It’s Friday! Before the weekend, don’t forget to check out our new EP and album recommendations, with an emphasis on up and coming artists’ projects you might have missed. As usual, support what you like if you can: it really makes a difference for emerging musicians.

Ece Era – War on Innocence EP [debut]

Time Wharp – Spiro World

Σtella – Up and Away

Tirzah – Highgrade [Colourgrade remix album]

TDJ – TDJ123

Dylan Moon – Option Explore

Stella – Détends-toi EP [debut]

0171 – Welcome Back To My Channel EP

Nailah Hunter – Forest Dwelling

Barbie Bertisch – Prelude [debut]

Despite already having two records under her belt, the buzz surrounding Greek artist Stella Chronopoulou AKA Σtella’s forthcoming album is entirely warranted as this is her first international release. Although this fact may suggest a change in sound, one that would perhaps be more “universal” or “commercial”, Σtella wisely sticks to what she knows and does best: drawing on her Greek heritage for inspiration.

In her latest single “Forest”, which follows up on the excellent and previously-released singles “Samba” and “The Race“, we hear the artist ponder the transitory nature of human existence. Of the track and its formation, she said: “‘Forest’ is about transformation. About how we’re constantly changing into something else, whether we realise it or not”.

These intentions are made abundantly clear from the visuals that accompany the track. As Σtella creates indie electro-pop goodness musically, the video sees flowers blooming, the sky turning from day to night and, at the very climax of the track, a transformation for Σtella from mere mortal to something angelic or mythic, as her silhouette form is pictured with wings. Her nods to classic Greek Mythology as well as the fact that the video was filmed around the Ancient Greek Temple of Poseidon, Parnitha Mountain and Park of Souls, create a stunning dichotomy between the past and the present, relating to the song’s overarching theme of evolution. This is not the first time that the artist embraces her Greek heritage, as the video of “The Race” was an ode to the Olympic spirit of Athens.

Sonically, Σtella masterfully echoes her video by transforming the song at regular intervals. Whilst the verses are typically catchy and led by jangly, summery and somehow folkloric guitars that have become a staple of her music, the chorus undergoes its own metamorphosis: where guitars and a throbbing drumbeat reigned over the verse, as the refrain hits, the song changes into a shimmering synth-led piece. Watch and pre-order via Bandcamp below.

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Shot around Athens in the spring of this year, Σtella‘s self-directed new video charts the everyday training regimes of over fifteen athletes, from horse riders to skateboarders, across the city. It’s easy to see the inspiration for the video coming from the pulse of Athens and its sporting history, yet it’s more prescient than that in the context of the song. In the training athletes, we see the pursuit for excellence, the desire to escape from “The Race” yet also the inherent joy that comes with achieving something that’s challenging.

If “The Race” that the title refers to is the rat race of everyday life, then the entire song resounds with a feeling of escapism and wonder, a dare to reject the mundanity and banality of everyday life for something more exciting. The steadily beating ba dum rhythm, that guides the track through the reedy woodwind upon which the song is tethered to, echoes the beating of a heart, the pulse of life and as such is innately pleasing to the ear.

Beyond the thrumming beat, the jangly guitars and lilting vocals from Σtella inject the track with a lightness. There’s a heady warmth embedded in the track, one that gives it a sunkissed aura that radiates outwards into wonderfully airy electro-pop.

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Geriatric men dancing, glittery ocean water, friends feeding one another soft serve from adjacent moving vehicles: It’s all in Σtella‘s newest music video for “Samba,” the first single off her upcoming album. Directed by Isi Charbila and Σtella herself, the project is bottled euphoria. Featuring ecstatic dancing from local talent Konstandinos Georgopoulos and Ioannis Michos, the video is reminiscent to Queer As Folk with its exuberant portrayal of queer love.

Σtella (born Stella Chronopoulou) is no stranger to the scene: She’s been steadily releasing breathtaking tracks since 2012 and collaborating with Grecian music Gods such as Sillyboy and My Wet Calvin. With this first release outside of Greece (and her first track since signing with Montreal-based label Arbutus Records), Σtella effortlessly blends retro Robyn-esque vocals with futuristic keys and guitar solos on this 80s-inspired track. The song and the vibe of the video perfectly encapsulate thoughts and feelings that stream through a partygoer’s head on a long night out, with Σtella singing, “Do I know you? / Have we met before? / Do you realize that they own you? / Have you finally had enough?” The gorgeous visuals combined with the quietly rhapsodic vocals result in a video that’s veritable eye candy.

Woven into this video’s ecstasy is a sense of foreboding, as there’s something unspoken yet ominous about the final project. Maybe its the interwoven cuts of Georgopoulos and Michos dancing in a red room, or perhaps it’s Charbila‘s eerie fascination with lights and shadows, or it could be Σtella‘s vaguely threatening lyrics– whatever it is, the effect it leaves behind is certainly sinister. Still, this ability to contain both hard and soft is Σtella‘s selling point. The video, the song, and the artist herself contain multitudes.

As the seasons begin to turn, “Samba” is the perfect score to shimmy your way into summer.

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For his new single “A State Nearby”, Greek artist NTEIBINT has decided to invite longtime collaborator and fellow Athenian artist Σtella, and the final rendition sounds irresistible. Described as a “sci-fi disco ballad, full of heartbreaks and mellow synth lines,” their track boasts on a pulsating bass line that will get everyone to agree.

NTEIBINT and Σtella‘s new single “A State Nearby” is out via Belgium’s finest disco label Eskimo Recordings. Listen below.

Connect with NTEIBINT via Facebook and Twitter. Follow ΣTELLA over Facebook and Twitter.