Dubbed as London’s answer to Travis Scott, HOUSTON X‘s second installment of the year, ‘Scarlett Red’, a slow alternative R&B burner which is as ethereal and dreamy as it is dark and menacing.
‘Scarlett Red’ follows his first track of the year (CT Side A), which gained 50k streams within the first two weeks of release.
With previous tracks picking up support from various industry moguls, a Highsnobiety premiere and BBC 1Xtra premiere all under his belt, as well as backing from all specialist radio stations (just in the first few months of seriously making music) as well as rapidly picking up fans and more of a cult following at every single performance he does, the future is looking abundant for X.
In the midst of the unprecedented times that we’re all facing, London-based singer/songwriter/producer FIFI RONG shares new single, ‘Distance’, hoping to offer some comfort for those who are suffering from the emotional effects of being apart from love ones due to self-isolation.
Fifi perfectly encapsulates the feeling of distance and isolation, through her intricately compelling vocals. With soft layers of guitars and bass, which creates a stripped-back feel, ‘Distance’ is the perfect escapism from lockdown as it invites us to fully immerse ourselves into the intimate ambiance of the song.
‘Distance’ follows her self-produced single, ‘Love Is A Lonely Thing’, where Fifi recently unveiled a short film to accompany the release. Taking inspiration from Wong Kar-Wai’s romantic film, ‘Mood For Love’, the video features the multi-talented songstress narrating the events of a tragic love story, delivered in delicate and well-poised vocals. Watch ‘Love Is A Lonely Thing’ full-length video below:
‘Love Is A Lonely Thing’ single was met with raving reviews from The Electricity Club, Fortitude Magazine, Resonate and many more. Previously, her pioneering fusion of Chinese influences and Western pop, which often takes on a melancholic feel, has generated attention from The Clash, Fader Magazine, Pigeon and Planes, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music.
As an artist who is not afraid in expanding her musical horizons, Fifi has contributed to Skepta’s Mercury Award-winning album, ‘Konnichiwa’ and electronic duo Yello’s album, ‘Toy’. Fifi reconnects with Yello and features on their current highly anticipated new album.
Available now on all major downloads and streaming sites, ‘Distance’ is part of a collection of individual love stories, which forms her upcoming Album, ‘There Is A Funeral In My Heart, For Every Man I Loved’. The album boasts the boundary-pusher’s signature sound of delicately crafted vocal led downtempo ballads.
The KCRW and COLORS-tipped Parisian producer duo, DUÑE x CRAYON, have recently unveiled their new live session video for single, ‘The One / Ten Years’, taken from their forthcoming debut album, ‘Hundred Fifty Roses’, out now via Roche.
‘The One / Ten Years’ live session further mines the duo’s penchant for downtempo electronica and tar-thick production techniques, segueing between soul, G-funk, and R&B. Hundred Fifty Roses – as an album – looks to tell the story of the over-connected and often over-stimulating world that we live in. Somewhat dystopian in its exploration, the album, which touches on the sounds of J Dilla, MF Doom and Kaytranada, paints the world of a man out of touch with himself.
Before working together, the pair of producers, who met in 2014 as Roche Musique signings, have forged out successful solo careers with Crayon – previously signed to Kitsuné where he cut his teeth alongside Yuksek – releasing two EPs to-date, securing praise at Pitchfork and more along the way. As well as creating his own music, the artist has racked up a string of production credits working with tipped names from the French electronic and R&B underground scene – Ichon, Blow and L’Or du Commun to name but a few.
Duñe, on the other hand, was championed from the off via Roche Musique, initially as part of the hip-hop duo, Saje, before releasing his own solo material. As well as working on production for the likes of Swing, Julien Granel, and Blow, Duñe has established himself as a prominent live artist on the label’s roster, performing across South Korea, China, Canada, and more.
Sit back, relax and press play on Duñe x Crayon’s ‘The One / Ten Years’ live session video. You can also catch the single via Spotify.
Montreal indie act IVYTIDE‘s single, ‘Blurr,’ encapsulates the feeling of losing touch, reflecting the distance between two people that comes from a disparity in perceptions, emotions, and perspectives.
The production on ‘Blurr’ embodies the feeling of distance, with elements of dreamy lo-fi R&B and washed out qualities, paired with lyrics describing the struggle of self-identification.
‘Blurr’ is the first single from their EP, ‘Pardon Our Distance’. Check out the video below…
UK born/Belfast-based musician DREW MAKES NOISE shares the DIY Supermarionation music video for ‘Satellite’.
Blending humour with cynicism, the video depicts an overworked office employee, stuck in a monotonous life and daydreaming about space adventures. Pairing imagination with escapism, alien overlords and references to interdimensional space spiders are sprinkled throughout the video. The scatterbrained fun melodies of pop and dance music manage to balance out the erratic aspects of the footage, providing a smooth and well-conceptualised production.
Revealing the intensity that went into creating the music video, Drew Makes Noise says: “This was full-on DIY. I disappeared for 4 full months to build a model world for characters and space ships to live in. The bearded character was loosely meant to be me but as time went on I felt like he actually “was” me and I, him and that I was living in a movie within a movie. I was going through my own hero’s journey to do something I have never done before. The scene with the live-action sawing and working in the shed was like method acting, as that’s what my life was like making the video. Life was imitating art and I lost my mind a little. After each scene was filmed I actually did some minor grieving as each time I thought a little person or thing I had created had died and left me. Now I know why actors and directors go crazy!”
Dubbed as London’s answer to Travis Scott, HOUSTON X‘s second installment of the year, ‘Scarlett Red’, a slow alternative R&B burner which is as ethereal and dreamy as it is dark and menacing.
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