The Reytons are red hot, Indigo continue to evolve, Singa is one of a kind, Cosmopolis go the distance 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. But first, get ready to greet today’s international arrivals:
The Reytons | Red Smoke
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Indie-Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The Reytons have quickly risen from hometown heroes to a regionally renowned indie-rock outfit, selling out all their hometown shows to date (their latest being a whopping 2,100 capacity at O2 Academy). Their new single is a pressure can of excitement and rebellion, with driving guitars and uncompromising vocals fuelling the song’s captivating melodies and lyricism. Written during lockdown, Red Smoke entrances its listener with a storm of fiery emotion and tribal intensity. The track’s underlying narrative is a war cry to their fans urging them to prepare for the ever-anticipated return to live shows. Undoubtedly their biggest track to date, Red Smoke entices you into the band’s grasp.”
Indigo | Darwin
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Darwin is Indigo’s second single from the opening chapter of The Distance — a collection of three EPs intended to form a full album influenced by the ’90s rock of Pavement, Sonic Youth, Nirvana and Oasis while still anchored in its own time. Its general theme is resilience. A theme which depicts the journey of Tristan, leader of the band, and which (surprisingly) echoes with this very special 2020. Indigo released their first single the day the first quarantine was announced — their release party in Paris was canceled — and now Darwin has been released during confinement. Never mind; these three musicians never give up and know how to adapt and take advantage of the situation! Their animated music video by Trippie Steff features the salamander from the artwork cover, a metaphor inspired by Darwin’s theory of evolution.”
Singa | Harley Quinn
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Singa is a 23-year-old rapper from Lille, France. With a father who’s a jazz keyboardist and a mother who loves Rumba, he has been immersed in ’60s Afro-American culture (Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk) and world music (Youssou N’Dour, Salif Keita) since he was a child. During his teenage years, he played drums and percussion and then discovered a real passion for rap. In 2016, he set up a home studio in the garage to record his first demos. His first 12-track studio project Penrose was born in November 2019. Mixing catchy choruses and Ego Trip lyrics, it reveals the artist’s introspective landscape, laying bare loves and sorrows. Singa’s singularity lies in his ability to vary styles.”
Cosmopolis | The Distances
HOME BASE: Belgium.
GENRE: Art-Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Cosmopolis are a new kind of group — an international music collective. Inspired by the European literary magazine of the same name published in London, Paris, Berlin and St Petersburg during the 1890s, Cosmopolis are built around a core of three musicians from Australia, England and Belgium. The music is recorded in multiple locations around the world and is arranged, mixed and mastered in the cloud. The Distances is their brilliant new single. It has a claustrophobic, menacing feel, perfect for the disconcerting COVID times we are living through. This particular track is very atmospheric and with additional potential as a soundtrack.”
Franck Dansaert | Wolfgang
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Opera.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born in Paris, I started composition and improvisation at the Piano at the age of 13. Very recently, I learned symphonic composition after intensive training in harmony, counterpoint and orchestration. My recent compositions are in a mostly classical register with excursions into pop-rock music or movie music. My musical tastes are very wide.”
NVH | Qyeap
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rap.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Driven by minimalist production, Qyeap tells the story of the difficulty we have in giving up our feelings in order to detach from certain toxic relationships. Thomas NVH (or NVH, for short) and Krusty are the songwriters and performers of this title. We are two emerging artists from the Paris region.”
Ludo Kodo | Harakiri
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Classical.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I live in Dunkirk, in northern France, where I studied music theory and violin from childhood. I don’t have a pretension to become a great producer. All I want is for someone on the other side of the world to listen to my music and feel their emotions. Harakiri sounds like Japanese melody.”
Too Many Kids | Show Me How You Dance
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “It all started with the simple desire to play music, share a good bottle of wine and clear your mind after a week of hard work. Michaël, Matthias (ex-Crashlanding) and bassist Phil (ex-While I Bounce) are a new French alternative rock band with a big pop-punk influence. They just released our first self-produced five-track EP.”
L.L. Sounds | Wing Beats
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Orchestral.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a French composer living in Rouen, Normandie. I am versatile in various music genres, mainly orchestral music with hybrid colors and textures coming from electronic and ethnic sounds. Wing Beats is one on my compositions which mixes orchestral instruments with ethnic instruments.”
Myyora | Good Times (Acoustic Piano)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Soul-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Born in London with roots in France, The Congo and England, Myyora is full of quiet contradictions. She splits her time between edgy urban London and an eco-friendly garden centre in Provence, getting her manicured nails dirty in the earth. Music has forever been the essence of her life. A songstress of the soul, Myyora blends the different musical aspects of her mixed heritage and travel experiences, creating poetic, nature-inspired music and reverberating dance numbers, subtly traversing genres as she goes.”
Sarrazy Rochelle | What Goes Away Slowly
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE TRANSLATED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Sarrazy Rochelle are a duo of musicians very influenced by poetry, cinema, literature, painting. They produce music on the borders of jazz, song, pop and electro. What Goes Away Slowly was written in collaboration with John Greaves, an avant-garde English musician, bassist and singer-songwriter well known for his role in Henry Cow. This track will be released on the LP Qui C’est Va Un Peu, which brings together other collaborations and will be released on Dec. 4.”
