PLAY/LISTEN

If you’ve been missing late night clubbing vibes a’la Ibiza, look no further than California-based artist Sevenn‘s new EP. Appropriately titled “Hybrid Techno,” the EP features four brand new tracks that cross the spectrum of house and techno, transporting the listener to the infamous White Isle. The EP opens with the dark progressive gem “Naked in the Rain.” Next up is “Alexander” with its arabesque instrumental elements and deep, mysterious vibes; just hearing the frog intonations will have you imagining you’re navigating a dark path to a clandestine jungle party. Sevenn turns the page with “Kanima,” a groovy and afro-house influenced track that sets a lively tone for the rest of the sonic journey, before driving it home with the dancefloor-filler house track “Paris to Berlin.” Read on below to learn more about Sevenn‘s inspiration behind the EP.

“I fell in love with techno in 2017 after spending around 6 days straight clubbing in Ibiza at clubs like Amnesia, Pacha and DC10, which changed my life. To me, it felt like what it must have been like for teenagers in the 60s to hear Jimi Hendrix for the first time, just completely revolutionary. So sonically authentic, vibrant, dramatic, dark… Each night felt like wandering into a dark forest you knew you shouldn’t be in but felt like you had to explore. I wanted to bring all those elements from melodic techno, afro house, deep house, and techno into a fresh new package, with powerful sounds, sometimes slightly detuned and twisted to play with more organic synthesis. Using the word “Hybrid” gives me (and other producers) room to explore this incredible genre and bring a new and charming sound to the dance floors.” – Sevenn

Kevin Brauer has exploded into the international electronic music stage as Sevenn. In his repertory he has four global hits: “Colors Of The Rainbow” produced in collaboration with Kathy, and successful releases such as “BYOB” and “The Wall,” produced with Alok, which reached over 50 million streams. Sevenn‘s massive collaboration with Tïesto “BOOM” debuted on Ultra Music Festival Miami in 2017. The single’s 2018’s version with Gucci Mane on the vocals had peaked #14 on Billboard‘s Hot Dance/Electronic charts amassing over 120 million streams on Spotify. Sevenn played at some of the world’s most celebrated festivals, such as Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza, and Creamfields.

Psychedelic pop duo Wyndow announce
debut self-titled album out October 1st
via Summer Critics

Watch / share: https://youtu.be/w6F1PBqZk24

+ share new single ‘Pulling On A String’

Following the success of their first two singles ‘Take My Picture’ and ‘Two Strong Legs’ Wyndow (Laura J Martin and Lavinia Blackwall) return with their eponymous debut album.  The project was ignited by a love of Robert Wyatt and an off-hand idea of collaborating on a version of his song ‘Free Will and Testament’. In a time of weird interludes, the self-examination of the song’s lyrics opened the pathway to themes examined throughout the record, that of being and wanting and the battle between knowledge and knowing. Who am I and do I see myself the way others see me?

What follows is an exploration of the uncertain and the impermanent.  According to Martin, they are “tunes for whacked out worriers lifting weights in the worry gym,” where “feeling uneasy never felt so easy.” Reflections flit between two pendulums as each wrote and recorded remotely and exchanged these dog-eared musical postcards to see each others’ responses.  Eschewing the “band in a room” aesthetic out of geographical necessity they focussed on maximising the sonic palette of each song, doing exactly what each piece demanded without thinking about who had to play each instrument.

The songs on Wyndow exist in the space between waking and sleeping, hazy tales that unfurl and engulf the listener in a slightly uncanny sense of familiarity. New single ‘Pulling On A String’ is based on the feeling of walking familiar routes and wishing they took you elsewhere, the duality of holding on to the familiar yet pulling yourself nearer to the beyond and the unknown.

Taking inspiration from the atmospheres and repetition of ecstatic minimalism and the joyful experimentation of Penguin Cafe Orchestra, songs were built from small fragments and loops, recorded spontaneously and sent to each other across the wires.  Recorded and produced in Liverpool with Iwan Morgan (Euros Childs, Gruff Rhys, Cate le Bon)  and in Clydebank with multi-instrumentalist Marco Rea (Euros Childs, Alex Rex) new textures with copious analogue synthesis and treated acoustic instruments were mined, even fretless bass was not off-limits. Recalling the tender pulse of Cluster on ‘Take My Picture’ and the late night hues of La Dusseldorf on album closer ‘Tidal Range’, Wyndow strikes a new path for both artists. On ‘Pulling on A String’ the close foregrounding of both voices call to mind The Roches, another key touchstone for the sound of the record.

The result is a melting pot of influences with both artists at the top of their game, reflecting on the smallest human experiences set against a galactic sonic canvas. Wyndow is due to be released on October 1st on vinyl, CD and digital via Summer Critics.

THE LINDA LINDAS
SHARE NEW TRACK “OH!”
WATCH | LISTEN

SONG FEATURED IN TRAILER FOR
NETFLIX’S “THE CHAIR”

PHOTO CREDIT: alice baxley

Los Angeles-based, all-female punk band The Linda Lindas have released their highly anticipated new single “Oh!” “’Oh!’ is one of the first songs we collaborated on during the pandemic, masked and distanced on the front porch,” recalls the band. “It started with the main riff and progression Bela brought to the band. Eloise wrote the verses and Lucia and Mila wrote the choruses. The song deals with trying to help out someone and having it blow up in your face.” Along with the track, the band share their colourful and fun video directed by Ryan Baxley (Best Coast, The Regrettes, Charlie Hanson) featuring American skateboarder and photographer Ray Barbee. When coming up with the video concept the band worked backward from the single artwork featuring Polaroid photos of themselves and imagined a world where these photos come to life. Check out the music video for “Oh!” here. The track is featured in the trailer for the upcoming Netflix series “The Chair” starring Golden Globe winning actress, Sandra Oh. The Chair follows Dr. Ji-Yoon Kim (Oh) as she navigates her new role as the Chair of the English department at prestigious Pembroke University. Ji-Yoon is faced with a unique set of challenges as the first woman to chair the department, and as one of the few staff members of color at the university. Check out the trailer, here. CHECK OUT “OH!” NOW WATCH | LISTEN ABOUT THE LINDA LINDAS Formed in 2018, The Linda Lindas first played together when former Dum Dum Girls frontwoman Kristin Kontrol invited them to take the stage to play covers for Girlschool LA (a music and ideas festival focused on connecting and empowering women-identified artists, leaders, and voices). After forming their own band and playing DIY gigs around Los Angeles, they were asked to open for punk icon Alice Bag and for seminal riot grrrl band Bikini Kill at one of their 2019 reunion shows at the Hollywood Palladium. In time, the band began writing their own material, including a song featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary The Claudia Kishi Club. The Linda Lindas released their self-titled, self-released debut EP in 2020 showcasing their high-energy and heartfelt brand of punk, naming Jawbreaker, The Go-Go’s, and The Alley Cats among their inspirations. Months later, they appeared in a key scene of Amy Poehler’s Moxie! In May 2021, The Linda Lindas’ set at the Cypress Park branch of the L.A. Public Library was streamed as an AAPI Heritage Month event (the band members are Asian American, Latinx, or both). The bands blistering performance of “Racist, Sexist Boy,” amassed over four million views on Instagram, and earned major praise from the likes of Hayley Williams, Questlove, Flea, and members of Rage Against the Machine and Sonic Youth. The Linda Lindas are Eloise (vocals, bass), Mila (vocals, drums), Bela (vocals, guitar), and Lucia (vocals, guitar).

The Linda Lindas Merch Available HERE

July 22, 2021 0 comments

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

DMY
Oscar Jerome & Ben Hauke – ‘No Need’
Out Now

Genre-bending trailblazer Oscar Jerome, teams up with South East London DJ and sonic experimenter, Ben Hauke for ‘No Need’, out today via DMY. The pair come together again following a collaboration in 2019, for Oscar’s release ‘Gravitate’ and took the opportunity during 2020’s lockdowns to reignite their creative output as a duo. The release blends Jerome’s jazz, soul and guitar elements with Hauke’s influences from house, broken beat and 90’s hip-hop, across the luminous 2-track EP.

Oscar Jerome comes off the back of his 2020 breakthrough debut album ‘Breathe Deep’ which featured Lianne La Havas and picked up glowing endorsements from across the music industry. Jerome was labelled as The Guardian’s ‘One To Watch’ as well receiving frequent support and playlisting across the likes of 6 Music, Radio1 and 1Xtra, for his unique ability to supply absorbing grooves alongside arresting & poignant lyrics.

An in-demand singer-songwriter and former member of Afrobeat collective, Kokoroko, he’s established himself as a key player in not only South London’s burgeoning contemporary Jazz scene, but the global stage too. Performing at festivals such as PukkelPop, GALA Festival and Turning Tides, the London native also lines up a 20-date UK & EU tour this autumn.

Talented South East-London based producer, DJ and composer Ben Hauke has made a name for himself with releases on labels such as Far Out Recordings, Cooperation Records and YAM Records, whilst finding a consistent home on his own Woop Records. Recent release ‘ONE YEAR DANCE’, was added to 6 Music’s playlist and received heavy support across stations such as Rinse FM, NTS and Balamii. Touting a distinctive sound that can be applied to a multitude of genres, Hauke isn’t afraid to express himself and effortlessly moves across spaces, such as jazz, breaks, garage and acid.

With jazz inflicted percussion and Jerome’s ethereal voice, title track ‘No Need’ kicks off the EP, bringing in wider house elements through Hauke’s intricate production. ‘Cosmic Egg’ ventures into more experimental territories, with Jerome painting a picture above the pulsating hip-hop beat.

Dripping in each other’s signature sounds, Jerome and Hauke perfectly compliment one another’s styles on the release. From floating vocals and jazz guitar riffs, to solid production and subtle instrumentation they supply an example of how to collaborate across a number of styles. Moving further to cement their positions in their respective fields, displaying their ability to create rich sounds and tapestries with incredible breadth.

Oscar Jerome & Ben Hauke’s ‘No Need’ EP is available now via DMY.

Connect with Oscar Jerome

Connect with Ben Hauke

July 21, 2021 0 comments

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

COLD HART
ANNOUNCES SOPHOMORE ALBUM
EVERY DAY IS A DAY
OUT AUGUST 27

SHARES NEW TRACK
“WILD WILD WEST”
WATCH | LISTEN

PHOTO CREDIT: BEN PIER

Alt-rapper Cold Hart has just announced his forthcoming sophomore album Every Day Is A Day out August 27 via Epitaph Records. Every Day is A Day is the follow-up to his 2019 his full-length debut studio album Good Morning Cruel World. Today, Cold Hart shares “Wild Wild West,” which finds him revisiting his hometown of Long Beach, recalling days spent speeding down the freeway with his friends grabbing burgers, and taking in the sights of the shoreline and palm trees. Check it out HERE. As a co-founder of the seminal emo rap collective GothBoiClique (Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, Lil Peep, Horse Head, Døves, JPDreamthug, Lil Tracy, Mackned, YAWNS, and fish narc), Cold Hart has consistently been on the cutting edge of alternative hip-hop and rock since 2013 as a vocalist, songwriter, and producer. By pairing components of rap with seemingly unrelated genres like emo, gothic rock, and even country, Cold Hart has become an innovator of genre-defying music. Working with longtime collaborator YAWNS, who co-produced most of the record, Cold Hart takes his signature sound to new heights bringing his adept songwriting skills into sharper focus and expanding his palette of sonic touchstones. He wrote the album over the course of the pandemic after moving to Long Island with his wife and newborn daughter, and recorded it during the particularly dreary winter. Cold Hart weaves the consequences of these shifts, whether it be coming to terms with fatherhood, learning how to drive on icy suburban roads covered in snow, or staying present through painful experiences, into the thematic patchwork of the album.

EVERY DAY IS A DAY TRACKLIST Nein Decompose Every Day’s A Day Stolen Car feat. Drippin So Pretty Movie Night Miscommunication One Call To Be New Make Up Wild Wild West Silver Stars Grand Central How To Read An Aura Mary Annett Hypothermia feat. Zubin Perfect Blue

July 21, 2021 0 comments

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail