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July 26, 2023 Maribou State return with their new single “Blackoak”

Maribou State return with their new single “Blackoak”

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Maribou State — the duo formed of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory — mark their highly anticipated return with brand new single “Blackoak”, their first new music in over three years, released today on Ninja Tune

Blackoak” is a classic slice of signature Maribou State sound, blending intricate electronics with organic live instrumentation and vocals, built around the kind of enticing hooks that have earned them such a huge and dedicated fan base over the years. It acts not just as a reintroduction of Maribou State to the world but as a marker for where they are at both sonically and creatively, a statement of intent on what is surely to follow.

“Over the past few years we’d both begun to struggle with our sense of selves and how connected we felt to our roots in Britain,” they explain. “The world being in a state of flux seemed to amplify this feeling of disillusion but it led us to explore all the things we loved about where we’re from; the musicians, from artists like David Bowie and The Beatles, through to The Prodigy and Chemical Brothers, and also the likes of Burial,  Aphex Twin and Sault; all the electronic genres born here, from Jungle to UK Garage and IDM; and Festivals, namely Glastonbury, the countryside & English summers.”  

The release comes after an intense period of song-writing that saw them embark on several makeshift writing retreats, building their own DIY studios at various secluded locations throughout the UK, and inviting a cast of friends and collaborators along to help. “Blackoak” ended up being written almost entirely in one day during one of the early writing sessions, and was completed on a later trip with the help of their own amateur choir.

“We invited all our friends down and got them to sing the main hook, “do that for you”, in the stairwell of the house. The whole thing was fairly chaotic and turned into more of a party than anything productive whilst they were there, but all that energy ended up feeding back into the song and the vocals we recorded really made the ending come to life.” 

The Blackoak in question actually refers to the area where the bulk of the track was written over the winter of 2021, surrounded by snow covered woodland — something which is close to the Hertfordshire-born pair’s hearts. As part of the physical release, the band have made a donation to the Woodland Trust, equivalent to £1 of every vinyl sold. “Having both been fortunate enough to grow up in an area surrounded by woodland, we’ve always had a strong connection and affinity with forests and now more than ever we fully support the Woodland Trust in their efforts of restoration and protection for these magnificent and vital areas” 

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March 24, 2023 munro releases double single with Quality Goods Records

munro releases double single with Quality Goods Records

munro shows two sides in his new double single ‘Butterflies / Pineal’, out on Quality Goods Records. The track was supported by tastemaker webzine NOTION Magazine, adding to his growing list, which includes CLASH Magazine, ABC triple j unearthed radio show.

Stream / Download: munro – ‘Butterflies / Pineal’

‘Butterflies’ has a destructive feel, meaning the record has been carefully decayed. Auckland-based producer munro cut out frequencies and distorted others to blend them into a contrasting mix. This remains true for the duration of the track, where glitched noise effect ‘bursts’ splatter its edges and a heavily-saturated sub-bass takes over from a hot kick drum, layering on top of the already-crunchy arrangement.

On the other side, ‘Pineal’ is more introverted. That is, it is softer and takes a while longer to break out of its shell, but once it does, oh boy. The record surprises us all with its stuttering sample breaks and unstoppable beat.

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November 4, 2022 HAELIUM and Kasztan’s collaboration leads label launch

HAELIUM and Kasztan’s collaboration leads label launch

Image credit: SERGINSKI

Producers HAELIUM and Kasztan have teamed up to create a new single ‘DOR’. The collaboration has been released under Stemina Recordings, a brand-new record label that Kasztan is spearheading, and sees the two artists pour their creativity into an emotive record that progresses from a bare-boned, percussive beginning to a fleshed-out, multi-layered climax, undergoing a lifetime of growth in just under 4 minutes.

Stream / Download: HAELIUM x Kasztan – ‘DOR’

An award-winning musician, Kasztan is a French Electronic producer who has toured with the French music group M83. More than a stage moniker, he has composed music for the screen, scoring The Illusionists documentary among other televised projects. 

HAELIUM, also of French origin, is both a producer and classically trained pianist. It is unsurprising that he names composer and fellow friend of the keys Jon Hopkins as a wellspring from which he draws inspiration. 

Kasztan tells us about the debut of the label and more, saying, “My manager and I decided to launch this new label Stemina Recordings. I’m super happy that the first release is a collaborative work with Gabriel/Haelium. I love his work”.

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September 28, 2022 Producer sleepy Tom creates  disco fever with new single

Producer sleepy Tom creates disco fever with new single

Image credit: Brandon William Fletcher

Dynamic producer Sleepy Tom dropped an amazing title track, ‘This Thing Called Life’, under  MNRK Music Group from his upcoming EP This Thing Called Life. The producer has worked with great artists in the likes of  Grandtheft and Anna Lunoe to name a few. The Vancouver-based musician Cam Tatham alias Sleepy Tom is a force to be reckoned with. 

Stream / Download: ‘This Thing Called Life’ 

Speaking of forces, ‘This Thing Called Life’ takes a plunge powerfully into the arena of the disco sound. The plays and intermingling of the piano notes, the electric guitar and the breathy vocals take euphoric joys to the brink of faint-heartedness. The lyrics transport the listener to a bliss point where time stands still. ‘This Thing Called Life’ is reminiscent of the excellent sound of Purple Disco Machine.

Sleepy Tom tells us a bit about his intended ambition whilst making the single: “With ‘This Thing Called Life’, I wanted to make a collection of songs that were going to lift me out of my funk. I was looking for music that could satisfy my club cravings, while also leaving room for melody––disco!” 

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