Author: Max Hammer

Danish songwriter and musician Troels Thorkild Sørensen’s tracks have been playing on regular rotation here in the cafe for a couple of weeks, and we are happy now to share this promising talent with all of you.

Sørensen’s new track, “Dad,” is melodically and harmonically surprising and original, wholesome and comfortingly beautiful.

The single is a tribute to his father with lyrical content that explores deep feelings and thoughts about when his father will no longer be around.

It may at first seem a bit premature to write a tribute song to a father who is still alive, and presumably still relatively young, but Sørensen said he wanted his father to be able to hear the song since he obviously wouldn’t be able to after death. (That was a strange sentence to compose)

Sørensen personally found it sad but also “quite meditative” to write and record the song.

It’s a heartbreaking song instrumentally with a bumping guitar vibe and finger-picking all of the way through and vocals and choruses that you won’t hear probably anywhere else.

Now a resident of Copenhagen, he grew up in the small town of Mårslet, near Aarhus, Denmark. He records under the moniker, he is tall, with an emphasis apparently on lowercase letters.

Retreating solo into the countryside, Sørensen recorded the song in a small cabin where he grew up. He captured the natural surroundings with sounds from a passing river, bird songs and the dancing of wind through the trees. He then mixed the samples into the song during mixing.

Coincidentally, Sørensen is actually not that tall, he says, but he feels tall when he goes on the “small stages around Demark” with just his guitar. He expresses a sense that he grows on stage when he plays and “shines with confidence.”

Sørensen said he initially made an impact in the Danish underground music scene and that some have compared him to the legendary Jeff Buckley. We can sort of see that in a way, especially with the unique vocals and delivery.

His musical influences cross genres from indie-pop to hip hop, which he merges interestingly into some of his tracks.

Danish national radio host Sebastian Saxton said about Sørensen during a live broadcast: “I think your style is really original and it’s difficult for me to see how others should imitate you – which is rare praise to give – so thank you so much for your music. I really appreciate it.  I really think your vocal is strong.”

In May, he is tall released a single “little brother” which received airplay in the United States and in Denmark. The track was also featured on Spotify’s playlist Discover: Indie Rising Denmark’s Nordic Hits Playlist by Bands of Tommorrow.

Another song from last year, “Open Mouth Pt. 2”, is a piano-driven singer/songwriter heart-bleeder. A melancholy song, the theme of missing his loved ones plays out once again; obviously, his family is on his mind; perhaps it’s homesickness.

Over the past decade-plus, we have been fortunate enough to be the first indie blog to feature at least many dozens of artists and bands that went on to bigger things because of being featured on IRC.

Something tells us that Sørensen has a good shot at being one of those artists if he plays his hand well.

Follow he is tall on Facebook.

The new single, “Raven,” from Ukranian electronic fusion/world music project Electromush, is the newest enthralling track from a rising musical outfit that is unlike any other.

“Raven” presents a mystic appeal amplified in all ways by the haunting vocals of the female vocalist known only as Petra. The track is a perfectly creepy song for the Halloween season or your Halloween playlist.

Petra’s rich vocals come front and center and then evolve into an all-encompassing rush of layers of dubs. Together with intricate composing and mixing of keys and live instruments like the mandolin, the overall effect is mesmerizing and unmistakably haunting.

Electromush’s world fusion sounds and folk influences are meticulously arranged by fellow Ukranian composer Bohdan Butov and produced by engineer Konstantin Kostenko.

Formed in 2013 in Kyiv, the musical trio – which is not really a band in the traditional sense – set out from the start with a unique multicultural to bridge music of the old world with the new.

The trio purposefully seeks out old, traditional folk songs to give them new life. Often Petra will even sing in the native language interpreted for modern times with the use of electronics.

The band’s stated mission is to “unite eclectic cultures in both geographical and historical sense from Asia to Europe” by “representing the ancient folk music with technology.”

Another recent track to that end is the indie-pop single, “Runaway Crane (Winter Is Coming).” It presents an ancient Celtic flare along with marching band-like drumming and a more defiant vocal delivery from Petra. The band’s sounds are really rich and interesting.

They’re also playful and experimental. This includes recording sound effects from barrels, hoses, plastic bags, and circular saws, among other oddities. In a more mainstream sense, the band’s influences are stated as Peter Gabriel, Dead Can Dance, and Yello.

Electromush on Facebook

Slovenian musician Sasha Raven is an overseas artist that really jumped out at us with his unique and original songwriting, vocals and compositions.

One of his biggest singles has been the track, “Indian Summer,” a mellow yet remarkably bright and optimistic track with a good-feeling melodic hook and chorus throughout.

Over the years, he has gained tens of thousands of plays and followers with songs like “Kiss Me,” “Eternal Dreams,” and “Moonrise,” all of which exhibit his skills as a writer and musician.

Raven, who calls himself an introverted musician, is still largely under-the-radar for the level of his talents and skills, but that probably won’t last for long.

Before striking out on his own a few years ago, he was in a short-lived band called Dharma. The band had a mini-hit indie hit track, “Winter’s Day (Afterglow),” written by Morcheeba’s Paul Godfrey, before they decided to part ways.

“That band didn’t last long because of our different music tastes,” Raven said.

“I’m still grateful for the experience.” The breakup of the band did not stop him from pursuing his music.

He obviously had received some attention working with Godfrey, and of course, for his musical abilities.

Raven writes and records in the town of Jesenice nestled in the mountainous Gorenjska region of Slovenia. His local following has been strong for a number of years, while his international audience grows little by little.

He is also a performer of classical and easy listening music for which he has received many recognitions in Slovenia.

Although he has many influences, the artists and bands that inform his music the most include Radiohead, Muse, Nirvana, The Vines, Royal Blood, QOTSA, Interpol, Suede, and Placebo.

Sasha Raven on Facebook