Aww yeah, time to slow things down.  Electronic producer and songwriter Dexter Tortoriello is working under the name Dawn Golden and producing some seriously weighty music.  “All I Want,” off his debut album, Still Life, released last week, is a somber, heart aching track that avoids crossing the line into sadness.  The production is as naked as Tortoriello’s emotion, baring everything extraneous and keeping the sounds and words honest and simple.  Put this track on the shelf and break it out when you got some romantic stuff goin’ on.  Trust me.  It’ll do the trick.  Enjoy.

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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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When we think of synth pop imports, we typically think of Sweden or Australia.  Finally, Poland is bringing something to the table with the subtle, dreamy Oxford Drama.  Comprised of duo Małgorzata Dryjańska and Marcin Mrówka, Oxford Drama has released a promising debut EP consisting of four vaporous, understated electronic tracks with sleek rhythms and bewitching electronics.  Even more impressive is that the EP was produced by the newcomers.  Of all the songs, the self-titled track off the self-titled EP is the most impressive.  We’ll even give them a pass for saying their own band name in the song, which is a luxury typically saved for rap groups or Sublime and 311 (for those who went to college in the ’90s).  Enjoy.

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It’s rare when a cover is so unique that it creates its own identity.  Leave it to ASTR to be one of those rarities with its cover of the Drake track, “Hold On We’re Going Home.”  This may be the most top 40-ish track to creep its way onto EWH (and it does sting a little), but if any band could do it, it would be the sultry, synth pop duo, ASTR.  Focusing on sharpening the beat and flooding the track with waves of lush synths and lead singer Zoe’s foggy, understated intonation, ASTR turns “Hold On We’re Going Home” from standard pop fare into R&B perfection.  Enjoy.

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On the verge of synth pop majesty, Haerts have given us “Call My Name,” a new track which could possibly be the first single off their eagerly anticipated debut album (which doesn’t have a release date yet).  As with everything else released by the New York City quartet, “Call My Name” is a dreamy masterpiece that radiates warmth even as it takes the band down a more brokenhearted, bittersweet road.  Always perfectly guided by the lush voice of songstress/goddess, Nini Fabi, and a mixture of just the right amount of 70s melodic nostalgia, Haerts has yet to let us down.  I fully expect their first LP to be no exception.  Enjoy.

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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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The members of dream pop group, Snakadaktal, announced yesterday that they were going their separate ways.  It’s no secret that I was slightly obsessed with this Aussie outfit, who began playing and winning music contests back in high school.  They were only around for a handful of years but really started consuming the indie pop scene in Australia over the past two.  It’s a shame to see a young band with such talent part ways, abandoning the potential to grow and produce music even more impressive than what they crafted in their teens.  So, as a farewell, here are some personal favorites.  Enjoy.

Chimera

Fall Underneath

The Sun I

The Sun II

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With computers making millions of electronic sounds at our disposal, it’s hard to blame the majority of pop acts for using as many as possible just because they can.  That’s what makes dream pop duo, Twin Caverns, so unique.  The Aussie twosome relies on a lack of sound effects, focusing on the purity of their production and the soft, bare tones of vocalist, Louise Millar.  “Undiscover,” Twin Caverns’ most recent single, is emblematic of Twin Caverns’ musical philosophy – undiscovering all the unnecessary excess that’s implanted in our music.  With Twin Caverns’ minimalist approach, we get a calming, intoxicating track that is perfectly simple…and simply perfect.  Enjoy.

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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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I’ve always touted Australia as the greatest musical exporter but it looks like New Zealand is giving the Aussies a run for their money.  Lorde kicked down the door in 2013 and the new synth pop duo, Broods, has snuck in right behind her.  Broods arrived last year with their debut single, “Bridges.”  They followed that up with the even more impressive, “Never Gonna Change.”  The brother/sister duo are quickly cementing themselves as the pioneers of moody, atmospheric pop music, combining complex productions with dark, sweeping melodies and heartbreaking vocals.  The duo recently signed with Capitol Records and should be releasing their first EP in February.  Hopefully “Never Gonna Change” can hold us over until then.  Enjoy.

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