Keith Canisius is a promising electronic artist living in Copenhagen. His pleasant sound incorporates aspects of shoegaze and dream-pop, as well as the vibrant and guitar-fused “chillwave” we hear from Toro y Moi and Neon Indian, who remixed Canisius’ “Where Did You Go All These Years”. The original cut of that track is hypnotic with a hazy dream-pop kick. Canisius repeats “I’m not sure why” over synth stutters that sound like waves crashing, and an arcade-inspired synth that eventually is supplanted by a moaning electric guitar (Ford & Lopatin probably dig it).
That track, and four others, are on his impressive new EP, Save The Sharks. Download it through their Bandcamp. You can choose your own price, though you’ll be certainly be convinced to throw them a few bones after hearing gems like “Eddy Merckx“, a fury of fast-paced art-rock riffs and serene vocals, and opener “Interesting Corners“.
Starting at the 01:20 mark, “Eddy Merckx” touts a brilliant breakdown where a single guitar progression is supplemented each verse by various sounds, as warbly synths and additional twinkling guitars are layered with care. It shows Canisius’ songwriting ability very well, though “Interesting Corners” is just as capable. The wall of gauzy guitar shows more of his shoegaze-y side, along with the vocals being pushed toward the back somewhat. The chorus is a blast of illuminated guitars and distortion. It sounds nice, as do the little trickles that conclude each one. There’s a lot to admire on this EP. Canisius certainly has my attention.
