AMAARA’s debut album, Child of Venus, is a bold and unforgettable introduction to Kaelen Ohm’s music. The Canadian-born singer, songwriter, and producer’s third collection of songs is reminiscent of classic-era dream-pop as well as Radiohead’s most spectral and haunting moments—and yet the resulting sound is entirely her own, teeming with detail in a way that draws listeners in and keeps them coming back.
A reflective work that zooms in on the things we hold close and what manages to escape our grasp, Child of Venus is a record that leaves a mark on anyone who hears it, in the best way possible
“Still” swoops and bends like Treasure-era Cocteau Twins as Ohm immerses herself in what living through love really means. “It’s about looking at love as a journey,” she says while discussing the song. “At the other side of it, there can be so much reflection and beauty – and questioning where the other person is at in their process.”
Child of Venus as a whole is a document of rediscovery and transition, with Ohm coming up for air as an artist and human being truly reborn. “I wanted to share this emergence of me as a person and artist,” she reflects. I’ve been going through so much change, and this record speaks to the path that I’ve been on. I hope this music will find its place in the world and will be able to act as a companion in peoples’ lives if they connect with it.”
Sebastian Reynolds’ “Cascade” intones a captivating voice as forbidding drones ring against throbbing rhythms, leaving listeners unsure whether to dance or to seek cover.
Watch and listen here:
Inspired by Reynolds’ love for bands such as Liars, Public Service Broadcasting and Radiohead, “Cascade” is an electrifying taste of what’s to come from his upcoming full-length Canary— taught, dystopian drones for a civilization in collapse marked by a compositional approach influenced by composers like Susumu Yokota, Luigi Nono, Olivier Messiaen, and Karlheinz Stockhausen.
Once again, Reynolds traverses modern classical composition and retro-futurist production, this time visiting upon the stillbirth of a child, the death of one’s parents, the nature of consciousness, the relationship between mind and body, the fragmentation of our collective mindscape, and the awakening of machine intelligence.
References to John F. Kennedy, Carl Jung, and Robert Monroe’s influential book Journeys Out of the Body pepper Reynolds’ meditations as samples from contemporary figures Sam Harris, Lex Friedman, and Navy SEAL Jocko Willink both guide and disorient the listener. As always, Reynolds is keen on preserving a sense of meaning in the mélange of programmed and organic sounds he’s come to be known for.
Reynolds has collaborated with German classical/expressionist musician/composers Anne Müller (Erased Tapes) and Alex Stolze (Bodi Bill) in their Solo Collective project, as well as Mike Bannard at The Aviary and others. He also continues to work on commissions for Neon Dance. Recent works with the company include Puzzle Creature, Prehension Blooms, the Thai-inspired Mahajanaka Dance Drama, and Manuals for Living and Dying. He is currently working on a film commission for Oxford University. His music has been widely supported across the BBC‘s networks and beyond. He hails from Oxford, where he spent his formative years cutting his teeth in the UK cult outfits Braindead Collective and Keyboard Choir.
Today, a new single is released under international idol Lay Zhang’s (LAY) very own music collective called the D.N.A Music Alliance, a curated collection of talented and emerging Chinese musicians that are to dominate the music industry on a global level. The new track, “Except,” is from rapper DANKO, which comes off the heels of back-to-back releases such as “21” by rapper GALI and “What She Said” by Vinida plus the group effort, “Break My Heart.” All releases are under the executive reproduction by LAY himself.
D.N.A’s stacked line up consisting of 7 talented artists, including DANKO, GALI, Vinida and LAY himself debuted the collective with a full group project called “Cyphers.” Along with an experienced production team, with one of their producers being GRAMMY® award-winning producer Murda Beatz, this group of artists continues to expand its global reach. This next release sets the tone with a new subunit of the Alliance that is long-awaited and showcases a distinct style.
LAY’s production skills shine through in his ability to craft captivating melodies, intricate beats, and atmospheric soundscapes that elevate the overall quality and aesthetics of the song. His creative vision and attention to detail contribute to the success and sonic appeal of the track, showcasing his versatility and talent as a multi-faceted artist in the realm of music production.
With a fluid flow, GALI’s abilities are unmatchable when it comes to style, he is a chameleon when it comes to adapting to different styles of music. GALI effortlessly showcases his lyrics and clever rhymes with his songs. With impeccable control and sense of flow, the artist creates a new style of rap that captivates the listener from start to finish.
Shanghai-based, hip-hop pioneer GALI is a rising star in the Chinese hip-hop music scene. He has established himself as a rapper and one of the most watched rappers in China, having been third runner-up of the 2020 hit show, Rap of China. His thoughtful lyrics and connotative taste distinguish him from other rappers. He continued to demonstrate that he is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry with the recent release of a single titled. “Stay With ME ((因你而在)” with YIHUIK (苡慧). The well-known Chinese rapper is all set to take his fans on an electrifying journey when he brings his much-anticipated ATLANTIS tour to Melbourne’s 170 Russell on Sunday, July 23, fresh from a slot at Australia’s premier festival Splendour in the Grass.
China-based rapper, DANKO is no stranger to the public in Asia and has become a household name from his vibrant career. He debuted in 2011 with his first album, “Illusion Human Nature” and soon became part of several known groups. He’s toured the United States and has released an array of hit singles, even appearing on the hit TV show, “The Rap of China” like his predecessors that brought him to prominence. This latest release is a testament to DANKO and LAY’s undeniable chemistry as artist and producer. The track showcases the pair’s perfect blend of rhythmic beats and verses to catch melodies effortlessly executed under a classical instrumental.
LAY has been and continues to be a household name in Asia, and his career his been a whirlwind the last three years after joining forces with Steve Aoki and will.i.am for the 2020 hit cross-cultural collaborationLove You More, reaching #1 on the QQ Music China chart. He then released a string of hits with an album, two EP’s, cross-genre collaborations and solo singles overseas further propelling his international star power. The Chinese icon is one of the most beloved stars in the region with a loyal and highly engaged 51 million followers on Weibo and over 14.2 million followers on Instagram. As a solo artist, the entrepreneur’s career has skyrocketed to tremendous success, becoming the highest-ranked Mando-pop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the U.S.; with his third solo albumNAMANANA. Outside of music, he routinely showcases his skills for acting in TV and film roles, hosted multiple top-rated reality shows in Asia and is one of the most awarded artists in China. Now, LAY is working with a multitude of established and emerging artists to help bring their star power overseas with this project close to his heart.
Acclaimed Los Angeles-based band The Americans today released their intricate new EP, Strays, pushing the boundaries of their genre.
Strays is an impressive demonstration of the band’s ability to reinvent rock & roll through the prism of early folk and blues. Patrick Ferris (vocals/guitar), Zac Sokolow (guitar), and Jake Faulkner (bass) deliver an album that lands somewhere between Bruce Springsteen and Nathaniel Rateliff.
The Americans’ last two releases, Stand True (2022) and I’ll Be Yours (2017), helped catapult the band into the spotlight. Revered producer T Bone Burnett called them “genius twenty-first century musicians that are reinventing American heritage music for this century. And it sounds even better this century.” Acclaimed music journalist Greil Marcus (Pitchfork) writes, “From the first rolling guitar notes, carrying sadness and defiance like dust, this sweeps me up: I want to know everything about where that feeling came from, and where it’s going.”
The first single, “When You Get Back,” is a heartbreak song about devotion and solitude in the face of unlikely odds. Vocalist Patrick Ferris weaves between a soulful whisper and all-out rocking choruses. He sings mournfully, “You left the life of virtue / To them that might deserve you / And drifted out to sea.” It’s an intimate, emotional opener that sets the tone for the rest of the EP.
“We write our songs inside-out,” says Patrick. “We grab hold of something minuscule and primitive—a simple turn of phrase or an unusual beat—and try to build a song around it. It’s inefficient, but when it works, it works.”
“Land of the Free,” the second track on Strays, is a powerful anthem about homelessness in Los Angeles. With a Tom Waits-crooner opening, featuring piano and upright bass, the song falls into a dreamscape of rolling rhythms and shimmering electric guitars. “O’er the land of the freeways,” sings Patrick, “and the home of the strays.”
Patrick’s resonant vocals shine again on the hard-hitting second single “Kingdom.” Layered with ripping guitar riffs from Zac and exquisite bass grooves from Jake, the song examines the power of one-way desire. Patrick snarls, “You hold the key to the kingdom / Wrapped ’round your wrist like a weapon.”
The band’s distinctive, powerful works have captured the attention of a number of stars. They’ve backed Nick Cave, Lucinda Williams, Ashley Monroe, and Devendra Banhart, and joined Ryan Bingham on four national tours. They worked closely with Jack White and T Bone Burnett, joining Nas, Elton John, and Alabama Shakes in the PBS/BBC primetime series American Epic. They have appeared on The Late Show(CBS), and their music was featured in the filmsTexas Killing Fields, A Country Called Home, Little Glory, and the TV seriesNo Tomorrow. Strays is an EP that’s full of catchy hooks, soulful vocals, and innovative arrangements. The Americans have once again proved themselves to be one of the most exciting and talented bands in the roots music scene.
Irish alt rock artist Tadgh Billy King’s (pronounced like “Tiger” without the “er”) earliest memories are of literally living above a beloved New York City music venue, The Local 269, his parent’s owned and operated. During that formative time, he soaked in the rock, punk, jazz, and pop that soundtracked the bar’s existence.
This melting pot of sounds would be a template for his own unbound musical explorations where he often explored the music of the Ramones, Green Day, and Nirvana, alongside studying classical vocal and guitar techniques.
The self-reflective and introspective post punk and alt goth “mirror” is at once ethereal and chaotic, brash and sweet. Filled with chilling guitar ambience, goth-y, thick baritone vocals, and crushing walls of sound, it all leads up to a viscerally anthemic, gazy, wild, final chorus.
The music video reflects the darker, more gothic style of the song. He plays with angles and mirrors to symbolize his internal examination and self-reflection.
We got a chance to speak with Tadgh about the music video for “mirror”:
Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically inthis way.
Mirror is a song about self reflection. Its me taking a second to examine myself and take stock. At the time of writing it I was looking at where I’d come from, where I am now and how I’ve changed as a person over the last few years. I wanted the video to take the song further in this direction. With the visuals, I wanted to really lean into the goth rock-y style of the music and the introspective meaning behind the lyrics. I wanted to keep everything looking as dark and moody as possible to match the moodiness of the song.
What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)?
I’ve always really liked when artists are able to tell a larger story over a few different music videos. Even if its just a small easter egg or connection between their videos, I always appreciate it. I’m trying something like that with these videos and mirror, like “sit and wait,” is one piece of a larger story that will become clearer as more videos of mine come out.
I wanted this video to feel like a weird dream. I wanted to go a little deeper with this idea of self reflection and examination. This is where the visuals of me with my reflection come in. I wanted it to feel like I was stuck in this liminal space and by filming it on black it allowed me to play around with angles and have me really “examine” myself. I’ve also always been interested in playing around with the idea of reality and how dreams can sometimes feel so real it can sometimes really take a second to discern what’s a genuine memory of something that happened in real life and what’s a memory of a dream.
What was the process of making this video?
There were two main shoots for this video. The first shoot was done in a rehearsal studio here in Dublin that has these big floor to ceiling windows. We hung up some black material and filmed me standing next to the mirror at different angles singing the song and a few takes of me playing some of the guitar parts. Then the second shoot was me in the car. I chose some visually interesting locations around Dublin for me to get in and out of the car and then drove around the city shooting me from the back seat looking into the rearview mirror and the front seat.
I really wanted to play with what was real and what was the dream to try and give a sense that by the end of the video, when I get out of the car, its hard to tell if I’m still dreaming or not. Most of that came down to the editing process. This is the part of the process where I was really able to experiment with the different “mirror-on-black” angles and what meaning and feeling they give depending on the orientation. The car shots were pretty easy to edit, I could visualise what I wanted for them from the beginning of planning the video and was really pleased with how they turned out lighting-wise as that was just a complete luck of the draw.
It was a fun video to make. There will be another one for my next single “breathe out” that will come soon after the single is released on the 21st of July.
Liam Barrack is a Canadian singer-songwriter who has been produced by Juno award winners and has a unique aesthetic and musical architecture. Liam, who graduated from Bishop’s University in Quebec, did a joint degree in Music and Computer Science. While he thoroughly enjoys the latter, he loves Music above all else, and has dedicated himself to learning multiple instruments including guitar and piano.
His latest single in his early rising discography “Tryin’” is a breezy and brightly bouncing indie-pop tune. Hidden in the joyous arrangement are heavier lyrics about Liam’s struggle with executive dysfunction and often straining relationships due to not being as reliable as he intends.
“The song is about managing a relationship with someone while hardly being able to manage yourself. It’s about wanting to keep something you’re losing, and making promises of change – ultimately that you’re “Trying”.”
Modern Mystery 
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