Mavi Phoenix – Janet Jackson
Mavi Phoenix is a 22 year-old singer and rapper hailing from Austria and of Syrian descent, and could be said to emerge from the most unlikely backgrounds, but her talent as a rapper rises regardless of geography. She started singing, rapping and producing at the young age of 11 and in that time, she’s developed her own, distinctive and refreshing style. Her debut EP, Young Prophet, is out very soon and she has shared her infectious new single, ‘Janet Jackson’.
Riding the euphoric instrumental, Mavi spits with confidence about finding success in a mannner that would make the hit-maker the song is named after proud, and demonstrates that she already has a fully realised sound behind her.
“‘Janet Jackson’ is the feeling of when you go big and are really confident, but then you still know something isn’t quite right and feels kind of odd,” Phoenix told Dummy. “When writing this song I imagined what it would be like to have made it and also thought of the bittersweet aspects that come with it.”
Read the rest of this article at Dummy
Nabihah Iqbal (formerly Throwing Shade) – Zone 1 to 6000
After casting off her previous moniker of Throwing Shade, producer Nabihah Iqbal is gearing up to releasing her debut album ‘Weighing of the Heart’. The change in name means that she’s standing proud as a female British Asian artist, but it’s also allowed her to move out of the shadows and into more expansive musical territory.
Nothing quite sums that shift up more than her latest two tracks, ‘Eternal Passion’ and ‘Zone 1 To 6000’. Both inspired by poetry (particularly William Blake and Matthew Arnold), they centre on navigating the city, figuring out a pathway and ask existential questions about why people want to live. They also show off two sides of Nabihah’s musical coin.
While ‘Eternal Passion’ is driven by fuzzy, almost post-punk guitars that cut across the more airy, swirling synth melodies and her own hazy vocals, ‘Zone 1 To 6000’ features driving, clashing drums that help propel Nabihah’s spoken word lyrics in heart-racing fashion. Across both tracks, Nabihah manages to get the perfect balance between differing styles effortlessly.
Read the rest of this article at DIY
Digitalism –Jet
German producers and DJs Jens Moelle and Ismail Tufekci, AKA Digitalism, have unveiled their hotly anticipated new single ‘JET’, taken from their newly announced EP, ‘5KY11GHT’. Fresh off the back of previous release ‘Spektrum’, the first track to be taken from the EP, the Hamburg duo showcase their signature electronica sound across the release, building layers of high-tempo synth-tones across brooding opening chords. With a mid-track drop into faded silence, the track slowly builds again, utilising instrumental sounds and deep horns, creating a soundtrack-like swell that dips deep deep into core of Digitalism .
Read the rest of this article at Broadway World
Icarus – No Sleep
It’s been fun to watch Icarus spread their wings this year. The UK duo – and brotherly duo from Bristol, of course – has released track after track that’s caught our ears, as well as those of Danny Howard and Annie Mac, respectively. Their latest, “No Sleep,” is out tomorrow via the venerated FFRR, and we have a first look at its video here.
The track itself is an interesting take on “No Sleep,” with at our first assumption being related to the world of electronic music and its usually associated “no sleep” – all night shows and the like. But the feel of “No Sleep” is in reality one of a different feeling, invoking early morning dawn in a warm, welcoming, less exhaustive way. While you might argue that a sunrise at a festival or in Ibiza is also heartwarming, there’s something more universal about the sound of “No Sleep,” as it has a sing-you-to-sleep feeling. Its video has those same two associations, starting out with an impressive introduction to a new take on the 360-degree camera, this time in 180-degree focus. With mirroring edges, we’re taken along a highway through dawn (or dusk). For someone like me who just went on a long road trip, this is a quick reminder of the soothing nature of a long, straight, uninterrupted drive. As our view of the video swirls, we can see chains off in the distance – McDonalds, Carl’s Jr and so on – but this sprawling civilization isn’t threatening or impeding to Icarus’s tune, as the night sky encapsulates it all, and us.
Read the rest of this article at Earmilk
Bearcubs – Do You Feel
London producer Jack Richie, aka Bearcubs, has dropped the infectious single ‘Do You Feel’ which accompanies the announcement of his debut album Ultraviolet. The single which follows his two brilliant EPs, Chroma and Underwaterfall, is a stunning exercise of his signature sound; velvety vocals, and some emotional experimentation with vibrato, atop an addicting beat that draws you in.
Based on an intricate array of vibraphones, the slick production work on ‘Do I Feel’ is remarkably accomplished and unique. If you just let the first track from Bearcubs first offering from his debut take you on a journey, you will certainly be able to answer: Yes, I Do Feel.
Read the rest of this article at The 405
