Latest R&B Posts

[Video] Deebs & Jarell Perry – Relapse

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - December 17, 2015

Deebs & Jarell Perry
Relapse

The duo of Deebs and Jarell Perry proved what can be accomplished when two immensely creative forces collide together with the release of their collaborative Shift EP back in May. After taking their talents on tour across much of the West Coast and Canada, the pairing’s bond has only grown stronger since then and today we bear witness to the latest fruits of their labor in the form of the music video for their standout single “Relapse”. The stunning visuals serve as the directorial debut for fashion photographer/podcast host, Yoshino, whose previous work has been featured in publications like Elle and Flaunt Magazine.

The video starts off solemn and colorless, but signs of fracture start to show as the song builds towards it climax. Almost without warning, everything shatters into a sea of pixels, syncing up perfectly with the song’s urgent synths and Jarell’s ominous vocals. The visual piece serves as the best example of datamoshing that we’ve seen since Kanye West notably used the trippy glitchy effects for his “Welcome To Heartbreak” video back in 2009.

When asked about his vision for the track Perry had this to say about the inspiration behind the visuals:

I’ve seen a lot of close friends, particularly women, deal with limiting beliefs about who they are and who they can be outside of a toxic relationship. It’s a battle they are fighting with themselves, and for me it was important that the visuals represent that tension (and liberation) in a more unconventional way.

If you still somehow haven’t heard the duo’s Shift EP, do yourself a favor and grab a copy on iTunes. Look for new material from Deebs and Jarell to emerge soon, and for those in the L.A. area make sure to catch the latter with starRo at the Lyric Theatre on February 5th.

[Future R&B] The Loft – Survive

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - November 30, 2015

ONMZUSS021: The Loft
Survive

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Onamazu may be a new name to you, but this is a collective built on expanding into new territories. The latest in their Singles Series is a dark, minimalist tune courtesy of The Loft that is nearly indistinguishable from a Weeknd B-side. We don’t make that comparison lightly, so if you’re a fan of Abel, jump right in and hit play.

The production works well in its simplicity, allowing for the polished vocals to carry the weight of the tune in its chilling and commanding fashion. This is one of Onamazu’s most poignant releases, as the shift from experimental to accessible works heavily in their favor, making The Loft a stand out within their lineup. Kick back and enjoy your night with the latest from this eclectic group, and be sure to support them in any way you can!

Yellow Shoots – More Alive [TMN PREMIERE]

Posted by Clayton Warwick - November 18, 2015

The clock and calendar have it all wrong, as far as we’re concerned. We’re looking at the display in the top right corner of our computer screen as we type, but it can’t be correct. It can’t be Wednesday morning. Why’s that, you ask? Because Yellow Shoots has us feeling like it’s a Friday night, late, lit up by only the faint glow of a few candles around the bedroom.

“More Alive” is the eponymous single to the More Alive EP, and for those of you who’ve been following its path, you’ll know that it’s also the fifth and final single. If you haven’t been tuned in, let us catch you up to speed before you dive in. Yellow Shoots is the moniker for the Pennsylvania-based, multi-faceted, multi-instrumentalist and producer Greg Matthews. As you start to wade into his work, you’ll notice nuances of jazz, R&B, and hip-hop, all of which are tied back to his experiences while studying guitar at The University of the Arts. Since then, he’s relocated to the new musician mecca of Brooklyn and started up the project you’re hearing now.

We’ve included the full EP for your listening enjoyment, but today’s focus is all on the premiere of “More Alive.” Featuring LA-based MC Mayo, this tune is rife with sexuality, both vocally and instrumentally. It boasts a smooth bassline, pronounced kicks, and a seductive, distorted guitar riff, all of which lie delicately underneath Yellow Shoots alluring vocal tone and lyrics, and a heated verse from Mayo.

Take a listen through, but try not to get too hot and bothered at work. You still have half a day until you can put this playlist into proper action.

’More Alive ft. Mayo’

Soundcloud

’Soul Find Me (ft. Faja)’

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’Yellow Shoots – Pieces’

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’Yellow Shoots – Tame You’

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’Yellow Shoots – Hold Me Down’

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Galimatias – Voyage Mix.03 [TMN PREMIERE]

Posted by Clayton Warwick - November 11, 2015

Voyage
Mix.03

Soundcloud

As we wind down our month-long spotlight on Danish-born producer Galimatias, we’ve arrived on the portion most people have highlighted in their calendar. While we personally look forward to every piece of content our Resident Artist dials up with us, we know most people like to get their hands and ears on some exclusive music, which is exactly what we have for you today.

It’s been a full year since Galimatias put out his last Voyage Mix, and we’re sure a lot of you have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of only his third public mix. Well, today is your day.

Tracklist:

Sweetheart of Kairi – Approaching Farewell
Gallant – Intro
Sango, Dpat, Atu, Alina Baraz – Knew You x Show Me
Ukendt Kunstner – Boulevarden
Partynextdoor – Things & Such
Galimatias – Homegrown Galaxies (unreleased)
Galimatias – Plastic Snow (unreleased)
K-lone – Iris
Donnie & Joe Emerson – Baby
Jamie xx – Sleep Sound
Congi – Spoken Word (K-lone Remix)
Gavin James – For You (Bearcubs Remix)

Galimatias Dishes on His Tour, Remixing Porter Robinson, and Sade [TMN RESIDENT ARTIST INTERVIEW]

Posted by Clayton Warwick - October 27, 2015

As we started planning this month-long spotlight on Danish producer Galimatias, we were anxiously awaiting this portion of his Residency. Knowing that we would soon enter a selective group of very few publications who have had a chance to talk with this quickly rising star, we relished in the opportunity. The only drawback to this exclusive chat was how difficult it would soon be to narrow our questions down to a reasonable amount. In all honesty, we could have dialed up at least twenty-five, but that would have been a tremendously long read. Instead, we went with what you’ll find below.

TMN: First off, thank you so much for being a part of our Residency program. It’s an absolute pleasure to have you. You’ve just come off tour and a wildly successful EP. Did you take a moment to breathe, or have you jumped right back into the studio?

Thank you, it’s been a while since I’ve had time, so yeah, I’ve been excited to get back to making music. It was a pretty short tour run, but being the very first live shows for me and Alina both, we had a lot to learn going into it. So, it was still a big process.

TMN: Speaking of the tour, we have to imagine that you had a few “Holy shit!” moments. Was there any particular show or fan interaction that made you step back in disbelief?

Oh yeah, the first show in Santa Ana was for sure the craziest experience. It was so packed that some people couldn’t fit into the room and were standing in the hallway. The energy was so raw and positive. It’s one thing to see the numbers on the internet, but getting out there and feeling the people behind it is a whole new world. Once Alina started singing, everybody was singing along. My proudest moment was when Nas shook my hand after the show and said he was down with it. He was one of the artists I grew up listening to.

TMN Let’s touch on Urban Flora. It’s safe to say that this whole project started from a simple Soundcloud message, correct?

Back when Alina was just starting to write, which is only about 2 years ago, she was looking for instrumentals and came across a track of mine. So she wrote what would become “Drift” and sent it to me on Soundcloud. I was blown away and we started talking about music. Already then, I knew she was very different it was apparent not just in her songwriting, but also in the way she presented it. She is the most beautiful girl, but used this pitch black square as her picture across all social media and I remember asking her why. But, that’s how she connected with the right people and built a fanbase that fell in love with her art and not her face. I don’t know who would make that compromise and not just utilize everything they have. It was very intriguing to me. That’s when I knew this girl is 100% about her music. She sent me some acapellas of songs she had recorded. With two acapellas, I would make what became “Make You Feel” and “Pretty Thoughts”. This was late 2013. We released all those 3 tracks on Soundcloud. I didn’t look elsewhere for people to collaborate with after that. I was so set on us making a project together. From then we would just send back and forth ideas until we had created the 8 tracks of the EP.

Continue reading →

[Indie] Folded Like Fabric – Patiently

Posted by Matthew Bloss - October 27, 2015

Folded Like Fabric
Patiently

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Some songs simply have a way of injecting a special feeling into the start of your day. Such was the case this morning when we came across I Tried, the debut EP from Folded Like Fabric and their opening single “Patiently”. Folded Like Fabric is the Hastings, UK based project of Jay Mooncie & Connor Sims, and the pair’s jazz inflected take on a contemporary blend of R&B, pop, and indie sensibilities have had us swooning head over heels since first consumption. “Patiently” ambles out of the gate into a slow-burning build as Sims’ misty reverberations -which carry the faintest echoes of If You’re Feeling Sinister era Stuart Murdoch– dominate the first guitar-tickled half of the tune before picking up a loungey drum roll and gradually evolving into a more complete version of itself. The perfect pairing with your morning or afternoon coffee, trust us.

I Tried was released on 25th September via Beauvoir Records and can be picked up here. In the mean time, and since you’ve already made it this far, enjoy “Patiently” from Folded Like Fabric above.

Mar – I Could Care Less [TMN PREMIERE]

Posted by Ash El Gamal - October 22, 2015

Mar
I Could Care Less

Soundcloud

Dutch producer and vocalist Mar possesses a voice that recalls R&B’s greats–a talent he’s used to push genre boundaries forward into uncharted electronic territory. Whether he’s cultivating futuristic bedroom anthems or irresistible dance-floor grooves, Mar always injects a distinct amount of feeling into his tunes that’s made him a favorite on TMN. He’s got an EP due out next month and, today, we’ve got the premiere of the final single before its release.

“I Could Care Less” marks yet another sound exploration for Mar, which takes us back in time. After an airy electric guitar-powered intro, the backdrop quickly develops into a late-80s/early-90s throwback vibe with the help of a deep bass-line and atmospheric keys. Fittingly, Mar’s vocals feel like they could be straight out of R&B’s golden era making for an encompassing, retro-fitted jam.

When We Meet, his upcoming EP, will feature co-production from Sebastian Carter and Beau Damian, the latter of which pitched in on this anthemic track. Based on the singles thus far alone, the project promises to be a dynamic listening experience unlike any other. In the meantime, hit play above and take a trip back to the Michael Jackson era.