quinn x zootzie - N.O.V.A.

2020 hyperpop is back! One of the most influential hyperpop collectives has seen the return of several of its OG members (ex. exodus1900, quinn, zootzie, xaviersobased). With production from Nova producer CJ808, the beat includes jittery hi-hats, a chaotic melody, and various sound fx that Nova is known for. quinn has taken a break from hyperpop since 2021 to focus more on her experimental music but this could be a sign she is contemplating bringing this sound back.

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/novaganghellsing/quinn-x-zootzie-prod-cj808

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4lp6z8PUfDolZS0wCh5T5Z

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/n-o-v-a-feat-zootzie-p4rkr-cj808/1679481791?i=1679481792

POLO PERKS <3 <3 <3 - ALLYNDALE DR

Sean Perkins, better known as Polo Perks is a vocalist from Harlem, New York. ‘ALLYNDALE DR’ includes a sample from Alex G that harmonizes with Polo’s vocals. Polo has a signature raspy, yet soft vocal delivery that his fans have grown to love.

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/album/4gTP54KfsAt3lHDF02Fykl

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/allyndale-dr-single/1677014347

anna luna x boysinblush - house

Detroit based vocalist, producer, and DJ anna luna has teamed up with producer boysinblush to make their newest hit ‘house,’ anna has frequently collaborated with boysinblush, some of their songs include ‘skin’ and ‘rotten,’ ‘house’ can be characterized as a blend between trance pop and hyperpop. A music video was also released to accompany this song which can be viewed from the link below.

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/4nna1una/house-boysinblush

Snow Strippers - It’s Goin Bad / Lacerate

The Detroit-based electronic duo is comprised of vocalist Tati Schwaniger and producer/DJ Graham Perez. Releasing their first single in December 2021 the duo has built a cult-like fanbase both in Detroit and online. They were one of the opening acts for HIVEMIND’s first irl event at the Magic Bag in June of 2022. Both tracks on this double single are a witch house and electropop fusion. Tati’s vocals behave more like an instrument, her adlibs are spliced up by Graham to create a melody for each bridge between verses.

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/snowstrippers/its-goin-bad https://soundcloud.com/snowstrippers/lacerate

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5kxj9JXn7XW5b4B82e5MUw

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/its-goin-bad-lacerate-single/1677014570

Marlon Dubois - ‘Bow’ 

Founder of the collective Shed Theory and frequent collaborator of Joeyy, Marlon is originally from Providence, Rhode Island. ‘Bow’ can be characterized as an ambient/pop track. With soft vocals Marlon and a quiet melody, this track is reminiscent of Bladee’s ‘Reality Surf’

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/marlon-dubois/bow-prfd-cutspace-kohl

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1crkQS7oFTpLtxgw3jsdlC

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/bow-single/1676152481

grasior x sleepwater - disbelief

Starting their career off strong grasior is a new addition to the melodic hyperpop scene which was pioneered by artists such as heylog, lil skele, and xona. grasior started this new chapter in their career in January 2023 with the release of ‘out,’ Their collaboration with sleepwater shot them into the underground’s psyche with ‘disbelief’ currently sitting at over 3k plays and growing by the day. The track starts off with a soft melody as it steadily builds up to a hard-hitting climax with bitcrushed vocals and distorted 808s. grasior is an artist that should be on your radar for 2023.

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/grasior/disbelief

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6yd2ztBXRG2yKr6ZpzWj46

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/disbelief-feat-sleepwater-single/1680094133

twofold - Black Armor

Twofold is an artist who has crafted a process for making art. They made this project out of frustration of said process, and since I’ve worked with them in real life: it is awfully confusing. That being said, Bandcamp has compared these raw club tracks to the work of Aphex Twin and Jeff Mills of Underground Resistance. This is a special record from a visionary artist committed to making something from nothing. She thinks like a Jazz musician, who works like the Belville 3, and sounds like Captain Beefheart.

In her words, “The key theme of this record is "protecting my Blackness"—from the pandemic, from the climate crisis, and from the constant stress of police violence in the United States—using skincare as a metaphor to explore all of these topics. The skin is the largest organ on the body, and it protects you from the world, so I wanted to explore this delicate balance of vulnerability and protection.”

Bandcamp: https://2xtwofold.bandcamp.com/album/black-armor

Dj Girl - Hellworld

This project goes hand in hand with the one above. Planet Mu of IDM and footwork fame tapped in with her for a deep cut for fans of raw construction of style. This is a challenging listen for serious listeners. DJ Girl knows what she’s doing, so sit back and enjoy the ride. There’s humor and intentionality in this project. This is the new sound of internet dance music: the no style style. Finding ears for projects is a herculean effort for musicians. Congratulations to her for getting the idea across in an effective way. 

Bandcamp: djgirl1.bandcamp.com/album/hellworld 

ALEPH, BASTARD, RamonPang, Kelbin, N² - OUT OF FOCUS (REDUX) [REMIXED]

Sound design philosophy comes to mind when reckoning with this project. Each remix is focused on the highly technical sound design. This is another one of those records to me which completes the idea. A remix album in my experience can be a jarring experience, as each artist puts their own spin on the idea. This remix project has a focused vision, a clear sound, and pacing.

Bandcamp: alephsound.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-focus-redux-remixed 

DvDx - Bumble 

Music Mondays readers should be familiar with DVDx. He’s consolidated his sound in the background, building his scene, and constructing his vision. His marketing is on point, and he gets his creative vision of playfulness in the digital age across in a clear way. Fans of hyperpop, digicore, and glitchcore can get down with this record.

Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/74Ij4050sugBGBisJW8ZFK?si=hlFIFCWaRhOeFyKXX5X4eg 

lil wet wet - the path of gloss we fear not walk 

We as a staff have discussed lil wet wet’s vision of glitchcore from a highly creative self aware perspective. In case you missed it, this is a project from a highly creative individual with a strong understanding of the way people listen to music nowadays. This project is glossy. This project is aware. It gets the ideas across in a way that is effective. Fear of Gloss to me is a type of album that is comparable to ericdoa’s COA. It follows a blueprint and is effective. 

Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/lilwetwet2001/sets/the-path-of-gloss-we-fear-not 

Bear1Boss - Blow Up! 

Clear digital vision is the word of the day in this episode of ICYMIM. Bear1boss works at such a frenetic pace it’s hard to tell what’s going on with his sound on any given project. He’s a student of eclecticism and electric live performance, and he is on the way up with his partner, Atlanta legend, Popstar Benny. This is a bear1boss project, which has a clear design and intentional bars. 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2gVUkJtAYQlL0nPj46dZeY