Photo by Merritt Johnson. Art by Christian Petersen and Nicholas Galanin
Sub Pop will release Indian Yard, the debut record from Sitka, Alaska projectYa Tseen. To celebrate the group’s impending release, they have shared an official video for “Synthetic Gods,” directed by Stephan Gray. Hinging on verses from Shabazz Palaces and Stas THEE Boss,“Synthetic Gods” is sonically seductive, a tense reflection on crisis, that summons the pressure needed to ensure Indigenous sovereignty and power to the people.
Galanin says of the video, “‘Synthetic Gods’ is a response to the violence of capitalism dependent on systemic racism and division; and a narration of the pressure that will be applied to destroy it.” You can watch the new video HERE.
The North American deluxe edition on clear vinyl is also available to purchase now. The deluxe packaging will include a 24-page hardcover LP-sized book with covers featuring a sci-fi landscape populated by a toddler-wearing artistMerritt Johnson’s sculpture Mindset, a VR headset woven from sweetgrass. The interior art was designed by Galanin. This deluxe edition will be available while supplies last.
Previously featured on RCRD LBL (read feature) with song ‘Night Light’, acclaimed producer Marcus James and the reputable duo RYYZN released their Warning Sign(Stripped) EP via Physical Presents on Friday, and we are still hooked. RYYZN are a Vancouver-based duo comprised of David York and Jessie Elias who come from Calgary and Saskatoon respectively. Born based and currently living in Vancouver, Marcus James is well known for collaborating with other local talent, and ultimately producing music that will leave you captivated from the first few seconds of listening to it.
We waited in anticipation to hear what RYYZN and Marcus James were releasing next, after watching their breathtaking acoustic take on their single ‘Night Light’ . The Warning Sign (Stripped) EP definitely lives up to the hype of its predecessor. The acoustic edition of Warning Sign features a combination of noteworthy quirks, like it’s honeyed alternative vocal range from duo RYYZN that has captured you from the beginning. Along with this, is the unforgettable instrumental compositions from Marcus James – leaves you wanting more.
Marcus James shares the importance of the new version of the EP:
This Stripped EP is our way of coming full circle for the final chapter of the Warning Sign project and releasing all four songs in the acoustic form that they were first written and recorded. It was important to us from a songwriting standpoint to make sure these songs worked “stripped-down” before we turned them into the productions released on the original EP. I guess somewhere along the line we figured if these songs work in their original form, why not let people hear them in that way?
Maria Kelly premiered the video for her current single, ‘Martha’, on her YouTube channel. Directed by Tim Shearwood, who has worked on projects with the likes of Le Boom, Ae Mak and HAVVK, the video sees Maria playful in an empty room – a visual take on the song’s theme. ‘Martha’ was released on Maria’s label, VETA Music, and heralds her long-awaited debut album later this year.
Since its release just under a fortnight ago, on the 7th of April, the Westport alt-folk singer’s new single has surpassed 30,000 streams on Spotify, been played on Irish radio over 60 times, has been named Track of the Week on 2fm, been added to the coveted RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends list and received high praise from music journalists across the country.
Of the video, Maria says: “‘Martha’ is all about feeling stuck in that part of your early twenties, where you’re not who you were and not quite who you’ll be yet. And it’s about dealing with all of the change, restlessness, and confusion that comes with that. There are so many difficult parts of that process, but I wanted this video to explore the fun that still exists in that period of time – feeling stuck and unsure, but finding ways to make yourself laugh anyway.”
Maria Kelly’s world of delicately woven alt-folk is laced with a sincerity that cuts to the bone. Finding comfort in the confessional styles of artists like Regina Spektor, Daughter, and Lucy Rose, she soon transferred her own introspections to music, developing a sound that is as delicate as it is disarmingly frank.
A number of critically acclaimed releases on Veta Records have been accompanied by shows across Europe supporting the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall, and Paul Noonan (Bell X1). Maria quickly became known for her heart-wrenching live performances, unassuming humour, and a ‘pin-drop’ vocal that is impossible to ignore. Maria’s work has continued to gain momentum internationally, rallying support from Mahogany, Consequence of Sound, and The Line Of Best Fit along the way.
After laying a foundation in the Irish music scene, Maria relocated to Berlin in 2018, a life-changing move that inspired her four-track EP, ‘notes to self’. Her stint in Germany saw her join All The Luck In The World on a month-long European tour, followed by her debut TV appearance on Other Voices Ballina. Maria finished up the year with two sold-out shows supporting Villagers.
2019 saw the release of ‘i leave early’ – a captivating track that showcases Maria’s continued development as an artist and one which quickly garnered more than a million streams on Spotify.
With the world at a standstill, 2020 saw Maria retreating to a small cottage on the south coast of Ireland. During this quiet in-between, Maria has found space to write and record her eagerly anticipated debut album – a blank canvas and an open sea with which to take stock and reflect on her 20s so far.
Breaking new ground from the mainstream qualities of her flirty pop princess appeal, singer Hanne Mjøen starts off on a different foot with latest single ‘Hell With You’ via Physical Presents. The singer spent the last few months evaluating her sound and has gravitated towards ground-breaking musical influences like Robyn, Flume and Lorde.
The songstress recently shared her feelings about releasing this track, and how her sound has changed in the last few months on socials recently: “Hi friends I wrote Hell With You in March 2019 with one of my favorite co-writers Karl Zine – and it’s been in the back of my mind ever since then. This song is very special to me, cause at the time I wrote it I had lost the drive to do my own artist project, and it inspired me to focus on writing songs for me again. Produced by the best Sondre Mjåland”
Still maintaining the electro pop quirks of her former self, ‘Hell With You’s production style takes a more jagged approach and we are not complaining one bit. The single breaks from the naive pop sweetheart complex of Hanne’s previous hits, and instead brings forward a lady that is fully aware of the weight of her decisions that she makes. Not a cautious or lighthearted track, this track focuses on the societal pressure and somewhat unwritten standards of being a female even in a more diverse and politically correct society.
