AUGUST 28 UPDATE: An absolutely to die for stack of new additions to our New Independent Electronic Pop playlist across the month of August leading off with Sydney artist and producer Jessica Nitties aka Sparrows (Stoney Roads) with the tribal, electronic and house inspired, ‘Over & Out. Christchurch pop quartet Yumi Zouma are next with the upbeat groove of ‘In Camera’ (Cascine), arguably their breeziest song for years while the incredible density and beautiful instrumental mix which merges on the traditional and the electronic ‘Stare Into You’ (Self Released), follows from Canadian artist Patrick Fiore, aka Noble Oak.
Empress Of, the pop project of Honduran-American Lorely Rodriguez is next. She has announced a new album called Us set for October 19 on Terrible Records and the first single, ‘When I’m In With Him is an excellent half English half Spanish sung work of pop perfection. Following that Sydney DIY artist Joannah Jackson aka Sloan Peterson has released ‘Our Love’ from her self titled debut EP (Mirror) set for September 15
Other new tracks are in order of play;
Ariel Engle of Broken Social Scene has released a new single under her new solo project La Force and the first single is the multi-dimensional ‘TBT’ through Arts & Crafts. Montreal producer/multi-instrumentalist Ouri has a stellar new single out on Ghostly International called, ‘Escape’. Pearl Sugar is the synth pop project of American Chris Bugnacki and the slow dance of ‘Scarlet’ (Self Released) is his new single. Mr Twin Sister have been banging’ out the singles, four in all over the last two months and the latest, ‘Power Of Two’ (Self Released) delves beyond skin deep. Brooklyn’s Sandy Davis aka Pecas, returns to the playlist with the second single off her After Dark EP (Broken Circles), Girl Wonder (One More Chance)’ as does Daniel T’s collaboration with Ohara Hale, ‘Call’ off his forthcoming debut album Heliotrope (Cascine). Factory Floor’s Gabe Gurnsey ‘You Can (Dance) is an impressive affair and comes from his new record Physical (PIAS), Maribou State have teamed up with Holly Walker to produce the sleight of hand disco of the title track off their new EP Nervous Tics (Counter).
In a super month of releases by Australian pop artists, the standouts come from the aforementioned Sparrows, JEFFE ‘Undecided’ (Self Released), Hemm ‘Emerging With The Day’ (Spirit Level) and India Sweeney ‘Go Try It’ (Stoney Roads). Lovetechnique return with their new one ‘Right Here’ off their forthcoming self titled EP.
Oshawa’s Dizzy have their new album Baby Teeth (Communion) out and the new single from the Canadian quartet is the melancholy yet endearing ‘Bleachers’. Marius Lauber, the German producer known as Roosevelt has joined with Ernest Greene’s Washed Out to produce ‘Forgive’ the first decent bit of chillwave since 2012 on Greco-Roman. The vocals of Eliza Shaddad (Beatnik Creative) on her expansive new single ‘This Is My Cue’ are as silky smooth as ever. wwoman are from Pittsburgh and self-describe their music as “depression pop”. There’s nothing depressing about their new single ‘FOA’. ‘Chances’ is the third single from Tank Town (Strangers Candy) by Swede Matilda Mård aka Many Voices Speak while finally the sparkly nostalgic pop of ‘Out To Sea’ (Shelflife) from Outerhope who are Manila sibling duo Micaela and Michael Benedicto completes the new tracks.
This playlist is part of a genre based series of revolving 30 track playlists using the Spotify streaming platform. Tracks are roughly ordered by release date and will be replaced by new tracks we like as they become available. To change things up from time to time we may change tracks from the same artist and release. All playlists are regularly updated and limited to original tracks only.
If you have Spotify and like what you hear don’t forget to FOLLOW this playlist so you keep regularly updated and follow us on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram to stay up to date. The playlist can be played directly below.
NEW INDEPENDENT ELECTRONIC POP: AN INDIE30 PLAYLIST
Updated August 28, 2018
OLDER UPDATES
AUGUST 9 UPDATE: A even dozen absolute drop dead gorgeous electronic pop exhibits added since the last update with Melbourne’s Gregor and L.A.’s Daniel T., two artists we featured earlier in the week getting things started with ‘A Song About Holding Hands’ and ‘Heat-Wave’ respectively. Also from Los Angeles we think are the ultra mysterious Das Cope. Just try to look them up on google! You’ll find squat. L.A.X. is too good for it to be a spotify stooge though surely? Washington D.C.’s Lovetechnique is next with the dark hued electro pop of”Hypnotize’ before Princess Chelsea‘s equally dark throwback pop, ‘Wasting Time’ on Lil’ Chief – see video.
The one and only Robyn is back and it was like she was never away. Her first new music in years ‘Missing U’ is emotional pop gold. Current No. 16 ‘Hunter’ by English artist Anna Calvi is next before Sydney duo Chymes join proceedings with the breezy yet deep ‘Wild’ Los Angeles brothers Jonathan and Michaek Rosen make up Cones and their new single is the starnagely luminsescent ‘Run The Risk.
Finnish eccentric DIY pop maestro Jaakko Eino Kalevi is set to deliver the follow up LP to his impressive self tittled effort from 2016. It takes a while to unfurl itself but ‘Emotions In Motion’ is an excellent first taste off his forthcoming new album Out Of Touch’ – see video
The anthem like ‘Searching’ from UK band LOWES that thankfully is idiosyncratic enough to avoid descending to the commercial depths it easily could have reached. The last new addition is from the Brooklyn’s Pecas with the late night inspired ‘Matchstick.
JULY 30 UPDATE: Some mighty tidy new additions to our Electronic Pop playlist this week. Top billing goes to New York’s Mr Twin Sister with their lush, in the most subtle of ways, new single ‘Echo Arms’. Following that is Toronto artist Katie McBride who released her new EP World Of Dreams on Friday. The driving and dreamy ‘Where Did You Go’ is our pick of its six stellar offerings.
The intense JK directed video for ‘Habitual Love’ from Norwegian artist Okay Kaya was released last week as was the song to streaming services. The exquisitely composed ‘Run’ by English English artist and producer Emika got the same treatment. It comes from forthcoming self released album Falling In Love With Sadness after two albums with Ninja Tune. Watch both below.
Habitual Love
Okay Kaya (NOR)
From the single, ‘Habitual Love’, Heavy Body Records.
Official Video
Run
Emika (ENG)
From the forthcoming album, ‘Falling In Love With Sadness’, Emika Records
Official Video
They are followed by London’s Austel with the poignant and soulful ‘Anaethesia’ from her new EP Unfold before Cardiff pop outfit Gulp enter proceedings with their melodic fuzz of ‘Claudia’ which was released as a single on E.L.K. earlier this month.
Blood Orange, the project of Devonte Hynes who won our album of 2016 gong with Freetown Sound recently announced that his record is called Negro Swan and will be released on August 24 on Domino. ‘Charcoal Baby’ is an exercise in hopeful yet awkwardly woozy off kilter pop that matches the album’s appropriately weighty subject matter. It also has a video which is below. Hynes has this to say of the record;
“My newest album is an exploration into my own and many types of black depression, an honest look at the corners of black existence, and the ongoing anxieties of queer/people of color. A reach back into childhood and modern traumas, and the things we do to get through it all. The underlying thread through each piece on the album is the idea of hope, and the lights we can try to turn on within ourselves with a hopefully positive outcome of helping others out of their darkness.”
Charcoal Baby
Blood Orange (ENG/USA)
From the forthcoming album, ‘Black Swan’, Domino. Out Aug 24.
Official Video
Montreal’s Helena Deland is next with her billowing new single ‘Claudion’ and is followed by the deliberative and deep ‘Darling’ by Los Angeles outsider pop duo Ruby Haunt.
The rest of the tracks were added to the list over the past week or so. Tirzah enlisted Coby Sey for the piano laden drama of ‘Devotion’ and if you were wondering where the vibes from the chillwave movement of a few years back have been hiding look no further than the mysterious SwuM, whose track ‘Nothing’s Gonna Hurt U’ has them all over it. Another act carrying the torch for the accompanying downtempo electronic pop movement that spawned Purity Ring is Minneapolis duo Tiny Deaths and they are on the list with the dark and emotive ‘Us’. Cannons make their second appearance in the list with the guitar centred electro-pop shuffle of ‘Holding On’ from their EP In A Heartbeat’. The same day that surfaced so did Colorado DIY artist Sophie Meiers with her heartfelt new track ‘Something About You’ while Young Lost Love’ by Chicago artist Appleby is from his new EP Happiness released last Friday.
PLAYLIST UPDATE JULY 17: Paris artist Zimmer begins our list of new tracks with ‘Landing’, his starry eyed new synth pop single for Roche Musique. Following him is Vesuvio Solo’s Cam Maclean with the sparkling new guitar/synth hybrid ‘Jacob Always’ off his debut record Wait For Love on Atelier Ciseaux. Dublin dream pop duo Hvmmingbyrd self-released a new single recently which was written for all the women who suffered under Ireland’s anti-women abortion laws until the recent referendum. Next is the infectious shuffle of the title track from Melbourne’s Braille Face (Jordan White) from his surprise new EP Malhereaux out through Spirit Level. Gussie is the DIY pop project belonging to a Brooklyn artist known only as Blair and the rolling fragility of ‘End Of The World’ is her third single. Soft grooves abound and French language abounds on the latest Champagne Superchillin’ single ‘DJ Scott’ from the Brooklyn via Nashville outfit’s forthcoming debut Beach Deep out via Soft Junk/ Broken Circle Records this Friday. Brisbane trio Niterunner‘s new single ‘Stay Tonight’ is a big, crisp and gorgeously nostalgic slow burning piece of synth pop out on Stoney Roads. Los Angeles quintet Inner Wave keep the vintage bubbling away teaming up with Banes World for the lovely ‘Whoa before Jacksonville DIY genre defying artist Yuno, who released his new EP Moodie last month for Sup Pop chimes in with the breakup inspired ‘So Slow’. Recently found on the house side of things Abu Dhabi via Beirut artist Moe Turk‘s gleaming new single ‘Deep Down’ on KudoZ veers into downtempo and ambient territory and it completes the new tracks.
UPDATED JUNE 29: Our electronic playlist has been updated and includes new music from The Golden Filter, Mr Twin Sister, Steady Holiday, Exhibitionist, Das Body, Yuno, The Mary Onettes, Lorenzo_BITW & Chikaya, Jim E-Stack, Men I Trust, Cannons, Luxury, Swimm and MADEIRA’s (Kim Pflaum) effort with Boycrush to add to that of her former band Yumi Zouma’s.