Song of the Day: 23 – The Burma

Opening with a touch of the psychedelic, THE BURMA‘s latest single ‘23’ (released via The Burma Music Group) is an airy blend of retro-filtered synth stabs and indie rock grooves. The track captures the longing for what could have been dabbed with a touch of nostalgia that brings the work of Beach House, Real Estate, and Beach Fossils to mind.

Offering insight, The three-piece indie rock act from Ireland describes how the song was born: “‘23’” is the first song we wrote and recorded for our second album. It’s one of those songs that came together really quickly. The song you hear now has barely changed from its initial conception, which is a rare thing for us!”

2023 is looking to be a big year for the band: their sophomore album is due for release later this year. Additionally, they will be performing their first-ever live show in the UK on Saturday the 19th of August in London.

Their debut album, Sucker For Stars, was the No. 3 best-selling Independent Irish Album the week of its release, landing on the Irish charts and placing in both the Irish Homegrown Top 20 Singles and Top 5 Irish iTunes Singles.

Named after The Burma Steps in Cobh, The Burma has been praised by recognised webzines such as The Rolling Stone India, CLASH Magazine, Hot Press, Atwood Magazine, NOTION Magazine, and Medium.com/Pop Off and more, while receiving spins on RTÉ 2FM with Dan Hegarty.

Have a listen to ’23’ below…

Song of the Day: IG – Wxndchime

WXNDCHIME is a British-Jamaican artist from South London who much like the musicians who influence her, utilises her music as a tool of expression against injustice. Having lived in both England and Jamaica, her sound which creates allegorical reggae/neo-soul infused melodies, overtly reflects on the Black/Caribbean influence on British society and the reverberations of this.

She explains her name as the symbolism of making peaceful noise from collisions. She removes the ‘I’, replacing this with the militancy of ‘X’.

‘IG’ is the first single from Wxndchime’s EP ‘IOUSZ’ which features eclectic sounds heavily influenced by the reggae, hip hop and neo soul/jazz she grew up on.

The song is an introduction to the complexity and dynamism that is Wxndchime, with distinctive lyrical verses and R&B hooks inspired by the harmonic arrangements of her gospel choir days. Through upbeat, playful melodies the song explores deeper realities of chauvinism, mental health, and a world heavily focused on image and surveillance.

The song features North London’s afro swing artist Tape, and the music from Alabama producer Yunnie is a collaboration which can be heard throughout her EP along with tracks produced by SpaceAgeRasta and Sena Beats. Have a listen below…

Song of the Day: Down For Me – C.T

UK’s rising artist C.T (which stands for Contraversial Tekniche) has been gaining attention and captivating listeners with his distinctive sound. Since bursting on the scene in 2018, he has been featured as artist of the month by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire Radio and has built a fanbase through numerous freestyles, podcasts and live shows, including performing at festivals such as Godiva. Set to continue his momentum and reach new heights in 2023, C.T has just unveiled his latest single, ‘Down For Me’, alongside a music video directed by Peppermint Studios (Byron Ismail), which follows the release of his “Joey Clipstar Freestyle”.

“Down For Me” is a melodic track that showcases C.T’s smooth vocals as he glides effortlessly over a laidback trap beat. Packed with catchy melodies and a huge, anthemic hook that will no doubt have everyone singing along after one listen, ‘Down For Me’ shines the spotlight on a fast-rising talent with undeniable star quality and a bright future ahead.

Speaking further on “Down For Me”, C.T says, “For me, it’s about that question you ask yourself in the early stages of a relationship when you like or love someone, but you don’t quite know what their intentions are, so you stay guarded and reserved, almost unsure but maintaining interest out of curiosity and want for connection.”

‘Down For Me’ is available via various music platforms. Check out the video below…

Song of the Day: Through The Clouds – Jay Phelps (ft. Simon Jnr)

A household name in the UK jazz world, Canadian-born, UK-based trumpeter, DJ and composer JAY PHELPS teams up with Birmingham MC Simon Jnr ‘Through The Clouds’. It’s the second single from his forthcoming album ‘The Now’, releasing via Platoon in partnership with Black Lives In Music.

With a career spanning 20 years, Phelps has performed as a sideman with some of the world’s top names, including Amy Winehouse, George Benson and Wiz Kid. His work as founding member of award-winning contemporary jazz group Empirical in the late 2000s garnered international acclaim, an early precursor to the explosion of UK jazz that has since followed. As a bandleader, he’s explored multiple styles, threading together the jazz language and tradition with contemporary influences, always with one eye on the future.
His status as an innovator and enabler on the UK jazz scene has seen him host regular shows on Jazz FM and Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM, and draw praise from The Guardian, Jazzwise and London Jazz News.

The forthcoming LP ‘The Now’ brings together a cross-generational collective of musicians. It’s a journey from the underground, club-centric UK jazz scene, through to the house-filled streets of Detroit and progressive sonics of LA. Phelps continues on his mission as a connector of dots, bringing together multiple generations of musicians at the forefront of the UK’s jazz scene, including David Mrakpor (Blue Lab Beats), Tom Ford (Chris Dave, Reuben James) and Nicola Guida (Secret Night Gang). The record draws inspiration from hiphop, G-funk and broken beat, with Phelps and co weaving between styles through
conversational improvisation, thoughtfully crafted melodies and a combination of vocal and horn-led arrangements. Continuing with the west coast vibe explored on lead single ‘Finding Centaurii’,

‘Through The Clouds’ invokes shades of Anderson Paak’s jazz-fuelled soul-funk. Phelps’ playful muted
trumpet is paired with Ruta Sipola’s flute in conversation with Mrakpor’s vibraphone, with the instrumental finely balanced against Simon Jnr’s lyrical flow, setting an inspirational tone of breaking through and looking past adversity.

“I wanted the catchy melody to be traded around the band, as it’s the largest ensemble featured on the entire album. Simon Jnr came through and provided the lyrical masterpiece, which tied in perfectly to the themes I wanted to convey on the instrumental.” -Jay Phelps. Have a listen to

‘Through The Clouds’ below…

Song of the Day: Jazz Bar – Otysee

Independent composer and recording artist OTYSEE made his solo debut in 2019 with the single ‘Almond’. That track introduced a multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist producer from Germany who deals in laid-back grooves. His mostly instrumental tunes mix elements of jazz, pop, and hip-hop into laid-back lo-fi vibe.

Since his debut, the prolific producer has amassed a remarkable volume of work. In less than four years, otysee has released four full-length albums and over fifty singles. Growing up in a musical household, the young artist learned to play a number of instruments. Prior to launching this current project, the multifaceted musician collaborated on a number of projects and worked as the drummer in a rock band.

‘Jazz Bar’ is the latest single from otysee, released last month via all major streaming services. A wah-wah electric guitar introduces the track as the beat drops on a downtempo jazz-hop groove. Piano, bass, drums and guitar accompany the soloist, conjuring images of a smoky late-night cocktail lounge.

Check out ‘Jazz Bar’ below….

Written by The Static Dive