Single Review: “Hard Down Low” – Loa

This track is slow and based around piano and vocals, but very atmospheric. It’s very moody with no harmonies, as Rick Leigh’s piano playing and Genevieve Dawson’s vocals blend together effortlessly over a music arrangement that’s kept really simple. It’s a beauty of a track calling on folk influences, especially Celtic undertones. This song encourages …

Single Review: “Sunlight To My Soul” – Angelique Kidjo

An extraordinary thing happened yesterday. I met a couple from South Africa and we talked about music. Complete strangers. But the thing that connected us was that I love Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and the late great singers Miriam Makeba and Lionel Petersen. We talked about their impact and for just a brief moment we sang …

Single Review: “Perfect Victim” – Hailey Orion

This track starts off with some ethereal sounds that disorient you but in a good way! The vocals are arranged in such a way in the beginning, sung ahhhs in different pitches, then there’s a sound that makes it feels like you’re sucked into reality. Then the main vocals come in over bell like synth …

Single Review: “Axel F” Harold Faltermeyer

While everyone’s gripped in election fever, I thought I’d revisit a track that holds a lot of good memories for me. Not only is it a track from a film that holds a very special place in 80s pop culture it’s also a pop culture reference in itself.  That film was Beverly Hills Cop, and …

Blog interview: Flo Perlin

Hello Flo how are you? That’s a BIG question. I’m feeling excited.  Congratulations on the release of “Clay”, how does it feel?  Thank you very much! It feels surreal. It’s called a ‘release’ for a reason as that’s literally what it feels like.  It’s a ten track project, what was the inspiration behind it? This …

Single Review: “Who We Are” – Ngaio

This track combines a strong soulful vocal over a fantastic dance beat that sounds exotic, I love the build up to the hook on this, the bass line is hypnotic, and the percussion wanders in and out. But when it gets going you have a song that really is anthemic, I mean it’s a call …

Single Review: “Star In A Reasonable Priced Car” – Rubberband Girl

This is the new single from Rubberband Girl and… it’s a cracker. It’s like a cleaned up “Hand In My Pocket” with a banjo in there, and the drums are “properly” recorded, not as gritty. The title reminds me of a segment of Top Gear which *shock horror* I’ve never seen but was having a …

Single Review: “You Are Not Nosferatu” – C-Beem X The Fantom Man

I picked this song as my track of the day because the synth sounds are instantly recognisable to me. The harsh clap (It’s not a snare funnily enough) is a synthetic sound that Cameo have used on “Word Up” and of course the orchestra hit sound was what I judged my synths by back in …

Single Review:-“Every House Gets Dark When The Sun Goes Down” – Project Blackbird

This is the second single from the upcoming Project Blackbird album, and it reinforces what I’ve always known about this band.  They produce damn fine songs.  This starts off with an electric piano bathed in warm chorus, over which trumpet player Jon Read plays a really simple melody over this chord progression – G Maj …