Loop and Main Divide

Released just prior to Christmas, here's a Loop Recordings/Main Divide collab with a bunch of work from a pretty impressive group of funky locals including Yoko-Zuna, Lord Echo, Miloux, Bailey Wiley, Electric Wire Hustle, and many others. It's available as a free download on Bandcamp ... 

"A journey into New Zealand music from across the Main Divide and beyond. Welcome to Main Divide NZ music compilation Vol.04 - In keeping with the vibe of this series, these quality homegrown tunes cover the spectrum of soul, funk, groove, R&B, hip-hop and electronica, made by some of NZ's most cutting-edge artists."

More Miloux ...

I wrote a little bit about the music of Auckland-based electronic artist Miloux back in 2016 (here) when she released her debut EP, the aptly titled EP1. Miloux – Rebecca Melrose to her parents – then disappeared off the radar with no recorded output of note until July of this year, when a digital single, ‘Paris’, popped up on Bandcamp. It turns out that release was merely a precursor to a more expansive EP hitting the same platform earlier in this month, titled, you guessed it, EP2. ‘Paris’ features as the centrepiece among the five tracks on the release, all of which explore similar themes, and employ the same synthpop MO, to those found on the debut. If you liked that one, you’ll probably enjoy this one. As with the first release, Miloux generously offers it up as a name-your-price download ...

Album Review: Miloux - EP 1 (2016)

Miloux is classically trained Auckland-based artist Rebecca Melrose, and EP 1 is a well-received Ben Lawson-produced debut, released back in April of this year. Tracks like ‘Pocket’ and ‘Beaches’ (there’s two versions here) have subsequently benefitted from a good amount of airtime on radio and exposure on various social media platforms. Those tracks, along with the three remaining tunes on the EP, serve to highlight exactly what Miloux is able to bring to the table – lovely vocals, rich in variety and texture, set against a light electronic backdrop, to create an absorbing blend of easily digestible synthpop. But it’s also more than just straightforward pop – this isn’t really about hooks; there’s an element of subtle experimentation lurking just beneath the surface, a chilly ambience, perhaps even a sense of unease, or a darkness that isn’t always immediately obvious. As debut releases go, this one is full of depth and promise.
 
You can buy (it is “name your price”) or stream the EP on Bandcamp below, and check out the Remixes release which followed in August.