“10,000 Emerald Pools” is the debut single from emerging indie artist, BØRNS.  A Michigan native now soaking in the west coast, laid back vibes of LA, BØRNS is translating his new state of mind directly into his impressive, dreamy new track.  BØRNS is a one man show, so don’t be fooled by the vocals…that’s all the work of this new star.  The new indie mainstay just signed with Interscope and after hearing his masterful indie pop debut EP, Candy, Interscope just made its best move all year.  Start listening to BØRNS now so you can brag you were one of the first.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “10,000 Emerald Pools” here

A paracosm is a detailed imaginary world created inside one’s mind and Washed Out appears to be vying for the soundtrack to that world.  Washed Out (a/k/a Ernest Greene), one of the pioneers of the somewhat recently created “chillwave” genre, has released his second album, Paracosm, which doesn’t falter in its commitment to calming, entrancing melodies.  Consistently throughout the album you’ll find pulsating sounds that ebb and flow like waves and Greene’s signature vocals, which sound like they have traveled through a thousand filters.  The title track off the album balances Greene’s intonations with hypnotic harp-like strumming and a rhythmic pace to keep you hooked.  That imaginary world is starting to sound pretty good.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “Paracosm” here

Conducting a search on the web for information about ambient pop group, Seoul, only results in gaining an absurd knowledge of the capital of South Korea.  Now, I obviously have nothing against South Korea, but in the indie blog world, knowing that Seoul was founded in 18 BCE by Baekje, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, really does me no good.  Anyway, the Seoul that I was searching for appears to hail from Montreal and only has one single to their name – the hazy, soft “Stay With Us.”  The debut single is the kind of track that makes everything around you fade into nothingness.  This is great music to get lost in and makes me eager for the group’s first album, I Become a Shade, due out later this year.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “Stay With Us” for free by clicking the down arrow on the Soundcloud player

Be Forest strives to be anything but boring.  The Italy based group has proven that time and time again, especially on their latest album, Earthbeat.  Ranging from tribal dream pop ballads to The XX inspired instrumentals to their near psychedelic tangents, Be Forest has no interest in maintaining one identity.  “Ghost Dance,” off of Earthbeat, seems to combine all of their elements and explorations, resulting in a primordial, mystic track that seems to have us stuck in the past while pushing us through the future and on the verge of being in a different universe altogether.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “Ghost Dance” here

Aussie artists, Snakadaktal, built up a lot of buzz over the past year or two with an EP and handful of singles that were impressive for reasons well beyond the band’s notoriously young age.  In August, the Melbourne quintet released their debut album, Sleep in the Water, pretty much cementing them as the kings and queen of dream pop.  Sleep in the Water is an audible mist – light, hazy and just a bit magical.  The most popular track off the album – for good reason – is “Fall Underneath,” which pulsates steadily like a serene heartbeat and is gently massaged by the textured voice of Phoebe Cockburn.  It doesn’t get more chill than that.  Enjoy.

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Scoop Sleep in the Water here (come on, it’s only $5.99)

According to those who specialize in dream interpretation, seeing a koala in your dream represents your link to the physical world, the subconscious, and the spiritual realm. Listening to the music of 19-year-old parisian, Yndi Ferreira, it seems only natural that Dream Koala would be his stage name.  Over the past two years, Ferreira has released some of the most hypnotic experimental chillwave/electronic music, each track more effective than any sedative on the market.  His newest single, Odyssey, continues the trend, and has a depth that is greater than his past releases.  According to Ferreira, “It’s a track about deception and the fear of death, the fear of never accomplishing your goals.”  Man, that’s some heavy stuff.  Enjoy.

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Scoop Odyssey here

“Phantasm” is an otherworldly, atmospheric electronic track, but what else would you expect from a group called Cosmo’s Midnight?  Composed of twins, Cosmo and Patrick, Cosmo’s Midnight has taken spacious, ethereal electronic music to a new level.  With the help of chillwave vocalist, Nicole Millar, “Phantasm” borders on hypnotic, making everything around you move in slow motion.  The duo’s debut EP, Surge, released in June, proves that “Phantasm” just scratched the surface of what Cosmo’s Midnight has in store.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “Phantasm” here

Summer time and the livin’ just got easier with “Pomslap,” the chillwave track from Belgium-based electronic solo artist, Pomrad a/k/a Adriaan Van De Velde.  “Pomslap” is that floating in a pool while drinking a margarita and passing out kind of track.  I know, for some people, every track is that kinda track, but “Pomslap” is special.  While an R&B rhythm, jazz guitar, and just a touch of autotune makes “Pomslap” the next level of funky, Van De Velde keeps everything laid back by utilizing a slow pace and swelling synths.  Start playing this track immediately before the summer’s gone.  That’s an order.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “Pomslap” here

Side note: You are not the only one that looked at this song and thought it was called, “Pornslap” (which would have given the funky vibe a whole new meaning).

This is the second entry this week focusing on Nashville-based groups.  Something must be in the water in Tennessee.  WRLDS is the complete opposite of what you’d expect from Nashville duo, Jake Goss and Les Priest, who met at Belmont University and soon after began creating 80s inspired music.  Their first single, “Communicate,” is the essence of synth pop with the lush, simplistic sounds of an old school piano synthesizer.   The R&B/soul vocals keep “Communicate” surprisingly smooth and relaxed, bordering on chillwave.  Had WRLDS incorporated a sax player with a half unbuttoned shirt and greased back hair, this might have been the most perfect 80s song of all time.  Enjoy.

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Scoop “Communicate” here

Romanian producer Exal unites his ambiant, electronic constructs with the celestial vocals of UK’s Emily Underhill to form “Your Love,” a sedated electronic track  that emits mystery and romanticism with each synthesized blip and seductive verse.  “Your Love” will be featured on Exal’s upcoming EP, To the Stars, set for release about one year after the 19 year old first came onto the scene with his impressive, instrumental chillwave EP, Stranger in the Lights, in March of 2012.  Underhill has also been around for about a year, with two EPs filled with downtempo, soothing indie tracks.  While each artist’s EPs confirm that they have serious skills alone, “Your Love” proves that, like the Wonder Twins, their powers are much stronger when combined.  Let’s hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  Enjoy.

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Check Emily Underhill out here

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Download “Your Love” for free here