VALLIS ALPS - FADING

Vallis Alps first drew people's attention after their debut EP was released last year and many people fell in love with their sparkling indie pop sound. Their remix of Australian Troye Sivan's song 'Ease' also left a lot of people wanting more. After being on hiatus for a long time they have finally made a come back with this brand new track 'Fading'. Although to many this is a welcome return, this is the first time I'm hearing of them. With that said, their style of music is definitely up my street and I can't wait to hear more from the duo. Canberra based vocalist Parissa Tosif and producer David Ansari (originally from Seattle Washington) present an exciting and new exploration into the world of dreamy electro pop with their music. Although still being fairly new onto the scene and only having a handful of songs to their name there is no doubt this duo are gaining momentum with their sugary sweet indie pop songs that not only appeal to a mass audience but also connect with the listener on an emotional level through their personal lyrics. Tosif's fragile and ascending vocals blend perfectly with the electronic rhythms and samples put together by Ansari, creating songs that will attract many to their pleasing sounds and songs that truly represent them as an exciting up and coming band.

THE JAPANESE HOUSE - FACE LIKE THUNDER

I'm a little bit late to the party when it comes to The Japanese House aka Amber Bain. The 21 year old first started to make waves last year with her first two EPs 'Pools To Bathe In' and 'Clean'. Now after increasing success, touring across the UK on her own and supporting The 1975, Bain has released her first EP of the year titled 'Swim Against The Tide'. Although she is still a very new artist, her music style is remarkably distinct, creating songs that live up to the kind of image you think of when you think of a Japanese House. When you think of a 'Japanese House' you think of a clean, calming, soothing backdrop to relax in, this is exactly what Bain directly tries to emulate with her music. Bain's music is incredibly atmospheric  at times cinematic, and always shows a perfect blend of dream pop and electronica. 

One thing that always shines through with Bain's music is her confidence to experiment with different sounds and create something unique and original. Bain's desire for experimentation however does not only stop wth her music. As a child she has always been one to play with conventions and gender norms, on a holiday in Cornwall age 8, she spent the whole week pretending to be a boy. Her desire to play with gender stereotypes is carried over into her music, most importantly with the name of the musical project. Bain chose the alias 'The Japanese House' as an attempt to depersonalise and take away the gender and identity of the person behind the music, leaving only the joy of the music itself. As she has previously said: 'A lot of female musicians, if they use their own name, get described as female artist blah blah blah. By taking away a person’s identity, all you have to focus on is the music, which is kind of cool'. Throughout her music we see not only her fondness to experiment with music but how her want to experiment with gender, Bain's voice is often intentionally very androgynous. At times it is difficult to distinguish whether what you are hearing is coming from a male or female singer. Bain herself considers this a skill, accomplished in being able to hit both high and very low notes. 

Categorically, her music can be labeled as a blend of electronic loveliness and alternative dream-pop, yet the feelings and blissful emotions her music stirs up spreads further than the genre of the music itself. Her newest EP 'Swim Against The Tide' was released a few days ago, and one of my favourite tracks from the EP is 'Face Like Thunder' which shows a new dimension and diversity to her music, the song being more upbeat than many of her previous records. The song features Bain's now signature Imogen Heap-like vocoder harmonies that weave their way into your mind and soul, while soothing forward-thinking pop/electronic beats form the foundation of the track. The song is a full bodied punch of emotions and melody, '80s guitar rhythms and ambient synth sounds buzz underneath as Bain's vocals scintillate on top. Within the song, her vocoder harmonies are perfectly balanced, Bain's natural and raw vocals shine through without sounding too overly synthetic. With the perfect fusion of`nostaligc guitar riffs and smooth vocoder harmonies, 'Face Like Thunder' presents an upbeat track adding to Bain's consistently solid and growing body of work. There is no doubt this track and her newest EP are bound to scoop up and attract a whole host of new listeners, giving her the attention she deserves as a profoundly engaging and mesmerising young artist. 

MAGGIE ROGERS - DOG YEARS

As a music student at NYU, Maggie Rogers began her time at University by experimenting with and producing pure folk music with a post-modern twist. However, after studying a year abroad in France she found a new love for dance music. After continuing her studies at NYU she set her sights on producing music that shows a fusion of the folk and dance genres. As Rogers was starting to create this new sound, Pharrel Williams was invited to host a masterclass at The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. During this masterclass, some NYU students and young musicians, Maggie Rogers being one of them, got a chance to play some of their music to Pharrell. As a rough demo of Roger's debut single 'Alaska' starts to play, a look of surprise begins to unfold on Pharell's face as he shakes his head in amazement. After much anticipation, her debut single 'Alaska' was finally released and gained huge popularity and attention due to the video of Pharrel's reaction to Roger's demo of the same song. As of now the video has garnered over 3 million views on YouTube. 

While a co-sign and endorsement from Pharell via Twitter and a viral video of his stunned reaction to her music may be responsible for the majority of Roger's growing fanbase, her musical style alone is more than enough to get you interested. Her newest single continues her unique combination of folk and dance music. Much like her debut single 'Alaska', 'Dog Years' treats us to a catchy dance beat combined with Roger's personal and creative lyrics, her vocals soaring in and out of falsetto pitches. Throughout the song, the track carries a very deep synth-like grooving electronic beat that has a very retro 70/80s vibe to it. Technically, the song is mixed with a clean and crisp multi-layered sound. Through the mixture of dance beats and raw heartfelt vocals, there's something eclectic and natural about her unique sound. In many ways her vocals recall a young Florence Welch, both of their voices carrying a natural, pure and off-beat quality to them. 

With 'Dog Years' Roger's remains consistent in her goal to blend the folk and dance genres, creating songs with impeccable heartfelt lyrics that echo her rural upbringing and mixing them with unique percussion pieces and synth heavy dance hooks. Through her music, Roger's brings her technical and professional brilliance from being a music student at NYU and melds it with her instinctive knowledge and seemingly natural ability to create moving songs with compelling lyrics and chilling falsetto notes. Maggie Rogers' uniqueness and unpredictability as a young songwriter who exhibits a clear vision of what she wants to do and shows a remarkable confidence in what she knows she is capable of, makes me very excited to see her growth as a musician and an artist.