The Underground Forest - Volume 29
This month's edition of The Underground Forest features; a dreamy electronica track that sounds like it plays over an evening city skyline in the 1990s; a song that sounds like an underwater fairytale; a song that has the most world-ending bassline you have ever heard in your life; a song that will remind to just relax, please; and a song that sounds like your favorite 1990s witch movie blended with the DIY joy of the early days of music making on the internet, and more!
Featuring RIP Swirl, Alias Error, Fie Eike, HANNAHBELLA, MOTHICA, Bonner Rhae, Mary Elle, DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ, deegie, Crown the King and Pinksqueeze.
Follow The Underground Forest on Spotify
Come in and explore.
I Found You Out - RIP Swirl, Alias Error
The dreamy pads and beautiful vocals in this are shrouded in mystery; in the very specific way that the most haunting underground electronic music from the 1990s possesses. This absolutely could have been playing in the background of The Bronze in Buffy The Vampire Slayer (if you know, you know.)
The vocals from Alias Error are hypnotic; I Found You Out wafts up to your ears from a cassette tape; as you watch the sky turn from blue pink around the endless concrete megastructures that surround you on the outskirts of a city, in 1993.
Connect with Alias Error
Spotify / Instagram / Bandcamp
Connect with RIP Swirl
Spotify / Instagram / Bandcamp / Facebook
Fluid - Fie Eike
Copenhagen-based artist Fie Eike’s new song creates an underwater wonderland for you to immerse yourself in (this song was in fact, partly inspired by fairy tale The Little Mermaid).
This wonderful aquatic effect is created by the blending of gentle, aquatic soundscapes and field recordings of water. The vocals feel like they call to from the sparkling depths of sea green seaweed; this is magical.
On the song the artist says ‘Fluid’ explores the state of being before assuming form”, Eike explains: “We go through this process of moving from a state of “fluidity” to assuming form during our childhood and youth, but in reality this process happens many times throughout our lives, in varying degrees, as we grow, transform and heal. Life can sometimes knock us off our feet and disconnect us temporarily, but the key is to become aware of it, so that we can come back to ourselves. There is a great vulnerability and risk in daring to belong to ourselves, but no true connectedness and love can happen without it.”
Connect with Fie Eike
Spotify / Instagram / Website / Facebook
Skin - HANNAHBELLA
This newest release from Cork artist HANNAHBELLA (which was recorded and mixed alongside acclaimed producer Jessica Richardson (whenthebeatisbad), opens with a shimmering wonderland of experimental electronics, before descending into an earth-shattering bassline (you are simply not prepared for this bassline).
Unleash all of your inner demons to this song; and let yourself be free.
On the song HANNAHBELLA shares: “I wanted to create a haunting love song but ultimately I wanted it to be hot and sharp. I loved the idea of two spirits/souls being infatuated or intertwined with one another so I ran with that in mind when writing the lyrics. Sonically, Jess (WhenTheBeatIsBad) and I wanted to keep in line with this theme so we kept it minimal yet making what we had huge so when that fierce bass line was born we were obsessed.”
Connect with HANNAHBELLA
Spotify / Instagram / YouTube / X
Connect with whenthebeatisbad
Instagram
The Void - MOTHICA
The Void is the opening song to MOTHICA’s new album Killing Death. It is ominous, utterly delicious, and all-consuming.
I have not heard an addictively haunting vocal melody like this in a long time; the song also sounds as divine as the artwork suggests. I can imagine this sounding incredible live.
Connect with MOTHICA
Spotify / Instagram / Website / Facebook / X
Different Life - Bonner Rhae
This has some serious Kacey Musgraves vibes; and I absolutely love it (I listened to Deeper Well for the first time earlier on in the year, and it absolutely blew me away).
Different Life has a deep sense of longing; opening with gentle instrumentation that will ease you into the song, the razor-sharp opening lyrics being “It’s been a minute/ Since I wore these rings/ Sometimes it feels like they’re strangling me”.
Connect with Bonner Rhae
Spotify / Instagram / Website / Facebook
Movie Ticket - Mary Elle
Movie Ticket is the newest song from Czech Republic-based singer/songwriter Mary Elle. This song genuinely made me tear up; you really feel like you are there with the artist, experiencing this quiet, devastating heartbreak.
The piano is hushed and gentle; the music in general having a bit of an old Hollywood vibe to it; the results being something kind of devastating, but absolutely wonderful to listen to.
On the song Mary Elle explains, “It relates to the narrative and how even though letting that person go was painful, it was needed in order for her to find a sense of freedom and find out that she’s the main character of her own story, not someone else’s.”
Connect with Mary Elle
Spotify / Instagram / YouTube
The One Love - DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ
This is taken from Hex; the newest album to add to the dreamy cauldron of music from DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ.
The magic begins immediately; with a warm bed of swirling pads filling you with the warmth and joy of your favorite 1990s witch movie; chopped samples swirl, entrancing you; and when the kick hits, you will fly through the air in utter bliss and euphoria.
This possesses the DIY vibe of music in the early days of the internet; when you would come across something that honestly just changed your life entirely.
DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ has no rival - this is another work of genius.
Connect with DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ
Spotify / Instagram / Website / Bandcamp / YouTube
Go Be with Becca (Zach) - deegie
Taken from the new album EXES; this has some seriously fun early 2000s and Avril Lavigne vibes.
We open with some absolutely colossal pop-punk electric guitar; a deliciously twisted bassline; over which lyrics are like a diary entry (in that they do not hold back), this is fantastic, it is refreshing, and I recommend the whole album.
Connect with deegie
Spotify / Instagram / X / YouTube
Vibes - Crown the King
I instantly became a Crown the King fan with 2020’s Gone Too Fast; this newest song has a fun, chilled early 2000s energy to it, with an anthem-like chorus, and I love it.
This song is a breath of fresh air; “I’ve been trying this new sh*t/ Where I just do what I want” - go listen to this song, it is a reminder to go easy on yourself and to just enjoy life.
Connect with Crown the King
Spotify / Instagram / Website / X
Crybaby - Pinksqueeze
The newest song from the Chicago four-piece band Pinksqueeze has some seriously fun DIY pop band vibes (the artwork of the single reminds me of the illustrations in Jaqueline Wilson's books, which makes this even more fun).
This newest song is brilliant; the chorus hits with the lyrics “I didn’t mean to disappear”; although the lyrics throughout this are raw and heartfelt, this also feels very warm and comforting (with kind of an Autumnal feel).
I love it.
Songwriter April said, "This song is about losing yourself in the process of losing someone else and vacillating between waves of sadness and dissociation. I felt so much doubt that I must have written 10 choruses as my bandmates patiently supported me and transformed the song into something to dance to, which I didn't initially see as possible. The sense of relief when the song was finished was incredible. It helped me transform powerlessness into power."
Connect with Pinksqueeze
Facebook / Spotify / Instagram / Bandcamp
Spotify Playlist
About Eimear O Sullivan
Eimear Ann O Sullivan is a multi-genre music producer, audio engineer and vocalist. After receiving a Masters in Music Technology from the CIT Cork School of Music, she went on to operate as a producer under the name Blakkheart. Her releases have received critical acclaim from Ireland's biggest music publications, such as District Magazine and Nialler9, alongside receiving heavy commercial radio airplay. She currently works in Cork recording studio Flashpoint CC. Previous clients of hers include the likes of Comedy Central’s Dragony Aunt star Candy Warhol, rapper Darce and Outsider YP. (Photo credit @Fabian Boros)
Contact Eimear O Sullivan at eimear.o.sullivan@musicngear.com
In this blog section we host new music releases, artist features and handpicked playlists by the Musicngear staff.
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