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.
Alternative | Maejis Mind Releases new EP ‘At Water’
Posted by VMan on May 17, 2022
James Beasley, known to some by his stage name Maejis Mind, is a solo music project created by an up-and-coming musician originally residing in Philadelphia and currently based in Los Angeles. Since releasing his first single in September 2021, Maejis Mind’s music has explored music in psychedelic rock, dream pop, R&B, and more. His eclectic influences come together on his new 3-track-EP, ‘At Water’ in the best way possible. Delicately bouncing between pop, R&b, psychedelic rock and dream pop over the course of the 3 songs, you don’t want to miss out on this. Keep a tab on Maejis Mind!
“I first started writing these songs in February 2022, and it has been a joy to put these songs together. Overall, it’s my most honest work yet and I’m happy that I was able to experiment with different styles and production techniques.”
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.
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.”
Future Trap, Trap | “Tell Me” Why I Have BEXLO On Repeat
Posted by VMan on October 23, 2020
BEXLO is a new, genre-bending, Glasgow based electronic project with a focus on creating songs that mix epic emotional breakdowns with hard-hitting drops to ‘make people cry’ (in a good way). Behind this moniker lies 20-year-old producer and multi-instrumentalist, Ben Logie. Taking influence from the likes of Droeloe, Vincent and Juuku, BEXLO’s style is a bold new reimagining of the trap genre. Check out a quote from BEXLO on the debut release below and stream “Tell Me” above now!
“The song was written on one of those days in the studio where everything just kinda clicks and seems to work together. It was a few months ago when the entire world was going into lockdown and the darker moods in ‘Tell Me’ are a product of the surrounding uncertainty at that time.” – BEXLO
Alternative, Indie | Scott Helman Gets Emotional in “Papa” Music Video
Posted by VMan on August 6, 2020
“Papa” is the first piece of music off of Scott Helman’s forthcoming Nonsuch Park – an album series – will be released on September 4. “Papa” is a new single and music video that shows home videos of Helman and his family over the years, and also shows his emotional reactions to some of the clips. The song was dedicated to his late grandfather. Check out a quote from the rising artist below and watch his video above now. Keep your eyes peeled for his upcoming album series, Nonsuch Park, due out on September 4th!
“This album is mostly about me – my changes, my growth, my hardships, my celebrations, my fears, my courage and my love,” says Scott. “It encapsulates many of the winding roads of my life, how they’ve diverged and converged to create a tapestry, and it documents the lessons that tapestry has taught me. If each person has a sanctuary within – a place they can return to where things make sense, where the tides are kind, where colours are bright and their lives feel meaningful – I think we all have a physical destination too where those things manifest. For me that place was the large park just down the road from my Papa’s house in Sutton, UK – Nonsuch Park. It was here where we would walk and cackle at awful jokes, lean in for the stories, make peace with our busy lives and draw meaning from the lessons we had learned since our last visit (made all the more powerful by the fact that we only had a couple more days together). If my past works have been displays of discovery, this work is a declaration – a declaration of love, meaning, questions and truth, and it is all dedicated to you, Papa. Thank you for helping me piece together the fragments of my life and giving me the space to do it.”
Pop | Alxxa Teams Up With Gazzo For “Umbrella” Cover
Posted by Matt Keene on September 18, 2017
We had a chance to meet Alxxa over the weekend in Los Angeles and she’s the real deal. Her brand new take on Rihanna & Jay-Z’s “Umbrella” has us instantly hooked. Of the Gazzo produced cover she said:
“’Umbrella’ is such a badass song, and Gazzo and I knew we could do something different with it. That’s always the test of a good song, whether it’s stripped down, produced out, thrown into different genres, does it still work? Rihanna definitely got it right with this one and we had a good time putting our own spin to it.”
Keep your eye on Alxxa. She’s on the rise.