Originally from Sydney, Jackson Dyer relocated in Berlin like many Aussie expats in Europe. However, the singer-songwriter and producer recently spent more time “down under”. Since releasing his third EP “Compartments” in 2016, he focused on writing and producing his debut album Inlet in a quiet coastal village north of Sydney.

Surrounded by the breath-taking Pacific Ocean and endless golden beaches, Dyer found himself heavily influenced by this glorious landscape. “CBSKY” embodies the palpable isolation and open expanses of Australia but it is also an introspection evoking conflicting emotions many feel at the start of a new journey, where the changing tide can overwhelm you. He explains:

[su_quote]I wrote CBSKY focusing on the dramatic and often senseless changes and trials that life brings. Facing many doubts and challenges in my own life […] CBSKY helped me reach the understanding that change is inevitable, and that the discomfort it causes will recede with time.[/su_quote]

The heart-warming indie effort that clocks in at just three minutes is characterized by dreamy guitar plucks, a colourful amalgam of airy soundscapes and Jackson’s velvety croon. This aesthetic acts like a ray of sunshine on a cold day, illustrating Dyer’s quest for inner peace and positivity. As he stares into the past, Jackson Dyer yearns for the calmer seas beyond the breakers. Check out the symbolic redlight monkey-directed music video shot in Mallorca below.

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Jackson Dyer – “Inlet” Tracklist

1. Paper Lanterns

2. My Release

3. Blue

4. Sun, Sea

5. Wonder Here Still

6. The Font

7. Unfolding

8. CBSKY

9. Over the Dunes

Some places just have something going on in their water… What is a mecca for forward-thinking pop artists unveiled its latest gem: TÜ, comprised of long-time friends; vocalist Erle Romundstad Mylius and drummer Oddbjørn Sponås. After 6 years of collaboration, they finally unveiled their first track “Underwater”, a delicate electro-pop song.

The undulating basshook, dusky synths and tight drum loops are lifted by the shape-shifting electronic backdrops courtesy of Magnus Børmark. The effort capitalizes on the changing atmospheres and fitful key-changes situating the Copenhagen-based pair on the left-field spectrum of Scandinavian pop. Percolating through the mist of dreamy sonics is the crystalline traits of Erle‘s vocals emitting a bit of magic in similar fashion to fellow Norwegian songstress, Aurora. The figurative imagery of her lyrics evoke there is light at the end of the tunnel.

About the track TÜ stated:

[su_quote]’Underwater’ is our first attempt at writing what we think is a pop track. We spent quite some time together, experimenting with the synth-parts, and in the end we found ourselves in a really nice synth-space somewhere between Toto and Stranger Things.[/su_quote]

Malmö-based Ebba Salomonsson isn’t about regurgitating the Scandi-pop sound dominating the charts. Instead, she washes this tendancy away with an escapade into awry polyphony and increasingly potent dreamy soundscapes. Restless drums paired with sustained pianos and brass flourishes give off a cinematic feel, and, alongside the Swedish singer’s breathy vocals, the piece brings some nostalgic notions about.

Benz’s use of all these different organic instruments gives it a timelessness that is certainly further exacerbated by the nostalgia that it conjures up. With the latter and longing working as a roadmap for getting through it all, the effort succeeds in encapsulating this sentimental space with a warming tranquility growing in some sort of mayhem at last. It takes some time to warm up to it but when all the layers culminate, “The Smile” leaves a lasting mark.

The new track arrives with moving visuals directed by Ebba Ågren, from the duo Wy, who stated:

[su_quote]To me the song feels like when you finally let go of something you have kept inside you for a long time, and I wanted the video to embody that feeling. I wanted to portray the unsureness and the tenseness of a friendship evolving into something more. For me this song was a love story, and I’m really glad that Benz allowed me to interpret it like one.[/su_quote]

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There’s a special quality to songs that, when you hear them the first time, know are hits, and “Waste My Money”, from four-piece indie band All The Rest, is one that has it. The boys based out in the small southern city of Senoia in Georgia, make a rather big statement for themselves, the first milestone towards their common dream: becoming rock stars.

With the expert hands from multi-platinum producer Matt Squire [Panic! at the Disco, Good Charlotte], All The Rest deliver a dance-worthy pop earworm. Indeed, “Waste My Money” pulsates with an addictive energy featuring a punchy, lodge-in-your-brain-and-never-leave chorus. The quartet embrace a radio-friendly aesthetic by delving into R&B-inspired, synth-pop dominating the charts right now. However, they inject harder-hitting pads and an unexpected guitar solo to bolster the appeal of the piece. Like money and love, All The Rest‘s “Waste My Money” is dangerously addictive.

About it, Baylee, Jud, Caleb and Tre detail:

[su_quote]Money is what keeps us and alive and comfortable but when love and romance come into play it suddenly blinds your brain and becomes really easy to spend it all on your significant other…literally and mentally. If you’re head over heels about someone, you really can’t help it…nor do you care. “Waste My Money” is a song that symbolizes just that.[/su_quote]

Watch their retro-inspired video, courtesy of Jesse Scimeca below.

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The musical brainchild of L.A-based producer & composer Gueorgui Linev; Kan Wakan, has seen his fair share of HighClouds posts and his ability to constantly pull compelling aesthetics is to blame for that. His latest single “Indigo” is no different in that regard as the compelling palette of sonics and variety of instruments used make up for a special listen.

Guiding you through the sweeping mix of varying brass, fluctuating bass and elegant keys with twinkling harp accents is Kan Wakan‘s longtime friend and jazz vocalist Elle Olsun. Her mysterious croon and hypnotic cadence provide a neat juxtaposition to the rich textures of the song. “Indigo” could take you a while to sink in as Kan Wakan‘s meticulous approach to structure and instrumentation will make you catch something you hadn’t heard before, even at third listen.

In fact, “Indigo” is close to a good story, building anticipation throughout the song for the next detail and sonic plot twist. It also serves as doorway into “Phantasmagoria (Vol.1)”, an album we’ve been waiting for two years. To celebrate, Kan Wakan has curated his own festival in Sofia; Outlier fest, taking place on September 15.

Coming off the heels of launching her own label with standalone single “Stay Here In The Sun” featuring Naughty Boy, TĀLĀ is back and undoubtedly stronger than ever. Her new song “Bedtime” marks her return from studio hibernation and announces her debut album. In short, it’s the start of a new era for the South London native.

Indeed, after an “awful breakup”, she quit her label and deleted her previous body of work. Consequently written therapeutically, the cathartic single “Bedtime” details the breakdown of this long-term relationship. Possessing the right equilibrium of both a traumatic yet a confident tone, TĀLĀ‘s honeyed vocals spit badass lines such as “The only thing you’re fucking is your ego” reflecting the raw emotion that she was going through.

With co-production from two Toronto multi-platinum producers Neenyo and Topflr [Drake, PARTYNEXTDOOR], the singer-producer’s sound edges towards pop territory with modern R&B textures. Something that might surprise her fans as her previous projects were seens as more experimental. Regardless, “Bedtime” confirms she is back on her feet, with the big leagues locked in her sights. It isn’t bedtime for TĀLĀ yet.

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Following the release of his critically acclaimed sophomore LP “Rouge”, Thomas Azier spent a lot of time touring, hence producing and writing on the go. Mainly composed in hotel-rooms with a laptop and a USB mic, his new 4-track EP “S T R A Y” is a reflection of his state of mind during his time on the road.

The Dutch singer-songwriter and producer has proven he can do everything in the past. On “Echoes” and his new EP “S T R A Y” he extracts the perfect middle ground between the dark electronic beats of his debut album and the pop, organic charms of its follow-up. Thomas Azier knows what he’s doing and his evolution, propelled with the sense of assuredness of a man whose time on the road seems to have informed him of how he wants to sound is one he can be proud of. Like he sings on the eery electro-pop single, it has never been so clear.

To present his new body of work, Thomas Azier asked his friend Rob Kauffman, a marionettist from Berlin, to “perform” “Echoes” with the help of his puppet Jimmy. Watch the quirky, Obi Blanche-directed video just below and discover the “S T R A Y” EP:

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Saint Mesa, born Danny McCook, came onto the scene almost two years ago with “Jungle” quickly garnering a million streams on Spotify. McCook was then signed to Interscope Records and got extra attention after being featured in ads for H&M and Puma as well as popular TV shows. Today, he is independent and makes the most organically created body of work he has ever made.

Fueled by tense opening soundscapes, “Murky” is a darkly colored piece that captivates the listener from the get-go. The Californian multi-instrumentalist takes us into an altered state of consciousness through an arsenal of gradually intensifying percussion driven by menacing humming and spasmodic guitar plucks. Using almost indigenous sounding drums while chanting prophetic lyrics dramatically, Saint Mesa orchestrates what sounds like a spiritual ceremony. Like during a shamanic extraction, he invokes spirits to remove misplaced energy.

The track is without an ounce of unnecessary texture or sound, but what really clinches Mesa the win is the climactic array of strings giving grandeur to the scene halfway through the song. A moment where all spiritual, natural and animal forces connect with his eclectic influences to carry the listener on an epic journey to a world of sand and rocks such as one might expect from the Chilean Atacama desert. Now at a turning point in his career with his first release in almost a year, Saint Mesa breaks free from his anxieties on “Murky” which is a track that precisely fuels the desire to tread through the murky water to find clarity. In the end, most of life is the art of the latter, and Saint Mesa is certainly not an exception as he bounced back from dark places notably overcoming a mystery illness during his youth. Reborn, once again.