Music producers Wuki & Somkepurpp link up on trap banger ‘Birdz’
Smokepurpp and Wuki link up on the official music video for their new single “Birdz” out now via Hard Recs. Riding through the desert on high-powered quads and sand viper dune buggies, Wuki and Smokpurpp endure the rocky terrain and take us on a reckless, off-roading adventure. Shifting into high gear, Smokepurpp is seen spitting hard-hitting bars while Wuki hypes him up as they both create a rowdy and rambunctious scene. The “Birdz” single has been lighting up airwaves with support from iHeartRadio, Hot 97, Dash Radio as well as major playlists on Spotify including Cratediggers, Beast Mode, Trap Mojito and many more. Already racking in hundreds of thousands of streams so shortly after release, “Birdz” is quickly becoming one of the hottest tracks of 2021.
FFO: FFO: The Chainsmokers, ILLENIUM,One Giant Leap
Future bass trio One Giant Leap debut environmental music video, ‘Human Race’
Directed by: E.T Rouleau ( @e.t_rouleau)
In light of our world’s growing need for environmental sustainability, musician JiLLi was inspired to write a song from the POV of our dying mother nature.
“Human Race” is the first track of an award-winning EP created by JiLLi and two classmates at Icon Collective College of Music under the project named One Giant Leap. This song has been a modest success for them on streaming platforms.
The group hope that this video could go viral with the right publicity, as environmental awareness is on the rise and it’s imperative that we take action.
Ancient Astronauts, Thievery Corporation, Public Enemy, Wizkid, Damian Marley and Kruder & Dorfmeister.
Ancient Astronauts provide spotlight for talented African musicians in new album
Image credit: Adam Kroll
Let’s explore some of the hidden talent Africa has to offer with Ancient Astronauts. The German pair has set out to highlight the socially conscious artists found within the continent – creating a space for each artist to express themselves and providing a platform to reach the Europen market. The ZIK ZAK album via Switchstance Recordings was released today and preceded by several singles as well as the Kampala Fire EP, all taken from the dynamic album. However, fans will still find a wide variety of previously unreleased tracks.
Ancient Astronauts strike a vital point when discussing the current relations between Western society and its African counterparts: Multinational corporations exploit the resources of Africa, Western governments play out white saviour complex and come with financial support, but at the same time block their own markets from African products. There is no balance.
The two have striven to work against this mindset, with each release being tailored around the featured artists involved. Our personal favourite track of the album is ‘No Luv’, featuring a simple snare drum, irrefutable lyrics and the dynamic vocals of Modenine. Fast on its tail, in both on the album and in our hearts is ‘Social Distancing feat. Ife Piankhi’. The two strike two very different note and are but a small example of the complex issues addressed in the album.
New Premiere: wave producer Glacci unveils ‘LCD Sunscream’ song
With a loyal cult following of over 10.2 thousand on Soundcloud, you can already sum up that experimental grime producer & remixer Glacci is one to watch. His ability to produce surreal soundwaves that are still desirable on the dancefloor leaves one in awe with every release that he puts out. Today, we are thrilled to share this innovative talent’s latest single, ‘LCD Sunscream’ via The Wave Stage. It is the perfect amount of whimsical, along with the undoubtedly refined structure in the production.
Electronic duo Lick Drop release latest banger song, ‘Made O Stone’
Image credit: Lick Drop
London based duo LICK DROP unveil their new track Made O Stone. LICK DROP are the self-proclaimed AI cosmic production Demons. Pouring emotion and non-linear transmissions into the stream of monotony viewed through internet life, the duo see a generation in peril and provide a voice so little represented in modern music. Inspired by AG Cook, Grimes, Melanie Martinez and Lil Uzi Vert, LD create a new vision for music that blurs the lines between genres but that takes influence from trap, rock and hyperpop to create a unique music composite.
Made O Stone is the perfect example of that, 808 booming bass and drums devastate Hyper-Pop synths to take you on a heroic journey through the psychedelic cosmos. Guided by the anime style left of centre vocal melodies Made O Stone explores the sounds of Charli XCX and lil Uzi Vert to create their own unique style.
Hailing from South London, they have rejected the trappings of the modern music industry as true underground artists to create something wholly unique, building a collective in their studio in South London of like-minded individuals, artists and creatives.
It’s this exciting vision that attracted the duo to global-pop star Kiesza. First meeting Kiesza through a previous label, LICK DROP and her have bonded as friends and collaborators, with the duo having writing credits on Kiesza‘s latest album (for tracks Dance With Your Best Friend and Sky Aint The Limit. They recently collaborated on LICK DROP‘s Halloween track Dracula and have more music to come soon.
Wax Tailor, Nightmares on Wax, DJ Shadow, RJD2 and The Avalanches.
Established hip-hop producer Wax Tailor releases 7th studio album
The wait is officially over for the release of music producer Wax Tailor’s LP Shadow Of Their Suns released viaLab’oratoire. Wax Tailor serves us with refined hip-hop that bridges the gap between emotive electronica.
Previously chatting with The Playground, he audaciously hinted at the new album’s direction (read the interview), “This Is The Album Of The Maturity”, probably the worst promotion argument.” We can not disagree with this statement, as it is evident from the first listen you will be absorbed by its theatrics starting with album opener ‘Fear Of A Blind Planet’. This song, much like the entire album embodies dystopian cinematic effects with sampled speeches of protest against a world gone mad. The pounding snares are hard to miss, making one quiver with goosebumps instantaneously.
Shadow Of Their Suns provides thought-provoking lyrics that Wax Tailor’s pairs together seamlessly with poised structure and dramatized effects throughout. The result is a poetic commentary on society and its many flaws.
R&B & pop artist Maxine Ashley sings about growing up in the Bronx
As a well-known Next model and urban R&B/pop artist, Maxine Ashley pulls from her experiences growing up in The Bronx with her salsero parents to create a serious bad bitch persona, continued in her latest single “Rager”. As a Latinx Grammy-award winning song-writer, professional Pat McGrath model and Pharrell Williams protege, Maxine Ashley‘s “Rager” and its accompanying goth-toned lyric video, come from Maxine‘s unwavering determination to push through COVID-19 sadness and stay sane, a trait possibly attributed to growing up Latin in The Bronx. This is a song for the weirdos, the ragers, the up-all-nighters, and people who live each day like a new party.
As a muse for Pat McGrath since 2017 and, recently, Fenty Beauty, she’s garnered features in Vogue, Wonderland, Tidal and many more. Moving to London alone when she was just 13 to pursue her entertainment dream, Maxine Ashley won’t take “no” for an answer, resulting in her signing to I Am Other headed by Pharrell Williams in 2017. A writer on Grammy-award winning Ariana Grande album Sweetener alongside Pharrell Williams, she channels an innate strength and wave of determination she inherited from her lineage of strong women through each single and visual she releases into the world.
Musician Bellsavvy releases confident pop song ‘In My Zone’
Image credit: Marcus Mutti
Bellsavvy is a rising pop star meets fierce Latin diva. Based in London the artist knows how to combine her latin roots and European influences to create a unique sound unlike any other.
Starting her career with MTV Brazil singing on the show “Studio Acesso Girls MTV”, Bellsavvy won over the hearts of over 1.8 million live viewers who all voted for her performance. Following her time on MTV, she was catapulted into the limelight, landing roles in movies, musicals and numerous musical projects around Europe.
Her debut single “Queen of My Mind” released earlier this year, received notable airplay from the likes of BBC Introducing and RTL. With her solid artistic identity being all about self-empowerment, she was labelled “the new fierce diva of 2021” by media around the globe, garnering support from the likes of Hollywood Life, GAYTIMES, PopDust and many more. “Queen of My Mind” saw Bellsavvy speaking about her experiences in the modelling industry and how she was shamed for her body weight. These dark and negative thoughts resulted in a loss of self-confidence and self-love leading to a mental breakdown. The track shined a light on the artist overcoming these inner-battles, resulting in a self-empowering anthem.
Now, she is giving us the second chapter. With her latest single “In My Zone”,Bellsavvy is shining brighter than ever before inviting listeners to find their own light and join her “in her zone”, where united we can all feel the power of owning who we are. “In My Zone” is an upbeat, energizing and self-assured song about being comfortable in your own skin and knowing your self-worth. Bellsavvy explains, “In my zone is about the moment I knew I was the Queen of my mind and I wanted to celebrate the feeling of breaking away from that chapter in my life.”
“In My Zone” oozes Latin fire and energy. With sassy, fun vocals the song is infused with uplifting, catchy spanish influence and fire, dance-worthy production by the multi-platinum producer Sky Adams (Doja Cat, HRVY, Kylie Minogue, Sigala). The track is lively, light-hearted and carries a cheeky essence, but the vibes of the track speak of body confidence and finding your inner badass; her honesty shows people every little sentiment of who she is.
Bellsavvy hopes to use her inspiring story to help people in need. Something which is more important now, than ever before, the artist is using her positive, high energy and uplifting vibes, in her honest and authentic lyrics to tell her story and connect with listeners on a deeper level. Her music has been hugely supported by LGBTQ+ communities around the world – a community who can empathize with the discriminations that she has endured. With the goal to encourage others to feel strong, beautiful, and uplifted, no matter what anyone else tells you, Bellsavvy is on a mission and no one can get in her way.
Ancient Astronauts, Public Enemy, Mos Def and Seun Kuti,Switchstance Recordings
Ancient Astronauts return, featuring collaboration with afrobeats band BANTU
Delivering music with a message, Ancient Astronauts have teamed up with renowned band BANTU on their latest introspective single ‘Photoshop Reality’. The single is lifted off of Ancient Astronauts anticipated album ZIK ZAK, which will be released via their imprint Switchstance Recordings on the 22nd of January 2021.
‘Photoshop Reality’ is a captivating listen from the thought-provoking lyrics and strong conviction in the vocals translate the issue of perfection and altered realities we buy into even though they may not be real or achievable to us. Ancient Astronauts continue to create an easy listening experience with their confrontational and bold thinking.
The duo previously chatted with us about the media industry (read full interview), “ Pop music mostly talks about how nice everything is, how you can become the greatest, the most adored, the coolest outsider, and blablabla. it is all just created hollowness, like a second world you can escape to and forget what is happening in the real world. it´s an escape from the real world, and I do not think that it really helps. You gotta face reality in order to change things and make things better. But if those issues are not addressed then nothing will change. If you only talk about the niceness of sunshine then you can never stand the rain.”
ZIK ZAK Album Tracklist:
1. Upliftment Skit feat. C Wyne Nalukalala
2. Basonyiwe feat. Spyda MC
3. Pagliacci´s Reprise feat. Joyce Olong
4. Ghetto Youth Never Give Up feat. C Wyne Nalukalala
5. Pump Up The Sound feat. Bani Fyah
6. Moz Militant feat. Blaze 5th
7. Tebamanyi feat. MoRoots
8. Wan Aken feat. Brazen Rule
9. Photoshop Reality feat. BANTU
10. My Vision feat. Shoeshine Buoy
11. Omuntu Wwo feat. MOTH
12. No Luv feat. Modenine
13. Social Distancing feat. Ife Piankhi
14. Entandikwa feat. Abramz
15. Deram Me 1 Minuto feat. Olho Vivo
16. Source Of Life feat. Nilotika Cultural Ensemble
Music producer SNARL drops sophomore song, ‘Trapped’
Image credit: Edward Cooke
British maverick, SNARL drops his progressive sophomore single‘Trapped’. 16 year old SNARL kicked off the summer with his debut single ‘Ibiza’, which received support from the likes of Official Charts, Spindle Magazine, Alfitude, 14HQ and many more. ‘Trapped’ on the other hand comes to us as the season changes, with a deeper and more electrifying undertone to the track.
‘Trapped’ feels like a statement made by the wonder-kid SNARL. The track almost invents its own universe, which essentially, we all want to live in. SNARL was instantly inspired by the lyrics of the track and says: “I was looking through my sample library, and found this one set of lyrics. The tone and melody the vocalist used spoke to me a lot and the word Trapped could be applied in so many situations. I edited, played with the shape and effects to make it a bit dirtier and darker. I then built the track around the vocal. I took a lot of inspiration from Boombox Cartel, as well as NGHTMRE, two amazing artists who are brilliant in this style/ vein of music. As soon as I found the chord progression, I was determined to get everything else just right so l could share it.”
While SNARL has shown he is able to produce increasingly brash, energetic and OTT extremes, ‘Trapped’ indicates his keen eye for lyrical harmonies that can be flipped into hardcore club bangers.
Raised in Essex, SNARL is a world away from the huge multi-level clubs where he sees his music being played. But none of that matters when you’re a kid with an internet connection. He’s grown up on Discord chats and forums, where he’s connected with dance music lovers across the globe. He’s studied hard, in the electronic music school of mainlining YouTube vids throughout the night. SNARL has devoured music that could be defined as organised chaos. Stuff by DJs, like Virtual Riot and dubstep acts such as Code: Pandorum. Future house producer Don Diablo, but there’s heavier, metal adjacent music too. These head thrashing influences all combine in SNARL’s upcoming music.
