January 24, 2009 - 7:12 pm.
“June Moris’ seven-song disc is a hypnotic set; her quavery voice sounds as if it’s bubbling up from an underground stream, accompanied by the hum of insects and distant bells ringing. The atmosphere ranges from a strained, thinly angry pounding, slightly reminiscent of PJ Harvey, to a techno coolness, to a thick Brian Eno drone, but Moris’ fluty voice carries through all.
It’s an effective, even thrilling tactic through the first five songs. On the sixth track, “The Memory,” Moris tries for melodramatic balladry, leaving what seems her natural, postmodern sonic habitat, and it doesn’t work as well.
At the end one is left, not with melodies to hang a memory on – Moris isn’t about that – but with a pleasingly disturbing sense of disquiet. Shivery mission accomplished.”
-Jon Sobel
- 7:11 pm.
Blurb in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:
IN MANY WAYS, BUSHWICK RESIDENT JUNE MORIS is a musican’s musician, yet her lyrics open their arms to all. Moris has built her life as a singer/songwriter, producer and instrumentalist.
“Music is part of my daily needs,” she says. Inspired by Chopin and classical piano in her youth, she later experimented with electronic music. Now Moris constructs meditative, basic structures and layers them into what she calls “Hypnotic Wave.” The concept combines ’80s darkwave, folk music and trip hop. The intention is to “alter consciousness.” When this happens, according to Moris, both mind and body are free to dance.
Moris’s earlier electronic pieces sparked radio play and led her to several festivals in the NYC club circuit and around the country. She was then hired to write a piece for Dutch painter H. Van Goethem and a piece for a Rorschach tribute. Her vocal style has been compared to Alanis Morissette and Bjork.
“White Spot,” her seven-song EP, was released in fall 2008 and is available on Amazon, Itunes and various music websites. Currently, she is recording two full-length albums and is aiming for summer 2009 as a release date.
-Compiled by Caitlin McNamara and Erin Lewenauer.
- 7:04 pm.
-”Her debut EP White Spot demonstrates enough deft touch and genuine talent to garner the beginning of a legitimate musical career.
Moris’ voice is layered with varying levels of anguish and ecstasy. Such vocal attributes manage to elevate the musical content of Spot: a beautiful-but-inoffensively slick production in the vein of David Gray’s work, pop disguised in a slightly electronic (and slightly forgettable) sheen. In other words, Moris opts to present a tough, unique voice rather than any kind of refurbished edginess.
…there are shades of Kate Bush, but also a little bit of the Adore-era Smashing Pumpkins and even some Bjork peppered about…the beautifully-slick, Alanis-esque “White Flower” –youthful, brusque, and pulsing.
Though White Spot is an incredibly strong start, she’s undoubtedly capable of much, much more. ”
–Kevin Liedl. MuzikReviews.com Sr. Staff Editor
Read full review here
