Albums | Melodic Techno Artist Burko Unveils His Vocals In “Here Before”
Posted by VMan on February 4, 2022
Burko has taken over the SoCal scene by storm with his uniquely dark-yet-melodic style of house and techno. Today, he releases “Here Before” debuting his own sweet falsetto on the track.
Burko tells us: “When I wrote “Here Before” I was in my last bit of grad school, and had a lot of pressure from family to go into a more traditional line of work after graduation. I knew I needed to push myself and the Burko project harder if I was going to move into music full time after graduating, so I decided to do something with this song I had never done before, sing on my own track. Putting nerves aside of letting my singing voice be heard, I wrote these vocals around the theme of “staying the course.” The lyric in the song, “Don’t lose sight of why we’re here” is a reminder to myself not to lose sight of the dream of making music and touring after graduation, instead of a more traditional route. And the title, “Here Before,” refers to the place in my mind I sometimes end up at, when fear of the future sets in and I have to remind myself to stay the course.”
Beginning his production journey only a few years ago, Burko’s music has been picked up and played by many established DJ’s including Kyle Watson, Steve Darko, Wongo, Londonbridge and SNBRN. Key early support from heavy weights allowed for Burko to sail to the forefront of California’s burgeoning underground scene in a very short order. In 2021, Burko headlined the iconic Spin Nightclub, Bang Bang and played the Grand Artique Stage at Insomniac’s Beyond Wonderland Festival.
2022 sees Burko rolling out his debut EP, titled Infrared — a 4-track tour de force highlighting the producer’s unequaled style of “Medieval House” music.
Hip-Hop | SUBSTANTIAL and KD FOXX team up for “Your Greatest Weapon”
Posted by VMan on January 23, 2022
Maryland-born emcee, producer, and artist Substantial joins forces with KDFoxx for dope new collaboration called “Your Great Weapon.” If Legendary rapper/activist, Chuck D of Public Enemy refers to Substantial as “One of the great MCs of our time.” it’s clearly time for him to be on your radar as well if you’re not yet familiar with his music. Check out a quote from Substantial on the release below and stream his new single Your Great Weapon featuring KDFoxx avove!
“Your Greatest Weapon is about self-empowerment and realizing that the most powerful weapon that we have is our voice.” Adding to Substantial’s quote, KDFoxx shares, “Music is the entity that forged angels. Sing a song only few will understand, and it shall be your greatest weapon.”
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!
Electronic | Sintra remixes 44hydra
Posted by VMan on December 9, 2021
G-House may be a thing of the past but bass house will always be around, and a newcomer on the scene is currently making a name for himself in that space; Sintra. The Nashville producer/DJ is an up-and-coming act to keep an eye on. Check out the remix above now and read a quote from Sintra on the remix below now!
“I recently got connected with 44hydra through mutual friends and loved everything he was putting out at the time and once I heard the lead in “Stylin'”, I knew immediately I had to put my own spin on it. It’s dark, sexy with beautiful moments but still hits.” – Sintra
Alternative | Alt Hip Hop Act WHO SHOT SCOTT Release “LOVE WE’LL NEVER KNOW”
Posted by VMan on November 20, 2021
Armed with an inspiring story that lies within the upbringing and heartbreak of the man behind WHO SHOT SCOTT, the experimental hip-hop artist has certainly been through trials and turbulence. Fleeing Iraq in the arms of his mother when he was 2 years old, they were forced to journey to Moscow due to the dangers in his home country. After time in the Russian capital, they packed their belongings and travelled to New Zealand. Meeting and finding comfort in a friend at the age of 8, their shared love for hip-hop resulted in an internationally performing duo with big visions for the future. In 2019 however, his partner, citing new-found religious belief, abruptly announced he will no longer make music, moved overseas and left his closest friend with no goodbye. After some gruelling months, experimental hip-hop artist WHO SHOT SCOTT was born from the ashes of that personal and professional apocalypse. The hybrid variety of influences and vibes on their new single and video is both impressive and as eclectic as it gets. Tap in above now and read a quote from the artist below!
“Vulnerability has always been at the forefront of my creative philosophy, whether it be my lyrical content or within my music production, I always strive to be brave and express my inner emotions as accurately as possible through my music. At the time of writing this song, I was dealing with the remnants of post-traumatic stress caused by an abusive relationship from my past. I was in a seriously bad place mentally and finally came to the realisation that I wasn’t ever truly in love with this person, but instead, infatuated by the potential of the relationship getting better. I’m very blessed to say that I eventually got out of that situation safely, but the manipulation definitely had some long-lasting effects on me than I would have liked it too. For me – this song is my closure, this is me telling myself that what happened was not my fault and doesn’t define me or my future. I was just seeing a love that wasn’t truly there.”
Albums | Lexxicon explores the joys of new love in vibrant, Dancehall & Afro-fusion inspired single,
Posted by VMan on September 16, 2021
Canada-based multi-genre artist Lexxicon has released a slick music video for his new single, “Power Over Me” recently and it’s dope. Vibrant, eclectic and full of life, this new single perfectly reflects Lexxicon both as an artist and as a human being. This track is also the first taste of his forthcoming album, ‘Power Over Me’ also sets the tone for the assortment of sounds, textures and themes expected from the artist’s third studio album, Tropicon Islands. Read a quote on the release below now and check out the rad new visual above now.
“After traveling to the island, the couple has time to reflect on how they feel about each other. The song touches on the blinding love that you feel when you’ve found the ‘one’. It’s like nothing else matters because they are all you see, want, and care about. Almost as if, they have this divine control over you. This is a song for those in love or those in the honeymoon stages of their new relationship.”
Alternative | Fiery Indie-Pop Artist Sophie Kilburn Shares Debut EP ‘My Room Made Public’
Posted by VMan on September 12, 2021
Sophie’s new My Room Made Public, is a four-track EP with an indie-pop inspired style fused with a classic 70s flare throughout. It is a bold sonic fusion of old school rocker & modern pop warrior that sits neatly alongside ALT Pop heroes like Haim, Phoebe Bridgers and Soccer Mummy that have successfully contributed to a new genre that fits in both the past and the present, with a heavy emphasis on storytelling. Check out a thorough quote on the project after the jump and stream Sophie’s new EP above now.
“The concept of the EP started from my growing hunger turned obsession with wanting to be heard. What do I have to do to be really listened to, to be taken seriously as an artist, as a woman, as a person? How much do I have to share to feel like I’m enough? I spiraled, thinking ‘it’s just not in the cards for me’. The noise in my head got so loud that it really started to well… piss me off. I became acutely aware of how strong the pressure of sharing everything with everyone all the time is. There is this fear that if you don’t share it all your identity is no longer validated or worthwhile and that can be very dangerous. I don’t want to keep feeling that and I don’t want anyone else feeling that either. The project took on a whole new meaning when the pandemic hit and we were all forced to reflect on ourselves and the world we live in, it made me think well it is more relatable now than ever. With My Room Made Public, I wanted to create a body of work that is an emotionally open and honest introduction to me as an artist and the songs I write. It is chapter one of what I hope will become a classic trilogy. At the end of the day, I just want to bring emotional comfort and make people want to fight for what they want out of life, find themselves in their own way and to never settle for something that hurts them. I guess I am trying to do that for myself too but there is always strength in numbers.”