Raven Rain is more than one artist, she has lots of faces, identities, and tastes, a beautiful mix of everything. She was born in Italy, currently based in London yet has always been fascinated by Far East Asian cultures, especially the Japanese and Korean. She developed a varied taste in music due to her upbringing and her family’s love for music, she attended music school where she learned guitar and piano with a focus on vocal and singing classes, leading her to audition for the X-Factor in 2019. Her background affected her taste in music and that made her listen to Italian pop, pop-rock, classic rock, and others. All this is reflected in her music where she experiments with different sounds like rap, dance, pop, and electronic sound effects. Yet, her current main influences are Halsey, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and a few K-pop groups. The one thing the artist didn’t mix and match with was the context of the lyrics in her songs, where she discusses mental health issues, the struggles faced, how it affects relationships and friendships, insecurities, and many others. With “LDN – TKYO” she decided to loosen up and just have fun, enjoy life, and tell everyone to just let go. With her new single, she is showing a side of herself that never came out before and reflecting that she isn’t afraid of exploring different sounds and ideas. The song is highly inspired by the K-pop genre with some pop elements. It was produced, mixed, and mastered by ASHEA who previously worked with Alan Walker, who is also working on Raven’s upcoming song which is due to be released in July this year.
سلسلة ترشيحات: درب ١٧١٨
بدأنا الأسبوع الماضي سلسلة ترشيحات لأفضل الأماكن والاستديوهات المتخصصة في تعليم الموسيقى والفنون للمبتدئين والمحترفين، واليوم نصل للمحطة الثانية وهي درب ١٧١٨.
أسس الفنان التشكيلي معتز نصر درب ١٧١٨، وهي منظمة غير هادفة للربح، في عام ٢٠٠٨، بالفسطاط، اختيار الموقع يرجع لتواجد الاستديو الفني الخاص بمعتز نصر بجوار ورش الحرفيين في المنطقة، ما ألهمه لافتتاح الدرب في مكان ذو طابع خاص يمكنه من الوصول لقطاعات مختلفة من المجتمع.
مساحة الدرب وموقعه المميز في مصر القديمة يجذب شرائح مختلفة إليه لا تتوقف عند المصريين وحدهم بل الأجانب أيضًا ممن يجدون في الدرب موقع فني متفرد بروح مصرية خالصة، لذلك تفضل بعض السفارات والهيئات الأجنبية إقامة حفلاتها هناك.
يهدف درب ١٧١٨ لدعم الفن المعاصر ومساعدة الفنانين الشباب ودعمهم بدورات وورش فنية إلى جانب معارض وحفلات لتقديم أعمالهم للجمهور، ويضم قاعتين للمعارض الفنية ومسرح للرقص والحفلات الموسيقية، وشاشة عرض في الهواء الطلق تسمى سينما الفرن.
يوفر الدرب ورش متنوعة ما بين: كتابة ابداعية، طباعة (مونوبرنت)، تصوير، كولاج، تصميم مجوهرات، مسرح، رقص، موزاييك، سيراميك، طبلة، رسم، فخار، خيامية، يوجا وتأمل.. إلخ.
لا يتوقف نشاط الدرب عند الورش، بل يقيم حفلات غنائية وعروض ستاند اب كوميدي ومعارض فنية، إلى جانب استقبال عدد متنوع من المهرجانات الفنية من بينها: مهرجان كايرو غرافي 2017، مهرجان مواويل، مهرجان الأطفال للأفلام القصيرة، ArtFest 3031.
يمكنكم زيارة الصفحة الرسمية لدرب ١٧١٨ للتعرف أكثر على أنشطته
Ride (Feat. Astrid Ripepi) by Philip La Rosa
Staying at the top in your field for quite a while is evidence of the beauty and superiority of what you do and Philip La Rosa managed to stay at the top in the music field several times in a row due to his different songs since many of the singles released by him since 2016 managed to remain at the summit a great period and remain so far And his recently released new song can be a hit too.
Philip La Rosa’s new song “Ride” and features Astrid Ripepi is a kind of chilling song, a quiet love song with meaning.
“Ride” is a typical commercial pop song that has beautiful vocals in the chorus with stunning harmonics, also, the lyrics are simple and easy to understand and feel deeply.
What distinguishes Philip’s music in my opinion is the diversity throughout his songs and the presence of an idea or a story that he wants to express in each song as well as the clarity of melody along with the lyrics.
If you are trying to relax and get more emotional and simplicity, “Ride” is a suitable choice, for sure.
Ride is a suitable song to listen to in your car during a long ride with your loved one.
Album: THE ARRIVAL by Moon and Aries
Social media has many benefits, but its usefulness is very obvious when it is the reason for the meeting of two talented people like Tom Aries and Jordana Moon to present us later with a mixture of their talent and their wonderful taste for music.
Tom and Jordana multitalented musicians who actually complete each other musically cooperated to provide us with the music duo Moon and Aries.
The Arrival album is the sum of Moon and Aries’s efforts, they provide us with the album to enjoy and calm down.
Moon and Aries’s mission as they wish is to create high spirited, thought-provoking entrancing music. They do not care about the distance between them as each one of them is from a different state, but the passion for music binds them and they are determined to provide the best possible through their music.
The album’s songs are a mixture of the spirit of the originality of the past and the development of the present. The songs were written and composed by them specifically to touch your mind and soul together. I loved listening to the album and I hope to listen to more of them in this genre of music and more genres because I think when you believe in what you do with all your heart and express it through an album like The Arrival, it will reach people’s hearts for sure
Those Kinda Days by Kid Koi
Staying where you are and not trying to develop yourself and your potential is a big mistake. Try not to fall into it
Kid Koi did his best to develop himself, and instead of being a guitarist only, he became a guitarist and a great songwriter, in fact, he excelled in both.
kid koi studied music at the age of four and continued to develop in this field when he went to the university through his band, whch was very active and gained wide fame on social media.
Now his new song Those Kinda Days has been released Mixed with his great experience as a musician.
Those Kinda Days got Kid Koi’s experience in travel and knowledge of different cultures.
The song has a catchy melody and the accompanied rhythm guitar added with a beautiful harmony. Definitely, the lyrics were full of optimism and hope.
In my opinion, kid’s songs and even his covers are full of love and this is an expressive message.
Kid is doing well because he took care of every opportunity that came to him, lent the attention to it, developed it and still.
Interview with Jesabel
The Jacksonville, FL-based and Georgia-born artist, Jesabel, recently released “This Small Town,” which speaks about her hometown. The talented voice who had a crippling fear of singing in front of others, and not until the ripe age of 27 did she do something about it, is now going strong with her soulful vocals and her blending of genres of Pop, Folk, and a little Country. We had a chat with her and she let us dig deep into her conquering fear story and her latest single’s backstory.
- While growing up, you didn’t play music, but what genres and musicians did you listen to?
My musical taste has always been eclectic. My first real concert was The Judds. In high school, I was obsessed with Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra. Also in my first car’s 6 disc rotation (yes, I’m that old) was Evanescence, Vanessa Carlton, Elton John and a burned cd with everything from Sublime to Ludacris. As a young kid, I would secretly attempt to sing anything by Celine Dion or “Blue” by LeAnn Rimes. Guess I always admired the powerhouse vocals even if I didn’t possess them at the time. It was pretty wild a couple years ago when LeAnn reached out with love on Instagram over my cover of her rendition of “Swingin’.” It was such a beautiful and ironic full circle moment. I mean I’d hide in my bedroom singing her track as a young kid to later have her personally reach out two decades later after I finally sang publicly. Just wild.
- Fortunately for your fans, you overcome your fear of performing in public. Would you mind telling us what happened when you were 27 that made you conquer your fear?
I was a new mom at the time. Pouring everything I had into this new little being. But in doing so, I unintentionally ended up letting go of my creative outlets. Without any form of self-expression, I lost that connection to who I was. Artistic beings must create or we become numb and don’t feel like ourselves. During pregnancy specifically, I would sing all the time but never when my husband or anyone else was around. I was never a shy person, but there was a real and severe fear preventing me from comfortably singing in front of others even those I felt most safe and comfortable with. I’m all about self-growth and I became fascinated by why my throat would literally seize up when I wanted to sing but couldn’t when others were around. I started secretly videotaping myself singing along to YouTube karaoke tracks to try to understand what I sounded like and work on the fear. I eventually played one (just the sound) for my husband who was shocked. I told him I wanted to take a voice lesson to overcome my fear and climb out of this rut. He was so loving and supportive. That voice lesson spawned everything. From overcoming the singing fear, to later teaching myself guitar and writing songs. Now, this as my full-time profession. Pretty wild, right? I never dreamed one choice to conquer a fear would have rerouted my life path entirely.
- Your sound combines Pop, Folk, and Country elements. Do you consider yourself to have found your niche? or if you’d be willing to experiment with different genres?
To be honest, I kinda hope I never find a niche. I just want to create free of genre expectations or self-imposed limitations. I notice trends and patterns in my writing, but I also write really random ones that make me go, “hmmm, where in the world does this one belong?!” The possibilities are endless, and that’s liberating to me.
- How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
I often say, “Singer-songwriter with a soulful twang.” But, don’t even know if that fully encompasses it. Quite honestly, I’ve always found it difficult to describe my music. It’s never cleanly fit into a genre, and I don’t have a particular artist that’s influenced my sound. I think that’s why I really love song reviews and chatting with folks at shows cause I get their interpretation and digestion of my sound. Some place me in Country, others Folk. I’ve gotten a lot of references to Jewel, Fiona Apple, and Phoebe Bridgers which I found fascinating cause these are artists I wasn’t too familiar with but have since gone back through their catalog to connect the dots.
Don’t miss This Small Town review here.
- Your latest single, “This Small Town,” is heartfelt and moving. What provoked your nostalgia and inspired you to write a song about your hometown?
Processing & Self Reflection. There’s a drastic perspective switch that happens from when you’re a kid discovering yourself verses when you’re an adult who’s now lived a full life. This song is really a stream of consciousness shining light on both of those perspectives regarding where I grew up. A full circle moment if you will. I was a girl who challenged norms and bolted out of that town at 18 to chase dreams. Now, I’m an adult re-visiting this town with my own kid. I can’t help but grin ear to ear with the stories on every corner. The irony and truthful beauty behind all of it and how it molds and shapes us even as adults, I just find so moving. The love and positive support I’ve gotten from my hometown on this song since the release has been overwhelming. It’s the peace offering I hoped for and more.
- For a self-taught songwriter, you’re doing a spectacular job! Please walk us through the process of writing “This Small Town.”
Ahh thank you! For any writing I do, it’s first got to come from a soul-stirring space. That’s what motivates me to write. It was all about the lyrics on this one. Doing my best to paint an authentic picture of where I’m from but most importantly through my lens, my personal experience. I sketched out the song both musically and lyrically. Then collaborated with my long-time co-writer and producer, Jonathan Grant Berlin. From there we edited, restructured, rewrote. I actually sat with the completed musical track for months rewriting the bridge and last chorus lyrics. Words are important to me and this piece needed time to evolve, so I let it breathe till the right closing words came.
- The music video seems so natural and bright. Would you take us behind the scenes of the production?
This was such a fun video to make! My insanely talented photographer/videographer friend, Dan Florez, filmed this. We hopped in the car and took a road trip to my hometown in Georgia. We spend 2 days filming. No crew. Just us two developing the story as inspiration and serendipitous opportunity struck. Energetically, Dan is someone who has the gift of making those around him comfortable, so there’s automatically this nature ease that comes through his lens. He did such a great job capturing real authentic moments while weaving in iconic spots in town. We were gifted some divine timing moments too like the perfectly placed turning big rig with the American flag in the closing shot, the train that zoomed by while my nephew and his friend tossed the football, to the sweet couple going for a stroll. They were real moments. The natural state of this small town and I love that organically gets to shine in this video.
- What comes next? Are there any upcoming releases? Gigs?
Recording and lots, and lots of shows. My calendar is filling up and that feels so good after the last two years of performance unknowns and cancelled shows. I am also buckling down in the studio. Gearing up for more releases. You may be the first publication to get the skinny that I’m looking to drop my first Christmas song this year. Pretty excited about that!
- Thank you for your time! You’ve gained a new fan indeed. Would you give a word to those who have let fear back them down?
There is no timeline, so it’s never too late. You are never too old or too young to start anything. If there’s a tug at your heart to do something, try something new, it’s for a reason. Listen to that intuition. Most times we just have to get out of our own way for the real magic to start happening.
Alluvial Fans by Mark Vickness Interconnected
‘Alluvial Fans’ is a multi-layered piece with different elements and sounds that create a dynamic texture.
The song clocks in a little over five minutes. Starting with a very soft, gentle intro of all the instruments, led by guitars and an oboe, the song evolves into a sweet and uplifting melody.
‘Alluvial Fans’ could perfectly fit as cinematographic soundtrack material, with its bold, inspiring rhythmical succession of notes.
The song’s music video on Youtube has already got +15K views. While some of his previous work, like ‘Hot Apple Stuff’, has currently got +24K streams on Spotify.
Throughout the music video, you can witness how connected and how much the group enjoys making music and playing together.
‘Alluvial Fans’ is the first release before issuing Mark’s latest album: ‘In The Rain Shadow’. The group behind it is ‘Mark Vickness Interconnected’, with musicians including two-time Grammy-winning violinist Mads Tolling; Matt Renzi (oboe/English horn/saxophone); Joseph Hebert (cello); Dan Feiszli (bass); Grammy award-winning percussionist MB Gordy and tabla virtuoso Ty Burhoe.
Based in Bishop, California, Mark Vickness Interconnected is a powerful group that covers styles and genres from all over the globe: Acoustic, Jazz, World, Classical, and Instrumental, just to name a few.
“I formed the group Mark Vickness Interconnected in 2019. As a composer, this is my dream ensemble. There is almost no style of music, no musical culture or era that we cannot draw from–, says Mark about his dream team.
“We have a classical trio (violin, cello, oboe), a jazz quartet, percussion instruments from almost every continent and culture, and virtuoso players capable of playing pretty much anything I put in front of them.”
Scheduled for the Fall of 2022, the album ‘In The Rain Shadow’ is inspired mainly by moving to the high desert of California’s Owens Valley.
Rich, lively and authentic. ‘Alluvial Fans’ promises and sets the rank high for the upcoming album. The professionalism, talent and expertise shown by Mark Vickness Interconnected are superior.
Between the Lust by Keelah Tay
Keelah’s latest release, a sensual Hip Hop single ‘Between the Lust’, touches on the hardships of finding meaningful love in today’s digital, superficial world.
“This song is about the modern challenges of trying to find true romantic connections.” –Keelah Tay.
Compared to previous work, ‘Between the Lust’ is a more hearty, effortlessly smooth and relaxed track. Counting some basic beats that add rhythm and volume to the composition, the song has a Soul-ish feel, keeping lust at the centre of the topic.
LA-based performing artist and songwriter Keelah Tay started writing poetry as a kid. Eventually, she transitioned into and pursued songwriting as she realised this was her dream career.
“Songwriting is the most transparent way for me to communicate with people. In addition, having a wide range of tastes in music has helped me develop as an artist and as a person.” –says Keelah.
‘Between the Lust’ not only feels suitable to play during your *wink wink* time, but also this is a must-add song for your brunch, summer by-the-pool or sunsets & cocktails playlist.
The Observer by Katt Rardi
A scorn self and a heavy breathing lung. Pale face and drained body with darkness growing inside, burnt inside to ash as you have been demoted to, an observer.
Katt Rardi, a fabulous indie New Yorker drops an absolute hit track titled “The Observer”. When men are being foolish to you, that’s the track you should play with those expressive, realistic lyrics.
The track begins with a cathartic guitar loop and a cross-stick snare drum. All that on one hand and on the other hand is Katt‘s mesmerizing vocals and high notes which take place in the chorus in a way that makes you wonder “did I play an Adele track by a mistake?!”
I also liked the backing vocals, add-lips, and choral backing vocals. They gave an epic vibe along with Katt‘s heart-broken vocal lines and words.
The track kept a certain pace and never descended nor ascended it which is psychologically realistic, as in such situations ”The Observer” keeps on observing through the days and stalking their ex-partners while hanging out with someone else holding the same energy in stalking and burning your guts out with no refrain.
The track is absolutely a hit, I don’t really know why they haven’t started playing it on the radio yet. It deserves to be on the charts lyrically, musically, and most importantly, vocally. They all did their job in correlating the track. And it is like a serialism painted by the three elements.
Take a listen to “The Observer” and tell us your thoughts.
CAUTION⚠️: If you were recently dumped, and your ex is seeing someone else, DON’T PLAY THE TRACK!
K-pop from Roots to Bloom – Part One
“Breakthrough moments are often the result of many previous actions, which build up the potential required to unleash a major change. In his book “Atomic Habits,” James Clear stated this. What does that have to do with K-pop? Well, that’s pretty much how most things happen! Nothing just goes boom out of nowhere, and the same applies to K-pop. It didn’t invade the world over night. It has roots that can be traced all the way back to “changga” songs and “trot” music till this very day with BTS conquering the world. And other factors besides the music itself participated in making K-pop a phenomenon.
Whether you’re into K-pop or not, you’ve probably heard of it. “Gangnam style” likely crossed your road, you must have overheard a BTS song, saw a video, or at least glimpsed the name without knowing what it refers to, and if you’re a frequent social media user, then you saw a dancing video or a fan-made video. How did K-pop spread everywhere? Well, let’s begin our adventure into the fascinating realm of K-pop.
Where it all began
In order to discover the truth about something, you have to trace its history. So, it’s story time.
It all began in “South Korea,” a peninsula in East Asia located between China and Japan. Everything was great for more than four thousand years, and then Japan colonized Korea in 1910 and ruled till 1945. Things went worse after that, as the Korean War happened in 1950 until 1953, and Korea was split into North and South. Wars affect everything, including the music industry. Why is it that important to know? Because the root of Korean popular music goes all the way back to 1885, when a missionary named Henry Appenzeller was teaching schoolchildren American and British folk songs, replacing the original English lyrics with Korean ones. These songs are known as “changga.” When Korea was under Japanese authority, it flourished and spread because Koreans used it to convey their feelings, therefore the Japanese banned “Changga” since it alluded to the persecution of Koreans. A new genre, known as the “trot,” has also emerged. It was influenced by Japanese music and has a distinct two-beat rhythm.
The first Korean pop album was in 1925, (“이 풍진 세월” / “The Tumultuous Time,”) by Park Chae-seon and Lee Ryu-saek, which featured popular Japanese songs translated into Korean. Follow it in 1929, the first pop song written by a Korean composer, (“낙화유수” / “Fallen Blossoms on Running Water.”) sung by Lee Jeong-suk.
The Kim Sisters
You definitely can’t trace down the K-pop origins without coming across “The Kim Sisters.” In the 1950s, the genre started with The Kim Sisters, a pop trio consisting of Sue (Sook-ja), her sister Ai-ja, and their cousin Mia (Min-ja). Maybe K-pop groups like BTS and Blackpink made their way to the US audience and their music is all over the world, but the Kim Sisters did it first. They achieved huge fame in the US. They sang American hits even before they learnt English, as they sang them phonetically, and they performed on the Ed Sullivan Show more than 22 times. They were very talented as they were multi-instrumentalists and could sing a diverse range of genres.
Seo Taiji and Boys
The 1990s saw the rise of a new era. Thanks to “Seo Taiji and Boys,” they paved the way for K-pop music, and without them, it wouldn’t be the way it’s now. According to music critics, 1992 was the most important year in Korean pop history because “Seo Taiji and Boys” achieved enormous success, created a distinct sound and performance, won awards, and swept genres such as trot, ballad, and folk off the scene. Even though, in previous years, musicians such as “Lee Gwang-jo” sold thousands of copies of their ballad albums. Seo Taiji and Boy introduced a musical blend of hip hop, rap, Europop and techno with choreography. They were the first K-pop group, and with them, the phenomenon of “Idol” culture began. The title song, “I Know,” from their first album, was a breakthrough with its unique choreography, “Tornado Dance,” which went viral. After their fourth album, the group disbanded in 1996. In 2017, Seo Taiji collaborated with the K-pop group “BTS” and held a concert to celebrate his 25th anniversary of his Seo’s debut, and he told them: “Now, it is your generation.”
Following Seo Taiji and Boys, a slew of idol groups arose throughout the years, and to make it simpler to track them down, fandoms divided them into four generations. The first of which began in 1996, shortly after Seo Taiji and Boys disbanded, and the fourth of which includes today’s talents. In the next article, we’ll delve into the diverse talents and get to know each generation and how they enriched the K-Pop industry.