Francis And The Lights – Take Me To The Light – (Feat. Bon Iver & Kanye West)
Francis And The Lights, the synth-pop project of the musician known as Francis Starlite, has a new album coming out later this year called Take Me To The Light, the follow-up to 2017’s Just For Us. The producer, who frequently works with both Kanye West and Chance The Rapper, is known for his high-profile collaborations, and he’s just shared the title track to his upcoming album, which includes a lot of big names.
The credited guests on “Take Me To The Light” are Bon Iver and Kanye West, who alternately croon and speak the title track phrase, and it was produced by a team that includes Benny Blanco, Cashmere Cat, BJ Burton, Jeff Bahske, Noah Goldstein, and Francis Starlite himself. Violinist and composer Caroline Shaw is also credited.
Read the rest of this article at Stereogum
Deb Never – Swimming
Deb Never‘s “Swimming” is brutally direct. “Treat me like you give a fuck about me now / If I ever let up, will you hold it down,” Never sings to open the song. Her only companion is a lone, somber guitar riff. Then, as if to slightly puncture the melodramatic air, frenetic drums courtesy of Dylan Brady’s (member of the fantastic 100 gecs) suddenly arrive to add a semblance of chaos to the dourness.
“Swimming” is built on a sense of propulsion underscored by immediate breaks. Drums drop out as quickly as they appear. Small glitches and ghastly, reverbed ad-libs float in and out. The only constant for the two-minute song is Never’s raw voice and the simple, affecting riff, both asking all of the hard questions and providing none of the answers.
“‘Swimming’ was the last song that I made on this EP,” Deb told Rolling Stone. Her first project, House on Wheels, was released today via WEDIDIT. “After all these songs got made I obviously kind of paved a way, kind of had a better idea of exactly how to go about making these type of songs. So I made the riff. I wrote the song by myself with the guitar riff and then I brought it to Dylan [Brady] like ‘Yo, this idea, let’s make this.’ So I played the riff for him and then he added the drums, did his magic.”
“Dylan’s a wizard,” Never continued. “He’s so easy to work with and he’s so fast. He’s really efficient. You’ll tell him an idea and he somehow just gets it immediately. I don’t know if that’s like for everyone, but I just find that with him it’s like a really good synergy there.”
Read the rest of this article at RollingStone
South London outsider Master Peace has shared his new single ‘Night Time’.
The phenomenal live performer played two Clash events earlier this year, previewing his savage, raw material.
Working on a DIY basis, he sits somewhere between crunching punk and South London rap, a kind of accidental Death Grips style noise focussed through a very potently UK-centric vision.
A handful of tracks have appeared online in various forms, but blistering new single ‘Night Time’ is very much where it all gets real.
Online now it’s a superb blast of arid noise, both celebratory and bleak, a salute of sorts to the unhinged behaviour of the afterhours crew.
Read the rest of this article at Clash
The Chicago hip-hop label Closed Sessions is best known for introducing the world to Jamila Woods and Kweku Collins. Before that, the label emerged out of the blog-rap world, with co-founder Alexander “DJ RTC” Fruchter — who ran the blog Ruby Hornet at the time — inviting online stars like Curren$y to rap alongside him in the DJ booth at parties before hitting the studio. In the decade since, Closed Sessions has become a key player in the Chicago rap scene, in addition to releasing a series of compilations featuring those guests from out of town.
Today they’re announcing another one. Out later this year, Closed Sessions Vol. 3 will feature Kemba, Kipp Stone, Mother Nature, ShowYouSuck, Khary, Dave B. Its lead single, “Whiskey And Push-Ups,” is produced by BoatHouse and fronted by LA-based Chicago native Open Mike Eagle, fresh off the first season of his Comedy Central series The New Negroes and his excellent What Happens When I Try To Relax, one of my favorite EPs in recent memory. According to Bandcamp, the new song was recorded “during Chicago’s polar vortex of 2019.”
Some background from DJ RTC himself:
We did our first ‘closed session’ in July of 2009 with Curren$y (“Rapper Weed”). We didn’t know what we had, but we knew we had something. We established ourselves by putting great artists in the studio and then getting out of their way as they create. From 2009-2012, we released 3 compilations of music and documentaries featuring some of Hip Hop’s most exciting new artists. We pivoted a bit after to focus on building a more traditional label, but the foundation has always been those intimate sessions and experiences. To commemorate our 10-year anniversary, we wanted to get back to our roots, have some fun, and invite new and exciting artists to participate. The result is Closed Sessions Vol. 3, kicking off with “Whiskey And Push-Ups” featuring Open Mike Eagle who came out to Chicago during our polar vortex, rocked our party at Empty Bottle to a sold-out crowd, then hit the studio with BoatHouse.
Read the rest of this article at Stereogum
Realz is a name that has been spoken about within industry circles for some time now, however it’s currently 2019 and momentum is definitely starting to build for this talented East London artist.
Brought up in Bow in the 1990’s with early music inspiration coming from hip hop greats such as Tupac and Biggie as well as growing up with grime pioneers Dizzie Rascall and Wiley living just around the corner gave Realz the greatest education to develop his own unique style and sound.
Fast forward to 2019 and after many years of professional and life experience being gained, Realz has now arrived, ready to take to the stage and tell his story!
This year began with a bang with the release of his his EP “Get Set” then headlining his first ever show in Hoxton and off the back of that success, touring with Ivor Novelo Nominee Ghetts on his sold out “Ghetto Gospel II” tour around the country, gaining him great acclaim as well as many new fans that loved the energy and execution delivered in his performance.
His last single “25” Remix ft Ghetts, Che Lingo & Geoavarn definitely struck a cord with taste makers from all walks of the music industry, from radio to the more tech based influences, the general public and of course his die hard fans.
Read the rest of this article at Rhythm Rollers
