The Palace Discothequeis the second single from NIKO’s new album Electric Union, released last Friday (22nd October) via ATIC Records. Upping the tempo and getting all ‘electronic’ the track is built on a foundation of pulsing bass and Linn Drum-ish beats with layers of intricate micro melodies and synthetic vocals.
Produced by and written with long-time partner in crime Aim(Cold Water Music, Hinterland) ‘The Palace Discotheque’ has echoes of early Tubeway Army, a perennial influence on the Barrow-based beat maker that combine with Niko’s abstract pop sensibilities to create a heady, neon cocktail.
Take a peep at the accompanied nostalgic video below…
KIANA‘s latest single ‘Strangers’, oozes a dark R&B tone. Looking into the future and the past all at once, she considers the infinite possibilities of what could alternatively play out between two people who once felt deep love and now nothing.
The Toronto-based artist confides, “It’s ultimately a sad title, but it’s probably the most common human thought and experience. I know everyone who reads the title will think about the time they experienced that thought too and will think about that person – who could at the time be a stranger, a lover, or somewhere in between.”
The single takes inspiration from the likes of Jorja Smith and Amy Winehouse, emitting rolling waves of melancholic shadows throughout and echoing adlibs of curiosity and wonder. The soul meets dark R&B sound has a minimalist approach to the production, while the closely-knit piano notes give off a flutter of soulful magic, alongside her fierce, controlled and sultry vocals. Overall alluring in its nature, the track drips in tender backing synths and a calm, soft beat.
Her music has gained recognition from multiple radio stations including Toronto’s Flow 93.5 FM and Vibe 105.5 FM and received immense positive reception from her hometown. Today, KIANA has earned over half a million plays globally and has been featured in publications such as Lyrical Lemonade, Ones to Watch and Red Bull Music, to name a few. She has touched major stages like The Mod Club Theatre and performed at significant Canadian festivals including NXNE and Canadian Music Week.
A firm fixture in the indie music community of the West Coast, Canadian artist EMILY MOLLOY has created a rather raw, emotive-packed piece, coming in the shape of single, ‘Wide Awake’, taking from her latest EP, ‘Catastrophes.’
Written in under an hour, Molloy was emboldened by a break-up experienced by award-winning director Angie Nolan. Finding perspective through Nolan’s pain, Molloy packs each emotional punch with her raspy, full-bodied vox; each resolve in the lyrics a little more hurt than the last until she scales the note so hard in the bridge, you can feel in your soul the shattering of her heart. Molloy perfectly embodies a wailing wall of sorrow and sadness in one fell swoop.
“After writing ‘Wide Awake’, I remember thinking to myself, ‘Wait…I’m not going through this myself, but Angie is,’” she recalls. “I realised I had written the song about her, and from her perspective, but that we can all relate.”
Enlisting recording engineer Eric Mosher at the Warehouse Studios in 2020, Molloy quickly realized that “Wide Awake” was the stand-out track on her latest EP. “This is my most vulnerable song recorded to date, and I knew I needed a video that would fully capture the story and emotion expressed. The song turned out more beautifully stunning in the studio than I could ever hoped for, and it screamed for its visual equal.”
Here’s your chance to check out the video for Emily’s emotive, guitar-led offering below…
DENIM BLÙ, the Toronto-based pop artist with Chinese roots, released his new single, 2I’ll Die (with Lizzy Clarke),’ an emotional song that explores the depths of rock bottom. The track will be his second of 2021, following his recent single ‘Extraordinary Feel (feat. Lizzy Clarke)’ and adjoining remixes.
His latest offering is inspired by the fallout after heartbreak and the emotions of needing to fall before you rise. Although suffering is usually an emotion experienced in solitude, this duet between Denim and Lizzy expresses the universality of the message – it shows that even at your lowest point, you are not alone. Denim croons in his smooth tone and Lizzy dazzles with her agile vocals. Together, they deliver different but complementary vocals over this power ballad.
LA-based singer-songwriter SARA DIAMOND has been pursuing music career for a while, and through her journey, she has been lucky to have had boyfriends that believed in her, encouraging her to go for it!
Her latest infectious offering, ‘Hollywood (U & Me),’ is a tribute to the supportive partners that she had in her life.
Sarah says of her single: “I wrote this song to capture the strength of love through tumultuous times. True connection isn’t severed by the beauty and allure of something beautiful.”
So if you have a ride-or-die cheering you on, why not show your appreciation through Sarah’s single below…
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