The Mystical Music of the Islamic Sufis arrives at Enchanted Forest [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

For some, the gathering of like-minded, free-spirited individuals in the forest for 4 days of non-stop music, workshops, speakers, and art is enough to transform the soul. To show you another way to live, a more enriched, fulfilled way of seeing the possibilities all around us. But for others, this is not enough. To satisfy the desires of a diverse crowd, Enchanted Forest doesn’t stop there. They bring some of the most unique attributes of the festival scene into play, including a liberating #freethenipple campaign, 24-hour shower parties, a 100 percent alcohol-free experience, and a “Save The Planet” charity initiative with Cadence & Cause, where you can win 2 all-inclusive tickets to the festival simply by donating.

To top it off, Enchanted Forest brings with them some of the most well know and carefully selected musicians the festival space has to offer. Including a fascinating 8 member Qawwali group called Fanna Fi Allah.

Qawwali music is something that most of us from the festival world have never heard of. It is a cultural phenomenon in South Asia and has been around for almost a thousand years, so why are we introduced to it now?

We sat down with their founder Tahir to ask a few questions of this uniquely inspiring band before heading into the forest.

TMN: So, how long have you guys been around and where do you play most of your music?

Tahir: We have been touring for 16 years and actually only play about 5% of our music at American festivals. Most is spent in Pakistan, India, and the Punjabi cultures in South Asia and the Middle East.
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[Experimental] MODEL 86 – When You Realise… EP

After hearing MODEL 86’s song “MONO” which was released a couple months back, I knew I would have my eye on this London-based producer. He is fresh to the scene but he is no novice to the world of creating music. His inspiration and ability are up there and if he keeps to this route he might become a well known taste maker. “MONO” served as a stellar promotional single preceding a full EP. It communicated the general sound and feeling behind the idea he had for this project, and it had me eagerly waiting for more.

Now the entirely of the EP is upon us and the creativity MODEL 86 was able to bring to that single resonates throughout the whole album. It is titled, “When You Realise People Are Not One Dimensional Characters In A Movie Of Your Life.” This abstract unorthodox title fits the album’s unique style. Throughout the record, MODEL 86 dives deeper into his inspirations and experimental curiosities.

With hip-hop, electronic and pop influences, MODEL 86’s songs span a diverse sonic palate. The two leading tracks, “Holdin’” and “MONO” are much more straight forward compared to the second half of the album. But the tracks flow together well. “NEED 808” serves as a perfect midpoint. It resembles a disjointed popular electronic song where a catchy melody is taken by storm, overrun by quick high hats, unpredictable hip-hop rhythms and glitchy vocal chops.

Any fans of forward-thinking hip-hop and electronic music will find something special here. So explore the new MODEL 86 EP, “When You Realise People Are Not One Dimensional Characters In A Movie Of Your Life.” 

’Holdin’
’MONO’
’NEED 808’
’Fake Life Jackets’
’Fallin Dust And Snow In A Ray Of Sun’
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[Experimental] POLO – greta

POLO
greta

POLO is no stranger here at The Music Ninja. He continues to shape-shift and delve into all types of genre hybrids, and “greta” is a prime example of his dive into a more experimental approach. Constructed as an ode to his significant other, this song juggles emotional weight, jittery and sporadic synth stabs, and a powerful sense of passion that rattles your speakers while somehow also tugging at your heartstrings. It’s jarring in the best way. “greta” is just a taste of what’s to come as POLO has schedule weekly releases to be part of an upcoming album that’s sure to confuse and intrigue simultaneously. He’s created quite a style for himself, and we’re always ready for more.

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Saturday Selection Vol. 11: Alizzz

Saturday Selection Template

Saturday Selection is getting a little bit of a makeover. Instead of five songs you may have missed or need to hear from the previous week, we’re looking to explore some of the best highlights of a single artist or group. Our first focus will cover Barcelona native Alizz and his unpredictable yet undeniable combination of R&B, club, and pop music that he’s crafted into his own signature style.

Knowing when to shift in a new direction musically is an inherent skill than isn’t easy to pick up on most of the time, but Alizz has managed to score releases on Jeffree’s, Arkestra, and Moving Castle without slowing down or compromising his sound. His recent work with Santell is a testament to his ability to nail down and push the possibilities of R&B, while his foray into more of a pop sound is prime material that certainly defines itself as a standout release in the Moving Castle discography. Even with his massive tune “In Chains”, Alizzz stays dynamic and takes care to constantly transform and improve from song to song. When it comes to reformulating genres and creating something fresh, Alizzz comes to mind every time.

Follow Alizzz:

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Alizzz – Better Than You feat. Promnite, Santell, Iyeball
Alizzz – Your Love (feat. Max Marshall)
Alizzz – Body Slam feat. Santell
Lido – I Love You (Alizzz Remix)
Alizzz – In Chains
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Miki Rose – Right There (prod. By Giorgio Oehlers) [TMN PREMIERE]

Miki Rose
Right There (Prod. By Giorgio Oehlers) | 'XOXO'

If you weren’t planning on feeling sexy today, you might want to do some rescheduling because that’s about to change with this first cut off of Miki Rose‘s forthcoming EP. We’ve been lucky enough to catch and cover some of her previous work with El. Train and Toolbox, so it goes without saying that we’re extremely delighted to give you the first look into her solo project with Darker Than Wax.

“Right There” reflects a miraculous blend of R&B, soul, and electronic influences that exude an unashamed and warranted sense of pride that Miki has in her work. The groove is contagious. It shakes you up just right and gets under your skin in the best of ways. The slick and sensual delivery of every line isn’t the only treat in this tune, as the prowess of Giorgio Oehlers is equally put on display with his magnificent instrumentation. You can instantly and easily lose yourself between the keys and Miki’s voice alone, but the entire song stands as a triumph for her incipient XOXO EP. Good luck not breaking a little sweat listening to this one.

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The Music Ninja Residency Mix 004: um.. [TMN EXCLUSIVE]

The Music Ninja
The Music Ninja Residency Mix 004: um..

All good things must come to an end, and as sad as we are about it, that, unfortunately, includes this month’s residency with um.. Over the past few weeks, we’ve had some laughs, talked a lot about dogs, and brought you a hefty sampling of unique tunes. Now, it’s time to close things out with one hell of an exclusive mix. Put your headphones on and let this one ride all the way through.

Tracklist:
x&g – whiplash feat. josh pan (um.. remix)
valentine – initiation
mr. carmack – ego
must die – neo tokyo
josh pan – kill shot
tuslo – blunt after blunt
um.. – u kno?
um.. – that’s horrible
flexenbaum – who’s got the keys
tennyson – for you
oolacile – welcome to yharnham
phiso – jotaro
midnight tyrannosaurus – the demon(dack janiels remix)
caspa & the others – well ‘are
tnght – buggin’
tasty treat x tuslo – inferno
um.. – skrillex 2
esq – j’s
um.. – do it for the kids
rl grime – core
um.. – dotes
um.. – who’s care
noisia & phace – program (awe flip)
um.. – try harder
gjones – fuck what you heard
tails. – 100 hammers
tsuruda – punjabi slang
noisia & mono poly – the nomad
tennyson – smother feat. mythic

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um.. Discuss Icon Collective, Dogs, and Their New EP [TMN RESIDENCY INTERVIEW]

’u kno?’
’do it for the kids’
’try harder’

TMN:Thanks for taking some time to sit down with us and for coming on board as our resident artist for this month. We’re stoked to feature you guys. Let’s talk about your latest EP, which is your second to date. Can fans expect what they’ve come to know and love, or are you guys switching things up at all?

Ben: I feel like it’s sort of both. I feel like we’ve never really stayed the same, as an artist. So, I feel like they’re expecting something different.

Dylan: It definitely sounds like us, but no song really sounds the same. So, it will be a good variety of new, better sounding stuff.

TMN: You’re also doing a tour in support of the EP, hitting up a few east coast and a few west coast spots. In three words, tell fans what’s in store.

Ben: Only three words?

Dylan (higher): For the Kids.

TMN: You guys have a beautiful balance with your music. It’s chaotic, experimental, but all comes together in a highly addicting experience. How did you initially start out with this sound?
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