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Music Producer Blog & Promotion

Illuminating Longing: Red Vinci’s alt-electro allegory of disillusionment ‘Sunset’ Casts Shadows in Light

After a four-year hiatus, Stas Kurkou’s solo project, Red Vinci, has resurfaced with the emotionally electrified EP Where The Heart Is. In the spotlight is the single Sunset, an alt-electro embodiment of longing with cinematic depth and pseudo-industrial intensity. Red Vinci’s knack for blending lo-fi production with vivid synthetic textures remains as potent as ever, delivering a soundscape that fans of Covenant and Apoptygma Berzerk will revel in.

With Sunset, Kurkou builds on his thematic legacy, which began with Year Of The 9 and its exploration of identity, and Psycho, drenched in the neon-lit disillusionment of a GTA Vice City dreamscape. The latest release, the third instalment in this poignant chronology, dives into the emotional terrain of anxiety, belonging, and nurturing the inner child.

The track’s phasers burst like fragmented starlight through the tension-heavy production, visually representing the longing for luminosity as the synth-driven arrangement finds balance in Kurkou’s reverberated vocals, their softness a striking juxtaposition to the gritty textures, creating an emotional contrast that is as haunting as it is hypnotic.

The Where is the Heart EP was officially released on November 22; stream the EP on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JC Call lit up the airwaves with the neon RnB synthpop grooves in his single, confident

San Diego’s own JC Call is defining his space in the pop landscape with his fusions of synth-pop and RnB. At 19, the self-taught artist is already a force in music production, having immersed himself in EQs since he was just 12, making his latest track, all the more of an impressive feat.

‘confident’ is as much a manifesto of personal resilience as it is a musical innovation. With strobing neon synths and kinetic grooves, the track demands physical and emotional movement, tapping directly into the listener’s rhythmic pulses. His vivid blend of modernised synth-pop and soul-stirring R&B is both canvas and narrative, painting a vivid tableau of introspective vulnerability.

His voice, an instrument wielded with the precision of a seasoned storyteller, navigates through the emotional core of the track which reflects the desire for emotional safety, resonating with universal truth and echoing the sentiments of anyone who has faced turmoil in this tumultuous world while seeking sanctuary within an external soul.

As JC Call prepares to unveil his debut album by the year’s end, ‘confident’ stands as a bold prelude to his journey.

confident was officially released on November 13; check out the single on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Open the Doors of Perception with DJ Promo & Avarice’s Hip-Hop Gem, Pandemia

DJ Promo, the Puerto Rican beat architect, and New York’s lyrical sage Avarice have crystallised their sonic synergy into the recently unveiled LP ‘Forgotten Gems’. Born from a prolific past, where beats crafted between 2007 and 2012 lay dormant, DJ Promo unearthed the sonic relics, offering them to Avarice, who expanded what was meant to be a brief EP into a full-bodied album.

The track ‘Pandemia’, a seminal hit from the sonic anthology, is a masterclass in expressive power. It weaves mid-western motifs through the solid rattle of the 808s, laying down a minimalist soundscape that cradles Avarice’s commanding spoken-word delivery.

With each word meticulously cadenced, the verses strike with the impact of spoken truth in the production, which sounds as though it has sprung to life from a vintage tape deck with its intimate hiss. Yet, the urban narrative thrums with a contemporary pulse, ensuring the duo earned their place in the contemporary hip-hop landscape.

As the instrumentals serenade the soul with their understated complexity, Avarice’s narratives coax the doors of perception ajar. Hit play, and let ‘Pandemia’ transport you to where music meets the mind in a quiet revolution of thought.

Head to Spotify to stream Pandemia as part of the collaborative Forgotten Gems LP, which dropped on October 31st. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jonathan Jaynes – Angels & Devils: An Ethereal EDM Dance of Duality

Jonathan Jaynes’ new single, ‘Angels & Devils (Club Version)‘, hits with big beats and a honed-to-the-nines production, enveloping listeners in a vulnerably immersive slice of etherealism. The melancholy embedded within the track is its strongest magnetic pull, drawing you into the 8-bit dreamy textures, while the rhythmic punctuations turn the earworm into an installation of danceable kinetic momentum.

‘Angels & Devils’ is a devilishly arcane invitation to lose yourself within a cinematic sonic sphere, reminding you that you are never alone in the moves you make even when it feels like the ache of disconnection is all-consuming. Even if you don’t subscribe to any particular faith, it is impossible not to find comfort in the lyrical mantras that light up the track, which is one of the most affecting exhibitions of Jaynes’ ‘happysad’ signature sound that lays catchy melodies over melancholic confessions.

This club version of ‘Angels & Devils’, originally a sad self-destructive ballad about leaving a relationship to save oneself from getting hurt, marks a new direction in his career, pursuing an EDM legacy that won’t easily be lost to history.

Stream the Club Version of Angels & Devils on SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SonicFluxx Interview: Cosmic Inspiration and Artistic Evolution on Florida’s East Coast

In this A&R Factory interview, we speak with SonicFluxx, an artist shaped by a childhood amid the unique cultural and natural landscapes of Florida’s East Coast. SonicFluxx shares how experiences such as witnessing shuttle launches, growing up near Disney World, and being surrounded by 80s and 90s pop icons like Depeche Mode, Madonna, and Pet Shop Boys influenced his sound and vision. He reflects on his path from DJing to full-time music production in Los Angeles, alongside the challenges of adapting to social media in the modern music world. With new music on the horizon, SonicFluxx reveals a vision dedicated to using music as a healing force, ready to connect with listeners globally.

SonicFluxx, welcome to A&R Factory! Thanks for sitting down with us to discuss your career and your future ambitions. We’d love to know how your upbringing on Florida’s East Coast, among such iconic figures, influenced your sonic signature. 

Growing up in Central Florida in the 80’s and 90’s was a special time in our American history and I feel lucky to have experienced many things that most didn’t during that era.  Growing up next to Disney World taught me that music holds messages and meaning and that music can be the language that unites all.

I watched the Space Shuttle program firsthand and watched many shuttle launches from my backyard.  I learned at a young age that there was more than this world we are on and I found love in the stars and the universe.  I questioned my existence of this planet at a pretty young age and what my role was.  I grew up living five minutes from the beach – walking through the sand and understanding the concept that a speck of sand doesn’t make much, but a whole bunch of it creates a beautiful beach.

When you grow up and live in such a magical and inspirational place, I think it tends and fuels the creative fire within and ignites the spark that so many musicians and artists before me have experienced.

What was it about Depeche Mode, Madonna, and Pet Shop Boys that inspired you to light your own creative spark? 

I found deep inspiration with these three artists particularly because through their music, I learned that songs can have a message to invoke positive change in society.  Many artists feel a duty to use their voice as a platform to invoke political, cultural and societal change in the world and this is also what I wanted out of my own music and songwriting.  Aligning with the same beliefs as an artist also made me feel connected to the artist themselves in a way and I found this connection to be very special.

How has your relationship with music changed over the years?

I was born in a Southern Baptist Church, so I grew up singing traditional hymns on Sundays. I grew up extremely sheltered from what is called secular media in the religious tone.  My introduction to pop and dance music did not occur until my rebellious teen era, in which I would spend hours in FYE at the mall and listen to CDs.  I consumed every bit of pop culture I could at this point in my life.  I connected with dance music in a spiritual way that spiritual music never gave me.

I began to study and analyze what made a great song at this age.  I would have a knack for knowing what songs on an album would be the next single before it was released.  I turned this talent into songwriting.  I was a DJ in my early 20s and began producing remixes myself with Sony Acid Music Studio on a laptop I rented from Rent-A-Center.

I am a self-proclaimed pop and dance music lover.  I took pride in sharing new tracks with people and seeing their reactions when they loved it.  After many years of no music interaction other than consumption, I quit my job, quit college and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career full time.  I find myself enjoying creating music more than I enjoy listening to it myself.  However, don’t get me wrong, I still stan for a few artists new music!

Creatively, what came most easily to you, and what did you have to work hard to hone?

Melodies, hooks and songwriting came the easiest.  Most of my songs have been written in about three days – one song I wrote in 15 minutes.  I have a knack for hearing a beat and immediately hearing a melody in my head.  Then words come after that.  It’s a chaotic process I will admit, but it works for me.

Half of my lyrics aren’t even written down anywhere because songs are written so quickly.  ‘Nomad’, for example, was half written and I made up the rest of the lyrics in the studio on the spot.  My songs come from my life, my struggles and my heartache – it’s pretty easy to spill out currently.

What is challenging for me is creating social media content.  I am not good at picture taking, not quick to take pictures in settings and I find creating and thinking of social content does not come easy at all.  I am from the MySpace generation, so the new era of social media has definitely been the biggest challenge to overcome for me.

You mentioned a period of depression after focusing on your vocation as an astronomer; do you believe a lack of creative output is to blame for a lot of existential suffering in others?

Short answer: yes.  I believe that many people do not use the right side of their brain enough and invoke creativity in their lives.  I love that book reading and crocheting has made comebacks these days.  I think more people need to find that creative output to truly find peace.  As a child, we use this side of our brain so naturally and it’s a beautiful thing.  When we lose our sense of imagination and wonder, we can lose who we are and where we are going – Walt Disney taught me that and I still firmly believe in it.

Could you tell us more about your vision for your music going forward and any new directions you are exploring in your artistic journey?

When I started my music career full time, I said that if my music reached just one person and helped them, I’ve done my job.  Music is healing.  Music can be your remedy, as I sing in my song ‘Remedy’, which is a love letter to all my fans.  I have achieved this and now my goal is to take the same concept but go worldwide.

I am always writing new music and do have new music ready to go and am planning to release a deluxe edition of the album around February 2025.

Stream SonicFluxx on Spotify and discover more about the artist via their official website.

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Marlon Bianco went left of leftfield in his experimental electronic trip, Mad Man

Marlon Bianco’s latest single, ‘Mad Man,’ plays like an auditory hallucination; like peering through a drunken kaleidoscope, sounds and colours blend into a vivid sonic trip. Beginning with scratchy, trip-hop-adjacent beats, the track seamlessly evolves as Bianco’s dreamy, nostalgically textured vocals marry with the underlying rhythms.

It’s a sonic sculpture that etches itself into the mind, pulling you into the affirmation that insanity is infectious as elements of funk and jazz are weaved into a sublime lo-fi collage of sound.

Hazy summer nights may be behind us, but this psyched-to-the-nth-degree synth-driven odyssey from the Brighton-based aural polymath is here to stay. There’s no escaping the dreamy Avant Garde clutches of this release which forces you to live within its layers.

Mad Man will hit the airwaves on November 1st; stream the single on Spotify and follow Marlon Bianco on Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sepia-Tinged Serenity: GOODTIME’s ‘Damsel Eyes’ Dances Between Tenderness and Nostalgia

GOODTIME

GOODTIME, a rising artist from New York City, affirmed his tonal mastery in his single, ‘Damsel Eyes’. The warmth bleeding from his guitar and the soul carried by his harmonies create a sonic landscape that lands somewhere between Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. He doesn’t just replicate indie folk’s past; he redefines it with a unique blend of traditional acoustic songwriting and atmospheric elements. His ability to seamlessly weave nostalgia with his signature ‘twisted lullabies’ invites listeners into soothing subversion that can easily become a sanctuary.

The haunting crescendos in ‘Damsel Eyes’, paired with the smoky sax lines, pull you deeper into its intimate atmosphere; with a melody akin to Oasis’ ‘Half the World Away’, the song nestles into an emotional place where beauty meets bittersweet reflection. It’s the kind of track that could make anyone misty-eyed, proving that GOODTIME has more than earned his place on the indie folk scene.

After tending to his creative spark as a percussionist at the age of 5, he earned more instrumental stripes at age 15 by self-teaching himself guitar, piano, bass, and banjo. Today, he crafts, produces, and mixes all his work from his home studio. After dedicating himself to his craft, his live performances have earned him a spot alongside artists such as Will Paquin and Dana & Alden, performing at iconic venues like The Bitter End and Mercury Lounge. Yet perceptibly, the best is yet to come for the lyrical lumiary.

Damsel Eyes will be available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify, from October 25th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Sigma Strikes with ‘You Left’: A Melodic Force of Dance-Pop

The Sigma’s new single, ‘You Left’, channels heartbreak into an energised dance-pop anthem with a sharp edge. It’s a track built to fill club spaces, with progressive rhythms that will sit comfortably alongside Avicii and David Guetta in any playlist. The melodic structure draws you in, while the undercurrent of emotional intensity amplifies the rhythmic magnetism.

Despite emerging from the underground, The Sigma’s production chops speak volumes about his potential; the track’s seamless synthesis of pulsating beats and pop-infused guitar elements echoes the finesse of Mark Ronson’s EDM pop style; every instrumental was interwoven to give listeners more than just a casual earworm; it’s a kinetic dancefloor hit that merges emotional weight with undeniable energy.

It is only a matter of time before The Sigma becomes a regular feature on the dance scene. Get him on your radar now.

Stream the iPhone-shot official music video for You Left by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Loose Change 10k became an unreckonable force in the Floridian hip-hop scene with their trippy hit, Haters

The Floridian hip-hop duo Loose Change 10k has once again proven its unreckonable mettle with the latest single and music video, Haters. The wavy and melodically trippy track instantly sets a mind-bending tone; once you’ve sunk into the saturated reflections of old-school hip-hop roots, the bars kick in and push adrenalized momentum into the hit with every syllable flexed.

The juxtaposition between the energy injected by the two MCs, O-Head and Danny Duke, and the catharsis of the experimentally catchy melodies leaves you cascading through a vortex of Loose Change 10k’s ingenuity.

With a sound that’s as fresh as it is fierce, they’ve reserved a space in the hip-hop pantheon with Haters, which vindicates anyone who has collected their fair share of haters simply by succeeding. If any track is going to convince you to take it all in your stride and leave them to stagnate, it’s Haters.

Stream the self-shot and produced video for Haters, which premiered on October 8th, via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sink into the hypersonic synergy of Subbwell and Flowdan’s Grimey DnB track, Welcome to London

For his latest release, Subbwell, the indomitable Estonian drum and bass producer, teamed up with London’s own grime juggernaut, Flowdan, to drop their massive sonic attack, ‘Welcome to London’.

The hit is a deep dive into the city’s gritty vibe, delivered with a raw edge and polished with a high-quality production to juxtapose the dark, grimey bars that snarl over a backdrop of hypersonic drum and bass. The beats are savage—slamming, distorting, and warping under the weight of Flowdan’s delivery. He weaves through the track with a melodic flow that hits hard, perfectly synched with the wild, adrenalising energy of the builds and drops.

As for the video, think London’s streets through a Grand Theft Auto lens. It’s a cinematic piece that flips the script on how we see the city, as the camera tears through the streets, the good, the bad, and the ugly filter into the vignette that will resonate with the realities of many Londoners.

With ‘Welcome to London’, Subbwell and Flowdan throw us into the middle of London’s pulse through an unapologetic, in-your-face celebration of all things raw and real about London’s underground scene.

Stream the official music video for Welcome to London on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast