Ears Wide Open: Echocell

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If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the synth-pop coming out of Los Angeles but aren’t completely ready to leave the genre behind, then Echocell may be your answer. The L.A.-based duo comprised of singer-songwriter/frontwoman Belinda Kazanci and keyboardist/programmer Adam Beltran aren’t obsessed with the drops or the bubblegum pop shimmer. Instead, they bring trip-hop back into the mix. Echocell’s new EP “Babylon” boasts six dark audio slices that slink with Armenian influences. There are also more accessible tracks such as the ballad “Crumb Love,” but lead single “Babylon” is where Kazanci and Beltran have really made a statement together. The EP also features Simon Katz (Jamiroquai, Gorillaz) on guitars, Jesse Graham (Fatboy Slim) on bass and Paul Simon’s favorite duduk player, Souren Baronian. Dave Darlington (Bjork, David Guetta) and Wally Gagel also lent a hand in mixing. “Babylon” came out in November.

||| Download: “Babylon” and “Crumb Love”

||| Stream: Check out a remix done by Kraddy (the Glitch Mob) after the jump.

||| Live: Echocell plays Jan. 9 at the Troubadour and Jan. 29 at Club Moscow.

Echocell