TOP NEW SONGS: KARYYN - EVER

“Ever” is a dense blast of futurist pop from Syrian producer Káryyn.

‘Future Pop’ remains an unfulfilled promise. From the utopian idealism of synthpop/new wave of the ‘70s and ‘80s, when artists aspired to push the nearly infinite possibilities of electronic music, both quickly devolved into just pop music, with some synth and drum machines presets. Hardly revolutionary or exciting.

But what about electronic music’s ability to conjure strange, alien worlds? Or showcase unseen aspects of the Human Condition?

On her newest track, Syrian producer Káryyn revives the future pop mission, stretching cooing vocals into saltwater taffy ribbons of yearning and explosion. Synths glow like the Northern Lights or flickering track lighting, more elemental ambiance than a melody, per se. Beats flutter like termite-ridden walls, or your heart after seeing your love for the first time in a long time.

KARYYN - EVER

“Ever” is where Grimes meets grime, re-instituting the avant garde beat architecture of the most cutting-edge electronic music, from the likes of post-humanists like Arca. It’s unsurprising that Bjork herself would take an interest in the young Syrian producer, who took a shine to Káryyn’s ambitious opera project Of Light. Káryyn is working in a similar sonic terrain to latter-day Bjork, stretching the human voice to its limits, spelling out emotions like constellations. We Are: The Guard anticipate a new rising star of the electronic firmament. Get hipped now, before she starts selling out mainstages.

J. Simpson occupies the intersection between criticism, creativity, and academia. Based out of Portland, Or., he is the author of Forestpunk, an online journal/brand studying the traces of horror, supernatural, and the occult through music, fashion and culture. He plays in the dreamfolk band Meta-Pinnacle with his partner Lily H. Valentine, with whom he also co-founded Bitstar Productions, a visual arts collective focused on elevating Pop Culture to High Art.