Latest Soul Posts

[TMN Exclusive Interview] Autre Ne Veute Riffs on His New Album, Watered Down Tequila & Shapeshifting

Posted by Matthew Bloss - September 28, 2015

Autre Ne Veut
World War Pt. 2

Arthur Ashin, who has grown much more readily recognizable as his Autre Ne Veut stage moniker over the years, has been one of our most looked-to tastemaking artists since his excellent Anxiety LP in 2013 and sterling catalog as a whole, which dips its toes into experimental R&B, soul, pop, rock and more. Most recently, Ashin’s latest single “Panic Room” stirred up something darkly beautiful within us once again and the busy artist has also been making the press rounds on behalf of the latest Autre Ne Veut full-length, Age of Transparency, which is getting set for an October 2 release via Downtown, along with an accompanying U.S. tour. We wanted a deeper look into one of the most enigmatic and creative minds within any capacity of music, and got to catch up with Arthur for quite the random interview. Be on the lookout for a show near you in the coming months, and in the mean time, read our full interview with Autre Ne Veut below.

The Music Ninja: You’re getting ready to release Age of Transparency, your third proper full-length after both your excellent self-titled debut in 2010 and of course the highly praised Anxiety in 2013. We’ve gotten a few tastes of AoT with “World War Pt. 2”, its jazz-tinged counterpart, and “Panic Room”, but wanted a little more insight as to what sets Age of Transparency apart from your other works including the Body EP. You were dealing with some rather heavy emotional stuff around Anxiety, what was your headspace like on your latest LP?

Autre Ne Veut: It is more naturalistic in tone. There are more nods to 70s Rod Stewart, ECM style jazz recordings, Alice Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders, Ornette Coleman, Astral Weeks than there were on Anxiety. Spiritually, it feels a bit more related to the self titled album than Anxiety, or rather like a hyped up improvement or something. Still laden with self doubt and anxiety, but I try to tackle it from a bit more of a remove at times. That said, the vocal sound on AoT leans in even more than on Anxiety, it is dryer, more present, more tactile.

TMN: If we’re not mistaken, at one point you made a living as a jingle-writer. Not many people are aware of this fact, but do you think any of that job has seeped into Autre Ne Veut and added a bit of added accessibility to your sound whether it be a conscious move or not?

Finish the rest of the full transcript for our Autre Ne Veut interview after the jump!

[NEW] Ed Sheeran – Say It (Tory Lanez Cover)

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - September 19, 2015

Tory Lanez
Say It (Ed Sheeran Cover)

Soundcloud

Well, this was unexpected. Apparently Ed Sheeran had the day off today, so he decided to use his free time to record an acoustic cover of Tory Lanez‘s hit single, “Say It”. The British recording artist is no stranger to rap covers, and just as he did previously with Fetty Wap‘s “Trap Queen” earlier this year, Sheeran puts his own spin on the R&B jam, giving it a unique charm all its own. As for Tory, this is a great look for the Toronto crooner and should help the up-and-coming emcee expand his growing fan base even more. Just as we emphasized yesterday, this might be your last chance to hop on the Tory Lanez bandwagon before there’s no more room left. Stream the tune above, and let us know your thoughts on how it compares to the original.

Cover
Soul

[Avant-Pop/Soul/Video] Autre Ne Veut – Panic Room

Posted by Matthew Bloss - September 17, 2015

Autre Ne Veut
Panic Room

Soundcloud

Last month, Arthur Ashin, the New York avant-pop, -R&B and -soul experimentalist who records as Autre Ne Veut, announced the follow up to his excellent 2013 opus, Anxiety, with Age of Transparency (pre-order digitally here and on vinyl here). So far we’ve had the chance to hear “World War Pt. 2” and watch its soul creeping video counterpart; and today we’ve been given the second dose from the forthcoming LP in the form of “Panic Room”. Autre Ne Veut’s latest tune remains within his genre-skirting, experimentalist niche, but may also be Ashin’s most sonically textured endeavor yet. Dizzying synth lines spark back and forth over a two-step drum pattern, a flitting flute sample and scuzzy electronic percussion which all coalesce like a dream to bring Ashin’s unique, soaring vocals to the forefront; especially on its layered and harmonized chorus.

We’ve taken it a step further and also included the brand, beautiful new video for the acapella version of “Panic Room” directed by Allie Avital, which features Ashin singing in front of a panel of judges (his manager, sister, and Pitchfork writer Ian Cohen); “reflecting the anxieties (we can all relate to) of being an artist in the public sphere”. We’re perked up and ready to catch Autre Ne Veut on his latest U.S. tour in October, and in the throws of our fandom urge our readers to be on the lookout for our special interview with Ashin in the next few weeks. Until then, enjoy “Panic Room” above, watch the music video and check out the complete U.S. tour dates for ANV below.

U.S. Tour Dates:

Thu Oct 01 – NYC, NY – Rough Trade
Fri Oct 09 – Los Angeles, CA – Troubadour
Sat Oct 10 – San Francisco, CA – Social Hall SF
Mon Oct 12 – Portland, OR – Star Theater
Tue Oct 13 – Seattle, WA – Barboza
Fri Oct 16 – Denver, CO – Lost Lake
Sun Oct 18 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
Tue – Oct 20 – Toronto, ON – The Hoxton
Wed Oct 21 – Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
Thu Oct 22 – Boston, MA – Middle East Downstairs
Fri Oct 23 – Washington, CD – U Street Music Hall
Mon Oct 26 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom

[Indie/ Folk] Jackson Dyer – Steal Away

Posted by Will Rowe-Parr - September 16, 2015

Jackson Dyer
Steal Away

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If like me, you’re dispirited by the closing of festival season, this Berlin-based indie-folk artist will ease the transition from summer to back to school, university or work. Having released his brilliant EP ‘White Threads’ last year, Jackson Dyer has maintained and matured his magnificence within the new single ‘Steal Away’.

Instantly amerced by the warm depth of an ambient electric guitar, Dyer’s soulful vocals entice us to lose ourselves within this beautifully simplistic piece. ‘Steal away’ proceeds to run away with momentum as he invites the drums to help accelerate his voice, only elevating the song further. The Australian’s light vocals balance delicately upon the accompaniment, singing fondly of eloquent childhood memories along the west-coast of Australia. He later introduces the violin to bring this song to a gratifying peak of liberation, before stripping it all back to the bare essentials for the final lyrics.

Easily one of my favourite songs at the moment, ‘Steal Away’ liberates us as an audience and we quite literally steal away from our surroundings, and escape through this calming track. He sings almost desperately of home-sickness and yearning for the ocean, whilst feeling trapped amidst the concrete of Berlin city. It’s a piece that begs us to sway with his breathy voice, as the drums consistently play a perfectly laid back beat behind.

Check out the link below for potential tour dates, live videos and more music.

http://jacksondyer.com/home

[Soul] Louis Mattrs – Superman

Posted by Baseer Ahmad - September 15, 2015

Louis Mattrs
Superman

Soundcloud

When it comes to vocal prowess, we’re not sure even “Superman” could rival what Louis Mattrs brings to the table. Hailing from the UK, the multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer is the latest Brit to fly onto our radars with his brand new single. You may recognize Louis from his appearance on SG Lewis‘ much-heralded tune “No Less” from earlier this year. He follows a similar formula on his own number, while giving his delicately soulful vocals more room to breathe over simple, yet elegantly crafted production. At this point it seems pretty clear Louis has no kryptonite to speak of, and we expect big things from his forthcoming Slow Waves EP, which is also set to include features from Lucki Eck$ and Lauren K Faith.

Soul

[House] JAHKOY – Hold Your Hand

Posted by Tyler Trew - September 15, 2015

JAHKOY
Hold Your Hand

Soundcloud

Toronto’s JAHKOY brought another bipolar sound track to the table with the original “Hold Your Hand.” There’s so much going on in this song, it’s amazing. It’s like house, hip-hop, pop and indie-dance all had a baby together; this is what came of it. A beautiful, but upbeat production sets the stage for the vocal work that first comes as a more singer/songwriter style, then moves to a rap verse at the end. Fans of eclectic records just found what they were looking for. The great thing about “Hold Your Hand” is that it is balanced with its influences, not ranging too far out for picky genre-heads to not like it. Look out for JAHKOY to put out more great work in the future.

[Hip-Hop] S’natra – Love To See You Smile

Posted by Tyler Trew - September 14, 2015

S'natra
Love To See You Smile (prod. Ivan Jackson)

Soundcloud

Hip-Hip & Rap is being dominated right now by variations of trap and party music. Feel good hip-hop has been less sought after, however with S’natra‘s single “Love To See You Smile” he’s shaking up the place. A soulful Summer hit is what he created with producer Ivan Jackson and vocalist Natalie Cressman. This is what I’d rather hear on the radio than Fetty Wap; although “Trap Queen” is pretty catchy, this is better. It’s just got too many good vibes emanating from it not to love unconditionally. Over the past few years, hip-hop has been a genre that I’ve been very picky about, and this is one of the best records I can recall by far. S’natra and company get two thumbs up, ten out of ten, five stars, and so on. “Love To See You Smile” is magic.

Hip/Hop
Soul