Introducing Sydney-based artist Elmo Aoyama and her debut single ‘Summertime’.
Listen here.
Out now on the ‘Stay Inside: Songs from the Great Indoors’ compilation and set to appear on Elmo’s debut EP, Spells (out later this year on Dinosaur City Records), ‘Summertime’ was recorded by Aoyama at her home studio in the Blue Mountains of NSW, and mixed and mastered by Snowy (The Ocean Party/Snowy Band).
While Aoyama is best-known as synth-player, bassist and singer in much-loved Sydney band Big White who have released two highly acclaimed albums and one EP on Spunk Records/Caroline and Burger Records (USA), ‘Summertime’ is the first taste of her new namesake synth-pop project.
Taking inspiration musically from the likes of The Knife, Dirty Three, Yann Tiersen, YMO, Miharu Koshi and Yosui Inoue, Elmo says “‘Summertime’ is the longing one gets after a short glimpse of the other side. It’s the bittersweet taste of paradise nestled beyond diplomatic confusion.“
“It was the beginning of Spring and the end of a tour. The water was warm, the surf was flat, it felt easy to swim one or two kilometres out into the ocean. Gazing to the north you could see faint shapes of a land in the distance. That land was Turkey. The shore behind was Lapithos, Cyprus. I swam back and got on a bus with some of my closest friends. Summertime was written in my head on that bus.” Elmo continues.
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Keep up to date with Dinosaur City Records via our website, Instagram and Facebook.
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The Spanish DJ and producer’s track is part of Drumcode’s new compilation, “A-Sides Vol.9”, available from 27th of April.
There are several labels in the world but not so many that have Drumcode’s relevance, significance and influence. Adam Beyer‘s platform is one of the world’s leading techno catalysts. Its annual compilation “Drumcode A-Sides” has become very popular in the scene. Every year artists from all over the world capture the attention of Beyer and Drumcode thanks to their talent, work and original approach to the genre. The last to achieve this has been the Spanish DJ and producer Oscar L.
The name of the artist from Madrid is not a novelty within the international electronic music circuit. Oscar L, throughout his consolidated career, has signed releases on Suara, Toolroom, 1605, Stereo, Knee Deep In Sound and Truesoul where he has released three EPs in less than two years. Now the time has come for Oscar to add a new milestone to his career by becoming one of the few Spanish artists who have released on Adam Beyer’s label.
A mix of techno and groove, this is how Oscar L defines his track “Dark Fate”. The source of inspiration for this creation was the original soundtrack of the movie “Terminator“, hence the title of the track itself. The objective of Oscar L with this track is to provide DJs with an infallible weapon. A track that regardless of particular contexts and circumstances can transfer the public to techno terrain in a completely subtle, cunning and determined way.
In addition to Oscar L, Joyhauser, Dubfire, Christian Smith, Thomas Shumacher & Victor Ruiz, Eats Everything, Balthazar & JackRock, Reset Robot, Thomas Hoffknecht, Oscar L, Anfisa Letyago, Harvey McJay, Loco & Jam and Juliet Fox participate in the compilation. “Drumcode A-Sides Vol.9” will be available via Drumcode from April 27th.
1. Joyhauser – Fierceness
2. Dubfire – Deadbug
3. Christian Smith – Just Close Your Eyes
4. Thomas Schumacher & Victor Ruiz – Intuit
5. Balthazar & JackRock – Red Village Disco Hustle
6. Reset Robot – Grains
7. Thomas Hoffknecht – Code 1
8. Anfisa Letyago – Are U In
9. Eats Everything – Organico
10. Oscar L – Dark Fate
11. Harvey McKay – Find Yourself
12. Loco & Jam – Addicted
13. Juliet Fox – Our Fantasy
Parallells duo launch their A Day In series with a fantastic first film from Essaouira in Morocco, during Moga Festival
A DAY IN ESSAOUIRA
WATCH THE FULL EPIZODE HERE – https://vimeo.com/412308564
The Parallells duo are proud to launch their A Day In series with a fantastic first film from Essaouira in Morocco, during Moga Festival. The film features a new and exclusive track “A Day In Essaouira” which will be available for purchase on Bandcamp and profits will go to the Associations Yerma Gnaoua and Issaouas in order to help Moroccan traditional musicians and their families to overcome the CV19 crisis.
Julien and Thomas de Bie, former students of the Academy of Music, grew up influenced by jazz and classical music and are now underground electronic stalwarts who are based in Amsterdam. They perform at major festivals such around the globe, manage Klassified Records and the Klassified Music Festival and have just opened “The House of Klassified” in Amsterdam; a creative hub for their artists combining: studios, recording facilities, an art gallery and co-working spaces.
With this ambitious new project, Parallells have taken their musical venture even further by discovering different cultures, tribes and their specific sounds. This episode is the first one of the video series “A Day In” where Parallells translate, through field recordings, a specific culture, city or country. It is said that “Music is the universal language” and Parallells aims to show how it connects people as well as showing the world’s beauty and use music as a force for change. This video was filmed by friend Arnaud Moro who does a remarkable job of capturing the process through his lens.
This last October, Parallells, Maalem Omar Hayat and his crotales players performed a unique show combining Gnawa music infused with electronic music. It came about as an initiative from Moga Festival called Moga Creation. Creating bridges between tradition and modernity, perpetuating the heritage of Essaouira, a city of mixed cultures, highlighting local creativity and hospitality, this project is what Moga Creation aims for.
Parallells rehearsed in the middle of Essaouira’s Medina, in a sacred place where the synergies were shivering when electronic music met traditional Gnawa’s rhythm and culture. After 3 days together, they played this memorable live at Moga Festival, a performance forever engraved in many people’s hearts.
Gnawa culture is a centuries-old Moroccan practice rooted in African rituals, Sufi traditions and music played with the guenbri, a type of lute with three strings, and steel castanets called krakebs or crotales. Gnawa refers to a “set of musical productions, fraternal practices and therapeutic rituals where the secular mixes with the sacred”
Essaouira is an exceptional example of a late-18th-century fortified town, built according to the principles of contemporary European military architecture in a North African context. Since its foundation, it has been a major international trading seaport, linking Morocco and its Saharan hinterland with Europe and the rest of the world.
Maalam Omar Hayat is delighted with this collaboration with Julien and Thomas, because it perfectly reflects the cultural exchange between Gnaoua music and electronic music. It was a truly unique experience with, as a highlight, this superb live performed at Moga festival, which perfectly symbolizes this alliance. “Moga création”. It is the DNA of Moga festival and a great opportunity to represent these different worlds in the hope of future collaboration, because it was really magic.
This is a fantastic way to launch this new video series which will breakdown borders between music, culture and people all over the world. Watch out for the second episode which finds the pair immersing themselves in the Huichol culture in the Mexican mountains later this year.
The Spanish producer and BeatFreak label owner collaboratively sign what is the first release for them both on Paul Thomas and Aly & Fila’s platform.
Anjunadeep, Glasgow Underground, Armada Electronic Elements, ZEHN Records, Einmusika, BeatFreak, Renaissance and now UV. Spanish producer GRAZZE continues adding important names to the list of labels that have released his work over the last few months.
The British DJ Paul Thomas and the Egyptian duo Aly & Fila are behind the label Future Sound of Egypt, and therefore behind UV, a digital sublabel that since its creation in 2017 has become an influential international platform. Its latest release is the EP “Howth“, a creation that GRAZZE and D-Formation, the owner of the label BeatFreak, have made together.
The EP consists of two original songs that the label has described as authentic house bombs. On one hand “Howth“, a track that freely explores the most melodic side of house music, giving us an enveloping and dreamy piece especially thanks to the subtle and intermittent layer of Chinese spheres. And on the other hand, “Bhai”, a track that moves in the same creative line adding suggestive and attractive vocals.
“Howth” is now available on all digital platforms: https://fsoe.lnk.to/howthep
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Introducing V.I.P.P (Volunteers in Policing Program) and new single ‘Letters’.
Originally a recording project of Ewan Finley (Sex Tourists, Aloha Units), V.I.P.P has evolved into a four-piece band, featuring members from Bed Wettin’ Bad Boys, Romance, The Baby and Witness K.
Described as “savagely heartfelt and weirdly dry” and “downer R. Stevie Moore…with a doomsday prepping, pots ’n’ pans percussion aesthetic”, V.I.P.P write and perform downer pop/anti-folk that elicits feelings of hopelessness and hopefulness at the same time.
New track ‘Letters’ is out now on ‘Stay Inside: Songs from the Great Indoors’.
Listen to letters here.
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Where are you currently based?
I am based between Barcelona, London, Newcastle, Andorra & Ibiza.
How did you first start playing music/producing?
First DJed (as a cheesy pub DJ with pop music and a microphone) from 1997, then started DJing house music from 1999/2000. I started in 2003 in a production duo. Then started releasing and producing on my own since 2006/7. Then the rest is history really. Evolved ever since.
How has your Lockdown experience been so far?
Frustrating & annoying. Lots of changes in my personal life, not the same amount of time to make music as I have a small daughter so she requires more time with no schools or nanny’s an option. Love spending time with her, she is the world but I also like to lose myself in my music as it helps to relax me. I also can’t wait to get back to DJing.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
I have actually been revisiting albums from the likes of Fatboy Slim, UNKLE, The Who, Fleetwood Mac and others. Plus I listen to new music daily via my labels 33 Music & 1980 Recordings.
Please describe your production process:
Sit down. Open Logic. Open a starting template I have set up. Get a beat going. Maybe use a sample to get inspiration (I don’t always end with that sample in it). Then add a bassline. And a synth line. Maybe add vocals. Then arrange. Send it off for mastering. Plus always keep hydrated while I work.
What programs/equipment do you use?
Logic X. UAD Apollo Twin. Waves Plugins. Fab Filter Plugins and many other plugins & softsynths. Access Virus TI Snow.
How are you staying creative during lockdown? Any tips for other artists to assist with stay inspired and creative?
Well if you look at my answer above, the creative side has taken a knock with not having enough time. For me I usually finish a track a week that is release ready but I have finished one track over the last 6 weeks. Frustrating.
My advice would be if you don’t have the distraction of children make as much music as you can. Don’t rush the finished production. And don’t rush to sign them, they are only old to you at the end of the day. The other day I sent an email to a person who sent me some demos. This was the 5th or 6th email in about 2 weeks of new music. Some of them had good ideas but some of them needed to be finished. Take your time and make that one demo/release ready track a week sound the best it can rather than dilute and make 7 ok/average tracks.
How are you coping mentally during lockdown?
Not going to lie, it’s been tough. Trying to remain positive. I am quite a strong positive person in general, yes I like to be grumpy just like any other Englishman ha but in general I try to stay positive. Not like a happy smiley positive in your face but try to see the positives in situations for the better. Being locked in the house with a child and partner and no escape is hard for a social person who is a DJ.
What advice would you give for others to help with the mental strain caused during this period?
Talk to people, talk to your parents, talk talk talk. It really is good to talk and get stuff off your chest. Talk. Don’t keep it all to yourself. That never turns out good.
Your EP ‘Dance’ is out on 8th May, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this EP?
The influence was the vocals. I worked on another track with King Hitz & Paul Browne (the lyric writer), called Cake which was signed to EDX’s label Pinkstar Black. Paul said he had this accapella, so he sent it to me. I loved it. I wanted to do something cool with it but not ’too commercial’. I think I have made it have that accessible radio vibe but still making it cool and underground.
Where and when did you record/produce it?
I produced this one in Barcelona in January 2019. I then sat on it, revisited and had it finished in Feb 2019. I did the usual send to larger independant labels then decided to get a good set of remixes and release myself as the offers I had for it from labels were shocking.
What did you find most challenging and rewarding during the creation of ‘Dance’?
Nothing really challenging. I just wanted to not over do it and make it cheesy. Keep it with that underground vibe. Which I did. So I guess that was rewarding.
You have a proposed stream set to run on 1st May with artists across your own labels 1980 Recordings and 33 Music running over 14 hours, how did this concept come about and what can we expect?
I saw the likes of Beatport & Defected doing this and they seemed great and what better oppitunity to raise money for charity and showcase the talent I have been working with over the years on both labels. You will have a plethora of genres from funk, disco, soul to house, deep, & tech to techno. It really does have it all.
What’s planned for 2020?
More releases across both labels, some rather large ones on 33 Music. More live streams, I have a taste for it now. I currently do one every Friday around 15.00h (GMT)/16.00h (CEST) and let me followers on IG (@danmckiedj) vote for which genre they want to hear. Then use mine & my labels catalogues to make the mixes live. We Are Live.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
I have a bar in Barcelona which is my favourite to go sink a few caña with mates but I don’t want to name it as it might get ruined ha. My favourite food is for sure Curry.
Dan McKie’s ‘Dance’ is out on 8th May and is available via Beatport
Today, Melbourne based anomalistic collective DREGG release TU TRACK, a two-song single featuring “FREAKING OUT” and “FEELING FINE.”
“‘TU TRACK’ is a two-part story that places you in the negative and positive thoughts of the philosophical, over thinking psyche,” says DREGG. “Both songs, ‘FREAKING OUT’ & ‘FEELING FINE’ address morality, nihilism, religion, death and the little to no knowledge we have about what being alive really means.”
The band will release a super limited run of 100 cassettes worldwide of TU TRACK that are available for purchase HERE
CHECK OUT “FREAKING OUT” AND “FEELING FINE” NOW
DREGG make powerfully energetic music, driven by themes of fierce individualism, with a sound that hungrily consumes metal, hardcore, and rap, only to heave it back up in a colourful rainbow of bombastic brutality and iconoclastic absurdity, lovingly fed to the audience like mother birds. The thought provoking five-piece, known for tongue-in-cheek take on the current state of the world, continues to push the boundaries of hardcore with their recent single “Hectic.” A song that explores the current state of the music scene, criticisms the band has received, and their journey of signing with Epitaph.
DREGG is Christopher Mackertich (vocals), Jordan McQuitty (guitar), Sam Yates (guitar), Aiden Zovic (bass), and Horhay Delalopez (drums).
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“Rising star DVNA continues her winning streak with ‘Half Past Sober’”
– Emma Jones, Purple Sneakers
“…seriously worth keeping an eye on…”
– Pilerats
“a truly fucking mindblowing song”
– Nic Kelly, Project U
Following the immense success of the single release, DVNA (pron. da-na) returns today with the deeply emotive music video for ‘Half Past Sober.’
Directed by Alex Greaves, the music video premiered via triple j Unearthed and heartbreakingly juxtaposes the bliss of new love with the hurt that follows when it ends. Explaining her vision for the video, DVNA said that she wanted it “to be real and super raw. We shot on a combination of film and camcorder to establish the narrative in the purest, most personal form and kept the wardrobe very minimal.” As a result, the video feels like an intimate snapshot into a relationship gone wrong: the highs, the lows and the crushing emptiness of losing love.
However, shooting parts of the music video at an electrical field in Melbourne wasn’t all smooth sailing. As DVNA explained, “my manager – bless his soul – drove us out to the electrical field in his little Mazda2, but the road to get there was FULL of water-filled potholes and slimy mud with no way of getting around it. We had to drive through it all and the poor car was beaten, battered and bruised.” Despite these trials and tribulations, however, they got the shot.
Telling a true story of heartache and betrayal, ‘Half Past Sober’ hit home with fans and tastemakers alike after its premiere with triple j’s Home and Hosed. Amassing 20k streams, a slot on Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ and ‘Just Chill’ playlists as well as Apple Music’s ‘Rising R&B’, Half Past Sober has also received praise from Purple Sneakers, AAA Backstage and NME among others. With a few other surprises to come in the next few weeks and more music on the way for DVNA, this Gold Coast artist is on the up and up.
Watch the new music video for ‘Half Past Sober’ – OUT NOW.
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![PRAISE FOR RICH BRIAN The Sailor triple j Feature Album “The best music of his young career” Pitchfork “At just 19, Brian is dropping thoughtful, lyrically dense rhymes.” UPROXX “The 88rising mainstay's sophomore effort effectively solidifies his position in the world of hip-hop, building up his character as a force to be reckoned with.” Hypebeast “[Brian's] biggest artistic leap yet” Highsnobiety “An important step forward" Complex Quarantined in his Los Angeles house due to the pandemic, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer Rich Brian decided to get creative in the ideation of his latest music video for 'Bali' featuring Guapdad 4000 by helping his friends and neighbors. Using a drone, Rich Brian shares various gifts to people in his community that can be attached and dropped off. He specifically targeted individuals and small businesses who have been forgotten about in mainstream media but have been impacted directly from the quarantine. This includes 125 meals for the LA County Hospital, truck lease late payments for a local food truck, a sizable donation toward Asian Americans for Housing, meals for AAH (elderly persons), face masks and so much more. He also dropped off fun packages to friends such as Cuco, NIKI, Cody Ko, Noel Miller, Buddy, Thundercat, and Kenny Beats. ABOUT RICH BRIAN: The first Asian musical artist to reach #1 on iTunes’ Hip Hop charts, Indonesian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Brian Imanuel Soewarno, better known as Rich Brian, has blazed into the forefront of a movement that’s diversifying and transforming hip-hop culture. One of the leading figures of Asian rap, with more than 3.2 million followers on Instagram alone, Brian continues to earn broad audiences and critical kudos. Billboard called him a “rap wunderkind”, the L.A. Times praised him as “a phenom... a gifted MC and producer [with an] introspective, authoritative voice", and Rolling Stone tagged him on its '25 Under 25' list. The 20-year-old, whose singles regularly feature guest artists like Ghostface Killah, 21 Savage and Offset, performs to sold-out shows across North America, Europe and Asia, and festivals including Bonnaroo and Rolling Loud (he’s slated to perform next at the postponed Coachella). On April 10 his music label 88rising releases his newest single, 'Bali', a rap track infused with melodic threads and wisps of reggae, which uses the popular Indonesian island paradise as a metaphor for his life. In the pipeline to drop later this year is a yet-titled concept album spotlighting Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley and its influential Asian community. Brian pushed his musical style to a new level – while revealing his personal immigration story and rise to stardom – on his second album, The Sailor, released in July 2019. Featuring guest appearances from RZA and Joji, and co-written with Bekon and the Donuts, it’s crossed over 400 million streams since its release. The Huffington Post wrote that its tracks “evidence a more sophisticated, evolved artist compared to the earlier work that propelled him to his prominent place in the Asian hip-hop movement.” Its first single, 'Yellow', mixes hard-punch rap with beautifully structured harmonies; his second, 'Kids', the product of an inspired night-to-dawn writing and recording session, paints Brian as a role model and provocateur with lyrics like “Tell these Asian kids they could do what they want / Might steal the mic at the Grammys just to say we won / That everyone can make it, don’t matter where you from.” Brian experienced a modest upbringing as the youngest of four siblings raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Of Chinese lineage – his father a lawyer, his mother a café owner – he worked at his family’s business while being homeschooled. At 11 years old, he discovered Twitter and YouTube and began creating content, including dark comedy sketches inspired by the likes of American filmmaker Freddie Wong, leaning toward a career in cinematography. He began listening to hip-hop music when an internet friend introduced him to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, going on to discover Drake, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Logic, and Childish Gambino. He taught himself English by listening to rap and watching YouTube videos and comedy movies, beguiled by “multi-layered” American humor. He posted daily videos on Vine and wrote his first rap song, recording it on an iPhone over an instrumental by British rapper MF Doom. In July 2015, Brian posted 'Living the Dream' on YouTube as a tongue-in-cheek intro. His breakthrough came in early 2016 with his debut single, 'Dat $tick', which quickly went viral, especially after a reaction video was released by music label 88rising featuring prominent rap artists. It peaked at #4 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and was certified gold by RIAA. The original music video has racked up over 145 million views to date. A remix of 'Dat $tick' was later made featuring rappers Ghostface Killah and Pouya. A string of singles came in its wake: 'Who That Be' (produced by Sihk), 'Seventeen' (quickly surpassing a million hits on YouTube and SoundCloud) and 'Back at It'. Having performed in Jakarta, Taiwan, and China, in April 2017 he embarked on his first U.S. tour, moved to America, and released 'Gospel' with XXXTentacion and Keith Ape, which garnered over 38 million views on YouTube. Winning Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2017 Indonesian Choice Awards, he released 'Glow Like Dat' in August through 88rising’s YouTube channel, following up with the singles 'Chaos' and 'Crisis' featuring 21 Savage. By now distinguished by his resonant baritone vocals, catchy hooks, and lyrics which mixed universal rap themes with his personal experiences and those of the Asian community. In January 2018, he changed his name to Rich Brian following the release of his revelatory single 'See Me'. The following month came his much-awaited debut studio album, Amen, a grateful paean to his new American life with guest appearances from Offset, Joji, NIKI, and August 08, earning widespread critical acclaim and rising to #18 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Other recent work includes the 88rising compilation album Head in the Clouds. Harking back to his early youth through cooking Indonesian food on YouTube based on his mom’s recipes, Brian isn’t afraid to show different sides to his fans, many of whom rarely listen to rap by other artists. Musically, he says, “I’m always trying to bring something new to the table. I love metaphors, poetry, melodic material. I’m always looking for ways to tell my story, to make it personal". Proud of being an Asian artist, still a commodity in short supply, Brian is blazing a path for himself and innumerable others. Watch the 'Bali' music video here, out now via 88rising/12Tone Music. Stay connected with Rich Brian: Facebook | Instagram | Soundcloud | Twitter | YouTube](https://controls.islaoceana.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RICH-BRIAN-RELEASES-NEW-1170x658.jpg "RICH BRIAN RELEASES NEW")
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ABOUT RICH BRIAN:
The first Asian musical artist to reach #1 on iTunes’ Hip Hop charts, Indonesian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer, Brian Imanuel Soewarno, better known as Rich Brian, has blazed into the forefront of a movement that’s diversifying and transforming hip-hop culture. One of the leading figures of Asian rap, with more than 3.2 million followers on Instagram alone, Brian continues to earn broad audiences and critical kudos. Billboard called him a “rap wunderkind”, the L.A. Times praised him as “a phenom… a gifted MC and producer [with an] introspective, authoritative voice”, and Rolling Stone tagged him on its ‘25 Under 25‘ list.
The 20-year-old, whose singles regularly feature guest artists like Ghostface Killah, 21 Savage and Offset, performs to sold-out shows across North America, Europe and Asia, and festivals including Bonnaroo and Rolling Loud (he’s slated to perform next at the postponed Coachella). On April 10 his music label 88rising releases his newest single, ‘Bali‘, a rap track infused with melodic threads and wisps of reggae, which uses the popular Indonesian island paradise as a metaphor for his life. In the pipeline to drop later this year is a yet-titled concept album spotlighting Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley and its influential Asian community.
Brian pushed his musical style to a new level – while revealing his personal immigration story and rise to stardom – on his second album, The Sailor, released in July 2019. Featuring guest appearances from RZA and Joji, and co-written with Bekon and the Donuts, it’s crossed over 400 million streams since its release. The Huffington Post wrote that its tracks “evidence a more sophisticated, evolved artist compared to the earlier work that propelled him to his prominent place in the Asian hip-hop movement.” Its first single, ‘Yellow‘, mixes hard-punch rap with beautifully structured harmonies; his second, ‘Kids‘, the product of an inspired night-to-dawn writing and recording session, paints Brian as a role model and provocateur with lyrics like “Tell these Asian kids they could do what they want / Might steal the mic at the Grammys just to say we won / That everyone can make it, don’t matter where you from.”
Brian experienced a modest upbringing as the youngest of four siblings raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Of Chinese lineage – his father a lawyer, his mother a café owner – he worked at his family’s business while being homeschooled. At 11 years old, he discovered Twitter and YouTube and began creating content, including dark comedy sketches inspired by the likes of American filmmaker Freddie Wong, leaning toward a career in cinematography.
He began listening to hip-hop music when an internet friend introduced him to Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, going on to discover Drake, 2 Chainz, Kanye West, Logic, and Childish Gambino. He taught himself English by listening to rap and watching YouTube videos and comedy movies, beguiled by “multi-layered” American humor. He posted daily videos on Vine and wrote his first rap song, recording it on an iPhone over an instrumental by British rapper MF Doom.
In July 2015, Brian posted ‘Living the Dream‘ on YouTube as a tongue-in-cheek intro. His breakthrough came in early 2016 with his debut single, ‘Dat $tick‘, which quickly went viral, especially after a reaction video was released by music label 88rising featuring prominent rap artists. It peaked at #4 on the Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and was certified gold by RIAA. The original music video has racked up over 145 million views to date. A remix of ‘Dat $tick‘ was later made featuring rappers Ghostface Killah and Pouya.
A string of singles came in its wake: ‘Who That Be‘ (produced by Sihk), ‘Seventeen‘ (quickly
By now distinguished by his resonant baritone vocals, catchy hooks, and lyrics which mixed universal rap themes with his personal experiences and those of the Asian community. In January 2018, he changed his name to Rich Brian following the release of his revelatory single ‘See Me‘. The following month came his much-awaited debut studio album, Amen, a grateful paean to his new American life with guest appearances from Offset, Joji, NIKI, and August 08, earning widespread critical acclaim and rising to #18 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Other recent work includes the 88rising compilation album Head in the Clouds.
Harking back to his early youth through cooking Indonesian food on YouTube based on his mom’s recipes, Brian isn’t afraid to show different sides to his fans, many of whom rarely listen to rap by other artists. Musically, he says, “I’m always trying to bring something new to the table. I love metaphors, poetry, melodic material. I’m always looking for ways to tell my story, to make it personal”. Proud of being an Asian artist, still a commodity in short supply, Brian is blazing a path for himself and innumerable others.
Watch the ‘Bali‘ music video here,
out now via 88rising/12Tone Music.
Stay connected with Rich Brian:
Facebook | Instagram | Soundcl
It is with great excitement that 100s + 1000s announce Melbourne-based artist D’Arcy Spiller’s debut EP Little Demons will be released on Friday 12 June. To mark the occasion, D’Arcy has shared her new single ‘Deep Black Sea’, the third taste of the forthcoming EP and the spellbinding follow up to her debut singles ‘Cry All Night’ and ‘Wildfire’.
Recorded in one take with Chris Collins (Middle Kids, Skegss, Ruby Fields) while in LA, ‘Deep Black Sea’ tempestuously describes the dilemma of wanting something intensely but knowing that it could ruin everything, like “fire to the gasoline”. “So you keep it to yourself, but the longer you do that, the more insidious it becomes,” Spiller explains.
Featuring a driving bassline, reverb drenched guitar and D’Arcy’s smoky vocals that build to a choir-like climax, ‘Deep Black Sea’ is a dark and addictive offering that leaves you desperate for more – a song that embraces D’Arcy’s witchy tendencies with open arms.
D’Arcy’s debut EP Little Demons is a collection of five songs that will transport you to some achingly familiar places. The sometimes tender, sometimes driving compositions deal with hedonism and hurt, built around a voice that is instantly unique, all her own, equal parts robust yet delicate. Lyrically, Little Demons has proved to be a personal exorcism. Along with Chris Collins, D’Arcy worked with producers JP Fung (Client Liaison, Silverchair), John Lee (Totally Mild, Beaches) and Xavier Dunn (Jack River, CXLOE, Nina Las Vegas) to create five tracks as revealing as tarot cards. “I wanted to make something dark and beautiful,” she says, “for everyone else who has those dark spots.”
D’Arcy’s debut release, ‘Cry All Night’, debuted on triple j Unearthed in October last year and was met with an outpouring of glowing reviews from hosts including Declan Byrne, Claire Mooney and Max Quinn. The track peaked at #9 on the station’s Unearthed chart and led to her touring with label-mate and rising star Fergus James on his headline national tour, a mutually complementary pairing that wowed crowds across the country.
D’Arcy has always been somewhat of a rolling stone. She has lived in four cities across three countries in her short life, including a stint in the USA where she honed her love for music at Berklee College of Music in Boston. With a vocal style that draws parallels to bohemian greats like Cat Power, Meg Mac and Phoebe Bridgers, D’Arcy Spiller writes music for the modern-day dreamer. ‘Deep Black Sea’ is another example of her apt talent for harnessing emotion and the shared human experience and transforming it into arresting, soul cleansing music.
100s + 1000s can’t wait to share the rest of Little Demons with the world. D’Arcy hopes listeners experience the same catharsis it gave her to create it.
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Local label Tremorverse Records, in collaboration with Melbourne’s Box Hill Institute, is thrilled to present a new compilation album featuring original songs from isolated music students the world over, with submissions now open. Songs From Home is set to once again obliterate genre boundaries and navigate the multimodal soundscapes that music students have to offer.
An exercise in isolation curation, students from Music Institutions across the globe are invited to upload original works, created during the COVID-19 social distancing lockdown, by midnight Friday 22 May for a chance to be featured on the album. Prospective tracks can be collaborative, multi-genre, instrumental, traditional or experimental. Despite the unprecedented circumstances, there are no limitations here. Songs From Home is inclusive of all genres and styles from students globally.
“Music students, like everyone else, have had big changes in their lives as a result of this pandemic. They can no longer go to band practice, choir practice, their own or others gigs or festivals. Events that might have defined their way of living have been cancelled and they no longer see their friends face to face. They also may have lost their part-time jobs and be back at the family home. Conversely, they may now have more time and quiet to explore other aspects of their creative expression – learn a new instrument, collaborate in a different way.
Creating and experiencing music is a very human and interactive experience and that has altered. We thought this compilation might be a way to collate and document the creative response to this pandemic from music students. It gives a purpose or a goal where some may have been lost. It is open to all music students across the world and encourages new ways of working and creating together.” – Merida Sussex, Tremorverse Records
Set to be released in June 2020, Songs From Home will be available to stream via AWAL on all good streaming platforms and to purchase through Bandcamp, with all proceeds going directly to the students featured on the compilation, as a way to give emerging artists a leg-up in this time of great difficulty.
The world was not expecting to spend 2020 in isolation and for many, it is not necessarily where we wanted to be. This compilation is a space for expression for new and emerging artists written in this time of isolation. So if you have a track about this strange isolation, a song that you wrote to help get you through, or maybe just something you created as a distraction from reality, Tremorverse wants to hear it! Upload your track to the Songs From Home compilation submissions today.
Songs From Home compilation submissions are now open until Friday 22 May midnight AEST via tremorverse.com
Submissions will need to include:
Link to your song
A mixed song (the song needs to be recorded in high resolution)
Include all the credits for the song
Include your full name and contact details with a little bio about yourself
Include a short video about the track and what it means for you
Musical phenomenon, Tyde Levi, has announced the release of his highly anticipated new single, ‘AAA’. The new track, released through BMG, is available today.
To prepare for the release of his new music, Tyde spent early 2019 writing in Norway, London and Los Angeles before releasing his single ‘Flying So Far’ at the end of last year. His newest track, ‘AAA’, was written with Matt Zara (Matoma, Olly Murs, Jason Derulo, James Blunt) and Caitlyn Scarlett, and offers listeners more of the smooth, alt-RnB style that is fast becoming known as Tyde’s signature sound.
Labelled by his brother Troye Sivan as his “favourite song of Tyde’s so far”, fans have already familiarised themselves with ‘AAA’ through Tyde’s live performances and have been patiently awaiting its release.
Of the song, Tyde Levi says, “I wrote ‘AAA’ when I was in London for a few weeks. I had been there a while and there were a couple things in my life that just weren’t going the way I thought they would. That’s always a tough battle to have. A lot of things had built up inside me and I just wanted to get out of there, so I wrote AAA, a song about being in love and running away. Getting as far away from all the things that could trouble someone in today’s world and falling so deeply in love that it doesn’t even matter that you left everything you know.”.
Tyde has recently performed headline shows to sold-out crowds in Melbourne and Sydney after supporting the likes of CXLOE, Honne, Mansionair and Troye Sivan on his latest national tours in Australia and China. With more new music on the horizon, Tyde Levi can be expected to be a constant on everyone’s radar in 2020.
https://www.facebook.com/tydelevi/