You may have never heard of "chillwave" until recently, but with roots in post rock, shoegaze, and ambient, and a penchant for easy accessibility, this genre seems to be one to stick around a while. Not only that, some bands are making a strong case for it's legitimacy as an art form. Need proof? Look no further than Ontario's dream pop darlings, Memoryhouse.

Formed to escape the "paralysis of winter," Memoryhouse is the project of Canadian neo-classical composer Evan Abeele and photographer Denise Nouvion. Lightly-sampled drone cycles and airy ambient soundscapes set the stage for Abeele's ethereal vocal work, making Memoryhouse's brand of chillwave pretty much as "chill" as it gets, wholly lacking the often 80s-inspired synth dance beats that are such a hallmark of genre-mates Washed Out, Toro y Moi, jj and Neon Indian. The result is something much less danceable, and much, much more beautiful.

While Memoryhouse's pace rarely matches the mesmerizing crawl of Portland's reigning ambient queen, Grouper, comparing the two acts is not without merit. With heavy drone and ambient elements, escapist lyrical content, an precariously balanced celestial atmosphere, and dreamy female vocals, fans of one will almost certainly enjoy the other.

Memoryhouse's only official release thus far is their recent The Years EP, which they're offering for free download at Arcade Sound Ltd. The four-track debut is stellar from start to finish, with "Lately" and "To the Lighthouse" being the standouts (tracks 2 and 4, respectively), which are both available to sample below before you just go ahead and download the whole album anyway. You won't have to take our word for it, but here it is anyway: Memoryhouse is going to be making lots of waves in the future; you'll want to keep your eyes on these guys.