With the arrival of Archers New Rival and their single "Direction", I found myself tracing the jagged line of a crack in my ceiling, letting the melody dictate exactly how much that imperfection bothered me. The track initiates with a deception a clean, resonant melancholy that feels safe before suddenly mushrooming into a thick, distorted wall of heavy texture. It reminds me, oddly enough,...

Sometimes you hit play on a track and it immediately forces you to stop whatever you are doing. That is exactly what happens with the latest release 'Fairytale Lullaby' from a rising star Ka Youn Yoo in the contemporary classical scene. It is not loud, it is not aggressive, but it commands your attention with a quiet intensity that is impossible to ignore. The vibe...