Moxie Knox - "One More TIme" [Video]
One More Time is Moxie's R&B rendition of the nostalgia that follows an obsessive yet tainted intimate relationship filled with imbalance and lust.
Professor Green - "Count On You" [Video]
Produced by Greatness Jones and Jordan Thomas, Professor Green’s ‘Count On You’ features vocals from upcoming East London singer, JstJck. Premiered last night on Radio 1Xtra by DJ Target, it follows the 2018 release of Green’s ‘Mercedes Riddim’ ft. Dutch and ‘Unruly’.
The music video for ‘Count On You’ was shot in Holborn and directed by long-term collaborator and globally renowned photographer and film-maker, Simon Emmett. Highlighting Green’s status as arguably one of the UK’s most eligible Batchelors, the video centres around the theme of him speed-dating and features a cameo appearance from former Love Island contestant Montana Brown.
Firmly established as one of the crossover superstars of British music, the Hackney born and raised rapper, Professor Green (aka Stephen Manderson), has notched up two Top 3 albums and over 3.5 million combined sales in the UK alone since starting out as a revered battle MC. All in addition to presenting six critically acclaimed documentaries (for the BBC and Channel 4), publishing his autobiography ‘Lucky’, continuing his ongoing work as Patron of anti-suicide charity CALM, and, most recently, becoming a regular columnist for newly launched men’s title, The Book of Man.
‘Count On You’, released via Relentless/Sony, is available across all platforms now:
Surreal - "Hello" [Video]
Los Angeles emcee Jeremy Ian Thomas also known as Surreal is an emcee’s emcee guaranteed to be solidified as one of hip-hop’s clearest voices. We first heard Surreal on “True Indeed” a collaboration effort between the jazz duo Jay & Soulo otherwise known as The Sound Providers. Surreal’s ability to rock an entire album with no features, covering the bases and basics of life, immediately made him a standout.
It didn’t end there though, in 2006, Surreal released his sophomore project “Future Classic” with DJ Balance under the Hip Hop Is Music imprint. During this time Surreal had his hand in a number of records and albums collaborating with the likes of Ohmega Watts, Marco Polo, Braille, Future Shock, Sareem Poems and more. Years down the line we got “Pardon My Dust” a properly curated collection of unreleased content. After “Pardon My Dust” our hero seem to...disappear…
Here we are a decade later, but where has Surreal been? He’s been through film school and with that education, he’s actually directed videos for Denmark Vessey and Oddisee and Brands like Nike and Reebok to name a few. Now a full-time filmmaker, Surreal is fully aware of the transitions and transformation the music industry has endured. However the emcee who grew up in Tampa Bay Florida has been growing and evolving as well.
While we may not have heard a project from Surreal in a decade, he’s been creating this entire time and is getting set to release his “Hello”. “Hello” is a grand return for fans of Surreal, but also a proper reintroduction to people who might’ve missed the first portion of Surreal’s journey in music. With “Hello” right around the corner Surreal plans to show us the full breadth of his work, combining his video experience with his intricate and versatile wordplay to bring the listener an experience we need in these times like these.
Raiden ft. Bright Lights - "Heart Of Steel (Festival Mix)" [Video]
It's no Déjà vu but a brand new version of Raiden & Bright Lights' "Heart Of Steel". More than a year after the original version's release, Nicky Romero's Protocol Recordings along with the Korea's fastest rising talent - Raiden, and Grammy nominated singer/songwriter - Bright Lights, released a Festival Mix of that notable record. The brand new, energizing version of "Heart Of Steel" fits perfectly into the Protocol's iconic sound and will please musical tastes of the most demanding fans of upbeat, progressive vibe. "Heart Of Steel" started to pick up speed when its initial version was performed for the first time by Raiden at Ultra Japan in 2015. After its official release, in January 2017, the single has clocked up over 1.7M streamson Spotify and surpassed 2M views on Youtube. The newely released Festival Mix is destined to do its magic at festivals around the world and if you are up to date with Nicky Romero's recent performances, chances are you have already danced to it.
Raiden is an academically trained producer and a critically acclaimed artist. He has been feeding music lovers with releases like "Hanabi" (with Florian Picasso), "C'est La Vibe" (with Tom Tyger) or the monumental "Always Find You" for which he joined forces with YURI of the top K-Pop group Girls' Generation. Raiden's most recent single "Hit The Club" (a collaboration with Fedde Le Grand) has dropped on Fedde's very own Darklight Recordings. Thanks to his successful creations Raiden has earned himself performances at Ultra Music Festival worldwide (6 different Ultra locations to be exact, and counting). In addition, he has performed at Tomorrowland, Fabrik, Life in Color Ibiza and World DJ Festival which earned him a loyal, international audience. As part of the Protocol family, Raiden will continue evolving into one of the industry's most esteemed producers.
More info on Raiden/Bright Lights/Protocol Recordings:
Raiden: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Bright Lights: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Protocol Recordings: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Daz Dillinger & Rich Espy - "Sunrise" [Video]
West Coast legend Daz Dillinger and rising star Rich Espy are kicking off the summer with a brand new video for their banger "Sunrise.”
The collaboration, which is featured on Rich Espy’s new album Westland, fuses two generations of West Coast talent together and is also a family affair, as Daz is Espy's uncle.
Their familiarity and chemistry is evident on the first listen, with the smooth production providing a perfect backdrop for their tales.
The new visuals enrich the listening experience by giving viewers the full California experience, including the signature palm trees, sunshine and scenery that inspired the song and both artists.
Mandia - "Pull Up (Skrrt)" ft. Eric Bellinger [Lyric Video]
Some predictions require crystal balls. Others can be made using more tangible things, like ears, a heart, a rump, and a devotion to righteous grooves. That’s all anyone needs to know that “Pull Up (Skrrt),” the electrifying new single from fast-rising Ottawa R&B singer/songwriter Mandia, is poised to be the break-out smash of the summer… if not the year.
The slinky and decidedly after-dark “Pull Up (Skrrt)” juxtaposes superstar American singer/producer Eric Bellinger’s soulful voice against Mandia’s, as expressive and gravity-defying an instrument as those of her spiritual sisters Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera. Seriously, girl could start fires with that thing!
Puma Blue - "Moon Undah Water" [Video]
Puma Blue’s incendiary set at The Great Escape to a packed out room at The Arch prompted Clash to conclude: “Puma Blue stole the show on Thursday night with an incredible performance – taut, emphatic, and blessed with wonderful songwriting.”
Now fast rising South Londoner Puma Blue – aka Jacob Allen - continues to share his timeless atmosphere with the latest visuals for fan favourite Moon Undah Water which peaked at #1 on Hypemachine and receive radio support by KCRW, Worldwide, BBC 6Music, NTS. The track gained critical acclaim amongst tastemakers including Dummy, Crack, Notion, Clash, Hypebeast and Wonderland amongst others.
The track’s central looped riff is hypnotizing in its simplicity, but it grows in intensity with Puma Blue’s impassioned croon escalating to an impassioned howl as saxophone scrawls across the band’s lurching grooves. Moon Undah Water is out now on Blue Flowers(Nilufar Yana, Westerman, Gotts Street Park.)
The new video channels Puma Blue’s dusky midnight vibes that break through the track. The evocative nature of the music is carefully caprtured by director Netti Hurley ,whose previous video credits include Coping for Dazed, and Adidas. The video was institctively shot around London, with Allen and Hurley leading the way.
“Jacob’s music inspires a lot of feeling, in a kind of effortless way, so wanted the video to reflect this. Lo-fi relaxed candid and intimate. Submerged feelings and thoughts, dreamlike, poetic but very DIY.” Explains Hurley: “Spontaneously shot, with no plan, just wandering across London with a camcorder.”
Allen adds: “It ended up sort of becoming this old karaoke video, and we kind of tried to embrace that. I liked the idea of this song being forgotten about and then brought out at a karaoke bar in 50 years as a kind of ace up the sleeve of someone who happens to randomly know it.”
Although ‘Moon Undah Water’ has been part of his songbook for a while, Puma Blue was inspired to finally record the track, that features his heavier live sound, after working on it fresh from completing a tour. The song was written and produced by Puma Blue - aka Jacob Allen - with mixing and additional production courtesy of Dilip Harris (King Krule, Mount Kimbie).
Serious Klein - "Coochie Money" [Video]
Germany-based, Ghanian rapper Serious Klein follows up " Boy Boy " and COLORS favourite " 91 Flex " with a brash new track entitled " Coochie Money ", along with drops spine-tingling visuals.
"Coochie Money" holds traces of 90's rap track, waxing lyrical about the topics we hear most frequently in hip-hop (money, partying and women), but done in a classy, subdued fashion over a dusty instrumental. With hints of soul, spoken word, and in some parts, a flow which could be mistaken for a young Tupac track, Seri's diversity of sound, grasp of rhythm and rhyme, as well as overarching artist direction (which extends to his visual and brand identity) puts him in the same league as artists such as Tyler The Creator, Vince Staples and Kendrick Lamar.
Harsh Armadillo - "Gravy" [Video]
Harsh Armadillo is six guys and a girl who don’t sleep until you’ve burnt through your insoles, and tried that breakdance move from your fifth grade talent show. They create original music for moving to– a combination of funk and hip-hop roots with the bass, the drums, the horns, and the voices that hit like a vitamin for your soul. The gang hails from Boston’s leafy hat; a little known mecca they like to call New Hampshire. They have no affiliation with the state of Texas and have never encountered a wild armadillo. You can find their music, videos, and tour dates at harsharmadillo.com.
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Founded in a moldy basement in 2013, Harsh Armadillo continues to crush doctor’s predictions for a blindly short lifespan with the release of their new EP ‘BITE’. The previous five years consisted primarily of blue Gatorade fueled rampage, punctuated by two full length releases– ‘Thayer It Is’ (2014), and ‘Blame Bad Habits’ (2017).
Mahalia - "I Wish I Missed My Ex" [Video]
British rising star Mahalia has today unveiled her brilliant new single ‘I Wish I Missed My Ex’ alongside a cleverly crafted surrealistic video. In addition, the British songstress has announced that she will be touring the US for the first time this summer and also a 10-date UK tour for 2018 which includes a date at London’s prestigious Brixton Electric – her biggest tour to date!
Produced by Maths Times Joy - who produced Mahalia’s stand-out debut single ‘Sober’ – and emerging producer Swindle, ‘I Wish I Missed My Ex’ is a perfect example of her trademark, open-hearted lyricism fusing old-school soul and atmospheric synths with R&B/pop leanings. The accompanying video was shot in LA by Director Andrew Litten over a 22-hour stint:
“The first time I heard IWIMME, I knew the track needed a big idea. I’ve always loved Spike Jonze’s video for “Drop” by the Pharcyde and decided to pay homage by creating a backwards music video with a contemporary spin. I hired a linguist from UCLA to teach Mahalia the song backwards which she surprisingly learned in a day. The DP, Dustin Lane, and I have always wanted to make something in our neighborhood, Highland Park. We chose family owned locations and hired a few extras while scouting the neighborhood. Mahalia’s reversed performance oozes spontaneity and confidence. I can’t thank her enough for joining us on the journey, and signing on to recreate this insane concept.”
Leicester native Mahalia is quickly becoming one of this year’s most exciting UK female artists, riding fast her in her own lane marrying her supple vocals with magnetic R&B and shimmering soulful production.
Mahalia released her debut single ‘Sober’ last summer which to date has amassed over 20 million streams and seen her social media following swell to well over 150k. Following the release, Mahalia graced the Berlin online platform COLOR’s, where her performance of ‘Sober’ went viral and has since accumulated over 10 million views! ( link).
At 12 years old – the age most of us are aimlessly riding bikes or trying to avoid homework – Mahalia was cradling her guitar and penning love songs. With her entrancing, soulful tones, wise-yet-relatable wordplay and intuitive sense of melody, it quickly became clear that she had an innate musicality and that she’d be doing this for the rest of her life.
In the time since she first picked up that guitar she’s dropped a scattering of releases – from 2012’s indie-flecked acoustic dream ‘Head Space’ to 2015’s gorgeously understated 4-track EP ‘Never Change’ – and 2016’s genre-flipping mixtape ‘Diary of Me’. But for Mahalia, it feels as if she’s just getting started.
Garcons - "Numba One" [Video]
Canadian based duo Garçons (singer/songwriter Deelo and record producer/director Julian Strangelove) first met in 2014, but didn't start working together until last summer when they dove into writing and recording. Inspired by the bohemian rap lyricism of Pharrell and Q-Tip, Nigerian born Deelo found a perfect collaborator with Strangelove, whose Soul meets Reggaeton beats provided the perfect vehicle for Deelo's vocals.
Their forthcoming debut EP "Body Language" was written over the course of a month in Strangelove's Ottawa apartment. "There wasn't a goal, we just wanted to make good music," Strangelove says of the experience. "At the end of the day, the music is really all about embracing uniqueness and the things that make us human - love, nostalgia, euphoria, insecurities, lust, boredom, etc."
Garçons' fusion experimentalism comes through in their debut single "Numba One," which comes with a rainbow pastel music video. Directed by Strangelove, the clip was filmed in Ottawa and pays homage to Quentin Tarantino through highly stylized characters and lush visual acrobatics, with Deelo taking a page from Andre 3000's style donning bright pink mink body duster and plaid pants, toying around with a '90s boom box and bright green vintage car, as the duo visits some local haunts including an arcade and the famed ice cream (aka "creme glacée") joint Lois n' Frima's. 'With the music & the visuals, it's always been about telling stories and creating this colorful world for people to get lost in."
Airplane James feat. Jay Worthy - "5FT" [Video]
Los Angeles has long been recognized as a hub of rap talent and it’s no different for rising star Airplane James, who just dropped a new single called “5 FT” featuring Jay Worthy.
The Diamond Lane Music Group rep has a classic LA banger on his hands with “5 FT,” complete with that signature Cali style and sound from both rappers, who make it clear to keep any drama at least five feet away from them.
The song is a preview of things to come on his latest project Plane Conversation, set to drop later this year. The visuals for the project stay true to the city too; taking viewers for a visit through both sides of LA’s infamous gang streets and also includes a cameo from Diamond Lane star Problem.
Toobe Fresco - "Pray" [Video]
"Pray" is the current standout track from Toobe Fresco's new album "Never Better". To commemorate this, Toobe joined band-mate Pearce Gronek and developed an incredibly soulful and reflective acoustic live video for the track.
FVLCRVM - "Words" [Video]
FVLCRVM’s “Hi!” to the world as an extraordinary songwriter & vocalist came as a little surprise to everyone who was solely familiar with his work as a producer & DJ. Picked by Spotify as number 1 for their renowned “Fresh Finds” Playlist, the track went viral in Australia and was soon featured by BBC
Radio 6. This gained the Bratislava based artist immediate attention by tastemakers like Mary Anne Hobs or Machinedrum.
With his brand new video “Words”, FVLCRVM offers a crisp and eloquent take on pop music and provides the viewer with a peak into a mind-blowing version of a gloomy future.
Oscillating between mainstream & underground, between Pop, UK Bass & Future Beats, FVLCRVM is one of the most promising artists to enter the music world in 2018.
King Khali - "Poor Decisions, Good Intentions" [Video]
This song is the basis for King Khali's newest EP release, "Poor Decisions, Good Intentions" on May 25th, 2018.
It tells the story of going to jail, for hitting a lick to pay his sick mother's rent so that she didn't get evicted.
Airplane James feat. Problem - "All Mine" [Video]
Fresh off the release of his last song and video combo, “5 FT”, Airplane James is back at it with a new dual treat called “All Mine” to prove the game is his for the taking.
Armed with a tremendous talent and work ethic to match, Airplane James teamed up with fellow Diamond Lane Music Group star Problem for this catchy confessional, with each MC mixing in clever wordplay and effortless flows over the JB Minor production.
The video further enriches the experience, with both Diamond Lane reps taking viewers along for the ride and pictures their verses paint, complete with a casual “day in the life” Los Angeles setting as the backdrop.
The new song and video are just previews of what’s ahead for Airplane James, who is set to drop his debut project Plane Conversation later this year.