Coming out of St. Louis, hip-hop duo 2840 comes through with their latest single, ‘Struggle’ which pretty much sums up the everyday obstacles that makes life that little bit harder.
So if you’re going through some financial issues, martial problems or even knock backs from chasing your dream, the hook in this track will definitely hit home: Sh”t so deep deep, you need a shovel. Welcome to my “Struggle”
Jason Ragan, who makes one half of 2840, was previously linked to hip-hop/rock group Liquor Store Bandits, often collaborating with Paleface Junkies and 3KNGZ.
After I was introduced to her single, ‘Fess Up’, South London’s singer/songwriter CHERYLL has been firmly on my radar, because she is to keeping old good R&B alive – and I must say, this newcomer does it REALLY well.
Her latest single, ‘Fallin’, chronicles her feelings for her love interest. Producer D’wante Navire puts a modern spin on 90s R&B on the single, by injecting a deep flirtatious bassline.
‘Fallin’ follows her debut EP, ‘Transition’. Cheryll discussed the inspiration behind producing the five-track set in an interview with NEW LEASE MUSIC. You can read it right here …but before you head off, have a listen to the track below…
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…
With her debut album ‘Phoenix’ arriving this Friday, 29th October, Canadian Cameroonian artist, songwriter, actress, burlesque performer, and poet EROCKFOR [pronounced eh-ROCK-for] brings along the blog’s second song of the day titled ‘Crown’, the last of five singles she has been revealing every month since May in the lead up to her album. ‘Crown’ comes on the back of recent support for Erockfor from the likes of Rolling Stone India, Wonderland Magazine, Earmilk, Ones To Watch, MTV Base, Flaunt Magazine and MEFEater, to mention a few.
Produced by LA-based electronic musician Blaire Michael, ‘Crown’ represents the seventh and final chakra ‘Sahasrara’, following Erockfor’s two previous singles ‘Sacral’ and ‘Heart’ that were named after the second and fourth chakra, with each song signifying different elements of her healing and rebirth journey so far. With ‘Crown’, Erockfor has delivered a rousing and free flowing opus with exquisite indie and pop sensibilities, held together by Erockfor’s spellbinding vocal performance, her magnetic lyricism, lush drum patterns and ethereal guitar arrangements.
Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Crown’, Erockfor says, “The song is about recognising my true essence and my connection to the divine. I am at my happiest when I prioritize my spirituality. Sometimes, I fall off course, but when I walk that path of seeing myself as part of something greater, that’s when magic happens. This whole album is a co-creation with the universe and my ancestors. I wrote ‘Crown’ at a time when I was building my spiritual toolbox and rediscovering the power and importance of community – ‘Crown’ is a time capsule of that period of my life”.
Erockfor has come full circle after spending six years in Seoul, and is now back in her hometown in Montreal, where she crafted her forthcoming debut album ‘Phoenix’, which chronicles her journey between the abusive and adulterous marriage that caused her to escape to Korea and where she is now, over a genre-bending fusion of sonic beds. With a distinctive voice that has brought comparisons to Cyndi Lauper, Macy Gray and Amy Winehouse, Erockfor’s creative outlets also extend beyond music, as she is also revered as a burlesque performer, actress and poet.
Lifted from their forthcoming album, ‘Into The Blue’, slated for release this Friday (29th October) via Aviary Day on Aviary Bridge Records Ltd, laidback lo-fi duo ROCOMOCO‘s single, ‘Grooveshop’ features Denmark-based artist Hoffy Beats who is making himself at home in the sounds of chilled beats. He’s been featured on the Lo-Fi Girl Youtube channel and has earned just under 13 million plays on Spotify alone.
Berlin-based rocomoco have earned over 11 million streams across platforms, with features on vibe-maker Youtube channels such as nourish, Dreamy, Délicieuse Musique, College Music, STEEZYASFUCK, and The Jazz Hop Cafe to boot as well as appearing on Mr Suicide Sheep’s Favourites Spotify playlist. The duo were featured in Last Day Deaf’s Cool Smooth Chill playlist and received written support from the likes of CLASH Magazine, A Closer Listen, Stereofox, and Give It A Spin.
The pair have incorporate a collection of chilled vibes, jazzy guitars and dusty beats with a forward-looking left-leaning edge into their work, calling upon the likes of J Dilla, Nujabes and Jinsang as source of inspiration. In turn, their sound draws parallels to the likes of Potsu, Kruder & Dorfmeister, FKJ and Nightmares on Wax.
Speaking of the single, rocomoco says: “Our single is about when everything falls in place perfectly: Grooveshop serves liquid melodies from places of longing. Think about endless moments in Mediterranean beach bars where the time stands still. Hoffy’s Jazz chords and piano licks have been a good starting point for the atmospheric and chilled beat we ended up with.”
‘Grooveship’ follows previously released singles, ‘Years’ and ‘Warm Flicker’. Check out the accompanied colourful video for the feel-good single below…
New Lease Music 