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Music Alliance Pact December 2015

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The final MAP for 2015 has arrived and, as winter sets in, we spotlight Osaka’s The Neon City and the warm “Summer Memories.” Listen to it, and more, below!

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 17-track compilation through Dropbox here.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
The Neon City – Summer Memories

The winter is just settling in across Japan, but that fact has not stopped Osaka artist Seina Ida from remembering warmer times. Under the name The Neon City, she makes woozy electro-pop with smudged corners, and on Summer Memories she pours in a healthy amount of nostalgia for times gone by. Perfect for those clinging on to the last few rays of warmth before the cold really arrives.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Rubin y Los Subtitulados – Adiós, Torino

This year marked Zonaindie’s 10th birthday, so for this last MAP of 2015 we wanted to share a track from Rubin y Los Subtitulados’s first album, Esperando El Fin Del Mundo, which was released during our first year as a music blog. Adios, Torino is a beautiful ballad and one of our favorite songs by this great songwriter from Buenos Aires. We recommend all of his discography, which is avaliable on Bandcamp.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Jaala – Salt Shaker

Salt Shaker is the second single from Melbourne art-punk Cosima Jaala’s debut album, Hard Hold. It tracks the troubles Jaala has coming to grips with her upbringing in a far-flung suburb on Brisbane’s coastal fringe. The lyricism of this track is emblematic of the raw earnestness you hear across the entire album, with Jaala seemingly pulling melody out of thin air. The unpredictable spikes and troughs keep you engaged throughout, as if you needed any more reason other than her finely executed vocal gymnastics. The track is a refreshingly honest account of a troubled time that avoids indie tropes and turns complex emotions into a beautiful song.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Alice Caymmi – Como Vês

Como Vês is the opening track of Alice Caymmi’s 2014 album Rainha Dos Raios. Born into a family of famous musicians, Alice is surrounded by some of the most prominent artists in Rio de Janeiro and contributes to Brazilian pop music (known as MPB) with contemporary electronics and experimentation.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Tennyson – Like What?

Tennyson are the adorably young brother and sister duo Luke and Tess. Creators of playful electronic music, they recently appeared on Ryan Hemsworth’s Secret Songs series and come from the same management camp as Hemsworth and BADBADNOTGOOD. The young people will take over the world.

CHILE: Super 45
Las Olas – Todo El Tiempo Está Ahí

With influences of pop and no wave, Las Olas have made their presence felt in Chile’s indie scene with a couple of self-released singles and some outstanding, explosive live gigs. They recently launched their first video for Todo El Tiempo Está Ahí (“All the time is there”), which is this month’s MAP song.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Los Makenzy – Aura

Six years of exploring raw sounds, influenced by Delta blues, have led to Los Makenzy becoming one of the most fascinating bands in the country. Their popularity sees them tour a lot outside Colombia. Aura, their first track with Spanish vocals, show us their quieter side.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
TM Hunter – Gold

Three years on from their lauded La Porte debut EP, spousal duo TM Hunter – aka Therese and Michael Fischerson – will release their first full-length ambient alternative pop album, 1.12.5.24, on January 15. First single Villains came out in October with this great video and here’s Gold as a MAP exclusive download.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Tonicamo – La Fiebre

Featuring members of local bands El Extraño and Vedette, Tonicamo brings us a creative concept that encompasses a gay-friendly music and visual aesthetic. Humor is one of the elements utilised by Tonicamo in their first album, Mario López.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Troü – Beautiful Life (Let The Whole Earth Sing)

Troü are a four-piece band from Bandung, West Java, who are trying to craft pop music with simple melodies and harmonies as well as beautiful lyrics so the whole world can sing with them.

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
Kingdom Of Crows – Elizabeth

A dark, conceptual rock band working with soundscapes that fall somewhere between Placebo and Kate Bush, Kingdom Of Crows are a Dublin act on the rise. Debut album The Truth Is The Trip arrived on Halloween, and its heavy yet stripped back sound is making suitably slow-building waves. One for a moody day staring through rain-spattered windows.

ITALY: Polaroid
Go Dugong – Apenas Uma Chance (feat. Tio Scooby)

This song, if not the entire album, could be the most perfect Music Alliance Pact record ever: electronic, dance, hip hop beats, Latin rhythms, Asia and Africa, Balkans and Far East, all mixed together. Go Dugong has found a way to make global music sound “closer” to everyone, and make it sound essential.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
The Rifffs – Life Of Crime

Formed in 1979, The Rifffs were at the forefront of alternative music in Malta. The band managed to capture the imagination of youth culture of the time by performing around the island and securing a record deal with an independent UK record company which culminated in the release of one of the most influential alternative Maltese records of the early 80s, Dance Music For The 80’s Depression. After a 24-year absence, The Rifffs reunited in 2006 and have since brought out two albums and performed numerous concerts in Europe.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika
Verano Peligroso – Meneo Perreo (Sotomayor & Edi K Remix)

Just don’t call it twerking! Over here we call it “meneo perreo”, which could be roughly translated as “swaying and dogging”. Let the breathy vocals of Panamérika’s own blogger EsaMiPau! unbuckle your tight hips, while the torrid loops of Jacinto Di Yeah! take you into a dizzy state of mind, reminiscent of mid-90s duo Laika. This tune really has been tested on dogs – the couple’s shiba inu, Hadouken, loves to wag its tail to the riddim.

PERU: SoTB
Cristina Valentina – Hey You

Cristina Valentina is Peru’s latest revelation. Her 2014 debut album All I Know highlights her R&B, pop, soul and jazz influences, accompanied by her elegant, powerful voice reminiscent of Adele or Amy Winehouse. She’s currently preparing new material for her upcoming second studio album.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Youthless – Golden Spoon

Youthless appeared in MAP’s April 2010 edition with a song from their debut EP. The
Lisbon-based American and Brit achieved some popularity, landing opening slots for the likes of Crystal Castles and The Horrors. Youthless are back in early 2016 with an album, This Glorious No Age, and Golden Spoon is the first single from it. You can watch the lyric video here.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Bossy Love – Christmas Rapping

Glasgow-based Bossy Love sees Amandah Wilkinson, one-time frontwoman of now-defunct Australian band Operator Please, hook up with Scottish native John Baillie Jnr, the former Dananananaykroyd and Alarm Bells drummer, for an ingenious RnB/electro fusion. The playfulness of their pop calls to mind The Go! Team and even the finer moments of Girls Aloud. Seriously. Tell You What could well be the catchiest single of 2015 you never heard – best put that right, eh? Since it’s the festive season, here’s Bossy Love’s reworked cover of The Waitresses classic Christmas Wrapping, renamed Christmas Rapping.

Music Alliance Pact November 2015

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Time for MAP, and this month we highlight one of the top names on Fukuoka’s Yesterday Once More label, Shigge. Check it, and way more from around the world, out below.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 18-track compilation through Dropbox here.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Shigge – Tiny Block

Over the past two years, the city of Fukuoka on the western side of Japan has been home to Yesterday Once More, an electronic label promoting some of the most thrilling young talent domestically and abroad. Label head Shigge has made some of the finest cuts from the collective, and the title track from his latest EP highlights the dancefloor energy the burgeoning imprint is capable of.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
El Violinista Del Amor & Los Pibes Que Miraban – Inofensivos

El Ruido y La Culpa: Una Opereta Lastimera is the band’s fourth album in more than six years on the road. It’s a crazy journey through an eclectic salad of genres, something we’re quite used to with them. Their music overcomes drama, bad mood and guilt with humor, irony and abandon.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Spookyland – Bulimic

Forget wearing your heart on your sleeve. This track stabs it profusely, draws a stake through the middle and stands over watching as your arteries bleed out in 4/4 time. Sorry for the emotional terrorism, but hear this track from Sydney outfit Spookyland and you’ll probably agree it warrants the description. Marcus Gordon’s prose is stark, its delivery brutal at times – but you get the feeling there’s something important to be said beyond the rhetoric. It’s a stoic, turbulent six-minute epic – and the ending is worth the wait.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Bonifrate – Museu De Arte Moderna

Museu De Arte Moderna is the title song from Bonifrate’s new album. It has the psychedelic vibe of the whole record, plus some Beck influence that makes it more contemporary. His album is one of the jewels of the Brazilian indie scene in 2015.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Pony Girl – Candy

Ottawa’s Pony Girl creatively blends acoustic elements such as guitars and wind instruments with electronic samples for the delicate harmonies of their single Candy. Who knew two singers in unison could be so beautiful?

CHILE: Super 45
Niños Del Cerro – Nonato Coo

Niños Del Cerro had already displayed their fresh sound with La Pajarería, a single that didn’t go unnoticed among the ears of the independent music press. Now they’re back with their first album, Nonato Coo, which continues its path of Latin rhythms and ethereal textures and confirms the return of pop guitars in the sound of Santiago.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Montaña – En Bicicleta

Bogotá quartet Montaña has been experimenting in the fields of instrumental post/math-rock for more than three years. Pending the release of their first album we can enjoy En Bicicleta, a track that is gaining a lot of attention in the independent scenes of the Colombian capital.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
HÔN – Vulture

He’s the frontman of lauded nordicana outfit The Rumour Said Fire, but two weeks ago Jesper Lidang debuted as HÔN with the album White Lion. On it he mixes indie, R&B, dance and the 1980s to a compelling alternative pop cocktail. Here’s Vulture as a MAP exclusive download.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Los Detectives Helados – En El Camino

Los Detectives Helados formed in the small town of Piñas in 2012. The band, whose name was inspired by a poem by renowned Chilean writer Roberto Bolaño, have just released their debut album which mixes indie-rock, pop, experimental sounds and blues. Here is first single En El Camino featuring Ricardo Pita.

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
Joseph Panama – Side 2

This 22-minute ambient track might be one of the more unusual and slow-gestating songs ever to have been included in the MAP project, but it’s also a great example of Ireland’s modern-day musical diversity: deceptively intense as it flits on, yet still walking a fine line between background music and inventive modern electronica. One for a long, thoughtful walk, it’s a far cry from its creator’s rocky day-to-day project Overhead, The Albatross.

ITALY: Polaroid
Dumbo Gets Mad – Misanthropulsar

Psychedelic duo Dumbo Gets Mad’s new album is called Thank You Neil, named after the astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. In fact, the whole album is inspired by the TV show Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and the sound draws from classic Seventies soundtrack composers such as Piero Umiliani and Bruno Nicolai, but also from the American experimental soul of Shuggie Otis and the contemporary works of Connan Mockasin. The vibe is super relaxed overall, but Dumbo Gets Mad know full well how to make you dance as well.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Brodu – Ic-Cimiterju

Brodu, formed in 2011, sing in Maltese and play rock music with influences from various genres. The band was set up to record an album of songs written by Mark Abela and the late Darren Gatt. Brodu’s debut album Ħabullabullojb, released in 2014, is a diverse collection of tracks featuring many guest artists from Malta.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika
G-Flux – Cocaína (feat. Afrodita & Borchi)

G-Flux is the alias of Gustavo Naranjo, a Mexican producer and DJ settled in Washington D.C. Even though he’s far away from his homeland, G-Flux remains ever present and relevant in Mexico City through his music and collaborations. As one of the strongest advocates of cumbia, G-Flux is never afraid to explore all of this genre’s diversifications, like pitched down cumbias. Cocaína, featuring delicious vocals from Afrodita and Borchi, is a hip-swaying track for anyone who’s ready to be part of a simmering dancefloor.

PERU: SoTB
Ale Hop – Hey Girl

Ale Hop is an experimental Peruvian musician with a base in Berlin, and also the songwriter and producer of the band Las Amigas De Nadie. She just released Pangea, an experimental music-video album full of roaring guitars and expansive electronic sound layers which create a very characteristic kind of music. Pangea comes with a music film featuring 10 audiovisual pieces made by several directors and is one of the most ambitious works to emerge from Peru this year.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
The Weatherman – Ice II

The Portuguese contribution to MAP has been long enough to almost follow the complete the career of The Weatherman, the alter-ego of Oporto multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Alexandre Monteiro. Ice II is the first known song from The Weatherman’s fourth album. It’s a sweet, sticky pop single that will have you whistling all day. You can watch its video here.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Armstrong – Thursday Night Club

It’s hard not to succumb to the youthful enthusiasm of alt-rock quartet Armstrong. Singer Nicole Mason has energy to burn and oozes star potential with an appealing mixture of confidence and glam. As a reference point, you wouldn’t be a million miles off with early Paramore. Here is an exclusive free download of the exuberant Thursday Night Club (with an ace video to boot), which can also be found on Armstrong’s self-titled debut EP, released in September and available to buy on iTunes.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Gus Benevolent – I Was Right

Operating under the name Hyun Lee Yang when he was last featured as a MAP artist (in June 2014), Gus Benevolent has released two albums in 2015. His most recent effort, Alexandria, came out in late October and offers almost a full hour of emotional vocals and classic guitar, including a couple of acoustic versions of songs crafted and first released during his days in emo band 99anger. I Was Right features a well-balanced combination of easily relatable lyrics and beautiful guitar play.

Music Alliance Pact October 2015

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This month’s Music Alliance Pact post is here, featuring lots of great music from all around the world. From Japan, we put the spotlight on Boogie Idol’s recent contribution to this wonderful compilation. Listen to it…and many more…below.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 18-track compilation through Dropbox here.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Boogie Idol – Seiteki Na Mimi

The recently released Schau Essen 2 compilation features many talented artists who pull from the glitzy sounds of 1980s Japan, when the economy was roaring and decadence dominated. Producer Boogie Idol offers up one of the best contributions to that set, a shimmering number full of bright synths, sticky bass lines and a slightly uncomfortable growling noise lurking beneath it all.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Fabiana Cantilo y Fer Isella – Viernes 3 AM

In 2009 the Argentine goverment published several declassified official documents produced during the dictatorships that ruled the country from 1962-1982. One of these documents is titled “Songs whose lyrics are considered not fit to be played by broadcast services” and it includes compositions by all kinds of Argentine and foreign artists. Canciones Prohibidas is a compilation with 16 versions of these censured songs. For MAP we selected Viernes 3 AM, originally by Argentine rock living legend Charly Garcia, here recorded by (also legendary singer) Fabiana Cantilo on vocals and producer Fer Isella on piano.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Fresh Kills – The People

At The Drive-In is the first association any rock connoisseur will make with this 90-second post-punk melodrama. It’s all energy and emotion without the slightest hint of pretension. The song is chaotic and at times confusing without a single comprehensible lyric (go on, try to figure out what the hell they’re saying) but that’s exactly the charm of this south Australian band.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Rodrigo Campos – Katsumi

Rodrigo Campos, a prolific name in São Paulo’s contemporary music scene, has just released his third solo album, Conversas Com Toshiro, which is influenced by Japanese culture. Katsumi is a good opening gate to his work.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Harrison – Sorry

Toronto producer Harrison beeps and blips his way into a sweet apology with his latest track, Sorry.

CHILE: Super 45
Breaking Forms – Folie A Deux

Breaking Forms is a duo formed by Nicole L’Huillier and Juan Necochea. Although they currently live in the United States, their journey began in Chile under the wings of two emblematic bands, Cóndor Jet and Picnic Kibun. While in the first one, L’Huillier developed a penchant for psychedelia and post-rock; in Picnic Kibun, Necochea explored the multiple facets of dance music. Breaking Forms is, in its own way, the meeting point for both genres. Proof of this is their first single Folie A Deux, a power-pop song spiced up by electronic sequences and noisy synths.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Electric Sasquatch – Hunting Season

The legend of Bigfoot, or Sasquatch, acts as inspiration for this stoner rock band from Cali. They feed on forest myths, adding elements of theater and visuals to their presentations. From their brilliant self-titled album, whose CD version comes in a beautiful wooden box, we present Hunting Season, in which the Sasquatchs show us a more violent and dehumanized side.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Slaughter Beach – ClearInsight

Slaughter Beach are very much a Scandinavian proposition. Hailing from Denmark, they played their debut concert in Gothenburg, Sweden and are signed to Norwegian label Brilliance. MAP exclusive download ClearInsight is taken from their debut EP, Love/Venice, released this month.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Radio Invasor – Magnolia

Radio Invasor is an electronic project blending digital sounds with organic elements of rock, funk, dub and hip hop. From their first EP, released this September, we present Magnolia. It’s an epic, experimental track that offers a taste of Radio Invasor’s potential.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Littlelute – Berlibur Ke Poznan

Littlelute is an indie-pop outfit from Bandung. Their ukulele player recently visited Poznan and the beauty of the Polish city inspired him to write this cute pop composition (see video).

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
Owensie – Dramamine

After more than three years tucked away from the eyes of the Irish music scene, dream-pop artist Owensie returns with Dramamine, a trippy ode to a motion sickness drug. The track features Conor O’Brien of Villagers and comes ahead of a third album of the same title that’s seemed an extremely long time in the making. One for watching the world drift by outside your window.

ITALY: Polaroid
Port-Royal – Death Of A Manifesto

Port-Royal is a trio from Genova that fuses elements of ambient techno, shoegaze, melodic IDM and post-rock into a dreamy, evocative sound. Active since 2001, they have toured Europe and the United States, and released several records, compilations and remixes. Where Are You Now is their fourth proper album, out on Oakland-based label n5MD. Port-Royal are expanding their palette, and the gorgeous Death Of A Manifesto is one of their more pop-oriented compositions.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Juno And The Wolf – Dambrose

Born out of the merging of different projects in late 2011, Juno And The Wolf is the culmination of the myriad of influences that inspire its four members – James Azzopardi, Kristian Schembri, Samwel Mallia and Corey Farrugia. The band have developed an experimental ethos, an aim to create a duality with emotion and sound, flowing from heavy, raw numbers to quieter, more introspective ones rather than simply settling for one set genre. Their debut home-recorded self-titled EP was released in September 2014.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika
El Muertho TJ – Malandro

El Muertho – a street musician playing romantic delusions with only a Yamaha keyboard, wearing black robes and Kiss wannabe make-up – has emerged from the Tijuana slums to raise a few eyebrows among critics and audiences. But, hey, the best works come from outsiders: Syd Barrett, Daniel Johnston, Tom Waits… add in a little bit of Suicide industrial tremolo and you’ll get the perfect treat for Halloween or the Mexican Day of the Dead.

PERU: SoTB
Nave Ascensor – Ciudad Reacción

Ciudad Reacción is the first single from Nave Ascensor’s debut album, Hartistas. The Lima trio come with a strong proposal – listen as they rail against the system through rock songs loaded with critical social and visual exercises to help you free your mind.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Benjamim – Tarrafal

Benjamim is an artist formerly known as Walter Benjamin, who had a song on the Music Alliance Pact’s April 2012 edition. Tarrafal is a single from his new album, Auto-Rádio, which has won over the Portuguese public and critics. In contrast to his previous guise, Benjamim opts for Portuguese lyrics instead of English. The music continues to be sophisticated pop that will get your feet tapping. Belle & Sebastian fans will love him.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
JR Green – Nigerian Princess

With a modern spin on traditional folk music (accordion and mandolin feature heavily) and a healthy dose of lyrical intrigue, JR Green sound like the happy marriage of Frightened Rabbit and King Creosote. Made up of young brothers Jacob and Rory Green, their debut EP, Bring The Witch Doctor, is being released by Hits The Fan Records – the same label that released Frightened Rabbit’s first album. Sign up to JR Green’s mailing list for updates and freebies.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Silica Gel – Hrm

Silica Gel is most definitely a band to look out for. They describe their music as neo-psychedelic, experimental, progressive, dream and shoegaze – and they manage to deliver on all counts. A great track to dream away to, Hrm starts out plainly with just a simple guitar loop and some toned-down drums, gradually adds more and more to the mix, before unleashing total bliss a few minutes in.

Music Alliance Pact September 2015

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Time for MAP! This month, we refuse to let the summer end by focusing on Takeaki Oda’s “Loop.” Hear it…and many more…below.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 18-track compilation through Dropbox here.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Takeaki Oda – Loop

The term chillwave presumably vanished from many music fans’ heads several years ago, but the microgenre persists in Japan, with lots of great results. Takeaki Oda is the latest Tokyo artist to embrace it and Loop is an absorbing number that makes dusting off classic terms such as “sun-dappled” worth it. He adds a level of familiarity by weaving in some childhood sounds, at least if you played the Nintendo 64.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Argonautas – Perfecto

With a career that spans more than 20 years, this independent prog-rock band from Ramos Mejia, a Buenos Aires suburb, performed a couple of shows last month after being inactive for quite some time. So we thought it was a great opportunity to share this fine track from Argonautas’ third album, also called Perfecto.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
Jack Colwell – Don’t Cry Those Tears

On his latest EP, Only When Flooded Could I Let Go, classically trained musician Jack Colwell blends the popular and the arcane to stunning effect. He has a grand vision and the chops to pull it off, creating compositions that dabble in everything from chamber-pop to doo-wop. Don’t Cry Those Tears, a tribute to 60s pop, brings together strings, organ and a small choir with the seamlessness of a jigsaw puzzle. As a vocalist Colwell is often compared to Nick Cave and Patrick Wolf, and his performance on Don’t Cry Those Tears is an expert balance of melodrama and levity. He is undoubtedly an artist to keep your eye on.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Emicida – Mandume

Brazil’s most famous rapper, Emicida, has just released a new album in which he explores themes about urban life in his homeland, mixing it with African rhythms. In Mandume, he’s surrounded by a group of new Brazilian MCs: Drik Barbosa, Amiri, Rico Dalasam, Muzzike and Raphao Alaafin.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Mieke – Sleeping Alone

You may recognize Elissa Mielke (aka Mieke) as the model in The Weeknd and Drake’s video for The Zone, but she has her own thing going on. Her goosebump-inducing single Sleeping Alone reminds us all that there are worse things in the world than being alone.

CHILE: Super 45
Planeta No – Sol a Sol

Planeta No is one of the most promising acts in Chilean pop. Gonzalo García, Camilo Molina and Juan Pablo Garin, who released first EP Matucana in 2014, make perfect music for the dancefloor with guitars, synths and harmonies. The single Sol a Sol is taken from debut album Odio, which came out in August.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Anyone/Cualkiera – En Cualquier Parte

From Medellín, as part of the No Rules Clan, we introduce Anyone/Cualkiera, who have been making hip-hop for more than five years. Their latest work, Tiempo Libre EP, is very interesting, not only for its collaborations – which includes Kario One on En Cualquier Parte – but for its approach to old school and reflection of Medellín life.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
Palace Winter – Menton

Palace Winter – aka Danish producer/synth wizard Caspar Hesselager and Australian singer-songwriter Carl Coleman – release their five-song debut EP, Medication, on October 2. Here’s the awesome second single Menton as a MAP exclusive download.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Andes Music Machine – Stray Song

Andes Music Machine were formed by Pinteiro, an electronic musician from Quito, and The Pineda Brothers, who belong to the indigenous community of Peguche in the Andes of Ecuador. They play Andean music with electronic and traditional instruments, creating a sound that represents new Latin American music beyond the popular cumbia.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Peonies – Truth

Peonies are Cinta Marezi, Jodi Setiawan and Paramitha Citta. They come from Jakarta and love to sing and dance in an indie-pop style.

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
Overhead, The Albatross – Big River Man

Having forged a reputation as a truly stunning live band, Overhead, The Albatross have finally unveiled the first single from their long-awaited debut album, out shortly. Big River Man is about Slovenian distance swimmer Martin Strel and contains the band’s usual swirling guitars and complex, beguiling layering. It’s loud yet nuanced, jagged yet melodic, and entirely instrumental. You need to hear it.

ITALY: Polaroid
Any Other – Gladly Farewell

Adele Nigro is only 21, but she has been making lovely folk-pop with intense lyrics and a strong attitude for years. She reminds me young songwriters such as Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee or Eskimeaux. Adele recently formed a trio called Any Other, who released their debut album this month (available at Bandcamp) and it is the best new voice I have heard in a while.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Norm Rejection – The Radical Underground

Norm Rejection formed in 1994 and are the country’s first metal band to have both English and Maltese lyrics. With three albums and two EPs to their name, they fuse different styles into a distinctive metal sound. Norm Rejection are known for their songs of rebellion and liberation as well as their powerful live performances.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika
Selma Oxor – Luna Llena

Based on the tracks we’ve heard so far from the upcoming Fantasías de Tocador, Selma Oxor appears to be stretching the electroclash foundation of her sassy project into nastier zones. Although musically more restrained (we have yet to encounter a killer guitar riff like the ones found in Dotes de Cocina or Jungle Juice) and naked, Oxor feels terribly confident in her vocal acrobatics that have been pushed to the foreground. In Luna Llena, the former Bam Bam member adopts a vamp persona while carrying a batch of bubblegum synths and a threatening ambience that’s as lustful as it is catchy.

PERU: SoTB
Los Lagartos – Invierno

Los Lagartos recently launched their La Luz Del Mediodía EP, influenced by American jangle-pop and 80s British rock. Invierno, the fifth track of this remarkable record, is a fresh tribute to British rock played under Lima’s grey sky.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Few Fingers – From Pale To Red

Few Fingers (Nuno Rancho and André Pereira) release their debut album, Burning Hands, this month. They have a beautiful indie-folk sound, as you can hear on From Pale To Red, which is backed by this video directed by Tiago Gomes. Nuno Rancho was also featured in the Music Alliance Pact’s December 2008 edition when he released his first solo album.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
Daydream Frenzy – Pride & Wonder

Daydream Frenzy are one of the most promising alternative rock bands to emerge from Scotland in quite some time, with support from Kerrang! magazine and an endorsement from Tom Delonge of Blink-182 fame testament to the very obvious talent this Aberdeenshire trio possesses. Daydream Frenzy released debut album Pride & Wonder in March – seek it out on iTunes/Amazon/Spotify. Its title track (see video), presented here as an exclusive free download, perfectly encapsulates their appeal: jumbo choruses, exceptionally strong melodies and accomplished musicianship.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Tierpark – Bullfight

Seoul-based dreamgaze outfit Tierpark release second album The Moment Two Worlds Meet this month. Showcasing the band’s characteristic dynamic sound, Bullfight offers intense progressions and captivating guitar lines perfectly complemented by Sehee Kim’s vocals.

Music Alliance Pact August 2015

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Taking a break from wandering around Summer Sonic to post this month’s MAP! From Japan (yay, I remembered to do it), we focus on Clone, a Tokyo producer using Pikmin to create a galloping number. Listen to it — and a lot more music from around the globe — below.

Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a zip file of the full 17-track compilation through Dropbox here.

JAPAN: Make Believe Melodies
Clone – Follow Me

The bulk of Follow Me, from Tokyo bedroom track maker Clone, draws sounds from the Nintendo video game Pikmin. The plant people players guide around to collect treasure are the primary source, the sound of them being thrown and generally squeaking being the go-to for Clone. Yet this is not merely a bit of video game nostalgia, as Clone constructs it all into a fast-paced dance number that blooms into something quite madcap.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
Julieta y Los Espíritus – El Látigo (Modex remix)

This is a song from the new project of Julieta Brotsky (aka July Sky). It’s not the original version from the album, but a great remix released a couple of weeks ago by post-punk band Modex. Julieta’s beautiful voice can also be heard on several tracks by indie-pop band Entre Ríos, and in Varias Artistas, the female ensemble put together by singer-songwriter Lucas Marti.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
These Guy – Coming Around

Brisbane trio These Guy was originally the solo project of singer and multi-instrumentalist Joe Saxby. Latest track Coming Around combines the lofty vocals and downer lyrics of Saxby’s earlier work. Along with buoyant pop production, the result is a track that’s interesting at every turn. The absence of any kind of rhythm guitar leaves Saxby’s vocals and synth-fiddling to carry the melodic weight of the track. Coming Around is a testament to Saxby’s ear for off-kilter production and hopefully points to a more experimental/avant-pop future for These Guy.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
Pequeno Céu – Quatro

Post-rock six-piece Pequeno Céu started as a solo project some years ago before releasing their first album as a band in 2014. Pequeno Céu differs from other math/post-rock ensembles because of the Brazilian influences and simplicity of their short instrumental songs, such as Quatro. For fans of BADBADNOTGOOD, Hurtmold and Tortoise.

CANADA: Ride The Tempo
Mauno – Reeling

Experimental shapeshifters Mauno (pronounced mao-no) reel you in with their off-kilter pop tunes. The Halifax group is unafraid to test you with their strange sounds.

CHILE: Super 45
AYEAYE – A Medianoche Me Llevaré Tu Alma

After the dissolution of the duo Mostro, and following the many collaborations with Chilean/German DJ Matias Aguayo, the producer and illustrator Carlos Reinoso decided to embark on AYEAYE, a project influenced by dance music as rhythmic experimentation. A Medianoche Me Llevaré Tu Alma (“At Midnight I Will Take Your Soul) is his first single.

COLOMBIA: El Parlante Amarillo
Danicattack – Perdónate

A feeling of being home defines Danicattack. This Bogota quintet, led by Daniel Lopez, is always exploring new ideas through lyrics and sounds. Their song Perdónate recalls a world of dreams intermingled with the material reality of bodies, as we can see it in the video.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
ONBC – White Trash

Risen from the ashes of Oliver North Boy Choir and comprising members who have been and still are part of Superheroes, Private, The Boombox Hearts and epo-555, ONBC released their dreamy and melancholic indie-pop debut Crash, Burn & Cry back in May. Here’s first single White Trash as a MAP exclusive download.

ECUADOR: Plan Arteria
Pastizales – La Casa y La Nada

Pastizales is the solo project of Bernardo Arevalo, who brings us a refreshing lo-fi folk sound. From his debut six-track EP we proudly present La Casa y La Nada, a single that takes the listener into a deeply relaxing, wonderful environment.

INDONESIA: Deathrockstar
Sajama Cut – Fatamorgana

Fatamorgana is taken from Hobgoblin, the latest album by Jakarta indie-rock outfit Sajama Cut. This song is for every father who never gives up raising their kids with love and compassion in the big city of evil.

IRELAND: Hendicott Writing
Bitch Falcon – TMJ

TMJ is the third single from highly-rated, grungy Dublin trio Bitch Falcon, who are taking the Irish capital’s sticky-floored corners by storm. Named after the temporomandibular joint (which joins the jaw to the rest of the skull), it’s poppy and melodic by this particular act’s standards, but nevertheless appropriately face-melting. One to pump up the bass on and let their rhythms pummel the base of your soles. Bitch Falcon are one of the most promising rock acts that Ireland has produced this decade.

MALTA: Stagedive Malta
Xtruppaw – Iċ-Ċawl Iċul

Five-piece Xtruppaw play a concoction of styles such as punk-rock, ska, 80s metal, 70s disco, Maltese ghana and country and western. The truly distinguishing feature of the band’s music is the lyrics. Xtruppaw songs are all, without exception, sung in Maltese about the Maltese lifestyle, zooming into the raw and crude perspective of the mundane, pointing out the absurdities that we all take for granted with a tongue-in-cheek and often irreverent approach. Xtruppaw have recorded and released two full-length albums to date.

MEXICO: RBMA Radio Panamérika
Turning Torso – Up

Through his landscapist and often acidic compositions, David Sánchez – a young artist from Querétaro creating clever, stirring electronic music under the Turning Torso moniker – is capable of exploring and transmitting a wide variety of complex emotions with his superbly arranged productions. On Up, Turning Torso densely weaves an uplifting yet murky atmosphere whose shape acquires a crooked appearance as the piece progresses. Throwing in some IDM beats that bring to mind the textures of Autechre and his characteristic jazz guitar work which serves as a sort of guide in the middle of the track, Sánchez manifests a robust framework nurtured by a vast intellect.

PERU: SoTB
Diorama – Travelling

Diorama is a Lima-based instrumental rock band. They released their first EP in 2013, which was met with critical acclaim. Travelling is a song filled with moments of beauty and elegance.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
Joana Barra Vaz – Tanto Faz

Tanto Faz is the first single from the new Joana Barra Vaz album, Mergulho Em Loba, due out later this year. Mergulho Em Loba is part of a trilogy started in 2012 with Passeio Pelo Trilho. Joana’s music will please fans of the kind of indie-pop started by Leslie Feist.

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
The Insomniac Project – In And Out (Of My Head)

This debut single by The Insomniac Project wears its 80s disco influences loud and proud and has all the ingredients of a synth-pop dancefloor classic. With the Glasgow six-piece having teased with a few SoundCloud demo uploads over the past year, it’s a privilege to offer In And Out (Of My Head) exclusively via the Music Alliance Pact ahead of its official release on August 31.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
Floating Island – Parade

Electronica quartet Floating Island released third single Parade this month. The festive pop number is produced by Floating Island member Flash Flood Darlings (our March 2015 MAP artist) together with main songwriter NoohNooh.