Levi Sap Nei Thang - My Little Offering
Levi Sap Nei Thang has a voice that can calm any storm, be inside your head or out in the physical world, and her latest release, My Little Offering, is a testament to it.
Anna Porto - Never The One
Anna Porto knows exactly how to find the pulse of the room and her listeners; her latest release, Never The One, is a number that will have your heart racing.
Ferdinand Rennie - Summer, Roses, and Wine
Ferdinand Rennie has the wind blowing and the stage set for the inevitable takeover of your heart with his latest number, Summer, Roses, and Wine.
Mortal Prophets - Hide Inside The Moon
You are in danger of wandering into the convoluted world that Mortal Prophets sets out for us if you plan on listening to his music.
Southpaw - ? Myself
If hope in hopeless times had a face, it would be Southpaw and their latest release- ? Myself is bound to be a soul stirrer!
Kadeus - Invisible
Kadeus proves to us that electronic music doesn’t necessarily have to be sharp and edgy but can be smooth and flowing like in Invisible!
Jon Henri - Smile
Jon Henri has the power to zap you out of this world and into his own creation in Smile, his latest number.
MISS KARLSSON AND THE FOOD PROVIDERS - Car Radio
- English (US)
MISS KARLSSON AND THE FOOD PROVIDERS’ latest single “Car Radio” thrives on its sense of freedom and togetherness. It is easy to imagine this track playing during a long stretch of highway.
Thickshake - Through the Daylight
- English (US)
Imagine having the perfect world described to you in a song—that’s what Through the Daylight by Thickshake is!
Antoin Gibson - Dead End
- English (US)
Antoin Gibson’s “Dead End” stands as a haunting, piano-driven meditation that distills dark pop to its emotional core while subtly threading in hip-hop sensibilities.
Diamond Blacc-Shannon’s Son
Revisit the style of old school hip-hop with Diamond Blacc, giving you an edge with his sound and style. A rapper from Philadelphia, Blacc is creating a niche for himself with his heavy bars and robust lines-out with a fire to prove something. I had the pleasure of talking to Blacc about his journey to this EP, Shannon’s Son. About the album “Shannon’s Son” is my debut EP that showcases my authenticity and expressionism as an artist thus far. It is a reflection of self and the music I create. Everyone who knows me recognizes me as my mothers son, so the title is like my call tag. This EP is both an experimental and explorative showcase of sound, tone and subject that sails through a multitude of genres. My music is a reflection of the change that is occurring in hip-hop right now. Diversity in artistry, music, sound and even genre are more apparent now than ever before and I am on a mission to forge my own lane in the music sphere. This is exactly what Blacc is about, the change in the very atmosphere of hip-hop and everything else that goes with it following a tumultuous year. His songs might disguise themselves as something mundane and talked about, but the statements lie under the sheets. Some songs might even be too drawn or purified to mean something that sounds very basic, but that’s part of the charm of Shannon’s Son, the random nature of the debut album. The art of what is in a name Choosing this stage name, Diamond Blacc tells me how it has been derived and what it means to him. I have always viewed myself as a diamond in the rough. I have come a long way in my life and endured a great deal. Yet despite all that life has thrown my way, I am grateful to say that my experiences have shaped me into the best version of myself. My stage name and life experiences are synonymous to that of a diamond. Diamonds endure extreme heat and are formed under immense pressure to become the beautiful gems we admire near and far. Though songs like Shining & Memories have political undertones or at least mirages, they can easily be misunderstood. Blacc tells us about his music process, of creating and deliberating what he feels is art. I wouldn’t say that I intentionally write songs to have any specific social or political impact. I write from the heart and I speak my truth in my lyrics. Through my music, I seek to inspire, encourage, and uplift others to be their most authentic selves and live their truths. If speaking my truth in my lyrics were to be received as socially and/or politically impactful, I would be very appreciative of such comparisons. How a track is written-beat to rhymes The first few tracks are invasive of a very interesting writing and rhyming process, especially Poppin‘ & Rollin‘, meant to be heard together. You tend to realise that the intent might alter in each phase, so I asked Blacc about his process: When I write, the beat is in control. It is the melody that dictates the lyrics. I like to meditate for a bit to clear my head and listen to the beat a few times through headphones. I enjoy writing in private and often small spaces where I can be alone with just myself and my music. I’ll freestyle a little bit, and I will write everything down. After a few rough drafts the structure of my song builds, develops, and flows on its own. There is a magic that grows organically and often out of spontaneity. I believe I just steer the path. The closing track is perhaps the most important part of the song and I always like to make sure my closing remarks are smooth but impactful. I like them to conclude the overall message of whatever I’m presenting but done so in a way that is pleasing to the listener’s ear. With a good beat and flow on a track you can nearly say anything as long as it is pleasing audibly to your listener’s ear. I keep this in mind when writing my lyrics and apply the technique throughout my verses but especially in my closing remarks. I want listeners to be left satisfied but still wanting to hear my songs again and again. To conclude Diamond Blacc has a great compilation for a debut album, with interesting tight beats, all the way to lyrically complex bars that tend to deviate your rigid train of thought. The trap vibe is evident in songs like Make Me Cream, while his introductory songs are talk from a point of success and freedom. It is part of the rich fabric of hip-hop and yet aims to push towards a new style. Just remember him as Shannon’s son. I'd love to see this track on the film Rush Hour in one of its many quirky moments! Check out the movie here - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120812/plotsummary
Near Death Experience(NDX) - Found
Near Death Experience have been in charge of reviving their version of psychedelic rock. Hailing from Ealing, London-this band has been giving electric live shows for some time now. For those who want those famous goosebumps while listening to music, Near Death Experience (NDX) can be of help. NDX have released an album Mouth to Mouth in 2019 and singles all the way to their new track. Found is their single for 2022, and is a dynamite entry back into the indie music game. After listening to their cascading capital of a track, I also had a chance to ask them some questions about their journey. Read on while listening to their track. 1) Found has the ability to transform into a massive jam track like Grateful Dead if the moment allows it. How do you go about writing such songs? Although we love crafting tight, catchy songs that fuse together rock, soul and funk wrapped in a psychedelic sound, we also love to improvise around these ideas, and have a great band chemistry that enables us to do this when playing live. This means that any song can morph into a seventies-style epic at any moment, particularly if the audience is getting into the groove. It makes for very spontaneous and exciting live performances. So the song comes first – but we also ain’t afraid to jam to take it to another place! All their songs have the ability to push boundaries and have a dynamic open ended relationship. The same goes for this track, an alt-rock revisit with their classic take on psychedelia with the sound. Finding peace within the pieces, making a perfect combination of sound from all the live instruments. You’ll be far fetched to find a vocalist you want to follow through the verses more than Ian here. 2) Your first album Mouth to Mouth was a unique take on this genre that shaped you. How was the journey finding your own sound? Each member of NDX has had their own music journey, which has been influenced by the rock, soul and psychedelia of the late sixties and early seventies. Our journeys converged in Ealing, London in late 2016, and we soon realized there was a great chemistry between us. First we worked on some of my (singer Ian ‘Lightning’ Whiteling) original songs, when started writing as a band, and very soon we found that we were creating a unique sound where rock, soul and funk collide. What’s more, each of our songs has a wonderful space and dynamic created by the fact that we bring together electric and acoustic guitars, rather than twin electric guitars. And the rhythmical complementary styles of me and guitarist Bill ’The Professor’ Marten on electric guitar makes for some fabulous interplay, while the drums of Alan ’The Milkman’ Perkins and bass of Amar ’The Groovemeister’ Grover lay down the grooves. The conscious decision to bring in one electric and one acoustic creates a diatonal effect which adds an exciting sound the kind of quirky dynamic of this band. It’s a slight departure from the sounds that made Mouth to Mouth, but we’re looking at an ever-evolving band that are game to jam if the moment asks for it. 3) Many of your tracks are well received because of how relatable and simple they are, and poetry through the instruments. Do you think about switching genres for a different sound? I think our sound is constantly developing, and we’ll bring more genres of the sixties and seventies into play as we progress, perhaps moving more into soul, or maybe funk, who knows! Recreating a renaissance sound with more quality means addition of several layers. This can be heard in all their songs since Lord, Everything and Religion. Instead of complicating the sounds and lyrics like some bands, Near Death Experience take joy in knowing that their audience will be grooving to what is coming. 4) Has the pandemic affected your take on performances and making music in general? We always live for playing live, so the pandemic hit us hard, but it also taught that you just have to keep on keeping on, and working through every problem you face as a band. So we knew we had to put playing live to one side, and we focused on writing and worked out a way to record all our parts separately and bring them all together in the studio. This saw us write and release a series of singles that honed our sound and are certainly our best work to date. Following your passion through this entire predicament is what has defined some bands from many quitters. Some circumstances have been stark in divide, yet some power through and move forward, never losing stride. 5) Does 2022 have the second album for NDX ready? How about touring and local shows? As soon as the London lockdown lifted in July 2021, we were ready to play live and embarked on a series of gigs around the UK capital called the Summer of Love Tour, because it was so euphoric for both us and our audiences to have live music back. This has carried on, turning into The Winter of Love tour, and we’re still going! This year we will launch our second album, The Release, which as originally planned in 2020. It will bring together our releases during the pandemic, with a couple of surprising extended versions, and some new songs still to come. This track will be a perfect fit for the movie Shanghai Noon, check out the movie here - https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/shanghai_noon