vydra Produced by Lukáš Vydra Mixed and edited by Tomáš Havlen Mastered by Lukáš Turza (Snap Mastering) 

Made in Prague, EU © all rights reserved

 

 
(video - Teargarten)

2) Haleiwa - Low Heaven

 

 

 News from indie shoegaze Stockholm, Sweden Mikko Singh 

Taken from "Hallway Waverider" out on Morr Music Nov. 25th 2023 

 »Hallway Waverider« is Mikko Singh’s second album for Morr Music under his Haleiwa moniker. Blending the washed-out aesthetics of dream pop with a lo-fi take on modern psychedelia, it is a fuzzy record in more than one sense. The ten songs see the multi-instrumentalist explore the sonic idiosyncrasies of analogue recording equipment while also expressing a self-assured statement by a musician who has carved out a niche for himself and feels perfectly at home in it. “This record is like me telling my teenage self that I am OK,” says Singh. “Back then, I was recording my song ideas on cassette players but held the belief that music should be recorded in an expensive studio with expensive gear in order to be real.” As it turns out however, Singh had been right from the start, having come full circle as an established artist some twenty years later. 

 

(digital, video - Morr Music)

3) Jon Hopkins & Kelly Lee Owens & Sultan + Shepard & Jerro - To Feel Again / Trois

 

 

 New single from London, UK electronic musician and producer and Collaboration...
A few weeks ago I was DJing in Milan. The next morning after very little sleep, I was on my way to the airport to get to my next show, and the driver had this tune playing which sent me into a kind of blissed out haze. It was called Trois, by Sultan + Shepard and Jerro. I bought it and played it to end my set at The Garden Party that night. It was so euphoric and went down so well, and for some reason half way through it I started hearing the vocal from Luminous Spaces - my collab with Kelly Lee Owens from a few years ago - in my head. The next day I dropped that vocal on top and found that it fit perfectly. I added some extra drums and other sound design, then sent it to Kelly and she loved it too. We shared it with the original artists and collectively decided we wanted to put it out. They kindly sent me the stems, so myself and Kelly did some further edits and finalised this joyous pop-trance banger that you are hearing today. Xx Note from Sultan + Shepard ‘Luminous Spaces’ was one of our favorite tunes of the past couple years so we were extremely excited when Jon asked for the stems. We're such fans of both Kelly and Jon, so being able to connect and collaborate with them through this song that we started with Jerro in our studio last year feels very special to us. 

 

 

 
(digital - This Never Happened)

4) Finlay Hatton - This Is My Memory Of You / This Leaden Heart

 

 

 News from Birmingham, UK indie-rock / shoegaze... 

 Released 30/9/2022 

 

(digital - REFVGE)

5) The Haunted Youth - Teen Rebel

 

 

 New video from indie pop Hasselt, Belgium (Joachim Liebens) 

Debut album ‘Dawn Of The Freak’, out on November 4th... 

What a year it’s been for The Haunted Youth! And the best is yet to come for the band centred around Joachim Liebens (29) with the release of debut album ‘Dawn Of The Freak’ on November 4, marking the pinnacle of a dazzling ride that started in the spring of 2021. The Haunted Youth became indie darlings in Belgium and The Netherlands from the very first single they released. And what’s more, early singles like ‘Coming Home’ and ‘Gone’ also attracted attention in the UK and US straight away, earning praise from such big names as Consequence and NME. The Haunted Youth even made ‘Song of the Day’ (‘Coming Home’) and went in heavy rotation (‘Broken’) on influential radio stations such as KEXP and KCRW. Furthermore, the band gained international Spotify support, featuring on several playlist covers both in Belgium and internationally. The international release of the album is preceded by the single ‘Teen Rebel’, a dream pop anthem you think you’ve known all your life and that will stay with you all your life. The previous singles also return on ‘Dawn Of The Freak’, like close friends that wrap their arms around you, raising the glass to celebrate life with all its highs and lows. Because for all the highs The Haunted Youth have experienced so far, Liebens has had his share of lows in life. For him making music is a way of facing the demons of his past and writing them out of his system. “It’s therapy, a way of dealing with my existence”, Liebens says. “And I hope this album will be universal and accessible enough for others to enjoy it in the same way.” As dark as the lyrics often are, as a whole and musically the album exudes salvation and connection, implying that it’s okay to feel like shit sometimes. And “it’ll all be over someday soon, I promise you”, Liebens leaves a glimmer of hope in closing song ‘Fist In My Pocket’. Liebens put his heart and soul in ‘Dawn Of The Freak’, writing all the songs and producing the album. The music of The Haunted Youth echoes the shoegaze and dream pop of musical heroes like Slowdive, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine and DIIV. But the band also has a very characteristic and instantly recognizable sound with that typical dreamy guitar, melancholic synths and Liebens’ velvety voice. A sound both the seasoned indie connoisseur and the average festival goer love, judging by the live sensation The Haunted Youth have become in no time, and the rapturous reception at festivals like Rock Werchter, Best Kept Secret, Pukkelpop, Tomavistas, ESNS and Reeperbahn (including a nomination for the prestigious Anchor Awards!). The Haunted Youth will be playing sold-out album release shows in The Netherlands and the Main Hall of legendary Brussels venue Ancienne Belgique, followed by an extensive string of release and festival shows all over Europe in 2023. 

 

(video - Mayway)
 

vinyl:
Magic Shoppe - Patty Hearse (7")
EPs:
Prim - As I'll Ever Be /EP/
digi single, video:
Wings of Desire - Choose A Life
Knifeplay - Ryan Song
Nation of Language - From The Hill
Aerofall - Stunning Haze
HIGH/LOW - Tiny Monocle
EKKSTACY - Im So Happy
Sphere - The Starry Night
Soft Blue Shimmer - Love Being
Blush Response - Afterglow / Ewan
Glad Sisifus - Lows Have Higher Ceiling
Teen Daze - New Spirits
Real Lies - Ultraviolet
Restraining Order - Fight Back
Ces Cadáveres - La union perfecta entre el baile y el placer
Bedrooms - Huffing
Surf Rock is Dead - Tough Love