Born-and-raised Detroit staple DJ Holographic, who’s emerged as a cornerstone of the new wave of house/techno talent coming out of the city, has announced her debut album House In The Dark. The announcement comes alongside the release of a new single, “Gemini,” which swirls disco, funk, and house music into a potent dancefloor groove. It’s out now via her brand new label, Through The Veil.
Delivering a new single each month over the course of a calendar year, House In The Dark will sonically explore each zodiac house on the shoulders of the new label. The ambitious, extremely personal body of work channels her deep ties to astrology, in which she’s discovered life-changing healing powers. This process of creating art allows DJ Holographic to tap into the practice of shadow work, a type of psychotherapy that allows her access to repressed parts of herself, finding answers about everything from her childhood experiences to romantic relationships to creative blocks.
“Creating ‘Gemini’ had me exploring my house that involves relationships, from partners, business partners communication, and relation to things in my life. Healing two-sided relationships from my past that were never upfront with their true intentions had me seeing double-masked faces, holding all the cards. I slowly healed and left the masks at the masquerade to fully see people’s intentions with me before the betrayal… My Gemini brothers and sisters, this anthem is for you. A funky yet floaty—like the beautiful butterflies you are—twirl that will have crowds surrounding you like a disco ball.” — DJ Holographic
emerging pop singer-songwriter Jacklyn debuts her latest single ‘LoveDrunk’. Complete with her signature slick, smooth vocals and infectious up-beat pop energy, Jacklyn solidifies her status as one to watch in the vibrant London music scene with this new release. ‘LoveDrunk’ is available on all streaming services now, distributed via Apollo.
emerging electro-pop artist vi0let returns with her brand new single ‘For The Better’. This dynamic track, featuring vi0let’s signature slick vocals and an upbeat electro-pop beat, is set to captivate listeners and further establish her as a growing force within the music industry. ‘For The Better’ is available now on your streaming service of choice via APOLLO Distribution
Support Palestine by purchasing the compilation ‘From Manchester to Palestine: Volume 2’ on Bandcamp HERE. RUN is one of the 85 tracks on the record that will see all proceeds going to the people of Gaza.
RUN is your sign to not look back. Born from making peace with past pain and harnessing back energy for yourself, RUN is a passionate and powerful offering from artist and producer Tiiva.
Sharing more on the track they explained: Run is a song about healing and retrieving yourself among the chaos of the world. It is about discovering your true power and letting go of painful memories to return back to yourself, the kindness of community and reawakening your seemingly impossible dreams. It is about letting go of trauma and allowing yourself to be flawed and human and reframing pain into power and strength.
RUN is the second single to come from the Bristol-based artist this year and follows ‘Tornados’ which fans were treated to back in March. The defiant track arrived as a reminder to keep pushing back against whatever odds life may throw at you. RUN is a harmonious next move to what is becoming an empowering and impressive body of work. With their sophomore EP on the way later this year to complete the picture, it’s just one of many reasons to keep all eyes on Tiiva!
Since their launch, independent artist and producer Tiiva has made a name for themself with their recipe of reflective lyricism, pop euphoria and weightless production. Writing songs with humbling transparency, Tiiva’s fearless approach to music has resonated with many, already scooping support from the likes of Clash, DIVA, Them., The Line of Best Fit, Wonderland and many more.
Tiiva takes inspiration from the likes of Caroline Polachek, Oklou, Wet, AG COOK and other artists who choose to stray outside the lines in pursuit of their art. With an undeniable skill for courageous storytelling, through both their lyrics and sonic choices Tiiva continues to thrive as they push on with the construction of their multifaceted, abstract pop world.
Based in Paris, SACHA is the musical project of multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer Sacha Arnaud, formerly known as Johnny Longlegs. Following years of creative work and touring with many different artists and bands in the Berlin and Paris scenes, SACHA is now unveiling his debut EP, CHANGE OF HEART, a turning point of his career and the start of a deep search for authenticity, as he delves into themes of family and identity.
In anticipation of the upcoming EP, SACHA has released two live performance videos of songs that were written under the moniker of Johnny Longlegs. These are 100% live, with no edit and all filmed in just one shot by the talented Reuben Bocobza, who used analog camera lenses on his digital camera.
“Nothing Else” was written about a period of time where SACHA didn’t have his own place. Living a vagabond lifestyle, the songwriter shares, “I was free flowing, moving from city to city on tour, working on music or just visiting friends and family. It was an incredible experience but it also shed a lot of light on how lonely I feel a lot of the time and for that, this song is precious to me.” “Nothing Else” features gentle plucky guitars that accompany SACHA’s velvet vocals, before spine-tingling harmonies enter resulting in a simple yet celestial release.
“Flowers” is a love story written after meeting someone in California, just before the pandemic started. He confides, “We only hung out a few times in L.A, had a couple dates and we never saw each other again after that.” The song expresses the journey of going through the intense feeling of love, making everything magical, reaching heights you didn’t know existed before and then falling back down to the ground. The heartwarming track glows with a warmth, with raw and romantic lyrics that float delicately over organic instrumentation.
CHANGE OF HEART is slated for release later this year. Stay tuned for more, as SACHA enters his new chapter.
Electronic visionary Rezz has released her highly-anticipated edit of her hit ‘Edge’ out now via mau5trap.
Rezz has made her grand return to mau5trap with an evolutionary new version of her 2016 classic ‘Edge’. Reworking the original’s industrial stomper tones, this rendition of ‘Edge’ is eerier, darker, and resonates with the melodic hypnotics weaved throughout her recent album CAN YOU SEE ME?. Notching the pace with spiraling basslines and galactic toplines, Rezz’s 2024 version catapults ‘Edge’ eight years into the future, now honing sounds beyond its time, in line with Rezz’s forward-thinking bass era.
“I love my new version of ‘Edge’. I made it so quickly and organically. The direction was so clear. It is so fun, and certainly it’s meant to be heard on loud speakers!” – Rezz
On the heels of their acclaimed new album, Heavy For A While, Byland releases the official music video, “Two Circles.” Directed by Chris Cunningham of Dark Details, the video places frontwoman Alie Renee Byland into limbo, wandering through fragments of her past. Eagle-eyed fans may spot some familiar mementos, such as a pair of chattering teeth (a nod to the “Two Circles” single art and lyrics) and a spinning chair that has seemingly separated from the laws of gravity and physics. WATCH HERE.
Ivor Novello’s ‘Rising Star’ Winner Master Peace connects with Santigold in a razor sharp rework of his track, ‘Santiladang’. Combining Peace’s effervescent delivery with Santigold’s unique & vibrant style, the track is yet another demonstration of Master Peace’s growing presence in the indie scene.Speaking on the release, Peace states:
“ It was a dream to get one of my biggest inspirations on a song especially a song that I knew I wanted her on in the first place, she was the original trailblazer and blueprint to this sound and it feels good to get the nod from her, long live SANTIGOLD!”
legendary DJ/producer MK releases his first new single of the year, “She’s In The Club,” featuring 20-year-old Iranian singer and rapper Asal, out now Ultra Records / Columbia UK.
Debuted on the mainstage at EDC Las Vegas last weekend in front of a crowd of over 70,000, the track is already poised to be heard at festivals and clubs all summer long. The vocal is an unexpected yet welcome shift in MK’s sound as he taps into Asal’s deep, monochrome vocal style that effortlessly rides along a punchy house groove.
With over 1 billion global streams across his catalog and past performances at Coachella and Glastonbury, MK continues to be one of the most prolific and influential producers in dance music worldwide. His hit “Rhyme Dust” with Dom Dolla, the house song of summer in 2023, has amassed over 150 million streams globally and sustained a #1 position at US Dance Radio and a Top 10 record. The record also earned MK his first ARIA Award in Australia.
Annabel Lauren, an emerging talent in the indie music scene, is set to captivate listeners today with her latest single, ‘alone’. This soft and melodic track, rich with emotional depth and sonic layers spotlights this newcomer as a promising voice, shaped by her authentic life experiences to date. ‘alone‘ is available now on your streaming service of choice, via APOLLO Distribution
Rising Paris outfit Zoe’s Shanghai drops their intimate new jazz cut “Scratching” – via Naïve Records
Bursting with woozy guitar licks and tender, psychedelic melodies, “Scratching” emerges as a warm canvas for Zoé Renié Harris (guitarist and lead singer) to flaunt her spellbinding vocals shining in perfect harmony. With the Jamaican heritage artist describing the track as a “conscious step into the labyrinth of my romantic relationships”, her intimate tone portrays vulnerability at a complex crossroads
exploring new love, while the dazzling armour carried across the music video displays a familiar instinct to stay guarded; an intoxicating juxtaposition that gradually pulls away and reveals Zoé’s internal affirmations moving towards peace and enlightenment.
Speaking on “Scratching”, Zoé mentions: “This song is a result of the conversations and collisions I’ve had on the road towards trust and understanding with my partner. Scared of what I can’t control, I find myself repeating patterns of behaviour. It is like coming back to a door but struggling to open and step through it. The music glides between delicate intimacy and sweeping dreamlike waves, echoing the rhythms of persistence, choice and strength experienced in this relationship.”
Nashville-based pop singer and songwriter Leah Mason announces her debut album, Hexed, out July 26th, and presents the album’s third single, “Midas Touch.”
Guided by sun-soaked indie-pop production, Leah’s vocals shine on her new heartfelt pop ballad. In contrast to her recent angst-driven anthems like “YOUR BOYFRIEND SUCKS” and “Klepto,” Leah finds power in her vulnerability on “Midas Touch.”
“I feel like I have a talent for always being the one before THE one,” she writes. “When you know you’ve left someone a better person than you found them, it can just feel so unfair that someone else gets to reap the rewards. It’s felt like it’s been the year of engagements in my life, and it’s always particularly hard to see the person you once loved and taught how to love go on to build a life with someone else.”
Multidisciplinary music & visual artist Laura Pieri reveals her new EP, Frankie. The EP will be accompanied by a short film which will premiere on June 17th.
The 4-track EP came to be when Pieri was at the point of almost giving up on her career. Inspired by what her farewell to the industry should sound like, the story of Frankie, a woman reclaiming her power, was born. In an EP that cycles through the great, bad, good, and ugly of self-discovery, Pieri emerges as an artist who has rediscovered her voice. The EP was co-written with an all-female team of songwriters and executive produced by Skyler Cocco.
The EP follows the protagonist, Frankie, who represents a woman navigating male-dominated environments. She is a foil story for women in predatory industries. Inspired by stories like Frankenstein, Suspiria, and Persephone, the characters in the Frankie story represent not only the ability of women to adapt and camouflage according to the circumstances of the moment, but also the sensation of imprisonment of having the need to have a myriad of versions in order to do so.
Across the EP’s 4 tracks, Pieri guides us through Frankie’s journey from disillusionment, anger, and finally, acceptance. “The EP was born out of a transitional phase for me,” Pieri writes. “I was mourning what I believed was me needing to give up on my career. I had felt that walking away was a necessity, and instead set my goals into pivoting into academia with corporate America as the end goal. However, leaving one male dominated field for another and feeling similar feelings come up made me see I was trying to run away from ghosts. Instead of running, I sat with them, and from that the story of Frankie, a woman reclaiming her voice and power, was born.”
Canada’s 2023 wildfire season was the most destructive ever recorded and as we head into what looks like another disastrous summer, Vancouver folk-roots musician Etienne Siew shares a song of hope for the BC communities affected by forest fires with his new single ‘Leviathan’ out now on all digital streaming platforms. Listen here.
The 2nd single from Etienne’s debut album set for release on June 20th, ‘Leviathan’ is a song about the battle for hope, dedicated to the people who have suffered catastrophic loss, in the wake of the wildfires that continue to sweep across North America.
“This is a heartfelt message to the communities of Lytton, Monte Lake and Ashcroft who fought as best they could, while awaiting help from the brave and selfless fire response teams,” says Etienne. “After visiting friends who had been affected, witnessing mountains reduced to ash, and hearing stories of the community’s strength in the face of disaster, I was compelled to write this song. I hired an artist from Ashcroft to create the piece for the single art, as I wanted a personal connection to the people there and to help someone specifically from one of the affected areas.”
JUNO Award-nominated alternative artist Ruby Waters shares her highly anticipated debut full-length album ‘What’s The Point’. This new release is a quintessential piece of work Ruby has dedicated hours and hours cultivating with the help of her long-time producer, Sam Jackson Willows. Following the success of her pre-release singles, which have already captivated audiences and critics alike, ‘What’s The Point’ is set to make a significant impact on the alternative music scene. The record comes ahead of Ruby’s Headline UK/EU Tour, which begins on the 4th June in Birmingham. ‘What’s The Point’ is available now on all streaming platforms via Wet Records Inc.
Rising San Francisco-based producers n808 and GOLES have teamed up for a new single ‘Caddy’ out now via Dirtybird Records.
Over his last few releases on the label, n808 has garnered a reputation for his playful, no-holds-barred spirit, and his latest with GOLES is no different. ‘Caddy’ blasts off with repetitive arpeggiated basslines, intent on getting its listeners primed for a full four-minutes of shuffling. Fueled with the energy to take on dancefloors far and wide, n808 and GOLES will have the flock grooving to their fiery late-night roller.
San Francisco-based producer n808 has quickly become one of the label’s most promising rising talents. n808 first appeared on the 2018 Campout West Compilation, returning to the label in 2022 with Mike Kerrigan for ‘Penguin Hit Squad’, which would go on to receive an official remix from Claude VonStroke himself. Last year, n808 supported Claude VonStroke throughout the Dirtybird Players Tour and landed on the Dirtybird Players Compilation with ‘The Cat’s Pajamas’.
MERGUI
Shadows of Blue (Stripped)
• Mergui releases a stripped version of his sophomore EP, Shadows of Blue, featuring focus track, “Look Easy” (Stripped). This intimate interpretation of his EP was co-produced by Mergui and Asaf Rodeh for Direction Music, and recorded at the iconic Village Studio (Jim Morrison, Fleetwood Mac, Lady Gaga) in Los Angeles with a six-piece live orchestra.
• “I remember I was so excited about this day that when I got to the mic my voice was already gone. I was so stressed out. But eventually, the magic happened and we performed what lived in my head for a long time – the stripped version. Just a piano, guitar, and a string quartet. Oh… and me.” — Mergui
Swiss electronic duo Adriatique have united with Austrian-Swedish pairing Solique for their new single ‘Changing Colors’ featuring singer-songwriter Also Astir out now via X Recordings.
Over a sprawling 5-minutes, Adriatique and Solique let their percussive-heavy melodic techno take form. On ‘Changing Colors’, the pair of duos have beautifully balanced deeply rhythmic instrumental movements with airy backings for Also Astir’s ethereal vocals. The latest addition to X Recordings showcases the level of depth amongst the foursome as slow-burning builds turn to sophisticated breaks, keeping a steady pace to move dancefloors far and wide.
Award-winning Portuguese producer/DJ HOLLY has dropped his new single ‘IF YOU JUST A PUNK’, the first single off his forthcoming Angel In The RaveEP, out now via HypnoVizion.
Inspired by the gritty, distortive sounds of phonk music, HOLLY’s first solo single on HypnoVizion is a dizzying display of his experimental antics. Primed with a hard-cut vocal sample, ‘IF YOU JUST A PUNK’ erupts with high-octane saws and hollow-hitting percussion. HOLLY was encouraged by Rezz to challenge himself, reworking a demo from 2019 into the track’s current form. ‘IF YOU JUST A PUNK’ is a nod to HOLLY’s technical and artistic evolution, bridging elements of his older sound with the refined skill he’s developed over the years.
“‘IF YOU JUST A PUNK’ is my new song and I am super happy to release it with such a beautiful family as HypnoVizion. I started this song back in 2019 and showed it to Rezz while we were working on ‘DYSPHORIA’. Rezz said I should finish it up and release it, which was kinda a reminder that a song is never too old to put it out. Now we can all enjoy it together. Hope you love it as well!!!” – HOLLY
Best known for his two decades of fronting scene icons The Used, Bert McCracken has officially announced his brand-new solo project robbietheused. When people reach a milestone birthday, they tend to celebrate the occasion with an appropriately big gesture — a special vacation, maybe, or an extravagant gift. When robbietheused turned 40, that meant adopting a brand new moniker and making a leap to a brand new genre.
“I wanted a nice 40th birthday present for myself,” he says. “So I decided to make a pop record.”
robbietheused found the transition from aggressive rock music to keyboard-driven pop music rather easy to navigate. “I’ve always tried to push for the poppy stuff for The Used records,” he says. “And the band really likes to keep it heavy. So this is my way of getting all those pop songs that maybe wouldn’t make a Used record out into the world.”
To kick off the new chapter, robbietheused has released his debut single “Just A Little Bit” via Big Noise. Produced by John Feldmann, the track showcases the familiar angst of robbietheused’s lyrics overlaid with a hesitant hope for brighter days, wrapped up in a synth-tinged pop groove that makes it impossible to stand still while listening.
Emerging from Prague, NOANNE is an artist whose melodious tales paint vivid landscapes of raw emotions and unconventional perspectives. She weaves a mesmerizing tapestry of sound, drawing listeners into her realm of introspection and self-discovery. In a world where conformity reigns, NOANNE stands as a delightful enigma, finding solace and inspiration within her introverted nature. The stages of theater, the reels of film, the realms of music and the captivating world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) become her sanctuary, where she sheds the veil of self-consciousness and steps into the spotlight of pure artistic expression. It is through these immersive artistic mediums that she reveals her true essence, leaving no corner of her soul unexplored.
Her latest release “Careless” transcends the traditional boundaries of a song, morphing into a profound narrative that explores the harrowing depths of obsession, rejection, and the eventual path to self-destruction. Through its poignant lyrics, it encapsulates the tumultuous journey from the intoxicating allure of an idolized ideal to the crushing despair of realizing such ideals are unattainable.
The emotional trajectory of the song, marked by phases of curiosity, attraction, obsession, and subsequent hatred, mirrors the complex process of grappling with one’s self-identity and the inherent human struggle for self-acceptance. This narrative is not just a story told in melody but a reflection on the dangers of losing oneself in the pursuit of perfection, serving as a poignant reminder of the fragility of the human spirit when faced with the constructs of idealism.
The song’s evocative storytelling prompts listeners to reflect on their own experiences with aspiration and self-worth, making “Careless” a deeply resonant piece that stays with you long after the last note fades.
Serena Ittoo is a singer-songwriter from Enfield, UK, whose music delves into the universal emotions of everyday life. Her authenticity shines through in both her music and personal interactions.
Her latest single “Another World” narrates the desire to see the world through another person’s eyes. The songwriter adds, “The song’s lyrically structured in a way to highlight the person’s intention being much more sentimental than what you may think on initial first listen. It’s about meeting someone who you believe is amazing in every way and now wanting to really get to see the world through their lenses so that you can understand and be everything they deserve. The aim is not to be this person’s ‘dream partner’ but to instead embrace the vulnerability in wanting to learn, understand and accept their flaws highlighting that this is not a “make believe” connection.”
Exploring themes such as curiosity, passion and devotion, the lyrics of her latest single “Another World” tell a sentimental tale. With pure and raw emotions, “Another World” articulates this in an authentically dreamy and powerful way. The empowering electro pop track oozes with confidence as Serena’s soulful vocals soar over twinkling, ethereal synths and fast-paced percussion.
Serena’s dedication to her craft has led to collaborations with Grammy winner Gary Nicholson and notable songwriter Jeff Cohen, and performances at significant venues, including Sir Paul McCartney’s childhood home. Her work has been recognised by Notion, Earmilk, Atwood Magazine, Record of The Day, and more. Serena’s music invites listeners to appreciate their individuality and the connections that unite us all.
Email:neill@outloudculture.com
Socials: @neillfrazer
