Junip’s members are Elias Araya, drummer, keyboardist Tobias Winterkorn, and frontman José González, who previously performed in electronica band Zero 7. González has a number of solo EPs and albums to his name and you may also remember him for his misty-eye-inducing acoustic cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats”.  With all of this experience González brings the heart-string-pulling folkiness of his solo work to Junip.

In this latest album, Junip, the psychedelic folk rhythms are awash in lyrical profundity and marked by Gonález’s distinctive vocals. Songs sure to hit your aural pleasure zone include “Villain”, “Suddenly” and catchy stand-out track “Your Call”.

Junip’s sound brings to mind other artists who are paragons of the genre, like Devendra Banhart, as well as Bill Callahan and Karl Blau. This album represents a softly-hued, captivating contribution from Junip, with plenty of good, upbeat hooks to keep us interested for a good long while.

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The album arrives in the successful wake of 2008’s self-titled debut, polished dance record Jupiter, and 2011’s Reptilians. After some shuffling around in the band line-up and brief experimental name changes (fan-snubbed PYRAMID and then Pyramiddd), STRFKR seems to have found a formula that works. While the band members dabble with various instruments, the current roll call is frontman Josh Hodges, bass player Shawn Glassford, drummer Keil Corcoran, and guitarist Patrick Morris, formerly of Portland cult favourite Strength.  Miracle Mile represents a collaborative band effort – a bona fide band album, maybe.

After all, it’s the product of a hiatus the band spent writing and recording songs in a quaint Oregon Coast town. Sounds romantic, although the album’s more on the brooding side with cheery synthpop overtones. Single “While I’m Alive” starts off the album with a rhythmic electropop bang. Like the opening track, the other songs on Miracle Mile weave signature whispery vocals atop catchy beats, with standout tracks including “Sazed” and “Isea.” True to genre, STRFKR’s appeal remains its danceability rather than lyrics, which are a hushed background to the synth beats throughout this album.

Miracle Mile might not be STRFKR’s most powerful record, but is it dance-friendly? Heck yeah. Will it please fans at STRFKR’s live shows? No doubt. Is the album worth buying on vinyl? Choose your own adventure.

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On Saturday night, Montreal beatmixer High Klassified stirred up the enthusiastic crowd at the Virgin Mobile Igloo with his hip-hop-infused electronic beats. Headliner Kenlo Craqnuques, another beatmixer who calls Montreal home, performed his signature experimental electronic/Soul/hip-hop. On the Sapporo stage, remixer and producer Josh Wink headlined. Wink has been performing since the ‘90s, and the hot, acid techno beats were just what the cold night at the Old Port called for.

This upcoming weekend at Igloofest features a number of local and international DJs, including Mathias Kaden, DJ Sneak, Josh Wink, Caspa, Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, and many, many others. So grab your snowsuit onesie and get ready to get your party!

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Last month, the LA-based musician dropped his debut EP, Mull, a tight 4-song EP, with each track a distinctive wave of crunchy-cool electronic. Fin’s debut effort has picked up gold stars from the get-go: the eerie tune “Waiting Like A Wolf” got noticed on the Jay-Z blog, Life+Times before the EP was released, and deservedly so. ‘Waiting’ haunts the listener with its persistent beat and soft, echoing vocals that at times evoke a distant and lonely howl.

Like “Waiting Like A Wolf,” the other songs on Mull gravitate toward the sound of bass cushioned by synth. The title track perpetuates this haunting soundscape, while last track, ‘Gone’, punctuates the EP with a dirty guitar riff, hot bass, and gorgeous droning vocals. The song ‘Rocks In Paper’ channels Radiohead’s In Rainbows from 2007, but in a smart, fresh, evocative way. It’s not surprising, considering Fin cites the seminal band Radiohead as a major influence, along with electronic artists like Atlas Sound and James Blake.

So, what’s the verdict? Like most electronic music, the focus of the Mull EP is more on production than on vocals, but that’s not so much a criticism as a reality of the genre. Alek Fin’s whispery, haunting voice will draw comparisons to Thom Yorke’s, and that’s a sure-fire compliment for an up-and-coming artist.

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