Tag: The Netherlands

Song of the Day: Damage – DJ GANZ (ft. Beach Season)

GANZ, A.K.A Jordy Saämena is an Amsterdam-based producer/DJ extraordinaire who developed his masterful blend of hip-hop and electronica from a young age. Over time, GANZ’s sound has evolved, seeing him explore new territories and experiment with indie, pop and avant-garde music. His latest releases showcase his time spent playing with a multitude of genres and ambient soundscapes, creating something that is truly unique to GANZ.

In collaboration with Canadian duo Beach Season, comprised of Sam Avant and Simon Blitzer, GANZ unveils ‘Damage’. This latest partnership has involved international cooperation like no other. Bringing the lyrical ingenuity to life, Beach Season’s euphoric vocals pair seamlessly with lavish lofi beats. They explain, “The lyrics for “Damage” were inspired by the notion of mindless self-indulgence, even at the cost of one’s own well-being. The main root of the song centres around catharsis – a release that Sam and Simon felt even as they composed the lyrics. We have all experienced the need to be self-destructive in order to move past trauma or feel emotion.”

Taking inspiration from 90’s hip-hop and R&B elements, GANZ has developed euphonious musical elements like no other, adding a dimensional feel to “Damage”. Offering bulging basslines, echoing melodies and pulsing rhythmic sounds, this single is set to soar in success. With over 200,000 monthly listeners, his synth-focused productions and remixes helped usher in a new era of electronic music. With streaming numbers in the millions, we’re set to see huge things from GANZ and future collaborative opportunities in the coming months…Have a listen to ‘Damage’ below…

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OUT TODAY: Listen To Afrofusion Artist Kay Slice’s Single, Breeze

After closing out his ‘Take A Slice’ series, which has amassed over 160K Spotify streams, Rotterdam rapper, singer and producer KAY SLICE is working on his highly anticipated solo debut album, which is due for release in January 2022. This summer, he begins to tease out the record with its first single titled ‘BREEZE’.

Written by Kay Slice and produced by Slice and his long-time collaborator Bora, who also provides live guitar and bass arrangements, along with Willem T Hart on keys, Peter Somuah on percussion drums and Charmain Charlemagne on backing vocals, ‘Breeze’ is a soulful and infectious rap fusion tribute to this mother, and the people in our lives that have nurtured us and helped us grow, such as our parents and family, with Kay Slice vowing to return the favour. According to the Dutch Ghanaian native, “the people who provided for me mean the world to me”.

Speaking about the inspiration behind ‘Breeze’ and how the track came together, Kay Slice says, “the song came to me during my recent stay in Ghana. It was like Mama Ghana was talking to me. I came up with the melody and bassline, and from there, it was just a matter of perfecting it with Bora and the band. The song is about giving tribute and honour to our providers, to the people that nurtured and helped us become who we are today. It’s also about that urge I and a lot of people around me have to return the favour and provide for the people that provided for us”.

The accompanying music video for ‘Breeze’ speaks directly to this inspiration and desire that Kay Slice expresses. Shot in Aburi Botanical Gardens in Ghana and directed by burgeoning Accra-based cinematographer Edward Pappoe, the visuals for ‘Breeze’ beautifully capture the relationship and connection between a mother and her young son, with the timeless century-old botanical garden providing the perfectly calm, peaceful and vibrant backdrop to bring the track and its message further to life, which Kay Slice describes as “the perfect fit for this song”.

Emerging as an exciting and fast-rising new artist in the Netherlands for his glorious hip-hop and afrobeats fusion, Kay Slice has already performed on the biggest Dutch TV entertainment show De Wereld Draait Door, with the likes of 3VOOR12, VPRO Mundo and Red Bull Netherlands also singing his praises. He is now on a mission to spread his unique blend of hip-hop, soul, Ghanaian groove, afrobeats and highlife across Europe, Africa and the rest of the world. His music speaks to self-love, identity, finding yourself and connecting deeply with ones’ roots, and when it’s all said and done, Kay Slice wants to have left a rich impression on his generation.

Here’s your chance to check out the official video for Kay Slice’s epic tune below…

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Song of the Day: Romcom – Romy Dya (ft. James Francis)

Previous album singles ‘Thank You’ & ‘Unspoken’ have paved the way for Dutch singer, songwriter & producer – ROMY DYA – in the Netherlands and beyond. Now she can reveal her next single – ‘Rom Com’ feat. James Francis – out now on self-owned imprint Uncommon Diamond via The Orchard.

‘Rom Com’ the third offering from her forthcoming, self-produced album ‘I Fucking Love Myself’ [release date TBC]. Speaking of her smooth cut, Romy says: “Rom Com is about knowing that you’re ready for love after a process of self healing, but you’re not going to settle for less. Cause after all you’ve been through, you deserve to be loved by someone who gives you the kind of love you only see in romantic comedies.”

Combining R&B, Soul, Jazz and Pop, Romy has already been working hard behind the scenes, with cuts on records from Ghostface Killah to Martin Garrix. ‘Rom Com’ is the latest installment on Romy’s self-love journey and continues to see her hone in on her production skills.

Check the lyric video for single below…

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Flaws Shares Dreamy Single, ‘It’s Getting Dark’

Rotterdam-based indie-electronic singer-songwriter and producer, Daan Havenith -who goes under the moniker FLAWS – kicks off 2021 with new single, ‘It’s Getting Dark.’

The concept for this single originated when Flaws came across a song by girldontcry on Soundcloud. The track immediately sparked his imagination, influencing Flaws to produce his own perspective by sampling the original vocals while adding his own creative arrangements and personal, relatable verses to it. The humble guitar melodies, the melancholic soundscapes, and the personal, emotive, yet raw-sounding verses all alternate beautifully with the girldontcry sample.

Having released multiple EPs, remixes, and covers on bitbird since his discovery by San Holo a couple of years back, ‘It’s Getting Dark’ is Flaws’ first release on bitbird since his acoustic cover of DROELOE’s ‘I CAN’T WAIT,’ released in the early stages of 2020’s first lockdown.

Have a listen to ‘It’s Getting Dark’, one of Flaws’ most personal, expressive and creative work to date…

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Song of the Day: Confusion – Lady Shaynah

Following on from the release of ‘Over’, LADY SHAYNAH takes the blog’s hotspot for the first time with stunning single, ‘Confusion’ – taken from her forthcoming ‘Chapter 22’ EP.

The stunningly atmospheric piece is an ode to anybody who has gone through a rough breakup and come out the other side still feeling confused and with a lot of unanswered questions.

Speaking on the release, she says “The relationship was quite perfect. Until… he woke up one day, saying he had a vision of his future wife. He said I didn’t have all the characteristics of said ‘future wife’, but ‘we could work on that’. This felt like a slap in my face. What broke my heart, even more, is that when I gave him the choice of taking me the way I am or leaving, within the blink of an eye, he chose to leave. The more I reflected upon the relationship, the more questions I had and thus ‘Confusion’ was born.”

From the age of five, LADY SHAYNAH – real name  Shanice – was taught to play the piano by her Grandmother and later claimed the title of ‘Music Matters Award Ambassador’ in Rotterdam (2014) and went on to play at the North Sea Jazz Festival (2016) before releasing her first LP ‘Dare’ in 2015.

Now a vocal, songwriting and band coach, LADY SHAYNAH teaches at the ‘Babette Labeij Music Academy’ and ZO! Gospel Choir and is set to release her next EP this year.

Have a listen to ‘Confusion’ below:

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