Ecstatic Sunshine began as a musical project between Matthew Papich and Dustin Wong, though currently Papich is the only active member. Ecstatic Sunshine has an odd, off-kilter sound, characterized by the interplay between traditional and electronic instruments, and focusing mainly on creating soundscapes and odd musical textures. Describing their sound is almost impossible: it’s like “normal” music, taken apart, and re-configured into something entirely new.

Birds of Passage is Alicia Merz, a New Zealander singer-songwriter making music for which the label “singer-songwriter” is woefully inappropriate. In Without the World, she presents a collection of quietly and powerfully unnerving songs. There is an incredible ability to evoke atmosphere here, and each whispery five-minute track is dripping with imagery. You can see for yourself by purchasing it at the website of her label, Deonvali Records.

Greenwood Sharps is a producer and electronic musician from somewhere in the UK between London and Cambridge. He’s received some attention throughout the blogosphere, often drawing comparisons to James Blake and Mount Kimbie. There are obvious similarities—shifting, organic rhythms overlaid with a cleverly processed vocal—but this music is definitely its own beast. In this particular track, the jangle of car keys and an organ riff lay a framework over which reverb-drenched guitar and the aforementioned processed vocals are overlaid. Some suble stutter editing tie it all together. Brilliant. You can agree by clicking over to Bandcamp and buying the album.

Kouta’s (link via Facebook) music is an exercise in subtlety, skillfully weaving together diverse electronic textures and rhythms into an alchemic, engaging whole. The melody in “Sakura” is spluttering, deliberate, and highly unique. The whole album can be downloaded at Bandcamp.