Jouska – Titanics
Jouska is an Oslo-based duo that dwells in the more lush and poppy end of electronica and EBM, producing a sound that has a human, unhurried sensibility. Check out Titanics and prepare to be bowled over.
The vocals give the track a very ethereal quality, one that somehow works with the quirky, glitchy rhythms and samples that form the bedrock of the piece. That fusion of the smooth with more abrasive textures create an open yet at times unsettling sound that never becomes difficult, even as it stretches pop boundaries almost to breaking point.
The band describe Titanics, which is from their upcoming album, as a mellowly euphoric song about unhealthy relationships. They added that the writing process was intense as they wrote and produced the song in 20-30 hours, and hope that people will feel like dancing off the emptiness and sadness that everyone feels once in a while.
Read the rest of this article at analoguetrash
Highclass Hoodlums – Woah Buck!
Hip-Hop duo Highclass Hoodlums are back and better than ever! This go round indie-rap stars PRODA and Infiniteeis not letting any bag go unclaimed. After meeting the Newark, New Jersey based pair at the city’s now-closed underground venue, CenterStage Cuts back in 2013, their solo careers have excelled but their collaborative efforts have taken a back burner releasing loose singles sporadically over the years.
Rapper Infinitee has continuously set the Internet ablaze with hard-hitting freestyles and music videos. Producer PRODA has gone on to branch into film production (PRAEY) as well as becoming a frequent collaborator of neo-soul group OSHUN.
The emcees surprised fans after taking to social media to announce they were not only back in the studio working on a new full-length project but also dropping the lead single, “WOAH BUCK!” off the some-to-come LP.
I had a chance to catch up with Highclass Hoodlums’ PRODA to talk about the duo’s new single. When asked about the inspiration behind the track, PRODA replied, “Woah Buck! to me is the theme song for getting to the money! Weather you’re employed or your own boss, you gotta get the guap gotta get the green!! Platinum Dream is right now but the Sonics are from the future. We plan to break some molds with this LP!“.
Read the rest of this article at Envert
Africa Express – ‘Become The Tiger’ ft. Sibot, Damon Albarn, Mr Jukes
A pulsing electronic track, “Become the Tiger” features Albarn alongside Africa Expresses’ Sibot, a South African producer, and “sample-hound” Mr Jukes, aka Jack Steadman of Bombay Bicycle Club. In a press release, Sibot recalled the creation of the song:
“Mr Jukes and I had this infectious groove going. People would pop their heads in, those heads would start bobbing and the room grew crowded. This beat was special. Damon made a turn, he pushed through the jammed door and straight for the mic. I hit record like a panic button.
Damon jumped on a bed and started making up words. He somehow arrived at ‘become the tiger’… We all started chanting it. I kicked everyone out so I could quickly capture the idea. Silly and spontaneous. The best kind!”
It’s a far more neon song than “Johannesburg”, as the accompanying visual reflects in its strobing, mirrored imagery.
Read the rest of this article at Consequence of Sound
Africa Express – Johannesburg ft. Gruff Rhys, Morena Leraba, Radio 123, Sibot
Africa Express — the music collective and non-profit that was co-founded by Damon Albarn — returned earlier this year with a 4-track Molo EP that was indicated as a precursor of something larger to come, the product of a week-long excursion to Johannesburg to make music. Today, that’s something’s been announced: a new Africa Express full-length, called EGOLI, is due out in July.
The album will feature Albarn, Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Nick Zinner, Georgia, and a wide array of African artists. The song that they’re sharing today, “Johannesburg,” features Gruff Rhys, Morena Leraba, Radio 123, and Sibot.
Read the rest of this article at Stereogum
JOVIALE – Dreamboat
London-based artist Joviale makes her confident debut on new song “Dreamboat,” an impressionistic and alluring introduction that asks as many questions as it answers.
Growing up raised on the classics (think Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Simone), Joviale’s music is tightly wound and deliberate. Every twang, loop, and dramatic pause in “Dreamboat” serves a purposem making its looser back half feel wildly exciting and unmooring.
Throughout she sings of something that “might just be for now, it might be forever.” Later on she claims “it is all I see now, it is all I feel now,” adding: “I won’t wait for you.”
Speaking to The FADER via email, Joviale sheds little light on the situation, adding simply: “’Dreamboat’ is a dream I can finally stop having.”
Read the rest of this article at Fader
