Fat Cat Affair Releases “Empty Bed”
“This song has a great story to it,” says Fat Cat, “When I was in Camden in London, I lived next to a couple that argued all the time. I could hear them through the walls. Their lives seemed very dramatic and it sounded like they couldn’t fix their differences. Well, I love writing songs about people’s lives so Empty Bed was born.”
“Empty Bed” is a soulful, RnB pop duet featuring the smooth vocal talents of Janet Tabaka and Costie Payne. Mixed by Andrea Lepori (Rolling Stones, U2), the regular Fat Cat crew lay down the groove that leads to a sweet crescendo of voices. The song culminates with a beautiful Nigerian gospel choir pulling at the heartstrings.
Fat Cat is one of those rare felines that everyone wants to work with. A multi-instrumental, multi-genre, funktastical cat-beat monster! Fat Cat loves working with other people and every Fat Cat project has a featured artist.
Corban Chapple Releases “Ordinary World”
A STIRRING REFLECTION ON FEELING CAUGHT BETWEEN WORLDS.
This debut was entirely self-produced, featuring Corban on trumpet, flugelhorn, guitar, bass, keyboards, and vocals all recorded at his home studio. This aspect of his production style allows for a clear artistic voice to shine through. Lyrically, ’Ordinary World’ is a bitter inner-dialogue about bravado and self-doubt, and the tension of being caught between those voices. The song ultimately sets the stage for change, foreshadowing a serialised narrative to come from future releases. This dialogue is expressed through a conversational style, making use of wordplay and a few literary allusions to enhance the story and power of its message. This results in each element of the track constructing meaning through their mutual support, cementing ‘Ordinary World’ as a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Based in Perth, Corban is a contemporary-soul producer, singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is influenced by the vocal and production stylings of D’Angelo and James Blake, striding the intersection between analogue and digital. His voice delivers soulful melodies through sophisticated vocal arrangements, complimenting his warm instrumentation and hard hitting Hip hop production style.
Priya Francis Drops Smooth RnB Banger “Swimming”
Discovery
Smooth and immersive, “Swimming” is an empowering R&B banger that swims in soulfulness and ethereal soundscapes. Dreamful, reverberant guitar riffs pave a light layer around Priya Francis’s poised vocal expression with a speck of moodiness.
Leaning into heavy R&B references, Francis showcases her captivating storytelling in this empowering banger. “Swimming” revolves around the journey of finding independence, the singer-songwriter explores her feelings and thoughts in depth.
The low-key vibe of “Swimming” is infectious and the captivating hook tends to linger in your thought while the cathartic energy and freedom in Priya Francis’s vocal leave a powerful impression.
Through sharing her own journey and struggle, the artist touches on those highly relatable circumstances and situations and invites listener to be vulnerable.
Written by Katrina Yang
FOLLOW PRIYA FRANCIS
Downbeat Elegance: jelia “each time you fall”
Artist Spotlight
Photo credit: Sandra Mitrea
Mending R&B with indie-pop, “each time you fall” brings out a tasteful and fantastic contrast in sonic palettes. Vibrant drum beats splattered around the space, carrying the uplifting, exhilarating heat and brightness where jelia’s soulful melancholy swirls in the wind like dancers.
The haunting moodiness in jelia’s expressive vocal has a natural, astonishing glare of soulfulness that elevates in the air and becomes an unforgettable impression.
The smooth, electrifying soundscapes in “each time you fall” turn the volume of a gloomy rainy-day mood all the way up with gracefulness where colors glisten and reflect calmly through the lush sonics.
“each time you fall” is a poised sonic gesture that puts you in a beautiful, poetic atmosphere as if it owns the world. The underrated track is hauntingly addictive and leaves you smiling, bathing in its calming moodiness.
Written by Katrina Yang
FOLLOW JELIA
Lonely Boy Highly-Anticipated Chapter 1 of “LONELY PPL” is Here
Staff Pick
"Everyone gets their heart broken sometimes, LONELY PPL is my personal journey filled with trials and tribulations and the authentic vulnerable human experience that comes with heartbreak, healing and moving on. I'm very proud to share this personal gift from me to you, and I hope you love it just as much as I loved creating it." —Lonely Boy
Lonely Boy’s Lonely PPL Vol. 1 opens a gateway towards a world in which time has stopped. There’s no-compete the emotional richness and vibrant feelings that Lonely Boy creates. A throwback to the nostalgic smooth vocal of the 90s and early 2000s R&B with lush production, Lonely Boy sets the mood of amber and wine with tasteful moodiness. Exploring vulnerability with his unlimited creative energy, Lonely Boy creates music that you can fall deeply in love with within seconds.
“October” opens in a distorted, lo-fi blurriness that instantly sets you in the tender heartbreak. The warm, transparent texture and an intuitive beat highlight the heart-wrenching feelings in Lonely Boy’s storytelling. “Only One Night” explores a hollow, echoing sonic background that gives the ballad a surreal vibe. Lonely Boy takes you to another world with his captivating, evocative vocal that blends soul and pop with a special flavor.
“Sussex Drive” is a brighter and lighter track among the three that transcends the mood with celestial choirs and starry soundscape. The world feels richer and better when Lonely Boy’s music is on. It’s a feeling that you’re so deeply engaged in his sonic world that you miss his music even the player is on.
EP REVIEW: PAT ANTHONY “JZMN”
Staff Pick
Photo credit: ANDY LE
JZMN was created over the course of a 6-month long relationship, tapping into moments of memories when the outpouring emotions and lyrics naturally tangled into its artistic form. Pat Anthony’s guitar playing features a deep, rich that reminded you of the vastness of mountains and oceans. Vulnerable vocal and flowing lyricism meet a minimalistic touch of production. JZMN is an album that would for sure impress you.
Opening and closing with the simple deep resonating acoustic-vocal sonics, “Her Song” introduces a type of storytelling that maximizes the listener’s imaginations. Leaving plenty of space and suggestive directions, the track never gets old. “Sade” puts the inevitable end with tenderness and gentleness, channeling all there could be said about a journey and a past person.
From “Color Blue” to “Smoke Kisses” to “JZMN,” Pat Anthony shakes up the soundscapes and color palettes, introducing a different scenario through each song. The dazzling “Smoke Kisses” has a distant, nostalgic, surreal side to the storytelling, parting its way from the darker theme. Between the sound of a vintage piano and a clock bell, “JZMN” draws you into a calming sadness, floating as the flow to the end.
Coming out of deep depression and mental health struggles, the project and breakup have transformed the artist’s life. He also dedicated himself to his health, which he has lost 75 lbs as well.
Written by Katrina Yang
FOLLOW PAT ANTHONY