Dolche mans up, Okapi act chic, Tristan deals five of a kind, Christophe Dupin brings the boogie and more in today’s submissions from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. You can (and should) subscribe to my Tinnitist Groover Top 100 playlist HERE, or you can listen to it via the widget at the lower right of every page on this site. If you want to be in an upcoming playlist, click the link just below the widget or go HERE. Now, let’s make it happen:
Dolche | Big Man
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Dolche is the new project of the Italian/French singer-songwriter Christine Herin, whose musical career boasts five albums and more than 500 concerts around Europe. Descended on Earth from a tiny secluded village of 40 inhabitants among the heights of the Alps, Dolche has an atypical and unique baggage of sounds and images. From Capitol Record Studios to Lebanon and Sweden, Dolche worked on her new album over the last two years, collaborating with top names of the music industry and talented musicians from all over the world. Multi-instrumental and multicultural, Dolche’s music is a dreamy and powerful voyage inside her very personal and unique universe. Her music has often been compared to the works of Feist, Peter Gabriel, Bjork, Joni Mitchell, and Aznavour. The horns and the flower crown she wears on stage are an homage to an image from her childhood when cows, descending from mountain summer pastures, were adorned with flowers and celebrated until nightfall from all the inhabitants of the valley. What would happen if all the ones who feel superior took a DNA test? This is the provocative question Dolche asked her fans when announcing her powerful new song. In the end we are all made of the same imperfect mix of cultures and races. The Big Man she sings about is a symbolic creature incarnating all differences and all outcasts. “All white supremacists, homophobes and fundamentalists will hate this song” she writes in her socials but she declares that her hope is to inspire them to think differently. We all felt excluded, feared, judged or refused for our differences but those are what makes us unique. The human race is in constant evolution. Contamination is what makes us stronger and more beautiful.”
Okapi | Boum Chic
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Reagge-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Okapi was formed in 2016 due to a lack of warmth trying to cope with the Montreal winter. The idea was to assemble an all-star crew dedicated to intertwining Quebec’s “patois” with Caribbean classic sound. Songs and shows piled up quickly. Its new extract Boum Chic offers a short visit to the complex universe of the 21st century. The first radio clip from a second album to be released in September 2020, this song deals with the love-hate relationship between humans and technology. Addressing as much to nostalgics as to futurists, Okapi treats the subject with the lightness that we know it on a dancehall rhythm, where the sounds of bass drum (boom) and snare drum (chic) are very present. The song is also a nod to the Democratic Republic of Congo, country of origin of the group’s emblematic animal and the world’s leading exporter of raw materials essential for the construction of smartphones. An animation video clip by Jérôme Delapierre will offer a visual that will plunge the viewer into a parallel universe whose aesthetics fits very well with the theme. Okapi does not think things were better before, but firmly believes that they could be in the future. Boum Chic is an invitation to refocus on our human nature and get a bit of the virtual to appreciate the natural world around us. In this funny period for humanity, Boum Chic is the ideal remedy!”
Tristan | Ikari / Lifthrasir / Ereb / Euphory / Myriad
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “It was at the age of 30 that Tristan decided to confront his past by writing rap lyrics linked to certain episodes in his life. He realised that confession in his future projects could have a therapeutic impact in the same way as a session in a shrink’s office. Thus Haiti, where he grew up and lived a large part of his life, often remains the theatre of his songs, a setting in which his memories evolve. Now Tristan, after releasing a project Pile ou Face under the artist name Bpl’R, what he now seeks to share in his stories is their authenticity.”
Christophe Dupin | Boogie-Woogie Dancing Girl
HOME BASE: Luxembourg.
GENRE: Jump-Blues.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Christophe Dupin was born in 1970 in Berck-sur-Mer (France) then left for Switzerland at age 3. Plunged from his youngest age in a musical environment (his father, Roland, is known as the “Stradivarius” of the oboe) Christophe went to the Conservatoire of Zürich where he naturally studied the oboe. But while his parental influences were the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Cimarosa, on the record player of the young kid, it was Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and many other big names of the rock ‘n’ roll that turned. In 1982, Christophe had the chance to meet the singer and the guitarist of the group The Steps (Swiss rock and blues band) and decided to study the guitar beside. A few months later, he created the group of rock ‘n’ roll The Billys, playing Swiss and German stages for several years. In 2003, he createed and developed the concept of the Berdorf’s Musical Evenings (grand duchy of Luxembourg), of which he is the artistic director. During a concert given in homage to Mozart — whom Christophe considers the first rock ’n’ roller — he was surrounded with classic musicians who abandoned their instruments for a drum kit and a piano boogie. His first EP Rock ‘n’ Roll Tonight was a great success in 2009. Two of his titles have been included in American and German compilations.”
Monsieur MÂLÂ | Misemo
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The message in this first single could not be clearer: Whoever you are, wherever you come from, wherever you go, dance, let go and put aside your problems. Misemo is the phrase that comes in mind and gives you motivation when it’s needed. According to Monsieur MÂLÂ, this childish melody reminds you of warm nights of celebration. Monsieur MÂLÂ’s members are professional musicians with a strong identity who have collaborated with many international artists such as De La Soul, Mayra Andrade, CHASSOL, Ibrahim Maalouf and China Moses.“
Rissa Boo | Scientifik
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Rissa Boo is a multipotential artist. Writer, rapper, photographer and experienced backpacker. Hailin’ from Paris, he began his activism through graffiti and breakdance before moving to New York City to feel closer to the Hip Hop culture. He started rapping on his first mixtapes while backpacking in South America, Asia and Africa for almost two years — taking photographs from every corner of our planet, meeting people, discovering different cultures and having a blast everywhere he went. After a few years of reflection, he released his first album Heritage To Defend as an independent which he would defend on stage with King Siroko (Zulu Nation), as well as two EPs of which he wrote and interpreted in English, French and Portuguese, crossing varied atmospheres and influences, posing with a theatrical and dynamic flow.”
Bruno Heinen Trio | Homecoming
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Jazz.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Currently professor of jazz piano and composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, Bruno Heinen is a London-based improvising pianist, composer and educator. In 2009 he was nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Composers Award. He has collaborated with artists such as Shabaka Hutchings (Sons of Kemet), Jean Toussaint (The Jazz Messengers), and Heidi Vogel (Cinematic Orchestra) among others. He is about to release his ninth album under his own name, and has had his music played on radio in Italy, Germany, Austria, Canada and the USA. as well as given live broadcasts and interviews. Homecoming is an Original composition from the suite Out of Doors, inspired by Hungarian folk melodies used by Béla Bartók.”
Odreii | Runs In Mi Blood
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born and raised in Montreal, French Canadian/Jamaican singer-songwriter Odreii grew up in a very musical environment. With a father who was the lead singer of a roots and reggae band, an aunt and uncle who played in a French heavy metal band, and a mother who played the best of Stevie Wonder, Tracy Chapman, and Bob Marley day in day out throughout her childhood, Odreii got all the inspiration she needed to create her own world. While living in the U.K. with her father, Odreii taught herself to play guitar so she could perform her original compositions in pubs around London. She released her first EP Runs In Me Blood in 2019. The title single of the EP, produced by Soke from Banx & Ranx, spent more than 42 weeks on the chart of one of the city’s most listened to radio station.”
Aureo | Lady Blue (feat. DaisyParachute)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Jazz-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Aureo is a French beatmaker and producer. If you will mostly find him busy working on records with upcoming artists, he still manages to find time to work on more personal records. Lady Blue tells the story of a day shared with friends and unknowns on a sandy beach. It’s a way to flee from your day-to-day problems. The morning starts with a peaceful chord progression. Then comes the day, with a mellow beat in the refreshing shade of a palm tree. And to end it, trippy chords while watching the sunset. The result of a long-distance collaboration during the French lockdown, our duo of Aureo and DaisyParachute is built on the friendship between two colleagues who later became friends around a common passion for music.”
Toronto Tabla Ensemble | Unexpected Guests
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Indian.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Life’s greatest joys come from its simplest pleasures: Close friends. Great music. New experiences. You’ll find them all — plus plenty of surprises — in Unexpected Guests, the Toronto Tabla Ensemble’s seventh album. That is no accident, says TTE founder Ritesh Das. “This album is a simple one,” states the 62-year-old tabla virtuoso, composer and educator who leads the Juno-nominated ensemble. “Most of the tracks are in very straightforward 4/4 grooves. On our other albums, you had tracks with different time signatures that made it really intellectual and complicated. But I wanted this one to be something that anyone can sit back and listen to.” And he means anyone. Along with delivering their most approachable songs, Unexpected Guests offers their most collaborative work. The album finds TTE hosting a party of visitors: Enter The Haggis bagpiper Craig Downie, Taiko ensemble Nagata Shachu, multi-instrumentalist George Koller, violinist Raaginder Singh Momi, flautist Alysha Addetia, singer Maryem Hassan Tollar and more.”
Gerald The Same 973 | History of Women Hope
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Originally from France, on the Swiss border, I’m an author, composer and performer … I have been looking for myself artistically for a long time, because I am eclectic, but it is rock that makes me vibrate … This title speaks about the Woman and the history of the rights which they still have to acquire, everywhere or the religious, social shackles rage. A message of hope, it is love that will change everything.”
Marcus Dupree | Started
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Soul/R&B.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My name is Marcus Dupree. I am 34 years old and a singer-songwriter from Troy, Ohio. I began writing at the age of 12. My music is inspired by God and real-life experiences. I was given the gift to express my innermost feeling and thought through lyrics and song in order to change people’s lives.”
Déborah Biver | Doudou
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Déborah Biver is a singer-songwriter who made a name for herself in 2018 when she reached the semi-finals of the program La France a un Incroyable Talent. (France’s Got Talent) The young woman, originally from Belgium, lives in Paris and it is the guitar which gradually leads her to singing then to writing and musical creation. Alone on stage with her guitar and her iPad, her songs stand out for their originality and the range of emotions they provide. “I define myself as a French-speaking singer and I reserve the right to be multiple. In all my registers, I look for the beautiful ”. Déborah Biver uses softness as a force of expression.”
Djmastersound | Remember
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Dance-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Nada. Apparently Djmastersound wants his music to do the talking.
