By It’s our Bandcamp Picks of the Week, featuring FLOATING’s post-punk infused metal exploration HESITATING LIGHTS and Zyber’s experimental hip hop journey SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA!
FLOATING – HESITATING LIGHTS
Genre: Death Metal, Post-Punk
Favorite Tracks: “Hesitating Lights / Harmless Fires,” “The Waking,” “I Reached The Mew”
Within the rich landscape of Sweden lie Arvid Sjödin and Andreas Hörmark, who make up the band FLOATING. Through a use of post-punk elements that challenge the fringes of death metal, their debut album THE WAVES HAVE TEETH manifested a distinct concept; the chilly atmosphere and prominent bass grooves are a presence worth welcoming, adding onto vocal growls and ripping metal progressions.
Three years later, HESITATING LIGHTS returns with a scorching howl, thematically painting agony in aching light. We observe a protagonist who lives in excessive suffering; the presence of time and the loss of someone dear to him only stabs despair into his mind. Such hope is extinguished; all that is left is pain. Sjödin expresses this shambling display of emotions through bellowing vocals, embodying anger on the stormy “Cough Choir” and scorching dread on “Still Dark Enough.” This band’s intriguing fusion of genre elements refines their debut, carrying over even-keeled dynamics. Pairing rapturous drums, rumbling bass lines, and shimmering guitar tones on a cut like “I Reached The Mew” strikes an equilibrium. The spare use of synths creates a meditative mood. “Hesitating Lights / Harmless Fires” makes use of it in its opening, the guitars swelling up before the groove comes in like a windy sweep. Once the guttural first half of “The Waking” punches off, the back half concludes with synths coasting through pummeling blast beats and soaring guitar lines. It ends the album with a sense of bliss and carnage.
HESITATING LIGHTS is a striking find. The band is becoming more caustic than ever before—there may be a light that wanes, but it is enough to soothe the wounds. Listen to this biting album on Bandcamp.
Zyber – SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA
Genre: Plugg, Folktronica, Experimental Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: “Gun range,” “NWH,” “Table,” “Hell of a ride”
The realm of plugg music is one where rough imperfections become delightful discoveries. Overwhelmingly saccharine beats complement relaxed delivery and streamlined lyrics. With an endearingly low barrier to entry, musical stumbles become magical fireworks.
SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA adds a refreshing texture to that digitally driven template. Folky instrumentation is meshed into a whirlpool of ragged, bassy beats that Zyber’s drawling delivery sticks into. Spelunking strings and pianos add a playfulness to the bubbling groove of “Weirdo,” and those cascading keys contrast the distorted bass of “Bulk,” amplified further with echoing effects slathered on Zyber’s voice in the song’s back half. Soaring organs match the ballistic scale of “Way to go son.” It’s a fusion of staggering production with soft instrumental cushions, sprinkling distinct flair to a lot of Zyber’s melodies.
SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA is surprisingly vulnerable throughout. Zyber acknowledges that he has to change things for himself and for others, stepping back from the party as he thinks about his personal life: Focusing on his peace of mind through the chirping synths of “Tally Up”; reflecting on his isolated loneliness tussled on the glossy keys and cheeky samples on “NWH” and the melancholic singing of ”Table,” as well as the newfound financial stability on the guitar-driven “Gun Range.” “Hell of a Ride” channels all of that reflection into the mixtape’s most grounded moment; moody strings accompany Zyber’s somber tone through his singing:
We turn off our brains
And I’m thinkin’ how time goes by, yeah
Words like bullets and I act like it’s not phasing me
One look in the mirror, now I know how I’m s’posed to be
He reckons with the passage of time and how it has changed him. Growing older means consistent habits don’t hit the same, never providing the same joy that they used to. It might be confusing for him at first, but after thinking things through, he finally understands how to move forward better.
SMILE! YOU’RE ON CAMERA is filled with layers of refreshing introspection, each informed through a glitchy blend of plugg and folktronica. It’s a sound that Zyber fits into surprisingly well, showcasing his reflective writing over the production’s thrumming melodies, running the gamut between softness and hardness. He’s willing to cry over what needs to be let go, yet smiling because new paths are opening up for him. Listen to this compelling mixtape on Bandcamp.
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