Prince Joely is a psychedelic artist based in Portland, Oregon. His latest release, “Empathizer (Sha Na Na),” is a breath of fresh air amongst its contemporaries thanks to its wholly original sound.

The tune is both written and produced by Prince Joely and features an energising and fresh vocal performance by Mariya May as well as psychedelic guitar soundscapes by Mo Douglas.

The vintage, retro-futuristic style that Prince Joely employs gives the impression that it propels the listener into a new dimension of existence.

He possesses a psychedelic and hypnotic sound that will give you the impression that you are going on a voyage into the depths of your own subconscious.

There is an intense focus on each and every component and detail of the melodies. The track incorporates a wide variety of sounds, some of which, in theory, shouldn’t be able to coexist with one another. However, in practice, these sounds are able to work in perfect harmony and generate a unique atmosphere for the song; this is where Prince Joely’s talent shines through.

Jazz.

Jazz, historically, is a shapeshifting genre. Over the decades, it took multiple shapes and guises. You have for example, the overtly experimental and theoretical styles of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. Designed to be difficult to get through and challenging to perform, a statement to the immense talents of the musicians. You also have the pleasant, moody, and vibrant styles of Bill Evans and Miles Davis. Which is a school that favored music that is musical and approachable while retaining the notorious theoretical dimensions of the genre, thus creating music that is enjoyable by a far wider segment of the population. Other styles include the watered down and the Jazz-only-in-vibes, among others.

But where does Jazz actually lie? And what is Jazz exactly? A subjective question at best, divisive at worst. I’d personally suggest that Jazz is free. The freer the music is from the constraints of what Pop music happens to be at that certain time, the more “Jazz” it will become. To do that you might need a certain toolbox to un-pop your music. (1) Dry, alien, and biting guitar tones that snap when you dig in deep and remain crystal clear when you’re being gentle, (2) a present bass that’s mixed just right to be pronounced, and (3) drums that boom and crash and fill the entire room with their natural reverberation.

Blind Spot comes from Düsseldorf, Germany. And Frontmirror is their debut outing. A sprawling, hour-long foray that’s truly and purely Jazz. All over. From the get-go, 40 seconds into the first composition ‘Without a Choice’ you can easily tell that this is a professional product from experienced and passionate musicians. With a proud guitar that sounds as warm as it is cooperative. With zero overdubs, the guitar transforms from being a mellow, slightly overdriven twang machine to a howling monster in almost no time. With no shortage of bass solos, broken drum and hard-to-count-along beats, and colorful musical motifs that bind the sections together, this is a banger. “Been Thinking of You” borrows a page from the Miles Davis manual for (Atmospheric Jazz), with bluesy chops and a slow rhythm and a spicy guitar in place of Miles’s Infamous Trumpet.

“Frontmirror” is a gigantic piece that shows itself in 3 different frocks, Frontmirror, Frontmirror Afterthought, and Frontmirror Rethought. The first is a successful foray into the Noir Jazz style, perfectly suited to a black-and-white crime film from the 50s, with a steady riff on the upright and a steady beat that greatly serves the guitars, allowing Phillipp Wisser to go all the way from Soul to Blues to Jazz to Experimental, passing on everything in between. “Techos Inclinados” sees a shift away from the Noir in favor of the Rock. Highlights are the steady bass riffs and the gorgeous, lengthy guitar solo in the middle with its thick and creamy tone. “Not Today” is, I assume, the latter part of the humongous “Bubblegum & Not Today”. A near 13-minutes long composition of giant proportions. In its final 3 minutes is a section with a minimal, sparse beat and a masterful interplay between the melodic upright and the guitar, that’s soothing and welcoming. “Frontmirror Afterthought” and “Rethought” are relatively short experimental pieces with few things to stand out, with performances that remain on par with the remainder of the album and alien musical ideas and landscapes. 

“Rusty” is the first of a trilogy that bookends that album on a fantastic note. Cowboy-inspired, with an anxious walking bass riff and a rock-solid beat and guitars that are cool and full of attitude but never noisy or abrasive. Part two is “Nachtlicht”. An ambient, comforting piece with beautiful melodies and motifs and equally beautiful performances and solos. “Waiting For Something” might be the simplest piece on here, musically, with chords that can be easily followed, and a melody that can be hummed with minimal mind contortion, along with no shortage of solos and attitude. The last two songs on here, along with “Rusty” are easily going to be the most enjoyable and easy to follow pieces for most of the listeners. 

A professional, modern jazz album that’s truly novel and pure, with a great variety of styles ranging from the experimental to the easy and comforting, full of performances that are passionate and filled with intention heralds the beginning of a band full of mad talent. Blind Spot is a force that’s to be reckoned with, and they could not start their career on a better foot than right here.

Just in time for the weekend, “Midnight in Madrid,” a new soothing tune composed and produced by Al Mur, an electronic music composer and producer based in North Carolina, is now available on Spotify. According to him, the track is influenced by the nightlife of Madrid.

“Midnight in Madrid” was recorded and produced at Al Mur’s home studio, displaying the artist’s sleek production and melodic brilliance. The song exhibits strong romantic tones and atmospheric melodies.

A dreamy, romantic ambience is created by the synthesized music and calming orchestration. A drunken saxophone solo is transformed into a full-fledged quartet throughout the course of the song by the use of subtle percussion and progressive synthesizers. I was immediately brought back to Sade’s classic 90s hit “No Ordinary Love” when I heard the manner in which the saxophone plays with the pleasant tempo of the arrangement. It gives the tune a distinct Yacht-Rock and R&B flavor. “Midnight in Madrid” is the song that most exemplifies Al Mur’s ability to create tunes that completely encapsulate the listener.

A multi-talented artist who has risen up after going through different interests “Rick Smoove” has created “Lost” which was released on the 8th of July, 2022. Rick is currently producing his creative hip-hop and R&B music in San Antonio, Texas with immense strong lyrics that you can’t miss the meaning of his words.

Despite being excellent in various fields he succeeds in going on with his music career and became an amazing songwriter, the pandemic got him down to his innovative mind to produce this awesome music, “Lost” got a piece of different music that perfectly goes with the song lyrics, going with executive summer soft rhythmic beats that has a soulful and calming Lo-Fi vibe to it that catches you dancing like you’re in the ocean waves, and then comes Rick comes in with his straightforward lyrics which shows you every scene he tells through his song.

Rick got a really dope talent whenever he wants to send a message to his listeners with the scenery he resides through and the chilled vibes of what the music has. Each song he released previously got a different and unique sound to it, where he successfully reached his goal and will be a new rising star in the world.

His hard work on every song paid off with a bomb tune, A video release for this song “Lost” is a must, I can’t truly imagine how it will come out of Rick’s greatness in creativity that will send you out to a colorful dimension of abstract feels, the song is too perfect that you can listen to it under a sky full of stars at a party with low lights and romantic mood.