Taken from their debut mini-album ‘Yes, offence,’ slated for release in April 2022, South London duo SHELF LIVES‘ single ‘Mark Twain’ boasts two-and-a-half minute of flailing electronic breakbeats, glitched-out synths and churning distorted guitars – a prime example of the band’s post-punk/trash-pop amalgam.
Speaking on the new single, Shelf Lives singer Sabrina said: “We’re in an age of self-expression which comes hand-in-hand with opinion. We’re being told by each other who we can and can’t be, what we can and can’t feel and how to express it. Mark Twain is a, sort of, commentary on the confusion and complexity this behaviour creates of something meant to be genuine and authentic. It becomes safer to be emotionless, or at least perceived as, but as we waste these moments of vulnerability and expression a resentment and sadness build. This inevitably leads to the disassociation with these “new norms” and potentially social isolation.”
Originating from Toronto, Canada and Northampton respectively, Shelf Lives consist of singer Sabrina and guitarist/producer Jonny – who now both reside in Streatham Hill, South London. Bringing to mind the acerbic art-rock of Le Tigre, the intensity of The Prodigy, and the gritty garage-rock inspired electro bombast of Peaches, the band’s debut mini-album is sure to enthral en masse upon its release next year.
Check out the video for the single, directed by Florence Poppy Deary and Francesca Van Haverbeke (aka FLAN).
From the richly talented Philadelphia hip-hop community comes the new single ‘On Top’ from impassioned rapper JONRAH featuring $Harllan, Black Steel and Breadman.
The new single is one of the first releases to hit the streets from Breadman’s new moodGroov imprint and is already receiving highly positive reviews from local DJs and radio programmers. With top-notch beat production from Andyr, ‘On Top’ is cream of the crop. Check out the official video for the single below…
With expertly tracked instrumentals fusing with precisely programmed synthesizers to meet in the dark, award-winning Canadian artist MICHELLE RASKY‘s single creates a substantial electro dance-pop single in ‘Dancing on My Own’
The Folk Music Ontario Songwriter of the Year award-winner’s newest genre-bending release explores how Rasky finds solace in her musical compositions the same way she’s found solace in dancing — especially throughout the recent string of unforeseen worldly events.
“One of the things that’s helped me feel positive and grounded over the past year has been throwing on music, and just dancing by myself,” the Ontario-based multi-talented artist shares. “Losing ourselves in song and movement can be so uplifting… It’s this beautiful form of self-expression and a way to be present –– to enjoy the feeling of being alive and connected.I really wanted to bring that kind of energy into this song.”
With an array of talent at her disposal — from multi-instrumental abilities to her production experience — Michelle Rasky has been on a lifelong journey with music; “I grew up in a musical household and started playing piano when I was three years old,” Rasky recalls. “I was always passionate about a wide variety of music, and I think my love and respect for so many different artists continue to shape my approach to writing and producing.”
Along the way, the Toronto-born artist has found a knack for blending genres to create her unique organic-hybrid-pop sound that fans have come to know and love. While her earlier works are inspired by Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and other artists of the like, she reveals she has been on a journey recently…
While Rasky has long been developing her sound since first stepping onto the scene, her newest venture into the electro-pop dance scene feels fine-tuned and proficient. Focused on expanding her musical exploration, the dynamic artist has gravitated towards incorporating ambient textures, synthesizers, and programmed beats, ultimately finding a way to merge her deep love of electronic music into her expansive scope of work.
Rasky recorded ‘Dancing on My Own’ in her home, giving the unique production another level of heart and soul. Handling vocals, instrumentation, and production, this adept guitar, and piano performer put together a profound electronic-leaning single for the masses to dance to.
‘Dancing on My Own’ is available now…Why not check out the video for the single below…
Following her 2020 debut single, ‘Mistletoe Kiss,’ which went viral on TikTok with over 15K video views and 10 million streams, urban pop princess GIGI VEGA comes through with another slammer called ‘Down Crazy’, which possesses an infectiously thumping bass with melodic R&B tones. The accompanying video features Gigi Vega, having a good time at a summer pool party, which has garnered over five million views since its release in August.
Gigi Vega’s father, who’s a jazz musician, taught her anything there is to know about music from a very young age which led her to write songs from the age of 12. Now a chart-topping artist, Gigi has worked with Grammy-winning producers 1500 or Nothin’ (Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake), Tommy Brown (Ariane Grande), as well as Blaq N Mild (Drake, Beyonce) and Hookman (Jason Derulo). Her music has also received regular attention on iHeartRadio.
Described as a triple threat, Gigi Vega has appeared in the ABC Hallmark movie The Makeover, alongside Julia Stiles and David Walton.Gigi Vega’s single, ‘Down Crazy,’ is out now on all major platforms. Why not take a peep at the summer-filled video below..
Following the release of his last single, the soulful and aspirational ‘Up & Up (Heavens Above)’, which was supported by the likes of Capital Xtra, KISS FM, Amazing Radio, No Signal, Wordplay Magazine and GUAP Magazine, among others, British rap artist and producer AKS aka the “three letter man” is back with an introspective and deeply personal new single titled ‘PARITY’, as he continues to tease towards his long-awaited third EP As Plane As Day: Departures & Arrivals, which will conclude the South London wordsmith’s long-running ‘Modes of Transport’ EP series.
Produced by AKS himself, under the veiled moniker #3Letters, with live instrumentation from guitarist Adrian Remedy (Ed Sheeran), bass player Benjamin Muralt (Ledisi, Ill Camille, Pixie Lott) and keyboardist Charlie Stacey (Yussef Dayes), ‘Parity’ is a rich and textured rap track, layered with lush synth keys, glorious melodies and vibrant guitar licks, over which AKS wears his heart on his sleeves in truly captivating fashion. Switching up his rap flow into a bouncy melodic quickfire rhyme iteration that captures your attention, AKS speaks honestly to the pressures and aspirations of a black father.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Parity’, AKS says, “The song is about purpose really. The notion that we do the best we can for our kids so that their starting point in life is beyond where ours was. I’m sure that was also our parent’s aim, and in that from generation to generation, there’s a sense of commonality in that. Parity. I wanted to explore generational differences – both the things that separate us from the generations that came before us, and those points of commonality that unite us. Like, wanting the best for your kids is universal right?”
Unpacking the record further, AKS adds that ‘Parity’ was “born out of conversations I was having with other parents about the hopes and dreams that they had for their kids and the struggles they had with their own parents. More and more, I realised that many of the choices that we’re making as parents are the same choices that our own parents were faced with, and try as we might to step with our best foot forward and usher in a world that we’d be happy for our children to inherit, some of those aspirations don’t come to fruition. We’re all learning on the job. Still, we pour out our best for them”.
Heralded as one of the finest lyricists in the UK by the likes of Hypebeast and Okayplayer, with co-signs from Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Jay-Z collaborator Young Guru, AKS has always had a real sense of palpable excitement around his music from fans and critics alike. While his last EP Train Of Thought earned him two nominations at the inaugural Unsigned Music Awards, and his last single ‘Up & Up’ was championed by DJ Semtex at Capital Xtra and KISS FM’s Ellie Prohan, the South London native is excited for what’s to come as he gears up to close out his ‘Mode Of Transport’ series in 2022.
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