Browsing Tag

songwriter

Omni Optometrist prescribed the antidote to sonic monotony with his jazzy prog-rock track, ‘Converging Forces’

Posted on 17 November 2023

Omni Optometrist’s (AKA Mitch Protheroe) jazzy synth-driven prog-rock-driven soundscapes won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re looking for the antidote to sonic monotony, look no further than his latest Avant Garde orchestration, Converging Forces.

Between the frenetic time signatures which the scintillating symphonic tones weave through, there’s just enough room for star-roving constellations of trip-hop to add to the superlative almost dystopic in nature instrumental score, which adds a touch of interstellar ambience to the release.

Along with Omni Optometrist, Mitch Protheroe’s creativity has known many guises; he started composing under the name Of Keys and Cages in 2008, since then, he has released several jazz fusion records and has only become more ambitious with each subsequent release. After honing his production skills, he’s reworking his old demos and slowly but surely started introducing them to the airwaves from his studio in Florida. If Converging Forces set the standard, we can’t wait to hear what follows.

Converging Forces is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ariana Rodriguez & Guap-O Unstoppable brought luxe grooves to the airwaves with ‘Forever Invited’

Posted on 15 November 2023

With the eclecticism in her discography, there’s no telling what Ariana Rodriguez will pull out of her bag of sonic dynamism next; her collaboration with Guap-O Unstoppable on ‘Forever Invited’ didn’t disappoint. It’s a showstopper of a downtempo vibe-spiller that takes the Jersey club sound to the next level.

After a smooth, steady and syncopated prelude that drenches the listener in atmospheric reverb, the track seamlessly picks up the pace ensuring not a drop of the stylised soul was lost along the way. The way Ariana’s effect-laden vocal lines sink into the glitchy ethereal soundscape is a guaranteed ticket to transcendence; as for the authenticity, you’d be hard-pressed to find another artist as committed to keeping in their distinctive lane, but if you’re a fan of Kate Davies, Ada Lea, and Squirrel Flower, you won’t go far wrong hitting play.

Forever Invited was officially released on November 3rd; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jayacus rose from the ‘Wreckage’ in his indie folk-punk debut

Posted on 26 October 2023

With all the magnetism, poetry, and soul of an acoustic B-side by the Manic Street Preachers and all the brashy folk-punk intimacy of Neutral Milk Hotel, Wreckage is a deeply affecting debut from the UK-based indie folk singer-songwriter, Jayacus.

After living a life of loss, alienation, and despair, Jayacus has finally come into his artistic stride with Wreckage which shares the message of resilience and hope while delivering an affirmation that as long as you are still breathing, you have reason to keep your dreams alive and pursuing what ignites your passion.

Following a stint in hospital, Jayacus picked up his guitar and recorded Wreckage in his bedroom; here’s to hoping the sophomore release is already in the works.

Wreckage was officially released on October 20; stream it on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Let the sun hit with Kristen Beckwith’s soul-affirming release, Hawaii

Posted on 20 October 2023

After a three-year break from her music career, the singer, songwriter, musician, and producer Kristen Beckwith signalled her strident return with her open love letter to the Ocean in her Grammy-worthy soul-pop release, Hawaii.

With the autumnal timing of the sun-worshipping single, which carries *all* the mesmerism of Fast Car, the fondness for tropic climates feels a little bitter-sweet, but in the very same vein, it will instil you with the recent nostalgia for memories made before the cold started to creep in. As you listen to the warmth in her radiant vocal and acoustic guitar melodies, anticipate Polaroids from the past few months to flood to the surface of your consciousness.

Hawaii is the first single to be released from Kristen’s sophomore LP, which was penned following the birth of her child. Don’t wait to put mindfulness and living in the moment more on your New Year’s resolutions; start now with the Salt Lake City songstress’ lyrical and rhythmic enlightenment.

Hawaii hit the airwaves on October 20; get your sun and serotonin fix by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Keli Woods illuminated the keys with enlightenment in his latest piano composition, Skies

Posted on 18 October 2023

Fans of Tom Odell, James Bay and Birdy won’t fail to be consumed by the latest piano composition, Skies, from the UK multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer, Keli Woods.

If his voice accompanied this year’s John Lewis Christmas advert, I wouldn’t be coloured surprised, and that is only the start of the crossover appeal of this sombrely intimate yet juxtaposing strident release, which seamlessly amasses evocative momentum and flair with every intricately laid progression in the epic 6-minute progressive ballad.

Keli Woods’ experience as a monk lent itself effortlessly well to the powerfully metaphorical introspection within Skies. His ability to conjure vivid pictures in the mind with his deeply affecting lyrical prose is second to none. He may have missed out on West End stardom at the age of 11, but all paths, which included performing jazz band in a decommissioned ambulance in Swansea and living the late-night rock ‘n’ roll life, have led him to this point of proving the transformative force of music.

Listen to the live recording of Skies from Real World Studios via YouTube from October 18.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DANIELA revealed her celestial sun-soaked triumph of an electro-swing RnB sophomore single, Che si può fare

Posted on 26 August 2023

After vocal training in Milan with the legendary soprano Annamaria Calciolari and performing in jazz line-ups in the Emirates, the independent singer-songwriter DANIELA graced the UK shores with her talent by moving to London, where she obtained a Masters degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.

With her debut EP in the pipeline, we checked out her RnB sophomore single, Che si può fare and was instantly infatuated by her perceptible deep connection to music, which doesn’t just border on spiritual if the celestial beguile in her melodies is anything to go by.

The vibrant piece of elegant and elevated world music is a rhythmic triumph that shares the warmth of a Sicilian sun-soaked veranda through the instrumental arrangement, which allows the timbre of a finger-picked guitar to take the lead as it effortlessly compliments the harmonies in her beguiling bilingual vocal lines.

Stream Che si può fare on Spotify.

 

Follow DANIELA on Instagram and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rumours have it the sandman entered Nick Cody’s cover of ‘Dreams’

Posted on 25 August 2023
https://soundcloud.com/nickcody1/dreams-for-covers-ep/s-Au2cg99ENJe?si=264125480ef946e897df8b29f6e3ec3a&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

UK singer-songwriter Nick Cody serenaded the iconic single, Dreams, by Fleetwood Mac in his latest release, featuring Towse, Corwin Zekley, and Harry Orme.

The single may only comprise accordant timbres from a resonator guitar, violin strings and dualistic harmonies, but under Cody’s tender duress, the cover became infinitely more than the sum of all parts as Rumours was melodically resurrected as a more intimate serenade.

After releasing five albums under different guises and in other ensembles, Cody has turned his talents to producing a forthcoming mini cover album featuring seminal singles from across the decades, with a little help from revered international artists. If the other fixtures on the mini album carry an ounce of the soul-stirringly sweet beguile of Dreams, Nick Cody will be the orchestrator of one of the most seminal albums of 2023.

Dreams will officially drop on the 25th of August; hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Interview: Kyle Richardson keeps it golden on the heart-wide open chat about his cosy new release Anything

Posted on 18 August 2023

Vancouver-based pop artist and renowned writer Kyle Richardson recently dropped his brand new single Anything and we wanted to know more about it. We sat down with Kyle and learned more about the Canadian music landscape, his career, the creative process, diversity and representation in music, gaming, and his ideal pre-gig routine.

Hi Kyle, thanks so much for blessing us with your valuable time. How is Vancouver today and how do you normally start your day? A cuppa coffee or a long walk? Or straight to the studio for some vocal warm-ups?

Thanks for chatting with me! Today is a very nice, warm summer day here in Vancouver. Usually I sleep pretty late (I’m a night owl), start the day with some form of caffeine, watch some entertainment business related stuff on YouTube, listen to some music, and either chill before heading into my job, or work on some music (either learn a cover song, practice singing something of mine, work on new song ideas).

Anything. This is your hot new single and we love the vibe. Who have you made the track for and what does it all mean to you? Also the video was tremendous. Who was the team behind it all?

Thank you for the kind words! I’m so happy with how Anything turned out.

It’s truly been a labor of love, and time. I wrote the song many years ago before I ever even moved to Vancouver. I had shown collaborators the demo I made at the time, and no one really took the bait in terms of turning it into a full production. Years later, I circled back to the demo and again showed it to collaborators as I still loved the song. This time, producer Jeff Dawson loved the demo and we quickly finished the single version you hear today!

I wrote the song about the belief that small moments of kindness can really make all the difference in your relationships, whether it’s a romantic relationship, or a friendship. It’s also about making sure you take the time to let your loved ones know how much they mean to you.

The video was directed by AJ Astle of Roadhouse Productions in Toronto. It was a really fun day of shooting. We had a very limited window of time to get those beautiful beams of light through the windows you see during the chorus of the song, but I really wanted that bright, ethereal kind of look to bring out the vibe that the choruses are delivering.

Louder Than Words is your debut album that is due to be dropped into our awaiting ears this fall. What can fans expect and what was the process like to create something you’re proud of? It must be quite the journey. What have you learnt along the way?

It was a really fun process to create the album. We really went song by song. I basically had a period of time in which I wanted to commit to writing and recording one song at a time. I really wanted to focus on vocals and melody, and create some beautiful and heartfelt songs to comprise the album. Doing the album one song at a time – and truly taking time with each one to make sure they were perfect – really meant no songs were wasted. We really only wrote and recorded exactly what’s being presented on the album, and towards the end of the process we looked back at some older demos I had worked on throughout the years (for example, Anything, Can You Hear Me, and Keep The Faith were all older songs I had always wanted to do something special with), and filled out the project with the best songs that I had never given proper time to finish and get fully produced.

We see that you love your gaming. What kind of games do you like and which is the best platform, PC, Playstation or XBox?

Honestly I am pretty diverse in terms of which platform I choose to game on, except PC. I’m not really into PC gaming as I’m more of a Mac user. My favorite gaming platform is Nintendo Switch, as I’m a huge Mario junkie. I love basically all the major Nintendo franchises like of course Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Splatoon, Yoshi, and the party games like Mario Kart, Mario Party, and fun stuff like that to play with friends. I do really enjoy Playstation 5 and the Xbox platforms as well for games like the recent (and upcoming) Spider-Man games as I love Marvel comics, also games like Uncharted and Tomb Raider. The Lego games are fun takes on some of my favorite franchises, and the recent Star Wars Jedi games are also incredible and have such good storylines!

What are your top 5 favourite movies ever and why? In any order. You can even sneak in a few more if you like, we don’t mind. 

I love movies. I go to the theatre almost every week and sometimes more than once in a week. So a favorites list is tough! I will say my fave movie trilogy of all time is Back To The Future. I love pretty much the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe and all the older Spider-Man movies (even the infamous Spider-Man 3). I love The Conjuring franchise, even if all the spin-off movies aren’t necessarily as good as the first two original movies. The two Sister Act movies starring Whoopi Goldberg are movies I’ve turned to my entire life as fun, musical, escapist movies and I probably watch them both once a year when I need a good cheer-up.

Carly Rae Jepsen, DYLN, and Garrett Neiles. You’ve written songs for these outstanding artists. What makes a great hit song and what does it feel like when one of the songs you write makes it onto TV or into the mainstream so successfully? It must make all the hard work worth it surely? How do you stay humble throughout this discovery?

Well in terms of Carly Rae Jepsen and DYLN,I wrote songs with them that were intended to be released by me! These two songs haven’t ever seen the light of day as fully-finished tracks but never say never. I was writing with a lot of artists to get a better grip on who I am myself as an artist, and collaboration is such a good chance to really see what works and what doesn’t work. I did write a song with Jeff Dawson and Garrett Neiles for Garrett’s project, and I am not sure if he’s recorded the tune yet, but it was a lovely ballad as he wanted to write a more emotional song.

It’s really cool when I see a song I’ve been a part of get picked up for a placement on a TV show, it really does give a sense of being on the right track, and it makes me want to create more songs that are even better and can have an even broader scope to reach more people! Creating a hit song is not something that can always be planned. I find I just want to create something honest and fun that I would want to listen to myself, and see how that can resonate with others.

Lastly, how do you feel the music industry can be better with diversity and representation in the industry? Also, does Ai music scare you and do you feel it threatens the long-term future of musicians?

The music industry, and any industry whether creative or otherwise, can only be improved with more diversity and inclusiveness for all people. Everyone has a different background, a different story, and a different perspective. I think everyone wants to feel represented in the media they consume, and I think the more diverse that art and media gets, the more potential audience it can reach. I am not sure how I feel about AI music, I think the human touch and perspective, and talent is important to create something emotional that will have a better chance of really connecting with an audience.

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Check out this fine new single on YouTube.

See more of this journey on IG.

Interviewed by Llewelyn Screen

JxPrezzo – A New Home: A Scintillating Exploration of Rebirth

Posted on 7 August 2023

With a touch of the more sombre scores found on the Westworld OSTs and lashings of orchestral beguile, JxPrezzo’s latest ethereal piano composition, A New Home, is a scintillating exploration of rebirth and a reconnection to security.

Four years after finding the inspiration to orchestrate his own compositions upon hearing the piano accompaniment to Echoes of Silence by the Weeknd, the solo artist released his debut score, A Year Later, in 2019.

By exploring his emotions through his always visceral minor-key melodies, each of his elevated works carries the cinematic gravitas of a composer who has dedicated their life to the craft. If you told me he graduated with honours from Julliard or The Royal Academy of Music, I wouldn’t think twice. He doesn’t just hold a candle to Nils Frahm and Philip Glass, he’s equally as luminary and eloquent in his melodies.

A New Home was added to JxPrezzo’s discography on the 7th of July; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dorset’s Nick Capaldi composed a folky odyssey with his single, Sunnies and Guitars

Posted on 6 August 2023

Singer-songwriter, Nick Capaldi, gave his folky odyssey of a fourth LP, You and all the Seasons, one of the tenderest touches we’ve been melodically caressed with in a long time.

The standout single, Sunnies and Guitars, is a sun-soaked celebration of the simplest pleasures in life; the stringed and lensed objects of every man, woman and dog’s burning desire become an abstract lyrical theme as the sonics find themselves in the cosmic middle ground between The Flaming Lips and Neil Young.

With touches of twangy Americana entwined into the spacy layers of the blissfully nostalgic serenade, Nick Capaldi didn’t stop at scribing his signature sound into the single, he projected his interstellar air into an atmosphere that seems far too celestial to solely belong to Earth’s orbit.

Steam You and all the Seasons by heading over to Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast