My Life As Ali Thomas are on the run, Happy Sound lives up to his name, Matthias Zimmermann makes contact, Sègz’ may or may not be making a double entendre — but there’s no mistaking the calibre of today’s submissions from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. You can (and should) visit to my Tinnitist Top 150 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, make some time for these gems:
My Life As Ali Thomas | My Red Golden Sun
HOME BASE: Thailand.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “My Life As Ali Thomas took shape in 2014 when frontwoman Pie joined guitarist Rack and drummer Taw to develop the band’s free-spirited musical style. Not adhering to one set genre, My Life As Ali Thomas blend ambient Brit-rock influences with indie-pop inspirations and Pie’s distinctive folk sensibilities; her soft, yet highly emotive vocal presence and poetic aptitude shining at the heart of every track. Since releasing their debut Paper in 2016, the trio have continued to captivate their fans as they showcase their differentiating and experimental take on creating music. My Life As Ali Thomas explain: “My Red Golden Sun will be the most familiar sounding song for My Life As Ali Thomas fans. It’s our take on campfire folk-rock, talking about old love and moving on. Love, and finding love, is like chasing the sun. We chase it simply because it’s what we do, and though the sun hurts us sometimes, could be disappointing or even bad to us, we must not stop chasing. My Red Golden Sun celebrates old dreams that didn’t come true, and reminds us to dream anew.”
Happy Sound | Cumbia de Aix
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Happy Sound composes feel-good music inspired by movies and TV series. Each of his songs has its own universe and style. Fans consider his music a delight, joyful, often danceable and always fun. In short, Happy Sound makes music for you to have a damn good day. He is based in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France, reflecting the sun and the brightness of his shining folktronica songs. Here is Cumbia de Aix, a cumbión made with Colombian traditional melody, an electronic beat and Spanish rapping.”
Matthias Zimmermann | Kontakt
HOME BASE: Germany.
GENRE: Synth-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Matthias Zimmermann is a Berlin producer whose first album was released in 2016. He has made a name for himself with his unique fusion of war drums, electronic symphonies and natural sounds. To describe Zimmermann’s music is to risk imposing limits to it, especially as he goes beyond them by developing worlds as rich as his musical training, encompassing rap, techno and jungle. The singles from his new EP continue to unveil his wide palette by mixing hip-hop drums, electronic layers and vocal samples. In constant progression and full of subtleties, his pieces are both surprising and haunting. Thanks to the deep and nuanced mixing of the German artist, the listener is propelled into a cosmic journey. By creating a true alchemy between the synthetic and organic melodies he uses, his productions drive us within an irresistible and perfect balance.”
Sègz’ | Dans ta Petite Tête
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Sègzprime is all about sensitivity — emotions mingling with sounds and his body. Then the lyrics surge through this living material, talking about things he has caught and digested as he could. His phanstamagoria may come as a surprise, what with the depth and sometimes the darkness of his lyrics. A mixture of chants from ancient times and lyrics from today, he serves a musical cocktail to be sipped in the blink of an eye.”
Hillhar | The Big Mystery Of Me
HOME BASE: Israel.
GENRE: Electro-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Hillhar are an electro-pop trio that began in 2016 and recently completed a tour of Israel and Europe for their debut album Earthly Divine. Hillhar are Assaf Twina (keyboard, vocals, programming), Louharya (lead singer, keyboards, lyrics) and Dar Bechar (guitars, vocals). “Our new track The Big Mystery Of Me is a contemplative song exploring the realm of dream, reality and the self — which we all had to reevaluate during the past year, spending hours on end alone at home. It invites the listener into a dramatic orchestral journey not unlike a Bond theme, with a mysterious and seductive melody. The video was shot during lockdown as a live session with the Israel Chamber Orchestra.”
Kids Return | Melody (Live Session)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Indie-Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Kids Return is first and foremost a great story of friendship between Adrien Rozé and Clément Savoye. It was in Paris, at the age of 13, that the two musicians met. Like the Takeshi Kitano film which gave them their name, the French duo speak to us about the false naivety of childhood, and the evocative power of nostalgia to blur the line between joy and sadness. Kids Return’s sound falls somewhere between The Mamas and the Papas’ California pop, Vladimir Cosma’s orchestrations and Joe Hisaishi’s soundtracks. It draws on Blur’s energy and MGMT’s vocal harmonies, while revisiting these Anglo-Saxon influences with the precision and delicacy of Air’s arrangements. The result is a romantic and melancholic melody, a laboratory of emotions that can be thought of in pictures. Melody was composed between their small Parisian studio and a house suspended between the mountains of the Pyrenees, produced in a purely organic process.”
Nagoya | Scared Of Your Love
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Nagoya are a French alt-pop band inspired by the sound and visual atmosphere of the night. At the crossroads of organic and electronic music, the four musicians travel between dream and reality to express their feelings and fantasies. Scared Of Your Love is a moving love song. The second single from their debut EP due in May, this love story is about what you feel for someone who doesn’t love you the way you thought. Is it just in your mind or is this real?”
https://youtu.be/h6EpsU-nzmA
EXCLUSIVE: L’Empereur | Corsica Arise (ft. Nico Careddu)
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: EDM.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Corsican DJ and producer L’Empereur specializes in house music and is known for his ability to mix different styles to create unique tunes. He now takes up the challenge of blending electro house and Corsican-inspired music to produce a new style for both chillout and club atmospheres. Corsica Arise featuring Nico Careddu is an audacious mix combining electro-pop house music and the powerful voice of the Corsican singer.”
EXCLUSIVE: Maël Isaac | Venom
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m Maël Isaac, French harpist, singer, composer and producer. I love making fusion music and breaking rules! I think all is possible in music; you just have to be free. Tthat’s all I’m trying to be. A fusion of electro, rap and Asian music, Venom is my new song. Mixing Vietnamese zither, horse riding and electronic experiments, Venom is a sensual and eccentric title between Björk, Kate Bush, M.I.A. and FKA Twigs.”
Jonas Winge Leisner | Sticky
HOME BASE: Denmark.
GENRE: Soul/R&B.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “For more than two decades, Jonas Winge Leisner has been one of the most important voices of Danish soul and R&B, in various constellations and as a solo artist. But up until now, Jonas has not put out a full project in his own name. This changes with the release of the EP Sticky. For lovers of soul, this is everything you could wish for: From classic and sometimes psychedelic ’70s soul to more up-to-date neo-soul and alternative R&B. Real instruments, aong with organic and homegrown production by Swedish multi-instrumentalist Daniel Fridell, who outdoes himself with musical excellence and arrangements that would make D’Angelo or Curtis Mayfield envious. The title track is the first single. It’s a true funk-fest that will make you want to move. It convincingly showcases the soulful sound and wide range of Jonas’ voice, and will leave you hungry for more. It will make you want to dive head first into the honey jar. Bon appétit.”
Lutchamak | James Blitz 007
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Electronica.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “I’m basically a huge music lover without boundaries, so a lot of different kinds of music inspire me. Lutchamak is an electronic music project with very stong techno influences (but not only that). I am back with a new four-track EP Rapscallion. James Blitz 007 is a track which wants to be bouncy and catchy. With its groove at 131 bpm and its heady bass, the song is an invitation to dance.”
Soal | Hue
HOME BASE: Finland.
GENRE: Progressive Metal.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Finland’s Soal make atmospheric music that mostly leans towards metal, with influences from various genres. If you love downtuned riffs, distinctive melodies, guitar solos and a melancholic atmosphere, this is for you! Soal begin a new chapter with the single Hue. While based around modern progressive metal and djent riffs, it also features more ambient sections and shows the influence of modern guitar heroes like Plini.”
Deleo | Reason
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Pop-Rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Deleo are the new darkpop group on the French scene, composed of Denis Navarro, Emy Eris, Romain Viguier and Nicolas Gaeremynck. Emy’s soft and ethereal voice vibrates with sensuality on Nicolas’ delicate guitars. Over the years, their compositions have been enriched with eclectic and electric influences: Radiohead, Placebo, Archive, Interpol, Mogwai, Elbow and many others. It is with generosity that this melancholy quartet offer us panoramic sounds from imaginary landscapes as vast as they are subtle. “Our latest single Reason was taken from our EP Isolated Live, produced by Philippe Uminski.”
https://youtu.be/GXNmdtFHJx4
EXCLUSIVE: Baëbe Ruth | On Me
HOME BASE: Canada.
GENRE: Hip-Hop Soul.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Baëbe Ruth is a 20-year-old Jamaican / Irish / Indigenous singer, songwriter, rapper and poet from Ottawa. “I believe music to be my third language,” she says. “It is inherent to my character and my day-to-day life.” Versatility is a strong suit; she hates to think of herself confined to one genre. She is more than an R&B artist — she can rap, sing blues and jazz, and write for others no matter the genre. “When I was young I had cancer twice,” she reveals. “The doctors told my parents that I only had three months left. My mom was always at my side playing me music and praying. I found a sense of comfort in it. Forward 15 years I’m still on this Earth and very grateful. I wanted to dedicate this song to my mom, who never left me and put me into music. I hope this song will help someone on this planet and show them that anything is possible with faith.”
BlueBeni | Moula Moula
HOME BASE: France.
GENRE: Reggaeton.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “From Metz, BlueBeni is an electronic music artist. Moula Moula is the sound for this summer!”
Alchemy3 | Ride Us Through The Storm
HOME BASE: United Kingdom
GENRE: Indie-rock.
THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: “Alchemy3 are a London collective formed in 2020. The trio — Alice, William and Paul — draw inspiration from decades of musical influence and experience, each bringing their own skills and secrets to craft their alernative indie sound. They moved in together during lockdown in April 2020. After a few nights spent sitting round the kitchen table surrounded by positive vibes and inspiring music, an opportunity presented itself. Paul (producer) always has a new track idea ready in his mind. William (multi-instrumentalist, engineer) brings his technical skills to recording, mixing and production, plus his super-silky skills with a guitar (and any instrument, really). Alice (singer-songwriter), with her lyrically poetic mind, is always ready to write and sing something angelic and inspiring.”
