LEIFUR JAMES CAPTIVATES WITH HYPNOTIC, PERCUSSIVE NEW SINGLE ‘RITUAL’
THE FOURTH SINGLE TAKEN FROM HIS FORTHCOMING ALBUM ‘ANGEL IN DISGUISE’ OUT 5TH JUNE
VIA NIGHT TIME STORIES
PRE-ORDER ‘ANGEL IN DISGUISE’ HERE
Leifur James – ‘Ritual’
OUT NOW
‘Angel in Disguise’
Album Release: 5th June 2020, via Night Time Stories
‘The apex of the LP arrives at Ritual and the Coby Sey-featuring track Alien, both of which see James at his most explorative, driving tension into the album’
– Crack Magazine.
Today, London based experimental producer and composer Leifur James unveils his latest offering, ‘Ritual’. His most club ready electronic affair yet, ‘Ritual’ comes exactly one month prior to James’ eagerly awaited album, Angel in Disguise, due for release 5th June 2020 via Night Time Stories (sister label to the coveted ‘LateNightTales’).
The follow up to his cinematic, audio-visual piece ‘Angel In Disguise’, ‘Ritual’ is a sonic portrayal of circles and life moving through motions that sees Leifur James dive further into the electronic realm. Machine sounds and ethereal elements to get lost in, James’ unique take on electronica and deep techno adds new depth to the album narrative.
Angel In Disguise promises a masterful blend of harmonic vocals from James himself as well as nuanced electronic soundscapes and vibrant modular based percussion. This exciting project which has seen early support from the likes of CRACK, Mixmag, DJ Mag, Boiler Room 4:3 and more is expected to make waves and see James step up, exhibiting his discerning ear and production craft on a seminal label.
‘Ritual’ follows the video for album title-track ‘Angel in Disguise’, a collaborative piece with Balázs Simon (previously producing the critically acclaimed ‘Wurlitzer’ project which saw widespread support from the likes of Boiler Room, CLASH, Motionographer, the UK and Berlin Music Video Awards, the London Short Film Festival, Dublin International Film Festival and more) ‘‘Angel In Disguise‘ is one of the releases biggest statements yet – an audio-visual exploration of our damaged relationship with planet earth, soundtracked by James’ poignant melodies questioning our failure to respect mother nature. The piece stitches James’ complex emotional chords and Balazs’ desire to highlight the fragility of the world into a beautiful, short visual tale.
Delving into UK and European venues to showcase his ever-evolving live show, James’ tour has been rescheduled and will kick off October 2020 in Amsterdam’s Melkweg, before heading to his biggest London show to date at Village Underground, plus Berlin’s Burg Schnabel, and AB Brussels with further dates yet to be announced.
Leifur James’ ‘Angel In Disguise’ LP will be available 5th June via Night Time Stories and is available to pre-order here.
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Emulating warmth and soul, Brisbane based singer-songwriter, The Letter Elle makes a bold return with a self-produced track, ‘Sunrise’
Showcasing her skill for production, Elle Emery has created a new track ladened with smooth electric guitar riffs, crisp percussion elements, and raspy R&B and Jazz tinged vocals. ‘Sunrise’ is a retrospective and picturesque song inspired by living in the moment and finding solace. “Sunrise is, at first glance, a love song about enjoying just being in the moment and not putting pressure on what it ‘should be’ or where the future is going,” explains Elle.
“I think that subconsciously I wrote this song to myself about where I am currently at in my life. At the end of last year, I graduated uni and had an injury that prevented me from singing at all for months. It reminded me of my love for just doing things purely for the enjoyment. I hope that in this scary and uncertain time, this song can help people to remember they just need to take a step back and enjoy life for what it is. There’s no need for a big, complicated plan and we have to just take life day by day,” continues Elle.
The single arrives accompanied by a video clip shot along the beaches of Coolum in the Sunshine Coast where Elle is originally from. Filmed and edited by her and her partner, the music video gracefully compliments the song’s tone, whilst visually capturing the sun rising to match the song’s title. “I felt it really important to shoot this clip back in my home town. Coolum is where I became who I am and where I truly feel at home. I thought it only fitting to shoot this style of video somewhere that means so much to me,” adds Elle.
Musically inspired by artists such as Sahara Beck and Meg Mac, The Letter Elle has become a staple within Brisbane’s local live music scene. Showcasing her talent across a number of events including Brisbane’s indie festival Sesh & The City, whilst sharing stages with names such as Hazel Mei, Sahara Beck, Hemingway and Regurgitator. The Letter Elle is also a finalist in the Brisbane City Council’s 2020 QUBE Effect.
‘Sunrise’ is OUT NOW.
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RACKETT shares new love ballad ILY Alley (I Love You, Alley), a tribute to former RACKETT bass player Alley that celebrates friendship. The song is the third single from the newly transformed RACKETT, following the release of Machinations and Oxytoxic.
ILY Alley was produced by Dave Hammer, echoing the intricate production reminiscent of his work on JEFFE’s ‘Undecided’. Layers of piano and vocals amidst a synthetic soundscape, ILY Alley showcases a softer side of RACKETT that contrasts her repertoire of abrasive electro pop-punk. With lyrics ‘swapping cassettes, sharing regrets, karaoke drunk duets’, ILY Alley tells a story of the former band members at a crossroad. Whilst in the studio tracking guitars for their last EP in 2018 as a band, it was revealed that Alley was going to become a mum, leading the band to make a heartwrenching decision that changed the course of their lives.
After my tour for ILY Alley was cancelled due to (you know what), I had an idea to put on a little show from my bedroom, just like my live show > amazing music and drag queens. I bought a green screen and lights off amazon. The production exploded into a 2hr live TV Show called Loud N Queer when I partnered with Heaps Gay. Create or Die and DPLR came onboard giving us access to their broadcasting studio and Listen Up Music as our sponsor. Now I’m a TV producer (WTF) of an amazing show with DJ’s, live music, drag queens, comedy and dancing. Every Friday night at 8PM on Heaps Gay Facebook we live broadcast 2hrs of diverse talent performing from around the world to raise money for artists and keep us entertained and connected. We’ve aired 3 episodes so far with guests like Jess B, Nimmo, Jordan Raskopoulos, Felicia Foxx, Rhys Lightning, Asta, Rachel Maria Cox, Doodad and Fandango +++. This week we have Lupa J, The Huxleys, Tom Aspaul and more.
German talents Júlio Cruz and Momo Arigato join forces for a superb new deep house release for Istanbul based imprint Petra, with each artist taking care of two originals each.
Cologne native’s Júlio Cruz makes tracks that are close to the dance floor with a chill vibe that really makes a mark. His opener Chercher La Nuit is a bubbling house cut with a warm and fat bassline. Lush chords bring light and emotion and carry you away. Dancing Love Affair has a big heart with soulful chords and disco tinged beats getting you moving.
Leipzig’s Momo Arigato’s tracks represent the pure side of house music with sampled elements brings them alive and have come on labels like Friend in Need and Bigbait before now Mario’s Rhythm is a raw, DIY groove with rough edged kicks and blasts of bass that are smoothed out with lush chords and experimental modulated sounds. Don’t Believe is a dreamy track with cloudy pads and lumpy beats that are perfectly atmospheric and authentic. This then is a truly killer EP.
Júlio Cruz Facebook: https://www.
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Prolific gig photographer Zo Damage announces new initiative to support Melbourne’s live music scene
Award-winning live music photographer Zo Damage, who has been capturing gigs in Melbourne for over a decade, presents the ‘Support Live Music’ initiative – a new fundraising endeavour aimed at raising much-needed funds for Melbourne’s smaller live music venues.
For a limited time, fans have the chance to purchase Zo’s original hand-signed prints at a discounted price, with 20% of the print sale donated to the venue the photo was captured in. For those prints captured outside of Melbourne’s smaller venues, fans can nominate a venue to donate the funds to.
According to Zo, the ‘Support Live Music’ initiative allows her to give back to the venues that have always supported her ambitious photography endeavours within their space.
“The foundation of my work as a photographer has been in live music culture and the underground and emerging live music scene,” Zo says.
“Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the entertainment industry finds itself shut down and in disarray. I believe there is something I can do to support a number of local live music venues, bring some joy to your walls and a little coin to my family.”
Music Victoria CEO Patrick Donovan welcomed Zo’s contribution, saying Zo’s work has always been an integral piece of Melbourne’s music scene.
“Music Victoria has long recognised Zo’s incredible contribution to Melbourne’s live music scene, and in 2017, Music Victoria awarded Zo with an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Age Music Victoria Awards,” Donovan says.
“I encourage people to buy Zo’s beautiful works of art, to remind people of what they’re missing and to support Victoria’s iconic venues when they need it the most.”
Zo’s work can be found in The Australian Music Vault, which features her work, ‘SLAM Rally (II)’ as a signature piece in the historic collection, and in The Amplifier, Arts Centre Melbourne’s 2020 SLAM Rally installation, where Zo’s photography is a primary feature of the 360° degree experience.
Her previous projects have included ‘Eve’, a photography series celebrating women in live music, and the widely commended ‘365 Days’ project, which saw Zo attend a live gig in Melbourne every night for a year and photographing the live act for the series. The project culminated in the photography book, 365 Days Project.
For more information on the ‘Support Live Music’ initiative and to purchase a piece, visit Zo’s Support Live Music website.
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Where did the name Smasher come from?
I got the name from DJ’ing under 18 club events, that was where the name was born and was the first time i had a chance to play in front of a decent size crowd people would always say you smashed it !!
How long have you been performing under that alias?
Over 20 years now.
Where are you currently based?
Im based in Essex.
How has your lockdown experience been so far?
Ive had a lot to focus on with the album being released so that has kept me busy but generally id say ok, i think I’ve used the time to keep creative as possible the biggest hurdle for me and my family has been keeping our daughter busy as the boredom has kicked in i feel sorry for the children i think they are finding it hard.
How did you first start playing music?
When i discovered turntables id say around 1997, i started visiting record shops on a weekly basis collecting as much records as i could afford this was where the journey started for me.
Your debut album ‘Locked In Locked On’ via On Top Records is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this album?
The album is scattered with the 2 step/garage sound i fell in love with coming up on the london pirate radio scene in the late 90s/00s, the songwriting has been very much an organic process depending of the feel of the music.
How did you go about writing the album?
It was really a case of the records wrote themselves my whole approach is based on vibe, if the vibes hits then the words/melody starts to flow a lot of the lyrics started from freestyle i like to write without paper i find things flow much more natural.
Where and when did you record/produce and who with?
I recorded everything at my studio in east london over the space of a year, i produced every record on the album apart from track 12 which is produced by “prescribe da vibe”, i worked very closely with my long time friend a collaborator Aaron greenwood on the project.
How did you approach the recording sessions?
Every session was different some tracks may have been an 8 bar loop and then developed more or in other cases some records was wrote and recorded within the space of a few hours usually when the creative spark is there it all comes together quickly.
What programs/instruments did you use to write/record/produce?
Every song was recorded and mixed using Logic Pro x, using various different synth plug ins all vocals was recorded on My SE Z5600a II
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of the album?
The most challenging part of the process id say is the mixing / mastering stage, the most rewarding part is receiving great feedback from the listeners I’ve been overwhelmed with the response so far.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
To keep my spirits high I’ve been listening to a-lot of reggae over the lockdown period.
What do you like to do away from music?
Spending time with my family is important to me, when the sun is out i quite enjoy gardening.
What’s planned for 2020?
I will let the album run its course but generally i will keep the releases coming via the label “On Top Records” there will be no shortage of music, id love to do a live show when we are out of the lockdown so fingers crossed that can happen.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Im a sucker for good food and I’m quite easily pleased Caribbean food is up there for me, a glass of red in my garden and I’m happy 🙂
EAUXMAR – ‘GIVEN AWAY / GIVEN BACK’
OUT NOW
Dutch musician/producer EAUXMAR has shown a high level of inquisitiveness for creating experimental, new-age music over the last couple of years. Hailing from the Netherlands and having roots in Morocco, the 19-year-old honors his heritage by incorporating organic instrumentation over electronic production elements, all built into his new release ‘Given Away / Given Back’.
Exploring and developing his signature sound, EAUXMAR draws inspiration from the early work of James Blake and Kanye West. An emotive track, he moulds 90s R&B samples with the creative use of drums, piano, chimes, bird chirps and dreamy filtered vocals. All coming together to create a unique sounding release with energy but still evoking feelings of floating on a cloud.
EAUXMAR introduced his energetic yet still downtempo sound on his debut EP, ‘Tell Me’, showcasing his experimentation with pitch that can be heard across his work. He distinguishes himself using ethereal sound design and blurring the lines between Electronic, R&B and Indie.
Already having had multiple DJ gigs, notably including Lollapalooza Berlin, EAUXMAR debuted his first-ever live show at Eurosonic Noorderslag, renowned for being a key exchange and networking platform for European music with a proven track record for helping new acts break into the international music scene – a sure one to watch for 2020.
EAUXMAR’s “Given Away/Given Back” is out now
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TICKETS VIA HANDSOMETOURS.COM
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MOURN have released a new single ‘Call You Back’ via Captured Tracks / Remote Control. Cloaked in catchy indie rock melodies, we can always count on MOURN to articulate a universal experience in the simplest, most poignant terms. Maybe we need that now more than ever.
It’s hard to believe that Mourn wrote the line “it’s so hard to call you back, but so easy for me to start panicking” before the onset of a global pandemic, but they’ll assure you that their new single has been finished for months. Unable to shoot the music video they’d had in mind because of Spain’s shelter-in-place mandate, the members of Mourn decided to lean in, recording themselves from home and editing the footage to look like a video call. The irony that the video for a song about phone anxiety would end up being filmed (and best viewed) on a smartphone is not lost on them.
A lot’s changed for the Catalan three-piece since the release of Sorpresa Familia, their boisterous 2018 record, that was praised by Pitchfork complementing their “newfound maturity of songcraft without sacrificing youthful energy” and NPR saying “equal parts joy and rage.” They’ve undergone a lineup change (drummer Antonio Postius left the band in 2019), distanced themselves from their former Spanish label, and done a fair amount of growing up. As a result, they don’t feel as angry as they did on Sorpresa – their new music is brighter, borne of a more peaceful, collaborative creative process. New single ‘Call You Back,’ with its buoyant guitar and sunny vocal harmonies, exemplifies this shift.
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FFRR / HIGHER GROUND
DIPLO & SIDEPIECE – ON MY MIND (PURPLE DISCO MACHINE REMIX)
OUT NOW
Releasing their collaborative single in late 2019 Diplo & SIDEPIECE’s single ‘On My Mind’ have been on a steady ascent to the top of the global charts. Already amassing 20 million combined streams, ‘On My Mind’ has been chosen by BBC Radio 1 for ‘Tune Of The Week’, as well as reaching #1 on US Dance Radio.
As the track progresses, ‘On My Mind’ is primed for a string of official remixes to add new energy to the already bumping collaboration. First to be released is the Purple Disco Machine remix, out now.
An international DJ, producer and remixer, Tino Piontek aka Purple Disco Machine has been on a riding the wave of successes since the conception of the disco house music project in 2009. On a roll and with having made his name with consistently great releases including 2019’s ‘Dished (Male Stripper)’ that achieved the BBC Radio 1 daytime playlist for an impressive 10 weeks and over 15 million combined streams, the single proved to be one of the biggest dance records of last year. With a number of Beatport #1’s, recurrent support from BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong & Annie Mac as well as releases on a string of highly reputable labels such as OFF Recordings, Defected, Sony Music, Universal and now FFRR / Higher Ground, Purple Disco Machine’s list of accolades is endless and sees him as one of the most recognised artists in the disco house genre.
Frequently called upon for his remix skills his ‘Shakedown – At Night’ and ‘Weiss – Feel My Needs’ edits were both enormously successful club smashes achieving #1 Beatport and Traxsource chart positions and multiple radio plays and streams. Meanwhile his remix of Fatboy Slim’s evergreen anthem ‘Praise You’ released on Defected Records soared straight to the top of the Beatport, Traxsource and Club charts gaining millions of streams and securing plays all across Europe.
With each of the three remixes adding a new dimension to ‘On My Mind’, they will certainly ensure its further ascension and spread across the globe.
Diplo & SIDEPIECE ‘On My Mind’ (Purple Disco Machine Remix) is out now on FFRR / Higher Ground
