Articles by " Diamond Atlas"
Home Alone – “Blunts”
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Home Alone made things very clear upon his arrival into cyberspace: he loves music, weed, and making music about smoking weed.
His first release, Teddybears And Weed, lead us right into the smoke clouds, often painting nostalgic pictures using warm, fuzzy reverb and pulsating synths to further define his hazy, weed-induced dreamscapes.
Obviously still high off the vibes, Home Alone readies himself for another mission into dreamland. Engulfed in deep seated regret, this new offering glows on a much higher plain than the last. This shiny beacon beams through the thick clouds that veil the sky, allowing his vision to be much clearer and his smooth vocals to skip on a bed of sparse, poppy beats, slowing building off the swell of dreamy, zoned out synths that inhabit the songs woozy, hypnotic atmosphere.
This time around, he wants nothing more than to love, to bask in the rays of his adolescence, while his daydreams burn through a marathon of “thc.”
His crystalized fantasies continue on his forthcoming release, Crumbs. Once again mastered by one of our favorite little Foxes, these new songs allow Home Alone‘s dream pop narrative to flourish on a more lush and bountiful playing field.
Not to be “Blunt,” but this new EP is pretty badass.
Crumbs drops on May 27th via Bad Pop.
Miss Elizabeth – “Ein Weißwein”
The mist of nostalgia can have you lost on a road that winds down a path of blissful nothingness or forgotten heartbreak. This is a path often traveled in dreamier sounds, but when the perfect balance of angst, love, and regret strikes a chord, it allows you to revisit your own memories through a much clearer, more refined scope of thought.
Miss Elizabeth‘s musical adventures find them digging through the same cavern of secrets to transform the vignettes of countless debaucheries and lost love into gorgeous, anthemic gems that force their true feelings to peak out from the hazy confines of their anxious youth.
“Ein Weißwein” is the second single from their new EP, Luger. This one is a sweet jam, softly shimmering through a glass of teenage infatuation. The shoegaze formula is definitely present in their sound, but the light haze allows thoughts to shift freely and grow into something bigger and more vibrant, all the while holding their hearts close on an atmospheric string of warm synth blips and sharp, transcendent drums. The end result is a song that mirrors the one they swoon over. This lush, romantic tune sparks those butterflies your crush sets off the minute they make contact.
Luger drops on May 18th. This won’t be the last you hear from Miss Elizabeth on the Diamond Atlas front. More details coming soon as NXNE is fast approaching.
JRCA – “Just In Case”
Earth. Wind. Water. Fire.
These four elements play a fundamental role in the way our planet functions.
Sound often requires a similar structure in order for music to stimulate the brain and attract it to different parts of songs that are familiar to us in one way or another.
Knoxville’s JRCA (pronounced jay-are-see-yay) claim to operate on rhythm, melody, harmony, and dissonance. Their music uses each of these in a much different way than one might think.
Their latest offering, “Just In Case”, is quite the slow burner. The bass is a swift tidal wave of static that surges in and out of the track, sometimes acting as a buffer for the crunchy beat samples and other times leaving the sonic canvas completely bare, allowing the smooth, cryptic vocals to move solemnly through the dusty, white noise and swelling electronics. The execution is so precise that it forces the music to evolve subtly, keeping the beats swimming down a constant stream of hypnosis.
Rhythm, melody, and harmony utilized on a pop template often births songs that weave into the fabrics of our brains, sparking that addictive trait we all have towards catchy music.
For this duo, it’s dissonance, that slight pinch of imperfection that throws these elements off kilter and pushes their lucid soundscapes into a realm of hazy, mesmeric pop that evokes deep thought and often leaves you completely absent to the world.
We don’t know what the future holds for these two, but we have reason to believe that Dracula Horse might have something to do with it. More sounds can be found of their SoundCloud.
Petra Glynt – “Sour Paradise”
The evolution of an artist often leads their creative adventures into strange, new terrain. For Alexandra McKenzie, her work lives and breathes on its own unique, magical planet. For years, she’s become known for delving deep into the psychedelic wonderlands of her imagination to forge her own beautifully warped, visual works; making a unique mark on Toronto’s growing arts community. Now as Petra Glynt, she looks to tackle sound in the same way she approaches her artwork.
Her latest offering brings us to a land of uncertainty. Upon arrival, you’re greeted by the trickles of organic noise and tribal drums, flowing from the sky in unison. As the flow intensifies, the once lite flow of sounds forms into a sonic anomaly of swelling synths, warped drums, and gorgeous cries from the mystics.
“Sour Paradise” is a world trapped within itself, looking for the answers in a field of lies. As Petra guides you deeper into the land, the field of noise just becomes one vast realm of rich, fuzzy elegance and countless possibility.
This track is just a taste of what’s to come from Petra Glynt‘s forthcoming release. Nothing is set in stone yet, but word is something magical is in the works. Until then, Toronto folk can catch her live a few times this month.
Co La – “Deaf Christian” (Official Video)
The sample based electronic exploits of Co La mastermind, Matt Papich, have always managed to channel something deeper than sound. From the cosmic synth pulses, weird tropical elements, and hypnotic doo-wop samples; as each element loops together, it titillates the mind in a way that allows you to grab onto something greater than the music itself.
If the gorgeous sound collages on Co La‘s last effort, Daydream Repeater, taught us anything, it’s that he’s very good at taking us through experiences that often require a pina colada, some bright board shorts, and maybe a few psychedelics if you’re feeling up to it. It’s kind of funny to think that his new single is called “Deaf Christian”. Those not blessed with all four senses can rest assured that you’ll not miss one beat of this track.
As usual, Co La defies the traditional pop template, allowing him to weave different sounds together with his own futuristic thread, creating a blend of uniquely layered electronics that you can experience with your whole being. Much like fresh fruit, this track is juicy and has a sweet vibe that stays on the tongue long after the first bite. Oddly enough, all the fruit in the visuals for “Deaf Christian” end up being used for smashing, rather than eating. Watching a handsome ginger man crush two pieces of fruit into his skull with the most unsettling looks on his face is pretty out there, but the lighting is perfect and makes the whole spectacle pretty hard to ignore.
“Deaf Christian” and some other delicious tracks can be found on his next LP, Moody Coup, which drops May 6th on Software.
