SZÁRA drops an epic with her new single Rosewater. The rich layered production creates an immersive soundscape. There’s a big cinematic affect, one that feels like it’s engulfing you in swashes of tempered low end. The impact is massive, mirroring the songs metaphysical consciousness. A vibe as if to signify it knows how futile our existence really is in the grand scheme of the universe. In that way it reflects Trip Hops dark nature, embracing its sultry contrast in a way that emulates sexual power.
SZÁRA is seductive in a way that’s empowering, or perhaps she just plays to our weak indulgences as we can’t help but be drawn to her much like how Medusa drew in stupefied warriors. It’s that siren sorcery shared by similar artists like Sevdaliza, Grimes, and Perfume Genius. Like them, SZÁRA’s Rosewater is sonically elegant, a recording triumph. It’s also a straight vibe. Dig in.
Rosewater is featured on our Women of Trip Hop Playlist.
At the onset a dark creeping crawl scales your senses on Fake Happy, the new single from Ani After Death. It alters with catchy melodic brilliance, evolving with a poetic narrative as the classic boom bap beat swings you into the groove emphatically. Fake Happy flirts like theatrical tragedy, thrusting itself into the throes of heartache like a complicated vixen, one who wants to make her role as Juliet a reality.
That inclination to suffer is a human flaw that elicits an odd module of attraction. It’s rooted in chivalrous instincts and compromised by unconscious alterior motives of resripicole favor. Within this narrative lies the genius of Fake Happy, as Ani effectively plays both sides of rescued and trapped, illuminating your curiosity with sultry poetic verses while creeping voices interject. Stylistically it connects with fans of Chelsea Wolfe, we also hear evidence of other emerging trip hop artists like Amélie Swann. We think Fake Happy is brilliant.
Hear Fake Happy now on our Women of Trip Hop Playlist.
FEH continues a standard of excellence with the release of their new single Pardon Me. The new release embraces elements of dub and an influence of Radiohead. They add these into their trip hop canon convincingly. It’s dark and brooding but still accessible. The vocal is rich and only slightly saturated, less altered than some of their early works.
For us, FEH flys way too far under the radar. They come up repeatedly in our discussions of modern trip hop acts you need to watch. We dig their aesthetic immensely and how it cites a timeless era in trip hop while adding some new compositional flavor to the mix. You need to dig into their whole catalog. Don’t sleep on FEH.
FEH is featured on our Women of Trip Hop Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 