Tag Archives: downtempo

Alternative, Electronica, Lounge

WASHED OUT – MISTER MELLOW (Lo-Fi/Electronica – US)

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Multi-instrumentalist Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, has been making music out of his home studio in Georgia for close to 10 years. His album Mister Mellow was released a few months ago on Stones Throw Records, accompanied by a visual album on DVD.

Conceived over the course of 2 years, Mister Mellow is intensely personal (Greene’s only collaborator was mix engineer Cole MGN) – but the ideas and observations found within the album speak to a much larger shared experience that is affecting an entire generation. The album was influenced by old classics as well as the experimental collage techniques of musique concrète. Styles as diverse as free jazz, house, hip-hop and psych are combined together to create a busy, chaotic mix.

Follow Washed Out on SoundCloud or Facebook. Buy on

Alternative, Australia, Electronica

LASTLINGS – VERSES (Indie/Electronica – Australia)

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Lastlings

Lastlings are siblings Amy and Joshua Dowling, an indie electro duo from Gold Coast, Australia. Last March they released their second EP, Verses, on the newly launched imprint Exist Recordings, founded by Danny Harley from the Kite String Tangle. The EP features singles “You”, “Time” and brand new tune “Urges”, which is already a favourite with their ever-expanding fan base.

The pair have a particular talent for combining dreamlike pop soundscapes, elegant beats and steamy R&B grooves. This unique mix provides an ideal backdrop for Amy’s sensual, breathy vocals which make this collection of electro gems so incredibly addictive.

Lastlings explain “Verses is a collection of works that embodies our experiences over the past year. Ultimately, we hope to be able to provoke thoughts and emotions that would otherwise go unfelt and allow our listeners to draw their own conclusions based on their own imaginations.”

Lastlings have recently been on tour with Glass Animals and RÜFÜS, as well as wrapping their first headline tour, but they’re going to be at ‘Big Pineapple Music Festival’ in May so get there.

Listen to their music on SoundCloud or follow them on Facebook. Buy the Verses EP on

Alternative, Electronica, Idm, Lounge

SOHN – SIGNAL (Alt/Electronica – UK)

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SOHN

London-born and Vienna-based SOHN has been making big strides in recent years. 2014 saw the release of his debut album, Tremors, a subtle mix of soulful vocals and chopped up electronic beats, which earned him rave reviews across the board.

His single “Signal”, released in September on legendary independent label 4AD, is an understated mellow number, with mesmerising vocals and swells of perfectly sampled synths. The keyboards remain firmly in the background, while the drum machine beat gives the pace as the song builds up to a awesome finish.

The song comes with a video directed by and starring Milla Jovovich. For more info, go to Sohn’s website or Facebook. Buy on

Alternative, Electronica, Minimalist

JAMES BLAKE – THE COLOUR IN ANYTHING (Alt/Downtempo – UK)

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After three years of relative silence since the release of his album Overgrown, English singer songwriter James Blake finally announced a surprise new full length a few weeks ago. The Colour In Anything was released at midnight on May 6th following a few festival announcements and pictures of mysterious Quentin Blake murals.

The 17-track LP features collaborations with Bon Iver and Frank Ocean (who co-wrote some of the tracks) and is co-produced by Rick Rubin. Blake uses emotion and abstract images in the video for “I Need a Forest Fire” featuring beautiful vocals from Bon Iver.

Directed by UVA, the clip shows various art installations that play with light, shadow and shapes. As the song reaches its climax, a digitally rendered butterfly takes flight for the stunning final shot.

Buy the album on

Alternative, Lounge, Pop, Scandinavia

VIOLA MARTINSSON – MADE OF (Alt/Pop – Sweden)

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Viola Martinsson

“Made Of” was first recorded in 2012 by Swedish electro/house band Nause and became a major hit in Sweden. However the version featured here is a complete rework by the hand of fellow Swedish artist Viola Martinsson and it is a far cry from the danceable euro beat of the original song.

Viola Martinsson - Made Of     

This dreamy, ethereal cover of “Made Of” was recorded specifically to be used as the music theme for the Volvo campaign “Made by People”. There is no official video for the song but you can watch the long version of the ad below.

Buy the single on