Tag music blogs africa

Synth pop and Independent electro dance pioneers N2BLÜ return with a hot, warm and strong new single entitled ‘Phoenix Heart’.

‘Phoenix Heart’ delivers a strong personal message of strength and resilience through hard times and pain.

We asked Jonathan Arceneaux what the song was about and he said ”

‘Phoenix Heart’ is a very personal song for me. I’ve always identified with the legend of the Phoenix in that I have had to start over many times in my life, picking myself up from the proverbial “ashes” and move forward to the next chapter. It takes an incredible amount of strength and will to keep going after we’ve been knocked down in this life and we all have to have a Phoenix Heart to survive it. This song is dedicated to all of those who don’t give up and don’t quit, no matter what.

Born in New Orleans, Jonathan Arceneaux started singing not long after he learned to talk and hasn’t stopped singing since!

At a very young age Jonathan began his career as a singer in a church choir and started taking voice lessons in both classical and musical theatre styles. During his High School years in Baton Rouge, LA, Jonathan continued singing in the choir and participated in several musical theatre productions.

He also started to tap into his writing talents as a freshman in High School, drawing inspiration from some of his favourite bands and artists like Better Than Ezra, Duncan Sheik and Savage Garden.

Over the years following, Jonathan began to realize that his true passion was singing and writing Pop music, so he changed his focus from classical and music theatre to be a full time Pop singer/songwriter.

He is a passionate, true artist with emotional expression through his writing, production, and performance. Jonathan also enjoys collaborating with other artists to meld unique tastes in sound and texture.

In 2008 he worked with hit producers I-ROC (Universal Music/HappyMadison Productions/BZEE ROC) and RADIO (Chris Brown’s “Dreamer”/Blake Lewis’ “End of the World”).

As a result of the collaboration with RADIO in 2009, Jonathan released “From The Ashes”, under the name Jay Arseno, his sophomore follow up to his debut album in 2008, “Face In You Crowd”, under the name Jonathan Adam.

After the loss of his father to kidney cancer in August of 2009, Jonathan took some time off from music and in 2013 he decided to move from his home in Houston, TX to Los Angeles, CA for an immersive experience in the heart of the music industry.

While he learned a lot about the industry and himself, Los Angeles was not a good fit for him. So, in 2015 Jonathan decided to get back to his roots and move back home to the Big Easy, New Orleans. Not long after moving to New Orleans, Jonathan met Konstantin Smorodnikov, a personal trainer originally from Russia who had a love and talent for music as well.

Jonathan and Konstantin had an instant connection as friends and decided to start working on music together. While Jonathan came from more of a pop music writing background and classical vocal training, Konstantin’s background was in the club and dance music scene.

The next couple of years lead to the duo developing a seamless blending of Jonathan’s lyrics and vocals and Konstantin’s beats and instrumentation to create a sound all their own. In July 2018 they were approached by Loren Israel to participate in his song writing mentorship program.

Little did Jonathan and Konstantin know that this would be an integral turning point in their musical journey.

After a year of instruction, guidance, and tough love from Loren and by honing their skills in song writing and lyricism, they have emerged as the duo, N2BLÜ.

Born and raised in Kostroma, Russia, Konstantin Smorodnikov fell in love with music at early age. It was the structure of rhythm and arrangement that most interested him.

Around 15 is when he was introduced to computer music production.

At 18 moved to America where spent most of his 20’s going out to local dance clubs and learning all he could about technical side of production and sound engineering. He drew inspiration from DJ’s like Peter Rauhofer and Abel Aguilera.

In 2016 he met Jonathan Arceneaux. They realized that they both shared a passion for similar sounds and ideas in music and decided to give a musical partnership a shot.

ONLINE:

YouTube Lyric Video: https://youtu.be/Z4hEykh1DOY

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0rhLuUVEkcccSz5QAHvDUx?si=zACAXJRMQaGK7_CBAIr6wQ

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/phoenix-heart-single/1523625825

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/n2blu/phoenix-heart

in 2019 the incredible melodic Singer/songwriter and haunting balladeer ‘Nelly’ decided it was time to “Break the chains for real”.

Now in 2020 after writing many new songs, Nelly is more inspired than ever and releases her latest beautiful single ‘Fade Away’.

Nelly has been making music since the age of 15 years when she started recording in the studio.

The new single shows this dedication to her art as ‘Fade Away’ takes you on a dreamy, melodic and heavenly pop journey, with a fusion of ‘Enya‘, ‘Jewel‘, ‘Sertab’ and ‘Abba‘ esque epic exotic pop moods.

This song lifts you up into the Soft Pop clouds with it’s beautiful piano and ‘Mike Batt‘ like ‘Caravan‘ esque production, that takes you to a warm and sweet heavenly pop place.

Nelly talks about being in the studio saying “The studio has always been my safe haven”.

Nelly recently said about life “I’m living. 2020 is my year and I assure u gonna hear a lot more of me. Stay tuned”.

NELLY ONLINE:
https://open.spotify.com/track/7wINKKCtW1MpNAZcKWtIoJ?si=MgV95e4WRvGQqbW7eixrgQ
https://www.facebook.com/nelly.sahlin
https://www.instagram.com/nellysahlin/?hl=en

“Reinvent The Love” is the second single from the album “Metamorphoses” by Gloww.

From its first moments, the composition reveals slowly and steady. Here is an atmospheric story in pop-noir style about the lonely soul which finally finds what it’s been looking for, the reason why it’s filled with the light and everything makes sense.

The song leaves a mystic aftertaste and continues the story painted in “My League”.

The compositions of the new album, which is currently being worked on, are distinguished by their unique style and deep relevant sound. GLOWW also produces his own music thus bringing a special atmosphere and unusual beauty to his tracks and experimenting with the vocal and sound nuances.

GLOWW is a new name in music environment. It is a certain atmosphere and various aspects of perception of the whole world. Sometimes naive and sometimes frightening but definitely filled with depth and sincerity. These are the moments of life captured in musical stories.

Each song is a particular experience into which the artist invites you. GLOWW creates his music by himself manifesting it through the sensual, like height, depth, bond, feelings and emotions that do exist in everyone of us.

The artist prefers to remain unrecognized and does not reveal the details of his personality so far, in purpose for his audience to have opportunity to focus on his music solely.

GLOWW ONLINE:

https://spinnup.link/386503-reinvent-the-love

https://www.facebook.com/glowwmusic/

https://instagram.com/glowwmusic?igshid=8pgw1urqmv5x

https://music.apple.com/ru/artist/gloww/1524441733

Following two other major EP releases this year, Mr. 1up allows his creativity to shine through for “Dap!”

Roudy Richardson, better known as Mr. 1up, boldly shares his brand new “Dap!” EP with fans across the globe. The four-track collection features various renditions of “Dap!” in addition to a unique track titled “Akuma.” Exploring elements of electronic music, including groovy rhythms and bass-infused melodies, “Dap!” represents Mr. 1up’s vast production capabilities.

Mr. 1up’s EP features the title track, “Dap!”, “Dap! (Instrumental)”, and Dap! (Remix), offering several takes on one inspiring single. To round off the series is “Akuma,” further solidifying Mr. 1up’s firm grasp on electronic music. Each of the four tracks offers an intricate yet smooth soundscape, effortlessly drawing listeners in. The entire EP boasts an infectious beat that audiences will enjoy both on and off the dancefloor for years to come.

“Dap!” marks Mr. 1up’s third EP, following the release of his “Nobody” and “Open” EPs, which were both introduced this year. All of Mr. 1up’s music is self-released and indicative of his broad knowledge across numerous electronic genres. His style is influenced by house, bounce, trance, techno, and bass, to name a few. However, “Dap!” brings listeners a brand new sound with an approach that cannot be found anywhere else on Mr. 1up’s discography. Not to mention, the EP features hypnotic female vocals that will mesmerize listeners as they settle into a mind-bending journey.

“To me, this release is all about unity. I’ve fused multiple components of sound to create a sense of wholeness in my music,” says Mr. 1up. “More than anything, ‘Dap!’ is all about having a good time! Through it, I’m striving to deliver something no one has ever heard before.”

Stream Mr. 1up’s “Dap!” EP on Spotify and sign up for his newsletter at https://www.mr1up.com/.

Mr. 1up first took up an interest in music production during his teenage years. Since then, he has fostered a passion for electronic music that’s grown into his present venture. Currently, Mr. 1up is spending a lot of time in the studio, where he likes to use keyboards, instruments, pads, and plugins to develop his melodies, rather than relying on premade samples.

Influenced by industry frontrunners such as DJ Snake, Dillon Francis, Major Lazer, Henry Fong, Zhu, Flux Pavilion, Tokimonsta, Skrillex, Zedd, and Alison Wonderland, Mr. 1up appreciates versatility. Besides being a skilled producer, Mr. 1up also has experience as a DJ, excited to hit the stage once live shows return finally.

While he’s not toiling on music, Mr. 1up works diligently in home remodelling/new construction and online sales. He also enjoys spending his time with his family.

Dap! Tracklist

Dap!
Dap! (Instrumental)
Dap! (Remix)
Akuma

ONLINE:

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Mr1up_Recs

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0jfL54s6ISKGI99SzOeCzB?si=zRLfjFQ6RYSivVgY7-S0RQ

iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/dap-ep/1539313824

Tidal: https://www.tidal.com/browse/artist/20110604

Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/us/album/184992282

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_mUU22e5u0fhQr9tTdWdDA

Last.FM: https://www.last.fm/music/Mr.+1up

KKBox: https://www.kkbox.com/tw/en/artist/CHjbBptw8WHsd0F01J7KF08L-index-1.html

Napster: https://us.napster.com/artist/mr-1up

Established R&B star Randy Hall is at it again with his latest summer bop “A Beautiful Dream”. The smoothly motivating anthem is a remix of his smash track, with an interesting premise for the music video.

his fans to took a video of themselves dancing or roller skating like nobody’s watching. #ABEAUTIFULDREAMCHALLENGE

The clips chosenby Randy Hall are now in the music video for the track, making his audience the stars of the video. Soothing vocal melodies, soulful hooks and a powerful message; the track serves as the perfect companion for anyone striving to pick themselves back up after a tough time in life. Letting us know that no matter what we are going through, we are all still “A Beautiful Dream”.

This release comes after a number of years making hits for the global stage. Since 2019 Randy Hall has been topping charts worldwide with his soothing brand of classic R&B. The UK Soul Charts and US Indie Soul Charts are just a few of the billboards he’s launched to the top spot on. He even co-produced Miles Davis album “Rubberband” which scored yet another number #1 on the UK soul charts.’

“A Beautiful Dream” acts as the perfect follow-up to his modern re-invention of 70’s smash hit “ A New Way Of Love”, which was released in July of 2020 on the boutique record label Six Nine Records.

He’s no stranger to the world of music though. Randy Hall ’s comeback in recent years comes after a decade-long hiatus from recording. Randy Hall was one of the leading pioneers of classic R&B music throughout the 70’s. Randy Hall ’s been wowing millions across the world in his international tours and globally-reaching music for decades now. Even working with a number of big name artists such as Ramsey Lewis, Roberta Flack, Diana Ross, Snoop Dogg and Dave Koz. He’s known these days for bringing back the timeless style of R&B with slick modern productions techniques. Adding his own modern spin to the much loved genre.

ONLINE:

Listen/Buy/Stream here: https://bit.ly/3dns2Rt
Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and click on the bell to receive new notifications!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJKQfkaKU8-SxPp3LJe2FA
Website: http://www.RandyHallMusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RandyHallMusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/RandyHallMusic
Twitter: https://www.Twitter.com/RandyHallMusic
Soundcloud: https://www.facebook.com/RandyHallMusic

Singer, Songwriter and Pianist Lisa Grand, has decided to put a twist on her regular soulful vibes by releasing a Latin-trap song ‘Sauce’.

Lisa Grand’s catchy lyrics (which incorporate a mixture of English and Spanish) combined with producer Wiicked Keyzz’ raw hip-hop beat, is sure to get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. The song release is accompanied with a music video, which is a behind-the-scenes ‘Carpool karaoke-style’ performance, which gives viewers a more raw feel for the song, without the usual gloss of a big budget music video.

Sauce celebrates Lisa Grand’s heritage, which includes a mixture of Nigerian, Jamaican, Austrian and Cuban. Throughout the song she makes references to these cultures and how they contribute to making her a ‘Spicy Chica’. If you’re into hard-hitting Latin-trap vibes of the likes of Cardi B, J Balvin, Natti Natasha and Becky G, then you’re not going to want to miss this one.

This exciting new release is available on all major platforms as of 20th November 2020.

ONLINE:

For more information on Lisa Grand, visit her website: www.lisagrandland.com

Instagram: @lisagrandland

Facebook: Lisa Grand Fans

Tell us about your background getting to where you are today?

I have a degree in animation but then I discovered music production and audio engineering and gravitated towards it in my mid twenties. My journey has taken me to living and training in the Caribbean, starting off as a studio assistant and then working up to being a producer and engineer. After 4 years abroad, I’m no residing back in the UK running a studio and also Lecturing at the Academy of Contemporary Music teaching music production and audio engineering.

Where are you from?

I was born in England, my mother is from Trinidad and my dad is from Mauritius.

When did you start music?

I have always been into music, that transformed into DJ-ing in my teens, but it was just a hobby. After obtaining my BA in Animation thats when I started to get into music production and I started taking it seriously.

How did you get into music?

After graduating with my degree in animation I was doing a freelance Job in Brixton. It was in a complex that housed many offices and studio spaces. A lot of then were occupied by creatives, from filmakers, dancers, music studio producers. I was at this job for like 8 months and got to know some of the music studio owners and one day I asked if I can have a dabble for a few hours. I instantly fell in love with it and the rest is history.

What is the most challenging thing you have overcome in your life?

Being creative can be tough for anyone, I already had a degree and was very good at what I was doing with art and animation so for me it was uprooting myself to follow my dream and start all again to learn something different.

Are you currently signed or independent?

I am an independent however I have a management deal with 1 2 One Entertainment.

Who inspires you the most musically?

Tough question, but I think Bob Marley, Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones.

What do you want people to take away after listening to your music

That they have not just heard something I have done or something I have contributed towards, but they have experienced something about who I am.

Any new music coming out soon

Yes! Working very closely with Krishane (son of the Reggae legend Barrington Levy). We have something we have been working on few things now for a while, things will drop as and when its ready, so watch this space, its happening soon!

What is your greatest achievement as a musician?

When I started teaching students at a degree level. I’ve not been formally trained in music, so I always had a self belief that I couldn’t teach it. Its very touching when some of these kids are so eager to learn from you.

Do you produce your own music? If not who do you work with?

Yes, pretty much all of my music is created and mixed by me. I have worked and collaborated with other producers, I think more now than ever collaboration is important.

Who is one artist you wish you could work with?

Ok someone who is no longer with us: Michael Jackson, I think doing a record with him will not just be the creation of something memorable, but I believe I would have been pushed and taken away some valuable lessons about music and life. The other person(s) would be the Marley brothers especially Jr. Gong and Stephen.

Tell us about any new music you have coming out? When is coming out? What is it about?

I have a record with Krishane called Lockdown that has been in development for a while now.

What does a day inside your shoes look like?

Always a cup of tea to start the day, after it all depends on if I’m teaching or not. If I’m teaching all day, I will very rarely end up in the studio in the evening unless its a must. I’ve started to value my down time as much as my time creating, that balance is important. If I’m not teaching, it all depends how I feel, I might make some music, or finish off any pending mixes, but if I’m not doing any of those things I dedicate time to learn new things about what I’m doing within music and audio engineering, this industry moves very fast and I think that its important to always be a student to your craft.

Anything else you want the audience to know about you?

When I’m not in the studio I really enjoy cooking.

ONLINE:

https://www.instagram.com/iamsmash/

A Better Place by jazz artist David Longoria is a monumental album by a seasoned performer who has developed his roots in the musical world. As an experienced vocalist and trumpet player, David Longoria demonstrates a meaningful message with a positive view of a world that needs to change for the better. His trumpet solo work shines particularly in an unbelievable journey on that one. Tracks such as “Don’t Let Another Mother Cry” are incredibly powerful while tackling topics such as race issues, crime, and hope as referenced in the title of the album. “Body and Soul” is another standout sound to showcase the passion and beauty of this influential record featuring a collective of talented artists.  

• Evangeline W., Music Reviewer 

ONLINE: 

Check out davidlongoria.com and he can also found on wikipedia 

NEW ALBUM: A Better Place album on Spotify

Julian Amboree Is a Singer/Songwriter from The State Of Florida.

Julian Amboree delivers a warm, grand, touching, sensitive, epic and real acoustic Pop Rock sound, with a melodic and timeless feel that is emotional and sentimental.

A flowing Pop Rock Rhythm and heavenly Guitars ring out of the speakers on this Radio friendly and warm song. Julian Amboree’s music is touching and evokes feelings and emotions in the listener with it’s sentimental and majestic acoustic sound.

Warm and folky with a slight ‘Passenger’ meets ‘Buble’ on holiday with ‘Idlewild’ esque twist, the music of Julian Amboree is written about and based on cheerful melodies and deep lyrics.….and then those heavenly guitars ring out again.

Catchy, Folky and with a glowing, warm, beautiful soaring vocal that stays in your head, we asked Julian Amboree what his goals were ?

“My Goal Is To Make The Listener Feel The Importance Of Love And The Difficulty Of Finding It”

Stay Tuned! and watch out for the official music video Coming Soon.

ONLINE:

Stream All

Soundcloud

“Attack Iike a Wolf” sings AFAS on brand new single ‘Wolf’.

AFAS is a 24 year old singer-songwriter, rapper, DJ & producer who is based in Göttingen,NDS, Germany.

‘Wolf’ is an inventive, deep, haunting, mysterious, melodic, stoned and booming single, that hypnotises you and gets your instinct on full musical alert. AFAS delivers a haunting vocal and spit with strong clever haunting Rap Trap progressions and melody.

AFAS has been described as “Breaking all boundaries with his productions” fusing many genres like House, Deep House, Trap, Wave, Experimental and his own unique blend of creative production.

What are your influences ?

“I love to make music and share it with the world, I want to be heard, my story, my life and everything that matters to me is written in my songs”

ONLINE:

Spotify

N2BLÜ are back and continue their Electro Dance Pop assault on the EDM music world.

Their new single is entitled  ‘Unicorn Tribe’ and is gathering a tribe of electronic music fans globally.

We recently tracked the Pop Dance outfit down and asked them what the Unicorn Tribe is all about ?

“Unicorn Tribe is about embracing what makes YOU different and special. We may not always be understood or appreciated for who we are or what we offer the world, but as long as we are true to who we are that’s all that matters. We need to break down the constructs and barriers that tell us who we are supposed to be and embrace who we are. That’s what being part of the Unicorn Tribe is all about”.

Check out the Full Song Lyrics below.

LYRICS – UNICORN TRIBE – N2BLÜ

In the deepest part of my heart there lives a fantasy

A world inside set apart from this reality

Where magic is real, and we can live forever

Nobody can stop us from being together

All we want is to be who we are inside To be a part of The Unicorn Tribe!

The Unicorn Unicorn Unicorn Unicorn Tribe!

The Unicorn Tribe! The Unicorn Tribe!

The world outside may not see us for who we are

A prism of light within, we are made of stars Innocent and wise, but pain is the price we pay

Standing up for what’s right, we will not obey

All we need is to be who we are inside

To be a part of The Unicorn Tribe

The Unicorn Unicorn Unicorn Unicorn Tribe!

The Unicorn Tribe! The Unicorn Tribe! If we look inside our hearts

We all want the same thing To be seen for who we are

And that we are a part of something

If we look inside our hearts We all want the same thing To be seen for who we are

And that we are a part of something

We are part of the Unicorn Tribe

The Unicorn Tribe The unicorn unicorn tribe

The Unicorn tribe The unicorn tribe

Unicorn unicorn unicorn unicorn tribe

The unicorn tribe We are the unicorn tribe

N2BLÜ POP HISTORY

Born in New Orleans, Jonathan Arceneaux started singing not long after he learned to talk and hasn’t stopped singing since!

At a very young age Jonathan began his career as a singer in a church choir and started taking voice lessons in both classical and musical theatre styles. During his High School years in Baton Rouge, LA, Jonathan continued singing in the choir and participated in several musical theatre productions. He also started to tap into his writing talents as a freshman in High School, drawing inspiration from some of his favourite bands and artists like Better Than Ezra, Duncan Sheik and Savage Garden.

Over the years following, Jonathan began to realize that his true passion was singing and writing Pop music, so he changed his focus from classical and music theatre to be a full time Pop singer/songwriter. He is a passionate, true artist with emotional expression through his writing, production, and performance. Jonathan also enjoys collaborating with other artists to meld unique tastes in sound and texture.

In 2008 he worked with hit producers I-ROC (Universal Music/HappyMadison Productions/BZEE ROC) and RADIO (Chris Brown’s “Dreamer”/Blake Lewis’ “End of the World”).

As a result of the collaboration with RADIO in 2009, Jonathan released “From The Ashes”, under the name Jay Arseno, his sophomore follow up to his debut album in 2008, “Face In You Crowd”, under the name Jonathan Adam.

After the loss of his father to kidney cancer in August of 2009, Jonathan took some time off from music and in 2013 he decided to move from his home in Houston, TX to Los Angeles, CA for an immersive experience in the heart of the music industry.

While he learned a lot about the industry and himself, Los Angeles was not a good fit for him. So, in 2015 Jonathan decided to get back to his roots and move back home to the Big Easy, New Orleans. Not long after moving to New Orleans, Jonathan met Konstantin Smorodnikov, a personal trainer originally from Russia who had a love and talent for music as well.

Jonathan and Konstantin had an instant connection as friends and decided to start working on music together. While Jonathan came from more of a pop music writing background and classical vocal training, Konstantin’s background was in the club and dance music scene. The next couple of years lead to the duo developing a seamless blending of Jonathan’s lyrics and vocals and Konstantin’s beats and instrumentation to create a sound all their own. In July 2018 they were approached by Loren Israel to participate in his song writing mentorship program.

Little did Jonathan and Konstantin know that this would be an integral turning point in their musical journey.

After a year of instruction, guidance, and tough love from Loren and by honing their skills in song writing and lyricism, they have emerged as the duo, N2BLÜ.

Born and raised in Kostroma, Russia, Konstantin Smorodnikov fell in love with music at early age. It was the structure of rhythm and arrangement that most interested him.

Around 15 is when he was introduced to computer music production.

At 18 moved to America where spent most of his 20’s going out to local dance clubs and learning all he could about technical side of production and sound engineering. He drew inspiration from DJ’s like Peter Rauhofer and Abel Aguilera.

In 2016 he met Jonathan Arceneaux. They realized that they both shared a passion for similar sounds and ideas in music and decided to give a musical partnership a shot.

ONLINE:

YouTube Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/zcocdm6VHts
Spotify –  Spotify
SoundCloud  – Soundcloud

https://www.facebook.com/N2BLU
https://twitter.com/n2_blu
www.instagram.com/n2bluofficial