Wow. “Body” is the debut single online for London-based singer Elle Watson. What a debut! The minimal R&B/dark pop thing is well-worn through at this point in its trend cycle but this “Body” track, just wow. We are very pleased to have been introduced to Elle Watson today.
LA producer and Flo-fi label co-founder Fortune retouches superb slow-burner They track “Back it Up” to a stunning result. (We marveled at the original from the LA-based duo in October and noted their immense rising-star promise.) We really appreciate the vintage vibe soul chorus sample Fortune adds in for the intro and we think he also does a fantastic job at enhancing the duo’s outstanding r&b-dipped vocals with a provocative sense of cool understatement. Excellent remix. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
We last covered fave producer TOKiMONSTA for her Anderson Paak-featured Hardly Art-rep’d Fovere album teaser “Put it Down”. We’re into the LA-based artist’s most recent Fovere single to release (ahead of the album on January 29); it’s called “I’m Waiting”. With uplifting vocal vibes, romantic lyrical sentiments, and flowing billowy r&b atmospherics TOKiMONSTA does well at changing up the feel of the tracks leading her album. Previous release “Put it Down” is more staccato and edgy with the A. Paak vocal vibe while “I’m Waiting” is an lovely ethereal combination of beats and flow-y flowery vocals. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Get set to enjoy the latest suave flip from B3 featured Toronto-based producer/bootlegger E.DOZA who we last covered for his very stylish track “Good Morning” (the brief and sugary provocatively-stylized dynamic-cheery-toned saxy Jamma Dee-beats inspired bootleg of LA songstress Joyce Wrice). We also really recommend E.DOZA’s latest spin on “Wake Up This Day”, Tom Misch’s Jordan Rakei-featuring tropical-vibe gem off Misch’s very awesome “Beat Tape 2”. With a mixture of sultry beats, slick synth accents and natural-vibe percussion touches E.DOZA fashions a quick and catchy dance tune that is hip and edgy yet still unequivocally Tom Misch. Excellent. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
We like the intricately melded combination of synth-y melodic sounds and deep-gravity beats on the latest bass-heavy subtle hypnotic-thriller deep-house track “12409” from UK-based veteran underground-DJ/producer Ben Pearce (who we last covered for his Laurel-featuring Shadow Child collaboration “Nothing Ever Hurts”). Look for this perfectly deep brightly-expansive mix of melody and bass soon on Moda Black. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
We love the latest Rubba “Way Star”-sampled Carmody-vocals-led creation from B3 go-to vibrant-ambience mood setter Tom Misch (who based this new song on a beat he fashioned during the Christmas holidays). Misch and Carmody put out a great release together about a year ago (“Out To Sea” EP) and “Easy Love” is a reiteration that the two have a beautiful chemistry together. Amazing song. Misch released “Easy Love” to tide fans over until the release of his new live EP. We’re excited to hear it! Reviewed by Erin Shay.
We‘re into the vibrantly simple, Twista “Overnight Celebrity”-sampling, whimsical-watery synth-transfixed track “What’s Ya Name” by B3 featured artist Ian Ewing, who we covered here for his Noh Lifestyle-rep’d eclectic beauty track called “Water”. A seamless combo of luscious keyboard melodics and expressive trap accents mixed with playful electronic effects and the epic Twista sample, the song has a uniquely creative electro/hip-hop hybrid style that we dig. Out via Noh Lifestyle. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Zone out with the squeaky chipper-cheery vintage-vibe 50’s vocals and big bass production highlights of B3-artist fave artist Wayvee on his wildly cinematic new trap-beat-heavy hip-hop track called “Laaately”, which we are especially enjoying for its blissful dynamics-textured mix of contrasting vocals. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
“Holiday” serves as the lead track from Melbourne AU band SMILE’s upcoming sophomore LP. On “Holiday”, the early 90’s UK rock influence is certainly there (Stone Roses, etc) but rather than coming off like some weird pastiche type band that you could catch in any bar in any town in the English-speaking world, “Holiday”‘s got a punch and urgency working for it that feels very much in the ether of right now. In other words, this band is awesome.
B3 favorite Flamingosis teams up with West Canadian producer Tendencies on electrifying new one “I’ll Be There” another impeccably wrought song from Flamingosis and the third to release in advance of his new “Great Hair” EP which is out on February 12. “I’ll Be There” is the second new EP track covered here after Flamingosis’ excellent Ian Ewing-featured retro-flamboyant gem “Frugal Living”. Reviewed by Erin Shay.
Welcome Danish singer Kwamie Liv to B3. “Perfect Grace” from Ms. Liv’s forthcoming sophomore EP rides a minimal acoustic guitar-driven instrumental and cool polyrhythms to ~3:35 of pinpoint perfect indie R&B. We love it.
In 2014 we fell for the minimalist melancholy pop of 25-year-old Oakland native Jackson Phillips (also known as Day Wave) and it has been a pleasure to feature several of his tracks here on the blog. We like the latest muted understatement from Day Wave called “Gone” and hope you do as well. Get set to enjoy its simple lazy-day ambient vibrations and brilliant repetitive emotive-lamenting vocals (which we think are two of Day Wave’s finest signature qualities). Reviewed by Erin Shay.
