Tag: Nowadays Records

New Music Video: Maybe We Land – Awir Leon

awir-leon-video-clip

Minimalist electronic composer and singer AWIR LEON reveals Maybe We Land, the second of a trio of single and video packages in the lead up to his forthcoming debut LP Giants. Set to drop on 14th October, the album will be released on the pioneering label of the burgeoning Parisian beat-scene Nowadays Records.

The latest offering relates to the artist’s move from Amsterdam (where he was part of the experimental trio UNNO) to Paris, and how the period of transition often felt destructive and chaotic.  AWIR LEON’s roller coaster journey is reflected in Ian Robinson’s mesmerising visuals. Footage of dancing silhouettes set against the late night city back drop of Tel Aviv was captured by a camera attached to a moving skateboard.

Building on the success of Sitting So High, once named Song of the Week by NEW LEASE MUSIC, AWIR LEON’s latest single draws comparisons to the most avant-garde elements of acclaimed works by James Blake or Nicolas Jaar.

Check out the video to Maybe We Land

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New Track: Brace – Sekuoia (ft.Marc Roland)

 

Brace videoFollowing a string of critically acclaimed singles, Pigeons & Planes-approved Danish producer Patrick Bech-Madsen – AKA SEKUOIA, continues to build anticipation for his forthcoming album with hypnotic new single Brace, out now via trend-setting label, Nowadays Records.

The Copenhagen-based 23-year-old has spent the last few years releasing a series of increasingly innovative EPs, working with the likes of Superpoze, Sivas, and Thomas Barfod. More recently SEKUOIA turned to fellow Dane and electro-pop sensation KIll J to team up on the hugely successful sultry electronic R&B induced gem, Lamp In The Dark. Now, with his latest release, SEKUOIA further cements his position at the heart of the forward-thinking electronic music that Nowadays Records continue to passionately showcase.

Brace finds the producer moving further into unknown territory by teaming up with Marc Roland – front man of the grandiose Danish pop group Kentaur. The soft, slow-burning track is armed with a slew of pulsating pads and bright, shimmering synths, which combine to help create his trademark dream-inducing soundscapes. Roland’s soulful vocal performance is a welcome addition to the track, imbuing an added sense of depth to the production where he pushes his sound in a slightly more upbeat direction, along with an infectious vocal hook to create a distinct pop sensibility.

The accompanying rural visuals perfectly compliment the song’s ethereal production, revealing a lone character escaping into a trance and, for a brief transient moment, becoming lost in Sekuoia’s dreamy mix of electronica, driving beats and solid pop hooks.

Having proven himself a tour-de-force on the live circuit with festival appearances at the likes of Roskilde, Eurosonic, Sonar and Iceland Airwaves, the talented producer now prepares to embark on a short European tour. Starting on the 29th September, he will visit a host of major cities, including Amsterdam, London and Munich. As one of Scandinavia’s brightest talents, SEKUOIA’s enthralling live shows are not to be missed as he continues his charge for the top.

Watch the video to his latest masterpiece, Brace.

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Song of the Day: Sitting So High – Awir Leon

sitting so high

Rising electronic star AWIR LEON  hypnotise us with his new single Sitting So High, released via French label Nowadays Records.

Best known as one-third of the Indie Shuffle-approved electro outfit UNNO (featured on NEW LEASE MUSIC with track Blue Leaf,) AWIR LEON conjures up charming R&B vocals, lo-fi production and a flurry of glitchy tones. Gently nodding in the post-dubstep direction of artists like James Blake and Jamie Isaac, it also finds a dark yet playful line between the spacious sounds of Airhead and the husky tones of Nicolas Jaar.

Following in the footsteps of recent Nowadays successes like Sekuoia, Clement Bazin and Jumo, Sitting So High introduces Leon as another prime example of the label’s cutting edge talent. An artist for whom mood and texture is just as important as substance, the engine behind his new track is the sheer nostalgia that it draws out, which is aptly reflected in its accompanying visuals.

The track will form the first episode of a three-part video series of Leon’s upcoming debut solo album Giants, set to drop next autumn. Self-directed and choreographed, the visuals signify the producer’s most personal work to date and depict him dancing around on top of a coal mountain in the North of France; his movements erratic and unpredictable, yet fluid and graceful. Shot next to the house where the French artist grew up, Leon describes the video as representing the “starting point of his life”.

Laced with rumbling bass lines, moody synths and smooth vocals that wander freely between provocative trip-hop and melancholy jazz, Sitting So High clearly sets him apart from his successes as a collaborator and band member. With his solo nuance of new-wave vibes and broody tones, he is surely well on his way to becoming Nowadays Records’ most exciting export of the year so far.

Sitting So High is now available for purchase here.

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Song of the Day: Blue Leaf – Unno

Unno Blue Leaf

Of late, Nowadays Records have been signing up a string of hot properties. Last Thursday, BRNFKD slammed their epic upcoming  masterpiece, Shining here on NEW LEASE MUSIC. Now it’s French trio UNNO‘s turn to show what they’re made of…

The group’s name, UNNO – which stands for ‘the UNexpected NOte’ – exemplifies the group’s individual approach to creating music and this is definitely reflected their track Blue Leaf.  Produced by fellow Nowadays signees BRNFKD, the four-minute production showcases the group’s distinctive style; constantly prompting the listener to expect the unexpected with dreamlike synths, droning bass and erratic percussion. With hugely varied influences, the trio display an insolent freedom in the way they create their music.

Since forming in 2011, UNNO – consisting of Awir Leon, J.Kid and Tismé, who are all members of the prolific Dunkirk-based Jayfly collective – have been making a name for themselves in the French music scene. Following their first ever live performance on a French TV show, the group have since been delivering unforgettable performances bursting with an energy that is both dreamy and explosive, which led to them being named ‘The Discovery of Printemps de Bourges’.

Blue Leaf is coming from their EP, As We Land (Take Off Edition)…so expect the unexpected and have a listen to the single.

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Upcoming Release: Shining – BRNFKD

BRNFKD Shining
Nowadays Records’ newest recruits BRNFKD are all set to release their eponymous debut EP on 22nd April, available on major music outlets. Leading single Shinning displays six and a half minutes of blissful fusion of  deep downtempo plus hip-hop/trap-influenced vibes, featuring the hazy R&B vocals from Eli Sostre.

Behind those six special letters (pronounced – excuse my French – ‘brain fucked’) lurk two rising talents of the French scene: heavy trap range artist Ikaz Boi and prolific producer Monk, whose creative focus lies in more delicate soundscapes. Together, the two producers play with the codes of electronic and hip-hop music; merging aggressive percussion, deep bass, sharp kicks and ethereal synthesizers to craft an atmosphere that is all at once sensual melancholic and powerful.

Having performed in the past alongside hip-hop heavyweight Just Blaze, Ikaz Boi has collaborated with Amine Edge and DANCE on the Radio 1-playlisted Came Around as well as remixing and producing a plethora of rappers such as Vic Mensa and Leather Corduroys’ hit Have U Eva. With Monk also having seen success with a track release on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Electric 4, BRNFKD presents the perfect platform to see their talents amplified.

You read their credentials, now it’s time to sample the masters at work; check out Shining.

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