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Orchid Mantis Evokes The Coveted Nostalgia Like That Of Old Photographs Orchid Mantis is the experimental bedroom pop project of Atlanta-based artist Thomas Howard. Since the project’s start in 2014, Howard’s now signature lo-fi sound has gracefully inhabited the space that separates ambient compositional structures and pop songwriting, frequently utilizing obscure samples and unique recording techniques; overall, his sound evokes the coveted nostalgia like that of old photographs and precious, irreplaceable mementos. Howard thoughtfully carves space for narratives detailing - as it says in his bandcamp bio - songs about “forgetting;” in other words, he brilliantly explores the elusive, fleeting...

CASTLEBEAT Releases 11-Track Indie Dream Pop Album 'Half Life' CASTLEBEAT is the goth pop project of CA-based artist Josh Hwang. His third album Melodrama released back in 2020 was a divergence from his previously guitar-based approach in VHS as well as his self-titled debut, instead offering another facet of his nostalgia-heavy aesthetic wherein all was balanced delicately around the sounds of dream pop, hip hop, jangle pop, and everything in between. With CASTLEBEAT, there is a thoughtful emphasis on keeping that comforting warmth that comes with lo-fi production, and his fourth album Half Life, released in July 2022, is another example of this; written, recorded, and...

Chicago-based COOL HEAT Releases Atmospheric Dream Pop EP COOL HEAT is the solo project of Chicago-based musician and photographer Eden Sierotnik. His stunning self-titled debut EP released in October 2020 introduced his haunting, gorgeously cinematic take on lo-fi dream pop and shoegaze, with tracks like “Reflection” and “Rose” proving his remarkable ability to make his melodies feel nearly four-dimensional. His music is influenced in part by his photography (which he often uses as album artwork), both attempting to capture a liminal, yet vivid moment in time. The synth melodies on Levitate often evoke the feeling of being suddenly pushed into...

Reverb-Soaked Psychedelic Shoegaze out of Singapore Dreaming Life is the debut EP from Singapore-based dream pop duo Kekko. The project is the psychedelic lovechild of vocalist Cherie, and Tim, composer and producer of otherworldly, atmospheric soundscapes that brilliantly accompany her soft, dreamy, shoegaze inspired tone. Heavily steeped in spirituality and Eastern philosophy, the duo desires to express the inexpressible in their music, striving to house the energy of the universe in all its dimensions, to pinpoint the magic of achieving internal transcendence. Warmth exudes effortlessly from each track on Dreaming Life, beginning with the opener and title track; hefty synth...

Shimmertraps Member & Producer, Brodie Cole, Releases Solo EP Aldous Baker, also known as the solo project of Seattle-based artist Brodie Cole, shares his stunning solo EP Parcades. As both member and producer of the psych-synth quartet Shimmertraps (who released their gorgeous debut album 'LOOK!' in 2020), Cole is no stranger to composition, especially when it comes to the layering of multiple tonal textures. Seamlessly blending together ‘70s r&b funk, ‘60s melodies, and ‘50s barbershop harmonies, Parcades sounds just as bright and colorful as its album cover. It’s easy to imagine, for instance, the blue bubbles (from the looks of it,...