TikTok users can now look forward to a new product from the company that brought the world the highly addictive video-sharing social media platform. With a simple hum, users can generate entire songs using the new Ripple app. It is worth noting that the app is still in its beta testing phase, but for those who have access, Ripple offers a world of untapped creativity.
Ripple is unique in that it allows musicians who don’t possess the skill to play an instrument to generate instrumentation at a moment’s notice. Then, they can use the app’s built-in editing feature to cut and shift parts into an arrangement of their choosing, much like audio workstations FL Studio and Ableton are capable of. Only, with Ripple, the process appears to be more mobile-compatible.
“Ripple is designed to inspire musical creativity and help musicians, artists and composers express themselves,” said a ByteDance representative. “We’re excited to see how creators use Ripple to tap into their creativity to soundtrack their own short-form videos.”
Is Ripple the future of digital audio workstations? Who knows. But we do know that it is only a matter of time before TikTok floods with hum-generated music, being that the new app links directly to its sister platform, enabling a seamless segway from music creation to music publication!
In his new release, Jerry Folk and his alias FENGSEL tell a story. It’s an emotional tale of growth, time, and the inevitable passing of life. To me, it explores the gift and curse of looking back, searching the past for the comfort of what once was but only finding a yearning for what can no longer be.
A visual representation of development at its most essential, the music video shows a child growing from a boy to a man in the blink of an eye, moving from the nurture of his parents to the loneliness of individuality. And along the way, he learns, leaving behind his old toys only to pick up new ones. Though the topic seems heavy, the track is anything but. It is a refreshing, heartfelt record that perfectly accompanies the feelings of nostalgia that Jerry, I assume, tried to capture.
When asked to share his thoughts on the track, the producer said: “I made this track in LA last year around the same time I made my last EP, Castle Tapes, and was inspired by medieval sounds, UK Punk, and ‘90s breakbeat music – trying to find a unique middle ground between the three. It’s coming out as a collab between Jerry Folk and my FENGSEL alias. It’s hard to explain but when some things I make get a certain nerve, I want to have it in the FENGSEL universe.”
As anyone tapped into the digital grapevine knows, HBO’s new drama series The Idol has been a hot topic in the press of late. With TheWeeknd starring as the crazed self-help guru and cult leader Tedros and Lily-Rose Depp as the stardom-seeking lead, the show made its debut on the 4th of June.
Last week, The Weeknd released two tracks from the first episode of the series: the theme song, ‘The Lure’, as well as ‘World Class Sinner / I’m a Freak’. The theme song was written by The Weeknd and heavyweight producer Mike Dean and the second song was sung by Lily-Rose Depp and co-written by Abel and Asa Taccone.
Yesterday, The Weeknd released 3 new tracks from episode 2, which will feature alongside already released records like ‘Popular (with Playboi Carti & Madonna)’ and ‘Double Fantasy (with Future)’ on the official soundtrack album, The Idol, Vol. 1, which is slated for release on the 30th of June.
Disney has put a contemporary spin on their classic animation The Little Little Mermaid. Originally written by Hans Christian Andersen, the fairy tale has resurfaced, and this time with a twist. Now reimagined, The Little Mermaid is a musical adaptation featuring singer-songwriter Halle Bailey as Ariel, the little mermaid herself.
The major motion picture made its debut on the 26th of May and, naturally, the official soundtrack, written by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, followed soon after – available now across digital streaming platforms. Fans can also purchase the cinematic score on vinyl at Disney Music Emporium.
Rob Marshall, the film’s director and producer, said the following: “Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda have written three thrilling new songs and one new reprise for this film, which is kind of amazing. It’s extraordinary actually.”
Canadian producer Das Mörtal has released a brand-new single titled ‘IDÖL’. Out today via Lisbon Lux Records. The track is a stark contrast to the more mellow single it follows, ‘WASTED’, which he and his label released back in February.
‘IDÖL’ is a murderous hybrid record. Two parts Trap, one part Electro, the remnants an amalgam of dirty bass sounds, the track goes for the jugular, attacking with ferocious power and absolute mercilessness. Relentless 808s slam, unapologetic lyrics incite, and filthy hi-hats scatter like crowds during a rebellion. Ready yourselves; Das Mörtal is plotting mutiny.
Telling us a bit about the effect he believes the track will have, he said, “IDÖL is going to make you dance and bounce while we try to escape the pressures of society.”
After Ryuichi Sakamoto’s passing on the 28th of March, his management shared a rather eerie playlist that the 71-year-old curated before losing his ongoing battle with cancer. Titled Funeral, the playlist contains 33 tracks by the likes of collaborator alva noto, French pianist Erik Satie (who makes a number of appearances throughout), and the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach to name a few. Curated by a man in the midst of self-grieving, it is a sombre farewell.
“We would like to share the playlist that Ryuichi had been privately compiling to be played at his own funeral to accompany his passing,” said his management. They first shared the playlist on Twitter, tugging at the heartstrings of musicians and fans alike when they tweeted, “He truly was with music until the very end.”
As musicians know, the audience is everything. As such, SoundCloud is in the process of launching an innovative new feature on SoundCloud for Artists that will enable creators to make direct contact with key members of their audience. Called ‘Fans’, the feature was built to help artists forge stronger bonds with their die-hard fans.
Still in the beta phase, the feature has been made available to over 50,000 test users, who are now able to message the select few who make a difference. The hope here is that artists will be able to build increasingly meaningful relationships with their core followers.
The potential here is worth noting: instead of relying on streams, musicians could, at least in theory, offer their loyal listeners exclusive content and merchandise, leading to higher revenue; the possibilities are endless. In addition, musicians will be able to track listening behaviours and form strategies based on the feature’s handy analytics dashboard.
It’s always a good sign when an artist’s eyes light up at the mere mention of the name of the person featuring on their current single. That’s just what happened when German musician, singer, rapper and producer Lucas Herweg alias LLUCID spoke about the first time he contacted New Zealand songwriter Kimbra. He had long been a fan of her music and was already familiar with her latest album, January 2023 release The Reckoning, which will be sure to appear on many a year’s best album list and includes the song “foolish thinking,” one of the year’s most beautiful ballads. While recording his debut album Deep Blue Dream, LLUCID struggled with the very personal song ‘Wasting Time’ – an atmospheric journey venturing from trap-style autotune to futuristic pop that takes amazing excursions to a formidable, wildly pulsing beat yet retains its overarchingly melancholy mood.
“It was a wild ride,” says LLUCID when speaking about its creation. “I’m sure I made three or four complete versions of this song, only to return to and refine the original idea. It’s a very personal song about a relationship that has hit rock bottom; very early on I thought it’d be cool if someone else added a different perspective to the track. I’m psyched to have Kimbra joining me. I’ve been a fan of her work for years! We had a riot producing the song!” Kimbra, who has always had a knack for picking whose projects she’ll feature on (along with ‘Wasting Time’, “Afterglow,” with The Album Leaf, is another compelling recent example of this), was enthusiastic after the two got in touch and went back and forth exchanging sound files on Dropbox; so enthusiastic that she had him join on a few of her tour dates earlier this year. She says, “I loved this track when I heard it. It captured a kind of melancholy but made it feel danceable and cathartic. We recorded the vocals in Berlin while on tour together. The process was super fun and natural. I’m stoked that I could be a part of this song!”
Incidentally, her words are also very good for helping categorize LLUCID’s debut album Deep Blue Dreams, which has a similar underlyingly melancholic, danceable and cathartic vibe and will be released on June 9th. Yet LLUCID is one of those newcomers who, in the strictest sense, really isn’t one anymore; that’s why his debut album sounds more like a sure-fire success from an established artist. Before kicking things off in his own studio, LLUCID studied in Mannheim for a while, but halfway through his studies he realized he preferred making his own music and left Popakademie Baden-Württemberg. However, while there he met singer Dena Zarrin, aka Madanii, and they recorded their first tracks together. The song “Sober” is a testament to how well that works. In the ensuing years LLUCID, who now lives and works in Berlin, has slowly but surely pushed his own solo work and released his six-track EP Getting in Touch on Grönland records earlier this year. Yet LLUCID has also expanded his production portfolio and made music with exciting artists in the realm of rap and beyond. For instance, he has worked with Berlin-based Irish singer-songwriter Wallis Bird, helped produce a song for the band Hundreds and has found a friend and mentor in Samy Deluxe.
And Deep Blue Dreams doesn’t sound at all like it was “made in Germany.” That is because LLUCID’s tastes and production methods have always been informed by what’s going on across the big pond. “I’ve actually only ever been influenced by American music. Cole’s stuff and Kendrick’s early music in particular allowed me to tap into whole new spheres.” That’s noticeable in his singing and rapping styles. “It’s always a mix with me. Sometimes sung, sometimes rapped, sometimes something somewhere in between. I’m sure that is a product of my genre-independent listening habits when it comes to music. There are just so many different vocal fingerprints; sometimes one fits better than the other. When I first discovered hip-hop, I loved the sick rhythm of the recitative singing, but I also loved the melodious vocal parts. I always wondered: ‘Why don’t they mix the two together more often?’” Good question, and one he’s now simply gone and answered for himself.
Afro-futurist sensations Onipa shared the video for ‘No Commando’ (feat. David Walters) taken from the band’s second full-length album,‘Off The Grid’ which is scheduled for release on the 6th of October 2023 via Real World Records.
The stunning video was shot around Accra in Ghana – where Onipa co-founder K.O.G.’s heritage lies.
‘Off the Grid’ is a journey that joins the origin story of dance rhythms from Africa to electronic dance music of today’s clubs and festivals, connecting African folklore and storytelling to rap, jazz and hip hop.
The twin creative forces behind Onipa are Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist) and Kweku Sackey (K.O.G. & the Zongo Brigade) – together with Finn Booth on drums and Dwayne Kilvington (a.k.a. Wonky Logic) on synths, have built a life-affirming and highly original world of sound.
Tom Excell talks about ‘No Commando’ and recalling the lyrics he explains: “No Commando is about peace. A call for ‘oneness’ and a look at where ‘sources originate’. Seeing how the power of community can dispel fear and help us to express ourselves with ‘calm’ and ‘ease’. The track was recorded with recycled metals, pots and pans for drums, and a wooden spoon guitar. A musical interpretation of the concept; One person’s rubbish is another’s treasure. Working with David is always a joy. His poetic lyricism resonated with the concepts we explore on ‘Off the Grid’.”
‘Hydra’ is the product of a flash of insight. The record came together when a likely frustrated Kooma had a lightbulb moment. Watching waves crash fueled his creative impulse, which he then poured into completing the newly released song. “The main progression and drum pattern of ‘Hydra’ came to life pretty effortlessly,” the producer informs us. “but the final form of the song wasn’t shaping as seamlessly.”
Opening with emotive plucks, ‘Hydra’ grows from humble beginnings to a bass-heavy beast with saturated synths that glitch and stutter. Foley-like drum hits form the chewy centre around which the sonic bits and bobs orbit, occasionally crashing into one another, generating friction, then fire. The friction could have come from Kooma’s internal tension. “I feel like I had all the puzzle pieces but they just didn’t fit. Then one day there was this crazy storm in Fuengirola.” The rest is history.
Read our previous feature on Kooma‘s Freefall Mixtape here
Although simple, to say the song lacks fullness would be a lie. Rather, many small, short elements interchange like actors on a stage, coming in and out of view to fulfil their respective roles. This keeps things clean and tidy, making the progression easy to follow.
