Song of the Day: LLaw – 101 Mix – 9Bach

9BACH has deservedly earned their flowers as one of the most acclaimed acts to come out of Wales. Known for fusing traditional Welsh musical heritage seamlessly with a contemporary, cutting edge feel, the band quickly gained popularity beyond their native borders, performing across various countries, including Spain, Holland, Canada, Aotearoa, Vietnam, Australia and the Middle East.

After taking a five-year hiatus, the band enters new grounds and collaborated with artist/producer Andy Gangadeen – who has worked with leading bands, among them, Chase & Status and Lava La Rue – for their single, ‘LLaw – 101 Mix’, exclusively available on Bandcamp. Inspired by Lisa and Martin’s love for the acid house movement from the 80’s and 90’s, ‘LLaw – 101 Mix’ immediately draws you in with a mesmerically smooth electronic drive, with Lisa’s vocal performance in Welsh adding the ultimate euphoric and liberating touch to the production.

9Bach was formed in 2005 by lead vocalist Lisa Jen and guitarist Martin Hoyland, followed by bass guitarist Dan Swain, vocalist and pianist Mirain Haf Roberts and producer Andy Gangadeen. The band name is a play on numbers and words: 9 is as in Nain, (pronounced nine), which means grandmother in the North of Wales; Bach means little and is also a term of endearment in Welsh. In one language 9 is something so mundane as a number, but in Welsh Nain is a cozy, family-orientated, lovely thing – all the qualities that’s associated with a grandmother.

As well as being the lead vocalist and founding member from one of Wales’ most innovate band, Lisa is also a long-term vocal collaborator with Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals: she featured on the Candylion album, and sang live on the Candylion/Hotel Shampoo tour dates. Along with fellow 9Bach vocalist Mirain, Lisa also featured on Gruff Rhys’ albums, Seeking New Gods and Bablesberg. In addition to her extensive work with Rhys, Lisa also lent her voice to Public Service Broadcasting’s Every Valley album.

Now they’re back from a lengthy break, 9Bach enters a new chapter, exploring even more innovative sounds. Their collaboration with Andy is sure to solidify position in the Welsh and international scene.

‘LLaw – 101 Mix’ is out available on Bandcamp. Have a listen below…

Follow 9Bach via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/9BachMusic/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/9bach
Website: https://www.9bach.com/

Song of the Day: Devotion – Midnight Mystery Club

MIDNIGHT MYSTERY CLUB (MMC) broke the bank on their latest single, ‘Devotion’. With no budget, no ads, it’s a song that hits hard and begs for grace.

After emptying the ashes of the remaining budget, MMC have decided to release music anyways. Burning through the last nickel with nothing left to relying on than their dedicated fans and supporters.

Following the wake of artists like Duke Dumont, Kiesza, and Disclosure, ‘Devotion’ is a throwback to the early 90s dance floor. Lit in neon and pulsating light with a powerful hook that surprises with a gut-punch of emotion. After the almost anthemic intro the track breakdown into an emotional deep dive of falling short in love and the desperate need for forgiveness.

On the surface ‘Devotion’ feels like a snapback in time with hard hitting 909 snares evoking memories of strobe lights and underground warehouse parties. Then the drop pulls you back, unapologetically into something softer, melodic, and almost tender. It’s bright electricity on the surface until you hear the brokenness of the first line “My feelings of devotion are fleeting emotions from hot springs to deep oceans in a day”. It’s about setting out to conquer the world and ending up stranded in a ditch. Where the best of intentions are often met with the realities of weakness that gives birth to humility and surrender.

The plea “If I break your heart can you amend it, heal it with your scares”, overflowing with remorse that recognizes that expectations of greatness may only be forecasting shortfalls. The hope in the silver lining is that scars heal stronger than new skin and that broken bones are never break in the same place twice.
Before the depth of what’s been presented settles in you’re back to the groove and the glue that holds this dance track together. With a solid hook that is slapping the walls while the hefty weight of emotions echo in the distance.

In an oddly serendipitous way, MMC had hoped to release this song with a shiny campaign focused on blowing it up right out of the gate, but like the best of intentions they’ve been sidelined to replying solely on the kindness of goodwill of those who believe in this project and who resonate with dreamers who just love music and sharing what is crafted in love. Those who long for something nostalgic but causes the soul to feel something new. That resonates truth in a way that causes us to question life’s meaning and our own place as humans within it.

Midnight Mystery Club are winners of the Independent Music Awards electronic/ dance Producers of the Year. Their music has been featured by the brands Zara, Gap, and Tommy Hilfiger amongst others. Their previous releases have been featured on many Ibiza classic compilations including Cafe Mambo Sunsets, Cafe del Mar, and Joe Morris’ Shade of Summer. They continue to dream big dreams and trust that in the end true love wins and with forgiveness, healing can make remorse into unashamed beauty.

Now it’s time to check out the latest masterpiece below…

Connect with Midnight Mystery Club via:
IG: instagram.com/midnightmysteryclub
TikTok: TikTok.com/midnightmysteryclub

Source: Midnight Mystery Club

OUT TODAY: jem wax shares empowering single, ‘SPIDERRR’

JEM WAX‘s latest offering, ‘SPIDERRR’, was born from a recording session the London-based singer/producer had with multi-instrumentalist Natsuma and top-liner Emma Tea. During a lengthy and heartfelt session, the trio shared experiences of male privilege, power dynamics and personal growth.

Their shared experiences resulted in an audacious genre-bending cut with jem’s signature sung-spoken style firmly instilling strength, resilience and liberation, over a deep-guelling bass, which ran rampant through the production, with playful elements of jazz and hip-hop.

Commenting on the powerful track, who she produced with multi-instrumentalist Natsuma, jem said: “This song symbolises the power we have over our pasts. We can’t change what happened, but we can process how it affected us and make sure we don’t repeat mistakes. I want people to feel empowered, to have fun, and to dust off a few cobwebs after listening to the track. To me, ‘SPIDERRR’ is like Imagine Dragons meets auto-tune, meets UK Rap, meets Soul.’ 

A BBC Introducing favourite, jem’s dynamic vocals and lyricism, which radiates attitude and authenticity, have catapulted in the UK live music scene, earning her a sold-out headline show at Camden Chapel, plus a string of notable performances at The Strongroom, Piano Smithfield, and more recently, Servant Jazz Quarters.

As jem wax continues to be unapologetically herself, by blending elements of jazz, rap and pop to create a bold, genre-defying sound, she’s definitely the one to watch in 2025.

‘SPIDERRR’ is out today (13th February) via various music platforms. Why not listen below…

Connect with jem wax via:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/jemwax_/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jemwax
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/246wnUMlcedroVMCuVtW7S
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jemwax/null

New Lease Music’s Top Ten Albums of 2024

As promised, here are the top ten albums of 2024.

In true NEW LEASE MUSIC fashion, we don’t stick to one genre. So if you fancy some alt R&B/soul, neo soul, conscious rap, dreamy pop or something little different, well you’ve come to the right place! Just get to it and hit play on these no skip albums. If you’re feeling any of the collections, please like, or better still, leave a comment below.

Be sure to check NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Singles of 2024 on Monday. I hope you enjoy the albums below…

New Lease Music’s Top Ten Music Videos of 2024

Happy New Year guys! Let’s make 2025 a year to remember!!!

It’s that time of the year when NEW LEASE MUSIC ramage through and pick out the top releases of 2024! Today, we start off with the best music videos featured on the blog in the past year. So why not sit back and check them out – oh and if you’re really digging these videos, why not leave a comment below.

Be sure to look out for NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Albums of 2024 tomorrow! Enjoy!