Tag: Songs of the Day

Song of the Day: Nubian Farlow – Varnish La Piscine

VARNISH LA PISCINE‘s jazz-inflected new single ‘Nubian Farlow’, oozes a lush, sprawling instrumentation, where the young artist glides between smooth bars and vocals in this breezy introduction to the world of Varnish La Piscine.

As visually compelling a storyteller as he is sonically, the release of ‘Nubian Farlow’ is accompanied by a hypnotic visualiser focusing on a chef filleting a bowl of fish. The playful shot is taken from Varnish’s self-directed 4-part short film which is being released episodically in the lead up to his EP release this March.

Both an audio-visual and musical work, the four episodes are inspired by the absurd humour of the Coen brothers and the stylised intricacy of Wes Anderson and were shot over 8 days at a lakeside location with the help of the production company Dissidence. The plot revolves around the lake and its magical fish who, for better or worse, entrance the local population with Varnish himself playing the role of a young fisherman (as well as many other actors, including new-gen French rapper Rounhaa).

‘Nubian Farlow’ is joined on This Lake Is Successful by recent release ‘Ring Island’, with the 7-track project comprised of a form of refined pop made up of diverse influences: rap, bossa nova, electronic synth, surf music, reggae and underpinned by Varnish’s singing and rapping as well as three guest artists Makala, Rico TK and Snubnose Frankenstein.

In the six years since the rapper, producer and singer arrived on the scene, Varnish La Piscine (Jephté Mbisi) has crafted a brilliantly creative universe inspired by his love of the iconic rappers and producers of the 2000s and the decade’s swirling, colourful music videos. Growing up in Switzerland surrounded by a family of music lovers, the music at home swung between his parents’ Congolese beats alongside 90’s greats like Sade, Sting and Phil Collins. But it was his love of the 2000s that made Varnish the artist he is today. Admiration for his first musical hero Pharrell Williams imbued in him the importance of combining creative genius with visual flair and that to create something interesting, you need to be different.

With props from the likes of Tyler the Creator and Pharrell Williams himself; the future looks bright for Varnish La Piscine…have a listen to Nubian Farlow below…

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Song of the Day: Element & Moderate – Feverkin

Detail-focused producer FEVERKIN‘s latest single, ‘Element & Moderate’ released via the Deep Heads imprint. ‘Element & Moderate’, is the first single to be released from the record label’s new compilation, Cosmic Vibrations Vol. 4, which will be released on the 26th of May.

A composer and producer residing in Portland, Oregon, Feverkin is the musical alias of Adam Orfale. Feverkin crafts his sound by sampling, morphing, and arranging recordings of traditional instruments. Drawing inspiration from Trip Hop, Future Garage, Lofi, Jazz, and Classical music, Feverkin strikes a unique balance between melody and beat, resulting in instrumentally-driven downtempo music that is both organic, glitchy, and moody. He takes inspiration from Burial, Alaskan Tapes, and Synkro to create music in the same vein as Òlafur Arnalds, Phaeleh, and Nightmares On Wax.

The beat work of ‘Element & Moderate’ is precise and intricate. As one might expect from a Feverkin recording, an array of instruments are scattered around the production. Upright Piano and Cello are just some of the many live elements incorporated in this incredible piece, not to mention loads of floating frequencies in which to lose oneself.

Feverkin tells us about the song: “‘Element & Moderate’ is about being at a crossroads and knowing the difference between which path you want to take and which path you need to take. This song started with a nearly 10-year-old recording of my friend playing the drums in a warehouse/office space. I edited and looped a particular part that had a vibe and built the song with the beat being the focus.”

Have a listen to ‘Element & Moderate’ below…

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Song of the Day: Honey – JSJ

Emerging Canadian artist JSJ (Joshua Säde James) incorporates self-worth and love within his music, with the message that “you are worthy, you are loved, and you are imperfectly you.”

Sensuality and sexuality are deeply embedded in his sultry latest single ‘Honey’, written during a time of self-discovery and self-preservation. Finally feeling comfortable in his own skin, he shows his exes what they’re missing.

JSJ has dreamed of becoming a recording artist ever since he first laid his eyes and ears on pop Diva Christina Aguilera. Later influenced by artists like Whitney Houston, Bruno Mars and Ariana Grande J’s voice, songwriting, and artistry continued to grow.

He was first noticed by Toronto-based label HardMD, founded by critically acclaimed songwriter and producer, Craig McConnell. JSJ has released two EPs via HardMD: ‘Mirrors & Smoke’ and ‘A Very JSJ Christmas’. Soon after he found success, being given the opportunity to write with Sony Music Brazil artist PRINSH, Jettlag Music and WADD, to be featured on the track ‘Save me From Myself”. JSJ’s WSC award winning single ‘I’ll Wait For You’ reflects the trials and tribulations of a long-distance love.

J has found multiple successes online over these past two years, accumulating over 2 million views on Facebook, 150k streams on Spotify alone, and over 300k views on his YouTube channel. Have a listen to JSJ’s sensuous single below….

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Song of the Day: Sweet Maybe – D’Ambrosia

D’AMBROSIA‘s upbeat single ‘Sweet Maybe, ‘ chronicles love in limbo.

“‘Sweet Maybe’ is meant to convey the experience of a reluctance to commit, in our current culture of dating apps, casual hook-ups and on-again off-again relationships,” said vocalist Kim D’Ambrogi (she/her). “This song is from the perspective of the recipient of that ‘sweet maybe,’ with the tenuous balance between the hope and frustration of what that word represents. It can be enough to keep us holding on but not enough to feel fulfilled.”

Sporting a rocky edge with a tongue-and-cheek, yet vulnerable narrative, the single alludes to the experience of floating between a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ by that fateful little hook of a word, ‘Maybe.’ Have a listen to ‘Sweet Maybe’ below…

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Song of the Day: 1NE People – Monie Love (ft. Nana Fofie)

MONIE LOVE has been a pioneer for British Hip Hop in the late eighties and nineties who uses the hip-hop platform to drive the message of love, unity and equality. She joined forces with fellow females emcees such as Queen Latifah, for pro-feminist song ‘Ladies First’, proving that women (who were mainly invisible in Hip Hop at that time) can rap just as well as men can.

After impressive guest performances on songs by De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers and Adeva, Monie was given a recording contract with Warner Bros, an impressive achievement for a British female rapper. Her debut album ‘Down to Earth’ featured two hit singles that were Grammy nominated – ‘Monie in the Middle’ and ‘It’s a Shame (My Sister)’.

With all the achievements she made over the years, there’s no dispute that Monie Love is one of the rap artists who paved the way for female rappers of today. Now almost 30 years later, she returns, still spreading the message of love, unity and equality in latest single ‘1NE People.’

Sporting a unique blend of reggae, hip-hop and R&B, ‘1NE Peope’ sees Monie Love dig deep into her West Indian roots and performs a melodic, reggae chant in Jamaican patois, inspired by the heartfelt mantra by Marcus Garvey – “Out of Many, One People”.

For this single – produced by up and coming music producer/engineer Roctimus Prime and legendary Grammy Nominated hip-hop producer, Baby Paul/BpZy (formerly of Da Beatminerz) – Monie enlists upcoming Ghanaian singer/songwriter Nana Fofie, who just recently signed to Nicki Minage’s new record label. Currently residing in Rotterdam, Nona Fofie drops an infectious verse, delivered in English and French, making it the perfect addition to Monie’s vocals offering a substantial and inspirational tone.

Monie Love recently guest appeared at the curated De la Soul career catalog launch and Plug 2 Tribute event which was held at Webster Hall in NYC. She performed an impromptu segment of the classic song ‘Ladies First’ with Queen Latifah, along with sharing her exuberant energy while on the stage with De La Soul as they ran through a few of their classic songs.

She’s now working on her new music project, #LoveStruck which is executively produced by Baby Paul/BpZy formerly of “Da Beatminerz” with pending collaborations from a few legends and new talent to watch out for. Look for’ Monie project, but for now, listen to ‘1NE People’, which is out now available across various music platforms


Connect with Monie Love via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/DaRealMonieLove/
T: https://twitter.com/DaRealMonieLove
IG: https://www.instagram.com/darealmonielove/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@darealmonielove_

Connect with Nana Fofie via:
FB: https://www.facebook.com/nanafofieofficial
T: https://twitter.com/DaRealMonieLove
IG: https://www.instagram.com/nanafofiee/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nanafofie

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