Saxophonist and composer Moni Schönfelder aka MONI LISA and the creative sounddesigner and producer Stephan Fischer aka STEVE Q. present their first single , “FLOW” from their new Album, ‘Sax Sensation’ which will be released later this year.
The Barisax highlights melody and solo with its unmistakable sound. Together with the pointing Hip Hop beats and background groove the formation created a new and exciting listening sensation.
Ireland is a progressive nation when it comes to music and culture in all its art-forms, always ready and willing to welcome independent and alternative artists. This is evident in the high calibre of acts we see on the scene in recent times, unique and exciting musicians, like Dublin-based trio, Tanjier. It's not the first time this talented group have demanded a place as our Pick of the Week, and with the latest tune that they’ve just dropped, it's undoubtedly not the last.
CRAVE was released on 30th January 2019, and upon listening we are once again floored by the seemingly effortless and beautifully natural display of talent that Tanjier consistently bring to the table. What we witness here is a perfectly executed track as it turns full circle, where we visualise the sunrise during the intro while the song builds and progresses and the sunset in the ending as it trails off into our memory.
In keeping with the festival-feel given off by the group’s last tune 'Lights', 'CRAVE' succeeds in launching us into a musical playground where we experience highs and lows, energy and chills, rhythm and blues. The track plays out as a story narrated by a soothing voice with contrastingly angry lyrics, making for a vibe that is both calming and uplifting. Each verse flows perfectly into the next, and the chorus is immediately catchy without being fussy and repetitive.
CRAVE is a pop-synth-experience that is typical of this dynamic group’s polished style, and the clarity and flawlessness with which they deliver it is a true representation of their progression in the Irish music scene.
Written by Aoife Chaney
This Thursday, we are delighted to be able to bring you an exclusive first peak into the first release of Electro-soul artist, ELKAE with her debut single, ‘SOLD’.
ELKAE’s sound is a combination of upbeat electronic rhythms, soulful vocals and undeniable hooks. Even before its release, ‘Sold’ has claimed notable attention from the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) shortlisting the track in the top 10 for the Christie Hennessy Songwriting Competition, as well as SPIN 103.8 tipping ELKAE as their ‘One To Watch’.
In the opening air of the single, Laura Keane aka ELKAE describes the instant attraction between herself and a new flame after their first date together. The girl she is dating hasn’t come out to anyone yet and through an element of secrecy, she feels this instant connection - ‘There’s so much space between us, come closer now there’s no one here to see us’.
As the song unfolds and hits the chorus, now bubbling with musicality, ‘butter me up’ is a metaphor for this girl sweetening and complimenting ELKAE on the most personal part of herself, her music. And with ease, she is sold.
ELKAE celebrates the release of ‘Sold’ with a single launch in The Sound House on Friday, 16th November before joining us later in the month for a set with Oíche at our Ambient, Soul and Electro themed event on Thursday 29th November.
SOLD is a testament to how far Laura Keane has come as a musician, and for ELKAE to have established what is her own unique sound for this debut single. We believe it’s only a tantalising glimpse at what is to come for a promising artist and her career in music.
Written by Emily Shaw
ELLI INGRAM, from gigging in small-town colourful Brighton to rocking a crowd of over 10,000 at Glastonbury, Elli Ingram is making them tidal waves in the music industry, and her time is very much now.
Ingram approaches music with a fearless and fiery attitude, which bursts through in her recorded music and live performance. This week’s Pick of the Week is ‘Sweet and Sour’, a flavoursome tune by the fast emerging young musician AND set to support Tom Grennan in our very own The Academy, Dublin this Saturday, 27th October.
Backed by uplifting beats and joyful melodies, ‘Sweet and Sour’ takes us on an explorative journey through a winding relationship – the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the Sweet and Sour. Elli provokes thought and reflection in her words in a unique way that remains fun and playful throughout and we find ourselves both uplifted by it’s endearing qualities and taken back by the raw honesty. In just one track, she manages to showcase many different angles of her insane talent. We witness an eclectic vocal range and a unique diversity in playing around with it, mixing alternate tones and tempos throughout. Elli delivers maturity and sophistication, while maintaining playful creativity in her craft.
Owning a style which we describe as a modern blend of RnB, soul and jazz, Ingram creates a track that elevates the listener to a higher musical experience, stirring the kind of response every artist aims to achieve in their audience. We listen, we sing, we dance, and we feel.
Written by Aoife Chaney
The summer is well and truly over, but with Tanjier’s new release 'Lights', the sweet festival vibes are still pleasantly lingering. A perfect track to get us over the mid-week hump and reminding us of the raw Irish talent by which we are surrounded, 'Lights' is an exploration of indie pop and electronic melodies that mingle into a magestic track. This year the Dublin-based trio have been selling out shows and making festival debuts, which is why we are buzzed to have them come headline our next event at Bello Bar, Dublin. Their live performance promises to incorporate unique audiovisual and light shows - an onstage spectacle not to be missed. Today we are listening to 'Lights' on repeat and visualising it unfold on the Bello Bar stage on 29th November, and we cannot wait to witness it. It's an exciting time for Tanjier, Oíche, and the future of Irish music.
Written by Aoife Chaney
This week's pick of the week is the love-child of Belgium based duo BLACKWAVE and soul sensation DAVE NGYAH.
ELUSIVE is a relatively unknown and therefore underrated track, and one that caught our attention by flawlessly blending each of our favourite musical genres. Smooth hip hop grooves remain prominent throughout, at times integrated with 90's RnB sounds and at others complemented by a live band of jazz musicians. Light-hearted rap keeps the verses playful, offering an unexpected but welcomed surprise when NGYAH swoops in with a sultry and soulful chorus.
"She took the funk out of my soul My rhythm is bluesin'
I see the moods, that you been swinging over me
Climbing mountains we can climb together
I shed by standing in your way
Or is it the money that I can't pay"
BLACKWAVE, made up of Producer Willem Ardui and rapper Jay Walker, showcase their talent and diversity further in their chilling music video to ELUSIVE. Aesthetically pleasing and inspired by nature, the video features floral wonderlands and sandy beaches occupied by ballet dancers and perfectly orchestrated musicians.
A superb cinematic spectacle to complement a superb track. Check it out here - it'll take the funk right outa your soul.
Written by Aoife Chaney
With the release of their first single ‘Horizon’ back in February of this year, UK soul sensation GEEJAY caught our attention and have held it tightly ever since. Fresh onto the music scene and already boasting supporting gigs with Plan B and Joel Baker (not to mention an unforgettable performance with us at The Soul Tree this Summer), Gina and Jacob are absolutely killing it with their live performances and late-night jam sessions. Their on-stage chemistry is a must-see for all you music lovers, but for now we are happy to introduce you to today’s ‘Pick of the Week’, FLOWERS, which you can feast your ears on without catching a live show.
The track is an innovatively-reworked classic, and the result is a blossoming ballad packed with powerful vocals and vintage melodies. Sweet Female Attitudes ‘Flowers’ is sampled, stripped back and infused with elements of neo-soul, modern jazz and urban hip-hop in a way that only the most talented of musicians know how, and the unique rendition works absolutely perfectly.
Just seconds into the track we are introduced to bouncy beats and old-school intrumentalism that is typical of Jacob’s intriguing style of production. Gina’s vocals are both powerful and beautifully controlled from kick-off and remain so throughout, at times becoming raspy in all the right ways. Catering to a wide audience yet maintaining authenticity, ‘Flowers’ hold a perfect balance between attitude and romance. The combination of lyrics, melodies and vocals are a match made in heaven, highlighting the pairs unique talent and undeniable chemistry.
In ‘Flowers’, the pair work together to create a groove that is unstoppable, and a track that is unmissable. Catch it here
A little over a month ago saw the release of 'Swimming', which would become the last album ever released in the short lifetime of rapper, singer, and record producer Mac Miller. A ground-breaking album and arguably his best one yet, 'Swimming' reveals a vulnerability in Mac which he openly explores through painfully real lyrics and unveiled vocals. The themes we hear throughout are packed full of heartbreak, however the talented young rapper succeeds in delivering every song with a sense of zen that spellbinds his audience, and a cheeky boyish charm that wins our hearts entirely.
In this self-produced final record Mac showcases every angle of his musical talent, with his before-unheard vocals playing as big a part as the spoken prose that kicked off his career in early 2010. Wistful soul sounds echo throughout allowing for easy breathing while funky beats bounce in and out in an attempt to uplift, making the listening experience of 'Swimming' an emotional rollercoaster on which we become warped.
To those who have followed Mac Miller from day one, 'Swimming', although not without sadness, felt undoubtedly like the start of something really special in terms of Millers career. No different to his previous work, the album highlights the well-respected singers amiable dedication to always bettering himself and his music. Now, the album represents a different kind of special.
It represents the successful career of a well-deserving star. It represents the human behind the celebrity. It represents the songs we will always sing and the ones we'll never hear. It represents the legacy left behind by a life cut short, and most of all, it serves as a precious gift to us from an angel flying high.
"Take my time to finish, mind my business
A life ain't a life 'til you live it
I was digging me a hole big enough to bury my soul
Weight of the world, I gotta carry my own
My own, with these songs I can carry you home
I'm right here when you're scared and alone."
Written by Aoife Chaney
