Albums | UK duo Arliston “Hold My Wine”
Posted by VMan on October 4, 2022
London-based duo Arliston have returned with their hard-hitting second single, “Hold My Wine”, taken from their upcoming EP, Even in the Shade, which comes out next month on November 4th. The calming indie rock gem has a major 80’s flair not only due to the synthesizer sounds but also the lead vox. The song manages to be deeply nostalgic while also resisting sounding cliché, I can’t put my finger on what song or band this track specifically reminds me of but I do love it. A melancholy yet original single, this song is something special. I look forward to hearing their full EP, tune in to “Hold My Wine” above now!
Albums | Saxophone-playing producer SoDown unveils emotive single “Running Out” feat. Bailey Flores
Posted by VMan on October 4, 2022
Denver-based bass producer SoDown has been electrifying fans for years with his saxophone-infused electronic sound. Since releasing his first material in the mid-2010s, SoDown has cultivated a fervent community through his unique sonic blend and magnetic live performances – a skillset that has led to him touring with melodic dubstep icon Illenium, open for seminal influence Pretty Lights at Red Rocks, and land festival slots at Coachella, Electric Forest, Global Dance, Lost Lands, and more. Last month, SoDown announced his highly-anticipated debut album Worlds Beyond, a gripping package that will release on Friday, November 4. Recorded at SoDown’s own Denver studio and mixing everything from dubstep and future bass to reggae and hip-hop, Worlds Beyond is an adventurous LP that seamlessly blurs the line between the organic and the electronic – an album ruminating on life’s ephemerality through a collection of grandiose, bass-boosted epics.
Fans got their first taste of Worlds Beyond with the album’s lead single “All Go Wrong,” an impassioned, bombastic collaboration with vocalist Bailey Flores about regret and resilience in the face of a potentially meaningless existence. Next was the single “Take It Back,” which celebrates SoDown’s growth and evolution by merging old school funk and new school dubstep into an immersive, multi-sensory wonderland.
Now, SoDown once again joins forces with Bailey Flores on “Running Out.” The majestic single reflects on the inevitability of death, reaching for the freedom and release that comes with letting go of daily struggles and cherishing life.
“Running Out” begins with atmospheric textures and a harrowing music box melody before transitioning into grand, poignant piano chords and Bailey Flores’ somber melodies. The track then builds with stuttering drum patterns, a resilient vocal passage, rising synth arpeggios, and backing saxophone licks.
The track’s central drop – a section that acutely reflects SoDown’s current thematic and sonic ambitions – explodes with razor-sharp bass wubs, a reverberating beat, and aching, ethereal saxophone melodies. The result is an immersive, shifting soundscape – an illuminating mix of styles that tells SoDown’s spiritual story in lavish sonic detail.
Fans will be able to catch “Running Out” and other Worlds Beyond tracks during SoDown’s 25+ date nationwide Worlds Beyonds tour, which kicked off last weekend at his debut Lost Lands show. The Worlds Beyond tour will feature festivals like Freaky Deaky and Ember Shores before concluding with a special hometown headlining show at Denver’s Mission Ballroom show on Friday, February 3, 2023. The Mission Ballroom event will feature supporting sets by kLL Bill, Jaenga, Evalution and Josh Teed. Tickets on sale now.
SoDown has toured his magnetic performance, which incorporates live saxophone into bass-booming DJ sets, across the country, boasting a sold-out Red Rocks show last spring supporting Boogie T, two sold-out nights at the iconic Colorado riverfront venue The Mishawaka, and a debut performance at the Shambhala Music Festival in British Columbia.
Albums | Berlin-based rapper Feloneye Releases New Single “Zoom”
Posted by VMan on October 2, 2022
“Zoom” is without a doubt one of the more hype tracks I’ve heard all week. Feloneye is a Berlin based rapper on the come up who really killed his latest drop, “Zoom”. The beat is what initially drew me in due to the catchy brass line and overall high energy vibe to it but he seriously killed this one. From the hook that will be caught in your head the next week, to the lyrically witty verses, he really snapped here. Tap in to the banger above now, that also comes with a sick music video, and read a quote from Feloneye on his new track below!
“‘Zoom’ is about how I could never trust no woman, only trusting the homies, doing things on the streets, how I’m still on my own even though I ain’t alone in this evil world we live in, still hustling in my zone type of vibes. Like always when I’m in the studio with 4RAS and Or1gin, we started laying down the instruments, started vibing, put the kicks and bass on the track and then we freestyled to it ‘til something started hitting. As the first session was done, the owner of the studio pulled up and said ‘thank you for getting the trumpets stuck in my head.’”
Albums | UK R&B Artist Charli Fletcher Shares New Single “Pow Wow”
Posted by VMan on October 1, 2022
Charli Fletcher is a singer and songwriter based in London who explores different topics in her music and is on the come up. Her eclectic lyricism talks about body empowerment, protecting the planet, staying strong during trials and tribulations, love, sensuality and bossing up. The new single and music video for “Pow Wow” is an alt r&b jam that comes with a slick visual and is a great introduction to Charli Fletcher’s music if you are not yet familiar. This one is catchy as hell and will make you feel as confident as ever in your body! Enjoy.
Albums | Conflict Choir Release “Don’t Let Me Drown”
Posted by VMan on September 29, 2022
West Midlands alternative rock band Conflict Choir started out as a band for frontman Ali Clinton’s solo project, but quickly became a much deeper connection. The trio consists of some of the UK’s most diverse session musicians, Ali Clinton, George Cook and Jack Bowles, twisting through multiple genres from rock, R&B, pop, electronic, jazz, metal and many more. “Don’t Let Me Drown” is their latest body of work, taken from the forthcoming album ‘Strange Game”. Sounding like the lovechild of Muse, Radiohead and Jeff Buckley, the astonishing single sounds like an instant classic. Receiving previous support from BBC Introducing, playing venues around Birmingham and Brighton, the group have built a strong fanbase ever since their creation before the pandemic.
Speaking about the single and upcoming album, Conflict Choir share: “This is a single from our full album ‘Strange Game’, which will be released single by single throughout the year. Each single wil have alternative versions that we will sometimes release online but will reserve special versions only available as physical copies for liveshows – something for hardcore fans to dig their teeth into. We’re looking to release a visual representation of our world with each single to immersive the audience even further.”
Turning the pandemic into something positive, the turbulent time and constraining experience gave the band numerous sources of material to write about. ‘Strange Game’ has a heavy mental health theme throughout yet questions philsophical pondering, dystopian outlooks and abuse. Speaking further on the album, Conflict Choir’s frontman Ali Clinton adds: “This album is a mirror of the struggles of living in today’s times through sonic poetry and texture.”
Engineering with the help of their friend Thomas Atlas, the release was further mixed and mastered by Greg Chandler at Priory Studios to take the sound to the amazing HiFi sound that you hear in the finished project.
As session players, the members of Conflict Choir have previously worked with Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions), Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), Girls of the Internet, Thomas Atlas, Sheddy Maria, Mnelia, Gaby K, Cleopatra and Indigo Marshall (who opened up the Birmingham Commonwealth Games).
Albums | The Kount and Kaelin Ellis drop “END OF AN ERA” Ahead of New Album
Posted by VMan on September 28, 2022
“END OF AN ERA” is the second song off of the long awaited collaborative LP between Florida based beatsmith Kaelin Ellis and Toronto based producer The Kount. The forthcoming 13-track-project VIGNETTE is coming soon and my guess is it will be making real waves in the beat scene. One of the cooler things about “END OF AN ERA” is that it started off as a beat video on the guys twitter accounts, and it’s safe to assume some of the other tracks on this project will also be some of the duo’s older collaborations. Tap in above now!
Albums | Shoffy Releases new Album, …Onward & Announces Tour
Posted by VMan on September 22, 2022
Shoffy’s new album …Onward came out a few weeks ago and I am a massive fan of the full thing front to back. The electronic infused pop record is filled with catchy music that is on the cusp of commercial but in the best way. Working on the LP over the past year, Shoffy has been focused on uber focused on creation as of late and is now gearing up for a national tour that starts at this month. A few of my personal favorite songs off of this one are easily “Fade” “Nightmares In NYC” and “Sad Man” but there a ton of great music on it. If you are on the look out for a new album to run through, tune in to …Onward by Shoffy above now.