New Artist Find: Porcelain Raft

There’s something quite magical about Porcelain Raft’s Permanent Signal: it may be the symphonic tone of the record’s introductory song, or perhaps the unpredictability of every track which follows. It’s difficult to say what makes Porcelain Raft’s new album so good—it’s as elusive as it is compelling.

Porcelain Raft is the musical creation of Mauro Remiddi, whose delicate vocals offer the perfect pairing to a blissful, heavily instrumental record, beginning with the poignant track, “Think of the Ocean.” The soft vocals and piercing instrumentals imply the track is lamenting a deep loss, although Remiddi conveys the lyrics with uncertainty, much like the direction of the record.
 “If I think about it, just don’t get me started”.

As “Think of the Ocean” is deeply reflective, “The Way Out” is commanding and irresistibly sexy. We have the pleasure of viewing a stripper’s ass for most of the video so I’ll just allow you to watch, listen and enjoy.

While Permanent Signal is wonderfully layered, including the jazzy piano ballad, “I Lost Connection,” and the purely instrumental, “Five Minutes From Now,” the varying sounds and lyrics of each track prove there is no fluidity in this album; though, the unexpected changes from song to song reflect the trippy, dreamlike tone of the record as a whole.

Thank you, Pucken, the BitCandy Curator who introduced Porcelain Raft to the site (and my music library); Permanent Signal is one of the best electropop albums I’ve heard this year.

1. Think Of The Ocean
2. Cluster
3. Minor Pleasure
4. Open Letter
5. Night Birds
6. It Ain’t Over
7. I Lost Connection
8. Warehouse
9. The Way Out
10. Five Minutes From Now
11. Echo