Browsing Tag

Nottingham

Martin’s Revenge unleashed their gnarled psy-surf nightmare ‘Jack Let Go of the Door’

Martin’s Revenge made the Oh Sees sound like a 90s pop boyband with their latest darkly domineering single, Jack Let Go of the Door, which leads psych rock down a murky and nefarious corridor and surfs up to a gnarled nightmarescape that any fans of aural aggravation will want to repetitively revisit.

After The Eighties Matchbox B-Line disaster left a void in the industry with their departure, Martin’s Revenge has finally filled it with the rolling harbingering drum fills, electrified to the nth-degree guitars, stabbing basslines and drawling vox in their latest release, which revisits a Fear and Loathing-esque drug trip with striking visceralism.

Following the success of their EP, Harry’s Redroom, the Nottingham-based thee-piece is set to let the leash off of their latest EP, VR Porn, on November 6th. After reinforcing and honing their sound significantly between the two releases, Martin’s Revenge has established itself as more than the sum of its parts and the influence of Fugazi, Pixies, Idles and The Jesus Lizard.

Jack Let Go of the Door was officially released on October 23, Stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Diablofurs’ Vampires of Rome will sink its teeth into the heart of any power pop fans.

Imagine Sonic Youth came to fame on this side of the Atlantic, they displaced their distorted guitars with analogue synths, and punky power pop ran in the veins of Goo, and you will get an idea of what Diablofurs consummately concocted with the lead single, Vampires of Rome, from their forthcoming album, Welcome to the City of Fun.

The deeply affecting atmosphere in the verses of Vampires of Rome, which holds an alchemic candle to Echo and the Bunnymen, makes the crescendos even more sonically transcendent to experience. While just about anything with a hook gets labelled as an earworm in these lazy days of music journalism, the infectious appeal of Vampires of Rome is far too intoxicating to experience once. From the first shoegazey rings of euphonic bliss from the guitars in the intro to the Teenage Kicks-y energy when the track reaches its momentum, the nostalgic sense of fabled romanticism will sucker diehard romantics and those whose souls haven’t been stirred viscerally since the 80s.

After receiving critical acclaim from Vive Le Rock, being lauded and spun by 6 Music and BBC Introducing and performing unforgettable shows at Rebellion, the Nottingham-based outfit is set to take the scene by storm with their sophomore release.

Pre-order the sophomore LP, which is due for official release on October 27, from Rough Trade and ensure it sells out as fast as the debut album.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Falling Below tore through the façade of fallacy-weavers in their alt-metal debut, Liar

Falling Below

The Nottingham alt-metal emissaries in the freshly constructed powerhouse Falling Below are set to storm the local scene and beyond with their ground-breaking debut single, Liar.

Following a dissonant prelude, the tight and technical instrumentals start to breed an electrifying disquiet atmosphere for the evocative alt-metal vocal lines to charge into. Building on the iconic 00s metal sound, the amalgam of melodicism and furore that lies within Liar will leave you eating out of the palm of the five-piece’s hand.

There hasn’t been this much contempt thrown at living and breathing fallacies since Godsmack tore them to shreds with their single, I Fucking Hate You. With the guitars sharing as much vitriol as the lyrics and the sweet release of catharsis in the anthemic chorus, Liar is one of the strongest (in every conceivable way) debuts we’ve heard this year.

We can’t wait for the forthcoming eponymous debut EP, which promises to indomitably find the perfect balance between despair and hope to provide a soundtrack of resilience.

The debut single will be available to stream everywhere from August 18th; check out Falling Below on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Interview: Nottingham alternative electronic producer RICKY leads us through those era-defining Dark Places

Opening up a whole new brightly coloured tunnel and delving us deeper into a mysteriously illuminating venture to bury all demons inside forever, UK-based EDM producer RICKY slams the door shut rather brilliantly and tells us all about it with an interview all about his 7th of July scheduled 8-track release, Dark Places.

Llewelyn: Welcome to A&R Factory and thank you for taking the time to chat with us today RICKY. Let’s start off with this. You were known previously for your work with the 2 piece electro-punk indie rave band called Battlecat! What’s the progression been like in your life to now being an alternative EDM producer?

RICKY: Thanks for having me! I’ve always been passionate about music having previously grown up living in an independent family-run music venue and watching and prompting hundreds of bands every year and then came Battlecat! Who was made up of me plus the sound man from our venue (we were very close friends and had been talking about trying to write some test icicles-inspired tunes for a while.

Battlecat’s sound mixed elements of techno, EDM and drum and bass with punk guitars and distorted vocals and was heavily influenced by the ‘Nu rave scene’ of the early 00s. Working on that particular project gave me an opportunity to explore a different side of music production (as I only really played guitar prior) and is where I cut my teeth using Daw’s and Vst’s and hardware units. I kept exploring and learning more about arrangement and production and it became my passion and so transitioning to alternative Electronic production felt like a natural progression.

Llewelyn: You rep Nottingham in the UK. What’s the scene like there (good and bad things) and where are the best spots to watch underground music in your area?

RICKY: The scene in the early 00s consisted of a lot of indie, punk and metal but it seems to have broadened over the years and it’s literally a melting pot of unique artists of every genre you can think of. Nottingham is home to many great venues but JT SOAR, The Chameleon and Bodega are great venues to catch upcoming artists.

Llewelyn: Dark Places. Goodness me. This will wake up anyone who has been sleeping. We love the high-tempo energy. What was the main motivation behind the project and are there any tracks in particular you’re most proud of? Also, was there anyone else involved in the creation?

RICKY: Dark Places is a follow-up to my ‘bedroom-produced Ep’ Pushing Buttons. I was fairly proud of Pushing Buttons but it was definitely a genre-hopping piece of work where as this next record feels a bit more coherent and uniform in terms of tone. I’m particularly proud of the debut single ‘Don’t say anything’ (which is released on 23rd June) and ‘Wreck’ which I suppose is my answer to Hudson Mohawke’s distorted brass, fidgety loveliness. The whole record was written, mixed and mastered by myself and the only contribution being that of ‘PLAEDO’ who is an activist, rapper and altogether great guy from Portland Oregon that pit some great lyrics to ‘I’m talking to you’

Llewelyn: 2020 was mad. Did you feel super refreshed after your hiatus and do you sense your creative process or sound changed at all?

RICKY: 2020 was definitely mad and full of negatives the only plus for me personally was the free time it gave me due to being furloughed and getting the last ep finished. When you have a family and full-time job it can be very difficult to find the time to work on your passion project because let’s face it family comes first.

Llewelyn: Do you have any funny stories about the music business you’re allowed to share? Perhaps an interaction with a fan, or a wild moment at a party/festival or a realisation which made you laugh?

RICKY: I can remember when the Eighties Matchbox B line disaster played our venue and after they played we had a lock-in with around 50 folks where we drank the bar dry to lots of The Cramps and QOTSA blasting out the PA and then around 3 am we took the party to their tour bus (they came it a massive double-decker tour bus complete with leather sofas and flat screens tvs) and invited a few of us on to indulge in some mushrooms and various other ‘vegetables’ that was a very epic and hilarious night. It wasn’t hilarious when I woke up with my head in a pizza box covered in filth and vomit though.

Llewelyn: Who are the OG’s of your local scene and who do you look up to the most?

RICKY: There’s always been Lots of great Nottingham bands but back in the day for me, it was probably ‘Late of the pier’ ‘I was a Cub Scout’ and Swound! There’s obviously been a good few Notts acts break in the last decade such as Sleaford mods and Jake Bugg.

Llewelyn: Lastly, where can we catch you live over the summer?

RICKY: I’m looking at getting the live show up and running for late August and I’m hoping to gig as much as physically possible (in between work and family commitments) through the back end of this year through next year onwards so hit me up if you’re a promoter and have any slots going free. I’ll sweat and make noise for beers and fuel.

Listen up to Don’t Say Anything on Spotify.

Find out more on IG.

Interviewed by Llewelyn Screen

You’re Lonely Too: Gemma Danielle drops emotionally charged single Hold On

Taken from her sizzlingly tantalizing debut, 6-track EP named Hearts Devotion, Gemma Danielle sings with true angelic refinement on the haunting tale of trust called Hold On.

Gemma Danielle is a Nottingham, UK-based electronic pop solo artist who loves to mesh in some sweet sounding jazz treats to satisfy our peckish desires.

If you’ve ever experienced heartbreak, or feelings of being lost, alone and battling self-worth issues, I think you will relate.” ~ Gemma Danielle

Picking herself up from the floor after a scream of frustration to the sky, Gemma Danielle reminds us of her stadium-like vocals that show us inside the healing process. Lighting up our imaginations with classy coolness, we are lathered into a truly fine single that might be stuck in our heads all day.

Hold On from Nottingham, UK-based electronic pop solo artist Gemma Danielle is a pulsating song that will warm up your cheeks and get us all thinking about that harsh feeling when a romance ends. Projected so beautifully and loaded with a fresh beat to get those bodies alive again-we are treated to a real stunner of a track from a young artist who makes such superbly created gems.

Listen up on SoundCloud and check out her moves on IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Just For Once: Nottingham-born pop artist Ritho wonders why his ex couldn’t just tell the truth on honest

Feeling that horrible crush of the heart after just healing up from the last crash, Ritho leads us into his current mindset that is completely fed up with the trauma associated on honest.

Ritho is a 22-year-old indie pop artist and multi-instrumentalist who was born in Nottingham, UK and now lives in busy London.

Stylistically, Ritho pulls themes with a more modern ‘bedroom pop’ sound, while musically staying rooted to the more traditional songwriting roots that were popular in the early 2000s.” ~ Ritho leading us into his music vision

With standout-from-the-crowd vocals that will find you listening slightly closer than usual, Ritho summons our recollections from the past that might not be pretty to look at. His smartly written lyrics might have you on tenterhooks, with a movie-like story that will probably end in tears.

honest from the multi-skilled London, UK-based indie pop solo artist Ritho is a breakup single to turn up loud when you need to vent out your frustration with what feels like a loop of the same events each time. He sings with such fluid insight as this tragic moment has plagued his mind again and again, as he wishes for a normal romance to grace his life.

When you feel that precious heart shattering again, your emotions can turn into a rather sad state of affairs.

Hear this fine new single on Spotify and see more news on the IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Gemma Danielle is the Chanteuse of 2022 in Her Latest Cinematic Jazz Pop Single, End Game

With all the class and gravitas of a 1920s Chanteuse, the Nottingham-based singer-songwriter Gemma Danielle filled her latest single, End Game, with a wicked sense of soul. The stormily cinematic single starts as a sultry ballad; it’s the aural equivalent of doe eyes, but as it progresses, Gemma Danielle delivers the parting shot in a relationship that has reached the death roll stage of dissatisfaction and despair.

To parallel her timeless style, Gemma Danielle brought a potent serving of lyrical vindication to the table in the track that hits its sonic sweet spot in the ingeniously jazzy pop-soul-rock interlude, which allows the single to groove to an unforgettable close. If any pop artist deserves to climb the charts in 2022, it is the best chanteuse we could have possibly asked for.

End Game is now available via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Sweet Romance: Nottingham’s Di$mal shows us how simple things should be on ‘My LuV’

Expatriating us to a loved up sentimental world that feels so right, Di$mal reminds us that true passion can be so perfectly slow and sequentially innocent to the core on ‘My LuV‘.

Di$mal is a Nottingham, UK-based indie alt-hip-hop/pop artist. He makes the type of music vibrations that takes your hand and leads you into a much simpler place to heal all those traumatic wounds.

Di$mal is on top form with a sensually evocative track which has been made with a cheeky eye wink at that lover who makes you smile constantly – while you brush off all other self-doubts – to bring a sense of joyfulness into your life again after all the drenching rains of before. The hugging-on-the-heart beat is rather succulently exciting and has your tired head grooving around, to bring that summer vibe style into proceedings.

My LuV‘ from the Nottingham, UK-based indie alt-hip-hop/pop Di$mal, is such a soothing song that takes you into a spellbinding mode of sweet kisses and being with that special soul who makes everything better. In a harsh world that can lock your soul away, this is a marvellous effort filled with a first-rate quality that will put you into a happier mood instantly.

Check out this new track via the YouTube channel and see more news via the IG.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

LIVE REVIEW: The Vaulted Skies at The Angel, Nottingham 24/09/2021

The Vaulted Skies were one of the few bands that became the soundtrack to my insanity during lockdown. When they announced their show at The Angel in Nottingham supporting Lesbian Bed Death, I obviously had to be there in full unashamed fangirl fashion.

Starting with their sludgy hard-hitter, Hollowhead, they instantly asserted their ability to create an atmosphere where hearing the music becomes secondary to feeling it. After a delicate guitar intro that feeds intoxicating post-punk opium vibes, they slammed into an arresting amalgamation of shoegaze, rock and grunge with Molko-Esque vocals that cut above the noise.

Originally it was their gothy dancey hit, Does Anyone Else Feel (Strange)? which ended the set that won me over; the mix of inimitably intricate guitars over a filthy four-on-the-floor beat naturally had me hooked. But with the emergence of their demo release of their slower indie single, Almost Happy, my adoration became far more multifaceted.

Whether they’re creating floor-fillers or stripped-back melodic tracks, there’s a magnetism that proves emotion always comes before ego, which makes it so easy to lose yourself in their sonic alchemy through the sense of unfiltered connectedness.

The Vaulted Skies is easily one of the most criminally underrated alternative acts in the UK right now. Anyone with a proclivity towards pensiveness and pioneering alt-rock should be paying attention.

Listen on YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud

Photo Credit: Rich Lindley Photography

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Moving On: Nottingham’s Nicole Leaskk ignores the fake friends for good on ’30 Missed Calls’

After tragically losing her boyfriends mother after a 3-year brave battle with the dreaded cancer, Nicole Leaskk tells us the story of those fake friends who said they would be there like you were for them, but now have vanished away like it was a game of hide and seek on ‘30 Missed Calls‘.

Nicole Leaskk is an indie RnB/soul artist, Marketing Specialist, and Yorkshire tea connoisseur from Nottingham in England. She is a wonderfully talented musician who fuses that reflective soundscape about love, loss and heartbreak, through a crisp and passionately inspiring voice and caring lyrics.

It focuses on having a lot of temporary friendships, the kind that was only present when it was beneficial for the other person to be acquainted to you.” ~ Nicole Leaskk

After dazzling our senses on the lovely hometown track ‘Since You Were Mine‘ from February 2021, she feels extra inspired on this sad story about seeing who your true mates in life really are. Her vocals are superbly dynamic as she moves on from the former friends, who didn’t show the love back she was expecting.

It explores the realness of only being able to rely fully on yourself, learning to grow as an individual and knowing that you deserve more than being someone’s option. The lyrics explain everything Leaskk would rather do than taking these persons call and how she’s bored of listening to excuses every month.” ~ Nicole Leaskk

30 Missed Calls‘ from the soulful Nottingham, UK-based indie RnB/soul artist Nicole Leaskk, is that harrowing tale most of us have felt before. You thought you were around loyalty but it turns us they just wanted you for those good times. Sung with a fierce energy – this is a personal effort from a scorned woman – who will not take this betrayal anymore. When you know your self-value and what should be expected, you tend to move past the fake vibes forever.

Never looking back, is the only way to show yourself that you deserve much more when the chips are down.

Hear this deep new track on her Spotify and see her journey through life on her IG fan page.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen