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Maleth by Leonardo Barilaro

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Italian-born, Malta-based Aerospace Engineer and musician/composer, Leonardo Barilaro ensnares us with his latest composition, “Maleth”. You may think this man’s name and accolades are a mouthful but just wait for his music. The track “Maleth” begins with a lonely, soft, and sombre piano ascending its way through a scale and refraining back with arpeggios and chromatics.

I’m sure it was either a good emulator/midi or it was recorded with an actual grand piano, because of the larger-than-life feeling these notes bring. One thing I noticed about Dr. Barilaro is that he has some classical and neoclassical elements in the middle of a modern-sounding track. And while he’s not the first composer to do that, this ascent of the scale followed by a crescendo followed by a harmonic in a higher octave gives off the feeling of a long and mysterious journey.

A fire-crackling sound starts in the middle of the song with some keyboard/synth harmonics that support the main sound, making the track feel more ominous and transferring the listener into the vastness of space. Truth be told, this is my first encounter with Dr. Leonardo Barilaro’s music, but I’m already seeing the influence of his job on his composition.

We all know that legendary Queen guitarist, Brian May, has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics besides his contribution to rock history, and I believe Dr. Leonardo Barilaro has a somewhat parallel path to that with his modern contemporary and neoclassical composition.

Dr. Barilaro had been on the International Space Station for one month, following the successful launch from Cape Canaveral on 14th July 2022, onboard the SpaceX CRS25 rocket. This track saw the light of day (on Earth) on the 15th of August when the International Space Station was over Malta.

Give this astronaut/musician/artist a chance and go through all of his tracks for one afternoon as I did, and you will feel a multitude of emotions with instrumentation that revolves mainly around the piano (pun intended).

Blue Dahlia by A Tree On A Hill

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In nature, dahlia flowers represent steadfastness and beauty, as they can bloom after several other flowers die. The latest single from Swedish composer A Tree On A Hill is called “Blue Dahlia” and in its 3 and a half minutes of synths and standalone violin.

My first impression was that this track sounds like a buildup to something it never reaches or maybe just an intro to something, but after a few listens I noticed how this buildup matches with the whole “blooming” concept. Blue dahlias are not found in nature, due to a missing protein that their genes don’t produce. So I think the name choice, the instrumentation, and the arrangement of the track all make sense now.

After the first thirty seconds with the synths, the violin enters in an ethereal and captivating way. It was also aided by a couple of piano/keyboard notes at timed intervals that gave the track more consistency.

The juxtaposition between the violin and synths made me feel like I’m out in nature but also seeing the unnatural and metaphysical, and hence the whole “Blue Dahlia” concept. This track is not your typical bombastic or sophisticated classical composition, but rather an artistic idea that the composer wanted to express in musical notes and sound that represented nature.

It’s a bummer that the track is only 3 minutes and that makes me want to experience a complete album from A Tree On A Hill to entirely get a grasp of what they’re trying to convey with their compositions.

EP: Manic Pixie Dream by sydneyunicorns

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After a string of exciting singles over the past year and into this year, American singer-songwriter and producer sydneyunicorns is back to present her latest stunning EP “Manic Pixie Dream”.

“Manic Pixie Dream” is the first EP for this talented artist, who with 4 songs of 12 minutes 25 seconds creates her unique soundtrack. And it’s carving out a special place for itself in the world of alternative/experimental electronic pop music in a new and exciting way.

4 songs self-produced by Sydney Angel or sydneyunicorns and then mixed and mastered by Hope Brush and Jon Clifton, exploring the psychological and social experiences this artist has had, and perhaps us too, at some point.

“Manic Pixie Dream” is a song that manages to be a perfect opening for this EP, where sydneyunicorns use elements of bold and cheerful alternative pop music, to deliver a brilliant glow filled with different elements and a catchy sound coming from a different world from ours, in which Sydney breaks the usual pattern of this music.

“Like You” completes the EP’s musical and poetic line but is quieter and more romantic, and acoustic echoes from the Sydney universe carry some sad moments when we feel vulnerable with distorted drum sounds in the background.

“Take Me” is a progressive song that’s a bit off the EP track but so cleverly you don’t even notice, the tempo is faster and you think it’s going to pick up at some point, but Sydney surprises us by telling her story like that until the end of the song which we felt wasn’t finished and we weren’t done with it.

“Season One” is a song that carries a lot of pure sounds. The layers of singing accumulated in it with echoes reflect a dramatic church scene. It is another beautiful and final song in this artistic project from an artist that we cannot get enough of.

Sydneyunicorns express intimate feelings in a way that defies everything, painting a music scene in pure colors despite the few instruments, which makes it as if it came from another world with honest and expressive words. Listen to her.

Hard to Trust by Rick Smoove

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Rick Smoove is a pop artist that is releasing catchy songs this year with a lot of singles, 2022 is his year to show off his skills—creating his music out of emotions that connect him to his listeners. He released a new single “Hard To Trust” which was out on the 31st of August, 2022 that has the same attention as his previous releases with the catchy rhythms.

This one is a new type of contemporary style of rap in “Hard To Trust” that makes it a drill song, the song has melodious and dark lyrics as this one is about the trust that can’t be gained easily after a hardship that a being can go through as the pain is hurtful mentally and physically.

And making a song that is so unique to Rick has got him to have some awesome beats that he is skilled at and also making banging lyrics that are ominously true and hit our hearts with past painful memories.

Rick Smoove hasn’t failed me since the last song I heard “Lost” which caught my attention and listen to his music more as he always succeeds to make a catchy single out of his talented mind.



McCartney IV by Dyskinetic

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Only a ukulele is capable of making a super simple melody, but Dyskinetic wouldn’t leave it alone, adding piano key tones, subtle electric guitar accents with subtle musical elements almost audible to a smooth, catchy rhythm, and introduced to us in a song titled “McCartney IV”.

This song is the sixth in the Kris Halpin catalog, or as it is known Dyskinetic, and it is a completely different experience for him and us.

“McCartney IV” is a song in which the Dyskinetic expresses recognition of how you can hurt others and that love no matter what happens is more important than anything. We could think of it as a love song but with McCartney’s perspective and the Beatles’ influence on the cover.

Dyskinetic is best known for its work with MiMu Gloves, which were created by Imogen Heap. It allows performers to dispense with musical instruments on stage and create a new way of performing.

In McCartney IV, Dyskinetic took a step towards changing everything, writing it on his ukulele before adding anything else to it, and with the stages of experimentation, he started adding spices to produce a nice musical composition with a sweet flavor.

“McCartney IV” Although it is the sixth year of this artist, but it is a unique and attractive experience, it gave us pleasure that we hope Dyskinetic will not deprive us of through his near future releases.

 

Paradise by Klary

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The song “Paradise” is light, graceful, dancing and romantic, burning and sweet, like its singer Klary, who currently resides in London, England, and collaborates there with other artists while performing songs of varied genres.

“Paradise” is a song bursting with joy; in its atmosphere, you smell the fresh air as you dance with your lover, and touch in its words the warmth of love that is ignited by the sand of the sea and calmed by its blue waters.

This song creates an ambiance resembling its name “Paradise”, inspired by the amazing power of synths waves and dreamy singing in a heavenly voice, it has an amazing energy that forces you to move.

Its simple melody gradually turns into a rich hook that attracts you strongly, with voices screaming in the ether of the beloved’s paradise, while the bass provides a foundation that supports the song’s soundscape. It is a song that deserves to be played at different times, perhaps when you are alone and dreaming of being with your lover, or when you are with your friends or at a house party.

Klary takes you in with her voice that makes the song so special to her, and whispers in your head the delightful words when you fall in love, “Say that you want me, say that you need me, take me to your paradise”.

In a seductive atmosphere we live with Klary in her paradise, do not hesitate to join us because you will fall in love with her and will not be able to get out of her.

 

 



Definitions by Jacob Rountree

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If you are looking for a piece of music that can make you tune down the whole world and deeply focus on it then Jacob Roundtree’s “Definitions” is exactly what you are looking for. Joining forces with Cole Thorne on the djembe, bass, and harmonies and Alex Speed on guitar, keys, and vocals, the trio unleashed their musical abilities, and today, we’ll be shedding some light on “Definitions” from their debut album “As I See It”.

The fading in the mysterious melody of the “Definitions” intro built up anticipation and made me want to listen to what’s coming next, Jacob Roundtree’s deep haunting vocals come in perfect harmony with the mellow fluid melodies creating an emotional state that strongly hit me. Using warm guitar tone with a smooth groove, well-arranged synth and effects, and subtle groovy percussions, Jacob Roundtree managed to take me into the world of ambient sounds and subtle tunes he carefully crafted and I was totally hooked by its beautiful mesmerizing flow. 

“Definitions” is the soft chilling sonic journey I’d definitely recommend to any music lover, Jacob Roundtree managed to create a different and interesting sound signature that’ll make you keep on coming back for more. I’m totally looking forward to future releases, cheers!

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The Sound of Her Smile by O’Reilly & Vincent

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Normal people make love songs, special people make songs about special things, and very smart people make special things into love songs.

O’Reilly & Vincent are very smart people who call Ludlow, England their home. They are Finn O’Reilly, a Dublin singer, and a Shropshire poet, Rod Vincent. ‘The Sound of Her Smile’ is the first single off of ‘Utoro is Breathing’, their second album. Rod generally doesn’t write love songs, but special happenings have prompted such a thing to happen. So, naturally, his choice of words is very special to achieve this marriage of love and disagreement with love songs.

Beautiful, imaginative imagery driven by the sweet little comforts of our everyday lives, warm baths, and the sounds of leaves rustling are among the many things that Rod uses to describe the sound of her smile. Tagging along is a ringing upright piano that plays the silences just as much as it plays the music, restrained and controlled, it adds so much without a hint of excess. A string section bursts in and soars with the rest of the music for a while then it disappears as quickly as it appeared. 

Sweet words accompany sweet music to make a sweet, simple, and delicate tune that describes the joy of simple things that often goes uncelebrated. The sound of her smile is very pretty.

 

Easy by April Gallo

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It is a sizeable task that April Gallo tries to tackle with this release. Attempting to fill the shoes of the likes of the great Adele and Amy Winehouse, and consecutively the shoes of the likes of the legendary Nina Simone, this release blends classic and neo-soul with R&B and Jazz and singer/songwriter music. Let’s see how far she goes into this task.

 The Melbourne-based Aussie’s latest song is a sweet and alluring piece, with a slow danceable groove and gorgeously played funk guitar, courtesy of Kumar Shome. The beats are solid and steady, and the mix is balanced with precision and is a pleasure to listen to, very little to report on part of the production. The songwriting on the other hand is full and satisfying, verses melt into pre-choruses that bleed into large and catchy hooks that fizzle out into post-choruses and back to verses with the eventual bridge, never seeming linear or lazy. The guitars, drums, and bass sound live-tracked. Lively, varying, and alive, and while April Gallo never soars up to the highs of Amy Winehouse or even down to the bass-ey lows of Nina, she manages to pull off an enjoyable and engaging performance that displays control that more than makes up for the lack of range.

 While not necessarily tackling the challenge head-on, April shrewdly does her own take on this infamously demanding style of music. Aided by an illustrious group of musicians, she displays her best qualities and makes them consistently shine on a truly enjoyable piece of modern R&B. 

 

 



A Day Too Late by Marshal Herridge

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Marshall Herridge is a Jazzist who’s here to provide an all-inclusive, sensual, and delicate Jazz experience that ought to prove if anyone ever claimed that Jazz was dying, that it’s alive and thriving.

Vancouver-born and based in NYC, Marshall has been making waves in the Jazz circles for quite some time. Having a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree, Marshall Herridge has worked with some of the most prominent faces in modern American jazz. His debut 2019 album, Chapter One, has been met with acclaim from accolades and critics equally. “A Day Too Late” is one of many songwriter-style jazz songs that he’s planning to release. This one sees him feature Caity Gyorgy, whose star is currently shining bright. JUNO-winning vocalist, composer, and lyricist whose specialty is Swing and Bebop. She also worked with some of the more prominent figures in jazz across the border in Canada.

‘A Day Too Late’ is swinging, sensual, and sweet. The ballroom vibes are warm and ever welcome. The composition is twisting and unpredictable yet approachable and enticing. The words and the singing are equally enjoyable. Caity sings in a low register, and in volume making her voice sound vulnerable and the words relatable, which is fitting for a song that’s about being always a little late to show one’s emotions. The instrumentation and arrangement are relatively simple. a guitar and a drum kit with an upright piano and bass suffice for the majority of the piece. A dazzling solo played on a flute is an exception. the performances are tastefully restrained with experienced musicality oozing from every pore.

This song is a delicate reminder of the stark beauty that can always be found in the weird heart of Jazz, and for a genre largely based on being left fielded and bizarre relative to what regularly hits the airwaves, Marshall Herridge provides clear proof that beauty, soul, style, and passion can easily be found in Jazz. Especially Jazz that’s as striking and as professional as this song is.

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