On May 20, 2013, the enigmatic endeavor Still Parade first surfaced when Earmilk premiered the track "Actors." The recording blended an arpeggiated guitar hook worthy of José González with pedal steel, falsetto vocals, synth pads, and a minimal drum loop, yielding a lush, romantic, summery, retro vibe that fused '70s folk and AM pop tropes with contemporary chillwave sensibility and quickly turned into a viral hit. Growing curiosity about the creator prompted the gradual emergence of additional pieces—"Health," "Fields," "Reunion," and "Hunter"—each evoking the spirits of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Fleetwood Mac, and Todd Rundgren.
Still Parade proved to be the solo outlet of Berliner Niklas Kramer, the multi-instrumentalist and studio wunderkind who performed and produced every element alone. Several remixes appeared on Soundcloud, Serve & Volley Records issued a 7" of "Actors," and Kramer then released the Fields EP, which gathered the title song alongside three others. In 2014 his father presented him with a multi-track tape recorder, sparking a deeper engagement with home recording. Kramer largely abandoned the organic textures of prior material in favor of a highly synthesized, faintly psychedelic palette while retaining the lush pop songwriting. The revised approach surfaced on the 2016 debut album Concrete Vision, issued by U.K. indie Heist or Hit.
