Following the release of the lead single, “Back For More,” renowned multi-genre producer, DJ, and label owner NGHTMRE and acclaimed live instrumentalists and dance music duo Big Gigantic have teamed up as Gigantic NGHTMRE to release their highly-anticipated, debut self-titled EP. ‘Gigantic NGHTMRE‘ is led by new single, “Never Loved You Like That” featuring SAFIA and is set to captivate audiences and occupy playlists worldwide, further cementing the members of Gigantic NGHTMRE as trailblazers in the electronic music scene, and is available now on all DSPs and streaming services HERE.
“I’ve looked up to Big Gigantic since attending my first festivals many years ago. They’re both so incredibly talented and made writing this EP super fun! We all really love how this music turned out even though some of it is a bit different from what we would normally make. We really tried to diversify our individual sounds include a little bit of everything on this EP… from easy listening house music to heavy festival bangers for our live show. No matter what the style, each song includes some live sax, drum elements, as well as signature sound design and melodic synthesizers that are staples of my own sound. We really feel each song represents our shared musical tastes! Hope you all love it!” – NGHTMRE
Musical icons in their own rights, NGHTMRE and Big Gigantic have joined forces on rare occasions over the past several years to grace festival lineups performing as the super group “Gigantic NGHTMRE.” Last month they announced their first full musical project, their highly-anticipated, self-titled debut EP, which will be followed by the EP release party at their New York City headline show at the iconic Brooklyn Mirage on July 30.
“We’ve had so many fun & awesome Gigantic Nghtmre shows over the past several years that we thought it would be fun to put a whole EP together. Music that was a good mix of our styles and crossed several genres in dance music and was something that both of our fan bases would really love. We got some demos together over the past few months, jumped in the studio and finished up some killer songs that we really love a lot and we know you will too!” – Big Gigantic
The EP showcases the versatility of NGHTMRE’s production, the saxophone from Dominic, and the drums from Jeremy of Big Gigantic in various musical genres, with each song presenting a unique perspective. Dominic skillfully integrates the sax into every track, elevating the compositions to new heights. The project’s lead single, “Back For More” featuring Olivia Sebastianelli is a fusion of NGHTMRE’s signature bass-driven sound and the infectious melodies and live instrumentation that have become synonymous with Big Gigantic’s electrifying performances. “Disconnected” takes the listener on a captivating journey through pulsating beats and infectious rhythms loosely rooted in the realm of house music. “Twilight (Something’s Here)” is a powerful and electrifying composition that demands your immediate attention as it surges with high-octane energy, compelling listeners to engage in an irresistible headbanging experience. The EP’s focus track, “Never Loved You Like That” featuring SAFIA, is an infectious and vibrant composition that seamlessly blends elements of funk and jazz. “Keep The Change” ends the project by infusing it with a catchy, energetic, and relaxing pop EDM vibe.
“It feels like a lifetime ago when we wrote this song in London, but our fondness for it has never waned.We love what NGHTMRE & Big Gigantic have done with the song, their interpretation pays respect to the original idea, while still taking it to a whole new level.” – SAFIA
The project boasts the cinematic production and sound design that has made NGHTMRE a dance music titan, as well as the impressive instrumentation that makes Big Gigantic truly unique live performers. In addition to their collaborative project, Gigantic NGHTMRE will be embarking on a series of highly anticipated performances, building on past sets at EDC Las Vegas, Rowdytown IX at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and Ultra Music Festival. Upcoming performances include a headline show at New York City’s iconic Brooklyn Mirage on July 30 and a Gigantic NGHTMRE festival appearance at North Coast Festival on September 3.
NGHTMRE, who has been a driving force in the industry for the past seven years, released his debut full-length album DRMVRSE in 2022. Created over four years, DRMVRSE is a masterfully cohesive fictional anthology involving a Neurotech company that discovers a sonic frequency called Unsound, which leads one through gateways to other physical planes of existence, known as the “DRMVRSE.” Add in large amounts of DMT, portal jumping, and epic battles all seen via eight long form music video vignettes and it provided one of the most imaginative and sonically pristine audio-visual, psychedelic-sci fi album experiences of the year. The project’s singles include “Fall Into Me” with SLANDER featuring Dylan Matthew, and the high octane trap single, “Trials” featuring IDK, alongside other tracks with Zeds Dead, Oliver Tree, UPSAHL and more.
Meanwhile, Big Gigantic continues to captivate audiences with their dynamic fusion of live instrumentation and electronic music; a sound that is as thoughtful as it is danceable. Drawing on music from 6 full length studio albums, they mix musically mature melodies with addictive beats and samples that crosses all styles of music from jazz to hip hop, funk to dubstep. The duo’s infectious energy and genre-bending sound have earned them a dedicated fanbase and performances on renowned stages around the world where they perform fan favorites like “All of Me” featuring Logic & Rozes and “The Little Things” featuring Angela McCluskey. Most recently, the dance veterans released the infectious song “Keep on Movin” together with Cloudchord as well their latest full length album Brighter Future 2: the long anticipated follow up to their 2016 smash album Brighter Future.
Surging dance music sensation Disco Lines, known best for his viral song “Baby Girl” with over 116 million streams and his recent run of momentous festival sets, has just released his newest single “RWEOK?” in collaboration with San Francisco’s rising Lo-Fi producer demotapes. Releasing over a year after their last collaboration, “Can We Get Away Tonight,” Disco Lines and demotapes bring their listeners a refreshing, new single, which is available to stream on all digital streaming platform
“This collab with Parker (demotapes) came together naturally. He’s a close friend and makes some of the most beautiful sounds. Homie also is a fellow buff (Boulder Alumni). We have been cooking a bunch of stuff recently too. This one actually came from a series of FaceTimes. This felt like a great vibe for the summer so we wanted to get it out ASAP and I’m stoked to release it on my label Good Good Records” – Disco Lines
Disco Lines releases his new single at an unprecedented time in his career, having just founded his independent label Good Good Records and launching his new mix show on SiriusXM’s BPM (ch. 51) called ‘Good Good Radio.’ Demotapes also recently released his first EP with friends. “RWEOK?” features mesmerizing synthesized beats paired with resonating vocals that create the ultimate euphoric dance music atmosphere, a sound that demotapes no doubt had influence on.
Quickly becoming one of the most talked about artists in the dance music genre, Disco Lines continues to catapult towards stardom with each new track that he releases to his worldwide audience. Obtaining a big portion of his fandom from his early innovative and up-tempo remixes, such as his viral unofficial remix “Love Story” of the popular Taylor Swift track which has over 5 Billion views and 4.2M videos created on TikTok, Disco Lines began to release his own original singles, with some of his most popular ones being “All I Want Is You,” “TECHNO + TEQUILA,” and “Restless Bones .”
In 2022, Disco Lines dropped his biggest single to this day, “Baby Girl.” The track was an immediate hit as it went viral on TikTok, sparking numerous trends. “Baby Girl” propelled Disco Lines to the next level, and from there on, the acclaimed producer continues to release hit after hit. Earlier this year, Disco Lines announced the arrival of Good Good Records, his own independent label, along with his first single under the label “MDMA.” This came followed by the launching his his new monthly mix show Fridays at 11PM EST on SiriusXM’s BPM (ch. 51) called ‘Good Good Radio.’ He continues to grow his fan base through his YouTube VLOG series “Disco Days” and by performing his infectious, electrifying, and genre-defying songs at a variety of shows and festivals, from Lollapalooza to Outside Lands to EDC Las Vegas.
“Thadeus (Disco Lines) and I made “RWEOK?” over a series of facetime calls over the last few months. As soon as we started making it, this song felt like it had the perfect energy for the hottest summer on record- a song that is dark, questioning and searching. Having worked together for years, Thadeus and I have a creative chemistry that makes production effortless and fun, and that was the case with this song. This is my first release on Disco’s new label, Good Good Records, and my favorite release of the year.” – demotapes
Hot off of his new EP and new single, “Do U Feel OK?,” rising Lo-Fi producer demotapes continues to make waves in the dance music genre. demotapes officially began his music career in 2020 with his debut single “Running,” which ultimately helped him launch his path as a successful, well-loved artist. Releasing more singles and collaborating with other renowned dance music artists, such as Adam Turley and Anthony Russo, has allowed him to continue to grow his dedicated fan base.
It wasn’t until earlier this year that demotapes finally released his first EP, with friends, which featured more collaborations with popular artists, like pluko and 33 Below, furthering his career as a songwriter and artist. When he’s not releasing music, demotapes creates sample packs and also posts the behind-the-scenes of how he created certain tracks on his YouTube channel.
Last month, Toronto outfit Elephants And Stars announced the September 1st release of their new EP Get Your Own Army with the leadoff single “Bled Out at the Scene,” a Cars/Springsteen-influenced rocker that once again showcased the band’s uncanny ability to find the dark heart beating away at pop music’s gooey center with a chorus that gets in your head and stays there. Frontman Manfred Stittmann‘s meditation about an acrimonious breakup made it easy to pump your fist and cry into your beer—maybe even at the same time.
With the EP’s second single “Gimme Ketamine,” Elephants And Stars deliver the ultimate summer anthem with an infectiously catchy rocker that sees the band wearing the influence of groups like The Gaslight Anthem and The Goo Goo Dolls on its sleeve. Again, though, surface impressions can be deceiving, with Stittmann exploring the tension between individual conviction and social pressure, offering biting lines like “Let’s crucify everyone who disagrees” in a way that one just can’t help but sing-along with.
“If you look at a mega-popular hit like ‘Every Breath You Take’ by The Police,” says Stittman, “just think how many people have played that song at weddings and occasions like that thinking it’s this heartfelt love ballad, when in truth it’s sung from the point of view of a stalker. I listen to a lot of really dark, heavy stuff like death metal and punk, but those lyrics don’t connect with me as much when the words and the sound align too closely. They end up canceling each other out. To me, death metal is almost party music even though I take the playing very seriously.”
“On the other hand,” he continues, “bubblegum pop usually doesn’t do it for me. I need some contrast—that feels more lifelike to me because, if you think about it, life is contrast. And I feel like that’s what we’re craving in art that seeks to be more than just entertainment, at least I do. I like to be entertained too, but I like to think this band can do both. You can sip your beer and play our songs at a cookout, or you can put them on to dwell on whatever you need to dwell on. I’m not the most profound songwriter, but I like to think our music can be there for you at whatever level you need it to be in the moment.”
The band’s follow-up to their 2022 full-length Last Chance Power Drive, Get Your Own Army was produced by Steve Chahley and mixed by Ron Hawkins of alt-rock legends Lowest Of The Low. Elephants And Stars is the third project formed around the long-running creative partnership of Manfred Stittmann and bassist Mike MacMillan, both of whom also formed the core of the late-’90s/early-2000s groups Soap Opera and The First Time.
Quietly, almost imperceptibly—and most often entirely out of view—inspiration comes knocking and entices someone to veer off the beaten track. In the darkness of the unknown, where it’s too far to turn back but there’s still no sense of where one might arrive… that is the place where the Belfast-via-Bristol quartet Otherish find themselves on their third album How Lucky We Are Being Us And Each Other.
Four misfits with three distinct songwriters in their ranks, it took Otherish decades to get here. In fact, they weren’t here just a year ago, they can’t tell you how it happened, and they can’t even describe what it sounds like. That’s a good thing, because it’s best when bands that strike gold on blind intuition stay blind. From a listener’s standpoint, however, the appeal of How Lucky We Are is far less difficult to pin down.
Startlingly fresh, the album lands like a welcome splash of cold water to the face, immediately recognizable as a work that captures a band stepping decisively out onto its own limb. Conversely, the music bears a familiar quality, as Otherish somehow wrap their arms around the full arc of rock music and emerge with a seamless amalgamation—familiar and inviting yet undeniably offbeat.
So effortless and natural is the band’s ability to channel its influences that listening to How Lucky We Are is like looking into a mirror, where the listener hears elements of whatever they themselves bring to the table: fans of ‘60s folk and psychedelia, ‘70s prog and art rock, ‘80s baroque pop, ‘90s alternative, post-millennial indie pop and chamber pop, etc will all hear themselves reflected in the album.
Nevertheless, there’s an unmistakable sense that this music could only have been made right now. Like an author who’s spent a lifetime borrowing books from the library and realizes that their own voice came into fruition somewhere along the line, Otherish have invented their own language on tracks such as “Strange Rain,” “If Only,” “The Good, The Real, The Beautiful,” and so on. As the album unfolds, it becomes apparent that Otherish have become one of those groups that can only be described in terms of their own sound.
Sure, the band is unabashed about wearing hallmarks of other artists on its collective sleeve: a touch of, say, Peter Gabriel or David Bowie here and, perhaps, a dash of Richard Thompson or Nick Drake there, etc—all underscored by Beatles harmonies and an irrepressible drive for exploration, as well as echoes of Gaelic folk music and the affinity for written verse that resounds throughout Irish culture.
The secret to the way that Otherish allow these styles to bleed into one another is that the band’s four members have essentially been doing the same with each other for half a century: the bond between brothers Paul and Mark Bradley and their bandmate Francis Kane runs as deep as their bond with one another. Kane, in fact, was born in the same home as the Bradleys, just days apart from Paul.
In the ‘80s, the Bradleys and Kane relocated one by one from their native Northern Ireland to Bristol, England, each lured by the nurturing embrace of the arts community there, as well as by Bristol’s collective ethos that puts a premium on humility. As Kane points out, it’s fitting that the most famous artist to ever emerge from Bristol—the street-art legend Banksy—remains staunchly anonymous.
Along the way, Mark, Paul and Francis came across George Claridge, an Englishman born in Wales who joined the crew in time for them to form the fringe alternative outfit Me in the early ‘90s. (The late keyboardist Nick Scooper, also English, joined in ‘93. His presence endures in Otherish even after his passing in 2018.) Once proclaimed “best band in Bristol” by NME, the lads now concur with the assessment that Me’s impact was “not enough even to render cult status.” They didn’t escape Radiohead’s notice, but that’s a story for another day…
Looking back on the way Me fumbled through their bid for wider recognition, Kane, Claridge and the Bradleys recall playing to empty halls. They also insist they had the time of their lives. In hindsight, they understand that trying too hard often takes you further afield from your artistic truth. These days, Otherish are refreshingly unencumbered by self-consciousness, so much so that they’ve managed to recapture something akin to the naiveté that guides children when they fingerpaint.
No surprise, the newfound buzz comes as a surprise that no one in the band expected. It shouldn’t, however, surprise anyone on the outside looking in: with George, Francis and Paul all contributing songs, vocals and multiple instruments, Otherish functions as a microcosmic example of multiplicity flourishing against all odds. The album, in fact, brims with examples of contrast and complementarism.
Seasoned by all the years of playing together, it’s as if Otherish can’t help but draw from a kind of unwitting intuitive wisdom. They would probably balk—maybe even laugh out loud—at the suggestion that there’s any wisdom involved.
Multi-talented singer-songwriter-actress, Emily Mei, announced her single “MANIA (Where Them Girls At)” is out today, available now on all DSPs and streaming services. Supported by an accompanying music video, this is her second foray into creating new, original music, and is just the beginning of a deep dive into highlighting her versatile musical talents as 2023 moves forward.
With summer rolling in, Emily Mei packs in the heat with “MANIA”, complete with a full bass, clear vocals, rapid fire rap verses, and an unending supply of big boss energy. In a brilliant nod to her cultural roots, the song also showcases a unique, west-meets-east sound with the inclusion of Chinese instrumentation like the guzheng and erhu, adding a layer of complexity to the entire song. This self-made star reveals to the world once again that not only can she do it all, but she doesn’t need any help, singing, “Thank you, but no thank you, I can do it better.”
Paired with this girl-boss anthem is the equally stunning and incredibly empowered, cinematic music video. The scene opens to find the singer bruised up in an alley, with a pile of bodies at her feet; showcasing a hard-earned victory from simply being the best around. Others can try, but they just can’t beat her. Reminiscent of the grimy, iconic gangster films of old, our singer takes the spotlight as someone going off “like a maniac,” and reminds us all to “watch our backs.” Mess around and you’ll find out just what’s in store, and from the looks of it, things will definitely get a little bloody in the process. Despite it all, our protagonist has no qualms with who she is, and if anything relishes in the carnage she can impart to all those who cross her, a beautiful combination of elegance, control, and power. What makes it that much more extraordinary is that this incredibly intricate video was shot over just two days, another testament to Emily Mei’s talent as not just a singer, but an actress, co-director, and producer as well.
Emerging from the depths of his basement studio in Vaughan, Ontario, 19-year-old Aidan Skira is driven by a visceral need to get his dark and yet hopeful perspective out into the world. Growing up in a working-class suburban family, Skira’s sheltered upbringing hid him from the atrocities of the modern world. Now deep into the trials and tribulations of adolescence, he is discovering the realities of adulthood and using his music and animations to make sense of it all.
A one man show, he has a vision all his own; self-taught, self-produced, self-animated. With an organic following of bedroom-music-heads and kids from the suburbs who relate to the heartbreak of being exposed to the truths of adult life, Skira knows he has a unique perspective to share – and is bringing his people with him.
To be in someone else’s shoes is to experience things through their perspective. New single, “In Your Shoes,” tries to figure out what the other person’s angle is in order to relate/adapt to their outlook on things. Penned during a time in Skira’s life when he kept getting taken advantage of by people who took his kindness for weakness and drained him of his energy.
Modern Mystery 