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Filthy by Nicholas Dante

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Nicholas Dante’s foreboding atmospheres are complemented by dark production and suggestive lyrics in his latest single, Filthy.

Nicholas Dante is a New York-based pop artist who, on his latest single release, unleashes a barrage of innuendoes, backed by glossy, electrifying synths, processed beats that morph into banging choruses from subdued and brooding verses, and a layered song structure that keeps this neon-lit, back alley banger fresh and unpredictable throughout. 

On Filthy, Dante’s latest inferno, he brings a sound that’s at once ancient, almost primordial in its familiarity, and hip, in its crispness and high production value. For such a song, composed of what seems like a million little nuances, the general atmosphere remains masterfully tight and easy to follow. Regardless of the intimidating traffic jam of samples and licks gets, the song’s restrained and dark-sounding verses are inviting and intoxicating, paving the way for a short bridge that hypes the whole song up immensely, just in time for an explosive chorus that’s designed to get audiences crazy on the dance floor. 

 

Dante’s latest single is a song that features high production value, that gives it a flawless sound. His lyrics are unashamed with nothing to hide, his deliveries are colorfully brash, and the result is a piece of intoxicating electro-pop that’s ready to fire up discos of all shapes and sizes.

Paradise by Don Drago Ft. Bezz Believe & Nawlage 2K5

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The heat is rising, beaches are calling like sirens, and parties are waiting for someone to lit them up! What is the best companion in these summary scenes? Energetic hit that goes well with the hot atmosphere. Don Drago, featuring Bezz Believe & Nawlage 2K5 is offering us a journey to cloud nine; he’s taking us to “Paradise.”

“Paradise” is the Tampa-based Don Drago’s fresh release that is structured to invade summer with its bursting vitality, dope sound, and dynamic performances. Right from the start, the tune does a splendid job of drawing you in to hype up with the beat and prepare yourself for a huge boost. The trio Don Drago, Bezz Believe, and Nawlage 2K5 have an undeniable chemistry shown in their performances and in how they smoothly hand the light to each other to offer a coherent track.

The bombastic vocal deliveries, the fiery beat, the coming-to-life lyrics, and the blend of pop and hip-hop all work wonderfully together to teleport you, wherever you are, to the beach, where sand covers you, sunrays permeate your hair, and friends are running joyfully around you.

Summer requires such a feel-good rhythm and airy vibe to enjoy it to its fullest. The top-notch execution of “Paradise” is what complements your beachy adventure. Enjoy the sonic ecstasy!

Love Apart ft. Electra Lovelle by Coke Beats

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Coke Beats’ latest single masks its sadness in a sheen of shiny and punchy house music, with tight beats, crisp production, and a memorable vocal part courtesy of the talented Electra Lovelle.

The Dublin-based, multi-platinum producer and DJ Coke Beats return with the fresh new single, Love Apart. A song about being stuck in a relationship long after it has run dry when both parties opt to stay together out of fear of change or of loneliness, so they both choose to stay lonely together. While the message is one that’s ultimately tragic, the music that Coke Beats provides us with is hip, dynamic, and energizing. 

The production should be our first stop. The smart sounds Coke Beats utilizes on Love Apart are mainly a throbbing bass part, a beat that evolves from consistent claps to a dynamic groove that sounds brisk and driving. The choices for the synths are all fitting, sitting in nicely with the rest of the instrumental. While Coke Beats doesn’t necessarily break new grounds with the production, the job is mostly nice and clean, to the point, and the sound is neat and sharp. The feature of Electra Lovelle, an Atlanta-based singer/songwriter, is another fitting choice. Her soulful delivery and distinctive vibrato make her performance memorable and make it stand out from the rest of the song, which is just what you need with a song with lyrics as thoughtful and as meaningful as Love Apart.

All in all, Coke Beats’ latest release is a nicely executed piece of pop/house that’s groovy, punchy, and tight, easy to blast on the dance floor, and easier still to recommend or to add to playlists.

Say What You Want by The Passing Sages

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0The Passing Sages’ latest offering is a piece of dynamic and momentous funk-pop that brings back memories of classics, while staying truly a thing of its own, packed with immense entertainment value. 

The Passing Sages are a six-piece funk and pop outfit that hails from Fife, Scotland. Being a group of six players, their songs are expectedly rich and densely arranged, with an ensemble of instruments. Say What You Want is a characterful, melodic, and dashing piece of funk-pop that calls to mind the infectious and lush grooves of CHIC. 

The modest composition of Say What You Want provides vast space for the instruments to lose their minds, and in this space, we find an air-tight rhythm section, where the drums are holding an impeccable groove while the dynamic and melodic bass line is consistently in funky, boomy motion. The multi-phase structure of the song features instrumentals, hooks, and verses where the rest of the instruments take turns in populating and vitalizing, most chief among them are the characterful rhythm guitar, solidly played and with a delicious hint of overdrive, and the charismatic vocal presence of Holly Clark whose performance shape shifts from the understated to the extravagant, utterly unnoticeably, a hallmark of a brilliant singer. 

Say What You Want is an infectious and energizing piece of immaculately written, performed, and produced funk that brings massive value to the table and shows, quite elegantly, that funk still got a lot more to give.

In A Whisper by Jenny Räisänen

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Irish singer-songwriter and music scholar Jenny Räisänen released her latest single, “In A Whisper”. The song is a culmination of her studies and degree in music and its lyrics were inspired by a conversation that Jenny had with a friend about how people strive to be more strong and more protective of those around them. 

The song begins with a soft piano/keyboard sound and a thumping bassline with Jenny’s chilling and emotional vocals. A Finnish kantele joins in on the action shortly after that in the crescendo from the end of the verse leading up to the chorus in a manner that’s very uplifting and creates a sense of an up-and-rising wave of strength and positivity in the main character’s mind…for a moment there, it felt like a movie soundtrack with that effect.

As for Jenny’s voice, it’s a work of wonder on its own. I’m a sucker for techniques…and Jenny has a lot of them. Jenny begins the song with a (seemingly) easy chest register singing in a low alto range. You can notice a distinctly dark colour in her voice, but she doesn’t overdo the darkness effect, on the contrary actually, she has a lot of open vowels and lightly sung closing notes that make a great transition and add to the emotional delivery. 

To craft a song that’s equal parts folky/traditional and yet still poppy and accessible like this is a very delicate balance to achieve. Jenny’s music theory knowledge as well as her love for traditional Finnish folk sounds. I really love how she managed to reach that delicate balance with that particular sound…combining her vision and how she wanted the song to be with the elements that please the fans and listeners at the same time.

Suddenly The Rain by Mac Summer

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Not all EDM music is created equal…

…some reside on the side of the EDM mountain…

…while some sit on the throne…

Today, we’ve got ourselves one of those kings of EDM, Mac Summer.

Mac is from Auckland, New Zealand…and he’s got a huge presence and equally huge impact in and on New Zealands’ music scene.

Mac Summer released his brilliant “Suddenly The Rain” on the 24th of March…

…and he had a specific goal…to ‘create an innovative vision of the future of electronic music’.

I’m glad to report that he achieved his goal. That’s all. Bye…

No, really, Mac managed to create fresh and unique sounds, musical hooks, catchy melodies, and a whole new experience for EDM fans and casual listeners alike…even if you’re not an EDM fan…”Suddenly The Rain” has elements that will surely catch you off guard and convert you into a fan.

The song has very strong storytelling elements, musically and lyrically…and it’s not just created to be out there…it has some experimental aspects to it, it really is breaking new grounds.

Let me take you through the painting that was in my head while I was listening to it…

“Suddenly The Rain” starts with a splash…into a smoke filled ambient atmosphere…then the piano enters the scene and pushes the smoke away and makes way for the brilliant drums and bass infused future EDM sounds of synths, huge anthemic and melodic saw synths along with the vocals…

Vocals are also very unique…we have 3 distinct vocals in the song, you have pop EDM female vocal…you also have a male vocal with a mix between pop, EDM, and a hint of rock in him…

…then you’ve got an operatic vocal line…yes, you read it right…

Mac Summer is not afraid of being fresh, putting himself out there and saying “here, that’s my take on the future…check it out”

We checked it Mac and it sounds mesmerizing, we can’t wait for more futuristic music from you…and we know that you’ll keep evolving.

Mac, we wish you all the best in the world, you’re awesome.

Cheers!

I Should’ve Known by Sydney Gordon

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“I Should’ve Known” is the latest single by singer-songwriter Sydney Gordon. The song was co-written with the song’s producer Matthew T Wiggers. This is one of those songs that feels like an all-around hit…from the production to the vocal lines to the catchiness of the guitar parts, everything about this song screams success and mainstream play. 

The song begins with some clean guitars and Sydney’s sensational vocals full of attitude,  and slight nasality that instantly reminded me of Amy Winehouse…especially in the structure of the song, not just how she sings it. The usage of bluesy guitars in a pop manner and how they start and stop with the vocal lines will make you groove out with the song. The drum sound is amazing too, you can feel during the verses that Sydney is crying/feeling sad over things she lost but then with the start of the chorus the strength and reassurance hit us and the vocals have a more aggressive style.

Speaking of the vocals, Sydney is a vocal beast. She has a level of agility and smoothly transitions between her registers beautifully. The way she can hold a note for a long period of time without adding vibrato or runs makes this song suitable for both blues and modern pop. The timbre of her voice lies midway between darkness and brightness, and her pronunciation is clear. The way she emphasizes certain consonants before belting out a long vowel gave me goosebumps and made me sure that Sydney will definitely have a special place among the most successful and best-selling singers of the years to come.

All in all, this is a song that works in an amazing and modern pop spectacle while keeping some influence and flavors from some other genres. While most pop singers make tracks that are tasteless nowadays, this is a song that I recommend due to its wonderful and rich taste and style.

 

 



Tunnel Vision by Magdalia

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Magdalia’s classically strong voice returns in a mature and restrained new single that’s brooding and menacing.

Melbourne-based Magdalia is a songstress whose voice and presence have been causing considerable ripples in her local music scene for a while, since the release of her last single, Great Expectations. A talented songwriter, Magdalia’s latest single is Tunnel Vision. Written in collaboration with Elizabeth Drummond, Tunnel Vision is a song about flawed and crumbling relationships, friendships, and romances, and the bleakness of failing relationships is reflected in the song’s melancholic composition and the skeletal arrangement that easily stirs emotions. 

Tunnel Vision features at its forefront Magdalia’s dominant presence. A capable and confident singer, Magdalia’s voice sits comfortably throughout the song in the lower reaches of her register, lending an air of drama and gravity to the already understated and dark arrangement, but she does not shy away from using her impressive upper range in background harmonies on the hook. A mostly restrained song, Tunnel Vision features a mature songwriter who knows that less is most definitely more and then proceeds to utilize this principle to the letter.

On her way to becoming a truly great singer, Magdalia confidently punches upward with her latest single. Stay on the lookout for this songstress’ upcoming releases as they steadily rise in quality as Magdalia gains more and more expertise and exposure. Great things are obviously waiting for her.

 

It’s Always Been You by Antony Alexander

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Contrast always makes an impact…and always makes you think how each of the opposites really has its own special spot…night and day….loud and quiet….energetic and relaxing…

…and this is exactly why Antony Alexander’s “It’s Always Been You” has captured the essence and power of the opposites.

“It’s Always Been You” is a pumping, energetic, electronic house song that has absolutely emotional and soothing vocal lines and melodies… with such contrast, it hits hard and deep and makes such an emotional impact.

Antony is an independent music composer/producer from West Mailing, UK. He’s doing all of the artistic elements himself… that is actually a huge part of his message to musicians who may be just starting out…he preaches that you can do anything by yourself, you don’t need professional studios or huge equipment, and that sort of thing…

…he actually did the whole song on his computer, while also not using any loops!

He’s the guy that took the long hard way…but now, look at him, he can do anything and everything he puts his mind to…a true born dedicated artist….

…and speaking of Antony’s art…his latest release “It’s Always Been You” is a ‘must-listen’ for any EDM fan out there.

The production quality…all of its aspects… top-notch, from the intro chords to the synth melodies…to the introduction of the kick…and the explosive appearance of the vocals, the whole experience that Antony gives the audience through “It’s Always Been You” is an uplifting and energetic EDM hit that will find itself at home in clubs all over the world…

It was mixed and mastered by the awesome Paul Jalowiecki from Chrome Mastering in the UK.

“It’s Always Been You” also is very melodic, which will surely catch even more ears, even for people who casually listen to EDM…this is the power of its melodies.

We’re wishing Antony all the best in the world, you got fans here!

Cheers!



Album: Jammin’ The Steam Towers by C-Beem

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C-Beem’s newest album is an explorative, varied journey of emotions, styles, and sounds that retain a trademark retro-synth sound that binds the experience together into a cohesive and entertaining listening experience.

C-Beem is the moniker for Chris Mills, a Leicester City-based producer, and composer whose infatuation lies with vintage synth sounds from the 80s and 90s, of which we find loads in his latest album, titled Jammin’ The Steam Towers. At parts political, at parts adventurous, fantastical, and even humorous, the album is a trip that rewards multiple listens.

The promising start of the album with Peekaboo is unforgettable. The swagger, charismatic, yelled vocals bring a Bowie-like confidence that made the 80s-inspired retro synths sound just right. The driving and groovy piece is disco-conscious and infectious, multi-faceted, and loaded with a terrific keyboard solo that’s soulful and beautifully breaks the hectic pace with the help of acid jazz. From the experimental and brooding darkness of the following cut, Under the Gun, and its memorable, rhythmic howls, onto the playful and bright synth-pop offering of Toad Hall. With a spoken, fantastical story, this fusion brought to mind M83’s touching “Raconte-moi une histoire”, another song that’s also coincidentally about a frog. 

Without Love Nothing Is Real brings to the table a hint of Phil Collins and his memorable and catchy hooks, delivered here in the form of lines that repeat on the piano and a modulated guitar in this modal-sounding composition, and along with the vocals, the output is a charismatic and adventurous piece that defines a more accessible sound on this album. The heartfelt Warriors is next in line. Based on a soulful acoustic guitar part, this sweet and triumphant-sounding piece brings to mind some of Michael Jackson’s humanitarian songs with their empowering arrangements and simple compositions, and touching lyrics; Heal the World is an example. 

The title song is a grand and progressive piece that rewards multiple listens. The retro-sounding synths are industrial and foreboding, and the distorted guitars introduce a brand-new color to the album. The album ends with another memorable piece of music, Babel. The song’s stirring melodies, interesting drum timbres, and touching composition all serve to make Babel a warm closer to bookend an album that varies greatly in concept and in execution.

C-Beem’s latest album excels on multiple fronts, and chief among those is its effortless variety. Each song easily stands on its own, but bringing them together serves to add an element of cohesion that helps most songs, but doesn’t fair that well on a few others that end up suffering from issues in pacing or a mix that just sounds too removed from its surroundings, and the excellent single Starships is one of those. Regardless, Jammin’ the Steam Towers is interesting to listen to, and that should not slip under the radar of lovers of Electronica and Synthpop.