May 2021

Today, Melbourne-based songwriter and producer Katz shares ‘Only You’ – the title track from his newly announced sophomore EP, due August 13 via Dot Dash / Remote Control Records.

Featuring vocalist Sophia Brown, ‘Only You’ intertwines see-sawing keys, 808s and a boom-bap rhythm with Brown’s mournful vocals. As Katz puts it, “I’m a sucker for sad pop, and always love writing songs that juxtapose melancholy lyrics against hopeful instrumental backdrops. From a lyrical perspective, Only You – both within the title track and across the whole EP – traverses a number of aspects of the human condition that many of us can relate to, from self doubt and wasted potential to love and gratitude.”

Listen to ‘Only You’ here.

Following the success of his 2019 single release ‘Back From Nothing’ (featuring JANEVA), the Only You EP carries a sense of thematic coherency across the its six tracks through a litany of impressive features from names such as Fractures and Charlie Lim, and collaborations with Gab Strum (of Japanese Wallpaper) and Simon Lam (of Kllo). Only You is a bold step forward for Katz, marrying measured production with clever pop hooks, underpinned by his signature composition style.

An adventurous and striking listen, the Only You EP is a confluence of emotional, vignette-driven storytelling and Katz’s keen ear for original arrangements and instrumentation, tastefully enhanced by his background in jazz. “I think my background in improvised music has given me the ability to come up with chord choices and harmonic sensibilities that might not be found in other pop music”, says Katz. “I always try to remain true to the things that make pop music what it is, but equally, allowing the influence of other genres to imbue a track can give it an emotional lift.”

Only You is a new beginning for Katz and sees the artist elegantly traversing a variety of genres to place him at the forefront of Australia’s electronic pop scene. The forthcoming EP’s release marks another milestone for the Melbourne Music Prize-nominated jazz pianist turned electronic artist, who has continued to rise since the release of his debut Waterfall EP in 2018. In the short time that has followed, Katz has received airplay on Triple J, widespread support from Spotify, with millions of streams and several placements on their New Music Friday playlist, as well as music video spots on MTV and Rage.

The release of his Only You EP is set to further cement Katz’s unique place as a true polymath, unencumbered by the limitations of genre and continuing to explore new terrains within the electronic pop scene both at home and abroad.

Pre-save / pre-add Only You (EP):  katz.lnk.to/onlyyou_ep

Katz
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Steve Aoki, Yves V and Ryan Caraveo join forces to pay tribute to Avril Lavigne’s classic hit single ‘Complicated’.

Their modern makeover of ‘Complicated’ interpolates the famous earworm chorus, while adding a fresh set of introspective lyrics. With a crunchy electro pop soundscape and newly written verses, the trio revitalize Lavigne’s era-defining song.

WATCH: Steve Aoki & Yves V – ‘Complicated ft. Ryan Caraveo’

In 2002 ‘Complicated’ topped the ARIA Chart for 6 weeks, and the New Zealand Top 40 singles chart for 9 weeks. It is certified double platinum in Australia, and platinum in New Zealand. ‘Complicated’ was nominated for Song Of The Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance at the 2003 Grammy Awards. Steve Aoki says, “My roots are in the punk scene, and that kind of music has always had a special place in my heart. So when Yves brought the idea to me to rework ‘Complicated’ by the ultimate pop punk queen, Avril Lavigne, I jumped on the opportunity. And the lyricism Ryan brought with his new verses only expands upon the truly classic hook.” Yves V adds, “I was so excited to link up with Steve Aoki on this single. I’m a huge fan of pop music, and Avril as an artist, so to add our electronic spin alongside one of my favourite peers onto a track as classic as ‘Complicated,’ and bring it to audiences in 2021, felt amazing. I hope the fans enjoy it just as much as we did creating our production!” And Ryan Caraveo adds, “Man, working with Steve Aoki is really a full circle moment for me. Back in 2013 I was just a kid at one of his shows – fast forward many years to a completely different life and all the sudden we’re working together and covering one of the biggest songs ever from the queen herself Avril Lavigne and it’s pretty surreal to be honest. I’ve always loved and been influenced by electronic music and cannot wait to hear this at the festival with the homies.” ‘Complicated’ is the next release from Steve Aoki in a long line of recent pop collaborations. He has recently released tracks with Backstreet Boys, BTS, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui, Migos, blink-182, and Daddy Yankee. Globally, Steve Aoki has over 3 billion streams. He has been nominated for 2 Grammy Awards. ‘Complicated’ sees Steve Aoki team up with DJ Yves V and alt hip-hop artist Ryan Caraveo. A resident DJ at Tomorrowland, Yves V has remixed a-list artists including Timbaland, Missy Elliot and Ginuwine.

Steve Aoki & Yves V – ‘Complicated ft. Ryan Caraveo’ Out now through Dim Mak Records/Liberator Music Buy/stream here

STEVE AOKI

YVES V

RYAN CARAVEO

 

May 25, 2021 0 comments

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In an exciting new partnership with Visual Lab and Ethernity Chain platform, Nicky Romero releases his first, highly anticipated collection of NFTs. The Protocol Recordings label boss and veteran electronic producer joins the likes of Pelé, Tony Hawk, Muhammad Ali, Fernando Tatis Jr., and their authenticated NFT releases on Ethernity Chain. From the sneak peek into the 3-tier collection, many will recognize the iconic mask, bringing a welcome hit of nostalgia to a brand new concept. To create it Nicky partnered with Visual Lab, a Dutch company which also created an authenticated NFT collection for Pelé, pioneered Nicky Romero‘s “Another World” 3D livestream concept last summer and is responsible for designing and programming all the visuals you could see during Nicky‘s performances around the world. Nicky Romero is continuously finding new ways to infiltrate growing markets as an artist, and the stunning visual art on “Behind The Mask” will not disappoint.

“Since the beginning of my career I’ve been experimenting with different types of visuals for my performances, as my goal always is to elevate to the next level the experience of each attendee. After the last year’s debut of my ‘Another World‘ 3D livestream concept, the next step was inevitable. ‘Behind The Mask‘ is our first NFT collection that symbolizes the energy that the fans from around the world been giving me over the past years. I have created it with my visual team – Visual Lab, that I’ve been working with closely since day 1. We are happy to team up with the premier NFT platform Ethernity Chain for the release of ‘Behind The Mask,’ which places us among the official NFT collections of the likes of Muhammad Ali, Pelé, Tony Hawk, and more.” – Nicky Romero

“We’ve been creating visuals for Nicky Romero‘s releases and performances since the very beginning of our company. We know that some of those animations became memorable not only for us, but also for the fans of Nicky Romero around the world. When working on ‘Behind The Mask‘ we wanted to capture this powerful feeling of thousands of people sharing mutual memories and experiences. It’s about unity and what connects us, one with another.” – Visual Lab

After taking the world by storm with early hits such as “Legacy” with Krewella and the #1 single “I Could Be The One” with Avicii, Nicky Romero quickly proved that his talent is ever-evolving and here to stay. After launching his Protocol Recordings imprint in 2012, the renowned performer, producer, and label head continued his personal successes with a string of high-profile releases, ranging from collaborations with Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, W&W, Timmy Trumpet and Steve Aoki to remixes for the likes of Robin Schulz, Kygo, Rita Ora, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, Jess Glynne and more. While showcasing his label’s roster via his weekly Protocol Radio show, Nicky Romero continues to innovate and evolve during these unprecedented times in the music industry. With the debut of his ultra-modern “Another World” live stream concept last summer and launch of Monocule alter-ego, Nicky Romero keeps proving his ability to turn into gold everything he touches.

NEW ALBUM SONGS OF LOSS AND SEPARATION OUT JULY 16

BAND SHARES VIDEO FOR NEW SONG THE BURDEN OF BELIEF

TIMES OF GRACE, featuring Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage, return after a 10-year hiatus with their second album Songs of Loss and Separation, out July 16 via the band’s own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide. Pre-order it here, and check out the band’s newly-relaunched D2C webstore, with brand new merch and exclusive limited vinyl offerings, here.

The band has shared the video for the new song The Burden of Belief. Watch the video, directed by Nick Hipa here:

Churning depths of plaintive sorrow, stark self-examination, and moving soundscapes unfold in Times of Grace, with flashes of cathartic power and an undercurrent of insistent urgency. It’s all a meditation on absence, grief, bewilderment, and rebirth — summoned with harrowing authenticity. The Burden of Belief, the opening track on Songs of Loss and Separation, is a dark and melodic slow burn that gives an epic sense of what’s to come.

“This song is the spark of the oncoming fire,” says Leach. “It foreshadows the journey of this album. This song is an unveiling of who we, Times of Grace, have become after all of these years. This is a testimony of falling apart, losing faith, letting go, and the desire to kill and purge the past. It is the unraveling, the catharsis and the rebirth. So it begins….”

“It almost feels strange finally releasing the songs on this record, especially this one,” says Dutkiewicz. “I started writing this song over 10 years ago, so it’s been around for quite some time. I really hope you guys dig it, and I hope we will get the opportunity to play it for you guys live someday. Thanks, everyone!”

The band’s debut album The Hymn of a Broken Man arrived in 2011, nearly a decade after Leach’s exit from Killswitch Engage, the pivotal New Wave of American Heavy Metal band the duo co-founded with friends in 1999. The first music from Times of Grace materialized during Dutkiewicz’s arduous recovery from near-crippling back surgery. A collection of songs the multi-instrumentalist and producer knew would suit his once and future bandmate. The first album earned acclaim from BBC Music, The Aquarian, and Rock Sound. It willfully upended expectations, with flourishes of shoegaze and ambiance in its songs.

Now, 10 years after Times of Grace first surfaced, the eagerly awaited follow-up arrives.

Comfortably stretched beyond the parameters of what came before, without sacrificing an ounce of integrity, Times of Grace weave between pensive, heavy, midtempo rock, riffs, and atmosphere. The pair’s vocal interplay makes for a rich, dense, and enthralling concoction, powering through various trips through dark nights of the soul and mind-expanding excursions into the wild. Songs of Loss and Separation benefits wildly from the powerhouse performance of ex-Envy On The Coast drummer Dan Gluszak, who toured behind the first album and is now an official member of the band.

The sprawling second album from Times of Grace, with a stunning album cover painted by John McCormack and album art layout by Tom Bejgrowicz, channels a dissonant, menacing, and unrelenting depression. Haunting romanticism and deep spiritual yearning collide in beautiful melancholy. It’s a diverse but singular statement, like the most beloved work of classic bands. Songs of Loss and Separation, insistent in its bluesiness, bleeds distortion and emotion, like a nerve, exposed.

Simply put, Times of Grace are a revelation.

May 25, 2021 0 comments

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