With the heavy, grime-esque bass running riot from the start of Manchester’s hip-hop collective ILLERSTATE‘s new banger, ‘Mirroring’, it’s hard not the take notice. The rampant bass is immediately topped off by the raw, razor sharp flow, which makes it so satisfyingly good.
Illerstate’s distinctive mixture of aggressive melodies, heavy bass and metal guitar has hailed them as legends in the Manchester’s hip-hop scene. They’ve also gained a solid fan base throughout the UK, receiving support from notable music makers such as DJ Semtex.
‘Mirroring’ was released yesterday (8th September) via Mr. Jone’s label, Manchester Music Group. Mr. Jones was previous featured on the blog with tracks, ‘You’, ‘Brand New’ and more recently, ‘Laid-back.’
R &B Star CHERYLL and Afro-fusion princess REBECCA WINTER have teamed up, claiming the blog’s Song of the Day top spot with latest single, ‘Come Thru’.
Produced by Dwante Navire, this summer bop will transport you back to the 90s with its titillating R&B soulful vibes, directed at a love interest who is more than keen to make a move, but they’re dragging their feet to Come Thru – and through their lyrics, the girls makes it very clear they’re not wasting any time.
With every potential to be a summer hit, ‘Come Thru’ adds to the strength of both artists’ burgeoning music journey: A MOBO unsung semi-finalist, Cheryll’s impressive contribution to the London music scene has been recognised by Robin Thicke , where as Rebecca Winter has opened for the likes of Tiwa Savage, Burna Boy.
Largely known for solely utilising their spine tingling harmonies, which captivated listeners of all walks of life from across the globe, UK’s very own A cappella quartet VADÉ (pronounced vah-day), have taken a fruitful route with their latest single, ‘Mango’, out now across various music platforms.
2023 sees the guys venturing out and experimenting with various genres and they certainly push their creative boundaries to new grounds with ‘Mango’, by incorporating a summer-charged instrumental – a vibrant fusion of Afrobeats and R&B – to complement their infamous harmonies.
They said of their latest offering, which was featured on BBC Radio London and BBC Radio Berkshire: “We wanted a song that represented who we are as well as something that captured fundamental parts of our lives, so we came up with Mango, combining the exotic fruit with culture and how the sweetness of it relates to the fondness of a partner.”
The lyrics capture in simplicity some of the things the guys love about their partners: “You’re not the fighting type/baby you’re sweet and fine/ you got my back when i need it/ you be my ride or die!” Similarly, the single also describes how they liken this love to the sweetness of some of the foods and drink synonymous with their Afro-Caribbean culture, “You’re sweeter than Fanta oh, plantain and pineapple!”
Vadé was formed by Philip Yeboah and JJ Hammersley in the summer of 2013 and was later joined by Jermaine Sanderson and Roy Crisp. Their aim is to encourage listeners to reimagine today’s hits and timeless classics through a cappella by collaborating with other artists and together. Their mission paid off as Vadé have quickly captured the attention of music lovers all around the world. Since late 2021, they have accumulated over 16M views of their musical arrangements across their social media channels and have engaged with their fans through duets on TikTok.The evolution of Vadé’s sound progressed in the summer of 2022 while collaborating with Erik “Blu2th” Griggs, a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and multi-platinum producer for Dr. Dre and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men. The result was their first festive single, ‘Christmas Wish’ was released in November 2022.Vadé continues to explore new music styles through their debut EP later this year…until then, the guys gives an exotic taste from their forthcoming collection with ‘Mango’, out now across all music download and streaming sites.
Much of ‘Radio Red’, the first full length album LAURA GROVES has released under her own name, was written, produced and recorded by Groves in her studio, watched over by two radio transmitting towers. “I became very drawn to them and they became like symbols to me; they were always awake, sending their messages, the red lights always came on at night and watched over whatever was going on in my life.” The album deals with themes of communication – missed and intercepted signals, chance meetings, synchronicities, the channels through which we try to express our true feelings, the outside interference that can get in the way and the joy of letting go and allowing the messages to flow freely.
Working its way through years of Laura’s life as an artist – early experiences of releasing music, live performance, touring, build up and breakdown, the record was a way to tune in to the many, often conflicting signals of fragmented memories. “I’ve always been very sensitive and open to what’s happening around me, and also struggle with the sheer amount of noise sometimes. There was a radio tower on the hill opposite the house where I grew up – I would look out at the network of streetlights winding up towards it and it all had a sort of mystery to me. It was a kind of escapism and a comfort, with an undertone of melancholy that was hard to put into words. I think that glow, that strange feeling, is what I’m always searching for and exploring through making music and artwork.”
This is the wavelength Laura is tuning into and trying to pin down in ‘Sky at Night’ and the ‘faraway feeling’ that she talks about being consumed by in the hymn to miscommunication and determination ‘Any Day Now’. This faraway feeling makes itself known as the need to open up and show emotion in the chord voicing of ‘Synchronicity’, true friendship, togetherness and isolation in our online world in ‘Sarah’ and the heartbreak that can come with the breakdown of communication in electric piano love song ‘I’m Not Crying’. The ‘Silver Lining’ of the final track, which returns to Laura’s early love for fingerpicked guitar, leads us back to the power of the redemptive love that always seems to show up just when everything seems lost.
A singer all her life, Groves has spent over a decade developing a practice as an autonomous multi-instrumentalist and recording artist as well as a collaborator (Ragz Orginale, Darkstar, Sampha, Jamie Leeming), releasing EPs on DEEK Recordings and the 2020 EP ‘A Private Road’ on Bella Union. Much of the creation of Radio Red was solitary, but a small group of people helped bring it to fruition. A meeting with mix engineer TJ Allen (Portishead, Adrien Utley) through her work in Bat for Lashes’ live band led to an important creative relationship. “Working with Tim provided me with a safe and nurturing studio environment in which to finish the record. It also means a lot to have Sampha’s voice on ‘D 4 N’ and “Good Intention”, because we first met near the beginning of this journey and so much has happened since then – singing together again feels like coming full circle in the most positive way and a reminder that there are constants running through it all.”
‘Radio Red’was released 11th August. Have a listen below…
Must Listens: Sky At Night, Good Intention, D 4 N, Any Day Now,
Exacting their focus on 2023, rising Leeds collective GOTTS STREET PARK unveil their sultry new single ‘Mountains’. The track is the latest from their forthcoming debut album, ‘On The Inside’, releasing 13th October 2023 via label-home, Blue Flowers.
Close behind recent singles ‘Got To Be Good’ ft. Pip Millett and ‘Fuego’, new offering ‘Mountains’ sees Gotts Street Park deliver a remarkable rap-soul reckoning with ‘Peng Black Girls’ hitmaker, ENNY. A union from its early notes that submerges listeners into another cinematic Gotts Street Park experience.
Replete with their seamless grooves of reel-to-reel keys, guitars and snares, ‘Mountains’ doubles down on the rising trio’s mesmerising, moving and marvelously inventive sound. A sound that demands to be shared, while marking a milestone in the evolution of one of the UK’s most spellbinding collectives.
Debut album ‘On The Inside’ is a 12-track window into Gotts Street Park’s world. It’s a world that has been expanding since the group was formed in Leeds by Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar). What began as an outlet for their shared love for sixties Motown, soon became a jewel in the Yorkshire scene’s creative crown, with over 65 million Spotify streams to their name and some of hip-hop and pop’s most exciting emerging voices requesting collaborations: Celeste, Kali Uchis, Yellow Days and Rachel Chinouriri are just a few of the acts the band have individually written/produced for. In 2021, the trio dropped Diego, a cinematic EP inspired by The Godfather and the works of Japanese auteur Yasujirō Ozu. After building legions of fans with velvety singles like Everything feat. Devon-born singer Rosie Lowe and Favourite Kind of Girl feat. Swedish talent Flikka, it was a cinematic curve-ball that underlined their impossible-to-pin-down energy.
Diego bolstered Gotts Street Park’s reputation as analogue-inspired visionaries carving something new from something old, with Loud and Quiet, BBC 6 Music, Clash and The Line of Best Fit among the outlets singing their praises.
Check out the suitably moody black and white video for ‘Mountains’ below, directed by Harvey Pearson.
New Lease Music 