synth . wave . industrial . hyperpop . pop

WEEK STARTING 17 Apr

Genre pick of the week Cover of Superbloom by Jessie Ware.

Jessie Ware

Superbloom

Jessie Ware returns with her new album ‘Superbloom’ – the crescendo of her latest era – out via Island EMI Records.

Superbloom’ erupts into a glittering rush of Studio 54-inflected groove-pop. Expanding Ware’s increasingly euphoric body of work as she explores our shared craving for touch, pleasure, intimacy and connection.

The album features recent single ‘I Could Get Used To This’, hailed as her “ultimate entry into divahood” and the first track to fully capture the record’s assured, expansive spirit, carried by cascading strings and a sense of full-bodied release.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Huge widescreen synth-pop forged from huge synth swells and saw-wave stabs, cavernous percussion and Ware's wonderfully evocative vocals. Though her work has moved deftly between the more serene pieces and the poppier outings during her career, this is definitely a lean more toward the dancefloor. All the better for it too.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Garden Prelude
2. I Could Get Used To This
3. Superbloom
4. Automatic
5. Chariots Of Love Interlude
6. Sauna
7. Mr. Valentine
8. Love You For
9. Ride
10. Don't You Know Who I Am?
11. 16 Summers
12. No Consequences
13. Mon Amour

Long part of Portugal's ever expanding house scene, Bogdan Ra loves acid, and frankly, don't we all. This new drop on his Love Affair label offers up four more 303-inspired works full of dirtiness, sleazy texture and analogue punch. Side A opens with the classic leanings of 'Damn Fine' with a rasping acid line and hefty groove, while 'Habibi' is where eastern melodies meet jacked up drum work. Side B amps up the vibe with 'Feel', offering a faster, more edgy sound and 'Action' is a driving New Beat-inspired sound with phased bass, withering sci-fi synth motifs and darker, snappier moods and grooves for when the lights go down low and things get naughty.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Acid music continues to evolve, with the spirit of the Roland's infamous sound boxes dragged kicking and screaming into the post-everything now. Collating 30 years of machine abuse into a sound that feels fresh is no easy feet, but Bogdan Ra seems to have reinvented the present.

TRACK LISTING

Damn Fine
Habibi
Feel
Action

Sofia Isella

Something Is A Shell .

Isella doesn’t flinch from the horror stitched into the fabric of the feminine experience. Citing writers like Plath Margaret Atwood, and Mona Awad as germinal influences on her lyricism, Isella plunges into the underbelly of expectations of good-girlhood, of valiant womanhood. In her songs she splays out the stakes of it all, plumbing the viscera, unearthing the blood, guts, dirt, and decay lurking beneath. By the time she hit fifteen, Isella’s taste had expanded and grown darker and more mature. Artists like Nine Inch Nails and Tom Waits became a conduit for the kind of raw intensity she’d always been drawn to, and gave her permission to push herself to new depths of expression. This is evidenced on her latest EP; That freedom that Reznor et al. endowed to the songwriter are evidenced on her latest EP; Something is a shell . Isella’s vocals swing from coolly detached to emotional detonation, often in the span of the same song. She brings listeners into a world colored by feminist hyper-realism, challenging listeners to re-define ideas of femininity, and safety; to see that things are not okay.

TRACK LISTING

1. Numbers 31:17-18
2. Out In The Garden
3. Star V
4. The Chicken Is Naked And Afraid
5. Above The Neck
6. Evergreen Soldier

Erin LeCount

I Am Digital, I Am Divine - 2026 Repress

To celebrate the year anniversary of its first release, Erin LeCount launches a limited edition transparent vinyl of her 2025 EP 'I Am Digital, I Am Divine'. The tracklist includes viral hit 'Silver Spoon'.

Erin LeCount is a 23-year-old self-taught artist and producer. A visionary sonic architect and the sole writer and producer of her music, her sound ranges from luscious baroque-pop arrangements to alluring gothic-pop. At the foreground of her music are diaristic lyrics and captivating synths which offer an enchanting interplay of vulnerability and power. The themes within her music explore everything from identity to relationships and the meaning of life. Erin’s influences include Fiona Apple, Kate Bush, Lorde, Imogen Heap, Charli xcx, and Sampha.

TRACK LISTING

1. I Am Digital, I Am Divine
2. Marble Arch
3. Sweet Fruit
4. Godspeed
5. Silver Spoon

Edinburgh’s husband-and-wife dream pop duo, Sarah/Shaun, (pronounced simply Sarah Shaun), alias Sarah and Shaun McLachlan (pronounced McLochlun) wooed hearts and wowed critics with debut EP “It’s True What They Say?” last year plus follow-up EP “Someone’s Ghost” in April of this year. “In Silence Love Speaks Loudest” completes a triptych of EPs (titled “Visit Through The Heavy Static”) released by the band.

The first two EPs garnered a sizable list of plaudits from some very established names: David Holmes, Youth, Nemone at BBC 6Music, Sean Johnston, Vic Galloway & Roddy Hart at BBC Radio Scotland, The Skinny, The List, The Scotsman, Jim Sclavunos (Bad Seeds), Simone Butler (Primal Scream), the Monolith Cocktail & Ban Ban Ton Ton blogs, the Ravechild podcast and more (see below).

“blending the starry-eyed pop of Sonny & Cher with the electronic experimentation of Chris & Cosey”
Fiona Shepherd (The List)

And the roll call just keeps growing: Rosalie Cunningham invited them to support her at the MacArts Centre, Galashiels, Sydney’s Roy Molloy (Alex Cameron/Marvellous Crane) interviewed the band for his radio show in Australia and fell so hard for the music, his live sax features on the new EP. Anthony ‘Doggen’ Foster (Spiritualized) plays guitar on the new record, while Kevin Bales (Spiritualized) has also given both releases to date a resounding thumbs up...

They’ve played gigs supporting French legends Air, Glaswegian 80s pop legends The Bluebells (who invited Sarah/Shaun to join them on a string of Scottish tour dates in 2024), Glasgow's huge Glasvegas, a slew of venues across Glasgow and Edinburgh, not to mention the festivals: Kelburn Garden Party, Fringe By The Sea, Kendall Calling, Dunbar Music, Hidden Door.

'A mellow musical light in the darkness. Terrific woozy dream pop' Ian Rankin


STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Eagerly awaited new single by Hobbes Music & Sarah\Shawn. Equal parts soaring dream pop and electric lullaby; with exquisite synth work and brilliant song writing. If you dig Thief Of Time or the general DFA roster then this needs your immediate attention.

TRACK LISTING

A1. When We Dance (4:24)
A2. Heart Started Beating [Backwards] (4:10)
B1. Desperation Looks Ill [From The Other Side] (4:26)
B2. Who Just Wants To Survive? (5:09)

TOMORA

Come Closer

COME CLOSER is TOMORA’s debut LP, written and produced jointly by Tom Rowlands (from the Chemical Brothers) and AURORA. The album creates its own unique world, pairing AURORA’s distinctive vocals and Tom’s unparalleled studio expertise. Lead single “RING THE ALARM” is a glorious, mechanised sound of alien contact, alive with chaos, mischief and release. TOMORA will debut live at Coachella 2026, followed by further festival dates in Europe and residency shows throughout the year.

Underscores

Wallsocket (Director's Cut)

'WallSocket (Director’s Cut)' is Underscores at their most adventurous, blending glitchy beats, lush synths, and catchy hooks into a unique, immersive sound. The director’s cut expands the original album with new mixes and subtle tweaks, offering fans a deeper glimpse into Underscores’ playful yet introspective world. Tracks shift between high-energy chaos and quiet, emotional moments, reflecting themes of connection, identity, and life in a hyper-digital age. Every sound feels intentional, from vocal chops to warped textures, creating a rich, cinematic experience. 'WallSocket (Director’s Cut)' is bold, surprising, and endlessly listenable—a true showcase of Underscores’ creativity.

TRACK LISTING

1. Cops And Robbers
2. Locals (Girls Like Us) (with Gabby Start)
3. Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
4. You Don't Even Know Who I Am
5. Johnny Johnny Johnny
6. Shoot To Kill, Kill Your Darlings
7. Horror Movie Soundtrack
8. Old Money Bitch
9. Geez Louise (with Henhouse!)
10. Seventyseven Dog Years
11. Uncanny Long Arms (with Jane Remover)
12. Good Luck Final Girl
13. My Guy (Corporate Shuffle)
14. Northwest Zombie Girl
15. CCTV
16. Stupid (Can’t Run From The Urge)


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