Tag: London

Kokar Shares Track, ‘Coulda Been Pt.2’ Ahead of Debut LP, ‘Dorking Close’

KOKAR – a rapper, singer, songwriter — emerged from Deptford with the critically acclaimed ‘For Me’ as a debut single in late 2018 and has followed up with prominent singles such as ‘Coulda Been’ and ‘Lessons’ throughout 2019.

Hitting 2020 with a brand-new drop, Kokar releases ‘Coulda Been Pt 2’. The track picks up the story from the original, which premiered with GRM Daily last year, and emanates the smooth R&B vibes with a soulful Afroswing undercurrent.

Raised by a single mother and signing a professional contract with Barnet football club at 18, Kokar’s direction turned to music in 2018 having decided to focus on being expressive and creative in his craft. Already building an impressive catalogue of numerous singles and his ‘RTW’ project in a short space of time, the forthcoming LP release ‘Dorking Close’ hones on his skill to work with varying sounds and styles, and draws on his musical experience of the last 3 years. Housing songs that cater to a mix of taste within the Rap, Grime, Hip-Hop and R&B, ‘Dorking Close’ is marked to release this month across all digital platforms.

Check out the video for ‘Coulda Been Pt.2’ below…

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Song of the Day: Stay Focused – BLKGLD

Hailing from Croydon and of Jamaican descent, identical twins Shereen and Sophia aka BLKGLD enchant us with their beautiful and buttery vocals through their debut single, ‘Stay Focused’ out now on all major download/streaming platforms.

The single innately evokes a nostalgic feeling that transports back to the 90s with their effortless fusion of R&B and Dancehall. This irresistible number has slow wine written all over it, and the meandering baseline is mixed in with a tropical xylophone vibe.

With a musical encyclopedia that is rich with the heart and soul of R&B, the girls site Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Destiny’s Child, TLC,  Boyz 2 Men and Usher  amongst some of their biggest inspirations and influences and their sound marries this together with a contemporary twist. Crediting their seasoned soulful voices to their dad who also sang and often was likened to Nat King Cole himself, it’s no coincidence to why BLKGLD are slaying it.

Cementing their rightful place within the UK music scene and beyond, they have already received co-signs from notable names in dancehall, including Beanie Man and The Fanatix. Their soulful renditions of many classic and future hits have already gained some exciting traction, amassing millions of views across all social media platforms, leading to the duo performing alongside Migos and the late Juice Wrld last summer.

Keeping 100% focused, BLKGLD are ones to watch for 2020…check out the video for their debut below…

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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…

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Romaine Dixon Shares New Single, ‘Vibe’ + Video

Known for her R&B repertoire, South London singer/songwriter, ROMAINE DIXON‘s latest single, ‘Vibe’, takes on Afro-swing approach which demonstrates her versatility.

The accompanied video gives an insight into the growing chemistry or vibes between two people.

Available now on all major download and streaming sites, the salacious upbeat number is Romaine’s first release of the year and marks the rebirth of the 26-year-old.

Check out the video for ‘Vibe’ below…

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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…

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