5 UNDER 500 October 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 hunt through the online realm to try and find a few acts that haven't broken over the 500-Like mark (because like it or not, the number of FB likes you've accrued can play a role in the amount of online love you'll receive). So we hope 5 UNDER 500 will bring to your attention a few emerging acts, who are under 500 likes on Facebook, and whose sounds we are very much digging. 

Aiya (pictured above) - Go

Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne what is it about you and you're knack for harbouring some of Australia's best electronic artists? Two-piece Aiya are definitely another artist to add to the bubbling music pot of Melbourne with their off-kilter but tender track Go. Two songs deep Aiya's sound bounces in the realms of heavy bass, albeit without the dance sensibilities, rather creating the other-worldly POV that Arca's production does for FKA Twigs. If Aiya were to bubble up into the mainstream press the comparisons to FKA Twigs would be more common than bucket hats at a summer festival. Mainly because no one knew how to explain FKA Twigs' approach so they stuck to just calling it different. And while I sadly can't explain the mass of bucket hats I can delve into the sounds of Aiya. They meld smooth vocals with steel drums and looping echoes to create a hyper-real world of a sound that needs to be heard. 

Follow Aiya: FACEBOOK 

Scuba Diva - What's The Point?

If you asked me to name a decent act from New Zealand, other than Lorde and Broods, I'd struggle to name more than a handful but today I bring to you Scuba Diva; who sounds like the long-lost love child of Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Funnily enough Scuba Diva also plays keys for Lorde alongside being a big fan of bath salts and once got into an argument with Nelly about Drake's Nothing Was The Same. And nothing will be the same after you hear Scuba Diva's pysch but equal part cosmic sponge What's The Point? The interstellar moments take over the second half of the track as Scuba Diva's vocals sound like they're being channelled through a wormhole into the speakers. Indeed, Sucba Diva's first release What's The Point? definitely makes it seem like there is a point to paying attention to him in the coming months. 

 Follow Scuba Diva: FACEBOOK / WEBSITE

Kwantus - Honey

And now for something a little different, Honey is from Melbourne-based artist Kwantus which I assume is pronounced like our beloved national carrier Qantas. For fans of Thrupence Honey will go down smoothly with a playful piano intro, 90s hip-hop styled approach and overall chill-the-fuck-out mood. So sit back, relax and listen out for that guitar riff that sounds straight out of a Mexican romance film. Kwantus also has a heap of other tracks on his SoundCloud so it's unlikely you'll be thirsty for long. 

Follow Kwantus: FACEBOOK / BANDCAMP

Ryley Swan - Translucent

Ryley Swan's Translucent follows the same pattern of Kwantus's music but Swan's ability to pick and grab at vocal elements makes this song like the sonic equivalent of running your hand through the ocean in the Summer. Translucent is something you could play as you wake up in the morning pleading with yourself as to why you need to get up or on your day off when you're lazing out on the beach. There's a lack of a fast pace throughout the song, which is refreshing when you think about the number of songs that aim to have a sense of movement. Rather Translucent gently glides, never rushing you to the end, comforting you as you listen to it. 

Follow Ryley Swan: FACEBOOK / TWITTER

Nico Yaryan - Just Tell Me

And to round out this month's 5 UNDER 500 is Nico Yaryan's slacker meets soul crooner Just Tell Me. It slides straight into your ears with those laid-back guitar licks before Yaryan starts questioning himself about a relationship. Throughout this song the up-beat drums and riffs meld easily with the anxiety in Yaryan's lyrics. And while this dichotomy is nothing new, it's always refreshing to hear it done well though, that's what's great about this song. At it's very core Just Tell Me isn't anything experimental, it isn't trying to be different it's just a song about a relationship crafted around a bunch of mighty fine instruments. 

 Follow Nico Yaryan: FACEBOOK

And catch up on September's 5 UNDER 500 here.