Tag Archives: Arts

Industrial Strength Set To The Groove of Pop:LÜJAH by Rakans

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  • rakans(SoundCloud)
  • rakanscom(Twitter)
  • rakanscom(Instagram)

The internet is a good place to discover unique musical artists. I discovered the music of Rakans in the social media. He really takes time to talk to his listeners about his ideas. He is also happy to promote other artists. I heard probably two songs which made me realize that he has a potential to make it huge in the pop music scene. You know why? He doesn’t just sound interesting. He LOOKS interesting. His avant garde fashion sense is meant  to inspire and provoke.

Fashion and music go together!

He calls his music avant-garde pop/Industrial pop. And for a good reason. Rakans has created tunes that anyone can dance to. But these are not your typical ‘nice sweet sounding pop’ associated with the likes of Taylor Swift or Katy Perry.If you are uninitiated to edgy side of electronic music then Lüjah might sound strange, dissonant or even chaotic. But if you listen carefully, there is that unified idea that pulses throughout the rhythms and harmonies. His lyrics are fascinating.

Redsulfur is the current single. It is also my favourite as it reminds me of Nine Inch Nails and Massive Attack. But the rapping is all his. If you haven’t seen the music video yet then you better check it out. It is really interesting. Challenging established ideas is what Lüjah is all about. It is also about being faced with contradictions and how you deal with them. If you ask me, this album is better than anything released by other artists in the genre. I think this is more interesting than Skrillex. I think he will have Skrillex have a run for his money.

Gummy Bears hints the relationship of American hiphop to his European sound. And he can really sing. In Prayers, he’s singing about the great divide that religion imposes in all of us. And he belts out like George Michael too. What I appreciate about his work, is his dedication to the craft of writing pop songs. There is that slick sound in his recordings which I appreciate. Listen to BowBowBow which is one of his catchiest tracks. It will set you in the mood to strut.

I recommend these Soundcloud artists

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I am so passionate about Soundcloud. That is where I hear cool music all the time. That’s where musicians that I respect and admire post their tunes. That’s a place where I love to repost and tweet the uploads of these fantastic artists. So today it’s less talk and more Soundcloud links. These are the musicians that are hot on my list. I hope you enjoy their music as much as I did. And oh, it’s 5 am in the morning here.

Kitten and the Hip: Nostalgia infused Bubblegum Pop

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Yes they make tunes that teenagers can dance to. They also compose melodies that are so catchy it’s easy to hum them. But the duo of Ashley Slater and Scarlett Quinn known as Kitten and the Hip are classically/jazz trained. They create a style called electro swing. So what you get here is a fusion of two distinct genres that other musicians tried to reconcile but fall short in terms of skill and delivery. But Kitten and Hip proved that in today’s generation of indie variety, anything is possible as long as you have the attitude and the passion to take your art out there without fear.

Don’t You Worry has the groove that can drive the crowd to bounce on the dance floor. Shake it Out is hypnotic and sophisticated that can make S.E.B  have a run for her money. I am sure Kitten and the Hip have something bigger to offer in the world of indie pop. All they need to do is make more awesome tunes in their own style of electro and pop jazz.

You can buy Don’t You Worry though itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/dont-you-worry-original-mix/id464797803?i=464798213&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Organs by Tom Milsom

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Organs by Tom Milsom

Who is Tom Milsom? Tom Milsom is a musician and visual artist living in London. His new album, “Organs,” will be released in November.

That’s what his website bio says. Nothing else. But if you listen to Organs(released in the  18th of November, 2013) then there are many things that can be said about his songs. And he tells you a lot in this album. For example, he tells you that his taste in music is diverse (electronica, dream pop, folk etc). He will also tell you that being a visual artist, he knows how to create landscapes using sound as a tool. That’s what makes Organs enjoyable to listen to. And he has a good voice!

I was talking to my friend Jade yesterday. We were having a musical conversation at Starbucks and Tom Milsom popped in the topic when I was talking about my stint and a DJ in www.radiohappy.eu(she urged me to listen to Organs). 3.am. after waking up and not able to go back, I checked out the link she sent via facebook. I gave it a listen and it felt good. So I thought I better write about him and see if he is open for an online interview. We will see….

http://tommilsom.com/

Former Spine by Smashy Claw

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Smashy Claw

The band:

Austin Aeschliman (vocals, bass)
Nathan Long (vocals, guitar)
Dave Frey (drums)
Andrew Serr (drums)

Former Spline is an album with sunny disposition from quirky rock group Smashy Claw. In fact when I listen to the songs I am reminded of Weezer and The Beach Boys. If I am sick and spending the whole day at home on medication, then this is the album I’d listen to. It’s fun and rocking but not noisy enough to cause migraines. There are moments when there is a total salad of genres. For example Future Tense is a merging of retro sounds and sci-fi. There are more fantastic tracks like CHOMPCHOMPCHOMP.

I think members of Smashy Claw have achieved what they wanted here. They created an album that is easy to listen to and has a potential to attract listeners who are into catchy radio tunes. The vocal harmonies are tight and the arrangements are not boring. Prozac rock album? Yes.

I think one of the great catch in this album is that it is comprised of 16 tracks. That’s like two albums put together! They are also so good that they can perhaps be therapeutic.