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A Night Walk in The Underground Forest - New Synth Pop, Alt Pop + Electronic Music We Loved

Welcome to A Night Walk in The Underground Forest - a series where I hand-select new synth pop, alt pop + electronic music I loved.

Featuring Nxdia, Howells, danya, Sabriel, alan vuong, Girl Tones, Denyah, student 1& legwurk

By Eimear O SullivanMusicngear Editor

Featuring: a dreamy garage song that sounds like a summer evening in France; a song that will induce the same reaction as the most euphoric and heart-wrenchingly beautiful music from the 1990s; a song that sounds like it has picked up an alien frequency from another planet; a song that will restore something fundamental in you (especially if the state of the music industry has got you down); a song reminiscent of mid-2010s internet; a song that sounds like a solitary walk at night; a song that will remind you of the most addictive alt-pop of the 00s and more!

A Night Walk in The Underground Forest 🌙  Synth Pop  • Electronic Pop  •  Alt Pop & Electronic

RUNNING (matters of the heart) - Denyah

Discovering music on YouTube holds the same joy for me as the early days of the internet. When I saw the pink and green thumbnail for ‘RUNNING (matters of the heart)’ with its pastel colors and 1990s home video vibe - I knew I had to hear this song.

This has a garage beat running throughout, over which dreamy vocals and electronic textures float in that specific way they did in the early 00s. The choppiness of the sampling is reflected in the visualizer, making the whole listening experience all the more transfixing. This is easy breezy like a polka dot dress on a summer evening in France, and I love it.

Connect with Denyah
Instagram

danya - I need

This was a Bandcamp discovery; taken from the newly released album ‘my skin’. 

‘i need’ is the first song of the album, opening with shimmering bells that cover a deep-seated melancholy like a translucent membrane.

The strings and guitars induce the same reaction as the most euphoric and heart-wrenchingly beautiful music from the 1990s, to the degree that you might actually think you are listening to something from that era. The vocals are distant and far away; you have to lean in to hear them, almost like you are listening to secrets being deluged that you are not supposed to hear. This is utterly breathtaking.

Connect with danya
Instagram

Sabriel - datdopecreepybaby ft. wil$on

This kind of sounds like the cables strewn all over the floor in the music video have picked up an alien frequency from another planet, which are running interference all throughout the song. This is dissonant and deeply strange - the soundscape being a dark forest of twisted textures and sounds, the angelic vocals coming in and out, making it all the more eerie. wil$on’s flow is diabolically good. 

Connect with Sabriel
Instagram | Facebook

Connect with wil$on
Instagram

Tiago - legwurk

I initially thought that this was a picture of a young Catherine O Hara and was like, how was I unaware about her electronic music career?? 

It is, in fact, Portland-based artist Legwurk, who embarked on a journey making music for strangers in the park. In an Instagram post, the artist said that she had been feeling very disillusioned with the state of the music industry (same), but still wanted to share music with people, so she invited them to sit, and she made music for them on the spot. 

The song is named after a little boy who waited for the artist to set up and was the first of the day to participate. The song is gentle and beautiful, the pads sound blue and kind of aquatic to my ears for some reason, with appregiated synths that shimmer like crystals. This song and this concept restored something in me - and it will for you too. 

Connect with legwurk
Website | Instagram

student 1 & demon marcus - kevinkevinkevin

Oh now this song is really, really good. 

‘kevinkevinkevin’ reminds me of the mid-2010s internet, when I first came across Kaytranada, Tame Impala, and more (I cannot put into words the effect this had on me). There is a warmth to the opening of this that I associate with that era, made all the more sultry by the vocals humming over it all, T-Pain style. There isn’t a note wrong in this from start to finish; this sits somewhere between blissful nostalgia and a summer evening daydream.

On the song, the artist says, "It started out as a beat I was too scared to record over, and then my friend Austin (Demon Marcus) helped me work up the courage to try something outside my usual pocket."

This is taken from the upcoming album ‘Truant’, which will be out June 19.

Connect with student 1
Website | Instagram | Facebook | X

Connect with Demon Marcus
Instagram

Nxdia - Lovemesick

This is taken from Egyptian-Sudanese artist Nxdia’s new EP of the same name.

The production and arrangement of the chords and effortless vocals in ‘Lovemesick’ remind me of the most addictive alt-pop of the 00s. The alluring, melancholic quality of the vocal melody is (to my ears at least) reminiscent of Frank Ocean and Kehlani. The song morphs and transforms into a dark and urgent electronic soundscape that will allow you to let loose.

"Lovemesick is a manifesto on how I see love, dedicated to the fuck ups of my love life. It's a collection of dark love songs with even darker endings – my way of raving through the whirlwind of heartbreak and the instinctual, human reactions to that sort of loss."

Connect with Nxdia
Instagram | X

alan vuong - SAUDADE. + BTS FOOTAGE PT. 3

This sounds like a solitary walk at night, combining the feelings of anticipation and sadness into a plush, dreamy soundscape that flows with buttery smoothness over your ears. ‘SAUDADE’ has the quality of a hazy, summertime memory you long for.

Alongside this release, the Southern California-based artist announced his new EP HEAVEN SENT ME, which is due for release on June 26

On "SAUDADE," he said: "The meaning of 'saudade' is a profound emotional state of melancholic longing for an absent, beloved person, place, or time, often coupled with the knowledge that the object of longing may never return. This song was written about two souls that maybe were together in a past life, in hopes and efforts that they'd find each other again." 

Connect with alan vuong
Instagram

Howells - Overflow feat. Astrology Girl

This is taken from the band's new EP Fade Into Being (Part 1). Anticipatory guitars open this, preparing you for what is to come. The verses are pretty sparse, allowing the raw edges of the vocals and lyrics to shine (my favourite being ‘I’m too busy choking on a dream’). The chorus is absolutely huge, hitting you in the face like  the pull of the void.

On the song frontman Benjamin Howells says "Writing 'Overflow' with Astrology Girl was effortless. They're exceptional songwriters—sharp instincts, no hesitation. Chaos, but the right kind." He continues, "I didn't want to just release songs. I wanted to build a world—something transitory, like a dream you can't quite hold onto. Every visual detail feeds into that. One space, fragments of narrative, everything connected."

Connect with Howells
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Girl Tones - Stubborn Mouth

This opens with the lyrics “Please don’t call me out/You got a bitter tongue, I’ve got a stubborn mouth” which immediately piqued my interest. ‘Stubborn Mouth’ has the acidity of grapefruit or blood orange, as dealing with and disclosing a side of yourself that you don’t like can be a bitter pill to swallow indeed. Girl Tones tackle this in a way that feels utterly cathartic,

On the song Girl Tones share, “This song is a vulnerable reflection on being headstrong and how it can ultimately deteriorate your own well-being and others around you.”

Connect with Girl Tones
Website / Instagram | X

Spotify Playlist

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

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