‘aerosol’ heralds new album from georgia anne muldrow
Over the last few years, the Los Angeles cosmic soul and jazz goddess Georgia Anne Muldrow has spent more time in collaboration mode and producing other artists, than finishing up her own projects. Which is fine and all, since the heavy load of ideas and love that the 35-year-old singer/producer/thinker/multi-instrumentalist brings to music is exactly what this world needs. Now though, the wait for a batch of new music from her is almost over.
With the release of “Aerosol” comes word that on October 26, 2018, Muldrow will finally be dropping a new album, Overload, on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. If “Aerosol” is any indication, Overload may finally be an opportunity for a broader audience to catch-up with those of us who’ve long held Muldrow in such high regards—a fan club that includes Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Ali Shaheed Mohammed, Aloe Blacc (who executive produced the new album) and on and on.
Muldrow calls Overload “an experiment in restraint. I pack myself into something as clear as possible with the help of gifted artists from all over the world. The live show is an experiment in interpretation. That’s when [my band] The Righteous and I unpack into a joyful noise. Both of these dynamics have been striving to balance themselves within me since birth… since wanting to record anything. And by the grace of patience, discipline and devotion, a sweet spot has started to appear.”
“Aerosol” is definitely part of that “sweet spot.” It is a slow-motion synthetic funk roller, co-produced by two relative newcomers, Manila-to-New York transplant Lustbass and Rotterdam’s Moods, with a poetic lyric about how the sights, sounds and tastes of a neighborhood strip (one can glean plenty of LA) become a jump-off for the creative imagination. It’s simultaneously gorgeous and off-handedly poignant, but banging all the way home.
mysterious songstress h.e.r peels back the layers in magnetic new ep ‘i used to know her: the prelude’
H.E.R may be shrouded in a cloud of intrigue but every new release feels like a peeling back of a new layer of the songstress’s musical offering. Her latest EP, ‘I Used to Know Her: The Prelude’ is a 6-track build-up to the singer’s debut album. H.E.R has managed to carve her own piece of sultry paradise in modern R&B yet her latest offering reveals more of her influences while still maintaining ethereal vocals and a solid production.
The EP opens up with ‘Lost Soul’, a spoken-word rendition of 90s favorite, ‘Lost Ones’ by Lauryn Hill. The singer is making it known that she’s got some things to say, coming out guns blazing with the line “Confusing self-conscious with self-confidence,” going to town on toxic-masculinity while propping up women empowerment. As much as the track is a slight departure from H.E.R’s primarily vocal offering, the rhythm of her rapping paired with the chopped and screwed Blues guitar riff feels right at home in her discography.
H.E.R sprinkles spoken word sermons throughout the EP, interspersed with the kind of songs with smooth backing vocals and a seductive beat that had us falling in love with H.E.R from the beginning. The last few seconds of ‘Against Me’ offer pearls like ‘Intuition can see through elusive intent. Listen to it,” forcing us to not gloss over her poignant lyrical content when we get transported by her luring vocals. ‘Could’ve Been’ is a distinct H.E.R track featuring Trap Soul prince Bryson Tiller, delivering alluring layered vocals undergirded by a simple yet effective beat.
H.E.R gives us an EP that consists of the essential sound that brought her onto our radars, but what it also does is eloquently introduce us to a part of the songstress that feels like it’s been there all along. She manages to make her listener experience feel familiar and brand new all at the same time, which is why we will stan forever.
H.E.R will be performing at AFROPUNK Brooklyn (which is in just under 3 weeks yasss) so if you haven’t gotten your tickets already then i’m sorry beloved.
rocker twin shadow croons his way into our hearts performing single ‘saturday’ live
Indie-pop crooner Twin Shadow (real name George Lewis Jr) took to the Conan (O’Brien) stage on Tuesday to perform his newest single ‘Saturday’ off his latest LP ‘Caer’. ‘Saturday’ is co-written by fellow Indie-Pop rockers HAIM. ‘Saturday’ is one of two new songs on the ‘Caer’, the other being ‘Little Woman’. See Twin Shadow perform live this summer at AFROPUNK Brooklyn.
When speaking to Pitchfork about what inspired the LP, Lewis said , “The patriarchy is falling apart. Our perceptions of who we are as human beings, because of technology and machines, are falling apart. We’re living at a breaking point, and a lot of the themes on the album are talking about these fault lines.”
Twin Shadow is performing at AFROPUNK Brooklyn on August 26th and kicking off his US tour.
Watch performance below.
lose yourself in trip-hop/electro-soul band ghost & the city’s ‘time ep’ album
Anchored by standout-single “N.W.T.A.” Ghost & the City’s Time EP, is the kind of record that begs to be listened to on headphones. It’s a richly textured landscape buoyed by Kia Fay’s haunted hooks. Songs like “Steady Trippin” and “Run Run” find weight in the band’s deft arrangements and Fay’s evocative voice. The centerpiece though is their unexpected cover of Bobby Womack’s “Please Forgive My Heart,” which takes a cut from the soul legend and transforms it into the band’s own sound. The Time EP is the kind of record you ca get lost in for days.
kelela’s dope sims-inspired animated video shows how to dump your toxic boyfriend
“It’s about leaving your ex with the wind in your hair while acknowledging a curiously complex feeling of pain that he has left you for a white woman”, Kelela told Rolling Stone about her new ‘Frontline’ video. She developed the clip’s concept with Mischa Notcutt; animation and visual effects by Claudia Matè.
alt-r&b singer mélat digs deep on her massive collaboration with jansport j ‘move me ii: the present’
The best artistic collaborations are the ones that are bigger than the sum of their parts, where the collaborators don’t just work well together, but bring out the best in each other. That’s definitely the case with alt R&B singer Mélat and producer Jansport J. On their latest collaboration, the unwieldily titled Move Me II: The Present, the two are like raspberries and chocolate. Or french fries and chocolate. Or anything and chocolate. Mélat’s melting soprano swirls around J’s beats, each taking turns pulling focus.
The record is rich in hooks and textures. Whether singing about some late night regrets (“4AM, Call Me I’m Up”), a new boy (“Beautiful Black Boy”), or police violence (“Worries (Revelation 8:3)”), the duo digs deep. Jansport J’s sun-stained soul samples keep Mélat’s soaring voice grounded while giving her room to fly when the song calls for it. Nodding to MC Lyte’s classic “Lyte as a Rock,” the closer “Too Good To Last,” saves the biggest hooks and most inventive beat for last. With a sober eye towards a relationship, Mélat recognizes that the best things may not be meant to last, but that’s no reason not to love it while it’s here.
the black experience is like a one-way relationship in chillwave r&b artist kwaye’s latest single “lost in my boots”
Many have explored how the Black American experience has many parallels to an abusive relationship. Now, chillwave R&B artist KWAYE has brought this theory to the music studio, releasing a gorgeous song that at first glance appears to be a haunting exploration of relationship woes, but is also an ode to the experiences of Black people.
“’Lost in My Boots’ came to me at point where I was losing faith in my relationship, and fearing the worst,” KWAYE explained. “I in turn placed myself in my partners shoes. I imagined the hurt, the betrayal, and the heartbreak they would feel if I was to end it all, and the strength and perseverance I believed they would have to get through it all. The song is also a lyrical ode to the African American experience, better days that have been promised and broken throughout history, plus the strength and excellence in spite of these adversities.”
The Zimbabwe-born, London-raised KWAYE originally caught our attention with his first two singles Cool Kids” and “Little Ones“, and with “Lost in My Boots” he proves that his talent is no aberration. Sporting a infectious melody that shows off the 23-year-old’s impressive range, “Lost in My Boots” is both a musical and philosophical accomplishment worthy of praise.
You can also check out the artists latest video for the track “Jasmine” below!
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