Mephis 21 is a Renaissance man, Arcadnis stays up late, Baab work behind the scenes, Vndale make a winning move — and they’re just a few of 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 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, spend some quality time with these tracks:
Mephis 21 | Renaissance
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Rock.
THE TRANSLATED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “To carry out this project, I mobilized more than 180 people across 15 countries on five continents. Through this “transmedia” project, I wanted to tell the universe and the story of a fallen angel, by offering a new vision of humanity and its legends. My title Renaissance is a mix between rap, slam and French song, with a “western” sound. It evokes the recovery and conquest of a goal. The clip was worked as a musical short film and presents the multiple “lives” of the character Mephis 21.”
Arcadnis | Sleepless Hearts
HOME BASE: Poland.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I am a Cracow-based singer and songwriter. My music style has developed from a wide range of genres, including electronic, synthwave, new wave, alternative, synth pop, shoegaze, ambient and sadcore. By combining vocals with my own interpretation of electronic and alternative music, along with a neon light-inspired, almost industrial visuals, I try to create a style that is unique and can represent both my personality and feelings. Sleepless Hearts is a downtempo, indie pop/alternative song, inspired by a long, lonely night walk in the middle of a city, lit by neon lights reflecting in the rain puddles. It is a song about missing a still loved one, a feeling that causes a sleepless night to a sleepless heart.”
Baab | Travail Invisible
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Baab is Charles-David Dubé and Mariève Harel-Michon. The project was born from a desire to create spontaneously, without restriction, from diverse and changing materials. Charles-David composes, arranges and produces alternative music with hip-hop and electro influences, on which Mariève interprets her uninhibited texts, mixing nasalized vowels and controlled cries. Musically, Travail invisible is very strong, thanks to the intensity of the song, which is in line with the importance of the lyrics and what it is that they denounce. This single is a humoristic and simplistic presentation of the concept bearing the same name: Invisible work. In a few words, invisible work corresponds to the unpaid work that women do within the family and domestic spheres, but also to the undervalued, precarious and underpaid work that immigrant women, caregivers or sex workers do, among others. It is as much a denunciation of the problem as it is a humble tribute to the female authors who wrote on the subject.”
https://youtu.be/XlbwC23Zr5g
Vndale | Checkmate
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Hard Rock.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Checkmate is the first single from our upcoming EP Quasar Tsunami, to be released this spring.”
Two Sevens | Modern Age
HOME BASE: United Kingdom.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Modern Age is the shiny new single from indie electronic-pop band Two Sevens. Featuring vocalist Sonya (as seen in the film Danish Girl), songwriter/guitarist Matthew and multi-instrumentalist Paul with New Yorker Elizabeth on bass.”
Seleminga | Perle
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Seleminga is a French-Senegalese singer and producer based in Berlin. Mainly influcended by her trips but also the club culture, she is trying to cross all boundaries with her music. The result is a trip-hop experimental project with a smooth touch. Perle aims to be an insidious call to rebellion. The title is a reference to the song Pearl from Sade, to remind us that the exploitation of the African ground and manpower is still a controversial topic.”
Takeyce | Warrior King
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: World.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Takeyce, the Jamaican-Canadian singer-songwriter and daughter of Jamaica’s “queen of Gospel” Claudelle Clarke, has been following in her mother’s footsteps since the age of five. Blending reggae, dancehall, worldbeat, Afrobeat, funk and more, Takeyce users her deep and soulful voice to captivate her listeners. Warrior King takes the listener into a somewhat mythical world where a woman sings about her “warrior king,” a person she relies on in a world full of distractions.”
Mastereiz | The Great Carnival
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I have just launched my fifth album, System Chaos. The album is the result of a long reflection about the chaos in our lives. The normal sequence of any system is to find balance, but we live in a constant battle between what makes sense and what doesn’t. Though we can’t predict the future, we must make sure it works.”
K/Lank | Va Chercher
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “The band was born in Marseille in 2018. Their electro-pop sound features two singers: Marcos and Drine, along with Jef (instruments). It’s French, it’s different, it’s black & white. This EP is black colored; the next will contain more light.”
Ambient Strike | Old Universe
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Folk-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “French adventurers from another dimension offer you a colorful sound. Have a sit and listen to this retro-futuristic trip. This song means a lot to us. It features beautiful vocal harmonies and a poetic text. Let yourself slip into the universe of the mind. You’ll be moved.”
Boorook | Freedom To The People
HOME BASE: Australia.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Boorook is a Kirrae Whurrung, a Gunditjmara Nation song man, lore man, cultural ambassador and educator. Boorook is producing his unique style and sound with attuned healing frequencies which resonate in harmony with the sounds and vibrations of the universe to create balance within the mind, body and soul and to evoke a higher consciousness. Freedom to the People is a song in solidarity with Indigenous movements of the world. This song resonates in 417Hz.”
Roze McQueen | Glass Eyes
HOME BASE: United States.
GENRE: Pop.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Roze McQueen is an American singer-songwriter, now living in Los Angeles, enchanting the world with her smooth vocals. In Glass Eyes, Roze McQueen acknowledges the moment you realize you’ve been lied to by someone who does not care about how you feel.”
Tikom | Gaïa
HOME BASE: Switzerland.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “A radiant electro offering a large spectrum of passionate rhythms, colours, warmth and earthy essences, Gaïa is Tikom’s first creation. Entirely played on xylophone and marimba, Gaïa moves across throbbing basses and a housy beat. The middle part, brighter, lets the auditor have a shiny break.”
Abraham Fogg | The Devil’s Appearance
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “We are Abraham Fogg, an audio/visual duo producing dark films, music and live experiences. For the past two years, we have been working on a “triptycal” project, combining: An album inspired by one of the first horror films in history, blending electronica, techno and chamber music; an A/V live show taking the form of a mystical pagan ceremony; and a collection of short films about modern witches. This whole set is called Blåkulla, from the name of a mythical island in Northern Europe where, each year, the Devil brings together the witches to celebrate the Sabat. The Devil’s Appearance blends a ghostly cello ensemble, brutal analog drum machines and aerial grainy synths into deep, emotional and sometimes aggressive electronica.”
Ucronie | Kaf
HOME BASE: Italy.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Ucronie is a in imaginary soundtrack for an alternative present, a blend of felt piano & cello with gentle electronica. Kaf, a nostalgic slow tempo ballad, is the last of the first 11 tracks of this journey.”
Laye Kouyate | Afrique En Retard
HOME BASE: World.
GENRE: Jazz-Folk.
THE BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “This song question how Africa can be such a rich continent yet still have such poor populations. It is designed to raise awareness of Africans and spark a change of mentality. Believe in a land of new vision for humanity and hope for the world.”
