Song of the Day: Boom – Rayne Storm (ft. Juelz Santana)

RAYNE STORM is back with a new mixtape, a new EP and a new single featuring Juelz Santana. The latest track ‘Boom’ finds both Harlem rappers completely in their zones as they slide across the beat on this aggressive summer anthem. The up-tempo but ominous banger is produced by DJ Flippp, known for his production with Lil Yachty, Famous Dex, Playboi Carti and more.

The Storms Coming EP includes 6 songs previously released only on mixtape, specifically Storms Coming II. The EP features original songs like ‘Gettin’ Bizzy’, ‘Much More’, ‘Up Up Away’, ‘No Tomorrow’, ‘Revolution” & “Scorchers’. The Storms Coming EP represents Rayne in his “Pure Hip-Hop” form as a majority of these tracks take on a Boom Bap approach.

Have a listen to ‘Boom’ below…

Song of the Day: Power Games – X Revolution

With a consistent back catalogue of high-quality releases, Australian artist X REVOLUTION returns with his brand latest single ‘Power Games’. The hip-hop and rap offering showcases a polished style, format, and dedication to the music scene with X Revolution’s extraordinary productions and excellent wordsmiths.

‘Power Games’ is a seamless blend of hip-hop and rap’s unadulterated energy into his artistic flair. X Revolution demonstrates his compositional skills and shows how his work has an impact in addition to resonance. This song combines his signature lyrics, masterful skills, and hip-hop roots.

X Revolution used the website Tracklib to sample a few older recordings. After that, he combined it with additional ambience and FX using a drum loop sample from an MPC sample bundle he owned. Lyrically, he intended to discuss his personal experiences with power and how he saw it as a child, advising on how to stay away from it and take some time to think things through.

On the track, X Revolution questions, “It’s my struggle with power growing up and how I viewed it; except I am fully aware of it through some form of self-reflection and have decided to own it for myself and not use it over others.”

Accumulating press coverage across the likes of Fame Magazine, PureMzine, Notion, and The Pit Ldn, and support from Spotify playlists, X Revolution has presented himself as an exciting musical talent with a lot of promise for the future. Listen to ‘Power Games’ below…

Song of the Day: Freedom – d’Z (ft. Sandra St. Victor)

After more than seven years, D’Z and two-time Grammy Nominee Sandra St. Victor have teamed up for the remake of George Michael’s hit song ‘FREEDOM’ to create a funky party vibe with a new arrangement featuring tight horns, a groovy rhythm section, and the soulful voice of Sandra St. Victor.

Sandra, known for her work with Prince, Curtis Mayfield, Paula Abdul, Nile Rodgers, and being part of soul/funk trio The Family Stand, was immediately drawn to the re-imagined version of ‘FREEDOM’ and gladly lent her voice to the song.

d’Z – real name Hans-Peter de Zeeuw – is a Dutch drummer, composer, songwriter, and producer who frequently collaborates with international artists, including Katie Léone, former singer of the band Incognito, and has won several music awards.

The remake of ‘FREEDOM’ is now out on all streaming platforms. Have a listen below…

Song of the Day: When It Comes Together – Matt Wilde x [ K S R ]

Following the widespread success of his debut album ‘Hello World’ last year, which found support across BBC Radio 6, BBC Radio 2, Jazz FM and more, Manchester based-pianist and producer MATT WILDE returns with a smooth offering taken from his forthcoming ‘It’s A Delight’ EP. A celebration of Manchester’s fertile nu-jazz and soul scene, ‘When It Comes Together’ sees Matt connect with altsoul wordsmith [ K S R ] for a Robert Glasper-esque, piano-led hip-hop beat with heartfelt lyrics exploring human connection.

Out now via DeepMatter Records, Matt comments: “This track explores the magic of unity and collaboration. The soulful vocals and intricate production highlight the beauty of coming together to create something meaningful.”

Matt’s ‘It’s A Delight’ EP is a heartfelt exploration of everyday joys and human connection. The fivetrack EP captures the essence of wilful gladness and beauty found in ordinary moments, with Matt weaving a reflective, uplifting musical narrative through his melody-driven approach to improvisation and composition. Soothing, warm harmonic choices sit front and centre on meditative pieces like ‘Trying To Be Kind’ and ‘Timekeepers’, whilst electric moments of joyous collaboration
occur on RH Factor-leaning cut ‘Good Things Happen’, featuring trumpet player Aaron Wood (Secret Night Gang, Olivia Dean).

On the EP, Matt shares: “It’s a Delight is an exploration of the small joys that make life meaningful. The project was a collaborative effort that brought new perspectives and layers to the music. This EP celebrates the everyday moments that bring us together and the joy that grows when shared.”

A fast-rising artist known for his lyrical, virtuosic and jazz-tinged approach to keys playing and production, Matt Wilde is a key part of the Manchester scene that’s played a huge role in the growing international success of UK jazz. Cutting his teeth producing for local grime artists including Prose and Bugzy Malone before going on to collaborate with Brownswood Records’ Secret Night Gang and HMD, he’s a multi-faceted artist with an in-demand creative approach. His music has received widespread support from tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Huey Morgan and Deb Grant, and he’s been spotlighted in publications including the Big Issue, all whilst growing his own social media channels and building a strong community across YouTube and Instagram.

Listen to ‘When It Comes Together’ below…

Song of the Day: Worth It – Paige Bea

London-based singer, songwriter and producer PAIGE BEA‘s single, ‘Worth It’, is a dark, feminist ode to the frustrations of not knowing where you stand at the start of a new relationship. On ‘Worth It’, Paige is characteristically direct, asking outright rhetorical questions that ask for frankness in where this new romance is heading, paired with bold, honest statements about her own intentions: “I’m not here to convince and coerce / make things nice and give birth / I’m a difficult person”.

Speaking more on the lyrical inspiration behind ‘Worth It’, Paige said: “The lyrics for Worth It came shortly after a date I’d just been on. I was already just so anxious about when I was going to get the text back and how much longer we were going to have to do this silly dance before we just gave in to falling in love and seeing what happens. It felt like we were both coming into the start of it with a lot of trepidation given past relationships we’d been in, and we were trying to be adults by taking it slow, but it also felt like that was sucking the fun, spontaneous joy of starting something new out of it? I was also thinking about expectations of women in relationships, the peacemaker, the homemaker, the PA, the mother (I’m not here to convince and coerce / Make things nice then give birth / I’m a difficult person) and I wanted to make a statement that I probably won’t fit into the idea of who you think I am and I want to make that clear, but I’m also up for just leaning into this new feeling and taking a leap of faith if you are? I think our generation has this tendency to think that because they are grown and therapised, it means we can micro-manage all our relationships and behaviours and I’m far too impulsive for that. I’m much more about throwing myself in the deep-end and seeing where it takes me.”

Across her work to date, Paige Bea has seen excitable airplay and support from BBC R1’s Jack Saunders, Tara Kumar, Sian Eleri, BBC Introducing London’s Jess Izsatt, and BBC 1Xtra’s Jamz Supernova (who invited her into the studio for a Late Night Discovery interview), as well as esteemed publications and outlets such as COLORS, The Line Of Best Fit, Wonderland, The Independent, CLASH Magazine, Wordplay Mag, enfnts terribles, The Rodeo + more.

Upon the release of ‘Worth It’, Paige Bea announced her new EP ‘Flutters’ which was available from Wednesday (17th July) via DMY Artists. Why not listen to the avant-garde track below…