Duff Kelly “Lace My Kicks”
What makes a piece of music so hauntingly moving? Duff Kelly gives us the answer with “Lace My Kicks.”
Duff Kelly Tackles Passion and Struggle in “Lace My Kicks”
Photo credit: Ella Cottrell
What makes a piece of music so hauntingly moving? Duff Kelly gives us the answer with “Lace My Kicks.” As sensuous and dreamful the soundscapes wrapped around his smooth and distant voice as if approaching you in a dream, the kicks and punches drive the track to reach beyond the further land. The reverberant deep sonics floating in the background gives the track a determined and solid foundation at the same time, effortlessly depicting the spaciousness where the dreamful and inspired sparkles shimmer under the dark blue canvas.
Duff Kelly’s communicates the inner struggle between passion and obstacles through raw and honest lyrics that always come from the heart. The mixture of an acoustic instrument and synth pads has wonderfully captured this heartfelt and authentic character of his music. Personally, I can’t think of any reason anyone could not like this song as it is so beautifully orchestrated and movingly written.
Inspired by Kelly’s personal journey of searching for truth and love despite the tragic and unpredicted events, “Lace My Kicks” reflects the spirit and passion that thrives to survive in the conflict with dissonance, randomness, and chaos—the constant in the inconsistency. Maybe that is the reason why “Lace My Kicks” is so easy to relate to.
“Perhaps all is exactly as should be, balancing in perfect harmony amongst the chaos that gives meaning,” said Duff Kelly
Kimberly Walker ‘Freckles’ EP
Freckles is a carefully choreographed work of art in which Kimberly Walker’s sexy voice shines of its natural moods and different shades of light.
Kimberly Walker Shines Effortlessly on Freckles
Photo credit: Javan AndréFreckles is a carefully choreographed work of art in which Kimberly Walker’s sexy voice shines of its natural moods and different shades of light. The high aesthetic album features the tenderest details that perfectly weaved into the album’s authenticity and vulnerability. From the warm, refreshing new love to one’s darkest and most vulnerable moments struggling with mental health to reclaiming inner solar power, Freckles takes you on a journey through the different aspects of passion, love, and empowerment.
Freckles is a stunning album that instantly draws your attention from the very first sound—the soft, cinematic sonic that intrigues you to walk into a world of calming green. The title track “Freckles” has a very interesting balance between Walker’s smooth and moody R&B vocal and the instrumentals. They were both stunningly intricate and at the same time better and complete one another.
“Higher,” tells the story about the high of a relationship with vivid imageries that are poetically inserted into Walker’s lyricism, which offers another layer of visual effects into the sonics as well. The magic of the song is all within Walker’s effortless and cathartic vocal performance.
“Feeling Myself” shifts to a spacious yet focused lens, highlighting the loneliness, inner struggles, and emotional vulnerability when one is faced with their own devil. While the track feels the most intimate of all, Kimberly Walker has also captured the listeners’ hearts with her contagious melodies and brilliant songwriting.
“All My Love” has the tender hurt tangled in its lightheartedness, communicating a new beginning and moving on from the past pain. The groovy track is really easy to vibe with and dance to while embracing a time of healing.
“Lay Awake” is a soft and dreamful lullaby that feels like a breeze on a cool summer night. It preserves the magic of a perfect moment in which you can just fully soak into.
Strangelight “The World Needs Laughter”
The World Needs Laughter was a cathartic experience that was almost moving and contagious at the same time.
Strangelight Unleashes Cathartic Bangers on The World Needs Laughter
When I listened to Strangelight’s The World Needs Laughter for the very first time, I immediately felt a great deal of release and understanding from the band and their music. The World Needs Laughter was a cathartic experience that was almost moving and contagious at the same time. Strangelight dives into the unfulfilled needs and overdue emotions and lets them out in a complete, full-length release. From the very first sound to the last, they never disappoint.
The level of intensity and energy is so perfectly choreographed into the change of aspects throughout the tracks. “To Do List” is about the endless, life-long tasks that one is constantly on the chase to fulfill, yet all it does is to add up to the underachieved disappointment one has towards himself.
“Headache Aesthetic” pays attention to the modern over-caffeinated, underslept toxic lifestyle that is on the loop to repeat itself day after day. “Lead Blanket” talks about the futility of work, while the end track “The World Needs Laughter” offers a compassionate aspect towards the overall situation.
Through shedding light onto those common frustrations and anxieties that are so often overlooked in adult life yet affect our mental and physical health, Strangelight’s music is a place where those feelings are validated and then released into the air.
Contagious beat, cathartic noise, and a great deal of banging distortion create this environment where the negative, unwelcomed, ugly, unfulfilled aspects of thoughts and emotions get to fully resonate, and that itself offers a very effective healing effect and emotional satisfaction.
Acoustically, the different shapes of extremes vibrate and create frictions between one and another. and present a unique and immersive sonic universe.
Written by Katrina Yang
Marble Raft “Geography A”
Marble Raft paints a sonic wonderland with bright, glistening sounds that filled the space with brilliant and glimmering visions.
Marble Raft Release Euphoria Album Geography A
Photo credit: Boel BermannMarble Raft paints a sonic wonderland with bright, glistening sounds that filled the space with brilliant and glimmering visions. There’s an overall optimism in Marble Raft’s music that gives their sound a unique sunshine glow. Like a voyage heading into the undiscovered sea and islands, Geography A features nine various songs that take you on different adventures.
“Masses of Water” opens the album with rich and vibrant psychedelic soundscapes that swirls in the fluid-like orchestration. Marble Raft utilizes a combination of warm, celestial sounds to depict a musical world that is just as magical as a candy house, making the impossible come true, while the duo’s voices join together, calls and responses, sharing this vision in song form.
Marble Raft’s lyrics are the ones to pay extra attention to. The lines act as the guidelines to the sound that fulfill the imageries with specifics and deeper meanings. There’s always a certain feel that comes from the lyrics themself that contribute to this euphoria vision.
As it wrote in “Masses of Water”: “It all begins right here with these masses of water; an engine of hopes and dismay; here we stand with our maps and our numbers; but no logic applies here; we’ll be safe and sound.”
“Guiding Stars” offers a lighthearted tenderness with a speck of hope, sailing onto the colorful sea. The flamboyant soundscape to this point is quite characteristic to Marble Raft’s sound. “Scouting the Shores of Longyear” marks a major shift of energy in the album.
It presents an immediate, derivative of vibe that feels fresh and at the same time intense, introducing a sense of movement and longing into the song with richer emotional context.
“Isle of the Tritons” turns to the tender side, featuring a sensuous guitar-centered texture that reminds you of the first rain of spring. It opens up the possibilities of cinematic aspects of Marble Raft’s music, which is something exciting to explore more.
“Northern to Southern Hemisphere” has a sense of magic and playfulness nicely tucked into the sonic. The percussion-infused bright, metal palette creates a very textural feel to the sonics. “Tierra del Fuego” looks out for a change in the darker and heavier, industrial-electronic elements that tangled with pop.
It’s a track that flies in the middle of everything yet different from anything. “Coast to Coast” concludes the album with a heavier, sunset-inspired reverb with an overwhelmingly emotional richness. It evokes a sense of nostalgia but in no way associates to specific memories. It’s a feeling that you can only feel but can’t see or touch, which makes the song stand out in Geography A.
cades “It's Not What It Seems”
Cades captures the motion and rhythm while rewinding where time becomes a relative term and the sonic starts to behave in a way that is strange, exciting, organic, and untamed.
cades Unravels Uniquely Inspired Electronic Single “It's Not What It Seems”
Cades captures the motion and rhythm while rewinding where time becomes a relative term and the sonic starts to behave in a way that is strange, exciting, organic, and untamed. Cades incorporates this idea into his music, but his vision never stops expanding.
The intricate gap between stop and motion offers a different perspective to the way we view and perceive music, where he managed to manipulate sound on a deeper level.
“It’s Not What It Seems” sets its sound aside from cades’ previous work as well as other artists in the realm of electronic music. The track has a fluid-like, abstract quality that keeps on evolving and expanding. It radiates and fills the space with wonderful imageries that go beyond the measurable.
The track truly amazes you with cades’ creativity and visionary composition. “It’s Not What It Seems” is a unique and inspired track that never seems to be enough to savor. One can only rewind to its beginning and hear it again and again.
Victoria Taylor “Pull Up Ft. Love Ian”
“Pull Up” sets its scene in a vintage castle, where the inner Italian character Sophia Loren Goddess of Victoria Taylor came to life.
Victoria Taylor Shines on Self-Affirming Dance Pop “Pull Up Ft. Love Ian”
Photo credit: David Ross Lawn“Pull Up” sets its scene in a vintage castle, where the inner Italian character Sophia Loren Goddess of Victoria Taylor came to life. The self-empowering track feature Love Ian sends out a daring invitation fueled with limitless energy where Taylor’s eclectic voice pulls your heartstring.
Growing up to dance music, Taylor’s music is heavily influenced by the energetic, rhythmic blend of EDM and the swirling pop that never seems to escape your ears. “Pull Up” shares her passion for beats.
The track has a strong rhythmic emphasis that makes it irresistible to dance to, while the luscious pop production layers tightly around Taylor’s cathartic voice, intricately shifting the moods and sonic palettes as the meter runs.
Victoria Taylor has a very magnetic vocal that appeals to and entrances her listeners. The electrifying contrast within her voice is fascinating where her whispers feel like a soft lover’s kiss while her powerful, cathartic passages have a strong, magnetic presence that simply can’t be ignored.
Her studies in contemporary R&B and Jazz tastefully added glare of soulfulness into her performance which creates a very unique blend in her sound.
R.E.N “Moved On”
From dancer, professional model to a musician, R.E.N shares a unique perspective in her music.
R.E.N Shares Moving New Single “Moved On”
Photo credit: Mallory Idoni
From dancer, professional model to a musician, R.E.N shares a unique perspective in her music. Rooted in her untamed spirit to be vulnerable and brutally honest, her music connects to listeners in a personal and profound way.
Well-articulated lyrics are often revealing and emotionally rich in storytelling. R.E.N channels difficult experiences in her life into powerful music that speaks directly to anyone who has experienced heartbreak, loss, and grief, while the entrancing melodies capture the cathartic, exhaling energy embedded underneath her music.
“I write lyrics solely from experience, so my drafts often resemble journal entries in the early stages. While ‘Moved On’ was no exception, this single originated from two poems I’d written at the lowest point in my post-breakup grief,” she commented.
Music has a special place in R.E.N’s life. Every phrase is carefully crafted and fused with memories and intention that contribute to the bigger story. “It made me feel heard, thereby offering me the closure I never got at the end of my relationship,” said the artist.
Sharing the story behind her favorite line, R.E.N said, “‘Things moved too fast, but I always loved speed. So I rode him in his ride, mph at 80.’ It always makes me smile remembering that night we spontaneously drove to Vegas when my man put his Tesla in self-drive, I climbed onto the drives seat, and we had sex going 80 miles per hour on the freeway. Don’t try this at home, kiddos.”
The raw emotions in her music are highly relatable and empowering, flowing in with healing energy. Combining elements that she drew from her experience as a dancer, her music has an authentic groove and movement contributing to the cathartic experience. The artist commented about the ballad during the chorus: “it feels like something to dance to rather than cry to — for some, it’s a matter of doing both, whatever it takes for the listener to exhale.”
Her transition to the field of music was stimulated by a series of unexpected and wild encounters. During the height of Covid, the artist had a mental breakdown that led her into a psychiatric hospital, in which she encountered an old gentleman who was also a music teacher. He taught her guitar every night after dinner and planted a root. After she was discharged, R.E.N moved to LA where she lived next to a grammy nominated producer, with whom she has become closest friends.
“One night, he sat me in the booth and asked to name a song. I went with ‘Feel Me’ by Selena Gomez. After we finished the cover, I’d discovered what I could sound like as a professional recording artist and I wanted more,” she said, “it’s all been an exciting learning experience in a world I’m so unfamiliar with and I’ve loved every part of it.”
Third Lung ‘Dialogues Of The Fatal Few’
Third Lung is quite a marvelous band. They make the listening experience memorable and unforgettable.
Third Lung Immerse You With Dialogues Of The Fatal Few
Photo credit: Will Carter (Two Finger Media)
Third Lung is quite a marvelous band. They make the listening experience memorable and unforgettable. From a laptop speaker to a ten bucks ear bug, they immerse you with deep-reaching, meaningful music. As if being inside a vast, sonic sea filled with dreamful, vibrant imageries and shifting colors, their stadium-filling sound has a natural power to permeate and dissolve.
“I a Fire” and “Hold the Line” are both instant stadium fillers charged with timeless, poised melodies. The tracks have a more classic sounding feel to their overall aesthetic which makes them highly relatable and easy to vibe with. It’s nostalgic in a sense, but the scene is set for the present.
“The Art of Stealing” takes a break from their immersive, wide-spreading soundscapes and dives deep into the struggling heart and wrenching emotions. Light piano with occasional vocal harmonization highlights the lead singer’s touching road-worn vocal, while the struggles, torture, and pain echo in your ear and touch your heart.
“What is Life?” continues the introspective lyrical content, recalling light harmonies in the background with rhythm-driven soundscapes. “Climb” concludes the album with a feel of searching, deepening that symbolizes the lingering thoughts after a meaningful journey.
Written by Katrina Yang
Dango Rose ‘The Forgotten Years
The Forgotten Years is a trilogy project that documents the different chapters in Dango Rose’s transforming life as an artist, poet, musician, and writer.
Dango Rose’s ‘The Forgotten Years: Vol. II’ Tunes Into a Collaborative, Experimental Chapter of Life
Photo credit: Dog Daze Photos
The Forgotten Years is a trilogy project that documents the different chapters in Dango Rose’s transforming life as an artist, poet, musician, and writer. The second chapter, The Forgotten Years Vol. II dives deep into a more experimental phase along with the deepening and awakening of the mind, taking you on a meaningful ride across the unexpected soundscapes.
Rose’s music is more significant than the sound itself. His use of form and instrumentation is very subtly orchestrated. It naturally flows and glows, communicating deep emotions, spirituality, nature, introspection, and inspirations.
Weaving electronic and world elements into roots, folk, and pop influences, Rose navigates between those intricate shifts in atmosphere and dramatic emotional, textural contrasts effortlessly. “The Singularity” is so brilliantly mixed with all the different influences. It gives you a taste of everything while dives into the topic of self and the world.
Hypnotic and deeply grounded, the project is rooted in an intuitive and reflective approach that naturally appeals to listeners. Dango Rose has an earthy, percussive touch to strumming that gives his music a very unique sound, for example, “Snow” and “The Singularity.”
Although very cleverly hidden in the background, the vocal harmony starts to really become an irreplaceable factor in “Snow.” The interactive melodies and beautiful texture are no doubt a surprise. It reached momentum in “I Fall Away.” From the spoken words that demand your attention to the beautifully illuminating soundscapes, the album is a journey itself.
Written by Katrina Yang
The Other Colors “Vivre (Radio Edits)”
“Vivre (radio Edits)” invites you into a dark entrancement where the untamed, tribal ceremonial energy tangled with Marie Möör’s sensuous, feminine vocal.
The Other Colors Unleash Entrancing Darkwave“Vivre (Radio Edits)”
Photo credit: LAC
“Vivre (radio Edits)” invites you into a dark entrancement where the untamed, tribal ceremonial energy tangled with Marie Möör’s sensuous, feminine vocal. Industrial sonics meets synth-pop and darkwave and form a bitching hypnotic sonic vortex.
Marie Möör’s deeply emotive and blossoming vocal contrasts and confronts the explosive, dominating soundscape as if the opposite force of yin and yang completes each other yet stays abstractly different. Her voice illuminates the sound and the colors and light emerge from the dark.
The Other Colors is a French electronic dup by Marie Möör and Laurent Chambert. Their music is fused with organic sounds, literal texture, and rich emotions. “Vivre” is an extraordinary track that gives you a unique, out-of-this-world listening experience.
It amazes you with its captivity and complexity while sonically creating a world so fresh and untamed. The extended radio version also features a unique monophonic improvisation recorded during a public performance by Laurent Chambert in Paris, France.
Written by Katrina Yang
Lara Snow “Wild Sea”
When the lockdown put everything on hold, Lara Snow found herself sitting in front of a piano again where things return to the way they used to be at the very beginning,
Lara Snow Shares Emotive Stripped Version of “Wild Sea”
Photo credit: Lithai Pletain
When the lockdown put everything on hold, Lara Snow found herself sitting in front of a piano again where things return to the way they used to be at the very beginning, and the stripped version of “Wild Sea” was born.
Just her voice, a piano, and the intimate, brutally honest storytelling yet it is more powerful and compelling than ever. The stripped version of “Wild Sea” has heaviness in the piano. Her voice shines through the cloudest sky like a powerful strand of sunlight.
Snow has a unique voice that immediately stops your footstep upon listening. Her voice has the cathartic and giving-it-all spirit that reminds you of Avril Lavigne, yet it glows with a natural nostalgia and sombreness that reminds you of Lana Del Ray.
“All my songs are very personal, but with ‘Wild Sea’ I truly feel like my heart is out there for everyone to hold”, Snow said, “It’s the story of a poisoned relationship and a great heartbreak.”
She articulates the experience into deeply touching lyrics with poetic melancholy: “Waves that came to cover; I pushed them back to the sea; Oh the wild sea always staring back at me. Now you rule, I'll bury you; I'll bury you somewhere brighter; Where the skies forever blue; Where there is no us, there is no you.”
Written by Katrina Yang
My Fine Companions “One Day At A Time”
Written during a time of difficulty where the world was in lockdown, “One Day At a Time” emerged from the expression that people used to cope with Covid.
My Fine Companions Talk Hardship on “One Day At A Time”
Photo credit: Henry Kidney
Written during a time of difficulty where the world was in lockdown, “One Day At a Time” emerged from the expression that people used to cope with Covid. In a simple, sombre Americana-folk soundscape, honest lyricism sets the mood in a “storm,” the song reaches out to people who have been and are experiencing hardship with a gentle pat on the back, “one day at a time.”
“It was a way of working through feelings about this incredibly difficult time. I like the fact that people seem to have responded to the honesty of the song in a positive way,” said Nick Kidney, lead singer of the band.
With their experience in up-tempo live settings, the collective sound of the six-piece band, My Fine Companions, brings together a natural heartwarming, uplifting vibe that softens the grim reality. Centering beautiful vocal harmonies between the three main vocalists of the band, create a very distinctive sound that separates them from the rest.
Just like the band’s name suggests, My Fine Companions was born out of friendship: "I think friendship is a great thing to build a band around and that’s how this band started. We were friends who’d get together, have a few drinks, and play songs. Initially other people’s songs. Then I started writing and quite quickly we were playing our own. The name ‘My Fine Companions’ is a description of what we are,” said Kidney.
“One Time At A Time” sets in a slower tempo and sombre tone that derives from the band’s usual sound. Due to the pandemic and adaptation of different recording processes instead of their usual live sitting, the fourth Companions album is exciting to look forward to.
Commenting on the project still in the mix, Kidney mentioned, “We tried a lot of different instrumentation this time and whilst the songs are similar to what we’ve done before, I think there’s more stylistic diversity,” he then added,
“on the previous albums, the songs were mostly recorded live with overdubs added later. Here we had to record separately and then piece the songs together which was something we’d never done before. Funnily enough, I think it created a more polished sound.”
Written by Katrina Yang
The Vanities ‘2001’
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The Vanities Deliver Fierce Retro Album ‘2001’
Photo credit: Craig Oats
The retro vibe in 2001 is charged with madness and passion that simply sounds so timeless. Citing their inspirations and loves from 90s grunge and 80s synth-pop, the electro-pop duo, The Vanities gives you goosebumps, reliving the glorious time in an elevating modern production in which they explore themes of love and war, madness and mortality.
The album opener, “Dropping a Bomb” instantly spirals down the timeline and takes you into a different flow of time. The poised captivity and heating vibe permeate your sensation and send you a familiar yet brand-new invite into The Vanities’s sonic vortex.
Spinning and splashing electronics vibrates in the air like a disco light. Featuring a jazzy saxophone in the intersession, the track has a flavorful expression that isn’t bound to definition or genres.
Adhering to the grand, warm sonics, The Vanities showcase emotive storytelling through written and unwritten words. Working with sonic symbolism and imageries, 2001 gives you something different in each and every song.
“Love is the News” surrounds you with magnificent call and response in the vocals. “Stars” has the light hopefulness and glistening distance embedded into its electrifying soundscapes.
“This Ain’t Love” echoes “Love is the News” in a more evocative, vulnerable manner with a soaring, freely-improvising saxophone in the background. “London” deepens the emotional expression with intimate and dark contrasts.
Written by Katrina Yang
Dandelot Unleashes Eclectic Debut Album ‘Sounds For The Young’
Album of the Week
Photo credit: Chris Bogard
Some artist is born to roar, and there’s no doubt that Dandelot is one of them. Sound For the Young might be the most perfect, smooth, and eclectic mix of classical, R&B, hip-hop, electronics, dance, and punk-rock you have ever witnessed in your sonic journey.
The project, Dandelot, by the young visionary, perfectionist, Kevin Shoemaker challenges your expectations with his endless imagination where he effortlessly swirls in between genres and influences, the past, present, and future.
The artist’s untamed, adventurous spirit is charged with raw, edgy power. Dandelot’s sonics surprise you in many ways. Every song is its own perfectly unique masterpiece and a challenge to find out what is underneath. “
Capital” delivers a strong statement of Dandelot’s outside-the-box, refuse to be defined attitude. The swooping, electrified track creates a golden dark glare in its smokey, distorted rap, mixing electronic with an unconventional hip-hop feel. The lush, addictive mid-track hook contrasts with the flashing explosiveness of the rest.
Mending his classical background into modern production and songwriting, “Beauty” lays down a classical piano passage that calmly flows in the background of a heavy R&B, indie-pop soundscapes. The track creates an elegant, yet brand-new sonic experience.
“Americana” leans heavily into electronics and hip hop with Dandelot’s uniquely edgy wordings while adhering to his poignant hook. The sonics paint a very distinct atmosphere, putting the vintage, nostalgic reminiscence with his forward-thinking. “Tutu,” on the other hand, playfully quotes a range of electronics with string-inspired pads that cut through from the above. Electrified vocal centers the classical-inspired motif that slowly invents itself into an immortal earworm.
“Honey” swirls on the virtual-reality vibe with a futuristic touch. The robotic vocal really draws you into its unique dimension. “Prophet” weaves a waltz feel into the smooth, nostalgic R&B and synth-pop soundscapes that give the track a memorable, poignant work of art. The album concludes with “Burn” with its glorious glitch that grabs and shakes your heart with confidence.
Written by Katrina Yang
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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
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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
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Stephanie Heitz “Got This Joy”
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Stephanie Heitz Spreads Positivity on “Got This Joy”
Music with a message and singing from the soul, Stephanie Heitz’s voice has a natural charm radiating in rhythm and soulfulness. She has the capability to instantly shift the mood in the space and cast away all the tension, negativity, and stress. She uplifts you to her vibration where you can’t help but move your body with a happy smile. Just like the title of the track suggests, “Got This Joy” is quite amazing.
Unlike the burning fire that consumes the energy, “Got This Joy” sets its mood in the hypnotic, light piano and invites you into a moment of poise. Funky bass and lit beat ignited the physical groove, where Heitz’s voice dives deep into the calmingly beautiful moment of true joy—it comes from the inside, it heals, ignites, and inspires.
As the third release from Stephanie Heitz’s upcoming EP, “Got This Joy” is a wonderful discovery and an entrancing development in the artist’s inner and creative journey. Based out of southern Indiana, Heitz started singing and playing music at a very young age.
Her church background and deep roots in gospel, R&B, and soul music have nourished her musical expression in alignment with what her soul truly desires. The purity and transparency in her voice, in which she has become the music and the music is her, is powerful and deeply touching. The artistic thrives to spread positivity and encouragement to her listeners and the rest of the world
Written by Katrina Yang
Corto Colonel Reflect on Freedom and Reality in “Sea Slave”
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“Sea Slave” is a poised poem on both literal and sonic levels. The three-verse song stretches its arm with storytelling, weaving powerful visuals and thoughtful introspection into their minimalistic wording while the sonics span between organic, atmospheric synth-pop soundscapes and captivity.
Located in Brussels, Belgium, Corto Colonel is a dreamer, an adventurer, a poet, a freedom seeker, as well as a synth-pop duo. They travel between the past, the present, and future, expanding their creative horizon with stimulated multi-media projects that dive into history, social issues, art, music, and written words.
Photo credit: Rémy Lehembre
Released on the International Day for the abolition of slavery, “Sea Slave” revolves around the story of a man fighting to recover his freedom. Corto Colonel opens the song with four lines that set the mood and paint the surroundings:
“Man was having dreams; on a far away land; standing tall; between palm trees and the seas; time was flying by; like a cuddle on the cheek.”
As the storyline thickens, they reflect on Man’s fighting spirit that lived on despite physical enslavement, the inevitable revolution in which “hangman will be hanged” and eventually, returning to “fatherland,” while the haunting, unresolved line echoes throughout the song: “Sea Slave sailing away.”
“Sea Slave sailing away.” This simple but powerful line consists layers of interpretations that evoke reflection on the subject of enslavement with a poised imagery that symbolizes the seeking and hope for freedom.
The track features guest vocalist, Eric Nahimana, who contributes to the haunting factor of the song with his authentic yet touching performance that reminds you of the early blues.
Written by Katrina Yang
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Annabel Grace Shines Effortlessly on“Leave Early”
Staff Pick
Photo credit: Charmaine Nicole
Annabel Grace’s sexy, luscious vocal effortlessly echoes in the smooth and breathy soundscapes, stirring your heart with its magnetic charm. The captivating melodies draw you into its storytelling vortex in which emotions pulse along with the sonics.
Drawing a comparison to London Grammar, Haim, and Billie Eilish, the artist swirl between intimate melancholy with an urban-fused coolness that is simply fascinating and refreshing to the ears.
The London-based singer-songwriter offers a wide spectrum of sonics in which she was inspired, absorbed, and reflected upon. It creates a natural glow in her sound that was enriched with history.
“Leave Early” swirls between the exhilarating reminiscence of 70s rock and EDM-infused nightlight danceability where you could safely get lost and find yourself again in the ethereal electronic pop soundscapes.
“I take inspiration from the 70s' pop-rock I grew up listening to, the house and techno that got me listening to electronically produced music, and the modern pop music that I love to dance to,” said Grace,
“My identity is shaped by my constant consumption of music – before anything, I’m a listener. In terms of musicians Maggie Rogers, David Bowie, Harry Styles, Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nicks, and Prince are huge influences. Equally so are other artists like Jack Kerouac, Van Gogh, and Sofia Coppola.”
Colourshop Takes You on an Acoustic Journey With “Northern Lights”
Staff Pick
Photo credit: Gareth Kay
“The first and only time I saw the northern lights was a few years back. I was in the north of Sweden at the end of November. I was so determined to see this amazing phenomenon that I did not mind waiting for more than half an hour in the harbor of this little town called Lulea. As you can imagine it was freezing cold, a cold I have never experienced before in my life and that certainly my nice-cut-fake-wool coat did not help with. Eventually even if just for a few seconds I was able to see it and I went home happy. Sometimes you gotta be determined if you want to reach the result you want.” Alfredo Salvati (Colourshop)
From the initial encounter with the northern lights a few years back in Sweden, Colourshop hasn’t stopped his footstep exploring the world and new routes. With a guitar in his hand, a pen to tape down the ideas, and a voice that sings from the heart, Colourshop, the solo project of Alfredo Salvati aims to recreate the untamed moments and sounds.
“New routes are sometimes more difficult to find, it's yourself you might find when you try,” said the artist. Just like the inspiration behind, “Northern Lights” is a sonic journey that breaks you free from the mundane routine and reconnects with curiosity, excitement, and adrenaline of a new adventure. It’s easy to lose track of time in Salvati’s intimate vocal and warm, atmospheric guitar.
His voice has a smoky timber that reminds you of the finest wood, while his guitar takes further step weaving its own storytelling into the song where the mountains and Scandinavian landscapes take roots. He manages to achieve a rich texture and refreshing sonics with simplicity. It’s always a journey when you tune into Salvati’s music where the years left their golden reflection of wisdom and mastery in his craft and sound.