Most aspects of Scandinavian music seem to be generally consistant in constructing dreamy indie pop songs, with twinkling keys and echoing vocals falling over a faded guitar in the distance. Magenta Skycode could fall into that stereotype, but they prove to be even more diverse. Often times, I find bands with songs that immediately grab my attention. It could be a bad thing when a song does not grow on me, as I could tire of it shortly, but several songs off of Magenta Skycode’s vaguely titled album, IIII, prove otherwise. They hail from Finland and are particulary attracted to black and white colors, as displayed in their photo above and their album artwork for IIII. The artsy comparison can include The Cure, Bauhaus, and Interpol but their music suggests something else. A more exotic Manic Street Preachers with smoother vocals and more modern song structures could be one comparison, though they really sound too unique to really justify any close similarities.
With my first listen of ‘Go Outside Again’, I knew it was something special. The drums, clapping, and guitar are simple but surprisingly affective, especially when the sci-fi ambient effect enters the song. The thing I love the most about the song has to be the extremely explosive chorus and the great vocals that are involved. Non-chopped synths and guitars can sometimes prove messy, but ‘Go Outside Again’ sounds very smooth and acceptable. It is my favorite song off of IIII. ‘People’ will probably be their first single, as it is extremely catchy. Both songs utilize the clapping rather well as percussion. ‘Pleasure Of Love’ is a simple but pleasing song of a more lo-fi quality. Magenta Skycode are bringing nothing radical or new, but their catchy pop songs with well utilized synths, vocals, guitars, and percussion, are one of the catchiest and freshest sounds to emerge this year. Their new album is strongly recommended.
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Magenta Skycode – Go Outside Again
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/magenta_skycode-go_outside_again.mp3]——————————–
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/magenta_skycode-people.mp3]——————————-
Magenta Skycode – Pleasure Of Love
[audio:https://obscuresound.com/mp3/magenta_skycode-pleasure_of_love.mp3]——————————-
Omg go outside again is soo good tks! for all the music
Go Outside Again and People are both great
Recommended!!!!!! Both are great.
[…] “People”, “I Know You’re Sleeping With Your Dolls”, and “This Empty Crow” are all available from the discography page at their site. Additionally, their myspace features “Go Outside Again”, whose handclaps immediately endeared it to me in a big way. (Actually, the band uses handclaps on a number of songs here. Hooray for that.) Reviews are available from Drowned in Sound and Obscure Sound, both of which give the album guarded praise. Referential (and reverential), they say, but beautiful and honest, too. DiS gets it right in the final paragraph of the review, calling the album “a debut marked out by subtle, warm songwriting and hopeful spirit.” This is the kind of album that can sneak up on you. One day you wake, pale sun streaming in through the window, and realize you’re humming the entire thing from memory, not sure how it got to be that way. […]