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“...while the group make much of this being a 'new era' there are still plenty of moments that conjure nostalgic, dreamy biss.” - MOJO
"The album brings us back to their sun-kissed California psych sounds once again, but this time with equal twists of clipped electronica and field recordings" - LOUDER THAN WAR
"embraces the pugnacious monotony of late ‘80s Lou Reed ... and reassures that they have not altogether lost interest in sun-splashed psychedelia" - UNCUT
“Surreal” - MXDWN
Los Angeles-based Allah-Las have dropped “Dust,” the latest single off their much-anticipated album, Zuma 85, being released on October 13. With an ear-worm fusion of psychedelic rock, jangly guitars, and progressive rock, “Dust” exemplifies the new direction the band have taking on the LP as they depart the familiar beachy territory for off the map expanses, embracing the influence of late-era Lou Reed and John Cale, ‘70s mutant pop, and textures borrowed from Japanese pop and loner-folk obscurities. Allah-las tapped frequent collaborator Bailey Elder to craft her visual interpretation of the song. With her signature animation style, she captures the cosmic and transitory nature of the track with a mesmerizing procession of patterns, shapes and designs that morph and melt into one another in a choreographed dance through space and time. Of “Dust’ the band say, ‘the song turns the lens onto the past and the path that must be taken to achieve a desired outcome. A crisp high hat clicks along in perfect time, driving a soft but certain vocal atop a bed of undulating synthesizers, leading us comfortably along before the chorus hits, punctuated by harpsichord hits and tambourines that crash against the otherwise soothing soundscape. A fuzzed and bowed guitar solo leads us out into the place we had hoped to be.”
"Dreams 1000000 (angelfire remix) "infuses pulsating techno energy into the divine melancholy of the original. It highlights the natural progression of growth: pain < acceptance < strength.
"Dreams 1000000" is from JIMMY EDGAR's acclaimed 2022 release, LIQUIDS HEAVEN.
Second-generation Jamaican, Floridian rapper Wahid shares his new single “WILT” (Feat. Karen Ellis). “WILT” is a monstrous boom bap jaunt with a dexterous and poignant flow documenting a tough period in the rapper's life.
Through Wahid’s sonic storytelling he refuses to submit to negativity and fatalism. His hip-hop collective had just wrapped their first national tour. Their DMs were flooded with A&Rs offering deals and producers looking to collaborate. One major label president – who had signed some of the biggest artists of the last quarter-century – told them that they were on the path to becoming global superstars. Then the group split up. It was over before it even began.
The ensuing depression was all-consuming. There were days where Wahid didn’t budge from bed, drawing the blinds closed, and numbing the wounds with bottle after bottle of liquor. Despite his best efforts to salvage the wreckage, none of his attempts yielded anything positive. But through the duress, he discovered his inner resilience and perseverance.
If you’re looking for comparisons, let’s start with if Black Thought was born two decades later and raised in Central Florida by a Jamaican DJ father who raised his progeny on a booming system of rocksteady, dancehall and reggae dubplates. As a teenager in the late 00s, his older brother exposed him to the classics of hip-hop’s second Golden Age. As Wahid describes it: “Nas made me want to rap, listening to the GZA’s Liquid Swords made me good at it, and Black Thought helped me refine my skills.”
But what makes Wahid sui generis is his gift for merging classic MC traditions with forward-thinking cadences and melodies. In his double-time acrobatic flows, he’s distinctly post-Kendrick Lamar, and Lil Wayne – blessed with a novelist’s eye for minor detail and a virtuoso’s gift for ransacking hidden pockets of a beat. He can turn a warped post-Dilla instrumental to ashes with 16 bars and croon a plaintive falsetto wail on the hook that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Jeremih album or sounding like a lost fifth member of TDE’s Black Hippy Crew which is no coincidence as 'WILT' was inspired by the flows Wahid heard on Isaiah Rashad’s ‘House is Burning’ album as he wanted to emulate those cadences plus the carefree vibe.
Out now - - ‘Inside’ is the debut solo album from Kiwi composer, producer, mixing engineer, and multi-instrumentalist Serebii. Having mostly worked on collaborative projects in the past, the record reflects his innate connection with music as a vehicle for communication and expression. For Serebii, ‘Inside’ is an introspective body of work and an invitation for listeners to take a glimpse inside the artist’s musical prowess. Written, recorded, and mixed himself in 2022, it was birthed between the artist’s home studio in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and his travels in Germany. Beginning with a series of groove-ridden upbeat tracks, the album effortlessly transitions into slower, longer, and textured offerings, Serebii’s smooth vocals taking the listener on a journey into the depths of his song writing.
Serebii resides in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa (Auckland, New Zealand,) and nspired by the Japanese concept of Komorebi 木漏れ日 which encapsulates sunlight leaking through trees, Serebii is a portmanteau that embodies the essence of serenity. For the artist the intention of this alias is to conjure up a feeling that represents the glistening light dancing in nature’s seasonal cycles through his musical offerings. In blending elements of meditative sounds, soul, folk, electronic and R&B, Serebii generates a production that invites listeners to a soundscape where they have the freedom to shape what the mix reflects to them. By centring dance and the sensuous physicality of movement, the composer considers the role that sonic sound plays in creating an experience that belongs to the listener. Whereby they can get lost in a world of their creation. Primarily known for his unique and creative production style, Serebii has worked alongside artists such as Leisure and Ayaluna. He has played the festival and touring circuits in New Zealand including opening for Moonchild & Allen Stone. In 2021 and 2022 he released collaborations with long-time friend and co-producer Arjuna Oakes through LA-based record label Innovative Leisure (BADBADNOTGOOD, Allah-Las). Their 2021 release ‘First Nights’ debuted at #5 on KCRW's top 30 Albums chart and has had extensive play on BBC6 and BBC1xtra.
By producing ‘Inside’, Serebii creates an oeuvre that intends to be a space holder for the experiences and moments listeners flow through. His provocation is for listeners to feel the expansiveness of the contours of their body as they move to the album’s chords, melodies, and tones, feeling into the power of their personal truth and connection to the sonic vibrations. Set for release on September 15th via Innovative Leisure, ‘Inside’ is a deeply personal debut packing an emotional punch.
Deep from the heart of Southern California's music scene emerges Charlie Vettuno, a dynamic Pop/Hip-Hop/Dance duo that's been making waves with their enigmatic sound. These two brothers have been on a relentless journey of musical exploration, blending influences from Soul, Rap, Electronic, Alternative, and Pop genres to create their unique sonic tapestry & draw inspiration from iconic producers like Timbaland, The Neptunes, and the legendary Missy Elliot, Charlie Vettuno has emerged as a formidable force in the world of house music.
Charlie Vettuno's signature style has earned them praise from notable publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine and leading them to work with the likes of Raphael Saadiq & Ari Lennox alongside their music being featured in Amazon's Harlem Series.
"French Toast" features the sultry sounds of Chante' Love Song as Charlie’s new muse pushes him to explore intimacy in a way he never imagined.