Welcome to our weekly roundup of some of the best new music we have been listening to over the past week. If you want to share any future recommendations with us feel free to drop us an email at apocalypsemusicsite@gmail.com.
Peak Futures feat. Pauli PSM “Orion (Reprise)”
Peak Futures is a unique soul music collective brought together by writer-producer Chris Hills in London, with key members Sara De Santis (piano), Joe Bernie (vocals), Pauli the PSM (drums), Eva Brooks (vocals) and Rebecca Freckleton (vocals). The lead track of their Colours of the Sun LP, ‘Orion (Reprise)’ is a scintillating, pacy track full of movement and some brilliant instrumental layers. ‘Orion (Reprise)’ features Pauli the PSM as both artist and drummer, bringing his laid-back yet percussive flow to the track and bringing the album to an unexpected conclusion.
“Like all the songs on the album it stands out by itself but really comes to life when listened to in sequence; it’s the closing chapter. When you come back from a great journey in life you’re never the same, that’s the point the song is making – the reprise has the same backing as the original but a totally different impact,” summarises Chris Hills.
Callum Crighton “The Lazer Police”
LGBTQ+ icon and singer-songwriter Callum Crighton is the artist that needs to be at the top of your list to check out. Armed with vibrance and energy, this self-producing performer specialises in electronic pop.
Speaking about the nostalgic yet refreshing upcoming EP and last track on the release ‘Universal Hand’, Callum shares, “This track was inspired by the loneliness yet togetherness one can feel from the age of digital communication. It has an old school 80’s ballad sound with a more modern upbeat drum movement to connect the nostalgic ideals of the past with the electronic realities of the present. This track could loosely be seen as a reference to the isolation people felt during the 2020 pandemic, but extends much further, and can also be about the loneliness one may feel within themselves.”
Lakes “Start Again”
Recorded over the course of nine months and various lockdowns – and produced and mixed by Neil Strauch (Owen, Owls, Joan Of Arc, Slow Mass) – Start Again is a testament of the human condition, as it explores themes such as mental health, addiction, break-ups and cutting out toxic friends.
‘Start Again’ addresses collective suffering as a result of Covid, with lead singer Roberto Cappellina hitting the reset button after spending the summer self-medicating in order to deal with panic attacks. Cappellina explains; “During lockdown last year my mental health was really suffering, and as a result I had been self-medicating pretty hard. There’s a collective suffering right now which makes it harder to relate to an individual’s story, but this was my outlet.”
LIONLION “What Remains”
Wonderful new music video by LIONLION out this week for their track “What Remains”. German brothers Matthias and Michael Rückert give another taste of their upcoming LIONLION album, Perspective, with new single, What Remains.“In the face of great professional uncertainty as artists and the question of relevance, we are challenged more than ever to look at what we can control” – Matthias
Words by Hermione Kellow
Photo © Apocalypse Music