Dazzling in its array of dreamy meditations and hypnotic rhythmic undercurrents, A Space Between is an enthralling new album from The Numb Project. The Portland, Oregon-based alias of producer Chris Calarco caught our ears last year with the grippingly atmospheric album Transmissions from a Troubled Radio, and A Space Between continues to showcase Calarco’s penchant for captivating soundscapes. A Space Between succeeds with both lush synth-led entrancement and warming percussion, which melds hip-hop, downtempo, and dub-inspired trip-hop with cohesive allure.

“A Monkst” opens the album with glimmering synth intrigue, which moves seamlessly amidst a calming bass pulse and head-nodding percussion. Swaying, lounge-set piano brightens the initially nocturnal soundscape. Wordless vocal effects linger chillingly, re-emerging during a satisfying conclusion where shimmers of piano traverse into silence. The ensuing “All Souls” brings back the piano right away, though with a more serene elegance as they push forward within a lo-fi hip-hop rhythmic charm. A soulful vocal sample — “you’re the only one that grounds me,” — infuses melodically. Vocal elements on the album are often sparser — like the ghostly soothing on “Delia” or the glimpses of emotion within the Burial-esque “Bowling for Time” — though “All Souls” shows that the project’s sound can certainly succeed with a prominent vocal aspect, as well.

An especially magnetic melodic direction charms on “Bloom.” Spacey synth swells move into a shifting between twinkling momentum and subdued haunts, bolstered by dynamic rhythms that span from quaint click-clacking to more snare-forward vibrancy — exuding a boom-bap nostalgia in its melding of those snares and steady electronic pulsations. Fragments of glitchy effects contribute enjoyably, conjuring the sort of radio-frequency starry-eyed feelings of The Numb Project’s previous album. It speaks to the album’s versatility that the next track, “Split Width,” evoking another world entirely. “Split Width” succeeds with a funky, jazz-touched bass drive — intertwining electronic sounds with sparser precision, particularly as the playful piano lines assume a prominent role.

Aptly feeling like the approach of a rewarding journey’s end, the album’s final tracks reflect a nighttime-set ambience in its caressing electronic aspects and lusher percussion. “Leaves” balances lo-fi hip-hop comforts with effervescent synth doses and meditative vocal wordlessness, while “Still She Dreams” builds with artful momentum as mellow keys move sporadically into an otherworldly radiance. Album finale “5 AM” further enhances that sense of blur between night and day — beautifully straddling glistening trickles and lulling rhythms. The album’s central theme meditates on a state of in-between — as the title implies — and the eclectic structural traversal within its tracks represent that well; a mixture of gorgeous vocal samples, caressing instrumentation, and alluring rhythms make for a blissfully intoxicating sound.

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A gorgeous piano-led soundscape haunts throughout “Mirror,” the debut collaboration between Hilgrove Kenrick and Sam Watts. Two intermingling pianos play with an artfully cohesive reflective quality, building into a wordless vocal lushness that lingers throughout the track’s second half. The artist recorded the work across two continents, and on two pianos, in one day. The track’s March 29th release coincided with Piano Day 2025, an apt choice.

The duo share a similar talent for crafting striking soundscapes with spacious introspection. As such, they are both acclaimed composers for film, TV, and beyond. The Worcestershire-based Hilgrove Kenrick has earned numerous awards, receiving three Best Score awards for his score to the film Suicide Club. He has also written music for the drama series 12 Monkeys, in addition to a variety of other Netflix, BBC, Channel 5, Canal+ projects and beyond. Meanwhile, Watts is a British-Canadian artist who has composed for BBC’s Planet Earth, in addition to working on television shows like The Traitors and Doctor Who: Tales of the TARDIS.

“Mirror” begins with a delicate, sporadic easing-in of piano. Brief moments of pause build into gorgeously flowing melodies, like the dramatic heightening at the 42-second mark. The pianos retain a serene quality, though still prove impactful in their tonal shifts. The ghostly vocal effect enters right around mid-point, injecting a chant-like, meditative quality to the dual piano layers. “Mirror” is a spine-tingling success, ideal for late-night walks, lengthy studio sessions, or even simply staring at the sky and marveling in its beauty.

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The track is also featured in the genre-based, best-of Spotify compilation Rainy Days and Late Night Drives.

We discovered this release via MusoSoup.

The post Hilgrove Kenrick + Sam Watts – “Mirror” appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

A gorgeously lush soundscape is achieved on “Astral,” a single from Harris Mac, inspired by a memorable summer — where he retreated from the city, to a farmhouse in upstate NY, and fell in love with both its tranquility and a woman he met there. “I wanted to escape the chaotic party life of Brooklyn and be in a beautiful natural setting, somewhere I could have peace and quiet and get my hands in the soil and work with plants,” he explains. The end destination was “a beautiful early 1800s farmhouse slightly dilapidated on a sweeping property in the countryside that included a river, a greenhouse and several barns filled with antique tools.”

A sense of peaceful contemplation flows, aptly, throughout the track. Calming synths and lovely piano adornments complement a steady percussive presence, while dreamy vocals ease in sporadically. The piano work assumes a more upfront presence in the second half especially, bolstering the already-enveloping soundscape with further illumination. Full of loving and warm vibes, “Astral” is a blissfully introspective success from Harris Mac, whose new full-length album Oneonta is streaming in full, below:

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.

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A throbbing percussive pulse and nocturnal synth tones converge melodically, easing into an expressive vocal lead. “It surrounds me from every direction, the boundary of the universe,” the vocals let out, accompanied by a spacey synth flickering. The one-minute turn reveals a wholly infectious, dance-friendly hook with clanging synths and exuberant vocals.

“Heavy Feels” excels with its atmospheric production in the second half, kick-started by twinkling keys and a sense of ease. “Heavy feelings are coming round again,” signals the exceptional rise, driving into the conclusion with hypnotic, replay-inducing effect. “Heavy Feelings” balances gripping melodic vigor with spacey atmospherics, resulting in a winner from Lights DC.

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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of October 2022’ Spotify playlist.

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Casting a spell with intriguing soundscapes touting electronic and hip-hop inclinations, Quarantined Thoughts is the new album from Sun Deep, an artist born in India and based in Oklahoma. Meticulous sample construction and delicately evolving song structures stand out through the release, which per the artist explores “themes of identity, love, and well-being.”

Highlights are numerous on the release. “Fate” builds with patient precision; nocturnal synth pads and a gentle bass push are bolstered by percussive click-clacks. The textural whispers find a ghostly accompaniment via further synth usage, feeling memorably haunted. Elsewhere, glistening keys and soothing wordless vocals star on “Chaar Rasta,” with a hypnotic sitar-y effect lingering in the second half for spine-chilling effect.

The more immediate “Saadhna” sees eerie keys interwoven with heavy percussive shuffles and an unsettling trickling. A solemn piano line signals a shift in bass alongside, launching into a cleaner and melodic entrancement alongside mystical vocals thereafter. “It’s Complicated” also catches with its unpredictable turns, evolving from gyrating synth swells and suave rhythms. Quarantined Thoughts shows an abundance of well-maneuvered production ideas and atmospheric unraveling.

Stream Quarantined Thoughts:

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“Fate” and others featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of October 2022’ Spotify playlist.

The post Sun Deep – ‘Quarantined Thoughts’ appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.