My Five Song Playlist

1.

"Ojai Valley" - Teeel (Amulet)

Sounding a bit like Com Truise with vocals, Teeel came about at the tail-end of the "Chillwave" scene. New Jersey native, singer & producer Jim Smith has a good handle on synth music and he has a great voice. To me 'Ojai Valley' has a slight 'Eyes Without A Face' feel to it and that makes it that much more enjoyable.

2.

"Daydream" - Youth Lagoon (The Year of Hibernation)

Another music act I've had the pleasure of seeing live, Youth Lagoon (aka Trevor Powers) sounds just as good, if not better, live. 'Daydream' is a multifaceted musical experience accentuated by Powers' "worbly", youthful voice and his use of electronic equipment. Just when you think this track is taking you somewhere it goes into another direction all the while keeping you feeling like you're on the same journey.

3.

"Pink Stones" - Memory Tapes (Seek Magic)

One of the more ambient tracks off 'Seek Magic', 'Pink Stones' has a cool arpeggiated sound, with a trance-like beat that slips into a more textural feel. Like 'Daydream', 'Pink Stones' is also a miniature musical journey. It's a fun instrumental that leaves you fairly satisfied with it's four minute run time.

4.

"Over the Ice" - The Field (From Here We Go Sublime)

'From Here We Go Sublime' is probably one of the best electronica albums to come out in the past ten years. Swedish artist Axel Willner has this amazing ability of taking micro-samples from songs, adding minimal beats and creating some of the most emotionally impactful music. There's a lot to like about 'Over The Ice' in my opinion, but for me the best part is the vocal samples. There's something so cool yet grounding about The Field that makes you want to listen to more.

5.

"Dreary Moon" - Big Black Delta (Big Black Delta)

 'Dreary Moon' sounds like something from a David Lynch movie. It's beautiful and in some ways eerie and strange. The simple bassline and percussion matched with electronic strings build to amass a dreamy love song. The album 'Big Black Delta' by Big Black Delta has a lot of great tracks and this is one of my favorites.