Electronic | Tobtok Showcases New Sound On “Satellite”
Posted by VMan on May 18, 2022
Swedish dance sensation Tobtok is back with potent new single ‘Satellite’ featuring the mesmeric vocal topline of Danish singer/songwriter Arinn. Released on 13th May via Perfect Havoc, London’s chart-topping label, this new release captures an evolution in sound for the label’s talisman as he bridges the gap between commercial and underground.
Following the impressive ‘My Carousel’ featuring renowned dance vocalist Jem Cooke on Selected, Tobtok wastes no time in sharing another slice of his refined sonic palate. ‘Satellite’ effortlessly crosses over into tougher grooves and meatier melodies whilst retaining the chirpier elements of his past productions. The singleis an instantly gripping affair, kicking off with a catchy vocal hook before diving into firm drum work, pulsating sub-bass and a gritty synth lead that carry the track forwards and bring an undeniable danceability.
Tobtok aka Tobias Karlsson, is one of the most talented artists leading the new wave of Swedish electronic music DJ / producers. He has generated over 500 million streams globally across his original work, remixes and productions for Joel Corry, Robin Schulz and Karen Harding to name a few, on such illustrious labels as Ministry of Sound, Kitsuné and of course, his home at Perfect Havoc.
Tobtok’s highlight outings include the Australian double platinum record, ‘Fast Car’; flexing his DJ skills on Toolroom Records’ ‘Miami Poolside’ compilation; and the 2020 release ‘New Levels’ which as well as being made ‘Tune of the Week’ on BBC Radio 1, picked up key DJ support from Sam Feldt, Sigala, Tiësto and many more.
Arinn (aka. Astrid Ankjær) bridges her own gap between sweet ‘n’ sour and clean ‘n’ gritty. Her productions, lyrics and versatile vocal melt together in juicy soundscapes of ‘feels’ that somehow still relate to each-other. She most recently released ‘Regret’ with Astrality on esteemed label Selected, which has been streamed close to 5 million times.
Perfect Havoc – shortlisted for Best Independent Record Label at the 2022 Music Week Awards – is one of the most successful indie dance labels of recent years. Its trademark sound of commercial dance with a smattering of the more club-focused has generated the label over 3 billion streams. It’s given rise to six UK Top 20 singles including the No.1 single ‘Head & Heart’ by four-time Brit Award nominated producer, Joel Corry.
With a talent-packed schedule for 2022 that also features releases from Just Kiddin, PS1, Varski, Charlie Hedges, Oliver Nelson and many more, Perfect Havoc is guaranteed to serve up a ton of accessible and underground house sounds from both breaking and established talent.
Hip-Hop | PM Lowe Drops “ALL ON ME”
Posted by VMan on March 3, 2022
Rising star PM Lowe is a multi-talented artist who is skillful as both an emcee, vocalist and producer. He kicks of 2022 strong via the new track “All On Me”, a song that was heavily influenced by Kanye West’s classic hit “All Of The Lights” due to it’s feel-good and hype production and overall confident vocal delivery. Tune in above now and read a quote from PM Lowe on his latest drop below.
“‘All On Me’ is a track of reflection, fun and self assurance. I have Mika Ceylon, who is an absolutely amazing artist from Australia, tackle the hook of the song. The instrumental is heavy hitting and triumphant. It makes you feel powerful, while having fun in the process.” – PM Lowe
Hip-Hop | merry choppins and Tim Gent connect on “ib2up”
Posted by VMan on January 27, 2022
“ib2up” is one of the more catchy songs I’ve heard this week. The track is by Nashville based producer/songwriter Tony Esterly aka merry choppins and features a guest verse from local rapper Tim Gent. The high energy electronic and hip-hop hybird release is high energy and as smooth as ever. Check out a quote from MC on the release below and stream their new collaboration above now!
“ib2up started as a hook idea from Tim. I just kept coming back to it after the initial session and tried producing different versions behind it. It went from a hype anthem, to a chill trap beat, and many versions in between. I finally landed on this production on the 6th version of the song when I threw Tim’s acapella over a rap beat I was making, and it finally felt like the song had a home.” – merry choppins
Hip-Hop | lil a-lik Releases Therapeutic Single, “Call Me”
Posted by VMan on January 6, 2022
“I’d honestly say it’s about letting go, reminiscing on the past and ultimately deciding to end things because it just wasn’t good for you. “Messages turn green, remember they used to turn just blue” which is what I say in the hook refers to being blocked on iMessage. Basically the messages (blue) stop being instantly delivered and show up green instead. Signifying the end of a relationship and remembering a time before it all ended.” said lil a-lik on his single “Call Me” and it’s meaning. His vibe blends together the influential modern hip-hop style, alongside aspects of rock and emo intertwined, in what is a cutting edge, sonically diverse sound. It’s clear that lil-lik now has a creative vision and knows what he wants from his music, which is such a hard thing to find, but he brings it in spades in “Call Me”. Tap in above now!
Alternative, Pop | Conal Kelly Drops”Control”
Posted by VMan on December 6, 2020
Bristol, UK based Conal Kelly releases his new track, “Control.” With shimmering synths, dynamic percussion and a grooving bass providing an already irresistible soundscape, the song grows even more magnetic on its outro. Conal is a new name to me but I was blown away by this new single. Check out “Control” above now and read a quote from Mr. Kelly below now!
“The writing/recording of this song was the most I have ever consciously pushed myself out of my comfort zone… it can sometimes be easy to find yourself a little boxed in when you’re writing and recording/mixing every part of a track, but this was my most determined attempt to break away from the habits I’d formed. The whole thing took a couple of months to complete, but the finished track is something I’m really proud of and can hopefully show some diversity in my songwriting! The vocal part really drives the song in my opinion…this is also the first time an outro has been my favourite aspect of a song I’ve written, I love that ending vocal hook.” – Conal Kelly
Hip-Hop | TJ Hickey Delivers Strong Single ‘Challenge’
Posted by Matt Keene on March 16, 2016
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Boston native TJ Hickey fresh off his Summer tour with Huey Mack, Futuristic and Cam Meekins delivers his first single of 2016. Challenge, which features some smooth vocals on the hook from fellow Massachusetts native Jordan Richardson is one of the better tracks we have heard from TJ. Be sure to stay on the look out for future releases from TJ!
Chill, Hip-Hop, Pop | Jack Fiskio Brings Back Summer Vibes With TJ Hickey On “Can’t Look Away”
Posted by Matt Keene on November 13, 2015
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A little late on this one but the Summer vibes are very real on this one and I needed some Summer in my life today. This catchy little tune was co-written by good friends Jack Fiskio and TJ Hickey who both hail from Boston. Jack on the hook and TJ shredding the verses was the perfect formula for this catchy tune.