THE DELI

Born in Stockholm and based in New York, recording artist, dancer and model KISSEY is no stranger to change. During her career, she has gone from electro-soul incarnations (“Caos”) to borderline industrial ones (“I Don’t Need Anything” and “DISTORTION”). Now, she’s back with another song that doesn’t fit into a genre as neatly, confirming a laudable inclination to think outside the box. In the video for “Unplug,” (streaming below) she appears like a modern-day Beloved (she is even pictured dragging an ax in one scene) — an ethereal apparition dancing around a rural, snowy landscape. (In case you haven’t noticed, she’s got the moves!) The song itself combines the dreamy drone of earlier works with a plodding beat reminiscent of the early trip hop days. Her upcoming EP, ‘Unplug the Delusional Monkey’, will be out on June 30th with Fool’s Gold Records. – Lilly Milman 

On September 15th-16th, Baltimore-based electronic/hip-hop group, Bunk Buddha, is set to headline the Mind Field Music and Arts Festival in Bunker Hill, West Virginia. In addition to playing 3 sets, the band will also have a hand in curating the multi-platform festival, which will include late-night acoustic bluegrass and folk jams, art installations, a community campfire, nature walks, group meditation, and more. Have a listen to Bunk Buddha below! – Ethan Ames

Premiering their latest video “Nons” exclusively here on The Deli, dreampoppers Vivienne Eastwood present a gazey journey of internal discovery.   The track’s slow motion groove, rising bassline and dramatic guitar melody would seem the perfect match for David Lynch’s newly revived Twin Peaks franchise.  With a languid minor chord feel, images of sea creatures in fish tanks are superimposed over pensive looking band members.  Mysterious notations like the wording “Friedrichsthalii 1999” appear momentarily before disappearing under the aquatics.  Using cinematic techniques like split-screen allows for dual image storytelling and a multi-view experience.  While angelic background vocals create lush emotional peaks, it’s the calmer moments that ultimately provide for deeper reflection.  Vivienne Eastwood will be playing at Brooklyn Bazaar on 5/28 with Surf Rock Is Dead and Melt. – Dave Cromwell

DC-based avant-pop band Humble Fire recently released a music video for "Taliesin," a single from their forthcoming album, Builder, out July 14th. Filmed in a domestic setting (probably a nod to bedroom recording practices), the video matches the ethereal song and its experimental vocal arrangement with the abstract movements of a group of dancers. A crescendo of editing, featuring reversed video cuts and musicians casually noodling on their instruments in tight rooms, compliments the percussive build-up of the song. Humble Fire will be playing at The Pietsch Tree in Baltimore on June 3rd, as well as the dates below!

 – Ethan Ames

The final night of The Hum 2017 (a series featuring female NYC musicians collaborating live organized by LPR presents and sponsored by The Deli NYC) reserves a truly spectacular line up that must not be missed. From The Blow‘s synth pop gems to Eartheater‘s haunting experimentation, the talent on display is remarkable and absolutely in line with what we here at The Deli expect from artists active in a scene famous for its edge. On the bill also indie pop sister duo Chaos Chaos, droney vocalist Deradoorian (of Dirty Projector fame), Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto and experimental artists Ikue Mori and Clarice Jensen.

Check out this awesome compilation of the songs by the artists in tonight’s bill we found on SoundCloud!

For the past year or so, Fairfax’s Vaelastrasz has been quietly developing their electronic composition skills. The releases have always seemed promising, and “Glyph of Inspired Hymns” gives a lot of reason to think that Vaelastrasz is starting to really come into their own as an electronic musician. The album art, a black and white photo of an old church, is at once nostalgic and haunting, an aesthetic which meshes well with the antique, dystopian ambiance given off by tracks like “In Memory of the Third” and “Cathedral I”. Interestingly, behind the ambiance often lies post-rock grooves, keeping the tracks from sounding repetitive.

In all, some very good music produced on this album, looking forward to hearing more from Vaelastrasz.

-Written by Michael Dranove