I’ve got quite a broad music taste so I decided to make a playlist of a selection of songs that are a little different to the musical norm. Each track on this list has its own quirky sound, meaning those into their more experimental music should find plenty to love here.
Review by Jane Howkins
Picture by AIKO TOMI
AIKO TOMI – Gladly
AIKO TOMI is a highly energetic pop artist from Canada, with Gladly being the perfect introductory song to this list. It starts out with a dark bass beat, bringing the listener into AIKO’s dark world perfectly. The vocals appear soon after, having a stilted sound at times, but this works well with the rest of the music, which is characterised by an eerie piano line, as well as the bass and drums. It’s also got quite a creepy feel, which I loved!
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i, sosa – spinnin
Spinnin has more of a mainstream pop vibe than the previous song on this list, but the little background effects and synths have quite a quirky sound, making it perfect for this playlist! i, sosa has managed to create something both catchy and unique – the vocals have a lot of soul too! I particularly liked the main piano melody – it stays the same throughout, carrying the tune whilst little additions are crafted in the background.
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Odonian Drifts – Room 235
Odonian Drifts is the solo project of musician I.S. Rowley – Room 235 is probably one of the most experimental songs on this entire list! It has a post-rock quality, with large, expansive soundscapes drawing the listener in at the start, before the deep vocals emerge. Some discordant guitar lines are added as the track continues, with the backing noises building up to create a huge feeling of tension. It won’t be for everyone but those into their more experimental music will be rewarded.
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WRENÉ – Shame
Next up is WRENÉ’s offering, which is an avant-garde trip-hop song with elements of modern pop, r&b and hip-hop. The thing that characterises Shame so much is the percussive beat that takes over the song – it sounds almost like a piece of machinery in a factory, beating along whilst the synths swirl in the background of the music. The vocals have quite a lot of effects, but they work surprisingly well on this dreamy number.
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Bruno Muerte – Computers On Parade
Bruno Muerte describes his music as being ‘techno western swamp electrocrash’, which is a surprisingly fitting term. Computers On Parade is a techno song with a difference – a hip-hop-esque drum beat runs alongside the fast bass melody, before spaghetti western guitar licks appear – this might sound like an odd mix, but it really works. The song soon gets heavier, with guitar solos and crashing drums providing something of a chorus, before the spaghetti western vibes arrive once again. Different yet fantastic.
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Marc Bird – Mother Mother
Marc Bird is a Northern artist originally from Sunderland who has produced a track that harks back to the glory days of 60s/70s folk-rock in the sumptuous Mother Mother. The main melody and chord sequence used here are addictive, working well with the fast rhythm. Marc’s vocals have a distant quality, making the entire thing sound very dreamy as a whole. It’s beautiful in a dark way, and something folk music aficionados should enjoy.
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Ciao! – Vampire
Vampire sounds different from the off, with an eerie drum beat that has a militaristic sound mixing with some creepy woodwind sounds, before Ciao!’s vocals kick in. It’s an odd sounding piece of music, yet it works fantastically, creating a creeping atmosphere. It’s quite minimalist at times, although other elements are slowly added, like the occasional little piano motifs that appear in the background. It won’t be for everyone, but those who like their music on the experimental side of things should love this.
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SCREENTALK – Girl In The Sky
Girl In The Sky sounds like a typical pop song when it first starts out, but SCREENTALK’s number has more to it than that. The synths create a textural quality in the background of the song, with little guitar and bass melodies being added to make the song sound really catchy. The vocals have a soulful quality and are full of emotion, especially on the chorus, which is incredibly anthemic. The guitar solo towards the middle of the track changes it into a faster song, making for a nice change of pace.
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Connor Terrones – Drown
Drown is another pop song, although it has a lot of 70s and 80s elements, due to the funky bass and the way the synths are used. The rhythm is very fast, with lots of different synths weaving in and out of each other over the groovy bassline, making this one song you’ll have to listen to a few times to hear everything going on! It slows down every so often, before building back up again. Autotune is used on Connor Terrones vocals, but it sounds great when mixed with the rest of the music.
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Calling All Astronauts – Rapture
Rapture is an industrial song with influences taken from the EDM, techno and post-punk genres, with Calling All Astronaut’s song sounding positively futuristic, especially in terms of the robotic vocal style. Huge, electronic guitar riffs change the tune up every so often, with multiple synths and a fast beat making the whole thing sound very atmospheric, particularly when combined with the distinctive vocal sound. The bass also makes it sound quite funky, which might seem odd when considering how the rest of the song sounds, but it actually works very well.
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Chris McConville – Staring At The Sky
Staring At The Sky is an electronic song with an EDM vibe, although it’s still rather experimental. A haunting synth melody runs through the piece, as the percussion and bass keep the tempo up, with little spidery synths motifs weaving through the piece as it continues. Spoken word vocals that have a robotic manner provide the main vocal lines here, before Chris McConville’s song breaks down in a slower fashion towards the middle of this 7 minute long piece.
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Wise John – Mr. Love
Wise John’s addition sounds more like a typical pop song at first, but there’s a lot here to distinguish his music from his peers. Mr. Love has a lot of classic pop influences, with chamber pop, 60s pop and soul music also being present in the mix, making for a lovely overall sound. The vocal harmonies make it sound very epic, although Wise John’s lead vocals are also sublime – he sure hits some high notes on this catchy banger of a tune!
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Soft Top Intrepid – Mirage
Indie pop group Soft Top Intrepid have created an amazing tune with Mirage – the production sounds really tight too! It’s the sort of track that you need to listen to a few times over, as there’s so much going on here that you won’t be able to take it all in at once. The opening guitar riff has a psychedelic effect and the bass is really prominent. The vocals have a dreamy, echoed sound, which suits the rest of the music surprisingly well.
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Astra Forward – There, There, Here Is Now
Astra Forward is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer who creates dreamy folk songs, as displayed in There, There, Here Is Now. Some backing effects open the song, before Astra’s haunting vocals appear, singing quietly to herself, before a pretty acoustic guitar starts up, as the backing effects intensify over the course of the song. It’s a really different sounding track and it sounds beautiful, in an eerie way!
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Piccoloblack – I’m Fine Really
I’m Fine Really has some really interesting percussion going on, with several programmed percussive beats all playing at once, as well as some electronic backing effects. It’s a testament to Piccoloblack’s imagination, as there’s so much going on at once in this track. The vocals have a dreamy quality, adding a textural feel to the music that is incredibly atmospheric. It has to heard to truly understand what Piccoloblack is aiming for here, so make sure you check it out below!
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