Tag: UK talent

Song of the Day: Repose – Ray Alex (ft. Jayda David)

RAY ALEX‘s first single of the year, which features West London poet Jayda David, goes on a powerful journey of growth and departure from pain, touching on the importance of rest, recovery and time. ‘Repose’ is a multi-seasonal R&B number inspired by Q-Tip and contemporary jazz musicians Alfa Mist and Joe-Armon Jones, merging hip-hop with a psychedelic synth slickness and live drum feel.

‘Repose’ unveils how we invariably grow stronger with rest, recovery and restored self-belief after a painful episode in our life. Jayda David exposes themes of identity, appearance and health with powerful, raw lyrics that leave no space for ego or insincerity. Her lyrics: “I kneel to the weaknesses in me, strength has never felt so good, I guess power is birthed in moments of fragility” magnify one’s self-awareness and flaws in order to shed old skin and come back stronger. This universal theme is referenced again by Jayda David with “this soul knows where it’s going, steady growing, I just flow through time“. It serves as a reminder that we should not let others exercise control or influence over us; we should stick to our instinctive driving force and our individuality, feeling free in our own bodies. The lyric “light for hands I deem worthy, heavy for dark souls who yearn to hurt me” is a powerful encapsulation of this.

Prior to their studio session, Ray Alex felt drawn to Jayda David’s honest, poetic portraits of identity and mental health in the performances that she had showcased on her social media. Ray had finished the instrumental for ‘Repose’ six months prior to their studio session and held off as the lead vocalist, as he felt the music would lend itself better to another artist with a different story to tell.

Ray Alex’s previous EP ‘Good To Me’ released in March 2022 received frequent airplay on Soho Radio and Amazing Radio, to name a few, in a list with Little Simz, Children Of Zeus and more. Remixes of his song ‘Erased’ received airplay on KISS and other stations worldwide. Ray Alex has a string of singles scheduled for release in 2023…so look out for that…but for now, listen to ‘Repose’ below…

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Mr. Jones Drops Boom Bap Love Note ‘You’ Featuring Soul31

On Valentine’s Day, Manchester’s rapper, songwriter and record label owner of Manchester Music Group, MR. JONES has dedicated his new single, ‘You’ to his significant other over a bed of heavenly tones that’s reminiscent of the golden hip-hop era of the late eighties/early nineties. The track features his label mate, Soul 31, who graces the chorus with his velvety smooth vocal performance.

Mr Jones hit the ground running with his debut album, ‘Long Running’ and follow-up project, ‘No Time To Waste’, which collectively received way over a million streams. Quickly becoming known for his witty bars and clever rhymes, this smooth wordsmith is currently working on his third album, coming out later this later.

For now, have a listen to ‘You’ below…

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Holy Coves Release Brand New Video For Single ‘Grey’.

Welsh Alternative Psych Rock band HOLY COVES have released their brand new music video for single ‘Grey’ via their ever growing new YouTube channel. ‘Grey’ is the third in a series of five music videos created by award winning Ukrainian Filmmaker ‘Taras Merenkov’. Merenkov’s hazy cinematic style of direction really emphasises the music and makes a formidable visual. ‘Grey’ is taken from the band’s acclaimed new album ‘Druids and Bards’ which is out now via Welsh label Yr Wyddfa Records.

2022 has been quite a year for Holy Coves. The quartet were championed by Gary Crowley on BBC Radio London, Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music, with BBC Radio Wales support from Huw Stephens and Adam Walton.

Check out the video for ‘Grey’ below…

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Song of the Day: City Lights – DFlexXx

DFLExXx has started 2023 on a chilled vibe with ‘City Lights’, inspired by H.E.R’s hit ‘Slide’. A perfect addition to any summer playlist, the catchy chorus of this smooth RnB joint has been dominating the radio airwaves since its release late last month.

25-year-old Cardiff born Welsh rapper Darnell Ramone Williams (DFlexXx) has a unique, credible and commercial sound that is a blend of Hip Hop and Trap, predominantly rooted in the contemporary UK Rap scene. He developed his performing skills from the young age of six as part of dance troop, Jukebox Juniors, who achieved traction following their feature in a BBC Documentary and went on to appear in children’s TV shows & in films. After studying music at Bridgend College and ACM London, he discovered his natural talent for rapping and songwriting, and so decided to pursue the path of a professional rapper. Subsequently, he has released three other singles and promises a bright future in the music industry.

Well it’s time to check out DflexXx’s ‘City Lights’ below…

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Liv East Releases Genre-Hopping Single, ‘So Badly’

Released on EMK through Kartel Music Group, LIV EAST’s latest single ‘So Badly’, is a kaleidoscopic concoction of dance, alt pop, R&B and neo soul, which captures the vibrancy and diversity of her East London roots.

‘So Badly’ is Liv’s second solo release, and the first of many works with South London producer Lokes LDN. The track also features some of London’s best jazz musicians – Benedict Quinn on guitar and Callum Connell (Secret Night Gang) on Saxophone.

“So Badly was born out of a time when I knew I had met someone of importance but the timing just wasn’t right”, explains Liv, “I had to remind myself of the mantra ‘nothing real can truly be threatened’ and step back with grace. I felt parallels with many other situations in my life. We had just come out of a pandemic where we were all forced to surrender to redirection and hold our hands up to the universe. No matter how badly we want something, it won’t always (or rarely ever) pan out the way we want it to. So Badly, for me, is about the art of surrender but still keeping faith”.

For singer songwriter Liv East, allowing life to follow its natural flow is vital. It’s about bending and swerving with the punches and trusting the path that you’re on, confident that in the end, everything turns out exactly as it was supposed to.

Liv’s musical career started off in 2019, working alongside Hackney’s grassroots label Root 73 (also home to the Silhouettes project) with a collaborative hip -hop / neo-soul EP. Then later on that year came the soulful dance track ‘You’re My’ on Defected’s well known disco label Glitterbox – a balmy, summer day anthem that’s just soared past an impressive four million streams. Fast forward to the present day, where it continues to receive support from house music Dons such as Moodymann & Jayda G.

And then there’s ‘I Miss Having Someone To Talk To’ (2020), another dollop of buoyant grooves that’s elevated by Liv’s distinctly fluid delivery. Produced with Folamour and released on his FHUO label, the track currently sits at over seven million streams.

Since life has started to open back up again post pandemic, Liv released her first solo track ‘Kitchen’ which landed heavy support from BBC introducing. Followed by another epic dance collaboration ‘I Need You’ with hugely successful producer duo KOLIDESCOPES via Defected’s latest imprint, The Remedy Project.

Have a listen to Liv’s ‘So Badly’ below…

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