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Take 5: Mikey Votano

Australian music artist & performer Mikey Votano releases his first UK single ‘Shut Up & Dance’ -  a uniquely clever cover of Walk The Moon’s hit, in a vintage style of 1950s rock 'n' roll, rockabilly & blues. The video for the track shows workers stranded on COVID-19 free cruise ships, who were turned away from many countries, dancing along to the track. These include 63 people from 13 countries & 6 continents and consist of dancers, acrobats, musicians. Interesting! We decided to find out more with a Take 5... When did you realise that you wanted to be a music artist? What or who has inspired you ?  I was in Sydney, playing this tiny jazz club with an even tinier stage, sandwiched between too many musicians, the house was packed with dancing, sweating bodies having the best time.  I knew then I wanted to be an artist, to have the chance to create something exciting, beautiful, something that evoked emotional response.  Hopefully I’ve managed at least a little of that. I was always in trouble at school, mental health was a taboo subject & I was the disruptive ADHD kid.  I had a run of music teachers who saw me & what I had to offer, not just symptoms of a chemical imbalance I was born with.  They instilled a passion for music which completely changed my life. But, if you’re talking about artists, I love me some old school vintage swing, soul & rock ’n’ roll.  Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Roy Orbison, everything Motown, anything that grooves hard & feels great.  #MikeyVotano #Take5 Read the full article

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Illyus & Barrientos remix Duke Dumont’s ‘Nightcrawler’

Glasgow duo Illyus & Barrientos are the latest to remix Duke Dumont’s‘Nightcrawler’, the lead single from his acclaimed debut album DUALITY. Keeping the 80s synths and indie guitars from the original, Illyus & Barrientos’ ‘Nightcrawler’ remix adds bumping basslines across a 4x4 beat, cementing the raw and funky rework as a club-ready track. It’s the latest remix to come from Duke Dumont’s DUALITY album - the expansive debut LP that contains the original ‘Nightcrawler’ single alongside other hit tracks including ‘Therapy’, ‘The Power’ and ‘Let Me Go’- and follows on from last month’s rework from Tensnake. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy4QSDwBnBg With stellar releases on labels including Toolroom, Defected and Mother Recordings, as well as remixes for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Gorgon City, Purple Disco Machine and MK, Illyus & Barrientos have established themselves as one of the most in-demand duos in the UK. A production dynamo responsible for a stunning back catalogue that includes international chart-topping hits, multi-Grammy nominations and bumpin’ Chicago-influenced underground productions, Duke is a contemporary electronic music powerhouse. He has amassed over 2.5 billion streams across his back-catalogue of previous anthems, scoring platinum-selling UK #1s with timeless records such as‘Ocean Drive’. For more information on Illyus & Barrientos, please visit:Website | Twitter | SoundCloud | Facebook | Instagram #DukeDumont Read the full article

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INTRODUCING : SHI OFFLINE

Introducing shi offline and their debut single, ‘God Is A Witch’, released on 3rd July via German Independent label Audiolith distributed by Shellshock. The track is taken from the bands album ‘Golaya’. The Hamburg based artcore duo consist of Russian born Alisa Tsybina on vocals and German writer Gordian Gleiss. She brings the rawness, he brings the beat-driven machinery, the result is a jungle of witchcraft, dark blue and hubba bubba! Ailsa says "God Is A Witch was triggered by toxic structures and expectations that are linked to my humanity, utopic role models caused me to wither rather than flourish.  But there is a silver lining, a unification and healing! Witches unite, let’s fight for our rights!” The playfulness of their debut not only runs through the songs, but through every corner of their artistic being. Their exuberant videos look as if they were shot in a Christmas cracker and confirms that blue mascara has made an instant comeback! Like many of us, Alisa's distinction between light and shadow is deeply rooted within herself: "Melancholy is my longest friend. Even as a child I was attracted to gloomy music and nothing moved me more than singing about longing, love and complaining about the system or other injustices. I was never a fan of cheerful music and never understood it. The pastel aesthetics came much later, because looking into the dark for a lifetime is quite dreary and one-sided in the long run" Read the full article

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Iconic Swiss band ‘The Beauty Of Gemina’ release their first UK single ‘Apologise’

Iconic Swiss band ‘The Beauty Of Gemina’ released their first UK single ‘Apologise’ on 3rd July via TBOG MUSIC, taken from their forthcoming album ‘Skeleton Dreams’. The track is an energetic, powerful slice of indie-rock led by Michael Sele’s strong and narrative voice.  “This song is full of light and darkness about the human dilemma, knowing the time to say good-bye but having no words to say It” says Sele. In Spring 2019 Michael Sele, frontman and mastermind behind the band, unexpectedly had to undergo major and complex heart surgery. As a result, his world was turned upside down for months and things would never be quite the same again. Following this, Sele needed to recover, process what had happened and regain his strength. This time turned out to be a highly productive period, full of creativity, with the result - the new album ‘Skeleton Dreams’. The new music fully reflects the fascinating and unmistakable mix of warm, hypnotic blues, ambient melancholia, earthy and indie-influenced folk that their fans have come to know and love over the years. The songs are full of vitality and intensity, are sometimes energetic, sometimes celestial, sometimes pure, innocent and reduced to their bare essentials, but are always full of power and poetic. Last Autumn, for his achievements as a musician, composer and singer, Sele was awarded the Gonzen Cultural Prize. Read the full article

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Timbo shares the music video for his brand new track 'Tic Tac Toe'

As one of the UK pioneers of fusing the gritty UK street sound to Afrobeats and its sweet, melodic vibes, Timbo undoubtedly helped to shape the current soundsphere. Trailblazing his Afro-Hop sound, Timbo lights it up yet again and continues to school us with the release of fresh new single ‘Tic Tac Toe’, alongside his accompanying music video.. Produced by King Tut (Professor Green, Jessie J, Maino, Joel Ortiz, Ella Henderson, Chip, Wretch 32, Nekfeu), ‘Tic Tac Toe’ rightfully has all the makings of a fresh dance craze anthem, as hoped on such a comeback from the master at work. With Timbo getting us to grips with the moves on the sing-along hook, the bouncing beat hops alongside the caramel vocals and the grittier verses and ad-libs that make this every inch UK rap as it does afrobeats, more precisely, afro-Hop. With an enviable career that has seen him work with the likes of Stormzy, Sneakbo, Fuse ODG, Rymez, KillBeatz and many more, Timbo has positioned himself in the top tier of UK acts. Following a brief hiatus and making his debut on a brand new run of music, ‘Tic Tac Toe’ opens the door on a whole new chapter for the Londoner. Check out TIC TAC TOE out now across all DSP’s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnnw_g-yaZU #Timbo Read the full article

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Isaballa Snow Shares 'A Little Lie'

Chicago singer songwriter Isabella Snow has released her gorgeous, acoustic and piano laced new pop single 'A Little Lie' on all digital platforms.  'A Little Lie' is a vulnerable look at relationships that features Isabella's lyrical and vocal prowess in spades. For Snow, the subject matter of the single comes from a very personal place " 'A Little Lie' came about when I was caught in an emotionally, mentally, and occasionally physically abusive friendship back in high school." she says , "It wasn't until I learned to trust myself enough to own my personal power and had built up a support system of loving individuals to realize that I had the strength to leave and that I would be okay."  Isabella is now using the song as beacon of hope for others. "Now that 'A Little Lie' has been brought into fruition, I want abuse survivors to know that they are just that: survivors. You are capable of so much more than your abuser has made you believe. You are strong, you are powerful, and you are not alone." The single is taken from Isabella's self released debut album, Mystic, about which The Underbelly Hours raved "It is beautiful; it is sweet; it is sad and yes, at times even bitter. But it is the mixture of all of these emotions that grant Mystic its authentic humanness". The album consists of six vulnerable and well crafted songs that showcase Isabella's blend of pop sensibilities and jazz vocal background. Read the full article

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Ashley Singh Takes Us On An Adventure With '17'

Ashley Singh hits a homerun here on '17'. Furthermore, this track delights with plenty of pop elements and an indie vibe too for good measure. Straight to the point, Ashley does not wait around. He kicks off the track with an impending vocal performance which instantly grips and sets the tone of his record. Ashley is singing about a timing issue with a loved one. It is not clear as to what the problem is with time, but something is amiss and if he had met his lover back when he was '17' life would have been far more manageable. Musically, the record shines radiantly. Ashley has an energetic backing band behind him which thump away and give him an added substance. Taking the focal position alongside Ashley's mesmerising vocals is a tightly strummed rhythm guitar. It stays at the front of the mix for the majority of the track, and I love the sound it produces. It is warm but yet striking and stands out while providing plenty of space for Ashley to articulate his point. The chorus could fill an amphitheatre. As a result, it takes the singer into a new space of his own. He takes influences from some of the recent pop greats but yet makes himself stick out clearly with the strong musical foundation which is on display. Also, one thing I relish most about the track is that he has nailed it not only in his lead vocals but also within the backing vocal sections too. #17 #AshleySingh #FreshMusic #Pop Read the full article

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British Artist Daniel Angelus Releases Dream Pop Cover of U2's Classic 'With Or Without You'

Daniel Angelus, the British born singer, songwriter, and music producer, has released his take on the classic U2 single "With Or Without You." The single, a meditative, dream pop take on the song, is also part of the new album, ACT II. The single came about organically during the album process. "We started to believe that maybe I could sing a cover on the album," says Angelus. "We began to build 'With or Without You' in the studio and I sang the vocals in one take. It was a very powerful moment when we realized it fit the context of the album and we had got the soundscape of the track just right with the rest of the record. 'With or Without You' feels like a song that resonates today as much as it did on its original release. We wanted to stay close to the spirit of the song whilst making it very much a Daniel Angelus track as well." A self-described recluse, Daniel began making music after a difficult and traumatic childhood, using it as a form of therapy. What began as bedroom music has, over fifteen years later, transformed into an incredible career in its own right. Daniel has performed live in the UK, Europe, and North America since 2008. The sound is unique, built on the frailties and wonderment of human life. There’s a grit beneath the surface that only comes from lived experience and translates into the fullness of the music. After releasing his debut LP Miracle Dark in 2016, Daniel released Wired for Heartbreak in February 2018 – and fans gathered. Read the full article

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BOOM! : ADMT 'Good For You '

The North of England is currently alight with a wealth of talent that is set to blow across the rest of the world. The likes of Aitch, Bugzy Malone and YungBlud are setting their stamp with very relatable commercial song craft that's resonating with large national and international audiences - ADMT is the north's newest offering. The Doncaster born artist has been picking up acclaim from all angles. His debut single 'Dream' landing multiple editorial playlist supports with Spotify and Apple Music as well as a BBC introducing 'Hot List' placement. Just in time for summer, ADMT returns with unforgivably addictive hooks, pounding grooves and quick fire lyrics that remind us to take heed and stay in the moment. Sat on a wealth of chart threatening music and a growing fanbase from his captivating live performances, the future feels bright for ADMT.   Read the full article

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No Party For Cao Dong Drop New Single After Groundbreaking RPG Livestream

From Liverpool Sound City to the Great Escape and graduating onto Glastonbury, the rock band, No Party For Cao Dong (NPCD), who made quite a statement last year in UK’s live scene, have just released their latest single “Same Old, Same Old” after teasing it in May via an innovative livestream concept, which featured an interactive gaming aspect where fans could vote for plot turns in the live action show.  Gigwise said, “One of the most convincing guitar bands we heard all festival.” Get into This proclaimed, “From the first chord, this crowd knows all the words to all the songs and is bouncing along enthusiastically, shouting the lyrics back at the band. So much for ‘No Party’, this the complete opposite. It’s searingly good...yup, we’re buying into this one.” Amidst the chaos created by the coronavirus, NPCD’s 2020 stadium tour plans were cancelled, incidentally allowing for extra studio time to work on new recordings which were already in the pipeline. “Same Old, Same Old” subtly dropped on June 26, quenching the fans’ thirst. The idea of “change is the constant” is nested in the stirring bass, refined guitar and the balance of a casual male drawl paralleling a smooth female sound in the vocals. The sync-worthy, dreamy rock spills with hints of blues and classic guitar of an evolving band whose music deftly reaches an explosive crescendo. #NoPartyForCaoDong Read the full article

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Catching up with Alexander Teller

Alexander Teller’s newest single I Got Free is the latest and last release to fall before his highly anticipated Album titled ‘Alexander Teller Is A Snake Oil Seller’. The record reflects on some sobering and mournful narratives that are spun into compellingly artful indie-rock offerings, yet this particular single displays greater optimism. We caught up with Alexander about this release, and beyond: Hey Alexander, how are you doing? I slow-cooked a thai red curry, so I’m experiencing feelings of excitement as dinner approaches. I’m hoping the cauliflower rice will make me sexually attractive. Tell us about ‘I Got Free’: I Got Free is supposed to be a kind of triumphant rebirth. People have asked me what it's about before and I’ve given the kind of lazy answer that artists give when their work doesn’t make any sense; “If I told you what it's about it would ruin it”. However that is probably true. Maybe I like it so much because I’m not entirely sure what i’m talking about (although I have a decent idea). At the risk of sounding sincere (a millennial crime), I think it's about becoming yourself. Although it's not clear whether killing “the romantic man” in one’s self is a good thing… Perhaps you can have too much freedom. What inspired the release?  I think I’m obsessed with freedom. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know if I should be allowed to have it. It’s something I wanted to write about. #AlexanderTeller Read the full article

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VENUS FURS RELEASE VIDEO FOR HAUNTING NEW SINGLE, ‘FIRE IN HER EYES’

Montreal’s Venus Furs have released a new video for 'Fire in Her Eyes' taken from the forthcoming self-titled album released on July 10th through Silk Screaming Records. Complete with funeral march percussion at a solemn pace, 'Fire in Her Eyes' is the second song on the album featuring a brass section using a flugelhorn and trombone, creating a ghostly production experience assisted by haunting vocals. “It’s a late night reflection on failed romance. Like looking into a lover’s eyes and realizing that they no longer see you in the same way that they used to.”Paul Kasner, Venus Furs https://youtu.be/Mu2k0yxUzKo This gripping, organ-led number comes with a new video directed by Georgi Patchouli, whose modern Patchouli Light Show paintings mixed two analog techniques: a classic liquid light show captured by a video camera that was then modified using a modular video synthesizer. “The modular video brings a little more glitchy side to the organic aspect of the liquid.” Kasner’s songs are populated with troubled characters, painted with a sympathetic brush and thrown into a series of disastrous circumstances. Mixed with elements of gaze, indie and garage rock, the visual richness of Kasner’s lyrics also apply to the way he describes unhealthy mental states, something he has both experienced personally and witnessed in others. Throughout the album he manages to capture these indefinable feelings with precisely selected imagery. #VenusFurs Read the full article

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CULTURE ABUSE RETURN WITH CAREER-SPANNING 29-SONG COMPILATION OF UNRELEASED MATERIAL

Culture Abuse are a band that can’t sit still. Since their inception in 2013, they’ve relentlessly showed their creativity through music, art exhibitions, photography and live performances. The band's new collections album, Good Shit, Bad Shit, Who Gives a Shit?!, encompasses the demo process of writing their records, live recordings from their many years of touring, and their history of collaborating musically with friends. Live songs recorded by fans at the shows, cover songs they’ve laid down for fun, alternate versions of previously released songs, and literally the first recordings of song ideas are all presented on this 29-song album of unreleased recordings from the Culture Abuse archive. “With the state of the live music industry in limbo, we thought now is a better time than any to open ourselves up and give the listener a different take on some of our past work. We take the groovy mid-tempo songs off Bay Dream (2018) and give you our aggressive live set atmosphere. We re-imagined the faster, more upbeat songs from Peach (2016) and slowed them down into an acoustic, stripped-down set.”Culture Abuse The first single to surface from Good Shit, Bad Shit, Who Gives a Shit?! is an alternate version of 'Heavy Love' (from 2016’s Peach). This stripped-down, slowed-down version of the track features bonus instrumentation and a chilling vocal appearance from Juan Gabe (Comadre), and feels as freewheeling and fascinating as ever. https://youtu.be/bLp9RPBv0Bs “Cover #CultureAbuse Read the full article

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Asya releases ‘FWU’ taken from her debut EP ‘Love Me Till I’m Me Again’

Rising RnB singer Asya is making her mark on the music industry with a strong introduction to her sound in the form of ‘FWU’ with an accompanying music video, the single is taken from her debut 5 track EP ‘Love Me Till I’m Me Again’, taking inspiration for real life events that people can resonate with. ‘FWU’ along with the whole EP, was recorded and produced by Patrick at HotMoneyStudios in London, although Asya is originally from Cambridge, she currently resides in Derby where she is pursuing her studies in graphic design. Singing has always been her main passion, from posting covers on Instagram, she found viral success after her videos started getting reposted on instagram. Following on from her debut single ‘Come Up’ and following single ‘Right One’, which both feature on the ‘Love Me Till I’m Me Again’ EP, she has accumulated 70k+ streams on Spotify, which helped to drive Aysa to record more and inspired her to work on a collection of songs. Taking inspiration from the likes of Jhene Aiko and Dej Loaf, ‘FWU’ is a contemporary RnB jam showcasing her beautiful voice and dulcet tones. ‘Love Me Till I’m Me Again’ is described by Asya as “In my feelings type songs, mainly about my life experiences and my experiences with love, something I think a lot of people will resonate with and understand”. Asya wants people to feel motivated after listening to her music and feel like they too can chase their dreams, just like she is doing. #Asya Read the full article

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Seraphina Simone’s single ‘Cherry’ dismantles the American Dream

‘Cherry’ is the first in a line of songs where one young female musician, Seraphina Simone, navigates her path through an impossible 21st century. We begin our journey with this halcyon indie-pop single, which challenges everything that we’re told will make us happier, but ultimately ends up a superficial rat race where no one wins.  Here Seraphina Simone tells us more:  “‘Cherry’ is the voice in our heads telling us we don't have enough, telling us to want more, buy more, be richer, be thinner, be prettier, be better than everyone else. It's that sarky bitch who's really mean to you and you hate her but you also kind of want to be her best friend because she's perfect and you're a mess. It's the voice fuelled by consumer culture and jealousy and insecurity and myths like the American Dream. It seems harmless enough even though it fucks up the planet and makes us miserable no matter how much we have. Maybe in a weird way Covid will make us realise we don't need so much shit to be happy.” #SeraphinaSimone Read the full article

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Sparks Team Up With Cyriak For The Existential Threat Video

Alt-pop pioneers Sparks have released the new music video for their single "The Existential Threat", alongside all physical formats of their critically acclaimed 24th studio album "A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip." Brothers, Ron and Russel teamed up with the brilliant animator Cyriak to create this beautiful yet frightening music video. Speaking about the process Cyriak said “When I was asked to make a music video for Sparks I could hardly believe it. They sent me the whole of their new album to choose from, and there was this one song that immediately stood out – ‘The Existential Threat’. Not only did the music fit perfectly with my animation style, the subject of existential dread is something I have been fascinated by for as long as I can remember. It was like I could see the whole video inside my head as I listened to the song.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLxPIOxgkM0 ‘A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip’ was released digitally on May 15th to universal acclaim. This extraordinary record is now also released on CD, vinyl and cassette - see HERE Read the full article

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WEISS and Harry Romero join forces on new single ‘Where Do We Go?’

UK DJ and producer WEISS continues his exploration into dance music nostalgia on new single ‘Where Do We Go?’, a collaboration with house music legend Harry Romero, out 3rd July on Island Records. Following on from 80s-infused house cut ‘First Sight’, ‘Where Do We Go?’ is centred around an infectious piano house vibe. Making use of the vocal from The Alan Parsons Project 1980 hit ‘Game People Play’, the track repackages a classic sound for modern ears. It marks the second installment of WEISS’ new multi-track story exploring themes of creative expression, unity, love, and positivity inspired by memories and impressions of formative raving years with good friends, new friends and strangers alike. “I’m so excited to get this track out and into the world,” comments WEISS. “Making it with my brother Harry Romero was a really special time for me and the lyrics and sentiment included in the track have become more and more important with each passing day. Much love!” After emerging onto the scene in 2013, WEISS has ascended through the dance music ranks at an impressive rate, releasing hit records such as ‘You’re Sunshine’ and ‘My Sister’, receiving support from a host of legends ranging from Armand van Helden, Eats Everything and Carl Cox to Elton John. #WEISS Read the full article