Chonna is a remarkable artist with a passion for storytelling and a voice that is bound to captivate many. Sifting through indie pop, soul, and contemporary in what seems to be an effortless motion, Chonna’s storytelling penetrates deep. Growing up in Texas and since relocating to California, Chonna found relief in the written word and first channeled her angst by writing poetry. Her debut EP “inkBLOT” served as an anthem for those who have experienced trauma and sought to break the stigma surrounding it. With each song, Chonna invites listeners to embark on a journey of healing and self-discovery.
As she prepares for her highly anticipated new music release in 2023, Chonna’s signature blend of vulnerability and strength promises to take audiences on an emotional journey of hope and renewal. As she continues to blaze a trail in the world of music and poetry, Chonna’s new project is sure to be a beacon of light and desire for all who experience it.
Uniting from Toronto and Northampton respectively, but now based in London, Shelf Lives is the brainchild of Sabrina Di Giulio and guitarist/producer Jonny Hillyard. At the forefront, the band makes energetic pop songs that bring the abrasiveness and physicality of punk back to a small, cramped house party setting. Creating music so rowdy you can practically feel the sweat on the ceiling and the sound of crushed cans under your feet, Shelf Lives have won over scores of praise from the likes of NME, Dork, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, and Jack Saunders of BBC Radio 1.
Pairing hardcore punk’s brief bursts of energy with electroclash’s minimal and sleazy sonics, Shelf Lives raise themes of societal collapse and hyper-consumerism with a warped smile. Most recently, Shelf Lives prismatic brand of exciting electro-punk has enabled them slots at The Great Escape Festival, FOCUS Wales, Liverpool Sound City, and Glastonbury Festival.
City Of Orchestras was formed in 2013 by Freeman as a solo bedroom recording project with the
release of its first EP, “640 W.” and has since blossomed into a group of up to 13 musicians with a rotating cast of orchestral improvisers. Most of these musical misfits met at California Institute of the Arts and they have all found a home in City Of Orchestras. The group tends towards orchestral-infused indie music, lush with the freedom of expression that trust and improvisation can bring.
Core band members include: songwriter Dylan Alexander Freeman (Shaki Tavi, ex The Scarlet Opera) on vocals and guitar, Aidan Gould (Club Oro) on synthesizer, Massimo De Maria (Family Cash) on guitar, Dane Meyer (Shaki Tavi) on bass, and Ben Zurier(Croot) on drum kit with improvisers Erin Poulin on French horn, Kimberly Dunning on clarinet & oboe, James Vitz-Wong on upright bass, Henry Webster on viola, Lu Coy on clarinet, with additional vocals by Bridgette Blank and BKLYNN.
Christopher Tignor‘s upcoming album The Art of Surrender, set for a September 29th release via Western Vinyl, marks a return to life, sown from primal impulses and hard-won emotional truths. Unrestrained melodic rapture soars above a propulsive kick drum, speaking a need to move, to dance, to love.
The music is as ambitious as its origins are personal. Tignor plays with scale, crafting multi-movement epics alongside one-minute miniatures. The smallest, most fragile violin gestures, where the finger barely touches the string to extract natural harmonics exist side by side with angular, exotic melodies, asymmetric rhythms, and rapid-fire string crossings. On this album, Tignor digs even more deeply into the violin and its technicolor re-imaginings under his electroacoustic treatments.
The album title refers to the process of letting go of expectations, submitting to the will of the creative process. Following a collapsed relationship that left Tignor alone half-time with his daughter, this period was also one of surrendering to a dark unknown, rebuilding life’s basic meanings from passion and artistic drive.
Likewise, Tignor’s unwavering approach to live performance embraces the rewards of taking risks: using his custom setup with meticulously controlled violin processing and drum triggered synths, this LP, like its predecessors, was created without pre-recorded tracks or live looping, allowing bodily gesture to invite audiences into the process of music making.
Christopher Tignor is a composer, violinist, lecturer, and software engineer, with a PhD in music composition from Princeton. In his early years, he was the personal assistant for LaMonte Young, and was the technical director for Music at the Anthology, a new music festival produced by Philip Glass.
With a gritty, alt-pop sound, Toronto’s Eric Punzo offers his own brand of passionate, introspective songwriting. With his new “Gridlock” EP, Eric is poised to make a powerful impression on the international music scene, while expanding his fan base through both full band shows and intimate acoustic performances.
Managed by Toronto-based Coalition Music, Eric continues to hone his craft with producer Steve Molella (Finger Eleven), with more releases planned on Molella’s label, BAMO Records. Eric’s latest single, “Find a Way To Love (Somebody Else),” is a dark-hued banger, and follows his warmly received singles, “Criminal,” “Nauseous,” and “If I Told You That I Missed You.” With the release of his debut EP “Gridlock”, Punzo explores the dark themes that come with finding yourself in your 20s. Of the EP, he says, “This is a collection of songs that represent the feeling of being stuck. Questioning the progress of my life, career, relationships, if all the hard work is even worth anything. There’s a certain energy in this project that relays the emotion of helplessness but ironically, also empowerment.”
Like many artists of his generation, the concept of genres doesn’t seem to apply any longer when it comes to Eric’s sound. What matters most is using all of his skills to create something fresh and exciting. As he draws inspiration from a vast array of artists ranging from Mac Miller to City & Colour, expect Eric Punzo to keep finding innovative ways to bare his soul through his music.
C.O.F.F.I.N are a four piece hard rock and roll band hailing from Sydney’s northern beaches, featuring a lead vocalist on drums. Forming in 2005 as just teenagers, they played their first ever show alongside Australian punk icons / personal heroes the Hard-Ons at community centre all-ages show. Word spread quickly in those formative years and hometown C.O.F.F.I.N shows soon became more like large-scale, community-gathered events, held at venues that were brave enough to host the always chaotic live performances. A yearn for adventure and a strong sense of DIY-ethics saw C.O.F.F.I.N take to the road in no time. Australia/New Zealand, Asia, North America and Europe were hit on countless self-booked tours. Their passion for travel and experiencing new cultures, undoubtedly built the strong foundation of devoted C.O.F.F.I.N fans worldwide (perhaps even unknowingly to the young band at the time).
Most often, time feels quantifiable and tangible. It’s a clock ticking, counting up from birth and then down towards death or oblivion, or whatever comes after. But even if we don’t completely understand the science, we also know that time is relative. Minutes can feel like years, hours can pass in seconds, years ago can feel like yesterday, yesterday can feel like years ago. And then there’s the future—every second that we haven’t yet lived, but which doesn’t actually exist yet and technically never will. Despite that, it will still run out. It’s these ideas that form the center of Conversations With My Future Self. Musically and lyrically, its eight songs defy the standard concept of time, travelling between past and future but existing wholly in the present. Which, to a certain extent, is also a good metaphor for the Brooklyn based band.
While The Sees—Jamie DiTringo (lead guitar/vocals), Alex Daly (bass), Tim O’Brien (drums) and Yoni Wilkenfeld (synths/keys)—might only have formed in the fall of 2022, the four members bring with them a shared history that goes back years. So as much as the eight songs that make up this full-length are an introduction to a new project—and mark the first time that DiTringo has ever fronted a band—it’s also steeped deeply in a shared, communal past between its members. With all that experience comes a confident certainty that bristles through these tracks—it’s a record that sounds accomplished rather than tentative, assertive rather than uncertain, despite the existential unknowns at the heart of it.
“I’ve always been an active musician,” says DiTringo, “and I spent the Aughts writing songs and having a lead singer in various bands. But being stuck in an apartment at the start of the pandemic, you took a big breath because it just seemed like the world outside paused, and you were able to appreciate the moment and the people you love, even if it was still a shitty time for most of us. I felt like I was a part of it and observing it intimately, but also from far away, if that makes sense.”
Four Faces’ comprised of Daniel Ffrench, Tommy Malone, Diarmuid Goggins, and Eoin Butterfield have had a breakout year. Their previous single ‘Old Scars’, resonated strongly upon release receiving repeated airplay both nationally and internationally on BBC Across The Line, Dan Hegarty and Beta Da Silva on RTE 2FM and Charlie Ashcroft on Amazing Radio. Additionally, the release of ‘Old Scars’ helped generate hype for Four Faces’ most recently sold out Workman’s Cellar show on 12th May 2023 presented by MCD Productions.
With a number of gigs under their belt, the band are now set for a busy winter period with new single ‘’Better option’’ coming out on all platforms on Wednesday the 13th of September which has captivated the live shows as the bands closing song for their most recent sets.
The release of ‘Better Option’ will be celebrated with a headline show at The Workmans Club on October 13, 2023 presented by MCD Productions. Tickets are available for purchase through Ticketmaster now. https://mcd.ie/artists/four-faces
Better Option is a joke that went too far, the first iteration of which was written and fully recorded by guitarist Eoin as a songwriting exercise one day in summer 2021.
“I didn’t think I’d ever use the song as it was way too silly for any of my projects, but when I showed it to the band while cobbling our first setlist together it was clear that we were into something” and it’s infectious energy has been evident in crowds at every Four Faces show.
‘’Better Option’’ stands as an ambitious rock/indie track with drums that knock and guitar parts that can be compared to the lead lines written by Thin Lizzy backed by the slick production of the bands guitarist Eoin. Frontman Daniel Ffrench Mentions ‘’ We’re here. We are out to make a statement as a band, from both a recorded and live perspective. There has been a healthy urgency in our camp to crack on this year and take things seriously. Summer has been good to us and we have a lot of music to put out and want to get on the road immediately.’’
The track was once again mixed and mastered by longtime collaborator Aidan Cunnigham and recorded at The Clinic Recording Studios by David Anthony Curley and Cian Synott.
The group are also due to release more dates for Autumn/Winter 2023, already being on the bill of Damien Dempsey’s shows in Belfast Friday 15th December in Mandela Hall, and closing out the tour with Friday 22nd of December in Vicar street.
With a remarkable sense of momentum, Waiting for Smith continues to captivate as he releases his latest single, “White Light Of Love.” The cherished indie-folk creation is a direct result of the artist’s profound transformative experience during a four-month sabbatical in South Africa. Led by the exceptionally talented singer-songwriter Harry Lloyd and skillfully shaped by the creative expertise of producer Danton Supple, “White Light of Love” seamlessly aligns with the captivating and emotive style that defines all of Waiting for Smith’s compositions.
In a serendipitous turn of events, “White Light of Love” found its way to Waiting For Smith just as he was preparing to embark on a much-needed break to the vibrant landscapes of South Africa. The prospect of such an extended period away from his usual routine was simultaneously thrilling and daunting. Having been guided by the mantra of “keep working hard, don’t stop, stick to the plan” until then, the uncharted territory of “nothing” presented both an opportunity and a challenge.
Feeling the need to set a purposeful intention for this time of exploration and self-discovery, Waiting For Smith channelled his thoughts and emotions into the creation of “White Light of Love.” The song became a guiding light, a tool to keep him aligned with his aspirations even in the midst of uncertainty. Today, he extends a heartfelt invitation, urging listeners to embark on a shared journey.
“I’ll bathe myself in the ‘White Light of Love’ and protection. This was the start of finding my enjoyment back for music and discovering that every day could hold lightness. I’d play ‘White Light Of Love’ to myself most days when I felt lost , and was worried about taking such a long break from music. It became my mantra to joy,” Harry Lloyd reflects.
Amerik, the moniker for acclaimed artist and producer Adam Booth, continues to make waves with the release of his highly anticipated new single, “Nevermind” featuring the legendary Northern Irish talent, Wilfie Gilbert. This collaboration marks the second installment in a trilogy of singles, showcasing the exceptional musical talent emanating from the vibrant Northern Irish music scene.
With a rapidly expanding fan base and critical acclaim from top publications including Hot Press and The Daily Mirror, Amerik has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. His innovative sound and dynamic productions consistently push boundaries, resulting in a unique sonic experience.
“The Real Thing”, the first single from this project, saw Amerik team up with rising star Sasha Samara, known for her captivating vocals and emotive performances, leaving an indelible mark on audiences.
Wilfie Gilbert, a revered figure in the Northern Irish music scene, brings his captivating songwriting and soulful vocals to “Nevermind.” Gilbert’s ability to weave compelling narratives through his music perfectly complements Amerik’s production prowess, resulting in a collaboration that promises to enthrall listeners.
Emerging Northern Irish talent Niall McDowell will also lend his distinctive sound to the third single, “If I Told You.” Together, they combine their skills and artistic vision, delivering a boundary-pushing track that is sure to resonate with audiences.
Reflecting on this exciting project, Amerik expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Working with such incredible talents from Northern Ireland has been a truly inspiring experience. Each artist brings a unique perspective and energy to the table, and our collaboration has resulted in something truly special. I can’t wait for the world to hear these singles.”
“The Real Thing” featuring Sasha Samara was released on August 18th, with the subsequent singles slated for release in the coming months. All tracks will be available on all major streaming platforms.
Amerik extends his gratitude to Arts Council NI and the National Lottery for their support in funding this project.
“A glorious piece of dark ambient music… If ever a song fit the label of headphones music then this is it.” – Nialler9
“The pair’s talent amalgamates in a gorgeous parallel of vocal strength and darkly modern electronic production. Fusing rich synths and chordal progressions, the track acts as a rousing marker of what Amerik’s Bouquet EP will achieve.” – Hot Press
“Amerik unleashes spellbinding synths to pulsate at the perfect moments.” – Yeo Magazine
Eddy Lee Ryder is certainly one of a kind! Her classic-rock-influenced tunes tell tales through a distorted lens, vivid portraits of life on the margins. These songs were originally intended for an upcoming LP; however, they didn’t quite fit as that album came together. They meant too much to Ryder to end up on the cutting room floor – she calls the murder ballad, “Holy S*** I Think I Love You,” her favorite song she’s ever written, so she decided to release them slowly, culminating in next week’s EP release, as she puts the finishing touches on the full-length to be released in 2024.
King Dream is a Bay Area rock ‘n’ roll band helmed by Oakland native Jeremy Lyon, a lifelong songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who crafts dive bar anthems with heart, brains and soul. Hard-rocking yet poignant, his music combines a love for American rock masters like Springsteen and Petty with ‘60s West Coast psychedelia and more contemporary torch-bearers like My Morning Jacket and The War on Drugs — all brought to life by a band of Northern California’s most in-demand players.
Lyon has played Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, toured nationally and internationally, and also knows what it’s like to busk on the street. King Dream songs deftly balance hope and world-weariness. They seem wise beyond their years, and they also have a way of sneaking up on you. Their shout-along choruses and searing guitar solos are at home in a darkened saloon, to be sure, but also — you know the giddy, ragged vulnerability that arrives when you’ve been awake for way too long on a road trip? Between the good times and the clinks of beer bottles these songs inspire a wistfulness, deep in your bones, for a place you’ve never been.
The success of Jamie Duffy’s debut release ‘Solas’ last year is a fantastic story. Since its release in February 2022, the track has been streamed 50 million times and has enjoyed over 20 million plays on YouTube. ‘Solas’ was the most streamed debut release by an Irish artist in 2022. An amazing achievement for the 21-year-old pianist from County Monaghan.
“Eyrie” is the first track from Jamie’s collaboration with Swedish neo-classical composer Peter Sandberg, the track was co-written in London and recorded in Uppsala, Sweden earlier this summer. Peter Sandberg’s track ‘Deep’ was featured in ‘Stranger Things’ (season 3) and his work has soundtracked campaigns for major brands, including Volvo and Tesla. Peter Sandberg’s Top 10 tracks on Spotify have enjoyed more than 320 million streams in total so far.
“Eyrie” has a beautiful cinematic feel and beautifully brings together this musical combination of youth and experience, featuring Jamie’s haunting Irish low-whistle and Peter’s sweeping, orchestral arrangement for 18 string players.
An essential listen for anyone looking for something brand new that instantly captures the stunning, wild and windswept landscape of Ireland, Scandinavia or indeed anywhere that the eagles soar and the sky is endless.
Tehran-based composer and sound artist Siavash Amini stands as one of Iran’s most ambitious and prolific artists. Since July, he has shared two releases, Eidolon and a companion EP titled The Sweat of Earth, which received critical praise from publications like The Wire and Pitchfork. Today, Amini returned to announce eremos, his third release of 2023 and first with American Dreams Records, scheduled for release on October 27. “Eremos” is a Greek adjective meaning uninhabited, desert, or remote, but “the important thing for me is uninhabited,” says Amini, explaining the title of his new LP. For over a decade, Amini has crafted tight, detailed sound pieces drawing from electronic music, electroacoustic experimentation, and classical music traditions, working in solo and group configurations – see collaborations with Iranian duo 9T Antiope, American scholar and poet Eugene Thacker, French ambient composer Saåad, and more. There’s a rootlessness to Amini’s sound and toolkit – unplaceable but nomadic – outside chronology’s nagging sway. Take lead single “The Darkness About the Pole,” which opens with a sustaining coarse hiss – is it sand through the hourglass? Needle tracing a record’s center label? Wind? Heavier components enter as sharply outlined fog. Theirs is a slow arid dance from nowhere traveling somewhere, moving through ghost towns, quarantined museums, and desert plains — not a denizen in sight. 
Resonance, the upcoming album by composer and multi-instrumentalist Joel Styzens, features a full hour of hammered dulcimer, acoustic guitar, cello, piano, and string quartet compositions designed to take readers on an instrumental journey about the transformative power of connection. “In an age of singles and ping-pong streaming, Resonance offers listeners an opportunity to deeply listen, to reflect, to interact with the music by being musically guided or by imaginatively choosing their own adventure,” Styzens says.
Transformation is also a theme in Joel Styzens’ life. Severe tinnitus and hyperacusis sidetracked hiscareer as a percussionist causing him to temporarily lose his identity as a musician while he focused on dealing with symptoms and finding therapies. Styzens founded a Chicago-based support group and he found a new way to create music that his ears could tolerate by writing it himself for stringed instruments, performed at a lower volume. The result was Relax Your Ears (2010), Styzens’ first album, which earned international notice for its acoustic soundscapes.
Resonance connects to Relax Your Ears, which was primarily composed for guitar and cello. The foundation of rhythmic attention is key in any piece he composes—the regard to silence, pauses, a carefully placed vibrato or tempo change. However, the last decade of musical growth has helped Styzens understand more about how he composes by using the grandeur and complexities of classical works and visualizing them as more traditional songs, thereby making them more accessible to a wider audience. He is heavily influenced by his love of 90s grunge and alternative rock, jazz, world music, and his childhood exposure (through his parents) to folk, bluegrass, and old-time string bands. Styzens teaches at Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago and reconnected with the hammered dulcimer there, building upon its percussive qualities. He has practiced yoga and meditation for many years and understands the ability of music to take listeners on a journey or keep them acutely present. Joining Styzens on Resonance are the British cellist Sophie Webber and jazz pianist Rob Clearfield. Webber and Styzens have worked together creatively for years, even living in a shared artists’ house. Through his jazz drumming gigs, Styzens met Clearfield, a pianist with incredible improvisational technique. Styzens brought in the ATLYS Quartet, comprised of Jinty McTavish, Sabrina Tabby, Genevieve Tabby, and Rita Andrade, to deepen the compositional textures. Brought together,Resonance maintains the intimacy of Relax Your Ears while expanding the record dynamically and texturally.
From the first track, “Opening,” Resonance captures the relationship between our connections with others, nature, and the unknown, illustrated through the ensemble’s push-and-pull between quiet, propulsive moments and swaths of expansive string textures. Styzens describes the piece as exploring “the cosmos colliding as a metaphor for the evolution of intimate relationships.” Another bond highlighted on the album is the one between Styzens and his grandmother, who found immense comfort in his music, her final musical request being his piece, “Ascendance.” The composition maintains a consistent sense of motion, while melodies float tranquilly above, literally ascending. “The Garden Suite,” inspired by the Chicago Botanic Gardens, immerses the listener in the natural world. Styzens says “The Garden Suite” examines how “music without words can also narrate and capture specific moments in time,” providing freedom to “choose your own adventure in the moment.” He adds, “But if you want to listen for specific imagery, you might hear dragonflies joyfully darting in the shadow and light of ‘Walled Garden,’ and graceful, falling cascades in ‘Waterfall Garden.’”
In each second of Resonance, the musical gentleness and majesty blend seamlessly through the warmth amongst the musicians involved and the care for the stories behind the compositions. “Resonance is based on connection,” says Styzens, “and how we resonate with each other, with nature, with the great beyond. It’s a celebration of the challenges and triumphs of life and the potential for transformation.”
Fieh, shares their upcoming albumIII via Jansen. With Steve Lacey, Anderson Paak, Bootsy Collins, Gorillaz, Sharon Jones and Amy Winehouse being the inspirations behind the album, we get a hint of which soundscapes shapes the album. Fieh, fronted by Sofie Tollefsbøl accompanied by the proficient musicians Jørgen Kasbo (guitar), Ola Øverby (drums), Kai von der Lippe (keyboards), Solveig Wang (synth and backing vocals), Lyder Øvreås Røed (trumpet, percussion, and horn arrangement), Andreas Rukan (bass) and Thea Arnesdotter (backing vocals), has once again created funk songs with great hit potential, and this time with a harder and somewhat meaner sound. Through music videos, press photos, styling, artwork, and scenography the bands striking creative and colorful expression has become unmistakable through the years. Continuing this path, the artwork for their upcoming album is made by Darius Moreno, among other things known for GoldLink’s latest album cover. Spellemann nominatedFieh, fronted by Sofie Tollefsbøl and consisting of the talented musicians Jørgen Kasbo (guitar), Ola Øverby (drums), Kai von der Lippe (keyboards), Solveig Wang (bass clarinet, moog bass and choir), Lyder Øvreås Røed (trumpet, percussion and horn arrangement), Andreas Rukan (bass) and Thea Arnesdotter (choir), have again created funk songs with great hit potential, and this time with a harder and somewhat meaner sound. Inspired by Steve Lacy, Anderson Paak, Bootsy Collins and soul legend Amy Winehouse, the octet takes us to a retro-futuristic soundscap of funk, neo-soul, pop and r&b. Fieh broke through with the single “Glu” in 2017, which quickly created great international attention and hype around the group. Extensive touring activities brought them to stages all over the world with appearances at festivals such as SXSW and Reeperbahn, and the main stage at the Norwegian Øya festival in both 2018 and 2022. 
Houndsteeth, the indie project formed by longtime friends Grace Ward, Jolee Gordon, and Izzy Da Fonseca, unveiled details for their second full-length album, Hold Your Horses, set to release on October 27 via Otherly Love Records. Formed as a creative refuge, the trio’s work stems from a place of mutual openness and trust, infusing their work with a natural sincerity and spirit of exploration. This ethos is encapsulated by the album’s lead single, “Rodeo,” which Houndsteeth shared alongside today’s announcement. Expanding on the track, the band shared: “Rodeo is a song about feeling like you’re on the brink of gratification, but something is standing in your way. Sometimes that very block is your own fear- fear of being yourself, fear of trying something new, of being unsure your next move. This song is about finding solace in figuring stuff out by yourself while simultaneously coming to terms with and accepting feelings of loneliness as familiar.” 
Los Angeles-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Shiroishi has quickly emerged as one of today’s most protean saxophonists. He is a member of the American hardcore band The Armed, a part of the ambient-jazz quartet Fuubutsushi, and a collaborator with the experimental classical ensemble Wild Up. In the past year alone, Shiroishi has made guest appearances on releases by Agriculture, Algiers, By Storm (Injury Reserve), Chepang, Jaye Jayle & Bonnie Prince Billy, Xiu Xiu, among many others. Following this impressive run of collaborations, Shiroishi today announced his new solo album, I Was Too Young To Hear Silence, set for release on November 10 with American Dreams. While his previous works were meditations on family, IWTYTHS marks a shift as Shiroishi turns his focus inward. Drawing from the Onkyo music movement, Shiroishi uses his saxophone in a reverberant environment to ask “who am I?” and allow space for any answers to emerge. The album’s lead single “how will we get back to life again?” captures a beautiful moment during this honest and compelling dialogue, accompanied by a music video by Nancy Kwon. 
Reimagining the classic cheerleading chantas aNu Metal anthem, Mad Kelly returns with“Be Aggressive”, the first single off his debut full-length album due in 2024. Mad Kelly, known for his distinctive style and boundless creativity, has taken the essence of the movie Dodgeball and injected it with a powerful dose of punk and cheeky visuals. This powerhouse track not only showcases Mad Kelly’s raw talent but also champions the indomitable spirit of the underdog.
The accompanying music video for “Be Aggressive” is a visual spectacle that brings the song’s underdog theme to life. Featuring Mad Kelly and a talented squad of dodge ballers, the video showcases their impressive moves, contagious enthusiasm, and undying grit. The song serves as a battlecry for those who have faced adversity, fought against the odds, and emerged stronger. Mad Kelly’s fierce delivery and evocative lyrics convey the message that resilience can lead to triumph and beckons listeners to relentlessly embrace their individuality: “Well aren’t we tired, of living with these wires pulling us where they want us to be – Beat the box till the walls start breaking…”
The single and music video for “Be Aggressive” is now available on all major streaming platforms. Mad Kelly will be celebrating the release with a live show at iii Points Music Festival in Miami on October 20th.
Derrick Stembridge, a trailblazing talent in the genre, announces the release of his much-anticipated single, “All This Time,” via Labile Records. This new track is primed to redefine the electronic music landscape with its genre-defying artistry and emotional resonance.
A Symphony of Sound: A Collaboration Like No Other
The track features an arresting intro, “After,” by ambient artist Drifting In Silence, laying down a haunting and atmospheric groundwork. This intriguing start smoothly transitions into the main song, offering a sonic journey that’s both diverse and harmonious.
Elevating Electronic Music: A World of Sonic Richness
“All This Time” is a collaboration with vocalist Jaki Nelson, whose voice acts as a guiding light throughout the musical journey. With its blend of electrifying synths, explosive drops, and moving harmonies, the track is a testament to what happens when seasoned artists combine their unique gifts. This is not merely a song, but a transformative experience that seeks to elevate electronic music to an art form.
A Journey Into The Heart of Artistry
Derrick Stembridge has masterfully woven each note, beat, and vocal inflection into a tapestry of sonic brilliance. Listeners can expect to be taken on a journey that explores the depths of human emotion and the height of artistic achievement.
indie rock group Small Crush released their sophomore album Penelope via Asian Man Records, full of introspective anthems for the glade-dwelling fairy folk and daydreaming urban denizens of the world alike.
LISTEN: https://ffm.to/penelope
From the opening lines of the first track to the final languid echo of “Sweetest,” Penelope perfectly encapsulates Small Crush’s ability to find an old bruise you didn’t know you had and serve as the soothing balm for it all at once. Long past their tender beginnings, the band kicks off the album with “Rumblin’ Tummy,” a song that reworks an old fan favorite from their self-titled album. Alongside the rest of Penelope, the track shows that the raw, childlike whimsy that once characterized their music now exists in harmony with a polished brilliance. It catches the light as the band delivers their token “sweetheart rock” sound with practiced dexterity.
As the album rolls on, listeners will encounter meandering tracks like “Falling,” and “Running,” embarking on a journey from bittersweet nostalgia or heartache to the saccharine, summery vibes and indie-punk fluorescence of “Be Back Soon” and “This Time Around.” Penelope is equal parts innocence and keenly perceptive philosophical musings. “Penelope, a name I called everything I could when I was little,” explains frontwoman Logan Hammon, “is filled with mixed emotions of growing out of childhood and figuring out who you are along the way. I hope it brings reflection and comfort to anyone who listens to know they aren’t alone in their feelings.”
Small Crush tackles the delicate intricacies of the human condition, weaving through deeply resonant themes like emotional resilience, self-doubt, and grappling with the passage of time. In “This Time Around,” Hammon croons, “Through it all, there is no way out. I don’t know what I should do next / and if I could turn back the time maybe it would all just make some sense.” Eventually, the band pivots from uncertainty and longing to self-assuredness and leaves listeners with one final message in “Sweetest,” the enchanting final act of the album: “Something just feels right / An unbreakable light / Is shining on my face / Didn’t know I can feel this way / Didn’t know I could feel this way.”
alt-electronic artist Crywolf and alt-bass producer AWAY return as their collaborative project ANTAGONÏZER with their new single ‘BOW DOWN’. The single serves as the second off their forthcoming EP via Rezz’s label HypnoVizion.
Entrenched with the deviant, unconventional nature that characterizes the ANTAGONÏZER project, ‘BOW DOWN’ is an enthralling followup to their debut single ‘STATIC’. Continuing to leave fans captivated by their unapologetic exploration into the darkest depths of the human psyche, ‘BOW DOWN’ is an apocalyptic tale of power and domination, reflecting on the universal desire to conquer and to yield. Crywolf’s raw, poetically ruthless lyricism combined with AWAY’s surgically brutal production unleashes a relentless musical assault, seething with a calculatedly savage energy rarely found in the world of electronic music; a prime example of ANTAGONÏZER’s masterful fusion of raw intensity with refined complexity.
Both known as boundary-pushing and uncompromising artists in their own right, collaborators Crywolf and AWAY have already firmly cemented their places as two of electronic music’s most innovative and exciting artists, with over 330 million total combined streams, dozens of chart topping releases under their belts and ravenously loyal followings. The combination of their talents across three previous collaborations has resonated with listeners in uniquely potent ways, with each track skyrocketing into multi-millions of streams and becoming fan favorites almost immediately upon release. After recognizing the natural artistic synergy between them and seeing such intense support, forming their collaborative ANTAGONÏZER project was a no-brainer.
Brazilian wunderkind Cour T. releases ‘QUEENLOVE’, the fourth and final single off his forthcoming debut album Brain Deals out October 6th via Dirtybird Records.
An adventurous addition following earlier singles ‘TRiPPPY’, ‘2D5’ and ‘TRiiiBAILE’, ‘QUEENLOVE’ flows with magnetizing movements through full-bodied basslines, dizzying synths, and smooth, rolling drum patterns. As with its predecessors, ‘QUEENLOVE’ sees Cour T. continuing to carve a unique path with his hypnotic tech-house style. Through vivid layers of spunky rhythms and bubbly melodies, ‘QUEENLOVE’ carries a zesty energy throughout its five-minutes.
Based in Curitiba, Cour T. is quickly becoming a vanguard within Brazilian house music and beyond. No stranger to Dirtybird, Cour T. has a longstanding history with the iconic American house and techno label, having released seven EPs on the label including last year’s Florestao. His trademark sound, a mix of percussive rhythms, repetitive basslines, and deep, psychedelic synths, has garnered the support of Claude VonStroke, Claptone, Chris Lake, Dennis Cruz and Jamie Jones.
singular South African artist Muzi releases two new singles – ‘Milk & Honey’ featuring British rapper The Last Skeptik, and ‘Light’, off his forthcoming album uMUZI, due out October 13th via Fool’s Gold Records. Along with the pair of singles, Muzi has announced the tracklist for uMUZI.
Offering a glimpse into the dynamic, genre-fluid sounds of his upcoming project, ‘Milk & Honey’ and ‘Light’ are a compelling pairing. ‘Milk & Honey’ is soft and earthy, blending The Last Skeptik’s minimalist hip-hop approach with Muzi’s magnetic production. Surrounded by warm synths and muted trumpet melodies, Muzi and The Last Skeptik share their holistic message: “In a world of excess, in the land of milk and honey, I choose less. I choose my introverted nature. I choose myself,” says Muzi.
Its companion, ‘Light’, flaunts Muzi’s spirited house inclinations. Rolling percussion, shiny synths and groovy basslines lay a charismatic backdrop for Muzi’s soulful vocals as he smoothly transitions between English and Zulu. A beautiful dedication to his late mother, ‘Light’ is about commemorates the familial values that have remained with Muzi as he’s transitioned into parenthood. Muzi explains, “‘Light’ is an ode to my mother. Keeping me sane through the darkest times. My light.”.
Parallelle are two Amsterdam-based brothers from the south of France. Multi-instrumentalists, composers, producers and label owners, their music cuts across electronica, electro-jazz and underground dance music. They offer live, hybrid and DJ sets which you may have heard at DGTL Festival, Burning Man, Wonderfruit, Fusion, Hi Ibiza, Get Lost, We Can Dance to name a few. In 2019, they launched their own artist imprint – Klassified Records – and opened “The House of Klassified” in Amsterdam: a creative hub combining studios and recording facilities, an art gallery and co- working spaces.
After a lot of experimenting, Julien and Thomas feel confident to have now found their unique, signature to take on electronic club music with groovy rhythmics, a heavy and banging bassline, live recorded instruments and uplifting vocals. Crosstown Rebels, DGTL Records, Sapiens and Klassified are their musical homes. Next to producing music, both brothers have always been fascinated by the power of audio-visual. When they were approached by Peugeot to create music for their Peugeot 5008 ads, it opened up a whole new world. Fascinated by how music and sound play such an underrated part in film making, they decided to dive in it and expand their Klassified label brand by offering sonic branding services.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sorcha Richardson is set to captivate audiences once again with her latest single, ‘Map Of Manhattan’, slated for release on September 20th via Faction Records. This evocative track offers a poignant exploration of the complexities within relationships, delving into the anxieties and intense emotions that unfold over the course of a single night.
“‘Map Of Manhattan’ began as a quick demo recorded in New York on a day off on tour in March. It came together over a few days in Belfast this summer and it was one of those songs that sort of appeared almost fully formed from the start,” reveals Sorcha Richardson. “It’s about second guessing yourself, or someone else, in a relationship, and how the intensities and fears of that relationship play out over a single night. It’s sort of about bracing for heartbreak, not because you think it’s coming, but because it’s the thing you fear the most.”
This release marks a significant moment in Richardson’s career as she prepares to make her US and Irish tour. This milestone follows a string of successes, including a No. 1 Independent Irish album, a triumphant European and U.S. tour, and an acclaimed cover of her song “Shark Eyes” by Ellie Goulding.
Soulful vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer from Monaghan, living in Dublin, Rachel Mae Hannon is releasing her latest neo-soul groove ‘INFINITY‘ Sept 22nd. The single comes out as Hannon gears up for her headline show in Whelans Main Room Oct 20th, presented by MCD.
Tickets – https://www.ticketmaster.ie/rachel-mae-hannon-tickets/artist/5360339
Written by RMH and Ciaran Lavery in Jan ‘23, ‘INFINITY’ is about how serendipity can make enduring connections and how someone can walk into your life one day and have an ever lasting impact on you. They then become part of your pool – your infinity pool.
Produced by Belfast’s own Matt Weir, this track has an emotive resonance. With its captivating music video (shot by Tim Shearwood) set in Rachel’s hometown in Monaghan, Ireland, ‘INFINITY’ is a must-add for a touch of soulful magic.
In 2022 alone, RMH supported HAIM at the Trinity Summer Series, Tom Odell in The 3Olympia, Eloise in The Sugar Club, and played the main stages of festivals such as Electric Picnic, Sea Sessions, Indiependence, We’ve Only Just Begun and New Year’s Festival Dublin 2022. Rachel made her TV debut on RTÉ One’s New Year’s Eve Show hosted by Jenifer Zamperelli who suggested Rachel as being ‘tipped for international stardom’ in 2023 and dueted with Danny O’Reilly from The Coronas as part of RTÉ’s The Main Stage.
Since 2023 begun, Rachel has already performed her single ‘The Boys’ on The Late Late Show, played at different festivals like Body & Soul, All Together Now, Bulmer’s Secret Orchard in Clonmel and more. Rachel is also set to play her MCD presented gig in Whelan’s Main Room on Friday October 20th 2023.
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
