Browsing Tag

World Music

ANGELICA LOPEZ energetically embraces multiculturalism in her new single, ‘New Gold’.

Posted on 5 July 2021

Columbian-born, London-based singer-songwriter ANGELICA LOPEZ has unleashed her latest single, New Gold, and reminded the world why she was accoladed as one of the best Latin artists in Europe.

With her vibrant vocal timbre and the progressively eclectic feel to the instrumentals, New Gold is an explosion of colour, culture and unadulterated talent that almost speaks to you on a primal level as you realise that, depressingly, music from different regions can coalesce far better than some of the people in the UK. With so much tension arising as a result of Brexit, New Gold feels like a soulful act of rebellion as it energetically embraces multiculturism.

New Gold carries the infectious pop appeal of ABBA, arrestingly authentic Latin rhythms and a few sonic elements of funk and rock to give the enlivening soundscape even more energy.

New Gold is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Earth Stone take time out with ‘Adi Shakti’

Posted on 26 June 2021

Earth Stone are Gemma Stone and Anthony Noiosi, a husband and wife duo with a World Music love and chilled, mellow, vibes.

Adi Shakti – from their Yoga-inspired new album – see’s Stone singing an Indian Sanskritt yoga mantra over electronic drum patterns and some soaring, melodic guitar work. It’s a mix of the traditional and the modern, mixing rock stylings, traditional, folk, world music, and gentle relaxation tranquillity. It’s a beautiful, gently uplifting piece, a perfect antidote to the hectic pace of modernity.

You can hear Earth Stone on Spotify.

Review by Alex Holmes

Saintfield – Into the World featuring Anne Bourne and Ed Hanley

Posted on 12 June 2021
Into The World by Saintfield

Canadian duo Saintfield have released their neo-classically-inclined, psychedelic ‘alt-world’ single, Into the World; the deeply spiritual release inspires synaesthesia while the profoundly ethereal instrumentals unravel with the finesse of a Ramin Djawdi score.

The multicultural textures in the release evoke an atmosphere akin to what you can expect from the global sensation, Heilung, yet, Saintfield also plays with post-punk and goth-rock elements to bring a connectable sense of modernity to the release that transcends immersive and operates in the realms of the celestial.

Into the World is now available to stream and download via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ariane Mamon goes into the wild with her arcane jazz fusion single, ‘Dangerous Trees’

Posted on 14 May 2021

For her latest EP, ‘Vertical Seas’, Jazz vocalist, performance artist and composer Ariane Mamon pulled inspiration from across the globe and created arcane feats of jazz fusion. The instrumental roots in the lead track, ‘Dangerous Trees’, vastly pre-date western genres as Mamon simultaneously carries the air of an 18th-century mystic and a Parisian chanteuse in her operatic highs and rhythmic non-lexical vocals.

We can’t fast-forward from 2021, but we can escape into our collective history, appreciate the power in the natural world and feel a part of it, that is exactly what Ariane helped her listeners to do here. With gritty funk in the basslines and fiercely tribal percussion against glassy vocal notes, the extended single captivates you through every improvised progression; allowing the energy to flow naturally, serenely, intensely.

The official video to Dangerous Trees released on April 20th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blowing My Own Trumpet bring the sounds of Africa with ‘Umsindo’.

Posted on 13 April 2021

South African-hailing newcomers Blowing My Own Trumpet keep it in the family with their band formation; with their sound, they explore folk and Latino through tribal African rhythms. You’ll feel a rise in the temperature as soon as you hear the first few sun-bleached notes in the wholesomely eclectic track that will happily act as a guide to warmer climates for anyone who needs an escape from the cold chill of the UK winter.

Umsindo was the first track released from the band’s debut album of the same title. Umsindo, the single, is now available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kama Tala has unleashed their Caribbean funk-soaked jangle-pop single, ‘Honore’

Posted on 6 April 2021

If you could imagine what it would sound like if the Smiths was a Caribbean pop outfit, you will be able to get an idea of the jangly magnetism contained in Kama Tala’s recently released single, ‘Honore’.

The Chicago-hailing artist crosses borders and merges everything from soul to rock to pop to jazz in their sun-soaked tracks, but that’s not the most notable facet of Kama Tala’s talent.

The ingenuity largely stems from the seamless melding of the genres while never detracting from the accessibility of his sound. But the true distinction comes through their heartfelt vocal delivery. In a time when physical communities are inaccessible and social media has become a minefield of toxicity, tracks such as Honore are utterly priceless for the way they reach out to you and offer freshly orchestrated positive connection.

Honore is available to stream via SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Alt trap artist, 7:AM wakes us up with their ‘Raw Talent EP

Posted on 11 March 2021
https://soundcloud.com/7aminthemorning/sets/raw-talent-ep

Detroit-hailing artist and producer, 7:AM is riding on the new wave of trap with their debut EP ‘Raw Talent’. The spacey adrenalizing EP kicks off with ‘How It Feels’ which makes no bones about immersing you into a distorted feat of alt-electronica with tribal new age rhythm.

The dizzying swathes of reverb in How it Feels may resonate as excessive to those who haven’t found an affinity for psychedelically mind-altering textures in electronic hip hop, but anyone who appreciates electrifyingly visceral ingenuity will find themselves hooked on 7:AM’s unapologetically unique sound.

The Raw Talent EP is available to purchase via Apple Music.

For more ways to listen, head over to 7:AM’s official website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Andrea Charls ‘Arrow’ – a beautiful, soulful, indescribable whirlwind of exquisite vocal delivery

Posted on 21 December 2020

Andrea Charls is already an internationally recognised singer-songwriter, working with artists as diverse as Bobby McFerrin, Annie Lennox, Javier Limon, Pepe de Lucia, and Mario Frangoulis, with work recognised by the Latin Grammy Awards, The International Songwriting Competition, and the Hollywood Music and Media Awards.

Her new single ‘Arrow’ is a whirlwind of deep, rumbling bass, sequenced synthesisers, and Charls’ stunning, delicate multiply-layered vocal parts. There are elements of Suzanne Vega’s work here, mixed in with a vaguely Latin feel and obvious hints of Charls’ Cypriot heritage (Andrea was born and raised in Cyprus before moving to Boston, Mass., to pursue her career). It’s a dazzling track, melancholic, uplifting, charming, and elegant all at once, choir-like in parts and upbeat in others, all held together by Charls’ exquisite vocal delivery. Lyrically thought-provoking and contemplative, beautifully performed, and intricately put together; ‘Arrow’ really does deserve to be heard. Often.

Listen to ‘Arrow’ on Spotify; follow Andrea Charls on Facebook.

Review by Alex Holmes

Blowing My Own Trumpet – Calling Me Home: Sun-Soaked Alt Folk

Posted on 3 October 2020

Alt Folk artist Blowing My Own Trumpet may just possess the most ingenious moniker we’ve ever heard. It cheekily alludes to the artist’s playfully expressive nature which also resonates within their rhythmic feat of folk “Calling Me Home” which breaks the monocultural mould by allowing African culture to effervesce within the organically high-vibe single.

Even if Calling Me Home doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, I can guarantee that your soul will feel infinitely lighter once the sun-soaked soundscape has faded to a close. If your escapism playlists are in need of an update, you’ve struck gold with the image-laden track.

You can check out Calling Me Home for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

David Adonis – Safe Distance: A Guide to Dating in the Digital Age

Posted on 30 August 2020

David Adonis allowed the airwaves to keep up with the digital evolution of romanticism with their latest single “Safe Distance”.

Safe Distance breaks the monocultural mould with rhythmically seductive melodies cooked up through an infusion of RnB, Pop and Afro Beats. But much more importantly, David Adonis served an all-important reminder through the resonant lyrics that love and romanticism are still persevere-able.

In a few years from now, tracks like Safe Distance will serve as a memento from the time we globally, simultaneously experienced love displaying resilience against the hate and chaos 2020 thew at us.

We may have a more limited way of connecting, but you can almost feel the fizz of passion between two people locked in amorous fixation when listening to the smooth grooves in David Adonis’ soulfully seductive Afro Beat single.

You can check out Safe Distance for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast