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Keep T Moving by Meas & Riddie

Abdelrahman Khaled
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Keep T Moving by Meas & Riddie

Meas & Riddie are two young brothers from Rotterdam, and “Keep T Moving” is their first independent release. According to their SoundCloud profile, Meas got started by watching his brother make music, then got drawn in as tech house rose and decided he wanted to make it too. He had only been producing for about a year when the track came out. The duo made it themselves, and it arrived on streaming services on July 16th.

The energy and momentum are palpable, and the track recalls classic house. It fits that the duo is from the Netherlands, since this is exactly the sound you’d expect from there. Harmonically, it evokes a party that’s already been going on for hours, with people who have been dancing all night and a song urging them to keep it moving because the night is still young. That setup suits a title that’s really an instruction.

The duo’s own description points to what they like most, which is the twist of old 909 sounds against newer synths. That mix of vintage drum machine character and fresher sounds fits the classic-house feel. Making music “how they like it” in their own way seems to be the whole approach. The response so far backs it up. The track is approaching 30,000 listens on SoundCloud, which is no small feat for a debut independent release. A number like that says people are connecting with it. The brothers have said more music is on the way, and “Keep T Moving” makes a solid case for paying attention. For anyone who likes their house with some classic energy and a clear sense of occasion, this one is worth a spot in the rotation.

Coco by Wyn Starks

Abdelrahman Khaled
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Coco by Wyn Starks

“Coco” is addressed to two people in particular: a “coco girl” and a “coco boy.” Wyn Starks wrote the song as reassurance for both, a reminder that their worth was never in question and that a champion’s spirit is something they already carry. The Curb Records artist released it on July 16th, and the imagery he reaches for draws on African heritage, with resilience passed from one generation to the next. It’s a message built for anyone who has ever questioned where they belong.

The song itself is luscious and warm, a perfect, empowering chant that will inspire you to feel like you can do anything positively. It’s built around a chorus meant to get people moving, with a melody that goes from tender encouragement to full celebration and a groove that carries the weight. The layers of harmony are rich and have so much soul to them, and it’s impossible not to love this song, I think.

Wyn Starks is signed to Curb and has been building a profile for a few years. He first reached a wide audience on Season 17 of America’s Got Talent, where he sang his original “Who I Am” and earned two standing ovations. That song was later featured in the Prime Video documentary I Am: Celine Dion, and it sits on his 2021 debut album Black Is Golden. According to the press release, he has spent the past two years touring, including several runs supporting Delta Rae, before heading back into the studio for a new album, and “Coco” is described as sitting at the heart of it.

Where “Who I Am” deals in vulnerability and perseverance, “Coco” is billed as a joyful celebration, and the harmonies carry that mood well. For listeners who came to Wyn Starks through the documentary, it’s a good sign of where he’s headed next, and for anyone new to Wyn Starks, “Coco” is an easy place to start.

Little Dutch Rhapsody No.3 Capriccio Amsterdam by Sergiy Bolotny

Abdelrahman Khaled
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Little Dutch Rhapsody No.3 Capriccio Amsterdam by Sergiy Bolotny

Pieter Goemans’ “Aan de Amsterdamse grachten” is a classic Dutch melody, and Sergiy Bolotny has given it to a solo violin. The result, “Little Dutch Rhapsody No. 3 (Capriccio Amsterdam),” came out on October 2nd. Bolotny is a Ukrainian-born violinist who trained in Lviv, Kyiv and Vienna and now plays as Assistant Second Concertmaster with the Noord Nederlands Orkest in Groningen. According to the press materials, the piece was featured on NPO Klassiek, the Dutch national public radio station, on its release day.

​Bolotny describes the piece as a concert caprice, and it follows the Old-Viennese violin tradition of Fritz Kreisler, with lyrical cantabile phrasing, rich double-stops and playful variations. Compositionally, it’s a bright and playful piece with lots of twists and turns, and it rewards deep, attentive listening and repeat listens to really appreciate all the nuance.

The recording choices are what make it stand out. It was recorded purely acoustically with natural room resonance, and that brings out the dynamics beautifully. You can hear extra string noises and clicking, and the result feels alive rather than polished and flat. Acoustic instruments should always be recorded like this, and this is an absolute delight to listen to.

“Capriccio Amsterdam” is the third entry in Bolotny’s Little Dutch Rhapsodies, a cycle that sits alongside his 24 Ukrainian caprices. The first rhapsody brought the humor of a Groningen folk tale to the concert stage, and this one turns toward the nostalgia of the Dutch capital. Both come from Bolotny’s interest in regional European musical memory, and with three rhapsodies now out, the series is worth following for anyone who wants classical violin that sounds like it’s being played in the room with you.

EP: Cup Of Tea by R.Nelson

Abdelrahman Khaled
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EP: Cup Of Tea by R.Nelson

The Washington, D.C. artist, songwriter, and producer R.Nelson took one song from his July album Songs and Music by R. Nelson, Vol. 1: Grown Man Energy and built an entire release around it. “Cup of Tea” came out on August 28th through Nelson Creative Group and Ashy Knuckle Productions, and it works as something other than a remix package.

Each song here is pretty much a different chapter of the same story. All six tracks sit in the same key, including the alternate versions, the female response, and the Geese Da Goon feature, so it plays like one soulful, groovy 23-minute R&B song that evolves and changes across its runtime.

The EP opens with the original “Cup Of Tea,” followed by “Cup Of Tea (Def Alt)” and “Cup Of Tea (Early Draft),” two interpretations that really show how elastic the song’s groove can be and how skilled R.Nelson is at manipulating rhythms

The perspective shifts on “You’re My Cup Of Tea,” a female response to the original. What began as one side of a conversation gets an answer, and the story stops being a solo statement. “Perfectly Steeped (Two Cups of Tea)” pushes that exchange further into a fuller relationship concept, which is where the EP’s title idea pays off, with one cup becoming two. The closer, “I Didn’t Change, I Expanded.” with Geese Da Goon, brings in a fellow Ashy Knuckle Productions artist. The song also appears on Geese Da Goon’s Outside project, so it works as a bridge between the two releases. Nelson himself says the aim was to see how far one idea could travel and still feel like “Cup Of Tea,” and by the closer, it has become more than one person’s perspective.

Nelson‘s bio cites R&B, soul, and Go-Go as roots, and treating songs as scenes in a larger concept has become a signature of his catalogue. The EP follows a busy 2026 that already included “Do I Deserve Love?,” which I’ve covered before, “Gravity”, “Unable To Love” and the full-length Grown Man Energy, which Nelson calls a “movie for the ears.” The 23-minute Cup Of Tea EP is something we should have more of in the genre, and Nelson’s soulful take on it deserves a wider audience, so here’s hoping it becomes more prevalent in the mainstream.

AN OBSESSION WORTH KEEPING CLOSE!

Cherine Abulwafa
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AN OBSESSION WORTH KEEPING CLOSE!

A home studio doesn’t necessarily mean a small sound. 50mething’s “Obsession” turns one artist’s relationship with music into a lively alternative indie R&B and blue-eyed soul track, built around the idea that sometimes you simply need music within reach: earbuds ready whenever comfort, reflection, or escape is needed.

There is something immediately relatable about the premise. For 50mething, music isn’t just entertainment; it is an emotional outlet and a source of solace through difficult moments. The title might suggest something intense, but the song approaches that attachment with warmth and energy rather than darkness.

The track is carried by a persistent bass line that gives it an infectious groove. Guitar enters around the chorus, adding movement and lift, while harmonised vocals bring depth and richness to the arrangement. The brass section that arrives toward the end is perhaps the most striking touch, giving the song a satisfying final flourish rather than simply fading away.

What makes the production even more interesting is that everything was created independently in a home studio, with 50mething handling the entire process alone. There is no sense of the DIY setup being treated as a limitation. Instead, the track feels deliberately layered, with each element contributing something to the overall shape of the song.

That independence is central to 50mething’s wider musical journey. Drawing particular inspiration from Prince, the artist has been building an extensive catalogue of around 70 unreleased tracks, embracing music as a space for experimentation, expression and connection.

“Obsession” by 50mething works because its subject is both personal and universal. Most of us have a song we reach for when words fall short, a familiar sound that can shift a mood or make a difficult moment feel lighter. Here, 50mething turns that everyday dependence into an upbeat, carefully arranged celebration of why we keep music close in the first place.

Sideways by DJ Cards

Abdelrahman Khaled
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Sideways by DJ Cards

Five weeks after the stillness of “Blue Hour,” DJ Cards is back with something that makes you want to move again. “Sideways” came out on September 25th, the fourth single from Philadelphia’s Michael Cardamone, and it puts the vocals and the momentum back into a project that had just spent a whole track proving it could do without them. It’s the same trance and melodic house world I’ve followed across “Forward,” “After Midnight,” and “Blue Hour”, just pointed in a more energetic direction.

Where “Blue Hour” was built around one quiet window of the evening, “Sideways” is built around motion. It sits at 130 BPM, and the track continues the trend of well-produced EDM that Cardamone has stuck to from the start. The mix is clean and holds together when things get busy, which matters in a genre where a big arrangement can easily turn to mud. According to the press materials, the song moves between softer, atmospheric vocal passages and bigger instrumental sections, with soaring female vocals and chopped vocal hooks over a melodic line meant to stick.

It’s also the kind of record that suits a specific setting. This is a great one for a drive down the highway, windows down, with the road doing half the work. The energy is steady and forward-leaning rather than frantic, so it sits well over a long stretch of driving without demanding your full attention.

The press release calls this his most melodic and expansive track yet, which is a big claim given how much room “Blue Hour” gave itself. It’s easier to hear it as the louder half of a pair. Cardamone has now put out one track that skips the drop entirely and one that leans into the lift, and they land as two different moods rather than one being a watered-down version of the other.

That range is what makes DJ Cards worth watching. “Sideways” shows he can bring the energy back without losing the polish, and after a patient track and an energetic one, it’ll be interesting to see which direction he picks next.

Dancing in Paris by Michael Dulin

Abdelrahman Khaled
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Dancing in Paris by Michael Dulin

A planned trip to Paris that ends up in Italy is an annoying thing to have happen. It’s also what gave pianist Michael Dulin his latest single. The plan had been dinner, drinks, and a midnight dance under the Eiffel Tower, and when the detour came, Dulin wrote the evening as a tune instead. “Dancing in Paris” came out on September 18th from the Birmingham, Alabama musician.

According to the press materials, the song is a mid-tempo swing waltz, with brushed drums and a lilting 3/4 pulse underneath a melody that sits somewhere between wistful and playful. That fits the backstory, since the whole thing started as a small disappointment handled with a sense of humor. A waltz is also a smart choice of form for a song about a dance that never happened. It has a built-in sense of motion, and a bit of nostalgia comes along with it.

Dulin’s background explains the polish you’d expect. He trained as a classical pianist, studied at Juilliard, and, by his bio, has also toured as keyboardist for The Temptations. He runs his own Equity Digital label out of Birmingham, and his 2008 album “Follow the River” was where jazz elements first started working their way into his sound. The kit points to Jeff Lorber, Brian Culbertson, Chick Corea and Dave Grusin as reference points, which puts “Dancing in Paris” on the smoother, more melodic side of piano jazz rather than anything experimental.

The single is pitched at late-night jazz and romantic dinner playlists, and a music video was scheduled to follow on September 25th. Dulin has been putting out instrumental singles steadily for a couple of years now, five of them in 2024 alone, and this one slots into that run as another small, clearly framed idea. For anyone building a playlist around candlelit dinners or slow evenings in, “Dancing in Paris” is aimed squarely at that moment, and the story behind it gives it a bit more personality than a generic mood piece would have.

Oriel Dax Debuts with Dreamy Progressive Floor-Track “The True Speed Of Light”

Sistra News Team
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Oriel Dax Debuts with Dreamy Progressive Floor-Track “The True Speed Of Light”

South Yorkshire, UK – South Yorkshire producer Robin Downe introduces his Oriel Dax project with the first official release, “The True Speed Of Light,” a progressive-tinged, dreamy floor-track that fuses classic early Detroit techno with hybrid electronics, rare-groove funk and modern sensibilities.

The track draws on the ageless pulse of first- and second-wave Detroit techno, progressive house, Euro-electronica and techno-pop, while weaving in the warm textures of 70s and 80s funk, jazz-funk, disco and classic hybrid electronics in the vein of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Propaganda. Contemporary touches, reminiscent of artists such as The Weeknd, give the music a current edge. The result is equally suited to chilled second-room sets and mixed-genre electronic playlists.

Oriel Dax was originally conceived as a fully electronic project. A long-held love of funk, jazz-funk, Euro-electronica, film soundtracks and disco, however, broadened the approach to include live and traditional instrumentation alongside electronics, with occasional vocals. After a previous appearance on the tribute album 23 for PB, “The True Speed Of Light” marks the official arrival of the project.

With its blend of classic influences and modern production, the track offers a distinctive entry point into Oriel Dax’s evolving sound world of electronic music that moves between the dancefloor and deeper, more atmospheric spaces.

About Oriel Dax
Oriel Dax is the project of South Yorkshire producer Robin Downe. Blending classic Detroit techno, progressive house, Euro-electronica and techno-pop with funk, disco and hybrid electronic influences, the music combines electronics with live instrumentation and occasional vocals. “The True Speed Of Light” is the first official Oriel Dax release.

“The True Speed Of Light” is available now.

Freddy Zucchet Reclaims the Legend with “Penelope’s Odyssey”

Sistra News Team
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Freddy Zucchet Reclaims the Legend with “Penelope’s Odyssey”

France – French songwriter, singer and producer Freddy Zucchet invites listeners to forget Odysseus and meet Penelope in his new release “Penelope’s Odyssey.” The track reimagines the classic epic from the legendary queen’s perspective, transforming twenty years of waiting into a powerful story of strength, love and destiny.

Where the familiar Odyssey centres on the hero’s journey, Zucchet gives Penelope her own voice. The result is a cinematic and emotionally charged piece that balances intimate songwriting with epic soundscapes, turning myth into a deeply human narrative of endurance and quiet power.

Freddy Zucchet creates music where timeless melodies meet cinematic emotion and international storytelling. Inspired by art, mythology, history, and the human journey, his songs move freely between personal reflection and grand, borderless sound. The guiding principle remains constant: music that connects, stories that stay.

From France to the world, Zucchet is building a distinctive musical universe in which melody becomes a language without borders. “Penelope’s Odyssey” stands as a striking example of that vision a fresh retelling of an ancient tale that feels both timeless and urgently present.

About Freddy Zucchet
Freddy Zucchet is a French songwriter, singer, and producer whose work blends timeless melody with cinematic emotion and international storytelling. Drawing inspiration from art, mythology, history, and the human journey, he creates songs that move between intimate songwriting and epic soundscapes. His music is driven by the belief that melody can connect across cultures and that the strongest stories endure.

“Penelope’s Odyssey” is available now.

EAST-MEETS-WEST EXPERIMENTAL PHENOMENON SIENNÁ RETURNS WITH AN IMMERSIVE 9-TRACK ALBUM “EMA”

Sistra News Team
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EAST-MEETS-WEST EXPERIMENTAL PHENOMENON SIENNÁ RETURNS WITH AN IMMERSIVE 9-TRACK ALBUM “EMA”

OSLO, NORWAY – A prominent Japanese electronic music artist, producer, and songwriter SIENNÁ announces her anticipated 7th full album, EMA, scheduled for release on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

One of the most avant-garde electronic music artists is back. It will mark the first release of music from the Japanese experimental phenomenon in Norway since the 2023 album ‘Wa Kei-Sei-Jyaku‘.

The brand-new album ‘EMA’ is a collection of 9 image-to-sound syntheses about the interconnectedness of all things from her perspective. As EMA is a tool to communicate directly with the divine within the Japanese spiritual context, this album became
her way of writing down the messages from the natural world.
“My songwriting locations for this album were Kibune Valley in Kyoto and Ischia Island. The ideas fell down from the sky while walking alone in the tranquil mountainous forests. I wanted to draw what I perceived in a sketchbook, but I wrote
songs instead because I´m not a good drawer,” she smiles.

Created around themes of resilience and self-belief, the lead single “Be A Seeker, Believer” is highlighted in album promotions for aiming to restore the hope in this beautiful but sad world. The video is now available for streaming on YouTube HERE.

ABOUT SIENNÁ

Sienná is a Kyoto-born, Oslo-based experimental electronic music artist, producer, and composer.
Known for her “East-meets-West” sound and “no rules” composition philosophy. Her work avoids mainstream pop trends, favoring an experimental, genre-defying approach that incorporates classical instrumentation, jazz, and Japanese aesthetic concept, such as wabi-sabi.

Active across Europe for over many years as a live electronic act and DJ. Collaborated and performed alongside prominent international musicians, including Norwegian psychedelic jazz
trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, late English bassist Mick Karn, and The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

TRACK LISTING:
01. Be A Seeker, Believer
02. Your Fact, My Fact
03. Ema
04. Aenaria
05. 369 (Miroku)
06. Finding Inner Sanctuary
07. The Majestic
08. A Messenger
09. From Here to Where You Are

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