J F L E Shares New Single, ‘I Lost My Way’

Hailing from South-East London, 26 year old Joseph Edwards writes and produces under the moniker J F L E – beginning the musical project in 2014 during his university years. Manipulating electronic synthesisers and deep rumbling bass-lines, ‘I Lost My Way’ is a sombre tale of heartache – dealing with the all consuming feeling of lost love.

Speaking of his latest release, Edwards says: “‘I Lost My Way’ is still in some ways a song about devotion, although it is bittersweet – ‘the way you take away the half of me’. These sentiments do remain quite abstract and warped, just as they were whilst they lived within my head. Everything that I write in one way or another seems to deal with feelings of loneliness. It drives and informs everything I create, right from inception. So I better cross my fingers that I don’t meet the right person I guess!”

Creating all of his music from his bedroom, the DIY producer has spent over a decade carefully curating his sound. His intricate soundscapes have garnered praise from the likes of The Guardian (One to Watch), The Skinny, Clash Magazine and EARMILK, as well as winning Fresh Beats 365 ‘Most Musically Innovative Artist’ Award in 2016.

J F L E imbues every release with an intimately curated narrative – with grief and loss at the heart of its artistic core…Have a listen to ‘I Lost My Way’ below…

Cayley Thomas Releases Dreamy Single ‘Blue Jean Baby’

Coming from her forthcoming album, ‘What Else Can I Tell You?’ slated for release on 1st May, Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist CAYLEY THOMAS‘ new single ‘Jean Blue Baby’, explores the pattern of feeling responsible for the emotions or actions of others at the expense of our own well being.

Cayley further elaborates on the smooth rockabilly-inspired single: “I think we can become preoccupied trying to do someone else’s work for them as a means to avoid our own self reflection.”

The accompanying video for single takes a sobering look at the situation. Watch the video for ‘Blue Jean Baby’ below…

BBC Future Sounds Artist HYPHEN Brand New Single ‘Stand Back’ Addresses Overcoming Depression

Following a brilliant year playing BBC Introducing Live, Reading & Leeds Festivals; as well as multiple shows for Sofar Sounds, London based, alternative hip-hop artist, ​HYPHEN returns track ‘Stand Back’.

Using his music as a platform to maintain a conversation on mental health, Aadarsh Gautam, Aka. Hyphen,​ frequently finds solace in songwriting and is not afraid to address and share his personal aperture. To spread a positive impact, he has single handedly raided over £6.5k for New Horizons a charity that works to alleviate homelessness in London. He also performed for Sanctus, a mental health charity, to raise awareness for depression in young men – given how close an issue it is to his heart.

Speaking on the track, Hyphen explains: “I’ve talked a lot about mental health in my music, and that always tends to focus on the bad parts (being depressed, anxious etc.) but I wanted to do something which is about feeling good about yourself, looking in the mirror and feeling like you’re doing alright. The world is terrible place in so many ways – I love how some songs can put you in a good mood regardless of that. I wanted to try make song that had that impact.”

In just six months he has gathered quite the collection of accolades. His single ‘We’re OK’, written during a dark time in Hyphen’s life when he was struggling with his mental health, was picked up by London Evening Standard and received national radio play on BBC Asian Network who tipped Hyphen as ‘The Future of British Asian Hip-Hop’. Hyphen also appeared on Metro’s Mental Health podcast Mentally Yours, to share his battle with mental health and how music helped shape his future.

Follow up singles, ‘​Ice Cold’ and ‘Feels Right’, also ​saw national radio play from BBC 6 Music, with legendary radio presenter To​ny Robinson saying, ‘You’ve got a great career ahead of you’. Further afield, all three tracks have gained momentum at ​BBC Introducing​, which led to ​Hyphen ​playing the ​BBC Introducing stage at Reading and Leeds Festivals​, and ​BBC Introducing Live.

It’s time for you guys to ‘Stand Back’ and listen to the single…

The Lyonz Drops ‘The Jump To Jupiter Video’ + EP

Salvo (Anthony Salvo) and Norrin (Terrell McLeod Richardson)  – aka Montreal group THE LYONZ –  have dropped their highly anticipated new EP ‘2nd U, Pt.1’, last Friday (17th January), which showcases their trademark of minimal jazz-tinged unconventional hip hop.

Alongside the EP,  the duo also unveiled a stunning video for lead single, ‘The Jump to Jupiter’, which delves into the life of a troubled man, obsessed with one day going to see the planet. Jupiter is essentially a metaphor for a destination of bliss and safety —jumping to Jupiter means escaping his troubled life of drug abuse.

Check out the video below…

Song of the Day: Goldress – YellowStraps (ft. YVNK)

Consisting of Rwandan-born brothers Alban and Yvan Murenzi, Brussels-based alternative R&B/ soul duo YELLOWSTRAPS’ latest single ‘Goldress’, embodies an immediately addictive vibe that’s gets a big thumbs up from the likes of Earmilk, Indie Shuffle and Complex.

Operating in a smooth, soulful groove, ‘Goldress’ pushes against the borders of convention both lyrically and sonically while marking a path for a complex of jazzy references to shine through. From the get-go, the single is an ingenious blend of soulful tunes and undeniable technique, held together effortlessly by the charismatic Murenzi brothers.

The video for the track takes place in a cinema, between a young man and a woman in a gold dress. The panning of the camera between the two characters creates complex dynamics from simple actions, while the visuals of the “lady in the gold dress” complement the inherent surrealism, while at the same time adding a literal element to the cinematography.

The track features VYNK who has releases on renowned labels Kitsuné and Majestic Casual and has shared stages with notable acts such as Ghostface Killah and Killah Priest.

Out now via Haliblue Records, ‘Goldress’ is the title track from their upcoming EP ‘Goldress’, slated to drop on 7th February 2020.

Check out the video below…