A Night Walk: New Synth Pop, Alt Pop + Electronic Music We Loved
Welcome to A Night Walk in The Underground Forest - a curated series where I hand-select my favourite releases.
Featuring DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ, Vĩ, BlackJeans, Laura Fisher, STM, Asha Elia, Decoy Octopus, Deenia, deathtoricky and When in Rome.
This edition features; DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ’s triumphant return in a swish of velvet and purple glitter; a breathtakingly beautiful synthetic soundscape that is captivating and haunting in the way that Kehlani’s ‘Gangsta’ is; a song with slick production reminiscent of Justin Timberlake’s ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds; a song that feels like it is as old as time, a song sung by the inhabitants of a remote village centuries ago; a ethereal trance song with heavenly vocals that made me feel like I was reading a secret diary at night under a purple night sky; an introspective song with an plush, mournful intro that reminded me of Cyril Hahn; and more!
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A Night Walk in The Underground Forest 🌙 Synth Pop • Electronic Pop • Alt Pop & Electronic
DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ - Still Standing
Things were feeling a bit bleak over the last while - until DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ returned in a swish of velvet and purple glitter to sprinkle some magic upon our ears.
The bassline in ‘Still Standing’ is kind of odd; the chords and vocals possessing the artist’s signature warmth, giving the whole thing a slightly discordant feel. This is definitely out of left field; as the song progresses, the two gradually merge and become one, forming a plush euphoric duvet of sound that the artist is so well known for. This is weird, and I love it; I crave things that challenge the listener to listen a few times - I am so deeply tired of everything being so perfect and clean and algorithm-friendly; I welcome strange music like this. DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ has put us under her spell yet again.
Connect with DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ
Bandcamp / Website / Facebook / X / Instagram
Vĩ - Sóng thần
This is taken from the Vietnamese artist’s album ‘SECOND COMING’ which I stumbled across on Bandcamp. ‘Sóng thần’ opens with a deliciously dark, brooding synthetic soundscape that is captivating and haunting in the way that Kehlani’s ‘Gangsta’ is (which, of note, is one of my favourite songs ever, especially the orchestral version). The vocals soar over the landscape of darkness; there is something about them that feels like they are a melody coming from a person surrounded by machines, a person who is weaving this loneliness and longing for human connection into glittering sonic tapestries, the kind that only a person can make. Utterly breathtaking.
Connect with Vĩ
Bandcamp | Instagram
BlackJeans - MONEY BACK
Photo Credit: Nelitza Wargo-Rodriguez
This is taken from the artist’s new EP, ‘END OF THE WORLD (Part 1)’. The production on this EP features elements reminiscent of Lady Gaga, ‘00s Black Eyed Peas, and Justin Timberlake’s ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’ (despite me not really caring all that much for Justin Timberlake, ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’ is still one of the best albums ever; and I don’t give out praise like this lightly).
‘MONEY BACK’ is slick and seductive, with deliciously smooth vocals. As the song progresses, an M1 Organ Bass adjacent bassline comes in, which always gets me. This makes for a fantastically depraved good time.
Connect with BlackJeans
Instagram | X
Laura Fisher - Trial & the wishing gun
The first thing I thought of when I started listening to this was that it reminded me of the marshy plains of ‘Under Salt Marsh’. ‘Trial & the wishing gun’ is the opening track from the album ‘THE SKY IS A WONDROUS BEING I AM LUCKY TO BE INSIDE’. There is something about it that has the darkness and beauty of a folk tale, the song feeling like it is as old as time, a song sung by the inhabitants of a remote village centuries ago. There is something shadowy woven into the tapestry of sound, with eerie and entrancing vocals. I loved this.
Connect with Laura Fisher
Bandcamp / Instagram | Facebook
STM - moonlight
This reminds me of the kind of music me and boy racers were obsessed with as teenagers. This song stood out to me in particular as STM’s artistry infuses the whole listening experience with a glittering magic, which made me feel like I was reading a secret diary at night under a purple night sky. The vocals are ethereal, the soundscape shifting behind the vocals, the production flawless. A fan is born.
Connect with STM
Bandcamp | Instagram | X
When in Rome - Human Nature
An all-consuming wave of synthesizers descends upon your ears, which for some reason makes me think of the dread of inhuman systems and structures taking over (like the droids have taken over everything). This was written during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when people were connected digitally, and although there were many, many positive aspects to this, the medium did bring out a lot of viciousness, which, I suppose, was unfortunately inevitable.
On the song, vocalist Farrington explains, "'Human Nature' explores why people can be unkind to one another over political, religious, or personal differences.The song suggests that this behavior is an inherent part of the human experience."
Connect with When in Rome
Website | Instagram
Asha Elia - breathing
This opens with a plush, mournful soundscape that reminded me of Cyril Hahn (who, if you don’t know, was one of the most prolific producers and remixers of the 2010s).
This new song from British artist Asha Elia features angelic vocals delivered over a breakbeat-style beat, all done in a way that will soothe your nervous system and invite you to be more introspective. If you are feeling completely overwhelmed and overstimulated, this will bring you back to yourself.
Connect with Asha Elia
Instagram | X
Decoy Octopus - Silverstream (LIVE)
Decoy Octopus is the “jungalist alias of Irish artist Aran Sheehy under which he releases music inspired by liminal PS1 spaces.” This is a genre that I am relatively new to (I did not have a PS1 growing up, so as a result, the only nostalgia I have for games would be reserved for PC games).
On listening to the rising soundscape of dark and beautiful electronic textures of Silverstream, I was reminded of the synthetic beauty of Deadmau5, in how his production grabs you, makes you feel something, and doesn't let you go, all done in a fashion that appears straightforward (in the way the best electronic music is) but is in fact incredibly complex and the work of an unbelievably skilled producer.
Connect with Decoy Octopus
Instagram | Facebook
Deenia - Protocol
This makes me think of a club in a 1990s dystopian science fiction movie in a district where glamor and terror exist side by side, and every time you step into this club, you are taking your life into your hands. The production in this is all-consuming and vast, with something slightly sinister at the core that makes it so alluring. This would be perfect for a club scene in a movie - it needs to happen.
Connect with Deenia
Instagram
deathtoricky - lemon haze
I have been working on a green-screened music video for what feels like the last century, and it has literally been killing me. However, the only upside is that my YouTube algorithm is now a treasure trove, filled with some of the best music videos the internet has to offer. ‘lemon haze’ falls into the latter category, catching my eye during the week, and from the moment the warm, hazy strings and glitchy sampled vocals floated over my ears, I was instantly a fan.
This is perfection; there is something about the warmth of the music that reminds me of Mac Miller, my favourite part of the song being the Dublin Bus going by in the background with the lines “in an Uber Black I don’t have to ride the bus now”. The Irish Top 10 charts at the moment are pure and utter misery, so I demand that we get ‘lemon haze’ into the top 5 at the very least.
Connect with deathtoricky
Instagram | X
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About Eimear O Sullivan
Eimear Ann O Sullivan is a multi-genre music producer, audio engineer and vocalist. After receiving a Masters in Music Technology from the CIT Cork School of Music, she went on to operate as a producer under the name Blakkheart. Her releases have received critical acclaim from Ireland's biggest music publications, such as District Magazine and Nialler9, alongside receiving heavy commercial radio airplay. She currently works in Cork recording studio Flashpoint CC. Previous clients of hers include the likes of Comedy Central’s Dragony Aunt star Candy Warhol, rapper Darce and Outsider YP. (Photo credit @Fabian Boros)
Contact Eimear O Sullivan at eimear.o.sullivan@musicngear.com
In this blog section we host new music releases, artist features and handpicked playlists by the Musicngear staff.
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