Welcome to our second volume of hot picks on SoundCloud. With the free music sharing site having expanded to over 40 million users, almost anybody with a guitar records their popular covers and uploads it on a profile. But there are diamonds in the haystack too. Lots of them. Soundcloud has proved an important platform for really good artists to get noticed.
The Halycon Days – “Oblivion”
The Chennai-based progressive rock outfit have released their first single off their upcoming EP. At 12 minutes in length, it progresses through many sounds as a Porcupine Tree song might, and the recording quality isn’t too bad either. With this single as their platform, expect a power-packed record from their end over the next few months.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/146048706″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Goddess Gagged – “Fine Lines”
These guys need no introduction. However, as the band is on a hiatus, with each member doing its own thing, this song, which was an extremely popular live number, has finally been released after the band decided not to withhold it any longer. With crystal clear clarity and interesting vocal mixes, from cleans to growls, “Fine Lines” is a remarkable product.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/150240963″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Vishal J Singh – “Dhuaan” (Arijit Singh and Pawni)
Off the OST for the Bollywood film FUGLY, Vishal J Singh (Amogh Symphony) has programmed some beautiful background instrumentation for Prashant Vadhyar’s composition. With powerful vocals rising on top of acoustic and then electric elements, this song promises to be big in the Bollywood scene.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/150283497″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Machli – “Bahar”
Far out retro beats and distant crooning in Hindi. Bangalore-based electronica project Machli’s dynamic changes every single time. One of the most versatile acts that are still relatively ‘underground’, the song is a droning number that pumps and pushes its way past you as you hear it. With more-than-average electronica influences, the song, and several others by the group, is quite unique in today’s scene.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/149514104″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Syed Waleed Ahmed – “InMotion”
Pakistan-based vocalist/producer/guitarist Waleed Ahmed, popular in death metal act Dionysus, has released some content through his solo project. Rambling from soft rock to post rock, the groovy beats and spot-on programming leave little room for experimentation, but are soulful and catchy nonetheless.
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/149732167″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
So there you have it. A bunch of freshly collated material from one the world’s foremost music
sharing databases, SoundCloud. Check out picks on our previous edition here.
