Parallells duo launch their A Day In series with a fantastic first film from Essaouira in Morocco, during Moga Festival
A DAY IN ESSAOUIRA
WATCH THE FULL EPIZODE HERE – https://vimeo.com/412308564
The Parallells duo are proud to launch their A Day In series with a fantastic first film from Essaouira in Morocco, during Moga Festival. The film features a new and exclusive track “A Day In Essaouira” which will be available for purchase on Bandcamp and profits will go to the Associations Yerma Gnaoua and Issaouas in order to help Moroccan traditional musicians and their families to overcome the CV19 crisis.
Julien and Thomas de Bie, former students of the Academy of Music, grew up influenced by jazz and classical music and are now underground electronic stalwarts who are based in Amsterdam. They perform at major festivals such around the globe, manage Klassified Records and the Klassified Music Festival and have just opened “The House of Klassified” in Amsterdam; a creative hub for their artists combining: studios, recording facilities, an art gallery and co-working spaces.
With this ambitious new project, Parallells have taken their musical venture even further by discovering different cultures, tribes and their specific sounds. This episode is the first one of the video series “A Day In” where Parallells translate, through field recordings, a specific culture, city or country. It is said that “Music is the universal language” and Parallells aims to show how it connects people as well as showing the world’s beauty and use music as a force for change. This video was filmed by friend Arnaud Moro who does a remarkable job of capturing the process through his lens.
This last October, Parallells, Maalem Omar Hayat and his crotales players performed a unique show combining Gnawa music infused with electronic music. It came about as an initiative from Moga Festival called Moga Creation. Creating bridges between tradition and modernity, perpetuating the heritage of Essaouira, a city of mixed cultures, highlighting local creativity and hospitality, this project is what Moga Creation aims for.
Parallells rehearsed in the middle of Essaouira’s Medina, in a sacred place where the synergies were shivering when electronic music met traditional Gnawa’s rhythm and culture. After 3 days together, they played this memorable live at Moga Festival, a performance forever engraved in many people’s hearts.
Gnawa culture is a centuries-old Moroccan practice rooted in African rituals, Sufi traditions and music played with the guenbri, a type of lute with three strings, and steel castanets called krakebs or crotales. Gnawa refers to a “set of musical productions, fraternal practices and therapeutic rituals where the secular mixes with the sacred”
Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. Since its foundation, it has been a major international trading seaport, linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world.
Maalam Omar Hayat is delighted with this collaboration with Julien and Thomas, because it perfectly reflects the cultural exchange between Gnaoua music and electronic music. It was a truly unique experience with, as a highlight, this superb live performed at Moga festival, which perfectly symbolizes this alliance. “Moga création”. It is the DNA of Moga festival and a great opportunity to represent these different worlds in the hope of future collaboration, because it was really magic.
This is a fantastic way to launch this new video series which will breakdown borders between music, culture and people all over the world. Watch out for the second episode which finds the pair immersing themselves in the Huichol culture in the Mexican mountains later this year.
![PRAISE FOR RICH BRIAN The Sailor triple j Feature Album “The best music of his young career” Pitchfork “At just 19, Brian is dropping thoughtful, lyrically dense rhymes.” UPROXX “The 88rising mainstay's sophomore effort effectively solidifies his position in the world of hip-hop, building up his character as a force to be reckoned with.” Hypebeast “[Brian's] biggest artistic leap yet” Highsnobiety “An important step forward" Complex Quarantined in his Los Angeles house due to the pandemic, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer Rich Brian decided to get creative in the ideation of his latest music video for 'Bali' featuring Guapdad 4000 by helping his friends and neighbors. Using a drone, Rich Brian shares various gifts to people in his community that can be attached and dropped off. He specifically targeted individuals and small businesses who have been forgotten about in mainstream media but have been impacted directly from the quarantine. This includes 125 meals for the LA County Hospital, truck lease late payments for a local food truck, a sizable donation toward Asian Americans for Housing, meals for AAH (elderly persons), face masks and so much more. He also dropped off fun packages to friends such as Cuco, NIKI, Cody Ko, Noel Miller, Buddy, Thundercat, and Kenny Beats. ABOUT RICH BRIAN: The first Asian musical artist to reach #1 on iTunes’ Hip Hop charts, Indonesian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Brian Imanuel Soewarno, better known as Rich Brian, has blazed into the forefront of a movement that’s diversifying and transforming hip-hop culture. One of the leading figures of Asian rap, with more than 3.2 million followers on Instagram alone, Brian continues to earn broad audiences and critical kudos. Billboard called him a “rap wunderkind”, the L.A. Times praised him as “a phenom... a gifted MC and producer [with an] introspective, authoritative voice", and Rolling Stone tagged him on its '25 Under 25' list. The 20-year-old, whose singles regularly feature guest artists like Ghostface Killah, 21 Savage and Offset, performs to sold-out shows across North America, Europe and Asia, and festivals including Bonnaroo and Rolling Loud (he’s slated to perform next at the postponed Coachella). On April 10 his music label 88rising releases his newest single, 'Bali', a rap track infused with melodic threads and wisps of reggae, which uses the popular Indonesian island paradise as a metaphor for his life. In the pipeline to drop later this year is a yet-titled concept album spotlighting Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley and its influential Asian community. Brian pushed his musical style to a new level – while revealing his personal immigration story and rise to stardom – on his second album, The Sailor, released in July 2019. Featuring guest appearances from RZA and Joji, and co-written with Bekon and the Donuts, it’s crossed over 400 million streams since its release. The Huffington Post wrote that its tracks “evidence a more sophisticated, evolved artist compared to the earlier work that propelled him to his prominent place in the Asian hip-hop movement.” Its first single, 'Yellow', mixes hard-punch rap with beautifully structured harmonies; his second, 'Kids', the product of an inspired night-to-dawn writing and recording session, paints Brian as a role model and provocateur with lyrics like “Tell these Asian kids they could do what they want / Might steal the mic at the Grammys just to say we won / That everyone can make it, don’t matter where you from.” Brian experienced a modest upbringing as the youngest of four siblings raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Of Chinese lineage – his father a lawyer, his mother a café owner – he worked at his family’s business while being homeschooled. At 11 years old, he discovered Twitter and YouTube and began creating content, including dark comedy sketches inspired by the likes of American filmmaker Freddie Wong, leaning toward a career in cinematography. He began listening to hip-hop music when an internet friend introduced him to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, going on to discover Drake, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Logic, and Childish Gambino. He taught himself English by listening to rap and watching YouTube videos and comedy movies, beguiled by “multi-layered” American humor. He posted daily videos on Vine and wrote his first rap song, recording it on an iPhone over an instrumental by British rapper MF Doom. In July 2015, Brian posted 'Living the Dream' on YouTube as a tongue-in-cheek intro. His breakthrough came in early 2016 with his debut single, 'Dat $tick', which quickly went viral, especially after a reaction video was released by music label 88rising featuring prominent rap artists. It peaked at #4 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and was certified gold by RIAA. The original music video has racked up over 145 million views to date. A remix of 'Dat $tick' was later made featuring rappers Ghostface Killah and Pouya. A string of singles came in its wake: 'Who That Be' (produced by Sihk), 'Seventeen' (quickly surpassing a million hits on YouTube and SoundCloud) and 'Back at It'. Having performed in Jakarta, Taiwan, and China, in April 2017 he embarked on his first U.S. tour, moved to America, and released 'Gospel' with XXXTentacion and Keith Ape, which garnered over 38 million views on YouTube. Winning Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2017 Indonesian Choice Awards, he released 'Glow Like Dat' in August through 88rising’s YouTube channel, following up with the singles 'Chaos' and 'Crisis' featuring 21 Savage. By now distinguished by his resonant baritone vocals, catchy hooks, and lyrics which mixed universal rap themes with his personal experiences and those of the Asian community. In January 2018, he changed his name to Rich Brian following the release of his revelatory single 'See Me'. The following month came his much-awaited debut studio album, Amen, a grateful paean to his new American life with guest appearances from Offset, Joji, NIKI, and August 08, earning widespread critical acclaim and rising to #18 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Other recent work includes the 88rising compilation album Head in the Clouds. Harking back to his early youth through cooking Indonesian food on YouTube based on his mom’s recipes, Brian isn’t afraid to show different sides to his fans, many of whom rarely listen to rap by other artists. Musically, he says, “I’m always trying to bring something new to the table. I love metaphors, poetry, melodic material. I’m always looking for ways to tell my story, to make it personal". Proud of being an Asian artist, still a commodity in short supply, Brian is blazing a path for himself and innumerable others. Watch the 'Bali' music video here, out now via 88rising/12Tone Music. Stay connected with Rich Brian: Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube](https://thepartae.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RICH-BRIAN-RELEASES-NEW-1170x658.jpg "RICH BRIAN RELEASES NEW")
![Photo credit: The Sauce / Kane Lehanneur Australia’s funkiest musical export Ocean Alley are thrilled to announce their highly anticipated third album Lonely Diamond, out independently June 19 with distribution via UNIFIED Music Group. The news follows the premiere of their latest single from the record, ‘Hot Chicken’, on triple j last night, and comes off the back of the recent postponement of their Australian tour until 2021. Album pre-orders go live 9am AEST Wednesday 29 April from here. Watch ‘Hot Chicken’ via YouTube here. Grappling with spiralling out of control, ‘Hot Chicken’ encapsulates the seduction and suffering that comes from wrestling with the devil on one’s shoulder. Accentuated by the dangerous edge to vocalist Baden Donegal’s voice, ‘I’ll be the razor if you want to play’, the taunting driving guitars intensify the feeling to fight. Threaded with echoes of an Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western score, the song’s expansive soundscape grows and conquers, transporting the listener to the middle of a dusty stand-off in a state of isolation and emptiness. Drawing from the nostalgia of music eras past, Lonely Diamond combines 70s guitar rock, country and western, old school funk and synth-heavy new wave to create a deeply contemplative and atmospheric odyssey reminiscent of music legends including Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits and Pink Floyd. From its sprawling opening notes, the record feels like a seamless progression following their last album, 2018’s Chiaroscuro, with exploration and escapism forming two central themes that unfold and transform across the 12 tracks. Guitarist Mitch Galbraith explains, “It’s pushing forward into the unknown… taking a journey to a different place or a different time that seems familiar or that you’ve been before and all the emotions and feels that come with that.” There’s an ingrained familiarity with this record from the first listen – all the elements that define Ocean Alley’s sound are there, but more intricately arranged; new instruments are introduced, the production is pushed to new limits and the band has created complete synergy between each track. Album opener ‘Dahlia’ mystically sets the scene with an intergalactic introduction, while the introspective title-track ‘Lonely Diamond’ engulfs the listener in a wave of melancholy before finding purpose with warmth and tenderness. Hopefulness is intrinsically linked with these anxieties, feelings and experiences explored, and the bright and dreamy ‘Up In There’ creates an uplifting sense of reassurance that everything will be okay, with its soaring harmonies, swirling guitars and ethereal keys. Produced by long-time collaborator Callum Howell at the idyllic Grove Studios (built by INXS’ Garry Gary Beers), Lonely Diamond follows the success of Ocean Alley’s acclaimed second full-length LP Chiaroscuro. With its infectious blend of psychedelic surf-rock, the record propelled the band into national prominence and saw them sell 25,000 tickets over 15 sold out shows that year in Australia alone – culminating with their ARIA nominated, double platinum-selling single ‘Confidence’ taking out #1 in triple j’s Hottest 100 of 2018. Their breakthrough year was backed-up with 30 sold out shows around the world in 2019, plus major festival appearances at Reading & Leeds Festival (UK), Splendour In The Grass (AUS), Sziget (HU), BottleRock (US) and more, with the band amassing more than 250 million streams to date. OCEAN ALLEY – LONELY DIAMOND [LP] Out independently June 19 with distribution via UNIFIED Music Group Pre-order from 9am AEST 29 April here Lonely Diamond track list: 1. Dahlia 2. Tombstone 3. Way Down 4. Infinity 5. Up In There 6. All Worn Out 7. Stained Glass 8. Lonely Diamond 9. Wet Dreams 10. Hot Chicken 11. Puesta de Sol 12. Luna OCEAN ALLEY AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2021 with Psychedelic Porn Crumpets & Dulcie Tickets on sale now from oceanalley.com.au Saturday 6 February - Hordern Pavilion, Sydney SOLD OUT Sunday 7 February – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Friday 12 February – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane SOLD OUT Saturday 13 February – Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Friday 5 March – Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth Friday 12 March – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Wednesday 24 March – Melbourne Arena, Melbourne Presented by triple j, Lonely Lands Agency & UNIFIED Music Group Follow Ocean Alley: oceanalley.com.au facebook.com/oceanalleyband twitter.com/oceanalleyau @oceanalleyband](https://thepartae.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/OCEAN-ALLEY-ANNOUNCE-THEIR-HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED.jpg "OCEAN ALLEY ANNOUNCE THEIR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED")
