As travel plans are interrupted indefinitely, a part of me worries about the future of experiencing night life. Electronic Music has seen a shift in its audience over the past few years, the kids growing up by the computer are experiencing the music differently.
Our commercialised society takes advantage of the genre, plucking up tracks for syncing opportunities to advertise everything from gym memberships to the newest fast fashion brands. For 30 seconds a track is used at the start of a YouTube video, pitched as nothing more than an 'uplifting beat' to capture the viewers attention. The juxtaposition between this and real nightlife is unmatched. The club is a place where stress is left at the entrance, taken in by the 4/4 kicks, the kids on drugs with shades to cover the fact that their pupils are double the size, the strobe lights that enhance the euphoria we feel.
Sat alone in a bedroom at 1am is some kid on their gaming chair, headphones on, with the 'Gaming Playlist' on shuffle. To me this is the complete opposite of the club life - but to those of this era; this is all there is. If/when we go back to normality I can't help but wonder what night life will have become. The pandemic has hit clubs hard with the closure of thousands of iconic venues, forced into bankruptcy if they don't stay afloat by adapting. I hope sometime next year clubs around the world will be scheduled to open again and those with their 18th/21st birthday's last year get to experience the wonders of alcohol, loud music, drugs and sweaty bodies.
Let's get into this weeks Playlist tracks.
[From left, Masha Zicer, FEYI, Kevinho & GALAFUNK]
Ch!mes & GEOVANNI - Mingle
The intro to Mingle sets the track up for greatness and it does not disappoint. In just 1 minute and 55 seconds Ch!mes has you hooked on his production ability. Taken influence from typical Trap rhythms, the beat maker experiments with a multitude of different samples and sounds, creating an urban future scape of sonics.
Florida-native GEOVANNI joins the UK producer to provide the vocals. He bounces through a cocky verse and hook, backed by the bells that are crafted bar for bar. There's something really refreshing about the use of these sounds.
Mingle is out now on all platforms.
Feyi - Toxic
Nigerian-American artist Feyi comes in strong with the single Toxic. Dripped in confidence, the fierce lyrics touch on themes of self-awareness in a relationship and toxicity. Her attitude on the track draws striking comparisons to that of Lil' Kim or Rihanna, solidifying herself as an Artist with a stronger message than heartbreak and passiveness. Born in Dublin to parents originally from Nigeria, she moved to Indiana at just a year old, her vocal tone ranges from the raspy verses to the almost emo shouty ad-libs of the chorus.
The instrumental is loaded with heavy Trap influence, clean 808's and a drowned filtered vocal sample that compliments FEYI's vocals perfectly.
Toxic is available now on all platforms.
This week I've come across some real gems, thanks to submithub.com's 'Hot or Not' section, whereby artists can upload their songs to be rated by other artists who want their songs rated.
Masha Zicer & Zahozhiy - Watch Me Go
Stumbling across this song through Hot or Not was a great experience. The one thing that stands out the most here is composition and arrangement. Playing at just 3 minutes 5 seconds, the track seems to recall an entire different universe to get lost in and all too soon the song has finished and you're replaying it again. Masha Zicer is an Israeli singer and songwriter - her blissful vocals stun on this track, accompanied by the futuristic production of Russian Zahozhiy, the pair's dynamic is undeniable.
A whirling vocal sample sits underneath drum patterns from Lo-fi all the way to straight Trap. But for me the most beautiful part appears halfway through - the track completely cuts out to what sounds like a train station announcement, only to re-introduce the chorus, followed by a breathtaking acapella in Russian. Upon translation of the lyrics I can tell you the words are just as beautiful as they sound.
Support the track on Bandcamp here.
GALAFUNK - Yuhoho
Swedish Future House producer GALAFUNK has returned after a killer 2020, with the anthemic Yuhoho a floor filler with an insanely catchy hook. It's one repeated line marches through some incredible percussion and groovy deep synths. The track captures the Future House moment perfectly, incorporating Blade Runner sized synths together, weaving in and out of the drops and rises all the way through the song.
Yuhoho is out now on Future House Cloud Record Group.
MC Kevinho, Tainá Costa & Mad Dogz - Desce com Pressão
This is one of the best Rave meets Funk tracks I've heard so far. Kevinho (if you don't know) has been on top of the Brazilian Funk game consecutively for the past 4 years, his video for Olha A Explosão is part of the exclusive 1b views club on YouTube. However, as is far too common in the Brazilian market, his music has never reached outside his home Country.
Despite attempts of collaborations with Mainstream US artists, like 2 Chainz, French Montana & Tyga, the world isn't quite ready for a Portuguese smash yet. On this track Kevinho does what he does best, fluctuating between melodic tones and instructional chants. The beat however is far from traditional. Mad Dogz revive the EDM soul of early Sweedish House Mafia and David Guetta at their peaks - all mixed in with 130bpm funk elements. For the Konzilla Killer, In the words of Kevinho himself, 'É hit!'.
As always the full Playlist is available to stream on Spotify here:
This week we have an exclusive interview with Nenci, a review of Nolay's new EP and another playlist round-up for Songs To Think To. So make sure to check back for some more unheard music.
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