New Track: Lost In The City – Gents

Synth-pop duo GENTS are proving themselves as the latest exciting sound to come from Copenhagen’s burgeoning scene, with their third single, ‘Lost In The City’, taken from their forthcoming LP ‘About Time’, released via The Big Oil Recording Company.

‘Lost In The City’ is an ode to embracing the unknown. For GENTS, uncertainty isn’t necessarily a bad thing. “Sometimes you don’t know what you are looking for, and then it can be rewarding just giving in and letting the flow bring you to new places.” The duo describe the feel of the track as “Bruce Springsteen finding himself in a 90s club.

Following a mellow, soft breakdown, the track ends with an uplifting techno blast of bright keys and thumping kick drum. For GENTS, ‘Lost in the City’ was an opportunity to “try out some new stuff” which the duo says “has opened some doors and pushed us in a new direction. The last part of the song is in many ways a nod to our time in Berlin, where we spent a lot of time in the nightlife.”

With Theis Vesterløkke on synths and production and Niels Fejrskov Juhl’s characteristic baritone vocals, GENTS’ sound is founded in a shared passion for 80’s synths and drum machines, alongside obvious nods to distinguished crooners Elvis, Scott Walker and Rick Astley. Their sound screams fun, but the duo are keen to emphasise their sincerity in what they do. Talking to Soundvenue, Niels describes their ambition to write songs which move people, but always with “a twinkle in the eye”. Citing artists such as Wham!, Tears for Fears and The War on Drugs as influences, the pair champion musicians who are not afraid to open up their hearts and use music as a direct mode of expression, with no distance or irony.

‘Lost In The City’ follows up on their previous single, ‘Brother’, which was complemented by a video premiere on C-Heads and further support from the likes of Ja Ja Ja and London on the Inside.

Having also featured on Sound of Copenhagen’s compilation of rapidly rising stars for their debut single ‘Young Again’, there is much more to come in 2017 from the Danish synthpop duo.

New Track: $ – Sofi De La Torre

Spanish alt-R&B singer SOFI DE LA TORRE is back after the outstanding success of last year’s ‘Flex Your Way Out’ ft Blackbear single, with new track ‘$’.

With her sound described by i-D as “the swagger of Drake fused with a laid-back Lana vibe”, ‘$’ is an alt-pop slow jam about a relationship ruined by the need to impress with wealth – a superficial love. ‘$’ sees Sofi take a leaf out of J Lo’s book as she explains how you cannot buy her love, her ‘Love don’t cost a thing’.

Sofi’s moody vocals roll in with a strong message to her ex, “f**k ya money I don’t care about it”. The statement sets the tone for the single, yet her dreamy vocals in the chorus combined with the slow jam pop/R&B instrumental, reveal an undeniable vulnerability, a natural feeling at the end of a relationship.

The track was written and produced with her long-term Finnish producer Jonas Karlsson who has worked with her on many of her past successes, the first being ‘Vermillion’ which saw her garner support from Billboard, Time Magazine and The Guardian whilst Sofi’s debut album ‘Mess’ received praise from Noisey and Pop Justice. Her previous single ‘Flex Your Way Out’ feat. Blackbear saw her first spin from BBC Radio 1 courtesy of Jamz Supernova.

With the accompanying visual to ‘$’ on its way and her long-awaited debut record expected this spring, 2017 looks set to see SOFI DE LA TORRE cement her position within the empowering female-fronted scene.

Song of the Day: Tell Me – Greg Banks

Today’s song comes from GREG BANKS’ funked up effort, ‘Tell Me’. The New Orleans native has been described as “The Saint of Soul”, bearing the influences of Prince, Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone.

Growing up the fifth of nine children, being raised by a single mother in some of the worst housing projects in Louisiana, Banks views his childhood as nothing less than a home and environment of love and from the age of five, Greg and his family knew singing had to be in his future. He would make a song up about everything and anything and sing constantly, which annoyed his brothers and sisters.

In 2012, with just two bags and a dream, Banks moved to NYC to continue the pursuit of his passion and was introduced to his manager and this partnership sparked the evolution of turning potential into purpose…and it wasn’t long that he mesmerised the audiences throughout NYC and was chosen by Deli Magazine as NYC’s best emerging artist.

With his previous hit singles ‘Your Love’, ’16’ and ‘Brooklyn Girl’ , this phenomenon, in the shape of ‘Tell Me’, is causing a further buzz across the industry. You must check this one out; sounds like this guy has been possessed by Lenny Kravitz and Prince –  all at once!

New Track: Half Brother – Love Letter

HALFBROTHER, the duo made up of Murkage Dave and Patrick Scally, have unveiled their new track ‘Love Letter’. Written and produced by the duo, the alternative pop number is the follow-up to their debut single ‘Go Tell The Mandem’ which i-D described as ‘quietly profound’ and ‘remarkably lucid’.

Forming after collaborating on ‘Car Bomb’ – which became a cult hit last year and culminated in support from Pharrell Williams on his Beats 1 radio show – HALFBROTHER have been steadily making their mark with their genre defying sounds and thought-provoking observations on identity and challenging social norms and roles, catching the attention of outlets such as DIY, Earmilk and Mass Appeal along the way.

So come and witness their climb and check out ‘Love Letter’.

New Music Video: Masterpiece – Cilla Raie

Hailing from North London, singer/songwriter CILLA RAIE, has released her first music video for ‘Masterpiece’ produced by Joey Dyer (Iggy Azalea – Fancy, Katy B, Conor Maynard) with guest backing vocals from Ryan De La Cruz. Taken from her self-titled debut EP, ‘Masterpiece’ has racked up over 20,000 plays on SoundCloud since its release.

Directed by Daniel ‘Musical D’ Smith (Dizzee Rascal, Footsie, D Double E), the four-minute production reflects the concept of emotional vulnerability and passion experienced during a relationship, with the use of close-up shots and glitching transitions to give an emotive vibe to the audience.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Aaliyah, Brandy and Toni Braxton, the 23-year-old began recording music at just 14-years-old, with grime producer DaVinche, being one of her key mentors during the early stages of her musical journey. Combining her love of for R&B and pop music, Cilla delivers heartfelt lyrics with a sultry soft tone across this project.

This year will see the release of the songstress’ second EP, a body of work paying homage to growing pains as a young adult, whilst she embarks on a 2017 School Tour with UK Music delivering music workshops to students across the UK.

This is too good to pass up – watch the video to ‘Masterpiece’.