Surrey-based Asad Khan (aka Khanvict) is an escape artist. His love for lush strings, cinematic swells, and a West Coast bass music punch instantly transport the listener – conjuring visions of desert expanses and dense jungle paradises.
This year has been a big year for Khanvict, hitting his first million streams on Spotify. His recent release, the politically charged “Close,” has racked up over 1 million views on YouTube and garnered global press from Rolling Stone to Times of India to The Hindu.
Khanvict is now following this success with his second EP, Escape, which was inspired by a need for escape from the lockdown, the uncertainty, and into a feeling of freedom through music.
Focus track, “Impedance,” features lush chords juxtaposed by hard hitting bass lines and wobbles.
Shadow Monster is an angsty and loud two-piece from Bushwick, Brooklyn. Gillian Visco’s gritty, dissonant and desperate guitar riffs meet with John Swanson’s epic and explosive drumming style to form a raw and moody version of grunge rock. Lyrically, Shadow Monster explores themes of loss, depression and isolation. If you’re into Elliott Smith, Weakened Friends, Helium, and Kills Birds, your ears are going to love Shadow Monster.
Their new video “Kill Me Sweetie,” is the final release from their LP “Punching Bag,” which is an artful masterpiece from start to finish. Shadow Monsters sound is vibrant, captivating and bold as they bring a vision to the table that is truly their own. It’s hypnotic and smooth, yet raw, vibrant and dark. They bring the best of all worlds. The video perfectly encapsulates the essence of the duo, and goes above and beyond to impress your ears. We step inside of the video with Shadow Monster as they take us through the journey and process.
Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
Kill Me Sweetie is a song about going through the motions when everything you see makes you shake your head. It’s when you reach that point of being so over-it that you feel nothing. One day I was listening to the album mixes on the train and this song came on while I was going over the Williamsburg Bridge and I watched all the different lives passing as I remained in place, detached, and it was then that the seed was planted for a music video. At the time we already knew Punching Bag would be the first single so I just kept the idea on the backburner.
What was the inspiration behind this video(visuals, storyline, etc.)?
The vision for the music video was birthed from the lyric “…we’ll laugh and pat each other’s backs and walk back home to nothing.” The color palette and fly-on -the-wall feeling the one-shot provides, were an attempt to capture that window of time where late night bleeds into early morning, when the good-time buzz wears off and reality starts to resurface. And the dance is an interpretation of that walk home, catching the sunrise over the city when you feel completely alone in the world, a final exhale after holding it together for so long.
What was the process of making this video? My friend Cade Weidenhaft and I had discussed doing a music video together, so we met a few times over zoom (as this was shot in 2020) and mapped the whole thing out. I brought up the idea of a one-shot video and he was just as excited as I was by it. We discussed time stamps beforehand, and knew exactly where we had to be during pivotal moments in the song . We shot six takes over two hours on an early November morning while the sun was coming up. I don’t think a one-shot video would have been possible without Cade’s enthusiasm and commitment to make it work. It also helped that Cade’s friend and collaborator Sean Hart showed up to set so we had an extra set of hands and eyes to guide Cade while shooting.Open document settingsOpen publish panel
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Shadow Monster is an angsty and loud two-piece from Bushwick, Brooklyn. Gillian Visco’s gritty, dissonant and desperate guitar riffs meet with John Swanson’s epic and explosive drumming style to form a raw and moody version of grunge rock. Lyrically, Shadow Monster explores themes of loss, depression and isolation. If you’re into Elliott Smith, Weakened Friends, Helium, and Kills Birds, your ears are going to love Shadow Monster. Their new video “Kill Me Sweetie,” is the final release from their LP “Punching Bag,” which is an artful masterpiece from start to finish. Shadow Monsters sound is vibrant, captivating and bold as they bring a vision to the table that is truly their own. It’s hypnotic and smooth, yet raw, vibrant and dark. They bring the best of all worlds. The video perfectly encapsulates the essence of the duo, and goes above and beyond to impress your ears.
We step inside of the video with Shadow Monster
Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?
Kill Me Sweetie is a song about going through the motions when everything you see makes you shake your head. It’s when you reach that point of being so over-it that you feel nothing. One day I was listening to the album mixes on the train and this song came on while I was going over the Williamsburg Bridge and I watched all the different lives passing as I remained in place, detached, and it was then that the seed was planted for a music video. At the time we already knew Punching Bag would be the first single so I just kept the idea on the backburner.
What was the inspiration behind this video(visuals, storyline, etc.)?
The vision for the music video was birthed from the lyric “…we’ll laugh and pat each other’s backs and walk back home to nothing.” The color palette and fly-on -the-wall feeling the one-shot provides, were an attempt to capture that window of time where late night bleeds into early morning, when the good-time buzz wears off and reality starts to resurface. And the dance is an interpretation of that walk home, catching the sunrise over the city when you feel completely alone in the world, a final exhale after holding it together for so long.
What was the process of making this video? My friend Cade Weidenhaft and I had discussed doing a music video together, so we met a few times over zoom (as this was shot in 2020) and mapped the whole thing out. I brought up the idea of a one-shot video and he was just as excited as I was by it. We discussed time stamps beforehand, and knew exactly where we had to be during pivotal moments in the song . We shot six takes over two hours on an early November morning while the sun was coming up. I don’t think a one-shot video would have been possible without Cade’s enthusiasm and commitment to make it work. It also helped that Cade’s friend and collaborator Sean Hart showed up to set so we had an extra set of hands and eyes to guide Cade while shooting.
Ámaris Wen, also known artistically as Ámaris, is one of only a few female music producers who combines genres such as R&B, electronic, and neo soul, defining her music as genre-defying. She got into EDM when attending drama school for her dance studies. After working for Sony Music as a playlist manager, she took her music towards the synthetic pop and R&B route. She is a creative person who uses music as her outlet. Her newest song, “Time Traveler,” is a song that beautifully blends genres and music into a unique sound that you won’t hear anywhere else. It’s a synthetic pop song that calls back to 80’s pop with R&B cohesively combined. It harks of Alicia Keys with some Madonna and Prince. She uses the electronic piano sounds to create a hypnotic beat and further uses it to create an echoing that vibrates throughout the song.
She creates a picture using music. Her use of the synthetic sound is unlike anything I’ve ever heard. She is able to show me color and art, a painting in my head as the song progresses, a masterpiece of sounds. Everytime the baseline makes a repetition is another stroke. Her voice adds the forefront. It’s soulful, powerful, moving, and gentle. It’s ambient and one of those voices that you could listen to for hours on end.
“Time Traveler” is a musical marvel and a must have on any playlist. She clearly knows what she’s doing and isn’t afraid to break barriers or genres. She does her own thing. You can tell by listening to her music, especially this song, that she enjoys music, it’s her passion; that creativity flows through her unlike any other artist. She understands music so well, it’s like she can hold it in her hand and mold it like clay. When she gives us music, we can hear her art.
Eclectic and engaging, Kristen Mather De Andrade is an artist to be on the lookout for. Her newest single, “Sagrado”, is light and airy and will breeze you away into another realm. The artist’s excellent instrumentalism takes forefront, with highlights towards clarinets and drums with a Latin style. With previous work styled in the Brazilian way, Kristen Mather De Andrade keeps true to her musical roots. “Sagrado” finds itself as a refreshing drink in the heat of the South American summer.
A Spanish word for “sacred”, the artist’s newest track reveals itself to be instrumentally celebrating the Latin culture that has made such lasting impressions on Kristen Mather De Andrade. Having been previously noted on the Brazilian Global News for her music, it is no surprise the value that South American and Latin culture has in the artist’s life – which is so clearly evident in “Sagrado”. A beautiful combination of instruments and vocals spins a tapestry of emotions and memory in “Sagrado”. With moments of instrumental features and vocal highlights, this newest release will be immensely enjoyed by both fans of De Andrade and new listeners alike. In an unique way, De Andrade has created a blend of singer and songwriter sound with instrumentalist focuses.
Made to be listened to in the sun with a cool summer breeze or in a Colombian cafe in Miami, “Sagrado” is perfectly paired with warmth and happiness. The artist’s gentle instrumentalization is masterful and elegant, engaging with the audience in a calming aura. The song immediately brings itself into the room with a light presence, lifting up its listeners with its upbeat tempo. A must-hear for fans of Kristen Mather De Andrade, “Sagrado” is not only the artist’s newest release – but newest hit. There is no question that soon this track will rise to the top of the artist’s creations.
Adalia Tara is an award winning singer-songwriter and recording artist who solely writes music with meaning. She says “I feel it is my responsibility as an artist to reflect the times we are living in, to be a mirror, to shine a light on the truth of what’s happening around us. I hope my music gives people the courage to look inward, to question our motivation, and to ask ourselves why we live the way we do. I want to be a voice for all people, bringing more humanity and kindness into the world.” She gets inspiration from jazz, R&B, blues, and pop.
When she says she writes with meaning, she does not disappoint. The Arizona artist is at it again with her new single “Give It Up,” a brilliantly poetic and impassioned song that’s all too necessary in today’s climate. She says “This track is a response to the deeply rooted racial inequities that were brought to the light this year. If we want justice in the world, all voices need to be heard and respected, not just one. Humility, accountability and self-honesty are needed. Will we turn a blind eye, or will we use this difficult moment to create lasting change? The breakthrough comes when there is an equal playing field for everyone. This is what “Give it Up” is all about.”
“Give It Up” is a slow pop ballad with some hints of R&B with a slow beat and melodic piano. It’s a unique sound similar to that of John Legend and Demi Levato. While the music itself is powerful, the real magic of this song is the message. The lyrics are loud though they are sung softly. She sings vibrant verses like “give up comfort, give up being first, step aside now, let someone else be first” and “a sickness is rising to the surface, let it change you, let it have a purpose.” She’s evoking heavy emotions in just those two verses, grabbing our senses and showing us what needs to be seen. The song finishes with “step aside now, let someone else be heard” to send her message home.
“Give It Up” is nothing less than powerful, moving, and necessary. She doesn’t shy away from giving you herself and being vulnerable while also being extremely playful. While the pandemic got us all down, she continued to write and perform virtually. “Give It Up” comes out June 25th. Be sure to add it to your playlist.
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