FRESH MUSIC FRIDAY: BENEE, NILÜFER YANYA, AND SOFI TUKKER

It’s that day of the week again, and FMF veterans Harry Gay and Andy Park have teamed up with Tamsyn Bellew to deliver us a little bit of feel-good pop from BENEE, moody indie-pop from Nilüfer Yanya, and a dark dance track from Sofi Tukker and Mahmut Orhan.

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MARRY MYSELF – BENEE

Harry: While I’m not typically a fan of this singing style, I was entranced by the lilting instrumentals, the dreamlike intonation of BENEE’s voice and the quick erratic tempo. I couldn’t help but tap my foot, and I had to hold myself back from jumping up and dancing. I wanted to let myself go to the youthful, carefree radiance this song exudes. An anthem for slow-motion montages and dancing in Camperdown Park after a night of drinking; a song for the young and young at heart.

Tamsyn: This track has BENEE’s trademark upbeat rhythm and lightness in the lyricism and song construction, particularly in the lead-up to the chorus. The soft guitar picking perfectly compliments her honey-toned voice, and the light ringing in the instrumentation adds an almost ethereal quality. I really like this song, but BENEE, girl, please pronounce your words!

Andy: This song places me on the way home from the beach in the backdrop of a pastel sunset. The instrumentation is lush and fits right in the style of “feel-good” music that my ear leans towards. I love the nonchalant vocal delivery against the controlled chaos of the percussion, punctuated by sweet guitar licks. Undoubtedly a shoulder-swaying bop.

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L/R – NILÜFER YANYA

Niamh (surprise!): I had to jump on to give my thoughts on this track. Nilüfer is a singular artist; she is haunting, disquieting, concentrated and addictive. This song is painstakingly detailed, each layer set down ever so lightly upon the last until it builds up into this hushed, dubbed-out beat that fits perfectly with the detached melancholy of the story. It is a SICK song from a genius artist. 

Andy: I felt oddly satisfied by this song. I’m a sucker for uplifting grooves but there was something about the woozy hooks and the way the vocals shift from left to right that drew me in. Nilüfer is a good storyteller and says a lot with few words and the whole song feels like a guilty pleasure she’s indulging in. 

Harry: I LOVED THIS SONG! Definitely my favourite of the tracks. Gave off 1980’s new wave/post-punk vibes. The mix of synths and moody guitar riffs, along with the incredible vocals just gave off such a cool aura. The truncated chorus of “you’re so violent, autopilot”, with Nilfür punctuating every consonant just added this extra quirk that I loved and mixed up the sound ever so slightly without too much deviation.

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FORGIVE ME – SOFI TUKKER (FT. MAHMUT ORHAN)

Andy: Though this isn’t what I’d usually go for, there were some catchy melodic ideas here. The strings in the chorus were a nice touch on top of the booming bass and busy kick drum. The airy vocals made an unlikely combination with the dramatic instrumentation for a packed but easy listen. 

Harry: Good hook and beat, with loud heavy bass and nice violin added in for good measure. There’s a slight moodiness and melancholy that comes through here and there, largely in the background string instruments, but perhaps that’s just the kind of sound suited for our current milieu: fun and groovy with a tinge of sadness bellowing beneath. Nevertheless, a perfect dance track for 2022 now that everyone is back out clubbing and partying.

Tamsyn: There’s a really nice marriage of electronic and string instrumentation in this song, creating a compelling yet haunting dance track. The tonal construction of the chorus is entrancing, particularly the ascending riff – it’s almost sensual. In spite of this building tension, the song never reaches its peak, and so unfortunately I find it to be interesting but anticlimactic. 

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