Surf’s Up! Listen: Surfalot – Everybody Needs Somebody

Surfalot Photo Toothfairy

What is it about Summer 2016 that has brought about this Nordic 70’s/80’s ‘love-in’.  We’ve already been swept away on a tropical fandango by Danish producer M.I.L.K and felt the warmth of a sonic Summer breeze from Lovespeake. 

Now, joining the Ray-Ban’d ranks of these purveyors of golden hued sounds, is Surfalot.  Real name Bendik Johnsrud, Surfalot, like Pav & Co, is another sun lovin’ funkster from Sandvika, home of Norwegian retro cool, who has signed to that magical label, Toothfairy.

Following on from his first two hit singles, NRK P3 playlisted ‘Brother Brother’ and MIC favoured ‘My My Oh My’, this Sandvika surfer boy has just dropped his latest track, ‘Everybody Needs Somebody‘, and it’s a Scandi bobby dazzler.

Funked up melodies pop and ping like sun spangled acid drops, while sea-soaked splashes of synth are a cool, refreshing counter to white-hot RnB riffs.  High in an azure-hued sky, float the inviting, fun-glazed vocals of this chilled-out beachboy.

Surfalot forges sweet sun blushed sounds with a cheeky modern twist.  Breezily crafted songs that sample some of the richest elements of 70’s funk and 80’s synthpop, contemporised with a dollop of that type of 2016 harlequin pop currently in vogue with many chart big-hitters.  Think Haircut 100 sashaying with Nile Rodgers, while the Thompson Twins flirt with Coldplay in the background.

A graduate of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (also alma mater of fellow Norwegians I SEE RIVERS), Surfalot, will release his debut album later this year.  If the vari-hued rainbow strands of music he has produced so far are anything to go by, it is bound to be one richly woven, multi-coloured tapestry.

For now you can keep up to date with all Surfalot‘s seafaring shenanigans via his social media networks:  Facebook, Insta, Tumblr, YouTube, Spotify and Soundcloud.  Listen to ‘Everybody Needs Somebody‘ here and get in touch with your inner Summer Solstice.  To stream, buy & otherwise, go here – http://phonofile.link/surfalot-everybody

Slaughter Beach Pour a Honey Glaze over Bonjour Tristesse

 “We feel like this track embodies the spirit and vibe of our past, now and future as a band. There’s always been a tang of nostalgia in our music, but we’ve never been striving for just being great at emulating our heroes of some lost golden age of music. With “Glaze” we feel as though we’ve made something that’s nostalgic and futuristic at the same time.”
And that folks, pretty much sums up the sonic look & feel of the new single just released by Danish trio, Slaughter Beach, a lo-fi indie outfit on the psychedlic go since 2013.  With several singles under their belt, the band have made both name and niche for themselves in their indigenous market with their unique blend of MorgenFrisk meets melancholy wrapped up in an intoxicating haze of retro and reverb.

New single ‘Glaze‘ is as ‘back to the future’ as music gets.  Opening with an extended “alarum” that grabs your attention by the throat, it floats off into a cloud nine landscape filled with doleful jangly loops of New Order guitars and intricate weaves of swirling synth reps, into which random electro sounds bleed psyched out colours.  These kaleidoscopically swirling many hued synth patterns make for the most sparkling prismatic bridge, which like a corps of pirouetting ballerinas, conjures up the most delightful dance sequence that slowly fades through the outro into a wistful ether.

A golden haze of trippy vocals dripping in languid reverb, adds to the overall feeling of Summery sadness evoked by the regretful lyrics … “I’ll try to keep out of your way then….this is the longest run” .

Slaughter Beach’s sound resonates with the modern ‘psychness’ of Sparklehorse, whilst giving retro nods to the likes of Sumner and Hook. Compressing honey tinged lo-fi with tight, “bonjour tristesse” guitar and sun-drenched vocal haze, gives their music a unique ‘best of both worlds’ combination.  One that results in a blissed-out, hypnotic, sepia-stained trance, filled with iridescent nostalgia.

“Lamenting a lost love, he leaves us poised at the lip of a chasm of tristesse”

Slaughter Beach is Nikolaj Westi, Mads Emil Aagaard and Hasse Mydtskov and you can find them roaming around the following social media sites … go mingle!  Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter & Tumblr.  You’ll find me lurking here.  ‘Glaze‘ is out now via the Brilliance label, and you can buy it here.