Soundclouds of the Underground: Life is But a Dream Edition

ABOVE: RxGIBBS

These days, music truly lives online, with an infinite number of websites dedicated to hosting tunes for the laptop-wielding masses. However, the web’s bottomless pit of blogs isn’t the only place to troll for mp3 treasures—some of the most new and exciting (Internet-friendly) artists can be sought out via Soundcloud, the online stage that allows musicians to promote and distribute their music to fans and friends across the globe. In this weekly column, expert Internet sleuth Alex Chapman goes deep into the depths of the music-sharing site, in hopes of shedding light on emerging acts, as well as sharing some digital diamonds in the rough.

Falling asleep to a perfectly crafted playlist is admittedly one of this writer’s favorite pastimes—a well-chosen track can take your mind somewhere completely unexpected right before your head hits the pillow. Lucky for us, the Internet is chock-full of ethereal gems prime for helping your mind wander, and whether you’d rather trigger your imagination right before bedtime, or you’re looking to lose yourself a bit during that long commute to work, these three songs are sure to nudge aimless visions in the right direction.

RxGibbs: “Contact”

Who: Rob Gibbs is a talented producer from Michigan who crafts beautiful, friendly beats under the name RxGibbs. Brimming with slow, echoing synths and oftentimes subtle, sultry vocals, Gibbs’ post-chillwave sound is like a warm, unrelenting smile we could never get sick of.

The Song: Gibbs unexpectedly employs a nostalgia-inducing breakbeat rhythm as the foundation for this relaxing track, which glistens with guitar riffs and an overlaying synth. The sunny song cruises along coolly, ripe for thoughts of driving down an open highway (or something like that, if highways aren’t your thing).

Current Project: “Contact” is the first cut off an album of the same name, set to be released April 2 via Cascine. Keep up with all other RxGibbs news by checking out his Facebook page.

Who: Built up of Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches, Odesza is a production team that met their senior year of college, after which they first collaborated on an LP titled Summer’s Gone. The title seems fitting given their melancholic, smooth sound.

The Song: Borrowing from the Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B,” the duo crafts a different song entirely, one that seems to move in slow motion. Accented by a pretty piano riff, the graceful track takes its time while taking your brain on a calm ride, eventually getting comfy under a sexy bass-and-snap drumbeat.

Current Project: The group recently released a video for their new cut “IPlayYouListen,” which you can check out here.

Who: Not much can be uncovered (at least web-wise) about London’s Stuart Thomas, who goes by Mountain Range, but his emotional music speaks volumes-tracks like “It’s Lonely Around People, Too” and “Bears” are warm glitch-hop sound collages with rattling, layered percussion.

The Song: Diverting from his usual, drum-friendly methods, “Old Chests” is what Thomas describes as “looping, drone music to relax to.” However, after a listen or two, one can certainly argue that the song develops into much more, a thought-provoking ballad that proves the power of simplicity.

Current Project: Be sure to check out last year’s A Heart Upon EP here. You can also visit Mountain Range’s page here

Soundclouds of the Underground runs every Thursday. For more, click here.