Emotive debut single "The Chain" from self-taught hip hop/RnB artist Morris Waters has an ambient instrumental punctuated with booming bass and impassioned vocals. There's a great vocal dynamic on the track with the tough edge on Waters' rapping contrasted with beautiful introspective female vocals.
Waters wrote: "The Chain is a song about breaking free from the chains of society. And in doing so, allowing oneself to take a stance against the discriminations, expectations, and the stigmas that are placed upon the individual from an early age."
"Change & Challenge", an instrumental electronic track from Codebar's debut EP "Reflections", has a wonderfully immersive synth soundscape that draws the listener in and dazzles as it progresses.
Music roundup. Click "Read More" below to see all the tracks we've posted in the past week. Check out our Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud and YouTube playlists for all the latest music every day!
Alternative electronic-pop trio PLYA have followed up their hit "Adrenaline" with an edgy new single called "Dynamite", the first from their upcoming EP "Still in Love". Fantastic vocals lead the track making it shine like a flare swirling in the night sky, echoing with guitars, synths and punctuated with rhythmic drums.
Pop songstress Marina last week revealed the first half of her two-part album LOVE + FEAR. On LOVE, she writes about relationships, humanity and the beauty of nature. The third track on LOVE, Orange Trees, falls into the latter category and is written about her hometown with a lovely relaxed summery vibe. Marina said: "I wrote 'Orange Trees' about the island that my family and I are from in Greece. It's called Lefkada and it's my favourite place in the world... I always feel at peace there. It's like my body/ biology recognises I'm back home. Hope this song makes your summer sweeter than ever. Love - M." The full release of her upcoming album is set for Friday April 26th and is currently available for pre-order.
AERYN's vocals and Hahlweg's production meld together into a darkly seductive electronic drama on their fantastic new collaborative single "Eye For An Eye". Hahlweg first began work on the track two years ago, saying, "It was a turning point in my writing and sound. It marked the first time I felt that I genuinely am creating something unique and gave me confidence in my art." He sent the initial instrumentals to AERYN who immediately got to work, sending vocal ideas back only four hours later. "Her vocals were absolutely perfect. I asked for stems straight away so I could start re-building the record to let her lyrics and vocals shine through." And the finished result has been hitting all the right notes since, with the single reaching over 750,000 plays within a month of its release on label Lowly Palace. Keep an ear out for these two!
Producers Serion and Dritic have teamed up for their melancholic new single "Suffocating". Letting out the pain of not being with one's love, Dritic's vocals sharpen and focus the emotional edge of the track. The soundscape swells and ebbs in intensity and is layered with sounds like the footsteps of someone walking away and birdsong like a bittersweet memory. They've done a fantastic job putting so much feeling into the track and we hope to hear more collaborations from them!
Musician and previous member of indie pop band The Middle Coast, Liam Duncan has ventured out on his own and released two beautiful singles on his solo project in the lead up to his upcoming debut album. He's crafted a special, intimate sound, with his fantastic vocals and acoustic guitar dancing over twinkling atmosphere. Breaking down his latest single, Duncan wrote: "'Shaking' is an honest retelling of a breakup. Breaking up isn't easy. Whether you're being broken up with, or breaking up with someone else, it's hard to tell someone that you don't want to be with them. It's not always that you don't love them. It's not that you want someone else. Sometimes, it's just a deep seated feeling that you cannot shake."
"One day, after beating yourself up about it for days, weeks, years, you just do it. You leave the person you've loved for years standing on the stairs. And it sucks. Writing 'Shaking' was a way to get my brain to stop replaying that night over and over again. Releasing this song is a mixed bag of feelings. It's a vulnerable and honest song and I'm nervous to show it to everyone."
Eman8's third single "IOU" featuring Kid Quill has a wonderful sunkissed, relaxed pop hip hop vibe with upbeat, grateful lyrics. Previously known as Brandyn Burnette, the St. Louis-based artist started the new project last year to reflect the evolution of his sound, with the name based on his Jamaican middle name "Emanate" which means to "come forth". He's putting out some great tracks so far, keep an ear out for him!
Canadian band KOZEN's style is a unique fusion of rock, metal, jazz, funk and R&B which they've crafted to perfection on their new single "To The Wind". From the heavy riff-based intro to the verses and beyond, the track has a great dynamic, with well-crafted melodies and rhythms, and fantastic vocals from frontman Maxwell Aka. Aka wrote of the track: "It's a song about the willingness to knock down one's own misconceptions and assumptions in pursuit of the truth, and enjoying the process of learning. It's about the fear of living a lie, and the wide-eyed wonder of a genuinely open mind." The track will feature on their upcoming LP "A Fearful Wonder", available worldwide June 7, 2019.