Browsing Tag

thundercat

StarAV puts a melancholic spin on Thundercat’s single, Lava Lamp, in his debut release.

Australian singer-songwriter and producer StarAV has made his debut with his cover single, Lava Lamp. The death-musing original was heavy with pensive malaise, yet StarAV’s rendition finds brand-new ways to pull melancholy out of the cathartically bleak soundscape.

Lava Lamp is the first single to be released from his new project that curated a series of songs that explore grief, loss, death, isolation and the discomfort of growth. While cover projects can snobbishly be looked down upon, the overarching exposition of aching grief across the collection of singles acts as a sombre sign of the times where the only emotions that seem to register are the ones that hurt. If you’re looking for comfort in the isolation the project explores, you won’t be disappointed.

StarAV’s cover of Lava Lamp will be available to stream from October 31st. You can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Soul/RnB Twins MMG Release New Single “Rockstars of the Roller Skate Rink” and Get Set to Tour Japan

Some bands refuse to get stuck into one specific category or niche. Their sound is diverse, airy and full of character, incorporating a wide variety of influences and approaches in a very organic and natural way.

This is certainly the case of MMG, a duo that seems to know no boundaries when it comes to experiment with sound and come up with cool new ideas.

The duo’s kaleidoscopic blend of R&B, jazz, funk, fusion, and soul could be traced back to a wide variety of influences, ranging from classic artists such as Otis Redding or Chit to modern-day icons such as D’Angelo or Thundercat. This eclectic musical act set out to embody the sound and vision of various ages and aesthetics, including 60s R&B and 70s Disco.

The beautiful thing is that all of these musical influences aren’t compartmentalized in the band’s music, but they coexist together, not colliding but seamlessly integrating into one another. It is not really easy to let so many ideas flow together into the mix, but half the job is done when you get to work with such talented and visionary musicians to bring the project to fruition.

“Rockstars of the Roller Skate Rink” is a refreshingly upbeat release that stands out as a vibrant party anthem, enticing listeners with infectious rhythms and memorable melodic hooks.

The duo is certainly showcasing their best shape yet on their latest single, which seems to be a bold statement and a sign that they are perfecting and consolidating their charming sonic aesthetics even further.

I love it when catchy songs also have brains and this is certainly the case with “Rockstars of the Roller Skate Rink”. This is the kind of track that you can instinctively connect with –  it has a primal groove, a catchy production, and some fun aesthetics. However, this is one of the songs that allow you to dig deeper if you really want to, discovering multiple layers of influences and ideas, coming together into one appealing package. In other words…who said that interesting music couldn’t also be “easy” and readily attractive to a mainstream audience? MMG is an intelligent pair of musicians who really succeeded in making a very unapologetically catchy song with a lot of heart and brains.

Find out more and listen to “Rockstars of the Roller Skate Rink” by MMG directly through Spotify and add it to your playlist now!.