BABA STILTZ – ‘Like U’
Becoming an oddbeat producer probably isn’t the standard career path for most ballet school graduates, but Baba Stiltz is rapidly establishing himself as an expert in the unconventional. That quality is clearly present in his music, as his latest track ‘Like U’ proves. Warped but melodic, it sounds like your favourite pop song with a heavy concussion. Jerky and cloudy but still undeniably sweet.
KIKI – ‘Shoot You Down’
Kicki Halmos has just rebooted as a pop star, but she’s been around the Swedish music scene for a while. Formerly a member of dark wave band Masquer and Lykke Li’s touring band, she hit a creative wall after Masquer fell apart and it took a move to Berlin to revive her creative energies. She teamed up with producer Mathias Oldén and has now returned with sharp electro-pop track ‘Shoot You Down’. Rippling synths combine with Halmos’ slick vocals to create a perfect synth-pop anthem.
VANILLA – ‘Little Lies’
Malmö-based label Naiv Recordings had one of the more unusual stories of the year about the new track they put out. They claim that they were given both a blurred photograph and a record by a girl at a party. When they listened to it and decided they wanted to release it, they realised that they had no means of getting in contact with her or even determining who she was, and promptly had to launch a campaign to find her. It’s a pretty neat story, whether it’s true or not, but the track itself (‘Little Lies’ by Vanilla) is undeniably gorgeous, a piece of slow-moving, hazy synth-pop. And if you know who Vanilla is, give the label a call.
MAGIC POTION – ‘Booored’
Stockholm’s Magic Potion describe their music as “Full Throttle Brain Juice Pop Music”, and they’re probably as close to nailing it as anyone else will ever be. Their recent Melt EP is full of lo-fi charm, reminiscent of Mac DeMarco in its smooth choruses and innovative guitar work.
R.A.B.B.I.I – ‘Hang Us High’
Electro duo R.A.B.B.I.I’s chosen moniker stands for ‘Revolutions Are Best Before Initial Inception’, which is a bit on the long side, but their music makes a much more immediate impact. Their most recent single, ‘Hang Us High’, grips the listener with its thumping beats and scorched glitches and effects. Anyone missing The Knife after their breakup would do well to investigate.
