PREMIERE: WHITE NOVELS “CALIFORNIA”
New Music Friday
Photo credit: Craig Shewry
Hardly anything with the name of California unravels without contrasts and drama. Always inspired by real-life experiences, White Novels is the brainchild of two songwriters: Jack Bestow & Tam Kane, which now has evolved into a five-piece band all over Scotland. Their aesthetics revolves around the raw, brutal honesty from their everyday life, absorbing inspirations that translated into the sonics of individual songs.
“California” is based on a real-life story when Jack found himself in a love triangle. He was dating a girl from California who had another boyfriend 5000 miles back home all along. With the mixture of the energetic, dreamful west coast impression and the torn-up feeling of betrayal and heartbreak, “California” is storming with contrasts.
Anyone who has experienced the aftermath of betrayal knows a deep hurt like this doesn’t go away easily as time passes. The violation of trust is hardly expressed in apology but left for one to lick their own wounds.
“When I held your hand, not knowing you’re in the middle.” channeling the direct pain into the lyrics, White Novels put a piece of themselves in the music as well as the lyrics. Wrenching and highly relatable, connecting people with similar experiences.
Written by Katrina Yang
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PREMIERE: FRANK RABEYROLLES “A GHOST BY THE SEA”
New Music Friday
Photo credit: Thomas Dutter
A ghost by the sea proposes a poised, poetic play between sounds and imageries. Frank Rabeyrolles creates lush dreamscapes that alleviate the need for a description, in which he enters moments of color, vision, and memories with a surreal distance. Electronica and futuristic soundscape paint a sci-fi-like space that lives and breathes in a parallel universe.
The title track “A ghost by the sea” opens with a fuzzy, melancholy texture. An impression to linger in slow motion, filled with fragile details in a misty environment. “Child fiction” taps into a childlike perspective of the world around you. Creative and curious, constantly in awe of the beauty and unpredictability of the world itself. On a similar note, “Le Port” is spontaneous and playful in its expression.
“Try happiness” swirls and falls in a rabbit hole to a profound, emotive world, following ideas jumping in altitude, traveling from one place to another. The view changes as it goes. “Oscillation” takes on a closer look at frequency and vibration, exploring resonances and dissonance, interaction, and reaction. From microscopic to macroscopic, the track introduces a massive, darker tone.
As an artist, Frank Rabeyrolles has created more than a handful of albums. With the love of experimentation with sounds and textures, his sonic vocabulary continues to evolve and broaden its horizon. Inspired by nature elements, we could also find traces of sonic representations of those surround us.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: SISYPHES “AU CARREFOUR”
Song of the Day
Inspired by an introspective moment walking alongside the still landscape of oceans and mountains in a freezing winter sunset, “Au Carrefour” has captured the luminous moment of stillness. Cold and calming, the aura of sunset permeates the sonics.
The pulsing drumbeat sits at the crossroad of world percussion and electronic, bringing an elegant, quirky charisma into the mix. A touch of jazz has reminiscent energy in its vocabulary. The unpredictable future remains unknown. There’s a sense of uncertainty and melancholy in its undertone.
The flowing guitar line constantly on the move without the need for destination reflects on the motion within stillness, linking dots together. The standpoint of the present sits at the crossover of the past and the future. Memories, influences, and experiences brewing in the air, becoming the sound of “Au Carrefour.”
Sisyphes is the emerging solo project by former La Houle guitarist and songwriter Geoffrey Papin that aims to create a unique, avantpop texture bringing in various influences. Building from scratch, perfecting each and every detail in its production, the artist is the sole designer of “Au Carrefour.”
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: PABLO IRANZO “BURNED ALIVE” (AURA SHRED REMIX)
Discovery
Photo credit: @IranzoMusic
Hailing from Munich, Germany, Pablo Iranzo is known for blending rock/pop influences with gothic elements, venturing into other genres and styles. As one of the leading singles to the artist’s second full-length album, slotted for a later release this year, ‘Burned Alive” continues the artistic journey of creating sensational, impressionistic tracks with a flavorful blend of darkwave and industrial metal elements while adapting a liquidized, dreamful contemporary production.
The original track is a mixture of nostalgia and evocative soundscapes. Dark and melancholy, swirling in a slower tempo with enchantment. It focused on an overall impression and an introspective, almost dangerous sweet feeling, revolving around the theme of breakup and heartbreak.
The Aura Shred remix brings out a darker, more luscious side of the song with a beaming visualization in its EDM-centered sonics. Isolating the vocals and emphasizing the contracts, the french composer/producer/remixer has a touch of wild imagination pushing the aesthetic further.
Amplifying the raw, stretching details in the artist’s vocal performance while imagining a vast, 3-D surrounding sonic experience. The remix immediately put you in a different space. From one idea to another, witnessing the alchemy in its making, “Burned Alive” has been through an adventure and exploration stretching further to its potential.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: FOX FAGAN “NOBODY ON THE BLOCK”
Staff Pick
Entrancing, lullaby-like melodies meet Fagan’s dreamy, poignant voice. Laid-back rhythm and poised texture bring a nostalgic, Californian vibe. Expressive slide guitar and emotive cello create another layer of contrast. Fox Fagan’s music is a dark blend of folkloric telling from his UK root and Los Angeles’s laid-back southern sun with a touch from the deserted, island of Australia. It becomes something indistinguishable together, brewing its unique texture.
Narrated around an encounter at 3 am between a man living on the block and a hooker named ‘Jordie,’ “Nobody On The Block” is a mixture of many that left for free interpretation. The spiraling storytelling plotted something fascinating in between the lines. The first-person narrative closeup on a single man living in solitude, longing for warmth and human touch. Empty cans and Slayers been on painted the surroundings and his lifestyle.
The interaction between the hooker was more of a one-sided story by the man who assumed the hooker needed to be saved and invited her to stay over. The hooker’s response doesn’t come till the end of the song when she said, “Don’t you know baby, I do nobody on the block. I’ve got my own buzz now please leave me alone.”
From the simple, straightforward narration to top-notch sonics and performance, the seasoned musician has a track of collecting life-inspired stories in his songs, evoking deep thinkings without much instruction. The clever metaphors always mirror back our own state of mind; the underlying message is always left for individual interpretation.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: RAE RADICK “WHO YOU’RE MEANT TO BE”
Staff Pick
Photo credit: Melissa Tillmond
Rae Radick’s music is a mixture of a variety of influences and experiences. Like a sponge that absorbs and grows along with its surroundings, collecting even the seemingly insignificant thoughts afloat in the air, her voice is the natural expression of untold stories tracing her footstep. In the spirit of self-exploration and expansion, “Who You’re Meant To Be” has the lighthearted aura of love in its free form.
Approaching the crossover point of the piano and the guitar, a sensational awakening is in process. The exploration of vulnerability leads to true freedom. Narrating around embracing one’s flaws and realizing who one is as a person, the seasoned singer/songwriter channeled love and peace into the musical form.
The calm mixture remains the perfect balance between rock, pop, and country, creating something personal yet refreshing with a dash of metropolitan’s vibrant spirit. Nostalgia and liberating, fearless and truthful, “Who You’re Meant To Be” consists of layers of messages.
The artist encourages you to explore and be brave in a safe, immersive sound cave, coming into a retreat of nature and beauty.“Even at our lowest points, it’s important to be patient and kind to ourselves, and remember that we are our own problem and solution,” said Radick.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: CULLEN THE GREAT “Bad Intent”
Song of the Day
Photo credit: Dominic Wuan
“Bad Intent” opens up with a darker, more aggressive tone that crawls under your skin. Exploring an unusual side of songwriting, creating vivid visual images, Cullen The Great tapped into the untouchable with a hit or miss directness. In the eerie, thickening ambiance, a craving, haunting hook hits your eardrum with raw power.
Derived from his usual style, the song immediately dips into a different energy field with a freezing sense of truth and vulnerability. Turning the camera down the throat, the song has an exposing feel to its aesthetic.
Gullen The Great has a very particular way of words in which he played with rhymes and vowels that sparks creative effects and visual impressions. It penetrates and invades like the stem of roses, dangerous but entrancing with raw power.
“Oppressions of expressions; Only lead to more suppression; While progression of recession; Brings out all the true confessions; And impressions of possessions; Always lead to more discretion; While distressing on the message; Always lead to shitty sessions.”
Maddening yet lucid storytelling gets under your skin, intriguing you to witness the unraveling. Exploring with further expansion, the artist on the rise is not afraid to tap into territories that are often avoided or forbidden. Tracing his footsteps, the artist continues to challenge himself with creative forms.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: OGGY “Find My Way”
Discovery
Photo credit: OGGY
Growing up in a small town in Croatia, OGGY’s music path was off to a harsh start. Despite the challenges ahead, the artist has never stopped pursuing her dream as a musician. Through years of fighting back against the current, guided by passion and love, the singer is coming back with her third single.
“Find My Way” channeled the best of the old 80s vibes, fusing into today’s sonics. Inspired by heartbreak and finding love again, the song announces its presence with a storming rockscape.
Minimal piano, synth wave, punchy percussion with old time stamp, and striking guitar create a heavy, nostalgic texture rooted in live music. Like the flashing disco light that keeps on swirling and dreaming, “Find My Way” evokes something inside you that eagerly wants to come out.
Simple but powerful lyricism aims to connect and relate. “I will find my way out of this pain. I’ll wait till I can love again” speaks to many broken hearts who are on the edge of believing in love. Like the dynamic 80s and never-ending parties, there’s a healing, uplifting energy preserved in the song that connects and finds strength.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: NOELLE “SEASONS CHANGE”
Following on the journey of one of the most promising rising artists to watch, the pop princess noelle is bringing back another jazz-infused single.
noelle returns with sensuous, moody single “seasons change”
Photo courtesy of noelle
Following on the journey of one of the most promising rising artists to watch, the pop princess noelle is bringing back another jazz-infused single. She takes you to a notalgic, ethereal world, filled with feelings, memories, and color palettes.
Written many years ago in the artist’s bedroom, the song has traveled long from its original sparkles through the collaboration with producer Anthony Wright. After the sensational release of “Forever Yours” and hit song “Therapy,” “Seasons Change” marks the third release from noelle’s debut album slotted for a spring release via Wax Records/Universal Music Canada.
“Seasons Change” combines jazz ballad, old-Hollywood cabaret with the tender heartbreak of first love, tackling the theme of unrequited love. The brilliant track has many surprises, like a kaleidoscopic journey that swirls and twirls, it never lacks new patterns. Noelle’s stunning jazz vocal brings you imageries and visions in vintage.
The track introduces a fall-inspired sonic palette that matches a seasonal melancholy and matured theme, brewing the lingering feelings with woozy instruments while the melodic ideas slow dance with sentiments.
SINGLE REVIEW: DAVID BARON AND FIONA GLENN “Crossover”
Staff Pick
Photo courtesy of Fiona Glenn
In a peaceful, illuminating dreamscape, “Crossover” brings you to the reverberant vibe of slow dance on a rooftop and driving past the natural landscape, liberating and full of love. Stemming from the Beat generation and hippie counterculture of the 60s, the theme of city folks escaping the city, searching for something more in life, is always an adventure of love and freedom. Time may have changed, the language of music may have been renewed a couple of times, but the searching continues.
“Crossover” evokes a nostalgic feeling at the same time moving forward in the history of sound. Reintroducing retro elements into the modern soundscape, blending raw experiences with mastery and perfection, David Baron has found the crossover in contrasts, channeling a unique color and vibration into his music. Fiano Glenn’s dreamful, stunning voice added the magic touch that brought Baron’s vision to life.a
Previously worked with The Lumineers, Lana Del Ray, Vance Joy, and Meghan Trainor, among others, David Baron is a record producer, film composer, arrange, and engineer located in Woodstock, NY. He first met Glenn at the Hoot Festival when the nine-year-old singer amazed him with her vocal performance.
“She had a magical sound,” Baron commented. The now 16-year-old singer has continued her musical career with various collaborations, including being the lead singer for Baron’s Whisperer album.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: THE GRAND MESS “Think Of Me”
Song of The Day
Photo credit: Erica Snyder
Deeply haunting with slight disconnection, there’s a sense of despair in the repetition. The Grand Mess has captured the hopeless, dark, and disconnected state of depression. Spiraling down the difficult journey trying to drag someone out of a depressive state while being deep in the same boat, there was empathy and mutual understanding of what each other was going through while not much left to do other than being there and listen.
“Think Of Me” has a strong mental image in its distorted soundscape and disconnected imageries, creating a diversion between reality and illusions. The hypnotic loop was hovering over our heads, creating a very strong and distinct feeling that translated to an inescapable state of mind.
The Grand Mess, aka the Canadian artist/producer Alex Siesse has channeled vulnerability into his voice. Something living and breathing in pain that was locked up in a distance, desperately calling for help. “Think Of Me” is a song that reaches under the skin. It touches something deep in your heart and calls for understanding.
With every detail was deliberately designed and arranged, the music video and the audio together was a complete work of art with sophistication and humanitarian intention to shed light on mental health.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: CURTIS CULLEY “Strip It Back”
Discovery
From the moment two guitars intertwine between each other, there was a sparkle in the song that immediately alerted your instinct. “Strip It Back” opened the door to an adventure you weren’t prepared for while itself was loosely attached to a seemingly traditional singer-songwriter soundscape at first.
The saucy twangs and lighthearted tangling drifted into an abyssal passage with a swelling, catchy bass leading the dance moves. It lightens up with a flourish carnivalistic pop dancescape and falls back into a slightly different passage, moving forward. “Strip It Back” is a fascinating earworm that will definitely make a strong impression.
Revolving around a fictional tangling between two ex-lovers, “Strip It Back” is a creative challenge with the journey itself full of fun. Stepping outside of his comfort zone, the Felixstowe-based artist/producer has amazed us just how far he could push beyond his usual color palette.
“I laughed a lot when recording the vocals to this track as the delivery is not something I would normally do,” said Curtis Culley. The sparkle has truly translated into the music itself, which became something special and uplifting.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: JEFF SYMONDS “EMILY”
Discovery
Photo credit: Susee Witt
“Emily” evokes many memories of an earlier time for rock n roll. Electric rhythm, fuller backing vocals, and a fuller, live-band sound with a storyline that is entrancing while remained an emotional distance with its storytelling.
The percussion-driven track has created the perfect sonics for imagination. The introspective guitar solo and expressive percussion that intertwines with the vocal line. The backing vocal fills between the guitars and bass, creating a smooth layer with nostalgic vibes.
“With saying goodbye to someone who’s needed her for all these years; Emily says she is so bad at decisions, she has fears: But I don’t mind I don’t mind”
Revolving around a love triangle of the main character, Emily, who has gotten herself between her toxic old boyfriend and a new guy, circling back and forth with tears. Spiraling down with no return, Jeff Symonds has told the story in the most straightforward yet impressive way.
With simple lyricism and thickening plots, the story unravels before your eyes in “Emily.” The track was inspired by an early personal experience, making a catchy, danceable comeback remembering the frustration and struggles of the early years.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: JACQUELINE LOOR “I Can Fly”
Staff Pick
Photo credit: Hector Socorro
From a place of heaviness and sadness, the song gradually shifts its energy and sheds its skin. Epid percussion under the vast skyscape, the birth of new energy and strength inspired something beautiful and liberating. Inspired by the artist’s identical twin sister’s journey in finding courage and leaving a toxic relationship, Jacqueline Loor joined hands with Monica Rizzio for an inspired, female empowerment single “I Can Fly.”
“I knew she was scared to be alone so I wanted to give her something that can help empower her and make her feel like she can fly on her own,” said Loor.
Through an intimate, personal angle, the artist reflects on the collective experience we all share as women in her highly relatable lyricism addressing the issue on a larger spectrum. “I Can Fly” is an anthem and an affirmation that reminds us of the strength we have within cut the cord with toxic relationships and situations and embrace who we are as a person and as a woman. Loor channeled something divine and pure from the core of her inner goddess. The chorus immediately gives you goosebumps.
“I Can Fly” is a song that brings tears to your eyes in a time of difficulty. It offers vast power and encouragement to make the necessary change in your life for a healthier, better future. The singer’s voice is never alone. She was constantly supported by other females and the starry, immersive nature. It reflects on feminism and community. Finding strength in the sharing of our stories and vocalizing our pains, together, we heal together.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: ROBERT VENDETTA “All By My Handsome Self”
Staff Pick
Lightheartedness with a touch of destiny. “All By My Handsome Self” takes a dramatic, theatrical approach to sadness and loneliness. The song has a glaring cinematographical element to its storytelling. “I thought it was the two of us, but then you suddenly married to someone else!"
Witty lyricism and the captivating interplay between the piano and the vocal. There’s a sense of chaos and madness in its quickly passing explosive percussion and instrumental arrangement. The old-school entertainer is able to capture your attention in 10 seconds.
Just like its creator, “All By My Handsome Self” is full of charm. Narrates around the heartbroken news, the character in the song gradually accepts the reality and hopes for the best. As the title track from Robert Vendetta’s upcoming album, slotted to release on September 30th, “All By My Handsome Self” has promised stories, depths, and good music.
As introspective and heartbroken as it is, there’s a sense of nostalgia and heartfelt in the sonics. Coming to Vendetta during a Soul children’s song rehearsal, “All By My Handsome Self” also carried the vibe and energy of Norweigen Gospel. Sonically inspired by Elton John and ABBA, the song can be quite pleasing and evocative to many.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: CLIFFORD “Love Is Real”
Discovery
“Love Is Real” has a minimal, cinematic approach in its storytelling. Clifford speaks about wanting and hope in an empty, spacious room where the sound echoes between walls and specks of dust. The song remains a very minimalistic, intimate acoustic setting with light bell embellishment that sparks in between. Epic, sparse drum emphasizes now and then, evoking deeper feelings.
Something raw and real in the artist’s voice makes the tune so powerful. A light shiver expresses the outpouring emotions during the performance, which is well preserved during production. “I unexpectedly found myself tearing up during my favorite lines, which are the actual takes I used for the song," Clifford commented.
“Love Is Real” touches on feelings, loneliness, and longing in its introspective lyricism, discussing the line between reality and dream. The song narrates around the searching for love and how our relationship with others sometimes reflects the one we have with ourselves.
“There are double meanings throughout the song about someone’s want for love vs. the truth about love,” said Clifford, “The want for love is about the self while the truth for love is about reality. A loving relationship is a two-way street in that you can’t have a strong relationship with someone without having a strong relationship with yourself. Both play an important part in a love relationship because reality is now, and dreaming is the future.”
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: ELIJAH MANN “Without My Breath”
Song of the Day
Photo credit: Justin Oppus
Life is a constant motion of ending and new beginnings. Sometimes, even the closest relationships can’t avoid the fate of one outgrown the other. The empty and hurt feelings being left behind aren’t always easy to process. Inspired by the disconnection in a parting relationship, the Brooklyn-based electro singer-songwriter Elijah Mann channeled the raw, sensitive emotions and nerves of a fresh wound into his new release, “Without My Breath.”
When indie-folk meets synth-pop skyscape, the color palettes expand and swirl into new possibilities. “Without My Breath” instantly fill the space with its mass immersion, drawing you into its own sonic space. Outpouring lyricism tells the pain that is straight from the heart. There’s always a line in the song that will touch your heart.
“Another spiral cut,
I’m just another stubborn cork you can’t get open.
So I twist it deeper, put it on myself
Til our communications broken.”
Mann’s expressive, powerhouse performance adds another dimension to the storytelling. Pairing with Ella Jay’s backing vocal, together, they bring a different perspective into its narrative.
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: YARGII “JUST WAIT”
Discovery
Photo credit: @j.0x00n
“Just Wait” was created at a down moment after Yargii has gotten into some trouble. Getting sober, reflecting on the past and the present, the artist channeled his raw emotions into an emotive song. “Just Wait” gets under your skin.
An authentic guitar strumming recreates the moment when inspirations hit. Yargii sat on a hotel bed, speaking about what was on his mind and in his heart. A reverberant, surreal vocal along with the ringing harmonious texture expands the traditional indie rock color palette.
“Just wait, give me some time. Everything is fine, you’ll be alright.” The past is in the past while regret is haunting the present. “Just give me a sign” echoes in your ears and speaks directly to your heart. Everyone who has been lost and experienced the lows in life could relate to the feelings in “Just Wait.”
The production has a sense of muddiness and overwhelmingness reflecting a slightly chaotic moment of life. Infusing pop and hip hop elements into its narrative, Yargii created layers and dimensions to its storytelling.
Written by Katrina Yang
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EP REVIEW: OLL EF “Ghost Of Us All”
Discovery
Inspired by the residual ghosts lingering in the everchanging world, Ghost of Us All is haunting, expansive, and explosive in its storytelling. Looking through frosted glass with a sense of nostalgia and somber, the album creates a unique sonic space in a lo-fi, post-rock landscape. Like the unpredictable weather, sometimes it’s moody, sometimes it’s chaotic, and sometimes it’s emotive.
You could expect expansion in every song, but the progressive journey varies. The opening track “Creatio Ex Nihilo” starts with inviting yet obscure, intimate vintage piano sonics that slowly moves through time and space. It explodes into a swelling, heavily distorted texture within seconds, directly contrasting the previous.
“Dead Reckoning,” on the other hand, offers a sensitive side to its storytelling. Infusing experimental elements, echoes, and reverbs, the duo explores the constant change of texture revolving around an emotive, melodic guitar theme. Slightly chaotic but full of possibilities.
“Fjord, Or” is slightly invasive and massive compared to the first two tracks with a faster pace and driven maddening. This energy develops in “How Time Erodes All That We Hold Dear,” with flickers of ideas and a sense of messiness. Reminding you of a roaring storm with a heavier feeling. The pace slowed down and drifted back into the obscure beauty of the ghost image with “Silverpilen” and concludes in a clocking percussion and spacious texture with“Ghosts Of Us All.”
Written by Katrina Yang
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SINGLE REVIEW: FILIAH “In A Haunted House”
Discovery
Photo credit: Tim Primbs
The haunted house symbolizes a wounded self. No one walks away from trauma and pain without a scar, but in “In A Haunted House,” the artist/producer Filiah discusses moving forward and embracing new opportunities.
The harmonious, beautiful vocal line is stunningly haunting. Light guitar strum with minimalistic drum emphasizing the downbeat, where an emotive string in the background intertwines with the rest of the instruments. An airy, evocative soundscape uplifts the music with reverberance.
"For me, this song feels like a trip through my diary entries. Seeing this whole past toxic relationship of mine pass by me again just made me realize that fighting for this one person had me ending up really tired. I'm saying one final Goodbye and making peace with a ghost I’ve held on to for a long time,” said Filiah.
“In A Haunted House” is the final song and the third release of the artist’s upcoming album. Another wonderful expansion towards a full journey written and produced entirely by Filiah, the talented singer/songwriter/producer hailing from Viena, Austria.
Written by Katrina Yang
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