I thought it was about time to do another Discover Weekly post, and as if the music gods knew, my playlist was overflowing with great finds. I noticed great variation in particular, which made me wonder whether somehow this is worked in to the algorithm or it's just coincidence. The balance between hype and chill, electronic and acoustic and happy and sad were all relatively perfect for my taste, so without further ado, let's talk sounds and beats.
#1 Delirious - Kimyan Law Remix - Bcee
Kimyan Law is a 23 year-old producer from Austria, Bcee has been making Drum & Bass since 2002 and is the founder of Spearhead Records. I love DnB but rarely find tracks that I find as fresh as I feel I used to, this definitely breaks that cycle. He's taken a classic DnB formula and remixed it in a way where I feel the original tone of the song is there, but it's dramatically transformed. The beat is erratic and exciting, the sampling creates this chant-like effect and the deep, full sound of the synths used creates antithesis with the sharpness of the drums. It's just nice to listen to, and I can imagine huge aerial shots of oceans, deserts, vast planes of land over the top of it. Bass is heavy, but not overpowering, something I think is cliché and quite boring in this area of music generally. It's certainly not repetitive, so Law has managed to keep it interesting for over five minutes; always a good sign.
#2 Bo & Wing - Maya Jane Coles
Maya Jane Coles is someone I've heard loads about for being up there with London's greatest at the moment but neglected to check out properly. Definitely my loss, as this track from her 2017 album 'Take Flight' is beautiful, and I can't wait to listen to the rest. She's famous for writing, producing, engineering and performing all aspects of the majority of her music, which is an incredible feat in itself. This song is lonely, there's hints of despair and hope intertwined. The slow conga beats and snare with the bass guitar provide a intoxicating base to the sound, and the shrill 8-bit rising patterns and distorted vocals lift this up slightly into the air. It's somewhat thought-provoking, which is hard to explain why when it's just music, no words, but hopefully someone knows what I mean. As we pass into the second half of the song, there's a constant ostinato melody, beautiful in itself, but as the beat shifts several times underneath, you really get carried away with the music, until ultimately you are brought to the end.
#3 We've Been - Frederic Robinson, kordz
Four minutes forty-four of pure bliss. Frederic Robinson is part of Hospital Records, aka 'Med School', where the emphasis is on experimentation, clearly evident in the track. It's a combination of jazz and electronic vibes that I've never heard before, and it's fantastically refreshing. My favourite thing about the track is the seamless transitions between piano and different synthesisers in continuing the rapid-running melody. It summarises the genre-blending nuance that stands behind the track, and combined with the striking bass, it really creates an impact. The music is fast-paced, jumping between sparse and dense textures repeatedly and really keeping you on your toes. If I had to sum it up in one word, I would have to say unpredictable, in the best possible way. Coolest new thing I've heard in a while.
#4 Mood - Lex Amor
North London lyricist Lex Amor brings us 'Mood', which, to be honest, is a mood. The production is simple and effective, just a classic trap beat with constant hi-hat with rolled chords over the top, it's chilled out but it's got an attitude, just like the rap over the top. I love the way her voice sounds so much, it's so LDN and new, kind of gives me looms. vibes too. The lyrics are really what makes the song, they're relatable and raw. The way she spits relays what she's trying to say, it's the swirling pressure of life weighing down on you, all these different factors giving you stress, not giving you a minute to relax.
#5 1st World Tragedy - Connie Constance
Another London WoC artist! There can't be enough to be honest. This is quite different to the above though, more jazz-influenced chill vibes, with a slow break-beat and piano, synth and guitar melodies. Her voice is stunning, slightly husky and so warm, and sounds like it was made to mix in with the other sounds of the instrumentation. The lyrics are a comment on our commercial, superficial and capitalist society. This time it is the words that are thought-provoking, and it's pure poetry. It catches the irony of first-world struggles without trivialising it too much or making people feel bad for complaining, the focus is instead on how we've been influenced to think like this. I'm going to link entirety of the lyrics here, but 'your addiction will cut off your dick soon' is my favourite line - genius! The line the song ends on is impactful, and as the instrumentation has completely dropped out, it leaves it on your mind.
That's all for this week, please check out all the artists and if you know anything important that I have missed out or neglected please let me know and I will include it! Enjoy the tunes x
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