The way we consume music has changed drastically in such a short period of time, looking to the present and future where is it leading us? And what does it mean for rising independent music artists? The majority of us no longer buy CDs or tapes or even listen to LP records where physical sales…
Leading You Out Into The Heavens: Underground gospel sounds
Messages of hope and inspiration lie deeply in Gospel music with strong roots and beginnings in soul, disco, deep house and R&B. The impact of gospel cannot be denied, a stream of music that consistently aims to uplift and evoke pure peace and joy. A propelling sound that is transcendent but grounding, allowing you to…
Best Covers of Classics
Covers can be hit or miss but here’s a selection of some well known song covers with an alternative twist. The beauty lies in the fact that the covers bring out unexpected life from their original, making them unique and treasured. Rose Rouge – Jorja Smith Jorja’s cover of Jazz artist St Germain’s ‘Rose Rouge’…
7 songs to stream this week
Some current tunes of the moment from contemporary R&B to West African sounds of fusion for the listening! Sweating – Alewya Sweating is a dance fusion tune from the Ethiopian/ Egyptian London based artist Alewya. Her first single was released less than 2 weeks ago and already has amassed a number of plays. ‘Sweating’ is…
Black music [the antidote to pain]
‘I know why the caged bird sings’ – Maya Angelou It is time to listen closely, it is time to hear the depths of the music you consume. Providing more than the vibes or the beat. Music acts as a cultural language that explains the black experience, something that was not stolen, so look no…
A MOOD: LIGHTER
In need of a some music that lifts your spirit, when all seems out of control what you have control of is your emotional state. With light we are able to see, know and look upwards to the source, realising that this pillar will never change despite tough times. All the mourning, loneliness and despair…
What makes the Extraordinary
Some of us want to change the world others are alright with the way things are not that any is better than the other, but one leaves a legacy visible to all the world through dedication unreasonable belief when only doubts exist, and new perspective. When you find a common thing and do it in…
A MOOD: Solitude
Time alone with your thoughts can have healthy and unhealthy outcomes, with the physical isolation it is easy to feel for the mind to feel lonely. But this time alone can allow for some solitude, space to positively engage with ourselves and actually provoke you analyse and find balance in life. Solitude can be found…
Music Sampling
‘History doesn’t repeat itself, it often rhymes’ the same can be said with regards to music sampling, taking old songs and mashing them with the new. Like an evolution of sound through recycling. This is the part two of the music sampling posts and will include some more of my favourite tunes and their samples…
Limited Access
Time + money = Access An abundance of time and money are two things lead to unlimited access, they open doors, allow you to be free and enable dreams to become realities. If only it was so simple to acquire a great amount of these resources simultaneously, more often than not, the money is being…
MODES OF EXPRESSION: MUSIC & STYLE
Creative spaces are mediums to be free and let it flow no matter what people think , there is such beauty in presenting your true identity through art, letting those outside have a glimpse into the depths of your mind, creativity and soul. Uncompromised music artists are champions of free expression, they are unafraid of…
VIBE
Vibe – a word that always seems to crop up when describing music, but what does this term really mean? What does it feel like? and how can we explain it? According to many sources ‘vibe’ is interchangeable with ‘energy’ and ‘atmosphere’, something we can’t see but feel instinctively. The reason why ‘vibe’ is hard…
Into the Ritmo Latino
When we think of music it always associated to a place, location and a group of people. This is the first post of my Diasporic Sound series – mapping the influence of the African diaspora. I’ve always been a fan of Latin music from Central to South America where the music originates from three different…
Weekly Vibes
Another instalment of Weekly Vibes, we are back and ready, bringing you a mix of old and new underground sounds. Happy listening! Confessions – Sudan Archives ‘There is a place that I call home But it’s not where I am welcome’ ‘Confessions’ is a beautifully shot video that explores dark yet hopeful themes of duality…
A summer in London Sound:
Remembering you belong and feel at home in a city is so refreshing when you come to revisit it. Home is always home no matter how far you branch out, for myself home is London Town and for every music lover out there it’s the perfect place for experiencing live music/ concerts and events in…
A Mood: Hype chill
Hype chill zone is for songs that mask themselves as mellow tunes but lowkey go hard. These tunes have a lower frequency sound to the hype of the tunes you listen to in the club, that bang better when you’re in the mindset to accomplish everything you set out to do. Whether it be in…
A mood: Lounge Relaxation
With summer coming to an end the feel good chill season is almost over. My Lounge relaxation playlist is for those good moments in the sun, alone time and letting the positivity surround you; reminisce on that event you went to or tune out the noise of the day. With so many things that plague…
What’s special about true artists?
Ever wonder if you are walking on the path you are called to and how to really level up to your own expectations for yourself? Pursuing your dreams involves riding a creative roller coaster in order to make them come alive. If music is sound that feels and something that shapes identity, allow it to…
Unique gems found underground
This is for the budding artists in their early early stages of development who are crafting their sound. Some may only have a couple songs, a small fan base and/or still crafting their own sound but the seeds are sowing. Here are a couple very new/underground unique artists I’ve been listening to of recent, including…
Weekly Vibes
This weekly vibes has an array of fresh finds, to discover and enjoy! A mix of soulful, Afro and alternative hip hop songs you didn’t think you needed but do! A collection of the best of what my playlists looks like at the moment, happy listening. Sandstrom – Mereba ft JID Just fight the feeling,…
Video appreciation post
It’s all about the visuals!! There are some amazing videos out there, pieces of audio-visual art which leave you speechless, in awe and sometimes a little confused. Here are a couple of videos that I was inspired by. Energy – Sampa the great This compelling visual, transports the viewer to Sampa’s creative abyss which celebrates…
A mood: Neo Soul zone
Going to Neo-Soul night at the Jazz Cafe early last week has really re-ignited the spark for the genre, similar to the first time discovered Neo-soul as a young 13 year old. Listening to ‘On & On’ by Erykah Badu on repeat, I cultivated a love for lyricism and spoken truths, different from the hum…
A mood: Early Hip Hop chill zone
Hip hop has taken on many shapes and forms in the last 40 years and we are going back to the early stages of the era with a collection of chill songs and some new tunes that have captured the vibe of a time that went before. These old school tunes never get old for…
Weekly vibes
We are back again with another weekly vibes, this week’s weekly has an array of sounds from the past, present and future all that curate a timeless vibe.
The cure to musical boredom…
Everyone has experienced that time when your favourite songs you would always listen to lose their special spark. Initially the listening experience is amazing, there’s nothing like the feeling of experiencing something for the first time, but as time passes the spark fades away. This effect of musical boredom arises in a number of ways;…
A mood: Study zone
Music for studying is very important to get right, despite the numerous studies that say that music is no benefit when studying, I have to strongly disagree. But, in saying that, you need to listen to the right type of music to be in the mindset to carry out productive work, as loud, fast music…
Music: Political outcry
Music, the human portal of expressing happiness, discontent, fantasy, love ect. For centuries it has been used to express political discontent and motivate change. For a long time, mainstream music has censored the types of songs that address hard topics in fear of sparking debates and uprising, but what type of art form isn’t meant…
Weekly Vibes
Another instalment of my weekly vibes, this week I introduce more new artsists to listen and add to your playlists. All picked from a mix of genres. Another instalment of my weekly vibes, this week I introduce more new artsists to listen and add to your playlists. All picked from a mix of genres.
Remixes that got it right
Remixes, sometimes they can be hit or miss, although when they’re a hit they almost threaten the existence of the original….or sometimes they’re just on par. Here are some of my fav lowkey remixes mostly found on YouTube or SoundCloud. Erykah Badu – Drama (Manuel Ricciardi Deep Mix) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmTpHJ232B8&w=560&h=315] Erykah Badu is up there…
A mood: R&b Day time chill
Let me take you on a journey through my mind With mix of my daytime fav chill R&b tunes, I like to listen to when I have a short break in my day, the smooth vocals and deep beats create a frequency to vibrate to, and chill for a moment.
Weekly vibes
It’s been a while but here we go again with this week’s tunes, this week we have a lot of alternative r&b jams to enjoy and listen to.
The overlooked power of Instrumentals
Just scrolling through a list of my saved songs on Spotify, I realised I have quite a few jazzy instrumentals that I enjoy listening to. For those who find that instrumentals help free thought or prefer background music, I’m here to share some songs which are full of substance without the overlay of lyrics. Sometimes…
Weekly Vibes
Another instalment of my weekly vibes, bringing new and old finds to your ears, happy listening.
A mood: Afro chill
Looking through my music playlists, I have realised that I listen to a lot of chill mood music; however they vary in style and genre and each category has a different chill vibe that essentially help you to relax, focus and wonder at any given moment. I want to walk you through these categories, the…
Weekly Vibes
This week’s weekly has a little Valentine’s day touch, including the usual songs from an array of genres for you keep consuming and exploring your taste in music as I do. Radio (refix) – Masego [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X94mj_SjzDk&w=560&h=315] This refix of Nonso Amadi’s ‘Radio’ displays Masego’s ability to always deliver chill sultry tunes, collaborating with Juls…
Edutainment
Music is a vessel for entertainment, yet also sub/consciously educates us and influences the way we perceive society and our view of the world. Personally, I am very interested in how music makes me feel and the deeper meaning behind the songs I listen to. Now I know not all songs have a deeper meaning…
Weekly Vibes
More of my weekly vibes, this week we have a true mix across an array of genres and times.
Music sampling: Where does it stem from?
Ever listen to a song and hear remnants of another song in it, if the answer is yes, this blog post will take you through couple songs and their samples. Throughout hip hop sampling has always existed, I find it shows how old music continues to live on in newer forms. Also, music sampling displays…
Joey Bada$$
Joey Bada$$ is another underrated rap artist, I was introduced to him through the freestyles he used to do on ‘Sway in the morning’ and ‘Hot 97’, and from there on I saw his true talen. He is a restless advocate for social change, and always conveys his strong sentiments through his music. The album ‘All -Amerikkkan Badass ‘ is a powerful impacting body of art, and as the Joey says himself the album is like ‘vegetables’ good for you, even though hard to swallow.
Weekly Vibes
It’s that time of the week again, tune in to my weekly vibes, including new releases and new finds from a range of genres and moods.
#Alt R&B: ELECTRONIC GIRLS
A collection of female artists in the grey space of alternative r&b with chill, intergalatic and soul vibes. This genre of music shows the future variations of r&b, and its a promising future.
Weekly Vibes
New finds: The second instalment of weekly vibes, this week’s mix is a collection of mostly chilled out songs.
#Neo-soul: Current jams
If you ask me what genre makes me feel good in my soul, it has to be neo soul. The artistic freedom of expression, deeper meaning of songs and conscious driven lyrics in this style of music, is magical. It combines soul with contemporary r&b, which fuses hip hop, jazz and electronic in its current…
Weekly Vibes
New finds: The first instalment of my weekly vibes, keep up with my new finds every week, a mix of everything I like. Freaky – Santi I stumbled over Santi almost by mistake whilst scrolling on YouTube, and was introduced to ‘Alte Cruise’, a new style of alternative Nigerian music and was instantly captured by…
Brent Faiyaz
About the artist: Brent is a relatively new r&b/Soul artist, with a smooth but gritty voice. The Maryland born singer has three incredible EPs ‘A.M Paradox’, ‘Sonder Son’ and ‘Lost’ each which show his growth into one the most underrated top r&b artists today. His songs carry deep meaning that intertwine his outlook on society with…