New Track: Strangers – Selci

Following the release of the dreamy video for lead single ‘Truth in the Sea’,  alt-pop producer SELCI  shares second single, ‘Strangers’, taken from her debut ‘Effervescence’ EP, due out independently on 28th August.

The latest single perfectly displays the Calgary artist’s prowess as a budding electronic producer abounds. In a series of flashbacks, SELCI recalls the painful process of breaking up as each verse playing out like a final, one-sided exchange and desperate plea for an answer.

Over the past year, SELCI has shared bills with Neon Indian and Ryan Hemsworth and played festivals such as Canadian Music Week, Sled Island Music & Arts Festival, Big Fun Festival, and more. Her Effervescence Tour will cross Canada in October of 2019.

Check out ‘Strangers’ below:

Song of the Day: Wizard Girls – Kitzl

Canadian producer and composer, KITZL is the first to enter the blog’s SOTD spotlight of the Month with single, ‘Wizard Girls’. The single forms part of her album 40 Moons That We Know Of (April 2019), mastered by Michael Fong (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Electric Youth).

Inspired by the likes of Baths, The Knife, Empress Of, Asgeir, Sigur Rós, M.I.A, Bon Iver, Four Tet, Phosphorescent, SolarSolar, Imogen Heap, and José González, each piece of KITZL’s music is emotionally rooted in humanoid experiences. Instrumentally and lyrically it might bring up images of anthropomorphized planets and objects, as well as imaginary races of probably non-existent life-forms. There is subtle conflict in KITZL’s work and aesthetic. It’s a disquieted feud between a playful, child-like wonder, and a darker, more displeased bitterness at something. Enigmatic in genre, Kitzl’s sound draws parallels to that of her contemporaries such as Grimes and Regina Spektor.

Eschewing categories, ‘Wizard Girls’ is a shining offering, combining elements of ambient-electronic-pop, art pop, and experimental shoe-gaze into one remarkably cohesive whole. A humane glow envelops the track, rendering quixotic sketches into tangible, hook-heavy electro-pop – beautifully conceived and executed. There is a fearless, uninhibited confidence to KITZL’s work, a delightful whimsy which takes her already-arresting sound and expands it to widescreen.

The up-and-coming ambient pop-creationist has garnered support from CBC’s Radio 1’s The Key of C show hosted by Craig Norris, and wowed audiences at Hillside Inside Festival, and Kazoo! Fest in her native Canada. She has seen substantial media support, including features in Canadian Beats, New Noise Magazine, Ride The Tempo and Aesthetic Magazine.

Have a listen to ‘Wizard Girls’ below:

 

 

Album Review: Superposition – Kill J

What I’ve always perceived of Art – pop songstress KILL J is that she is one of the few artists who truly pushes the boundaries and places pop music to another level, often with jarring and industrious bass line and contrastingly light tones.

Her latest album, ‘Superposition’ predominantly continues with the combo, but more stripped back, making those airy soundscapes barely audible, allowing (at times) the boisterous drive and quirky rhythmic tones to shine through.

Singles, ‘Second Chance’ and ‘Stutter’ breaks the album’s main theme with a full-bodied production, thanks to the industrious foundation and electronic backdrop. Often feathery light, KILL J‘s lets go of her secret weapon and provides those breathtaking moments through a touching ballad, ‘Moon Sick’ and piano-led, ‘This Is It Rowdy’, where her octave vocal range really brings both arrangements to life.

Although it’s more minimal than what I expected, ‘Superposition’ does provide interesting moments (for example, the rhythmic tones that resembles a raindrop, through ‘Cloud Chamber’). Furthermore, the album perfectly showcases her killer vocals…something I’ve never noticed before in her previous releases.

Have a listen to the album below:

Must Listen: Second Chance, Stutter, Moon Sick, This Is It Rowdy

Song of the Day: Paris! – AYLØ

NEW LEASE MUSIC is very proud to introduce the exciting genre fluid artist and producer AYLØ onto today’s hotspot. The fast-rising rapper, singer, songwriter and beatsmith is one of the seminal Nigerian creatives, alongside the likes of Odunsi The Engine and Santi, who are pioneering the seminal and innovative fusion sound coming out of Africa, popularly known as alté, which is currently making waves, disrupting the sound and culture on the continent, and quickly gaining traction and attention internationally.

Firmly steeped in alternative R&B, neo soul, hip hop and afropop music sensibilities, while drawing inspiration from a widely varied pool including Fela Kuti, DMX, Whitney Houston, Sade, Herbie Hancock, Soulection, J. Cole, and Andre 3000, AYLØ’s soulful, warm and hazy sounds, as highlighted on his fan-favourite cult classics like ‘Island Girl’, ‘Gardens’ and ‘LITT’, have amassed over a million streams on Soundcloud and Spotify, alone.

His latest single ‘PARIS!’ is co-produced with fellow alté frontrunners Le Mav and Odunsi The Engine, and is the first offering from his forthcoming mixtape DNT DLT, which is due for release on July 30. ‘DNT DLT’ is the long awaited follow up to his critically acclaimed 2017 album Insert Project Name and his 2016 Honest Conversations EP.

Check it out below: