Music News

Stay connected with Ducks Ltd.
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Bandcamp

Melbourne’s Tiny Little Houses return as vital as ever with new single ‘Car Crash’ – a raucous, lyrically introspective burst of jangly energy as crucial and immediate as the band’s previous radio hits ‘Garbage Bin’ and ‘Entitled Generation’.

Tiny Little Houses – ‘Car Crash’ Single out now through Ivy League Records Buy/steam here Read the lyrics to ‘Car Crash’ here

“Bursting with infections pop melodies” – Wonderland

“Deep cutting lyrics with an edge” – Notion

Marcelo De La Vega reveals his debut EP ‘Conversation’, arriving with three brand new songs including lead single and title track ‘Conversation. The song is accompanied by a film-clip, which Marcelo self-directed, continuing a series of creative videos from the Australian / Argentinian artist. Marcelo has previously released two songs ‘Told You’ and ‘Broke & Criminal’, which earned him critical acclaim.

‘Conversation’ is an EP born out of heartbreak, inspired mostly by the end of a relationship. Musically, Marcelo focuses on organic instruments, and each song has a dreamy and surreal quality, with a live and vintage sound blurring the boundary between indie and pop. “It was one of those relationships with a lot to say about it, just so many odd moments. I wrote a lot about it afterwards and this record was me processing the whole thing” explains Marcelo.

The title track of the EP is about the acceptance of leaving a relationship, with the knowledge you will move on and experience new things. Marcelo says: “The song stemmed from a period where I was really struggling to communicate with people. I felt myself get swept up in a new environment when I first moved to London, I struggled to convey my actual feelings as I didn’t want to come across as weak to my family and friends, which in retrospect is so trivial. I felt really confused, I was coming to the end of my relationship and I forgot who I was without the relationship, and felt quite lost.”

The accompanying video carries its own poignant narrative, starring Marcelo as a hopeless clown called ‘Vinnie Vegas’, along with his own dog who sadly passed away just a few weeks after filming. “Vinnie is not a good clown,” explains Marcelo “he’s not really good at anything. The one thing that keeps him going every morning and every night, keeps him going out there to try, is his dog, who is also his star attraction. The dog gets stolen by another clown and the whole clip is like Finding Nemo, me finding my dog, and realising how lost I am without my dog.”

Marcelo continues: “As the song and the clip developed, the song’s meaning transferred from being just about a partner, to loss in general and how we need love to keep us going and bring us happiness and keep us who we are. Three weeks after we filmed the clip Annie, my dog, passed away, so it brought a whole new meaning and made me feel like I was the clown in real life, but there is nothing I can do to get her back. It has made the clip a lot more personal and it is good that I will have that memory forever to cherish, which I am very grateful for.”

With a matured sound as emotive as it is unique, Marcelo delves into discovering the human condition as it spans the realms of indie to alt-pop; with a burgeoning combination of infectious pop melodies and a gritty alternative edge.

‘Conversation’ EP Tracklisting:

1. Told You

2. Get Better

3. Paris

4. Broke & Criminal

5. Conversation

Follow Marcelo:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

“Mountain Bird is a project rooted in honesty…sharply melodic but with heart-tugging inflections” – CLASH

“His style is brave and consistent as he forms lyrics that force you to think about the state of our society and human relationships in relation to social media” – Notion

Swedish singer, songwriter and producer Mountain Bird (aka Adam Öhman) is set to release his long awaited new EP ‘Once We Were Present’ on 2nd April via Nettwerk Records. The EP contains four previously released songs, plus the brand new lead single ‘Something Wrong with My Mind’.

Analysing the intoxicating effects of the internet age, ‘Once We Were Present’ marks Öhman’s continuing growth into an introspective songwriter who enjoys exploring the human condition just as much as making people dance. “So many people have this abusive relationship with social media, which takes over their lives just like a regular drug addiction does,” Explains Mountain Bird. “With this new EP, I wanted to question whether it currently has too big of a grip over our lives. I hope these songs show people that the internet is a tool we must respect and that we shouldn’t be embracing at the expense of enjoying our youth.”

Despite tackling some heavy subjects, the EP is laced with optimism; with its expansive arrangements of synth pads, stadium ready drums, and ethereal vocals – delivering huge, momentous atmospheres. It’s a recipe that’s summed in the EP’s lead track ‘Something Wrong With My Mind’. Written about the paranoia that comes from turning down all the “digital noise” to go to sleep, afraid to face the real feelings you’ve kept at bay with the “mental fast food” of social media. Once again, the song’s electro-pop theatrics find light among the darkness.

The song is accompanied by an intense video, co-directed by Mountain Bird and long-time collaborator Erik Erik Ögnelooh. “The video is about humans existing only to pay bills and serve growth” explains Mountain Bird, “Modern man together with technology and its effect on the speed of society isn’t only good or bad – it really alters our way of thinking internally as well.The video is inspired by the presence of AI in advertising, and how our digital imprint only works to serve the engine to make us purchase things and behave accordingly, otherwise we have no use in this digital world ”

In the clip, they play with the idea of Mountain Bird deactivating his facebook account, and the algorithm doing everything in its power to keep him there. “When i’ve done it. I couldn’t live a normal life and be connected with everyone else in the same way since everyone is using it. The algorithms have already socially designed our lives for us to be dependent on it to feed it more attention. Hence the character has cut the cord to the television but it still hovers over us because it is in our analog world all around us inside the ones who are still plugged in.”

The EP’s powerful lyrics are designed to symbolise how a lot of internet addiction is fuelled by the insecurity of its users, and Mountain Bird hopes that his music can act as a sort of “group therapy” for listeners.

 “I wrote these songs for stadiums, and the idea is that by talking about such sensitive subjects, I can encourage young people to cathartically talk about their fears around the internet too,” Öhman explains. “It is in our nature to be eaten up by our need for confirmation and I want people to consider whether the internet is really bringing out the best in us. If one person can feel stronger or more free to discuss their fears around cultivating an online identity or feel free from all those digital pressures by listening to my song then my mission is complete.”

 “The colours and the community that the internet gives us are beautiful things, and I wanted that joy to come across in the music too. This EP is about showing all of the different sides of the internet in the hope that it will make people make much more informed decisions about their relationship with it.”

‘Once We Were Present’ is a manifestation of all the techniques Öhman has learned since experimenting in his school studio as a teenager. It’s an explosion of genre, emotion, and intelligence. It feels like an artist who has finally found his sound, and you sense that this is only just the beginning.

‘Once We Were Present’ track listing:

1. Modern Man

2. Too Blue

3. Terrified of Love

4. Something Wrong With My Mind

5. It Won’t Be Easy

 The EP is available here: https://mountainbird.ffm.to/oncewewerepresent

https://soundcloud.com/mountainbirdswe/something-wrong-with-my-mind-1/s-CC80L66WaaU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWQj7HgXcSg

Listen To ‘Time Stops’ Here

ADA MUSIC
Flourish – ‘Time Stops’
Out Now

Introducing: Flourish aka Michael Keefe – a self-producing, multi-instrumentalist with an abundance of talent and passion to create intricate and accessible electronic music. Classically trained in both Piano and Saxophone, Flourish fell in love with electronic music and production at the age of 10 and has been hooked since. He now makes his colourful debut with ‘Time Stops’ , out now via ADA Music.

Citing key influences such as Porter Robinson, Flume and FKJ, it is clear to see those sounds shine through in his productions. Ever since hearing Porter Robinson’s 2014 album ‘Worlds’ he has been inspired to produce his own brand of electronic music, creating his first pieces of music using an iPod and the iSequence app. Flourish has come a long way on his production journey in a short period of time and now presents an unedited version of himself to the world via his own original music.

Self-taught songwriter and producer Flourish expresses himself across a number of different instruments whilst also providing his own vocals to ‘Time Stops’, reinforcing his almost DIY approach towards music creation. With a feeling of youthful naivety engrained in his debut single, Flourish now enters a world where anything is possible, allowing himself to explore his own identity and developing his skills as a song-writer and multi-faceted artist.

“‘Time Stops’ to me is about noticing you are having a moment of pure joy and accepting the fact that the moment is fleeting. Sometimes when you’re enjoying yourself it can feel like time briefly stops moving and you really appreciate all the good things in your life.” – Flourish

An artist that struggles to be pigeonholed into one category, Flourish is keen to explore the genres around him that border on the edges of electronic music and skip into the worlds of Pop, Hip-Hop, modern R&B, Jazz and beyond. He draws on wider influences from artists such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak to feed his creative mind and produce new ideas. Developing his production style over the past few years, he focuses around a key vocal to provide his music purpose and style.

Defining Flourish; as to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a particularly congenial environment. Keefe’s development so far has been a product of ambition and hard work, as well as being afforded opportunities in the right environment to cultivate his talent. With debut ‘Time Stops’ locked in and a further two singles scheduled for later this year as well as plans to explore options for a ‘Live’ performance once touring returns, this is just the start for Flourish and Michael Keefe.

Flourish’s ‘Time Stops’ is Out Now via ADA Music.

Listen To Claptone’s ‘For A Fool’ Remix Here

FFRR
STORM QUEEN – ‘FOR A FOOL’ CLAPTONE REMIX
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Following on from Storm Queen’s first release in 8 years, ‘For A Fool’ is now remixed by enigmatic German DJ and Producer, Claptone and is out now via FFRR.

‘For A Fool’ beckoned the long-awaited return of Storm Queen and landed an incredible 8 years after the release of the inimitable ‘Look Right Through’, which hit #1 in the UK with the MK remix and has also reached platinum status along the way.

An equally shadowy character, German producer and DJ Claptone steps in for remix duties on ‘For A Fool’ and follows on from his remix work for the likes of Mark Ronson and Michael Kiwanuka as well as pop super stars Dua Lipa and Ava Max. Injecting his brand of sublime club focused House sound and extra bass bounce, utilizing the original vocal to great effect seeing the masked figure path the way Storm Queen’s return for the dancefloor.

Storm Queen releases have been few and far between but contain that secret ingredient that take underground dance music tracks and turns them into truly exceptional timeless pieces of music. Cutting a mysterious figure, Morgan Geist under his Storm Queen alias has a clear strategy of quality over quantity as his discography has totaled just three releases to date; ‘It Goes On’, ‘Let’s Make Mistakes’ and the inimitable ‘Look Right Through’.

Connect with Claptone

Connect with Storm Queen

CRITICAL PRAISE

“He’s well on his way to being one of the next independent rappers to make a mainstream splash… $NOT’s got a very particular kind of charisma, and one single at a time, everything’s clicking.” – Pigeons & Planes

“With Billie Eilish and ‘Euphoria’ co-signs, rapper $not is a Gen Z star in making” – Los Angeles Times

“Snot — stylised $not — is a quintessential South Florida SoundCloud rapper, brimming with the sarcastic, devil-may-care attitude of his peers with perhaps a bit more polish.” – UPROXX

“$NOT’s ‘Pressure’ Reveals a Changing Tide in Hip Hop…His nonchalant flow and reserved style does not diminish his dark, heavy lyrics and straight-to-it delivery.” – Teen Vogue

“The 22-year-old rapper has become a Gen-Z superstar—from boasting millions of streams on SoundCloud, being featured on HBO’s hit series Euphoria, receiving shoutouts from Billie Eilish and Drake (Bell), to becoming a staple on TikTok and Triller, you can find the rapper just about everywhere. With a flow that matches his calm demeanour, $not intertwines his deadpan delivery with themes of humour, love and sadness, all over ethereal bass-ladened beats to produce a sound that has garnered him widespread traction” – OFFICE Mag

Murmuring infectious melodies through his tightly-wrapped hoodie, $NOT is a master of the low-key banger. Teaming up with Cole Bennett and Lil Skies, $NOT shares “Whipski,” his first new single of the year.

Produced by Taz Taylor, Cxdy, and Nash of Internet Money (“Lemonade”), who anchor the track with an intricate guitar melody that instantly evokes “summertime,” “Whipski” finds $NOT and Lil Skies approaching the instrumental from complementary angles–$NOT sets the melodic template with his lilting baritone, and Lil Skies turns heads with his honeyed tenor.

Watch the video for Whipski

Directed by Cole Bennett, the video for “Whipski” features the Lyrical Lemonade auteur’s signature dynamic storyline and kinetic visual effects. The video kicks off with $NOT and Skies working for an abusive boss (who you might recognise from $NOT’s Bennett-directed “Revenge” video) in an auto repair shop, before they decide to take their job and shove it. The rest of the video follows Skies and $NOT on a high-speed trip, as they transform their run-down van into a BMW. On their joyride, $NOT and Skies encounter beautiful women in green wigs, aliens in a UFO, and catch a brief glimpse of Landon Cube, who waves at them when they drive by.

“Whipski” is the third collaboration between $NOT and Cole Bennett, and it loosely follows a storyline established in “Revenge” (9.5 million views) and “Mean” ft. Flo Milli (7.7 million views).

“Whipski” is $NOT’s first new song since the October 2020 release of Beautiful Havoc, his latest project. Taking his songwriting to a new level, Beautiful Havoc interrogates the 22-year-old rapper’s pain, digging into the betrayal and hardships that shape his prickly and misanthropic persona. With production from the likes of Powers Pleasant, Eem Triplin, Woodpecker, and more, Beautiful Havoc offers a bright and diverse sonic palette, allowing $NOT to showcase his elite melodic instincts and provide a contrast to his dark, self-hating lyrics. Beautiful Havoc hosts several well-received singles, including collabs with iann dior and Denzel Curry, and is home to “Mean” (35 million Spotify streams), the Flo Milli-featuring slapper that inspired a viral trend on TikTok (over 700k combined video creations).

Listen to “Whipski” ft. Lil Skies: https://snot.ffm.to/whipski

Listen to Beautiful Havoc: https://snot.ffm.to/beautifulhavoc

Beautiful Havoc is available everywhere via 300 Ent.