5 Under 500: August Electronic Edition

A lot of acts that you read about on music websites - the hot/upcoming/buzz-worthy articles - come from a press release, with the authors sent a lot of awesome new music and having to sift through for the good stuff. With that in mind, we thought we'd go on a little treasure hunt through the online realm (i.e. trawl through Soundcloud, YouTube, HypeMachine, triple j Unearthed and so much more) to try and find a few acts that haven't broken the 500-like mark on Facebook (because like it or not, the number of Facebook likes you've accrued can play a role in the amount of online love you'll receive). So we hope this electronic edition of 5 UNDER 500 will bring to your attention a few emerging electronic acts, who are under 500 likes on Facebook, and whose sounds we are very much digging.

RUINS

With a thunderous, dark production style, RUINS are an emerging Sydney two-piece who are exciting and unique, quite unlike anything we've heard in the past few months. This month just gone saw the duo build on the anticipation from their debut EP with Shallows, a six-track compilation of work including three new originals and reworks by Sidechains' dark horse Grasps_, Simpig and Beach Club & Relic. Opening with the anthemic Nu Guinea, RUINS' second EP delves into various different sounds and sub-genres, but they all showcase quite a dark, haunting sound, whether it be in the whispering vocals of Gradient or the menacing bass work in Shallows. The final three tracks on the EP are all remixes, with Simpig giving Nu Guinea a swirling, genre-defying flip, Beach Club & Relic adding a quick-firing trap feel to Gradient and last but not least, Grasps_ with a staggering, instrumental remix of Shallows.

Like RUINS on FACEBOOK

FROST

Having already released a BBC Radio 1 supported remix of ZHU and AlunaGeorge's banger Automatic, Castaway headliner Jarryd James' Regardless and a seemingly disappeared remix of Hozier's Take Me To Church, the next step for Sydney house producer FROST is a big one, releasing his debut, self-titled EP. Sprawling over four tracks, Frost is a collection of his best work to date, with each production flaunting a take on his well-loved house sound. The EP's opening Intro sets an atmosphere and a tone for things to come, with a dawdling percussion beat layered underneath vocal cuts and soft keys opening up into the EP's second track, Dreaming - a bouncy house number full of energy and spirit. Alongside the final two tracks, especially the Frenship-featuring third track Better Off Lonely, FROST's self-titled debut is a definite step in the right direction and hopefully, a good sign of things to come.

Follow FROST on FACEBOOK

HI LIFE

Originally appearing on Sidechains' second compilation with the energetic, adorably-cute So Good, HI LIFE are an emerging Canberra / Sydney duo bringing their own slice of PC Music to Australia. Their follow-up single When I Get To The Club is just as full of flavour as their last, with an unexpected twist on PC Music's sugary-sweet sound that can only be explained by imagining that Baauer, for whatever reason, decided to sign to the hyper-pop label and collaborate with their label boss A.G. Cook. Kicking into gear with a quick-paced synth melody, When I Get To The Club opens with this previously-mentioned, high-pitched sugary vocal sound that twirls around stabbing synth and bubbly sampling. Just before the two-minute mark the track really switches up, transforming into a metallic trap banger with a whole lotta oomph. Although I totally understand it's not for anyone and everyone (then again, neither is any genre really), it's extremely exciting to see artists like HI LIFE, Fresh Hex and Lewis Cancut toy with these unique, PC sounds and bring some sweetness to Australia's electronic scene.

Follow HI LIFE on FACEBOOK

BEAUVOIS

Formed as the more ambient side-project of emerging French production don Kidswaste, Beauvois has some seriously impressive work buried within his Soundcloud account. From his building remix of Henry Green's (and then Foals') My Number through to this most recent piece, the glistening Nowhere To Go, Beauvois' productions have a sophisticated maturity to them that you would expect from world-class producers such as Bonobo, instead bundled up inside this young French producer's fingertips. His edit of Maggie Rogers' Alaska is probably my favourite piece of work from him to date, taking the original's earworming vocal line and adding a driving, delicate production to accompany it. Pure brilliance.

Follow BEAUVOIS on FACEBOOK

FEELS

Formed as the new project between Perth percussionists Elise Reitze and Rosie Taylor, Feels are making some of Perth's most creative electronic music right now. Combining their world-class skill in percussion with electronic music production, Feels are an incredibly unique and exciting newcoming duo to the scene, making some serious waves over on triple j Unearthed with tracks such as It's Confidential and Lunch. The former is a playful and energetic, percussion-soaked single which pulses with driving synth work whilst the latter is a much more refrained piece, angling for a more low-key, restrained sound as opposed to the lively track It's Confidential. Either way, they're both bloody good.

Follow FEELS on FACEBOOK