Idiot Glee, Moods, Nao

Idiot Glee: Drawing influences from Fleetwood Mac, Arthur Russell, Brian Wilson (Beach Boys) and 50’s doo-wop, the synth-pop dreaminess of James Friley aka Idiot Glee creates warm, sunny textures lightly filtered through murky and hypnotic lo-fi vibrations. Friley’s Life Without Jazz E.P. effectively illustrates his refined approach to making music; hypnotic harmonies and spectral crooning entrance the listener with a warm, yet cryptic longing. The gliding sounds that loop through charming waves of lo-fi synthesized goodness coalesce into a perplexing, but addicting experience. Idiot Glee is associated with the record labels Hop Hop and Small Plates.

Songs to listen to: Pinkwood, Life Without Jazz

Related Artists: Grizzly Bear, Summer Camp, Twin Shadow, Wild Nothing.

Tags: alternative, dream, lo-fi, indie, synth, pop.

Moods: Hailing from Rotterdam, Netherlands, Nick Mood tactfully constructs smooth, tasteful vibes. Early sounds from Moods depict cleverly crafted hip-hop instrumentals with heavy emphasis on synthesized background ambiance. Seven years have passed since, and his music has now matured to feature warm analogues of headnodic rhythms reminiscent of afro-futuristic funk conjoined with modest amounts of soul- all the while still retaining portions of his hip-hop roots. Grab your best pair of headphones, find a shady spot in the grass and enter a realm of ear-honey dripping goodness. Moods is supported by U.K./Netherlands label: Boogie Angst Records.

Songs to Listen To: Hold Tight, Love is Real, New Horizon

Related Artists: Pomo, FKJ, Ta-ku, Pascäal, Flirtini, Mura Masa

Tags: ambient, funk, future beats, electronic, soul

Nao (pronounced: nay-oh): Having worked with the likes of Disclosure, Mura Masa and A.K. Paul (Half of the duo, Jai Paul, whose vocals are the focus in their track B.T.S.T.U.), Nao has recently stepped out as one of the more exciting alternative R&B artists of the past year. Deriving mainly from turn-of-the-century Soul and R&B, the East London native embellishes rich and imaginative lyrics delivered by her graceful, smoky voice. Her knack of using full-bodied synths creates smooth, yet edgy textures that seem to listlessly coalesce as deep rhythms drive the futuristic beat forward. Her latest single, Bad Blood, was released on the 22^nd of October, 2015 and can be found at thisnao.tumblr.com. Nao is affiliated with Dummy Records and self established label Little Tokyo.

Songs to Listen To: Zillionaire, So Good, Adore You.

Related Artists: Math Times Joy, SIAM, Dornik

Tags: r&b, nu-soul, electronic