Following on the release of her debut Hate EP in late 2018, Hackney rapper NICKI KNIGHTZ – who’s part of seminal duo,The Knighthood Society with producer/rapper Henny Knightz – returns with video for track, ‘Blacker the Berry’, the first release from her forthcoming EP, ‘For the Uninformed’.
The latest release pays an unconvoluted tribute to her Nigerian father and his strong work ethic. The video plays on the typical African Uncle, unrestrained and at ease, but eternally the master of his own affairs. Fiercely independent and possessing deep contempt for the police, Uncle is played by none other than Top Boy’s actor and fellow Hacktonian, Alessandro Babalola.
Expect more music on the way from this boisterous spitter…for now click play on the video below…
After a four-year hiatus, Norwegian duo KASKET CLUB have teamed up with SOUL GEM to release their take on indie disco, ‘Miles via Uppwind Records.
Described as the spearheads of the Chillwave genre, Kasket Club have been featured by the likes of Majestic Casual, Aviencloud, FunkyPanda, alexrainbirdMusic, HillyDilly, FrenchShuffle, This Is My Jam and reached #1 on Hype Machine several times. As a result, they have amassed over 11 million plays across streaming platforms and airplay around the globe. New York-based Soul Gem has previously teamed up with Norwegian rapper and producer Pasha (compared to Pharrell Williams) touring the globe and culminating millions of plays across music platforms.
Congolese/Canadian singer and songwriter LADÉ carries on the Valentines – or should I say – anti-Valentines theme this weekend with her bold and sensual debut single, Teaser’. Written and produced with burgeoning Ottawa-based artist and musician Jeff Sanon, ‘Teaser’ gives a sneak preview of what to expect from her upcoming debut EP, set to be released in the summer.
Backed by lush minimalist R&B musical soundscapes, LaDé uses her new track ‘Teaser’ to showcase her enchanting and sultry vocal performance, sensual harmonies, and captivating songwriting dexterities that combine beautifully to deliver an infectious and undeniably smooth R&B masterclass.
Speaking about the inspiration for ‘Teaser’, LaDé says, “The song is about the desire to become a better version of yourself after experiencing a rather toxic relationship, and then showing off that better version to the infamous ex, because your best revenge is your comeback. It’s a true story about my recovery process after a particular bad break up. We tend to subconsciously allow how other people, specifically our significant others, view us, what they think of us and do to us, depreciate our value as individuals but ‘Teaser’ is my way of reminding an ex-lover of what they lost and will never get back – a temporary tease for one night if you will. The track is about growing mentally, physically, and spiritually after experiencing a relationship that negatively impacted your life, and unapologetically displaying that growth”.
Inspired by Wong Kar-Wai’s romantic film, ‘Mood For Love’, FIFI RONG’s self-produced single, ‘Love Is A Lonely Thing’ is a three-part production which takes on a different dimension to Valentine’s Day (watch the videos here). Narrated by the Chinese-British singer/songwriter’s delicate and well-poised vocal performance, ‘Love Is A Lonely Thing’ tells a story of an unrequited love story.
With distinctive blends of popular Western music (Avant-garde pop and hazy electronica) and Chinese influences, the first release of the year gives a taste of her upcoming album, slated for release later in the year.
2019 was a great year for Fifi as she became the fifth artist to be signed globally by W Records– a new music initiative from the iconic W Hotels – and recorded singles, ‘Farewell to Cambridge’ and ‘Way Out’, debuted at W Xi’an and W Shanghai (The Bund) as a part of her most successful China tour to date.
This year will see the bilingual songstress working on more interesting and quirky material for her forthcoming album. After working with the likes of Tricky, Phaeleh, Yello and Skepta, Fifi also set her sights on collaborating with more big names as well as planning a tour in the UK and China (dates to be announced on her website.)
Gaining firm support from the likes of The Clash, Fader Magazine, Pigeon and Planes, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music, Fifi’s intricately intimate setting of ‘Love Is A Lonely Thing’ could do no harm but push her further into the limelight…
‘Love Is A Lonely Thing’ is out today onall reputable music platforms. Check out the video for single’s Trilogy below…
Calgary alt-pop artist SELCI unveils her new video for ‘Strangers’ – an anti-Valentine’s Day track about a love that’s faded and gone – off her debut ‘Effervescence EP’. The single recalls a run-in with an ex-lover, and the painful realisation that after knowing someone so intimately, you hardly know them at all.
The video is framed around the deterioration of a relationship, juxtaposing Selci’s own memories in a surreal, subconscious world. A series of hazy vignettes spiral through memory, romance, dissociation and the loss of self. Blending high-definition and 8 mm film, home video and stop motion animation, analog textures are used to imply nostalgia and the timeless nature of broken relationships, while flickers of animation enhance the surrealist vibe.
“As the video progresses, I become cloaked in layers of fabric,” says Selci. “Happy memories are overcome by recollections of anger and violence, and I become engulfed by tulle. As the intensity increases, the boundary between reality and the subconscious world is blurred. This veiling is meant to signify the loss of self in a relationship. It mirrors the sensation of distance from the self and the distance from a lover as the relationship falls apart.”
