Tag: electro pop

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: I WANT POETRY Share Lush, Nostalgia-Inducing “Backyard Astronauts”

German indie electro pop duo I WANT POETRY — Tine von Bergen (vocals) and Till Moritz Moll (keys) — have received attention for crafting music that simultaneously feels cinematic and deeply human, blending emotional depth with luminous pop soundscapes. 

While developing a reputation for an immersive live show and striking visuals, the German duo have earned critical acclaim and a nomination at the European Songwriting Awards. The duo have played over 100 shows across their native Germany, Poland, Sweden and elsewhere, while making the run of the European showcase festival circuit. And adding to a growing national and international profile, the duo’s single “Light” landed on iTunes charts in several countries, amassing over 500,000 streams globally — and was selected for the soundtrack for the Canadian film, La mécanique des frontières. 

2026 looks to be a breakthrough year for the German indie electro pop duo: Their highly anticipated third album, Future Selves is slated for a May 29, 2026 release. The album is reportedly hopeful and transformative, inspired by a brief moment in time when the future still felt like a promise, channeling the spirit of past dreams of utopia and progress. And as a result, the new album offers a forward-thinking vision shaped by memory, imagination and the will to create what comes next.

Sonically, the album’s material marks an evolution from the reflective tones of Solace + Light, featuring layers of shimming synths and soaring melodies. 

Future Selves will include the previously released “Mirrors Of The Sky,” the Michael Micheal Vanja, Ghian Wright and The EmU-co-produced “No Is a Full Sentence,” and it’s latest single “Backyard Astronauts.”

“Backyard Astronauts” continues a run of lush, hook-driven synth pop but unlike its immediate predecessors, the new single sees the German duo showcasing a balance of earnestness, childhood whimsy and wonder — the sort of wonder and joy inspired by brave astronauts and space travel. But along with that is the of dream of scientific and technological progress informing a desperately needed sense of hope and unity, much like the recent Artemis II mission.

“‘Backyard Astronauts’ captures the feeling of childhood summers when imagination could turn a backyard into a space mission,” the German duo explain,. It’s our song for everyone who still has a sense of wonder about space travel, a quiet dream of unity and progress that feels as present now as it did back then. It’s a reminder of how closely we’re connected – and how far imagination and friendship can take us.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Cherry Bomb Shares Glistening and Anthemic “Digital Girl”

For over a decade, the Los Angeles-based artist Mandy Lee has led acclaimed alt pop outfit MisterWives with her distinctly compelling vocal and commanding stage presence through four studio albums, a live album and a deluxe album, several tours and a run of the global festival circuit.

Earlier this year, Lee debuted her solo recording project Cherry Bomb with the attention-grabbing, upbeat banger “Never Be Me (M★ther★cker),” which sees the MisterWives frontperson boldly shaping a sonic universe that’s completely her own — while blending party bops with profundity.

Lee’s latest Cherry Bomb single “Digital Girl” is a slickly produced, rousingly anthemic bop anchored around glistening synth arpeggios that seemingly channels early Lady Gaga and Madonna while confessing a deep-seated frustration and annoyance with the hyper-connected social media world.

Directed by frequent collaborator Matty Vogel, the accompanying video for “Digital Girl,” evokes the constant overstimulation of the modern world with harsh contrasts, flashing images and impossible shapes crammed together– in the same frame.

“Who doesn’t want to smash their phone in 2026 and be met with confetti to celebrate?” Lee asks. “In this hyper-digital day and age, it’s near impossible to not fall down the algorithmic rabbit hole of comparison spirals, curated perfection, and infinite doomscrolling. I wanted to visually represent the tension that exists between conforming to the pressure or rebelling against it and what it feels like when the two coincide.”

Through “Digital Girl,” Lee sees Cherry bomb as a symbol of fiery resistance to the pressures of modernity. “I hope she is a much needed reprieve from the Digital World that lives in the palm of our hand.” She adds, “‘Digital Girl’ is my love/hate confessional to my dreams and the systems they exist within. An unsettling reflection of modernity and how much we sacrifice who we really are in response to who we are told to be.” As her first song she wrote for her solo project, the new track “ignited the spark and unapologetic energy that I needed for this project — a total rejection of the impossible shapes we are constantly pressured to bend to.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Alewya Shares Broodingly Cinematic “Eshi”

JOVM mainstay Alewya is an acclaimed London-based singer/songwriter, producer and visual artist. Born in Saudi Arabia to an Egyptian-Sudanese father and an Ethiopian mother, the acclaimed London-based artist has spent her life surrounded by diaspora immigrant communities: She grew up in West London and after a several year stint in New York, she returned to London. Upon her return home, the Saudi-British artist developed and honed her ear for music through the sounds of the Ethiopian and Arabic music of her parents and the ambient and alternative rock albums of her brother.

She’s part of a generation of artists actively redefining global music, a generation that’s generally rooted in heritage, yet unbound by it. Describing herself as a painter, who makes music, Alewya approaches sound as texture and feeling, guided more by intuition than structure. Her sound and story help to widen the Black British frame, bringing the often under heard North and East African perspective into a much-needed focus.

Back in 2020, the JOVM mainstay burst into the scene with an attention grabbing feature on Little Simz‘s “where’s my lighter,” which caught the attention of Because Records, who signed the rising artist and released her critically applauded debut, 2021’s Panther In Mode EP.

Alewya’s highly-anticipated full-length debut, ZERO is slated for a June 26, 2026 release through Because London Records. The album reportedly embodies years of artistic growth into an effort that’s both deeply personal and sonically expansive. But the album also marks a significant milestone, as it sees her boldly stepping into a new creative era, defined by fearless experimentation and cultural fluidity.

ZERO will include the previously released “Night Drive,” feat. Dagmawit Ameha and “City of Symbols,” along with the album’s third and latest single “Eshi.” “Eshi” weaves broodingly atmospheric electronics, shimmering keys thumping beats and gnawa-like percussion with a looping figure played on an Eritrean and Ethiopian instrument, masenqo, a single-stringed bowed lute that features a diamond-shaped resonator. Alewya’s expressive delivery ethereally floats over the song’s widescreen production and instrumentation as it builds up and intensifies to a chant-driven crescendo. The result is a song that feels woozily anachronistic, in the sense that it draws from ancient traditions and pairs them with contemporary, Western/pop-influenced sounds and production techniques. “Eshi is rooted in tradition but unbound by it too, which is one of the pillars of ZERO,” Alewya explains.

The accompanying video was co-directed and co-produced by Yonas Tadesse, Frehiwot Berhane, Tedos Teffera and Alewya, and was shot in Lalibela, Ethiopia, during the celebration of Gena, Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas. The gorgeous, cinematically shot video captures and reinforces a strong sense of community and culture, both of which are central and defining forces in the JOVM mainstay’s work.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 58th Birthday, Damon Albarn!

JOVM’s WIlliam Ruben Helms celebrates Damon Albarn’s 58th birthday.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Paris-Born, London-Based Allix Shares Slickly produced, Hook-Driven “Motion”

Alexandre Allix is a Paris-born, London-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, whose work is rooted in retro-inspired textures paired with contemporary production. He is the creative mastermind behind the solo indie electro pop project Allix, which sees him creating music that explores urgency, emotion and intensity.

The Paris-born, London-based artist’s latest single “Motion” is a slick and deftly produced, hook-driven bop that — to my ears, at least — channels the likes of The Weeknd and 80s synth funk while showcasing a seemingly effortless, swaggering pop star delivery.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Total Fucking Darkness Shares Deceptively Upbeat “Beaten to Write”

Electronic music outfit and JOVM mainstays Total Fucking Darkness features: 

Over the past year or so, the trio have released a handful of standalone singles, including four that I’ve written about, “Desolation Boys,” “Take It Easy,” “Give Me Everything You Own” and “Horizontal Rain.”  

The trio’s latest single, “Beaten to Write” is a world weary tune paired with a deceptively bright, playful and hook-driven production that seemingly channels mid 80s New Order. Anchored around a relentless motorik pulse, the song is perfectly designed for getting your energy up for another day of drudgery at a soul-sucking day job. And its core, the song seems to suggest that as adults, we have to find ways to accept and deal with drudgery and bullshit, and then push past it — as much as possible.

Continuing the visual approach of its immediate predecessor, the accompanying visualizer/video for “Beaten to Write” features a masked man in a hoodie dancing and shadow boxing an abandoned factory space, with glitchy imagery projected around him.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy Belated 68th Birthday, Gary Numan!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Gary Numan’s 68th birthday.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: TOMORA Shares Euphoric “SOMEWHERE ELSE”

TOMORA is a new collaborative project featuring:

  • The Chemical Brothers‘ Tom Rowlands: As one-half of The Chemical Brothers, Rowlands has produced and recorded six widely acclaimed UK #1 albums and won six Grammy Awards.

  • Norwegian artist AURORA: AURORA has released four studio albums and has quickly become one of Norway’s most influential and globally recognized contemporary artists. Her single “Runaway” has amassed over one-billion Spotify streams to date.

TOMORA builds upon a creative relationship that can be traced to the recording sessions for The Chemical Brothers’ 2019 album No Geography. AURORA contributed vocals to three tracks, including “Eve of Destruction.” Rowlands then went on to contribute to AURORA’s 2024 effort, What Happened to the Heart?, which landed on the UK Top 10.

Initially, speculation was rife as to who — or what — the then-mysterious TOMORA was or could be, after the name appeared on Coachella’s 2026 Festival lineup post without any additional information last year. Last December, the duo released their debut single “Ring The Alarm,” which received praise from Spin, BrooklynVegan, Stereogum and DJ Mag. “Ring The Alarm” also received DJ support from Erol Alkan, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U and a long list of others.

The duo’s TOMORA debut single was then released on a very limited and collectible white label vinyl, alongside B-side “The Thing,” which showcase a glimpse of the tender and hauntingly beautiful downtempo tracks that will appear on the duo’s full-length debut, COME CLOSER.

Slated for an April 17, 2026 release through Capitol Records, COME CLOSER was written and produced jointly by Rowlands and AURORA. The 12-song album sees the duo pairing the Norwegian artist’s distinctive vocal with the acclaimed British producer’s unparalleled studio expertise. While the album sees the duo creating their own unique space, somewhere they can produce the kind of magic that comes from flicking through a perfect record collection, flowing from wigged-out 1960s psychedelia to the hyper-futurism of sounds imagined for the 2060s. 

Ultimately though, the album is less about two separate and distinct artists finding a fertile middle ground and more the sound of two tenacious individuals connecting in the studio and hitting massive creative peaks together. 

“This is our album COME CLOSER, it is everything we dreamt of. We made it without obligation or expectation, just a joy in creation,” the duo says. “It’s the sound where we meet, the landing zone of our musical escape pods. It is a special place to us. We hope you dig it as much as we do.”

Last month, I wrote about album the hauntingly mesmerizing album title track “COME CLOSER.” Building upon the attention and momentum of the album’s previously released singles, COME CLOSER‘s latest single begins with AURORA’s otherworldly and ethereal melody and pairs it with a blissed out, relentlessly driving, hyper-futuristic production. The result is a song that sounds as though it could have been beamed from a futuristic interplanetary civilization in the year 4239 while simultaneously intimate, yearning and rousingly anthemic.

“’SOMEWHERE ELSE’ is one of the first songs we ever wrote, as TOMORA. And it opened up a big door for us, into our world,” AURORA says. Tom Rowland adds, “Ever since AURORA sang that melody to me it’s been running around my head brightening my day. We played an early version of the song at Glastonbury Festival and it felt like magic. Now we get to share it, it’s a total joy.”

Continuing their ongoing collaboration with Adam Smith and S T A R T !, the accompanying video for “SOMEWHERE ELSE” begins with AURORA waking up under the pier of a beach, not quite sure how she got there with one shoe missing. The rest of the video we see the Norwegian artist on an afternoon at the amusement park, wandering through a town and other adventures, potentially tripping and/or appearing like a humanoid alien trying to figure out human life.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: BRDN Shares Woozy and Brooding “Unparalleled”

German electronic outfit BRDN (pronounced as “burden”) has quickly established a sound that sees them pair powerful synth structures with smooth vocal sequences and driving rhythms. Their work takes listeners to the more brooding side of introspection with his work thematically touching upon self-doubt and the desperate search for purpose. The result is a fever dream, ripe for interpretation and analysis.

The German outfit’s sophomore EP Maybe in another life is slated for release in June. The EP’s first single, “Unparalleled” is an eerily minimalist tune, featuring glistening synths and skittering beats serving as an uneasy and brooding bed for BRDN’s yearning delivery. Sonically, recalling The Ways We Separate and Escapements-era Beacon, “Unparalleled,” conveys a woozy sense of regret-fueled self-doubt.

Shot at dusk and at night, the accompanying video follows two lonely souls, full of brooding self-doubt and regret.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 71st Birthday, Howard Jones!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Howard Jones’ 70th birthday.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy Black History Month!/Happy 63rd Birthday, Seal!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Seal’s 63rd birthday.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: I WANT POETRY Shares Flirty “No Is A Full Sentence”

German indie electro pop duo I WANT POETRY — Tine von Bergen (vocals) and Till Moritz Moll (keys) — have received attention for crafting music that simultaneously feels cinematic and deeply human, blending emotional depth with luminous pop soundscapes. 

While developing a reputation for an immersive live show and striking visuals, the German duo have earned critical acclaim and a nomination at the European Songwriting Awards. The duo have played over 100 shows across their native Germany, Poland, Sweden and elsewhere, while making the run of the European showcase festival circuit. And adding to a growing national and international profile, the duo’s single “Light” landed on iTunes charts in several countries, amassing over 500,000 streams globally — and was selected for the soundtrack for the Canadian film, La mécanique des frontières. 

2026 looks to be a breakthrough year for the German indie electro pop duo: Their highly anticipated third album, Future Selves is slated for a May 29, 2026 release. The album is reportedly hopeful and transformative, inspired by a brief moment in time when the future still felt like a promise, channeling the spirit of past dreams of utopia and progress. And as a result, the new album offers a forward-thinking vision shaped by memory, imagination and the will to create what comes next.

Sonically, the album’s material marks an evolution from the reflective tones of Solace + Light, featuring layers of shimming synths and soaring melodies. 

Future Selves will include the previously released “Mirrors Of The Sky,” and the album’s latest single the Micheal Vanja, Ghian Wright and The EmU-co-produced “No Is a Full Sentence.” “No Is A Full Sentence” is self-assured, flirty and defiant pop tune, anchored around glistening synth stabs and the duo’s unerring and effortless knack for catchy hooks and sleek, dance floor friendly grooves.

But under the flirty, dance floor friendly vibes is a song that’s a one-part bold feminist anthem, one-part confidence booster for those who’ve had enough. The song says that it’s perfectly normal to stand up for yourself, to go out there and get what you want, no matter what anyone else.

The accompanying video features the duo, strutting and vamping it up in a modern metropolis — mostly at night. But it emphasizes the playful, confidence boosting nature of the song.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Michael Berman Shares Giorgio Moroder-like “A Masquerade Called Life”

Michael Berman is a Moscow-born, Israeli-based poet, novelist, songwriter and musician. Berman’s creative career began in earnest back in 1998 when he started to get stories, poems and plays in his native Russian published in different newspapers, literary and humor magazines, as well as humor sites.

Between 2005 and 2006, Berman published two books Masquerade of Missing Jokes and a collection of poems, Poems on the Wall — both in his native Russian.

By 2010, Berman had shifted to music and over the course of the next two years, he wrote and recoded somewhere been 25-30 albums across different genres and styles, including instrumentals. electronic music and experiential music.

In 2020, Berman published two collections of English language stories Sad Eyes and Drunk Happiness, a collection of plays 8 plays and a collection of obscene poetry, which he has dubbed literary punk.

By 2023, Berman returned to music, this time dabbling in jazz, bossa nova and electronica.

The Russian-Israeli artist’s latest single “Masquerade Called Life” is a sleek, slickly produced, seamless synthesis of Europop, Quiet Storm R&B and sophisitipop that showcases Berman’s ability to craft an incredible catchy hook paired with a sultry female vocal. Dueling boy-girl vocals appear for the song’s hook. Channeling Giorgio Moroder, “Masquerade Called Life,” Berman’s new single strikes a balance between slick production and thoughtful craftsmanship, club friendliness and grown and sexy lounge friendliness.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: TOMORA Shares Mesmerizing “COME CLOSER”

TOMORA is a new collaborative project featuring:

  • The Chemical Brothers‘ Tom Rowlands: As one-half of The Chemical Brothers, Rowlands has produced and recorded six widely acclaimed UK #1 albums and won six Grammy Awards.

  • Norwegian artist AURORA: AUROR Ahas released four studio albums and has quickly become one of Norway’s most influential and globally recognized contemporary artists. Her single “Runaway” has amassed over one-billion Spotify streams to date.

TOMORA builds upon a creative relationship that can be traced to the recording sessions for The Chemical Brothers’ 2019 album No Geography. AURORA contributed vocals to three tracks, including “Eve of Destruction.” Rowlands then went on to contribute to AURORA’s 2024 effort, What Happened to the Heart?, which landed on the UK Top 10.

Initially, speculation was rife as to who — or what — the then-mysterious TOMORA was or could be, after the name appeared on Coachella’s 2026 Festival lineup post without any additional information last year. Last December, the duo released their debut single “Ring The Alarm,” which received praise from Spin, BrooklynVegan, Stereogum and DJ Mag. “Ring The Alarm” also received DJ support from Erol Alkan, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U and a long list of others.

The duo’s TOMORA debut single was then released on a very limited and collectible white label vinyl, alongside B-side “The Thing,” which showcase a glimpse of the tender and hauntingly beautiful downtempo tracks that will appear on the duo’s full-length debut, COME CLOSER.

Slated for an April 17, 2026 release through Capitol Records, COME CLOSER was written and produced jointly by Rowlands and AURORA. The 12-song album sees the duo pairing the Norwegian artist’s distinctive vocal with the acclaimed British producer’s unparalleled studio expertise. While the album sees the duo creating their own unique space, somewhere they can produce the kind of magic that comes from flicking through a perfect record collection, flowing from wigged-out 1960s psychedelia to the hyper-futurism of sounds imagined for the 2060s.

Ultimately though, the album is less about two separate and distinct artists finding a fertile middle ground and more the sound of two tenacious individuals connecting in the studio and hitting massive creative peaks together.

“This is our album COME CLOSER, it is everything we dreamt of. We made it without obligation or expectation, just a joy in creation,” the duo says. “It’s the sound where we meet, the landing zone of our musical escape pods. It is a special place to us. We hope you dig it as much as we do.”

COME CLOSER‘s latest single, album title track “COME CLOSER” is a haunting, dreamily mesmerizing track featuring AURORA’s achingly yearning delivery ethereally floating over droning synths. But just under the hypnotizing surface is a sense of unease, perhaps even menace. As a YouTuber commented “I think this is how sirens in Greek mythology were supposed to sound — alluring and hypnotising at first, but once you listen long enough, you can hear the nightmare hiding behind the voice.” I wholeheartedly agree with that.

Produced and directed by Adam Smith and S T A R T !, the accompanying video for “COME CLOSER,” employs a relatively simple concept: Shot in a cinematic black and white, with eerie strobe lights, we see AURORA singing the song. Her appearance is simultaneously full of desperate yearning but also emphasizes the subtle sense of unsettling menace and unease.