IRYS is an emerging, Berlin-based singer/songwriter and producer, who specializes in what she describes as dark electro pop with a note of retro and synth wave. She released her first single earlier this and currently has plans to release one single a month throughout the rest of the year.
Earlier this year, the Berlin-based artist released “River,” a mid-tempo Version 2.0Garbage-like track that featured her sultry vocal over a slick production featuring shimmering synths, skittering tweeter and woofer rocking beats and a propulsive bass line.
She followed that up with “Warriors,” one of the more dance floor friendly tracks of her growing catalog that manages to still be darkly seductive.
“Borderline,” IRYS’ latest single is brooding, trip hop-inspired bop centered around tweeter and woofer rattling beats, glistening synths, bursts of strummed guitar paired with the Berlin-based artist’s sultry and self-assured delivery and her knack for crafting infectious hooks.
Toronto-based post-punk quartet Hollow Graves are inspired by the second British invasion and with their recently released debut album Mid-Century Modern, the Canadian outfit quickly establishes a sound that features elements of dream pop, New Wave and post-punk.
Fittingly, the album’s material was inspired by life events both before and during the pandemic. Songs touch on the loneliness of being secluded, relationship and personal struggles, while also offering glimpses of hope and enjoyment.
“Borderline,” Mid-Century Modern‘s latest single is an infectious, hook-driven bop centered around glistening and reverb drenched guitar, a driving bass line, stuttering four-on-four and plaintive vocals. But just under the surface is an uneasy anxious tension that feels familiar, with the song asking the question of “when do you let go of someone, who might be struggling and can’t — or is unwilling — to help themselves.
As the band explains in press notes, “‘Borderline’ is a story about a person whose personal struggles are being spread to friends and family in a negative way.” They add “even though you may try to help a struggling friend, you might not be able to effect positive change until they can help themselves first.”
I’ve written quite a bit about the Perth, Australia-born and-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and JOVM mainstay Kevin Parker and his acclaimed solo recording project Tame Impala. And as you may recall, his third album, 2015’s Currents was a commercial and critical breakthrough as it was a Grammy-nominated, RIAA Gold-Certified effort that reflected a decided change in songwriting and approach that resulted in some of the most emotionally direct lyrics of his growing catalog paired with a more nuanced, textured sound that drew from psych rock, psych pop, synth pop, prog rock and R&B.
“Patience,” which was released last month, was the first bit of new, solo material from Parker in several years, and while being a decidedly upbeat banger that seamlessly bridged 90s house and 70s funk, thematically the track was a thoughtful meditation on the cycles and phases of life. “Borderline,” Parker’s latest single is a blissed out, shimmering, mid-tempo track centered around arpeggiated synths, Parker’s imitable, plaintive falsetto and a soaring hook. And while showcasing the flourishes of the house music-inspired instrumentation of its predecessor, the track should serve as a reminder that Parker has a deep collection of hook-driven bangers.
