From a decaying city rises a great ‘MONOLITH’, created in a bygone era and carrying reminiscence of a past civilization. As the sweeping green moss and grass covers the surrounding area, we’re left to wonder – is this the past, the future, or the current time in an alternative reality?
Mattia Cupelli explores the world of time and its impression on humanity in his upcoming album RUINS, slated for release on the 9th of July via MC Records. ‘MONOLITH’ is the first glimpse of the LP, standing boldly and leading listeners in a new direction, away from Mattia Cupelli’s previous sound. Traditionally associated with film scores and lighter, more delicate music, this single marks a turn towards a darker, more experimental sound.
Mattia Cupelli tells his fans about the creation of the video: “When I contacted the video maker for the video, we wanted to recreate the sensation of Time passing and at the same time standing. We took some classical art statues from the past and made them move through shadows, as an endless infinite evolution.”
Grammy-nominated indie-electronic music producer ford. has unveiled a new ‘Bedroom Reprise’ version of his track‘4:38am’, featuring Brooklyn based artist Barrie, out now.
Combining delicate piano chords with Barrie’s hushed vocals, the ‘Bedroom Reprise’version of‘4:38am’ is a sparse, stripped-back take that further accentuates the track’s understated beauty. The touching accompanying video sees the pair performing the track in two separate locations in the confines of a warmly-lit studio and bedroom. First appearing on ford.’s acclaimed recent album The Color of Nothing, the original has already amassed more than 4 million Spotify streams.
‘4:38am’ (Bedroom Reprise) is the first release from ford.’s forthcoming companion package, The Color of Nothing (Reprise). Out May 18th, the new package includes five remixes, two new stripped-back versions and two brand-new tracks“thursday drive”and “mid-day [Focus Piece]”.
“I’ve always found a sense of peace and solace when working late at night,”ford. explains. “It allows me to cultivate this state of constant motivation when writing music that only exists in those hours. I wanted to do an acoustic for 4:38am as a way to provide a different perspective on the song and strip it down to its bare essentials in the same way that working in those late hours strips back my inhibitions when writing music.
He continues: “I remember building out this version soon after the album dropped and sending it off to Barrie to see if she was interested in the idea. She sent back some new vocals that felt even more intimate and personal than the original. A couple months later I drove out to LA for a road trip and ended up filming the piano parts, while Barrie filmed her parts in NY.”
At just 21 years of age, ford. has caught the attention as one of the brightest crossover stars with major streaming hits such as “Bedford Falls” and “Craving.” He’s also produced remixes for major acts including Bearson, Ashe and Kasbo – resulting in a colossal 55 million streams and over one million monthly listeners. The producer extraordinaire has been championed by major tastemakers including Billboard, Complex, Dancing Astronaut, UPROXX, FAULT, andAcid Stag. He’s landed a coveted Coachella set and in-demand tours with some of the biggest names on the scene including Madeon, Jai Wolf and Maribou State. He also received a Grammy nomination for his remix of Mild Minds’ “SWIM”.
The first release from ford.’s forthcoming project, the ‘Bedroom Reprise’ version of‘4:38am’ perfectly captures the beauty of the young artist’s music. This fall, ford. will have two co-headliner shows with Elderbrook in Vancouver and Seattle, along with a slot at Life Is Beautiful, and more US shows to be announced soon.
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.
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.
