Albums | NYC producer Cheyne Christian drops stunning afro- house bootleg of Message In A Bottle
Posted by VMan on April 5, 2023
Multi-genre, NYC producer Cheyne Christian has served up an enticing afro-house bootleg
of The Police classic ‘Message In A Bottle’ for release on his own Bridge & Tunnel Beat. Co
label. Titled ‘SOS’ and featuring the renowned singing drummer Josh Dion of Paris Monster,
it’s already been on rotation with Claptone who has supported pretty much everything
Cheyne has put out.
When Cheyne turns his hand to a bootleg, good things happen. His rework of Phil Collins’ ‘In
The Air Tonight’ – also resung by Josh Dion – was a smash, as was ‘Sunglasses At Night’
which went down a storm when Claptone dropped it at Pacha Ibiza in his closing set of The
Masquerade. With rolling drums and a deep club groove set to the famous guitar riff and
vocal of The Police original, Cheyne’s ‘SOS’ has all the constituent parts to be on rotation
this summer.
Cheyne Christian is on a fine run of form with his own New York style of Latin, tribal and Afro
house that has been picked up by such quality labels as Nervous, Toolroom, Saved, Force
Of Habit, Wired, Stealth and more.
Testament to his sharp studio skills, Cheyne has a string of high profile fans that also include
Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim, Roger Sanchez, Oscar G, Cedric Gervais, Sam Divine and Shiba
San.
This new bootleg draws on Cheyne’s years of dancefloor experience. Be it a daytime pool
party, club or at sunset, ‘SOS’ is sure to unite crowds wherever it’s played. Cheyne said,
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Sting, especially his voice. As I started to get into the Afro
house sound and experimenting in my sets, the idea just came to me one day, so I made the
acappella and hired a guitar player from Africa to play the riff over the drums and raw Sting
acappella. It got support from some solid names, so I decided to make it an official release.
Josh Dion was great on my Phil Collins cover, and I just knew he would crush a Sting cover.
I sent him the track and 36 hours later I had the amazing vocals back from him.”
There’s something pretty special about Cheyne; he has a unique DJing history that defies
his years. Cheyne’s selector skills were recognised early on and he was made resident at
the legendary Tunnel club aged just 17. He was a hit across the NYC circuit, warming up for
Danny Tenaglia and alongside Roger Sanchez, and landing residencies and quest spots at
other iconic venues including Webster Hall, China Club and Avalon when he was still so
young. The demand never wavered and today Cheyne can be found soundtracking across
the US including some of his favourite haunts, Somewhere NoWhere (NYC) and House of
Hyde at SLS (Miami).
Albums | xskarma Shares New Single “Hello”
Posted by VMan on April 4, 2023
Charles Grimsdale AKA xskarma is a songwriter/producer/drummer from Bristol, UK, creating a blend of indie pop and trip hop, driven by quirky retro funk-inspired beats. He is also a tech entrepreneur who co-founded one of Europe’s first streaming services, OD2, alongside Peter Gabriel. He is an active technology investor and is non-exec Chairman of on-demand vinyl platform elasticStage. He is also passionate about conservation and tackling climate change, and with previous single “Changing”, he has partnered with OneTreePlanted and donates all streaming revenue for the track towards planting trees in Uganda to help restore some of the most important forest for Chimpanzees.
Filtered drum grooves, wobbly synth pads and deep, punchy basslines are the foundation of many of xskarma’s tracks, and he draws inspiration from bands such as Portishead, Massive Attack, Zero 7, Morcheeba, Lamb and Tame Impala. xskarma only started releasing music in 2020 and already has a multitude of releases under his belt and a fast-growing audience. Looking to build on his momentum, he has just unveiled his brand-new single and first release of 2023, “Hello”.
“Hello” was written and produced by xskarma and features vocals from glasscat. Featuring a smooth, downtempo beat, the track commands attention in the first few seconds and is elevated further once glasscat’s captivating voice kicks in. The track also stands out for its infectious and almost hypnotic chorus. A must-hear single, “Hello” will no doubt draw in new fans for xskarma as it becomes clearer with each release that he is one to watch.
Speaking further on “Hello”, xskarma says, “The track is about the unspoken darkness in a relationship and how sometimes a partner can seem distant and distracted, living in a parallel universe. The inspiration came from a glitchy Timbaland track. I then played the live drum beat as an evolution of that and built the rest from there.”
Albums | Bee Blizz Shares New Single “I Wish We Were Young”
Posted by VMan on April 4, 2023
M. Bryan Hedrick Jr, known professionally as DJ/producer Bee Blizz has been capturing the hearts and ears of fans across the globe. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Bee Blizz has been involved in music since his early life and has spent the last 15+ years DJing. A few years ago, he took a step back from playing shows, and it was during this time he began to produce his own music. Last year, he made his official debut when he started sharing his productions with the world, drawing inspiration from the likes of Wolfgang Gartner, Adventure Club, Skrillex, Joyride, Wilkinson and Etherwood. After a series of releases over the past year, Bee Blizz has just returned with his new single, “I Wish We Were Young”.
Infused with addictive melodies, a huge anthemic hook that will be ingrained in everyone’s head after one listen and lush vocals interlinked with deep electro house beats, “I Wish We Were Young” is Bee Blizz’s most confident release to date and showcases what a huge talent he is. And with plenty more tracks under his belt ready to be unleashed, he doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. Speaking further on the new release, Bee Blizz says, “‘I Wish We Were Young’ is all about being young again. It’s the first track of my career that I spent quite a bit of time putting together because of all of the moving parts. I take pride in all of my creations but it’s not always easy to pull a sound out of my head and make it work in the studio. Then there is also the fact that sometimes the creative juices are flowing and therefore so does the seamless creation of a single. Whatever the case, I will keep creating music for the masses in order for me to stay young and hopefully keep others feeling that way too!”
Albums | juuku Connects with Namelle on “No Turning Back”
Posted by VMan on March 30, 2023
Juuku’s latest release for Dim Mak Records, “No Turning Back,” is a powerful fusion of trap and future bass, enveloping the mesmerizing vocals and lyricism of Namelle in cutting-edge production. The track takes listeners on a thrilling adventure through infectious rhythms and bold emotions, showcasing juuku’s willingness to dive deeper into his own artistic vision. Check out “No Turning Back” above now and keep an eye out for juuku’s forthcoming project coming soon on DIM MAK!
Albums | Ulrika Berg Shares Debut Album
Posted by VMan on March 29, 2023
Ulrika Berg is an artist/singer/writer/producer based in west London, originally from Stockholm, Sweden. She made her arrival last year with debut single “Stay Queen” and hasn’t looked back since. After a busy 2022 with several releases under her belt, the emerging star has now revealed her self-titled debut album. The album features new single “Do You Want It”, which sets the tone for the rest of the project perfectly.
An R&B album that showcases Ulrika’s smooth, warm vocals, playful melody patterns and sensual harmonies, it’s an incredibly impressive project with songs about love and empowerment. Although it’s only her debut, it really emphasises what a huge talent and great addition Ulrika is to the music scene, positioning her as one to watch over the next year.
Ulrika co-wrote the album with David Gerrish, and the pair co-produced it alongside Freemonk. Speaking further on the album, Ulrika says, “I wanted the album to be all about melodies – playful, sweet, soulful and catchy along with warm harmony patterns. The lyrics were inspired by the good and bad kind of love, memories, lust and hope layered over basslines, groove and guitar. I feel colours and seasons when I write music, and this album is summer to me – like a warm breeze in the morning, wind in my hair, feel the ocean on my skin.”
Albums | London Topaz – Promises (ft. Zoe A’dore)
Posted by VMan on March 29, 2023
London Topaz, the brainchild of Australian producer Nick Melitsis, is back with a brand new single called ‘Promises’. This track is a perfect example of his unique blend of indie-dance/electro-house music with alternative-pop influences. Featuring the stunning vocal talents of Melbourne singer/songwriter Zoe A’dore, ‘Promises’ is a pulsating and atmospheric piece of music that will leave you spellbound.
Albums | Baldo Verdú fuses soulful pop melodies with afro-Latin on “AMOR”
Posted by VMan on March 28, 2023
Baldo Verdú’s music is a unique blend of electronic and organic rhythms that is both soulful and pop-driven. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Verdú grew up in a family of folkloric musicians, and this artistic upbringing is evident in his music. He started his musical journey by mastering the vivacity of afro-Venezuelan percussion, and later gravitated towards the guitar, which allowed him to connect his heritage with more universally known music styles such as pop, rock, jazz, soul, and funk.
‘Amor’ is a catchy and melodically flowing track that showcases Baldo’s multi-genre approach to music. It is a fun-filled and emotive track that asserts him as a multi-disciplined artist who is to be taken seriously. Baldo’s goal is to explore the roots and traditions of his culture, and he achieves this by fusing afro-Latin drums with pop melodies, creating a unique sound that is both electronic and organic.