Chillwave. A sub-genre and musical phenomenon with a name coined - ironically enough - by a humble music blog.
Whether you buy into shoehorning acts into pigeon holes or not, what is apparent is that many of the artists associated with this particular tag (Chad Valley, Blackbird Blackbird and Brothertiger to name but three) are amongst the most vibrant and promising of the decade, thus far.
Leading a who's who of electronica royalty is Washed Out, the DIY project of Ernest Greene; an unemployed librarian from Perry, Georgia. With his debut album little more than 6 months old, the impact and influence Washed Out has had has been pretty remarkable. Celebrity endorsements ensued, and a great year culminated in a world tour and appearance at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival at the behest of guest curators, Battles.
And it's no surprise. Greene produces some of the most sumptuous, elegant synth-pop to emerge from the scene - as accessible on a dancefloor as it is on a starlit stroll through the country. This is the domain of deep grooves, gushing textures and aesthetic samples. It's blissful stuff, buffered by Greene's own, delicately filtered vocals.
Featured track is the glorious, sunburst dream-pop of Amor Fati - available for free download from the Sub-Pop website.
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