News – Page 51 – RCRD LBL

October 21, 2021

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021 Mew Zikwryder

Laidback R&B music producer Zanski shares album Phenomena

In his sophomore album Phenomena, Canadian musician Zanski submerges audiences into an immersive, emotional journey through his meticulously crafted sound.

Released via AWAL, the 15-track LP is a lucid dream expressed through R&B-influenced guitars, stunning electronic production, and mesmerizing vocals from the multi-talented artist. Written, produced, mixed, and mastered by Zanski himself, Phenomena is an exploration of ambiguity, challenging the malaise of apathy with a longing for something more substantial. The album shares its name from Zanski’s YouTube series Phenomena TV, in which he explains his creative process and how he shapes his DIY sound design, nostalgic visual aesthetic, and inimitable musical style.

Zanski explains, “The album weaves together a dream-like narrative about existential motifs and what it is to feel disconnected. Through the 15 tracks, I wanted to write cataloguing a feeling, a loose collection of places and times, rather than a strict narrative, that still feels like it’s linearly progressing to some sort of emotional catharsis. It’s open-ended but touches upon the dissociation of modernity and how we navigate that feeling every day.”

First garnering attention in 2017, Toronto-based artist Zanski released his Collapse EP to critical and commercial acclaim. This led to a breakout single in 2018, “Fool,” which has accumulated over 5 million streams across streaming platforms. Looking forward, Zanski seeks to create music that transports listeners into lucid dreams. Building sonic worlds with his meticulous and encapsulating sound design, Zanski’s latest releases firmly root him as an artist to watch.

Follow Zanski:

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube

October 18, 2021

October 18, 2021October 18, 2021 Mew Zikwryder

Rising avant-pop duo ÄTNA share delightfully weird music video

Rising German avant-pop duo ÄTNA are poised to announce a brand new release with the arrival of ‘Smile‘ this October through Humming Records.

Following on from their recent acclaimed collaborations on Solomun’s ‘Tuk Tuk’, championed by Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1 and ‘Weirdo’ with 11-piece techno marching band Meute, ‘Smile’ is a scintillatingly bizarre and sumptuous track moulded in ÄTNA’s fresh inimitable style.

The accompanying video clip is visually striking, minimalist statement. They say: “In the music video for ‘Smile’, we go new ways this time and escape to a place between dream and disturbance, where a fleeting smile distorts space and time. Echoes from the future become déjà vu. Hypnotic and intangible. Unsurprisingly, our new song comes as a surprise; dry yet dubby, ballad-esque yet beat driven – a strive for acceptance of dark passengers who will always be a part of the whole.”

ÄTNA are creating groundbreaking avant-garde pop from scratch, hitting a career milestone of over 1 million Spotify listeners a month, with over 40 million Spotify streams across their catalogue and NMF features in Germany, Switzerland, UK, Mexico, Türkiye, CZ, Greece, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.

They create a completely unique sound that is free of any stylistic conventions. Their style is indefinable, their stage presence immense, their creativity boundless: ÄTNA have achieved what many consider impossible in these times. From the underground to one of the most sought-after live acts in Europe and, at the same time, one of the most innovative new electronic music projects. The mission statement was as steep as it was hard for the duo, and yet, at least since their impressive debut “Made By Desire” (2020), Inéz and Demian know only one direction: up.

Follow ÄTNA:

Website / Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Spotify

October 15, 2021

October 15, 2021October 18, 2021 Mew Zikwryder

ANIQO shares chilling new video for ‘Fear’

Psychedelic songstress ANIQO has released a video to accompany her new track ‘Fear.’ Directed by Matthias Pfeiffer (aka Pupillendriller) and produced by Guy Sternberg (Keane, Feist, Yoko Ono, Kings of Convenience) the video is a haunting visual translation of a potent track.

Stream/ download: ‘Fear’

On ‘Fear’ ANIQO speaks of the control measures implemented by media, government, and religion, using masks and dimly-lit scenes as a literal translation. The evocative visuals are well suited to the atmosphere of the track, leaving the viewer with a strong message.

Speaking of the concept behind the video, ANIQO tells us: “The video symbolizes confrontations with various fears… Matthias and I have a similar perspective on the world, also in aesthetic terms. To visualize the feeling of a song is not easy but we managed to do that here. Fear has many faces and I became even more aware of that during the shoot.”

Follow ANIQO:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify

October 15, 2021

October 15, 2021October 18, 2021 Mew Zikwryder

Breezy indie-pop act Halfnoise announce 4th studio album

Halfnoise – the celebrated solo project of Zac Farro (Paramore) – announces their 4th studio album ‘Motif’, due November 5th, and shares new single ‘Superstition’.

Continuing from the sonic style of first single ‘Two Of Us’ (praised by DIY, DORK, Rocksound, Brooklyn Vegan and more), ‘Superstition’ is a swaggering, sexy confession of love punctuated with explosive bursts of vintage strings and funky rhythms that Farro’s smooth tenor vocals croon over the top of.

Motif, released via Zac’s own label Congrats Records is the soundtrack to a genuine, real life love affair. Inspired by his relationship with partner and collaborator Kayla Graninger, Motif charts the journey of new love…from infatuation to maturity, from New York to Los Angeles, from spontaneity to the everyday.

The story begins in medias res with the breezy, hand-holding, instrumental stroll fittingly titled, “Introduction.” From here, the record picks up with latest single, “Superstition,” setting the stage lyrically with the vulnerable, sincere adulations of a boy in love and way in over his head.

‘Motif’ unapologetically resides in the hi-fi mid-70s atmosphere of The Bee Gees, Gaye, Nilsson, Lennon and ELO, with swanky keys, nostalgic string arrangements, gushing sentiment and unrepentant saxophone — all without a hint of irony or parody. Noticeably forefront are the melodies, which find Farro louder in the mix than usual, more exposed, and stretching his vocal and poetic range. Meanwhile Halfnoise moves into previously unexplored musical and emotional territory with both passionate and playful abandon.

The album closes strong with Last Day on Earth, a dreamy, Mind Games-esque anthem combining the whole cast of instrumental characters in a rapturous, romantic crescendo as the two lovers fantasize about their relationship in apocalyptic metaphor. The story’s final image is of the couple gracefully accepting a world that is unaware of its own impending demise and indifferent to the warnings of the new lovers, who alone, in the purification of love, can see the truth.

Halfnoise was founded by Farro in 2010, and has gone through many different musical iterations. Acclaimed 2016 album ‘Sudden Feeling’ drew from elements of shimmering synth-pop, which quickly developed into 2019s ‘Natural Disguise’ which combined alternative rock, with disco elements, and which has led to the next chapter, beginning with ‘Two Of Us’ & ‘Supersition’.

Not one to rest on their laurels, since rejoining Paramore in 2017 Farro has released two EPs & one album under the Halfnoise moniker, as well as setting up his own label (Congrats) and producing the recent debut record from fellow Nashville artist and partner ELKE.

‘Motif’ is a bold new step for Farro & Halfnoise, exemplified by latest single ‘Superstition’.