Fulfilling the listener in a way they never knew they needed, Raven Artson transports us on a journey through various genre elements and sound design.
A blissful intro welcomes us into a beautifully soft space before the gracious tones of Raven’s voice gently encourage us to keep listening. The real treat arrives after a reversed guitar takes us into a captivating chorus. Once we reach this point, it’s near impossible not to vibe out to the beat that hits different to most modern Pop / RnB if you are brave enough to categorize this under one genre.
About collaborating with producer Mucky (Sevdaliza) and mixer Chris Coady (Beach House), Raven says, “It was crazy and unexpected that two of my favorite producers were into my music and jumped on board. Their input allowed me to color outside the lines and helped me grow both as an artist and a person.”
Meet intriguing twin sister duo FUSHIA. Both feminists and musical artists in their own right, their music pulls otherworldly inspiration from various continents.
Their highly vulnerable new single ‘Dreams & Stardust,’ is full of empowering messages daring you to believe in yourself and turn your words into actions.
Sounds like: Bat For Lashes, Kae Astra, Kate Bush, Björk
Stockholm-based Augustine follows up his debut single with ‘A Scent of Lily’ – a cinematic and melancholic interpretation of Ariana Grande‘s ‘Into You’, and the powerlessness of losing yourself in a relationship.
Once again, Augustine takes us on a journey through a future-retro, bombastic-pop soundscape.
Sounds like: PNAU, Foster the People, James Blake, Maggie Rogers, Phoebe Bridgers, Tame Impala, Phoenix
Drinker returns with their latest offering called ‘Wave’.
The partnership of bicoastal NY/LA duo of songwriter Aaron Mendelsohn and producer Ariel Loh, Drinker provides a sonic realm of enlightened experimental-pop and ambient productions.
Listen to the addictive ‘Wave’ below, taken from their upcoming debut LP, ‘Fragments’, released on May 3rd via B3SCI Records.
Sounds like: Yoke Lore, Thom Yorke, James Blake, Trentemoller, The Acid, Fever Ray, Sevdaliza, Tame Impala
Sometimes the best pop songs are the most simplistic, allowing them to be catchy and emotive.
One of these contenders is ‘Change Your Mind’ by New Zealand-based Abby Wolf. An effervescent track which depicts the internal struggle faced when you’re unsure of the right path. Something we all can relate to.
Exciting EDM and pop vocalist ROZES features on Sam Feldt & Yves V‘s new tune, ‘One Day’.
Sam Feldt fell in love with the vocals of ROZES when he heard it on the track she made with The Chainsmokers. So he decided to work with her on a new track, together with Yves V.
Their studio session resulted in a track with the perfect balance between Yves V’s pop dance sound, the uplifting summer tunes of Sam Feldt and the airy vocals of ROZES.
MIG50 & FRANK E MADDOX – Fearless (Gimme The Light)
Finally, to finish the gems off, is the frenetic ‘Fearless (Gimme The Light)’ from a new collaborative project between MIG50 & FRANK E MADDOX.
Both Chicago natives, the track loops in Chicago house basslines with as if it was Sofi Tukker on speed, combined with the fiesty originality of Georgia.
It’s a perfect way of the duo expressing their own artistic style outside of their work with other artists including SIA, NVDES and Empires.
Rising pop artist Malory shares the beautiful ‘Blue Umbrella’, which we have had on repeat all week.
Seeking inspiration from life actions, ‘Blue Umbrella’’ started life on a tube journey after Malory had observed a family and noticed the father had a sadness in his eyes and seemed strangely discontented.
The Londoner was later in the studio making an experimental instrumental with producer Danny George when they noticed there was a blue umbrella left in the studio, which Malory found represented the image of an unhappy corporate figure in the rain on his way home from work.
Expect her debut album ‘Cornucopia’ out on 1 March.
Raised between Hong Kong and Aix en Provence in France, Paris-born singer/songwriter Noé doesn’t want to fit inside a musical box any longer.
Not quite defining her sound, her low-tempo music gathers inspiration from a blend of Pop, R&B and alt-indie sounds, tied together through painfully honest lyrics.
Her new single, ‘Pity Party’ highlights Noé’s tendencies to overthink and sometimes feel sorry for herself.
Exciting new Argentinian/American artist Crow shares the sultry single ‘Go’.
The song channels the idea of courage – following brutality at the hands of bullies during Crow’s school years – with hypnotic and melodic soundscapes and introspective reflection.
Forming in London, Gold Spectacles is the collaborative output of two British songwriter/producers who create “baroque-pop”.
Their new single ‘Courtside’ focuses on dependence in a long distance relationship, and uses flute, spanish guitar with analog synths to create a post-modern landscape.
Sounds like: Lykke Li, Bombay Bicycle Club, San Fermin, Fyfe, Astronauts, Carousel, Dan Croll, Nick Leng, Bibio, ROSTAM
Brooklyn-based duo Drinker shares ‘Something I Want’ – a track slightly darker than your average musical tipple.
Inspired by a mututal love of James Blake, songwriter Aaron Mendelsohn and producer Ariel Loh “wanted to create a visually diverse and bold message with the video for “Something I Want” and enlisted the help of NY based LGBTQ focused film maker Tyler Byrnes. With the implementation of stop motion animation and found footage, we aimed for a stark and surreal aesthetic to paint America’s multi-generational story of consumerism.“
Sounds like: Thom Yorke, James Blake, Trentemoller, The Acid, Fever Ray, Sevdaliza, Tame Impala
Dutch DJ/producer duo 2CRE8 has today released their debut single ‘Naughty Boy’.
Having spent their time growing up together at high school, it was until a gig in December 2014 that everything fell into place and they decided to form a duo.
Check out ‘Naughty Boy’ with its bold dance-led lyrics and a catchy flute drop, which definitely hints at their playful side.
Sounds like: Harlee, Just Kiddin, Blonde, The Magician, Calvin Harris, Rihanna
Externalising her thoughts, Ariela Jacobs considers the concept of missing her old self in new song ‘Missing You’.
New York born and Melbourne bred, indie-pop singer-songwriter Ariela Jacobs was raised on a diet of literature and art. Her songwriting sends the listener on a journey both intimate and other-worldly; with melodies with clear folk-based lines, underscored by lush chords and pulsing rhythms.
Ayelle is a London-based singer songwriter. We caught up with her to discuss music, feminism and Tradiio.
On your Twitter, you describe yourself as “Singer/Songwriter, Feminist, Activist”. You are co-founder of Young Feminists London. Tell us more!
I’ve considered myself a feminist ever since I understood what it meant, that it’s basically just the belief that men and women are equal beings and should be treated as such. There are so many misconceptions still, I think I must’ve been about 12 when I first realised what it actually meant.
So when I came to London I ended up diving straight into campaigning and organising grass roots activism, and along the way I’ve learnt that there is so much more to the feminist movement than I ever knew.
It also gradually became a more prominent element in my songwriting as well, so the two passions have sort of intertwined by now.
I started Young Feminists London alongside three amazing women that I met at the Feminism In London conference 2014 and it became an awareness raising group for anyone of any self-identifying gender who found themselves on the same journey. We’ve been putting on free events with various speakers, organisations, poets and comedians for over a year now and it’s been really exciting to watch it grow.
As well as being a feminist, you make music. Why did you start making music?
As a kid I would make up melodies and lyrics about where I was or what I was feeling, so when I learned how to write that was one of the first things I’d put on paper. From then on songwriting became my way of expressing my emotions and a form of therapy at times.
Describe your sound in three words.
Vulnerable. Honest. Defiant.
We discovered you on Tradiio. Do you think free platforms, such as Tradiio, are making it easier for artists to expose their sound to the general public?
Definitely, it’s really tricky to get noticed if you don’t have the right team around you, which is something that takes time to build. Tradiio is one of those platforms that allows you to be heard simply based on the quality of what you’re making and if it resonates with people, it’s one of the smarter ways of turning listening into a more interactive experience.
Where do you cite your musical influences from?
I grew up listening to mainstream pop and r&b as well as a lot of persian music as it was always playing in the house, and both definitely left a mark on how I now use my voice. More recent influences are artists like Banks and Kelela whom I feel have been able to find something very unique which is the kind of music making that’s inspired me to experiment more with my own sound.
We love new music at Indietronica. What new music are you listening to?
I’m listening a lot to new artists like Jones, Connie Constance, Wafia & Sevdaliza to name a few!
We’ve invested in Ayelle. Have you? Listen to more of their songs and support them at tradiio.com/Ayelle.
