Sulkin’ Raven

Sulkin’ Raven aka Kevin De Nicolo is an electronic music producer, composer, and DJ hailing from North Hollywood, California.

Sulkin’ Raven’s intricate and delicately woven, glitchy atmospheric electronica flows from a well of ambient sounds and splashed with subtle grooves and melodies, and charming computer game synths and 8-bit sounds – fine and fascinating fare lavishly showcased on recent EPs; Summer Flowers 1.0 & Strange Days + Other Voices. Sulkin’ Raven is back again with a suitably gorgeous single ‘On The Beach’.

A bout of beautiful escapism, this is one to get lost in, as it whisks us away on dreamy trip through ethereal, atmospheric textures. Elegant and lush, ‘On The Beach’ is ushered gently forward on a pillowy bed of soft beats, seductive groove and bubbling synth. It is warm, seductive and hazy, as dripping melodies coalesce with distant parps of brass that drift through like a refreshing breeze on a sweltering summers days to leave us utterly transfixed and relaxed in a world of tranquillity. - BarryGruff

American musician Kevin De Nicolo, known as the project Sulkin 'Raven loves unusual electronic music, loves to live on Twitch.tv and prefers experiments with lo-fi sound, combining elements of synthwave, chiptune, psych-rock and ambient. After an impressive pause, one year in length, Kevin began practicing vocal and recently presented his first song, On The Beach, announcing a full-length album that will be released later this year. - MishkaDJ

Cool…Smooth…Chill. 5 tracks for your complete leisure, relief & enjoyment. Best enjoyed on weekend evenings. - Last Day Deaf

Sulkin’ Raven is the brainchild of Kevin De Nicolo, an electronic music producer, composer, and DJ hailing from North Hollywood, California.

Sulkin’ Raven’s intricate and delicately woven, glitchy atmospheric electronica flows from a well of ambient sounds and interspersed with subtle grooves and melodies, and charming computer game synths and 8-bit sounds – a fine and fascinating balance that his recently released Strange Days + Other voices EP is testament to.

‘Help! I’m Ambient’ is, as the name suggests, a work of slow burning ambient sounds. This is one to get lost in, as it evokes moods, feelings and memories on this magical trip through ethereal, atmospheric textures. ‘Not Near Whatever’ is simply gorgeous as it unfolds radiating a sense of awe and wonder as sounds drip, splash and twinkle amid the chiming tones, glitchy sounds and flourishes exuberant light. It bubbles and fizzes with playful computer game synths and 8-bit sounds delighting in delivering irresistible melodies. ‘I Can’t Even’ is a sort of crossing point between the two above; ethereal tones and atmospheric textures abound while slivers of synths and 8-bit sounds create a retro-futuristic vibe. Be they dreamy, playful, or both, Sulkin’ Raven wares are magical and beautiful instrumental electronic jams.

Listen to some choice cuts below and if you like what you hear, check out the new EP here. - BarryGruff

From North Hollywood, California comes Sulkin’ Raven (Kevin De Nicolo). He offers reference points of Pink Floyd, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Crystal Castles. Thankfully, none of these are evident on Built To Break. This is a lovely synth heavy wander. A slightly hippyish air to it all and the beats pushed far, far into the background. Slightly synthwave but not the 80s referencing things that this all too often provokes. This is tripping its own path with all manner of synth ebbs and flows to keep it dreamy and off kilter beats to keep it interesting. Fine track. - Acid Ted Blog

Strange Days + Other voices EP is out now
If glitchy atmospheric electronica is your bag, then Sulkin’ Raven are for you. The brainchild of one Kevin De Nicolo and hailing from North Hollywood in the United States, the project is a fascinating one that seems to aim to balance slow burning ambient work with computer game synths and a gentle sense of foreboding.

This track, ‘Built to Break’, is taken from Sulkin’ Raven’s recently released Strange Days + Other voices EP. Check it out, amigo. - Overblown

American musician Sulkin 'Raven from North Hollywood is a big connoisseur of experiments, and his album “ Summer Flowers 1.0 ″ , released this summer, can be safely shown as a sample of Vaporwave electronics, and tracks like“ What In This World ”are very interesting to listen to.

A bit of a viscous and viscous ambient, a bit of synthwave sounds and the complete absence of any bits. A great option for rest and complete relaxation. - MISHKA DJ

Denizens of the far off outcrop acropolis, shouted out for the help they wanted from the overlords of their domain. They sought the emblematic justice from the hands that defend the land’s laws and philosophical dictations. Radical remnants of past glories, imbued their known historical energies – pushing them forward to a new and neon possibility. ‘Arkansas’ is part of SULKIN’ RAVEN’s list of single releases with guest artists. And the emotions it emits, it’s hard to deflect or ignore. Keep a look out. - comeherefloyd

A great lover of musical experiments, a favorite of twitch.tv users, American musician Kevin De Nicolo, known as the Sulkin 'Raven project continues to delight with interesting music and this weekend presented his new single "Steppin'".

I have repeatedly written about his music, combining elements of synthwave, chiptune, psych-rock, and ambient, and on this novelty the combination of voice processed by effects, guitar solos and beats made on gameboys sounds absolutely incredible. - Mishka DJ

The ‘citizen’ behind Sulkin’ Raven moniker is named Kevin De Nicolo, and ‘Steppin’‘ is his latest sonic adventure. His unique sonic canvas containes “flakes” of chiptune, chillwave, psych, indietronica just to name a few. This track is an ideal companion for the hazy summer nights, with melodies ready to seep into your brain. Among the most notable warp sounds of 2019. Laid-back euphoria… - Last Day Deaf

What inspired you to first start making music? And how did you come to be in your current incarnation? Or if you prefer, a brief bio about you.

I grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley in Saratoga, California. Growing up, most of my classmates were interested in academic success, college, and seemingly everything other than being creative or making art. I worked with what I could to form bands, attend gigs, and learn everything I could about music. I had a great music teacher named Warren Lain who taught me about music theory and composition.

I moved to San Francisco in 2011 to attend college at San Francisco State University. I was in and out of various bands but started to get the bug in me to work by myself. I studied film and delved into the world of composing for movies. I produced and composed the soundtrack for the film “X” which is currently screening in film festivals internationally.

In 2017 I moved to North Hollywood with the goal of applying everything I had learned from band life and composing into starting a brand new solo project called Sulkin’ Raven. I tried a lot of different things during my time in San Francisco; some worked, and some didn’t. Sulkin’ Raven is the culmination of all my different musical experiences and I finally feel like this is the project that feels the most true to who I am personally and creatively.

Provide us with some info about your latest release…

I’m releasing a series of singles, one song per month for the rest of the year. Blue & Rhythm is the 3rd single and one of my favorites.

I wanted to write something chill and down to earth, something for walking with headphones and reflecting.

The beat and a lot of the sounds are made from chiptune hardware. The drum samples come from an original Gameboy running sequencing software. The one of the main synths is from Arcano Systems and its reproduction of the sound from the original Nintendo consoles sound chip. I’m so proud of how these sounds mixed with traditional guitars, keys, and bass.

Which ones would you consider your main influences both music-wise & non-music-wise?

I’m always looking to continue to push myself foreword creatively and not hold back the way they have in their career. I’m very influenced by Explosions in the Sky, El Ten Eleven, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Radiohead, and later Beatles music for this reason. I’m also a big fan of psychedelic music and classic rock. Everything from Pink Floyd and The Beatles to The Black Angles and even MGMT. However most recently, I’ve grown a deep love for Synthwave and other retrowave genres like chiptune and vaporwave. I’m really into Kavinsky, Timecop1983, Glitbiter, Mitch Murder, Electric Youth and other artistsi n that genre a lot right now.

In what way does your sound differ from the rest genre-related artists/bands and why should we listen to your music? In other words, how would you describe your sound?

My sound is a mixing pot of genres that became popular in the 2010s. Synthwave mixed with Post-Rock, Neo-Psych, and Chiptune. My aim is to take the best of these genres, flip them on their heads, challenge the typical songwriting associated with those sounds, and take them to a place where they haven’t been before.

Please name your 3 desert islands albums, movies & books…

In Rainbows – Radiohead

Mario & Chill – Helynt

Congratulations – MGMT - Last Day Deaf

Combining the lo-fi sound signatures of chiptune with the ascending structure of post-rock, “Caving in on Sadness” by Sulkin’ Raven is a gamble that pays off. While essentially a post-rock song in terms of dynamics and overall structure, Kevin De Nicolo heightens each crescendo by infusing glitching beats, lo-fi bass lines and joy in the randomness and chaos of chiptune into each peak and valley – a move not unlike This Will Destroy You’s recent augmentation of electronic programming into their inherently emotional tracks. Great work by this adventurous musician. - Tome to the Weather Machine

American musician Kevin De Nicolo and his project Sulkin 'Raven , in which he mixes synthwawe, psychedelic rock with the beats and bass played on gameboy, continues his series of singles and this week rolled out the new track “Not So Bad”.

The artist calls him his most dance record, and I think that next weekend I will try it out in public :) - Mishka DJ

I continue to observe the work of the American synthwave / chiptune / psych-rock artist Kevin De Nicolo and his project Sulkin 'Raven, and just in time for the upcoming Halloween, a new single appeared in his account with a very telling title “I'm A Monster and So Are You”.

After a few slow tracks, this one sounds like a real chiptune action movie and, I confess, impressed with the mix of dirty beats with a guitar solo in the 4th minute. - Mishka DJ

Sulkin’ Raven’s “Run” has a melodic progression that turns on a fine emotional line like you’re moving headlong forward while scenes and experiences stream by you as though you’re the one doing the running from awkward situations and failures. The chiptune synths toward the end of the song mixed with the dreamlike tone of the composition is reminiscent of something Depreciation Guild might have done and with the same melancholic and surreal overtones but darker in a way. The song feels like the soundtrack to a new Inio Asano graphic novel but one that ends inconclusively rather than in the sinister places Asano sometimes takes his work. Even though the beat is consistent throughout with an even pace it serves as the song’s anchor and the dynamic qualities are found in the expressive guitar work in sync with dispassionate but introspective vocals and beautifully composed synth lines that take you to an otherworldly place that you’d rather be than trapped in a place in your head that seems to make everything impossible. In the end the song strikes one as a vehicle for using imagination and creativity to transform the energy of emotional paralysis and self-loathing into something productive. Listen to “Run” on Soundcloud and follow Sulkin’ Raven at the links below. - Queen City Sounds and Art

We’re excited to share this next one with you, everything from the catchy vocal production to the impressive sound design, ‘Run’ is a well designed record from the inside out. It’s always exciting when an artist places a specific purpose behind their music. Sulkin’ Raven is an artist you need to get familiar with. - Keep Walking Music

I continue to follow the work of the American synthwave / chiptune / psych-rock artist Kevin De Nicolo and his project Sulkin 'Raven and am pleased to present his new single “Run” on the pages of his blog.

However, it’s not entirely new - the song was written by Kevin in 2014, when he was a member of the psychedelic rock band and in fact became the first song of his solo project. - Mishka DJ

One of my favorite synthwave / vaporwave artists, Kevin De Nicolo, performing and recording his tracks under the nickname Sulkin 'Raven, after trying his pen on a field of vocal tracks, returned to his favorite instrumental compositions and presented a very soft and relaxed single “Blue & Rhythm”. - Mishka DJ

Kevin De Nicolo is the mind behind SULKIN’ RAVEN. An electronica edged, ambience exercise in indie-rock based testimonies and lyrics. “After almost a year with no new music, this is my return but with a new edge, vocals,” said Kevin. “This is my first ever public track featuring myself on lead vocals. Its also my first track that is mostly synthwave inspired with some lo-fi and chip-tune elements.Its also the first track from my upcoming debut album.” - Come Here Floyd

The ‘citizen’ behind Sulkin’ Raven moniker is named Kevin De Nicolo, and ‘Steppin’‘ is his latest sonic adventure. His unique sonic canvas containes “flakes” of chiptune, chillwave, psych, indietronica just to name a few. This track is an ideal companion for the hazy summer nights, with melodies ready to seep into your brain. Among the most notable warp sounds of 2019. Laid-back euphoria… - Last Day Deaf