Spring/Summer Features: Courtship Ritual, Rohypnotise, Azar Swan + DeliMag Print Issue #34

With the summer months now upon us, these closing days of June provide occasion to highlight recent features I’ve written for The Deli Magazine. Included are a number of significant pieces published on the website, as well as those appearing in the Spring Print Issue (No. 34, Volume 2).

An unsettling sense of foreboding runs throughout “Wild Like Us,” the A-side single from Brooklyn's Courtship Ritual, who recently played their label GODMODE's show at the Northside Fest. Evoking the spirit of 90’s era 4AD artists like His Name Is Alive and their disquieting “Can’t Go Wrong Without You,” ominous overtones emerge from within the spaces surrounding the song's sparse arrangement. B-side “Biesenbach on the Beach (Klaus)” maintains a similar level of spaciousness, driven along a singular bassline and minimal slap percussion as vocals repeat the lines “grey fox grey – beach day.” Recorded by Colin Alexander and mastered by Joe Lambert, the tracks are available digitally worldwide and as a limited edition cassette on the GODMODE imprint.


Courtship Ritual on The Deli by Dave Cromwell

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“Fade to Grey” is an enticing chilled-out track being offered up for free by emerging dreampoppers Rohypnotise on their bandcamp page. A loose and jammy drum pattern rises up from the depths, with soft, dreamy vocals quickly entering the mix. The vocal phrasing and subsequent deliberate matched-stepped chord progression brings to mind the work that former Depreciation Guild and current Ice Choir creator Kurt Feldman does so well. There’s sophistication in the songwriting and recording here, with the initial pattern giving way to a much bigger centrally located hook. With plenty of movement throughout the track, little sonic surprises like tambourines and keyboad lines appear at surprisingly opportune moments.


Rohypnotise on The Deli by Dave Cromwell

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Elements of Kate Bush at her most adventurous emerge in the vocal stylings of Zorah Atash as she sings with her band Azar Swan on the hypnotic new single 'In My Mouth.' Its rhythmic pulse pushes forward with a teutonic minimalism that somehow manages to also swing in the process, positioning this track next to the output of Swedish electronic duo The Knife. The subject matter and overall sexual overtones is as primal as it gets, and the relatively new genre classification called "Witch House" may be as good a place as any for this emerging sound. The track has been released as a digital 7” on Pendu Sound Recordings and is well worth adding to your goth-dance playlist.




Azar Swan on The Deli by Dave Cromwell

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The Deli Magazine recently put out its Spring Print Issue (No. 34, Vol. 2), which features the Best of NYC Emerging Artists.  A number of Dave Cromwell features appeared within.

Lazyeyes are no strangers to this blog, as a number of their live shows have been covered here over the last year. Additional Deli Mag Features have served to keep attention deservedly on this promising dreampop band.

"Wait" wraps itself in a lush atmospheric bed, as butterfly high-hat percussion syncopates between dueling open note arpeggios and rising guitar melody lines. The vocals are impressionist colors against pastel blue and pink skies. Previous track "Nostalgia" is paced a bit quicker as more distinctly dominant guitar riffs drive to a delightful instrumental conclusion. Iconic 90's bands like Ride through present day jammers Diiv act as reference points, as they all share similarly appealing qualities.

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The musical vision of Andrés Pichardo becomes fully realized under the band name Grand Resort. A much anticipated debut EP, "Vanguard Dreams" was released this past September, garnering a wave of positive feedback. “Night Is Dark” features the kind of heart-tugging, bouncing along chord progression you could imagine playing as you fall in love with someone. Undistorted jangle-pop guitars weave through as the repeated refrain “take me away for a week” has you swooning for this perfect girl you’ve just met.

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Brooklyn based multimedia artist Christiana Key creates a captivating electronic, experimental musical vision under the name Delphic Oracle. “The Bodywood” traverses the same thumping tom toms and deep bass-synth doom of “Pornography” era Cure, while adding middle-eastern tinged vocals and belly dancer rhythms. In addition to classical training in violin, piano, and voice, one can expect dramatic costumes in the live show. Having recorded her first solo EP with Patrick Canaday of Gemini Stereo in Atlanta , GA , that imminent release is much anticipated.

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Chanteuse Anya Skidan followed up her debut album “Shine the Brightest” with a 3 song EP that presents an ambitiously eclectic side. Lead track “Indigo Child” builds off electric piano arpeggio chords while guitar atmospherics shimmer underneath. Channeling a sultry vocal delivery that bear similarity to the Tori Amos/Fiona Apple lexicon, an air of dreamy mystery is woven throughout. Conversely, “Content Blues” demonstrates traditional piano chops within an old time New Orleans style format.

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 The entire Spring Print Issue of The Deli Magazine, No. 34, Vol. 2 can be viewed online here