ALBUM/SINGLE REVIEWS
NIKKI NAIR’S “ONCE UPON” IS A CELESTIAL BLAST-OFF TO OUTER SPACE
Atlanta’s most exciting underground techno artist, Nikki Nair, has released another banger on his new record label, n goes to infinity. The track, titled “once upon,” is an exciting, forward-thinking experiment in sound design, complete with static frequencies and transcendental vibes. If aliens exist, this is the soundtrack to their extraterrestrial raves.
PEEKABOO AND CASPA RELOAD THE BASS CANNONS ON NEW SINGLE “RELOAD”
If you’re looking for new sounds to blast through your stereo, PEEKABOO and Caspa have you covered this week with their new single, “Reload.” A song that’s sure to rattle your windows (and probably your whole neighborhood), “Reload,” released on Deadbeats today, is a mirage of catastrophic bass and party-ready dubstep.
KYRAL X BANKO AND MPORT RELEASE THE COMEDIC “BRAD” EP ON WAKAAN
The electronic music industry is no stranger to quirky characters and zany antics. From Ganja White Night’s iconic “Mr. Wobbles” to the story behind TVBOO’s hit single “Skrawberries,” artists are always coming up with new ways to express their goofy personalities through ridiculous lyrics and silly animations. Rarely, though, do these ideas form the concept for an entire EP — but the newly released Brad EP from Kyral x Banko and Mport does just that.
DABIN PUTS THE BROKEN PIECES OF HIMSELF BACK TOGETHER ON “BETWEEN BROKEN”
Throughout the vast sonic landscape of electronic music, there’s one underlying theme that encompasses the genre – raw emotion. No matter how heavy or light the vibe is, electronic music makes you feel something. Between Broken – the most recent project from Denver-based melodic EDM producer and songwriter, Dabin – whose real name is Dabin Lee – is no different. With influences ranging from folk and indie to punk rock, Dabin’s Between Broken is as intimate as the title suggests. Everything, from the lyrics and the melodies to the cover art and sequencing, provides a peek into the beautiful and often melancholy nature of the human experience. Between Broken is equal parts optimistic and frustrated as Dabin embraces the light at the end of the tunnel while acknowledging the unavoidable difficulties that define a life worth living.
THE MAÑANAS TOAST THEIR LATIN HERITAGE ON DEBUT ALBUM CHEERS
The Mañanas offer a refreshing and simple taste of Indie music with their new album, Cheers, which adopts a stripped-back and unadulterated creative approach. Danny Pauta and Brandon Unpingco, the band’s lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, bring their Latin flare to Denver with their music, and are excited to enter the scene more fully this summer.
YASI COPES WITH A BRIGHT SPOTLIGHT AND A DARK WORLD ON NEW EP
Far from an overnight success, Denver pop star YaSi, aka Yasman Azimi, has steadily climbed the industry ladder for the past five years. Following a show-stopping opening act for Snow Tha Product at the Mission Ballroom in December 2019, Azimi signed with United Talent Agency. What followed was three hectic months of performances, including opening for Teyanna Taylor and embarking on her first national tour with Raja Kumari and IYLA. The stage was set; It was time for her to blow up. And that might have happened, if not for the global pandemic. As her busy touring schedule screeched to a halt, she shifted her energy to develop her new EP Coexisting with Chaos, a wonderfully chaotic project that represents both the state of the world and Azimi’s state of mind as she begins to gain a national audience.
FRESH FRUIT! SERVES UP A PSYCHEDELIC INTRODUCTION WITH INDEPENDENTLY
It isn’t often an artist delivers a project that clearly articulates their sonic vision and persona. That, however, is precisely what Fresh Fruit! delivers on their debut EP Independently. In just five tracks, the Denver-based psychedelic soul band captures a moment in time, between embracing liberating freedom and processing abandonment, all the while questioning what it means to be truly happy.
CONTRA SCANDAL KEEPS THE SPIRIT OF DENVER ALIVE IN “MILE HIGH LIVIN”
Last year, as COVID steered artists into home studios, many musicians used their isolation to immerse themselves in their music. Ezra Arenson know professionally as Contra Scandal, a Denver-based EDM producer and DJ, is a prime example. For six months, he dedicated his full attention to creating a body of work that would eventually become his debut album.
A PAPER CORNER ADDS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO AMBIENCE ON I DON’T KNOW EP
Navigating through life’s tangled, beautiful web is often confusing and uncertain. Dylan Parkin, the one-man-band behind A Paper Corner is well aware of this as he favors the journey over the destination in his new EP, I Don’t Know. Parkin, who recently moved to Golden, CO from Pensacola, FL, embraces the vulnerability of change in both his music and his persona. Despite the deeply personal narrative laced throughout Parkin’s music, there is something refreshingly candid about his delivery. It’s clear in the music video for “I Don’t Know” that he doesn’t always take himself so seriously.
TASH SULTANA EBRACES A NEW COLLABROATIVE SPIRIT ON UPCOMING ALBUM TERRA FIRMA
Since the release of their first album Flowstate, Tash Sultana has developed a passionate global fanbase. Aside from their raw musical ability (they can play 20 instruments), their lyrical vulnerability and vocal performances are unique and passionate. The latest singles from their upcoming album Terra Firma showcases a slight deviation from their first album Flowstate, and explores the benefits of musical collaboration, something they have not previously experimented with.
SPILLAGE VILLAGE BAPTIZES AMERICA IN THEIR LATEST SINGLE
Their second single, which comes after the release of the apocalyptic “End of Days” track released a few weeks ago, previews some of the themes from their upcoming album Spilligion set to be released on September 25th. The new track gives the world a taste of the spiritual experience their latest project aims to provide.