Tag Archives: Toronto

Emanuel – Black Woman

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Emanuel by Eric Miles

Emanuel by Eric Miles

Rising star Emanuel shares the powerful new visuals for his latest single, ‘Black Woman’, out now on Universal Music Canada.

Shining a light on Black women, the Jamar Harding-directed video in Los Angeles features women of various ages, shades and lifestyles, as the resilience, beauty and uniqueness of the Black woman’s spirit is portrayed.

Emanuel explains,

“‘Black Woman’ is about reconciliation and also celebration – celebrating how strong our women are and how they hold us up,” says Emanuel. “People might think this song was written as a response to the moment right now but it’s saying the exact same thing it was saying when it was written a year ago – ‘I see you, I recognize you, I appreciate you and I love you’.”

It forms part of Emanuel’s “I AM BLACK WOMXN” portrait series, creatively directed by Ashley McKenzie-Barnes, that puts five influential Black women from Toronto’s artistic and advocacy communities in the spotlight. View the portrait series and vignettes HERE.

Sounds like: John Legend, Dylan Sinclair, Son Little, Michael Kiwanuka

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Playlist: Illyin Pipes

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Illyin Pipes

Introducing Illyin Pipes, a blissed-out pop duo from Toronto.

Their mutual affinity for textured soundscapes, layered harmonies and heavy electronic synths, fully presents itself in their melancholic debut EP, ‘Waking Up’.

We asked Illyin Pipes to put together a playlist for Indietronica to coincide with the EP release.

Little Dragon – Feather
Have always loved Little Dragon and Feather feels like a dreamy modern take on 80s synth-pop meets 90s trip-hop. I love a vibey vocal and airy synth over a driving bass line.

Arthur Russel – That’s Us/Wild Combination
I heard this song for the first time two years ago and fell deeply in love with it. I had a challenging couple of months shortly after finding it and truly couldn’t listen to any other song. Just this over and over. And it’s still my very top favourite.

Radiohead – House of Cards
Everything Thom Yorke touches is a dream to me. His solo releases are beautiful and I love his contemporary dance music videos. House of Cards is on this list because it’s so perfectly vulnerable, and my top pick from “In Rainbow’s” which I come back to all the time.

Brian Eno – The Big Ship
I usually listen to Brian Eno’s hour-long tracks, but Big Ship is a cinematic, emotional shorty.

10CC – I’m Not In Love
I discovered this song in high school and burned it onto a CD with a bunch of my other favourites at the time. Still playlisting it a decade later! It’s so soft and I love the weird whisper section partway through.

Hundred Waters – Murmurs
I love Hundred Waters’ quiet vocals and acoustic piano over bold drum choices/effects.

Solange – Losing You
Such a sweet pop song. Dev Hyne’s nails the writing/production.

Talking Heads – This Must Be The Place/Naive Melody
David Byrne’s lyrics are amazing and the repetitive bass line makes me want to listen to it forever. The live version from “Stop Making Sense” is so good.

Jon Hopkins – Open Eye Signal
This song transports me to a dark club fantasy in my mind. I have closed my eyes and danced to this song many times.

Aphex Twin – #3 (Rhubarb)
This song is what got me into ambient music. Airy/calming/sweet/meditative. I often listen to it when I’m writing.

Blood Orange – Best to You Feat. Empress Of
Another Dev Hynes track but a duet with Empress of. So dancy!

Beach House – Sparks
I love the steady shoegaze-y guitar and alto vocals. I’m also a sucker for songs that don’t change chords at the bridge: altering the melody of the vocal for a moment, or going to an interlude is always my songwriting instinct.

Massive Attack – Teardrop
The vocals are an inspiration: so close they’re almost whispered, then building dynamically at all the right times.

Washed Out – Feel it All Around
Dreamy, lo-fi, psychedelic, synth-pop <3

The Cars – Drive
Total 80s heaven. I love the subtle and emotional lyrics. We’ve covered this live a couple of times and it feels really nice to play.

You can listen to the EP below.

Sounds like: Susanne Sundfør, Lykke Li, RALPH, Vera Blue, BANKS, Washed Out

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bülow – Get Stupid

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bülow

German-born and Toronto-based pop-iconoclast, bülow shares the visuals for her single ‘Get Stupid’, out via Wax Records/Republic Records/Universal Music Canada.

The track, taken off the JUNO Award winner’s latest EP ‘Crystalline’ released earlier this year and is produced by Mike Wise, is the kind of quirky pop that the commercial world is embracing at the moment.

Speaking about the video, bülow explains,

“When I was younger, I wanted to be an inventor, to create things. I think everybody strives for the feeling of self-importance, trying to find their ways to be remembered. My character created a flying device, it didn’t work out, but that wasn’t the end.”

Sounds like: Billie Eilish, Sigrid, ALMA, Daya

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NOA – Hypocritical

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NOA

Sweet sweet pop is on the agenda right now, courtesy of NOA who channels some serious Robyn meets Ariana Grande vibes on her new single ‘Hypocritical’.

Expect lighthearted pop vocals, catchy melodies and a resonant emotional theme throughout, from the Toronto-born singer-songwriter.

Listen below.

Sounds like: Robyn, Hannah Slavin, Ariana Grande

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Tali – Comfortable In Another Bed

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Tali

We predict that 2019 will be the year of contemporary alt-jazz tunes. Setting the year off right is Tali (aka Tali Kouchnir) and her new single, ‘Comfortable In Another Bed’.

The video has a classic chic feel and cleverly leans into nostalgic tendencies with weighty folk-pop elements. About the track, Tali explains,

“This song is about working out if you will ever be comfortable with someone – really playing with the idea that comfort is love,” explains TALI. ‘Everyone wants love, and comfort can make or break that. What I was really asking here was ‘where’s that guy who brings that comfort and makes me feel good and safe through love?'”

Sounds like: Birdy, Jesse Ware, Emma McGrath

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Lo Lo – Convenient (TRU Concept Remix)

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Lo Lo - Convenient (TRU Concept Remix)

We don’t usually share remixes but this one landed in our inbox and we couldn’t resist sharing.

It’s the TRU Concept remix of Toronto-based pop artist, Lo Lo‘s ‘Convenient’, in which she thanks TRU Concept for “reimagining my F#@K you pop song and turning it into a banging F#@K you dance track.”

Listen below.

Sounds like: Dominique, CAPPA

Lo Lo
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Sounds like: Gryffin, Blonde, Le Youth, Pat Lok, Just Kiddin, Kygo

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TEEN RAVINE – Hall of Horrors

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Teen Ravine

Toronto’s Teen Ravine (Nick Rose and Dan Griffin) share the John Smith-directed video for ‘Hall Of Horrors’, a melancholic track about feeling lost and reaching out for someone who’s no longer there.

This dreamy song is ironically about nightmares – running around in circles, trapped in a fuzzy lovesick state surrounded by a “mirrored hall of horrors”.

Sounds like: The Carpenters, The Avalanches, Chet Faker, The Japanese House

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Robotaki – Together We’re Screwed Feat. Nevve

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Robotaki

Rising producer Robotaki (aka Preston Chin) returns with a ‘Together We’re Screwed’ after taking a number of months out to record new material in the studio.

The song features the light-hearted vocals by Nevve who is quickly establishing herself as the go to singer on EDM productions, as well as easy synths and a brewing bassline.

Robotaki says,

“This song started as a remix but I loved the instrumental so much I wanted to keep it. We tried singer after singer but nothing clicked. One day Nevve sent over some ideas, and with her voice, it instantly clicked. To me, the dynamic across the lows and highs in this track reflect the complexities of love, the tribulations of lust, and everything that falls in between. The turn of the new year has me feeling good, and like now is the right time to put this out in to the world.”

It’s out now on Majestic Casual Recordings.

Sounds like: Gryffin, Hotel Garuda, Louis the Child

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Pleasure Craft – Take Your Time

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Pleasure Craft

A New Year and some fresh new sounds for 2018.

Meet Pleasure Craft, the alt-pop project of former pilot trainee turned singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Sam Lewis.

Sam likes to tinker with retro satisfaction and build layers upon layers of the stuff, as can be heard in ‘Take Your Time’. Listen below.

Sounds like: Talking Heads, David Byrne

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Est-Her – Last Minute Wedding

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Est-Her by Dylan Tedaldi

Dear Lorde. Please meet your male match. Toronto-based Est-Her.

Est-Her left his career as a professional ballet dancer to pursue music. His sophomore release ‘Last Minute Wedding’ was produced with French producer Porter Elvinger and arrives with a highly intense short film self-directed alongside Ram Accoumeh.

Speaking about his writing process, Est-Her explains,

“When I’m writing, I always have some film playing in the background. When I finish each track, I splice together these supercuts from either scenes of films that I love, or random clips I think best suits the song. For ‘Last Minute Wedding,’ I started compiling a ton of home movies of weddings taped on VHS, and sped them up to look like a flip book.”

Watch below.

Sounds like: Lorde, Talos, The 1975, GEMS, Deptford Goth, Dan Flynn

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