ODARIO (on the right) wanted to inject new sonic energy into ‘Do Nada’, a single about doing nothing, made in collaboration with Edmonton jazz band Good Information. ‘Do Nada (Chaix Remix)’ is an apathetic dance track Odario made with Chaix, a multi-genre artist and beat maker from Toronto. Chaix’s sound sits comfortably between hip-hop, house, and experimental electronic. Chaix didn’t want his reimagination to feel laidback and chill… but alive & infectious.
The video for‘Do Nada (Chaix Remix)’ goes on a three-minute journey, exploring the day in the life of a wanderer attempting to do nothing for the day. It’s a reminder that a day of doing nothing can easily lead to a whole lot of random something. Loosely inspired by the Coen brothers’ 1998 film The Big Lebowski, Odario’s character manages to get out of bed, but not out of that bathrobe. Check out the video below…
Devilishly infectious, FLORIAN PICASSO‘s Tech House banger, ‘Make Me Dance’ is attention-grabbing from the start. A Daft Punk-esque vocoder kicks in, filling it with charisma. Chord stabs add that extra something, while shakers shimmy and shine to the beat of Florian’s groove, a flavour similar to the work of Tchami and Malaa.
Florian Picasso details the ins and outs of the single: “Making this record was really fun as I wanted to have a catchy line that calls for a dance. ‘Make me dance on the floor’ is simple yet very effective. I call it a hybrid record since there’s a section with heavy bass that leads into a beautiful piano melody throughout the track.”
Florian is writing his own story with his own signature, never limiting his creative mind. He has also previously collaborated with hip-hop star NAS and famed singer-songwriter John Legend on the single ‘Tomorrow’, helping him reach 120 million streams on Spotify and Youtube.
Picasso is no stage name, Florian is the great-grandson of the mighty Pablo Picasso. He recently paid tribute to his great grandfather in the most artistic and innovative way with some exceptional shows in the unique location, the Picasso Villa ‘La Californie’.
Rising neo-pop/R&B artist GROOVY returns with the release of his intoxicating Jersey Club single ‘BADGURL’. The breakthrough act taps into the cultural phenomenon that put 2000’s R&B on the map, channeling love, lust and desire as he shares his ode dedicated to all the ladies who are looking to set themselves free by embracing their wild side. GROOVY’s vocals are easy on the ears, gracefully crossing between genres as go-to producer Alejandro flexes his ability to take a smooth slice of Y2K R&B and morph it into an ambitious Jersey Club anthem. Booming staple triplet drums, velvety sampled vocals and hypnotic keys swirl together to create a world fuelled by steamy passion, one that is sure to draw listeners in upon first listen.
The sophisticated badgurl anthem is accompanied by an official music video directed by Chris Andrade. The cult-inspired visual follows a beautiful girl who yearns for sexual empowerment and freedom. She stumbles across a magazine ad calling for all badgurls and decides to call the number listed. Soon after, she finds herself at an eerie warehouse surrounded by a group of alluring women dressed in black cloaks. GROOVY makes his entrance as the charismatic leader figure, and the two share a drink from a chalice, symbolizing the indoctrination of the newest badgurl.
‘BAD GURL’ follows the Union native’s latest release “jersey luv,” which was praised by media tastemakers around the world including BET, Mixtape Madness and more. The track also landed placements on top editorial playlists, including Spotify’s Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Hip-Hop and Apple Music’s The New New York. Keep an eye out for GROOVY as he continues to shine with his eclectic blend of neo-pop, R&B, and house while solidifying himself as one to watch in 2023.
Like with so many others championing mental wellness—music has always been therapy for DMV-based Urban Pop Artist LAYNA LAE. Her brand new single titled ‘Throw It All Away’ delivers a “mental pick me up” with big feel good energy!
If a picture could speak a thousand words—the cover art for ‘Throw It All Away’ says it all. The image is an illustration of Layna Lae sitting on the side of a water fountain with the words “pain and fear” and fearful expressions dissolving in the water behind her; and the rainbow coloured water shooting out of the fountains definitely give the vibes of a brighter tomorrow.
With anxiety disorders being one of the most common mental health concerns in the United States (approximately 19.86% adults and 7% children ages 3-17)— Layna Lae is more relatable than ever as she conveys a powerful uplifting message through her own personal experiences battling lifelong fears and painful pessimistic-induced regrets.
Since Lae’s 2019 debut of her self-titled single ‘LAYNA LAE’— Layna Lae has created a new wave of her own with her ambiguous topics on lesbian relationships and nonchalant style of delivery. On a mission to make it, Layna Lae has since been nominated for various awards and performed live for the late WPGC 95.5 radio host DJ Tony Redz, Hot 97’s DJ Drewski, & Love and Hip- Hop’s reality star/rapper Trina. From her diverse ability to sing and rap, which Lae delivered in her 2022 emotionally-drenched heartfelt tribute titled ‘1949’— released after the passing of her grandfather. She followed up with a blend of pop and hip-hop melodies with her catchy and almost animated brand new single, ‘Copycat’.
Layna Lae continues to show the world a new layer of herself that can be much desired…have a listen to her euphoric single below…
Released on EMK through Kartel Music Group, LIV EAST’s latest single ‘So Badly’, is a kaleidoscopic concoction of dance, alt pop, R&B and neo soul, which captures the vibrancy and diversity of her East London roots.
‘So Badly’ is Liv’s second solo release, and the first of many works with South London producer Lokes LDN. The track also features some of London’s best jazz musicians – Benedict Quinn on guitar and Callum Connell (Secret Night Gang) on Saxophone.
“So Badly was born out of a time when I knew I had met someone of importance but the timing just wasn’t right”, explains Liv, “I had to remind myself of the mantra ‘nothing real can truly be threatened’ and step back with grace. I felt parallels with many other situations in my life. We had just come out of a pandemic where we were all forced to surrender to redirection and hold our hands up to the universe. No matter how badly we want something, it won’t always (or rarely ever) pan out the way we want it to. So Badly, for me, is about the art of surrender but still keeping faith”.
For singer songwriter Liv East, allowing life to follow its natural flow is vital. It’s about bending and swerving with the punches and trusting the path that you’re on, confident that in the end, everything turns out exactly as it was supposed to.
Liv’s musical career started off in 2019, working alongside Hackney’s grassroots label Root 73 (also home to the Silhouettes project) with a collaborative hip -hop / neo-soul EP. Then later on that year came the soulful dance track ‘You’re My’ on Defected’s well known disco label Glitterbox – a balmy, summer day anthem that’s just soared past an impressive four million streams. Fast forward to the present day, where it continues to receive support from house music Dons such as Moodymann & Jayda G.
And then there’s ‘I Miss Having Someone To Talk To’ (2020), another dollop of buoyant grooves that’s elevated by Liv’s distinctly fluid delivery. Produced with Folamour and released on his FHUO label, the track currently sits at over seven million streams.
Since life has started to open back up again post pandemic, Liv released her first solo track ‘Kitchen’ which landed heavy support from BBC introducing. Followed by another epic dance collaboration ‘I Need You’ with hugely successful producer duo KOLIDESCOPES via Defected’s latest imprint, The Remedy Project.
New Lease Music 