It’s tough out there in the “real” world, that’s common knowledge, but here’s a little known fact: Morr Music is there for you. In fact, according to their website, they love you…forever. Any other label telling me that they ‘loved me forever’ might seem kind of creepy, but considering that every Morr release feels like a gift, it’s not really very out of the ordinary at all. Thanks to their stable of doe-eyed electro-popsters, Morr offers you a place to go to when you feel the need to strip all of the stress and pesky reality away from your lifestyle. The sonic equivalent of a sun-bathed meadow populated with gleaming robots, records from artists like Manual and Isan are epic, blissed out, and generally uplifting affairs, but, thanks to a devotion to sunshine-soaked simplicity that typifies the Morr aesthetic, they never fail to do the trick. These are the kind of albums that pull you in and envelop you with finely spun threads of fluffy electronic goodness, only to leave you begging for more like some kind of serotonin junky. Here’s a taste:

Lali Puna, “Faking the Books (Dntel Rmx)” from I Thought I Was Over That: Rare, Remixed, and B-Sides
Lali Puna definitely stand among the darker acts on Morr’s roster, but, despite their depressive overtones, they still retain a sense of optimism that belies their façade. In its original incarnation, “Faking the Books” was a steadily building pop number built around looped samples of singer Valerie Trebeljahr’s voice. Thanks to Dntel, the song has been opened up and its inner anthem let loose. Replacing the precise sequencing and rock-and-roll flirtations of the original with toy guitar and organic drum clatter laid atop a devastatingly deep synth bass-line, Dntel’s redesign of the track is both more affecting and decidedly more bucolic than its predecessor. Where Lali Puna’s version is the ideal soundtrack for self-reflection while zipping down the highway, Dntel’s is the barnyard remix: perfect for springtime wanderings in the country.

B. Fleischmann, “Broken Monitors” from The Humbucking Coil
Released earlier this year, Fleischmann’s The Humbucking Coil is a solid collection of rainy day electro-ballads and soaring pop gems, with tracks like “Broken Monitors” falling squarely into the latter category. Building upwards from a foundation of interwoven arpeggiated synthesizers, Fleischmann drapes guitars, vibes, and all manner of percussion over the composition. The end result is a triumphant tune perfectly suited to early morning drives and ponderous gazes from an airplane window, or it may just be the soundtrack for an epic robot love story that has yet to be produced.

Isan, “Gunnera” from Meet Next Life
I’ve always thought of Isan as M83’s softer-edged cousins, replacing the driving pace of records like Before the Dawn Heals Us with a mellower, billowier ambience. Isan’s “Gunnera,” taken from their 2004 release, Meet Next Life, is a wonderful exercise in sweeping, soundtrack ready synth-pop. With airy wisps of sound swirling around crunchy drum sequencing while melody after melody is layered overtop of the whole shimmering mass, “Gunnera” is a classic Isan composition. Their work conveys a certain kind of childish wonder with the world, but it’s also anchored by a darker element that runs just under the surface, which is exactly what Morr Music is all about: giving the kid inside of all of us a chance to cut loose, while the grown-up that we all inevitably have to become gets to take a backseat for a few minutes.

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