Song of the Day: Spencer Street – Ren

REN brings something soothing for the weekend with latest single ‘Spencer Street’, the follow up to the well received ‘Blue Hounds’.

Unlike ‘Blue Hounds’, a protest song in the classic mould, ‘Spencer Street’ is, as Ren explains “a nostalgic song reflecting on a relationship and life I had in Newcastle a few years ago. I wrote it whilst I was on the road a year or so after the break up. But ‘Spencer Street’ with her still felt like home to me.”

REN – real name Conor Owen – first came onto the music circuit with debut EP, ‘A Calling From The Shore’ which, to date, has received over 700K streams on Spotify. He recently supported Sam Fender, Westerman and Elvis Perkins as well as appearing as an extra in Bohemian Rhapsody.

Have a listen to ‘Spencer Street’ below:

Song of the Day: London Love – Weslee

Inter-continental singer-producer duo WESLEE have marked their first release of 2019, with latest single ‘London Love’.

Utilising steel drums and deploying a carefree electro-R&B vibe, the playful track sees WESLEE checking off London love interests’ flaws in each area. The chilled out beat of ‘London Love’ shows off Emma’s irresistible vocal range taking centre stage.

The duo’s second EP is set to be released later this year. Acclaimed debut EP 9F, released last June, has generated over 809,000 Spotify streams, while also making it into Jamz Supernova’s ‘Top 5 EPs’ on BBC Radio 1Xtra.

Having established themselves as the one of the most refreshing and uniquely dynamic acts in today’s international music scene, WESLEE have amassed over 25 million streams and performed for BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac at her AMP event, where they were joined by Jessie Ware and Sunflower Bean, as well as Annie herself. The pair also performed on the mainstage of Brooklyn’s Northside Festival as well as Baby’s Alright for their live debut in the US.

Weslee

First emerging with critically-acclaimed debut track ‘Gassed’ the duo garnered a wealth of support from industry heavyweights, with the track receiving the prestigious ‘Hottest Record in the World’ accolade from BBC Radio 1’s Mistajam. It also clocked in at #5 on the BBC Radio 1 Specialist Chart and received support from a wealth of BBC DJs, including Pete Tong, Danny Howard, Clara Amfo and Huw Stephens.

‘London Love’ cements WESLEE’s status as one of the most exciting acts in new music, and with more releases just around the corner, their career is very much still unfolding.

Check out ‘London Love’ below….

Song of the Day: Control – Davido x Django23 x Big Narstie

Following on from becoming the first Nigerian Act to reach 100 Million views on Youtube for ‘Fall’, which is also the longest charting Nigerian pop song in Billboard history, DAVIDO teams up with rap sensation DJANGO23 and the biggest Rap personality in the UK, BIG NARSTIE for the bouncing summer slam ‘Control’.

Snappy clicks, punching bass and percussive shakes are layered with sirens and ad-libs as producer mastermind Rymez, responsible for chart hits including Wiley ‘Heatwave’ and a string of Stefflon Don smashes including – Hurtin’ Me, Senseless and Don Walk, delivers a masterful creation that lives for this three-strike rapper combo.

As the sounds and worlds of global rap, entertainment and genre gaps rise and merge, ‘Control’ is the perfect example of how music is crossing more boundaries than ever before. Having become Nigeria’s biggest rapper to gain success in the United States and subsequently be the leader of Afrobeats in the Billboard charts, DAVIDO has been key in spreading Afrobeats globally. Meanwhile former UK promoter and Rap star DJANGO23 has blown up to become one of the most hotly tipped entertainment acts in recent months following releases ‘Suggardaddie’ featuring Tekno and ‘Give them Django’. His experience in delivering sell-out concerts and parties with A-Listers including Kanye West, Nas, The Game, Madonna, Damian Marley and more has made his transition between the worlds of entertainment business and music a seemless one. Finally, needing no introduction, Entertainer, Bafta nominated TV presenter and rap star BIG NARSTIE seals together what the all-star cast for this certified smash.

Check out the summer banger ‘Control’ below:

Song of the Day: Underneath The Sky/Down Low – Gemini Chris

DJ CHRIS GEMINI has dropped two of his latest offering into today’s hotspot: ‘Underneath The Sky’ brings on those summer days with its rhythmically light electronica vibes. ‘Dow Low’ follows and concludes the mini set on a serious high, thanks to the instantly infectious and gritty b-line.

Check them out below:

Song of the Day: Wizard Girls – Kitzl

Canadian producer and composer, KITZL is the first to enter the blog’s SOTD spotlight of the Month with single, ‘Wizard Girls’. The single forms part of her album 40 Moons That We Know Of (April 2019), mastered by Michael Fong (Ryuichi Sakamoto, Electric Youth).

Inspired by the likes of Baths, The Knife, Empress Of, Asgeir, Sigur Rós, M.I.A, Bon Iver, Four Tet, Phosphorescent, SolarSolar, Imogen Heap, and José González, each piece of KITZL’s music is emotionally rooted in humanoid experiences. Instrumentally and lyrically it might bring up images of anthropomorphized planets and objects, as well as imaginary races of probably non-existent life-forms. There is subtle conflict in KITZL’s work and aesthetic. It’s a disquieted feud between a playful, child-like wonder, and a darker, more displeased bitterness at something. Enigmatic in genre, Kitzl’s sound draws parallels to that of her contemporaries such as Grimes and Regina Spektor.

Eschewing categories, ‘Wizard Girls’ is a shining offering, combining elements of ambient-electronic-pop, art pop, and experimental shoe-gaze into one remarkably cohesive whole. A humane glow envelops the track, rendering quixotic sketches into tangible, hook-heavy electro-pop – beautifully conceived and executed. There is a fearless, uninhibited confidence to KITZL’s work, a delightful whimsy which takes her already-arresting sound and expands it to widescreen.

The up-and-coming ambient pop-creationist has garnered support from CBC’s Radio 1’s The Key of C show hosted by Craig Norris, and wowed audiences at Hillside Inside Festival, and Kazoo! Fest in her native Canada. She has seen substantial media support, including features in Canadian Beats, New Noise Magazine, Ride The Tempo and Aesthetic Magazine.

Have a listen to ‘Wizard Girls’ below: